This picks up right where the last chapter left off. Enjoy! I put a lot of time into this chapter. Made a crap ton of revisions and changes until I felt like it was good enough. And even now I don't know if this is the best it can be. I hope you all enjoy!

She gets a call from Yoko.

"Obaasan, is he alright?" Yuzu has finally made it to the agreed upon meetup point, but it seems she's here first.

"No, Yuzu. But he was adamant about talking to you. I need you to do something for me." Yoko is trying her hardest to maintain composure. "Stay with him. If he tries to separate himself or go off on his own. Please, Yuzu don't let him."

"Obaasan, now you're scaring me too." Yuzu's eyes widen with fear. "What's wrong?"

"He'll have to tell you himself. Just, please keep an eye on my boy." Yoko says no more.

"I will, Obaasan." Yuzu hangs up.

Yuzu watches the waves crash upon the shore as she sits and anxiously awaits Yuya's arrival. The sun is setting on the horizon and the sky looks absolutely beautiful, but she can't focus on the dazzling colors. Yuzu can't even imagine what this could be about.

When she finally got over her irrational anger she wanted to go to him and apologize, only to find out from Yoko that he was even worse than before. He wasn't talking or eating. He had shut down completely and no one knew why. Yuzu must have left him a hundred voice messages and tens times as many texts. Not one reply before today.

A noise interrupts her thoughts. She looks to find a notebook in the sand. It's opened to a page with a short message in big sloppy letters.

You lied to me.

"Yuya?" Yuzu turns around. He doesn't even look like himself. He was always typically scrawny but she knew he was healthy. Yuya looks sick now; frighteningly skinny, pale as the moon, with dull and exhausted eyes.

"What do you mean? I lied about what?" Yuzu's eyes narrow with equal parts confusion and suspicion.

He just sits down next to her in the sand, grabs the notebook, and turns the page.

It was me.

"Yuya, help me out. I don't know what you're talking about."

He turns the page again. It seems he knew how the conversation would go and thought ahead.

I was the one who attacked you.

"Yuya how many times have I told you, you had nothing to do with that?!" Yuzu explodes.

He snatches the notebook from her and furiously scrawls his next message.

Don't lie.

"I'm not lying." She has tears in her eyes. "It wasn't you. I already told you this."

He points to his message again. Don't lie. And then adds to it,

I asked you about this. Why didn't you just tell me the truth?

"Because it's not a lie!" Yuzu is getting more and more frustrated. "It's the truth! Don't call me a liar!"

Yuya turns the page.

The concussion made me remember everything. I know what happened that day. I beat you up and then raped you.

Yuzu's entire body is shaking. "No. No, it wasn't you. I told you the truth."

He flips to the previous page and underlines the two words. Don't lie.

"Yuya, please stop." She feels cold. So cold.

It was me!

"Yuya if it really had been you to hurt me like this we wouldn't even be here." Yuzu starts and brings her knees to her chest. "Literally the day after it happened, I only felt alright when you stayed with me. You kept me warm, remember?" She looks at him, her face almost as red as the setting sun.

Yuya has no immediate reply.

"You were there for me throughout my entire recovery. You were my shoulder to cry on, my safety blanket, my reminder to smile. Look at this," she shows him her pendant. "I never take this off. Why would I still want- no," She shakes her head. "Why would I need you around if you had been the one to do this to me? Please… Stop saying this. It. Wasn't. You." Yuzu takes it a step further by snatching the notebook and pen from him and flipping to the page with the ugly and untrue confession. She angrily scribbles over the entire statement and the proceeds to tear out the page and rip it to shreds.

"Don't play dumb. It's not a good look for you." She says with ice in her tone.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that." Yuzu sighs and wipes the tears from her face.

"Listen to me, Yuya. You are and always will be my best friend. My best friend." She was never planning on having this conversation. Yuzu feels her heart pounding in her chest. So many emotions are running wild in her mind.

