Experiment #1369

Main character(s): Hideyoshi Nagachika and original male character

Rating: T

Warnings: light shounen-ai and bromance. Mpreg without the actual mpreg.

Summary: AU. Hide is given a child to raise. A child that is apparently his and some ghoul's offspring. Except the baby is a tube baby that was created and saved from being an experiment. Now Hide is raising a half ghoul child all on his own. The only thing Hide wants to know is where to get the human meat without resorting to murder.

Disclaimer: Uh? The term fanfiction should explain everything.

When Hide had left the apartment, Kaneki had thought that the blond left some of the documents about Kouki behind. That's why Kaneki went to find an egg timer before setting it for thirty minutes and handing it over to Kouki. Hopefully by the end of thirty minutes, Kaneki would had found the papers and Kouki would be somewhat dressed.

Turned out, hoping for either to be done was too optimistic.

"Damn it," Kaneki growled as he gripped the bed sheets tightly. With the conversation still in his mind, Kaneki climbed off of the bed and started walking around the room. Hide actually went through with his promise of taking all information he had on Kouki to work with him. Stopping in front of the door, Kaneki's face turned murderous as he started to think about the conversation he and Hide never finished last night.

"What do you mean you were going to follow Jason?!" Kaneki shouted to himself in anger. Last night he was still in shock about Hide working for the CCG but now –with a clearer mind- he finally comprehended what Hide had said.

Because not only did Hide force Kaneki to think of what possible job he had –Kaneki always thought the worst first- he also subtly placed his comment of meeting with Jason in a spot that forced Kaneki to skim over that information. Because Kaneki, at that time, was more concerned with thinking of possible jobs that involved ghoul and human interaction. Easy to say that Kaneki had thought that some sketchy ghoul was forcing Hide to sell himself out to ghouls.

Being honest to himself, Kaneki personally thought that Hide working for the CCG was better than his 'Hide is an escort for ghouls' theory.

Little thuds were heard in the living room as a timer beeped.

"What ghoul did you meet yesterday?" Kaneki asked before Kouki could say anything. This caused Kouki to erupt into a never stopping run-on sentence as he commented about a 'mean ghoul' he and Hide had met yesterday.

Kaneki merely smiled and nodded his head at the right intervals between Kouki's run-on sentences.

"Kisima!" the toddler cheered at the end of his mostly unintelligible sentence.

Frowning slightly, Kaneki tilted his head in thought. "Do you mean-" Kaneki smiled brightly at Kouki "-Kirishima?" Because Touka's little brother was the only other ghoul Kaneki bothered to remember with an Ukaku.

Kouki nodded his head furiously in pride, not noticing the glint in Kaneki's eyes.

"I know him" Kaneki smiled as he ruffled Kouki's hair before helping Kouki button his shirt the right way.

Seemed that he and Kouki were going to hunt a ghoul down after they shopped for paint.

/

Of course before Kaneki looked for Ayato, Kaneki had to buy all the items on the list that Hide had left on the fridge.

Stepping into the checkout line, Kaneki easily placed the paint cans onto the conveyer belt.

"What's this?" Kouki asked again as he brought something back to Kaneki once again.

Just like the young Hide Kaneki remembered, Kouki was curious. Very, very curious. More than once, Kaneki had panicked when Kouki disappeared from his sight only to come back carrying something and asking what it was. This happened multiple times throughout the store making Kaneki actual consider talking to Hide about purchasing a leash or bell to keep track of the toddler.

Turning to look down at Kouki, Kaneki wondered how Hide survived when he was younger. No wonder the young Hide he knew was always outside after dark, he probably snuck out after seeing something interesting. Hide and Kouki would be the death of him with how inquisitive they were. Talk about taking the saying 'curiosity killed the cat' a little bit too far.

"A lighter," Kaneki smiled as he lifted the toddler up before he took the lighter from small hands and placed it back from where Kouki had grabbed it.

"What's that?" Kouki asked as Kaneki stepped up to the cashier.

Handing over the money, Kaneki grinned as the girl behind the counter cooed at Kouki.

"It's something that we don't play with," Kaneki said as he shuffled Kouki to his other arm as he picked up the cans.

Kouki pouted before pointing to something else in the store.

"Be a big boy and hold the change for me," Kaneki said as he slightly allowed Kouki to turn to the cashier and accept the change.

Kicking Kaneki slightly as he hummed, Kouki pouted at the money in his hands. "What's this?" he asked as he squinted at the yen.

"Do you know how to count?" Kaneki asked in return.

"No."

"I can teach you," Kaneki paused for a moment to think, "Do you know how to read?"

