Nagachika Hideyoshi idly wondered why every impromptu ghoul bust happened at night, but then reflected that the answer was quite simple: crimes tend to happen during the darkest hours and ghouls were natural born criminals.

He really wished he had a cup of coffee, though. Unlike First-Class Investigator Koutarou Amon-san, he didn't get the rush of adrenaline that came with staving off the bloodthirsty monsters. Far behind the frontlines, he only got to watch and listen to the way his information and conjectures were utilized by the CCG. And while he was riveted by the sequence of events, he couldn't help but wish for some joe, courtesy of Anteiku, if he had any say.

"The Gourmet has appeared on the 17th floor of the target building. He did not engage. Pursuing. Over."

"Rodger."

Hide knew he was perceptive; it was his most valuable trait. And looking back over the past two years he had pinned 'the moment everything changed' to one event: his best friend's accident. Following that came the part-time job, the increasingly infrequent visits, the dropping out of college. Hide hadn't lasted that much longer without Kaneki. His friend had been the book savvy one, while Hide preferred moving about and doing something.

Ghouls had grabbed his interest with a zealous chokehold, and he had proceeded to pursue a career as an investigator with the CCG. No longer as an intern but a full time employee of CCG, special intelligence division, Hide spent too much time working. Either in the office or on the streets, he researched and tracked the activity of the most prominent ghouls, enabling the senior officers to exterminate as many threats as possible.

Ghoul activity had been quite turbulent in the last few years, going through phases that would put binge eaters to shame to times when it seemed as if there wasn't a single ghoul in Japan. And while Hide was well acquainted with the topic of ghouls, he wondered if it had always been that way. His instinct was telling him that there was more to the fluctuations of violence than simply a coincidence of hungry ghouls. But he had no way of knowing the reason behind their actions without asking one directly, which was about as likely to happen as his receiving a pony for his twenty-first birthday.

There were two types of ghoul groupings Hide had identified. Packs, with a leader under whom they worked toward some goal and shared their food. And Pacts which acted as a collection of solo ghouls who adhered to a code meant to minimize inter-ghoul violence. The objective of tonight's raid was to exterminate a ghoul pack that had originated in the 20th ward.

Hide had found tracking this pack to be a rather difficult yet entertaining task. They never stayed in one place for long, disregarding the boundaries of the wards and infringing upon the territories of other Ghouls without hesitation. He guessed that the reason such intrusive behavior was overlooked was due to the sheer power of this particular pack. While there weren't many casualties recorded in terms of feeding for this pack, but the ghouls that crossed them were often found in gory pieces. The Gourmet, a prominent member, was not one to mess with. But even trickier was the elusive Eyepatch ghoul.

Not much was known about the Eyepatch ghoul. From the records, Hide knew that Amon had encountered him more than anyone else, yet the man was always hesitant to speak of it. Something about that particular ghoul unsettled the investigator; in Hide's books, that made the Eyepatch ghoul very dangerous. Amon was a sensitive man, and this ghoul elicited a whole different flavor of disquiet.

Hide shifted through his self-made profiles again: No pictures were available of Eyepatch, even with the mask: a black half-mask with an eye patch and a full, lipless grin. Male. Height: about 5'5". Lean build. White hair (a wig?). Subject always wore black. The Eyepatch ghoul didn't look impressive, but that was an astronomical farce.

He was powerful.

And he was abso-fucking-lutely crazy.

It had been reported that, on more than one occasion, the other members of his pack had forcefully removed him from an engagement with the CCG. This wouldn't be seen as strange – ghouls hated the CCG for obvious reasons – were it not for the incoherent condition Eyepatch was generally in upon extraction.

Any officer of the CCG would publically swear that ghouls were simple, bloodthirsty monsters. But Hide knew that they were sentient beings; one who dealt their extermination would have to be blind and deaf not to see that. They talked, they schemed, they even displayed emotion. Calling them base monsters was just how officers coped with their own sense of justice and gained public support. It also made sense to Hide: there had to be some sort of logic to keep one sane as they exterminated humanoid, man-eating creatures.

