Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Christmas Kiss ❯ Christmas Kiss ( One-Shot )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Title: Christmas Kiss

A.N.:I shall use this space to cover my own ass: Not mine. Neither Shinji, nor Asuka, and certainly not the Pillsbury Dough Boy. Santa, being a world figure I'm tempted to say belongs to everyone, although I'm sure Miss Claus would like to object. BTW, I just found out that I can have the character's kissing other characters instead of the main pairing “so long as the have the other member of the main pair in their heart.” Neat-o. Guess I'll use this story around to muck up the pairing.

Or will I..?

I'm attempting to get out of this writers block, so I'm gonna take 2 challenges at once: 30 kisses and 30 ways in one story. Hope you like. I'll update with another one shot if I'm still blocked, if not, expect the other chapter of 10 things briefly.

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During instrumentality an infinite number of worlds were created; from the Edo period to the end of the millennium. All of them different, all of them unique.

But all those worlds have one unifying rule in common; in every single one we met, and invariably, we fall in love. And sometimes we hurt each other.

And we connect to each other deeply.

Worlds made with both you and me in the center.

That's the single, unifying rule. (Retake 04)

----- ----- ----- -----

"Thank you all for coming...Merry Christmas..."

The sound of the bell announcing the departure of the last costumer from the store was accompanied by the best wishes of the cashiers.

"All right people...That's a wrap." Misato Katsuragi, store manager, notified her employees of the ending of the shift. "Now let's get everything cleaned an-"

"Done..!" Before she had a chance to finish, her crack staff was already in line with various cleaning articles; mops brooms, dustpans. Misato stared wide-eyed at them, then turned to the cashier.

"Uhmmm..." Hikari Horaki began, twirling one of the pigtails that were sticking out of her Santa hat. "We took the liberty of starting to cleanup earlier."

Misato smiled at that. "Great idea...now you know the drill gang, lets PAAR-TAAY..!" She gestured wildly, ushering the rest of the staff out and closing the store. All of them walked lively towards the closest bar, chatting and joking, looking at the bright lights, the Christmas displays, the men dressed as Santa Clauses carrying signs, urging people to purchase the fabled Christmas cake, or the buckets of chicken in preparation for Christmas dinners.

"Christmas is such a great time, isn't it Asuka..?" Misato smiled wistfully as the young woman besides her looked with a quiet enthusiasm at the people swirling around, going from one store to another, like little ants scurrying and burrowing on their ant hill.

"Yeah...I guess..." She said, smiling sadly as memories, both wanted and unwanted came by.

[Asuka Langley Soryu. College sophomore. Her life had been hard; her mother committed suicide, and her father remarried again.]

"I noticed you seemed in a slump earlier today...what's the matter..? Getting the Christmas blues..?" Misato gasped and then smiled teasingly. "You're not thinking about stealing my husband, aren't ya..?"

"M-Mistao...i-it's not like that..." Asuka blushed, more mortified about the crack about Misato's husband over anything else. Back when she had just started working at the Katsuragi store, Asuka had openly ogled Kaji, then Misato's fiancÃ© and went so far as calling him a fox in front of said fiancÃ©.

----- ----- ----- -----

"Yeah...I bet he's so good in bed..." Misato said teasingly as Asuka blushed and sputtered.

"Y-you Japanese are all perverts, Katsuragi..." She laughed blushing. "How can you say something like that about a complete stranger...?"

"Hey, I can introduce him to us if that makes it all right..." She said grinning widely just as she was about to wave at the pony tailed stranger. "Heyyy..."

"Stop it, Misato..." A now red-faced Asuka, almost as red as the shirt she was wearing pushed her arm down. "You're making a scene..." Asuka looked from side to side to make sure no one was watching the crazy dark haired woman and the exotic, auburn haired foreigner.

"Besides, you wouldn't dare do it..." Asuka stated, looking over at her, turning her back on the stranger, hopping her blushing face hadn't been seen.

"Why not...? He is hot and sexy..." Misato began to recite her reasons, stopping on the last one, pulling Asuka closer to whisper in her ear. "But most importantly...He's my fiancÃ©..."

----- ----- ----- -----

It was then that Asuka witnessed firsthand the incredible teasing skills Misato Katsuragi possessed, something she would still do every once in a while when business was slow.

Or whenever she felt like it.

"Look Asuka, I know your situation isn't easy, but I was wondering if you would like to come over for Christmas dinner; it'll just be the staff, Kaji and Me..." She finished by ruffling her bangs. "Nobody should be alone on Christmas." She finished softly.

