守りたい // hidekane

24

It's Kaneki. Of course it is.

Hide purses his lips as he sits in front of the monitors showcasing the ongoing battle a few blocks from their position inside the van. He's been flipping from screen to screen alongside his companion, another CCG member in charge of his unit, chirping out orders and positions for the squad leaders to send to their team, to help them pinpoint their enemies.

Though he's mostly just been sitting down this one particular monitor following the movement of the Eyepatch Ghoul. Hide almost laughs, eyepatch ghoul, what a corny name.

It wasn't looking very great out there. By the looks of it, only two of the workers from Anteiku fought alongside The Owl in different battles. Touka wasn't in sight, most probably being guarded by Yomo since he wasn't here. Nishiki, too, is nowhere to be found. Hide doesn't know wether he'd be relieved or not about that. It's difficult having to play both teams.

Then of course, while the Hound Dog ghoul- Irimi, probably - is stuck in a jiffy, Hide doesn't miss the mop of white hair flying through to block the fatal attack. Hide clenches his fist. Kaneki.

So now he's here, keeping a close eye on his best friend as unnoticeably as he could.

"I have a visual on the Eyepatch Ghoul. He's on his way towards The Owl down by a few blocks east. Most possibly for backup." His partner, a man around a few years older than him, with messy brown hair sticking all over the place, mutters to a walkie talkie and Hide tenses up.

"Copy. Amon took off after him."

He hits his leg on the underside of the table in shock. a few of the papers and knickknacks falling on the floor of the car. "Shit. Sorry, my bad."

"Try not to get your briefs up in a twist, Nagachika. Nothing's going to happen to us." His partner - god, Hide really can't remember his name, can't he? - grins teasingly, placing the walkie talkie back on its stand.

"Yeah, just first time jitters, ya know?" He laughs, fixing up the mess he'd made from hitting the table. "Just worried about..uh..Amon-san."

"Oh, you were Amon's assistant weren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Makes sense. But don't worry too much about him, Amon's strong." The male beside him grins, leaning on the back of the chair. "Plus, I heard he recently got a new quinque. Pretty powerful, the thing was."

Hide feels his stomach drop, an urge to vomit surfacing at the back of his throat. Fuck, these nerves are going to be the death of him. He grips the sides of his suit tightly, smiling his usual smile as the conversation died down.

He shouldn't be as worried as he is.

Kaneki is going to be okay. He thinks as he watches his best friend and his superior meet halfway on the pavement.

Kaneki is going to be alright. He thinks as he watches them draw their weapons with an intent to fight.

Nothing bad is going to happen to Kaneki. He thinks as he watches Kaneki's kagune send Amon's arm clean off.

Nothing is going to happen to....-

"I-I need to go!" Hide rises from his seat, head almost hitting the roof of the van. His partner stares at him in confusion.

"Look, I know you're worried about Amon. He'll be okay, there's a med team on their way. He took a big chunk from that ghoul any—"

"I need to go! I'm sorry, I'll...I just..I have to." Hide doesn't even wait for the other's response as he sprints out of the vehicle, blood pounding in his ears as he blocks out the calls of the CCG members within his unit calling out for him.

He'll be reported for disobeying and going out of position, that's for sure already, but he doesn't care. No, Hide doesn't give a single flying fuck about that. What he cares about is—

Fuck. Hide mutters curses under his breath as he runs like his life depends on it, wiping away the stray tears dripping down his eyes.

What he cares about...

He reaches the area of the earlier fight, Hide doesn't even notice Amon was already gone and that the entire place was a ghost town. No, he didn't care, he only followed the trail of blood leading towards-

What he cares about— Who he cares about...

Hide tries to calm himself down before he finally trudges down the sewers. Heart in his throat. Palms wet and as shaky. Eyes prickling with heavy tears. He hides them all as he walks the dimly lit pathway dripping with grey-water. Each and every passing step leading him to something he'd never wanted to see.

Hide almost throws up in sheer nervousness once he spots the hunched figure of his best friend on the murky cement ground.

Kaneki. Kaneki. He cares about Kaneki.

Who's dying right before his very eyes with an unrecognizable beak covering his face.

Ah, I was supposed to protect him, wasn't I?

Hide takes a step forward, an easygoing smile on his lips as always.

"Yo, Kaneki."

It wasn't supposed to end like this.

-
a/n; sorry this update took so long! i was yet again having trouble writing sigh </3 also i decided to split this into two parts so the last chapter until :re is the next one!

thank u sm 4 reading, voting n commenting ily! <3