Was it a coincidence that Nyx liked to think about things more when it was night time? Maybe, maybe not, but the bottom line was: she couldn't sleep since she had too many thoughts on her mind, and they kept her awake as they kept resurfacing.
She couldn't stop thinking about Minato. Nyx had no idea why she couldn't. What was it about Minato that made her think about him so much? Was it because he was helping her now, and because he was different to everybody else?
There was something that she admired about how Minato wanted to keep her safe, despite her powers and perhaps his coming sincerity was something that she liked. She wasn't blind to the way that she knew he treated his other friends. Joking sometimes, but certainly not trying to be rude. And he genuinely seemed to care about them all. Nyx liked that about him. Perhaps he wasn't a god given angel or something like that, but he was still quite selfless when it came down to everything.
Nyx couldn't possibly fathom why those qualities about him appealed to her so.
So first she was afraid of him not caring about her and leaving her behind, but now she was admiring him and his kindness. What was happening to her?
And earlier that day, Minato had been helping her through the forest, through the town, and usually he was so composed. Why was it that he was stammering so much around her? That didn't happen before.
Was he nervous too? If so, why?
Nyx concentrated on her heart, feeling it ache and emanate heat as it pulsed. It wasn't sadness that she felt. Her heart hurt, but not because it was heavy with misery or sadness. In fact, it felt incredibly light. It hurt, beat normally, it was heated unlike anything she had experienced before. And it weighed like nothing.
What was it that she felt? She hadn't felt that feeling before, whatever it was.
…did Minato know what it was?
…
Minato sighed heavily as he thought about the day. Sure, it was fun hanging out with Nyx and all, but it had been so awkward for him at the same time. He had stammered and bumbled his way through the conversations that he had with Nyx, if they could even be called conversations.
However. He knew that there was something going on. If not with Nyx, it was with him, or maybe it was actually the both of them. Nyx had certainly been warming up to him more after he had stopped trying to push her away, and it was something that he had been thankful for. He didn't hate her anymore. He could go as far to say that he very much enjoyed her company.
But that was just it. He felt like he liked being around her a lot more than any other person that he had hung out with. When he was building his relationships with all his other friends before, he was the one that listened to them and their problems, and that was just fine with Minato. However, it was different with Nyx.
She was a lot like him in a lot of ways. If he was being completely honest with himself, all that Nyx ever did was ask questions, and she only told Minato about what was troubling her when she felt a pressing need. Which was almost never. So the one that was talking more between the two of them was actually Minato, when he taught her about the human world, and when he told her about his own troubles. She was really good at doing that. Listening. She was the kind of person to just take in what he said, and she'd contemplate it before asking a question.
Speaking of questions, was that the reason why Minato liked talking with Nyx? Was it because she listened to him? Did he like her for that?
…but he did feel relieved when he talked to her about certain things. It was nice, being able to tell someone else about his problems for once. Even if they were only little things.
Minato ran his hand through his hair with a sigh. So he liked hanging out with Nyx.
But that still didn't explain something. What was everything else? He kept stumbling over his words, and blurting out things that he'd never say to any girl that he had hung out with before to Nyx. Things like how cute she was, and how beautiful she was…
He had been fine saying things like that to girls before, but now it seemed… different. The things that Minato felt when he complimented Nyx were different. He felt nervous. Minato hardly was a nervous person. In fact, he was very confident, even if his usual slouch said otherwise.
Around Nyx, he felt lighter and felt like he could smile more. He felt anxious about what she felt about him.
…what did she feel about him? What did he feel about her? He felt his heart pounding, and his frown turned into a soft smile, then to a grimace as he bit his lip.
No, it couldn't happen, could it? It wasn't true. It couldn't be true. What he felt wasn't real, right? What he felt was just some weird thing from his dreams, right? He was just supposed to teach Nyx about the human world, and convince her that human life isn't meaningless.
But what was it that gave his life meaning? His friends did, he knew that. But there was something else. Something powerful. Something that he hadn't felt before. Something that he believed he could never feel.
…
After a few days, the team returned to Iwatodai safely.
However, there were things that were different to before. Nyx and Minato couldn't look at each other, and it almost felt like there was a kind of rift forming between the two of them. It was strange to everyone else because they had just been getting closer, and now they couldn't even look at each other for more than a few seconds.
Kanashi chuckled as he thought about it. He could see something forming between the two of them, and people around him would probably never know that he cared about the fact that Minato was ACTUALLY head over heels for Nyx. Not to mention that Nyx was head over heels for Minato, even if she didn't know it or wouldn't admit it.
The evening after they had returned from Yakushima was strange though… Much stranger than anyone would think. Because it kinda just looked like there was a man in a coat travelling to a dorm. Of course, that was still strange, but he was just a man.
No, there was something else about that man.
"Erebus," Nyx mumbled as his tall, dark figure stood in the doorway.
"Nyx," Erebus nodded, advancing towards her. "How do you do?"
"What do you want?" she asked, standing up.
"This dude's Erebus?" Kanashi asked, pointing at the primordial of darkness. "Huh. He looks kinda like this guy that I saw in a manga."
"What does manga have to do with this Kanashi!?" Yashiro snapped.
"Everything!" Kanashi declared, earning himself a large amount of stares from the people sitting around him.
"Why so cold Nyx?" he chuckled about to reach out to Nyx, however she immediately raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.
"Shut up and don't even try it," Nyx gazed coldly into Erebus' eyes.
Junpei winced as he remembered Yakushima, and Kanashi chuckled. Yashiro merely shook his head. "Uh, why aren't we getting Erebus out of here?" Ken piped up.
"Shh," Nyx hissed, almost like a warning. "Now get out of here."
"I ain't going until I tell ya how we're gonna play this out queenie," Erebus laughed, uncaring of the glare that Nyx was firing at him.
