Anything beautiful is not made to last in a world such as the Borderlands. Chishiya knows that whatever glimpse of happiness he has been allowed to experience will be gone within the blink of an eye, be it through a game, death, or a stupid argument. It might be some self-fulfilling prophecy to wait for, but there is no questioning that it will happen.

It always does.

Which is really a shame, because for a couple of hours, Chishiya has truly been happy. Despite everything that happened – the chase, the King of Hearts, his stubborn's near-death experience. What followed after, those moments of trust and intimacy…

He has been able to focus on nothing but the two of them, and even though he knows that something will happen to break the fragile dreamworld, he's not yet ready to give up that happiness when he wakes up to the feeling of warm arms wrapping around him, a closeness that he'd usually despise. The feeling of skin against skin reminds him that they crossed another line that last night, a line he never imagined to cross under such circumstances. He doesn't regret it. Instead, he reciprocates the hug, not yet able to leave sleep behind.

The fact that the heater has run out of gas is what forces him to open his eyes eventually. The temperature would be bearable, since day will quickly heat everything up, but they can't make warm water like this, neither for tea or coffee nor for food.

The face of his stubborn buries deeper into his chest, her mourn telling him that she doesn't feel ready to leave either. "We could just stay in bed for a while longer. It's still warm enough here."

Good luck trying to heat up water with the warmth of just a blanket. "The gas bottle won't replace itself."

"Mhhm", she chuckles, "maybe if we wait long enough…"

He will long have done it if she waits long enough, so no need for her to get up. She has been the one suffering the electrocution after all, not him. Taking a deep breath, he pushes the blanket aside and sits up, feeling how the air immediately cools down his skin. He feels a bit sore, and it shows now that he's not used to so much running and other things. Luckily for him, the Diamonds game won't require too much physical activity, and today will be the day. Whatever happens, today he'll either defeat the Jack or the King of Diamonds – or both. No stubborn, no sniper and no other game will stop him from doing so.

It doesn't take long to get dressed and replace the empty gas bottle with a new one, and the weather hasn't changed much since yesterday. The clouds are full of rain that will come down later today, and the wind blows heavily around his face. Not just a simple storm lasting a single day, but a whole typhoon as it seems.

Chishiya watches the caravan before he gets back inside. Home. A temporary home, but home nonetheless. It would be so easy to get used to it, waking up next to this woman morning after morning, searching through the city for food and other important things once in a while. But that is exactly why he can't let it happen, because it'd cause him to lose focus. He has already moved aside from the path leading him straight to his goal, and he won't drift away any farther. This doesn't mean that he has to run away from her or this place. The words he said last night didn't escape his lips in a dizzy state of mind, no. He meant them and he still does, however they did not make him an entirely different man.

His stubborn has fallen asleep again when he gets back inside, and she doesn't even stir when he reactivates the heater, sets up water to boil and prepares some breakfast. Such a peaceful silence; it would almost be hard to believe that they're in the middle of an abandoned city with people dying around them all the time. He even spends some time reading parts of the Metamorphosis again, because the other books inside the caravan are not really interesting enough for now and Kafka's work remains a masterpiece with its outstanding and clearly different approaches. That it is never explained how exactly Gregor turned into a cockroach, as he seems to get used to it without too many complaints himself. When he eats rotten food or all his furniture is removed so he can climb around the walls better, he doesn't complain. Only when Gregor is afraid to lose the one painting that remains on his wall, depicting a woman clad in fur, he is desperate to let go. This is probably the last bit of humanity he has left inside, and losing the portrait would mean to lose this bit as well. Not that there is too much humanity left of him in the end.

Just after he has gotten up to heat the water again for his second cup of tea, the woman still wrapped into the blankets begins to stir. How good that he has set up enough water for two cups so she can have her coffee, and luckily for her, the instant coffee was still inside the bag when he had returned to the mall to grab it.

As if completely unaware of her situation, his stubborn gives him a sleepy grin and wriggles her body out of the blanket. "Oof, can't believe I fell asleep again!"

She stretches while Chishiya gets up to check for the water, and she's either completely unaware of the fact that there is not a single piece of clothing on her or she's not caring about that. Her wrists look terrible, and Chishiya can spot a couple of bruises that could likely originate in the chase, but she seems happy. There is no tremble, no heavy breathing, no signs that the electrocution still has effects on her. Sleep did her good, among other things.

Just another human not yet willing to leave their short fairy tale.

