Chapter 10: Coming on Strong

Author's Notes: Hey everyone! I'm back with the final chapter, and I'm posting this on a Sunday! Not quite the Sunday that I originally planned for, but . . . it'll have to do! Turns out that this chapter is even longer than the previous chapter! :)

Thank you guys so much for being so patient and sticking with this story, and for the story alerts, favorites, and a special thanks to AliceKat, WarheadAce, Zero (from Code Geass, maybe? :D), Fangirl9000, and the two anonymous reviewers for your awesome reviews! You guys are great, and your kind words made me smile! So thanks again!

Now, about this chapter—Yuki and Aru finally discuss the dreams they've been having, and all I can think of is drama, drama, and even more drama! It's a rocky road ahead, and there are quite some tense moments in this chapter, so make sure you're ready! We're in the final stretch, folks! Not going to spoil it, you'll have to read it for yourself.

Without further ado, read on to Chapter #10 . . . .

…

The remainder of the walk was silent as Yuki and Aru walked to Yuki's house. When they arrived at the front door, Yuki unlocked it and invited Aru inside. In truth, Yuki still felt a little wary about bringing Aru into his home after seeing the detailed sketches of people with "deceased" headings beside them and the three corpses, but after Aru had kindly offered him the sixty dollars he lost to Kousaka, witnessed Aru's friendly interaction with his friends first-hand, and discovered that three of the "deceased" people in Aru's sketchbook were actually alive, he figured that Aru just had some dark and twisted fixation on the dead, but Aru's heart was in the right place.

But not only that, he still needed answers to the dreams he had been having, and it seemed as though Aru knew something about them. Moreover, while he could appreciate how talented Aru was at drawing sketches in his sketchbook, the fact that the sketches were so detailed—especially the one with the three corpses—left him with more questions that needed to be answered. For those reasons, he allowed Aru into the living room of his house, which had been decidedly more presentable than his own room.

On the couch, Yuki held out the torn sketch before Aru. "You said that we would talk when we got to my house, right?" he began. "Well then, explain to me why you drew this sketch, and also, why you drew those other sketches of sixteen people, and why you wrote 'deceased' beside them. I'd also like to know why you included your friends in the sketchbook too as one of the 'deceased' people, and for you to explain what you meant about the dreams we've been having. What kind of dreams have you been having? Do they have anything to do with me holding a gun up to you, or even you, me, Mao, Kousaka, and Hinata walking out of a room together? Or maybe-"

He paused when he heard laughter coming from Aru. He lowered the sketch, frowning. "Hey, what's so funny? This is serious," he asserted.

Aru's laughter gradually died down. "Sorry, sorry. It's just . . . you sound so confused right now. It's actually quite endearing."

Yuki's eyebrows furrowed. Endearing? What was endearing about him asking questions? He shook his head. Aru sure had an odd sense of humor.

He held out the torn sketch once more, jiggling it impatiently. "Come on. You said that once we got to my house, you'd explain all the dreams we've been having," he said.

Aru gave a small smile. "Wrong. I never said I would explain anything. I only suggested that we could talk to get to the bottom of the dreams we've been having," he replied.

Yuki clicked his teeth in frustration. "But you know the answers I'm seeking," he responded. "Why don't you just tell me?"

"You read my notebook, right?"

Yuki's eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah?"

"Then you should know that I enjoy a good mystery. Figuring things out for oneself makes things more interesting, wouldn't you agree?" Aru calmly replied.

"No, I don't," Yuki fumed. "And I'd really appreciate if you'd just get to the point."

Aru remained unfazed. "Do you trust me, Yuki?"

"No."

"Then what would be the point?" he stated. "You wouldn't believe a word I said."

Yuki's eyebrows rose. He hadn't considered that. He bit his lip. "I could- . . . I could hear you out, and decide for myself if I believe you or not."

Aru's smile grew. "That so."

"Yeah."

Aru's smile faded a little. "Unfortunately, I won't be able to provide you with all the answers you're seeking as I'm a bit hazy with the details myself," he answered.

"That's fine. Just tell me what you know," Yuki insisted.

Aru gave a brief nod. "Very well, Yukiteru-kun," he replied. His eyelids lowered. "But before I begin, want to make out with me?"

Yuki blinked, taken aback. "Huh?!" he yelped. "Of course not! What are you saying at a time like this?!"

"I merely wish to share an expression of my love with my boyfriend," Aru explained.

Yuki frowned. "Yeah...about that," he began. "What was with you introducing me as your boyfriend to Mao, Kousaka, and Hinata? Now they think we're together when you know it isn't true!" Not to mention ruining any chance I might've had with Hinata, or any girl, for that matter if Kousaka tells everyone at school about it, he thought.

Aru's eyebrows furrowed. "You don't want to be my boyfriend?"

Yuki shook his head. "That's not the point. You could've asked me first, you know."

"But you might've said no, and then I'd lose out on my chance to kiss you," Aru said with a slight grin.

"Kissing me better not have been your way of claiming me in front of them," Yuki responded. "And you can't just make decisions like that for me! Relationships are supposed to be a two-way street, right?"

"You can kiss me too, if you'd like," he offered.

Yuki made a face. "You know, I wonder if you ever listen to me unless it benefits you somehow."

Aru raised an eyebrow. "If it bothered you so much, why didn't you say anything earlier?"