"I don't know; Hikari might invite her stooge boyfriend..." Asuka motioned to the pigtailed girl, currently being accompanied by a bespectacled woman with reindeer ears on top of her head, and an azure haired young woman. "And Mayumi has been really chummy with the loser who works at the hobby store a few locals down the street."

"Well...Rei is coming solo...apparently her boyfriend is not going to be free since he has to play at some gala concert or something..."

Asuka simply mulled it over and over; on the one hand, she wasn't looking forwards to spending another Christmas all alone. She turned to Rei, and wondered if maybe, just maybe she should come with the blue haired woman who was currently sporting her Santa hat with faux elven ears, both clashing with her otherwise impassible neutral expression.

"I'd love to...Misato..." Asuka smiled at her boss, who at times like this also doubled as a big sister she sometimes wished she had. "I'll even bring the Christmas cake."

"That's the spirit.” Misato cheered, laughing. “And if Rei's boyfriend does manage to make it, you're still welcomed to come along if you want to...Now..." Misato finished once she saw the girls had finally succeeded on renting a big enough karaoke room. "Let me call that no good husband of mine while the girls call their less-than-better halves and let's party..."

----- ----- ----- -----

"C'mon Rei, we really need to get going." Asuka said, shivering and whining, putting on her wide opened white sweater over her sleeveless black turtle neck as they said goodbye to Touji and Hikari, as well as Kensuke and Mayumi. Readjusting her vibrantly red scarf, Asuka felt glad for the thinking ahead and bringing the dark wool trench coat, asking herself what she would have done if she hadn't.

She had insisted on wearing a skirt so short, that even after putting on her dark leggings she felt her legs were freezing. And the white boots were going to be a bitch to clean tomorrow. Deciding she was too drunk to worry about fashion emergencies, she placed the white earmuffs on her ears and turned at Rei.

Rei waved good bye to the couples before kneeling down. "Give me a second..." She muttered as she put on her brown boots and closed her tan wool pea coat, adjusting her olive green paperboy cap and lavender scarf. Her coat, although not as long as Asuka's did manage to cover her short pleated tan skirt.

"Wow that was a hell of a party...good thing we don't have to work neither tomorrow nor the day after..." Asuka slurred drunkenly, using Rei as both support from her drunken haze, and giving support to her as well.

All in all, if anyone would have walked by them at such an ungodly hour, they would have snickered at the sight of two young women huddling drunkenly together to stop themselves from falling.

"I don't feel well..." Rei hiccupped, closing her eyes and breathing heavily. "I think I'm gonna throw up..."

"I thought Hikari would pop a vein when Touji began to sing that "fly me to the moon" piece..."

"I can't believe I drank so much..."

"Besides, who would've thought Mayumi had this great singing voice..?"

The rich, toned laughter emerging from their throats rang throughout the night, making the sound all the quainter. Finally, they reached their destination, Rei trying a few times to place the key in the right keyhole, until Asuka rolled her eyes and took the key from her hand, finally succeeding in opening the door.

"Here ya go, M'lady..." An uncharacteristically drunken Asuka said, bowing down and giggling drunkenly. "Home safe home..."

"You know Asuka..." Rei began just as she and the red-head shuffled their way towards the door. "You can stay here to spend the night..."

"Thanks Rei, but my apartment is just a few streets down, I'll be okay…really..."

"Okay..." Rei smiled drunkenly, groping around her coat for the key, realizing finally that the door was opened. Asuka was watching all this with a smile on her face. Silently, Rei sat down on the stairs leading towards the door, and Asuka followed her cue.

"I've always wanted to learn how to smoke..."

"Get real, Rei...you're wonder girl, the prototype of the Yamato Nadesico..." Asuka gestured, still smiling. Noticing Rei's frown Asuka tried to explain.

"No offense, Rei, but you rarely go out to drink, and when you do, three beer's the limit for you... I seriously can't see you smoking..."

"I...I can be..." Rei replied in a low tone, though it appeared she wanted to make herself believe do it, rather than stating it. "Y'know, I can be wild..."

"Please, Rei...It's just as that dork Kensuke said, if this were a harem anime you would be the Yamato Nadesico, Mayumi the Fujoshi and I'd be the Bokukko..."

Rei said nothing, instead she turned towards Asuka.

"Hey Asuka..." Rei began after a second or two of silence. "Did you believe in Santa Claus...when you were young..?"

