Break The Spell

Notice: I do not own the characters featured in the following, all characters belong to Ishida Sui.

Yoyo's OP Note: A TouKen story as my first, woohoo! Were you expecting any less? HA! This takes place after the recent Cochlea arc - it might (definitely) not go down like this, but goddammit let me dream. There's also a lil' something for you AyaHina fans.

Summary: Kaneki, Touka, and company have miraculously yet successfully managed to escape from Cochlea with their lives. Their destination? The :re cafe. Touka has been given the opportunity to come face-to-face with the formerly lost Ken after nearly five, long absent years of miscommunication.

~o~o~o~

Snow began to shower the group with the occasional breeze accompanying it.

There they were, taking slow steps after having had been ensured of their far off distance from Cochlea. Hinami walked beside Ayato, who had kindly offered her his coat to keep herself shielded away from the cold. Ayato himself didn't mind, for Hinami must have had a rough experience already. This, if among all else, was his way of telling her that no one would take her away and harm her anymore.

But, damn...was he freezing his ass off, too. His body began to react with shivers as he embraced himself for warmth. Hinami took a notice, and with an amused smile curled up on her lips, gently nudged his arm. "Ayato-kun," she softly called out. Ayato's attention was brought over to Hinami, who proceeded to open up the coat for him to come along inside with her.

Ayato wore a slight baffled expression on his face before he lightly shook his head with an ensured smile on his face. "No, I'll be fine. It's all yours."

Who is he seriously trying to fool? No one but himself, Hinami thought.

Without his permission, she proceeded to kindly wrap the coat around them both, much to the boy's surprise. "Hi..nami.." he uttered. She then snuggled her head against his chest, and with soft spoken words, responded with, "You don't have to risk getting sick for my sake, Silly."

Well, damn, what else could he say?

This was a battle and Ayato expectedly lost. He gladly accepted the offer and walked along side his generous friend with a faint smile formed on his face. His cheeks brightened red, but he secretly hoped she hadn't seen that out of sheer embarrassment..

Meanwhile, Renji leaded the group with a stern look on his face, carrying a slowly healing albeit injury riddled Eto on his backside. Eto, who had lost consciousness sometime after this depature from the prison, had unexpectedly been recommended by Kaneki to be brought along with them instead of leaving her to her assured death over at Cochlea.

Eto's body had been wrapped around with by Renji's jacket for protection from the freezing weather. Renji, on the other hand, didn't care much for the cold. In fact, he seemed to have some type of immunity to it.

Behind them would be Kaneki and Touka themselves. Kaneki had barely spoken a word since their escape, and it made sense, especially after what he's been through. Being nearly beaten to death, losing several limbs, battling and tragically losing his 'father'...

... Yeah, how could he forget? Ken could still visually see Arima, slicing his own throat in a successful attempt at suicide and then dying in his arms; an endless stream of blood trickling down from his wound. It was unbelievably ironic how that situation turned out to be. Kaneki, who once yearned for death himself, had been taught the value in life by a man who would then take his own life.

With a solemn expression, the white haired male wished that Arima didn't decide to die, but instead walk alongside them in their journey to safety... away from Cochlea, away from the CCG, away from all the sorrow and instead be with his precious son.

Kaneki had obtained new valuable knowledge - a new sense of salvation as a result of his ordeal with Kishou. But, he still wanted Arima to be by his side during the upcoming revolution. Nevertheless, Ken believed in the back of his mind that his father would be with him in spirit, and letting him down was not an option.

Touka's hues shifted over to Kaneki, whose white hair strands shielded over his eyes. This was the first time, in a very long time, where she had seen him... Not as Haise Sasaki, the Ghoul Investigator - no..but instead, her long time friend, Kaneki Ken.

She was left utterly speechless. How did these circumstances even come to be?

She hadn't expected for his memories to return any time soon, and in deep down, she had came to terms with the fact that they would never return. Touka believed that as long as Kaneki was content with his new lifestyle under a new name, then so was she. Just as long as he was safe away from any harm as opposed to his previous life.

But, now... here he was; with the Ghoul Investigator role tossed aside and now self proclaiming himself to being the One-Eyed King... Whatever the hell that was.

Really, what was she supposed to think of this? Touka thought he had it all, a settled life with people who made him smile surrounded around him. But, now, he's chosen to get back into action and once again become apart of the 'Ghoul World' - something Ken had taken away from her so that she could enjoy the finer things...and she did.

Touka couldn't help but be concerned for his safety, and dammit, she has every right to be! She lost him before, and absolutely did not want to lose him again... and hopefully not permanently. But with this overwhelming strength of his, was concern necessary?