Yuki flushed. "That's because . . . I was in shock!"

"That shock lasted for four hours."

Yuki lowered his eyes to a spot on the floor. "Well, I had other things to think about too. Only four hours ago, I thought you were a murderer."

"Which would have been all the more reason to say something, right?" Aru responded. "Of course, if you wanted them to think I was your boyfriend, then your actions are self-explanatory."

Yuki said nothing to that. Aru had a point. Why hadn't he said anything? Why had he wanted a goodbye kiss at the door yesterday? What was happening to him?

"Perhaps you never really believed I was a murderer in the first place," Aru said.

Yuki looked up at him in shock.

Aru's smile broadened. "And if that's the case, then perhaps you don't consider me to be a person who would try to deceive you," he stated. "Now, I'll start with what you saw in my sketchbook." He reached over and grabbed the torn sketch page from Yuki's hands, turning it around to face the other boy. "Why did you decide to take this page, Yuki? You had a lot of other options. Why this one?"

Yuki's eyes traced the sketch, the image of the three skeletal corpses ingrained in his memory. A sudden flashback of him discovering three skeletal corpses in a dark room entered his mind, causing his breath to quicken and his heart to skip a beat. His eyebrows furrowed. What was that? He thought. Why did I think suddenly picture the three corpses somewhere else other than the ditch in the sketch? I've never seen that room before in my life.

"Yuki?"

Yuki blinked, remembering where he was. He shook his head. "I- . . . I don't know," Yuki answered. "It just . . . resonated with me, I guess."

"Could it be that my sketch triggered a past memory for you?"

Yuki narrowed his eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?!" he exclaimed. "If you're suggesting that I know what happened those people, then you're way off base. I don't even know who they are!"

"Relax. I'm not accusing you of anything," Aru answered, his crimson gaze locked onto his. "I already know the identity of the murderer."

Yuki gulped. "You mean . . . there's a murderer, after all?" he asked. "Who is it?"

"Don't worry. It's someone who can't bother you anymore," he replied.

Yuki's heart skipped a beat. That made him feel even more anxious. Someone who can't bother me? He thought. He tried to come up with a list in his mind of all the people that he had ever met in his life who might've had something against him. However, no one came to mind. In fact, it was rare for anyone to interact with him because he was always on his cell phone. Why would Aru say that anyone was bothering him? Then, his eyes widened as he remembered the last word that Aru had said. Anymore? Does that mean . . . .? "They're dead?" he asked.

"Permanently," came Aru's cool response.

Yuki's eyes widened. Was it his imagination or did the air suddenly feel . . . tense? And the way that Aru said that word . . . it almost made it seem like he might've had something to do with that person's death. He knitted his eyebrows. "What did you-"

"Yuki, what I'm about to tell you might be a bit difficult to swallow, so I can understand if this is making you feel uneasy," Aru interjected. "However, this is something that's necessary for you to hear because it will help you handle everything better later." He paused. "Are you ready to hear what I'm about to tell you?"

Yuki stared at him for a few moments before finally nodding. "Yeah."

Aru leaned forwards on the couch. "Right," he began. "I suppose I should explain the sketches you found in my sketchbook. You see, those sketches I drew portray people who died in a different world—a world that no longer exists."

Yuki frowned. "That makes no-"

"Please, Yuki," Aru interjected. "Don't interrupt until I'm done speaking, alright?"

Yuki's eyes widened, nodding once.

Aru continued. "In that world, there was a game—a game in which there could only be one victor. That victor would earn the title of god if the rest of the contestants were eliminated permanently through death," he explained. "There was a total of twelve contestants, nine of which I drew in my sketchbook. The people you met today—Mao, Kousaka, and Hinata—were also depicted in my sketchbook, but I have determined that they weren't among the twelve contestants." He ran a hand through his silver bangs. "For a while, I couldn't remember the appearance of the remaining three contestants. That's why there are no sketches for them."

"Do you remember what they look like now?" Yuki asked.

"Well, I drew a sketch of one of the remaining contestants in my notebook."

Yuki's eyebrows furrowed, thinking back to the information in his notebook. Then, he blinked. No. That couldn't be right. The only person he saw in his notebook was . . . .

"M-me?" he stammered.

Aru's smile grew.

Yuki shook his head. "You're insane," he replied. "This thing about there being another world is insane. You probably had a bad dream one night, and Mao, Kousaka, Hinata, and I were in it with other people, and then you just sort of ran with the idea."

Aru appeared unfazed. "Tell me, Yuki. When we spoke at my house yesterday, what made you ask me about any cases I've worked on recently?" he inquired.

Yuki's eyebrows knitted together. Why is Aru bringing this up? He thought. "I wanted to find out the reason you drew the sketch with those three corpses. I thought that maybe you were trying to determine the identities of the corpses, and you drew the sketch as part of your work as a detective," he answered.

"You weren't wrong," Aru replied. "It's true that for the past few weeks, I've tried to determine what happened to the three corpses along with their identities, and I have even eliminated the possibility that any of the nine contestants in my sketchbook had any connection to their deaths. I marked a red 'X' across the sketches once I determined that there was no connection. However," His eyes narrowed. "I've never told you about any casework that I've had before. Furthermore, I don't recall including anything in my notebook that alluded to me ever working on any cases. In fact, the only thing I've said that could relate to casework is that I aspire to become an internationally renowned detective, but that still doesn't mean that I've worked on any cases."

