AN: Greetings, my dear readers! This is my first Angel Beats! fanfiction, though I absolutely love the Anime. I'm quite surprised myself that I only recently started reading (and now, writing) fanfictions about it. Anyway, after reading a couple of fanfictions, an idea came to my mind about a possible story, and when inspiration strikes, you have to write!

The premise for this story is the same as nearly every other Angel Beats! Fanfiction out there: everyone has been reincarnated, and eventually their paths cross. Now, usually, I am an avid shipper of Yuzuru and Kanade. I mean, they were fated to be together, right? But, as the summary says, fate is malleable, and in this fic, the one who ultimately changes fate is Yuri. From the first moments of the Anime, I liked Yuri as a character, and I somewhat expected there to be some sort romantic development between her and Otonashi. As we know, that didn't happen, but that's what fanfictions are for!

And so, came about the idea for this fic. So, for those of you who enjoy the Yuzuru x Yuri pairing, rejoice! I hope everyone enjoys reading this, because, as always, I had a great time writing it.

Chapter 1 – Déjà-vu

Déjà-vu. The incomprehensible feeling that something one has just experienced has happened before in the past. It has baffled people for as long as there has been a way to observe and analyse it. Many have tried to find reasons for the phenomenon. Our minds briefly remembering a long-forgotten memory? Proof that at some point, our memories have been wiped as a result of alien experiments? A sign or warning of something yet to come? Spirits trying to communicate with us? Our mind trying to connect two unrelated events together? Or perhaps a memory from a past life? No clear reason has ever been found for the enigma that is Déjà-vu. Whatever the case may be, I, Otonashi Yuzuru, have experienced it for as long as I can remember.

And when I say that, I mean that I have experienced it a lot.

I cannot remember when exactly I started experiencing Déjà-vu, but I do know that as I have grown older, it has become more frequent. Ordinary people will experience the phenomenon occasionally, perhaps a couple times a year, but not I. Every week, something happens that triggers the phenomenon, sometimes multiple times in one day. As if that wasn't abnormal enough, my experience with Déjà-vu also slightly differs from what other people experience.

Normally, when Déjà-vu occurs, it's the result of something specific happening. At that moment, a person gets a strong feeling that the same exact thing has happened in the past, when in reality, it's the first time the person is experiencing it. That happens with me too, but that's where the similarities end. You see, I know what triggers it for me. It's the same things every single time. Sometimes I'm ready for it, sometimes I am not. Also, the feeling is much stronger for me than for other people, it seems. When it triggers, I can clearly feel a connection to a past event, and sometimes I even very briefly remember things that have never happened to me.

Crazy, right?

That's what all my friends have told me when I've told them about it. Back in high school, I even lost sleep because of it, as I was struggling to find the reason why I am special. Nowadays I don't pay any attention to it any more. Whenever something triggers it, I try to ignore the feeling to the best of my ability and focus on the task at hand. Sometimes, it is quite difficult though.

As I mentioned, I know the things that trigger the feeling. Every single time I come across one of these triggers, it happens. A swan spreading its beautiful, white-feathered wings to take flight, the meal tickets at school one could use to get something at the school cafeteria, the sound of a gunshot, and so forth. In the past I tried to find some sort of connection between all the things, but to no avail. The most interesting trigger, however, is my own heartbeat. Whenever I something happens that causes my heartbeat to rise enough for me to hear and feel it, a very strong feeling of Déjà-vu appears. It is by far the strongest of the triggers, and here have been quite a few incidents where I've lost consciousness due to a combined effort from the Déjà-vu, and the exhaustion that caused my heartbeat to rise in the first place, usually from sports.

To this day, I still don't know why my Déjà-vu is special, but I've learned to live with it. I avoid anything that would cause my heartbeat to rise to uncomfortable levels, and I try to steer away from things that I know trigger it. Or, at least, that was the plan, until I met her.

I stepped out of the train and checked the time on my phone. The electronic numbers on the screen said 9:34. I still had time to get to the university. I pocketed my phone and started to walk the same path I had done for the past year. Economics wasn't the best choice of career, but I had to choose between that and healthcare, which just so happened to be one of the things that triggered my Déjà-vu. As I walked down the street I was abruptly stopped by a red light. I leaned against the steel pole and patiently awaited for the light to turn green again, but that's when I noticed something… odd.