So why did the Eyepatch ghoul seem to fit the stereotype of remorseless, gruesome, carnivore?

Hide laced his fingers behind his head, leaning back in the cheap desk chair of the CCG stakeout trailer. Sighing, he let the question tumble about in his mind, throwing out half-assed conjectures. There was nothing to go on really. Much of the information gathered by field agents of the CCG was extremely objective. Those who killed ghouls gave even less thought about what ghouls were planning besides their next meal.

"HQ, we have discovered another group of ghouls, eight of them, outside of the objective."

"Exterminate as many as possible."

"And the objective?"

"Pursue if possible. Do not engage unless you have a quinque. We don't need any unnecessary casualties."

"Yessir."

Cursing himself for his inattention, he turned to the man next to him, "Is the Gourmet the only member from the objective that has been spotted so far?"

"So it seems." The investigator said with a shrug, "Hard to fathom what it means though."

"It means we were we set up to take down this new group for the objective."

"Nagachika-kun, you know the brass would never miss a chance to take out a ghoul. They can't say no."

"Damn," Hide clenched his teeth, "I don't like being strung along, especially when we haven't managed to learn anything new about this pack. I've been following them for months, and every time I think we have the upper hand, something like this happens!"

The man clapped his shoulder, "I know, but you have to be patient Nagachika-kun, we will get them. But in the meantime we can do this for mankind."

Hide's hands balled into fists, reigning in the objection he wanted to make: how the hell do they know enough to manipulate the CCG?

"New targets eliminated. Objective nowhere in sight."

"The Gourmet?"

"Lost him."

"Do another sweep. All sectors now, go!"

Leaning back again, Hide grumbled, "They're not going to find anything."

"Probably not," The investigator agreed, "This pack is really tricky, Nagachika-kun, don't let it get you down. You've taken on quite a challenge."

"I tend to do that to myself."

The man smiled good-naturedly, "We need people like that." Seeing Hide release a yawn that had been fighting its way up, he said, "Go home and get some rest. We'll wrap things up here."

Hide sputtered, "But you'll be doing reports until six in the morning! Won't you want my help?"

"Don't tempt me," the investigator mumbled, but then clearly stated, "You've been working non-stop lately, for this operation and ones before. Don't think we haven't noticed when you've pulled all-nighters. So I think this time we can handle it while you get some well-deserved sleep."

When Hide just sat there open-mouthed, the man frowned. Making a shooing motion with his hand, he said: "Go."

"But…"

"Get out of here, Nagachika-kun!" another investigator yelled from the front of the truck.

"Sweep complete. No other ghouls found, objective or otherwise." The radio informed.

"Fine." Hide consented, shrugging on his jacket and grabbing his backpack before stepping out the back door into the night, "And thanks." He added, pulling the door shut and setting out.

A chill had settled in the air, matching Hide's mood. This was the fifth bust he had instigated since becoming employed at CCG, and the seventh one since he had started playing detective with ghouls. But it felt like each time, he had strayed farther and farther from his goal. They were reduced to killing random ghouls and getting no return concerning the 20th ward pack. It was like there was someone on the other side predicting his every move – like they were playing games.

Games.

The random thought gave him an idea. Only a few blocks from the CCG quarantined area, Hide caught a man locking the doors to a tall office building. Stopping long enough to wave his badge, he thanked the man and slid through the doorway. Mounting the stairs two at a time, he felt his heart pound with the exertion of forcing his tired legs to move. But if by some chance this shot in the dark came to fruition, this entire night would be worth it.

Every kid knows the trick to hide and seek. You watch out for it when you're hiding, and you try it when you're seeking: the double take. Well, Hide wasn't sure that that's what it's called. But after a room is searched, one steps outside, letting the prey relax and possibly give themselves away, before bursting back through the doors and catching them when they think the danger has passed.

Hide propped the roof door open with a book from his backpack to make sure it didn't lock. It took a few seconds of digging to find his binoculars as well, but it was well worth it when he took in the sweeping view the skyscraper allowed.

