Akise Aru x Reader (Epilogue)

    "_____, there you are! You're late. We're playing a game!"
    "Hey, sorry about that. What sort of game?"
    "Two Truths and a Lie! You have to say three things about yourself. Two of them are true, and the other is a lie. We have to guess what the lie is! Come on, try it!"
    "Okay, er... My name is ____ _____. I am currently in middle school, and, um... My life is perfect."
    "What? Oh come on, you suck at this. We know your name and that you're in middle school, and your life really is perfect! You're as amazing as Yuno-chan!"
    "Yes, that's right, ____-chan!"
    Oh, if only they knew.

    "And so, before 3 P.M., it's free and easy. You may rest in your room or go swimming. Please do not disturb the tourists and residents. That's all, you may go."
    You were now sitting on the sand next to your best friend, Yuno Gasai. She stood straight as a ruler, watching the waves soothingly climb up the shore before receding back, sending grains of sand adrift and wearing down rocks into more sand. You stared out at the sky, watching the clouds float above your head like they had not a care in the world. Everything dies, however. Clouds die, too, don't they? Don't clouds worry about that? I want to be as carefree as a cloud, because in the back of my mind..."
    "Hey, ____-chan..."
    "Yeah?"
    "Do you ever feel like... Like something's missing? Something just clawing at you, wanting to be explained... A distant memory... But you just can't... Y'know?"
    You frowned in thought. A distant memory. The dreams?
    Someone grinned at you. Someone held your hand. Someone saved your life. Someone held you. Someone kissed you. Someone cried over you. A bloody hand rose to wipe that person's tears. Was it your hand? Nevermind that, who was that person? Every character trait was blurred. It was just a person. Still, you felt there was some sort of importance to the character, yet you just didn't know it, you wanted to know, maybe...
    "Yeah. I get that feeling, too."
    "This is why we're best friends. You get me."
    "Best friends forever, Yuno."
    "Yeah."
    "What are you two talking on about?" You both looked to the side. Your friends Hinata Hino and Mao Nonosaka approached you. You smiled lightly. "Nothing really important, just normal things..."
    "Yeah, haha..."
    "Oh, so the honor students aren't discussing philosophy and the universe for once?"
    You stood and frowned at her. "H-Hey, we never talk about things like that! We're still normal students, it doesn't matter if we're smart!" 
    "Well, in a way, we were discussing our own minds, so I guess it's philosophy..."
    Mao smiled cheerfully. "Hinata is just upset that you two are smart enough to discuss philosophy and she's too thickheaded to add two plus two."
    Hinata glared at the smaller girl and got in her face, causing Mao to put her hands up in defense. "You don't watch your words, do you?" Mao's hands had landed squarely on her... assets, if you will, and proceeded to slowly squeeze them accordingly. Her face went slack with bliss as she massaged Hinata's breasts. The violated girl pushed her face away. "How long are you going to rub them?"
    Suddenly, Yuno came up from behind and groped her as well. "Oh- Ha! They're really full! Amazing..." 
    Hinata grabbed her hands. "Stop it, Yuno!! I'm not letting you off so easily today!" The two began to wrestle.
    Mao poked your chest. "Hm, but ____-chan have very small boobs..."
    Your face turned red in embarrassment as you glared at the girl. "Who said you could touch my breasts?! That's it, I'm gonna kill you!" You tackled her and fell on top of the others. Soon you were a loud, tangled heap of perverts and victims fighting on the sand.
    "Keep it down, noisy troublemakers." You all paused your wrestling match to stare at the douchebag approaching you with that dumbass grin of his. 
    "Who'd look at the chests of four ugly women? Have some self-awareness, you guys." Hinata promptly kicked the hell out of him. He lay on the sand, red footprints all over his body. Hinata stepped on his head and you knelt, getting close to his head. "Self-awareness?" you mocked. "I believe you're the one wearing the stupid green floatie. Plese look in the mirror and fix your own faults before insulting others. You're not cool."