Asuka turned to Rei smiling, but stopped from laughing at her question when she saw the far away look on Rei's eyes, the glazed look one gets when they are remembering something precious to them. A beautiful memory; a peaceful memory.

"I mean..." The petite, blue haired girl continued. "Were you disappointed to find out that Santa was really your mom and dad..?"

Asuka inhaled deeply at the mention of the parental units, and slowly let the willowy smoke from the condensation emerge from within her lips and nose.

"Rei, you're really drunk...don't tell me you feel bad for working in a toy store during this time of year..."

Rei sobered up, almost as if some one had taken her mind of a deep trance. "Huh-wha..?" She turned around in a hazy manner before looking up at Asuka's standing form. "Hey Asuka...I need you to come with me tomorrow..." Rei said as she clumsily withdrew her pocket book from her hand bag, opening it to a picture of a smiling Rei flanked by two guys.

"He is my brother, the other one is my boyfriend, he plays classical music." Rei said through half lidded eyes, smiling lazily, humming the first notes of a melody composed by a German musician.

The one on her left was the same as Rei, fair skinned, milky white with red eyes, but while Rei dyed her hair blue, he chose a grey color instead. The one on her right had the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen; dark blue, like the stormy waters of the sea before a hurricane, like the cloudy sky during a storm, he had a sorrowful deep look in his eyes, like a poet trying to express in words the thousand feeling coursing thru his mind.

Finally, Rei opened her eyes slowly, noticing her surroundings. "Hey Asuka..." Rei asked, breaking the red head from her daze. "What are we doing here..? I thought we were gonna party tonight...Misato-san said so..."

Asuka chuckled, grabbing Rei by her arm and lifting her up, grunting at the force exerted. "She did, and we did...now let's get going...I need to go home and you..." Asuka said as she adjusted Rei's cap and scarf. "You need to go up...it's freezing..." Rei said nothing but made her way to the stairs.

"Hey Asuka..." Rei turned from the stairs, before closing the door. "You're coming tomorrow to Misato's and Kaji's for the Christmas dinner, aren't ya..?"

Asuka simply smiled at that. "Good night Rei..." She simply said, walking down the road.

Rei smiled sadly, closing the door. "Why are you so sad, Asuka..?" She wondered out loud, before turning the front light off. "Why don't you ever talk about your parents..?"

[Asuka doesn't hate her parents; not her father, nor her stepmother. She simply feels like a hypocrite, because she can't love her stepmother fully since her stepmother could never replace her real mother.]

----- ----- ----- -----

Maybe it was because she was drunk, but for Asuka, the walk from Rei's apartment building never took this long. She sighed, snuggling her coat closer to her body.

"I should've stayed at Rei's..." She muttered, glancing up. a brief flash of white caught the corner of her eyes. "Wha...is it the first snowfall..?" She said absentmindedly before she felt something cold make contact with her forehead.

For a snowflake, this was something cold but hard.

"OWWW..!" Asuka screamed at the impact, getting up and grabbing her throbbing forehead.

"What the hell was that for..?" She screamed to no-one in particular, her hand still over her eyes. She finally got around to opening her eyes, seeing the white street lights dancing around her face.

"If I find out who did I'll shove my foot up your a..." Asuka trailed off as she caught sight of something silvery white and metallic glistening from the floor.

"What's this..?" She asked herself out loud, crouching to get a better look at it. It resembled a Christian cross, shiny and white but with the design of a snowflake across it's center. Curiously she picked it up.

"A MEDALLION..!!" Asuka proceeded to scream, not caring the hour of the night. "WHO THE HELL THROWS A MEDALLION OUT THE WINDOW..?"

As she continued making her way to the apartment, nursing her head and grumbling about lousy presents someone hates so much they'd rather throw it at innocent bystanders than wear it, she felt a cold breeze. Deciding to hurry up to her apartment, she proceeded to open the door, place her keys on the table and make her way to her room, discarding the boots, the coat, the scarf and all other pieces of clothing in a sloppy and unsexy striptease. She put her pajamas on and went to bed.

----- ----- ----- -----

The dreams were, as all ways, disturbing.

"Papa, where is Mama going..?"

"Asuka, Mama is sick, she needs to go to the hospital for a little while so she could get better."

It was Christmas Eve. The house was alive with the colors of the holiday; everywhere one could turn they saw green and red and white and golden and silver. The kitchen was filled with the spicy smell of cinnamon, and nutmeg, and everything was mixed with the ever-present pungent smell of fresh pine.

And outside, she heard as the carolers broke into laughter and singing as if to mock her laughing at her anguish, playing with her pain.