Yuki shrugged. "Okay, so it was a good guess. Anyone could've reasonably assumed that you've had some experience working on cases before since you're interested in becoming a detective."

"Yes, a good guess, or . . . an assumption based on subconscious knowledge of another world where I had worked on cases with the Sakurami police department."

Yuki frowned. "You're not going to give up on this, are you?"

Aru gave a small smile in return. "What would it take to convince you?" he asked.

Yuki thought about it for a moment. "A lot," he replied. "Look at it from my perspective. Suppose I told you that I drew a sketch of us riding two colorful, singing dragons over to an enchanted castle overlooking a flower garden with a giant rainbow and lots of sunshine, and that was really our homeland. Would you honestly believe me?"

"I'd say you've been watching too much Dragon Tales," Aru replied.

Yuki blushed. Incidentally, that was exactly where he had gotten the idea from, but Aru didn't have to know that. "The point is," he said. "You wouldn't believe me, right? Well, forgive me if I think your story sounds a little too farfetched."

"Ah, but there's a difference between your dragon story and my retelling of actual events," Aru stated. "I have evidence to back up my claim."

"Your sketches don't qualify as evidence."

Aru's smile grew. "I wasn't referring to my sketches," he said. "My evidence lies in the dreams we've been having."

Yuki cast out a long sigh. "You keep saying 'we' like we're having the same dreams."

"It seems you are out of bullets, my friend."

Yuki's eyes widened, his mind drifting to a silver-haired boy smiling as Yuki pointed a gun at him. He shook his head. "What?"

"I said that to you in one of your dreams," Aru answered. "You had pulled the trigger multiple times, but the gun wouldn't fire."

Yuki looked away, saying nothing. His brows were furrowed.

Aru continued. "I kissed you on your lips."

"I was happy."

Aru blinked. "Come again?"

Yuki looked back at him, a slight blush on his cheeks. "In the dream I had, I was happy that you kissed me," he replied. "I can't explain it, but I remember feeling happy."

"I see," Aru said, his eyes lowered to the floor. He wore a slight smile on his face.

There was silence between them for a few moments.

Then . . . .

"What were the identities of the three corpses in your sketch?" Yuki asked quietly. "You never told me."

Aru's eyes widened, his head turning to Yuki. He believes me, he thought. He sat back on the couch. "Let's see," he considered. "You never met them, but they were a family."

"Before, you said that they were murdered in that other world," Yuki responded. He frowned. "Were they contestants in the game for god's title?"

Aru nodded. "There was one."

"I see," Yuki replied. "So then the murderer was a contestant."

"No. At least not initially."

Yuki blinked. "What? But then why did the murderer kill the family? What was their motive?"

"It was to take the one contestant's place," he answered.

Yuki frowned. "You can do that?!" he asked.

"Sure, if you have the power to do it," Aru responded. "Considering that the murderer was already a god of another world, then it was relatively easy for them to accomplish such a feat."

Yuki shook his head. "Okay, back up for a second. You said the murderer was a god from another world, right?" he said. "Then, that must mean that there was another world with a game. But then, why would the murderer go to another world if they became a god of one world? Couldn't they just create a new one?"

Aru sighed. "Unfortunately, becoming a god is not without its share of limitations. It turns out you can't bring back the souls of the dead," he said. "The murderer found that out the hard way."

Yuki's eyebrows furrowed. "You mentioned earlier that the murderer can't bother me anymore. So then, does that mean the murderer went to another world . . . for me?"

Aru gave a small smile, his crimson gaze set on Yuki's. "That's right," he answered.

Yuki's eyes widened. His mouth opened and then closed again. "Don't tell me . . . the murderer was you!" he exclaimed.

Aru blinked twice. Then, he burst out laughing.

Yuki frowned. "Alright, alright. You don't have to be such a jerk about it," he responded, looking away with a blush on his cheeks. "I only thought that it might've been the you from another world because you told me you were in love with me, and I actually believed it."

Aru's laughter gradually died. "No, no. You misunderstand," he replied, wiping a tear from his eyes. "The reason why I laughed isn't because I think the idea is laughable. It's because . . . I was hoping so much that you'd say that the murderer was me." He shook his head. "I'm actually quite flattered that you would consider me as the only person who would do anything for you."

Yuki made a face. "You're strange, you know that?"

Aru gave a cheerful smile.

Yuki sighed, leaning back on the couch. "I'm relieved to hear that you weren't the murderer though," he responded quietly.

Aru turned his head. "Why's that?"

Yuki's cobalt eyes met his. Their faces were only inches apart. "In your notebook, you wrote that you disliked my sadness. But, you didn't write that you disliked anyone else's sadness," he said, turning his head to face forwards. "I thought that maybe that meant that you viewed my sadness as being above anyone else's sadness, so you would do anything for me. Even kill."

"I would do anything for you, Yukiteru-kun," Aru said quietly. "Even kill."

Yuki's eyes widened, sharply turning his head back to Aru's. He frowned. "You know, when you say things like that, it really bothers me. I would never want you to kill anyone for me. I'm not worth it."

Aru gave a small smile. "Telling me that doesn't change my mind, Yukiteru-kun," he replied. "If given the opportunity, I would always choose to protect you because that's how much . . . I love you."

