Think of a parallel where Rize doesn't die… That's what this is. Also she doesn't know that Kaneki can hear her inside his head. Pairings: Main = Rize x Kaneki, Secondary = Nishio x Kimi, Hide x Touka. Warnings: Sex, blood & gore, language, adult humor, etc.

Also I do short drabbles in the middle of the story where a character will share their thoughts with the audience and act as if they are talking to them. It make it more interactive in my opinion.

Now, onto the story!

Chapter 1

What Goes Around Comes Around

Kaneki sighed at his friend, Hide, as the accused laughed at him, holding his head in one arm as the other slapped against the table. "Oh, come on, it's not that funny…" Kaneki held a serious face and went to take a sip of his coffee.

Hide tried to cease his laughter as he looked up at his friend, tears in his eyes. "You're hopeless, Kaneki!" He stopped laughing, but the mirth didn't die down in his voice as he continued with his exclamation; "You can't take her to a book store on the first date!"

"Why not?!" Kaneki exclaimed, his face holding a small frown. "She might think it's an awesome idea," he stated pointedly, holding a finger up to exaggerate his point further.

With a stern, but playful, warning, Hide looked at his friend. "Look," he started, gesturing towards Kaneki, "don't do it. She'll think you're lame." He patted his hand against the table a couple times.

A surprised expression held the dark haired friends face. "Heh?" His eyes widened. "Then I'll take her to… Big Girl!" He blushed a little and continued, "For hamburgers." The formalness in his voice was too much a Hide cracked up again, laughing at his friend. His hand smacked against the table in habit, hiding his face in his unmoving arm. "I'm being serious, Hide," Kaneki's voice held stern as he leaned closer to his blond haired friend. "Quit laughing."

"I know," the blond haired man said, "that makes it even funnier!" He attempted to hold in his laughter for the next statement, making his voice sound funny and awkward, "You can't take her to a place called 'Big Girl.'"

Kaneki cut in, "Since when are you the expert?" He fixed his friend with a glare, "Fine, where would you take a date?"

"That's easy!" Hide said matter-of-factly. "I pay attention to what she's into and take her to a place I'd think she'd enjoy."

The dark hair man retaliated, "Such as?" He knew his friend too well to think he would actually know.

Hide looked at his friend and rubbed his neck, "Um well, you know, girly places!"

"You don't have a clue do you?"

"If I did I'd be out with a hot girl instead of sitting here looking at your ugly mug."

"Yeah, you got a point."

The two then focused on watching the news on the TV across the room. They continued talking, and made a few comments about the news. Hide even hit on the waitress, Touka Kirishima, before she ran away to get his coffee.

Suddenly, the girl that Kaneki was waiting for walked in. He stared in wonder as she walked passed.

"Her?!" Hide let out a snobby chortle, "You don't have a chance." He crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat, "You and her would be like Beauty and the Bonehead."

"You mean the 'Beast'?" Kaneki retorted defensively.

"Whatever," Hide stretched and threw a few yen on the table, before making another playful, but snide, comment and left with a short goodbye to his long-time friend.

Before Hide left, however, he decided to embarrass his friend on his way out the door. He dramatically waved as he shouted across the small coffee shop, "Good luck, Kaneki! You're going to need all the luck you can get!" He then smiled and left the shop.

Kaneki ignored him though and began reading his book, picking up where he left off. He stole a glance at the girl who stole his heart. She had looked up after moving a piece of hair out of her eyes.

Kaneki's POV

I smiled as I hung up the phone with Hide. I had just informed him that me and her have plans to go to the bookstore Saturday! I still can't believe that she likes the same author that I do. Sen Takatsuki sure had a way with words, and I finally found someone else who agrees. To make it better, it was my dream girl.

I sighed and finished my burger before getting ready for bed. Saturday was going to be great. I bet you don't believe it just as much as I don't.

Rize's POV

Another meal that I'm going to enjoy a little too much. I love the taste of my victims when they realize that they have been betrayed by someone they thought they could trust.

This human, Kaneki, was a weakling. In my opinion, not only am I getting a tasty meal, but I'm removing another pathetic human from this world. You could say that I'm a ravenous killer, but I don't care. I kill for food just as you do, teehee.

Normal POV

"So," Rize started, "tell me, Kaneki; out of all of Takatsuki's novels, which one is your favorite?"

Kaneki thought for a second before answering, "I'd have to say her first one."

"That's understandable, as it was her break out hit."

They continued to talk about Takatsuki's novels as Rize thought to herself, "Ugh, how much longer? This day is going to be slow, I know it. All because I wanted a little taste of tragedy." She sighed to herself. She was then pulled out of her thoughts when Kaneki mentioned her lack of apatite. Little did he know that her appetite was very large, indeed, just not for what they were eating.

