SAFE AND SOUND HAVEN

Mari smirked as she shoved Asuka into the shop which was filled shoes, ties, shirts and trousers of every colour and form along with rolls and rolls of material of every colour on every shelf while dresses hung on racks. "Here we are princess." he watched as Shinji followed her in and they closed the door behind them causing the brass bell to ring.

She watched as Piero appeared, a big smile on his face as he caught sight of her and Shinji. "Hello Mari, it's great to see you again." He turned as Shinji sat himself down. "It's great to see you to Shinji!" He straightened his suit. "To what do I owe you both the pleasure?"

Asuka swallowed she couldn't do this, it was going to be awful, terrifying and embarrassing she turned trying to back away towards the door only for Mari to grab her collar pulling her back before she could escape.

Mari pushed Asuka forward. "Oh it's not us we brought someone very special to you who needs nice new formal dress wear." Piero blinked in surprise he had been here for six years and not once had he ever seen Asuka, she had never come into his families shop.

In fact he had heard that she was extremely picky about which shops and stores she went into and she tended to be very regular as well at the restaurants she ate in. It was only because of Rei that she was suddenly branching out and appearing in shops and stores she'd never been in before and it was creating a lot of talk on the Arcade levels.

She was just how she looked in the recent pictures his youngest sister Romia was a massive fan off hers and liked collecting her merchandise the only thing that did surprise him though was her height she wasn't that tall she was the slightly smaller than Misato, granted the smallest was Rei and he'd seen her in person.

Maybe it was because of her husky voice because it sounded so deep that it gave this false impression that she was six foot tall or something. He could see though that she was really nervous her good eye which wasn't patched kept looking around as if she was trying to find another exist route since Mari her step sister was standing right behind her so she couldn't run to the door.

He moved over to the cabinet easing out a bottle of wine and two glasses. "Hello Asuka." Asuka forced a smile. "Hi." Piero slowly poured a glass of wine the other knew what he was doing because they'd been here before and this was how he and his sisters liked to treat all their clients. "I can't say I've seen you here before." Asuka looked down at her feet. "I've never been here before." She moved her hand to her pendent as she started to nervously fiddle with it. "Until recently…."

Piero eased open his holographic pad he had other clients but he was going to push her to the top of the list as he had a feeling that since she was here it was probably urgent along with Kaji who had left an hour ago after being dragged in by Misato.

He moved forward easing up the wine glass. "Maybe you'd like a drink to calm your nerves." Asuka took the glass from his hands she normally didn't care for wine because she didn't like how bitter it could be but she'd drink anything to the point of getting wasted if it meant calming her nerves right now, she took a slow sip.

Only to pull away in surprise as it wasn't bitter at all it was very sweet and aromatic also as it was a white wine it didn't feel like it was clinging to throat like red wine did. "That's nice." Piero eased up his hand. "It's made from a recipe from my home village it's delicate and fine, I'm glad you approve." He eased up his note pad. "If you're here it means you need fine tailored dress wear, what were you thinking of having as we can make anything to your taste."

Shinji turned seeing one of Piero's sisters poke her head through the curtain she gave him a wave only to blink in surprise as she caught sight of Asuka and Mari. He stood up moving towards them seeing the others appear behind the certain. "Hello there."

Lucrezia spoke first. "Is that Asuka?" Shinji stepped inside. "Yes." He raised his hand. "She's here for formal dress wear as she has to attend a dinner with us all tomorrow night." Romia hands came together. "This is so cool! She is so awesome." Shinji eased up his hand. "Could you all do me a big favour?" Cianna leaned over ruffling his hair she knew he didn't mind. "What's that Shinji?" Shinji looked up. "When you take her measurements utterly faun over her, tell her she's intelligent, smart and beautiful, because she has confidence issues and we are all trying to help her out."

Gia blinked in surprise. "Hey I heard a rumour about this but I thought it was only a rumour, did this come about because of her left eye being blinded and this scar she has on her lower stomach, I've heard it's quite large."

Shinji shook his head. "No it's a problem she's had for some years but we've only just become very aware of it and the Alpha unit incident did not help matters granted Rei is always saying nice things to her but I think she needs to hear it from others."

Cianna pulled back the curtain eyeing Asuka who was now describing what she wanted while Piero was showing her designs and cuts and even talking about shoes as she could have them fitted here as well as everything came as a complete set Mari was standing close by looking over with interest. "Wouldn't think she had this problem I mean on screen she always has this confident moody edge."

