Lately, Hide had been obsessed with anime.

Considering he was ten and Hide's parents were often busy, he mostly chose to entertain himself with whatever was on TV. And it just so happened that what was on TV lately consisted of Sailor Moon re-runs. Case in point, he had gotten hooked. The opening was catchy and he really liked Tuxedo Mask, always swooping in to help but not being a total jerk about it. (Not to mention Sailor Mercury was a total cutie.)

It was also perfectly understandable that he wanted to share this new-found interest with his best friend, who looked a lot like he had swallowed a lemon when Hide plopped him down in front of the TV.

"Why can't I read until you're done watching your show?"

"Kaneki," gasped Hide, feigning betrayal, "how ... how could you even suggest such a thing?"

"Right." Resigned, Kaneki crossed his arms and kept his gaze mulishly on the TV, because Hide was giving him the pout-est pout to rival all pouts and he would not let this one go. Interrupting his reading time was where Kaneki drew the line.

Still, Hide was stubborn. He wanted to spend time with his best friend and that was what they were going to do. Turning on the TV, he flipped to the right channel and wrapped his arm around Kaneki's shoulders, excitedly telling him about last week's episode. He counted it as a win the moment Kaneki leaned into him, eyes closing like he was ready for a nice nap. Well, that wasn't allowed either.

Right next to the other boy's ear, he shouted, "In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"

It was worth it when Kaneki nearly jumped out of his skin, rubbing at his ear and aiming the dirtiest look he could muster in Hide's direction. Another win for him.

"Gah, Hide!" His friend did not appreciate the effort nearly as much. "What was that for?"

"You were snoozing," pointed out Hide, "and that's against the rules."

They were learning about deserts in class this week and Hide felt he could safely equate the look Kaneki was giving him to a particularly warm day in the Sahara. It was precious. Mostly because, in moments like this, Kaneki tended to let his guard down and feel comfortable making those faces. That was much more important than whether or not it hurt, because man, did it wound his pride! This was about Kaneki being here and happy and that was what made him happy. So a little wounded pride could take a back seat.

"I wasn't aware I was breaking any," Kaneki said, voice going flat in that 'I am thinking up your demise' sort of way that always had Hide grinning from ear to ear - because score! Kaneki was thinking about him, right this second, and whether or not to exact revenge. Maybe that last part wasn't so great, all things considered, but the moment Kaneki let slip a little smile was what made it worth it. That moment right before he suddenly moved aside and let Hide fall into thin air. So much for trust.

"Oi!" Kaneki turned his attention back to the TV, innocently pretending nothing had happened. "Ah, your show's on."

"What! Did you make me miss the opening?" He scrambled back up, sitting cross-legged as he leaned in to turn up the volume. "All your fault, Kaneki!" When he discovered it was nothing more than a commercial and now they were listening to an extra loud version of someone trying to sell them feminine products, he wagged a disapproving finger toward his friend, tsking. "Lying is bad. And you know what happens to bad kids, Kaneki?" He wiggled all ten fingers this time, brown eyes bright with mischief.

He was confused when Kaneki's laughter abruptly stopped. Was he that afraid of being tickled, of all things? But then Kaneki gave one more nervous chuckle, touching his chin. "No, what?"

Strange. He hesitant to continue and let his hands drop, dismissing it with, "Nah, never mind. Besides!" The catchy opening had caught his attention with near perfect timing. "We have a show to watch!" If, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a relieved smile flit across his best friend's face, he decided it was better not to draw attention to it. The last thing he wanted was for Kaneki to clam up on him, after he had worked so hard to avoid that.

The episode wasn't anything new. It was a fairly predictable monster of the week kind of show. But that didn't stop him from relishing that predictability and the chance to see his favorite character make a last minute appearance to help save the day. That, he imagined, was how a true hero should handle things. Being there for their special person, and only interfering at the last second. A matter of pride, and also love; actions bursting with dedication and affection. He wondered as he glanced at Kaneki if he would ever be able to do the same for his special person. It seemed like too distant a time to think of, and what better time than now anyway.

That decided, he rushed off to get a few things while shouting over his shoulder, "You can turn off the TV now, if you want!"

Since he hadn't explained himself or given his friend any warning of what he had planned, it was no surprise that he returned a few minutes later to a quiet living room and Kaneki curled up on the couch with a book. His friend instinctively placed his bookmark, marking his page, when he noticed he wasn't alone anymore.

