Tough Decisions
Author's Notes: So, I recently finished watching the "Future Diary" series, or "Mirai Nikki," and the ending has left me with a feeling of a hole in my heart. I don't think Akise got the happy ending that he deserved. Akise is my favorite character from the series, so I felt that I had to do something to fill the void in my heart. Thus, I have written an alternative one-shot to the original storyline to answer the question of what would happen if Yuki chose Akise instead of Yuno. Mind you, this isn't really a yaoi story because, as Akise stated in "Paradox," he's not gay. He's in love. Major spoilers for the ending, you have been warned.
Anyways, hope you guys enjoy! xD If you haven't watched the series, then do it! It's worth it! You'll get to see the true definition of the overly obsessed girlfriend meme.
…
Yuki raised his handgun as a silver-haired boy approached him. Akise took note of three bloody corpses surrounding them, carefully stepping around each body. He stopped in front of Yuki, his crimson gaze reflecting no fear.
"According to my newly prognosticative diary, I'll be killing Yuno in just a few moments from now," he stated.
Yuki's eyes widened. "What?"
"It's for your own good," Akise answered, stepping even closer to Yuki. 'I'm sorry to put you through this, Yuki, but . . . it can't be helped,' he thought.
Yuki took a step back, the gun shaking in his hand. "S-stay back! I'll shoot!" he exclaimed. The other boy stepped closer, placing his hands on Yuki's shoulders. Yuki gasped at the contact. Akise was close enough that Yuki could feel his warm breath on his face. Too close.
Akise kept his intense gaze on him. "Face the facts, Yuki. When the time is right, she's going to murder you. The dead cannot be renewed, and if you're asking yourself why Yuno would let you assume otherwise, it's because she needed you to kill without hesitation and endure to the endgame," he said, showing no hesitation, even as he felt the rim of Yuki's handgun pressed against his stomach. "She means full well to succeed Deus."
Yuki shut his eyes. He pulled the trigger, but was only met with empty clicks. He opened his eyes in shock. Why wasn't it working? He tried again, and again, but the same result occurred.
Akise smiled. "It seems you are out of bullets, my friend," he stated. 'It seems I'm not meant to die in this game of roulette. I'll have to remember to thank dad for teaching me a thing or two about gambling.' he thought.
Yuki's eyes widened, his body shaking in fear.
A pink-haired girl came into view from behind a staircase.
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Yuno screeched, walking towards them with a dagger in one hand and a green cellphone in the other. "He's dangerous, Pookie. He tried to kill me."
"Yuno . . . ." Yuki said, his attention turned to Yuno.
"You deserve someone who will always tell the truth," Akise said, causing azure eyes to meet his. Without warning, Akise grabbed Yuki by the shoulders and pulled him forward until he met contact with Yuki's lips. He could feel a gasp of surprise pass through Yuki's lips as he stared back in shock.
Akise's eyes shifted to Yuno. The look on her face portrayed a mix between horror and that of a psychopath's. He looked back to Yuki and released him.
Yuki appeared stunned, a hand touching his lips. "You kissed me," he stated.
Akise gave a coy smile. It had been well-worth the look on Yuno's face.
"When I get ahold of you, I'm going to gut you like a fish!" Yuno said, shaking in fury. She let out an animalistic cry, continuing towards them.
Akise turned from Yuki. He jumped down from the rocky ledge they were standing on, and pulled out a metal pole lying underneath a jagged rock. His eyes narrowed. "I should've let you bleed out when I had the chance, Yuno. This time around, I mean to end you," he replied.
He walked towards Yuno, his right hand gripped tightly around the metal pole.
Yuno charged towards him, swinging her dagger at him. Akise dodged, swinging his pole at her right hand and severing the cellphone that served as Yuno's lifeline. Yuno's lips curved upwards.
