Author's Note: Welcome to the beginning of book number two, and a new beginning. If you've made it this far then I can only presume that you've read the first book in this series. If not, I'm frankly amazed you've leapt straight in at this point, and I can't guarantee that everything which follows will make complete sense.

This is a new incarnation for everybody involved, and this lifetime follows on from the previous book's storyline. There will be similar themes, such as past memories and lingering emotions, but the plot is entirely different. I'm not going to go into any more detail because I want to give nothing away.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy. And please remember to let me know what you think.

Thank you.

NKC

Angel Beats! エンジェルビーツ!

Our Beats Incarnate

Book II: The Beachfront

Chapter 1: Weddings and Birthday Cake

Yuzuru stood in silence besides his friend Hinata, a glass of champagne in his hand, eyes sweeping the room slowly taking in the faces all around. Every single pair of eyes present looked back at him, a mixture of emotions on display from each and every one. It was strange, to think that it had come down to this. It was a situation he had never imagined himself in, a responsibility that had come along so unexpectedly, though he didn't regret accepting it for even a moment.

Looking back now, in a way it all sort of made sense. But wasn't hindsight always twenty-twenty?

The anticipated discomfort that generally came with being the centre of attention was surprisingly absent, which was something of a relief in Yuzuru's mind. But then, he did know almost nine tenths of the one hundred or so guests spread around the function hall – hell, he knew everybody currently seated at the main table at which he currently stood.

There was minor trepidation, maybe one or two butterflies in his stomach at what he was about to undertake, but he managed to keep it well under control. If he could talk to each of these people individually then there was nothing to put him off talking to them collectively.

And now they all waited for him to make the next move, looking on with baited breath.

Yuzuru took a moment to look down to his right, at his currently sitting blue-haired friend. Hinata looked back up at him with a sly, knowing smirk. Further over, to Hinata's immediate right, Yui's pink-eyed wonderment was also directed straight at Yuzuru, though her friendly, happy smile showed him that she was simply – and eagerly - looking forwards to whatever it was that he'd prepared to come next.

She looked a true vision in the long, flowing white dress she currently wore – though she'd well and truly done away with the veil and once again had her hair in her trademark style, horns and all. At least she'd taken the time to make sure they were also white, though Yuzuru fully suspected that the Yui-esque devil's tail resided somewhere beneath the folds of her frock.

Hinata, clearing his throat unobtrusively, drew back Yuzuru's attentions and he offered his orange-haired friend a wink,

It was time to begin.

Yuzuru once again looked around at the familiar faces in the oversized function room and took a carefully drawn breath.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," he began, his voice loud and commanding, travelling readily to every receptive ear in the room, "Thank you for coming here today. I'm sure none of us expected this debacle to go off without a single hitch."

There was a fleeting wave of light-hearted laughter which moved through the room. Hinata punched Yuzuru lightly on the arm, though it wasn't intended as more than a symbolic gesture. Even Yui had laughed.

Yuzuru carried on, unbidden, "I think it's only fair to say that if I'd realised ten years ago that this would happen, I would've introduced the bride to the groom much, much sooner – let's face it, Hideki could've done with being straightened out long before he ever got to college."

Yuzuru could almost hear Hinata rolling his eyes.

"Although," Yuzuru conceded, "I never could tell if Yui was trying to get closer to him or just trying to kill him."

"A-men!" somebody from the back of the room bellowed, eliciting a chuckle from the whole contingent. Yuzuru raised his glass knowingly, "Thanks Noda!"

Yuzuru couldn't help but notice Yui's left hand make its way onto the table, seeking out and coming to rest atop the back of Hinata's own, which he turned over so they were palm to palm, their fingers entwining. The ring on Yui's finger caught the bright lights from overhead, making it twinkle.

"Frankly," Yuzuru went on, looking down at the pair of them admonishingly, "I'm amazed either of you made it this far."

Yui simply stuck out her tongue at him.

"Still, when I found out Yui was finally going to get this poor sap in chains-"

"Hey!"

"-and I realised my poor old friend was truly and willingly doomed, and Hinata here asked me to be his best man, it did make me wonder…" he pretended to think for a moment, taking on a contemplative stance, tapping his chin with his finger, "Will there be free champagne at the reception?" there were a few chuckles when Yuzuru began to inspect his glass, "Not a complete waste of time, then.

"But in all seriousness, everybody here knows – as certainly as I do – that these two have what it takes between them to make this work. Knowing them both for as long as I have, there's not a doubt in my mind that they're perfect for each other. And I hope, setting aside the physical abuse they still dish out on one-another, that their years are many, and filled with the joy and happiness they both deserve."

Yuzuru lifted his glass of champagne skywards, turning and extending it towards Yui and Hideki in a toast, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please raise your glass for the bride and groom!"

