AN: I'm the owner of a cheese/corn factory. Cheesy and corny.

Chapter 21: Is

Standing over her was Yuto. Yuki didn't initially notice him; the black cloak that he was wearing shrouded him well amongst the shadows. It took her a minute for her bleary eyes to adjust and see that there were irregularities in the room, namely the person-shaped silhouette that stood by the foot of the bed that she had been sleeping on.

Yuki gasped and drew the covers over her chin.

"Hello, Yuki." The figure stepped closer to the bed, the moonlight revealing his features.

"Y-Yuto," she whispered, "what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Yuto replied, a faint smile ghosting his lips. "My phone diary said that you weren't at your house. Why is that?"

Because Aru told her to stay with Nishijima for the time being. Because John Bacchus may still be alive. Because she was trying to keep a low profile and returning to her house would blow her cover. Because her house would be the first place for Yuto to search for her. But it was mainly because Aru told her to do so.

Yuki went along with it because she didn't know what to do. She never did.

Yuto eyed her momentarily before dropping the smile. "Do you hate me, Yuki?"

"E-eh?"

"Do you hate me? For everything that I have done, do you find me utterly despicable?" He held up a hand and stared at it, and Yuki found herself staring at it too. "I killed without remorse. I ended several lives and I don't regret it. But I didn't do those things without a reason; I didn't kill just because I wanted to. I killed for you, Yuki." His fingers curled into a fist. "I did it for love, so does that still make me a monster? How can the line between a monster and a protector blur so much?"

Yuki bit down on her lower lip and pushed herself upright. "Yuto…"

The ends didn't always justify the means—that was what Aru had told her. How could anything be justified by such horrendous deeds? Even if the purpose was to ensure Yuki's safety, there were better, peaceful, and rational alternatives than regressing to baser natures of belligerents acting according to Deus's whims.

Yuki hadn't said anything, but she had thought, "When the prize is to become a god, humans would abide to any ruthlessness because they are inherently selfish creatures. Power is too tantalizing to surrender." And when the game was to kill or be killed, all it took was pushing someone too far into a corner for him or her to snap and lash out.

She hadn't said anything because Aru had already known this. But she, unlike Aru, was more skeptical about anyone being able to maintain levelheadedness in a situation like this. It would be a difficult task especially when there was even one outlier who advocated for such savagery. But she, unlike Aru, was kind of hopeless to begin with. If Hina, Mao, Ouji, and a legitimate officer like Nishijima could believe in him, then she could as well.

If Aru, brimming with hope, could fill the void that was inside of her, then Yuki would follow him.

With a bit of renewed courage, she was able to respond back. "Yuto, you know what you did was wrong," Yuki spoke softly, "but you did those things anyway. You say that it was to protect me, but did it have to be this way?"

"You know that it had to be."

"There are always other choices," she echoed Aru's words. "We can always decide on that and act on those decisions. It didn't have to be the way it had been."

"Like how you killed those men?"

She flinched. "I… I…"

Yuto suddenly leaned in close, evading her space. Yuki's breathing hitched and her heart began to quicken its pace when his hand enclosed over hers and his bangs brushed against her forehead. His fingers that curled around hers tighten before coasting upwards on her forearm and then gliding to her waist. His hand drifted a little past under her shirt, but stayed there, anchored in holding her closer to him as his thumb formed deliberate circles on her skin. Yuki shivered.

"I did make my decision," he whispered, his eyes locking with her eyes. "I did act on that decision."

"Yuto," she murmured.

"I did it all for you because I love you." His weight shifted and was pressed firmly against her. She felt herself falling backwards until she was solidly on her back. The cloak that was draped on Yuto's body now blanketed both of them. "I love you, Yuki. I love you and only you. Forever and ever."

His lips then attacked her throat, eliciting a quiet gasp from her. His mouth was cool on her flesh and sent her nerves in a buzzing frenzy. Her knees and thighs locked together. The hand on her waist then slid further upwards and massaged the arch of her back. Without realizing it, Yuki's hands were wringing the sheets into bunches.

"W-wait, Yuto…!" She brought her hands up and weakly pushed at his chest, but he didn't budge. The warmth that bloomed on her face traveled throughout her entire body. "Yuto!" she hoarsely protested.

Yuto didn't wait. He didn't stop. His kisses trailed from the line of her jaw and then to her lips. Unlike any other kisses that she had shared with Yuto, this one was ravenous. Teeth clacked and lips bruised—it was as if he was trying to swallow her whole. Yet, somehow, Yuki couldn't help but be swept away by the intensity of it. It felt too good and she just wanted surrender and have more or it. She suddenly felt warm and relieved and comforted.

Pleasure spiked at the core of her stomach and she finally allowed him to take the reins. When they broke apart, they panted together in tandem.

"It wasn't supposed to turn out like this, Yuki."

She froze at his sorrowful tone.

"You were supposed to stay at my side until the very end. We were supposed to see the stars together, weren't we?" He tucked his head at the curve of her neck and nuzzled lightly at it, but she knew that he was no longer in the mood. Yuto was someone who…wore his emotions on his sleeve, right? At least, she thought that he often broadcasted his feelings, like how his sadness was made apparent now. These days, she wasn't sure anymore.

"We tried that," Yuki said with a sigh, placing her hands on his shoulders, "but then you drugged me and my friends had to save me."

"Is Akise Aru your friend?"

She paused. "He is," she said gingerly.

His arms tightened around her waist. "Do you love him?"

"No…"

"Do you love me?"

Yuki swallowed. "I'm not sure."

"Yuki?"

"How can I love you when I don't know who you are?"

Yuto rolled over so that they remained facing each other while lying on their sides. Their legs were pressed together, separated only by the threadbare blanket that covered Yuki. Yuto was still caressing her. His eyes almost seemed to glow in the darkness. "What do you mean?" he whispered.

"Aru told me about how there was a DNA match between the Gasai Yuto's umbilical cord and one of the corpses at your house."

Yuki didn't think that she would have such an opportunity to confront Yuto, especially so frankly like this. In that single, terrifying moment, Yuki honestly thought that Yuto would snap—exactly in what way, she wasn't quite sure. As Yuto kept his eyes trained onto her face, Yuki was left to wonder what the boy would do next. Would her knowing the truth drive him mad? Would he finally put an end to her life?

But, of course, that didn't happen. Yuto pulled his body away until he was perched on the bed. Yuki nervously licked her lips and sat up against the headboard. She forced herself to continue.

"How can you be Gasai Yuto when Gasai Yuto is dead?"

"So it's Aru now."

Startled by how Yuto went off tangent, Yuki could only blink.

"I don't like this, Yuki. I don't like how close you're becoming with him." Yuto gave a dry chuckle. He leaned forward with one elbow propped on his thigh and his other hand combing through his bangs.

"Yuto…"

"I hate this so much, and I really hate how you had to find out about me."

Yuki frowned. So it was true…

"But let me tell you this: The truth is that I really am Gasai Yuto." The flat of his hand ran onto the top of his head, dragging his hair. His smile stretched across his face. "I just happen to be from a different world."