Almost as if the entire world had gone completely deaf.

She felt her eyes sting and get hazy, the signs of tears to come. Sniffling the little red head made her way across the empty halls and towards the chimney, climbing into her father's favorite chair and snuffled into the blanket her mother had been wearing over her shoulders, still lingering with her distinctive smell; sugar and spice and pine and nutmeg, flour and bread and turkey and eggnog.

Slowly, the trickle of tears began to form, and then the little girl was grown up, still trembling, still holding the blanket, the sound of ragged weeping coming from within.

“Merry Christmas, Asuka-chan…” She softly said through her sobbings, clutching the fabric closer to herself.

"Uhmm...S-sorry..." She heard a distant and unmistakably male voice. Thinking this just a side effect of being in a deep slumber, Asuka turned around from to her side from her back.

"Uh...Miss...Miss Soryu..?" She felt someone prodding her shoulder and clumsily, sleepily opened her eyes, gradually becoming aware of her surroundings. Yawning, she turned to her back and stared ahead.

Into a pair of deep dark blue eyes.

It took several seconds for Asuka's bedridden brain and it's higher functions to kick into gear, but when it did, and she became aware of what was going on she reacted as predictably as always.

"AAACK...! PERVERT..!" Asuka screamed at the top of her lungs, scrambling frantically towards the door still in pajamas.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to scare you...it's just that a while ago I dropped something and I think you have it."

"STAY AWAY FROM ME YOU PERVERT!!" Asuka screamed, holding a chair in front of her as if she were a lion tamer, putting it between herself and the young man in front of her. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU..? SOME KIND OF BURGLAR..? A RAPIST..?" She screamed while throwing the chair at him.

Only to watch it stop a few inches from him, apparently colliding into an invisible wall, creating orange colored, octagon shaped ripples in thins air.

"No, actually I'm Santa Claus..."

Asuka then noticed several interesting things.

The chair she had lunged was steadily floating, before coming down slowly to the place where she had taken it.

The man was dressed in the typical red outfit of Santa Claus, and except for the thin frame and the lack of beard, he somehow was able to pull it off.

But more importantly, he was floating. In the middle of her living room.

To Asuka's credit, she never stopped to think it through. As quickly as humanly possible, she ran to her door, screaming at the top of her lungs. In one swift move, she opened the door and ran down the stairs, not noticing or caring for the coldness she felt on her bare feet. All she could think was to run away, to get away.

Until somehow her feet got tangled and she saw the stairs up close and personal, falling down the stairs towards the ground. Before she made contact and broke her arm, or neck, however, she felt something much more warmer, much more softer and fuzzy against her cheeks. Blinking, she noticed she was also floating several inches above ground.

She also noticed how her face was in his lap.

In an utter state of shock Asuka saw as his blue eyes danced merrily, looking at her with childish curiosity.

"Oh...I get it..." He said smiling warmly and openly at her. "It's my appearance right..? Maybe this would be better..." He said, just as his image began to change, Asuka could feel him become more round, more cushiony. His face and frame became rounder, the Santa suit bulging at his expanding girth. His face, before clean shaven and youthful, now full of wrinkles, with a long beard growing. Before his hair was a dark color, now it was as white as the snow.

All in all, the young thin man that only seconds ago had been supporting her in thin air, was now the spitting image of Santa Claus, going so far as to laugh in a rich, rumbly Ho-ho-ho, making his belly shook when he laughed.

"Just like a bowl full of jelly..." Asuka said in wonder, before blacking out.

----- ----- ----- -----

They were back at the apartment, and Santa Claus had just placed a cup of hot tea in front of this Asuka. He sat in front of her and gave her a mischievous smile.

"Well then...if you're done..." He straightened his cap. "I am Santa Claus..."

Asuka simply nodded, her eyes glazed.

"Earlier today, I was a bit careless..." He said, blushing. "And I...I dropped a pendant..."

Asuka stood with the same expression.

"Are you listening..?" Santa Claus asked, concerned, making Asuka come to her senses.

"Huh..? I m-mean yes... U-uhh...Santa Claus..?" She felt her tongue get tied, the feeling of saying Santa Claus to an actual being foreign, like wool on her mouth. When she was able to finally come to terms, she leaned over, and prodded his big belly, making him squeal with laughter like the dough boy from the commercials.

"So…you really are Santa..." She said slowly, Santa simply nodding at that. "And this..." She said, as she placed the pendant that had clicked her earlier in the evening on the table. "Should be yours..."

