Authors Note: This is my version of how Tokyo Ghoul A ended.

Warning: This has implied Kaneki X Hide.

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The flames engulf the coffee shop, and Kaneki could faintly hear the sound of glass breaking, but it didn't matter. Hide was dead. He wouldn't open his eyes again. He wouldn't smile at him. He wouldn't brag to Kaneki about how he had the best wife while Kaneki was a successful writer. He couldn't see him anymore.

Hide was dead. Nothing mattered now.

Nothing. Unless by some weird too good miracle, Hide wouldn't live. So when Hide coughed up blood, Kaneki was never relieved more. He let a smile come to his lips. Perhaps the gods wanted to amend for giving Kaneki such an ending, by making his best friend live. He couldn't be more grateful. But that relief would be short-lived if he didn't act soon. So, Kaneki did the only sensible thing in his mind. The truly only way for Hide to live. Kaneki knew what he had to do.

A simple trade. One that he would gladly do.

Picking Hide up, and slightly surprised by how light he felt, Kaneki grabbed a nearby cloth, since it was snowing and Hide was probably cold, pulling it over Hide and paced, leaving deep footprints within the thick snow. It made a crumbling sound against his feet.

For some reason, Kaneki's feet knew where to go. It wasn't like he knows where the CCG temporary base was. But it didn't matter. He saw in the corner of his eye purple hair. He couldn't bring himself to say goodbye. As he neared the base, He started spotting more and more people. Some were crouched on the ground, in their arms their fallen friends, lovers, or teammates. When they noticed him, they shot him looks of resent, that soon faded when they saw that he was carrying a weird body-shaped thing, and was replaced by confusion. He then spotted a couple of CCG guys with guns aimed at him, but he just passed them. Time wasn't exactly on his side. A dash of wind and snow passed him, and the cover that was on Hide's body flew away, leaving his entire body revealed to the cold weather. Kaneki glanced at him to make sure he was breathing, and Hide's chest was weakly rising and falling in rhythm. His eyes caught white snowy hair, and Kaneki approached him, leaving a fair amount of space between them. Their eyes met, and Kaneki stared at the King Of Fakes. "I suppose I don't have to draw this," Arima gestured to his case, "Do I?"

Kaneki shook his head, "No, just save him, and i'll surrender." Arima saw as desperation flickered in the ghoul's eyes, "Just hurry, he doesn't have much time."

"May I ask why you're doing this?"

"I... I suppose it's because... I don't think I'd be able to live with the guilt that I've let him die. After all I - I owe my live to him." Kaneki answered the dove, and he smiled for the first time in forever. A real smile.

"K-Kane-ki," Hide managed to say, the wound in his side was painful and unbearable. Though Hide didn't care at all. "P-Please, I don't w-want you to do th-"Hide flinched in pain, unable to complete his sentence. "Hide!" Kaneki yelled in worry for his best friend.

Hide still continued despite the stinging, "P-Please," he pleaded, "Hide, how selfish can you be?" Kaneki's voice took on a weird scolding tone, as if he was a mother scolding her child. "Who says I'm doing this for you? How arrogant can you be? The world doesn't revolve around you, you know." Hide was a little surprised at this new side of Kaneki.

"I'm doing this for me." He continued, his voice much gentler now. "So I don't want you to ever feel guilty for something that I've chosen to do." Kaneki paused and smiled, "So live your life to the fullest. Live the life that i couldn't live. Can you promise me that, Hide?"

"Uhh -"

"Hide." Kaneki said firmly, his tone dangerous.

"Y-Yes!"

"That's more like it." Kaneki smiled at him for the last time, and swiftly pulled out sleeping a bottle of sleeping gas, and released the air near Hide's nose. "Goodnight."

Arima made a gesture with his hand to get some medics for Hide, and soon they carefully carried him away, not before casting a strange look at both Kaneki and Arima. Relief passed his eyes, and he let out a sigh, completely ready for his death. He stared at Arima, waiting for him. As Arima pulled out his quinque, Kaneki looked back on the life he'd lived. He loved his mother, even if she abused him. He couldn't bring himself to hate her. He loved Hide, who had brought sunshine into his world. Even when Kaneki attempted to get away, Hide managed to hang onto him. He loved all his friends at Anteiku. He loved Hinami, who was like a little sister to him. He loved Touka, even if she yelled at him, she was his senior at Anteiku and precious friend. He appreciated his friendships with Nishio, Yoshimura, Yomo, Irimi, Koma, even Tsukiyama, even if he was a pervert and freak.

Kaneki sighed. He really was hopeless, dying like this. He promised himself, that someday, after all the chaos dispersed, he'd return to Anteiku. He'd return and say, "I'm home." He imagined himself surrounded by Hide, Touka, Hinami, Nishio, Ryoko, and all the others and they'd jump at him and group-hug and they'd say, "Welcome back." And they'd throw a big party, and Kaneki would be able to just relax.

He closed his eyes, letting a peaceful smile come to his face. He was faintly aware of the stabbing pain the came from his abdomen, and the blood that he coughed from his mouth. He then fell to the floor, the white, pure snow becoming infected with the redness from his blood. It surprisingly wasn't painful. He felt content. He saved his best friend. He saved his savior.

He saved his love from all those days. There was no way he was regretting it.

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Authors Note: I was going for a lighter tone than most A ending fics. I'm pretty satisfied with this. I hope this was to your liking. Review if you'd like, I'd appreciate it.