Author's Note:

I definitely didn't finish this by the end of the school year like I'd hoped, seeing as how I'm actually out of school right now. But hopefully by the end of this summer, when things are less hectic, ha ha.

Thank you to everyone for your supportive and wonderful reviews. My dedication to fanfiction has definitely wavered and gone down, but you do inspire to keep on writing. This was a request for a prom-like theme, froooommm… I can't remember, but you're obviously wonderful.

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

The Eighteenth Hour

Opening Song: "Her Morning Elegance" - Oren Lavie

Minako had been asked to her first dance when she was fourteen.

It was to a simple high school homecoming dance, when she was still going to school in the United States. The boy who asked her was nervous and mousy, a friend of a friend of a friend, who sat in the back of her math class and had a huge crush on her. She got dressed up, had her hair and nails done, went to dinner with her friends. The dance itself wasn't particularly memorable — too many bodies in a crowded space with bump'n'grind music, dollar store decorations, sweat and yelling and general discomfort. When he dropped her off at the end of the night (in his mother's minivan), her date kissed her cheek and tumbled off the porch into her aunt's beloved petunia bushes.

Secondary schools in Japan don't host dances like homecoming or prom, and most of what students know about dances comes from movies. After the cancellation of the Cultural Festival, however, the students of Gekkoukan High demanded a form of retribution: a high school prom. Minako's experiences with dances weren't too great (though they weren't horrific either), so honestly she hadn't minded the fact that she would probably never go to another one in her lifetime. After 75% of the school petitioned and got both the Student Council and the administration to agree to it, however…

"I'm so excited!" Yukari said, clapping her hands together cheerfully. "You know all those American movies about high school, how there's always a prom and something romantic and big always happens?"

"Yeah, those are movies, Yuka-tan," Junpei snickered. "I bet someone'll screw it up."

"Alright, Mr. Pessimism," she replied, rolling her eyes. She turned to Minako, who was pulling on her outside shoes. "You've been to one of those dances, right, Minako? I saw a picture of you with a group in your room, where you're all dressed up and your hair's curled."

"I've never seen that picture," Junpei muttered.

Minako ignored him (and the hint that he'd never been in her room). "Yeah, I've been to a couple. It's pretty fun, I guess. We'd go out and eat before, then go to the dance, sometimes do something after…"

"You're doing a really bad job of making it sound pretty fun," he remarked.

"It's not really like you see it in the movies," she explained, smiling apologetically towards a crestfallen Yukari. "I mean, yeah, people usually go with dates—"

"Did you have dates?" Junpei interrupted.

"Yes. And—"

"Every time you went?"

"Yes—"

"What were they like?"

Yukari smacked the capped teen, trying to get him to shut up. "Quit interrupting, Stupei!"

"They were nice," she said as she readjusted Junpei's hat for him. "Anyway, yeah, people usually go with dates, but nothing big happens. I mean, they're usually already together or they're just going as friends or whatever. Honestly, I had more fun eating at dinner than I did at the actual dance…"

She didn't miss the way Junpei's eyes fell to her flat stomach. "That's because you have a black hole for a stomach, Mina-tan."

"I can't help if I love food," she said, pouting. "Anyway, that's not the point. The point is that people are dancing too close together and they get all sweaty and my hair falls out, which sucks because I spend too much time on it, and all this stuff."

As she released a heavy sigh, Yukari promptly looped an arm through hers and pulled her close. "You're not going to try to wriggle your way out of going, are you?" she asked with a frighteningly sweet smile. "Because we're all going as a group." Yukari immediately shot Junpei, whose mouth was only halfway open in protest, down with a glare. "The whole dorm! Except for Ken, since he's too young, and Koromaru obviously… Hmm, maybe not Aigis, either. I bet if she saw some guys trying to dance with you she'd shoot them down."

"You're gonna convince the whole dorm to go?" Junpei asked skeptically.

"Yes," she stated with the utmost confidence. "Fuuka will totally be up for it, Mitsuru-senpai has to be there since she's on Student Council, and Akihiko-senpai… I don't know, he doesn't really seem like the dance type, does he?"

