Angel Grace and Lilin Heart

Sanctum

For the second time, Shinji suspended his arm. And for the second time, he let it drop with a sigh. He really should just go back to bed... this had been a stupid idea.

'But I've already come all this way. It would be a waste to leave now without even trying.'

Then again, the other boy would never even know he'd stopped by if he left now. He'd evade the risk of embarrassment easily by just turning back.

'...But there was no guarantee he was even awake right now; it was incredibly late, after all. So then, maybe it really wouldn't hurt to try.'

Although maybe if he-

"Ah!" Shinji gasped, a loud gust of wind blowing from a ruined hallway close by. He shivered, the air crisp and stale.

He cowered slightly, looking around. He knew it was only the wind. He knew nothing was actually there to hurt him. But he was paranoid, and he couldn't help but imagine someone was there who shouldn't be.

Feeling as if he had no other options, Shinji raised his shaking hand and knocked on the door nameplated "Nagisa" before he could doubt himself again.

He clutched tightly to the starchy pillow and blanket he held onto as he waited. He listened hard for any signs of life from inside the room, trying his best to ignore the whispering and whipping of air around him.

A series of muffled footsteps made him look up at the door hopefully. When it cracked open, the sliver of darkness behind was penetrated by a familiar, ghostly white face.

Kaworu opened the door further in recognition. Shinji noticed how disheveled his hair was. "Ikari-kun?"

"Ah, um, Nagisa-kun." Shinji knew his face had heated up. "I'm sorry I interrupted your sleep, but I was just wondering if, um, it would be alright if I slept in your room tonight?" His heart was pounding in his ears.

He expected Kaworu to hesitate, to display any signs of displeasure at his request at all. It was an odd one, of course, so he'd be completely justified in it. The two of them barely knew each other, and Kaworu had no obligation to let him into his room in the dead of night. Especially not when Shinji was standing there like a scared child, clutching his items of comfort, and asking to sleep in his room like Kaworu was his mother. It must've been weird.

Yet he need not have worried. Kaworu smiled right away. "Of course it would. Come inside, then."

A smile pulled at his lips as Kaworu opened the door, but he hid it as he walked in. An invisible bubble of comfort seemed to shield the room from the oddity that was the outside maze of walkways and ruined concrete that made up the once sophisticated Nerv. Shinji felt like relief had flooded down from his head as he'd entered, even though this room was identical to his. And he was well accustomed to the discomfort he felt in his own room. It was almost ironic.

As Kaworu clicked the door shut and Shinji's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he recognized a deep, red floor and a thin bed against the wall. He wondered momentarily how Kaworu's room looked so uncharacteristic when he'd been here for much longer than Shinji.

He turned back around to Kaworu. "Th-Thank you for this, really."

Kaworu smiled, red eyes observing him closely. "It's no trouble at all."

Shinji nodded minutely. "Alright... well, I'll try to stay out of your hair for the rest of the night; I'll just sleep here, if that's okay." Falling slowly to his knees, Shinji dropped his pillow on the floor a few feet from Kaworu's bed.

"Ikari-kun." Kaworu's voice was low. "I couldn't possibly let you sleep on the floor. Please, take my bed."

Shinji looked back up at him, feeling immediately guilty. He'd gotten used to the feeling of the DSS choker constricting his throat whenever he looked up too far. "Huh? O-Oh, no, I couldn't do that. I'm the one who imposed, so I'm really okay with this."