DISCLAIMER: Persona 3 Portable is owned by ATLUS. The song is Breath by Breaking Benjamin.

Author's Notes: I apologize for the late update. I was busy and I wasn't sure what would happen in this chapter. I admit that I stumbled upon writer's block too and a plot bunny that is unrelated to this fic had pestered me. This is a little short since this is some kind of a transitional period, but don't worry next chapters would be longer. Although I may have written the next chapter half-way, I'm still not sure about the update because reality is kind of hindering.

To my reviewers: Thank you guys for reviewing, your feedback really means a lot to me. You truly motivate me, which is why I get to write good chapters. And thanks a lot for sticking around.

namine23: I'm happy that my fic gives you the relaxation to take your mind off school and I agree Akihiko is quite dangerous when he combines words with actions. You can't just help but be swept away.

Mimi Minato: Well, Minako can't make up her mind because she's got two awesome senpais on her hands. :D Anyway, I wonder why the previous chapter made you sad.

Yosho25: For someone who isn't good with girls Akihiko sure did had his way with Minako smoothly. And he's supposed to be a gentleman, taking advantage of feeling Minako on the train. But he's Aki so let's just let him be happy, it's not like Minako would raise a fit over it.

I'm waiting, I'm praying, realize, start hating

Have What's Left

I see nothing in your eyes

And the more I see the less I like

He's dreaming again. He's certain that he is because he barely recognizes the room he is in, a female's room at that too. Another reason is that everything looks blurry and feels vague. Shinjiro looks around, and the room he notes is splashed with the colors of red and orange. He finds himself seated on the bed beside a sleeping girl. He feels like he knows her but couldn't put his finger on it. She's familiar enough but he's mind doesn't seem to register a name and a face together.

Shinjiro puts his hand on her forehead, although he has no idea why he did this, the him on the dream believes it is quite appropriate. The unnatural heat of the girl's forehead spreads in his palms and Shinjiro furrows his brows worriedly. The girl stirs from the action and her eyes flutter open. Red drowsy orbs stare at Shinjiro adoringly. The girl smiles and takes his hand in hers to entwine their fingers before drifting back to sleep. Shinjiro smiles back even though she will not see it.

"Get well…"

When he wakes up and thinks on it he's sure that in the dream he said her name, however, he didn't hear it nor do his lips remember the syllables he uttered.

So sacrifice yourself and let me have what's left

February 8, 2010 / Monday / After School

Tatsumi Memorial Hospital Park

Shinjiro doesn't know whether he should hit Aki on the head or call for a nurse to check up on his friend. The guy has been grinning from ear to ear ever since he arrived and the whole time they were talking. He's beginning to get kind of worried that Aki might have lost some screw on his head from being abused by that sport of his. But because Aki is like a kid he thinks that there's a reason for that shit-eating grin, so he asks, more like mocks.

"You look like an idiot with that stupid expression on your face." Shinjiro says tersely.

"What? Damn, Shinji. Can't I smile and be happy for some reason?" Despite his answer Akihiko still wears a smile on his face.

"Tch. Why? You finally went and up with Mitsuru?" Shinjiro raises his eyebrow at Akihiko. The reaction, he notes, is rather hilarious. Aki almost fall off the bench.

"Huh? N-no! How could you say that?" Akihiko practically yelling and then he mumbles, "Not with Mitsuru." Shinjiro might have heard wrong, but last time he checked his got perfectly good hearing.

"Seriously?" Is all the reply he gives Aki.

"Yeah."

Aki looks down on his feet, a faint blush decorating his cheek, as if admitting such matter to him is rather embarrassing. Shinjiro remains quiet and looks at the dancing leaves on the trees of the hospital's park. The desire to finally get rid of the wheelchair they have him use coming back.

"Sorry I didn't get to visit you lately. I was…busy."

"Whatever."

"Also…there's this girl…I was occupied with–" He cuts Aki off.

"Why are you telling me this?" He isn't annoyed, truly, he just wants to know the reason.

"Who else is there to tell?" Aki shrugs. "You're my best friend, right. And it's different talking about this with Mitsuru. I just wanted to let you know."