"I-I'm on a special diet. Excuse me, I need to powder my nose." She quickly got up from the table and headed in the direction of the bathrooms, only to be stopped by manager, Yoshimura.

"I trust I don't have to remind you of the 20th Wards ghoul policy?" He said sternly.

Rize let down her act and frowned. She knew she couldn't beat him in a battle. Not now, and probably not ever. She sighed and nodded, "Don't worry, I'll make sure that they won't link his death here." She then walk past him, a scowl firm in place.

Yoshimura watched her with fleeting eyes. "Step one has just begun… Her death will be sweet."

After a minute to get her anger in check, as well as puke up the one bite she had taken from the fowl tasting human food, she returned to their table.

Kaneki had then escorted her to the bookstore where they picked out a few books and talked over some points in the books they liked. She had to admit, thought the human was puny, he had a large archive of knowledge. "What a shame… If only I had known this sooner. Oh well, his brain will be useful for my meal."

She wasn't about the let the brain go to total waste yet, though. She decided to test him. "So, what are your thoughts on ghouls?"

"Ghouls?"

"Mh!"

Kaneki made a humming sound and put his hand to his chin, "Well, I have to admit… T-They are just like us!" He looked at her with a smart look as he shared his opinion, "They have to hunt to survive, just as we need to! And, of course, there are bad ghouls and good ghouls, just as there are bad human and good humans." He put his arms strait at his side to keep himself from flailing them around to exaggerate his point, like he did with Hide. "The only difference is that ghouls need to survive off humans."

Rize was about to add her opinion when Kaneki cut in to quickly finish his, "I just wish that ghouls wouldn't target innocents."

Rize hmmed in false agreement.

Later, after paying for their books. "Thank you, I had a great time today," Rise said, bowing.

"No, thank you." Kaneki bowed back in return, "It's been fun." He looked up to see that she was fighting to say something. He looked at her with concern and she sighed.

"I hate to ask this of you," Rize began, "but I live in the area where all the attacks have been happening."

"You mean, with the ghouls?"

"Mh…" She acted with a scared composer. "I don't want you to think I'm weak or anything," she forced a tremble to run over her, "but I'm scared to walk home alone. The very thought of it terrifies me." She felt like laughing as she 'teared up'. "These humans will buy anyone's bullshit."

"I'll walk you home," Kaneki said strongly, "I mean, what kind of a date would I be if I didn't do that much?"

Rize sighed in what she hoped looked like relief. She was so close to getting her meal she could hardly hold it in her not to just devour him here, where they stand. She couldn't help the smile she let through, but she had control enough to hide the real insanity behind it.

On their walk to her 'place' she got him to talk about his family. This would send his trust for her soaring through the roof.

"I-I've only ever talked to Hide about this…" Kaneki said, finally ending his self-pity-party.

Rize gave him a small, caring, pat, "Thanks for sharing this with me."

They were quiet the rest of the way until she finally made it to her planned attack grounds. "Well, this is me." She began to turn away, waiting for him to turn his back to her.

"Rize!" She turned to him. "I'd like to see you again, I mean, only if you want to…?" He blushed but held her stare, eyes wide and hopeful, as well as looking determined.

Rize smile, "Oh, I see. Heh. Well we have similar taste in books, and we are the same age. I suppose we do have a lot in common." She paused. Kaneki waiting with a bated breath that would soon be his last.

A train past-by over their heads, but neither moved. After the noise had stopped, Rize's eyes became hard.

"Kaneki?"

"Yeah?"

"The truth is I've had my eye on you too."

Kaneki's heart stopped for a beat. He couldn't believe that the girl of his dreams liked him. He didn't really hear much after that, he only responded on instinct, shock overweighing him. That shock sooner turned into one of terror, though, as Rize took out her kagune, forming it in front of her feasts face. Kaneki began to shiver. Rize opened her mouth, getting ready to bite. There was a large intake of breath and Rize had to give props to her dinner for not screaming as she dug her teeth into his shoulder.

She took another breath and her voice became deeper as she moaned out her pleaser. "Mmm, tasty, hhm heh."

Kaneki fell back and held his shoulder as pain racked through his entire body. "Why?" Was the only thing he could manage to say to her as she stalked closer.

"See, there is only one thing I love more than reading, and it's ripping the organs out of a victim who thought they could trust me!" She let out a laugh and came closer to him, kneeling down. "Oh I just love the look on your face, Kaneki! So, will you let me have my fun?" She let out a terrifying cackle and Kaneki knew he wasn't coming out of this alive.

