In this AU, neither Rei nor Kaworu ever returned from the Sea of LCL, so they don't know.
"Coming!" Asuka called as she pushed towards the door, full basket of laundry in hand, before pressing the open button.
"Sorry for the... delay..." she trailed off, looking for all the world as if she had just seen a ghost.
Which, for all intents and purposes, she had.
Rei Ayanami stood outside the apartment door, in her old school uniform, looking not a day older than she had when Asuka had last laid eyes on her. And while Asuka had never seen the gray-haired boy behind Rei in person, she had little doubt of who he was.
The laundry basket fell to the floor, completely ignored.
With an expression of faint chagrin, Rei bowed deeply.
"My apologies; my counterpart here and I got into the classic 'Mozart vs Beethoven' debate while in the Sea of LCL and lost all track of time. It
is rather difficult to keep track of the passage of time while in an incorporeal state entirely separate from the normal physical world. Did we miss anything?"
As Asuka continued to stare in shock, little Ryouji wandered up to the door. "Who's that, Mama?"
Rei looked down with wide eyes, as Kaworu stifled laughter behind her. "Oh."
