Angel Grace and Lilin Heart

A Night to Remember

"That was the last of it, yes?"

"Yeah... I think so." Shinji stood up straight, panting lightly as he surveyed the few empty boxes around the room.

Kaworu nodded. "That should be enough for tonight, then. It's getting late."

Shinji collapsed onto the sofa, relieved but exhausted. If his back wasn't aching so much, Shinji might've been more annoyed that the couch was awkwardly positioned in the living room's center; they still hadn't quite decided where to put it yet.

It'd been three days since they'd officially started moving into the new apartment. Shinji would've thought that - given how organized he usually was - the move would be easy, but he'd been sadly mistaken. The two of them were moving in together, after all, so they had twice as much stuff to worry about. And as weary as it made him to think about all the work they had left to do, that feeling was overshadowed by the simple excitement of Kaworu moving in with him. He almost felt silly for it, but even after months of preparing, planning, scheduling, hiring, signing, and discussing, he just couldn't get past it; Kaworu was living with him!

Technically, they were already moved in, too. The movers had finished their part, and their separate apartments were empty, ready to be sold. This place was theirs now, and all they had left to do was make it feel like a real home by unpacking. It was just unfortunate that they hadn't even gotten their bed delivered yet; they were currently sleeping on two futons pushed together on the floor. It may not have been ideal, but at least it wasn't lonely. Something about sleeping on the floor with Kaworu even felt nostalgic.

He felt the cushions depress beside him, though he kept his tired eyes shut. Kaworu laid his head against Shinji's shoulder. "I think it looks nice so far. I'm a little surprised that there's space for everything."

With a light sigh, Shinji looked around. Kaworu's upright piano was the only large item they'd decided on a place for; it sat near the corner, not too hidden but not too obtrusive either. They'd filled up the shelves against the back wall with personal effects: Kaworu's large collection of books and magazines, Shinji's vinyls and cassettes, and other miscellaneous trinkets neither of them wanted to get rid of. The rest of the room felt homey, filled with furniture that Kaworu had mostly been in charge of picking out; he was the better interior designer between them, after all. He seemed to have gone to great lengths to make the living room feel as cozy as possible, with countless throw pillows, blankets, and cushions. Even though it wasn't quite finished, he felt proud of what they'd done. Of course, they probably would've been able to finish more than one room a day if they weren't so particular, but he didn't really care, not as long as Kaworu didn't either.

"Yeah, it looks really good. You knew what you were doing."

Kaworu hummed, taking Shinji's hand. Shinji squeezed his fingers reciprocally. "You can't just give me all the credit. You made it look far neater. Plus, you helped me pick out a color scheme."

The other man smiled. "That was only me being a perfectionist. This room feels a lot more comfortable than any of the others whether it's neat or not."

"You have been a little tense in the other rooms, haven't you? I'm sure all of the cardboard boxes aren't doing much for your peace of mind."

With a smile, Shinji leaned his head against his partner's. "How did you get to know me so well?"

Kaworu chuckled. "Well, it took me a few hundred tries, but I figured it out."

Shinji tried to fight down a laugh. "That's kinda dark, isn't it?"

"I suppose so. But most things in our past are, aren't they?"