"You look a little too pleased with yourself," Kaneki remarked, his tone one of caution and his eyes watchful. "We're not going to get in trouble this time, are we?"

From behind his back, Hide brought forth a black cape and a vividly red ribbon. "Of course we're not going to get in trouble." He paused, considering. "Well, only if Mom comes home early. She doesn't like me playing with her stuff." He held up the ribbon. "But this will look great on you."

Kaneki didn't seem to share his opinion. "Uh-huh. And what brought this on? Are we putting on a play?"

"That's exactly what we're going to do."

Kaneki had looking unimpressed down to an art form. "Well, sign me right up."

"Done!" Taking a seat next to his friend on the couch, he said, "Sit up," and got to work with tying the ribbon into a fancy bow. He had seen his mother do something similar before and he was sure he could get the hang of it if Kaneki would stop fidgeting.

In the end, it turned out as lopsided as Kaneki's smile. "Sorry, I just don't like anything tight around my neck." He was touching his chin again, Hide noticed.

For a second, he was torn between asking and not asking. Then he gave up on trying to make heads or tails of it and wrapped himself up in the black cloak, like a foil. "Never fear, I will always keep you safe!"

In response, Kaneki hid his face with his book. "That was so cheesy, I don't even know what to say."

"This is where you say, 'Of course I can count on you, Tuxedo Mask!' or 'Wow, you're so handsome. Will you marry me?'" He was particularly happy with that last one.

"Er, Hide, you might not have noticed, but you're lacking something really important." Peeking over his book, Kaneki told him, "Every great hero needs a mask."

"Aha!" He knew he had forgotten something. "I'll be right back." When he returned, it was with construction paper and craft supplies. "Let's make the best masks ever!"

Kaneki didn't even pretend to think about it, reaching out to take a sheet of paper and getting to work at once. It seemed like something he enjoyed, crafting new things into reality, and Hide was thrilled to discover it.

They made a couple of prototypes before Hide decided he liked Kaneki's plain white one the best, cut similarly in style to a masquerade mask with its sparkles of silver and gold. It wasn't the fanciest one, but it was the one truest to the Tuxedo Mask legacy and that was what counted. And it helped that his bestest friend in the world had created it for him. He'd wear it dutifully (secretly pleased, because Kaneki was so shy when it came to gift-giving and this felt like yet another win for him, how awesome was he).

Then it was time for their impromptu play and Hide found out one more thing about his friend: He was a natural born actor. They had meshed together some of the lines of today's episode and remade some to suit their personalities, but it was Kaneki's invention of Sailor Gold that really sealed the deal. He took to this new character of his with a childlike ease, for once acting his age, and it was a lot of fun.

Together, they battled evil, went on a fake date to throw off suspicion from the dark side, and then at the very end Tuxedo Mask confessed that it wasn't Sailor Moon that had stolen his heart after all. Kaneki had answered this with a quick glance at the clock and raised eyebrows, remarking, "I think it's about time I head home."

Tuxedo Mask wasn't one to be daunted, though. He had to make his feelings known! "You don't understand. This day, this week, has been something extraordinary. I don't want our time together to end. Please," he clasped Kaneki's hands with his own, "if you could spare me a few more moments, maybe you'll even feel the same!"

Kaneki untangled their fingers, shaking his head. "Alas, this is good night, sweet prince. You are meant for someone else." Worriedly, the other boy checked the clock again. "I really should be going ..." But Hide refused to let go, which made his escape much more complicated. "Hide," he scolded, tugging at their joined hands, "that's enough."

"No," Hide wheddled, "you can't leave until we finish the story!"

"We already did," pointed out Kaneki. "You got rejected."

"There has to be a happy ending," insisted Hide, swinging their arms from side to side and grinning mischievously. "Tuxedo Mask has to win the heart of the fair maiden. Or at least have her understand his feelings."

Tapping out a nervous beat into the carpet, Kaneki seemed to think over how to wrap this up in a different, less sad way and then sighed deep;y. "Why does there have to a happy ending, anyway? That's not popular these days."

Hide crinkled his nose. "Tragedies are overrated."

"Hey!" Kaneki was visibly torn btween being scandalized or having a good laugh at Hide's expense. "I'll have you know that Humpty Dumpty is a classic."

"Are you trying to say that my heart's so broken all the king's horses and all the king's men won't be able to put it back together again?"

Pretending to think about it, Kaneki nodded somber as could be, "That's exactly what I'm saying."