Shinji looked at her. "I think that's so others don't see the truth that she's nervous and afraid, just like the rest of us." He paused. "Oh yeah and this is really important." He watched as they all turned back. "Don't take her patch off and her leather jacket is really precious let her give it to you don't take it off her and don't remove my sisters pendent because she'll get really annoyed."

Lucrezia nodded. "Thank you we got that." She paused. "Can I ask a personal question though?" Shinji nodded. "Go ahead." Lucrezia leaned closer. "How does your sister keep her so under control I mean we've seen the visitor centre footage and she just turns her into this soft gentle kitten?"

Shinji shook his head. "You misunderstand that is who Asuka really is, Rei is not controlling or taming her that is and she's like that when they are alone, she very gentle and loving and she'll do anything to make her happy."

Cianna looked up. "That's so sweet I had no idea she was such a soft touch, I mean when we first set up shop they told us pacifically not to annoy Asuka because she has a hot temper and that if you piss her off you do so at your own peril."

Shinji eased up his hand. "That part is only half true she doesn't just attack random people, normally they deserve what's coming to them like Yuki also she's only cagey towards people she doesn't know once she gets to know people she's fine." Gia put her hands on her hips. "Yeah I saw that video in Nerv's cloud feed, massive homophobic prick that guy I have a friend down on the seventh who he harassed because he's transgender so seeing her dish out justice for that was so satisfying."

She turned as Perio moved his head behind the curtain. "Okay I have Asuka Langley coming through to you, handle this one with great care, she's very new to this kind of thing and seems really nervous we need her full measurements for a long sleeve shirt and suit with trousers that had a leather belt and specially made tie and her foot size as she needs really good shoes."

He raised his hand. "Oh and pockets are a big deal she wants inner and outer and pockets on the trousers and she wants the gun holder compartment that we stock the one that can be moved to the leg or hidden under the suit and this one's a fast turnaround she needs it ready tomorrow." Shinji moved back giving them a wave. "I'll leave you to it."

8

Rei turned watching as the front door opened as Asuka walked in carrying some bags as she pulled on her black and red motor cycle shirt opening to let the air as she took her gloves off as she locked the door causing the metal shutter to go down on the opposite side. She looked up from her seat on the new three seat sofa where she was lying back reading her book. "Did you have fun with finding a suit?" Asuka pulled her jacket off. "Yeah it just took a while and they measure everything."

She paused as the smell of something hit her nose. "Did you order Mexican?" Rei felt a smile form. "Toji took his sister to a Mexican restaurant in the Arcade with me and Kaworu, I got you some take away, I know Piero's sisters love to chat and it takes a long while to leave that place as it's a family affair."

Asuka put her bags down pulling her boots then eased off her leather trousers and jacket putting them on them on the hanger opposite Rei's motorbike leathers which were hanging up close by. She clearly gotten here hours before her and had parked her motorbike up she had put her opposite it in the garage of her former farm house home. "I swear Shinji said something to them because they showered me with nothing but complements on how I great I was."

She pulled off her t-shirt throwing it in the washing machine. "It was really weird." Rei watched as she stretched she was only in her underwear and bra now she looked up not really reading her magazine's words as she let her eyes trace the other woman's shoulder muscles. "I'm sure all of it was true."

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Asuka pulled off her patch throwing it on the kitchen top. "Random people saying things like that to me creeps me out." She turned meeting Rei's gaze. "Did they finish the frame in the back garden?”

Rei looked up. "Yes I was there to see them put it all up, it's just how I want it and they left an hour ago they'll come back after tomorrow to put in the walls, floors, roof and furnishing and heating." Asuka moved towards her. "So long as it's what you want."

She looked up grabbing her bag. "Give me a moment I just want to get a quick wash and change I'll be right back down." Rei looked up. "Take your time." She watched as she vanished from sight, she knew it wouldn't take her long to come back down she had brought some bath salts for her bath as it was more than big enough for two, so hopefully they could lie in there together some time.

Clearly Shinji had been trying to help with her self-image problem which was nice but clearly she needed much more time.

She turned as Asuka reappeared wearing some fresh blue jeans and a white t-shirt she was bare foot and had a few shopping bags in her hand she turned putting her dirty clothes in the washing machine then grabbed the food, she eased up her feet watching as the red haired woman sat next to her on the sofa looking at the food bag along with her shopping bag.