-o-O-o-

"I hope you realise that speech was truly awful, man." Hinata leaned imposingly on Yuzuru's shoulder, weighing him down to the point that he was almost lopsided, "You're a terrible speech-writer, Otonashi."

Yuzuru chuckled, elbowing his friend firmly in the ribs to push him away, "I don't know… Mrs Hinata seemed to appreciate it."

Hinata rubbed at the spot where the elbow had impacted his ribs, strumming them to make sure no damage had been done despite the low throb he felt, "Yeah, but we all know she's crazy."

"You're a moron." Yui retorted from his side, poking him firmly in the precise spot where he'd been elbowed.

Yuzuru chuckled into his champagne glass, savouring the sweet taste as he took a sip. He knew there was no way the pair's banter would ever change – but then, it was one of the cornerstones of their relationship. The love-hate they'd always shown each other had eventually evolved into simple, straightforward love. And now, ten years after Yuzuru had first introduced them to one-another, and three years after admitting how they both truly felt, their life-long commitment to torment each other (lovingly, of course) had finally begun.

"Well, I thought it was funny." Yuri, having stepped through several clustered groups of party guests to return to the head table, seated herself heavily besides where the trio were stood talking and lifting half a glass of sparkling wine to her lips, "You made me laugh, Otonashi."

"It was all from the heart."

"Although…" Hinata started, "There is one thing we are forgetting."

Yuzuru raised a questioning eyebrow, unable to think of a single thing they'd omitted from the proceedings. The ceremony was well and truly over. The best man speech had been made. The cake had been cut. What more was there to do?

There was a brief commotion off to one side of the hall, the various crowds of people parting to let a small delegation gain access to the table. There, leading the pack, was Igarashi – a small, circular cake topped with white icing and a large number of candles in his hands – flanked on either side by Iwasawa and TK to make sure nobody accidentally bumped into the cake-bearer.

Yuzuru had to wonder what was going on.

"Did you think we'd forgotten, buddy?" Hinata's mischievous smirk was audible in his tone.

As Igarashi placed the cake on the table in front of the best man, some of the candles almost flickering out due to the motion, Yuzuru realised exactly what was going on.

"Hinata, my birthday isn't for two weeks…" Yuzuru frowned, "You didn't have to do this at your own wedding."

"Nonsense," the blue-haired man waved a hand dismissively, "It was Yui's idea, and I went along with it. We're going to be on our honeymoon when your birthday comes. So we wanted to get the celebrations in before we went. And, since everybody you know is here…"

Yuzuru couldn't help but notice that his entire circle of friends had congregated around the table – even Hatsune, who had been at the far side of the room with her own fiancée throughout most of the actual function, had made her way to the front.

"…We figured we'd do it in style. See if you can blow out all twenty-seven candles."

There was a collective chuckle as Yuzuru rolled his eyes. He had to admit that it was a thoughtful gift, even if he did believe it wasn't the most appropriate time to spring the surprise on him. Leaning across the cake and taking in the deepest breath he could muster, he tried to blow out as many of the candles as he could. The puff of air he let loose was truly spectacular, the candles flickering one after another in an ever-expanding wave before extinguishing themselves in a puff of smoke.

Suspiciously, the very middle candle at the back reignited itself.

Yuzuru frowned, looking around at his group of friends, each one of them adorning a knowing smirk. They all knew this was coming, but which one of them had been responsible, "Alright, who's the wise-ass?"

Every set of eyes present at the table turned to regard Hinata, who managed to take on an indignant expression, looking almost wounded. He knew very well that he was the natural suspect – the tricks he and Yuzuru had pulled on one-another over the years had ranged from devious to pure out-and-out hilarity – so in a way he couldn't really blame them. But this time… this time he was innocent.

Yui, still standing beside her new husband, seemed to be the only person there even managing to look genuinely innocent. But there was no way Hinata was going to allow that to slide, "It was Yui's idea!"

"Hey!" she protested, jabbing Hinata in the rib cage again with a pointed finger, "Traitor."

He simply stuck his tongue out at her, eliciting a giggle from the pinkette.

"So," Yuzuru started, glaring at the single still-burning candle, "do I still get a wish?"

"I think we can ignore that last candle." Hatsune chuckled from her spot amidst the onlookers. She clasped her hands together meaningfully, "Time for the presents!"

"You guys brought presents?"

"Sure did!" Igarashi turned to TK, who revealed that he'd been holding a large black polythene bag behind his back. He lifted it onto the table, placing it in front of Yuzuru and offering a two-fingered salute. The sound it made as it came to rest atop the table made it sound like it was fairly heavy.

"Kiss you, dude."

"Erm… Okay?" Yuzuru doubted he would ever fully understand the permanently bandana-clad man.

