DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN MIRAI NIKKI

He felt the futon he was laying on shift as another weight was added on to it. And just as he expected he felt two arms wrap around him as the scent of cherry blossoms in spring times caressed his senses.

"You're alive," Yuno Gasai's voice cracked halfway," It was just a dream."

She snuggled closer to him as she tightened her grip on him," You're alive."

"You're alive. It was just a dream," She repeated those words like a mantra with her voice cracking at some point.

He let her. He knew it was her way of convincing herself that he was alright, that she was alright, that everything was still alright and she hadn't kill anyone... again.

After that incident Yuno started to go through some changes. Wanting to make sure she was alright, Akise had asked if he could stay for a couple of days and look after the girl. Yuno's parents agreed and had arranged a futon by Yuno's bedside where he could sleep and at the same time look after her.

She would wake up in the middle of the night, crying silently and would wordlessly join him on his futon. She would wrap her arms around him and reassure herself that he was alive and she hadn't killed him yet and anyone for that matter. It kept going on like this.

He turned on his side to face her and in turn wrapped his arms around her, kissing her on the forehead," Ssshhh... It's alright. I'm right here, it was just a nightmare. Go back to sleep, alright?"

She wasn't convinced at first and remained silent, burying her face onto his chest, shaking her head.

"I promise I'd still be here when you wake up."

And after saying those words she'd comply, nodding her head as she drifted off to a peaceful sleep with the knowledge that he'd still be there when she wakes up. He knew those words would work on her, it always did. After all he had learned that all she needed was reassurance. And of course in the morning he never fails to keep his promise. He'd still be there, with his arms wrapped protectively over her and he'd greet her good morning as he kisses her forehead and she'd smile at him.

It was those times when night falls like a rich velvet blanket of inky blackness and as the pure twinkling crystalline stars and the luminous moon shone outside. When people are sound asleep and the air turns colder and wintry. When silence reigned more than ever. And as Yuno Gasai lay asleep in her bed Akise can't help but notice a blur of shadow by the window from the corner of his eyes, can't help but feel like there was something out there, someone rather.

And sooner or later Yuno would shoot up from her bed, another nightmare, and would move next to him. And later they would drift off to sleep and he'd forget about that strange feeling.

They were currently walking home in a comfortable silence, pacing through their usual path home. Akise would occasionally glance at Yuno to check if she was still alright or as alright as she could get one of these days.

Then all of a sudden Yuno came to a stop. He noticed she had her gaze was glued to something in particular.

"Yuno..?" He followed her gaze and saw… a flyer?

Yuno gingerly picked it up. In the picture was a couple. The girl was wearing a white tube wedding dress with arm length white gloves and a lacy veil. She had a bouquet of pink roses in her hands. She was sitting with the guy standing beside her. The guy had a matching white tux and a light blue dress shirt and a navy blue tie. They both had smiles on their faces albeit sheepish yet the boy looked as equally happy as the girl.

Akise realized what it was as soon as the pink haired girl picked it up. It was an invitation to a bridal fair for a mock wedding.

A sharp pain suddenly shot through Yuno's head as she instantly brought her hand to massage her aching temple.

Akise was quick to notice the sudden change as her forehead scrunched, her eyebrows knitted, and her eyes narrowed into slits.

"Yuno, what's the matter?" He really didn't need to ask for he already knew the reason before she even realized it was an invite to a bridal fair. He knew. After all among the two of them he was the one cursed to have the memories of the previous world whereas she had no inkling about it.

She shook her head and faced him with a small smile (which he knew was forced anyway) on her face," It's nothing, Aki. It's just…"

"Just what?"

"It's my headache. Nothing to worry about," She mustered another smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Do you want to?" He suddenly asked.

"Do I want to what, Aki?" Yuno looked at him in befuddlement.

"Go to that bridal fair," He was hoping she'd say no. He had to ask because a part of him was demanding to know what her answer would be.

A pause.

A thick silence suddenly enveloped the atmosphere between them.

"No, I don't," She answered but somehow Akise can't help but notice the distant look on her face or how her eyes momentarily dilated.

