Author's Notes: Finally, I get to post this masterpiece! And, yes, I know that it's supposed to only be a one-shot but it became too long so I'm going to make it into a Two-shot story. Am still fixing some scenes since the first chapter is mostly about the Tokyo Ghoul:re world. Am trying to fix some inconsistencies here and there and I don't know if it came out the way I wanted.

Warning(s): This contains a lot of drama for some people. An amount of angst, some bit of mystery, and a bit of suspense. This is set in the world of Tokyo Ghoul's sequel which is Tokyo Ghoul:re. I'm going to use most of the elements from the sequel itself but beware of Canon-Divergence. Since the manga is just starting, please understand that I'm going to have to create my own plot from that point on. Also, there will be OOC as I had a hard time writing down some thoughts and matters surrounding certain characters.

Pairing(s): TouKen. Mostly GEN.

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[A Piece of Myself, I Gave to You…]

"My puns are punny," Sasaki Haise puffed indignantly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

All he received for his effort was a blank stare and a raised eyebrow. The man across from him merely tilted his fedora hat down and calmly took a sip of his espresso. Haise couldn't help but purse his lips in slight dismay at the reaction.

After all, that line was the basic of the basics.

"Per favore. You are trying so hard that it's not even amusing," The man deadpanned at him with a rather obvious indulgent air about him.

"Well," Haise cleared his throat in a bout of self-consciousness. "I try. But, you could've at least tried to pretend that it's funny!" He reasoned out with narrowed eyes as the man gave a derisive snort at his words.

"Will that make you feel any better?" He smirked back at the two-toned haired man.

Haise faltered.

"Still," He insisted, half-hearted by now, and sighed. "Akira's reaction is not this disheartening. And that's saying something, you know," He smiled wryly as he uncrossed his arms and took a gulp of his black coffee, the bitter taste and the scalding temperature burning his tongue and throat pleasantly.

"That woman who was with you two weeks ago?" His companion mused and a certain foreboding pitch in his tone.

The younger man pretended to not notice.

"Yeah, that's her!" Haise beamed like a little child.

"A ghoul investigator," Dark eyes studied his profile intensely. "How is that currently working out for you?"

Haise tried not to freeze at those words. Certainly, the man didn't mean anything by it. The knowledge regarding his half-ghoul nature was kept confidential to a degree and most of his lower rank co-workers thought that it was just a rumor. He remembered Mutsuki asking the same question. After all, he still needed to consume meat to survive and even with his human side, he was very much close to resembling a ghoul.

[…a half ghoul, the teen murmured, a bit concerned. How is that working for you, sensei?]

And he worked for the Commission of Counter Ghouls or CCG. A ghoul as a ghoul investigator.

Huh, if it wasn't so morbid, that could be some kind of pun.

"After our target got away last time, we were assigned to another case," Haise gave the vague details since he knew that Akira would kill him for even disclosing this much. "What about you? You're always asking after me like some worrywart mother! Are you going out of the country again?" He didn't even make an effort about being subtle in his subject change.

The man gazed at him silently, sharply, and Haise tried not to squirm under those dark, dark eyes.

For some reason, this man could easily unnerve him. Not in the way Serpent had done those weeks ago. One that almost split his head open in agony. Talking to this man was a distant sort of ache. It's lingering but not painful. It was yearning and ignoring at the same time.

"In three days, I'll be in Italy," The words were murmured quietly as those dark eyes shifted to his cup as he took another sip of his espresso.

Despite himself, Haise found himself leaning forward.

"What's it like?" He questioned eagerly, trying not to let his real thoughts write itself on his face. "Out of the country, I mean? I've never been to another country before. Is it fun working overseas? The mafia is really paying you good if you can come-and-go as you please in Japan. Or are you just that rich?" Haise gave a wide grin as the other blinked at him with what could only be bafflement flashing in his eyes.

"Fastidioso." A hum of either amusement or derision. "You're asking a lot of questions today," The man pointed out but not unkindly.

Haise gave a huff of laughter.

"That means troublesome, right?" He smiled exasperatedly as he stared at his companion expectantly. "You're being silly, Reborn-san," He waved off with a faint smile. "Isn't it a son's job to ask about his father?" He jokingly mentioned as he remembered Shirazu's words about how Haise always sulked and acted like a scolded child whenever he got into tough skirmishes in his job, only to be mocked about it by this man.

[Geez, Sassan, ya act like a little kid who got told off by his pops, a flash of jagged teeth and a wicked grin. You're too easy to tease, ya' know?]

To his shock, the hand around the cup of espresso tightened enough to break said cup.

Sasaki Haise met Reborn around a year ago. Around the time when he was still a rank two investigator.

It was by chance, really. He had been at a local café near the CCG headquarters in the 1st Ward, buying coffee for Arima and Hirako, when he had accidentally bumped into said man and spilling the coffee on the floor as he lost his grip on the cups. It was a bit embarrassing, to be honest. He had been delegated to do the errand due to his lackluster performance at work recently. It always happened when his nightmares were worse than usual, causing him to lose much needed sleep.

Though, to be absentminded enough to demonstrate such level of clumsiness, Akira would never let him hear the end of it.

"This is the worst," Haise lamented as he stared forlornly at the wasted coffee pooling on the floor. "Of all the things, it had to be coffee. This must be a cardinal sin. I'm going to be looked down on and never be allowed to any coffee shops–" He rambled as he hovered near the mess uncertainly.

"If you actually take the time to look at where you're going," A voice to his right drawled impassively. "This could've been avoided, ragazzo."

Haise tried to suppress his cringe. He forgot about the man. Also, what did the other call him? He was certain that it was in Italian.

"I apologize for bumping into you," He gave a bow of his head as embarrassment flooded him. "I promise I'll look where I'm going next time," He indirectly countered the man's words as he rubbed the back of his head in a bout of hesitation.

Looking up, he met the sharp stare of dark eyes and he tried not to fidget in response.

The man was dressed in a dark tailored suit with a crisp yellow dress shirt and matching dark tie. On top of his head is a fedora hat with an orange stripe around it, tilted down just enough to shadow his eyes and emphasize the intensity of his stare. In terms of age based on appearance, Haise would liken the man to Arima. He seemed old but appeared young as if he hadn't had the time to age a day in his life. He remembered Fura Taishi remarking the same about his superior.

It was only when the man tilted his head that Haise realized that he was staring.

Hastily turning his head away, he gave an apologetic smile to the employee who had been tasked in cleaning the mess he made. He was causing inconvenience to a lot of people lately. No wonder Arima was ordering him to do errands instead. It would be a catastrophe if he made these kinds of blunder in an actual case.

It was then that Haise noticed that there were three styrofoam cups on the floor. His brows furrowed in confusion. He had only been carrying two cups a while ago for Arima and Hirako. He was sure of it since he had finished his own black coffee in a few gulps as soon as he got his order, even receiving some incredulous stares from some of the patrons of the café. The drink had been scorching hot, after all, and maaaaaaaaybe he really shouldn't have done that.

But the thing was, he had already chucked his own cup at the nearby trash bin earlier.

Which meant that–oh my god.

He turned back to the man again and finally noticed that he was staring at the cup of what could either be a cappuccino or a latte, littering the floor. This time, he didn't stop the wince from showing as he closed his eyes when the situation finally sunk in.

How humiliating.

"T-That's your coffee on the floor, huh?" Haise worded out weakly, opening his eyes to see the man's bemused expression.

"You just realized?" The man replied snidely, eyes still on the cups on the floor.

This person wasn't one to mince words and Haise felt himself recoil at the sarcasm. Still, he felt a bit indignant. There was no need to be so unpleasant about it.

"I can buy you coffee?" He offered tentatively.

"You're too young to be even thinking about making a pass on me, bambino." The man deadpanned at him, unimpressed and a certain frosty glint in his eyes.

He should really consult an Italian dictionary after this. He felt like he had just been demoted to something.

"What?" Haise, clueless, asked in momentary confusion and it wasn't until he repeated the words in his head that he understood just how it might've been taken by a stranger. Naturally, his face reddened and he could even feel the tips of his ears burning as he floundered, unsure, and stammered out words that made no sense even to himself.

"A cup of espresso will suffice," The man who had yet to introduce himself cut in, a smirk on his lips and eyes shining with something mischievous that made Haise think that he was being teased earlier.

He frowned thoughtfully.

"I'm Sasaki Haise," He introduced as he raised a hand in a gesture to shake. After a minute of silence, he was about to retract said limb when he got no response. He jumped in surprise when he felt a firm grip and looked into the eyes of the man that, for a moment, mirrored his own.

"Reborn," There was something sinister in those eyes. Searching his face. Assessing. Watching closely. Too closely.

With a yelp, Haise retracted his hand as if he was burned.

For some reason, he felt threatened, unnerved and simply anxious. His hands trembled and a surge of nausea assaulted him as the anxiety got a little too much. The familiarity that coursed through him was like a poisonous lead in his stomach. Hot and heavy that he could vomit.

Without looking back, he ran.

Like a dog with its tail between his legs. After all, he'd never meet the man again.

Reborn stared at his hand that the younger man had held a while ago and frowned.

That had been definitely a spark of Dying Will Flame.

In hindsight, that was a pretty much stupid thing to do.

Haise hadn't even bought the cup of espresso. Unlike those moments of familiarity that some things stirred within him, he didn't have a nightmare about that white haired teen the night after. If anything, the ghoul within him had been strangely quiet. He almost had a panic attack but, at the same time, it felt that it wasn't even close to it. But, if there was something that stuck with him in the aftermath, the ghoul within him was quiet.

Suddenly, three days after the incident, Haise felt another urge. He needed to see that man. Talk to him. Ask him. Anything.

Arima didn't bat an eyelash when he had asked for a three days leave. The man had simply returned the book he borrowed, stating that he'd come for another one, and gave him a week of leave despite the man's colleagues' wishes. Well, that was more than what he asked for and Haise tried not to feel as if his superior was pushing him away. It was an irrational fear but that's what a half-ghoul like him felt while working for the bureau who executed ghouls.

He didn't want to be set aside and thrown away like yesterday's garbage. Not after almost a year of hard work.

It was the reason why he needed to see that man again. Haise needed to know who that person was.

To be honest, Haise was ready to use any means he could to search for him. But, it was proven to be not needed when he saw the man at the same café. He would really like to call it luck, though, the way those dark eyes directly met his upon his entry said otherwise. This time, he wasn't alone. There was a brunet who looked to be around sixteen or seventeen with him. The brunet seemed to be in the middle of speaking because, as soon as he followed the man's gaze, Haise felt the teen's brown eyes on his person.

Nervously, trying to swallow the lump that suddenly permeated his throat, he strode to their table like a man on his way to execution. He had also browsed the dictionary and discovered that he'd been referred to as 'boy' in the beginning before being reduced to 'child' in the end.

"Hey," Haise found himself awkwardly greeting them as he sat on the chair across from them.

"Took you long enough," The man scoffed as he took a sip from his cup of espresso and the two-toned haired man's insides squirmed as he remembered spilt coffee on the floor.

"Reborn!" The teen hissed, a clear warning in his eyes, before looking back at Haise with wonder written all over him. Brown eyes burned his face, as if the unknown teen was committing his image into memory. Then, his eyes darted between the ghoul investigator and the man.

Huh, so his name was really Reborn. Haise had thought that the other was merely pulling his leg for spilling his coffee.

"Let me reintroduce myself," He smiled at them as he felt the first tendrils of apprehension coil within his gut. "My name is Sasaki Haise. I'm sorry for rudely departing last time. I don't… do well meeting new people," His explanation was flimsy at best and Reborn's narrowed eyes told him he agreed.

