The only sounds were of water dripping and their breathing.

"Never again," Yui whispered, breaking the silence. She ran the washcloth across Gendo's shoulders, frowning. "I don't care who, I don't care why, I just won't allow it."

"Yui..."

"Don't 'Yui' me. You won't talk your way out of this one. You don't go to the bar anymore. End of story." She pulled him back to lean against her as they relaxed in the steaming water. With her arms around him, she idly rubbed the cloth over his chest.

"Yes, Yui."

"Damn it. Did you want to get a face full of broken glass? Did you want to be permanently scared? Lose an eye?"

"No, Yui."

"What would you have done if Professor Fuyutsuki hadn't been there to bail you out?" How he could stay so calm was beyond her.

"Probably not much... sat there for a while."

"Why didn't you call me!?" she exploded at last, more worried than anything.

"I wasn't even given a band-aid; you think they let me use the phone?"

Yui backed down from that, knowing he was hurting more than he would ever tell her. "Well... I'm just glad you're okay."

"I'm glad to be home. I never thought a hot bath would feel so good." He slipped a bit lower in the bath until the water reached the middle of his chest.

"I'll have to thank the professor. I really don't know what I would have done. And if you had been seriously hurt..."

"But I wasn't. I can take care of myself, and you'll be a lot less stressed out when you learn that."

"I'll be less stressed when you stop getting yourself beat up." After everything, the only place she felt he was guaranteed any safety was right in her arms.

"It's not my fault that those punks didn't like me. Besides, that one guy was still upset from when I knocked him out cold." Gendo started to grin, but concern niggled at him. "Speaking of, Yui, I don't think you should go to the bar alone. That guy might recognize you."

"Hush now. We're supposed to be relaxing. And you need to let those cuts heal." On top of the old ones. If he continued that type of behavior, Yui was afraid she'd have to call the whole thing off. She just couldn't deal with someone she always had to worry about.

Yui suddenly hugged him tightly. "I love you and I don't want to lose you."

Gendo's hand ran over her leg under the water. "You won't. I won't ever let that happen."

That was that. Rokubungi, even when he was at a disadvantage, had been able to maneuver, to manipulate things to get exactly what he had wanted. It was just another reason for Kozo to dislike... Yui's husband to be.

The gall Rokubungi had to blackmail him like that, to take advantage of... his feelings. How did he even know about them?

"I hope you know what you're doing, Yui," he said aloud. Rokubungi knew how to get to him, and that meant it would be impossible to protect her.

Maybe there was only one thing to do then. Maybe he just had to... give up the idea that he would rescue her, and understand that it was best to be there if she needed him, even if it meant getting Rokubungi out of jail again.

He still wished he knew what was it that attracted Yui to what he considered an inferior human being. Perhaps then he wouldn't feel so jealous, angry. Perhaps, but with that personality, Kozo didn't think his anger toward Rokubungi would ever fade.

Looking out the window at the darkness evident beneath the city lights, Professor Kozo Fuyutsuki wondered what Yui Ikari was doing at that moment.

Or maybe he didn't want to know.