Shinjiro sighs. Of course, that's the reason. Aki and his sappiness and his fondness for talking.

"She can't skip Student Council meeting today so I took this time to come here. We usually meet up during this days and Fridays when I don't have club even before we got together." Akihiko looks at the distance as if reminiscing something wonderful.

So he only visited because he couldn't spend time with his girl, who is busy, while he was free from club. Well, Aki's apology earlier, he thinks, is rendered useless. Way to go using your friend to pass the time when you're bored. But then again, Aki is Aki, clueless at what he says as ever, no surprise in that.

"I'll bring her here and introduce you two one day. Maybe this coming Friday I'll ask her. Actually, you might have seen her when you came back to the dorm, I'm not sure."

"She's from the dorm?" Shinjiro asks curiously.

"Yes."

"Well, anyway it's good that you've got someone to take care of you and make you stupidly happy like that. God knows you need it."

"You should look for someone to take care of you too, Shinji. Maybe you ought to start not scaring off girls." Aki chuckles, the comment half-sincere and half-joke.

Shinjiro merely grunts. He is suddenly reminded of a girl with russet-colored hair and red eyes. The memory makes his heart beat speed up a little and Shinjiro hides his face away from Aki to prevent his best friend from seeing the warmth creeping up his face.

"Girls are just trouble." He tells Aki half-heartedly, but it doesn't seem that his friend had picked up on it.

"Someday when you finally meet that person for you I'm sure you'll change your mind, like I did." Aki beams at him proudly. He notes that this is what a lovesick fool might look like.

"Or maybe it's you and Mitsuru…"

"Don't even joke about it!" Shinjiro bawls gruffly. The thought just makes him mentally shiver in disinclination. Akihiko laughs.

Later that night in his room, Shinjiro thinks about the girl in his dreams and the girl who never came back.

"Yeah…maybe…" He says to no one in particular.

It doesn't change the fact that he felt somewhat bitter because of someone's absence though, something that he definitely doesn't want to admit.

This will be all over soon

Pour a salt into the open wound

February 11, 2010 / Thursday / Late Afternoon

Tatsumi Memorial Hospital

"What are you doing here?" Shinjiro asks rather callously even if he didn't intend to.

She hasn't shown herself ever since last Friday, and here she comes traipsing inside his room as if nothing happened. Maybe nothing really did happen and he is the only one who's making a big deal out of it. Through his peripheral vision he can see her shuffle her feet and twiddle her fingers nervously. Minako Arisato looks like a small pitiful afraid animal being scolded by her master. Shinjiro resists the urge to hit himself.

"I'm sorry for breaking my promise Shinjiro-senpai. I apologize for not being able to visit lately. Something…happened."

She bows down to her waist.

Shinjiro looks away.

"There's no reason for you to visit. It's not like I want you around." He regrets the words once it left his lips. It's not like he means them, in truth it's the opposite. He curses himself for being so cold and uncouth.

He doesn't see her flinch.

"I see…I'm sorry for bothering you then." Her voice cracks with the hints of sadness and an almost imperceptible cry.

This isn't how it's supposed to be. This isn't what he had been anticipating for the past few days. He couldn't understand for the life of him why for all the kindness that she showed him this is all he could give. Everything spirals down the drain and Shinjiro finds that he can't breathe and his bullet wound is throbbing in pain.

She sniffs.

"I wanted to be around you though…" It's too soft, like a murmur, but he couldn't be wrong that he heard it.

The door slides shut.

Shinjiro finally looks in the direction where she previously stood.

He groans.

"Damn it!"

Get away

Please…

You take the breath right out of me

You left a whole where my heart should be

You gotta fight just to make it through

Cause I will be the death of you

Friday came and went, but Aki and his girlfriend neither the girl from 2F hadn't arrived.

Author's Notes: About the P3xP4 crossover, I posted information about it on my profile including the pairings. I will probably put it under the category of FeMC and Souji as the main characters, however, this doesn't mean that they are the main pairings and there will be love rivalry. Both SEES members and Investigation Team members are also actually included.

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