"Seems like you needed it", he smirks towards her and watches for a moment longer how she curls up again, and it wouldn't even surprise him if she decided to go back to sleep. "There's still enough for coffee. You better get up while it's still hot."

Her sleepy face clearly brightens up at the sound of the caffeinated brew, and she manages to sit up after some struggles.

"Dead honest, I love you."

Chishiya doesn't even question it. Not after all those times she said it to him, and especially not after the last days. He doesn't mind hearing it at all, if he's completely honest. What has been nothing but a pathetic line for him in the beginning now actually seems to make sense, because he now understands its meaning, and that it's not just a couple of empty words. Not when she is the one saying them to him.

While his stubborn makes herself ready for the day, Chishiya tries to focus back on the Metamorphosis, although it turns out to be not that easy. It is weird. He has watched the woman next to him so many times now, and yet it feels different now. What he notices now is more than just her scars, the color of her eyes and the specks of multiple colors in them or the distinct way her lips turn into a smile. Suddenly, he only needs to see that smile to hear her laugh, and a single look at her hands is enough to feel them on his back. Something has definitely changed, and Chishiya isn't sure yet if he likes it or not. Allowing her to be his strength has been a risky move, and maybe they're both not ready for it.

To avoid any further complications with her injuries, Chishiya prepares everything to look after them while his stubborn is refreshing in the bathroom, humming one of those decent melodies again. She doesn't seem surprised at all to find him ready with disinfectant and fresh bandages, and as soon as she has made some coffee, she sits down next to him, placing her right arm on the table.

The cut is the first thing Chishiya looks after. It has not gotten worse since yesterday, and he is sure that it will heal off completely in just a matter of days. His stubborn is too busy swallowing down some painkillers with hot coffee to complain about the burning of the alcohol, and he wraps new bandages around her lower arm with a smirk. "Coffee and painkillers?"

"You're supposed to swallow them with water. And that's basically what this here is made of, so shut up." She laughs and takes another sip, then offers him both wrists. They're heavily reddened and obviously sore, and dozens of micro-injuries bear a high risk of infection, which means more disinfectant and bandages.

"That's not quite how it works", Chishiya gives back, keeping her hands down when she tries to reach for her coffee again.

His stubborn shrugs instead. "So what? I have survived electrocution. I'll handle the combination of caffeine and painkillers."

"Just like you handled the pain on that chair?" Not that he intends to call her weak or anything, but it has been a lie. She managed to withstand the procedure, but it didn't sound like she could handle it all too well.

She gives him a weird look, probably remembering the sensations of the shocks. It makes her shake herself. "I got us out alive. Counts for me. Now, can you hurry up so I can make breakfast?"

He does, ready to contend that it was actually his intellect that saved them, but she leans forward to silence him with a kiss. It tastes like coffee and toothpaste.

The sun breaks through the clouds while they sit together in silence, only the sound of crisp bread and the flipping of pages interrupting once in a while, although Chishiya barely concentrates on the book. His mind has wandered off to the games again, and how convenient it is that the King of Diamonds is still accessible. At least this has been the case the last time he checked yesterday afternoon while collecting their bags, and it is unlikely to have changed until now. Six days into the second stage, and his most desired game is still up, which couldn't be a clearer sign. It also means that almost a whole week has passed since he last participated in a Diamonds game. This woman truly has changed him.

Finally losing all interest in reading between the lines of the Metamorphosis, Chishiya places the book aside and instead watches the woman next to him. She's staring out of the window, lost in thoughts, and she just won't stop smiling. Seems that Chishiya hasn't been the only one going through changes after what happened between them, and she's not even aware of it.

She notices his glance however and turns away from the window, instead facing him. "What?"

"That silly smile of yours has not vanished off your face since you got out of bed."

It's not too silly at all, instead it's rather… adorable, and it only grows wider when he mentions it. "I'm just glad the sun is out again."

Only that the sun hasn't been out when she got out of bed, and she already has been grinning back then. "The sun. Sure." Chishiya can't help but wonder what's going on in her head. How does she see him, now that they slept together? Will she trust in him more, or will she become clingier, afraid to lose him now that she has experienced what could be?

Last night, they understood each other without words. There was no need for conversation, since all they needed was a touch or a look to grasp what the other wanted. It had been a fascinating experience, being close to each other in a completely new way, but Chishiya knows that this woman is usually different. She doesn't tend to be silent, and she questions a lot. Unnecessary things on top of that. He doubts that this trait of hers has changed within a single night, and when it shows again, the bubble will burst, hurling them back to reality.