Because that's how much . . . I love you . . . .

Yuki's eyes grew wide, a memory of a pink-haired girl smiling at him entered his mind. He shook his head, sitting up in the chair. His eyes lowered to the floor. "Aru, tell me something. If it wasn't you that murdered that family, then . . . who was it?"

Aru's smile faded slightly. He sat up on the couch. "Sorry, but that information's classified."

Yuki frowned, turning his head towards Aru's. "Classified?!" he exclaimed. "I thought you weren't keeping secrets from me!"

Aru narrowed his eyes. "What does it matter if she's dead?" he responded coldly.

Yuki's eyes widened. She? He thought. He placed a hand to his stomach. Why do I get the strange feeling that something's missing? He suddenly felt sick, a mixture of sadness and happiness twisting in the pit of his stomach.

Aru sighed. "Sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice at you. I just . . . ."

"It's okay," Yuki said with a small smile. "You're right. The murderer's dead, so I shouldn't worry about it."

Aru said nothing to that. He lowered his gaze to the floor.

"I have to know one thing though," Yuki said. "If the murderer died, then who became the god of the new world?"

Aru smiled slightly, meeting his eyes once more. "It was you."

Yuki laughed bitterly. "I was afraid you were going to say that," he answered. He lowered his head, clutching his chest. "Does that mean . . . I'm a murderer?"

"No," Aru said. "The you of this world never murdered anyone. The you of that world, however, did."

Yuki frowned. "So, in other words, the other me's a murderer."

Aru shook his head. "You did what was necessary."

"I wish I hadn't," Yuki responded. He sighed, turning his head towards Aru. "Were you afraid of me? I mean," he backtracked. "You were probably another contestant, so I could understand why you would be a little afraid of me, or . . . even hate me." He said the last part barely above a whisper.

Aru's eyes lowered to the floor. "I wasn't afraid of you, Yuki."

Yuki bit his lip, feeling his heart clench in his chest. "You can't even look at me when you say that. I'm a monster. Just admit it," he replied.

"No."

Yuki's eyes widened as Aru's gaze met his.

"You're not a monster, Yukiteru-kun. You're beautiful," he answered.

"But . . . how can you say that?!" Yuki exclaimed. "I killed people, and I probably caused you to die too!"

Aru placed his hands on both of Yuki's shoulders causing Yuki's eyes to widen in shock. A memory of a silver-haired boy placing his hands on Yuki's shoulders as Yuki pressed the rim of a handgun to the boy's stomach passed through his mind.

Aru frowned. "Death is unavoidable in a survival game that requires people to die. Believe me when I say that there was no other option," Aru answered. "Any other contestant's death is not your burden to carry." He gave a small smile, removing his hands from Yuki's shoulders. "And, for the record, I wasn't a contestant in the game. My only goal was and always will be to protect you, Yukiteru-kun. That's why it could never be your fault for the way things ended."

Yuki's eyebrows furrowed. "Aru . . . how do you know all this stuff?" he asked. "I mean, it's like you're always one step ahead. You always know the right things to say, and it seems you know everything about the other world."

Aru gazed upwards. "I have special ties to a being known as Deus, so I'm privy to certain information from other worlds, including the survival game."

"Deus?"

"Yes. You haven't met him in this world, but he was the one who oversaw the survival game in the other world," Aru replied. His crimson gaze shifted to his. "He had high hopes for you in the game, Yuki. I believe he intended for you to win from the start."

Yuki frowned. "But, if that were true, then why have a survival game at all?"

"That, I don't know," Aru answered. "Perhaps he wanted to test your skills out first to see if you were worthy of such a position."

"But why me?!" Yuki argued. "Why not someone else?! There's many other people he could've chosen that would've been better for the position! Why did it have to be me?!" He shut his eyes tightly. "I- . . . I never would've wanted something like that! To lose everyone dear to me! To have to kill anyone for the sake of something I didn't even want!" He opened his eyes, his body trembling. "Please . . . tell me why it had to be me."

Aru's eyes averted before returning to meet Yuki's gaze. "Yuki, I have tell you something important. It's about Mao, Kousaka, and Hinata. This is going to be difficult to hear, but-"

"Don't," Yuki interjected. "I don't want to hear it." Then, he laughed bitterly. "I mean, why are we even talking about this now? It's not even us, right?! It happened in some other world! We could just forget all of this happened!"

He felt a cool hand gently brush his cheek. His eyes widened.

Aru wore an unreadable expression on his face. "It hurts me to see you cry like this."

Yuki's eyebrows rose for a moment before lowering again. He smacked his hand away. "I'm fine! I just . . . ." he trailed off. "Can you just leave right now? I want to be alone."

"Yuki, let me-"

"Go home already!" Yuki snapped. He turned away from Aru. "Take a hint. I don't want you around."

Aru lowered his eyes, feeling an intense pain building in his heart. He rose up from his spot on the couch. "Very well, Yukiteru-kun," he answered. He walked out of the room, leaving Yuki sitting alone on the couch.

Yuki waited there until he heard the sound of the front door opening and closing, signaling that Aru had left the house. He breathed a sigh of relief before he laid across the couch, his gaze fixed to the ceiling.

Why does it feel like I'm on the verge of remembering something terrible? He thought.