"'Sasaki Haise'?" The brunet's brow furrowed in what seemed to be confusion before looking at the fedora-wearing man for some kind of support.

"Non importa. He already said it himself, Dame-Tsuna," Reborn merely said with an odd tone to his voice.

"So it's true…" The teen murmured softly before catching himself. "Ah, I mean, my name's Sawada Tsunayoshi! Reborn's my tutor!" He then stood up and bowed before sitting back with a sheepish smile on his face.

"Nice to meet you," Haise found himself returning the smile.

But, for some reason, Sawada merely stared at him in surprise before his head swiveled once again to Reborn. As if he couldn't really believe what he was seeing. Which was odd. Not to mention, the teen kept looking back and forth between them.

"From the way you disappeared last time, I thought you would never show your face here," Reborn drawled with a slightly impatient wave of his hand as Haise flinched at the indirect accusation towards him. "So, you must have a good reason for being here," The man tilted his head and was looking back again with those dark eyes.

That stare perturbed him. Still, unlike yesterday, he didn't suffer from nerves. If anything, there was a bitter taste at the back of his throat. Lingering. A faint haze of dull pain that pulsed slowly, slowly until it was nothing but a vague sensation at the back of his mind. That was strange. And, as he processed the other's words, he thought about why he had even decided to seek him out in the first place.

The man didn't even know he was a half-ghoul.

"It's because I owe you a cup of espresso," Haise shrugged as his left hand moved to his chin. "But… I see you already had your fill," He gestured towards the man's half-full cup with his right hand.

There was a moment of silence. Looking back at Reborn, he didn't expect to see the man suddenly staring at him penetratingly, particularly, his left hand that was still holding his chin. Abruptly, his hand dropped on the table and he chuckled in an uneasy fashion.

"Yui used to do that…" Reborn murmured quietly, blankly.

"Excuse me?" Haise spoke in bewilderment.

"Nothing." The man snapped out of his reverie and did a good job at ignoring the concerned glances from his student as he stood up from his seat. "It seems that you have to get my espresso some other time. We need to get going," At this, he directed a very pointed stare towards the brunet.

"Tomorrow?" He tried not to let any trace of hope to leak into his voice.

Reborn didn't look at him.

"Give your number to Tsuna," The man instructed as the mentioned teen smiled and brought out a black phone, sliding it across the table towards Sasaki. "He'll contact you when we're around,"

"Don't worry about it, uhm, Sasaki-san," Sawada, despite the carefree quirk of his lips, was assessing Haise in a way that was both similar and dissimilar to Reborn's first action towards him those three days ago. Unlike before, this gaze did not awaken any anxious feelings within him. "Your number's going to be safe with me,"

Reluctantly, Haise stalled as he tinkered with the phone. It wasn't until he met Sawada's encouraging eyes that he impulsively typed his number and gave the phone back to the brunet before he had any chance of changing his mind.

Giving his phone number to strangers was certainly a new low point for him. Akira would kill him.

"I really hope so," Haise replied regarding the other's declaration.

Nodding happily, Sawada pocketed his phone and stood up as well.

"It was nice finally meeting you, Sasaki-san," The brunet stated contemplatively, something odd in his expression. "You really are his–"

"Dame-Tsuna," Reborn cut him off impatiently.

The brunet blinked in surprise before chuckling. Both of them nodding to Haise as they trotted off and out the café. He wondered what Sawada had been about to say. For some reason, he felt that it was important.

It wouldn't be until later when he would realize that the teen had spoken as if they had been searching for Haise all along.

"Is it really okay?" Tsuna murmured as he ambled alongside his tutor. "To leave things like this?"

Reborn remained silent.

The brunet sighed forlornly and couldn't help the dread that grew within him at the mere thought of Sasaki Haise.

What happened to Kaneki Ken?

To his disappointment, a week had already passed without any calls from Sawada or Reborn.

Maybe he came off as too forward? Or too eager? Nevertheless, it didn't change the fact that the frustration sat heavily within him. Of course they didn't know him. Why should he expect any different? But, that was the point. He expected.

Groaning, he leaned back on his chair until it tilted dangerously backwards.

He was currently in Akira's office, sorting through some paperwork, but he just couldn't seem to focus. Thankfully, his sleepless nights had already ceased but, instead of nightmares, something different altogether kept him awake on most nights.

Suddenly, a hand clamped down on his shoulder and pushed until the front legs of his chair slammed down on the floor loudly.

"You're slacking off," A low voice remarked over his shoulder.

"Am I?" Haise blinked at Akira innocently before hastily backtracking at her narrowed violet eyes. "I mean, of course not!" He laughed a bit nervously since he hadn't noticed her approach.

"Give it up, you're too transparent." She commented exasperatedly before slapping his arm. "Come on, there's someone I'd like you to meet." The blonde woman ordered him as he stood up from his chair and curiously followed her out.

They walked down the corridor for a bit until they came to a stop by the longue near the conference room. Situated by the couches was a dark haired teen who was swinging his legs idly, bringing attention to his slipper-clad feet, and humming loudly enough for Haise to hear it as they got closer to the duo. The other one was a man with long black hair that reached below his shoulder blades. Both of them were dressed in dark clothing and were looking back at Akira and Haise with interest.

As they neared though, he couldn't help but squint at the teen. Were those stitches?

For a moment, Haise honestly believed that she was a girl. Though, upon closer inspection, he could just tell that it wasn't the case.

"Akira!" The teen waved frantically as Haise and Akira stopped in front of them. "It's been so long!" He tried to lunge for the blonde but Akira only sidestepped his attempt. Instead of crashing to the floor or staggering, the teen did a graceful turn as he nimbly pivoted on his foot.

"Suzuya-senpai," The long haired man called out as he stood up as well in an apparent effort to calm the teen down.

"Juuzou, I want to introduce someone to you," Akira stepped in as she shifted a bit to gesture to the quiet Haise who was watching them interact. "This is my new partner and subordinate. Rank Two Investigator, Sasaki Haise." She introduced quietly with a glint in her eyes as Suzuya skipped towards Haise with bright pinkish red eyes. "Haise, this is First Class Investigator Suzuya Juuzou of the 13th Ward and his subordinate, Rank Two Investigator Abara Hanbee."

"Hello, Abara-san, Suzuya-san," Haise waved at them uncertainly, intimidated by the wide-eyed stare from the teen.

Out of the blue, the dark haired teen rummaged through his pockets before grabbing Haise's hand in order to pass him a total of three thousand yen. Looking at Akira for support, he could see that even she was intrigued by this action and the long haired man, Abara, was gaping at his superior.

"I'm returning this," Suzuya stated solemnly as he pushed the money towards him determinedly.

"…thanks?" Haise replied in confusion, uncertain of what to do about the money. And he never remembered ever lending any money to anyone. Usually, due to his absentmindedness, it was the other way around, he recalled with a bit of mortification.

Then, Suzuya brightened as he sprung towards Haise, arms outstretched, before wrapping the two-toned haired man in a tight squeeze. Arms around his ribcage and legs wrapped around his hips like a koala as Haise remained frozen shocked. Suddenly, still latched onto him, Suzuya released an arm and raised his left hand to cover Haise's right eye. The half-ghoul tried not to tense further as he attempted not to look deeper into what this action could've meant.

"Suzuya-senpai! What are you doing?" Abara fretted, a bit horrified, as he alternated between sending apologetic glances towards Haise and trying to disentangle his superior from him.

"You look better this way!" Suzuya declared happily as he let go, still staring at Haise's face avidly in fascination.

"Juuzou." Akira cautioned a bit tersely, her expression unreadable as she watched Suzuya with blank piercing eyes.

Though, the teen only twitched and opened a fisted hand to reveal coffee candies and what seemed to be wrappers of leftover biscuits and other coffee-flavored sweets. Haise blinked in surprise as he patted his now empty pocket. Huh, those were the excess from snacks that he'd tried to consume despite the repeated warnings that ghouls couldn't consume human food. He'd been driven by curiosity after months of wondering about human consumption. Particularly, about coffee and how it related to ghouls.

Still, he would've gotten hell from Akira for his attempt.

Though, Haise couldn't exactly say that it was worth it. He'd been stuck in one of the restroom cubicles for at least twenty minutes this morning, puking out the sickening taste as his stomach cramped in protest at the unwelcomed contents. He could say that that would be the last time before he even thought of trying to consume human food again.

In his haste to clean up some of the mess, he'd forgotten that he'd even taken it with him. Though, he hadn't felt Suzuya's hand at all.

That– brought out a startling sense of déjà vu.

"S-Senpai!" Abara gasped out in shock as he was quick to realize where his superior had gotten the sweets.

"It's fine! It's fine!" Haise was quick to wave off as he grinned, trying to ignore his own agitation. "Though, you can keep this, Suzuya-san, it's no problem at all!" He instead waved off with a laugh as he plucked out the wrappers of the half-eaten ones from Suzuya's hand and gave the untouched ones to the teen, watching curiously as Suzuya unwrapped one of the candies and popped it into his mouth.

Chewing loudly, Suzuya appraised Haise with sparkling eyes.

"Thiwsh iwsh guwd," The teen mumbled through the candy, not even bothering to close his mouth while chewing, though Haise mused that it tasted like rotting curd milk to him. "You got any more of these?" Suzuya questioned as he swallowed, already unwrapping another one as he threw it in the air lightly and catching it smoothly with his mouth.

Haise tried to ignore the stare that Akira was giving him. Suspicion lurking in her gaze.

"Well, it's not something I really keep around," Haise admitted with a grin as he tried to divert the topic. "But, uhm, about the money Suzuya-san–" He tried to give it back only for his hand to be slapped away.

"I already told you! It's yours!" Suzuya insisted petulantly as he gave Haise another one of his wide-eyed unsettling stares.

Haise couldn't help but sweatdrop.

"Just accept it, Sasaki-san," Abara intervened, a pleading look in his eyes. "Once Suzuya-senpai set his mind into it, it would be very hard to stop him. So, please, just keep it." Even though he was imploring, he appeared to be equally uncertain of Suzuya's action.

"Hanbee, you worry too much!" Suzuya laughed as he playfully clapped the man on his back, ignoring the wince.

"You're still as lively as ever," Akira remarked with a small smile as she relaxed, releasing Haise from her penetrating gaze. "I hear that your team has been making a large progress with regards to the 13th Ward."

"Of course! I told you that I'm going to work hard, didn't I?" The teen smiled before his eyes landed once again on Haise. "And we'll get far as soon as Hanbee stops being such a useless guy," He remarked offhandedly even as his subordinate sighed at this, apparently used and accepting of the words while Akira rolled her eyes.

"And still no filter to go with that mouth," She continued wryly with a sharp shake of her head.

They talked for a bit. While Suzuya's eyes never really left Haise throughout the duration of their time together, Haise learned that the other was quite proficient in the manipulation of knives and even got a demonstration for his curiosity. Thankfully, he still had his limbs intact by the end of it. Abara, though, spoke glowingly of his superior and how many times he had been saved by Suzuya due to his incompetence in the field. Haise had tried to reassure the man that he'd eventually get used to it.

Still, despite the numerous times that Suzuya had called his subordinate 'useless' and 'completely not compatible' for the job, the teen would subtly correct some of Abara's words in a way that wouldn't make the man come off as completely inept and pathetic. Haise knew, if Shimoguchi was here, that the man's bloated lips would curl in distaste.

When they parted ways later, he admitted that Suzuya was a little odd, hugging random people out of nowhere and light hands notwithstanding, but the teen knew what he was doing.

"Even though Suzuya-san is just a teenager, he's really strong and hardworking," Haise remarked to Akira once they got back in the office, in awe despite of himself.