It was a beautiful Sunday morning, the air was crisp and it wasn't too hot, if anything the morning was cool and peaceful. The sun was giving off a soothing glow all over the city.

They were taking their morning walk, taking in the serenity and calmness of their surrounding at that hour.

And as they continued their trek down the paved path Yuno suddenly caught a whiff of a familiar scent, a very familiar scent that is.

She subtly sniffed and Akise noticed this who just looked at her in question.

He then realized what she was trying to do, after all he did smell it too. He smiled, finding her reaction cute.

"It's that newly opened donut shop over there," He gestured at a nearby shop a good few feet away from them.

"Donuts?" Yuno tilted her head, blinking.

Akise nodded with a smile," What do you say we take a break for a while?"

Yuno agreed and they then find themselves walking forward the cute little shop. The exterior of the shop was painted with a light shade of honeydew green. There was one big arched window, the frames painted with stripes of baby pink and honeydew green, with cute fluffy looking cream colored curtains. The door was made of glass and the frames, just like the window, was painted with baby pink and honeydew green.

As soon as Akise pushed the door the bell chimed and her senses were instantly assaulted of the aroma of donuts and brewed coffee. It almost made her mouth water. But then…

'My father often fried donuts for me…'

Her breath caught in her throat as that fragment hit her like a ton of bricks. A memory..? A distant memory or just something her mind, her imagination came up with due to the stress and trauma she'd been having lately.

"Oh good morning," A woman who looked like to be in her mid 20's with a short midnight blue hair that reached up to her shoulders and soft pools of lilac. She was smiling at them.

"Good morning," Yuno replied, politely bowing.

"Good morning. Could we get one strawberry glazed donut and a toasted coconut donut with brewed coffee and hot chocolate?" Akise smiled politely at the woman. Yuno had to smile at that, Akise always knew what she prefer and what she didn't, like how she enjoyed her strawberry glazed donut with hot chocolate.

The shop wasn't crowded, seeing it was still kind of early, in fact it seemed like they were the only customers. But Akise knew better, last time he passed through the shop it was crowded later in the day.

They picked a table near the window and no sooner than that the woman had handed them their respective orders.

"Thank you," Her gaze landed on the name tag on the upper left side of the woman's shirt," Ai."

Akise just nodded in appreciation with his usual smile in place.

"Uhm…" Yuno started in uneasiness," Have we met before?"

Because try as she might something tells her that she knew this woman, that not only have they met but they also knew each other. She was kind of giving off an aura of familiarity.

Akise had to look at Yuno questioningly at this.

"Well I often visit a middle school nearby for a friend of mine, or should I say a charge. Maybe you somehow saw me there," Ai replied with a warm smile.

"Maybe…" Yuno had that distant look on her face again.

Akise instantly noticed this and tried to change the subject," Ah you mean Kasugano-san?"

Wrong move

Yuno quickly whipped her face towards him with an unexplainable expression on her face. Ah, that's right, Tsubaki and that incident. They haven't actually gotten the chance to talk about Tsubaki after that and had forgotten about that matter…

Until now

"Yeah, Tsubaki, do you know her?" Ai asked, oblivious to the sudden tension.

"Yeah…" Akise answered slowly, observing Yuno's reaction.

'You bet. Oh if you only knew he was the reason for her tears and heartbreak,' Yuno thought.

Their conversation was interrupted (to Akise's utter relief) when the back door opened and a man with a coffee brown hair that had a weird perm or something emerged.

Ai excused herself as she went to greet the man with a kiss on the cheek.

And Yuno can't help but feel like she knew him as well.

"We'll test… the strength of your love!"

She shook those thoughts away and tried pushing them to the back of her mind. Not now.

As for a certain albino, he knew the confusion swirling inside Yuno's mind as of the moment. He knew it the moment he saw Ai and Marco Ikusaba.

"Aki?" Yuno suddenly asked as they were enjoying their morning snack.

"Mhm?"

"Can we go to the amusement park next Sunday?"

"Yeah, sure," He answered but somehow a part of him was suspicious on why she suddenly wanted to go to the amusement out of the blue.