On the other side of the road, waiting for the lights stood a girl. She looked to be about the same age as I, with pinkish-purple hair that went as far as her shoulders. Her green eyes looked off into the distance as she was listening to music from her headphones. Immediately as I saw her, a strong feeling of Déjà-vu came over me, stronger than anything else, even surpassing hearing my own heartbeat. I knew this girl. She was extremely familiar, and I felt like I was close friends with her, but at the same time, I knew that I had never seen her before in my life. A few moments later, the light turned green, but my gaze was glued to her. And as the green light stirred her awake from her thoughts, she looked back and met my gaze. She was about to cross the road, but froze, just like I did, when our eyes met. We simply stood there, staring at each other. When I realized that the light wouldn't be green for long, I quickly ran to the other side of the road. The girl kept her gaze on me the entire time, and as I ran past her, I was stopped by her hand grabbing onto mine. I stopped and looked back at her. She looked dumbfounded with her mouth slightly agape, looking like she had seen a ghost. Now getting a closer look at her, I realized that she was extremely pretty.

"Hey, uhhh..." I said to her and rubbed the back of my neck.

The girl simply stood there and looked at me, before blinking a couple times and shaking her head a little, using her other hand to take off her headphones.

"Do I… Do I know you?" She asked.

"I should probably be asking the same thing from you." I replied to her.

"I feel like we've met before, but..." For the first time, she averted her gaze from mine.

"I… feel the same. There's something about you that I… recognise. I get this odd feeling like we've known for a long time."

"Really? You too?" She said enthusiastically, bringing her face closer to mine. I subconsciously noted that she smelled nice.

"Uhhh, yeah." I replied and turned my head away, her proximity causing a slight blush to appear on my cheeks. "You know, you're kinda awfully close, and I need to get to the University by 10 soooo..."

Upon hearing this, the girl flinched and pulled back a little, then, noticing that she was still holding my hand, quickly pulled it away. I could clearly see that she was now blushing as well.

"Sorry, I must have been keeping you with my ramblings." She muttered and bowed quickly.

"Ah, it's no problem, I had time to spare anyway." I said and rubbed the back of my neck.

"No, I… really am sorry. I… should be going too." The girl said and glanced back at the traffic lights. While we had talked, the light had turned green again and she hurried over to the other side of the road.

"Ah, wait! I want to know your name!" I shouted back at her.

"Yuri!" She shouted back at me as she turned around briefly, then disappeared into the crowd.

Something in me clicked as I heard her name. I most definitely knew this girl from somewhere, I just didn't know where. Her name, face and, well, smell would linger in my mind for the rest of the day, distracting me from my studies.

Thu-thump

Thu-thump

Thu-thump

My heart was beating like crazy, but why? I lifted my hand and stared at it for a few seconds, before turning my head back in the direction of the pedestrian crossing. I couldn't see the orange-haired boy any more. Why did he feel so familiar? He triggered a Déjà-vu moment, and the feeling was stronger than ever, even stronger than back when I had first met Kanade a year ago. The two of us hadn't managed to figure out the reason for why we had these strange memories, as if from a past life, but they had settled down once we became friends. Was this boy someone similar to us? He did say he felt like I was familiar to him…

I was brought out of my thoughts by a vibration coming from my pocket. I jumped a little and fumbled around trying to find my phone. The caller ID was all too familiar to me.

"Yuri? Where are you right now? You're running late." Kanade's calm voice said to me.

"Ah, am I? Shit, sorry, I'll be there in a sec." I replied to her quickly.

"Are you okay? You sound like something's bothering you."

"N-no, I'm fine. I just… met someone, that's all." I thought for a moment before continuing. I knew I had to meet the orange-haired boy again. "Look, I know I promised we'd hang out a lot today, but something's come up, so I'll have to cut it short, okay?"

"That's fine." Kanade replied after a brief pause.

"Thanks, Kanade. Hey, you go to the University, right? How would you say your classes usually end if they start at 10?" I asked her, but mentally slapped myself afterwards.

"Why are you suddenly asking that? Never mind, don't answer. You know I take special courses, right? My timetable is completely different from an ordinary student's." She replied to me.

"Oh, right. Yes, of course. Sorry I asked. Forget it, I'll come over there now."

"See you soon then. Oh, but to answer your question, I think it depends on what you're studying, but you could expect classes to end at around 4 pm. Healthcare students tend to have longer days than others, however."