Asuka looked at her bags. "I got you something." She opened one of the bags pulling out an old book. "You said you were having issues finding this edition, so I found it for you."

Rei put her magazine down taking it from her hand looking it over the shock hitting home. "Where did you get this Asuka?" Asuka didn't look up as she put a smaller bag on the coffee table which had newly bought hair ribbons in it. "Some book shop on the fiftieth floor of the Arcade, you said you lost that edition in school you lent it out and never ever got it back." Rei blinked in shock. "Asuka how much did pay for this? There are not many copies of this around and the one I had in school was tatty this looks almost new."

Asuka opened the ribbon bag as she pulled out a couple of the hair ribbons which were in reds and blacks. "It's just money I didn't mind spending it." She eased up a ribbon. "Do these look any good?" Rei sat up fully. "I would have been fine with a second hand one."

Asuka looked at her speaking calmly. "Trust me I looked into a second hand one, they are battered to hell, that's semi used and I got a very good price on it by being intimidating the shop keeper and making my left eye glow."

Rei looked at her for a long moment. "Seriously you did that?" Asuka eyed the ribbons again. "Yeah he was trying to rip me off, I hate being ripped off, granted pre-second impact books are expensive but he was trying to swindle me by saying how much it was in Yen and not euros and I'm not stupid I know how much Yen is too much."

She eyed the silk ribbons again. "Granted maths was not my best subject in school and when I engineer things I always have the data card run the hologram maths calculations twice to be sure I have the numbers right which I don't always get right but I'm not a moron."

Rei laughed as she looked up. "I heard in school you used to get these two bright boys to do your maths homework for you." Asuka turned slightly. "That incorrect I used to threaten to beat them up because I was really lazy and didn't want to do the homework, I wanted to draw instead because that was the one thing I couldn't do in Germany, since art wasn't high on their list and they didn't like my drawings in general."

She eased up the ribbons. "These don't look tacky or anything? They are for tomorrow night." Rei looked at the long silk ribbons which were in mostly reds though there was a black one as well. "No not at all but like I said your hair is beautiful loose you don't have to tie it up just because Ritsuko was digging at you."

Asuka eyed the ribbons. "It's not because of what she said, I don't give a scheisse about her opinion on my hair or how I wear it, I just want to look nice, since we are dinning together."

Rei lowered the book. "Well in that case I would like to see you in ribbons, I mean you used to wear ribbons at Misato's when we were younger and they looked really good on you." Asuka put down the ribbons feeling a smile form. "I'll get the suit tomorrow afternoon so I'll put them on then." Rei shifted a little closer raising the book. "Thank you so much for this." Asuka eyed the new book shelf opposite where almost all of Rei's books were unpacked but the shelf still wasn't full. "There still room for way more."

Rei leaned over gently kissing her. "Yeah well I'm sure I'll fill them in time." She leaned over grabbing the food bag putting it in Asuka's hand. "You should eat up I brought you one of those massive sized burrito with pulled pork, Toji in convinced you can't eat a whole one like he and Mari can."

Asuka raised an eyebrow. "Please I can eat anything meat based and still have room for more and I know I could eat him and Mari under a table." Rei felt a smile form. "I did tell him that." Asuka took a bite out of it enjoying the taste. "Thank you for buying me lunch."

Rei sat up running her hand through her long red hair. "You're very welcome." Asuka turned slightly. "Tell me because its years since I've been to one of these formal dinners, what are they like? Because the last one I remember going to before all that Hikari crap blew up in my face was really boring."

Rei put the book down as she eased herself up against the other woman putting her hand around her waist. "Nothing's changed they are still absolute terrible, it's basically just the same as it always was Ritsuko sucks up to whoever is prime minister and their family and guests and tells them how brilliant they are and goes on about how great my father Gendo is."

She moved her hand up running it down Asuka's baggy t-shirt. "Believe me though it's worth the three hours of pain for the hotel room." Asuka stopped eating. "What's so great about the hotel room?" Rei looked at her as it suddenly occurred to her that Asuka had not stayed in the hotel room she had always left and gone home on her motorbike as she had seen her leaving countess times over the years. "Misato booked us a suit just like Shinji and Kaworu so I'll get to show you."

