Return With The Bride

Shinji: (thinking) "there's only one bed here! What do I do now?!"

[After a moment of internal panic, Shinji clears his throat and tries to sound composed.]

Shinji: "Elie, you can sleep on the bed. I'll sleep on the sofa."

[He quickly grabs a pillow and blanket, but as he's about to set up on the sofa, he feels a gentle tug on the corner of his T-shirt. He turns to find Elie standing right behind him, her head slightly lowered, her cheeks flushed.]

Elie: (softly) "Can't we... sleep on the same bed?"

[Shinji's eyes widen, his brain immediately short-circuiting]

Shinji: (stammering) "B-But... are you sure? I mean, wouldn't you feel uncomfortable?"

[Elie shakes her head, her expression sincere and slightly embarrassed.]

Elie: (whispering) "No... I'm not uncomfortable. We're already a married couple, aren't we?"

[Shinji freezes, his thoughts spiraling into chaos. Her words—'married couple'—echo in his mind, and he feels his face heating up to an impossible degree.]

Shinji: (thinking) "She's right, but... I'm not mentally prepared for this! Why does this feel so nerve-wracking?!"

[After a long pause, he finally exhales, trying to calm himself down.]

Shinji: (mumbling) "O-Okay, if you're fine with it..."

[Elie nods, her lips curving into a small smile as she climbs into the bed. Shinji hesitates for a moment before awkwardly lying down on the other side, making sure to keep as much distance as possible between them. The silence in the room is deafening.]

[As they both settle in, their backs turned to each other, Shinji can feel his heart pounding loudly in his chest.]

Shinji: (thinking) "This is fine. Totally fine. Just two married people sleeping in the same bed. Nothing weird about this at all, but is it not my first wedding night" 

[Elie, meanwhile, clutches the edge of the blanket, her face glowing in the dim light.]

Elie: (thinking) "Why does my heart feel like this? Is it because I'm lying next to him?"

[The tension in the room lingers until Elie, her voice soft and hesitant, breaks the silence.]

Elie: "Shinji... goodnight."

[Shinji's breath catches for a moment before he responds, his voice quieter than usual.]

Shinji: "Goodnight, Elie."

Shinji / Elie (thinking) it's our first night together, i really like.

[As they lie there, neither of them able to fall asleep right away, they both secretly smile to themselves, their hearts feeling lighter than ever.]

Next Morning

[Shinji lies in bed, cocooned in his blanket, the warm morning light peeking through the window. His mind stirs as he begins to wake up, mumbling sleepily to himself.]

Shinji: (groggily) "Is it morning already? That was such a beautiful dream... I was transported to another world, fought for ten long years, and in the end, I married the most beautiful lady... Yeah, it was perfect. What a nice dream..."

[Still half-asleep, he stretches under the blanket. Suddenly, he feels a hand resting gently on his chest. His body stiffens, and his eyes snap open. Slowly, hesitantly, he lifts the edge of the blanket.]

Shinji: (thinking, wide-eyed) "Wait... there's someone here!"

[Underneath the blanket, nestled beside him, is Elie, her peaceful face framed by her dark hair as she rests against his arm.]

Shinji: (thinking, heart racing) "It's her! The same girl from my 'dream'... Wait a second. It wasn't a dream! I really married someone who looks like a goddess... and she's here, sleeping beside me."

[He glances at her, his thoughts wandering as memories of the past ten years flood back into his mind.]

Shinji: (thinking, somberly) "It's been so long since I've had a good sleep. Back in that world, I'd wake up with wounds covering my body or nightmares haunting me. I'd lie awake worrying that if I died, my parents would never know what happened to me. Ten years of hardship and fear... But now, for the first time, I feel like I can restart my life. And it's all because of her."

[He gazes at Elie's face, her features soft and serene, and feels a wave of gratitude wash over him.]

Shinji: (thinking) "She's so cute... so beautiful. I can't bear the thought of ever hurting her."

[Just then, Elie stirs, her crimson eyes fluttering open. She sees Shinji staring at her, and then she realizes she's been holding onto him all night. Her face flushes instantly, and she bolts upright, sitting on her knees.]

Elie: (panicking) "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—!"

Shinji: (laughing warmly, waving a hand) "Haha, you're really beautiful and cute, you know that? But you don't need to apologize to me. I'm your husband, so you have every right to hold onto me."

[Elie's face turns an even deeper shade of red. She looks down shyly, nodding.]

Elie: (quietly) "Okay..."

Shinji: (grinning) "Why are you nodding like that again?"

Elie: (shaking her head, flustered) "It's... nothing..."

[Shinji watches her, his expression softening. He takes a deep breath before speaking, his voice sincere.]

Shinji: "Elie, I just want you to know... I'm really grateful to you. Last night was the first time in ten years I've had such a good sleep. It's all because of you, because you're my wife."

[Elie's eyes widen at his words, and her cheeks glow as she looks away, trying to hide her smile. Shinji chuckles at her reaction.]

Shinji: "Alright, it's morning. You should go take a shower, and I'll prepare breakfast."

[Elie nods quickly and hops off the bed, the soft 'tap, tap' of her footsteps echoing as she heads to the bathroom. Shinji watches her go, a small smile tugging at his lips.]

Shinji: (thinking) "She really does look like a little cute cat..."

Doorbell Disruption

[As Shinji stretches and starts tidying up the bed, the sudden shrill 'Ring, Ring, Ring!' of the doorbell startles him.]

Shinji: (thinking, frowning) "Who's at the door this early in the morning?"

[He gets up and walks toward the door, scratching his head. As he opens it, the bright sunlight temporarily blinds him. Blinking, he looks at the unexpected visitor...]