"If Mina-tan goes, he'll definitely go," he murmured, though it was loud enough for Minako to hear. She delivered a swift kick to the back of his knee, nearly knocking him onto his face. "What!? Geez, I was just stating the obvious… You guys are 'together,' or whatever. He's not gonna let you go with someone else. You know, he'll probably go to make sure other guys don't try to dance with you."

Minako blinked. "Is Akihiko-senpai the jealous type?"

Both Junpei and Yukari deadpanned. "He gets jealous of Ken-kun," Yukari stated.

"I just thought they were having fun…"

Yukari flicked her wrist dismissively. "Okay, we're missing the point again! You should ask Akihiko-senpai to go with you."

"Well, it's usually the guy that asks the girl," said Minako.

"And when were you ever conventional?" Yukari retorted.

The brunette paused for a moment. "Fair enough."

Akihiko definitely wasn't the dance-going type. Minako wasn't totally sure what the prototype for typical dance goers was, but Akihiko definitely wasn't it. Plagued with this dilemma, she paced back and forth in front of his room for a good fifteen minutes — before she decided it wasn't worth it and she couldn't do it. She scurried down the hallway, back towards the stairs, when his door suddenly opened and his head poked out. "Minako?" he called. His voice stopped her in her tracks. "Was that you in front of my door? I thought it was Junpei again…"

"O-oh, yeah," was all she could say, followed by a shrill nervous laugh. "I, uh, thought I might have left my sweater in your room and..." The confusion on his face and the redness of hers increased proportionately. "Well, I don't really need it right now. I can just come back and—"

"Minako?"

She exhaled a heavy, exaggerated sigh and hung her head in defeat. Minako now had a developed sense of sympathy and understanding for every guy who had the courage to ask her to a dance. "So I know it's not really your thing, and you were probably hoping to go to Tartarus or something anyway, but there's a dance this Saturday after school and... Well, you know, since we're dating and all, people are kinda expecting us to go... together," she finished lamely.

When Akihiko began awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck the way he always did when he was feeling uncomfortable, Minako resigned (with some bitterness) to the fact that she was just rejected by her own boyfriend. "Mitsuru did talk to me about it," he said. "She basically expects all of us to be there, but I was hoping I could get out of it..."

"Yeah, I can see that," she replied, unsure of what else to say.

He dropps his hand and tried to catch her eyes, but she was too busy glaring holes into the ground. "Do you really wanna go?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Yukari really wants to go, and I guess Fuuka does too. They wanted to get the whole dorm to go in a group, which is what I usually did when I was still in the States, but... Well, if you don't wanna go I'm not gonna force you or anything. Guys usually wear slacks and a nice shirt and a tie — I mean, you dress nice usually, so that wouldn't be a problem, but gah that's not the point." Minako clasped her hands behind her back and grinned up at him, without fully meeting his gaze. "You really don't have to go if you don't want to, Senpai."

Her response did little to clear up his confusion, as evident by the crinkle in his brow. "So... you do really wanna go," he concluded. Akihiko had never been a very good reader of women, but he liked to think that he learned something while dating Minako. Whatever she was saying conflicted with her body language. "I don't mind, Minako," he said, taking a step towards her. "I mean, I don't even really know what we're supposed to do at a dance, but if it'll make you happy..." He took her chin in one hand, tilted her face so that gray could meet red.

The way her eyes lit up made him want to kiss her on the spot. "Are you sure you're not just agreeing because you're afraid of being executed by Mitsuru-senpai?" she teased.

The corner of his mouth twitched. "Yeah, that might have something to do with it, too." While she giggled, he stole a quick glance around the hallway (still empty save for the two of them), then back into his room. "By the way, I think you did leave your sweater here. You should take it back with you."

Minako cocked her head to the side. "Huh?"

Akihiko said nothing more as he pulled her in by the chin, lowered his lips to hers, and closed the door behind her.

