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“Makoto-san. Would you like to rest your head on my shoulder?” Ever since she woke up and found Makoto Yuki in Yakushima, Aigis made it her highest priority to always be by his side. Sure, this resulted in Aigis breaking into Makoto’s room at night and watching him sleep, but that just shows how dedicated she is to her role.
Regardless, part of this duty is protecting Makoto from harm and attending to his every need. Occurring right now is one of those instances as Aigis and Makoto take the monorail to school. Rather than stay standing up during the trip, Makoto had opted to take a seat with Aigis following suit. The blonde gynoid notices how the blue-haired teen is barely awake and his body is slumping forward. Not wanting Makoto to hurt his back, Aigis offers him her shoulder to sleep on.
“Mhm. Thanks, Aigis.” With a yawn, Makoto lays his head on Aigis’ shoulder and falls into a comfortable slumber. Initially, Aigis was concerned that Makoto might find her shoulder too hard to rest on since she’s a machine, but that doesn’t appear to be the case for the blue-haired teen. Aigis makes a reminder to bring a pillow next time, noting that Makoto does tend to fall asleep during class from time to time.
It didn't take long for the train to arrive at Gekkoukan High, but Aigis made sure that Makoto’s sleep went uninterrupted during the whole trip. After all, Makoto deserves to rest. Aigis watched him in battle, demolishing shadows in every corner with his vast amount of Personas while leading S.E.E.S in scaling Tartarus. Of course, that wasn’t the only thing Aigis had seen Makoto do. The blonde gynoid likes to watch the different types of activities the blue-haired teen participates in. In doing so, it allows Aigis to make preparations for anything Makoto needs assistance with. Plus, she finds joy in observing her leader.
“Geez. Did Yuki-kun really fall asleep?” Yukari’s sigh of annoyance alerts Aigis as the archer, along with Junpei, approach the blonde gynoid and the sleeping form of Makoto.
“C’mon, Yuka-tan. Cut Makoto some slack. Our leader’s been working hard lately. He deserves a bit of extra sleep.” Junpei’s laidback counter is met with an eyeroll from Yukari, who crosses her arms and gives the sleeping Makoto a look of disapproval.
“If he’s so tired, then he should’ve gone to bed early. Yuki-kun! Wake up! We’re at school now!” Despite Yukari’s best attempt, a loud snore is Makoto’s only response.
“Wow. He really is tired.” Junpei tilts his head in disbelief as he nudges Makoto’s shoulder a bit. Even that couldn’t wake the blue-haired teen up. Yukari rubs her temple as she looks around to see other students leaving the monorail train.
“Seriously?! We’re gonna be late! Aigis, can’t you wake him up please?” Yukari pleads with the blonde gynoid. Aigis could comply with the request, but Makoto looks so peaceful in his sleep. On the other hand, the blond gynoid doesn’t want to be the cause of her friends being late for class. Luckily, Aigis has another solution in mind.
Hanging Makoto’s school bag over her shoulder, Aigis gently lifts Makoto into a bridal carry while Yukari and Junpei could only gawk at her in shock. The sleeping Makoto nuzzles his head against Aigis’ chest, indicating his comfort in Aigis’ hold.
“Aigis! What are you doing?!” Yukari grabs Aigis by the arm as the latter was about to exit the monorail train.
“I didn’t wish to disturb Makoto’s san while he’s asleep, so I opted to carry him to school instead. Is there a problem?” Aigis’ question leaves Yukari and Junpei dumbfounded, though they’re not too surprised by how the blonde gynoid responded so casually.
“Of course there’s a problem! You can’t just carry Yuki-kun to school! People are gonna stare!” Yukari argues while motioning for Junpei to back her up.
“Yuka-tan’s right, Ai-chan. It’s embarrassing for guys to be carried by girls. It’s not manly at all!” Junpei argues further while Makoto continues to sleep peacefully in Aigis’ arms. While Aigis does take Yukari’s and Junpei’s arguments into consideration, they aren’t enough to sway the blonde gynoid.
“Makoto-san never exhibited any sort of care about how he’s perceived by other people. In addition, I’ve carried Makoto-san multiple times in the past, and not once did he form any complaint towards me. I do notice his face tends to turn red, however. Perhaps we should discuss this further on our way to class.” Aigis offers as she easily pulls out of Yukari’s grip and exits the monorail train while still carrying the sleeping Makoto.