"Really? Thanks again. I'll be there soon, bye!" I said and ended the call.

Around 4 pm, huh? In that case, I'll wait around for him at 3, just to be sure. I thought to myself as I walked over to the cafe Kanade and I were supposed to meet at.

The day went by rather quickly, though I wasn't able to concentrate fully. The girl I had met, Yuri, was on my mind constantly. Why did she feel so familiar? Perhaps she was linked to my "special" Déjà-vu? I had been absent-minded during classes, and after the day was finished at half past 4, I went full autopilot. I couldn't bring her out of my thoughts, but I didn't really know why. I didn't even notice when someone was clearly calling out to me.

"Heeeeelllooo? Earth to Otonashi!" My classmate called out to me as we walked towards the University gate.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I didn't notice you there." I replied back to him. "I was uh, lost in my thoughts."

"You've been 'lost in your thoughts' for the entire day. What have you got rattling in that little dome of yours?" He said and playfully bonked my head. "Wait, let me guess – You're thinking of a girl, right?"

I stopped in my tracks immediately. Bullseye! Although, I wasn't thinking of her like that. I don't think so, at least. She was pretty. And smelled nice too. Wait, no! I'm only thinking of her because of what she said, and how familiar she feels! Nothing else!

"Was I right? I knew it! You're blushing! Hah! Go on then, what's she like? Does she go to our University?"

"What? No, you're wrong. I mean, I was thinking of someone, but not like that!"

"Keep telling yourself that, Otonashi! Maybe you'll believe it one day!" He said to me and winked before running off.

I sighed and slowly walked through the gate. I wanted to get home as soon as possible to set my thoughts straight.

"Seriously, can some people just not take a hint..." I muttered to myself as I turned to walk towards the station.

"Otonashi." I heard a semi-familiar voice from behind me.

I turned around and was assaulted by another feeling of Déjà-vu. Standing by the gates was Yuri, the same girl I had met earlier today. Accompanying the Déjà-vu were also the memories I had of her, namely the feeling of her hand clasped around mine and her smell… Stop that train of thought right there! I could feel a slight blush making its way onto my cheeks.

"Uh, yeah, that's me." I replied to her without really thinking about it. "Yuri, right? Were you… waiting for me?"

"Yes, I was. I decided that I…" She suddenly diverted her gaze and started playing with the hem of her skirt, looking nervous. "I needed to see you again. And I don't mean anything by that, it's just that… you're so familiar, especially your name and… stuff."

"No, no I wouldn't have thought anything like that. I… honestly had the same feeling. I've spent this day thinking about you and our meeting earlier..." I rubbed the back of my neck and suddenly realized what I had just said.

"W-what? You were t-thinking about m-me?" Yuri backed away slightly and waved her hands in front of her. I could see that her face was covered with a bright blush.

"N-no I d-didn't mean it l-like that" I was now the one blushing and waving my hands. "I was just wondering why I felt like I knew you."

Yuri composed herself and took a step towards me. Any signs of the blush previously on her face were now gone. I wished I could do the same trick.

"Really? You were only thinking about that about me? Your blush says otherwise~" She said and giggled.

"H-hey! You were the one blushing just a moment ago." I sighed and facepalmed, trying to calm myself and get rid of the blush. "Anyway, you said you were waiting for me because you wanted to meet me again. How long did you wait here?"

Yuri twitched as I asked her that question, and I could see her tense up slightly. Her hands returned to the hem of her skirt. She looked cute when she did that, though I must admit I also thought that way when she giggled. And she was just cute in gene… Wait! Stop, bad brain!

"I, uhh… well… about… one and a half… hours..." She said after a few moments, trailing off at the end.

"You were here at three?" I suddenly got the feeling I should tease her back. "Were you that eager to see me again?"

"Well, I was supposed to meet a friend but I had to cut the meeting short… Hey wait!" Her cheeks became tinted red again. "I already said I didn't mean anything like that with it! I just… needed to see you again, since we had… similar feelings. A-and I didn't know when you'd finish, so I came early just in case."

"I'm just messing with you. Now we're even, aren't we? But I don't think this is the best place to continue having a conversation like this..." I looked around us as I finished that. We were drawing attention, as many inquisitive stares were sent in our direction.

"Oh, right, yes. Do you like, want to go to a cafe or something? And don't think that this is a date, because it isn't!" She took another step towards me and pointer her finger at me, only a few centimetres way from my face.

