Faux Pas

The Twenty-Fifth Hour

Faint voices began to echo in the silence.

"I think he's still alive…"

It was Akihiko's voice. The members of S.E.E.S. were present. Somewhere…

"Thank God…" Yukari whispered.

"Saito's lucky. He's lost a lot of blood."

Mitsuru's voice held a hint of worry.

The voices disappeared for a long time, occasionally returning as incomprehensible murmurs. Was I dead? I felt my body lift from the floor. It seemed that someone was supporting me.

"Do you have him?"

Junpei's muffled voice came from my shoulders.

"Yeah, I got him."

Akihiko was at my feet.

"Are you sure you don't want me to help?"

Aigis.

"No, we've got him," Akihiko said.

"What about him?"

Ken.

"Let's get them both to the hospital and have them seen to as quickly as possible."

Mitsuru seemed urgent.

"I'll make sure they're seen to by my best doctor… As long as we have this taken care of quickly…"

Her voice trailed off.

When the voices came back, the conversation had already changed.

"Careful. Watch your step, Junpei."

"I got it, I got it…"

"Just a little further. The access point is close to you now," Fuuka's faint voice instructed through the transmitter.

Where were we now? Suddenly, I was curious. Some of my strength had returned. Just enough to open my eyes.

I slowly awoke. My vision was still a little blurry, but it focused enough so I could catch some details. We had reached the end of a staircase. I assumed we were searching for an access point. Akihiko held my legs carefully, and I felt Junpei's warmth around my upper body. My eyes followed the stairs, and I saw Ken, Koromaru, and Aigis rush down quickly, as if to give someone space. Mitsuru and Yukari came down the stairs more slowly.

I suddenly realized why. They each held onto Bebe. My heart began to palpitate and my chest ached as they drew near. Blood stained his hair and uniform. His body was limp.

I began to remember more of what had gone through my head before passing out. No. No. No, this couldn't be. Why was I still alive? It was wrong. I should have been dead. Or was this my punishment? I had broken my promise… All because I couldn't save him. I left him there to die. Of course he wouldn't leave me. He told me he wouldn't. With whatever strength he had, he would defend me. Why? Why didn't he leave me? I wasn't worth saving… This was my fault. All my fault.

I had to go to him. I couldn't just sit there. As my body began to pulse adrenaline, I found my voice again.

"Bebe…" I croaked. Akihiko suddenly looked at me.

"Tetsuya," he said, surprised, "You're awake."

"Hey, dude," Junpei said quietly, "You okay?"

"Bebe…" I croaked again, beginning to feel sick. What had happened after I had fallen?

I felt my mind reconnect to my body. I could move again. I began to struggle, trying to squirm free from Junpei and Akihiko's hold.

"No," I grunted, "Bebe, no…!"

"Shit!" Junpei grunted through his teeth, his hold tightening.

"Tetsuya! Stop! You need to stop moving! You're hurt!" Akihiko told me.

"Let me go…!" I said, my voice beginning to rise.

"Stop squirming around, Tetsuya!" Junpei cried, "You're bleeding!"

"What's going on?" Mitsuru asked urgently. Yukari, on the other hand, immediately understood.

"Oh my God, he's awake," she gasped.

"He saw…" Ken said quietly.

"Tetsuya, stop!" Akihiko barked at me.

"No…!" I cried, struggling harder, "Let me go…! I need to be with him…! It shouldn't have been him…! It should have been me…! I should be dead…!"

"Please don't fight…" Aigis begged, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Aigis, please take him," Mitsuru said, referring to Bebe, "Saito's going to get himself killed. He needs to be executed."

"Mitsuru, that's really not necessary," Akihiko said through his teeth, despite his struggling to keep me still.

"LET ME GO!" I shrieked, ripping myself free from Junpei's hold. My body fell to the floor, where excruciating pain split up and down my spine through the rest of my body. I had forgotten about the attack I had taken. The pain swallowed my consciousness...