"Go on!" Yui chirped excitedly, both arms currently wrapped around Hinata's arm and pulling him down as she bounced on the spot. Had she been drinking rocket fuel instead of the champagne? "Open them!"

With a sigh of resignation Yuzuru nodded, taking hold of the black polythene and pulling the top of it open with both hands. He shivered for a moment, finding the feel of the plastic material as discomforting as ever. He'd never been able to stand the stuff, but he couldn't very well refuse his own birthday gifts.

"There's nothing fragile in there." Yuri rose up from her seat, taking a closer look even though she already knew full well what was to be found inside, "Just tip it onto the table."

With a shrug, Yuzuru reached for the bottom of the bag, pulling on the lower seam and tipping the entire contents onto the table top. The strangest mix of items that he'd seen in a long, long time tumbled free and spread themselves out.

The largest object by far was a large hiking backpack, made entirely from some thick, durable black material and supported with a metal frame.

"That's from me." Hinata offered, "You know, in case you want to do any serious hiking."

"O… kay." Not that he wasn't grateful, but it was a strange gift for Hinata to have bought him. Yuzuru did like to go on long walks, but a backpack of this size was better-suited to lengthy camping expeditions spread out across days rather than mere hours. There had to be enough room for about a fortnight's worth of clothes in the main part of the pack alone, including all the appropriate travel toiletries and other supplies.

Yuzuru's eyes also caught sight of a glossy little bound notebook, complete with suitably stylised writing pen. He picked them both up to have a closer look. The pages of the book, he noted as he flipped through, were fine-lined but devoid of any writing. But the inside of the front cover was printed with the word "Journal" in large apparently gilded letters.

"That's from me!" Yui chirped in.

Yuzuru's eyes cast across the rest of the table-top's contents – an oversized bottle of factor thirty sun screen, a large hand-held compass, a seemingly out-of-place English phrasebook and dictionary which looked like it had already seen a fair bit of use, a pack of eighteen condoms…

Looking around at the faces of his friends and family he gave them a questioning look. This was the strangest collection of gifts he'd ever received in his life, and he couldn't pick out any particular theme from them all.

"Not that I don't appreciate it, guys…" he began, rubbing the back of his neck nervously – he didn't want to appear ungrateful, "But… What is this all for?"

It was Hatsune who stepped forwards, holding out an envelope to her elder brother with a smile, "This one isn't just from me." She explained softly as he took it from her, "This is from everybody."

Yuzuru was still confused. Hoping that an explanation was forthcoming, he took the envelope carefully from her, sliding a finger under the gummed lip of the envelope and running it along the entire length, leaving it serrated and open. Taking a peek inside, he was completely flummoxed by what he found there – a plane ticket, a foreign-currency card, and an information pamphlet for a resort he recognised immediately.

"It's a…"

"Holiday." Hatsune nodded, beaming, "We know you've always wanted to go. This is a treat from all of us: two activity filled weeks in the tropical paradise of your dreams!"

"Wow…" Yuzuru was left genuinely speechless, a lump of sorts rising into his throat. It certainly wasn't a cheap gift. They must all have contributed something to the costs, "I don't know what to say…"

"'Thank you' traditionally works." Yui offered helpfully with a sarcastic smirk.

"Thank you." Yuzuru's bowed response was anything but sarcastic – genuine gratitude was all he felt. This really had been his dream for a long, long time, "Thank you so much!"

Hinata patted a hand on his friend's upper back, and adding an affable squeeze of his shoulder for good measure, "We know you've always wanted to go. And, well, Hatsune and Yui came up with the idea. After all you've done for Yui and me, how could I say no?"

Yui nodded in firm agreement, "He's right. If it hadn't been for you, I'd never have met this moron."

"Hey!" Hinata protested with a disgruntled frown. He was met with a mirthful giggle from Yui – he knew full well she wasn't trying to be insulting; she was succeeding gloriously at it, as she always did. And he'd never want that to change, his feigned hurt feelings aside. He loved every minute of it.

"Or married him." Yui added teasingly, "So we owe you. Plus it's your birthday, so, you know…"

Hatsune stepped up beside her brother, her hand coming to rest on his other shoulder, "Time to live out some of your dreams for a change."

Surprisingly it was Yuri who startled everybody by lifting a glass into the air and declaring loudly, "Three cheers for Otonashi! Hip-hip!"

Nobody hesitated as they cheered on their friend, "Hooray!"

Yuzuru felt more than misty-eyed as he and his friends celebrated the day.

-o-O-o-

The taxi ride Yuzuru had taken to the airport had to have been one of the scariest undertakings he'd ever endured in his life – and that was including the time he and Hinata had played the old bucket-of-water-balanced-on-a-door trick on Yuri when they'd all been in college, and the violent, remorseless aftermath/massacre which had followed the incident. Somehow, miraculously, they'd both survived – perhaps a little bit wiser. Marginally.