"Yeah yeah, I get it. Sounds good to me, but I don't really know any good cafes, so… lead the way, I guess?"

"Hmmmm… well, we could go to the cafe where I was earlier with my friend, but I feel like going to a different one." She pulled her arm back and took on a thoughtful pose. "I think I know a good place near here. Cafe la Soleil, I believe it was called. Come on then, let's go!"

With that, Yuri turned around and started walking down the street, stopping after a few steps to turn back to me. I swung my pack over my shoulder and walked over to her. We probably look like a couple, walking together like this. I thought as we made our way to the cafe. Wait, why did I think that? I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks, but I quickly erased the thought before Yuri could notice it. There was definitely something about her that made her extremely familiar to me, but I didn't know what it was, or why it was. This feeling of Déjà-vu had never before happened with a person, but I guessed that if that was the case, there must be something special about her. Perhaps she could give me some answers? And if what she said was true, then she also felt the same way about me. Only one way to find out, and it included spending time with her, which I didn't mind at all.

The cafe I had chosen was nice and quiet, despite being quite close to the university. We ordered some drinks and sat down at a remote table, as what we were discussing was kind of a private matter. Otonashi told me about his Déjà-vu experiences, and he was glad to hear that I experienced similar things, because it meant that he wasn't the only weirdo around. We shared laughs with each other, and our conversations seemed… natural. Like we'd known each other for such a long time that we could talk about practically anything and make a meaningful and fun conversation out of it. I told him about Kanade, and how we'd met a year ago. He said that like my name, the name "Kanade" also felt familiar to him, though he couldn't quite figure out why. We didn't just talk about our unique form of Déjà-vu, however. We talked about ourselves, and we both felt like sharing information between us was easy, which resulted in us ending up using our first names to address each other, like we were the best of friends. And I truly felt like that. But there was something else behind those feelings as well. Something which I couldn't quite place, but which made my heart race. I honestly enjoyed his company, and not just because we were "kindred spirits". I enjoyed him as a person, and I got the feeling that he did too. Before long, we had already spent two hours simply talking with each other, having finished our drinks long ago. We hadn't even noticed time flowing by until Yuzuru happened to glance over at the clock on the wall.

"Oh crap, it's that late already? Hatsune's going to be absolutely livid. I promised her I'd be home by 6." Yuzuru said and pulled out his phone.

"Oh my, we did talk for an awfully long time, didn't we." I replied and giggled. "Well? Has your imouto been worried about you?" I poked him in the arm as a teasing smile made its way onto my face. Yuzuru had told me that he was close with his younger sister, and that they lived together, though he didn't strike me as a sis-con.

"Eh, maybe not as much as I had hoped. Only one missed call and two messages. I guess I just didn't notice them, I was so enraptured in talking with you." Yuzuru said and pocketed his phone, then raising his gaze to meet mine.

I could feel a slight warmth rising to my cheeks. "Don't say it like that, baka. You'll make me think you dragged me to this cafe for entirely different reasons." I suppressed the blush and smirked at him as I poked him in the arm again.

"I-I didn't mean it like that, and you know it!" Yuzuru had a slight blush on his cheeks. It was so easy to tease him. "And besides, it was technically you who dragged me into the cafe, which makes me question whether you had some other reasons for it." He replied to my teasing with a bit of teasing of his own.

"Hah! I'll give you that one. Now we're even." I laughed and winked at him, to which he replied with a laugh of his own. "Hey, if you've got time tomorrow, could we like… do this again? I really enjoy talking with you."

"Oh, uhhhh sure, why not. I enjoyed this a lot more than I had anticipated. But, don't you have some… I don't know… like… girl-friends you'd like to spend time with?" He rubbed the back of his neck with his arm, something which I noticed he did a lot.

"Well, I've really only got a couple of friends that I'm close with, and Kanade's one of them. Oh, I know, I'll try to get Kanade to meet up sometimes as well, you two should definitely get to know each other."

"Alright, yeah, I'm up for it. Should we… exchange phone numbers? Just so you don't have to wait around for me at the University gates for an hour." He said as he pulled his phone back out of his pocket.

"Hmmmm? Trying to get a girl's number now, are we?" I replied with a teasing smirk. "I'm just messing with you, of course I'll do that. Anything to not get stared at by everyone like I'm some weirdo, standing by the gates for extended periods of time."

