HEE. Is there an hour in the day where Hiyori doesn't plant a foot in Shinji's [insert choice of anatomy here]?

It's a little odd to read of Shinji being protective of Hiyori that way, but it's not a bad odd. It's just that in the current timeline, the way the Vaizards dress cuts out the whole age gap. Not to mention the fact Shinji looks like he took off about ten years along with the hair and the captain's robes!