"Tch…" Nyx sighed.
"Nyx," Minato came down from the stairs into the lobby where Erebus and Nyx were having a staredown. "What's going on?" he asked himself.
"You know those assassins you guys all know and love? Well, they're under my command now," Erebus smirked.
"What!?" Kanashi's eyes widened considerably.
"This is my little game," Erebus chuckled. "I'm going to try and kidnap you in the future with these assassins' help, and I'll get that kiss off you."
"You aren't bringing the Fall with Nyx," Minato growled as he ran towards Erebus and punched him in the chest.
"Minato, wait!" Nyx warned, but Minato tried attacking anyways.
"Hmph," Erebus scoffed and merely raised his finger to block Minato's hard punch. "So we meet again, do we Minato?"
His eyes widened as Minato was so easily blocked, and he stepped back as Erebus smirked. "T-Tch…" Minato gritted his teeth. The members of SEES looked surprised as their most powerful Persona user was so easily deflected.
"Whoa," Kanashi mumbled.
"As I was saying, if you manage to get rid of all the assassins, I'll stop attacking and I'll fight you instead," Erebus laughed. "But of course, I question how you could defeat me."
"S-Shut up," Minato growled and tried a roundhouse kick on Erebus however the primordial just caught his foot mid-swing. "What!?"
"You really think that you can defeat me?" Erebus chuckled as he let go of Minato's foot. "Without the Universe Arcana, I'd like to say that you're screwed."
"Erebus. Just. Go," Nyx gazed at Erebus with frosty eyes.
"Oh fine, I had my fun," Erebus sighed. "Farewell for now," he smirked before disappearing a flurry of red and black mist, much like a Shadow.
Minato looked in disbelief and stayed silent. How could he be so easily diverted like that?
"Minato, don't worry about it," Nyx tried to reassure, however he kept quiet. "I can protect myself, you know that."
Eventually he sighed and met Nyx's gaze before looking down at the ground and walking back upstairs.
"That was intense," Kanashi commented. "Minato looked pretty crushed when he found out that he couldn't beat the big bad boss o' darkness!"
Nyx bit her lip and looked at Minato's back as he trudged up the stairs. Was he angry about the fact that he couldn't match up to Erebus?
AN: Not much to say except I'm actually updating this pretty quickly. Quickly than I thought I would. Also, major denial. Haha.
Plz box me yo thoughts and imma see ya guys later.
Yoshikunitsu: I'm saying that because I'm still in the middle of thinking that what I'm writing isn't full blown fluff yet, although it's getting there.
Mmhm, and good luck.
Raidou: I still only think that it's semi-fluff since I can make scenes fluffier if I want to. Yeah, and I'm trying to keep things moving. Next chapter, we're going back to home and fully starting the next arc.
Nights: Yayeh, fluff for everyone. Kinda.
Anakin: I predict… somewhere around one and a half months irl, since we're talking about marriage and that kind of thing I'd put at the end of a story to end it off and make it a bit of a feel-good fic.
Now, what about when they're actually going to realise that they love each other? I predict about ten chapters, or twenty days.
But of course, my update speed is more dependent on people reviewing and my writing speed of course… if I get a certain number of reviews, I update.
I would place about $20 if I had any.
Aniki120: Indeed… Glad you think it's cute, even gladder that you love it.
Q/A SECTION
(Aigis) Convo 1: To Technodude.
Aigis: I see. I am not quite sure what came over me when I said that. I feel as if some other great force took control of me, for whatever reason…
(Nyx and Minato) Convo 2: To Anakin.
Nyx: Sorry to burst your bubble, but February has passed over here.
Minato: Well… *rubs back of head* There's still next year…
(Junpei) Question 3: You okay? That sounded like it REALLY hurt.
Junpei: I'm okay man! This man ain't staying down!
(Junpei) Question 4: Dude, don't you have Chidori?
Junpei: I was just saying! It was a compliment!
(Nyx) Question 5: Do you really not understand what that ache is?
Nyx: No, I don't.
(SEES, sans Minato and Nyx) Convo 6: To Anakin.
Junpei: Eh, should I really bet on something like that? Aaanyways, I think it'd take forever. Ten years then maybe. Aaaand… 100000 yen! ($1000)
Yukari: I don't really want to bet on something like that, but for now I have a feeling that marriage would take a while. Maybe seven years, give or take.
Fuuka: I wouldn't feel right betting on that… But maybe five years.
Mitsuru: I have no intentions of betting, however… I believe that relationships should take time. I would say about eight years.
Ken: Should I really bet on something like that? I don't even have money. But… I think it'd take a while. Five years.
Akihiko: …I dunno. Six years? I'd bet about 3000 yen. ($300)
Kanashi: Hahahaha! A year, dumbasses! They're head over heels for each other and they just won't admit it. I'd bet 1000000 yen on that bro! ($10000)
Yashiro: Hm… they show signs of affection, even if it's slight. Considering what could happen around them, I have a feeling it won't take that long. I'd give it a few months if they get together, maybe four years until they're married.
Kurow: You really think I give a shit? Oh fine, I think it'll take one hundred years. I'm kidding. Three years and I don't have any money on me. You think I'm a charity!?
(Minato) Convo 7: To Yoshikunitsu.
Makoto: *poof* We're still hanging around. And we're over here when we're needed.
Minato: When you do that, you scare the living shit out of me, you know that?
Makoto: Nope, I kinda figured. Want me to teleport someone else here?
Minato: Huh?
Minato 2: *poofs in with a Mars bar, but looks up with surprise and glares at Makoto* I was in the middle of eating, geez.
Minato: *steps back*
Minato 2: *sighs* Is this something that I'm going to have to get used to?