Maybe her questions aren't needed for that though, because the grin slowly vanishes when she stares out of the window again. "I wonder if there's another safe place other than game areas", she mutters eventually, "for escaping the King of Spades. Somewhere deep underground, probably…"

That would be too easy. Chishiya has thought about it days ago already, but being chased by the King yesterday has given him proof of what he had guessed all along. "It doesn't matter where you are, because the King doesn't rely on eyesight to find you."

"How so?" she asks, eyes growing wide.

"I've seen the King wear a special kind of gadget on his wrist, something that appeared to be a GPS-tracker to me. I didn't have time for further investigation, obviously, but I doubt it's something else."

Judging by her reaction, she definitely hasn't noticed, nor thought about this option at all. "You're saying he-… how unfair!"

What did she think? That the King of Spades would simply run through Tokyo and play hide and seek like a child? "Adequate enough for a King", he shrugs. It doesn't seem unfair to him at all. The game is hard enough as it is, chasing multiple hundred players throughout a whole city night and day. In fact, a GPS system would make it even fairer for everyone, because it's the same condition for all players. And the King is still vulnerable, being exposed to hundreds instead of only a handful like the other citizens. Restrictions for both sides.

His stubborn sighs and watches the sky, as if she can spot the King like this. "Well then, since it doesn't seem to matter if we're outside or hide in the deepest parts of Tokyo – would you go for a walk with me?"

"As long as you don't ask me to carry you again." Chishiya empties his tea, since fresh air actually sounds like a quite good idea right now, and he could use an opportunity to stretch his legs. Besides, this walk can lead him to the next Diamonds game, serving more than just the purpose of getting out of the caravan.

Rolling her eyes, the woman reaches for her shoes and the hoodie that has dried by now. Chishiya can see that her fingers tremble slightly, but it seems that the more she concentrates on it, the better it becomes. Aftereffects from the electrocution, and as long as it doesn't last longer than a couple of seconds and doesn't occur in regular intervals, she should be fine. She doesn't complain about it, either, but grabs another painkiller just in case.

They leave after opening some windows to air the caravan out, which is more than necessary, and in the moment they step out into the sun, the weather is getting much more comfortable. No harsh wind blows around Chishiya's ears, just a soft breeze, and the clouds leave enough possibilities for the sun to shine through. He watches how his stubborn closes her eyes and holds her nose towards the warm light, which causes him to snort. Like a person who has spent the last decade under the earth and is now seeing the sun for the first time of their life. She still seems to cheer all the small things in life.

Her sunbathing doesn't take long though, because Chishiya begins to walk and she has no intention to fall behind. She soon reaches for his hand to hold, and together they head down towards the river in silence. It's a beautiful day indeed and the good weather helps to cheer up her mood, since she doesn't seem to worry about being shot by the sniper King at any time given. The silence is what makes it such a good morning for Chishiya, and he clearly enjoys it. The hand-holding, her dreamy gazes once in a while, all of it is pretty enjoyable once there's no talking coming along with it. No blabber about hearts and emotions and other silly things, just… the good stuff.

Too good to last.

With his free hand tucked in the pocket of his hoodie, Chishiya can feel the note still resting inside, the note carrying her name. It would probably have been easier to give her a note with his name as well, instead of just the university he used to study on, but where would be the challenge in that?

Chishiya can only guess what will happen after all this, and he doubts they will remember everything. Memories of a parallel world, planted into hundreds of brains, would cause too much public attention and confusion. If they are allowed to live on, there will most likely be something preventing them from accessing the Borderland experiences. He does not know enough about the human brain to be able to explain a phenomenon like that, and yet everything else would make no sense.

After a while of straight following the water, Chishiya casually leads them towards the inner city, where he remembers to have seen one of the Diamonds blimps. His stubborn doesn't seem to have noticed yet, for she is still smiling absently, partly lost in her own thoughts and partly gazing at her surroundings.

"Hey, Chishiya?" she asks after a while, and he hums as a sign for her to continue. "What is going to happen once we leave this place? With us, I mean."

Us could have so many different meanings. She could be talking about the two of them, or about all the players currently stuck here. Of course she means their relationship, but how is Chishiya supposed to answer if he doesn't even know how much they will remember on the other side? Noticing that his stubborn leads them towards a certain building that turns out to be a food store, he pushes the door open so she can take whatever she's searching for.

"We live, I suppose."

