Return With The Bride

Chapter 2:

[Shinji slows to a stop in a quiet alleyway, completely out of breath. His legs feel like jelly, and his arms are still holding Bride tightly. The city's distant hum provides a strange contrast to their intimate moment. she gently tugs at Shinji's sleeve, her soft touch pulling him out of his daze.]

Shinji: (realizing, face turning beet red) "Ah! I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to carry you for this long!"

[He quickly sets her down, his hands lingering awkwardly for a split second before pulling away. she stumbles slightly but steadies herself, her cheeks glowing red as she avoids his gaze.]

Bride: (softly, looking at the ground) "It's... okay."

[The silence stretches as they stand there, both too flustered to speak. Finally, Shinji coughs to break the tension and looks around, trying to distract himself from the fact that his heart is practically doing somersaults.]

Shinji: (muttering, scratching the back of his head) "So... uh... this is my world. Looks like I've made it back. But... why are you here too? You should've stayed in your world..."

[He glances at her bride, guilt written all over his face.]

Shinji: (with regret) "I'm really sorry... You're stuck here now, in a place that's completely foreign to you. You must be terrified..."

[She, still avoiding his gaze, gently tugs at his sleeve again. When Shinji looks at her, she meets his eyes for the first time, her crimson-red gaze soft and steady.]

Bride: (softly) "Shinji..."

[The way she says his name makes his brain short-circuit. His jaw drops slightly, and his entire body stiffens like a statue. The first time his wife has said his name—this moment might as well be carved into history.]

Bride: (shy, her cheeks turning pink) "I'm not scared. With you here... I feel safe. Maybe... this is what the gods wanted. To keep us together."

[Shinji's face practically explodes in color, his ears burning. The words 'Shinji,' 'safe,' and 'together' bounce around in his head like ping-pong balls, rendering him useless for a solid five seconds.]

Shinji: (stammering) "T-Together? Uh, y-yeah, sure... If you say so..."

[He clears his throat, trying to recover from the emotional uppercut.]

Shinji: "Uh, ... Can I ask you something? Please don't take it the wrong way."

Bride: (tilting her head, curious) "Yes?"

Shinji: (his voice cracking with embarrassment) "I... I just realized... I-I don't even know your name. You know mine, but I never asked for yours, and I feel terrible about it!"

[She blinks, then breaks into a gentle, melodic laugh. Shinji's heart skips a beat at the sound, though his face darkens with embarrassment.]

Bride: (smiling again, her voice gentle) "Elivianne Velencia."

Shinji: (trying to say it) "Elivianne... Velencia... E-Elivianne Ve—"

Shinji: (shy) "why are you smiling".

Bride: (smiling warmly) "It's just... my husband is trying so hard."

[Both of them freeze. Her words hang in the air, and they simultaneously turn bright red.]

Shinji: (thinking, panicking) "She called me her husband! Oh no, oh no... I can't handle this!"

Bride: (thinking, flustered) "I just called him my husband... but it's true, isn't it? Why am I so embarrassed?"

Shinji: (muttering) "C-Can I just call you Elie? It's easier..." and your real will be quite unusual for this world so

Elie: (nodding, shyly) "Okay... Elie is fine, I like it."

Shinji: "And you can call me... whatever you like."

Elie: (smiling faintly) "Then... I'll call you Shinji."

[Their awkwardly sweet moment is interrupted by a loud honk as a motorbike zooms past, breaking the spell.]

Shinji: (jumping) "W-We should move! Standing here all day isn't going to solve anything. Wait here for a second—I'll go check the date."

[Back at Shinji's House]

[Shinji and Elie arrive at his rented apartment. He opens the door to reveal chaos—a mountain of garbage bags, comics strewn across the floor, and an overwhelming smell of... socks?]

Shinji: (cringing) "Uh... welcome home?"

Elie: (peeking in, wide-eyed) "This is... your house?"

Shinji: "Y-Yeah. It's a bit of a mess right now... Okay, a lot of a mess. But I swear I'll clean it up!"

[He motions for her to enter, carefully guiding her past a stack of empty noodle cups.]

Shinji: "Take off your sandals and have a seat on the sofa—uh, if you can find it under all this stuff."

[Elie steps in cautiously, her expression a mix of curiosity and concern. She perches on the edge of the sofa, holding her dress delicately.]

Shinji: "You can't walk around all day in that dress. I don't have any women's clothes, but you can borrow mine for now."

[He hands her an oversized T-shirt and sweatpants, blushing furiously as he does so.]

Shinji: "The bathroom's over there."

Elie: (taking the clothes) "Thank you. But after I change, I'll help you clean."

[Shinji watches as she disappears into the bathroom, only to see her return moments later in his baggy clothes. He freezes at the sight of her, his brain short-circuiting again.]

Shinji: (thinking) "Why does she look so good in my clothes?!"

[Cleaning Chaos]

[As they clean together, Elie picks up a crumpled napkin and inspects it curiously.]

Elie: "What's this?"

Shinji: (snatching it away, his face turning red) "D-Don't worry about that! I'll handle it!"

[Elie tilts her head in confusion but shrugs, moving on. Shinji buries the napkin deep in the trash, vowing to die of embarrassment later.]

[Dinner Time]

[As their stomachs grumble loudly, Shinji checks the fridge, only to find it completely empty.]

Shinji: "Uh... I'll go buy us some food. You can take a shower while I'm out."

[He grabs his wallet and heads out, passing a clothing store along the way. He stops, staring at the display of dresses, and blushes furiously.]

Shinji: (thinking) "now I have bride I at my home now she need some clothes at least to wear

[That's all happened till I return]

[Later, Shinji returns home with bags of food and a dress. When he opens the door, Elie is waiting for him, wearing his oversized clothes and smiling softly.]

Shinji: (grinning) "I'm back. I brought food... and a dress for you."

Elie: (blushing, shyly crossing her legs) "Welcome back."