Akira's eyes gleamed in amusement, though, she didn't speak.

Obviously, Haise got nervous.

"What?" He burst out, eyes squinting, as he fidgeted in his seat. "What? Akira! What is it? You're laughing at me!" He complained a bit fretfully.

"Haise," She finally responded, voice far too controlled for his liking, as if she was suppressing said laughter. "He may not look like it but Juuzou shares the same age as you." She shook her head at this almost exasperatedly but the twinkle hadn't quite died down in her violet eyes.

"Oh." He meekly replied as his eyes widened steadily. "Oh."

Akira shook her head before fixing him with a glare that contrasted her amusement just a second ago. Haise inched away slowly, very slowly.

"Now, why do you have those snacks with you?"

"What if I give Sasaki-san an eyepatch?" Juuzou mused as he crossed his arms at the back of his head as they walked out of the headquarters, chewing on another coffee-flavored candy.

"Eyepatch?" Hanbee murmured uncertainly. "Why would Suzuya-senpai give him something like that?" He questioned in confusion as he stared at the grinning form of his superior, wondering what had warranted such interest on the two-toned haired man.

"Simple," The smaller man hummed excitedly. "It's just who he is."

It was nearing midnight after they had successfully hunted down a ghoul terrorizing female high school students that he received the call.

A month had already passed by then.

Haise knew that he wasn't feeling too well himself. He had tried to spare the ghoul who had conceded that she had only been jealous of the normalcy those high school students possessed, how they had been throwing it away by getting lured by boys, and wasting their time over them. She had even told him how she had killed and devoured her human boyfriend, the person who had tried to kill her as soon as he discovered her ghoul identity.

But, Haise had been working with First Class Hirako's squad. He knew that, as a half-ghoul, he was in a delicate position against the CCG. So, when the chance had presented itself, Haise had raised the quinque Arima had given him, Yukimura 1/3, against the ghoul under the watchful eyes of Hirako.

Her eyes, the usual black and crimson of a ghoul's, weren't staring at him. She had been staring at the ghostly face of her lover. Despite what she had claimed, she still loved the human. The love had been genuine. She hadn't even tried to fight back in the end, merely facing her own death with tears in her eyes as she lamented the fact that why couldn't she have been born as someone normal instead. That, more than anything else, struck Haise hard.

After all, that was what he had asked himself countless of times and, even now, he still had no answer.

Haise had never liked the idea of killing anyone. Be it ghoul or human.

But, then, he would think of Arima, of Akira, some of his colleagues, and maybe even Suzuya and Abara, then he would remember why he was doing this. For now, he'd hold on to this resolve for as long as he could. When the time came that he couldn't finish the job any longer, he'd gladly accept punishment for it.

When the phone call finally came, he didn't know if he should be relieved or not.

"Who is this?" He sighed tiredly, not up for a conversation, as he sat on the bench just outside his apartment building.

He didn't think he could actually sleep right after what happened. As a Rank Two Investigator for more than a year, he already had exterminated his share of ghouls. But, as time went on, the sick feeling it always gave him never left. If anything, he wondered if he'd worked himself to death like this.

"Chaos." A deep baritone voice greeted him. "Are you still up for some coffee?"

Haise couldn't help it. He laughed. After hours of frustration and exhaustion, he couldn't believe that those would be the first words he'd hear. But, the voice was familiar. He decided that he needed the familiarity. Just so he could tell himself that he wasn't really going insane.

"At this time of the night? You're kidding, right?" His voice was deceptively light as he felt the weight on his chest threaten to suck him dry.

"Why not?" Reborn challenged rather demandingly.

"I don't know," Haise shrugged then scrunched his nose at the futility of the action since the other wouldn't see it anyway. "I just don't feel like it," He admitted with a loud sigh, trying not to think about the queasiness in his stomach, knowing that he'd vomit out anything he consumed then.

"You sound like death's washed over you." There came the quiet remark, an observation.

"Do I?" He mused, mostly to himself. "Certainly feel like it. In fact, I wouldn't really mind." He said before he could properly filter the words and before his mind could catch up to what he'd just blurted out.

"Come?"

For some reason, Reborn's voice had gone sharper, severe, and Haise would like to think that he imagined the concern laced in there somewhere. Maybe he should invest in carrying around an Italian dictionary whenever talking to this man. He noticed that he always had this habit of slipping into Italian.

"Sorry about that. Just had a rough day at work." He waved off as he rubbed his temples in agitation. This wasn't the time to get a headache. "I'm very sorry. I'm usually a better conversationalist than this… but, yeah, you get my drift."

Haise didn't know why he was even trying to explain.

After all, he was just talking to a stranger who had called him back on a whim. It must be on a whim considering how long it had been since then. He had gotten his hopes up. He, himself, didn't understand either. It just was.

"Is that so?" He heard the man pondering. There was a contemplative silence that suddenly hung between them, something that Haise wasn't eager to break. "Talking like this is grueling. Let's just meet at that café tomorrow. Capisce?" Reborn was ordering him and Haise's eyebrows raised in incredulity at the mere notion.

Still, he didn't have anything to do tomorrow.

And he wasn't really sure why he was considering the offer in the first place.

Right now, he didn't need this. He really didn't.

But he found himself closing his eyes and gripping the phone tighter.

"Sure, why not?"

He ended the call and casually threw the phone at the wall, watching calmly as it shattered by the force.

Right now, his blood boiled.

That stupid boy. That stupid, stupid boy.

"This…" Reborn said the moment they had gotten comfortable after a brief discussion about books. "…is a Dying Will Flame."

He casually raised his hand and conjured an authentic flame, literally setting his hand on fire. Wordlessly, Haise blanched and grabbed the nearest cloth, which happened to be a table napkin, to try putting out the fire. He had half a mind to douse it with his coffee until he noticed that it didn't burn through the cloth. Looking at Reborn, he found himself faced with a very amused man as the other nonchalantly grabbed the napkin and tossed it away.

All the while, his hand was still very much alight with yellow flames, bright and warm. So light.

"I already told you, it's a Dying Will Flame." Reborn repeated, an overly patient tone that told Haise perfectly that he was being mocked.

"It…" Haise trailed off and eyed the flame intently. "doesn't burn you?" He asked in awe, eyes wide.

"Of course not, baka," The man scoffed as he flicked the other on the forehead with his free hand. "Would I have kept it going like this if it did?" He tilted his head as he flexed his hand, the flames dancing across skin as he did so.

"Why are you showing me this?" He asked curiously as his eyes stared avidly at the flames.

"This is probably the reason why you've gone to see me again," Reborn answered bluntly as Haise flinched at the indirect accusation. "When we shook hands, you felt it, didn't you? You felt my flames." He stated quietly, eyes sharply fixed on him.

This was the reason, huh?

As much as he was enthralled by the sight of such beautiful flames, Haise found something nagging him at the back of his mind. Where had he encountered the term that Reborn had just told him a while ago? Dying Will Flames. He was certain that he'd heard of it before. It wasn't until he continued staring at the bright yellow flame that he remembered. From old records and briefings from several cases that Akira had him studying.

Dying Will Flames was the symbol of the mafia.

"You're–" Haise cut himself off, uncertain.

"Mafia?" Reborn smirked at him and tilted his fedora hat down. "Not just anyone. I'm the world's greatest hitman." The other sounded arrogant but with a touch of self-confidence and pride that made Haise believe him.

Still, he didn't think that his first reaction would be to laugh.

Somehow, it was hard not to believe if it was Reborn.

"Greatest, huh?" Haise gave a small wry smile as he curbed in his laughter, his eyes twinkling at the unimpressed look the man was giving him. "If you're telling me this, does this mean that you're here to kill me?" He questioned jokingly.

While he was purposely being playful, Haise didn't dismiss the possibility and merely shifted his hand to his pocket where the folded piece of Yukimura 1/3 rested.

At his inquiry, something flashed in Reborn's eyes. The man also followed the movement of his hand and, no doubt, knew.

"No." Reborn simply answered.

"Then, for both of our sakes, I'm not going to ask why." He sighed wearily at this as he brought his hands up to the table, letting the other know that he had no intention of creating a conflict as of this moment. Today was his day off. He didn't need to get into any confrontations that could've been avoided.

He noticed that Reborn still had his flame activated.

Haise stared and was fascinated as his hand subconsciously reached across the table to touch them.

To his slight surprise, Reborn let him, merely watching his actions with a keen eye.

"It's warm," He uttered in delight as his hand hovered, barely letting the flame caress his fingers. "It's really warm!" He was beside himself with amazement as he felt said warmth reach out to him as it slowly spread through the whole of his hand. The feeling was liberating. To think that the mafia possessed this kind of power. Haise felt utter amazement as the warmth continued to spread within his being. It was heartening.

He watched in fascination as the flames swirled around his own hand almost hesitantly, tentatively, before he found his own hand alight in the same flame.

"Wow! Did you see that?" Haise turned to Reborn gleefully.

But, the man wasn't listening. The other had lurched forward and stared at Haise's hand with wide eyes.

"Reborn-san?" He called out quietly.

"You're a Sun." The man said but there was something odd in his tone.

"Uhm," Haise's brow furrowed as he stared at Reborn whose eyes were still fixed on his own alight hand. "Was it not supposed to… do this?" He gestured towards his hand and took comfort in the warmth he could feel in his grasp.

"No." The man almost snapped as he put out his own flame.

Even at that, the flame in Haise's hand did not die.

Haise remained quiet as he stared at the flickering flame.

"It's your flame." Reborn eventually said as he reached across the table and hesitantly let his fingers glide, merely skimming the edge of the flame. Haise was watching the other closely and saw the odd softening of his eyes before the man blinked and in its place was calculating keenness as he studied the flame in Haise's hand.

"Mine?" Haise's face morphed with pleasant surprise as he savored the warmth.

It was comforting. And, strangely enough, familiar.

"You're a Sun." The man repeated, words almost strained. "Just like me." Reborn admitted but his eyes were telling an entirely different story.

Somehow, Haise got the impression that it wasn't supposed to be a good thing.

Reborn had known, to some level. He just hadn't been ready to acknowledge it.

Haise's flames were bottling up for release. It had been the reason why that spark during their first meeting had been so intense. Still, while he had thought of the possibility, he hadn't come to accept it until it was staring him in the face. As if mocking him. Normal people didn't get to release their flames until they were heavily threatened and at the precipice of life and death. Resolve was not something that came easily. He wondered what Haise's resolve was. His flame was so bright, so pure. It blinded a part of him.

If the other man knew more, maybe he would've known what it meant to take another's flame for your own.

And, he also had to remind himself, it was over.

Haise could live in peace and not worry about the fear of any curse bearing down on him. That was something Reborn would never want to pass down. Though, there was something odd about a while ago. The way Haise had taken to Dying Will Flames so easily. For that to happen, he needed to be in tuned with them for quite some time now. Inactive or active.

Was it because–

He stopped. Answers first. Questions later.

"Sa-sa-ki~!" A singsong voice called out to him.

He wasn't even given a chance to look over his shoulder as arms wrapped itself around his middle and he was swung around like a ragdoll. He felt a bit nauseous. Haise had no idea if it was due to the fact of being spun around so abruptly or for an entirely different matter as a pulsing headache made itself known in his head.

Smiling a bit weakly, he greeted his assailant.

"Rank Two Investigator Nagachika," He gave a small bow of his head, ignoring the pain with all his might.

"Is that all you have to say to me?" The blonde man frowned childishly, finally releasing Haise as he took a step back. "It's been so long and that's how you greet me? And I told you to call me Hide!" He complained rather dramatically.