Red and blue lights bounced down the streets of Tokyo as the CCG cars and trucks left the scene. Though visibility was deterred by the darkness, Hide could decently make out the activity: eight body bags being loaded into a truck to be transported and processed ASAP, Amon still carrying his silver attaché case as he spoke seriously with the lead director, and the harried pedestrians as they caught sight of the abbreviation on the vehicles and increased their speed.

Caught up in his search, he didn't realize how long he'd taken up residence on the roof. But he noticed that his hands had grown icy with cold, too clumsy to adjust the focus on his binoculars.

"Brrr…" he grumbled to himself, crouching down next to the roof door for shelter from wind. Fumbling with the zipper, he retrieved a hand-warming packet from his backpack, popping it and relishing in the heat. "Five more minutes and I'll go." He promised himself.

The howling wind dropped for a moment and the silence sent an eerie shiver down Hide's spine. Now that he wasn't riveted by observing the activity below, he realized just how alone he was. It was in moments like this that the loss of his friend two years ago was still raw and sharp.

Where did you go, Kaneki?

"They went down easy, boss." A purring voice suddenly made Hide stiffen. It wasn't directed at him, but it felt terrifyingly close – behind him, on the very same rooftop.

"We didn't do any of the work," a soft voice answered, "And I told you to stop calling me that."

"Au contraire! I did do some of the work! Do you not appreciate the risk I made to my own life when I lured the Doves here!? You're so cruel, boss!" The voice was dripping with dramatics and faux hurt.

"Shuu-san." The second voice said innocently.

"Yes, boss?"

"You're annoying me."

"I excel at that." sugary sweet, his voice made Hide shudder.

"Unfortunately for you, irritating me to death is not going to work."

"I don't want you dead."

Without inflection the other voice responded, "No, you just want to eat me."

Speaking of cannibalism in such a matter of fact tone; they could only be ghouls. Hide felt his heart race suddenly, betraying him. Had they seen him, heard him, could they smell him? He was downwind, so no on that last one, but would that be enough to protect him?

"Don't think I've forgotten the first time or that I do not notice when you let your obsession get the better of you. I don't honestly understand why you stick around. You'll never beat me." The smooth cadence of the voice struck Hide as familiar, but he was too concerned with his own safety to care at the moment.

"Oui," the other voice – the Gourmet – Hide realized by the whole French showbit, "I don't understand it myself sometimes."

"So there is another reason?"

Both were quiet for a minute, hollow breeze carrying with it a distant siren. City life could never be completely calm. Ghouls were sometimes simply another layer to the chaos mankind created.

"You inspire ghouls to be something more." Gourmet's tone wasn't sarcastic or coquettish this time, "You've set a higher standard for them without seeking to violate their nature. By seeing things from both perspectives – ghoul and human – you can work towards a goal of cooperation that is more realistic than any before. Ambition is human, and you have that. But I must admit, you are taking a very ghoulish approach to it." He finished with an amused chuckle, "It's cute."

A few heartbeats before the response, "Why do ghouls keep calling me cute!?"

An honest question in his voice, Gourmet asked, "Who else?"

"Uta," the other growled, "Uta called my eyepatch cute the first time he met me!"

Eyepatch!

Hide felt his heart stutter and nearly stop; his arms and legs felt like lead. What were the chances he would get out of this situation alive?

Gourmet laughed again, "Well, what we call you aside. I believe tonight was successful. Though," there was a frown in his voice, "I don't like the idea of the Doves getting their hands on more quinque."

"I don't think anyone does. But if all goes as planned, soon enough the CCG will only be using those weapons on ghouls that step out of line. In which case, they will deserve it."

"Accidents can still happen." Gourmet said gravely.

"And I haven't decided whether or not to be vengeful in that regard." A tired, very normal sounding sigh escaped Eyepatch. Hide didn't think it was possible for ghouls to sound so tired or normal. "Speaking of which, can you do a favor for me?"

"Anything, boss."

"Stop calling me that."

