Scattered Dreams

Hide

I woke up and was surprised I actually got a good night's sleep for once. Rize was strangely quiet, which scared me the most.

"May I come in?"

Yoshimura knocked on my door.

"Yes."

I replied, he turned the light on as I scooted over to let him sit next to me.

"Is Hinami..."

I started to say okay but that would be disrespectful.

"Hinami is alive, and working through her grief every day..."

He trailed off, gently patting my shoulder.

"But you're losing your humanity aren't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Human flesh used to be a moral line you wouldn't cross, you're becoming more ghoul as time goes on."

I lowered my gaze he was absolutely right. Even muttering.

"But if I stop now then..."

"Then you can't protect the family you've found?"

Nodding yes, as he sighed lightly.

"Take a day off with Hide."

"Yoshimura-"

"You need some space away from all this. And before you ask, we will watch over Hinami and keep an eye out for doves."

"Okay, take a day off, right."

***

"Kaneeeki!!"

I missed that call from Hide as he hit my back, then shook me from the shoulders.

"Where have you been?! I have been trying to reach you!"

Hide gasped looking at my figure.

"Look at how skinny you are! Have you been eating?! You scared me half to death..."

I should indeed have been listening to him but I just smiled and took in his face another time. All this fighting probably wasn't good for my health, to say the least, Amon did take a lot out of me. Tsukiyama too. Maybe taking a break isn't so bad.

"Hey, where did your eyepatch go?"

"Believe it or not, my eye healed."

"You're right I don't believe it."

As we shared a chuckle, it felt good to breathe fresh city air. He bought me coffee and croissants on the other end of the city. I was able to numb out the bread with the coffee.

"Why didn't you talk to me? You just fell off the earth."

"I wanted to..."

I trailed off, gazing down at the backpack I brought. A book I meant to read a long time ago sticking out from the pocket.

"But?"

Hide said as we locked eyes.

"I didn't know what to say. I was just lost after the surgery."

"That's why you reach out, so I can help you."

"I would only end up hurting you-"

A look I've never seen from Hide it was both a compassionate and angry stare. My eyes widened from it as he declared.

"You could never hurt me Kaneki, I just want you to be honest with me."

I gulped slightly, I had always wondered if he always knew I was a ghoul.

"But I won't force it right now, tell me when you're ready."

"Hide..."

Trailing off I clenched my fists and wanted to say everything. But I knew that's suicide for both him and me unless I knew for sure that he knew, so I said instead.

"I will tell you when I'm ready."

"That's all I ask."

Hide replied outstretching his hand to shake, and I did. We talked for a while after that, reminiscing on old memories. He met me halfway to Antieku before leaving. Something felt off as I walked the rest of the way to Anteiku. I heard glass breaking and picked up my speed. I pushed open the door to see three new guys in the lobby.

"So what are you doing here, dumb sister?"

"Ayato..."

Ayato, Touka's brother, noted. The other two concerned me they weren't here to talk.

"You..."

The big one said starting to approach me. I backed away in response.

"You smell like Rize."

I glared unlocking my eye, Touka wasn't fond of me of getting ready to defend myself. But I at least had to try.

"A one-eyed ghoul!"

The second guy moaned as I hopped onto the Anteiku counter, releasing my kagune. A little too perfectly timed me and the big guy dislocated our index fingers at the same time.

"You're strong, but not strong enough."

His mass made blocking practically meaningless, he either broke through my kagune or snapped the bones in my arms like toothpicks. Touka tried to help me but Ayato kept her at a safe distance.

"And down you go!"

The guy grabbed me by the neck then slammed my body through the counter over and over and over. Even when I went limp he didn't stop till blood was spilling from every crevice of my skin.

"Slow down Jason, he could be a great addition to Aogiri-"

"Yeah yeah."

Jason said finally dropping me to the floor. My view was half full of blood as I stared into Touka's eyes for possibly the last time I could ever see her. A tear fell from my eye before my eyes rolled behind my head. I daydreamed of Touka's kagune, I really should have held her hand more-

"Wakey wakey."

I coughed awake, blood dripping from my teeth as Jason punched my ribs to pieces. My hands and feet tied to the chair with chains, my options of survival were grim.

"You don't want to see this..."

He said taking a white cloth to blindfold me, I knew hell was coming next. Predicting right he started with my toes.

"Aah!"

I screamed, starting with my left big toe and going down the line, he pulled out my nails by the root one by one. To make matters worse he went the opposite way and straight crushed each toe with pliers.

"Count backward from ten thousand-"

Jason started and I replied.

"Fuck you..."

He simply laughed and did the same to my fingers. Torturing me like this for a while, I lost my voice from screaming. I didn't need to see to know how much blood I was losing.

"That regeneration is incredible."

"Do you ever...shut up?.."

I retorted swallowing my blood.

"I'll break that spirit of yours too, then you'll know your mine."