Nagachika Hideyoshi was a ghoul investigator who had immediately latched himself to the two-toned haired man the moment they had been introduced to each other by Akira during the first month of his term. They had been both at rank three at the time. Still, the blonde always gave him this uneasy feeling that prevented Haise from relaxing and letting his guard down. He didn't understand the reason behind it but he knew that it always saddened the blonde whenever they had to part ways.

Haise didn't want to sound presuming or audacious. He thought that it was because of his inability to adjust to Nagachika that pushed the higher ups into assigning the blonde to the 20th Ward branch instead. Somewhere where he didn't have to deal with him so closely and at a daily basis.

"Hide-san," Haise greeted patiently, already having lost this argument to the blonde months ago. "It's nice to see you again–"

"You can start by sounding enthusiastic about it," Nagachika cut in with a wry smile as he swung an arm around Haise's shoulders. Way too familiarly. "Anyways, since I'm going to be around for a while, why don't we get some coffee? Rank One Investigator Sasaki?" He grinned and didn't give the other the chance to refuse as he instantly dragged him out of the building.

"But, I need to get these papers to Akira–" Haise tried to reason out as his headache pulsed.

"It's fine, it's fine!" The blonde man waved off. "Akira-san told me that it's your day-off. She'll expect the papers tonight so I'm given permission to have you all to myself the whole day! Besides, we need to celebrate your promotion or something!" He giddily declared as he beamed at Haise like a miniature sun.

If Akira had said as much, then he knew that there was no getting out of this.

They had gone to the café that was near the CCG Headquarters. It was his usual hangout whenever he wanted somewhere near enough to simply unwind and have a cup of coffee. The coffee could be better, though, so he had made it his mission to discover delicious coffees in his free time. He had been into a lot of coffee shops around some wards during work but, so far, he hadn't been able to find the perfect blend which suited his sensibilities as a half-ghoul.

Still, even at one of his favorite places, a coffee shop, he just couldn't relax. Haise tried not to let his apprehension to show too much. His headache was still a problem. He had no idea why he felt so discomfited in Nagachika's presence. A queasy feeling that he normally associated to guilt or remorse with a lot of things in between that he'd never been able to identify.

Haise had the suspicion that he might have known Hide in the past. He just refused to dwell on it.

It wasn't until they were seating in a booth that Haise at least got some semblance of control as he got his dose of black coffee.

Unlike what Nagachika hinted at, they didn't discuss the specifics of his promotion. It wasn't something Haise wanted to talk about either. Though, the turn of discussion also wasn't something to be labeled as ideal.

"You really don't like me much, do you?" Nagachika suddenly stated as he took a sip of his own coffee, one that he had taken time to carefully put two teaspoons of cream and one teaspoon of sugar.

The blonde's eyes weren't focused on him but on his cup and there was melancholy and fatigue in his voice that made Haise oddly troubled.

"It's not that at all, Hide-san," Haise found himself refuting calmly as he took a gulp of the scalding bitter liquid to soothe his nerves. "It's just that whenever I'm around you, I always feel anxious." Not to mention, I feel a little bit sick. He forced down the grimace that tried to surface at this thought. It was the same feeling he got whenever he felt Akira's eyes on him because of the manifestation of his kakugan.

If Haise had to describe it specifically, it was fear. For what? He didn't understand.

Nagachika laughed.

"You say it like you have a schoolgirl crush on me." The other man joked, grinning.

He decided to take the bait as he returned the grin, still feeling his cheeks heat up despite his efforts to push down the almost instinctual reaction. If he had to say so himself, he was already past the stage of stammering like a timid girl. Akira had made sure of that.

"Well, it's a good thing we're not in school, right?" He tilted his head a bit, already feeling the aching pulse become a bit faint.

The blonde snorted.

"You know, I don't have anything against ghouls." Nagachika remarked rather nonchalantly for such a delicate subject. "I've been saved by one around three years ago. If it weren't for him, then you won't have this cutie pestering you." He winked playfully as Haise rolled his eyes.

Though, his stomach churned at the blonde's words for some reason. That familiar queasy feeling intensifying for one horrible moment.

"Then, isn't it impractical to join the CCG?" He questioned instead, trying to steer clear of the thought of a dead blonde man, not even noticing the irony of his words implying to himself.

Nagachika smiled sadly.

"Nah, I've got something tying me down to this agency." He admitted with a momentary spark of intense emotion in his eyes. "I've made the mistake of hesitating years ago. I don't think I can live by repeating it twice."

"Mistake?" Haise murmured faintly, tilting his head in thought. "In other words, giving all you've got one more time?" He smiled at the blonde brightly, tasting the words out as if quoting the line from a book.

At that moment, the blonde's expression faltered. Stunned. As if the two-toned haired man had literally blindsided him.

Suddenly, his expression grew determined. Haise had a bad feeling about this as his smile fell, hand tightening around his cup, shoulders growing taut as his posture grew rigid. There was something equally desperate in the other's gaze that threw him off.

"Kane–"

"Sasaki-san?"

A voice cut in and both of their eyes snapped to the source. Haise found himself automatically smiling at the presence of Sawada Tsunayoshi. After that unexpected call from Reborn, he and the man had talked over some trivial things the day after. While it was short, the meeting and conversation had been pleasant. They had talked over some books, primarily, about some mystery and crime novels that featured mostly of Agatha Christie's work. Also, the other had taken to sometimes teaching him the bare basics of Dying Will Flames.

Haise couldn't remember a time when he had been as relaxed at that moment.

It had already been two months since. They had decided to meet from time to time. Sometimes, Reborn would bring his student, Sawada, with him. The familiar address had been something the brunet teen had been adamant about until Haise had reluctantly given in. He never won this argument when it came to names.

Though, this was the first time he encountered the brunet without Reborn.

"Oh, Tsuna-san!" Haise greeted in surprise. "What are you doing here?" What he really meant by that was why the teen was here without his tutor. Judging by the other's contemplative look, Sawada had understood.

"Reborn had something to take care of and this café left an impression on me so I figured that I had to stop by." The brunet teen smiled and looked curiously at Nagachika who had fallen silent at Sawada's arrival. "And I'm not really alone, I'm with a friend," Sawada gestured to the tall dark haired teen behind him. Haise craned his neck to get a good look and was met by inquisitive honey brown eyes, staring at him oddly.

"Oh, who's this?" Haise questioned with interest.

"I'm Yamamoto Takeshi," The teen introduced cheerily. "Tsuna's told me a lot about you!"

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow and stared at Sawada in amusement who only grinned sheepishly. "Well, I'm with a friend too. This is Nagachika Hideyoshi. We both work in the same agency." Haise casually presented his blonde companion who stared at him in surprise at being referred to as a friend. Considering the nature of their conversation earlier, it was expected. But, Haise couldn't comprehend it either since it just slipped out so naturally.

"Hey, hey, Sasaki! Why didn't I know that you've got yourself some kiddie friends?" Nagachika put in playfully, the intense atmosphere about him earlier gone.

Haise couldn't help it. He chuckled. Sawada's put upon expression at being referred to as 'kiddie' got to him.

Nagachika appeared to be oddly smug at this development.

"I'm actually a friend of Tsuna-san's tutor." Haise divulged since he thought that it was only fair. "But, really, Tsuna-san, what are you doing here?"

"Caught, huh?" Sawada sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "I'm actually hoping to run into you. You see, Reborn wanted me to check on you. He's got some business back in Italy so he can't see you for some time. He said that you didn't look so good that last time you saw him," He admitted worriedly as he did an obvious effort to check the man over for any injuries that might be deterring him.

"Check on me…?" Haise sweatdropped.

That wasn't exactly how they had parted last time. If anything, he had come to meet the man with a gauze to his cheek since a ghoul had gotten him good before. It was bad enough to be reprimanded by both Arima and Akira for it. But, even Reborn had gone on to mock him for his lapse of attention. Though, Akira was right. His kindness would cost him some day. Next time, it might not just be a stab to the cheek for his efforts.

Reborn was an odd one, though.

Haise could never really tell with the man. He had never really divulge his profession to Reborn. During their third encounter, the man suddenly just called him out on it and proceeded to berate him that he couldn't show the same carefree indulgence in the field.

Apparently, Haise had been too quick to trust. Similar as to how their odd friendship had started and the man wouldn't let him hear the end of it.

Though, to be fair, he would like to think that he made the right choice.

Haise knew that Reborn wasn't simply an Italian tutor either. No civilian could move with such grace as the other did. The other shouldn't be able to give advice on how to better one's hand-to-hand technique in order to improve his reflexes. While nothing could seem to faze Reborn for all the time Haise had known him, he had a genuine way about his actions no matter how it reeked of well-hidden temper, sadism, acuity, and general nonchalance that seemed to be far too controlled.

After he'd been introduced to Dying Will Flames and subsequently discovered Reborn's affiliation to the mafia, he supposed that it made sense. Still, was Sawada aware of his tutor's connections?

While the unnerving feeling he got from the man never left, there was this strange need to hold on.

Just a little longer.

It was the same thing with Arima, Akira, even Nagachika and everyone who had been a part of his new life.

If they would let him. Just a little. Before–

"Take a seat then," Haise offered to the two teens with an eager grin after receiving Nagachika's consent through a shrug. Sawada excitedly took the seat beside Haise while Yamamoto somewhat warily took the next one to Nagachika.

"So, you're Sasaki's friends?" Nagachika repeated, though, on a more lighthearted note than the teasing one earlier.

"Tsuna is," Yamamoto answered as he gestured to the brunette. "I just met Sasaki-senpai today."

That got their attention.

"Senpai?" Haise questioned as he pointed to himself.

"Well, Reborn is our teacher!" Yamamoto grinned in response, something almost too open but couldn't be properly deciphered glittering in his eyes. "Since you're a– friend of Reborn-san, I think it's only appropriate." He shrugged his shoulders with a small chuckle.

"You keep mentioning this Reborn-san," Nagachika suddenly brought up as he glanced back at Haise in confusion. "Is this a friend of Akira-san's? I've never heard of him before." There was something calculating in his eyes that made Haise anxious.

Strangely, it was an almost nostalgic feeling, the need to step lightly.

"Uhm, about that–" Sawada answered with exasperation coloring his voice.

"That's a, uh, funny story." Haise cut in with a nervous laugh. "I met him at this café some months ago. I'm not being clumsy or anything and I'm really watching where I'm going so Akira doesn't need to hear that–" He babbled almost in a rather roundabout manner as he scratched the back of his head.

"In short, you bumped into him and had to buy coffee as compensation," The blonde concluded with a sigh, his deduction rather frighteningly close to what had actually occurred, as his eyes twinkled slightly.

"Caught, huh?" Haise mimicked Sawada's words earlier with a resigned grin.

"You're too easy to read, Sasaki." Nagachika reached across the table, his hand outstretched almost to ruffle Haise's hair before stopping at the last second. Then, he slowly sat back properly and blinked, as if he couldn't believe what he had just been about to do. "I mean, of course, Akira-san wouldn't know of your valiant form of clumsiness." He laughed loudly, as if to drown out the awkward atmosphere born from his action.

Then, conversation continued.

"That guy with Sasaki-senpai," Yamamoto murmured quietly as they settled in their hotel room. "For a moment there, he looks really sad, doesn't he, Tsuna?"

Tsuna blinked in surprise at this statement.

"Eh? You can tell?"

Yamamoto smiled sheepishly.

"Of course I can!" The tall teen confirmed as his eyes softened. "After all, Tsuna used to look like that a lot before too."

"Say, Reborn-san," Haise hesitantly called on.

The man looked up from his book to give Haise a raised eyebrow in silent question.

"How do you raise someone to surpass a living legend?" He asked grimly, staring at the dark liquid of his styrofoam cup as the bitter aroma of black coffee washed strongly over him. This was a tough question that had been plaguing him for some time now.