Yuki watched as Yuno's phone cracked. Everything happened in slow motion as he saw Yuno's cellphone fall to the ground with a clatter and Yuno swinging her dagger towards Akise's neck. Yuki's eyes widened in shock. He had to react quickly. A memory of Akise's kiss and warm smile flashed through his mind. He fired his gun.
A single bullet struck Yuno in the left side of her chest, causing the girl to double-over in pain. Her eyes widened, dropping the dagger. "Y-yuki," She gasped with a mouthful of blood before collapsing on the ground.
Akise's eyes widened, immediately turning to Yuki.
Yuki dropped his gun, his panicked stare falling to his hands. 'There...there was a bullet left?' he thought in shock. He fell to his knees, allowing the tears to flow down his cheek freely. He was trembling violently.
"I-I . . . I couldn't let her . . . she was going to kill you and-" Yuki stammered. "I-I didn't think. I just, watching Yuno about to kill you . . . even if you could come back . . . I realized, I couldn't let it happen."
Hearing no response, he looked up to see Akise's expression change. He was smiling.
Yuki frowned. What kind of monster would just smile after what he'd just done? Didn't he know? He just murdered Yuno, the girl who swore to protect him no matter the stake. His eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, Yuno!"
He immediately jumped up and ran towards the pale girl lying on the ground in a pool of her own blood.
He fell to his knees, finding her hand. His face was horrified.
Pink eyes opened weakly. "Y . . . yuki . . . ."
Yuki's eyes widened. "Yuno!"
She gave a small smile. "You . . . you finally did it. You s- . . . shot me. I'm . . . so happy," she said. "I got to share this moment with Yuki. My love, my-" she coughed up more blood.
Yuki's eyes widened. "D-don't talk. I'll see if I can get someone to help you," he said. He checked his phone. His eyes widened, frantically pushing the "on" button. 'It . . . it won't turn on,' he thought in realization.
He looked back and saw a cellphone in Akise's hands. "Akise, call an ambulance."
Akise didn't move.
Yuki's eyes widened. Maybe, maybe he didn't hear him.
"Akise! Hurry! Don't just stand there. She's going to die!" He cried out.
"Let her," he spat.
His eyes widened two-fold. 'A-Akise?! How could-?' Maybe he had misheard? Akise wouldn't be that callous. Surely, this was all just a scary nightmare.
He looked to Akise's blank expression.
No.
He meant to let Yuno die.
There was no doubt. But . . . why? Had he no friends at all? Was this just another trick? How could someone so friendly revert into this cold, unfeeling monster?!
Yuki moved to forcibly grab Akise's phone until he felt a hand grab his. His eyes looked to the weak girl beside him.
"It's . . . It's alright. It's better this way. I . . . I was going a bit overboard," she laughed. Tears began to fall from her eyes. "I-I wanted to have . . . to have a little more time with you, but . . . ." She smiled sadly. "Oh well, I guess."
"Yuno . . . ."
"I'm sorry."
Yuki blinked. "Huh? What the heck are you apologizing for?"
"I've told so many lies. More than I can count," Yuno answered softly, her eyes facing upwards at the sky. "I was afraid. I didn't know who I was anymore. I still don't. I can't even recognize myself in the mirror anymore."
Yuki's eyes filled with tears. "Why?" he asserted, his voice quivering. "Why would you do this for someone like me? Someone who's just a normal schoolboy that no one would ever look twice at."
Her eyes finally met his. A smile tugged at her lips. "Because," she said. "when I look at my future, all I can see is you."
A choked sob escaped Yuki's throat.
Tears began to fall from Yuno's eyes. She gripped his hand tighter. "L-listen to me, Yuki. I love you. I always will. And even if," she coughed again.
"Yuno, stop it! Don't speak anymore! It's . . . it's going to kill you!" Yuki begged.
"Even if you don't love me . . . ." She continued, their clasped hands shaking with every word. She gasped, her hand falling from his. "I'll still love you. A-always." Her eyes closed. She became still.