The next time I woke up, my surroundings were air-conditioned. I opened my eyes to see that I was at the hospital again. Pink sunlight spilled into the room, tinting everything as far as my eyes could see. What nostalgia. I hadn't been admitted to the hospital since I passed out after my first encounter with the Shadows…

Shadows. Bebe.

I sat up quickly, a sting shooting through my back. Looking down, I realized that my torso had been wrapped in bandages.

"Well, I hope you're satisfied with that idiotic decision."

I looked up quickly, realizing that the guys from the dorm stood by the door. Mitsuru glared at me impatiently. It seemed that they had just been leaving. As soon as Mitsuru spoke, everyone was back in the room. Yukari ran to me, hugging me tightly.

"Oh, Tetsuya, we were so worried!" she cried.

"Yeah, you were out cold after Junpei dropped you," Akihiko said.

"I got kinda chewed out…" Junpei muttered with a sheepish grin, "I'm really glad you're okay."

"You were really lucky back there," Ken said.

"I never wanted to leave your side for a moment…" Aigis said quietly.

"You should make a full recovery soon," Fuuka said with a smile.

Each of their kind words went past me. I didn't care that I was alive. I didn't care that I was okay. My mind was set.

"Where's Bebe…?" I asked quietly. I needed to know.

Junpei laughed a little, to my relief.

"Jeez, you just don't care about yourself at all, do you?" he chuckled, "It's always Bebe."

"He's in the other bed," Yukari told me. I looked over to the neighboring bed. Bebe lay there quietly on his side with his hands up by his face, his eyes closed as if only in dreams. His wounds were bandaged, and his skin had become bruised.

"Bebe," I breathed.

"He's okay, Tetsuya," Yukari said, "He might look like a mess, but his condition wasn't too serious. He had a minor concussion and few bad gashes. Other than that, he's fine. He just passed out from exhaustion. He's sleeping now."

"He's pretty strong…" Akihiko said quietly. The others looked in Bebe's direction.

"Yeah…" Junpei said softly, "I never would have thought…"

Everyone fell silent. I was concerned. They knew something I didn't, and I hated that. Especially if it concerned Bebe.

"Thought what?" I asked, wanting Junpei to go on.

All eyes were on me again rather quickly. What was going on?

"You don't know…?" Ken asked quietly. They looked around at each other hesitantly.

"Mitsuru…?" Akihiko asked. Mitsuru even seemed hesitant. She sighed, approaching me slowly.

"Saito…" she said, "I… don't know how you'll feel about this… but he… Bebe… is a Persona-user."

My heart stopped.

"What?" I asked, disbelievingly.

"Yeah!" Junpei grinned, "Dude, it was sweet! It was this war dude with these massive wings! He frickin' wailed on that Shadow's ass! You should have seen it!"

"He was unconscious and bleeding to death, you idiot," Akihiko muttered.

Needless to say, I was shocked. Bebe… a Persona-user? Could it really be true? It had to be… It all made sense.

He was aware of the Dark Hour. Fuuka had picked up a faint presence of a Persona-user around when we were alone the first night, but we just thought it was Strega. Even before I had fallen unconscious… my Evoker left my hand, and the gunfire… I suddenly realized that I had seen an angel's wings. It was Bebe's Persona… He always told me he was holding me back, but maybe… his Persona never showed because he never had the chance to fend for himself. Maybe… I was the hindrance…

"Look, he's totally speechless!" Yukari grinned, "Isn't it great, Tetsuya? He saved your life!"

That's right… Bebe had finished the Shadow alone. He protected me…

"Bebe has a lot of potential. More than before, it seems," Mitsuru said thoughtfully.

My heart sank. It suddenly occurred to me where this was going before she even said it.

"He would be a valuable asset to us," she went on, "He may be new to his abilities, but he was able to handle his Persona well for a first-timer, just like you. We need all the help we can get against Nyx…"

"No," I said plainly.

"Oh, crap," Junpei muttered.

"Saito, don't be difficult," Mitsuru said impatiently, "Bebe's a Persona-user now. He has as much responsibility as the rest of us."