Said man felt sorrow for not only the thought of him dying, but the thought that he would never get to say goodbye to the only person who had stuck with him as a friend throughout most of his life.

He leaned back until he was laying on the ground and let her drag his limp body around, throwing it everywhere she could. He soared through the air like a rag doll, and though he accepted his fate, he couldn't help the muffled scream he tried to hold him when she pierced his body with her rinkaku.

Kaneki looked up to the ceiling, for one last look at the sky, only to see that the ceiling itself was about to come crashing down. Maybe it was his 'hero' complex that he had built up for the sweet innocent Rize he thought she was, or maybe it was because he just didn't like causing pain, or seeing others in pain. But as he screamed for her to "Look out!" he gathered the last of his strength and tackled her out of the falling beams.

She screamed in anger and protest before noticing, or more like hearing, what would have been her death. Her eyes widened as she looked over towards the steel grave just feet away from where they were. She then looked down at the man who lay limp on top of her. He smelled dead… Normally she would be upset because her meal gave up to fast, but now it made her heart retch.

"Why had he done that? Stupid HUMAN! Why did you DO THAT?!" Her mind was screaming at her to do something. She didn't know why she had suddenly wanted to help this human. She suspected it was because he saved her life.

Rize's POV

Isn't this what people do when someone give their life for you? Don't you normally start to feel like you own then? Why did this human do this? After all that I did to him, I bet none of you would have done that… You all are selfish cunts, just life the CCG!

You only care for yourself and the human species. You all would have let me die. So why didn't Kaneki? That doesn't matter right now, though. I'll figure it out later, maybe even end up eating him as well, but right now I just want to see him alive again!

I think I should call Yoshimura, yes that's it.

… He answered!

Yes, Yoshimura! I… No! No they didn't catch me, this isn't me warning you, I wouldn't do that anyway! Oh shut up old man!

Just… Let me speak; get your medical equipment ready, I need…. What? What do you mean you're "already on it"? You had a spy come to see if the CCG would catch me?! Just- That doesn't matter right now, I'll be over at Anteiku soon. Yes, old man, I'll do whatever it takes to help, just make him live again, if only so I can finish what I started.

I just hung up with him. I have to go now, follow along if you want. AND YOU! IN THE BACK! Don't think that I won't kill you too if you don't wipe that smug ass look off your face.

Normal POV

Kaneki felt at peace, though he was a little confused. He heard voices in the distance but whole hearted ignored them, as they didn't really make sense to him anyway.

"I-It's so… Warm…" He said to himself, "But why?" Suddenly he felt a presence in his mind, foreign to him. "R-Rize?" He turned around and saw her smiling at him, slowly fading into blackness.

Kaneki didn't think anything of it as is vision turned black once more.

The next thing he knew he was waking up in a very bright room with a very annoying beeping sound. "A hospital?" He questioned himself as he tried to move. He felt weak, and at all his attempts to move his head failed. He tried to call out, but nothing was working.

He didn't fret though, he looked around with his eyes for a few moments, only to fall into a deep sleep once more.

It was days later that he was let out of the hospital. He didn't know why, but all the food they gave him didn't taste right. The food made him sick. He had asked the doctor about it and he shrugged it off as a loss of appetite due to a traumatic experience.

Kaneki knew better though. 'Time heals all wounds,' the doctor had told him. "Yeah right," he said to himself as he opened the door to his apartment. He still couldn't believe any of that had happened. He felt as if it was only a dream. A strange dream. He only knew it was real because the stitched over the organ area that was damaged by her rinkaku kagune.

He was about to walk inside his apartment at close the door when his key got stuck on a bag hanging from the knob. "Huh? I guess I must have been distracted," he said to no one in particular. "One day, someone might just think I'm crazy. I need to hold in my thoughts."

Looking at the bag for a moment he realized that by the picture in the little note that it was from Hide.

'Kaneki! Congrats on getting discharged. I thought you could use some high quality leftovers from my place. I even go you your favorite hamburger. I know, I'm the best ever, haha.

P.S. Come back to school soon dude, it's rough out here on my own.'

"Hide… Thanks, but…" Kaneki closed his eyes. He just wanted to sleep. "I can't right now." He then let sleep take him into its dark calming abyss.

Later that night, after Kaneki had woken up, he bowed his head, thinking to himself about what could be wrong with him. He was also idly listening to the TV, which was toned into the local news station.

~Why can't ghouls be satisfied eating the same food that humans do?" That caught Kaneki's attention. His eyes widened as he listened in, turning his head slowly in the direction of the TV.

~Well, to put it simply, they can only get nutrition from eating human flesh. Eating anything else could actually be detrimental to them. Our food taste disgusting to ghouls because their taste buds work differently than ours."