"Yes...Thank you Miss..." Santa said, smiling and chuckling, as he clasped the pendant in front of him. "I can't lose it...I can't get back to the North Pole without it."

After finally placing it correctly, and putting it inside his redcoat, Santa turned to Asuka.

"Now, to show my appreciation...I'd love to give you whatever you want as a token of my appreciation." Santa chuckled at Asuka's gasp of surprise. "How about that pony you wanted when you were 5 Asuka..?"

"Y-you can do that..?"

"Well...There are limits to what I can do, although you are a bit grown up for a pony..." He chuckled. "Not to mention it would be kind of hard to explain his presence to the landlady..."

"Guess you are right..."

Santa's eyes glinted. Without a word he took her hand within his. "Let me see what you really want..." He said, closing his eye and concentrating, smiling softly. He sensed her thoughts.

Wow...Santa is in my house. Wonder if he can actually get me the pony...or maybe that Barbie doll...Nah!! I'm a little older for dolls. Hmm....he looked really cute before he became all white and fat and wrinkly...wonder if he would go back to looking like that...No!! Bad, bad Asuka...I've been hanging too much with Misato.

Santa Claus simply chuckled, noticing Asuka's thoughts.

But he was really, really cute. I wished I...I wish I could spend Christmas with a guy as cute as that...

"Well..." Santa was glad that his rosy cheeks were already red; it would be hard and embarrassing to explain to the red-head in front of him why he was blushing. "I think I know what you want..."

"Really..?" Asuka gulped, nervous.

"Yes. It is a common misconception that Santa Claus carries material presents, when in reality what I give is rarely material." He said a she made hand gestures, making different toys and gifts of all shapes and sizes appear from thin air.

"The best gift I give good little kids are dreams..." He finished, making everything disappear with a snap of his fingers.

"Dreams..?" Asuka asked, feeling like a little kid, feeling the innocence she had long thought lost warming her heart.

Feeling, not for the first time, that she could really use a good cry.

"Yes. Dreams. Dreams being dreams are almost always forgotten; they're visions of things people enjoy, things that give them joy and happiness." He snapped his fingers and a small powder blue pony appeared in front of Asuka.

"When you wake up <snap> He's gone..." He snapped his fingers again, and this time a worn plush toy, resembling a super deformed monkey appeared in Asuka's hands.

"But for that brief period of time, you felt a happiness unto itself so perfect, so precious, that it makes the giver happy...That's Christmas..." Santa Claus then placed his hands on either side of Asuka's temples and whispered to her in a calm, soothing voice, crisp and clear.

"Think about what would bring you joy. If you liked…some one..." Asuka blushed, knowing subconsciously what he was referring to. "You might just find him in your dreams."

Asuka felt something wet making contact with her forehead, and felt her eyelids get heavier, and heavier, feeling sleepier and sleepier.

----- ----- ----- -----

It was Christmas Eve. The house was alive with the colors of the holiday; everywhere one could turn they saw green and red and white and gold and silver. The kitchen was filled with the spicy smell of cinnamon, and nutmeg, and everything was mixed with the ever-present pungent smell of fresh pine.

And outside, she heard as the carolers broke into laughter and singing, only this time she didn't feel that oppressive weight in her chest, didn't feel like they were mocking or laughing at her anguish, her pain.

She felt a brimming feeling of hope, making it foreboding for her to open her eyes from within the great recliner she had fallen asleep, the blanket her mother had been wearing over her shoulders, still lingering with her distinctive smell; sugar and spice and pine and nutmeg, flour and bread and turkey and eggnog.

Slowly, she felt the tears began to form, and then the little girl was grown up, still trembling, still holding the blanket, the sound of ragged weeping coming from within

"Asuka-chan...Are you all right..?" She felt the blanket being taken away, and when she opened her eyes saw that her Mother an her Father were in front of her, just like they had before her mother...

Widening her eyes, and suckling a sniffle, Asuka stared and said nothing, it was until her mother and father extended their arms that Asuka leapt from the chair into their embrace, fusing in a tight group hug, her sniffing and crying being hushed by her father and mother, stroking her head, comforting her and promising everything would be all right.

Making her feel warm and safe and secure once again.

And just as faintly, she saw the image of a thin, handsome young man with dark blue eyes smiling warmly at her. Just as faintly she could swear she heard him mutter something.

"Merry Christmas, Asuka-chan..."

----- ----- ----- -----

Outside, Santa Claus held Asuka's head in his lap, smiling thoughtfully, seeing her eyes filled with tears. He knelt down and kissed her forehead lightly, washing away her tears.