Kouki squinted in confusion at Kaneki.

"Never mind. I can teach you that too," Kaneki said with a smile.

Kouki pouted as he bounced slightly in Kaneki's arms. "Kagune," Kouki said simply and suddenly as if the toddler was repeating the word from someone else. Which technically was true.

Kaneki stopped walking for a moment before casting Kouki a sideway smile, "yeah, we got to do that today as well. Especially before Hide gets off work."

/

Kaneki had decided he would look for Touka's younger brother later. He had no information or clues to where Ayato could had been so with the search for Ayato postponed, Kaneki had made up his mind about what he and Hide theorized about Kouki.

Which lead to Kaneki's current situation.

Some part of Kaneki knew that said situation was a possible outcome. It's not the worse possible outcome –the worse being Touka or Tsukiyama saying something that Kouki didn't like when Kaneki had made a brief visit to the manager- but this outcome was certainly not the worse.

Kouki, with his kagune out, fluttering above Kaneki wasn't all that bad. But it was the fact that Kouki had an Ukaku kagune whereas Kaneki didn't; therefore Kaneki had zero ideas of how to fly or teaching someone how to fly. So with great concern, Kaneki begged for Kouki to come down. That simple request was what caused Kouki to nod thus causing Kouki to fly into the ceiling of the sewer.

(What happened afterward reminded Kaneki of a never ending line of dominos falling against one another).

If it was just that one impact then Kaneki would not be as worried and stressed out as he was right now. No that one impact lead to increasingly painful sounding impacts all over the room. Because Kouki had a kneejerk reaction and as a ghoul with wings, it lead to Kouki flying away quickly only to hit another immovable brick object.

"Kouki!" Kaneki shouted in concern as he watched the toddler's speed of impact increase. "Just stop moving!" Kaneki begged loudly as Kouki started to wail with each impact.

Of course, Kouki couldn't really stop –Kaneki had to remind himself that Kouki was a toddler- so squinting up at the moving blur, Kaneki took a deep breath as he released his kagune.

Perhaps it wasn't the smartest move on his part, but Kaneki had to think of a plan quickly to stop Kouki's impacts. So doing the only thing he thought possible, Kaneki propelled himself in between Kouki and the wall. Which ended up in Kaneki halfway shoved through the wall with Kouki hanging onto Kaneki's leg crying in pain.

"It hurts!" Kouki cried as Kaneki slowly maneuvered out of the wall.

Kaneki winced as he sat on the hole in the wall and brought his leg up so he could dislodge Kouki from it.

Hissing sharply, Kaneki kept his smile –if slightly strained- on his face as he managed to remove Kouki's bone shattering grip on his shins. "Hey," he consoled Kouki's cries as he held and rocked the toddler back and forth in a soothing motion. Using his kagune to reach the ground gently, Kaneki cooed at Kouki until the child's cries turned into soft body lurching whimpers. "It's okay. I got you," Kaneki said as he hummed a song that he remembered his mother humming when he was a child.

Kouki –whose Ukaku had dispersed- wrapped his arms around Kaneki's neck before shoving his face into Kaneki's shoulder.

Sighing deeply to himself, Kaneki looked upwards and observed the multitude of dents in the ceiling. Silently thanking that Hide wasn't there with them, Kaneki turned his head around to note the various toddler shaped depressions on the room's walls. Wincing again at the memory, Kaneki patted Kouki on the back in comfort as Kouki sniffled.

This was when two ghouls in all too familiar masks chose to walk through a wall –which Kouki had made into an opening- surprising Kouki and Kaneki.

"Touka-chan? Tsukiyama-san?" Kaneki asked softly as the two walked into the spacious sewer area.

Kouki lifted his head as he turned slightly to face the ghouls and hissed. Kouki's hissing turned into a deep growl as his Ukaku re-appeared. "Smells!" Kouki growled at Kaneki and the two other ghouls in anger and alarm.

Kaneki smiled sheepishly as Kouki began spitting, "hey, it's okay they're just-"

"Prepare to die," Touka suddenly spoke up and Kaneki realized what the two were planning to do. He suddenly regretted telling them about not knowing whether Kouki had two kagune types or not. Trust Touka and Tsukiyama to think of one of the most dangerous way to find out. Couldn't they be normal like him? Could they not think of a less ghoul-like plan?

"No!" Kouki yelled as he twisted in Kaneki's grip.

Laughing somewhat, Kaneki was even more happy for the lack of Hide's presence as he avoided both Touka's and Tsukiyama's attacks. "It's going to be okay," Kaneki said in somewhat confidence. He actually couldn't tell if the two were going to actually attack Kouki or him. Kouki increased his struggles in Kaneki's arms.