Yuki's eyes widened. "YUNOOOOOOOOO!" He shook his head. 'No . . . this can't be happening. Yuno can't be dead. We were . . . we were supposed to be together,' he thought.
"Well, shall we continue then?" Akise said in a cheerful tone.
Yuki frowned, turning to face him. His body shook in anger. "You . . . you monster! You let her die!" he yelled.
"Well now, it wasn't me who pulled the trigger, was it?"
"You tricked me. If you hadn't-" Yuki stopped himself. The same memory of their kiss flooded in his mind.
Akise approached him, all traces of amusement gone from his face. "If I hadn't what?" he asked. "Kissed you? Expressed how I really felt? How I've always felt about you?"
Yuki shook his head, covering his ears. "NO! STOP IT! YUNO'S DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!" He screamed. "You feel nothing towards me! If you had, you would've done something to save Yuno! And now-"
Akise punched him. Yuki fell backwards, a hand reaching his cheek. He looked up at Akise as tears rolled down his cheek.
"That's enough!" Akise said. "Stop acting like a child. I didn't kill Yuno. You did. It was a choice that you made, and now you have to live with it."
Yuki cried harder. He was . . . he was right. "I thought . . . I thought you said I was out of bullets."
Akise stared at the crestfallen boy in front of him, thinking deeply. 'Yuki meant to kill Yuno, of that I'm certain. His aim is always true. The fact that the bullet struck Yuno directly in the heart is proof of that. Had Yuki hesitated or struck Yuno anywhere else, Yuno would surely have killed me. Yuki meant to kill Yuno,' He smiled. 'He aimed to protect me.'
He placed a hand on Yuki's shoulders. "You didn't believe that when you aimed at Yuno and pulled the trigger."
Yuki stammered. "I-I-"
Akise placed a hand to Yuki's cheek. Yuki stiffened. Azure eyes stared back at him franticly. Akise removed his hand, bringing out a green cellphone.
"Look here," he said, showing Yuki a broken cellphone.
"That's Yuno's!" Yuki said in realization.
Akise nodded. "Now, look at this," he said, taking out another green phone from his pocket that looked identical to the other phone. Only this time it was a fixed phone.
Yuki rubbed his eyes, sniffling. "That's . . . that's also Yuno's phone. But . . . how?" He asked. 'Was one a diversion?'
"Simple. There were two Yuno's."
Yuki blinked. "Huh?"
Akise held up his own phone to Yuki. Yuki looked on in confusion.
Akise smirked. "That Yuno over there was an imposter alright, but not of her own identity."
Yuki's face twisted in puzzlement. "Huh? What are you talking about?"
"That third body I was telling you about, the one that you see in this picture here, is actually Yuno Gasai, herself, from this world."
"But . . . how can that be? You're telling me that Yuno actually killed herself?" Yuki asked in disbelief.
He nodded. "Yuno's already played this game before," Akise explained. "I suspect that she won the game from her world, and then became a god, coming to the world that you see here in order to try for a different outcome."
Yuki blinked. 'Her world?'
Akise continued. "Unfortunately, she encountered a problem. The Yuno from this world was still alive," he said. "In order for her plans to succeed, she had to kill this world's Yuno, so that she could take her place."
Yuki shook his head. "But . . . but this is all just speculation. You have no-"
"The proof," Akise interjected, holding out two cell phones. "is the two phones in my hand. The one that's broken, and the one that's fixed. Didn't you think it strange that Yuno didn't disappear when I broke the cellphone she was carrying?"
"W-well, yeah," Yuki nodded. "I just assumed that it was a decoy."
"But look here," Akise said, showing him two identical talismans on the broken and fixed phones. "Only diary users have these talismans attached to their phones."
"But the talisman on the fixed phone could be fake!" Yuki argued.
