A Glass of Wine is a Neon Genesis Evangelion alternate universe fic by 94Saturn, later rewritten by Toasterman.
Shinji and Asuka learn about themselves and fall in love, causing massive ramifications.
The original story
is unfortunately a dead fic due to the author's untimely death in 2009. Toasterman took it upon himself to write a rebuilt version as both a tribute and a way to give closure to the original fanfic and its author.
Tropes:
- Affectionate Gesture to the Head: Misato reaches over and ruffles Shinji's hair when she finds out he cannot figure out why Asuka sat down with him and hugged him.
- Alternate Universe Fic: The story branches off continuity after the battle in the volcano, when Misato points out to Asuka that Shinji also feels phantom pains after each mission.
- Ambiguously Evil: Kaworu Nagisa is less ambiguously evil than in canon since he's openly manipulative toward Asuka, something of a jackass toward Shinji and tries to end the world. However, it's still unclear as to whether he really understands how humans might feel about any of this and Asuka at least doesn't blame him.
- Apologises a Lot: Shinji manages to get Asuka annoyed as soon as the second scene when he apologizes for Misato's apartment lacking a couch, even though she was not blaming him for it."We need a couch," she told him. When he didn't respond, she went on. "Sitting on the floor all the time really bites."
"I'm sorry."
Asuka glared at him. It was the glare that always served as a harbinger for angry German-speak, and a glare he had learned well. "You're really the most frustrating person I know."
"I'm sorry?"
"Gott im Himmel." Asuka took a breath. - Bad Guys Do the Dirty Work: After Asuka spares him in the Final Battle, Kaworu returns the favor by personally destroying the entire SEELE council.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Kaji warns Misato that pushing Shinji and Asuka together is like putting a cobra and a mouse in the same cage. Misato jokingly asks if he really believes that Asuka will hurt Shinji that badly. Kaji explains that's not the way he meant it, and that he believes that Shinji only acts the way he does because he's terrified of becoming more like Gendo.Kaji: There is rage in him. I've seen the footage, and I read your reports.
- Break-Up/Make-Up Scenario: Although Shinji and Asuka get together early on in the Rebuilt version, they spend a pretty large part of the middle and end of the story either forcibly separated, broken up or tentatively trying to reconnect after those stressful events. At the end of the epilogue they have succeeded, and references to future events suggest that they are able to stay together for the long haul.
- Commonality Connection: Shinji and Asuka's relationship starts deepening when they open up to each other about what to go into a volcano felt like.
- Doorstopper: The original story clocks at 115,236 words spread over 22 chapters. The second version was completed at 198,045 words over 38 chapters.
- Do Wrong, Right: Misato chides Shinji for drinking her wine and then putting the bottle back where she could find it instead of throwing it away.Misato: "Where did my wine go?"
Shinji: "I'm sorry?"
Misato: "See this empty bottle and how it was stashed away back on the shelf? If you drank the stuff, why did you put the empty bottle back where I could find it?"
Shinji: I didn't—"
Misato: "Kiddo, I'm not angry. You don't have to lie. Throw that away when you get a chance." - Eating the Eye Candy: When Asuka stretches her back, Shinji stares at her exposed midriff long enough for Asuka noticing it.Asuka leaned and stretched across the back of the chair, so that the bottom of her sweater nudged up and exposed her bare stomach. Shinji stared at it, a fact that Asuka knew only because she watched him to do it, which was of course the whole point of doing it.
- How Is That Even Possible?: Asked nearly verbatim by Misato during the Final Battle when Asuka and Shinji keep fighting after losing their power cables. Ritsuko provides an explanation about Unit 02 absorbing an S2 engine from a mass production model, but can't figure out how Unit 01 is managing to do it and gives up trying to.
- I "Uh" You, Too: Asuka expresses some thoughts about her possible future with Shinji while offering to break open a vending machine for him. Shinji has been around her long enough to understand what she's really getting at.Asuka: "You're probably going to make my every meal for the rest of forever, I can at least steal you a bag of chips."
Shinji: "That's a very kind offer." - Jerkass Has a Point: Gendo doesn't have Shinji's best interests in mind in splitting him from Asuka, but even most caring parents wouldn't allow two dating 14-year-olds to cohabitate, let alone support their teen in a relationship where there was physical violence. Other characters question how far he takes the separation but not his underlying logic.
