I literally wrote this up in like 45 minutes while I was in the middle of working on something else, so I'm so sorry for the quality of it. It was just one of those moments where an idea hits you and you have to write it.

Her hand clung tightly to the stair railing, keeping her balance as she swayed limply up each step. Exhaustion tugged at her seemingly from all sides, yet she continued her pace.

Minako stepped lightly onto the third floor landing and brought her head up to look around. The hallway was dark and empty, with only the faint glow of one of the rooms to light it up, and with heavy feet she trudged slowly to her room. An echo coming from downstairs filled her ears and she looked back to see if anyone was following her. Nothing but the empty stairway met her gaze, which relived and slightly disappointed her all the same.

With a tired sigh she let her mind and eyes wander now, and she looked herself over for the first time since she'd come home. Her uniform was ruffled and ripped in a few places, smeared with blood that contrasted well against her pale skin. The thought that she didn't even know if it was her own blood made her feel nauseous. Nauseous, pitiful, and scared, and with an instinctual jerk she brought her hand up to feel the ring that was always there.

Except this time, it wasn't.

Panic struck her in a sudden rush, and in a frenzy she began looking for it. In her pockets, on the ground, anywhere where the ring could have been dropped or thrown. When the luminous shine of the ring couldn't be seen anywhere near or on her, Minako made her way to check down stairs when a thought hit her, causing her to freeze in her steps.

What if I lost it in Tartarus?

Tears tugged at her eyes, and her legs felt like they were going to shatter beneath her. She placed one hand tightly on her forehead to keep herself from collapsing, and she stumbled forward to grab the wall. Fear gripped at her lungs and made her breathing quicken, until it was the only thing she could hear against the hallway's eerie silence.

No, no, no, I couldn't have... I always check, how could I have lost it-

"Looking for something?"

Minako picked her head up and stared at Junpei, who was now only a few feet away from her, with a momentary look of shock. Realizing the state she was in, Minako quickly stood up and brushed the hair away from her face, all the while making sure not to draw attention to her reddening eyes.

"No, I'm just tired from tonight" she said sternly and quietly. She couldn't quite see through the darkness of the hallway, but she could still tell that Junpei was eyeing her. He probably didn't believe her, not that she could blame him. A moment passed and then, without so much as a word, Junpei stepped forward and dropped something into her hand.

Her ring glowed against the palm of her hand, and with a sharp breath of relief Minako clutched it to her chest before looking up at its finder.

"How did you- where did you-?"

"I found it laying on the ground outside the dorm. You got pretty lucky there I didn't miss it!" his voice was light and cheery, before a more sorrowful look crossed his face. His eyes trailed off to the ground, and Minako watched intently as he scratched the back of his head in thought.

"Thank you, Junpei... " she whispered, slipping the ring back onto her hand. At the sound of her voice he looked back up.

"I, you know, it was nothing. I mean I know how much that thing means to you, and I don't know what we'd do if our leader of all people was down in the dumps."

Minako looked over the taller boy and smiled slightly. She took a few steps back, still clutching her hand tightly, and nodded.

"Well, thank you again, I'll uh, be heading to bed now." Turning on her heel, she walked briskly toward the last door down the hallway. Before she made it to her door though, his voice broke into her thoughts.

"Hey, Minako."

"Yeah?" she turned and met his gaze, her voice quivering slightly. She saw him adjust his hat, before smiling solemnly.

"I just want you to know man, I mean you've given me a lot of hope in the past. Just remember to save some of that hope for yourself, okay?" His voice was strangely sincere, and it shocked Minako how deep it cut into her. It was as though the word itself had become so foreign to her, yet hearing it from him created a spark of yearning to find it again.

With brisk movements Junpei cleared the space between them, standing once again only a few feet away. He placed a hand on her shoulder awkwardly, unsure of how to continue. He seemed as though he was in thought, before a frustrated sign left him and he spoke.

"Look, I know I haven't been the easiest person to get along with lately. Hell, I know I've said some stuff that may have hurt. I don't know man; I just, maybe I just didn't want to believe any of this was happening either, you know?" at this his voice took on a more comforting tone. "I know what it's like to lose someone you love, and well, I know how much it hurts. You... you and Ryoji where certainly something, I'll give you that. All I'm saying is that it's not to late, and it's definitely not the time to be giving up. Got it?"

A warm, burning sensation rose into Minako's chest. It didn't hurt though, and if anything it brought a smile to her face. A real smile, Minako realized. Something she hadn't had the pleasure to feel in a long time. With a little more energy in her movements, Minako laughed slightly and stepped forward, giving the boy a quick hug. She felt him tense up, and laughed again when she realized how much it must have startled him.

"You know, you can be a really sweet guy when you want to be."

Junpei shrugged sheepishly and adjusted his hat again. "Oh, it was nothing man. Don't worry about it. You've helped me, now I've helped you. It's like we're even or something." he stuffed his hands into his pockets and smiled.

A curt call echoed from upstairs, and Minako saw Junpei pale at the sound of it.

"Aw crap! I think Yuka-tan just found out I sniped her homework earlier. It's not like I had time to do it myself man, so I just copied hers," with a nervous laugh he started his way down the hall, turning to look at Minako one last time. "See ya in the morning, leader."

She watched as he disappeared down the dark stairway, and she continued to stand there with a pleasant smile weaved onto her face. With a contented sigh, Minako brought the ring back up to her face, before bringing it tightly to her chest.

"Wait for me just a bit longer, okay? I'll be there, for you and for everyone else. I promise."