"No, I'm not putting him in that position!" I yelled. I pulled away from Yukari, jumping out of my bed. Pausing briefly for the agonizing pain that tore through my body, I went to Bebe's bedside.

"Stop, Saito," Mitsuru said irritably. I turned to face her irately.

"I can't let you do this to him…" I growled, "He's not ready…"

"Maybe not now, but you can help him prepare."

"With what time? Nyx is coming in less than a month! If it took us almost a year to get to this level, do you really think Bebe can survive? I can't bet his life… Not after I've already almost lost him once…"

Mitsuru was quiet. Everyone was. I knew I made a good point. But of course I did. I knew Bebe better than any of them. Even though he had miraculously managed to survive the last battle, it wasn't guaranteed to happen again.

"Tetsuya… Bebe will want to fight…" Yukari said, "He's not going to stand by and let us risk our lives when he has the same strength… you know that…"

"He doesn't need to get involved…" I muttered, "He never needed to get involved…"

"Why don't you talk to him about it?" Akihiko asked.

"I agree," Mitsuru said, "He should have a say in this… Saito, wake him up."

Hesitantly, I kneeled beside him. The others gathered around his bed as I touched his arm.

"Bebe… can you open your eyes…?" I asked softly. His breathing skipped a little, interrupting the steady flow as he slumbered. Slowly, his eyes blinked open, examining the surroundings.

"Tetsuya…?" he asked. He looked over my face for a moment, a faint smile forming as tears began to well in his eyes, "You're okay…"

Why don't you care that you're lying in a hospital bed…? Why don't you care that I left you alone after swearing not to…? At least have the decency to scold me… And yet you wear that smile that relieves every tense muscle in your body. A smile that thanks the Lord that I'm okay. Even… after everything…

"Yeah… I'm okay…" I choked. I pressed my lips to his, ignoring everyone else. At this point, I didn't really care if they saw. Everyone was fairly mature about it. Although I might have heard a slight noise from Junpei's direction.

"Bebe, we need to discuss something with you," Mitsuru said as I pulled away. Bebe seemed somber.

"Eet's about… my Persona… isn't eet?" he asked quietly. Mitsuru nodded.

"Yes," she responded, "We saw you harness its power to save Saito's life last night. We all agree it was very heroic."

"Heroic?" Junpei asked, "More like frickin' epic awesomesauce!"

Akihiko smacked Junpei in the head.

Mitsuru chuckled.

"Well… I suppose," she said, then growing more serious, "But more importantly, you've discovered your potential. Do you understand what this means for us?"

Bebe was quiet. Without sounding either disappointed or hopeful, he asked,

"…you want me to 'elp fight?"

"Yes," Mitsuru replied, "S.E.E.S. needs your newfound strength. Overall, most of us want your participation in this final battle. However… there's the minority."

Bebe looked at me immediately. I frowned a little, concerned.

"Right," Mitsuru said, "Now… the decision is yours. If you want to fight Nyx with us, which we highly encourage you to do so, we'll ensure that Saito prepares you for anything."

"Bebe…" I muttered. He waited for me to go on quietly. I was hesitant.

"…I… I don't want you involved in this. I… can't protect you anymore… You'll be safest if you go back to France. The Shadows won't be there, and neither will Nyx. I can't… I can't watch you hurt anymore… Please… please understand what I'm saying…"

He gazed at me, silent and poker-faced. He closed his eyes slowly, his brow furrowing slightly. When he opened them, he stared at his nightstand.

"Okay…" he said. Everyone leaned closer.

"Okay…?" Mitsuru asked. Bebe avoided eye contact with all of us.

"I'll go back to France…" he murmured.

Silence fell upon the room. No one, not even I, had expected this response. I should have felt relieved. I didn't have to argue with him. I didn't have to fight. I didn't have to worry about witnessing his end. So why did my heart writhe in pain? Why did I feel betrayed?

The other members of S.E.E.S. must have either suspected a bias or selfishness, but I sensed neither. They seemed disappointed in his decision. Especially Mitsuru.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" she asked him, "This is your decision. Not Saito's." Bebe nodded slowly.