Akise smirked. He began bending the fixed phone backwards.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" Yuki yelled. "Stop! You're going to-"
The phone snapped in half. Yuki's eyes widened in shock. "What have you-"
"Look!" Akise said, pointing behind him. Yuki's eyes followed Akise's arm to see Yuno disappear out of thin air. He gasped.
"It's not a fake . . . ." Yuki muttered in awe.
Akise's smile dropped. "Yuno was lying to you, Yuki. She wanted you to believe the phone was a decoy so that you wouldn't learn the hard truth about not being able to revive anyone once they're dead. After all, why go through the trouble of going to another world if you can just return everything back to the way things were before?"
Tears fell from Yuki's eyes. Yuki's entire body was trembling. "I . . . I murdered those people, and now, they're never coming back," he said.
Akise felt his heart drop. It truly pained him to see his beloved in such a state. He reached out and caressed Yuki's cheek, causing the other boy's eyes to meet his. "I will always tell you the truth, Yuki, and I will always protect you. Whatever pain you're feeling now, I wish to bear it all."
Yuki shook Akise's hand off. "You can't bear it because you didn't kill them! I did! I let Yuno talk me into it! No one can take the blame for that but me!" he exclaimed in anger. Then, he sighed. "You must hate me. Because of me, all our friends are dead."
Akise's gaze locked onto Yuki's. "You're wrong, Yukiteru-kun," he said.
Yuki's eyes widened. Akise's tone was so resolute. It didn't leave any room for doubt. And when he looked in Akise's eyes, it made him somehow forget about everything else around him. It made him feel like he could give all his trust to Akise, and that Akise wouldn't judge in return. It made him feel safe, and it made him feel strange sensations that he hadn't before. His eyes were always so captivating that Yuki couldn't help but be drawn into them when they focused on him.
Yuki looked away. "I can't believe Yuno killed Yuno," he said, changing the subject.
Akise looked up at the sky and sighed. "Anything to have her Yuki. Love can make you do crazy things, I'm afraid."
Yuki stiffened at that. "Hey Akise?" he asked.
Akise turned to him. "Hm?"
"When you said that you kissed me to express how you felt, how you've always felt, what exactly did you mean by that?" He asked.
Akise's eyes widened in surprise. Then he smiled. "You already know."
Yuki's eyes widened. "You . . . you love me."
Akise's smile grew wider.
"But why? Why me?"
Akise pondered this. "Why not you?" He asked. "You have something special that I haven't seen anywhere else."
"What?"
"A pure heart."
Yuki laughed, doubling over. "A pure heart? I'm flattered you think so, but I'm really not as pure as you think I am," he said, blushing at the thought of his dirty mags.
Akise only smiled knowingly. "Have I answered all your questions?"
"Huh? Oh . . . ." Yuki's eyebrows knit together. Then, he grew serious. "No."
"Oh?"
"You wouldn't . . . you wouldn't kill anyone for me like Yuno did, would you?"
He was met with silence.
"Akise?"
"I would do anything to protect you."
Yuki's eyes narrowed. "But I don't want that! I don't want you to kill anyone for me! It's already bad enough that I can't bring my family or any of my friends back! You killing anyone would only make things worse."
"Then I guess you only have one choice."
Yuki's twisted in confusion.
"Kill me."
Yuki jumped. "What? I can't kill you!"
Akise smiled. "Then you can't complain. Killing me would be the only way I'd ever stop protecting you."
Tears rolled down Yuki's cheek. "Okay, what now then? You're going to kill the 8th just to protect me?"
"That's precisely what I'm going to do," Akise said.
"She did nothing wrong!" he exclaimed.
"If she lives, this world will end and you will die."
"And what's going to happen when she's gone? I'll become a god and be saved but what about you? What about anyone? It'll just be me . . . alone."
"What will happen if there's no one?"
Yuki said nothing.
"Is that all?" Akise asked, after he awaited a response.
Yuki shook his head. "Just . . . just one more question," he muttered, his hair falling over his eyes. "Were you jealous of me and Yuno when you attacked her?"