"Cosa c'è? Is this about your new squad?" Reborn prompted directly, straight to the point.

"Well, yes," Haise admitted with a sigh. "The Bureau Chief wanted me to "raise an inspector to surpass our current strongest". It's not that I don't trust the abilities of my new team but I'm still unsure if I'm really the right person for this." He worried his bottom lip at this.

Though, he didn't expect to be whacked over the head by a book. A hand instantly went up to the throbbing area of his head and thought that Reborn certainly wasn't pulling any punches. Really, it was more of he could've gone without that.

"You're already failing if you don't even believe you can do it," Reborn reprimanded him sternly, a scowl playing at the edge of his lips.

"I know, I know," Haise grumbled as he rubbed his head. "Geez, you didn't have to hit me." He complained with a grimace.

"I had to," The man replied a little bit too seriously for the half-ghoul's liking. "Or else, the words won't sink in through that hard head of yours. Really, Haise-baka, is this all you've got to show as a Rank One Investigator?" Reborn's eyes narrowed at him, gaze piercing through him.

"There's that name calling again!" He pointed accusingly at the other as he frowned.

"Don't change the subject." The fedora-wearing man cautioned, tilting his head. "Besides, if you want to nurture someone to surpass the strongest, you need to be the strongest. Otherwise, there will be no point. I don't think your superior will carelessly give you this squad if they don't believe you to be capable. Non ti preoccupare," He reasoned out as he opened his book once again, sifting through the pages, before stopping at a certain page to continue his reading.

Though, Akira had said the same thing.

Haise didn't know when it started but he got to a point where he had been comfortable enough to confide in on Reborn. Though, after the man had straightforwardly admitted that he knew Haise was a ghoul investigator, things had been a bit tense and awkward for a while before the other started to give him advice on how to improve his fighting skills. Though, he was glad to have someone outside of the CCG who could give him certain opinions without looking down on him.

Akira hadn't been joking when she said that most of the people there didn't think any highly of them.

He wondered if Reborn was suspecting anything different about Haise. For all the times that they met in this same café, all Haise had to keep him going was a cup of black coffee. While the other, even if he was more inclined to espresso, tried their coffee varieties that ranged from cappuccino, latte, mocha, and even the chocolate ones. Not to mention, the man had always indulged Sawada when the brunet teen pestered him to try out the cakes with him, especially the chiffon with caramel frosting.

Haise had been able to decline so far by making it a point to meet them after lunch time. Reasoning that he was already full. Knowing his rank and that he was a ghoul investigator was one thing. But to disclose his nature as a half-ghoul would be pushing it and would earn him drastic consequences from his superiors if word got out to anyone outside of CCG.

"If I have anything to say, though," Haise continued as his eyes softened. "They're good kids. I can't disclose anything about them but I really want them to grow into responsible adults. I want them to better themselves." I want them to be more than just a human research subject. He ignored the pang in his chest at the thought and refused to dwell on his own circumstance with Doctor Kanou.

"Si, that's simple. Do it. Don't give me that 'try' bullshit." Reborn bluntly told him without even looking up from his book.

"I'm–" Trying, was what he wanted to say but a flash of those dark, dark eyes and he hastily changed tracks. "–going to do it! But, you know, it's kind of weird to suddenly be living with someone else. Not to mention, several people. I'm so used to having all the place to myself that I'm sometimes surprised to see any of them around." He sighed at this and tried not to think of Shirazu's cluttered room or even Saiko's which was a chaotic tumble of food wrappers and magazines.

"Better get used to it," The man delivered on ruthlessly.

"You're starting to sound meaner and meaner every time we see each other," Haise pointed out exasperatedly before humming contemplatively. "In fact, Tsuna-san did warn me. Still, thanks for listening to me." He smiled as he bashfully rubbed the back of his head.

"Are you happy?" Reborn suddenly asked out of the blue and Haise found himself pinned down by those dark eyes that, no doubt, saw a lot more than the man let on.

"What brought this on?" He asked a bit nervously as tension rose around them.

"Answer the question, Haise," The other's voice had gone sharper, demanding, but there was something impatient in his tone and a flash of strong emotion in his eyes that made Haise think about the question seriously and a little deeper.

Haise clasped his hands on the table and smiled at the man widely, feeling the vestiges of genuine contentment curling his lips.

He had come to accept that CCG was a dangerous place for someone like him. But, he'd like to think that those few friends he'd made and those bonds were sincere. He might not know anything of his past self but they had given him a second chance when they could've killed him instead. He was given the chance to prove himself. While he would never get used to the discrimination against all ghouls, he promised himself that he wouldn't lose sight of who he was.

That was his resolve.

Looking back at Reborn unwaveringly, the man's eyes widened that it made him wonder what he saw in Haise's face.

"Yes," He answered honestly. "I'm happy."

A ghost of a smile appeared on the man's face.

"Grazie."

Reborn could only stare at the trace of Sun Flames burning in those dark eyes and felt lighter than he had in years.

Resolve. How beautiful.

It was when he and Mutsuki were exiting a bookstore that Haise finally deduced that there was something different about Reborn's group.

Haise hadn't expected to bump into Yamamoto Takeshi and another dark haired teen who had glared at the two-toned haired man as soon as he caught sight of him. Mutsuki nervously hovered behind him at the terrifying teen's glare. Still, brown eyes lit up as Yamamoto bounded up to greet them. His companion cautiously trailed after him, steel grey eyes never leaving Haise's form as he walked with a certain grace to his posture.

Somehow, his instincts were screaming for him to defend.

"Sasaki-senpai!" Yamamoto grinned at him, waving cheerily. "It's nice to see you!"

Haise smiled despite his suspicions. While the teen's eyes were sincere, he felt that there was nothing about this situation that could be called a coincidence. Yamamoto had readily sought him out the moment he'd stepped foot outside of the bookstore. Also, the glaring one was studying Haise but couldn't quite hide the tension within him as his hands tightened into fists from time to time, eyes seemingly taking in the sights but for what could only be escape routes.

"Yamamoto-san," Haise replied genially, setting a hand on his subordinate's shoulder to calm him.

"Oh, you're with someone else," The teen mentioned as his eyes briefly flickered to Mutsuki. "I was hoping to talk to you but it seems like you're busy."

"It's our break. We have to be back at the office in a few minutes." He answered the unspoken question as he tried not to show that he noticed the glaring one's attention on him. "I just wanted to check out a book. Anyway, this is my co-worker, Mutsuki Tooru. Mutsuki-kun, this is Yamamoto Takeshi-san. He's a friend of Tsuna-san's." Haise mentioned and watched as Mutsuki's green eye lit up at the mention of the brunet.

So far, of the Quinx, only Shirazu, Urie, and Mutsuki had met Sawada. At least, in his opinion, that was a safe course. While Shirazu and Mutsuki would be more accepting of Reborn, Haise didn't think that Urie would keep it to himself. The younger man was a sharp one and would be able to tell that Reborn was more than what he seemed. While he kept his own speculations to himself, Urie had so far went out of his way to discredit Haise. He didn't need this in another show of distrust or misgivings.

"A pleasure to meet you, Yamamoto-san!" Mutsuki greeted with a bow, fidgeting.

"Hi Mutsuki-san!" Said teen greeted back cheerfully. "Anyway, senpai, this is Hibari Kyouya." Yamamoto introduced his companion whose eyes never left Haise. "We're doing some errand for Reborn-san. Since you're from around the area, I went looking for you but – well," The dark haired teen waved at them incomprehensibly, eyes sheepish.

"I apologize, Yamamoto-san," Haise still felt the need to apologize. "You've picked the wrong day. We're still currently being buried in workload as we speak."

"No, it's fine, I understand." Yamamoto expression had too much understanding as if he really did, then shook his head before his brown eyes shifted to the book in Haise's hand. "You really like reading, ne, Sasaki-senpai? You're just like Reborn-san. He likes to read when he's done terrorizing Tsuna." He grinned fondly at this while his companion scowled in distaste but there was something in his words that struck something indescribable within Haise.

"You mean tutoring, right?" He smiled slyly at this.

"That's not what Tsuna would call it, though," Yamamoto laughed cheerily at this. "Anyway, don't let us keep you from doing work. Let's have our own coffee date some other time!" He declared as Haise's eyebrows shot up in surprise while Mutsuki gaped beside him.

"Coffee date?" He couldn't help his amusement at the words.

"You've always had yours with Tsuna and Reborn-san so let's have our own next time!" The teen giddily proclaimed, face beaming. "How about next week? Does that sound fine? Are you still busy by then?"

"No, I'll make sure to free my schedule." Haise promised.

"Ah, sensei, about the case–" Mutsuki put in worriedly, missing the way Hibari had stiffened beside Yamamoto.

"It's fine, Mutsuki-kun," The man patted the green haired teen's head fondly. "I've got this." He winked playfully while his subordinate frowned, sighed, and shook his head exasperatedly as if he shouldn't have expected any less. "Well, we need to get going." He told the dark haired teen.

"See you then, senpai! Mutsuki-san!" Yamamoto waved at them as Haise sent his own over his shoulder.

As they turned around the corner, Haise felt Mutsuki pull at his sleeve. Looking at the green haired teen, Mutsuki was frowning uncertainly as he stared over his shoulder. Haise understood immediately as his lips curled down in contemplation.

"Sensei, that guy with Yamamoto-san, he's–" Mutsuki hesitantly started.

"I know." Haise smiled as he exhaled softly. "We didn't see anyone, though, right?"

Mutsuki's green eye widened.

He looked hesitant for a moment before nodding slowly.

"We didn't see anyone." Mutsuki agreed.

Haise bit the inside of his cheek at this. Mutsuki trusted him too much, in his opinion. Otherwise, this should be a problem. That Hibari person was a ghoul. Both of them had noticed after a while and the other hadn't tried to be subtle about it. He wondered if Reborn had something to do with it. He couldn't help the heavy feeling of exasperation within him, though, especially the slight apprehension.

The things he did for that man.

"He's an interesting guy, ne, Hibari?" Yamamoto mused as he stared at the retreating forms of Sasaki and Mutsuki.

Hibari glowered at him darkly before following his gaze.

"His scent is odd." The older teen admitted grudgingly with a frown.

The moment Haise opened his eyes he didn't expect to see Nagachika's furious visage.

"So, it's true." The blonde gritted out.

"Uh, Hide-san," Haise croaked out, throat painfully dry and fully aware of the medical eyepatch covering his left eye. "I thought you're supposed to be in the 20th Ward? About the reappearance of 'Gourmet'?" He spoke despite the way it hurt to even get the words out as he sluggishly waved his right hand about.

He really shouldn't have been surprised when the other man grabbed his hand and held tightly.

"You agreed to be put down and exterminated like a common ghoul?" Nagachika gritted out, ignoring Haise's inquiry, face darkening despite the suspicious glassy gleam of his brown eyes.

"It's only when my kagune goes wild and out of control." Haise tried to reassure despite the sick feeling that tried to resurface at the reminder. His side still felt tender from where the RC suppressant bullet had entered him. "It's also for my peace of mind. I don't want to hurt anyone and I'd rather be hurt than accidentally kill someone." He reasoned out with a soft sigh, eyes closing for a second at the pulsing headache.

To his surprise, tears cascaded down the blonde's cheeks.

"You idiot." The man rasped out weakly. "You stupid, stupid idiot!" He sniffled lightly as he held Haise's hand with both hands, crying openly.

Haise blinked in surprise. He never thought that he had such an effect on the other as he did now.