"Asuka...you're supposed to be having pleasant dreams...why are you crying..?"

Making up his mind, and deciding to give her what her heart desired the most; his image changed again before shimmering and disappearing like a bubble being burst, splashing Asuka with twinkling dust, covering her now calmed face; her eyes no longer shedding tears; her mouth forming a peaceful smile.

----- ----- ----- -----

"Asuka-chan, hurry up, your friends will be here shortly." Her mother smiled, finally calming Asuka and convincing her to go upstairs and wash her hand.

"I'm ready Mamma..." Asuka smiled. She, like her mother, were dressed in a red felt-like Santa Claus long sleeve dress; her skirt coming down mid thigh, her red boots topped with faux white fur, just like her Santa hat and sleeves, top and bottom of the dress. She walked down and was greeted by her father, who smiled at her before shaking his head at her dress.

'"Asuka, cover yourself..." He said sternly, wagging his finger at her. Asuka smiled and placed the short cape, also of red felt and with the same white trimmings as her dress and boots.

"Much better." Her father said smiling "But the skirt is much too short..."

"Papa, I wear this type of skirts all the time."

"Yes, and you always end up punching some poor fellow and calling him a pervert."

"Well..." Asuka huffed, still smiling "But that's how I met this guy."

"Ah yes..." her father said absentmindedly, placing some tobacco in his pipe .”The mystery man you are going to finally introduce us to today." Mister Soryu said, smirking at her daughter. "Your boyfriend right..?"

"Papa..." Asuka blushed turning around. "H-he's not my boyfriend..." She bit her lip and finished softly. "At least not yet..."

Her father frowned, before smiling again. "Very well liebchein...I just hope they make it..."

DING DONG.

Before he could finish, the deep brass chimes of the doorbell signaled the arrival of the guest. Running towards the great oak doors, Asuka opened them to be greeted with Rei's smiling face, behind her Touji and Hikari, and Kensuke and Mayumi were standing with their arms full of gifts.

"Merry Christmas..." All five shouted happily, making their way inside.

"Rei..." Asuka pulled her friend aside. "I thought your family was driving you here..."

"They did..." Rei Answered. "My parents and my brother are coming; they're just parking the car."

Without a word, Rei parent came inside, She was the spitting image of her mother, except for the blue hair, since Rei's mother had short brown hair. Her father was almost as tall as Asuka's dad, with a short dark beard framing his jaw line, and tinted glasses. He looked intimidating until he saw her and smiled.

"Rei has told me all about you..." He smiled, turning back. "This is Rei's brother."

He was tall and thin, with a soft, gentle smile and quiet shy eyes. His hair was almost as white as Rei's, and his hair was gray, probably dyed. Rei had mentioned, after all he was a musician, just like her boyfriend.

"How are you..?" He asked in quiet tones, almost as if he were too shy to even speak.

"Fine, thank you." Asuka smiled at him. Behind her, Mr. Soryu was already making good friends with Rei's dad, and she could hear both their mothers chatting away.

"Well then I guess we can begin then..."Asuka told no one in particular, seeing all of them chatting away. Just as she was to close the door, some one held it open gently.

Asuka turned to look into familiar dark blue eyes. A warm smile on his lips. "Hi, I'm..." The stranger paused, his eyebrows furrowing not sure of how to continue.

"Oh. He's here with me..." Rei said suddenly, dragging him inside by his arm. Asuka felt something stir side but said nothing, focusing instead on the party.

----- ----- ----- -----

As with all things the party was ending; they had spend the morning riding horses, and the afternoon skating on the frozen pond. They had drank cup after cup of hot beverages, coca and cinnamon coffee, nutmeg and eggnog, gingerbread lattes and spicy chai tea. And all throughout the day, Asuka had felt, for the first time in many years, peace of heart. Deciding to spend some time by herself in the quiet stillness of the night, she opened one of the doors to the courtyard and walked outside, pulling on the long red cape her mother had been wearing before discarding it, saying the spiced rum was making her warm.

"Are you enjoying yourself..?" A male voice questioned behind her, making her turn in surprise, the same stranger that had arrived with Rei was standing nest to her, admiring the night sky. She blushed when she felt the proximity of his skin next to her.

"Yes, it was a beautiful party."

"It was thrown by a beautiful hostess..." He said quietly, not looking at her. "You got a ton of presents..." He said in a lighter tone, smiling dazzlingly at her in a manner it reminded her of Kaji.