Akise's smiled. He held up two fingers. "That's two questions."
"What?" Yuki said, looking up in puzzlement.
"Your original question, and then your underlying one," Akise explained. "The answer to your first question is yes."
Yuki's eyes widened.
"The answer to your underlying question, 'did I kill Yuno because I was jealous of the two of you,' is no," Akise stated. His crimson eyes stared into Yuki's. "Make no mistake. I'm in love with you, Yuki. But your happiness is my happiness."
He continued. "Had I not suspected that Yuno was going to kill you later to become a god, I would not have intervened. However, as I've said before, I will not hesitate to protect you, no matter the cost. And that meant killing Yuno."
"You . . . you really care about me, don't you?" Yuki said in disbelief.
Akise gave a gentle smile. Then, he became serious. "Would you excuse me? I have some unresolved matters to take care of," he said, beginning to walk in the direction of the 8th until he felt a hand tug against his shirt. Surprised, he looked back.
Yuki's face wore a tearful expression. "Please . . . don't leave me. I-I don't want to be alone."
Akise turned around and studied the boy's face. He knelt down beside Yuki. He reached out and caressed Yuki's cheek with his fingers. He felt the other boy lean into his touch, a small blush on his cheeks. He smiled. "You're never alone, my friend. I'll always be with you, even in spirit."
"No."
Akise blinked, not quite expecting that.
Yuki revealed a dagger that he had taken from Yuno. "If I s-stab myself, I-I can atone for the deaths," he said.
Akise's eyes narrowed, grabbing his hand. It clanked to the ground. "Not an option," he said. "Do so, and you'll never be able to atone for their deaths.
Yuki bawled. "I don't know what to do," he whimpered.
Akise pulled Yuki into his chest, wrapping his arms around him.
"Live," he said. "Just live." He gently stroked Yuki's brown hair as he comforted him.
After a few minutes of crying, Yuki looked up into Akise's crimson eyes.
"Akise?"
"Hm?"
Yuki blushed. "Can . . . I try something?"
Akise blinked. "What?"
Yuki frowned. "It's just . . . if I'm really going to be the only one around, I have to know one thing."
Akise studied the boy for a long time. Then, he smiled reassuringly. He nodded.
Yuki couldn't believe it! Akise was actually giving him permission. Yuki shifted closer to Akise. He continued to stare into Akise's eyes. He gulped. Then, he slowly leaned towards Akise and gently touched lips with him. A moment later he felt Akise's soft lips move against his own.
Yuki gasped at the unexpected bolt of electricity that struck through him. He broke the kiss instantly, his eyes widened.
Akise only stared back.
"I-I . . . I'm not supposed to . . . this isn't what I-" Yuki stammered.
"Tell me what you're feeling, Yukiteru-kun."
Azure eyes met crimson. "Confused," he answered truthfully. "I'm not supposed to like it,"
Akise felt his heart flip at Yuki's words. He gave a small grin. "But do you?" he pried.
Yuki nodded. "It all makes sense now. Why I feel so nervous around you, why I feel I can trust you, and why I couldn't let Yuno kill you. It's always been you."
Akise smiled. "You finally realize."
"You knew," Yuki replied in shock.
"I had a feeling."
Yuki choked out a laugh. "I can't believe this. I just found the love of my life and now I can't ever see him again. Just great."
Akise put a hand to Yuki's chin and lifted it to meet his eyes. "You're so cute," he said.
Yuki's heart flipped, his face becoming red. Akise leaned in and met his lips. The two kissed each other earnestly, their lips connecting hungrily. When they broke off, Yuki was crying.
"I don't want to let you go. Isn't there some other way?" He asked.
Akise got up from his spot, grabbing the dagger. "No," he answered.
He walked towards the eighth.
"No! Wait, don't!" Yuki cried.
Without a moment's hesitation, Akise stabbed the eighth lying on the ground.