We exchanged numbers and Yuzuru got up and ready to leave.

"Well, Hatsune's waited long enough at this point. I guess I'll… see you tomorrow then?"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow, Yuzuru!" I waved at him as he left the cafe.

I sighed as I looked at my phone. Yuzuru's contact information was displayed on the small screen. Come to think of it, this is the first time I've exchanged phone numbers with a boy. I thought to myself and a slight blush made its way onto my cheeks. Ugh, why does he cause my thoughts to always wander in that direction! Maybe it's just because I don't have much experience in interacting with men, or because I feel like I've known him for a long time, and our teasing banter corrupts my brain. Yeah, that must be it. I sighed again as I put my phone on the table and stared out the window.

"Everything alright, Nakamura-san?" A familiar voice called out to me.

"Huh? Yeah, everything's okay." I turned and replied to Kashou-san.

Kashou was the owner of La Soleil. He was a little older than I was, but we had known each other for some time now. I wouldn't call us friends, though. We only really saw each other whenever I came to his cafe. I never thought anything of us being acquaintances, since he was an extroverted fellow who acted very familiar with all of his customers.

"If you say so." Kashou replied with a smile as he continued to wipe the table next to me. He might've been the owner of the cafe, but other than him, there were only three other workers. "This was the first time I've seen you with a boy here. Judging by the fact that you exchanged contact information, you haven't known for a long time. Is he a friend?"

"Well, I guess you could call him- Hey, wait! How do you know we swapped contact information?!"

"Sorry, Nakamura-san. I couldn't help but overhear some of your conversations. You two sounded like you were the best of friends, or perhaps something… more than that..." He paused for a bit and winked at me. "But I also got the feeling from observing you two that you've only recently gotten acquainted."

"...Have I told you that your ability to so easily eavesdrop on people is creepy." I said a I rested my head onto my palm.

"Hah! I'm sure either you or Tachibana-san has told me that before. But back to the point, I really am curious about you two."

"How do I explain it? I… met him for the first time earlier today, but I instantly felt like he was… an old friend. Or something like that. We're… alike… in a way, and talking with him seems so… right, like it's the most normal thing in the world for the two of us."

"Hmmm… Isn't it the same with you and Tachibana-san as well?"

"Well, yes, it was when we first met. It's probably the reason why we're such good friends. But with Yuzuru… I don't know, the feeling is… stronger, I think. I can't really explain it..."

"No, you don't have to explain it." Kashou said as he picked up the glasses from the table. "I think I get it, somewhat. Perhaps… perhaps it's fate."

"Fate?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't think you'd be a person who believes in something like that."

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. Whatever the case may be, it may be an explanation for your predicament. Fate is pulling you two – or three – together. For what reason? I cannot say.

"Fate, huh..."

I never believed in stuff like fate myself, but the way Kashou put it… it certainly made a little bit of sense. It couldn't have been an accident that three people with similar Déjà-vu experiences met each other. I had always wondered if I was the only person with such obscure experiences, but meeting Kanade proved to me that I wasn't, and now Yuzuru reinforced that. Perhaps it really was fate that brought us together. But if that was the case, why? Why did the three of us have these special Déjà-vu moments and feelings? Why were we brought together like this? I had hoped getting to know Yuzuru would bring me answers, but instead the opposite happened.

"Well, whatever the case may be, don't let it bother you." Kashou pulled me out of my thoughts by patting me gently on the shoulder. "You shouldn't worry too much about it. You know what they say about fate? That ultimately, it's our choice. We shape our own fates as we see fit." He smiled at me reassuringly. "Well, I think that's enough philosophical talk for today. Do you want to order something else or are you leaving?"

"Oh, I'll probably get going. Thanks for the drinks! And, I guess for the talk too." I said and got up from my chair.

"No worries. You're always welcome again! And your friend Yuzuru is too!" Kashou said and waved at me as I exited the cafe.

It had already gotten dark outside. I checked the time from my phone, only to realize I just missed my train. I guess I'll walk home then. I thought and started to make my way back to my apartment, my thoughts wandering in everything that had happened today.

AN: I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of this story! I have the general plot for this more or less figured out, but I'll need to come up with some things for future chapters. And don't worry, everyone's favourite Kuudere will make an appearance in the next chapter, just you wait!