"You..." She spoke out to Kaneki faintly, immediately catching his attention as he glanced over towards her, "... decided to bring her along. Why was that?"

Kaneki was aware that her referred to Eto. Truth be told, he didn't know the precise answer himself. Eto had done horrible things, to both himself and plenty of others, but... "I... was given the task by The Manager to save her," he responded to the woman, his attention brought to the wounded female ahead, "and although I honestly don't particularly agree with him, I could see why he branded me with such a task."

His hues shifted down towards the white riddled ground below before he could continue, his face wearing a bit of an amused expression as Touka looked on with slight confusion and interest. She caught a small yet noticeable smirk coming from the male.

"She and I... don't differ from each other at all, actually." he inferred.

Touka, despite being a tad bit confused, could understand what he meant. Ken had once been encased in darkness with seemingly no means of escape. Her eyes glanced over to the unconscious Eto.

Maybe, the same had happened to her, and this was the result.

Eventually, the group had reached their destination at the :re cafe. Inside, they were greeted by Tsukiyama, who had been sitting all alone at an empty table, anxiously waiting for their safe return. He sprung up in merriment to not only see Yomo-san and Kirishima alive, but Little Hinami, as well!

But... wait, another familiar face came across Tsukiyama's sight. "Ka... neki-kun?" he asked, utterly dumbfounded. Kaneki faced Tsukiyama with composure before responding solemnly with, "Tsukiyama.. You're still alive, I see."

¡Imperdonable!

How dare he?! Showing his face around with after his unforgettable and unforgivable attempt at taking his life by being thrown off of a building rooftop! Tsukiyama was fueled with disgust over the sight of Kaneki's presence... That was until, however, ...

"... I'm sorry, Tsukiyama, for everything up until now." Ken apologized with a sincere smile that spoke regret. It was a sign Tsukiyama understood all too well, and he couldn't help himself but to forgive the young man.

Time had passed, and the :re crew had settled in the cafe after Banjou and his crew, along with Hirako and the rest of Squad Zero, parted ways from the rest. Midnight had fallen, Ayato, Hinami, Tsukiyama and Renji rested separately in the rooms above the cafe. Eto had been put into recovery as well.

Meanwhile, Kaneki remained downstairs, sitting by his lonesome on a stool in front of the counter with a brewing cup of coffee. By then, his arms and legs had healed after having been given some nourishment.

He glanced at his own rippling reflection from the coffee with a solemn expression before lifting it up to his lips for a taste. He released a unsatisfied hum before noting, "... Bitter." It had been an awful long time since he had made coffee for himself, and with a glance around, it was a long time since he had been in a cafe such as this... Last time, it was with the Quinx Squad during his time as Sasaki Haise.

With his head bowed, Ken had each of their faces planted in this mind, Saiko, Mutsuki, Urie, ... and Shirazu. He became concerned for his 'children' and couldn't help but wonder about their current situation on Rushima Island. Did Urie and Saiko successfully manage to rescue Mutsuki? Although he was not familiar with the new Quinx bunch, Kaneki prayed for their safety, as well.

Suddenly, a familar soft tone of voice spoke out to him. "Not that much of a fan of sleep, are you?"

Kaneki looked to his left to find Touka, wearing a faint smile, standing at the end of the counter, "Touka-chan.." he muttered before asking, "did you just wake up?"

"Idiot," she insulted as she walked behind of the counter until she stood before him, "I never slept. I was too concerned about you."

"Sorry," he softly apologized as chuckles escaped from his lips. "I didn't mean to make you worry over me. I decided to come down to make myself a cup of coffee. But of course, the end result isn't as good as yours, Touka-chan."

Flattered, Touka gave off a smile and chuckle of her own as she leaned against the counter, placing her elbows ontop with her chin resting above her hands.

"... A lot on your mind, huh?" She asked in a dim tone, glancing down at him.

"A lot would be an understatement.." He responded with the same tone of voice, bowing his head once more with streaks of his white hair shielding his expression.

He was right, after all that he's been through, and for what he was planning ahead, it would only be natural for his mind to be all over the place. Although he was indeed confident in his role as the One-Eyed King, there was also some doubt in the back of his mind.

Would he even be able to make a difference?

Who's to say that he won't die in the process?

What does it even mean to be the One-Eyed King?

These are questions that repeatedly ran through his mind, often annoyingly overlapping each other.

"I've... never thought I'd see the day, actually." Touka spoke, her eyes shifting off towards a random direction in the cafe. Kaneki then lifted his head and began to listen. "You returning to us... as you are, I mean."

