DISCLAIMER: Persona 3 Portable is owned by ATLUS.

A/N: THE DATES ARE CHANGED TO SUIT THE PURPOSE OF THIS FIC.

The song is Take Me with You by Secondhand Serenade.

MissFotune-Hime: I'm glad this chapter made you happy. Thanks for your review.

Mimi Minato: The library scene is my favorite too. And yes, she did that on purpose but of course she'd act all innocent about it because that's the way to seduce Akihiko (at least that's what I think). Thanks for the review.

namine23: Yes he's so innocent and naïve but that's what I liked about Akihiko. He's so adorable when he's like that. Thanks for your review.

Well, forgive me if I seem forward

But I've never been in front of anything like you

It's the last place I've ever thought I'd be when I woke up this morning

Is it true?

And that you're always this breathtaking, and you're smart, and you're willing

This is killing me

Take Me with You

January 28, 2010 / Thursday

Akihiko wonders why she hasn't asked him again yet.

During Mondays, she attends Student Council meetings; on Tuesdays she's with Iori; on Wednesdays, she goes to Tennis Club practices; on Thursdays she and Mitsuru seem to go around some places in Port Island together; on Fridays she hangs out with Takeba; her Saturdays are spent at the Cooking Club with Yamagishi; and on Sundays she goes to the shrine with that elementary kid Ken Amada and Koromaru. Or if ever on the days she isn't with her friends she's probably at the school clinic or at the old bookstore in the Strip Mall, sometimes alone at the Home Economics room cleaning and sewing and whatever she could do there. And sometimes he couldn't find her. But the thing is he has never found her idle.

He knows these things, because he always catches glimpses of her around. As if he is always looking for her, trying to find out how she is, what she's up to, and who she's with. Every detail about her, hearing her name, the sound of her voice, the traces of her silhouette, it draws him. He doesn't know why though.

He doesn't try to approach her, but he thinks he wants to. The only time he ever sees her free (his chance) is during mornings on the train, at lunch in the hallways, and at the dorm's lounge by the end of the day. Even if he attempts for a conversation he wouldn't know what to say anyway, he couldn't look at her in the eyes directly either. Because whenever he does, he feels like he's doing something wrong since the effect on his body of looking at her and being near her is not entirely commendable. He couldn't comprehend such feelings. And when she looks and smiles at him as if he is the only one she sees, his heart stops and his breath gets caught in his lungs it confuses him. She can make his body ache with a different kind of pain and make him want to do things that he rather wouldn't.

Like that one time, he saw her on the hallway talking with a fellow student council member, a guy wearing a yellow armband on his arm. They looked casual and all business but then the guy touched her arm. It was just a gentle hold, an inoffensive and caring show of approval and delight, but he saw the affection it delivers from the eyes of that guy. He had wanted to rush towards them and wrench the guys hand off her. But she reciprocated, with kindness and warmth, by putting her hand on top of that other person's hand. She even smiled that passionate smile she gives everyone. So what he did was go the other way and pretend he didn't see anything, his chest feeling like it was pricked by a thousand needles.

Thinking of which he is reminded of the event the other day. There were a number of people who witnessed it, as it happened a few minutes before lunch ended. He was on his classroom, having no appetite to eat something with his mind clouded with the thoughts of her. His attention was taken when his classmates suddenly ran towards the windows, all of them saying something along the lines of 'it's Kaito!', 'he's going to confess', 'oh! She's really so pretty!', and 'no wonder it's…'. But it was her name, really, that made him run towards the window, and wrestle his way upfront to see. He noticed there were other viewers from other floors too. And there she was below them, standing at their school's courtyard, his classmate Kaito in front of her. True to the rumor Kaito confessed to her. He wanted to jump there and intrude and tell Kaito to don't ever think about being close to his girl, and punch him for ever having considered the notion. But he didn't because she wasn't his girl, and he was puzzled why he would ever think that. Kaito was a nice guy. Akihiko opted to just stand there with bated breath; he wanted to know her answer. He saw her shake her head and smile sadly. He couldn't hear what she was saying but he was sure it wasn't what Kaito wanted to hear. She bowed her head and walked away. He heard his classmates whine having realized Kaito was rejected. Akihiko only walked back to his seat quietly and smiled to himself. He didn't know why but he truly felt happy that she declined.

A sharp pain creeps into the side of his head, his cheek having crashed with something hard. It sends his ears ringing, his head aching, and his body plummeting down. His knees and elbows collide with the floor. Akihiko blinks hard, his sight clearing. He sees droplets of his sweat fall to the floor.

"Sanada!" He hears his coach bellow.

Finally he wakes from his stupor to find himself wearing his boxing gear and inside the ring. He remembers that he is having a practice match with one of his team mates, and he spaced out thinking of Minako.