As the taxi raced at almost twice the speed limit, weaving from one lane to another without any sign of care or hesitation, the driver spending about as much time looking back over his shoulder and talking at his pale-faced, terrified fare as he did watching the road, Yuzuru wondered if he'd actually survive the journey as far as the airport.

"Must be nice, man, getting away for a bit." The driver declared in a non-native accent which Yuzuru couldn't quite place.

"Yeah…" Yuzuru kept his reply as short and non-committal as he possibly could, hoping the man would drop the conversation and concentrate instead on driving the car. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to be working.

"Where you going, mate?"

"Hawaii."

"Oh!" the man declared, turning his entire torso so that he was facing backwards, only one hand loosely gripping the wheel. Yuzuru began to pray for his own survival, not that it would do much good…

"America." The man went on, "I spent five years in the US. That was New York, though. Got fed up with all the crazy drivers, ya know?"

"I can only imagine…" Yuzuru spoke through gritted teeth.

"Hawaii, though. Different kettle of fish entirely."

The car flew under a series of signposts which showed the airport as accessible via the next left off-ramp, though the driver offered no indication that he'd actually seen them.

"We're going to miss our turnoff." Yuzuru pointed urgently towards the junction.

Finally, the man returned to a forward facing position, "Oh, right."

Yuzuru was tossed violently against the window, almost crushed by his backpack as the man flung the wheel with unnecessary force, cutting across two lanes of traffic to reach the exit. How they avoided colliding with the cars in those lanes Yuzuru had no idea, but the drivers still aired their displeasure with several loud blares of their horns.

Once again Yuzuru prayed for his own survival. At least the airport was in sight.

-o-O-o-

Yuzuru's legs were like jelly when he finally stepped out of the taxi, and it took all of his willpower and co-ordination to make it into the terminal building without toppling over. He breathed a huge sigh of relief, like a seasick mariner who'd spent months at sea and was finally back on dry land. He thanked whichever gods had protected him on the journey for their kind oversight, and made a mental note to sacrifice a beer or two in their honour at a later date.

Now, he needed to find his departure gate.

According to the barely-readable text on his ticket it was gate seven that he needed, and thanks to the well-signposted terminal building itself it didn't take him all that long to find it. The check-in desk was one of the airport's smaller ones, presumably for the less well-travelled long-haul flights such as the one he was about to embark on, and the seating area seemed duly proportioned for about two hundred passengers, though the slightly haggard red upholstered seats didn't look particularly welcoming. Nor comfortable.

The desk itself was occupied by a familiar face, however. And Yuzuru had to admit, the white and navy colours of the uniform seemed surprisingly suited to its wearer – though the black hairband and trademark green bow were still present, adding that personalised touch.

"Hey Yurippe." Yuzuru approached the desk, setting his bag heavily on the floor by his feet.

Yuri instantly looked up from whatever it was that she'd been typing, "Otonashi?" a wan smile spread slowly across her lips, "You're a bit early, aren't you?"

Yuzuru nodded with a mildly amused chuckle, "Yeah… Feels like I took a rocket rather than a taxi."

"Ah." She nodded understandingly, "Six-Six-Six Taxis, right?"

Yuzuru's nod was emphatic. He was sure the memories of that particular journey would haunt him all the way into therapy.

"Yeah. They're all lunatics. Best avoided."

"I'll try to remember that in future." He added drily.

"So," Yuri reached out with one hand towards Yuzuru and offered her best professional yet friendly smile, "Tickets and passport please, Sir."

Yuzuru couldn't hold in his smirk, and he fished his documents out of his pocket, handing them to her for closer inspection.

The sound of rapid typing filled the air as Yuri checked him onto the passenger list – she didn't once look at the actual ticket itself, knowing already all the details, as she'd been the one to book the flight for him in the first place – and at a considerable rate of discount to boot. But she still had to go through the motions.

She held the passport open so she could compare the details there to what her screen was telling her, and looked at the photo to compare it to Otonashi, "Yeah, I'd say this looks like you…"

Yuzuru stuck out his tongue and contorted his face a bit, "How about now?"

"No theatrics please, Sir. Or I'll have to call security."

Yuri's face was deadpan, and for a moment Yuzuru couldn't tell if she was being serious or not, "We wouldn't want that…"

But her professionalism soon cracked, revealing a grin. There was a resounding beep from her computer, and she handed his documents back to him, "Thank you, Sir. If you'd like to take a seat, boarding will be in about an hour."

This was it, Yuzuru realised as he picked up his bag. The beginning of a new adventure.

He could hardly wait.

-o-O-o-

Chapter 1: Weddings and Birthday Cake