    Hinata glared down at him. "Exactly. Who are you to say that to us, stupid Ouji?"
    Gasai smiled thinly. "There's a suitable rope here."
    Mao stood as well. "There's a suitable rock here."
    You picked up a stray crustacean. "Look, I found a suitable angry crab."
    Hinata grinned. "And then, there's the deep blue sea behind us..."
    "Stop it!" Kosaka demanded. "Teacher, TEACHER!!" He made several annoying sounds of distressed as you prepared his execution.
    "Let's preserve him in salt," Hinata suggested.
    You shook your head. "No, just the head. Let's burn the rest!"
    "Ah, there's rubbish here!" Yuno exclaimed excitedly. Mao and Hinata proceeded to bury the bastard in sand.
    As Mao sang a song about burying Kosaka, you stood off to the side with Yuno.
    A gentle voice came from behind you both. "What's wrong?"
    Gasai whipped around and you raised an eyebrow at her. "Yuno, it's just Akise-kun."
    She relaxed. "Ah... To answer your question, it's nothing... I just mistook you for someone else..."
    Akise stared at her. "For someone else? For whom?"
    Gasai stared back. "Whom? For... whom..." 
    Akise sighed and looked at you. "You as well, _______-san. Are you alright?"
    "Oh, ah, I'm fine, of course... Thank you, Akise-kun." Why do those words feel wrong? It's like your mind wants to say it, but your mouth makes the words awkwardly in refusal. You stared at the sand, ignoring the shouts of Kosaka behind you. Suddenly, the shouts were silenced as a new voice spoke. 
    "To actually use violence against girls, how useless."
    Kosaka looked up at the kid standing above him with a now-empty bucket, the water that once filled it having been dumped on Kosaka's head. "Who is this kid?" he asked.
    "You're being very impolite to the assistant of the future world's greatest detective."
    "This child is my assistant," Akise explained. "He's helping me with my detective work."
    "My name is Reisuke Houjou, stupid Ouji-san."
    "T-This brat..." Kosaka trailed off. "I'll kill you!"
    "You seem to not understand your situation." He promptly dumped more water on the buried boy.
    Your gaze drifted to Akise, who watched with an amused smile.
    Part of something bigger...
    "What?" You looked around you. Who had spoken just now?"
    "_______-san, are you sure you're alright?" You looked at the albino. His face had creased with worry.
    "O-Oh, I promise I'm fine. I just thought I heard someone spoke..."
    "You should return to your room if you're hearing things. You might be getting too much heat. I'll personally escort you back if you wish."
    "What? Oh no, I can go back myself, but I promise I'm fine, I don't need to go to my room..."
    Aru's eyes seemed sad. When did the detective ever seem this filled with emotion? He sighed and nodded. "Whatever you wish."
    You frowned and looked away. Where did that come from? That was amazingly out of character...
    What's happening?
    
    After visiting an odd merchandise shop about a new creepy "hero of justice" owned by an equally creepy blind enthusiast for the character (in which Kosaka disappeared), you headed back to the hotel to go to your rooms and sleep. As Mao and Hinata chatted about diaries, Yuno stared up at her cell phone. You turned to her. "Yuno, I can't sleep."
    "Oh, alright."
    "I can't stop thinking about what we talked about earlier. I need to distract myself. Can I watch you for a bit?"
    "Of course."
    You scooched closer to her and looked up at her cell phone. "It's just times and locations. It's like a diary... But there aren't any entires..."
    "So it is."
    "Yuno, are you alright?"
    "Alright... I... I don't know..."
    You looked at her. There were tears in her eyes. You thought about her words and your own confusion. Was Yuno missing someone too?
    You finally responded. "Same here." You both stared at her blank diary until you fell asleep.
    The beginning of a name echoed in your mind.