"I mean… Physically I guess it was you who attacked me, but that's where your involvement ends. It was that darkness inside of you that hurt me. I will kick your butt into next week if you say you are even remotely alike." Yuzu threatens.

"Think about it, you're just too nice. Your idea of 'hurting me' would be... I don't know, a prank or something. Something lighthearted and fun because that's just who you are. No matter what though, it would never even occur to you to do something like that to me- or to anyone for that matter. What that monster did was… You would never go that far. You…You're just not capable of hurting people like that. You're so loving and thoughtful, and protective too." She's referring to the incident with Ayu. She knew he loved kids, but when things got serious he sacrificed everything to make sure that Ayu would come out alright. It's Yuzu's favorite thing about him.

"You're trustworthy and caring. These are traits this monster couldn't possibly have, because they belong to you and only you." She places her hand on his prominently bony shoulder. He's so thin… Yuzu thinks. She just continues on with her pep talk. It feels like things are going well.

"I see a huge difference between you and that darkness, Yuya. You basically disappeared when this happened. He didn't even have your eyes."

He takes the notebook back from her and starts to write something. Yuzu can see the pen shaking in his hands. She can see his shoulders tremble and hears him crying. She takes his hand in hers and then moves closer.

"It's okay, Yuya." She says in a hushed, soothing tone.

He just shakes his head. It's not okay. It's not okay. He did something terrible. He can't believe she's still okay with being anywhere near him.

"Yuya, if there ever comes a time when I don't want you around, I'll let you know. Just remember, that day is never going to come. I need you to help remind me to smile. To keep me warm when I get too cold. To keep me from getting into anymore fights."

He just continues to cry. He was trying to write an apology, but was simply too overwhelmed to concentrate on his words.

"It looks like our roles have switched again." Yuzu sounds like she has a smile on her lips. "It looks like you need a little bit of a helping hand now. I get to resume my position as the friend with all the answers."

I don't understand…. Yuya manages to write.

How are you okay with this?

His hand still trembles as he tries to focus.

I stole your innocence. I forced myself on you and caused you so much pain. That's not okay…

He's so ashamed. She shouldn't be alright with this.

"Because I know you as well as I know myself if not better. You're a good person, Yuya. You love with every bone in your body. I know that if you had even an ounce of control over that darkness, that this would have been different. But you don't, and that's not your fault."

No. Yuzu it is my fault. I'm the one who hit you. I'm the one who did all those things.

Yuzu takes his pen away.

"You've got it all wrong. You didn't do any of that." Yuzu's words are met with a look of confusion.

"You and I mean Yuya-" she points at him, "Didn't just decide out of the blue that you were going to attack me. Do you remember making that choice? just yes or no, do you remember making that choice?"

He shakes his head. He remembers yelling at himself. Fighting, screaming, desperate to stop it.

"Yes, Yuya it was your hands hitting me, your teeth biting me, your body on top of me." Yuzu shivers. She doesn't like this at all, but she has to tell him the whole truth. "Trust me, I struggled with that for a long time."

He looks at her, his eyes filled with so much guilt. So much anguish. Yuya drops his head.

"But I knew better." Yuzu continues. "I knew right after it happened that it was never you doing any of that. Your first words after coming too was asking if you'd hurt anyone. You were so scared, Yuya. So worried that you'd done something."

He takes his pen back.

And it looks like I was right to be. I still don't know what this is, but I know it's capable of hurting people. I'm dangerous, Yuzu.

"I don't ever want you to say that again." Yuzu warns him, her tone threatening. "Don't you compare yourself to some lowlife who would hurt the people close to him. People like that enjoy causing pain, like those monsters that attacked you and Ayu. Don't do that to yourself, Yuya. You're not like that. You're kind, and loving, and fun. You make everyone smile, remember?" She cups her hand under his jaw to hold his head up. "You make me feel lucky to know you. I'm glad you're my friend Sakaki Yuya."