"No matter who or what you are, you'll always be my best friend, got it?" Nagachika vowed determinedly, albeit a little sadly and Haise wondered when was it that the blonde considered him as his best friend. His chest constricted at this thought. "Man, you always get into troublesome situations. Looking out for others before yourself. Was it worth it? Your squad?" He asked softly and his eyes were searching Haise's face intently.

"I would do it again if I have to." Haise answered truthfully with a small smile before hesitantly adding. "I'd do it for you too."

The words were spoken almost uncertainly but with a hint of effortlessness as if he'd uttered the same words some lifetime ago. This time, there was no uneasiness to accompany the words. It didn't make him anxious or scared, there was no remorse and melancholy, just a quiet lightness that he'd longed for so long. For how long, he didn't understand but Haise realized that he needed this. Needed this strange reassurance that he didn't even know he craved.

For a moment, he forgot the fear in Mutsuki's eyes as he revealed his ghoul side, the resentment in Urie's sharp eyes, and the awe in Shirazu's. For one blissful moment, he forgot that, to the CCG, he was still considered a ghoul, that they wouldn't hesitate to execute him if necessary, and that his past self was still trying to get his body back. Haise was someone. Even if his nightmares always told him that his body was borrowed. He existed. He couldn't let everything crumble into nothing.

Because, for a while, he had honestly been happy. He didn't want to let go. Even if it meant surrendering twenty years' worth of memories.

But is it really alright to be fighting here? Or was he simply struggling hard for nothing? These were the questions that plagued him but he didn't want to face. Haise was just too afraid of the answers.

"I always got your back, Sasaki," Nagachika grinned at him as he messily wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve.

He closed his eyes. Why was Nagachika so intent on holding on to Haise? He never understood that. He released a soft breath and opened his eye, staring at the blonde some more before deciding to let it go. He probably didn't deserve it.

"Why are you here?" Haise questioned with a bit of confusion, effectively changing the subject. "You're supposed to be in the 20th Ward." He pointed out as he remembered that 'Gourmet' had reappeared around a week ago. The circumstance around it was odd, though, considering that the ghoul had disappeared off the radar for two years. Was it because of Aogiri's sudden activity that triggered it? Or was it something else?

"Akira-san contacted me." Nagachika simply said.

"She did, huh?" Haise muttered softly under his breath.

"Did…" The blonde hesitated, the hands holding Haise's own twitching slightly. "Did Serpent tell you anything? Anything at all?"

Haise closed his eyes at the recollection.

He absently rubbed his chin with his left hand.

"No," He answered quietly.

Nagachika sighed but Haise couldn't properly read his expression. His left hand moved up to the medical eyepatch over his left eye. He wondered how many days he had to wear this before he was cleared to go by Doctor Shiba.

"Then, it's fine." The blonde assured him.

Haise smiled tiredly as he closed his visible eye and basked in the warmth while it lasted. Before he had to face the music after this.

"Thanks, Hide."

He was already asleep before he could see the blonde man's stunned face.

"I'm so sorry, Kaneki." Hide murmured softly at the quiet stillness of the room. "Just know that everything I've done, it's all to save you."

"Reborn-san," Haise started out seriously.

"What?" The man questioned back lazily, leafing through the book that Haise had lent him. It was the book that Arima had borrowed last time, "The Complete Stories" written by Franz Kafka. He couldn't help but compare this man to Arima. They both exuded strength and confidence. Different in so many ways but bearing the same enigmatic shadows around them. But, in all the years that he'd been Sasaki Haise, he would admit that he had run to this man more times than he did to Arima.

That was why he deserved to know.

Looking back at Reborn and the man's raised eyebrow, Haise felt his resolve crumble.

He couldn't do it. Not when this was one of his only solace. He could still feel the intensity of Urie's voice as he called him a ghoul. Ever since he lost control in that fight with Serpent, there was this certain strain in the air that Haise couldn't completely comprehend.

Distractedly scratching his chin, he waved it off with a laugh.

"It's nothing." He stated, voice deceptively carefree.

"If you don't want to tell me, it's fine. Capisco." Reborn drawled as he paused from his skimming. "I'm a very good listener to you because I don't demand to know everything. But, remember this, if I wanted to, I would know." He tilted his fedora hat and took a sip of his espresso.

Haise tried not to look too deeply into that. The way they had been delivered so plainly. So matter-of-factly.

This was another subject he wanted to address.

"You know a lot of things." Haise pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back on his chair. "You know that I'm a ghoul investigator. You know my rank. And that case about Torso, you gave me the plate number of his taxi. Which admittedly made it easier. Especially considering that Mutsuki-kun's in trouble. Then there's Hibari-san. And you're mafia. I should really report you." He declared blandly, his statement lacking the necessary conviction to be taken seriously.

"Non m'importa. I know you won't," Reborn concluded confidently.

At least, he didn't deny it.

Haise sighed and smiled at the man wanly.

"Of course," He confirmed rather resignedly. "It's mutual, you know. I don't demand to know everything too."

That's how their relationship worked.

Reborn didn't need to know that he was a half-ghoul. Haise would like to keep it that way.

But, he had the feeling that the man knew anyway.

He stared at the seat that was occupied by the young man a while ago.

Remembered a month ago being given a genuine smile as he stated confidently that he was happy with his life. And in just a short amount of time, he was seeing uncertainty lurking in his gaze. A look on someone who had his entire world shaken.

Reborn wondered if he could just simply kill the nuisances and be done with it.

Haise hadn't always been good at dealing with things that bothered him.

After that strange visit to that coffee shop in the 16th Ward, ":re", he didn't know why he wanted to come back. There was this heavy anxiety that sat within him. Making him feel restless. Part of him wanted to badly come back, see that beautiful woman again, and bask in the familiar yet alien ambience. Another part, though, wanted him to step back, turn around, and never show himself again.

It was the reason why he had brought Reborn with him. The man knew a lot of things. There must be something he could help with. Not to mention, there was something he needed to talk about and, while this strange café wasn't the ideal place considering how it brought forward unidentified feelings, Haise didn't know when he'd see him next considering their current investigation about "nutcracker".

"Mi annoio. This café is out of my way," Reborn remarked rather nonchalantly, his eyes scanning the streets.

Bored? Did Haise interpret that correctly?

"But you came." Haise pointed out, trying to curb the triumph in his tone and received a flat stare for his attempt. "So, my squad and I visited this place a week ago. The coffee there is… really great!" He ignored the falter in his words with great effort as he forced out a laugh.

"Great?" The man's eyes sharpened. "There's something bothering you."

"Am I that transparent?" Haise wondered a bit worriedly, frowning.

"Yes." Reborn answered bluntly. "Don't even try avoiding the question." His voice became a bit sharp as his eyes narrowed at him.

Ever since their last meeting, Haise realized then that he should never joke about Reborn's family, in any way, shape, or form. He had only teasingly called him dad and the other had broken a cup and abruptly left. He had panicked for a few days before he got a call from the man who simply told him that the coffee in the 1st Ward was getting bland. And that they should look for a different one. An indirect apology that wasn't an apology.

It was the reason why he had decided to explore out for a coffee shop with his subordinates and found ":re".

Thankfully, the man's supposed trip to Italy got delayed for whatever reason.

Though, as they got closer, it seemed that Haise didn't need to answer the question. The way he shuffled his feet and hesitantly trudged closer to the entrance said a lot of things for him. Though, unfortunately for him, it appeared that Reborn didn't care enough for his indecision and boldly entered the coffee shop like he would any establishment. Just enough arrogance in his posture that exuded a certain kind of self-importance as if he owned the place.

At that, his choice was taken out of his hands.

Sawada had more than once remarked that, to Reborn, nothing else could stop him. However, he would always give Haise this unreadable smile afterwards.

"R-Reborn-san!" He called out as he hurried after the man, heartbeat quickening as he got a whiff of the familiar scent that called out to him. "Wait! Wait! What are you doing?" He fretted a bit, almost recoiling as he stepped foot back into ":re" once again.

Thankfully, no one was in sight yet. Not the strange woman or that old man.

"What does it look like?" The man raised an eyebrow at him as soon as Haise caught up to him. "You're the one who invited me here. Stop worrying and let's order some coffee. That's what we came here for, wasn't it?" There was something dangerous in his tone that made Haise chuckle nervously.

One of the things that Reborn loathed the most was wasting his time.

Of course. He knew that. Right.

As a standard from their normal routine in any coffee shop, Reborn would always choose the booth that was located in a corner that had a very good view of the door, the counter, and the windows. Which was usually located near the back. Taking a deep breath, Haise forced his stiff posture to relax and strode after the man with a bit of confidence that he wasn't really feeling right now.

Haise sighed as they finally settled down.

At least, when Reborn chose their table, it was always positioned in a way that outsiders couldn't easily overhear them. In any case, not without getting caught.

"While we wait for someone to take our order," Reborn drawled as he started tapping the table with his index finger. "Why don't you start talking? And don't even try to squirrel out of this one, Haise-baka, you called me here for a reason. Si?" His voice was almost commanding but he patiently waited.

"First off, I apologize about that joke before. It's obviously not in good taste." Haise started out with a sheepish and apologetic smile. "Mi dispiace?" He attempted in Italian a bit nervously, the words too foreign on his tongue.

The man blinked and stared for a moment, silent.

It got to the point where Haise began squirming in his seat, never been able to stand silences for so long, until the man reached over the table and flicked him on the forehead. Automatically, he yelped and cradled said forehead as he glared at the other.

"I wouldn't be here if it still bothered me." The man's lips quirked at this, something that was a smile but a bit too flat to be called such. "As for your Italian, nice try but you need to work on your diction. Besides, even if that were the case, I wouldn't call myself a good parent." He continued a bit coolly, avoiding his gaze for a second before flickering back to him with a sort of intensity to his eyes.

Haise gave Reborn a sad smile.

"You don't need to worry about it since I don't think I'd be able to tell anyway," He admitted with sigh, rubbing the back of his head in slight discomfort. "All I've got to keep me going is a makeshift family in the CCG. A father in Arima-san, a mother in Akira, and this isn't really how it's supposed to be but with my squad as my adopted children or something." Haise grinned at the reminder and thought for a moment just how annoyed Urie would be to know that other people thought him to be one of his "children".

"That sounds rather troublesome." Reborn commented quietly, silkily. "Instead of 'makeshift', it compels me to think that 'make-believe' is the more appropriate term."

There was suddenly a strange lump in his throat that he forced down by laughing loudly.

To them, maybe. But, Haise honestly thought of those people as his family.

"Does it really matter?" Haise asked softly. "Though, I'll still say that if you are my father, you won't make a bad parent." He confessed even though he knew that he was stepping into dangerous territory.

But, it was true. Reborn wasn't trying so hard to treat him naturally. He didn't make it too difficult for Haise to read his intentions, purposely being open about it just because he could and would get away with it. He didn't need to worry about certain repercussions and be fearful when his present and past finally collided, because Reborn was always there. Besides, ever since he met the man, he was always helped, one way or another. Haise suspected that if he just said so, Reborn would do it. Simply for the principle that he wouldn't ask that of the other.

Was that simply wishful thinking? Or he simply trusted too much?

"You don't know that," Reborn refuted sharply. "Besides, I thought this 'Arima-san' is your padre." He continued on almost curiously and with something in his voice that Haise couldn't make sense of.

"W-Well, yes," Haise floundered a bit, caught at his slip-up. "He's my mentor and I really owe him a lot. Him and Akira, really." He smiled softly at this, because, even if it's Arima, surely–

"You came back," A soft voice suddenly cut in into their conversation and both men stared at the waitress who had addressed Haise.

His pulse raced as Haise met the woman's gaze. She was still as beautiful as ever. But, he couldn't bring himself to stare for too long because her gaze was penetrating. Even if her expression exuded sadness, there was still something sharp in her eye that regarded Haise a bit too closely.