…

…

Back in his own room, Aru was reclined on his bed, gazing up at the ceiling. He reflected on the last part of the conversation he had with Yuki.

"I don't want to hear it."

"I mean, why are we even talking about this now? It's not even us, right?!"

"Can you just leave right now? I want to be alone."

"Go home already!"

He placed a hand over his heart. While Yuki's words had been spoken both harshly and dismissively at the time, truth be told, that wasn't what truly bothered him. In fact, he doubted that Yuki's anger was even directed at him with the way that Yuki strongly reacted to idea of Yuki murdering anyone and tried to openly evade the topic of what happened to Mao, Kousaka, and Hinata in the other world. No. It was the single tear that rolled down Yuki's cheek that bothered him the most. That single tear had told him all he needed to know about what Yuki had been feeling in that moment.

It was now clear to him that their conversation was starting to trigger some painful memories that Yuki's mind had been subconsciously trying to avoid for the preservation of his own sanity.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, he thought. I had read somewhere that such a condition can cause a person to experience recurring nightmares and flashbacks after a particularly traumatic event, and even result in the person avoiding things that remind them of that event.

Could that have been what Yuki had? He closed his eyes, trying to think up ways he could approach the situation. Ultimately, it led him to two options. In option one, he could meet up with Yuki tomorrow and try to gradually walk him through the traumatic event that occurred in the other world, and be an outlet for all of Yuki's emotions to be directed towards in case he needed it. Even if Yuki hated him for it, it would be a small price to pay for making Yuki happy again. If Aru took that approach, then at least Yuki would not have to relive the very vivid traumatic experience of his parents dying and him murdering Mao, Kousaka, and Hinata alone when his memory finally returned. He would make it his mission to ensure that Yuki coped with the traumatic experience well. However, option one might be risky because attempting to walk him through the traumatic experience so soon could make things worse for Yuki, possibly leading to severe depression, which would be the last thing Aru would want.

That led him to consider option two. In option two, he could be patient and allow Yuki to sort his memories out on his own before talking to him about it. In this way, Yuki would not feel as overwhelmed as he might in the first option. In addition, taking on the option two approach might make things easier for himself because he would not have to explain as much to Yuki as, by that time, all of his memories would've likely returned. Furthermore, Yuki might also be more receptive to Aru's assistance since Yuki would have had more time to collect himself. After much thought, it seemed like an overall safe strategy. However, he faced one key problem with this approach: He was impatient. The fact that he could not read Yuki's mind to accurately determine when all of his memories would return meant that Aru would be stuck waiting for Yuki to approach him, if ever. Aru didn't like those odds.

He opened his eyes. He would go with option one. Better to take control of the situation rather than rely on someone else to do it, right? Plus, he really didn't like waiting.

With his approach finally decided, he decided to mentally map out how he would go about executing his approach to talk to Yuki tomorrow about the traumatic event in the other world. He took a deep breath. He already had a pretty good idea of what to do. Towards the end of the day, he would go over to Yuki's lockers and offer to walk home together since they did not live too far away from each other. Then, as they were walking, he would apologize to Yuki for offending him the other day and reassure him of his unyielding support and loyalty to him, which would hopefully get Yuki more warmed up to the idea of listening to what he had to say.

He wasn't certain if his approach would work, but it was worth a shot.

…

Three weeks later, and Aru had yet to speak to Yuki about the traumatic event in the other world. Three weeks earlier, Aru had gone to Yuki's locker at the end of the day, looking for Yuki, but he was nowhere to be found. Aru had even searched the hangout locations that Yuki typically frequented, but he couldn't find him. Granted, it wasn't like Yuki completely disappeared. In fact, there were occasions where Aru did bump into Yuki in the hallway, but Yuki would always keep his head down or eyes glued to his phone, making it difficult for Aru to get ahold of him. However, when Yuki actually did make eye contact with Aru, Yuki would immediately avert his eyes and hurry off into the other direction, not even responding to Aru's shouts for his attention. In addition, Yuki also wouldn't respond to any of Aru's texts, and he never answered the door when Aru came to his house. So, by default, Aru found himself having to go with option two in his approach, which . . . wasn't looking very promising as another week had passed without any word from Yuki.

After school that day, Aru laid in his bed at home, letting out a deep sigh. It was already Friday night, and still no sign of Yuki. What was he to do?

He turned his head to the window, watching tiny raindrops trickle down the glass. He heard the wind roaring against the window pane on the outside, causing the branches of a nearby tree to sway to and fro.

He closed his eyes. It was settled. Tomorrow, he would go to Yuki's house and wait him out. After all, Yuki left him with virtually no choice but to stage an ambush. It seemed that an ambush was really the only way he would ever get to talk to him again. He hoped that Yuki would understand.

…

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang, causing Aru's eyes to snap open. He looked over at his alarm clock on his nightstand.

6:30 p.m.

Too early for his parents to be home.

Nevertheless, he rose up from the bed and made his descent down the staircase. He noted that there were no subsequent rings after the first doorbell ring, which left him wondering if maybe the person at the door had already left, or if the first doorbell ring was just his imagination. After all, he had just been asleep before the doorbell supposedly rang.

Still, he walked over to the door, peering through the peephole. His eyes widened, immediately opening the door to a brown-haired boy in a tan hat and brown jacket, soaked from head-to-toe. His head was down, his bangs obscuring his eyes.

