Fourth of July

DISCLAIMER: ALL OF MY WORKS ARE MERELY FANFICTION WHICH IS A FORM OF CREATIVE WRITING AND ARE ALWAYS SOME PERCENT OF AU.

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Seidou sighed to himself as he glanced up at the sky. The fireworks were set to go off in about an hour. This New Year's Eve was set to be different this year. He wasn't celebrating it with Kousuke or anyone else he knew from the CCG. Instead he was celebrating it with Eto and Tatara, oddly enough. He hadn't expected Tatara to be the type.

This was the first time he'd been outside in months and he was glad he was practically unrecognisable. He was hoping he didn't run into anyone he once knew.

"It's a beautiful night, huh?" Eto asked, smiling happily.

"Yeah." Tatara agreed.

He almost smiled. This felt normal and that made him happy. Nothing felt normal these days so it was a relief of sorts. He looked around and noticed a few people that made his heart stop. Kousuke and Mado. Investigator Arima was with them and they all looked quite happy. They were eating something but he couldn't tell what.

Seidou looked away and focused on his shaved ice. It was coffee flavoured and it had turned out he could eat it. He and Tatara had enjoyed several cups already. Eto had had one but switched to some human food. Lucky woman with her ability to eat human food.

Eto brightened visibly, all of a sudden. "Kishou!"

Seidou glanced up momentarily to watch Arima walk over.

Eto waved at them. "I'll see you two later, yeah?"

Tatara nodded and Eto and Arima walked off with the shorter woman linking their arms. Seidou frowned. That was... odd to say the least.

"Don't think about it too much, kid." Tatara said. "There's a lot you don't know."

"Okay." He muttered.

He wanted to hit that man. He glanced at Kousuke and Mado again, noting Suzuya was now with them with an unknown man. He barely gave it a second thought.

Tatara groaned suddenly. "Good job, T-Owl."

"What?" He asked, confused.

The older Ghoul made him look up and he realised with horror that Kousuke was coming over.

"Oh fuck." He muttered.

"This is my cue to leave. Don't go joining the CCG." Tatara said.

Seidou went to protest but the man was already gone.

Kousuke reached him. "Hi."

"Hi." He muttered.

He really hoped he didn't recognise him.

"Do I know you?" His old superior asked. "You look familiar."

He shrugged, noticing he was out of shaved ice. "Dammit."

Kousuke seemed to have noticed as well. "Shaved ice?"

"Yeah. Coffee flavoured." He replied a little too loudly.

He looked up in time to see the man's eyes widen. Cursing internally, he turned and walked away, all too aware that he was being followed.

"Wait up!" Kousuke exclaimed.

He swallowed but didn't listen to the man's pleas.

"I'll buy you some more if you would just stop and talk to me." His old partner offered.