Asuka looked at her for a long moment why did she suddenly get the feeling this was going to be one of those roller coaster rides where Rei threw her through a loop? Because she had a habit of doing that granted the ride was always beyond compare but it start always felt like she was being shifted out of her conform zone.

She turned suddenly hearing a chewing sound only to see that her small tortoiseshell cat with her tatty right ear was sitting on the sofa arm and chewing on the end of her half eaten burrito. "Erika!" Her cat's head shot up its yellow eyes blinking as it tried to play innocent she knew Rei had fed her, because she'd put out the new feeder alongside the old feeder bowls which fed the cat wet and dry food for a number of days she eyed her food as the carried on staring at her. "Fine I'll give you some."

Rei watched as she stood up, she was a massive push over when it came to her cat, we'll tactically it was their cat Asuka had said that the day she'd moved in. "I did feed her." Asuka cut off the burrito end putting the meat part only in disk as she watching Erika bounced on the kitchen top digging her head in as she threw the other bit away then carried on eating the remainder. "I know you did, it's just cats have no shame and I forgot the golden rule about not leaving food lying around, she used to be a stray so she'll eat anything going."

Rei looked up. "Have you had any luck with the two Spears of Destiny? I mean I heard yesterday you got pulled into the quarantine zone along with unit 02 and had you test them on stuff." Asuka finished her food she felt a scowl form. "I am getting so verfickte sick off those tests, the Spears don't do anything! They told me that there meant to create life so Ritsuko keeps bringing up dead cows for me to poke and nothing happens."

She breathed in deeply. "I just end up sitting 02 like a cat inside that massive glass room which they tell me used to be for Evangelion training in the really early days it would be fine if she let me play music or draw in the waiting periods but she won't she turns off all 02's fun stuff and demands that I get the spears working since I created them out of Bardiel digested remains."

She paused. "They don't do anything and nothing I've tried works." She eased up her hands looking at them. "Also I get this weird sensation off them it's not evil or anything but it makes me feel like they're not mine, despite that I created them."

Rei blinked. "Maybe that's because after Bardiel died his soul ascended through you and 02 so maybe it feels more like his than yours." Asuka shook her head. "He asked me to create them but they're not his and they're not mine and nothing I touch comes back to life." She looked up slightly. "Only amusing thing was when I accidentally sprayed half a dead cow across the screen in there."

She felt a sly smile form. "I was picking it up to point the spear at it and I kind of crushed it, and the blood went all over the glass viewing screen and Ritsuko was so pissed off." Rei felt a knowing smile form on her lips. "So you did it on purpose then?"

Asuka laughed. "Yes I did it was completely purpose, like I said I get so bored and I hate the hour long sessions and this crazy push for results." Rei stood up moving towards her putting her around her waist. "Well tomorrow we can just take it easy, though Misato wants all of the Evangelion's at the world parade in a few days."

Asuka looked at her. "Where is the world parade this year it moves every year?" Rei felt Asuka's arms close around her in their normal gentle hug. "Río de Janeiro in Brazil." Asuka breathed in deeply. "Great so we'll be standing our Evangelion's around doing nothing but looking menacing."

Rei breathed in as the intense smell of sun flowers hit her nose which came from Asuka entry plug and LCL and never left her body. "Sadly yes, but it does mean we can talk if nothing else." Asuka breathed in deeply smelling alpine forest it was a smell she adored and came from Rei's LCL. "Well I can manage that, I mean it beats killing terrorists twenty four seven."

Rei moved her hand to her hair running her hand through it. "Come to the gym with me tomorrow, I know you had a lot going on with moving my things but now we are more settled I want you to come and do gymnastics with me." Asuka took in a deep breath. "You know I'm going to be really terrible at it don't you?"

Rei eased up her hand putting it on the side of her face. "No because it's like a dance and it's not that much different from the fight training you and I do with Kyo which is like a dance so I think it will transfer over well." Asuka closed her eye just enjoying the peace which was the one thing she felt around Rei and she never got this sensation with anyone else. "If you say so…."

Rei looked at her seeing that she closed her eyes as she's getting more relaxed which always happened as she tended to take a while to calm down when she got home then she became deeply relaxed and very open and her left eye was starting to glow she could see even through the slit in her eye. "Please stop selling yourself short Asuka I think you're capable of anything."

End of part 3

Silvermoonlight