That certainly was another option. The soft touch drew Kai's focus back from the sky to Shinji. More than feeling like a grand gesture, it felt more like he'd been beaten to the punch. This clearly was the logical step by now.

So too was Kai's wordless shift in position. Why settle for just a shoulder lean when it was so easy to curl his arm behind Shinji's back. What a smooth and well practiced move this was by now. Of course that's what came next. That's what you'd been going for, right Shinji?