The prom preparation began as soon as school let out. The girl's immediately locked themselves away in Mitsuru's room at Yukari's insistence ("No boys allowed!"), leaving Junpei and Akihiko to get ready on their own. "What do you think they're doing in there?" Junpei asked as he hung a black tie around the collar of the his blue shirt. "I passed by earlier and there was a lot of yelling."

Akihiko shrugged. "Whatever girls do to get ready for these things." He turns to his closet of red and white, dimly wondered if Minako ever got bored with color palette, then reached for a red button-up.

"I'm jealous," Ken stated with a pout. "Why can't I come?"

"'Cause you're still an elementary school student," Junpei replied. After looking at himself in the mirror, he scowled and tossed the tie onto his bed. "And no kids allowed!"

"I'm not a kid," he muttered.

Akihiko finished buttoning up his shirt and tucked it into a pair of black slacks he found hiding in the back of his closet. "You're probably not missing out on much. The only reason why I'm going is because Minako asked me." He finished off with a white tie, then headed into the hallway, where Ken was still moping against the wall. "Uh, we can try to bring you back a souvenir or something?"

"They hand out souvenirs at dances?" Ken asked.

"I don't know. I've never been to one."

"We'll all take a group picture and frame it for ya, Ken," Junpei said, albeit with a snicker. He poked his head out of his room and his grin immediately fell into a frown. "Akihiko-senpai, what are you doing?" Sighing, he disappeared back into his room and began rummaging around.

Akihiko looked down at himself, then at Ken. "What?" Ken shrugged.

Junpei emerged — dressed in a royal blue shirt, navy blue tie, black slacks and matching shoes — with a black vest and tie. "You look so mismatched it's throwing me off. As Mina-tan's best friend, I am here to fix you." Before Akihiko could protest or even attempt to get away, Junpei ripped the white tie off his neck, replaced it with the black one, and slipped on the vest. "There! Now you look worthy. You're welcome, Senpai."

"I never took you for being fashion conscious," Akihiko muttered, adjusting the vest.

Junpei noticed the upperclassman dubiously eyeing his beloved cap. "Hey, wherever I go, the hat goes. It's a fashion statement."

"We're ready~" sang Yukari's voice from the floor above.

"Took them three hours to get ready," Junpei murmured.

The girls all came down at once, all looking pretty and dolled up, but Akihiko's eyes remained glued to his girlfriend's form. Minako was dressed in a flirty orange cocktail dress and dark heels that accented her long legs. Her hair was released from its usual ponytail, curled and hanging over one shoulder with a white flower for decoration. He didn't realize he was still staring until she was right up in front of him, fixing his tie. "You look nice," she said, wearing a mirthful smile.

"Y-you too," he replied lamely.

Minako laughed and did a little cursty. "Why, thank you!"

"Not missing out on much..." Akihiko heard Ken mutter in the background.

"We should head down to the lobby," said Mitsuru, who was fiddling with the jeweled ornament in her curls. "The limo will be coming around soon."

Junpei's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Limo? We're taking a limo? Alright, now this is what a high school prom should be!"

As the others rushed down the stairs, careful not to trip on heels and dresses, Minako lagged behind in order to link her arm through Akihiko's. "See? It's gonna be a lot of fun," she said, giving his arm and affectionate squeeze.

"Yeah," he replied, his eyes never leaving hers, "definitely."

The limo took them to Hagakure, which was both embarrassing and a once in a lifetime experience. Dinner was as eventful as dinners with the SEES members usually was, aka Junpei pissed off Yukari, Yukari made a scene, Minako egged on both of them, Aigis (who Minako convinced Mitsuru to let come) threatened every male (who wasn't Akihiko) who got too close to Minako, Mitsuru had to file official apologies to the owner, etc. By the time they left, the rest of the customers were cheering for them to get out.

"I feel like we shouldn't go back there for a while," Minako whispered to Akihiko as they slid back into the limo.

"Aigis, you can't threaten to shoot people," Fuuka advised. "A lot of people don't take it seriously, but that man looked terrified when you raised your hands at him..."