"You both smell so delicious!" Tsukiyama cheerfully informed and suddenly, Kaneki wasn't so sure that they wouldn't seriously harm -at least Tsukiyama- Kouki.

Releasing both his kagune and kakugan, Kaneki changed his grip to Kouki's shoulder blades only to grind his teeth as a sharp numbing pain traveled up his arms.

Hissing to himself, Kaneki casted Kouki a glance only to gape at Kouki in surprise. Somewhere in the mayhem, Kouki had released his kagune but that wasn't the cause for the numbing pain Kaneki felt. It was that the wings on the toddler's back was covered in what felt and looked like ice.

Roaring loudly, the air around Kouki shifted with the flap of his wings. Shuddering, Kaneki resisted the urge to wrap his arms around himself as his breath started to come out as white puffs of visible air. "Kouki" Kaneki sharply said with chattering teeth and split lips from the cold.

Kouki ignored Kaneki as his wings fluttered strongly making the toddler –and Kaneki who held on- fly up into the air. This caused the wings to start blowing a quick bitter icy wind towards Touka and Tsukiyama.

Trying to dodge, Touka and Tsukiyama found themselves unable to move as ice encased their legs.

Kaneki watched in mild horror as the two tried to remove the ice only for it to grow faster with each time they pulled a piece of ice off.

Kaneki winced as his friends were quickly frozen in ice while Kouki stomped his feet in the air. Kouki''s wings still violently flapped behind him adding more ice to the two frozen ghouls.

Snapping out of his shock, Kaneki yelled at Kouki; "Kouki! Stop! That's enough!"

Kouki stopped immediately and Kaneki clutched the toddler to his chest as they landed. Giving Kouki a shaky smile, Kaneki ignored the pain in his chest from the blast of ice as he stepped cautiously toward Touka and Tsukiyama.

"Good?" Kouki asked with his head tilted upwards at Kaneki as Kouki chewed gently on the side of his hand in nervousness. Dispersing his kagune again, Kouki shifted in Kaneki's arms.

Kaneki stared at the toddler in surprise before giving Kouki a wide grin. "Very good," Kaneki cheered in a slightly strained voice as he watched the frozen ghouls before him. "Do you know if they're still alive?" he asked in a slightly worried tone. Because Kaneki didn't really know what the manager and Yomo would do if Kouki accidently killed Touka.

And Kaneki didn't even know if Tsukiyama had friends that would be vengeful if he died. Perhaps it was his human side speaking but if Kouki killed Tsukiyama, Kaneki would sleep a little easier at night without worrying if the gourmet decided to eat Kouki.

"No," Kouki said in a sullen forlorn tone as if he was disappointed that he failed to kill the two.

Kaneki smiled brightly as he placed Kouki in his other arm. "Then we should leave quickly," Kaneki said as he started to walk away. Turning around to slightly face the two he silently mouthed an apology to Touka and Tsukiyama.

"How do you feel about books?" Kaneki asked absent mindedly as he turned his face back to Kouki.

/

"Mommy!" Kouki loudly cheered as he ran around a corner and in between the group of teen girls walking around at the same time.

Kaneki now struggled to keep the hyper toddler within his sight as he tried to gaze past the giggling school girls without seeming rude. The group of giggling girls had stopped to coo at how adorable Kouki was when he excitedly ran by them. "Kouki!" Kaneki made sure to give a quick bow to the group of now blushing girls Kouki had ran around, "please don't go out of my sight."

"Careful Kouki!" a familiar voice cheered as Kaneki made his way to where Kouki had ran.

An all too familiar hair of blond was the first thing Kaneki had noticed before he saw the image of Hide picking an excited Kouki up. "You're off work already?" Kaneki asked as he approached the two.

"Yep!" Hide responded with a grin, "How has your day been?"

Kaneki froze as he avoided Hide's expectant gaze. "We bought the paint you asked for," Kaneki said with a small smile, "we also picked up some children books" Kaneki held up the bag filled with books to Hide.

Kaneki paused after that. How was he supposed to tell Hide about Kouki's surprising kagune's talent? Was it required that he'd tell Hide? Would he be able to steer Kouki away from mentioning what he did today? Swallowing, Kaneki gave Hide his best smile before opening his mouth to comment.

"Cold!" Kouki interrupted loudly as he bounced in Hide's arms.

Hide looked down at Kouki in mild confusion, "cold? Are you cold?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

"We should go to the playground!" Kaneki said in a loud voice before he shuffled closer to Hide so that he could whisper in Hide's ear. "Let's talk about that in more private area," he suggested.

