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At first he had thought it was endearing, how dazed he was after waking up, but it didn’t take long until his over thinking got the best of him, making him glance towards the slumped boy more than was necessary as he rushed about the apartment. Had he fallen asleep with his eyes open? He’s read about people like that, on how they can lose their eyesight easily because it, and since the children chosen to pilot were such a band of misfits, he wouldn’t be surprised that one of them had that sort of bad habit. Shinji moves to stand in front of him once he’s fully dressed, simply looking down at him, his breathing being the only audible sound in the room.
“Kaworu?” His voice is just shy above a whisper, but in these rare moments of stillness he knows that even the slightest sound could be heard. Even so, there is no response. Bending towards him, an arm extending to just slightly shake Kaworu’s shoulder, his heartbeat increases with worry. Time was warping, the distance between their bodies becoming especially wide, and even the slightest tremble of his hand was noticeable. Move... Why won’t you move? I’m right here, can’t you tell?
“Kaworu?!” This time his voice is frantic, expression fretful, and if he hadn’t been careful he would have pushed the albino back with too much force.
Silence.
“... Ah... Shinji...?”
A fast forward to their current situation, that being of waiting until the train got them to the stop nearest to their school. Kaworu is fully dressed, resting his head on Shinji’s shoulder, still asleep, while the boy who’s personal space is being invaded is as straight as a rod. Ah, what an eventful morning that had been, who would have guessed that the ever presentable Kaworu had such a side to him? Even now, the feeling of his burning body had being doused with ice cold water as the albino slowly inclined his head, eyes unable to focus on him for more than a few seconds at a time, wouldn't escape his memory.
For once, Shinji hadn't hesitated when he grabbed his wrist with force, the annoyance at being forced into a stressful situation masking any feelings of worry he had with an irritated sigh. It was different for him. The one person who he trusted to not cause him pain, had done such a trivial but worrisome thing. Even now, he asked him self: What would I have done if he had not been sleeping, but gone?
Even now, as he waited on the train with a sleeping Kaworu, he could barely stand to look at him.