Of course, last time Kaneki had seen Touka and entered the :re cafe, he was donning a white suit without the faintest memory of who she was. She remembers huddling on her bed that following night, uncontrollably shedding tears whilst clenching on the present Kaneki had previously given her for her birthday in her palm - a rabbit keychain.

"Even though rumors were spread that you had died... I had hoped for the best that you were alive. But then, you came along, nearly two years later on 'that day'.. You were a completely different person, and you couldn't remember who we were... who I was. It felt as though... you did die.."

Touka's hands began to clench tightly, her eyes shut themselves as she bit down on her bottom lip and prevented herself from breaking down. Kaneki caught wind of this, watching with a somber expression.

"Touka-chan..."

She went on, ".. But, you were happy... and that made me happy in return." Her hands began to loosen up with her eyelids slowly reopening. "Even if it meant things weren't going to be ho they used to be, even if it meant that we weren't going to cross paths again, I was fortunate that you found some happiness in life... "

There was a dead silence immediately afterwards between the two, for Kaneki was at a loss of words for the time being. He held his cup and glanced down at his reflection in the coffee once again until finally, he spoke..

"You're right... When I had returned, all of my past memories prior to being 'killed' had vanished along with my previous life." He responded.

"But... I did feel as though I met you before, Touka-chan.."

Her face slightly lit up at his response as she turned her head towards him.

"I didn't know what to make of it, but I knew that we were somehow connected... and with that connection, I was able to feel the saddness in that smile of yours."

"Kaneki..." She uttered underneath her breath in a state of shock.

"Even when I had lost who I was, you were never once let go from my mind... And without you, Hide, Yomo-san, and everyone else... I felt empty on the inside." He ensured, gripping on the handle of the coffee cup.

Touka felt a strange feeling on the inside of her stomach, something without explanation. She proceeded to glance down at Ken, who lulled his head over the cup of coffee.

There he sat, reflecting on the time he spent as Sasaki Haise in his bedroom, and like Touka, all alone. He occasionally cried over the fact that he didn't know himself. He couldn't remember his parents, his loved ones, his friends - any one who he had been associated with during his previous life as Kaneki Ken. He was a lost soul... someone who hid from himself and his past.

Yes, he was surrounded by a new family gifted to him by the CCG, and he was eternally grateful for that... However, not even they could replace what he had tragically lost beforehand.

Kaneki then remembered his horrific days crouching in the corner of his cell as Number 240 - before he was given the identity of Sasaki Haise. He often violently clawed at the walls and sealed exit of his cell to the point where his finger nails would be no more. He yearned for his friends, and yearned to save them from whatever danger they happened to be in.

But then, he heard the voice of The Reaper telling him,..

They're dead. I killed them all.

That was when Kaneki became a shell of his former self as Number 240, and allowed the new identity of Haise Sasaki to take over.

Touka-chan, Yomo-san, The Manager, Hide, if they were all gone... he believed, what was the point of living himself if he had failed to protect them?

... Protect... Protect. Protect. Protect...

He failed... Or so, he believed.

Haise had obliviously been reunited with Touka and Renji, and on the inside, Kaneki had slowly began to awaken from his slumber from within.

Back in the present, unexpectedly, Touka would lean over and place her hands on Ken's cranium with her forehead resting against it. Her hues focused on his dazzled expression, with his own hues coming into contact with hers.

Her eyes are beautiful..., he thought, and indeed they were.

Touka-chan... is beautiful.

":re... has always been your home." She ensured with a gentle tone of voice. "If your memories were to ever return, you would have us to come back to in your desperate time of need. What you choose to do from now on depends on you... but just know, I will always be there."

His expression softened as his negative train of thought began to fade away. Her voice was soothing to his ears... her presence gave him confidence that everything would be all right.

She was his solution to taking away the pain.

"Touka-chan.." He softly uttered as he gently held her hands and placed them in between the two, their heads now apart but merely inches away from each other.

"I'm not sure what'll happen from here on out, but... but I believe both you and I could get through this together. As long as we have each other in the end, that's all that matters."

A stream of tears began to fall down her face as a response. Once again, she had been left speechless.

"Shitty Kaneki..." Touka muttered before leaning and resting her forehead against Kaneki's with a smile which spoke happiness, saddness and relief. She was releasing nearly five years of sealed up emotions.

"If you even think about leaving me again, I'll beat you senseless..."

Amused, Kaneki took in the moment, but not before ensuring her of his stay. "I won't."

"Thank you, Touka-chan... for everything."

He was right where he needed to be - home.

Yoyo END Note: I began writing this at 1 AM... it's now 6 AM. What's sleep when you have TouKen? Leave a review and tell me what you guys think. :)