Kaneki's breath started to quicken and he felt queasy all of a sudden. He rushed into his Kitchen and tore through the bas Hide had given him. He ate all the left overs, only to through them up. He then ripped open his frig, eating anything he could find. Through all this, plus the multiple trips to the bathroom he had made, he was purposely avoiding the burger… His favorite burger.

After all the fail attempts to eat anything in his house, he looked at the burger, the only thing left in his house that was edible. Carefully preparing the parcel he started to tear up. "What if this doesn't work?" He kept asking that question over and over in his mind, until finally the food was ready.

Kaneki's POV

No… I took a bite, but it still… Tastes… Why? This can't be happening. WHY is this happening? I… Hide, he got this just for me and I can't even stand the taste of my favorite burger.

He… I… No. No. NO. NO! NO!

You don't understand. You won't understand! He's my best friend and I feel like I'm betraying him. I can't… I wasted all that food, the food my one and only friend got me. PUT IN EFFORT to give to me.

You'll never know.

Normal POV

It was later that night when Kaneki finally got the courage to get up. He started by listening to the messages that Hide had left on his phone. One of them was about a book signing going on at the local bookstore. His favorite author's book signing.

He got out of bed and put on his jacket, lifting the hood over his head. He didn't want people seeing how bad he looked. As he was about to leave his house, however, he was stopped by a person, Rize to be specific. She had her hand up, as if to knock of his door.

You would think that he was scared, but he wasn't. He just stared at her with tired eyes and sighed.

She cleared her throat, "May I come in?" The black hair man nodded and let the purple woman walk passed him.

Kaneki closed the door, but didn't turn around. "Have you come to kill me? If you have, I would like to ask for a request."

Rize scoffed and pushed a purple lock of hair out of her eyes. "No, you baka! I came to thank you for saving me… and I also heard your blond friend mention how he waited for you outside of the book signing for you and you never showed." She paused to huff and cross her arms. "Luckily for you, I accidentally grabbed two copies of Takatsuki's new book. She signed both." Rize then rummaged through her shopping bag and plucked out the second copy.

She held it out for Kaneki to take. He did. "Thanks," he said quietly, his voice strained from lack of food and nothing but water. He opened the book and observed that this one was made out to him specifically. "That must have been an 'accident' too," he thought to himself.

"Also," the purple haired ghoul said, "the manager at Anteiku asked me to give you this…" She when through her personal bag this time and took out what looked like a meat package. This package was different though… It smelled… Good.

Kaneki took hold of the package and his mouth started to water. "W-Why is he giving me this? How does he know me? What is in the package?"

Rize rolled her eyes, "Woah there, cowboy. Easy on the questions." She took a short look around before inviting herself to sit on his couch. She put her bags down on his table and leaned back, crossing her arms. "First of all, the manager knows you because he's the one that did surgery on you. Second, he gave you the package because you need to eat soon before you go out into the world; though, I personal would have enjoyed that show. Lastly, it's the meat off of a suicide vic off one of the highways."

Kaneki dropped the package and rubbed his hands on his clothes before realizing why the manager would give that to him to eat. "You mean? I-"

"Yeah, yeah, start getting used to it, Kaneki. It's a ghoul eat ghoul world out there." Kaneki's eyes snapped up to meet hers and he ran to the mirror on the door of his bathroom.

His left eye pulsed and twitched, making it easier for him to see the flowing red vanes connected to his red pupil. The rest of the eye was a terrifying jet black. "Wha-What's happening to me?" His breath becomes heavy and he growls before punching his hand into the mirror.

He rushes back to his kitchen, ignoring Rize, who had gotten up to see what the noise was about. "I know what's causing this," he whispers to himself as he starts to remember what the voices had said when he was in the warm place. He grabbed a knife from the knife holder and looked at it, "If it doesn't hurt me, then none of this is real." He looks at the knife for a moment longer before lifting up his shirt and aiming the sharpened object at where his stitches use to be. Regular kitchenware could hurt him. It had to hurt him! "If I'm a ghoul, this won't hurt!"

"Kaneki?" Rize said as she turned the corner to see him plunge the knife down. Her eyes widened, just as Kaneki's had. The knife broke. That was the reason Kaneki's eyes grew large. Rize, however, was surprised at what her savior had just attempted after all she did to save him.

Kaneki felt to the floor, still clutching the handle of the knife, as tears fell from his eyes. He then curled in on himself, "Now, what the hell am I supposed to do now?"

Rize sighed and sat down on the ground beside her 'knight in shining armor' as he cried. She had to admit though, she would do the same to if she had been in his position. "Ugh," she thought, "where's a buffet of corpses when you need them?"

End Chapter 1

What Went Around Came Around