"I have a feeling that wasn't the favor you were thinking of." The teasing tone was back.

Another sigh, "Can you pick up some meat from Yomo-san tonight. A few of us haven't eaten in a few weeks."

"Anything for your little girl."

"Hinami is not my little girl." Eyepatch's tone was practically dead, "And messing with her will make you very unnecessary, got it?"

"Hmmm, yes, I got it. Don't come back too late or we'll worry."

There was no response, but Hide heard the grind of the rooftop gravel on designer shoes as they paced into the distance and disappeared. Another sigh, of relief this time, could be heard. "That guy," a scoff, "Ambition? I wouldn't need it if the world wasn't so messed up."

The soft pad of footsteps neared Hide before abruptly stopping. He heard the roof door squeak shut.

"The New Book of Ghoul Dismantling by Ogura Hisashi," Eyepatche's tone was filled with disgust, "Another thing that's messed up."

The book was tossed to the side, which just happened to be right in front of Hide. He couldn't help it; a little squeak of fear pushed through his paralyzed lips, breaking the silence on the rooftop.

"Who's there?" that voice was still soft and level.

Hide couldn't move.

"If you come out now, I promise I'll be nice."

Bullshit, Hide thought.

"Don't be shy."

There wasn't much use in hiding, so despite his nerves screaming at him to run, Hide pushed himself to his feet and came out from his place behind the stairs. It was comical: the way he gulped when he caught sight of that gaping grin, scarlet pupil, and pale hair. Otherwise. the Eyepatch ghoul seemed to sink in to the black, starless sky – a mere phantom. But no, this was a solid, very tangible killer.

The ghoul didn't say anything. In fact, to Hide, he seemed to be at a loss for words.

"S-sorry," Hide stuttered, not sure why he was practicing formalities with a ghoul. This was his first time knowingly speaking with a ghoul. On his recon missions, he'd simply listened to them talk to other people. He didn't know any tricks to make himself unappetizing nor did he think pissing this guy off would lessen his chances of becoming a late night snack.

The ghoul tilted his head to the side in question, but it looked more as if he was deciding which limb to eat first.

"Um..."

"I should probably be thanking you." The ghoul said casually.

Hide was understandably confused, his brain flat lining by the turn of events.

C'MON HIDEYOSHI! Get your shit together, this is the biggest breakthrough in months. Just think about how much you've learned in the last five minutes; how much you can still learn about this ghoul pack's goals!

"What do you mean?" His voice wasn't as confident as he'd like, but it would work for now.

"You're very good at convincing the CCG to mobilize. As long as we can supply them with prey on the missions you suggest, they'll keep listening to you."

"And that works well for you, doesn't it?" Hide said, bitterness creeping into his voice.

"You already knew that."

"How do you know I know?"

Eyepatch shrugged, his kakugan gleaming menacingly in the dark.

"You keep up to date on people in the CCG, even those as low as me." Hide guessed.

"Know thy enemy."

"Sun Tzu's Art of War. My friend couldn't shut up about that book when he read it. But do you know what the second part of that quote is?"

"Know thyself and you will not need to fear the results of a hundred battles." The ghoul's tone gave nothing away.

"And do you know yourself?"

Hide did not like the way Eyepatch began to pace around him, "That is a very impertinent question."

"Sorry," Hide decided to reign his curiosity a little in favor of preserving his life.

A quiet laugh, "No, that's alright. I like that you're asking questions rather than simply trying to kill me. It's annoying when people try to kill me. They usually yell at me a lot, and I don't like that." He was behind Hide now, "To answer your question: I would like to say I know myself: my talents, characteristics, goals, ect. But that doesn't mean one cannot discover that they are capable of things they had never dreamed of."

"Had you ever dreamed of starting a war?"

"No."

"But you did."

"The war was inevitable, I simply took the lead in order to get the result I wanted."

"Which is?" Hide pressed. Finally he would get some answers.

"To fix as much of this messed up world as I could."

"You said that before. What do you mean 'messed up world'?"