"Well...yes...thank you..." She said, blushing. "But you never got one..." Asuka said, noticing for the first time the stranger, although he had participated in the various daily activities had never received a present from anyone.

"Well..." He began, shrugging. "It's not like I need anything, and besides, if everyone else is happy, then I am happy." He responded.

"Well then...what if I told you it would make me happy to give you a present..?" Asuka asked smiling, making him stare at her strangely, as if considering her answer. When it all started to click in, his eyes widened to twice their size, and a pinkish hue began to cover his cheeks.

"W-well..." He stuttered, not knowing what to say or how to say it for the matter. "I-I've never considered what someone might give me..." he said, before smiling sadly and noticing the great clock planted firmly on the center of the courtyard.

The sounds of twelve chimes were heard, and he smiled sadly, turning towards her. "I'm sorry...but I..."

"You have to leave..." Asuka finished for him sadly.

"Yes..." He said quietly, before placing his hands on her shoulders. "Asuka-chan...Christmas with you has been really unique...I thank you for that..." He leaned towards her, mere inches separating them.

"I know what you can give...but it's up to you to decide so..."

"Wh-what do you want me to give you..?" Asuka asked in equally quiet tones, looking directly into his eyes.

"Before I tell you...I have to give everyone else their presents…" He said, cupping his hands in front of her, a faint glow, diaphanous and shimmering at the same time emerging from within his palms, slowly he began to open them, a shiny black round object, similar to a pearl located inside.

"Have pleasant dreams everyone, and a merry Christmas to all..." He told the sphere, before releasing it into the night sky, a multitude of small firefly-like lights coming from within. As they left his hands and found his targets, he felt their yearns, their desires.

He felt their hearts and their hopes, their dreams and their wishes. And he felt moisture in the corner of his eyes.

"So this is why you were crying..." He muttered, letting the tears flow freely. "When people remember their happiest moments, they can't help but cry..." He muttered softly. Wiping his tears with his sleeves, he turned to Asuka.

"Asuka-chan...Before I go...can you give me my gift..?"

Asuka stood there, then, without thinking, she slowly closed the distance between them. She cupped his face in her hands and standing on her tipi-toes she inched his and her lips closer.

It was a soft, tentative kiss. Like two people who barely knew each other shook their hands. Slowly, the kiss began to deepen, like two long lost friends enveloping the other into a hug, emotions so powerful, yet so pure words weren't the perfect medium for them to be explained.

Slowly, he began to shimmer, a low enveloping him from the inside, growing out towards the night. His figure began to grow faint against the night light, and Asuka felt a moist warm presence on her mouth, before that same presence changed from warm into cold.

[It was mere days afterwards that Shinji Ikari came back to Tokyo to stay for good, and he and Asuka Langley Soryu were reunited in this world as well.]

----- ----- ----- -----

"ACHOOO!!!"

With a start, Asuka woke up, scratching her nose and sniffling. Yawning, she noticed the sun was starting to go up, and saw her clock.

7.00 A.M. 12/26/2006

Yawning again, Asuka got up and walked towards her bathroom, feeling something pull at the back of her head. A distant memory, something that felt out of place, but held a non-threatening aura, making her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Silently, she took a hot shower, and brushed her teeth. After several minutes, she got out the bathroom and padded to her room, toweling herself dry. She emerged putting on a black skirt and pulling an ivory turtle neck sweater over her head.

Just as she was finishing getting dressed, she heard her cell phone's ring tone with the familiar "Anta Baka..?" scream that had made her both feared and respected in high school and college.

"Hey Stooge..." She smiled, already in banter mode.

"Asuka it's me Hikari..."

"Whaa...Hikari..? What are you doing talking from the stooge's phone..?"

"Don't you remember..? Yesterday at the party we all said we'd accompany Rei to the train station..."

Hazily, the memories came back to Asuka, something that seemed doff, yet so right at the same time.

"We were wondering if you were home so we could come by and grab a bite to eat..." Hikari's voice drew her to the real world again.

"But...you and Touji live on the other part of town, what gives..?"

"Asuka..." The red head could clearly hear the strain on her friend's voice. "We came here with Mayumi, Kensuke and Rei to pick up somebody, but the main road is closed 'cause of the snow We are about 5 minutes away from your apartment and Rei said she wasn't able to buy anything to eat, so..."

"Well..." Asuka sighed as she cradled the phone on her shoulder and peered inside the fridge. "Hate to tell you, but all I have is..."