She smiled at his reply.

When the day did come for them to go to the amusement park by late morning Akise was already waiting on of the seats they had at the amusement park café and when Yuno had come they decided to buy some ice cream.

No sooner than that they had gone into some "extreme" (As Yuno had happily put it) rides.

"Aki! Let's go there next!" Yuno pointed enthusiastically at the haunted house.

The hallway was cold and smelt of dust mixed with old age that somehow they came up with to make the place spookier. The wallpapers were chipped and scratched with some creepy painting hung on the wall. Cold eerie lights stream through cracked windows as they continued down the hall. They continued their ghastly trek, making sure not to bump into the occasional skeletons and cobwebs.

When out of nowhere a scary looking dummy appeared in front of them, hanging upside down Yuno who was already clutching his arms like her life depended on it let out a scream. She was trembling like a leaf as she tightened her grip on Akise, tightly closing her eyes shut.

As they continued walking towards the exit of the spooky house another scary looking dummy appeared behind them and Yuno practically dragged Akise outside the haunted house.

Moments later a tired looking Yuno was walking out of the haunted house with her back slouched, a pout on her face, and an arm slung around Akise's arm.

"God… what's wrong with that place?" She whimpered which Akise found adorable and funny.

"Well it was your idea on going to that place," Akise replied with a smile.

"Shut up. That place was scary."

Yuno was practically bouncing on her toes with that grin on her face as they went from one ride to another. Those rides could practically make your stomach drop and throw up your lunch but not for them at least. Yuno always loved these kinds of rides as she enthusiastically kept pointing at different attractions.

"Aki! Let's go there next!" Yuno said as she pointed on Water Amusement Island.

After going through the Water Park Yuno and Akise find themselves walking down a concrete pathway. It was already sunset by then. The sun had already began its descend behind the horizon.

"Where should we go next?" Yuno casually asked as she kept walked beside Akise.

Akise's gaze landed on the planetarium," How about the planetarium?"

Yuno subtly flinched.

"We'll go see the stars together…"

"Do you want to go there ne-"

"No!" Yuno suddenly cut him off with a grim expression on her face. Realizing what she just did, snapping at him just for an innocent question, she put on an apologetic look," I'm sorry, Akise but… not here."

Akise just nodded.

"Let's look for another one, shall we?" Yuno tried to smile to lighten up the mood as she started walking off.

In the end they decided to get on the Ferris wheel. It groaned and shuddered to life, pulling them forward. They watched as the sun began setting, painting an array of magenta, crimson, yellow and purple. The dying embers of the sun glimmered in the sky.

"It's beautiful," Yuno remarked in amusement," You can see all of Sakurami City."

.

.

And as they sat inside the Ferris wheel in a not so comfortable silence Yuno can't help but think of how everything seemed so familiar, like it all happened before. Like how she'd done this before or how she'd said those things before.

"I'll be your bride in the future."

A kiss…

An endearing gesture…

"It's a secret."

But Akise…

Her gaze landed on the albino in front of her, watching the sunset.

Where is he in all of these?

They were currently walking to school. It was another dreary school morning.

'Yuno…'

"-no, Yuno!"

"Huh?" Yuno snapped out of her thoughts to see Akise looking at her about in subtle concern," What was that, Akise?"

"I asked if you're alright. You looked out of it and you seem a little pale," Akise said, bringing the back of his hand to her forehead to check for her temperature.

"I'm okay, Akise. I just…" Her eyes suddenly dilated, her face turning a little pale, a thin sheen of sweat was evident on the side of her face,"… remembered something."

"What is it?" Akise asked, already having an idea on what this was about.

"Nothing important," She shook her head and mustered a smile on her lips.

She noticed Akise side-glance," You go ahead. I'll catch up with you, alright?"

Yuno nodded hesitantly," Alright."

With that she entered the gates of their school as Hinata and the others greeted her.

.

.

When he saw that Yuno was already away and far from sight…

"You can come out now. I've already blown your cover," He spoke with serious tone that leaves no room for nonsense.