"It's because the coffee here is really great," He replied with a small smile.

"Enough to cry in tears of joy?" She asked a little bit wryly, her eyes crinkling slightly in something almost mischievous.

Remembering his first visit here, he flushed lightly.

"Maybe." He murmured quietly as he refocused his stare on his companion. "What are you having, Reborn-san? I'm having my usual." He continued a bit firmly, trying to shake off the uneasiness.

"A cup of espresso." Reborn directed to the waitress. "He'll be having coffee. Black. No sugar."

She nodded her head as she wrote it down. Though, it didn't take long before her eyes landed on Haise once again. The young man gave her his default reaction and simply smiled at her, though with a hint of something questioning this time.

As if she was just waiting for the signal, she stepped closer to him.

"I didn't catch your name last time," She remarked calmly as she bit her lip, staring at him intently as her soft expression gained the slightest bit of edge.

"My name's Haise," He introduced pleasantly, extending his hand. "Sasaki Haise."

If anything, at his words, her troubled expression from their last meeting was more prominent. Her hand clenched the notepad a bit too tightly as she stared at his hand silently, as if confounded. It wasn't until he was about to retract said limb when the unnerving silence on her part got to him that she reached out. With both hands. She reached out and held onto it firmly, securely, as if she was making sure the hand was real. That this was real.

His chest constricted at the thought and he fought a bout of nausea that threatened to surface.

"Touka." She gave her name, squeezing his hand one last time, before abruptly letting go as she spun on her heel and gracefully strode towards the counter. Not waiting for his reply.

"What was that about?" Reborn's voice brought him back down to reality and Haise gazed at him.

How to put it?

"Have you ever had the feeling that you know you're only starting but you feel as if you're only repeating things?" Haise asked quietly as he stared into space. "Like, you have a book that you know you haven't read before but at the first few pages, you can't help but think that 'I've read this before'." He decided to at least disclose some of his worries as he fiddled with the cuffs of his dark long sleeved dress shirt.

He didn't mention that he didn't have any memories for the past twenty years. It sounded so cowardly now that he thought about it.

Reborn hummed, urging him to continue.

"That's what it felt like when I drank their coffee here last week," Haise gave a pained smile at the reminder. "It was good, really good. The first thing that came to mind was 'I miss this'. Badly enough that I started crying like a little kid. It's really confusing." He ignored the slightest hint of embarrassment that lingered from the incident.

"Forse. It seems to be because you've done it before," Reborn replied easily. "She seems to know you."

Haise blinked in surprise.

"Eh?" He paused, honestly startled at the statement. "Are you sure? It's not that I doubt you but, I think I would've remembered someone like her." Especially someone as beautiful, he inwardly added, traces of melancholy slipping into his thoughts.

"Who knows?" Reborn remarked silently, eyes staring at Haise as if he should already know the answer. "Meglio tardi che mai." The man quoted in Italian and Haise wondered what the phrase meant this time.

If only he knew.

"Father?" Reborn mused as he sat on a random bench near the hotel they had been staying at for the past few months. "What does it take to be a father?"

He didn't know. His own had died the moment he was born. He grew up in an environment where family didn't really matter. Until it was taught to him. The closest example he could take on had been Timoteo, Vongola Nono. But he also learned that attachment and loving too much was equally detrimental as proven by Xanxus. He wouldn't even begin about Iemitsu and Reborn would rather shoot himself than even compare his self to the blonde.

Reconnecting with a son who never even knew about his own identity was unexpectedly hard. Trying to be "fatherly" to a son who didn't know his biological father and with no knowledge to act upon was a very arduous task. Maintaining a role in said son's life was even grueling when he already established a father figure for himself and it was all Reborn could do not to threaten Ken– Haise into forgetting about the bastard or try to suppress homicidal thoughts at the mere reminder.

Being a parent is an obligation.

One that Reborn wanted to fulfill, not needed. To him, for all the sins he'd committed, for all the lives he'd stolen, for all the blood he had spilled, this was his only form of repentance. A way so he could finally forgive himself. Fulfill that one thing that was solely his role. He'd never been one for sentimentality but if there was something he had learned through Luce, through Vongola Nono, through the Vongola Tenth Generation, through that impromptu trip to the future, chances were harder to come by and it would always take a leap of faith to seize them.

Dame-Tsuna had told him that he'd just have to live with his mistakes and do what he could in the present.

What a useless thing to say.

Better late than never.

But, right now, there were some things that greatly bothered him. Hacking through the CCG had brought to light about Haise's half-ghoul nature. With a certain Kanou Akihiro to be responsible. What did the CCG want with the boy? Furthermore, there's the Aogiri that continued to branch out and expand. His contacts hadn't been forthcoming which was admittedly hard when they're already dead. And the one in CCG couldn't dig deeper without risking exposure.

He still didn't have enough evidence to piece together what had happened to Ken. But, he was close.

He could practically taste it.

There were certain factors that could greatly cause drastic changes. More unknowns and ambiguous incidents. So many factors. Who should he kill?

He missed so much. Yui would be so, so disappointed.

"I won't make a bad parent?" Reborn scoffed to himself disdainfully. "Is he mocking me? That impertinent brat."

"Can't we go home, yet, Maman?" Saiko asked him as she held onto his sleeve tightly.

He felt himself smile a little bit exasperatedly. Out of all the members of the Quinx, he got to say that she was the only one who really addressed him as some kind of parent. He knew the possible reason, of course, but he sometimes felt a bit embarrassed at how she considered him as her 'mother'. Well, to be honest, he could've been simply a father but he knew that she must've subconsciously put him as the mother figure that she had always thought of.

At least, the seeming opposite of her biological mother, according to her.

"Let's stop by the coffee shop first," Haise patted her head absentmindedly. "If you really wanted to go back that badly, Saiko-chan, you could've gone with Shirazu-kun and Mutsuki-kun." He told her gently as the entered the coffee shop just a block away from the main office.

He lamented about how he wanted to order coffee in ":re" instead. Their coffee was one of a kind. But, he simply couldn't make the trip at this time.

"No, I'll stay with you." The blue haired girl quietly muttered.

At that, his expression softened and he found himself brightening with happiness. Saiko was a simple, straightforward girl. He liked her just the way she was. In fact, she was really trying hard to work with the team these past few days. She was doing more than what was asked of her willingly. He felt so proud.

Now, he really did sound like a mother, didn't he?

When they entered the coffee shop, he couldn't help but compare the ambience with ":re". He would admit, there was something just so bittersweet and nostalgic in that shop. But, he didn't want to think too deeply on the matter. Stepping in the line to order, his eyes widened as he found a familiar figure reading by the corner. Looking back at his companion and meeting curious dual-colored eyes, he smiled at her widely.

"You know what, Saiko-chan? I think it's good that you're with me today." He told her a bit excitedly. "I want you to meet someone." He winked at her conspiratorially.

"Meet… someone?" She sounded a bit uncertain as she squinted her eyes up at him suspiciously.

He simply nodded at her and hummed under his breath.

As expected, she started to pester him with questions about that someone but he would only chuckle and ruffle her hair when she would pout as he remained tightlipped about his "surprise". To be honest, Haise hadn't expected to see the other here. But, if the other would finally meet someone from his squad, he thought that it was only appropriate to be Saiko when she hadn't met any of his acquaintances yet outside of CCG. Maybe, he should bring her with him to ":re" next time?

When they finally got their order, a black coffee for himself, a caramel frappe and a slice of cheesecake for Saiko, he led the girl to the table where Haise could see Reborn was seated and reading, a cup of, no doubt, espresso in front of the man.

"Reborn-san!" He greeted happily as he jovially waved a hand.

The man paused then slowly looked up.

He didn't seem all that surprised but he didn't appear to be expecting them either. Haise was really envious of that composure. It rivalled even Akira's. He certainly needed that kind of self-control when dealing with his squad or facing Shimoguchi head on. Though, he somberly thought that it might be quite some time before the latter happened again.

"Haise." Reborn nodded at him as he tilted his fedora hat down in greeting.

"Maman, who is he?" Saiko questioned him as she slightly hid behind his back, holding onto his coat as she peered at the man curiously but with a touch of someone who looked a bit overwhelmed or intimidated. Or a bit of both, really.

Haise brightened.

"This is Reborn-san. He's a very good friend of mine, Saiko-chan." He introduced to her eagerly before facing the man. "And, Reborn-san, this is Yonebayashi Saiko-chan. She's a member of my squad." He would've patted her head had he not been holding the tray containing their orders.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Saiko." Reborn nodded at the girl cordially before turning a decidedly smug smirk towards the two-toned haired youth. "'Maman', is it?" He inquired mischievously as he put down his book.

"Uh, well, about that–" Haise stuttered a bit, flushing.

"He's our mother," Saiko defended, frowning a little. "Do you have a problem with that, mister?" She inquired bluntly and Haise was surprised at her boldness.

Normally, Saiko didn't speak out of turn like this. Well, Reborn did always have this effect on people. Ruffling their feathers, so to speak.

"Of course not," The man raised an eyebrow and appraised the girl behind Haise with knowing eyes. "I only like embarrassing this idiot here. His reactions are certainly more entertaining than that of my student's." If anything, his smirk widened with a touch of wickedness.

At that, the girl appeared as if she didn't know how to reply to such an unabashed admission.

Then, she looked up at Haise questioningly.

"Is he really your friend?" She asked straightforwardly, her hands tightening on his coat.

Haise sighed at this.

"Can we have a seat first?" He directed to the man who only shrugged and Haise gratefully sat on one of the chairs across from the man while Saiko followed beside him almost reluctantly. "And, yes, Saiko-chan, he's my friend. He just really likes teasing me." He revealed to her exasperatedly, with a resigned air of someone who was plenty used to it.

"If you say so." Saiko nodded her head slowly, giving Reborn a measuring look, before indulging herself with her cheesecake.

After that, Haise had a pleasant conversation with Reborn with Saiko occasionally cutting in when it seemed that Reborn was in one of those moods to fluster Haise. It didn't help that, by the time Saiko had loosened enough around the man, she had put in her input about how he really acted as the squad's mother. According to her, he cooked their meals, which was absolutely delicious, looked after them and even took the time to comb and fix Saiko's hair.

But, throughout it all, Reborn listened and Haise noticed that the reason the man kept quiet was because, no matter how sometimes flat Saiko's voice was, there was genuine appreciation in her words. It wasn't until Saiko was telling Reborn how it was Haise who bought and chose some of her favorite games that he noticed that she was purposely telling the man his good points. In her point of view, at least.

It wasn't just Mutsuki who depended on him. Shirazu and Saiko, too. Urie also sometimes referred to him subconsciously without the other really noticing.

Haise was really glad to have met his squad.

Before any of his emotions could burst out of him unexpectedly, he had excused himself to go to the restroom. Reborn only gave him this knowing look while Saiko told him to hurry up as she wanted to go home after this. While there, he felt a bit emotional. It was one thing to know that someone looked up to him. But, to hear it spoken so easily just as the girl did a while ago, he couldn't help the rush of happiness he felt.

There really was a silver lining to all of this, wasn't it?

By the time he returned, Saiko was unusually quiet and Reborn had gone back to reading his book.

Smiling to himself softly, he knew that he wanted to keep remembering.

All of this.

"So, what do you think of him, Saiko-chan?" Sasaki questioned her as the building of the chateau came into view.

She pursed her lips at this inquiry as she thought of the man who liked taunting her mother figure. At least, it wasn't as malicious as that man, Shimoguchi, always did back then when the whole squad was more active together with the Mado Squad when they were first formed. Though, looking at her pocket and bringing out a particular calling card in her grasp, she tightened her hold on Sasaki's sleeve.

