Notes: Eveyleinchen has translated the first chapter of this into German! The link is on my profile.

He's reading one of Takatsuki Sen's books, his lap full of a sleeping Hide and his feet propped up on the coffee table when it hits him. His eyes widen comically, and his mouth opens in a gape as the realization sinks in.

He and Hide are dating.

Just the thought makes his stomach queasy and his heart flutter, but when he reviews the last few months of their relationship, he can think of no other possible explanation.

They spend almost all of their time together; he's already planned to hang out with Hide in some way or another every day this week, even if it's only for a few minutes. Then there's the nights. Kaneki honestly can't remember the last time he's gone to bed in an empty apartment. Just when did they decide that sharing a bed together at all - much less, every night - was a normal thing to do? He can't recall any of his male or female friends doing anything of the sort.

He's taken it upon himself to make breakfast for Hide (before he even wakes up) at least a few times a week, and Kaneki can't even stomach human food anymore. When did his kitchen become stocked full of anything other than coffee?

And the situation he's in now! Cuddling - because there's really no other word for it - with Hide on the couch has somehow become routine. Sure, Hide's never been one to respect personal boundaries, but he usually limited himself to surprise hugs. Now, they curl into one another while watching TV or while Kaneki reads almost every night - as if it's not strange for them to do so.

He stares down at Hide's unconscious face in utter bewilderment, and another revelation hits him, this one almost leaving him breathless.

He glances around the room nervously, hand flying up to cover his mouth, his book falling to the floor, forgotten - because he'd suddenly been overwhelmed with the urge to kiss that stupid, adorable face.

He wants to kiss - Hide? Why does he want to kiss Hide? He's never wanted to kiss anyone before. And - his face colors as he remembers - had he just called Hide adorable? He had, hadn't he?

He thinks his best friend is adorable, he wants to kiss said best friend, and they've probably been dating for the past few months - without him knowing!

He's making himself dizzy. This is ridiculous! Kaneki Ken, pull yourself together! He manages to scrape together some semblance of courage and forces himself to look at Hide.

Two brown eyes blink up at him. He practically jumps out of his seat - or would have were a person not occupying his lap - and squeaks in surprise.

Hide laughs, removing himself from his Kaneki pillow and sitting upright with a yawn. "Sorry, man, didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay," Kaneki mumbles, entirely too aware of the boy next to him. Now that his attraction is apparent to him, it's becoming difficult to suppress it. Had his pulse always been so erratic?

Hide regards him thoughtfully. "So you wanna tell me what you were freaking out about?"

He jumps again, only slightly, and rather unconvincingly insists, "I wasn't freaking out."

If Hide's raised eyebrow is anything to go by, he doesn't believe it either. "Uh huh."

Kaneki lasts mere minutes before breaking the expectant silence that had fallen between them.

Sighing, he admits, "Okay, so maybe I was. Just a little."

"Thought so," Hide responds cheekily. "What about?"

Blowing out a resigned breath, he decides to just get it over with. Tentatively, he asks, "Hide... are we dating?"

"Aren't we?" is the less than certain answer he gets. He looks over to find that Hide is apparently just as confused as he is.

He tilts his head in askance. Hide reads him correctly and, crossing his arms and somehow sitting cross legged on Kaneki's tiny couch, he clarifies, "When I finally tracked you down and convinced you to come home with me, I told you I wasn't gonna let you leave me again."

"I remember," Kaneki assures him. How could he possibly forget? Hide found him and- and made him feel human again. Made him better. Dragged him out of his spiraling depression and self-destruction. Made this cozy, quiet life possible. No, he won't let himself forget. "But.."

Adopting a serious expression foreign to his usually exuberant face, Hide reveals, "I meant it, Kaneki. You and me, we're going to be together forever." He turns his gaze away, scratching his cheeks, demeanor sheepish. "Okay, that sounds creepy, but that's not..." He shakes his head and then looks Kaneki firmly in the eyes. "I wanna marry you, dude."

Heedless of Kaneki's visible shock, he goes on, "I wanna move in with you as soon as you give the OK. I wanna finish school and get a good job to support you if you don't want to work. I wanna buy stuff with you and buy stuff for you. I just- I wanna spend the rest of my life with you, dude." He smiles brilliantly, and Kaneki finds it hard to breathe.

"Rabbits die when they get lonely, you know?" Hide tells him with a nervous laugh.

A laugh of his own slips out at the familiar phrase, and Kaneki really can't help the grin that stretches across his face - it's a little scared, a little disbelieving, and a little full of affection and fondness. "Did you just confess to me and propose to me on the same day?" is the first thing he says in response.

The tension leaves his shoulders at Kaneki's remark, and Hide laughs again. "Shut up and kiss me."

"Oh my god. Did you just-" Kaneki groans in second-hand embarrassment - because really?

"I said shut up," Hide mutters against his lips, and okay, yeah, that's an effective way to do it.

Later, it occurs to Kaneki to ask a Very Important question. "How long have you been in love with me?"

For him, it might as well have been forever. He can't quite pin down a specific point in time, but he knows for certain that he has loved Hide for longer than he can remember. It just took him a while to realize it.

Hide regards him smugly. "I knew it when we met."

"C'mon, seriously. We were just little kids then." Kaneki rolls his eyes.

Hide insists, "I am serious. Little me met little you, and I decided right there and then!" He bumps their shoulders, expression sly. "I've always had good taste."

Kaneki pushes his boyfriend (and future husband, apparently) away, and he falls dramatically to the floor, whining about betrayals and trust. "I love you! How could you not believe me, Kanekiiiii?"

"Yeah, yeah." He retorts, angling his face away to hide his burning cheeks. "I love you, too, you dork."

End Notes: This is silly and ridiculous, but man, if this fandom doesn't need some fluff! The title is a line from "E.T" by Katy Perry.