"Why, you!" Hide pounced and with a breathless laugh Kaneki fell to the floor, his fall cushioned by the softness of the ground (unlike poor Humpty Dumpty, crashing onto the cold, hard cement beneath a wall of ivy). "You'll pay for that one, Sailor Gold!"

"Oh no," wheezed out Kaneki, swatting at Hide's attempts to tickle him, "Tuxedo Mask has gone over to the dark side!"

"It's all your fault," Hide mock growled. "You should have thought of that before you decided to break someone's heart into a billion pieces. Now you'll pay!"

"No!" cried Kaneki, tears of laughter pooling in his eyes, "You can't give in like that Tuxedo Mask. You can't give up! I'll save you, just wait." He reached up, taking Hide's face in his hands. The tickle attacks relented for a moment, curious, and he sat up. Then in one swift motion, he brushed his lips against Hide's forehead, a distant memory of parental love reflected in his tender smile, telling Hide, "Even if I can't put your heart back together again, I'll be right here until you can do it yourself."

Hide gaped, frozen to the spot. Then his cheeks warmed, his heart warmed, and he could move again, clapping his hands down on Kaneki's shoulders. "Is that a promise?"

For a moment, Kaneki appeared confused, and then understanding lit up his face. Quietly, he added, "Yeah, that's a promise. Let's always be together, Hide."

"Good!" Cheerfully, Hide got to his feet, holding out his hand expectantly. "Now, let's go call your mom and you can spend the night!"

"... Huh?"

And Kaneki was supposed to be the smart one. "You're spending the night, duh."

Since it didn't seem Kaneki was going to be getting up anytime soon, Hide reached down and took his friend's hand in his once more. He pulled him up, chatting one-sidedly about all the fun they were going to have, and then tried to drag him to the phone down the hall.

"Hide," Kaneki ground his heels into the carpet, refusing to budge any further, "I really need to go now."

Taking in the paleness of his friend's face, Hide let go, humming thoughtfully. "Yeah, I guess you have a point. This is kind of last minute, huh. I haven't even asked Mom or Dad. Ah, but what a bummer." He threw his hands up in the air. "I was hoping we could finally have a sleepover," Hide whined, "you don't ever spend the night." He paused, unclasping the cloak he was wearing and toying with the fabric. "Hey, Kaneki, if something was bothering you, you'd tell me ... wouldn't you?"

Kaneki immediately lowered his head, scuffing at the floor. "I'm ..." He shook his head. "I'm not sure."

At least he didn't lie, Hide was thankful for that much, but that didn't make it any easier to hear and he grit his teeth. He had to take a moment to collect his thoughts - a frantic hive of them, unwilling to be quelled - and wondered if it would be wrong to push his friend any further. To shake a confession out of him, to shut off any and all escape routes until he understood what was going on. It felt like he was losing his friend, like a wall had been built to block his path without his noticing. And he wanted nothing more to smash that wall to pieces and bind them together with something more compelling than a promise. (Promises could be broken, after all. He knew this and he hated it.)

These were the thoughts that he did his best to taper down. And he knew he had succeeded when a tentative smile eased onto his face and he could finally say, "Okay, that's fair." Because no, it wasn't. "But maybe one day you'll trust me enough for that to change, don't you think so too?"

Kaneki raised his head back up, a tiny smile on his face - but his hand went to his chin again, fluttering about like a skittish butterfly. "Yeah, maybe I'll tell you everything one day. I'd like that very much."

"See you at school tomorrow, Kaneki." Hide decided he didn't like it when Kaneki touched his chin like that. It wasn't that Kaneki was lying to him either; this was Kaneki afraid to tell him something. An act of hiding, and now Hide could see it for what it was.

"See you then," promised Kaneki, except his hand didn't stray from where it had settled. Hide's eyes were drawn to the stark contrast of red just below it. Kaneki could keep it, even if he got in trouble with his mom for it, because his friend needed some color in his life. Of this, he was certain.

Kaneki didn't show up for school the next day, though. And as Hide thought, promises couldn't be trusted. But as a hero in training, Hide had a duty to become someone his special person could rely on. He would make sure Kaneki relied on him in the end.

A/N: Written for PTchan over on AO3, because her story Your Cross, I'll Bear is something that has provoked my own plot bunnies and here we are. Check it out if you have a moment; it's a really neat fix-it fic with Hide in the limelight this go-round.