"Captain?" His opponent asks him, sounding worried and afraid. The promising junior must have been surprised to land a solid punch on him.

"I'm fine." Akihiko stands up, groaning.

He pulls the gloves off his hands and makes his way down the ring. Whatever it is Minako's doing to him, it's getting worse. And it would be bad to continue the practice match if he can't concentrate.

"What's wrong with you?" Their coach steps on his way when he got down.

"Sorry, I'm just out of it."

He touches his jaw and flinches as it stings in pain, when he retracts his hand he sees blood on his fingers. He must have cut his lip.

"Well, you look tired. Maybe you should go get some rest. Take that cut and swelling cheek to the clinic first though." Despite the kind words Akihiko finds his coach glaring at him, probably frustrated with his lack of concentration.

"Ah."

He knocks before he opens the clinic door but did not actually wait for an answer. He steps up inside closing the door quietly.

"Senpai."

He turns around to find the girl who had been swimming in his thoughts for a while now standing there before him. He forgot that she might be the one in charge of the clinic that day. He didn't think Mitsuru won't be around to drag the girl somewhere.

"Hey…uh…" He drones, unsure what to do and say, words escaping him.

"You're hurt." Her eyes widens, and he sees worry in them, his chest flutters.

"Ah." He answers absentmindedly.

"Please sit down. I'll go get the first aid kit."

Akihiko only nods and obeys, the request sounding more of a command. He thinks he's heard that kind of tone. He places himself on the chair nearest to him and follows her with his stare.

Minako sits in front of him and puts the kit on top of the school nurse's table. She rummages inside for cotton and disinfectant. After dabbing the cotton with a fairly amount of the liquid she moves to lean towards him, but then stops.

"Uhm, can you please move closer senpai?" She looks up at him through her lashes.

"Oh…"

He moves the chair closer towards her, his knees brushing with hers. Akihiko feels his cheeks getting warm so he looks down, abashed.

Minako's fingers find their way cupping his uninjured jaw, lifting his face up she peers to his other cheek. She proceeds with gently applying the antiseptic on the peeled skin beside his lower lip. He stares at her face with wonder, his heart thumping loudly in his chest, thinking if their proximity doesn't bother her at all.

She throws the cotton at the trash bin beside her and takes a round shallow plastic container with clear gel inside. She scoops some in her fingers then bends a bit more to rub it on his now swollen cheek, her touch like fire burning him making him feverish. Akihiko crumples the fabric of his pants in his fists as his breathing becomes labored. Minako withdraws and wipes her fingers with a tissue. She takes a tiny band aid from a plastic canister on the corner of the table, peels its covers off and puts it on him. Minako leans back as if to examine her handiwork and smiles to herself seemingly satisfied.

"What happened?" She finally breaks the silence.

"I was uh…I got hit while we were having a practice match. We weren't wearing head protectors so..."

"That's…never happened before." He notices her brows scrunching in curiosity. "Were you sick?"

"Uh, no. I couldn't concentrate."

"Why? Is something bothering you? You can always tell me, if you want."

He can't actually tell her that she is the reason why he is always distracted these days. He doesn't want to offend her, and it's not really her fault that she affects him so much.

"No it's just…"

He trails off as he feels her finger smooth out the peeling band aid, his lips tickled and the sensation sending chills down his spine. Suddenly he grasps her wrist and cups her cheek, drawing her near him, and she complies. Their faces a few inches away from each other he feels her breath mix with his. Akihiko doesn't know how he did it, his body moving on its own accord, closing the distance between the two of them. Minako seems to have understood the sequence his body language had started, so she continues it, and with hooded eyes she caresses his lips with hers softly.

Minako brushes his lips with her tongue, the cut on his lower lip stings, and it makes him open his mouth slightly to hiss. She slips her tongue inside his mouth and he meets it with his own, clashing and stroking. Her taste overwhelms him, his brain in disorder, he only comprehends the feeling. A wave of pleasure washes over him and it makes him groan. His immobile hand finds its way to caress her waist, his fingers slipping under her shirt.

The PA resounds in the background and it startles him, taking him back to reality and his rationality returns. He disentangles himself from her and stands abruptly, the chair crashes to the floor. He looks at her frantic and eyes wide.

"I…"

Minako looks back at him confused and hurt.

"Aki…Senpai…" She starts.

But he doesn't hear her finish because he's already running away from her.

He only stops running when he reaches the front steps of their dorm. It occurs to him that he wants to turn back, return to her, and feel her lips more. But he can't, it's too late. He wishes that somehow she won't hate him.

Tell me all of your hopes

All of your dreams

I want you to take me there

There's just one more thing

One request

I want you to take me with you

A/N: The next chapter will be about Shinjiro-senpai, so REVIEW, if you want to know what happens. Especially now that I feel like I'm lacking inspiration lately. And I've been distracted with reading a light novel.