“Aigis, wait!
“Hold up, Ai-chan!”
The school bell lets out a loud ring signalling the start of lunch period, and several students of Class 2-F took it as their cue to leave the classroom. Among the couple of students who remained behind are Makoto, Aigis, Junpei, and Yukari. Makoto stretches his arms after waking up from another nap. Junpei and Yukari are amazed how their leader hasn’t gotten caught yet. The blue-haired teen digs into his pockets but frowns after coming up empty.
“Damn. I forgot to bring my money.” Makoto stares at his empty pockets and sighs.
“Wish I could help, dude. But I only have enough for myself today.” Junpei rubs the back of his head sheepishly while Yukari digs into her bag.
“You can have some-” Right as Yukari is about to pull out her bento box, Aigis moves over to Makoto’s line of sight with two bento boxes in her hands.
“Do not worry, Makoto-san. I planned ahead and packed boxed lunches for the two of us. I made sure the food meets your daily nutritional requirements.” Aigis offers a bento box wrapped in a blue furoshiki to Makoto.
“You’re a lifesaver, Aigis. Thank you.” Makoto graciously accepts the bento box with a warm smile, and Aigis responds back with a small nod.
“Wow, Ai-chan. When did you have time to make that? And did you make some for me too?” Junpei whistles at the sight of the color-coded boxes.
“As a machine, I have no need for sleep. After my body was fully charged, I had time to prepare a lunch for Makoto so he wouldn’t have to spend money on food. My apologies, Junpei-san, but the other bento box is for me. It’s important for me to keep up the appearance as a normal meat person just like you.” Aigis informs her friends, earning a chuckle from Makoto.
“It’s the thought that counts. Why don’t we eat lunch together on the rooftop.” Aigis lights up at Makoto’s offer, holding her bento box close to her chest.
“An excellent idea, Makoto-san. My highest priority is to be by your side after all.” The blonde gynoid accepts and follows Makoto as he leads her out the classroom. Junpei is about to follow the two when he notices Yukari is still sitting at her desk.
“Yo, earth to Yuka-tan? Aren’t you gonna come with us?” Junpei grins at his teammate, only for his grin to slowly come undone when he sees the gloomy expression on Yukari’s face.
“I’m not hungry.” Stuffing her bento box back into her bag, Yukari stands from her seat and storms out of the classroom.
For the students of Gekkoukan High, they are given the option to attend any of the many school clubs after school. For Makoto Yuki, he chose a few and is currently attending one of them, Gekkoukan’s track and field team. For Aigis though, she’s not a member of any club. Joining a school club is ranked low on her list of priorities. Instead, Aigis prefers to wait out the time until Makoto finishes his club activities. In the case of the track and field team, Aigis is sitting on the front row of the bleachers while observing Makoto practice with his fellow team members.
Aigis recalls Makoto telling her how he joined the track and field team, which was mostly Ms. Toriumi desperately begging him to join. From the blonde gynoid’s observations, she notes Makoto as among the fastest runners in the club. Of course, this is the result of S.E.E.S.’ continuous excursions in Tartarus, improving their bodies to higher physical capabilities. Despite this, that doesn’t mean Makoto doesn’t have his physical limits. He’s still human after all, and his body can get tired if he overworks himself too much. That’s why Aigis is here with some cold bottled water and a towel.
On the field, Makoto and the track team are running their final lap of the day with the blue-haired teen in the lead. While Aigis has her eyes kept on Makoto, she senses Yuko Nishiwaki staring at her with curious intent. From the information Aigis had gathered, Yuko is the team manager for the track and field club and one of Makoto’s numerous friends at school. Aigis had never spoken with Yuko before, but Makoto had told her that the track team manager is good at her job and has a soft spot for children.
“Hey, you’re the new girl. Aigis-san, right?” Yuko approaches the blonde gynoid, who briefly takes her eyes off Makoto to face the team manager.
“That is correct. You are Yuko Nishiwaki.” Aigis greets Yuko, who’s surprised by Aigis already knowing her identity.
“Yeah, that’s right. I’m surprised you know my name already. This is our first time talking to each other, isn’t it?” Yuko awkwardly asks as she previously felt nervous approaching Aigis. It’s not like she did anything wrong. Yuko is just curious about Aigis.
“It is, but Makoto-san has told me quite about you, Nishiwaki-san.” Aigis confirms as she returns her focus to the practice race, specifically Makoto’s performance.