The ghoul halted, spinning to bear down on Hide with the full force of his ghastly mask. He was only a foot from Hide's face, "How much did you hear before?" there was still that quiet intensity to his voice, but this time it was tinged with something more... Fear.

Hide's voice caught in his throat at this crack in the ghoul's indifferent facade. But this time, the Eyepatch ghoul wasn't so patient with his dallying.

"Nagachika Hideyoshi-san," his voice had gone even softer, threatening, "I am a bit on the hungry side tonight, so I would recommend being more cooperative. I believe I have set a prime example so far."

"Everything you've said on this roof. You're conversation with the Gourmet. I didn't really understand anything besides the fact that the raid tonight was a setup, but I already knew that." The ghoul still regarded him suspiciously, so Hide continued, "I just want to know what is really going on with the ghouls, but I'm having a tough time with it."

Eyepatch relaxed slightly, a barely discernible motion that Hide was somehow able to read. If he had taken the time to stop and think, he would probably realize that this ghoul's body language was familiar.

"Did you think it would be easy to understand us?" Eyepatch asked, still staring intently with his one, ruby pupil.

Hide was about to respond when the stair door suddenly slammed open, a clanging metal staccato that interrupted the tense mood. Both Hide and the ghoul jumped back in surprise.

In the blink of an eye, Hide recognized Inspector Amon as he darted between them, flipping the locks on his silver briefcase and drawing his quinque. The inspector dropped into a defensive stance, and Hide noted that the Eyepatch ghoul had done the same on the other end of the rooftop.

"Nagachika-kun," the man's deep voice rumbled, taught with stress, "Please take cover."

"R-right." Hide backed up, ironically, to his original hiding spot, eyes riveted on the standoff.

"Ah, Koutarou Amon-san. Nice to see you again." Eyepatch's tone sounded bored, his posture reverted to a relaxed stance.

"You and your cohorts are the lowest of filth." Amon spat, "You would murder and investigator that has killed none of your kind. Yet you repeatedly send me back in humiliating defeat!"

"There are numerous things wrong with your assumptions," the ghoul held up a blackened finger with each point, "First: you are assuming that Nagachika-san, has never killed a ghoul. That is incorrect. He has indirectly facilitated the extermination if scores if ghouls in his short career. Second: you are assuming I would eat him. Which I would not. Intentionally, at least. Third, your so called 'humiliating defeats' had a purpose. Not that you bothered to learn what that might be."

"What do you suppose I should learn from being spared by a ghoul?" Amon groused.

"Ah ah, that's cheating," Hide could detect a hint of teasing in Eyepatch's tone, "As an investigator it's your job to figure that out."

Amon growled in frustration, leveling his weapon and rushing his opponent instead. The ghoul's stance dropped low, like a predator about to pounce. Fingers clenched like claws, eye burning like a hot coal.

Hide didn't know very much about martial arts - probably a shortcoming of his given his line of work - so he was understandably awed by the level of combat he now witnessed. True, he had seen shoddy videos of ghoul exterminations in his time at the CCG, but those ghouls had relied on their kagune and brute force.

This was not the case with Eyepatch. He didn't even bother with his "hunting organ." Instead, he danced around Amon's attacks like they were nothing more than childish swings. With inhuman speed and agility, he rolled through the air, narrowly evading a horizontal slice of Amon's quinque. Dodging closer, Eyepatch torqued his back foot to deliver an open-handed blow to Amon's solar plexus.

First-Class Investigator, Hide decided, was a well-deserved title for Amon. He took the hit with unnatural endurance, but was pushed back about half the distance of the rooftop. His shoes ground into the gravel as he fought for purchase, his body and arms doubled over to shield his injured torso. Spittle dripped off his chin as he fought for the breath that rasped through his lungs.

But Eyepatch did not purse the opening.

"It's just like that time," Amon grunted, straightening with visible effort.

"No." Eyepatch retorted flatly, "Things are very different now. I used to think you would try to be understanding. But you spout the same rhetoric every time we meet and I'm growing tired of it. I don't need to listen. You can't beat me regardless."

