Persona x Reader

Junpei Iori x Fem!Reader (P3)

It had been a long and grueling trip to Tartarus. Your feet were aching from acsending the many floors, and you were still feeling skittish from all the dangerous battles. Fighting like this was still new to you, and you were still getting used to having your persona. You understood what it meant to hold the  Evoker to your temple, and yet your hands continued to shake so much that you were at risk of dropping the thing.

You didn't bring this up to anyone in the group, you didn't feel you could. What you struggled with so badly, they seemed to take in stride. When you thought of how well everyone else was doing, it served as a reminder that your fear was silly, and that you kept yourself quiet. You'd try and tell yourself that you'd pull through and become stronger, but each time Minato announced you'd be going to Tartarus, your heart sank. 

So now that regular night had fallen, and everyone else in the dorm was assumedly asleep, you lay awake beneath your covers. Even though you were so exhausted, your mind was wide awake and buzzing with unwanted thoughts. Not only that, but when you closed your eyes you felt like you were back in Tartarus again, with it's twisting corridors and deads ends. The echoing of your footsteps there were off-putting, but not any more scary than the growls of patrolling shadows close by. 

You shook your head and sat up. There you went again! When were you going to stop thinking about it? And when where you going to just get used to it, like everyone else had...?

Obviously you weren't going to get any sleep, so you decided to instead go downstairs to the lounge. Being in a more open room may ease up your thoughts a bit, and your dorm was starting to feel like it was closing in. 

After you had made a makeshift bed on the couch, you shivered a bit. It didn't feel this cold during the day. You glanced at the windows to check the weather, only for the overwhelming darkness outside to make you jump. 

Quickly you collapsed on the couch and brought the cover to your chin, as if it'd protect you. At some point your eyes must've closed, as you fell into a doze, only to again have a feeling of unease. You woke up from your unsatisfactory nap, seeing a shadowy figure towering above you. With the combination of darkness and your sleepy haze, it was especially terrifying. 

You shot up and were about to scream, when the figure put their hands up. 

"Woah, woah, it's me!" 

The voice was familiar, and you were no longer tense. "Junpei... Wha- why...?"

"I was just getting some water and saw you here. Then you jumped up and freaked out on me." Junpei explained, and as your eyes adjusted you could see a look of guilt on his face. "Sorry, didn't meant to scare ya."

You shook your head. "No, it's okay..."

"What're you sleeping here for anyway?" He asked. "It's freezing!" 

"Um, well..." You paused, looking at your lap. Out of all the second years, Junpei to you was the bravest. He offered to be the leader, and he always put in 100% (with Tartarus, anyway...) how would you even begin to tell him the amount of dread you felt every time you stepped foot into that creepy building?

Before you could try speak your worries, Junpei spoke. "Lemme guess, it's guy trouble amiright?"

"N-No, that's not it!" 

"It's not? Then..." He tapped his chin. "Ah, it's gotta be school. Believe me, it keeps me up at night too. Good thing we don't have any tests this week."

"It's not that either, but... We do have a test, tomorrow actually." You told him.

"What, you're kidding!" Junpei grimaced. His reaction was so funny to you that you couldn't help but giggle a bit, and even he couldn't resist a smile seeing yours.