A boy with an ebony hair tucked in a casual ponytail and radiant cobalt blue eyes stepped forward.

"…Yukiteru Amano," Akise turned to face said boy who had a smile on his lips," Or do you prefer to be called 'Your Highness'? Sorry to break it to you but as you can see you're in the third world and not in the second world."

Yukiteru smirked," Akise Aru of the third world, perceptive as always. I should have never expected less from a detective in training. When did you notice?"

"When Yuno started having these constant nightmares and doing these things she used to do with you. And the flyer was a dead giveaway," Akise eyed him in suspicion.

"Well, guilty as charged," Yukiteru brought his hands up in mock defeat.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in the Second world, playing god?" Akise glared at the male in front of him.

"Well my time in here is limited so I can't stay here that long at some point and you're god is getting weaker so slipping into this world had been easy."

"What are you scheming?"

"Not bothering to beat around the bush, eh?" Yukiteru started," Well to put it simply, I'm here to make sure Yuno Gasai gets her memories ba-"

"Those are not her memories!" Akise cut him off with a voice raised a little.

"I want her to know all about the previous worlds and her ."

"I won't let you," Akise said in a hostile tone.

"Too bad you have no choice. She will remember," Yukiteru said with all seriousness.

"And go back running to your arms?" Akise scoffed bitterly," Delusional as always."

The brunette suddenly laughed," It's funny how you're so different from Second world Akise and yet so alike. Remember him? And his so called love?"

"Well unlike him I wasn't that much controlled by Deus," Akise replied bitterly, knowing where he was getting at.

"Oh and by the way, Akise, I know your little secret," Yukiteru smirked as he saw the subtle stunned reaction of the albino.

Akise momentarily stiffened.

"But don't worry I won't tell her. It's more fun when she'd know it by herself, won't it?"

Akise glared daggers at him, a look that could practically kill someone on the spot.

"Looks like Cute and adorable Yuno Gasai isn't the only one with a deep secret around here. Sooner or later, Akise Aru, she will know and I'll be watching and anticipating that day."

Yukiteru turned to leave but not before speaking…

"After all no secrets are left unrevealed."

Tsubaki Kasugano was currently running as fast as she can towards the direction of her school. She was going to be late and to make matters worse Ai and Orin weren't here to accompany her. Ai was busy with her newly opened shop and the latter had caught a cold, preventing her from coming to school.

(And there was this fact that she kind of saw Akise Aru walking alone to school)

Having poor eyesight she didn't quite see someone in front of her and when she did it was already too late, she had crashed into that someone, falling onto her behind. She instantly felt pain due to the fall.

"Aww…" She whimpered.

"I'm sorry."

She turned to glare at that person with her delicate blue eyes," Watch where you're going!"

She heard the person chuckle," I should be the one saying that to you, Miss."

The person offered her his hand and despite her irritation to him she accepted it as he helped her to her feet.

She took this opportunity to study his features. He had radiant cobalt blue eyes, long ebony hair that was tucked into a casual ponytail. He was wearing a black overcoat over a plain white V-neck shirt, black faded pants, and brown leather shoes.

"Have we met before?" She blurted out.

"Uh… I don't believe we have," He replied with a smile," You didn't tell me your name."

"I don't give my name to strangers," She said flatly.

He chuckled," Of course, I'm Yukiteru."

He noticed her eyebrows scrunch and he quickly spoke just to clear out any confusions," Takenaka."

"Tsubaki Kasugano," She realized they were still holding hands and she quickly let go with a bright pink blush on her cheeks.

'Why did I even give him my name?'

"Aren't you going to be late?"

With that she stiffened and instantly dashed towards the school gate, hearing an amused laughter behind her.

"A pleasure to meet you, Tsubaki-san!"

She felt her eye twitch.

'Since when were we on first name basis? WE JUST MET, IDIOT.'

AN: HOPE YOU GUYS LIKED IT. TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK. AND I KINDA USED BADASS YUKITERU BECAUSE WIMPY YUKITERU WAS BORING AND ANNOYING. THANKS FOR READING AND PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW.