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Chapter Text

As Niragi turned the rifle towards Usagi, Chishiya barely had time to think before he was moving, Kuzuryu's words echoing in his mind. For my ideals. In position in front of Usagi, he closed his eyes, the ghost of a smile on his lips. He was happy with this decision. It would be good to do something good, for the first time in far too long

He wasn't expecting the bullet to hit with as much force as it did, sending him flying to sprawl on the ground as it crashed into him. He frowned; he also wasn't expecting the bullet to hit him from behind. He slowly cracked an eye open. Usagi was half-slumped on top of him. His frown deepened.

"What are you-"

"What am I doing?" Usagi interrupted, voice sharp, pulling herself to a sitting position next to him. "What were you doing?" He opened his mouth to respond but she wasn't finished, voice high and angry. "You would have died if I hadn't seen you! Why would you do that?"

He dragged himself up so he was sitting upright, hissing as the movement pulled at the bullet wound in his side. "You would have died if I hadn't."

She shook her head. "I don't understand you. This... it doesn't make sense, you handed us over to Niragi at the beach and now you're trying to sacrifice yourself?"

He smirked without humour. "Maybe I just wanted to do something a bit out of character."

Arisu appeared next to them. "What happened? Are you both alright? Chishiya, you-"

"We're fine," Usagi said, tersely, pushing herself to her feet. "Where's Niragi?" Arisu looked over his shoulder, to where a motionless body was slumped against a car, blood seeping from a bullet wound in his chest. Usagi nodded. "Good." She turned away, heading to retrieve Niragi's fallen gun; with the King of Spades still out there, any weapon they could lay their hands on would be useful.

Arisu crouched down by Chishiya.

"You're hurt." He reached out towards the bullet hole in Chishiya's side, but hesitated, unsure what to do.

"It's fine." Chishiya said, carefully pulling back his blood-stained jacket to get a better look. Not ideal but could be worse, in his almost-professional opinion. "Don't worry about it."

"Are you sure?" Arisu was frowning at him, clear concern on his face. "Not just that... I mean, obviously that, but also... I said you seemed different before, and you do, you seem... I don't know, off."

"I'm fine." Chishiya slowly pushed himself to his feet, ignoring Arisu's outstretched hand, and winced as the side of his stomach burned. Perhaps that wound might need a little more attention than he first thought. As it was, there was little he could do except press down as best he could whilst walking and hope that slowed the bleeding.

Arisu still didn't look convinced and caught Chishiya's arm as he went to walk away. "I don't know why you did it, but thank you. For trying to save her." Chishiya shrugged awkwardly, pulling away from Arisu but he kept his gentle hold on Chishiya's wrist. "You were going to say something to me, before Niragi showed up. Is that... does that have something to do with what you did?"

Chishiya looked away, gaze lingering on Niragi's body, but a light squeeze on his wrist brought his attention back to Arisu. "You can still tell me, if you want." Arisu's eyes were soft, concerned as Chishiya forced himself to meet them. He felt something twist in the pit of his stomach, but he pushed it down, almost instinctively, a habit formed over many years of self-preservation.

After a long moment, he took a breath. "I-"

"We need to move." Usagi was back by their side, Niragi's gun in one hand, the other pointed at the sky, where the King of Spades blimp was moving directly over them. "He'll be here any moment, and we can't take him on with just the three of us and two guns."

Chishiya broke away from Arisu and limped back to the car where he had taken shelter. After a quick search in the foliage, he triumphantly held up the pistol Niragi had given him. "Three guns."

"I stand corrected, that makes all the difference," Usagi said, rolling her eyes. "Come on, Arisu."

Other players had started to pass through the square, running from the sound of gunfire that was drawing ever closer. The King of Spades was evidently shepherding survivors into the area, drawing them together for his endgame.

"Arisu!" Usagi called again, but his eyes were fixed on Chishiya, who had slumped, leaning against the car to keep himself upright and breathing hard.

"Chishiya?" He moved closer, but Chishiya waved him back with one hand, pushing himself up from the car with the other.

"I'm coming," he grunted. He managed to limp a couple of steps towards them before he stumbled as his legs seemed to give out from under him. Perhaps he was losing more blood than he thought, he wondered, laboriously pushing himself back up to his feet.

"Here." Arisu had reached his side, pulling one of Chishiya's arms around his shoulders to add support. "Let me help."

Instinctively, Chishiya wanted to argue that he was fine and could manage on his own, but the look of earnest concern on Arisu's face, combined with the impending arrival of the King, was enough to compel him to keep his mouth shut.

"Hurry!" Usagi shouted over to them. Shibuya was rapidly filling with people, desperate and afraid; the King couldn't be far.

They hurried back to Usagi, Arisu half-dragging Chishiya, and ran down one of the streets leading away from the crossing, following the crowd. They paused for a moment behind a van to one side of the road, where Chishiya took the opportunity to lean against the solid surface whilst Arisu and Usagi surveyed their surroundings. There really was quite a lot of blood on his jacket now, Chishiya noted. He really ought to find a better solution than just trying to hold it in with his hand if he planned on staying on his feet for much longer.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by a shout from Arisu, still peering over the top of the car door.

"Kuina! Ann!"

Chishiya lifted his head, trying to straighten up so he could see what was going on, but found himself slipping back to a seated position on the floor as the strain on his injury sent a jolt of pain lancing up his side. He'd hoped Kuina was alright after they'd parted ways, and had confidence that, as long as she stuck with Clubs and Spades, she'd pull through. It seemed he was right.

"Arisu! Usagi!" he heard her call. "It's been a while, I'm glad you're alright!" She rounded the corner, Ann in tow. "Have you seen Chish-"

She broke off as she spotted him, slumped against the side of the van, pale from blood loss and with red soaking his usually-pristine white jacket. He gave her a weak wave.

"Chishiya? What did you do? What happened?" She pushed past Arisu to his side, hands fluttering over his wound as she looked for a way to help.

"Niragi," Chishiya said, before giving her a small smile. "I'm glad you're alright."

"I can't believe you got yourself shot," Kuina huffed. "After all the games, you go and do this!"

"It wasn't exactly my fault!" Chishiya protested.

"That one wasn't, at least," Usagi muttered.

"What?! What do you mean 'this one'? How many bullet holes have you got under there?" Kuina started pulling at his jacket, trying to find more hidden beneath the fabric. He feebly tried to slap her hand away, shuffling away from her.

"Just the one, stop pawing at me!"

"Then what was Usagi talking about?"

"He threw himself in front of another bullet," Usagi told her, sounding incredibly unimpressed. "I pulled him out of the way."

"He did WHAT?" Kuina sounded furious, glaring at him with something else mixed into her expression. Fear? Disappointment? He wasn't sure.

"I was saving Usagi!" he defended himself, refusing to wilt in the face of her anger. "Niragi was aiming at her."

"But you could have died!" Tears were starting to pool in her eyes and she blinked them away. "I might have never seen you again."

He hesitated, unsure how to respond. Before he could come up with something, he was spared by another round of gunfire, closer still.

"We need to get off the street," Ann said. "Find somewhere to come up with a plan."

"And to patch Chishiya up," Arisu added, watching worriedly as he attempted to lever himself back to his feet, swaying when he got there. "I'm not sure how much longer he can keep going if we don't stop the bleeding."

"I'm right here, you know. I can hear you."

"There's a pharmacy over there," Kuina pointed. "They probably have bandages, maybe a sewing kit we can use to stitch him up."

"Still right here, and would much prefer if you talked about me as if I was also a part of this conversation."

"Come on," Arisu hauled Chishiya's arm back over his shoulder and Kuina hurried to do the same on his other side. "Let's get inside before the King arrives."

"I'm not an invalid," Chishiya muttered, as they half-dragged, half-carried him into the pharmacy, before dumping him unceremoniously against the counter at the back of the shop.

"Hush. You can complain when you have more blood inside your body than on your jacket," Kuina told him, before getting up to look for supplies. Arisu stayed by his side.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Never better. Just peachy." Chishiya managed a weak smirk.

Arisu sighed. "You don't have to that, you know?"

"Do what?"

"Push me away."

There it was again, that uncomfortable feeling in the pit of Chishiya's stomach. He opened his mouth to respond, but Arisu shook his head, standing up. "I'm going to help look for supplies."

He disappeared behind some shelves and Chishiya was alone, wondering why the look of hurt on Arisu's face left him feeling worse than the bullet had.

Chapter Text

Arisu stared at the shelves of bandages and other assorted medical supplies, trying to think clearly enough to decide what he was going to need. Whilst he had some limited knowledge of basic first aid, his understanding did not extend to bullet wounds.

He was jerked out of his deliberations by a voice to his left.

"Do you have any idea what you're looking for?"

He turned his head to find Usagi next to him, gazing at the shelf.

"I saw Kuina heading back to Chishiya with water, so I guess she's started cleaning it. But how do you treat a bullet wound? Bandages? It's bleeding so much, maybe we'll have to give him stitches? Or, oh God, are we going to have to take the bullet out? What if we make it worse? He's already..." He trailed off from his worried babble as he caught sight of Usagi shifting uncomfortably while he spoke. "What is it?"

"You seem very worried about him," she said, slowly, eyes moving over his face as she tried to read his expression.

Arisu frowned. "Of course I'm worried, he's hurt. Not just hurt, he's probably bleeding out."

"But you're worried about him."

"So?" Arisu asked, confused. "I'd be worried if you had a bullet wound, or Kuina, or Ann. I don't want to lose any of you. To lose anyone else." He fought past the lump that automatically rose in his throat as he thought of Karube and Chota, pushing it back down.

"Yes, but the rest of us didn't betray you and leave you to die. You don't want to lose anyone else, Arisu, but I almost lost you."

"But you didn't. I'm fine, Usagi. You saved me."

"It doesn't matter, Arisu. I almost lost you and I was almost..." Usagi trailed off, taking a shuddering breath before continuing. "I could have lost you, and it was his fault."

"Usagi?" Arisu asked, worried. "You were nearly what? What happened?"

"You saw what Niragi was trying to do during the King of Clubs' game," she said quietly, and Arisu felt any last remaining scraps of guilt he may have felt over shooting Niragi evaporate. She saw the look on his face and took his hand, squeezing gently. "I'm fine, he's gone now and the game started before..." She shook her head. "The point is, all that happened because of Chishiya's little plan. Because he used us and he betrayed us."

"Chishiya might not have meant for-"

"Arisu," Usagi interrupted. "I know you think the best of people and I love that about you, but you're cleverer than that, and so is Chishiya. He might not have wanted you dead, but he had to have known that was the likely outcome. You would be dead if the game hadn't started and thrown off his planning."

"He's still hurt," Arisu insisted. "And he seems... I don't know, different. You didn't speak to him before Niragi arrived, but I did. Something happened while he was on his own, I think. The Chishiya you're describing would never have taken a bullet for you, but he did. And he wanted to tell me something, before he was..."

"Just be careful, Arisu," she sighed. "Yes, it looked like he was trying to help me and he might have seemed different, but he seemed like he was trying to help us before and look what happened then. I know you don't want anyone to die but just remember what happened the last time we trusted Chishiya."

"I'll be careful," Arisu mumbled. "He just seemed..."

"I know," Usagi said, softly. "Maybe he is. But don't let your guard down too soon."

"Okay," he said, resigned, and turned back to the shelves. "I don't suppose you have any idea how to treat a bullet wound? If it's more complicated than stick a bandage round it I'm a bit out of my depth."

Usagi smiled. "I don't know about bullet wounds, but I know a little first aid. Out on the mountains, there's no guarantee you'll have a doctor anywhere nearby so you have to know how to take care of yourself up to a certain point." She picked a few packets off the shelves and handed them to him. "That should be some use."

His response was cut off by a howl of pain from the counter of the store. His eyes widened. "Chishiya."

He took off back towards the wounded man, leaving Usagi behind looking after him with a look of worry plastered across her face.

***

Chishiya was startled back to awareness by a sudden stinging pain across his cheek. His eyes shot open, revealing Kuina stood in front of him, hand raised in readiness to slap again.

"What the hell, Kuina?" he hissed, rubbing his cheek. She certainly hadn't held back; if that was how she hit, he never wanted to be in a real fight against her.

She relaxed her stance, tension leaving her shoulders. "Sorry. When I came back your eyes were shut and you weren't moving."

"I have a bullet in me. Is a man not allowed to pass out for a minute when he's been shot?"

"I thought you'd died."

"And you had to go straight in with hitting me to check? Couldn't have started out with a little shake? Perhaps a gentle pat on the cheek?"

