守りたい // hidekane

16

"What I'm about to say is going to put you in imminent danger if you don't keep your mouth shut." Touka has Hide up against the wall inside the hallways of Anteiku's back door. Her voice is urgent, shaky and Hide could tell she wanted absolutely nothing to do with telling him.

"It's about Kaneki." She pauses, peering over to look at Hide's reaction as to which the blond's brows furrow in worry. He has a hunch about what she's going to say, and he didn't expect for it to be revealed to him this early on. Touka takes a shaky breath and starts-

"I know." Hide cuts her off and she gives him an annoyed look, but it switches to surprise when she processes the words that befell from the male's lips.

"You...You know?" Touka stares at him wide eyed and the rage comes purely first as she shoves his back onto the wall, making Hide wince in pain. Her kakugan spreads through the whites of her eyes, not bothering to hide the fact now that she found out that Hide had known, instinct acting first before she could. Her hands claw harshly onto the male's neck, choking the air out of his lungs. "How the hell did you know?!" Thousands of possibilities flood through her panicked state of mind, possibilities of Hide having already told the government officials about the secret of Anteiku - the secret they've been trying to keep, their safe haven.

Hide tries to pry her off, his vision splitting into two as his head starts to feel airy. "Khh..Ka...Kaneki...." He manages to choke out, and at the mere mention of the name, Touka's grip slackened and she drops him, Hide's legs giving up on him as he stumbles downwards, chest heaving with rapid gulps of air.

"He told you?"

"No." Hide pants, clutching the fabric of his chest tightly, "I...I've noticed that he's been different...since the incident." He brings himself to stand weakly against the wall, Touka still staring at him wearily. "So I did...research...I didn't want to believe at first...but when we got into that incident with Nishio-senpai...I..was conscious...I heard everything." Hide finishes, daring to gaze back at the purple haired girl who seems to be debating on what to do and maybe wether she'd kill him or not.

A few seconds pass and she opens her mouth to speak but pauses when Hide raises a hand in front of her weakly, as he was quick to retaliate before Touka even got to talk. "No, I didn't tell anybody." He confirms and Touka visibly lets out a sigh of relief. "I wouldn't do such a thing." Hide's breathing gradually begins to return to normal, although his head still feels airy. He gives out a small smile at the now apologetic looking Touka, waving off her apology lightheartedly. He understands why she had done that and couldn't blame her for her acting that way.

"But...why? Why do you still continue to stay with him...knowing that he's a ghoul?" She lets the male lean against her shoulder for support as she leads him by the lounge, honestly baffled by how this human had known their lies and deceived them all like it was second nature. Nobody ever got the gist of it, now Touka begins to understand that Hide really is something else. Scary even.

To the question, Hide's lips stretch out into a small smile, "Ghoul or not, Kaneki's still my best friend. I'll stay by his side forever." A dreamlike daze is seen in the blond's eyes as he thinks about the ravenette. With a tone of pure determination, he looks straight at Touka who still couldn't grasp the situation, "I'll protect him no matter the cost."

Hide's loyalty definitely is something else. But it's also very dangerous, one that could lead to a tragic demise. Touka doesn't point out all the wrongs in their scenario and doesn't point out how Hide's just a human and it'll be impossible for him to walk in the same pace as Kaneki. She keeps her mouth shut in a thin line, calculating eyes grazing over Hide's.

"Wait, speaking of," Hide trails off, enough for Touka's breath to hitch as she realizes what the male's about to ask. "Where's Kaneki?"

Silence draped over the two of them like a thick blanket, suffocating them under the weight. Neither dared to speak, especially Touka, the situation was absolutely dire, hope was slowly fading away as seconds pass and she mentally curses as Hide for being such a clingy, pokey, teenager.