“Oh, there’s no need to be formal. We’re both second years, so just call me Yuko. Speaking of Makoto though, I’ve noticed that you’ve been coming with him to practice lately and watching him run. Is there something going on between you two? I’ve heard rumors, but you know how gossip can be.” Yuko didn’t specify what the rumors are about, but the latest one she heard was Aigis carrying a sleeping Makoto to school which Yuko deemed ridiculous given Aigis’ slender frame.
“The reason why I’m always accompanying Makoto-san is quite simple. My highest priority is to be with him at all times.” Aigis’ response catches Yuko off guard as the team manager didn’t expect that kind of answer from the blonde student. Does that mean some of the rumors were true after all? Yuko did recall hearing a rumor about Aigis making one hell of a first impression involving Makoto.
“Oh wow! I didn’t think you would admit it. So you and Makoto really are… like that?” Yuko is still shocked by Aigis’ answer, especially since she didn’t hear anything related to the rumors from Makoto himself.
“We are like that.” Aigis smiles before her attention switches back to Makoto as the track team completes their lap with the blue-haired teen finishing first. The blonde gynoid did not notice Yuko’s surprised expression at her supposed confirmation. As the track team gathers around after finishing their run, Aigis jumps from the bleachers and makes her way towards Makoto with Yuko following after her.
“Man, I could hardly keep up with you, Makoto. Is that secret training of yours really that good?” Kazushi Miyamoto pats Makoto on the shoulder with the rest of the track team sharing the same sentiment, to which Makoto responds with a simple shrug.
“Makoto-san, I’ve brought you a towel to help you dry off and a water bottle to keep you hydrated.” Aigis offers, presenting the items to the blue-haired teen. Even though Makoto doesn’t appear winded from running, the towel is useful in wiping off the sweat. As for the water, Aigis has researched how it’s always important for humans to stay hydrated after physical training. The blonde gynoid didn’t pay any mind to the compliments and whistles the track team were giving Makoto, though she did notice his cheeks turning red.
“T-Thanks, Aigis.” Makoto mumbles as he takes the towel and water bottle, shyly looking away from Aigis’ smile.
“Damn. Yuki-san is so lucky!” A comment that is spoken by one member of the track and field club, and the rest of the club start murmuring in agreement. Aigis tilts her head, failing to understand the comment. Makoto won the race due to his physical training. Not because of luck. Seeing Makoto’s embarrassment from his track teammates’ praises, Yuko blows her whistle to change their attention.
“Alright, alright. Nice hustle, everyone. I think we can call it a day for practice.” Yuko informs the crowd, and the track team disperse into smaller pairs and groups as they leave the field.
“Thanks.” Makoto nods at Yuko for her help as he wipes the sweat off of him with the towel Aigis gave him. The blonde gynoid waits patiently for him, staying as still as a statue.
“Anytime. Also, call it a hunch, but I think Aigis-san’s a keeper.” Yuko nudges her head towards Aigis’ direction, causing Makoto to almost choke on his water.
“What do-” Makoto tries to say before Yuko starts to leave as well.
“Gotta go. Make sure to treat her right!” Yuko waves Makoto and Aigis goodbye as she jogs off the field with the blue-haired teen still looking confused by what the team manager had meant. Aigis waves back to Yuko before quickly attending to Makoto.
“Makoto-san. I saw you choke on your water a moment ago. Are you alright? If not, I am capable of performing the Heimlich maneuver as well as CPR.” Aigis informs the blue-haired teen as she looks him over. Makoto would reassure Aigis that he’s just fine after she tries to inspect him up close, putting the blonde gynoid at ease since it was a false alarm. Still, Aigis makes a note to have a first aid kit on hand just in case.
When it comes to exploring Tartarus during the Dark Hour, Aigis makes it clear that any enemy shadow that dares try to harm Makoto will be met with deadly force. Due to being a machine, Aigis is highly more durable than her human comrades. As a result, she would always take it upon herself to tank every hit meant for them, especially any attacks that are directed towards Makoto. Of course, Aigis can’t block every enemy attack. Despite her immense capabilities, the blonde gynoid can’t be everywhere at once.