"I have gotten stronger as well." Amon shot back.

"Not strong enough, I'm afraid."

Amon threw himself forward once more, growling, "Damn you!"

Eyepatch leaned out of the way of the inspector's downward swing, his stance still casual. Amon, lightning fast, whipped a leg around, forcing the ghoul to drop into a back-bend. Flowing with the motion, the ghoul windmilled his legs, twisting on his hands. A heel caught Amon in the face and he staggered back. Hide caught sight of blood dripping from his mouth, but the beastly man was relentless.

Unfortunately, there was no question that the CCG representative was sorely outclassed as the match continued. The Eyepatch ghoul had yet to even use his kagune.

"All this action is going to make me hungry." The ghoul commented idily, "Wouldn't it just be better to leave me alone?"

"I'm not letting you walk away again!" Amon uttered with finality.

"That's too bad." Came the dull reply.

"Hideyoshi-kun!"

"Yessir!" Hide felt himself habitually come to attention.

"Have you called HQ?"

"No!" he stammered, "I thought they were right behind you."

"I was just passing by when a man stopped me and said that a CCG investigator had entered the building. Call them." Amon ordered.

Hide fumbled with his backpack, trying to find his cellphone in the deep pockets. His fingers had frozen again while he had been a spectator of the recent action. So when he finally retrieved the device, it fell from his numb digits and clattered away.

"Shit." He cursed, blindly pursuing the device in the dark. Only his legs had stiffened from the rooftop wind as well, and like a drunk Hide gracelessly tripped and fell flat on his face.

He didn't see the subsequent turn of events as he was too busy eating gravel. When he glanced back to the fight, he saw Amon swinging his quinque at Eyepatch. But for some reason, this time, the ghoul was slow to react. He twisted at the last second to avoid the more dangerous end of the inspector's weapon. However, the blunt force threw his head forward. Amon saw his chance, grabbed the edge of the mask, and pulled.

Immediately, two rinkaku blossomed from the ghoul's back. One unbalanced Amon's weapon arm, the other wrapped around his stomach. Crouched low, Eyepatch dragged his foot in a semicircle, angular acceleration building to the point where he tossed Amon aside like a rag-doll.

Hide watched in horror as Amon sailed through the air. Luckily, the investigator tumbled to a stop on the next rooftop over rather than plummeting down twenty stories. But the man was undeniably unconscious and probably had a decent concussion.

Déjà vu. Hide was alone with the crazy cannibal. He scrambled onto his butt, wary of the suddenly violent ghoul.

But something else became a thousand times more interesting. Amon had succeeded in tearing the ghoul's grisly, eyepatch mask from his face.

Ghouls really looked like humans, Hide marveled. However, this was unnerving. Soft, round, almost boyish face; small, button nose; and from this angle he could only see one honest, coffee-colored, eye. Dye his hair brown and he would look just like…

"Kaneki?"

There was no denying the way the ghoul's head whipped around to stare at Hide, his mouth hanging open in surprise. His hands, with those strange, blackened nails, went to his face, shaking as they covered it and discovered the absence of the mask. Yet he couldn't hide it. There stood his best friend. The one who had gone missing. The one Hide had joined the CCG to find because he had the far-fetched hunch that his disappearance was somehow connected to ghouls.

"Kaneki," Hide stood, brushing gravel from his pants, "It's really you."

The ghoul – his friend – wouldn't look at him. But he heard Hide come closer. With every step that narrowed between them, Hide could feel Kaneki's intent to flee.

"Kaneki Ken. Don't run away from me." He tried to keep his tone serious and commanding, but desperation leaked into it nonetheless.

"I'm sorry, Hide." Kaneki muttered, barely able to be heard above the wind, "I'm not feeling well today. Maybe another time."

"Don't give me that bullshit excuse!" Hide felt two years of heartache at his friend's absence hit him like a tidal wave, "That was the excuse you always gave after your surgery. I'm not gonna take it anymore. So give me a straight answer: where have you been!?"

