Author's Note:

Lately all I've been doing is watching Katekyo Hitman Reborn! and Ryohei kinda reminds me of Akihiko (just kind of… like, in the sense that they're boxers and that's basically it ahaha), so… I felt inspired to write this? XD I don't know. My priorities and inspiration are stupid.

But thank you to everyone who reviewed and has been so supportive! I promise I'll get to your requests soon, but I just wanted to do this for reasons…? Yeah. Also, Happy New Year!

Twenty-Five Hours
a Persona 3/Portable (© ATLUS) fanfiction

The Thirteenth Hour

Opening Song: "Her Morning Elegance" - Oren Lavie

Minako had never been to one of Akihiko's boxing matches before.

Granted, he'd never been to one of her tennis matches either, but weren't couples supposed to do that kind of thing? Show up each other's club activities and cheer them on? Make signs and shirts and wear jerseys with their significant other's name on the back? One of her friends was dating the captain of the kendo team and apparently she hadn't missed a single match or conference since they started dating. Minako didn't think about how bizarre it was that she didn't do the same for her own boyfriend until this friend mentioned it. "What? You've never gone to see him?" she gasped, like it was the craziest thing in the world. "Doesn't that make him angry? Or sad?"

"I don't think so," Minako said. Aside from having practice every day except for Monday and Saturday, she didn't know much about his club activities other than the fact that it gave him more time to train outside of Tartarus. "He's never asked me to come."

Her friend sighed and patted her shoulder; Minako felt like a confused child who was being pitied by her mother. "He's probably just waiting for you to show up."

Minako scoffed and brushed it off. Sure, Akihiko was pretty awkward when it came to emotions and dating, but he'd let her know if something like that was bothering him, wouldn't he…? Then again, he ignored me for two months because he couldn't figure out if he liked me or thought of me as a sister, she thought dismally. Everything spiraled downhill from there, and by the end of the week she was on the verge of tearing out her hair.

What if her friend was right? What if he was just waiting for her to ask about his matches? What if he was waiting for her to show up and support him, because that was the natural thing to do? What if he felt like she didn't care? They'd worked out and trained together, but she'd never really given his actual boxing a second thought. Obviously it was something he was passionate about since he was still doing it — yet she'd ignored it.

I'm the worst girlfriend ever, she decided.

After a full day of sulking and self-deprecation, she stalked up to Yukari's room for some advice. "Who told you that?" Yukari asked when Minako finished her tale of woe. "Was it Megumi? Because if it was Megumi, she's an idiot."

Minako flicked her wrist dismissively (even if the perpetrator in question was, in fact, Megumi). "That's not the point, Yukari. The point is that Akihiko-senpai has a hard enough time trying to get used to this dating thing, and now he probably thinks I'm disinterested in him!"

Yukari deadpanned. "You're kidding me, right?"

With a dramatic wail, the brunette flopped onto Yukari's bed and thrashed about, overcome with desperation and guilt. "I'm totally serious! You know how long it took for him to confess to me! I'm the first girl he's ever been with—"

"What about, Mitsuru-senpai?"

Even if it was a joke, a brutal glare from Minako shut her up. "And anyway, I know he's insecure and I don't want to do that to hiiiim!" She grabbed one of Yukari's fluffy pillows and hugged it tight to her chest, imagining that it was the silver-haired boxer.

"You're over thinking things, Minako," Yukari insisted. "But if it's really bothering you that much… I know that he has a match tomorrow."

"How do you know that?"

"He said he can't go to Tartarus tomorrow night. I asked Mitsuru-senpai why and she told me," Yukari answered plainly. Minako sunk down even further into the bed, embarrassed that she didn't know that as leader of SEES. Usually she left those things to Mitsuru and Fuuka anyway… "It's a home match, so it'll be at school."

Minako thanked her best friend for helping her in her hour of need, raced out of the room, and mentally prepared herself for the next night's match. In the end, she stayed up well past her bed time, tossing and turning (surely for unnecessary reasons), and got a full three hours of sleep before deciding to just give up. She spent the rest of her free day sorting through her clothes, asking herself and occasionally Yukari what was appropriate for a boxing match. Minako was so irritated and flustered by four in the afternoon that she very nearly left the dorm in her uniform, until Junpei kindly reminded her that it was a Saturday and that she looked "like those losers who wear their uniforms to sleep." Dressed in a simple red tank top and a white skirt, she raced out of the dorm when she realized that she only had fifteen minutes to get to the school.

She didn't realize how popular boxing (or just Akihiko) was until she stepped into the gym. The stands were filled with people, mostly screaming fangirls, cheering and shouting for their champion who was already in the ring. Sheepishly, she eased into the barely lit gymnasium until she found a free seat in front. Immediately, the girl she was sitting next to turned to face her with a glower. "You're late," she said firmly.