    The summer getaway ended eventually and everyone returned to their homes. Ever since that day at the beach, the voice hadn't stopped talking. It'd pop up every now and then, but now at night when you tried to sleep, you had conversations with it. Tonight, it had made you so restless that you were huddled up in the closet with an old stuffed animal of yours, a white wolf with gleaming red eyes. You had always felt more comfortable in closed spaces.
    Closed spaces or the arms of someone you love.
    "What? I don't love anyone."
    The you in another world did. That person is dead.
    "Dead... That means this is pointless. That you should leave me alone."
    No. Then you would not fulfill your purpose.
    "What is my purpose?"
    You have not discovered it yet.
    "When will I discover it?" 
    When you can get to that place and see it for yourself.
    "What place? How do I get there?"
    You know how. You just don't know that you know.
    "Why did this happen to me?"
    Because there was a love so strong, so sweet, so true, that it earned the pity of a god.
    "Who exactly are you?"
    Another god. I'm dying, so soon there will be no god and this world shall be destroyed.
    "... No... You're lying..."
    I am not. Before I die, I have one last task to fulfill. Come.
    Suddenly, you were not in your closet. You clutched your wolf and surveyed your surroundings. "Where is this?"
    Go on. We must meet.
    "Alright..." You walked ahead.
    This is the pathway to the answers. You will meet that person here.
    That person... Who is that person? Who? Who is he?!
    You stopped in your tracks. A giant robot and a woman with a weird hand battling... What?
    Keep going. They do not concern you, nor will you bother them. Just go forward. You walked quickly, eager to leave the scene behind. You broke into a run.
    My deperation to meet that person... My questions, my suffering... It will all be over soon... Let me reach him! I want to see him now!
    Your eyes widened. Her? And him?
    "Yuno, what are you doing here?! What are you doing to Akise-kun?!"
    Yuno looked up from pinning Akise to the floor. "What?"
    Akise's eyes widened when he saw you. "_____!"
    You frowned. "Hey, speak my name respectively, please. Don't be so casual."
    He looked like you had slapped him. "... Yes, of course."
    Yuno stood and picked up a sword, walking away calmly. Akise ran to you. "_ - Er, _____-san, I can't believe you're here..."
    "Are you the one who's been speaking to me?"
    "What? N-No... No, I am not. But I know him. You want answers, I believe?"
    "More than anything! There was a person... A person dear to me in another world... I want to meet him!"
    Akise smiled weakly at you. "Oh, ______-san... If only you knew... Come, we'll find the answers together. Alright?" He held out a hand to you. You raised an eyebrow at him but slowly took his hand. He smiled as his fingers closed around your hand. "... Right, er... Right. Let's... Let's go." He smiled weakly again and closed his eyes, seemingly concentrating on something. You frowned. Okay, whoa, way out of character. Something's really bugging him. What have I got to do with it? He's not... He's not the one I'm looking for, is he? No, not possible. That person is dead. That voice told me. But then who...?
    You appeared in a grand throne room bathed in purple light. "Akise-kun... How did we get here?"
    "I brought us here. As the Observer, I can do that... Well, I suppose you'll know all about that soon enough." He smiled at me. Go back to being Akise already. I surveyed my surroundings. One space was broken, and beyond it the infinite cosmos it seemed. Voices could faintly be heard from it. Yuno and someone else... Wait... Isn't that the Amano kid talking? Isn't he dating the class representative? You looked up and gasped. A very tall man, skeletal and robed like a Greek god, was staring fondly down at the broken space. Wait... Is that him? That's... That's God, isn't it... Wow...
    The god sighed. "Such a strong, reckless love. She broke through space time to get to him." His head slowly turned to face you. "Ah, you have come as I requested."
    You nodded. "Yes. You are the one who brought me here. Who's been speaking to me."
    "Indeed. You want answers."
    "Yes." Suddenly, you and Aru began to float in the air. "W-What-?!"
    "____-san." Aru wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you close. "It's alright. You get used to him doing that. Relax, Deus will not hurt you. I won't let anyone hurt you."