"I know," he murmured, "Zis eez my choice."

After another silent minute, Mitsuru sighed and rose slowly.

"Very well," she sighed, "I'll book you a flight for next week. You should be discharged by then. Saito, see to it that he makes it to the airport safely. I'm sorry it has to end like this… I wish you a safe journey home, Bebe. If you need to speak with us, you have our numbers…"

She began to leave.

"W-We're going?" Yukari asked, shocked.

"We're already staying past visiting hours," Mitsuru said, "Besides… I think we need to leave Saito alone with Bebe until this is over…"

With a few mumbled good-byes to Bebe and me, the members of S.E.E.S. left us alone. For the first time, despite the sheer detest I'd held towards her for as long as I can remember, I truly respected Mitsuru.

Later that day as dusk swept over the room, I sat up in my bed, staring out the window. Despite the silence coming from the other end of the room, I knew Bebe was lying awake. He hadn't spoken since he had given his decision to S.E.E.S. Then again, neither had I. We sat in silence, looking away from each other.

All the while, my mind was weighed with his decision. It had been my idea to send him home. Once Fuuka had told me that she couldn't sense Shadow activity in France, I was hell-bent

to send him away from here – away from all the despair, danger, and pain. He had fought with me once, but he had somehow persuaded me otherwise. Only temporarily.

Now he was willing to leave Japan. I couldn't argue with that, since it had been what I wanted. Or was it really what I wanted? What changed Bebe's mind?

We had a week left at best. I should have been happy. I wouldn't have to fight with Bebe. Then it occurred to me why I was distraught. It was the fact that he didn't fight that bothered me. I had wanted there to be a fight between us. I wanted him to say that he wanted to fight by my side and tell me he would never leave me. That was the Bebe I thought I knew.

I finally looked at him. He lay on his back, staring at the ceiling as he was lost in deep thought. I couldn't restrain myself. I had to know.

"Bebe…" I said softly. Without looking, he acknowledged me.

"Yes, Tetsuya…?"

I swallowed.

"Do you want to go back to France…?"

He was quiet for a long time before responding weakly.

"No…" he croaked, "Zat's not what I want at all…"

I was a little more relaxed, though still curious.

"Then why didn't you argue with me…?" I asked, "…I… didn't… I didn't think you would…go so willingly."

He finally looked at me, tears rolling from his eyes.

"Because of last night…" he whispered, "I zen realized… I couldn't do eet. I fell in ze end… If everyone else 'adn't shown up when zey did, we both would 'ave died. I couldn't protect you… not even wiz my Persona. I was scared for you… I zought… I zought I 'ad lost you… and in zat moment, I felt powerless…

"I don't doubt you, demo… I don't want to lose you again, Tetsuya… I don't want to see you like zat again. And I know zat I wouldn't be able to defend myself, and I would die if I stayed… If… I die… I know zat eet would 'urt you too… I don't want you to 'urt… I don't want to 'urt. I don't care about 'ow ze Shadows would rip my flesh. Only if zey 'urt you. Zat pain alone eez unbearable. If you love me ze way I love you, I know you feel ze same. Undoubtedly… I'm not as strong as you. I would die… I am not afraid to die, demo… I don't want eet to 'urt you…"

"Bebe, stop it," I said, frowning, "Don't make yourself out to be a hindrance…"

"Zat's what I am, Tetsuya… I don't want you worrying about me. Even if I 'ave a Persona, I know eet won't change ze way you feel. Ze way you want to protect me… I want to be out of your 'air. By leaving Nihon… I allow you to focus on no one but yourself. In zat way, I'm protecting you… Eet eez all I can do…" Bebe said, weeping softly.

I finally understood. I got out of my bed and crawled into his, holding onto him tightly as I settled underneath the covers.

"I love you, Bebe…" I whispered into his ear. He clung to me, crying against my neck.

"I love you too, Tetsuya…" he sobbed, "I love you too…"

We held each other through the night. After all, we didn't have much time left to be together...