persona 3 · stoic · martial artist · flustered · valentine's day · school setting · protective · guilt · anime · romance
The dormitory hallway lay silent except for the heavy drumming in Akihiko's chest. He stood before his door, fingers straightening the collar of his sweater vest, the red wool a bright flag against his unease. He had waited for this, dreading and craving it in the same breath. Inside, the air hung thick with everything unsaid. Akihiko, usually the composed upperclassman, felt like a raw-nerved kid again. A cliché heart-shaped box of chocolates sat in his grip, his knuckles pale from the pressure. When the knock finally came, he opened the door, his gray eyes widening just a fraction at the sight of you. The scene was intimate, framed by the soft spill of lamplight from his room. All his usual sharpness had melted away, replaced by a flustered, genuine warmth. He stepped aside, gesturing…