"Are you trying to wake up the whole prefecture, Hide?" Kaneki's familiar teasing tone felt like a sucker punch to the gut.

"Maybe I am!" he shot back heatedly.

"'Where have you been?' not 'Why are you a ghoul?'"

"I…" Hide stuttered, swallowing the lump in his throat that felt like betrayal, "I have a lot of questions."

"I bet." Kaneki sighed, making no progress to answer any of said questions.

"Well?"

Kaneki turned to face him fully for the first time since he had lost his mask. Hide saw what looked like a washed out version of his friend. His color was paler, accented by snowy hair, papery skin, and even his eyes seemed to have faded to grey rather than their typical, warm beige. There was a cold, hardened edge to his voice, his stance, his stare.

"I'm being honest, Hide. Now is not a good time."

"Why?" Hide demanded.

"I'm hungry, and your standing so close is not helping things."

Hide reflexively took a step back, and it was then that it hit him full force, "You really are a ghoul?"

A statement and a question rolled into one.

"Of sorts." Kaneki confessed.

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's complicated."

Reaching back for the memories of what they used to share, Hide asked slowly, "Do you want to talk about it?"

A sharp glance prompted him to elaborate, "Another time of course, but…" a deadline, "Within the next week. We could… get coffee. Maybe you would want water though. I guess I'm not really sure…" he was rambling now, and damnit, it made him look like a fool.

But Kaneki was laughing. Quiet chuckles that betrayed his earlier malice. And as it continued, Hide realized this was just plain Kaneki.

"Hide," he wiped a tear from his left eye, which had reverted to normal, "I had forgotten what a total dork you can be sometimes."

"No way man! That was all you. You thought the ideal first date would be in a bookstore!"

"It went well, you idiot! Save for the last part, it would have been perfect."

Reminding him of 'the moment everything changed' put Hide back on track, "So are we on?"

More somber, Kaneki nodded, "Tuesday, three o' clock at Anteiku. Damn, Touka's going to kill you." Hide was shocked to hear Kaneki talk so casually about brutal murder, "And she's going to dismember me."

"Who, what now?"

Kaneki drilled him with a serious stare, "You will do exactly as I tell you, starting with acting like none of this ever happened."

Quizzically, Hide tilted his head, "Amon's going to ask questions when he wakes up."

"Hide," Kaneki begged, "In order to talk, I need to be able to trust you."

"You've threatened to eat me more than once tonight, Kaneki." Hide took a step back as his friend took a pleading step forward. It was easy to forget that Kaneki was a predator when they laughed together like they had been kids again – young and innocent.

"I know, Hide. But I'm hungry."

"See, you just did it again!"

"You smell good." Kaneki said, as if that explained it.

"That's creepy."

"You pick up bad habits when you hang around other ghouls."

"What kind of insurance do I get?" Kaneki tilted his head questioningly, so Hide explained, "A guarantee that I'll make it through this alive. That your explanations satisfy me. Compensation for keeping quiet."

"What do you want?"

Hide sighed. There was so much he could do with that simple offer. But he was so sick of being in the dark. He wouldn't jeopardize this by asking too much.

"You pay for the coffee."

A smile curled Kaneki's lips, but Hide could tell that the expression was rusty.

"Deal."

Kaneki suddenly seemed nervous, "You might want to get an ambulance for Amon-san. Since he hasn't woken up his head wound might be pretty serious."

"You're right." Hide agreed, "But you locked me out here on the roof and I can't find my phone in the dark."

"Ooops. Sorry?" Kaneki offered a noncommittal shrug.

Conveniently, Hide's phone went off, vibrating with an incoming text. He stooped down to pick it up, saying to his best friend, "You better get lost. But I'll see you on Tuesday."

"Yeah." The empty night responded softly, "See you Tuesday."

Kaneki Ken had disappeared. But this time, it wouldn't be for long.

I wrote this ages ago, so nothing really lines up with what is canon. I just really wanted to see a Hide and Kaneki reunion. Only problem: neither the show nor the manga has really given me that. So here I am, six months later, posting this. Hope you like it!