Cirus' lips curled silently into a warm smile as he looked down at her, her back rising and falling rhythmically with each breath she took. She was so beautiful, delicate, and soft, but that all hid an inner strength that made his own pale in comparison.

Being able to hold her in his arms was a gift beyond anything Cirus could have asked for. He let his arms hold her loosely, not wanting to either hold her too tightly or let her go too easily. He would never leave her feeling alone again as long as she would allow him. It was the least he could do for her. The fact that she had wanted to fall asleep in his arms again made him feel so good that he honestly couldn�t put words that wouldn't demean it into form.

He sighed appreciatively and settled his head back down on the blanket beneath him, closing his black eyes contently. Being so close to her made him feel wonderful, simply because she wanted him close. He could not ask for more than this. ...So beautiful.

It was near five in the morning actually. The moon was low in the sky as it got ready to let the sun takes its place. Asuka and Shinji were sleeping in the same room; Asuka draped all over the ground like a loose net, Shinji curled up under his covers. Misato was asleep alone in her room, a mix between Asuka and Shinji�s resting positions under her blanket.

Nothing else happened until near seven that morning. Rei's eyes gently fluttered open and she looked up calmly into Cirus', closed in sleep. It was very comforting to know he was so near to her. She was actually happy, something so new to her that she was still becoming acquainted with it. A gentle smile played over her lips as she looked at his face. It was good to see him so peaceful also. It wasn't that he was not relaxed when he was awake, he was simply a very active person, and his face was always busy with some emotion. Calm sleep let his soft, young face reveal his gentleness so much more clearly.

Rei suddenly realized, as she looked down a bit, that the others might wake up and see the two of them like this. She did not necessarily mind, but Cirus seemed to be very sensitive about situations like it. She raised her eyebrows slightly and looked up at his face again. "...Cirus?" she called softly.

His eyes opened wide for a moment before falling back down to a slightly groggy looking level. He smiled down at her warmly and his eyes became more awake. "Yes?" he asked back quietly.

"I was not sure you would want the others to see us in this way," she answered calmly.

Cirus' face was calm as he looked up from her and at the doors leading into the sitting room. He looked back down at her with another soft smile. "Would it bother you?" he asked her quietly.

She shook her head gently into his arm with a calm expression on her face. Still smiling, he reached up with his free arm and gently caressed the side of her face with backs of his fingers. Rei smiled and closed her eyes, her body relaxing to his touch. He moved his hand down and started to softly stroke her back. His touch was gentle and comforting to Rei. She gently turned her body back toward him and pulled herself closer, holding herself to him in a soft embrace and resting her head in his shoulder. He moved his arms to return the embrace and rested his head gently on top of hers. She could hear his heartbeat and she let the slow, rhythmic pulse lull her back to a gentle doze in his arms.

The door starting to slide open woke her up and she gently let go of Cirus. He did the same, and they softly pulled away from each other. Misato peeked around the corner of the door and smiled down at them. "Were you two naughty last night?" she asked in a wry insinuating tone.

Rei noticed Cirus' rapidly blushing cheeks as he lifted his hand to his forehead. "Misato," he said her name firmly.

She chuckled back. "I'm just kidding, Cirus. You two are so cute!" she added in a high-pitched tone.

Cirus cleared his throat as he and Rei sat up. "...Yes... I'm sure we are," he replied, his tone noticeably nervous.

Misato chuckled again. "Don't worry, Shinji's making breakfast when he gets up in a couple of minutes. I thought we could at least eat together," she said in a lighter tone.

Cirus stood up and held his hand down to Rei. She took it gently in her own, and he pulled her up smoothly before turning to Misato with a wry half-smile on his face. "Sounds good to me. Rei?" he asked her with a calmly expectant expression on his face.

"I do not mind," Rei answered with gentle shake of her head that tossed her hair slightly.

Cirus caught himself staring her again and so looked back up at Misato with a flashed smile. She smiled back and nodded. "Great, you've probably got a few minutes, plus we don't have to report until nine today so you don't have to get dressed for a while," she explained before disappearing from the doorway again.

Rei and Cirus walked up to the door themselves and Cirus stepped to the side, letting Rei through first. She tipped her head briefly in thanks as she stepped past him and out into the hall. He smiled as he followed her out.

Cirus, Rei, Asuka, and Misato were sitting at the kitchen table as Shinji made some toast and eggs. Shinji put two slices of toast and two eggs on three of the plates and just some slices of toast on a fourth. He took two of the mixed and the toast-only plate and put them down at the table in front of Asuka, Misato, and Rei before returning to the counter and bringing the last plate to Cirus.

"Ah, this looks good, Shinji," Misato said, still slightly groggy, but none the less cheerfully as she started to munch on some toast.

"Yes, very good," Cirus agreed lightly before starting to eat it himself.

Rei ate quietly as Asuka dove into her food energetically and started to wolf it down. Cirus and Misato shared bemused smiles at the girl's voracious eating.

"I think she doesn't like your cooking, Shinji," Cirus commented with a wry smile.

Shinji looked up from his food and up at Cirus in mild bewilderment. Cirus shook his head and the other boy dismissed the comment.

Misato shook her head lightly, but continued to eat herself. They all continued to eat quietly until they were done. Cirus and Shinji helped clean up, Asuka needing to go get dressed, though she had a full hour before they had to go.

"Hey Rei, when you want to change just use my room, alright?" Misato said as she started to clean the dishes. She'd agreed to do it in return for Shinji cooking for them.

"Alright," Rei replied quietly.

"I think I'll go do that myself," Cirus said as he put the last dish on the counter for Misato.

Misato smiled mischievously, but Cirus caught it and shook his head at her. She gave him a mock pout but didn�t say anything as he left the kitchen.

"What was that about?" Shinji asked as he put some of the dishes they hadn�t used away.

Misato smiled again. "I was just going to ask him if he wanted to show off to Rei."

"Misato!" Shinji said sternly.

She chuckled and shook her head. "Well you asked."