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Shinji's eyes shot open, the lingering feeling of the nightmare fresh in his mind. The visions of *that time* still haunted him, even today. His eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room before they widened at the sight of a red mop of hair splayed across his chest.
"Even just the sight of you gets on my nerves!"
A memory. So distant yet so vividly fresh. He began to panic. Was this real? Did he really wake up? Or has everything until now been a deluded dream? Something to make him think he wasn't the-
A caress. Gentle. Familiar. He inhaled sharply and snapped out of the train of thought. He didn't see the face of unbridled hatred he was expecting. Instead, he was met with a look of concern tinged with annoyance, and a hand caressing his face like on that beach all those years ago.
"A-Asuka?" His mouth was dry, making the formation of words just the slightest bit harder.
"Your heart was racing, what's wrong?" Of course, he managed to ruin her- "Shinji." She changed her caress to a squeeze causing him to flinch slightly. "Stop blaming yourself for stupid things and Tell. Me. What's. Wrong."
"S-" He quickly clamped down on an instinctive apology. He didn't want to upset her anymore. "Well…" He began before stopping, trying to find the words to say. "It's…." He took a deep breath and tried to collect his thoughts. Her eye stared into his as she patiently waited for him to begin. "I…. had a nightmare." He finally managed to get out, his hand moving over the one she was using to caress his cheek, squeezing it for comfort. "Of… Third Impact. Of Instrumentality." She didn't say anything, she just continued to listen. "I was on the beach, and I was just waiting. But nobody ever returned. Not you, not Misato, not Touji or Kensuke. Nobody. I was alone as everything around me began to rot away. The only sound I could hear was the echo of humanity's dying screams." He shivered, the memory still echoing in the waning corners of his thoughts.
"It must've been hard. But it was only a dream, you're not alone." She reassured, her arm dropping from the caress to snake around his back in a lazy embrace.
"I know." He reciprocates her hug with one of his own. "It's just…. Sometimes it feels too real. Then I wake up and think this isn't real. You, this apartment, my job, the world. It feels…. too good to be true." He pauses as he can almost feel her frown deepen before she decides to wriggle out of his embrace. "Asuka?" She doesn't respond as she climbs over him to lie at his side.
"Here." She commands, her arms open wide.
"Asuka, what are you….." She couldn't mean that could she? It was far too late, and he knew how much of an early riser she is so-
"Ugh, idiot." Apparently, he wasn't fast enough for her liking so she decided to take matters into her own hands. With a roll of her eye, she grabbed his head and forced it onto her chest.
"Asuka?!" The softness, of her shirt (his shirt he mentally noted) mind you, enveloped him. "What are-"
"Do you hear it?" He paused at her question.
"Hear what?" Her eye roll was audible.
"My heartbeat idiot. Do you hear it?" Her heartbeat? He concentrated, and sure enough, he could hear the rhythmic beating of her heart. It was oddly relaxing.
"Yeah. I hear it."
"Good. If you're ever worried about any of this not being real, you can listen to my heart, and you'll know it's real." A part of him wanted to question how it would be real, but the absolute confidence in her voice assured him that he could trust the beating of her heart.
"Thank you, Asuka." His eyes began to droop, the thump of her heart lulling him once more to sleep.
"Anytime my beloved idiot." He felt her begin to scratch his head. "You're getting a haircut by the way. Your hair is getting too long, and you're not sporting a ponytail again."
"Yes, Asuka." With no energy left to argue, he once more began to dream. This time, his dreams would be pleasant.
"Yes, Asuka." She could feel his body relax and lose all tension as he fell asleep.
"Sweet dreams Shinji." She whispered, her nails continuing to gently scratch his scalp. She was glad her heartbeat managed to help him, just as his always helped her. She laid her head back and closed her eye, intent on joining her husband in sleep. Well rested and ready to face whatever tomorrow brings.