Aru regarded him worriedly. "Yuki! Would you like to come in and-"

"Why?"

Aru blinked. "Huh?"

Yuki looked up at him then, revealing piercing cobalt eyes that were slightly red. "Why couldn't you just let me be?! I never wanted this. I have nightmares all the time about my parents dying, and murdering innocent people, including my only friends," he shouted. Tears rolled down his cheeks. "This is all your fault. I wish I never met you."

Aru's eyes narrowed. So, he recovered his memory, he thought. "Then why are you here?" he asked.

Yuki frowned. "Because, like it or not, you're the only person I can talk to about this stuff without sounding like a lunatic," he answered. "Oh, but I bet you knew that, didn't you? That's why, for the past few months since I've known you, you've been trying to do anything to get close to me. You wanted me to see you as the only person I could trust, so that when you finally told me about the other world, I'd eventually believe you, and then you could have me all to yourself. Am I right?"

Aru said nothing.

Yuki lowered his gaze to the ground. "Back then, when I told you that I got over Moe Wakaba, I admit that I initially thought that it was because I was starting to fall for you," he said quietly.

Aru's eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat.

Yuki's eyebrows furrowed. "But later, I realized, that wasn't it at all. Slowly, but surely, the more I hung around you, I was becoming increasingly aware that something was missing. Or rather, someone was missing—someone so important to me that I couldn't live without." He looked up at Aru. "I kept seeing that person's face in my dreams. The true person I fell in love with: Gasai Yuno. You were trying to hide her from me, weren't you Aru?"

Aru averted his eyes. "Why don't you come inside, Yuki? You'll catch a cold standing out there in the rain."

He felt Yuki's shoulder brush his as he walked past him and into the house. Aru slowly closed the door behind him.

When he turned around, he saw Yuki standing not too far away, his head down and his shoulders slouched. His entire body was shivering.

The sight made Aru's heart drop. It truly pained him to see Yuki standing there, so cold and upset. He wished he could do more to help him. He reached over and grabbed Yuki's arm to pull off his jacket, but Yuki yanked his arm from his grasp.

"Don't touch me," Yuki responded coldly.

"I was only trying to be a good host. You shouldn't stay in wet clothes, or you really will catch a cold."

"Then I can remove it myself. I don't need your help." He tugged off his jacket, and walked over to the coat rack by the door, hanging it on the hook. Yuki's eyes shifted to his. "You still haven't answered me, by the way. About Yuno."

"What more is there to say?"

Yuki frowned. "How about the fact that lied to me about no longer keeping any secrets from me?! Or the fact that you never really trusted me to begin with?!" he accused. "If you had, you never would have erased any information in my phone diary pertaining to Yuno when you were looking through my phone a few months back." His gaze lowered to the floor. "It didn't occur to me to check through all my notes in my phone diary until I remembered what you said about you noticing minor details that others could easily miss as we were walking to my house three weeks ago. That's when I noticed that some of my diary entries were missing, which left me wondering if there were other things I might've missed."

He looked back at Aru. "I noticed that you didn't include a sketch of Yuno as one of the deceased diary users in your sketchbook, even though she was one of the people that died, and I also noticed that Yuno wasn't mentioned at all in your notebook. You never mentioned her name directly either. Taken together, it makes me think that you were hiding her existence from me for a reason."

"That was pretty good detective work," Aru commented.

"Don't change the subject," Yuki replied. "Tell me why you were hiding Yuno from me."

Aru's smile faded. "What would be the point? You already said it yourself earlier."

"I want to hear you say it."

Aru deadpanned. "I was jealous. I wanted you all to myself, Yuki," he answered.

Yuki's eyes widened. He hadn't expected him to admit it so openly.

"Before I met you in this world, due to my ties to Deus, I kept experiencing déjà vu moments dealing with the previous world and one specific person," Aru recounted. "It soon became apparent that I was forgetting someone, but I couldn't remember who at the time. It seemed like Yuno of this world was also experiencing similar déjà vu experiences as she would often zone out at times while we were hanging out with friends. When I had asked her about it one day, she seemed confused about who she was thinking about."

He continued. "Shortly after, I learned that she had regained her memories and met up with the previous world's Yuki, which prompted me to wonder about this world's Yuki and that's when I found you."

Yuki nodded. "So, in other words, I was the only Yuki that wasn't taken by Yuno yet, and you thought that by being around me enough, I would eventually come to love you and just forget about Yuno," he responded. Maybe that's why he was being so forward in his advances towards me, he thought.

"Yes and no," Aru replied. "That idea didn't occur to me until after I fell in love with you. When I first met you, I honestly did want to get to know better. I thought that if I spent more time with you, then that would trigger more memories of the other world, and I would eventually discover the identity of the person I was forgetting." He smiled. "To my surprise, that person happened to be you."

Yuki's eyebrows furrowed. "Well, regardless of your reasons, you still lied to me about not keeping any secrets from me, and you didn't trust me enough to tell me about Yuno. How can you expect someone to love you if you can't be upfront with them about these things?"

Aru gave a small smile. "I suppose it's because I never really believed you would choose me in the end," he stated. "I only wanted to prolong the time I had with you."

Yuki frowned. "Look, if you're trying to guilt trip me into being with you, then it's not going to work, sorry," he said. "I'm not in love with you, Aru."