- Jerkass Realization: Following the battle with Armisael, Asuka contemplates how she continually pushes people away with her behavior and makes enemies of people she genuinely likes. She wonders if the rest of her existence will just be a series of mistakes punctuated by brief moments of regret that she can't figure out how to change. Fortunately for her, this dark moment of introspection helps her start to turn her life around.
- Kissing Under the Influence: In the fourth chapter, Asuka kisses Shinji after they have consumed one whole bottle of wine.
- Masochism Tango: Asuka veers wildly between affection and aggression and physically hurts Shinji pretty badly on two occasions (once before they have their first serious make-out session and again as part of a break-up). Shinji is less volatile, but rather than trying to address issues in the relationship, he tends to act in sulky and passive aggressive ways. To their mutual credit, they both come to realize these behaviors are not okay, and are striving to do better on their second attempt at a relationship.
- Mercy Kill: Shinji and the remnants of Yui conspire to have Gendo absorbed into Unit 01's core along with her, removing him as a threat and sparing him from trial. It's especially merciful since some sort of reunion with Yui was all Gendo ever wanted to achieve anyway.
- Not a Morning Person: Neither Shinji nor Asuka appreciate being woken up early every morning by the noise from the building works.Asuka buried her face in the pillow and waited for the city quake to cease. She had half an intention to go back to sleep when it was over, though she knew that wouldn't be the case. She was awake now and the damage was done. Still, she waited until it was over to get up, just so the city wouldn't be the thing that got her up in the morning. She wouldn't give it the satisfaction.
- Oblivious to Hints: Asuka does not get why Shinji will do nothing to her after they shared a hug, and it is driving her mad. Meanwhile, Shinji is absolutely clueless as to why she hugged him then and why she is now angry.Misato: "Everyone has their problems, Shinji. Sometimes we need someone else to help us solve them."
Shinji: "That's what Asuka said."
Misato: "She said she needed help?"
Shinji: "No, I needed help. She came to me because I needed it. She saw me, uh..."
Misato: "Shaking?"
Shinji: "She saw me and sat down with me. I guess she thought she owed me for the volcano, so she sat there and helped me out."
Misato: "Oh, wow. You're so damn oblivious it hurts." - On the Rebound: Asuka and Shinji have a serious fight after the encounter with Zeruel and break up, which coincides with Kaworu's arrival. Kaworu expresses immediate interest in Asuka, which she reciprocates - she finds him very attractive, she likes kissing him and he always says exactly what she wants to hear. She still can never shake the feeling that there's something seriously off about him, though. Between that unease and her ongoing feelings for Shinji, Asuka tells Kaworu she can't return his love.
- Radish Cure: Misato orders Asuka to smoke one cigarette she lifted out of Kaji's desk drawer. Asuka starts shuddering and coughing right away, and she stomps the cigarette out.
- Shipper on Deck: After the mission in the volcano, Misato points to Asuka that Shinji also feels phantom pains after every mission as part of a scheme to put them together. Notably, while she's okay with romance if that's where it goes, she just wants them to have a relationship beyond grudging roommates and coworkers because they're both desperately lonely and Misato feels their experiences make them uniquely suited to understand each other.For now, Misato planned to just keep the kids from killing each other, which seemed like a difficult job on its own. Anything that happened on top of that - friendship, boosted teamwork, young love - was just bonus points.
- "Shut Up" Kiss: Asuka cuts Shinji off by covering his mouth with hers.Shinji opened his mouth to respond, but he never got the chance. Asuka's lips were in the way, pressing into his, so that excuses and explanations died in their throats and nothing was left but the moment.
- The Stations of the Canon: The story begins after the battle against Sandalphon and goes through each Angel in canonical order at first, but Kaworu shows up immediately after the battle against Zeruel and the timeline diverges heavily after that point.
- Taking the Bullet: During the Final Battle, the Lance of Longinus is thrown in a killing strike against Shinji's Eva, which Asuka blocks with her own. She's actually able to continue fighting after this, but her Eva is severely damaged, and she has ongoing phantom pain long afterwards.
- Tamer and Chaster: The Rebuilt version doesn't contain the lengthy and explicit sex scenes the original version is notorious for. Shinji actually tells Asuka he's not ready yet when she suggests going further than making out. The only characters to actually have sex during the main story at all are Misato and Kaji, and even they skip right to the pillow talk afterward.
- Through His Stomach: Shinji starts cooking German foodstuff to make Asuka more friendly to him.
- What Does She See in Him?: When Toji and Kensuke ask Shinji because he is trying to bond with Asuka, Shinji answers she is just like him. They do not get it.