    "... Akise-kun..."
    Soon you were level to the god Akise called Deus. He waved a hand. A glowing, pulsating red crystal spun slowly, bobbing in the air. "These are the memories of the 'you' in the Second world. If you inherit these memories, you will know a lot of grief, hatred, confusion, even a dash of insanity. You must ask yourself, 'Is it worth it to know the person you loved?' The other 'you' believed so."
    You stared at it. "... Yes... I... I want those memories... It's worth it."
    "Then claim them. Claim them and remember who you yearn for." You were brought closer to the crystal. Slowly, you reached a hand out. Already I can feel it's warmth... Suddenly, it glowed and began to dissolve, the many particles flowing into your hand and through your body to your mind and center. Your eyes widened and tears spilled down your face. So much pain... The other me hurt so much... What? My enemy in that world was Yuno... Nevermind that, my memories of him are still fuzzy... But the fuzziness cleared. It was like a heavy sedative wore off in a flash. Suddenly, you remembered. It was Akise... No.
    It was Aru.
    Aru grinned at you. Aru held your hand. Aru saved your life. Aru held you. Aru kissed you. Aru cried over you.
    You slowly floated down to the floor, your tears becoming suspended in the air. You fell to your knees. Someone pulled you into his arms. 
    "Aru..."
    He smiled, and he was crying too. "Yes, ____... It was me, all along... I never stopped loving you, Deus gave me his memories the second I was created... I had to wait for you to receive them... I've been waiting so long, but I never stopped loving you, not for a second..."
    "Aru..." You touched his cheek and wiped his tears away, exactly as you had done when Yuno killed you. He smiled and pressed your hand against his face, closing his eyes and gently nuzzling your palm. "____, let's stay together forever. I want you to be my assistant, like in that other world. And when we're older, I want you to be my wife. I want it all. Please, ____."
    You smiled through your tears. "O-Okay... I'll do that... Yes, let's always be together... Let's never lose each other again..."
    "Yeah... Never."
    "Aru Akise," Deus said. He turned and looked at the god. "I have decided that you shall succeed me and become God when I die. There is no one else, and you are more than suitable for the job."
    "Deus Ex Machina, that is a lovely offer, but I will have to refuse. I'm spending the rest of my life with ____. I'm going to be the world's greatest detective and every night I'm going to come home and pull her into my arms."
    "You do not understand the extent of my proposal. When the world needs a great detective, you may once again go to Earth as a human. In your place during those mishaps, ____ shall temporarily take the role of God. And when you are God, she may do whatever she wishes."
    Your eyes widened. "... Aru... It's not the future you hoped for... But you should take his offer. You'll be God and a detective... You'll be a great god."
    He looked down at you, his gaze flowing with affection. "..." He simply nodded and looked up at Deus. "I accept your offer."
    "Then that is settled. " The throne room disappeared and you were in Aru's house, seated on his couch. He smiled. "____, I love you."
    "I love you too, Aru." You laughed. "I remember it all, I had this file book... I completely forgot to write in it after it all got so hectic."
    "What was in your file?"
    Even now you had it memorized. "______ ______. Assistant detective. Allied with Aru Akise. Terrible grades due to skipping school often. In love with Aru Akise."
    "And what was in mine?"
    "Aru Akise. Allied with _____ _____. Ambition; Detective. Intelligent, deductive, predictive, impulsive, calm, cool, manipulative, handsome, perfect."
    He laughed and slowly pushed you onto your back. "You forgot 'In love with ____ ______."
    "Oh... I did?"
    "Uh-huh." He smirked and kissed you passionately.
    This is the beginning of a long eternity forever. Aru Akise, I give myself to you in body, heart, and soul, as you give yourself to me. The world may have survival games, cell phones that tell the future, people who want to kill everyone. The world is full of horrible things. But together, we will create a good world - not too easy, yet not too hard. And nothing, absolutely NOTHING, will ever get in the way of our love ever again.
    That is my purpose.