Aru fought hard to keep the smile on his lips, knowing that Yuki had every right to make his own decision about who he was in love with.

Still . . . .

Even though he had already mentally prepared himself for this rejection, he never anticipated that it would hurt so much. The pain now present in his heart felt like it was breaking, and admittedly, it was harder to pretend that Yuki's words hadn't bothered him. He lowered his head slightly to make sure that Yuki couldn't see his eyes. His smile grew.

"I understand, Yukiteru-kun. I was about to go make some tea. Would you care for some?" he asked.

Yuki shook his head. "No thank you."

Aru nodded before walking towards the kitchen.

"Wait."

Aru stopped, his back still turned to Yuki.

Yuki kept his gazed fixed on the ground. "Earlier, I- . . . I wasn't done speaking. I just," he said. "I wanted to see if you meant what you said about being in love with me." He swallowed thickly. "It's true. I'm not in love with you, Aru. But . . . ." He paused, raising his eyes to meet Aru's back. He smiled gently. "I want to be."

Yuki waited anxiously for the next words that would come from Aru. However, Aru said nothing, proceeding to walk to the kitchen.

Yuki lowered his head. Maybe . . . maybe testing Aru wasn't the best idea, after all. He sighed, his head reeling about what Aru could've been thinking then.

He had been standing in the living room for about five minutes when he saw a silver-haired boy approaching him, his bangs obscuring his eyes.

Yuki's eyebrows furrowed. "Hey, what happened to the te-"

Yuki's eyes grew wide as Aru's lips suddenly met his. He didn't even have time to think before Aru had pulled away, a content smile on his lips.

"I meant it."

Yuki blinked. "Huh? Meant what?"

"I'm in love with you, Yukiteru-kun. Don't ever doubt it."

Yuki's eyebrows rose. Then, he frowned slightly.

I wish I could say it back, but . . . .

"I want you to know why I chose you," Yuki said suddenly. "I- . . . I think you need to hear it. No. I want you to hear it." Then, he added. "Right now, I need you to just listen to me. Don't interrupt until I'm done, okay?"

Aru kept his crimson gaze on Yuki as he nodded.

Yuki paused. "Hey, can we sit down while I tell you? My legs are killing me."

Aru's smile grew. "Of course, Yukiteru-kun."

Once the two were seated beside each other on the couch, Yuki took a deep breath, trying to decide on a good starting place.

Then, he spoke.

"Two weeks ago, I finally regained my memories, but it happened very gradually. I had to endure night after night of seeing people I knew die right before my eyes. It was torturous, confusing, and they only got worse every night," he explained. "It got to the point where I started to associate my house with the memories of the other world, and so I decided to stay over at my mom's job during the nights just to get away from it all, but it only really helped a little."

Aru raised his eyebrows at the information. No wonder I could never reach him at his house, he thought.

Yuki continued, a faraway look in his eyes. "It was then that I started to see Yuno more in flashbacks and in my dreams. She was always there for me, watching my every movement to ensure that I was safe. She seemed to really like me too, the way she risked her own life to save mine on multiple occasions, and I could really feel the other me gradually starting to fall for her the more time he spent around her. Yuno was very beautiful, but she was frightening too. Oftentimes, I didn't know whether she could be trusted."

Yuki's eyes met his. "And then . . . I saw you in my dreams. You were always trying to look out for the other me too, and you also tried to warn me about how dangerous Yuno was." His eyebrows furrowed. "You know, it's weird. Even though you were trying so hard to protect me, I don't think the other me really noticed, or even appreciated what you, Mao, Kousaka, and Hinata had done for him. Between risking your lives to save the other me from being held captive by Yuno, you distracting the dogs with Kousaka, all of you trying to help me against the other diary users even when you guys weren't diary users, you were all really great friends to me, and I was sad when the other versions of you guys died." He sighed. "It's different when you're an outside person looking in."

"I could tell that you really cared for me, Aru. And when you kissed me in my dreams, all I could feel was comfort and warmth. It made me think of all the time I spent with you in this world, and how much fun we had at times. The thought of you helped me get through any bad memories I had thereafter." Yuki blushed. "I guess that's when I knew that you were the one I'd choose and not a Yuno from another world. Although the other me had strong feelings for Yuno, that Yuki is not me. I have different memories and different feelings than him. You were the one I thought of whenever I was down, or when I was happy. In fact, I barely know anything about Yuno."

"I remember what you said earlier, about love. About how it's an incredible feeling, but one filled with heartbreak too. How you don't know whether to feel happy or sad because of it. But . . ." His eyebrows furrowed. "I know love well enough to know that it shouldn't make you feel sad. It should make you happy, and I want to be the one that does just that." Yuki smiled. "From now on, let's not talk about the other world. Let's only talk about this one. You . . . you made me happy when you called me your boyfriend. That's why I didn't correct you in front of the others. Because, I want to create a future with you as my boyfriend." He paused. "I- . . . I'm not ready to say that I love you yet, but I believe it's worth finding out for myself."

When he finished speaking, Aru wore the happiest expression he had ever seen on him.

Yuki smiled in return, leaning in to brush his lips against Aru's. He felt the other boy return the kiss, his lips moving softly against his.