Kouki pouted up at Kaneki for interrupting him.

"Okay" Hide elongated the vowels as he gazed at Kaneki briefly before turning his eyes back to Kouki. "Let's go play," Hide smiled softly at Kouki.

Kouki's little pout became bigger as he turned his gaze to Hide.

"Now, now," Hide chastised and Kaneki watched in interest as Hide gently tapped Kouki's nose repeatedly causing the toddler to start laughing and blinking. Turning his attention back to Kaneki, Hide winked; "those books aren't too tiring for you to hold, right? Cause we're going to the playground."

Kaneki rolled his eyes before he started to walk in the playgrounds direction. "I'm fine because I'm strong. It is you who should be worried. With those little twigs as arms, isn't Kouki getting too heavy for you to carry?" Kaneki asked in a joking tone as he casted a smile at Hide and Kouki who were gaping at him. Chuckling to himself, Kaneki hummed as Kouki and Hide sputtered before telling Kaneki that he was wrong.

/

Kaneki had noticed the smell when he was pushing Kouki on the toddler swing set Hide had placed him in. Pausing in his motion, Kaneki stood still with his arms reaching up to catch the chains of Kouki's swing.

"Kaneki?" Hide asked as he walked over to Kaneki and a grumpy Kouki.

Kaneki pulled a struggling Kouki out of the swing.

"No!" Kouki screeched as he waved his arms around as if trying to force Kaneki to place him back into the swing set.

Shoving Kouki into Hide's arms –which surprised both blonds and stopped Kouki's mini tantrum- Kaneki made sure Hide had a grip on Kouki before turning around with his kakugan showing. Snarling primitively, Kaneki turned his head around slightly to address Hide. "Go home," he said to Hide.

"Excuse me?" Hide squawked indignantly, "is something wrong? Is someone out there?"

Kaneki gritted his teeth before fully turning around to stare at Hide before changing his gaze toward Kouki. "Hey," Kaneki smiled at the glare Kouki had sent him; "I know you still wanted to play but you need to take Hide to somewhere safe."

Still glaring at Kaneki –and unwilling to break eye contact- Kouki crossed his arms in anger.

"Please?" Kaneki's smile didn't waver as he kept eye contact with Kouki, "you want to protect Hide? This how you do it?" Kaneki stated and Kouki blinked as his glare became more of a determined gaze when he nodded his head in agreement.

Hide smiled at the two, "do I get a say in this?" Hide asked sarcastically.

Kouki and Kaneki looked at Hide. "No" they said together as if Hide was being silly.

"You must protect him" Kaneki said before standing up from his crouch to ruffle Kouki's hair, "I'm counting on you."

Kouki puffed up his chest in pride as Kaneki waved at him and Hide before jumping away.

"Well then," Hide said with a click of his tongue "want to keep on playing?" Hide smiled mischievously at Kouki.

The determined look Kouki had on when Kaneki talked about protecting Hide disappeared as an expression of eager happiness replaced the serious determined look the toddler had on before. Only this expression didn't last as the determined look came back only to be replaced by his happy expression again. All in all, Hide watched in amusement as Kouki changed expressions constantly resulting in the toddler looking slightly constipated.

"Hey," Hide spoke through his silent laugh, "Kaneki won't find out." Kouki looked up at Hide's gentle smile, "it'll be our little secret." Hide winked at the end of his sentence and Kouki gave a determined look.

"No," he said causing Hide to blink in surprise at the forcefully tone in the toddler's steady voice.

Hide hummed, smile not leaving his face, "even if I say we're going to be playing a new game we haven't played before?" Hide grinned as Kouki's gaze of determination wavered slightly.

Kouki bit his lip on thought.

"It will be an adventure," Hide said.

Kouki furrowed his brow in thought.

"The best kind of adventure!" Hide said cheerfully "we would be searching for a lost princess to bring her back home! And well get to fight dragons to save her!"

Kouki's eyes widen, all determination in them gone as he gazed at Hide in wonder, "like Herkales?" he asked tone filled with amazement and adoration.

Hide nodded his and with a smile he told a tale about the princess they were saving as he walked out of the playground in the same direction Kaneki had went.

A/N:

I know, I know. I spelt Herakles wrong when Kouki was saying the name. But let's be honest people how many toddlers are able to say that name correctly?

Well, I never said that I was good at fighting scenes so I hope that the scene isn't too terrible. Turns out that Kouki didn't get a chance to reveal his rinkaku but a whole other surprise that Kaneki and the others weren't expecting. Not that I blame them for their surprise. So hopefully the next chapter has Kouki revealing his rinkaku to Hide.