Asuka blinked, closing the door and opening it gain to make sure she wasn't seeing things. In front of her, a good sized Christmas cake topped with whipped cream and strawberries with the familiar figure of Santa made from sugar greeted her. This Santa, however was not covered with a creamy beard, but was rather clean shaver, sporting chocolate hair under the red conical hat.

He also had a pair of dark blue eyes painted with frosting.

"So can we come..?"

"Y-yeah..." Asuka said, shakily, trying to remember when was she able to buy the cake if she came home directly after the party and had no memories of getting up earlier to buy it, or of any cake shop opening before 8.00 a.m.

"I guess you can come...I'll put on some tea and we can have the Christmas cake."

"Great...we'll see you in a couple..."

----- ----- ----- -----

"Hey Asuka...how was Christmas morning...?" Hikari asked as she came into the small flat, taking of her beanie and gloves. Behind her Touji, Mayumi, and Kensuke walked saying their hellos.

"Ugh...I felt like I had slept for a couple of days straight..." She exited the kitchenette and gave each of them two cups of steaming hot tea. "Where's wonder girl..?"

Just as she had finished asking about her, Rei walked inside; behind her was a young man their same age, with a quiet, shy smile, dark brown hair and dark blue eyes. Asuka felt something stir deep within herself. Silently she motioned Hikari to come with her to the kitchenette.

"Hey Hikari...who is that..? The musician boyfriend who plays classical music..?"

"Who..?" Hikari asked innocently, just as she motioned for Mayumi and Rei to come towards them.

"Asuka..." Rei said as she held a quiet smile. "This is Shinji...Shinji Ikari..."

He held out his hand "Nice to meet you." He said with a faint smile, as if he remembered her from someplace.

"Like wise." Asuka quietly responded, feeling a jolt of electricity pass thru their fingertips when they touched. Just then, she heard both boys and the three girls gasp. In confusion, both she and Shinji looked upwards, following their smiling faces.

Directly on top of them a mistletoe branch was hanging form the tinsel covering the entrance to the kitchen area.

“Uh…” Shinji stuttered, not looking at Asuka. “you really don't have to if you don't want to…” He bean before a brief memory of something that felt like a dream flashed thru her mind.

"Asuka-chan...Before I go...can you give me my gift..?"

Without thinking, Asuka slowly cupped his face within her hands. Standing on her tipi-toes, she inched his lips closer to hers.

And everyone else witnessed in surprise how this two complete strangers who had never seen each other before this day exchanged a kiss that made the current couples take notes for future references.

“You see Rei…” Hikari began, once she was able to unhinge her mouth and close it. “And you doubted they would hit it off…”

----- ----- ----- -----

AN: Well...The whole idea was adapted from a short chapter from the Ai-Ao (Ai Yori Aoshi) Manga, vol. 5 from TOKYOPOP pgs. 105-146. [Miyuki] At first, I though about making Asuka the Santa Claus and Shinji...well...Shinji. However, even though it would have been funny as hell to write Asuka as an anger-prone Santa ghost, I felt Shinji had a more "Santaness" about him.

Immense thanks go to ERROR809 for his proofreading abilities; if this stinking pile of horse-crap is the least enjoyable he had a lot to do; other wise it would look like this:

“OMG Shinji I LAWD U”

“OMG ASUKA I LUV U 2.”

Brrrr…

The thing I like about AU's such as these is that you can have some artistic liberties when dealing with the setting and the character dynamics, as well as their characteristics. I know that Asuka came as OOC on several parts of the story (including the dream sequence) but keep in mind that

They are older, hence more mature. And

They were drunk, so the interaction between Asuka and Rei while OOC for them both, fall between the intoxicated “I-like-you-eventhogu-i-hate-you” drunken ramble.

On a side note, Betcha everyone reading this thought Rei's musician boyfriend was Shinji. Heh. Sorry about the misleads and red herrings. The thing is, Rei never mentioned her brother's name or his appearance through out the story, as well as her father nor her mother. Asuka's dream made the assumption that Rei's brother should share her same genetic make up, hence Kaworu. I was thinking of introducing Yui and Gendo as Mr. and Mrs. Ayanami, but figured that would be a bit too much.

Hope you liked it. A better story than this, so good that, on a subconscious level, I'm sure I probably based some of this story's scenes and phrases, is Christmas Cards or Riding Through Tokyo3 by Klaus. You should definitely check it out.

Also, this was made before Zentrodi's posting of his Omake for What We Make of It. No intention to double team on the setting or the concept.

Like it..? Hate it..? Tell me why...meanwhile...

Mr. Blair has left the building.