"He was encroaching on Minako-san," Aigis replied calmly. "He could have been an enemy."

"Can't your sensors detect that...?" Yukari asked.

"It was my intuition," she said.

"In any event, we may need to refrain from public SEES dinners," Mitsuru said, more to herself than to anyone else.

They arrived at the gates of Gekkoukan High School at eight o'clock, right on time. Students were already filing into the gym for the dance, many of them couples who were hand in hand. "Alright! Time for Junpei the Master Dancer to get his boogie on!" cheered an excited Junpei as he jumped out of the limo. "Set phasers to stun!"

"You're freaking me out," Yukari stated, deadpan, though she followed him anyway.

Everyone went in suit, once again with the only couple falling behind. "Are you excited?" Minako asked, looking up at Akihiko.

"Nervous is probably the better way to put it," he replied, pulling at his tie. He missed the airiness of his v-necks.

"Well, don't be." She latched onto his arm, causing the heat to rise to his cheeks. Even if they'd been dating for months, public displays of affection were difficult — but definitely not unappreciated. They were just something he still needed to get used to. "I'm just glad you're here with me. Maybe this'll be my best prom yet, hmm?"

"Were your other dances fun?"

"Well, you definitely have a lot to live up to," she teased. "Especially my dates."

His eyebrows rose, as if had had been legitimately challenged, and he dropped her arm in order to firmly secure his around her waist. "If you're challenging me, then I accept."

Minako blinked owlishly at Akihiko, surprised by the response, then laughed. "That's the spirit, Senpai. If it'll get you off on a better foot, I can let you know that you're already doing a very good job." Her head rested against his shoulder as he curled his arm to pull her closer. "Thanks again. For coming."

"Stop thanking me," he murmured against her hair. "I want to be here. For you."

"You're really good at this whole romantic talk, Aki," she said, pressing her cheek against his shoulder so that she could look up into his eyes. "Have you been practicing in the mirror again?"

His face burned in embarrassment. He hadn't found out until recently that Minako had access to the cameras placed in all of their rooms, which meant that she saw, among other things, his attempts to woo the mirror after the Yakushima trip. "Come on, I thought we forgot about that," he plead. "Can we not...?"

She giggled and nuzzled his arm. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. You know I think you're adorable."

"I don't know if most guys want to be called 'adorable'..."

Almost every Gekkoukan student was present at the dance. There was a small ring of girls in the middle dancing, while others hung out along the sidelines and at the snack/punch table. Upon squinting and getting a little closer, it was observed that Junpei was in the middle of the dance circle, though the others were no where to be seen.

"So this is a dance," remarked Akihiko.

"Mhmm," she hummed in response. Minako maneuvered around him in order to slip her hands behind his neck. Akihiko spluttered, taken off guard and completely unsure what to do, but she simply took his hands and placed them on her waist before linking her fingers back behind his neck. "You just sway," she said, smiling warmly. "Move your feet a little— Ow, okay, a little. Maybe not at all. Just... just move a little, like this."

"Sorry," he said, looking down at the foot he stepped on mournfully.

"It's just a flesh wound," she joked. "Don't worry, you'll become a pro in no time. Who knows? Maybe even Junpei will help you out."

His eyes quickly darted to the mentioned underclassman, who was currently doing a very poor rendition of Michael Jackson's famous moonwalk. "Nah, I feel like you're a better teacher for me." He leaned forward slightly so that his forehead rested against hers.

A song with an upbeat came on, but they continue to sway around in smaller circles. "I think you're my favorite date so far," she said, pressing herself up so that she could kiss his cheek.

"So far?" he asked as he pulled her closer.

Their bodies pressed together intimately, her lips hovered near the shell of his ear. "Depending on how tonight ends, you could be number one."

Closing Song: "Fairytale" - Alexander Rybak

INNUENDO!? Who knows, I sure don't.

Thank you for your patience because I'm lazy and writing is hard these days.

xx, der kapitan