The month of December passes by unbearably. Ever since that evening on December third when Ryoji told them the horrible truth, that the end was coming soon, Minako has moved about as if in a daze. She can pretend, of course, that nothing's wrong, but at the end of the day she still lies awake at night, contemplating the enormous decision that she must make. For in the end, she has a feeling that she's going to be the one who has the final word in what happens. After all, it's because Ryoji once lived within her that he's able to give them this choice in the first place. But as to what she's going to choose...
"Let's just try to live our lives as normally as possible," Mitsuru says to the other SEES members a week after Ryoji has given them the choice. It's been a tense meeting, and all Minako can do is nod her approval. As the other members stand up and leave the lounge, she catches Akihiko's eye, and so he lingers behind.
"Live our lives as normally as possible, huh," he says. He frowns thoughtfully. "Why do I feel like that's something easier said than done?"
"Because that's how it is." Minako sighs, looking down at her hands entwined in her lap. "But Mitsuru-senpai's right. We can't let ourselves go crazy over this."
"I know." Akihiko sits down next to her. Almost hesitantly, he places a hand on top of hers. "So, um... do you have any plans for tonight?"
It's an awkward attempt to shift the conversation, and both of them know it. Minako only shakes her head in response. It's not like she has much to do in the evenings anyway, especially since no one's been in the mood to go to Tartarus lately. For the first couple of nights after Ryoji's departure, she tried to go to the mall like she usually does on nights when she's not training in Tartarus or spending time with her friends, but lately she just hasn't had the heart to do so.
"Well, then, I was wondering if maybe you'd want to come to my room tonight?" Akihiko is blushing. They've been officially dating for well over a month now, but he still sometimes gets a little flustered around her. It's rather cute, in a way.
"Sure," she agrees. They stand up from the couch, and his fingers smoothly interlock with hers. Everyone else in the dorm has gone their separate ways for the night—probably studying for next week's exams—and so they are able to make their way uninterrupted to Akihiko's room on the second floor.
Once they're inside, he shuts the door before they walk over to sit on his bed. At first, no words are exchanged between them. He reaches out to brush a stray strand of hair away from her face. "You look tired," he notes.
"I haven't been sleeping well since..." She doesn't need to finish her sentence.
He nods. "Yeah, me neither. It's been wreaking havoc on my training schedule."
Minako cracks a smile in spite of herself. Leave it to Akihiko to still be concerned about his training regimen when the world is about to end.
"You've been so strong through all of this, you know," he continues. "I mean, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You're our leader. But hearing everyone talk about it today... what about you? Are you as terrified as the rest of us?"
"The rest of us," Minako echoes. "So I'm guessing you're scared too, Senpai."
"Well, yeah." He takes a deep breath in and out. "And it's not just because we all might die soon. I mean, that's enough to make anyone scared. But I've been scared since before that. Ever since Chidori died."
Minako recalls that terrible night in November, and Junpei's wails of grief resounding through the entrance of Tartarus. She can already guess where this conversation is going. "You're not just worried about yourself," she says.
"Every night I lie here in bed, and all I can think of is, what if that was you? What if you're the one who dies? It's bad enough that I have to see you get hurt in Tartarus, struck down and burned and frozen and whatever else those Shadows do to us. But to think that you could die..." Akihiko shakes his head. "I can't stand it, Minako. I don't even want to think about living in a world without you."
"Aki." The shortened form of his name still feels intimate on her lips. "You don't have to worry. I'll fight as hard as I can. If we do decide to face Nyx, I'll keep on fighting, even though Ryoji says it's impossible to defeat her. And you'll be by my side the whole time. That's a promise." She leans up against him, nuzzling against his neck. He wraps his arms around her to hold her close.
"I know," he says. "And I promised Shinji that I wouldn't worry anymore. That I'd keep fighting for the future, not because I'm dwelling on the past. It's just hard sometimes." He gives a dark chuckle. "Except I suppose we won't really have a future soon enough."
"Don't say that." Minako knows that's he's joking, but it stings because it's also the truth. "No matter what we choose, we'll choose it with no regrets. Until the end comes, we're just going to have to live our lives as best as we can. And as long as I'm with you..." She can feel a faint blush creeping across her cheeks. "Maybe I don't need a future. All I need is this moment with you to remember forever."
"Minako..." She expects him to say more, but nothing more than her name escapes from his lips. She lifts her head to meet his eyes. "You're a really special girl, did you know that?" he continues finally.
"You might have mentioned it before, yeah." The atmosphere of the room is somber, but she can't help but smile. "You're pretty amazing yourself."
"R-really..." He's getting flustered again. She forestalls any more stammerings that he might utter by pressing her lips to his in a quick kiss.
"Yeah," she says. "Let's forget about everything for just one moment. Forget about Ryoji and Nyx and the Fall. Take a moment and just... live."
Hesitantly, he brings a hand up to cheek. His touch is light, but it still sends a shockwave through her. "As long as you promise that we'll keep on living after this."
She brings up a hand as well, touching it to his face in a gesture mirroring his own. Their foreheads come together and touch. "Yeah," she says. "I promise, Aki."
He kisses her. It's long and passionate and maybe a little bit messy, but she doesn't care. She melts into him, tilting her head back so that he can trace a line of kisses down her throat. Her hands slide down the front of his shirt, and even through the red wool of his vest she can feel the toned muscle that comes from his hours of training. She wants nothing more than to feel his skin, but they still like to take things slow, so she waits for him to act first, pulling the vest over his head and unbuttoning his shirt with trembling fingers.
"I love you," she murmurs, head resting against his bare chest now. She can hear the faint rhythm of his heart beating: thump-thump, thump-thump, thump. With each beat, she knows that he's alive, and in this moment, he always will be.
"I love you too," he replies. His hands still tremble as they slowly creep under her shirt, perhaps so he can feel her heartbeat as well.
She stays in his room for a long time. It's not quite forever, but it's the closest to foreverness that she's ever felt.