Minako blinked. "Uh? Sorry…?"

The girl narrowed her eyes. "Hm? Aren't you Akihiko-senpai's girlfriend?" Minako actually felt herself break out into cold sweat when the girl scrutinized her, judging her choice of outfit (which paled in comparison to the girl's AKIHIKO SANADA BOXING CHAMPION t-shirt).

"Yes!" she chirped, startling her. With a friendly grin — that held undertones of triumph and smugness — she turned her attention to the match.

Again, everything spiraled out of control before she could even understand what was happening.

Akihiko's eyes caught hers.

He paused.

She smiled and waved.

He almost had his jaw dislocated by a hooked punch.

There was a collective gasp around the gym when Akihiko hit the ground, apparently for the first time since the year started. Minako felt her cheeks burning (probably the girl's glare burning into her) and her heart pounding in her chest, even as her boyfriend quickly jumped to his feet. His opponent's victory was short-lived, and in a manner of minutes Akihiko had won the match. Cheers sounded all around her, but Minako wanted to melt into the ground.

I'm an idiot, she thought. I waved at him! He was in the middle of the match! I'm an idiot!

Even if he had ultimately won, that whole mess shouldn't have happened. What if she was the reason why he ruined a record or something? She didn't really understand boxing, but it was important to Akihiko, and if she had done something to jeopardize some obscure and unimportant record, then—

"Minako!" She yelped at the sound of Akihiko's voice, and suddenly remembered that she was standing in the locker room. Her senpai stood across from her, still dressed in his boxing garb with a towel hanging around his neck. "I didn't know you were coming tonight," he said, grinning as he moved towards her.

"A-ah, yeah, it was a last minute thing," she murmured. She rubbed the back of her neck and lowered her eyes to the ground. "S-sorry about that, um…"

"No, it was my fault. I shouldn't have let that distract me."

"Still! I mean, if I'm why you broke your concentration—"

He placed his hands on her shoulders, gave them a tight yet affectionate squeeze. "It was my fault," he repeated, "not yours." He pressed a kiss to her forehead, and when he pulled away he was wearing a smile that made her stomach flutter. "And it was nice to have you there, even if you were late," he teased.

Minako tried to mirror his expression, though hers was a bit pained. "Yeah, I, er, had problems getting here."

Akihiko nodded and motioned for her to follow him, towards a bench that held his bag. "You've never come to one of my matches before."

Megumi's words raced through her mind, drilling themselves into her head even as she stood two feet away from Akihiko. He turned to her with a curious look when she didn't respond, causing her to jump up guiltily. "Oh! Yeah, ahaha… Well, I realized that and… Well, I don't know. I thought it'd be a good idea, y'know, to support each other and stuff…"

He blinked owlishly. "I've never been to one of your tennis matches before."

"Yeah, I know, but…" Trying to hide the real reason behind this was a lot more difficult than she thought. It was embarrassing, but there wasn't anything she could hide from Akihiko. "But I just…"

Then he looked genuinely worried, and she felt like the shame was literally going to consume her. "Minako, what's wrong?"

With a heavy sigh, she dropped onto the bench next to him and buried her face in her hands. "Megumi was talking about how she went to all of her boyfriends matches and how all girlfriends do that for their boyfriends and I just got nervous and insecure, okay!?" she wailed, ninety percent of her words muffled by her hands.

"… What?"

She was bright red when she she dropped her forehead against his bare shoulder. "I'm sorry if I suck as a girlfriend," she mumbled.

"That's what's worrying you…? Geez, Minako." He took her by the shoulder again, but this time she felt a jolt when his fingers came in contact with her skin, and forced her to face him. "I just thought you wanted to keep this all separate, you know? We spent so much time together, at the dorm and Tartarus and the days we're both free… I felt like I'd be demanding too much from our leader." They exchanged a slight grin. "And I already feel like I'm clogging up enough of your time."

"That's not true!"

"Maybe," he said, "but still. We both know that you're my first girlfriend," (he blushed and she wanted to pounce him there), "but… You're so much more important to me than that. And I…" His eyes softened, one of his hands brushed against the side of her neck and cupped her cheek. "Well, I don't wanna scare you off."

She exhaled softly. The fear and anxiety that had so overwhelmed her fell to her feet, leaving her feeling slightly embarrassed despite his sweet reassurance. "I guess we still have a lot we need to work out, don't we?"

He leaned forward, so that their foreheads were touching. Her chest expanded with warmth as their gazes locked and breaths intermingled. "We have time."

Closing Song: "Fairytale" - Alexander Rybak

MAYBE I'LL THROW SMUT IN HERE SOMETIME who knows I sure don't.

xx, der kapitan