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[imusntrunaway]

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[Beeeeeeeeeeeep.]

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[imusntrunaway]

Ice cream isn't a good midnight snack. Besides, it's too cold and it's fattening.

[Excuse you, he can be normal!!]

[substitutable]

one ice cream isn't going to make you blow up like santa claus. i'm going up.

[you thought you had a choice?]

[imusntrunaway]

[Wait wait wait what just happened.]

Wait, everyone is still asleep!

[substitutable]

so i'll text you when i get there. that works, right?

[imusntrunaway]

... it doesn't matter if I say 'no' because you're already coming, aren't you.

[substitutable]

halfway up the staircase to the seven floor.

[imusntrunaway]

[From the other end, Shinji sighs.]

Please be quiet.

[substitutable]

if you don't want me to knock on the door, open the door in 45 seconds

[That's when Shintaro will walk up to your door.]

[imusntrunaway]

[... this guy was a piece of work. Even Toji had the courtesy to call ahead before dragging him off somewhere. Irritated, Shinji rushes quickly as he can from his room to the door, silently counting the time down in his head.

He opens the door with ten seconds left, looking tired and not too happy to see Shintaro.]

... couldn't you eat the ice cream by yourself?

[substitutable]

[Shintaro is standing in front of Shinji's door at exactly 45 seconds, just as he said. Who knows how he guessed it? He looks, as usual, like he hasn't slept much, but he's fully dressed like he hadn't even bothered to prepare to sleep.]

I bought too much.

[imusntrunaway]

You don't have to eat all of it at once.

[He can't turn away Shintaro now that he's here, though. So he steps aside to let him in. The apartment is dark--like he said over text, his new housemates were asleep.]

[substitutable]

I won't want to eat it tomorrow. [When Shinji steps aside, Shintaro takes a step in. He's got the ice cream in the crook of his arm, a spoon in his mouth, a spare spoon in his hand. He's got his tablet in the other hand.]

[imusntrunaway]

That's why you save it for another day.

[He normally wouldn't be this snippy towards someone he didn't know too well, but it's late and he's unused to company being forced on him. Nonetheless, he leads Shintaro to the kitchen where he turns on the lights. If he's forced to play the host, he'll do it.]

... do you want anything to drink?

[substitutable]

... Can I have some water?

[He puts the ice cream down on the counter, but doesn't sit. Shinji's spoon he places on top of the carton, and his own, he takes into his now freed hand.]

[imusntrunaway]

[He brings out a cup and fills it with warm water from the sink. Setting it down on the counter for Shintaro, he glances at the ice cream.

... he knows he's expected to eat it. So he doesn't ask the other any questions as he opens it up, taking a small scoop to eat.]

... you didn't have to go through the trouble of coming up here.

[substitutable]

Thanks. [Shintaro takes the cup into his hands, spoon still held in one. It's warm, and he pauses a moment before he drinks it. Cold water might have been nicer, but he doesn't complain.]

... It wasn't trouble. [So this is justified.]

[imusntrunaway]

[It is for him, Shinji wants to say. But he keeps silent as he pulls up a seat and scoops at the ice cream, eating small bites out of politeness rather than anything else.

It's puzzling him, actually, why Shintaro would want to show up to his apartment. Even if the question's written over his face, he doesn't ask.]

Mm. [Instead, a small noise of consent as he dips his head and quietly eats. A silence falls on them.]

[substitutable]

[Shintaro sips at his water some more, then eventually decides it is too warm for him right now. He takes his spoon, taking a scoop of ice cream and eating it, too. At least the carton he brought isn't too big.]

.... Thanks.

[imusntrunaway]

... next time, call ahead of time. I was sleeping. [He's a little less grouchy since the ice cream does taste pretty good. But he's still annoyed. He hunches over as he stabs at his ice cream with the spoon, leaving pockmarks.]

[substitutable]

[There can be a next time?]

... It's not-- oh...

Sorry. I'll do that.

[imusntrunaway]

[He didn't mean to let that slip. He keeps on poking holes. After a length, he mutters as if trying not to let Shintaro here.]

If you can't sleep there's better ways to deal with it. [Like lying awake in bed with your headphones plugged in.]

[substitutable]

... I can sleep. I don't want to.

[He's exhausted. He feels like he's going to fall over sometimes. But if he sleeps before he passes out he has weird dreams.]

What about you, anyway? For being asleep you responded pretty quickly.

[imusntrunaway]

[He still doesn't sleep well, even though it's been month he's had to do anything remotely close to piloting or fighting. But the nightmares don't go away. Neither do his father's face.]

I'm a light sleeper. [He'd been lying. He'd been awake, staring at the network, seeing the reactions of everyone towards the mission.]

[substitutable]

I see. Sorry I woke you up. [Not sorry enough to leave, though, it appears. He eats another spoonful of ice cream.]

... Is Nagisa-san the only person you know from your place?

[imusntrunaway]

[He tenses a little at the mention of Kaworu's name, but when it's clear that the inquiry isn't focused on him the tension ebbs out.]

... no. [There's been a lot of people from his world, if he thought about it. Should he consider himself lucky?] Um, some of my friends... colleagues are here, too.