Aigis finds it strange that Makoto and the rest of S.E.E.S. often get worried about her wellbeing whenever she intercepts an attack meant for them. Aigis doesn’t understand why her comrades would be worried. She’d always remind them that in the case she gets damaged, her body will simply be repaired anew. Yet for some reason, that didn’t ease the concerns of her teammates. Makoto most of all would get worried if Aigis gets hit with a strong attack, but the blonde gynoid won’t allow it to deter her from her objective.
Unfortunately for Aigis, there is one limitation that even she can’t bypass. Only a squad of four members can climb Tartarus, and Makoto had established a rotation system so that everyone can have some time to rest, including Aigis. To the blonde gynoid, it was an illogical decision. As a machine, she doesn’t need to rest. Sure there are times when she overheats, but that’s only after she utilizes Orgia Mode. Even then, it only takes a little while for her to recover. However, Makoto is very insistent that Aigis takes a break too.
“Hey, Ai-chan. You’ve been quiet for a while. Something on your mind?” Junpei is the first person to converse with Aigis after she was rotated out of the exploring team. Right now Aigis is at the base of Tartarus with the rest of the S.E.E.S. members currently not participating in the expedition. Instead of engaging in “small talk” with her teammates, Aigis spent her time staring at the teleporter, waiting to be brought back to the exploration team. Even though the blonde gynoid knows Makoto has Shinjiro, Ken, and Koromaru fighting alongside him, staying on the sidelines doesn’t feel right to her.
“I’m simply remaining on standby until Makoto-san calls me back to the exploration team.” Aigis notices the doubtful look that appears on Junpei’s face after giving him her response.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Ai-chan. You took a pretty big hit last time, so maybe Makoto had the right idea giving you a break. There’s nothing wrong with relaxing from time to time.” Junpei shrugs, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.
“While I appreciate Makoto-san’s concerns for me, I do not need rest. I’m more suited on the battlefield to fight alongside Makoto-san and protect him from harm.” Aigis’ quick rebuttal doesn’t surprise Junpei, but it does cause him to smirk at the blonde gynoid.
“Aww. It looks like our little Ai-chan has a crush!” Despite Junpei clearly teasing her, Aigis could only tilt her head in confusion. She hasn’t crushed anything after she swapped out.
"Don’t be silly, Stupei. It’s definitely not like that.” Yukari approaches Junpei and Aigis, crossing her arms at the former. However, the smirk doesn’t leave Junpei’s face.
“Oh come on, Yuka-tan! You’ve heard the rumors at school.” Junpei points out, but Yukari only rolls her eyes in response.
“Don’t tell me you believe that nonsense. They’re just rumors!” Yukari shouts, alerting Mitsuru’s and Akihiko’s attention from their private conversation while Fuuka tries to remain focused on her connection with the exploration team.
“What’s this about rumors? Nothing for us to be concerned about, I hope?” Mitsuru’inquires as she and Akihiko join in on the group’s conversation.
“Nah. Everyone in school is just talking about how close Makoto and Aigis are. It’s cute, isn’t it. Yuka-tan says otherwise, but I think it’s because she’s just jealous.” Junpei teases further, causing Yukari to fluster and scowl at the baseball capped teen.
“I’m not jealous!” Yukari stomps her foot on the floor in anger while Junpei raises his hands in mock defense.
“You did sound pretty heated earlier.” Akhiko points out, placing a hand on his hip with Junpei nodding in agreement. Before Yukari could bring up a rebuttal to the boxer, Aigis steps forward to take part in the conversation.
“This is the first time I’ve ever heard such rumors about Makoto-san and myself.” Aigis interjects, curious about the rumors mentioned by Junpei.
“That’s because you’re the reason why those rumors started in the first place. All you’ve done is follow Yuki-kun around at school and coddle him. Maybe try giving him some space for once.” Yukari suggests, which Aigis takes into consideration but ultimately discards. The blonde gynoid cannot fulfill her top priority if she’s not with him.
“I’m afraid I cannot agree to your request, Yukari-san. It is important for me to always be by Makoto-san’s side, to protect him and assist him with anything he needs.” Aigis states, causing Yukari to facepalm.
“Ugh. It’s like talking to a brick wall. I give up.” Yukari groans while Junpei steps in between his fellow second years.
“Ladies, ladies, there’s no need to fight. We’re all friends here. Besides, Makoto’s not the kind of guy who cares about rumors anyway. He’ll just say “I don’t care” like he always does and move on.” Junpei chats, briefly mimicking Makoto for a moment as he places his hands on Yukari’s and Aigis’ shoulders. Aigis wants to inform Junpei that was a terrible impression of Makoto but decides to spare his feelings instead. Yukari rolls her eyes, but she relents and breaks out a small smile.