Akise dropped the dagger with a clank and walked towards Yuki.
"You . . . what did you just do? We didn't have to kill her now! We could have had more time! Now, it's all over and we'll never see each other!" Yuki yelled in anger.
"Yukiteru-kun, look at me."
Yuki reluctantly obeyed.
"Do you see anything happening?"
Yuki looked around. Finally, he said. "No." Akise was right. What was going on? Why hadn't the world ended? "Why is the world still whole?"
"Simple. All of the future diary holders have yet to have been killed."
Yuki blinked. "Why? I thought you killed eighth."
"I did, but it's not her that's still alive."
"Then who?"
"Ninth."
"Ninth? No, she died in that vault!" Yuki asserted.
"Think about it. Did you see her die?"
"No, but still, it would be impossible for anyone to get out of there."
"Impossible on their own, but not without help."
"You mean . . . . "
"Exactly. She had help," Akise answered. "But not from just anyone. It was Deus."
Yuki blinked. "Deus? Why would he have anything to do with this?"
Akise smirked. "It seems we're going to have to find that out ourselves," he replied. 'It's possible that Deus may have kept Ninth's phone intact, if his plan was to make her a god. Unfortunately for him, I'm not going to let that happen.'
He held out his hand to Yuki. "Yuki, come. Let's have a word with Deus."
Yuki stared at the offered hand.
Akise's brows knit in concern. "What's the matter?" he asked.
Yuki fidgeted with his fingers, his eyes focused on the ground. "So, uh . . . about that kiss. Um, kisses," he corrected. "Well . . . what does that make us exactly?"
Akise blinked. What a strange question. He'd never truly considered it, thinking it to be of no great importance. However, watching Yuki's timid expression, he couldn't exactly say the same was true for the other boy.
Akise smiled in understanding. "It makes us lovers," he answered. "I love you, and you love me. That's all there is to it."
Yuki smiled, nodding. 'Yeah. Akise are I are lovers.'
"So, my beloved, will you take my hand?" Akise asked, his crimson eyes boring into Yuki's.
"Y-yeah," Yuki answered, taking his hand.
The two smiled in content. They were teleported to Deus's lair. In an instant, they were face to face with a large creature.
"Yuki, Akise, why have you chosen to enter my domain?" A deep voice roared. They could feel the ground shake with every word. Akise looked over at Yuki, and Yuki looked back at him, nodding his head.
It was going to be a tough challenge getting Deus to talk.
But two heads were better than one.
…
Author's Notes: I don't hate Yuno. I really don't. In fact, I liked her character a lot. What I didn't like, however, is how quickly she could turn on Yuki if things didn't go her way.
I don't doubt that she loves Yuki. She would go to the ends of the earth to protect him and risk her life for him. What I do doubt is whether she's actually in love with him.
The problem with Yuno is that she doesn't trust Yuki. Why else would she pull out an axe immediately to kill Yuki when he revealed the information Akise showed him on his cell phone? Why else would she decide to tag along when Yuki went to go talk to Hinata instead of following Yuki's diversion plan to lure the dogs away? Why else would she feel threatened by Yuki's only friends and try to get rid of them? And why else would she willingly drug Yuki and try to hold him in some kind of fortress against his will after he told her that he wanted to take her someplace special?
As much as she claims to be in love him, if she doesn't trust him enough to hear him out or even rely on him, how can she ever truly be in love with him?
Akise, on the other hand, genuinely trusts Yuki, so much that he would always tell Yuki the truth, and believe anything that Yuki would say. He even loves Yuki enough that he would risk his life to save him. Akise would never try to kill Yuki. He would undoubtedly put Yuki's needs ahead of his own, even if it meant jeopardizing his career as a detective. That is true love, and I think Akise deserved a happier ending than to die without a chance to properly say goodbye.
Thus, this alternative one-shot. Hope you guys liked it! Reviews are always appreciated! Cheers!