Yuki pulled back, giving him a wry smile. "Hey, remember how months back I said that I should've listened to my instincts and stayed the hell away from you when I first met you?" he asked. He averted his eyes, a light blush dusting his cheeks. "Well . . . I wasn't being totally honest then. I didn't exactly want to stay the hell away from you. I actually thought you were . . . well, kind of hot."

"I noticed."

Yuki blinked. "Huh?"

Aru gave a half-smile. "When I felt up your thigh the first time I came over your house, I noticed a prominent bulge rising up in your shorts," he explained. His smile grew. "It seems you were very interested in my hands that day. It was a pleasant surprise."

Yuki's face flushed bright red. "W-what a thing to say," he muttered.

Aru laughed, leaning in to meet his lips. He lingered for a moment before moving away. His eyelids lowered slightly, his eyes darkening. "I'll help you out next time," he whispered.

"Only if I do you first."

Aru gaped at him, a dark blush spreading over his cheeks.

Yuki's eyes widened, immediately covering his mouth.

"I . . . I was just joking!" Yuki exclaimed when it looked like Aru was seriously considering it.

A slow smile creeped onto Aru's face. "That's too bad. I liked where this was going," he said, placing a hand over the zipper of Yuki's shorts. His eyelids lowered. "Are you sure you were joking? No one else is home."

"D-don't," Yuki stammered, grabbing Aru's hand and pulling it away from that area. His face was so red that he thought it must've resembled a tomato.

"I'll do anything you wish, Yuki. Just tell me what you want. No one will know but us."

Yuki blushed harder. "Can we change the subject?"

"Am I turning you on, Yukiteru-kun?" Aru asked, clear amusement in his tone.

Yuki stood up suddenly. "You know, I suddenly feel for some ice cream. Do you want ice cream? Let's go get some ice cream. The store is probably still open," he replied quickly, not waiting for an answer. He walked over to the door.

Aru smiled, getting up as well. "I'm right behind you, Yukiteru-kun," he said, following him to the door.

…

…

By the time Yuki and Aru were heading back from the store, the rain had let up considerably with only the occasional drizzle.

Yuki turned his head towards Aru, his eyebrows furrowed. "So . . . there's something still on my mind. About the power outage three weeks ago-"

"I caused it."

Yuki's eyes widened. "Huh?"

Aru gave a wistful smile. "While you were snooping around my room a few weeks ago, after I told you I was going to the bathroom, I actually went over to the circuit breaker and shut down the power. I wanted to see how you'd manage to find my sketchbook without much light to guide you. However, I gave you a flashlight to help you out a little," he explained. "I also cleaned up my room, so that you wouldn't trip over anything as you were searching. After all, you've never been up in my room before, so it might've taken you longer otherwise."

"But . . . why?" Yuki asked.

"For fun, Yukiteru-kun."

Yuki frowned. "Fun?!" he exclaimed. "For who?! Not me! I was freaked out! I had to keep looking around to make sure that no one was going to knife me or something."

Aru laughed.

"I'm glad one of us found it so hilarious," Yuki muttered. "And anyways, how did you know I would continue snooping through your room once you were gone? What if I hadn't looked for your treasured item and tried to find you instead?"

"That wouldn't have happened."

Yuki's eyebrows knitted together. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because I know how you think," Aru answered. "When I looked through your phone diary a month ago, the point wasn't just to find information about you. It was also to keep tabs on the way you think and how you behave in different scenarios. That's why even the smallest amount of information can reveal intimate details about oneself." His smile grew, his crimson eyes set on his. "Yukiteru-kun, I know everything about you. So much so that if I wanted to kill you, it wouldn't have even been a challenge for me."

Yuki turned pale. ". . . . What?"

Aru seemed to pay no mind. "No one ever suspects the detective because people tend to assume that a detective's only goal is to save lives and solve mysteries. But with a person so good at solving mysteries, isn't it possible that they would be able to gain enough experience from them to perfect their own crimes?" he asked.

Aru's smile broadened. "Yuki, wouldn't it be interesting if Sherlock Holmes turned out to be a mass murderer in the past who covered up the deaths under the guise of a detective identity? I have been reading some Sherlock Holmes novels lately. Perhaps all this time I was luring you into some false sense of security, so that when you finally let your guard down, I would sneak into your room at night and murder you in your sleep. I've already been in your house before and know your behaviors, and I also have several strategies for pursuing that objective. What would be stopping me from acting on those strategies? After all, you never really know who you can trust until it's too late."

Yuki stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide.

Aru blinked, looking back at him. Then, he smiled. "It was a joke."

Yuki made a face, walking beside Aru again. "Your jokes need work."

Aru's eyelids lowered. "Perhaps I need a teacher."

Yuki rolled his eyes. "I knew it was a mistake to get ice cream with you."

Aru laughed lightly, leaning in and meeting Yuki's lips.

Yuki's eyes widened, before closing them, his lips moving gently against Aru's.

As Yuki kissed Aru, a single thought entered his mind.

He was going to be sleeping with a baseball bat from now on.

…

Author's Notes: Aaaannnndddd . . . that's a wrap, folks! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and this story! It's been quite a journey with Yuki and Aru, and it's a little bittersweet that this is the end. Maybe I'll write another story with this pairing sometime in the future! We'll see!

As always, reviews are greatly appreciated!

Until next time . . . .

Cheers!