“Yeah, he wouldn’t care about that kind of stuff, would he? And Aigis, I’m sorry if I sounded heated earlier. Even though I do think you could go a bit overboard, I also think it’s really sweet of you to care for our leader that much. While he’s not good at expressing it, I can tell Yuki-kun really appreciates everything you do for him.” Yukari apologizes to the blonde gynoid.
“Your words are too kind, Yukari-san. Thank you.” Aigis accepts with a nod to the archer.
“I’m glad this is settled. For a moment there, I was worried there was an issue that needed to be addressed.” Mitsuru sighs in relief.
“If there was an issue, I’m sure they would’ve solved it so they don’t have to face your execution.” Akihiko chuckles, though his laughter quickly goes quiet the moment he receives a stern glare from Mitsuru.
“Everyone! Leader’s coming back down with the others!” Fuuka alerts the group with Makoto’s incoming arrival. Sure enough, Makoto appears back on Tartarus’ entrance through the teleporter with Shinjiro, Ken, and Koromaru. All four members of the exploration team are exhausted, but none of them are worse for wear.
“Makoto-san!” Wasting no time, Aigis rushes towards Makoto now that he’s safely returned.
“Aigis?” Makoto manages to ask right before the blonde gynoid starts checking him all over. Aigis scans over Makoto’s body, searching all around him for any sign of injury.
“Apologies, Makoto-san. It’s important that I make sure you’re okay after tonight’s Tartarus exploration. Are you hurt anywhere?” Aigis continues her search with Makoto becoming flustered from feeling the blonde gynoid’s hands all over him.
“I’m okay, Aigis. I’m just exhausted, but I’m fine. I’m sorry for worrying you.” Makoto reassures his robotic companion. Aigis slowly retracts her hands and looks down.
“I admittedly did feel concerned after I couldn’t continue the exploration with you. I was worried about the possibility of the exploration going wrong, and I wasn’t there to protect you. However, I now feel joy seeing that you’ve returned to us safely.” Aigis articulates, and Makoto gently takes her hands. The blonde gynoid looks up and stares into her leader’s eyes.
“You don’t have to worry. I’ll always come back for you.” Makoto promises as he and Aigis focus on each other. However, this moment only lasted shortly as a loud cough snapped the two back into reality, making them realize they’re not alone.
“Ahem!” Makoto and Aigis quickly turn around to see the rest of S.E.E.S. staring at them. Each teammate shows a different reaction to what they’ve just witnessed. Yukari is shaking her head, Shinjiro is indifferent, Ken is confused, Koromaru is wagging his tail, Fukka is flustered, Akihiko is surprised, Mitsuru is amused, and Junpei has a teasing smirk on his face. Aigis wonders if the new feeling she’s currently experiencing is embarrassment.
“You da man!” Junpei shouts excitedly, giving Makoto and Aigis a thumbs up of approval. Unfortunately, even Junpei's thumbs up couldn't help Makoto and Aigis recover from the embarrassment they’re feeling right now.
“Well then, it appears that it’s almost time for the Dark Hour to end for the night. We’ve made good progress tonight. I suggest that we head back to the dorms right away.” Mitsuru instructs the team. Almost all of S.E.E.S. make no hesitation to leave Tartarus.
“Makoto-san, if you would allow it, may I carry you back to the dorms? Out of everyone in S.E.E.S, you happen to be the most exhausted.” Aigis requests, though she appears to be showing a shy expression. Feeling his body tired from the expedition, Makoto figures why not. With a yawn, Makoto accepts Aigis’ offer and allows himself to be carried by her on their way home. Feeling comfortable in Aigis’ arms, Makoto falls into a deep sleep.
As Aigis stares at the sleeping form of Makoto Yuki, she begins to feel her emotions heighten from the close proximity. This isn’t the first time Aigis carried Makoto home after an expedition in Tartarus. The blonde gynoid has done it before and will continue again as part of her duty to always be by his side. Not everyone will understand why Aigis would go to great lengths for Makoto, but that’s okay. To Aigis, protecting Makoto and helping him with anything he needs are all that matters to her. It’s what gives Aigis purpose because after all, Makoto Yuki is her highest priority and that feeling will never change.