"Yeah, sure. Genius." She squeezes through the slim opening with a snort, and while he can barely make anything out in the shadows, he can hear the rummaging noises caused by her. "I meant… we'll live together, right?"

Judging by the sounds she makes, the store doesn't seem to hold that much of use any longer. The past weeks have been enough time for others to roam most of the buildings, and food might slowly be getting rare.

Live together… What a strange thought. Could the routine he has gotten used to during the last days become his daily routine for the next years as well? Surprisingly enough, the thought doesn't repel him. Besides, his stubborn would make sure to never leave his side again once they meet in the real world anyway. "I doubt you'll leave me a choice other than that", he answers with a chuckle.

The sound of plastic bags interrupts the following silence, and it seems that she actually managed to find something in the dark. Chishiya can't see her face when she speaks up, but something in her voice has changed, reminding him of the lost puppy he used to compare her with. "Do… do you want me to? To leave you alone?"

Sometimes, yes. But truth be told, although he wouldn't admit it too openly, he's looking forward to meet her again. The door is getting heavy in his back, and Chishiya steps inside, allowing it to fall shut and stir up some of the dust covering the ground. He makes out the shadow of his stubborn and approaches her, noticing that she's holding something that looks like dried fruit, and crackers. He reaches for the crackers, but neither of them draws back their hand, allowing them to touch.

"No. I don't think so."

Her breath is shaky, as if she has been afraid of his answer. "Good." She heads back to the exit, either sure that she won't find more eatable things or satisfied with her choice. "Now that it's settled that we live on together… will we, like, live together?"

Was that not what she has been talking about all along?

Chishiya opens the crackers and eats some of them before he hands them over. It's the standard version with only salt, and it tastes a bit rancid, however he has had worse already. He knows from earlier conversations that both of them used to live in very opposite districts of Tokyo, and moving together would definitely make things easier. He'd definitely not be the right one for hour-long phone calls and video messages just because the woman is in desperate need to see him. "As long as it's close to my work, I don't mind."

"Oh…" She doesn't sound like that's the answer she expected. "I might get troubles with my workplace. And I'm not sure if I can give it up."

In that case, don't move unless you have managed to deal with that. Chishiya will not be the one to move far away from his place, because his university is the best and most recommended in the country. He will neither change to another nor put up with hours of travel time every day just to get there. While they eventually seem to return to normal and leave their little wonderland behind, it turns out that the crackers taste better with each piece he eats. "That's your decision to make, not mine."

And his decision for now is to follow the sound of a blimp that has appeared in the distance. Through an opening in some buildings, Chishiya has been able to glimpse at a Diamonds banner, although it looked more like the Jack than the King. It's okay, as long as it's a Diamonds game. And it's not too far away – they should reach it in less than an hour. Which will be good, since the clouds are already getting darker above their heads, and the promised rain will arrive soon.

"What about children?"

Why? Why couldn't you just stay silent?

He shakes his head. "No." Clearly not an option, at least not for the next couple of years. And there's so many reasons against it. His medical degree needs to be finished, he needs to stabilize his position as a surgeon, and… he doesn't want the cycle to repeat itself. His childhood has been anything but lovely, and he couldn't give love to a child when he never experienced it himself.

"Why not?" she probes, curious as always although she should know the answer. One night spent together, and she's already planning everything in her head, from marriage to children to living on happily ever after?

"I won't talk about that." He refuses her hand this time, not willing to hold it right now. The peace has lasted much longer than he thought it would, but now her old self has returned more obvious than ever. As if she never learned a single thing about him.

Chishiya doesn't need to see the pout on her face, he can clearly hear it in her voice. "I thought you'd trust me."

The wind is getting stronger and colder, as if to announce the return of the storm. Everything fits together. The sunshine and the warmth were nothing but a short break from reality, but just as he predicted – it all comes back eventually. "It has nothing to do with trust. This is simply none of anyone's business." And this is neither the place nor the time to talk about such a delicate subject. Not with the Jack of Diamonds slowly coming in sight. At least it will allow him a break from this conversation that neither of them needed right now.

His stubborn grunts in frustration, and Chishiya can't tell if it's because of him or because of herself. "We both know I'm not anyone." He remembers her saying the exact same thing back in the Beach, when Kuina had brought her into the surveillance room after their first kiss. Those Firsts never seem to bode well in their aftermath. Back then, she had still been so blinded by love and naivety – something that should have changed by now.

Of course she's not anyone. She's far more than that. She is the only one Chishiya allowed to glimpse behind his walls, and did he not agree to move together just a couple of minutes ago? How much proof does she need to hear? "Hence you should know better than anyone else when to stop."

Maybe it was a mistake. Again. Chishiya doesn't want to regret what happened, however she's making it hard for him.

"Will you tell me at some point?"

He sighs. "Maybe. Maybe not." Until now, his stubborn hasn't noticed that they're actually heading to a game, but the blimp is clearly visible now. And he can hear the exact moment she realizes with how she inhales sharply, and her eyes burn into his.

"Wait a minute, hold on. You have to be kidding me." She plants herself in front of him as if trying to prevent him from walking on, which would be ridiculous. He stops anyway, but he doesn't say a word. This does not have to be her business. Chishiya would never expect her to come with him, and he wouldn't want that at all. Yet there's no way he could stay away from this now that he's so close, and how can she be mad at him for that?

"Chishiya. We just cleared the King of Hearts yesterday and barely escaped with our lives! You can't possibly think of-" she stops, probably because of the rain that has begun to fall, and she pulls him towards the nearest awning to seek shelter from the storm. "We literally just talked about getting out of here alive!"

And she should not worry about that too much, because not too many games are left to clear and she definitely has enough days on her visa, so if she's lucky to be pared by the King of Spades, she will definitely make it out of here alive. He will, too, since he won't allow a game to kill him. Especially not this one.

"It's no secret I have been looking forward the Diamonds games since the second stage was announced." In fact, the urge to clear them has been burning like a fire inside of him, and not a single day has passed without him thinking about them. This should be the least surprising thing for her to hear.

"And you got to clear the Queen of Diamonds", she says in an almost begging voice, "isn't that enough? You've had the Jack of Clubs and King of Hearts as well! Don't you care about us enough to leave it at that?"

He cares enough about them to have attended the two games at all, and it doesn't change the fact that neither of them has been a Diamonds game. And the Queen has been six days ago!

Their eyes lock with each other, and Chishiya can see the sparks in hers, now fueled by anger instead of happiness. "Stop pretending to see a person in me that I am not."

"But I know you care! Can't I ask you to set back your own desires of some stupid games, just for once? For me?"

As long as she refers to them as stupid games, he will never be able to do that. Those games are his purpose, the reason he came here. Clearing the Diamonds games is the only goal worth reaching as long as he's in the Borderlands, since everything else can be properly developed in the real world. Shouldn't she be glad? Inside a game venue, he will be safe from the King of Spades, and she will be less likely to get shot since she's alone. And in a Diamonds game, Chishiya will have no troubles to survive. It's the best for both of them.

"Why would you waste your life like this?" his stubborn continues, now fully enraged, "we might soon be free of this world, and you're taking the risk of just another game without even blinking!"

Because I will never have the opportunity again after this. "That is exactly what I am talking about. In the end it seems that you know nothing about me." It hurts to say those words. More than anything, Chishiya has almost been sure that if there was one person understanding him, it would be this woman. He has given her everything he could, and yet she doesn't get it. She is still too blinded by her own naïve sight, that she doesn't recognize the bigger picture.

The little note pierces his hand almost in a mocking way now. "You want a Prince Charming, but that's not me."

She has begun to cry, her eyes reddening and filling with tears. They fall down her cheeks just like the raindrops around them. "Dammit, Chishiya! I love you, I really do, but sometimes you can be so annoying. I don't want a stupid prince. I want YOU!"

In that case, she should accept everything that comes along with loving him, because he won't get rid of those sides. They had this talk, multiple times already.

"Is that so, really? To me it seems more like you want someone to marry and have children with, someone who would wake you up telling you that he loves you and doing all those pathetic romantic things you like so much. And if I'm so annoying to you – why are you still here?"

The curtain is slowly moving away, revealing the true world they have to face. Many things have been easier in the Borderlands, with no reality to care about, but now that those real issues slowly come into focus, so do the problems. Problems neither of them seem to be ready for and yet they have to face them.

"What…" his stubborn's voice is shaken by a hiccup, and the sound of it is hard to listen to, "…what do you mean?"

Chishiya doesn't want her to cry; he doesn't want them to argue. He knew it was about to happen, though. This moment was inevitable, and there is no reason to play it down. Truth can't be hidden, no matter how much it hurts both of them.

"Stay at my side if you are ready to accept who I am. But if you continue to pretend I am someone else…"

He doesn't want to say it. He doesn't even want to think about it.

"… You better go."