I wish I didn't have to find out like this.

"Yuya, you try thinking of a way to have this kind of conversation. To be honest, I never wanted you to find out for this reason. You're beating yourself up over this and I never wanted that."

You should have told me anyway.

"Maybe one day I might have found courage to say something. But this is still a time for healing- and not just for me- for both of us."

I believe you. He writes. It wasn't me…

"I'm glad you're seeing it my way." Yuzu smiles. "I've told you a million times that I'm always right."

I never said that.

"Yuya." She notices his expression hasn't changed, and his lips have remained pressed together. "Can you smile for me?"

He shakes his head.

"Can you really not talk?

Another shake of his head.

I feel sick whenever I try to open my mouth. Yuya writes. He looks embarrassed and ashamed. The broken boy in front of her is what's left of the old Yuya. She wants to cry for him. She wants to take all his pain away. Yuya of all people deserves to be happy.

"Look at me, Yuya."

Sad and dull red eyes look into hers.

"You're going to be okay."

He just drops his head again.

"No, come on. Eyes up here." Yuzu places a gentle finger under his chin.

"Do you believe me?"

The young boy shrugs and looks like he's trying not to cry again. He lets his overgrown green bangs fall in front of his face and cover his eyes. Because of everything that's happened, Yuya has let himself fall to pieces. He doesn't know or feel like this can change, and he can't even try to stay hopeful about it.

"We can't leave here until you somehow convey to me that you know you're going to be alright." Yuzu places her hand back on his shoulder.

Yuya shakes his head. He can't. He's at the lowest point in his life. Even something like that will take more time than Yuzu is giving him.

I want to believe that one day, things might change. But I…

He stops writing for a moment.

I need some time to accept everything that's happened. Don't forget, I was attacked too. It's not the only reason I'm like this now, but it's definitely playing a role. He confesses.

"I just want to know that the boy who helped us all remember to duel with smiles and make others happy will be able to feel some of that happiness again."

One day.

I hope so…

"We'll start small, okay? For starters, let's get you home. Your mother is worried."

I know.

The tears finally fall and hit the notebook page.

I've caused her so much trouble. She should hate me for what I've done.

He's crying so hard she can hear him as he tries to catch his breath.

"Yuya." Yuzu has to keep it together, no matter how much she wants to cry for him. She gently places her hands on his cold and sunken cheeks.

"Don't you think that for a split second." Yuzu starts. "Your mother loves you more than anything in this world. Where do you think you learned to care for people?" She smiles at him, hoping that she can ease his suffering.

"She is the strongest woman I've ever met. It's because of her that I even came out of my room after I was hurt."

I made Kaasan cry. I've never seen her cry before.

"She was worried about you, Yuya. When someone you love is suffering, it can hurt your heart. I know you know how that feels. It doesn't mean that you start to hate the person. It just means that you wish even more that they could heal. That their pain could be taken away."

Yuzu wipes his tears. "She will never stop loving you." She kisses his cheek. "And neither will I." She kisses his other cheek and smiles at him. Yuya looks down to hide his sudden blush.

"Let's get going." Yuzu stands and dusts the sand off her legs, then extends a hand to her best friend.

Yuya nods and closes his notebook, taking Yuzu's hand and slowly gets to his feet. He's dizzy when he stands but Yuzu helps keep him steady.

One day. It's the closest thing he has to hope right now.

One day, he'll smile again.

One day he'll speak again.

One day.

And That's All Folks! Thank you so much to everyone who stuck with this since the very beginning. This was my first fanfic that I decided to publish and I never in my wildest dreams thought it would be as successful as it turned out to be. You guys have been amazing and I've really enjoyed your comments and questions. I really loved how invested some of you were in this story. It made me feel like I like my work had purpose. Thank you so much for reading Darkness Does Not Become Him.

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I'm messing with you guys, this isn't over just yet. There's an epilogue coming! See you next week!