Kuina winced. "Sorry. I panicked. You looked like you were dead."

"Wow, thanks. You look great too."

A corner of her mouth lifted in a smile. "Better than you at least."

They sat in companionable silence for a moment before Chishiya spoke, eyebrow raised. "You really panicked because you thought I was dead?"

"Shut up."

"Never. You adore me."

"Maybe I should have left you unconscious. You talked less then." She paused. "Seriously though, I'm glad you're okay. Well, okay-ish."

"Likewise." Kuina smiled fondly at him, before he continued. "I'm glad I'm okay too." The smile dropped and she lightly hit him in the shoulder. "And you, I suppose," he added. "I'm glad you're alive."

"I tried to find you, you know. After we lost you during the King of Spades."

"I was probably in games, and I doubt you'd have gone near the ones I was playing."

"Why? What were they?"

"Jack of Hearts and King of Diamonds," he told her. "I'm glad you didn't find me, to be honest. There was only one survivor in the King of Diamonds so if you'd been there..."

"Only one survivor?" she asked, eyebrows raised. "I knew you were clever, obviously, but shit. How did you do it?"

Chishiya winced. "Given how you felt about me risking my life to save Usagi, I don't think you'll like it."

Kuina frowned. "Why?"

"I gave the King a choice. To kill me or let me live. You can see what he decided." She didn't respond, just looked at him with that expression he couldn't quite read again. He tried for a joke, something to break the tension. "If you don't like that, you're going to hate how I survived the Jack of Hearts." He was startled to see tears starting to pool in her eyes. He knew jokes weren't his forte, but he didn't think he was that bad at them. "Kuina?"

"Why?" Her voice broke slightly, and he frowned, baffled and mildly concerned as to why she was so upset. "Chishiya, you do realise that I'd be devastated if you died? If I'd have found Arisu and Usagi, only to find out you gambled your life away?"

He gave a small shrug. "I'm still alive. I won both games."

"But you might not have done," she insisted, anger colouring her voice. "And now you're dying-"

"You have a terrible bedside manner."

"Shut up. You're injured and... you're my friend," she said. "Please. Please try to look after yourself. Even if you're happy to take the risk, please try for me."

Chishiya hesitated, looking at her wide, worried eyes. He thought back through his life, trying to recall if anyone had ever cared all that much what happened to him. His parents certainly hadn't, and he'd never really had much in the way of serious romantic partners or friends. Well, maybe now he had one of the latter.

"Okay," he said, quietly. "I'll try."

Kuina leaned forward, pulling him into an awkward hug. He wrinkled his nose in discomfort but resisted the urge to pull away; on this one occasion, he'd let her have this. At least until she tightened her grip, pulling on his injury and causing him to grunt in pain.

"Sorry!" she exclaimed, releasing him and sitting back so that she was facing him. "I forgot!"

"Yes, I've always found it easy to forget when my friend has been shot," he said, dryly. "It's the sort of thing that tends to slip the mind."

Kuina groaned, exasperated. "Are you incapable of talking seriously about emotions for more than two consecutive sentences?"

He smirked. "Pretty much. Now, should I continue to bleed out or should we move on to treating my very serious injury?"

"Whilst I strongly suspect you just want to stop talking about your emotions, you may have a point. I assume we need to clean it first?"

"That would be a good idea, yes."

"Okay. You try to relax and I'll clean it." She gestured vaguely to the massive bottle of water and other supplies she had collected. "I think Arisu is getting bandages, he was headed that way."

Warily, Chishiya leaned back and closed his eyes. However, his attempt to relax was short lived, as his side suddenly felt like it had been set on fire and he howled at the unexpected flare of pain.

"What was that?" he gasped, folding in on himself as he clutched his stomach.

"Vodka. Oh my god, are you okay? It's what they do in the movies so I thought-"

"You pointed at the water! I was expecting water!" Chishiya hissed at her. She reached for him and he flung out a hand to fend her off. "No! Not you. You've lost first aid privileges."

Arisu skidded round the corner, panic on his face and a selection of medical supplies in his arms. "Chishiya? What happened? Is he dying?" He addressed the last question to Kuina.

"He's fine," Kuina reassured him. "Disinfecting the wound just hurt, that's all."

Chishiya shot her a murderous glare as Ann approached, at a much calmer pace than Arisu.

"He's still alive then?"

"You don't all have to sound so surprised," he grumbled, the pain finally receding somewhat. "Ann, you seem somewhat competent. Kindly take over from Kuina before she finishes me off."

"I'm not exactly medically trained," she told him.

"You'll do," he told her. "Trust me, you're better than the alternative."

"Fine." Ann crouched down at his side. "Let me look at it. Ideally, I'll try and get the bullet out and sew it up. Hopefully that'll keep you standing."

"To be clear, you're planning to operate on me? Here in this store, with nothing sterilised and no surgical training?"

Ann nodded. "Pretty much, unless you have a better option."

"No. No, absolutely not. None of you know what you're doing. You're not going to be digging around in my insides."

"I've removed bullets before," Ann said. All heads turned to her, eyes wide and full of questions. She hesitated. "Well, I've removed them from dead people, during post-mortems. I'm sure the principle is the same."

"Well, that fills me with confidence. Given that I am very much pre-mortem and would like to keep it that way, I'll pass."

"Chishiya." Kuina fixed him with a look. "I refuse to allow you to die. Be quiet and let Ann help you."

"I thought you didn't want me to gamble with my life."

"Chishiya!"

He held her gaze for a moment, considering. "Fine," he said, resigned. "But if she kills me by accident, you'd better avenge my death."

Kuina gasped. "And hurt Ann? I'd never."

"Traitor," Chishiya muttered. "Fine, Usagi then."

"No chance. She actually likes Ann," Kuina told him bluntly.

"Ouch. I suppose it will have to be you then, Arisu."

Arisu looked at him, a odd expression on his face. "You're not going to die."

"You care?" Chishiya raised an eyebrow. "I'm touched. That makes two in one day. Quite an improvement from the rest of my life."

"Right." Ann straightened up, dishing out instructions decisively. "Kuina, find Usagi and between you keep watch for the King of Spades. I'm going to find a few more things before I can get to work. Arisu, can you finish cleaning the wound, please? Just water for the time being."

Arisu nodded. Ann and Kuina headed off to complete their tasks, leaving Chishiya and Arisu alone. After a moment of quiet, Arisu spoke.

"What did you mean by an improvement from the rest of your life?"

"Hmmm?" Chishiya turned his head to Arisu. "Oh. Well, it may shock you to learn that despite my warm and sunny personality, I've always found it somewhat difficult to maintain friendships."

Arisu frowned. "And your family? Sorry, you don't have to tell me. It's personal and you seem more of the private type. I shouldn't have asked. Sorry." He busied himself with the water, opening a bottle ready to start cleaning. To his surprise, Chishiya replied.

"It's fine. Not much to tell though. My parents are less family, more... acquaintances." Arisu's frown deepened, so Chishiya elaborated. "We see each other from time to time, but rarely have much to say to one another, and aren't all that interested when we do."

"I'm sorry," Arisu said, with such sincerity Chishiya felt almost uncomfortable. He felt his cheeks warm slightly, and focused on ignoring the sensation. "You didn't deserve that."

"Like I said, it's fine," Chishiya said, voice calm and matter of fact. "It's just the way things are." He thought for a second. "Why are you so sure that I don't deserve it?"

"Of course you don't. Why would I think that?"

"Well, there's the Beach for a start. I imagine Usagi would have a somewhat different opinion on the matter to you."

"Probably," Arisu admitted. "But that's because she doesn't know you."

"And you do?"

"Not really, I suppose. More than she does. And I'd like to. Know you better, I mean." Arisu carefully poured some of the water over Chishiya's injury. He winced, but didn't seem to be in pain like he was from Kuina's efforts. "For instance, you still haven't told me what you were going to say before Niragi."

Chishiya sighed. "It sounds stupid, said aloud."

"Say it anyway." Arisu smiled at him, and he felt that irritating heat in his cheeks again.

"I... I always thought selfless people were stupid," he said, quietly, avoiding Arisu's eyes as he spoke. "I thought it was pointless, trying so hard in life. They disgusted me." He paused, not daring to look up and see what Arisu was thinking. "The truth is... I think I was jealous of them. They had something I didn't. I... I was scared. Scared they would see the type of person I really am."

Chishiya finally looked up, and found eyes filled with sympathy and understanding. He felt something in his heart twist.

"I know what you mean," Arisu said, softly.

Chishiya managed a faint laugh. "I figured you would."

"Is that why you did it? Why you saved Usagi?"

Chishiya gave him a small smile. "Like I told her, I wanted to do something out of character. I think it's because of the people I met here. Kuzuryu." He hesitated. "You."

Arisu's eyes widened slightly. "I..." He trailed off, lapsing into momentary silence. "I should finish cleaning your wound," he said after a moment. "Ann will be back soon."

Chishiya nodded and they sat in silence while Arisu worked. When he was finished he stood. "I'll go and see how Ann is getting on. We can't have long before the King reaches us. The sooner she gets started, the better."

He turned to walk away but paused, looking back at Chishiya. "For what it's worth, I don't think you need to be scared. From what I've seen, I quite like the person you really are."

With that, he was gone and although he was on his own, for the first time in a long while, Chishiya felt as though maybe he wasn't quite as alone as he had always thought.

Chapter Text

Arisu absentmindedly chewed his thumbnail, sat with his back against the end of a shelf, waiting for Ann to reappear with an update on Chishiya. He hadn't stuck around to watch the impromptu surgery; it felt somehow wrong to see someone usually so stoic in such a vulnerable position. He wasn't sure exactly how long it had been, but it was enough that he was getting concerned.

Kuina seemed equally anxious, pacing back and forth between the shelves. Only Usagi appeared largely unaffected, announcing she was going to keep watch at the back door in case the King came from that direction.

"Are you not worried at all?" Arisu had asked her with a small frown. "He saved your life today."

Usagi had sighed. "I don't want him to die, Arisu, if that's what you're thinking. I'm sure he won't anyway. He's too arrogant for that, he'd probably find a way to outwit death itself."

With that, she'd headed off to her post.

Arisu was pulled from the memory by Kuina's voice. "Arisu... did he say anything to you, just now?"

"Did Chishiya say anything?"

She nodded, lowering herself to sit opposite him. "I'm worried about him. He doesn't seem himself and he's been, I don't know, reckless. It didn't even occur to him that if he died I'd be..." She stopped, taking a breath and composing herself. "So, did he say anything?"

"I mean..." Arisu hesitated. Chishiya was a private person and whilst he was close to Kuina, Arisu didn't want to betray the tentative trust they were starting to build; he got the feeling that Chishiya didn't trust easily and once you lost it, it was gone for good. "I'm not sure I should say," he finished slowly.

Kuina did not look reassured. "He told me he nearly died twice in the last few days. Not just that, he actively put himself in a position where it could happen. It's not that he wants to die, but something has to have happened." She looked at him, eyes pleading. "He's my best friend, Arisu. Please at least tell me if I need to be worried."

"I don't think you need to worry. I think that he maybe wants to change, to be a better person, but I'm not sure he knows how."

"So he jumped straight to the most dramatic option and tried to sacrifice himself?" Kuina rolled her eyes. "Of course he did, the drama queen."

"Now he realises people care, maybe he'll be a bit more careful. And we can help him, to find ways to be better without... doing that."

Kuina gave him a smile he didn't quite understand. "You care about him? And want to help him?"

"Yes?" Arisu said, confused. "Why does everyone keep getting hung up on that?"

"Oh, no reason," Kuina said, a playful glint in her eye. "I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually. Certainly before he does."

Before he could ask her what she was talking about, he caught a glimpse of movement outside the shop window. He pressed himself back into the shadows of the shelf, hissing at Kuina to do the same. They held their breath as they waited, but the figure ran past, paying them no mind, presumably a player slightly ahead of the pack.

"The King must be getting closer," Kuina whispered. "We won't be able to stay here much longer."

"But what about Chishiya?" Arisu asked, anxiety colouring his voice. "We can't leave him here."

"I know." Kuina's tone was grim but her eyes were determined. "We're not going to. I'll drag him out myself if I have to."

"Shouldn't be necessary," a voice came from behind them. They whipped round to find Ann, looking tired but satisfied.

"You're finished?" Arisu scrambled to his feet, Kuina hot on his heels. "Is he alright? Where is he?"

"He's asleep," Ann said. "He passed out halfway through. Can't blame him really, between the blood loss and the lack of pain meds. But he's okay. Should be enough to keep him on his feet, for now at least." Arisu felt tension he hardly knew he had release from his shoulders, and heard Kuina release a shaky breath beside him. "Any sign of the King?"

"The first few survivors have started to come this way," Kuina told her. "I doubt we have long till he's here."

As if on cue, more figures moved past the window, but this time Arisu saw one that was familiar. He dashed forward, quickly poking his head through the door.

"Aguni!" he called. "In here!"

The man in question halted, Heiya right behind him, and paused for only a second before making the smart move to get off the street. Arisu stepped back to allow them in, eyes around the room widening as they saw who was joining them.

"Aguni?" Ann asked, eyebrows raised. "You're alive?"

He nodded, taking in their little group. "This all of you?"

"Usagi is watching the back door," Arisu told him. "And Chishiya is in the back."

"Should've guessed he'd still be alive and kicking," Aguni muttered.

"Nobody going to introduce me?" Heiya piped up from behind him. "I only know Aguni. And Arisu, of course." She gave him a little wave and Arisu smiled back awkwardly.

"Right, yes, sorry. That's Ann," he said, pointing. "And Kuina. This is-"

"Heiya," she interrupted, smiling too-sweetly. "Thanks, Arisu."

"Well, now that's over with," Aguni said, irritably. "Shall we concentrate on the game? Have you drawn up any kind of strategy yet?"

"Not as such," Ann admitted. "We've been a little busy."

"Fine. Someone fetch Usagi and the pain in the arse out back and we'll get to work."

Whilst Ann went to find Usagi, Kuina turned to Aguni. "Actually, Chishiya might have to sit this one out."

Aguni's eyes narrowed distrustfully. "Why? What's he doing? Like I said, he's a pain in the arse but he's also one of the best strategic minds we've got."

"Oh stop it. You'll make me blush." A voice drifted over from behind Arisu and he looked round. Chishiya was leaning heavily on one of the shelves, breathing hard from the effort of making it to the front of the store but upright. Despite it being covered almost entirely in blood, he was still wearing his jacket.

"Chishiya!" Arisu exclaimed, hurrying to his side, Kuina right behind him.

"What the hell are you doing up?" Kuina hissed, keeping her voice low. "You should be resting."

"I'm fine. I can sit down just as well up here as I can back there."

"God, I didn't realise we had the undead to deal with now too," Heiya commented snarkily as Chishiya came into view. "He looks like shit. I'm sure he's going to be a great help out there. Besides, we don't need another 'strategic mind', we already have Arisu." She winked at him.

"So I suppose you don't want the bomb I brought with me?" Chishiya said dryly, slumping down against the wall. "After all, I'm not going to be any help, am I?"

As Ann and Usagi rejoined the group, Arisu carefully positioned himself between Chishiya and Heiya, instinctively sensing that a human barricade between the two might be a good idea. It immediately seemed like a much less good idea as Heiya shuffled closer to him.

"You have a bomb?" Aguni asked, one eyebrow raised. Chishiya nodded. "Why am I somehow not entirely surprised?"

"So we have a few guns," Chishiya said. "And I have a bomb. What exactly are you contributing to proceedings besides a babysitting service for bitchy teens?" He shot Heiya a poisonous look, and she retracted the hand that had been inching towards Arisu.

Heiya glared right back. "At least I can fight. What are you going to do? Bleed on him?"

"Anyway," Ann interjected loudly, before the bickering could escalate any further. "Did you have any kind of plan in mind, Aguni?"

"Luring him down an alley or a side street seems like the best option. Somewhere enclosed, where we can surround him. But now we have a bomb to work with..." He trailed off thoughtfully, looking at Chishiya. "How powerful is this bomb?"

Chishiya pulled out a modified can. "Not the biggest but if used right it can do some damage."

"Oh!" Kuina gasped. "I have one too! If that helps." She smiled at Chishiya and he lifted one corner of his mouth in response.

"What if we added something flammable?" Arisu was looking over at one of the shelves as an idea formed in his mind. "This store has aerosols. What if we filled the place with the gases and then ignited them?"

"It would amplify the explosion, and do some serious damage." Chishiya nodded approvingly. "Good thinking, Arisu."

Arisu felt his cheeks heat slightly. "Well, it's not like I made the bomb," he said, awkwardly. "That's the really clever part."

"Don't be silly." Heiya pressed in on his other side. "You're very clever, Arisu. I doubt those pathetic excuses for bombs would do much on their own."

"Maybe you should check," Chishiya suggested icily, also shuffling closer. "Why don't you set one off and see what happens? Make sure you stand nice and close though, wouldn't want you to miss how small I'm sure the explosion would be."

Arisu leaned in to Chishiya, frowning. "What's wrong with you?" he asked under his breath.

Chishiya blinked innocently. "Me?"

"Yes, you! I thought you wanted to be nicer."

"Not to people who don't deserve it," he said quietly, before leaning around Arisu to where Heiya was slowly moving her hand back towards his leg and raising his voice. "Despite your complete lack of subtlety, he's clearly not interested. I highly recommend you back off now before someone makes you."

Heiya narrowed her eyes at him, but shuffled a few inches away from Arisu. "Sounds like someone's jealous. I wouldn't go near you if you were the last man alive."

"What a tragedy. How will I go on?" Chishiya smirked at her, and she sat back with a huff. He turned back to the room. "Apologies. Please continue."

Aguni eyed him for a moment before speaking. "Arisu's plan is a good one. We fill the shop with aerosol, lead him in and blow him up."

A round of gunfire sounded from the street, too close for comfort.

"We'll need to buy some time for whoever is in here," Kuina said. "He's far too near for us to have long enough to prepare."

"There's an alley towards the back of the shop," Usagi suggested. "We could lead him there until the shop is ready."

Aguni nodded. "Agreed. Arisu, you stay here and fill the shop. You're probably the least capable in combat so makes sense for you to stay back. Chishiya, you too, obviously."

"I don't know," Heiya muttered, darkly. "I'm sure we could use a human shield."

"When you're done, come back to the alley and we'll lead him inside." Aguni looked round at the little group. "Everyone going outside, get yourself a weapon. We'll leave one gun in here for you two, just in case. If everyone's clear, we'll head out in two minutes."

The meeting dispersed, everyone drifting off to find weapons and prepare themselves. Next to Arisu, Chishiya started to push himself back to his feet with obvious effort. When Arisu extended a hand to help him, Chishiya hesitated for a moment but took it.

Kuina strode over to them and, without warning, pulled Chishiya into a bone-crushing hug. He grunted from the impact on his injury, but returned the embrace, if slightly less forcefully.

"Be careful," Arisu heard him whisper to her.

"You too," she replied. "Don't do anything stupid. I don't plan on this being the last time I see you."

She whispered something else to him, but Arisu didn't catch what it was as Usagi pulled him into a hug of his own.

"I'll see you in a bit," she said, softly. "Just remember what I said. Be careful. Look after yourself." She pulled back slightly to glance meaningfully as Chishiya.

"Don't worry," Arisu reassured her. "You just make sure you get back safely. I'll be fine." He also looked in Chishiya's direction, to find him staring right back at him, eyes unreadable. He quickly looked back to Usagi. "We all will."

Chapter Text

The store seemed very empty now that it was just the two of them, Chishiya thought, staring at the door Kuina and the others had left through moments ago. She would be fine, he told himself. She had been up to this point after all. She could fight, and she still had her bomb, plus the others were with her. She would be fine.

He startled slightly as Arisu appeared beside him, lightly brushing against his shoulder as he did so.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking at Chishiya with a small frown, a tiny crease appearing between his eyebrows as he furrowed them. Chishiya frowned back, ignoring the weird part of his brain that noted how cute the concerned look on Arisu's face was and simply putting that odd observation down to blood loss.

"Why does everyone keep asking that?" He turned from the door and Arisu's stupid, distracting face to head for the shelf housing the aerosols. "We should get started."

"We keep asking because you were bleeding out half an hour ago and you can still barely walk!" Arisu walked quickly to stand in front of Chishiya, blocking him from reaching the shelf. "And that's not even mentioning how you've been acting! Kuina is worried sick that you're going to do something else while she's not here to stop you!"

"What am I going to do in here?" Chishiya scoffed, trying to push past Arisu. "The fighting is out there, and there's not exactly an overwhelming number of ways to get hurt inside. What does she think I'll do? Strain myself picking up a spray can?"

Arisu caught his shoulders, forcing him to stand still and look at him. "That doesn't tell me that you wouldn't do something stupid, just that you can't find a way to do it right at this moment. And yes, right now you could strain yourself picking up a can. Do I need to remind you that you have been shot? The last thing we need is for your stitches to come undone because you just wouldn't look after yourself for once!"

The irony was not lost on Chishiya. "Funnily enough, I think most people would tell you that I never look after anyone else."

"Then they're wrong." Arisu softened his grip so he was just lightly holding Chishiya in front of him, trusting he'd stay put for a moment. "You can be better without stupid heroics. You do know that, don't you?"

Chishiya met his gaze, searching those warm brown eyes for answers. "I don't understand you, Arisu. I understand why Kuina cares what happens to me, but you..." He shook his head. "I truly have no idea why you'd even want to talk to me. All I've done is use you."

Arisu was silent for a moment, anxiously chewing his lip while he considered his answer. "Usagi keeps telling me the same thing. She thinks that I shouldn't care what happens to you, that I'd be stupid to trust you again."

Chishiya raised an eyebrow. "And do you? Trust me?"

Arisu hesitated again. "I... I want to. I really want to, but you betrayed us. I nearly died because of you, Usagi was nearly..." He trailed off, thinking. "Would you do it again?"

Chishiya blinked, confused. "I could lie to you."

"I know. Will you?"

He considered it, and shook his head. "I know you have no reason to believe me, but I wouldn't betray you again. Not now."

Arisu nodded. "It's probably stupid of me but I believe you." He gave him a smile so warm it felt like the sun rising and Chishiya felt that twist in his stomach again, confusing and somewhat unnerving in its newness and yet he didn't think he hated it.

"I never wanted you to die," he said, abruptly. "Obviously, I knew you probably would but I didn't want it. It was just... collateral."

"I know. You were just doing what you had to do to survive. We've all done things we're not proud of here," Arisu said softly, avoiding his eyes.

Chishiya scoffed. "Even you? I doubt it. Even in one of your first games you were trying to help strangers."

Arisu looked back at him. "You remember that? In Tag?"

"You stood out to me." Chishiya smirked up at him, fully noticing for the first time their height difference. Obviously he'd noticed before that Arisu was taller than him but he'd never realised by quite how much. He idly wondered if Arisu were to hug him like Kuina had earlier if his head would tuck neatly under his chin like he thought it would. He mentally shook himself, focusing again. What was wrong with him? He pulled away from Arisu's gentle touch, turning away to hide the warmth in his cheeks. "We really should get on. Who knows how much time they'll be able to buy us outside."

He bent to take some cans of deodorent from the lower shelf, trying to stifle his instinctive hiss of pain from the strain the movement put on his injury; after fighting Arisu on his ability to help literal minutes ago, he couldn't very well immediately prove that he had been right. Once upright, he leaned back on the shelf to recover from the effort in a way he hoped resembled his usual nonchalance, satisfied he'd covered himself pretty well.

Arisu sighed. "You know, Chishiya, you're probably the smartest person I know, but I'm not stupid either. And if you think I didn't just see that, you might not be as clever as I thought." He held out his hand. "Give me that and sit down. I promise you don't lose good person points for not pushing yourself until you bleed out. Besides, we need this done as fast as possible and... no offence, but I've seen tortoises move quicker than you right now."

Chishiya wanted to argue, to tell him that he wasn't incapable and had managed just fine on his own up to this point so why would he suddenly need help, but his head was swimming alarmingly after simply bending down and standing up again. He decided that, perhaps, he might be better to let it go this one time. Passing the can to Arisu, he considered heading back to the wall but decided against it and slumped back down against the shelf where he was, not wanting to risk the humiliation of trying to walk and falling again.

"Thank you." Arisu smiled at him. "I wouldn't have wanted to face whatever Kuina would have done to me if you'd have died on my watch."

"You never know, she'd have spared Ann if she had accidently killed me so you might have escaped. That was Ann though, and I think she's a special case so..."

"What?"

Chishiya snorted a laugh. "Really? You haven't noticed?" Arisu looked blank. "Kuina's special interest in Ann?" Understanding washed over Arisu's face and Chishiya snorted to himself again. "And you're supposed to be a Hearts player."

"I've been busy! Death games are a little distracting!" Arisu defended himself, turning away to gather more cans. "Besides, it's not as if I know much about dating and stuff. I spent most of my time in the real world in my room playing video games and the rest with friends who regularly pointed out how utterly oblivious I was whenever anyone was even a little bit interested in me!"

"She wasn't exactly subtle," Chishiya pointed out. "Besides, do I strike you as someone experienced in romance? And yet I still noticed."

Arisu's response was cut off by a sudden burst of gunfire from outside. Arisu went pale, the blood drained from his face.

"He's here," he murmured.

Chishiya nodded. "Better get a move on."

They fell silent as Arisu began spraying, partially through focus and partially due to the gases filling the store and making breathing increasingly difficult. The gunshots continued in the alley, which Chishiya told himself was a good thing; if there was still shooting, at least someone on their side was still standing. Both their heads turned at the louder sound of a small explosion.

"Kuina must have used her bomb," Chishiya said quietly. He coughed as he accidentally inhaled a lungful of the gases from the sprays. "I doubt it will have killed him out there but it would still be risky in an enclosed space like that. She must have been desperate."

Arisu looked over at him. "Do... do you think..."

Chishiya shook his head. "I'm sure they're okay. We have a plan, remember? A good one."

"I think I've sprayed enough," Arisu said. He let out a cough. "I should get him in here."

He turned to leave but paused as he heard slow footsteps behind him. He turned back to find Chishiya limping to catch up.

"Chishiya..."

"You can't seriously be suggesting you go alone? What if there's no one left and it's just you and him?"

Arisu smiled, soft and sad. "Then I doubt you'll be able to save me, and you'll just get yourself killed too."

"But-"

"I'm going to need to move fast to do this but I won't leave you behind if you can't keep up. The best thing you can do for me right now is get outside to safety so I don't have to worry. Please."

Arisu turned to leave but Chishiya called him back.

"Arisu!" He held out the bomb. "Don't forget this."

Arisu took it with another smile. "I'll see you in a bit."

Chishiya nodded, unsure what to say, and Arisu disappeared towards the back of the store. Instead of heading for the front door, however, Chishiya slowly walked further into the store, searching until he found the aisle he was looking for. He might not be able to help fight, but he did have some skills he could bring to the table. He didn't know exactly what had happened in the alley outside, but he doubted it would be good and he wanted to be prepared. Grabbing a nearby carrier bag that had been discarded on the floor, he quickly began packing as many supplies as he could carry, before turning back and limping out of the store, worry gnawing at his gut.

By the time he reached the entrance to the alley he was exhausted, breathing hard from the exertion in his weakened state. As he briefly paused to catch his breath, he silently cursed Niragi and his terrible timing, before continuing towards where his allies should be.

The alley was still and quiet, and at first he thought it was empty until he heard a soft voice call his name.

"Chishiya?"

He whipped round. "Kuina?"

"Down... down here."

He limped round to the far side of a car. Kuina was sat, leaning against it, blood soaking her side. Chishiya felt his stomach lurch and, as quickly as he could, he dropped to her side, searching for the source and soon finding a deep stab wound above her hip.

"Stay awake," he told her, firmly, keeping his anxiety from showing in his voice. "Let me look at it. This shouldn't be fatal, just let me wrap it up." He dumped his bag on the ground next to him, rummaging through the various medical supplies until he found a bottle of antiseptic, some gauze strips and a roll of bandages. "Is it just this, or do I need to look at anything else?"

He began cleaning and Kuina winced. "Just... just that. But the others..." She trailed off, tears welling in her eyes.

"Kuina?" He paused, trying to meet her eyes. "Kuina, what happened? Where are they?"

"I'm not sure," she whispered. "The King chased us into the alley, like we planned. We shot from a distance for a while, and when he was far enough from all of us I threw my bomb. It didn't kill him and I think he managed to shelter from the worst, but he was still caught in the blast. It looked like he got some pretty nasty burns down his right side. It gave us a fighting chance."

Chishiya finished cleaning and gently pulled her forwards, away from the car, so he could wrap a bandage round her torso. She groaned at the movement, but carried on speaking.

"He came back at us. I... I didn't see everything. I saw Heiya go down. He was going to kill Aguni, but she got in between them. And Ann... he shot Ann, Chishiya." Her voice cracked.

"I'll find her," he promised. "I have more supplies. I'll help her." Securing the bandage, he reached for her hand and lightly squeezed. "She's tough. If I can survive a bullet, I'm sure she can."

Kuina smiled through her tears. "You know, you're still worrying me, but maybe not all the changes are bad. I like this Chishiya."

Chishiya chose not to acknowledge that for now, leaving it to unpack later. "What about Usagi? Aguni?"

"Last I saw them, they were still fighting." She sniffed. "Be careful. He might still be out there."

He shook his head. "Arisu went to lead him into the store."

Kuina squeezed his hand back. "He'll be fine."

"I know." Chishiya straightened up. "Where is Ann?"

Before she could reply, the ground shook from a loud explosion. Chishiya felt himself tense, eyes scanning the entrance to the alley as if any survivors of the blast would already have made it there.

"She was a little over that way." Kuina pointed, drawing his attention back to her. "Thank you."

He gave her a small smile. "I'll be back."

Carefully picking his way through the debris, he made his way over to the area she had indicated, still keeping one eye on the alley entrance. Ann was slumped on the ground, barely conscious. Lightly, he patted her cheek and her eyelids flickered, focusing on him.

"Just try and stay conscious," he told her. "I'm going to take a look."

She nodded, the movement barely perceptible, and he carefully ripped her shirt at the shoulder where the blood seemed to be coming from, revealing a bullet wound. There was a little more blood just above her hip, but rolling up the bottom of her shirt revealed it to be just a graze. Chishiya arched an eyebrow. The King was still lethal, there was no doubt, but compared to his initial attack his aim seemed to have been slightly off; perhaps the burns had affected him more than Kuina had thought.

He set to work on her main injury, treating it as best as he could with what he had. Ann stayed quiet but kept herself awake, eyes fixed on him as he absorbed himself in his work.

"You're good at that," she observed eventually, voice strained.

Chishiya smirked at her. "I should hope so, given how many years I've spent on the degree."

Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. "You're a doctor? I wouldn't have guessed."

"Medical student. And I wouldn't worry, no one else has either."

"You don't really seem the type."

"Well, to be fair, I would call these somewhat exceptional circumstances. But I suppose I'm not what you would imagine-"

"Chishiya?"

His head snapped round, startled. Arisu stood behind him, watching him work on Ann, a look of utter disappointment on his face.

"Arisu?" Chishiya pulled himself to his feet. "You're okay?" Arisu didn't respond, and Chishiya frowned. "What's wrong?"

"You're a medical student," Arisu said, quietly. "I was looking for a doctor."

For a moment, Chishiya was confused until it suddenly came back to him. The Tag game. Arisu's injured friend he was looking for help for. Him, stood silently in the corner, focused solely on himself.

"Arisu, I-"

He shook his head, hurt ringing in his voice. "Forget it. I'm going to find Usagi."

He pushed past Chishiya, not meeting his eyes as he walked, and disappeared further down the alley as Chishiya stared helplessly after him.

Chapter Text

Usagi was lying still on the floor, trying not to move her legs and aggravate the deep stab wounds in her thighs. She wanted to get up, to check if Kuina, Ann and Heiya were okay after she saw them go down, to find out if Arisu was alright and the King was dead, but all she could do was lie and wait, helpless and in pain. She hated it.

After what felt like a lifetime she heard footsteps coming towards her. She tilted her head as best she could, trying to see who it was, and felt relief wash over her when she caught sight of Arisu's familiar form, seemingly unharmed.

"Arisu!" she called, and his head whipped round until he saw her, letting out a breath and quickening his pace to reach her.

"Usagi!" He fell to his knees next to her, gently manoeuvring her so she was resting against the nearby building as opposed to flat on her back. She watched as panic flashed across his face as he took in her injuries, before he pulled her into a hug. "I'm so glad you're alright. We could hear the fighting and I thought maybe..."

Usagi tightened her grip on him, squeezing comfortingly. "It's okay. I'm okay. Just need a few bandages and I'll be good as new." She pulled back so she could see his face before hesitantly speaking, not entirely sure she wanted the answer. "Are the others...?"

"Kuina and Ann are injured, but they're alive. Last time I saw Aguni he was about to finish off the King. I don't know about Heiya though." He chewed his lip anxiously. She was pushy and annoying, but she was also tough and brave and only a teenager; she deserved better than to die here.

"The King shot her," Usagi told him quietly. "She might be alive, I don't know. He was going to kill Aguni so she..." She trailed off, realising Arisu had skipped over one of their group in his summary. "You didn't mention Chishiya. Is he-"

"He's fine," Arisu said bluntly, face tightening at the name.

She narrowed her eyes. "Arisu? What happened? Did he do something?"

"You were right, about trusting him. I was stupid, I forgot what he was like." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. We only have one game left to clear and then we can go home." He looked up to where the Queen of Hearts blimp still hovered, alone in the clear sky. "We're nearly there. I can't let myself get distracted now."

Usagi frowned. "Arisu, are you sure? If he-"

She stopped at the sound of someone clearing their throat nearby to draw attention. Arisu moved slightly to the side so he could see, clearing her line of sight and revealing Chishiya, standing a little way off and holding a carrier bag. Her frown deepened as she took in his downcast eyes and slumped shoulders.

"I wanted to check if Usagi needed anything," he said, quietly. "I can come back later though, if you'd rather."

"I think I've missed a few steps here," Usagi said. "Do I need what, exactly?"

"Chishiya wants to know if you need any medical attention," Arisu replied, voice sharp. "Apparently, he's offering help now."

Out of the corner of her eye, Usagi could have sworn she saw Chishiya flinch slightly at the words.

"The King stabbed me," she said, loud enough to address Chishiya. "I'm not sure I can walk at the moment."

He stepped towards her. "I'll see what I can do."

Arisu stood up. "I'll come back," he reassured her. "I'm just going to check on the others. Maybe see if I can find Heiya."

Usagi nodded and he strode off, pointedly ignoring Chishiya on his way past.

Chishiya knelt beside her, carefully placing his carrier bag next to him. "I'm going to need to tear the fabric so I can reach the wounds to work on them. Is that okay?"

"Here." A knife was lying nearby, discarded during the fight, so she reached for it and carefully cut through the fabric of her trousers to leave her in shorts with her injuries exposed. "Will that do?"

He nodded in response, reaching into his bag for cleaning supplies and proceeding in awkward silence.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" Usagi asked eventually. "Or am I going to have to guess?" Despite her instincts where Chishiya was concerned, she did her best to keep her voice firm but not angry, not yet anyway. Whilst she had no doubt in her mind that he had done something terrible, she had never seen him so despondent before and wasn't sure how to feel about it just yet.

"Did Arisu not tell you?" Chishiya asked, curiously.

She shook her head. "Just that I was right about you and that he was stupid to think you could be trusted."

Chishiya sighed, keeping his eyes on his work. "That's fair. I told him something similar myself."

"And? What did you do to convince him?"

"Do you remember the Tag game?"

She blinked at the abrupt change of topic. "Yes? What does that have to do with-"

"Arisu was there, with a friend I think. I'm not sure, I never saw him again. They were fairly new to the Borderlands and they were looking for a doctor."

"Yes, for his other friend?"

Chishiya paused, continuing to clean her injuries as he thought. "I was a medical student. Before the Borderlands."

"Oh." Understanding washed over Usagi. "And you didn't do anything?"

"I didn't," he said, softly.

"Oh." She lapsed back into silence again as he finished cleaning and swapped the antiseptic for bandages to begin dressing the wounds. "Has he ever talked to you about his friends?"

"No. Not really. I know they died in a game, but that's about it."

"They meant the world to him. I found him, afterwards. He was just lying in the street, waiting to die."

"And you helped him?" he asked, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

She nodded, wincing as he gently lifted her leg to wrap the bandage around it. "I did. The point is, Arisu was a mess and it wasn't that long ago. He's still grieving and he will be for a while. Whatever injury his friend had, I doubt any treatment you could have managed that night would have saved him from the Hearts game he died in. I'm not saying that it was the right thing to do, ignoring him, because it wasn't. You could have helped. You should have. But, what I am saying is that what happened next would have happened either way. That's not on you."

Chishiya looked up at her, meeting her eyes for the first time since he'd arrived. "Why aren't you angry with me? I would have thought that this just proves everything you've been saying. I'm surprised you're even letting me do this." He gestured to her leg.

Usagi sighed. "Annoyingly enough, I don't think it does. No one is saying that you weren't an arrogant, self-centred, manipulative arsehole."

Chishiya raised his eyebrows. "Wow. Don't hold back, will you?"

She ignored him and continued. "What Arisu has been trying to tell me is that you aren't that any more, that you're trying to change. I hate to say it, but the fact that you've volunteered your skills and you're helping us now without anyone even asking if you could, when before you completely ignored pleas for help? That sounds more like the person Arisu was describing than the one I was."

"I wouldn't pay too much attention to Arisu's theory," Chishiya said, softly. "He's obviously changed his mind."

"His friends are a... difficult subject for him. He'll come round, when he's processed it. He cares about you. I think that's why it hurt so much."

Chishiya continued working silently, clearly deep in thought, before he spoke. "I wanted to say... Arisu mentioned something, earlier."

"Oh?"

"We were talking about the Beach, about what I did. He didn't exactly say it but he hinted and I wanted you to know... I knew that you would both probably die. I didn't necessarily want that to happen but I knew that it probably would. I did not consider... anything else, and I should have done. I'm sorry that happened, I truly did not-"

"I believe you. I'm not sure that I forgive you, but I will believe you and we can try to move past it. He's dead and I hope that Arisu was right in his belief that you wouldn't do that to us again."

"I wouldn't. Not now." He paused as he finished tying the bandage. "And thank you, for saving me. I was prepared to die back there but I think I'm glad I didn't."

Usagi gave him a small smile. "Thank you, for trying to save me. I'm not sure I'd describe us as friends, but I think I'm glad you didn't die too."

The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, an approximation of a smile, but his eyes were sad. "That's the best I can do with your legs for now. I'd do more if I had more time and better equipment but with everyone needing attention-"

"It's fine, I understand. Thank you."

He nodded. "I should go and find the brat. She's insufferable but apparently she's injured so..."

She laughed, despite everything. "I see your medical degree has taught you a wonderful bedside manner."

He smirked. "I'm sure Arisu will come and find you soon enough, but if not I'll come back round when I've seen everyone."

With that, he gathered up his bag and limped off, heading deeper into the alley. Huh, she thought to herself. She'd almost forgotten he was injured himself as he took care of her.

She didn't have to wait long for Arisu to return.

"I found Heiya. She's in a bad way. Kuina and Ann are doing okay though." He glanced down at her bandages. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Chishiya did a good job." Usagi watched his face carefully, gauging his reaction. "He said he was going to see Heiya next." Arisu nodded but didn't say anything, so she sighed and continued. "Arisu... I know you're upset with him, but I think I was wrong. He's trying."

His eyes snapped to hers, wide and shocked. "How can you say that?"

"You've been saying it all day," she pointed out, voice gentle. "Has he done anything today to suggest that you were wrong? Or just something from before, when he openly admits he could have been a better person?" She let him think about it for a second before she continued. "I'm not saying you can't be upset about it, or that you don't need to talk to him about it, but you should give him a chance. He looked crushed when he arrived to offer help. He might not have done back then, but he obviously cares about you now, and about what you think of him."

"But what if it would have made a difference?" Arisu asked, eyes shining with tears. "What if Chota being better would have-"

"Arisu," Usagi interrupted him, gently. "If Chota was as badly injured as you say he was, I doubt Chishiya could have done much that night even if he had offered. And even if he had, I'm sorry but only one person was getting out of that game. It's not his fault, and it's not yours either." She leaned forward and he fell into her arms, smothering a sob in her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

He took a shuddering breath and pulled back, wiping his eyes. "I should go talk to him."

"You should. I'll be fine here." She gave him a little wave. "Go and find him."

He smiled at her, and took off at a jog.

***

Usagi had said that Chishiya had gone to look at Heiya's injuries so Arisu headed in that direction, searching for that familiar white hair.

He found him hunched over Heiya, absorbed in his work and largely oblivious to his surroundings. Aguni hovered over his shoulder like an anxious parent, closely watching his every move. Arisu slowed as he approached, not wanting to make him jump and make a mistake in whatever he was doing.

Aguni noticed him first, leaning down to tap Chishiya's shoulder to get his attention. He lifted his head and Aguni pointed. As Chishiya turned to face him, Arisu felt his heart twist as his usually unreadable face flickered with unmistakable hope before falling back into neutrality.

"Could I... can I talk to you for a minute, Chishiya?"

Chishiya glanced down at Heiya and then back at Arisu, obviously torn.

"She's in a bad way," he said, reluctantly. "I should..."

"Go on." Chishiya looked up to Aguni, surprised. "You're just cleaning them at the moment, right? I can finish that." He held out his hand for the bottle of antiseptic and, after a moment of hesitation, Chishiya handed it over, nodding his thanks.

"I'll be back in a minute," he promised, as he climbed to his feet and limped over to Arisu, who gently took his hand to pull him into an alcove off the main alley.

Out of sight, Chishiya's eyes flickered up to meet Arisu's, uncharacteristically nervous.

"I'm sorry," he began, talking quickly as if worried Arisu would change his mind and leave again. "I should have helped. If you asked me today I would, but I was-"

"I know," Arisu interrupted. "And I'm sorry too."

Chishiya's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why? You haven't done anything wrong."

Arisu shook his head. "I wasn't fair to you. You'd already told me you didn't like how you were and that you were trying to change. I knew that but I still acted as if you'd done anything but try to be better today."

"That doesn't change what happened. I still should have helped you. If I could do it again, I would."

"I know, and you don't have to tell me that; you've already proven it. You helped all of them, even Heiya. And Usagi was right. It wouldn't have changed anything. I just wish..." Arisu sniffed, feeling the tears welling up again. He wondered if they would every time he thought of Karube and Chota. "I miss them. They were all I really had, before the Borderlands. Being so close to finishing the games, I think it just reminds me that they won't be there any more."

"I know it's not the same," Chishiya said softly. "But you won't be alone. You'll have Usagi. Kuina." He hesitated. "Me."

"Really? I'd like that."

"I would too." He smiled up at Arisu; a real smile, not a smirk, and Arisu felt his cheeks warming as he looked back into his dark eyes and tried to understand how he could ever have thought them to be cold or emotionless.

"Chishiya, I-"

"There is one final game." The announcement started without warning, cutting off Arisu's words. "All players wishing to register must do so immediately."

"The Queen of Hearts," Chishiya said.

Arisu nodded. "I should go."

He turned to head out of the alley, but Chishiya caught his arm. "Not alone," he said, eyes determined, and Arisu hesitated only for a second before he nodded again. "I'll be one minute. Don't go without me."

As fast as he could Chishiya limped back over to Aguni and Heiya, talking quickly and quietly to him as Aguni nodded, before returning to Arisu's side.

"He can finish taking care of her. There's not much to be done anyway, besides a bandage to slow the bleeding. Her best hope is to finish the games."

"Ready?" Arisu asked, looking across at him.

Chishiya nodded. "Let's go."

Chapter Text

Kuina had managed to make her way back to Ann when Chishiya and Arisu passed her in the alley. They were sat side by side, leaning against a car when they passed and Chishiya allowed himself a little sigh of relief. Whilst he had been sure Kuina's injury was survivable, it was still reassuring to see that she was still breathing. Ann too, he supposed; they may not be close, but for Kuina's sake he was glad, plus she had stopped him bleeding to death earlier. He gave Kuina a small smile as they passed and she waved with the hand that wasn't holding Ann's.

By the time they reached Shibuya Crossing, Chishiya was breathing hard, his injured side screaming at him to stop and rest. He ignored it, determinedly limping on, eyes fixed ahead of him on the final game venue. He carefully avoided looking over to where he knew Niragi's body lay. Thinking about him just reminded Chishiya of the painful amount of similarities there had been between them, and he couldn't help but wonder how close he could have been to Niragi's fate had things gone slightly differently.

Instead, he concentrated on his destination and on his companion. There were a few people Chishiya would credit for any redeeming qualities he might have- Kuina, Kuzuryu and, of course, Arisu. He didn't understand how Arisu could so relentlessly and easily do the right and selfless thing no matter what, or why he made him want to be better, or how he could make Chishiya feel so comfortable and accepted despite everything. No, he did not understand Arisu but somehow he found he didn't mind, despite his usual need for knowledge, and he didn't understand that either.

Arisu's face was focussed as he led the way into the building that housed the Queen of Hearts. He'd come a long way from when Chishiya had first seen him at Tag, although even then he had stood out, clever and compassionate as he was.

As they started up the stairs towards the game, Chishiya couldn't suppress a quiet groan of pain at the physical effort. If he'd caught a patient of his putting half as much strain on such a serious injury they'd have never heard the end of it and yet here he was, ignoring not just his medical knowledge but basic common sense. Arisu froze on hearing the sound that had escaped him, eyes flicking up and down his body to assess for damage.

"Sorry, I didn't think about your..." He trailed off, gesturing to the spot on his torso where the bullet had entered. "Here. Let me help." He carefully manoeuvred Chishiya to rest his arm around Arisu's shoulders in a way that let him take the majority of his weight. "If it gets too much we can slow down."

Chishiya shook his head as they resumed climbing. "It's fine. We need to get to the game."

"Just remember what we've been saying," Arisu reminded him. "We want you to survive this too. Don't do anything stupid."

"I'm starting to feel a little insulted," Chishiya huffed. "I don't think I've been called stupid in my life before today, and yet I've lost track over the last couple of hours."

"I'm sure your ego will survive," Arisu chuckled. They climbed in silence for a while, Chishiya focussed on making it up to the top without his exhausted body giving up on him, and Arisu lost in thought. As they reached the last floor before the roof Arisu stopped abruptly, turning to look down at Chishiya.

"This is a Hearts game," he said softly. "If they try to make the players turn on one another-"

"I told you," Chishiya interrupted firmly. "I won't betray you again. I know you might not believe me, but you don't need to be concerned about that."

To his surprise, this statement seemed to do nothing to ease Arisu's anxiety as his frown deepened, concern shining in his eyes. "That wasn't what I was worried about." He didn't elaborate, instead gently pulling Chishiya along as they made their way to the roof to find what awaited them.

Chishiya wasn't sure what he had expected from this final venue, but a lavish garden adorned with roses on the roof of this modern high rise was not it. As they slowly walked though the gate, Arisu still taking most of his weight, a figure dressed in black stood from behind a table at the far end of the lawn. He recognised her as she drew closer. Mira, his fellow executive from the Beach. She spread her arms wide to greet them, a delighted smile on her face.

"Welcome to the final game arena!" She looked between the two of them as they stood silently, waiting for the game to start. "I had a feeling that I might see you here," she continued, looking at Arisu, before flicking her gaze to Chishiya. "You, on the other hand..." She clapped her hands together, smile somehow widening. "What a surprise!"

"I like to keep them guessing," Chishiya said dryly, and she laughed.

"You certainly do." She paused for a moment, as if weighing them up. "Allow me to explain the rules. For your final game, the Queen of Hearts, we are going to play Croquet!" Arisu glanced at Chishiya but he merely raised an eyebrow, refusing to ask the questions she obviously wanted them to. When she didn't get a reply Mira continued, her enthusiasm evidently unaffected by their unresponsiveness.

"It was always more popular in England than Japan, I'm afraid, but don't worry if you don't know how to play properly. You see, it doesn't matter if you win or lose!"

She beamed at them as Chishiya's mind raced, trying to understand what she was up to.

"What?" Arisu asked.

"All you need to do to clear this game is complete three rounds without quitting. If you quit before that, game over! That's the only rule."

Chishiya narrowed his eyes. "So even if we lose, we still win, so long as we finish?"

"Exactly!" Mira exclaimed happily. "Easy, isn't it? Now, let's have fun!"

She turned away, leaving them staring after her in confusion. Chishiya did not like this. He didn't know exactly why, at least not yet, but something was very wrong about this game.

***

The first round passed quickly. Despite Arisu's best efforts, it was clear that Mira was outplaying him, in her element as she carefully aimed each swing with impressive accuracy. Not that Arisu cared in the slightest if she beat him; the sooner the game was over, the better. Chishiya sat on a bench to the side, observing quietly, face unreadable, while Arisu played.

As Mira's ball connected with the final post she cheered, collecting the playing pieces to set up for the next round.

"Isn't this fun?" she commented cheerfully as she swept past him.

Arisu paused, close enough to Chishiya's bench that they could talk quietly without being overheard.

"What is she thinking?" Arisu hissed. Chishiya merely shrugged.

"Come on," Mira called before he could reply. "It's time for Round Two!"

Chishiya tipped his head in her direction, gesturing for Arisu to go. "You heard her. The sooner you play, the sooner this ends."

Arisu's sense of unease only grew as the second round began and Mira sent her ball sailing past its target, missing by several centimetres.

"Whoops!" she said with a giggle, heading across the lawn in pursuit of it.

"She's dragging this out," Chishiya muttered from behind Arisu. "Making it last as long as she can."

Arisu glanced at him. "We need to end this soon." He was about to turn back to continue the game when he froze, spotting the little pool of red below the bench. His gaze drifted up, meeting Chishiya's. "Chishiya?"

He grimaced. "It's fine. I pulled a stitch climbing up here, I think. Just... finish quickly."

Arisu nodded, pushing his concern to one side for now and focusing on the game. If Mira was going to stretch the round out by playing badly, he would just have to finish it by playing better.

It still took longer than he would have liked, his lack of skill combined with half his attention remaining on Chishiya's increasingly pale face and slumped posture slowing him down, but finally his ball collided with the finishing post with a satisfying click. He grinned despite the circumstances, spinning back to face Chishiya.

"I won!"

Chishiya gave him a faint smile. "Congratulations."

"Congratulations indeed." Mira swept up the lawn to stand beside him. "You may have a talent for this after all."

Arisu ignored the statement. "Round three, then."

She shook her head, that smile still plastered on her face. "I'm a little tired. I believe it's time for tea."

"Tea?"

"Of course. It's traditional." She headed across the lawn to her table, taking a seat and pouring three cups of tea from a delicate china teapot.

Arisu exchanged a nervous look with Chishiya before hurrying to help him over to the table, carefully lowering him into one of the seats. He tried not to think about how much of Chishiya's blood had spilled on to his t-shirt in the short distance.

"It's funny. You two never seemed all that close at the Beach," Mira mused, watching them curiously.

"And now we are," Arisu told her, voice firm. "We should continue playing."

"Nonsense." She pushed two of the cups across the table towards them. "Here. Enjoy your tea."

Out of the corner of his eye, Arisu saw Chishiya subtly shake his head. They sat in silence as Mira sipped her tea. Arisu could feel his frustration mounting as they waited, painfully aware of the steady drip of blood from Chishiya's injury, already starting to form a small puddle beneath his chair. How was he supposed to finish three rounds if Mira wouldn't play? Chishiya had already lost too much blood. Winning was his only chance, assuming that actually freed them from this place.

"What happens, if we win?" Arisu asked abruptly, breaking the quiet. "Do we go back to the real world?"

Mira looked up from her cup, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Well that would be telling, wouldn't it? You'll find out when it's over."

Chishiya spoke up sharply. "Arisu, don't. Just finish the game. No distractions."

Mira continued. "Why do you want to know so badly? Do you want to go back?"

She spoke to him, but her eyes were on Chishiya, Arisu noticed, who held her gaze for a moment before looking away.

"Of course I want to," Arisu said, drawing her attention back to him. "I have to, for Karube and Chota." He paused. "Can we?"

"I can't tell you that. Besides, who's to say this isn't the real world?"

"Arisu-" Chishiya warned, but Arisu ignored him.

"I bet you don't even know yourself," he challenged and Mira looked up sharply.

"I do know." She eyed him for a moment, considering. "I suppose I have no choice. If you want to know that badly, I can tell you the truth. But remember, you asked me to tell you. You wanted to know." Arisu took a breath and nodded. "Have you ever thought about the future?"

He frowned. "The future?"

"Yes. All that technology. Developments and advancements in every field. Virtual reality will be a staple of life. Technology will elimate natural disasters. Advanced medicine will prolong human life almost indefinitely, death by natural causes becoming a thing of the past. Everything will be perfectly controlled, even the weather, nothing left up to chance. In five hundred years, the human race will be practically immortal, but that makes life boring, and the world of one thousand years earlier, when death was such a real possibility, seems so much more exciting, so-"

She was cut off by a snort of laughter from Arisu's side, breaking him out of his absorption in her words. He looked over to find Chishiya composing himself, carefully rearranging his face back into its usual neutral expression.

"Sorry, sorry," Chishiya said, holding up his hands, amusement evident in his voice. "Please continue. You were telling us about the virtual reality of the future?"

She looked at him for a moment, before she too burst into giggles. "Okay. You caught me. But it was a good story, wasn't it?"

"Enough! Please, just tell me the truth," Arisu pleaded and she smiled again.

"Okay. You've seen all the plants around the city, right? They grew, out of control thanks to genetic modification, until they overwhelmed-"

"He asked for the truth," Chishiya interrupted, voice bored. "Either tell him or continue playing. I'd rather not waste time." He turned to Arisu. "Don't listen to her. You only have to finish one more round. This is what she wants you to do."

"I need to know," Arisu snapped, harsher than he'd intended, and turned his attention back to Mira. "You don't even know, do you?"

Arisu thought he saw something like irritation flicker in Mira's eyes for a second at Chishiya's interruption, her lips pursed, before the smile was back as Arisu spoke.

"You really want to know that badly? Your friends must have meant a great deal to you." She smirked, as if something had just occurred to her. "But then, I already knew that, didn't I? It was why the Seven of Hearts was so perfect for you. I designed it just for you, you know. It would only work with people that close."

Arisu's mind went blank for a moment as what she had just said sank in. She had killed Karube and Chota. She had killed Karube and Chota. Usagi had been right- it wasn't his fault that they had died, and it wasn't Chishiya's. It was hers.

He didn't even have to think before he shot to his feet, snatching up the gun he had set to one side at the start of the game and levelling the barrel at her. Chishiya lurched to his feet, clutching his side and calling his name, but Arisu paid him no mind. She had killed Karube and Chota. He took a breath, staring down the barrel at her still smiling face, finger inching towards the trigger...

And he froze.

"You want me to do this." He lowered the gun a fraction, away from her face. "If I kill you, I can't finish the game, and if I can't finish the game, no game over. It would continue forever. Chishiya would eventually bleed out, sooner or later. My friends too, or their visas would expire, and I'd be stuck here, forever."

Her smile didn't waver. "Why do you want to know why this is happening? What does it matter? What difference does it make?"

Arisu felt Chishiya's hand on his arm. "Arisu, trust me. Don't listen to her-"

He shrugged him off. "I have to know!"

"So you're ready to hear the truth? You're prepared to accept it?" Mira asked.

"Yes." Arisu took a breath, steeling himself for whatever she was about to say.

"Alright." The smile had finally slipped from her face, her expression now gentle but serious. "This world is not real. It's an illusion."

"What?" Arisu frowned, feeling himself lower the gun still further.

"Did it never occur to you that it wasn't the real world? I mean, think of the technology that shouldn't exist. The ridiculous children's games with life or death stakes. Every theory you came up with more absurd than the last. How could it be real? No, this entire world can only be found inside a tiny corner of your mind."

The gun slipped from Arisu's numb fingers but he barely noticed, staring wide eyed at the world around him. The world he had imagined.

"Arisu!" Chishiya's face appeared in his field of vision. Vaguely, he registered a gentle pressure on his shoulder as the other man held it, but he didn't react. It's not real. "Arisu, listen to me. Do I look like a figment of your imagination? I am real, she is lying to you. Don't-"

"I never said that you weren't real," Mira interrupted him, voice soft. "You are. It's just that Arisu is not seeing reality as it truly is." She turned back to him, dark eyes searching his. "Do you remember now? What happened to your friends? I am your doctor, Mira Kano, a psychiatrist. I have been working with you for some time now. The trauma was so great that you repressed the memory, but now you are prepared to face the truth..."

Arisu blinked and the garden was gone. Instead he found himself sat at a table in a white room, plain except for a single painting of a Croquet lawn hung on one wall. Mira sat opposite him, no longer clad in her floor length gown but instead in a sensible shirt and white medical coat. A couple of pills sat on the table between them.

"Karube... Chota..." he murmured, the grief rising once again. His attention was briefly caught by a movement just outside the open door to the room. A man stood there, dressed in a plain white shirt similar to Arisu's own, dyed white hair hanging limply as if it hadn't been cared for properly in quite some time. His dark eyes bored into Arisu's.

Mira smiled softly. "Yes, he's certainly taken quite an interest in you. He was hospitalised here too. A doctor responsible for the death of so many of his own patients; he just couldn't take it any more. I think he believes he is helping you. It makes him feel better when he couldn't help them."

Arisu looked away from the figure although they didn't move, lingering outside the door at the edge of his peripheral vision.

"Do you remember now, Arisu? What really happened that day at Shibuya?"

He closed his eyes and felt the memories wash over him. Shibuya Crossing. Running through the traffic. Karube and Chota behind him. The car. The screams of panic... He felt a tear roll down his cheek.

"It was my fault," he whispered. "They died, and it was my fault."

Mira nodded sympathetically. "Even before that, you were searching for a reason to live. That is what you desired to know, not what the place you imagined was, but why you were still there. That's why you imagined the games and, as you continued to survive, your need to know why you were there and why you existed grew. Because who in this world needed you? You survived and now you are alone."

"They should have lived." Even to his own ears, Arisu's voice sounded hollow, empty. "What is the point of my life? They should have lived."

Mira smiled.

***

Chishiya rushed forwards to Arisu. His eyes were glazed over, vacant, and he barely responded as Chishiya shook his shoulders, calling his name.

"Wait outside." He glanced over his shoulder to find Mira looking at him. "Can you not see, he is trying to remember? I realise that you think you are helping but you are not. That's not what you do, is it? You are not a doctor here, you are a patient. Now, leave him."

Chishiya shook his head. "Stop it," he hissed, before turning back to Arisu, softening his voice. "Arisu, listen to me. Wake up. Arisu-"

"I said, leave him!" Mira snapped, eyes hard. "He is willing to face the reality of his life. You should perhaps consider doing the same." She addressed Arisu, more gently. "Now Arisu, you're doing so well. I can make all this stop, if you want. I just need confirmation of your desire to quit."

Chishiya's gaze snapped over to her. Something at the back of his mind was trying to push through, a memory tugging at the back of his consciousness. Your desire to quit. That made no sense. What would he quit? Unless...

"It's real," he whispered. "The game. We were both playing. We are still playing." He gasped as pain suddenly wracked his side, a patch of blood growing against the white of his shirt, and he staggered.

"So, Arisu, will you confirm that you want to quit the game? You do want to quit, don't you?" Arisu didn't respond. She sighed lightly and pushed a couple of pills and a glass of water across the table to him. "Here. Take your medicine. You'll feel better."

As if in a trance, Arisu reached out for the pills and water. Chishiya's eyes widened, panic seizing him, and he desperately pushed himself back to his feet, throwing himself at Arisu and knocking him and the glass to the ground. Chishiya hissed in pain as he landed on his front, pain lancing through his side, but he ignored it, crawling towards Arisu's limp form, motionless on the ground.

"Arisu." He reached out, cupping a hand to his cheek, tilting his head to look towards him. "Arisu, please, listen to me. Your life is not pointless. You... You're a good person. You're selfless and you're clever and people care about you and..." He took a breath, trying to quell the fear rising in his gut. "You can do this. I know you can. Please-"

He broke off, hearing footsteps approaching behind him. He turned, protectively crouching in front of Arisu, trying to shield him with his body. Mira raised an eyebrow.

"I must say, I didn't see this coming." She examined him, weighing up this new information. "Why are you so desperate to go back? Are you so eager to return to the corruption and the loneliness and the constant guilt?"

He shook his head. "It won't be like that. I can change it. I can change."

She laughed. "Really? You don't believe that. Be honest with yourself. You have nothing to return for. Let Arisu make his choice."

Chishiya glanced behind him, heart aching at the sight of Arisu's usually bright, open face so dull and empty. "What if I found something worth returning for? What would you say then?"

He gently reached out to Arisu again, brushing his hair off his face. "She's lying to you, Arisu. Please, you have to wake up. You have so much to go back for. People need you." He paused for a moment, then added softly. "I need you."

He fumbled on the ground with his free hand, finally finding what he was looking for- a large shard of broken glass from the smashed water glass. He picked it up and looked back at Arisu's face once more.

"You said you didn't want me to make a stupid sacrifice. You said you wanted me to survive too." Chishiya carefully lined the shard up to where he knew his stitches were barely holding him together and took a breath. "I've seen you save people. I'm going to need you to save one more."

Mira laughed, but it was cold. "I've watched you, Chishiya Shuntaro. At the Beach, in the games. You won't do this. I've seen you use people and discard them to save yourself time and time again. However empty your life may be, you wouldn't throw it away."

"Wouldn't I?" He smirked at her and thrust the shard through the stitches, opening the wound fully. He felt the blood rush out against the searing pain and slumped over, barely holding himself up.

"A pointless waste," Mira sighed above him, but he shook his head weakly.

"Staying alive for the person I was would be a waste. But Arisu? He's worth it."

***

Arisu drifted in a haze of memories, feeling nothing, just an empty despair. A series of images floated through his mind. The deserted Shibuya. The Beach. The tunnel where he had played the Four of Clubs. None of them real, just figments of his imagination.

There was a figure ahead of him in the tunnel, slumped over in a pool of red. The man outside the door. Chishiya. He watched as he breathed heavily, holding a wound in his stomach.

"Come on, Arisu. Please." The words were quiet, desperate. "She's lying to you. I need... you need to trust me. Please." Chishiya groaned in pain and collapsed to lie on his side, eyes still fixed on Arisu. "Please, Arisu. Come back. She's wrong." His voice was barely audible, words gasped out between shuddering breaths. "You have so much to live for. And you won't be alone, I promise. You'll find a reason to live. I did. Just, please... don't make me lose it again."

His voice trailed off but his eyes stayed glued to Arisu, wide and pleading and, through the haze of numbness, Arisu felt something. A small flicker of warmth, followed by a crashing wave of fear as Chishiya's eyes slipped closed. With a monumental effort, Arisu blinked...

... and he was back in the white room. Chishiya lay in front of him, soaked in his own blood with Mira crouched over him, softly stroking his hair.

"Such a waste," she murmured, gazing down at his prone form. "But I'm sure Arisu is ready to quit now, right?" She smiled at him and carefully placed the pills a little in front of him. "What do you think? Are you ready for the game to be over?"

Slowly, Arisu extended his hand, his fingertips brushing the pills, and he watched as Mira's smile slowly grew. He stretched further, and the smile fell as he ignored the pills to curl his fingers around Chishiya's outstretched hand. He didn't respond, his breathing becoming shallow. Arisu felt a tear roll down his cheek.

"Chishiya?" he called softly, but to no response. "Chishiya, please... I want to go back, and I want you to come back with me. I want to know you better, and I want to see who you are when you can just be yourself, with no games and no death. I want to know what you like and what you don't. I want..." He took a shaky breath, and Chishiya's eyelids fluttered.

"I want that too," he whispered. "I want to live my life, not just survive it. I want... I want us to do that together, maybe."

He looked at Arisu with wide, surprisingly vulnerable eyes, and Arisu gently squeezed his hand. "I think I want that too."

A small smile spread across Chishiya's face, almost shy. "I want to see you smile again. I want to make you smile."

"I want to go to dinner with you. I want to learn how to make you laugh."

"I want you to be happy."

"I want us both to be happy." Arisu pushed himself up, crawling over to Chishiya's side. He looked up at Mira, locking eyes with her. "I want us to live. I want to finish the game."

He blinked, and when his eyes opened again they were back in the garden. Chishiya still lay before him, a bloodied shard of a broken tea cup by his side. Mira looked down on them, tear tracks on her cheeks.

"Arisu," Chishiya whispered, and Arisu pulled him up, resting his head in his lap and frantically pressing on his injury.

"It's going to be alright," he told him, desperately trying to stem the flow of blood. "You'll be okay. You have to be. We need to go back together, remember?"

There was a rustle above him and Arisu looked up to find Mira holding a handful of folded cloth napkins towards him. He eyed them suspiciously for a moment before he took them, pressing them against Chishiya's wound and whispering apologies as he let out a small noise of pain.

"When I saw it would be you two playing, I thought this would be easy," Mira said, softly. "But that was... beautiful." She delicately wiped a tear from her cheek. "We should continue the game. For his sake." She nodded to Chishiya, cradled in Arisu's lap, and Arisu nodded.

The third round went quickly, Mira and Arisu both playing to the best of their abilities. Chishiya sat on a step, leaning against a pillar and watching through lidded eyes, holding the napkins to his side. By the time Mira's final ball clicked against the post, darkness has begun to fall.

She smiled as her ball came to rest, a genuine smile somehow so different from her smiles earlier in the game. "I won!" She turned back to Arisu, already crouched at Chishiya's side, checking on him. "Congratulations, Arisu. You didn't quit."

The familiar electronic voice rang out. "The game has ended."

Arisu turned to Chishiya, finding him smiling softly back at him. "It's over," he said, a relieved smile spreading across his own face. "We won." He turned back to Mira. "So now, what is this place?"

Her smile turned sad and she took a step towards them. "You'll find out, soon enough." She looked between the two of them. "You know, life is like a game. Enjoy it more."

She was still smiling as the laser shot down from the sky, and she crumpled to the floor.

Arisu sat down on the step next to Chishiya as the announcement continued. "Congratulations. All the games have now been cleared."

As the Queen of Hearts blimp burst into flames, fireworks shot into the night sky, illuminating the garden in an array of bright colours. Gently, Arisu pulled Chishiya to lean against him and he offered no resistance, leaning back against Arisu's chest. Arisu smiled softly as he took in the sight of his face, illuminated by the glow of the fireworks and, for once, completely relaxed. Carefully, giving him plenty of time to move away, he reached one hand round to intertwine his fingers with Chishiya's.

"I meant what I said, you know," Arisu said. "About when we go back. I'd like it if you were around."

Chishiya twisted in his arms, tilting his head up to look at Arisu. "I'll find you," he promised, and Arisu's smile widened.

"We'll find each other." He met Chishiya's gaze, eyes shining and happy, and leaned down, closing the gap to press his lips against Chishiya's. Chishiya made a small noise and eagerly pressed back, deepening the kiss and releasing the hand he was still holding to wrap his arms around the back of Arisu's neck, pulling him near.

When they finally broke the kiss, Chishiya stayed close, curled against Arisu with his face resting just below his jaw.

"I don't know about you," he said. "But I'd quite like to do that again in the real world too."

Arisu laughed; he could just hear the smirk in Chishiya's voice.

"I think we can manage that." He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the top of Chishiya's head. "Perhaps you'll even let me buy you dinner first."

"Maybe I will."

The announcement rang out once more before he could respond.

"Now, all the surviving players will be given a choice. Please select whether you will accept permanent residence in this land or if you will not accept it."

Chishiya tilted his head again, looking up at Arisu. "I would like to decline, I think."

Arisu tightened his arms around Chishiya. "So would I."

The last thing Arisu saw before the world went dark was Chishiya's face, softly smiling back up at him.

Chapter Text

Consciousness crept up on Arisu in a blur of confused emotions, aching pains and half-remembered dreams. He blinked slowly, sifting through the haze of images, already fading as the waking world took their place: a horse in an apartment block; a rabbit leading him through a ruined city; a darkened garden; giant playing cards hovering above Tokyo; bright fireworks lighting up the sky, the warmth of another person pressed against him. The last image sent a jolt of panic through him and he instinctively tried to push himself up and out of bed, driven by a sudden, urgent need to find...

He barely made it more than ten centimetres up from his pillow before firm hands were on his shoulders, gently pushing him back down. An unknown face appeared over him, speaking calmly.

"Sir, I understand that you must be very confused but please stay where you are for the time being. You've been involved in a serious incident and have numerous injuries that will require rest in order to heal."

Another face joined the first, this time one Arisu recognised.

"Hajime?"

"Please, Ryouhei, listen to the doctor. You almost died, you need to look after yourself." Arisu was mildly surprised to hear his brother's voice crack slightly as he spoke. He honestly hadn't realised he would care so much.

"But I need to find..." Arisu trailed off, the impulse that had driven him out of bed fading with his dreams.

"What?" Hajime leaned closer. "Whatever you need, just ask. I'll get it, you just stay where you are."

"I don't remember," Arisu murmured, frowning. "I... I needed to find someone, I think. I needed to know if they're okay, but I don't remember." Hajime looked away, and Arisu noticed the slight furrow of his brow and subconscious chewing on his lip that gave away his anxiety. "Hajime?"

His brother sighed. "I don't know how to tell you this, Ryouhei."

Arisu slowly moved his hand across the sheets to hold his brother's, a feeling of dread settling in his gut. "Tell me what?"

Hajime opened his mouth but no words came out, and he looked helplessly to the doctor currently checking over the various monitors that were hooked up to Arisu.

"Five days ago, a meteor exploded over Tokyo," the doctor said gently, taking over for Hajime. "There were many casualties and few survivors. Your heart stopped but we were able to bring you back."

Arisu blinked, trying to process the information. "A meteor?" he finally managed.

Hajime cleared his throat, pulling Arisu's attention back to him. "Ryouhei... you wanted to know if someone was okay... Karube and Chota..."

Arisu felt his stomach drop. "Hajime?"

"I'm so sorry, Ryouhei."

Arisu looked away, staring at the ceiling. "They both died, and I lived? Why?" His voice cracked and tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. "Why am I still here when they're both gone?"

"Try not to think about it. It's survivor's guilt, happens a lot after accidents or disasters. There's no reason behind who lives and who dies. Just luck, I suppose." Hajime fell silent for a moment, thinking, before he spoke again. "All you can do is make the most of living. We almost lost you, Ryouhei. You were gone for a full minute. You almost didn't come back. All you can do now is live."

"I was gone for a minute?" Arisu closed his eyes. "It feels like it's been a lot longer."

***

A few days after he woke up, Arisu was allowed to leave his bed to explore the hospital. He couldn't go far, still exhausted from the ordeal he had survived, but he was glad to get out of his room and away from his thoughts. The loss of Karube and Chota weighed on him, the guilt almost overwhelming despite Hajime's insistence to the contrary, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else he was missing. When Hajime had told him about his friends, he had assumed that was the concern that had driven him when he had first woken up, but as the days passed it became clear that the anxious uncertainty at the back of his mind wasn't going anywhere.

He found himself at the hospital vending machines, buying a drink more as something to do than out of thirst, when he became aware of a presence behind him. He turned to find a girl of about his age, leaning on a crutch. Arisu was certain he had never seen her before in his life, and yet she seemed overwhelmingly familiar, a flicker of recognition at the back of his mind and the feeling of comfort that only came from a close friend.

"Excuse me. Can I use that now?"

Arisu suddenly realised that he had frozen in front of the machine as he thought. "Oh, yes, sorry." He quickly shuffled to one side, then paused. "Sorry, do I know you from somewhere?"

The girl frowned. "I don't think so."

"Are you sure?" he persisted. "You just seem so..."

Her frown deepened. "Are you hitting on me?"

"Oh, no! Definitely not, no!" Arisu held his hands up, hoping to convey his innocence. "I just... I feel like I know you! Nothing else, I promise!" She smiled, amused by his panicked response, so he continued. "I'm Arisu, by the way."

"Usagi."

"I don't really know anyone here. My brother has been visiting but has to work too so... I was going to get lunch soon, if you wanted to join me? Not in a flirting way!" he quickly added and she giggled again. "Just in an 'I feel like we could be friends' way. If you want." He trailed off awkwardly.

Usagi nodded. "That sounds nice."

It became a regular routine for the two of them to get lunch together, Arisu's instinct that they would be friends proving entirely correct, although he still couldn't explain exactly how he could have known that. It only made the constant nagging feeling worse. Now that one inexplicable feeling had been proven correct, he was even more certain that there was something he needed to know but had forgotten.

He tried explaining it to Usagi but she hadn't experienced anything like that, although she did confess to a similar feeling of warm recognition upon first seeing him as he had had.

"And I guess a few faces around the hospital have seemed weirdly familiar," she continued, ignoring her food as she thought. "Not as strongly as you did but a kind of deja vu, you know?" She glanced around, before tilting her head slightly at a pair a few tables over. "Like them."

Arisu looked over, as subtly as he could. Two people were sat together, deep in conversation over their food. A girl was facing him, a cascade of dreadlocks tied into a ponytail falling down her back. Her eyes were locked on her companion as she intensely whispered something to them.

Arisu couldn't see the face of the other person sat at the table with their back to him, just their shoulder length hair, bleached almost white. He could, however, hear them, as they made no effort to keep their voice as quiet as their friend's.

"I'm just saying," he said in a low drawl. "That instead of mooning over your mysterious stranger from a distance and then endlessly telling me of their incredible beauty, you should just go and ask them for their number, or at least their name."

"But I'd look like a total weirdo, approaching a random person like that! Plus, I look terrible!"

"We literally died a week ago, we all look terrible. Besides, if there was ever a time to spontaneously proclaim your undying love to a complete stranger, it's probably after a near death experience. Carpe diem, as they say."

"But she's so pretty!" the girl whined, throwing her head back dramatically. "I mean, look at her!"

The man turned his head to look where she was pointing at a stunning woman with black hair cut into a bob, revealing his face to Arisu for the first time.

If meeting Usagi had thrown him, Arisu had no words for the feeling that rushed through him as he saw the man's face. The recognition was there, without a doubt, but it was accompanied by an overwhelming rush of relief and a urgent need to run to the stranger across the room. He had no idea who this man was or why he felt like this, but, for the first time since he woke up, the desperate worry at the back of his mind faded away.

"Arisu?" Usagi's quiet, concerned voice cut through his daze, and he realised that, at some point, he had shot to his feet as he stared at the stranger, his chair fallen to the floor behind him.

"Can I help you?"

Arisu's head snapped back round to find the man staring straight back at him, brows furrowed and dark eyes curious.

"I..." He tried and failed to construct a sentence, his mind overwhelmed by the sudden recognition and strong emotions, and a quieter train of thought that noted just how pretty the man was. "I just..."

The girl with the dreadlocks stood, eyeing Arisu uneasily and pulling the man's arm. "Come on, Chishiya. Let's go."

Chishiya.

Images suddenly flooded Arisu's mind: the white-haired man, Chishiya, wearing swimming trunks on the roof of a building; standing opposite him in an overgrown Shibuya crossing; covered in blood and leaning on him as they entered a garden. Chishiya in his arms as fireworks exploded above them, a soft smile on his face and Arisu's heart thumping wildly in his chest as he looked down at him.

Chishiya.

"Arisu!" He felt a hand on his shoulder and jolted back to the present. Usagi was now also standing, looking increasingly worried. "We should get you back to your room. Should I call a doctor? I can-"

"No." He cut her off, frantically scanning the room. "Where did they go?"

"Arisu, are you sure-"

"Please, Usagi." He turned pleading eyes on her. "I need to talk to him. It's important. Please, trust me. Which way did they go?"

She hesitated but finally pointed. "That way."

Arisu bent to give her a quick hug. "Thank you." Releasing her, he turned and half-walked, half-jogged towards the door. "I'll be back!"

It didn't take him long to catch up to them; given that both of them were clearly still injured after the disaster, they weren't exactly moving quickly.

"Hey!" Arisu called as he approached, slowing back to a walk. "Wait! Chishiya!"

The retreating figures stopped, turning back to face him. The girl looked wary, but Chishiya seemed intrigued.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully as he examined Arisu. "You seem familiar."

"I know. I... I needed to say to you," Arisu panted, exhausted from the small amount of physical exertion so soon after such a severe injury. His doctor was not going to be impressed later. "I did it."

Chishiya frowned. "Did what?"

"It might not mean anything to you now, but I found you. Like I promised." Arisu searched Chishiya's face for any sign of recognition, but he had always been difficult to read. "I did it."

"Shiya..." The girl with the dreadlocks, who Arisu now recognised as Kuina, was tugging on his sleeve. "Do you think we should-"

"I know this is probably weird," Arisu cut her off, a hint of desperation in his voice. "But I remember and I need you to remember too. You were shot, and we beat the Queen of Hearts,
and you said that you wanted...." He trailed off as he looked at Chishiya's uncomprehending face. "I'm sorry. I... I shouldn't have said anything. This must have seemed so creepy. I'm just... I'm just glad you're okay. I'm sorry."

He turned away, blinking away the tears that pricked the corners of his eyes and trying not to think about Chishiya's blank stare or the way he felt like his heart might be breaking for the second time in a week or...

"Arisu?"

He spoke so softly that, for a moment, Arisu thought he had imagined it, but when he turned and met Chishiya's eyes they were wide and filled with emotion.

"Do you-"

Arisu's question was cut off as Chishiya took two quick strides towards him and threw his arms around his neck.

"Arisu," he whispered again, and pulled him down into a soft kiss before he buried his face in his neck, clinging to him. Arisu wound his own arms around the smaller man in a tight embrace, before he felt him flinch slightly. "Careful. I may not have been shot but the meteor did a fair bit of damage."

"Sorry," Arisu said, pulling back to look Chishiya in the face. "You remember?"

"I remember. And you're okay?"

"Aside from dying a week ago."

Chishiya let out a snort of laughter. "I can't believe you found me."

Arisu smiled down at him. "I told you I would, didn't I?" His smile widened. "And I believe I owe you dinner."

Chishiya smirked. "Perhaps that can wait. Just until we can eat somewhere that doesn't serve hospital food."

Arisu laughed. "Probably a better plan. I can wait for that."

"I wouldn't say no to a terrible hospital coffee though."

"Excuse me?" Kuina tapped Chishiya on the shoulder and Arisu reluctantly released him so he could turn to face her. "I have many, many questions."

"I'm sure you do."

"And?"

"Ask me in a couple of hours. I have a date." He smirked again. "Go ask your mystery woman for her number. I have a strong suspicion it will go well. She's called Ann, by the way, and is probably debating if she should make a move herself. She drinks her coffee black with one sugar if you wanted to take her a gift."

"How do you... You know what, never mind. I don't even know if I want to know." She walked past them, back towards the cafeteria, but turned back as she reached the corner. "Answers later, Shiya. No excuses."

Chishiya gave her a little wave and she disappeared round the corner.

"Any ideas how you're going to explain this?" Arisu asked, amused.

"Not a clue. I'm hoping finally talking to Ann will spark something and get me out of it."

"If I remember Kuina correctly, it's going to take a lot more than that to save you from the interrogation you've got coming."

Chishiya groaned. "I'm almost starting to miss the death games."

"I can't believe it all happened in a minute," Arisu commented as they slowly started to make their way back towards the cafeteria.

"It feels wrong, doesn't it? All that in just sixty seconds, the Beach, the games, all of it. I mean, we've only known each other for a minute, technically."

"Well," Arisu looked over at Chishiya, taking in the sight of him alive and safe and happy. "We can fix that, at least."

Chishiya looked back at him with a soft smile. "I'd like that. So what do we do now?"

"Right now, we get coffee. And after that..." Arisu shrugged. "I suppose we'll live."

"Happily ever after?" Chishiya asked wryly.

"Something along those lines." Arisu laughed but, despite Chishiya's sarcasm, he had a feeling that they just might.

Chapter Text

Life had changed a lot for Chishiya Shuntarō in the three months since a meteor had exploded over Tokyo.

For the first time in a while, he found that he actually might not mind the person who looked back at him in the mirror. He wasn't perfect, not by a long shot, but he was trying and, as Arisu kept reminding him, that was good enough for now.

There were other, more tangible changes too. He actually had friends who he enjoyed spending time with. He and Kuina had already been drawn to one another in the hospital before they had regained their memories, but after they had both remembered they had become close to inseparable, texting daily when they couldn't physically see one another. She cheerfully proclaimed him to be her best friend to anyone who cared to listen and, whilst he would never use that phrase aloud, he secretly agreed. With Kuina came Ann, and Usagi rounded out their little group. She was the last of them to remember and had taken him a little by surprise when she had turned immediately from hugging Arisu to throw her arms around him too. Whilst there was still some distance between them, it was slowly but surely closing.

However, the biggest change in Chishiya's life was undoubtedly Arisu. Before the games, he had led a lonely life and he hadn't thought he minded until he experienced the alternative, both in the form of his friends and his boyfriend. Chishiya had never really, seriously dated before and was somewhat embarrassed to admit he had little to no idea what he was doing. He was, however, aware that it was considered unconventional to say the least to invite someone to live with you when you had, as far as the world was aware, known them for barely a week. That hadn't stopped him though; after overhearing how Arisu's father had spoken to him on one of his rare visits to the hospital, he hadn't felt he had a choice and Arisu had gratefully accepted.

Living with someone else had been a learning curve for someone used to such a solitary existence, but somehow it just seemed to work. They understood one another. Arisu was patient when Chishiya was irritable after long, difficult shifts or needed his own space, and Chishiya was ready at a moment's notice when Arisu's insecurities or anxiety got the best of him, like when he nervously announced his intentions to maybe return to university, this time to study Psychology, a subject that actually interested him.

Now that he had companionship, Chishiya couldn't imagine life without it, from the texts Kuina would send in an effort to make him laugh to Arisu's shouted greeting as he returned home from work. Today was no different in that sense, but it had also brought with it one more long overdue change in Chishiya's life.

He followed the familiar voice into the master bedroom, where Arisu was sat against the pillows, a psychology textbook propped on his lap. When Arisu had first moved into his apartment he had taken the guest bedroom, an arrangement that had lasted for all of three nights; with the frequent nightmares they both experienced after the games, they soon found that they slept better together, where they could see that the other was alright. He looked up as his boyfriend entered the room, a wide smile spreading across his face.

"Hey Shun."

Chishiya didn't respond, instead crawling across the bed to press a quick kiss to Arisu's lips, before settling down to lie with his head on his chest.

"Are you okay? You're quiet."

Chishiya nodded against Arisu's chest, and felt the hand that wasn't holding a book automatically make its way up to gently stroke the blond strands at the base of his head as Arisu waited patiently for him to speak.

"It happened again," he eventually said, and he heard Arisu take in a sharp breath above him.

"Oh Shun," he started, voice soft, but Chishiya wasn't finished.

"They told me to change the list." He finally looked up, a small smile on his face. "So I resigned."

Arisu blinked, taking a moment to process what Chishiya had said, before he grinned, wrapping his arms around the smaller man in a tight hug. "You resigned?" Chishiya nodded again, his own smile widening. "Shun. I am so proud of you, you know that?" He released him from the hug to pull him up for a deep kiss, and Chishiya let his eyes close contentedly as he enjoyed the moment.

When they finally separated, Chishiya settled back into position, sighing happily as Arisu's hand made its way back to his hair. "I'd already been considering it. I've reached out to a couple of other hospitals and hopefully should be able to organise a transfer without too much difficulty. But then when they told me to make the change today..."

"You don't have to justify it to me. I know what working there was doing to you."

Chishiya took a shaky breath. "I just don't want to become the person I was again and working there, doing that..."

Arisu placed his book on the bedside table and gently tilted Chishiya's chin up to look at him. "You won't. You've worked so hard not to be that person, and I love you for that."

Chishiya froze. "You...?"

"You don't have to say it back," Arisu reassured him. "I know saying things like that is hard for you, but it's true so I thought you should-"

"I love you too." Chishiya fought back a smirk as it was Arisu's turn to freeze; somehow, his default expression didn't feel appropriate in this situation.

"You don't have to say it just because I did," Arisu eventually murmured.

"I didn't." Chishiya pulled himself up slightly, closer to Arisu. "I meant it. I love you."

He leaned forwards again, only for a loud ping to shatter the moment. Chishiya groaned, leaning over to fumble on his bedside table for where he'd thrown his phone. Finding it, he peered at the screen before he groaned again.

"What?" Arisu asked, sitting up a little more.

"I forgot we were supposed to be going to Kuina and Ann's tonight."

Arisu laughed. "Oh, the terrible trauma of having friends. It must be so difficult for you. How do you cope?"

"Shut up." Chishiya glared half-heartedly at him before returning his attention to the phone screen. "Kuina says that Usagi is coming to pick us up in an hour."

Arisu frowned slightly. "Why is Usagi coming to get us? She doesn't have to come out of her way for that, we could get the subway or something."

Chishiya made a face. "Apparently, that would be my fault. It's because, and I quote, 'you can't be an anti-social prick and pretend you forgot if we come to you'".

"I'd love to defend you but you were literally just complaining about having to go," Arisu laughed.

"I fail to see how I could be enjoying myself more out than I would be in this position," Chishiya muttered, flinging his phone to one side again and snuggling back into Arisu.

Arisu humoured him for a minute before giving him a gentle nudge. "Come on. We don't have long and you need to shower."

"Are you trying to tell me that I smell?"

"No. I'm telling you that I know you hate not showering between work and going somewhere else, and you'll bitch about it all evening if you don't."

"Maybe," Chishiya acknowledged, although he made absolutely no effort to move.

"Shun..."

"Five more minutes," he mumbled, burying his face in Arisu's shoulder.

Arisu sighed but relented. "Fine. Five more minutes."

Chishiya looked up, a hopeful glint in his eyes. "Ten?"

"Don't push it," Arisu told him with another laugh. "You're lucky I love you enough to put up with this."

Chishiya huffed a laugh as he returned his head to Arisu's chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. "We'll be fine. We have time."

Arisu carefully slid down the bed a little so they were both lying down, returning his hand to the base of Chishiya's head. "I know," he said softly. "We have all the time in the world."