"Maman will be in good hands." She merely said and ran to her room as they entered their place before Sasaki could question her on it.

Was their mentor even aware that Reborn gave him the look that Sasaki was giving the whole squad?

That of a parent. She would know. It was the reason why she thought of the two-toned haired man as her mother.

Haise startled badly when someone unceremoniously dropped into the seat across from him.

He had just received a call from Sawada earlier, saying that they couldn't meet him this week. Which was a little worrying since Reborn did say that he might have something on the "human trafficking" in regards to "human-raising ghouls". It's already been three days since his squad met up with Suzuya's team. So far, all they'd done was keep track of nutcracker's movements and there hadn't been anything substantial about her daily activities yet.

It was as if she was fully aware that she was being watched which was a distressing thought. He didn't even want to think about that cross-dressing episode. The Division II was still working on information that Mutsuki had gathered for them.

Staring at the person across from him, his eyes widened slightly to see a mousy-looking girl staring intently at him. Short dark brown hair framed her face and her light brown eyes didn't even blink as she continued with her staring.

"Uh, can I help you?" Haise found himself asking gently.

"I'm 24 so you can stop treating me like a lost little kid," She responded straightforwardly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Haise blinked in surprise as he took in her petite form. It was rather hard to believe but her words were honest. After all, he could name a few people who look younger than their real age. This wasn't exactly too surprising. Still, it was a bit harder to take in.

"Let me rephrase it then." He continued on pleasantly, gazing back at her curiously. "Is there something you need?"

It was as if she was just waiting for an opening as she bobbed her head enthusiastically.

"You read my mind," She grinned at him, all giddy excitement and childish glee. "I'm Hori Chie and you're Sasaki Haise." She introduced herself before pointing at him, her words delivered matter-of-factly.

"The one and only." Haise found himself replying playfully, only slightly wondering how she knew his name.

"I'm the one who sold to Investigator Urie and Investigator Shirazu the information regarding Torso's identity," Hori admitted nonchalantly, her eyes watching his face intently for his reaction which was a slight widening of his eyes. "I'm a photographer, you see, and those photos of his victims Torso took was by a special brand of camera called Immortal. Since it's a foreign brand, there's a specialty shop just for it and you can easily narrow down the criteria from there." She explained, direct to the point.

That's how Urie was able to zero in on Torso, Haise mused to himself as he appraised Hori with new eyes. She's an information broker, there's no doubt about that, but why is she coming out to the open like this? Especially when it's a known fact that data from investigations is highly classified in the CCG.

"You have information for me," Haise concluded, the only theory he could surmise from some of the things she revealed so far.

"Not the kind you're expecting," Hori hummed as she smiled, as if Haise passed some kind of test. "I've been busy so I haven't been able to look closely into this "Nutcracker" character. But, I'm sure that what I have may be of an interest to you." She seemed expectant at this.

Haise was tempted to ask how she was acquiring this information from the CCG. This was a breach of security. But, he held himself back. After all, she did say that she was here for a reason.

"Let's hear it then, Hori-san," He returned her smile with a small one of his own.

"There's an organization that's taken an unusual interest on you," Hori started solemnly, a contrast to her easy-going nature a moment ago. "I'm sure that you've heard of them. Aogiri Tree. You've really caught their eyes." Her eyes shined before shaking her head sharply. "No, that's not right. If I have to word it, I'd say that they've always had their eyes on you." She tapped a finger on the table as she looked intently at him.

Haise stiffened and had to swallow the sudden lump in his throat.

"Why would they take an interest on me?" He forced out a laugh as his mind went to overdrive.

[Compared to those brats, Serpent drawled as something like curiosity entered his voice. I'm much more interested in you.

Cracking a finger. Blood in his mouth.]

"Like I've told Investigator Urie, my information is not for free." She continued almost impassively.

Haise contemplated this. He needed to find out. Aogiri Tree had been a looming threat that the public needed to be notified. Not to mention, they got high rating ghouls in their midst. They had been existing for years now. Not to mention, he also knew that they got Doctor Kanou with them. Was that it? Because he was a former experiment of said doctor? But, there were a lot of factors included that couldn't quite match up right now.

"How much is it?" He finally asked as he mentally calculated if his income would be enough for this.

"A favor, actually," She corrected. "I want you to meet my model."

"Your model?" Haise blinked at the unexpected condition.

"Yeah." Hori nodded firmly at this. "He's been gloomy and boring lately. But, I've gotten him something to keep him going these past few days. It's not enough, though. So, I'd like you to meet him to bring him back to life, I suppose." She explained with a frown.

"Does it really need to be me?" Haise questioned with a sweatdrop.

"Yes." She answered without hesitation.

Now, that got his attention. There was something she wasn't telling him about this so-called "model". This information could be valuable and it might be of help with Aogiri Tree's investigation. They could also unearth several secrets regarding one-eyed ghoul experiments.

To be honest, he just wanted to know what his involvement got to do with Aogiri and possibly his existence as a half-ghoul.

"Does Thursday next week sound good?" He found himself going with it despite his qualms.

"Any time would be good as long as it's sooner than later." Hori brightened at this, grinning once again.

"So, about that information–"

Hori shook her head at this.

"I can't give you much unless you honor our deal." She pointed out pragmatically, giving him an amused smile. "But, I'll give you something substantial to make sure that you fulfil your end of the bargain."

"Okay," Haise agreed rather easily.

She rummaged through her bag and brought out a piece of folded paper. She leaned forward and put it in front of him, something almost wistful in her eyes as she seemed to stare at him in a way as if she was really seeing him.

"That's all I'll give you so you better show up next week." She put in seriously.

With that, she hopped off her chair and casually strode out of the coffee shop.

Something like apprehension got a hold of him as he picked up the paper. He mused if this was how she had struck a deal with Urie. She certainly had a way with things and words that made one lose room to maneuver. She was a tricky little thing.

Unfolding the paper, for some unknown reason, his heartbeat quickened uncomfortably. To the point that it was almost painful. Though, Haise resisted the urge to claw at his chest. He didn't think it'd work anyway.

Written on it were two words. A name.

Kamishiro Rize.

"Hello?" Hori spoke as she answered her phone.

"How did it go?" A solemn voice asked and she laughed.

How could she not?

"It went better than expected!" She smiled to herself at a job well done. "You better prep him up this coming Thursday, Kanae-kun, that boy wouldn't know what hit him." She gleefully informed as she thought of Sasaki Haise.

Tsukiyama would never cease to entertain her.

Sasaki had been out of it for a while.

The first one to notice something's wrong, obviously, was Mutsuki. Out of the four members of the Quinx, he had always watched after his mentor. The first time he had seen Sasaki this absentminded was after their visit to that strange coffee shop in the 16th Ward. It was worrying. Back then, Sasaki had looked so troubled, sad, and confused that Mutsuki wondered what Sasaki saw in those people from the café. The way that waitress had stared at him–

It was like watching a reunion.

One that they had no part of and Sasaki just hadn't been aware of it.

Still, this time, Sasaki just looked plainly troubled. There was something about the way he continuously tapped a finger on the table and he would leave a book untouched despite his known hobby of always reading one over his free time. Then there was that time Sasaki rejected coffee, something their mentor cherished. The two-toned haired man had appeared sick at the prospect of coffee as if it brought out negative feelings, ones that he knew Sasaki wouldn't explain.

Sasaki was also staring into space a lot lately and kept fingering a piece of paper agitatedly when he thought no one was looking. At night, Mutsuki would hear rapid footsteps towards the squad's shared bathroom and hear sickening retching noises.

He didn't even need to wonder who it was considering that Sasaki looked sick in the morning afterwards.

After that, even Shirazu had expressed uneasiness at their mentor's unusual behavior and Urie was keeping a sharp eye on the man, probably contemplating if he would jeopardize their latest investigation with his condition while Saiko appeared trying to be oblivious for the man's sake but failing.

The one incident that highlighted the fact that something was really wrong was when Saiko had come down to the living room that morning for another mission to tail "Nutcracker", who had to be constantly threatened by Shirazu to contribute and had miraculously gotten up at that hour, with her hair down and out of its usual pigtails. Sasaki hadn't really said anything then, just asked the girl if she wanted chocolate syrup on her pancakes.

But then, Saiko had spied Sasaki's glasses strewn on the counter haphazardly and wore it on a whim.

Mutsuki would never forget the other's expression the moment he turned around and saw.

Sasaki's face scrunched up into something painful and horrified, immediately taking a step back and tripping on his feet backwards as he banged his head on the counter in the process. There had been a bit of panic and some hasty reassurances but Mutsuki remembered even if the other joked that the glasses looked too odd on Saiko that he stumbled.

Obviously, no one believed him.

Mutsuki had approached Urie then and told the other to take Shirazu and Saiko with him while he tried to know what was exactly wrong with Sasaki. While he felt bad since he knew that he was basically giving Urie another opportunity to possibly work separately again, Mutsuki was more worried for the state of his mentor. He hadn't been exactly the same ever since their confrontation with Serpent. He tried not to think back on that too greatly.

So, despite his superior's protests, the teen had dragged Sasaki to that coffee shop in the 16th Ward.

"Really, Mutsuki-kun, I'm fine," Sasaki insisted rather futilely. "And we still need to work on the case–"

"I asked Shirazu-kun and Urie-kun to take over for a while." Mutsuki answered a bit guiltily, knowing full well that his action was bordering on insubordination. "I'm sorry if it seems like I'm overriding your orders, sensei, but you've been distracted lately and you've just injured yourself this morning. Not to mention, I'm sure that you've just scared Saiko-chan." He pointed out with concern.

His mentor's eyes softened at his words.

"Really? It didn't even bruise, though." The two-toned haired man laughed sheepishly, tenderly touching the back of his head. "Well, fine, but we'll get back with Juuzou-kun's team later." His tone brook no arguments.

As they entered the coffee shop, ":re", Mutsuki watched Sasaki's face closely.

The other's brows furrowed, a sign of uneasiness, but, nevertheless, continued inside without a falter in his steps. Mutsuki let himself marvel at the bittersweet scent of coffee permeating the air that was stronger than the last time he'd been here. The old man behind the counter had his eyes focused on Sasaki, just like before, but he didn't seem as surprised as back then. There were other customers this time so they had to find their own table.

To his surprise, Sasaki chose the one near the back, a certain purpose in his stride.

"Black coffee?" A voice questioned the moment they sat down.

Both of them turned their heads to stare at the cute waitress from before, her crinkled eye focused on Sasaki as she smiled.

This time, Sasaki didn't fumble and instead returned the smile easily. Mutsuki wondered what changed.

"How'd you know?" Sasaki asked playfully, his exhausted features lightening up a bit.

"Intuition," She answered back a bit curtly. "And that's what you always order for all the times you've been here." She pointed out almost as humorously before her lips tilted down, obviously finally having noticed his mentor's sickly pallor that hadn't really faded for a while now.

"What about you, Mutsuki-kun?" Sasaki redirected to him.

"Uh," Mutsuki fidgeted, caught off guard. "I'll try your mocha-flavored latte." He awkwardly responded, subtly watching how she was studying his superior closely.

There was that feeling again. It was as if Mutsuki was witnessing something he wasn't privy to. It was discomforting.

After taking their orders, the waitress went back to the counter to presumably prepare them but not before shooting Sasaki a look over her shoulder. The emotions that rapidly flashed in her visible eye were too many to name properly. Mutsuki stared at his mentor and found him massaging his temples as if to ward off a migraine. When he caught Mutsuki's eyes, he moved his hand away and smiled reassuringly but it was strained around the edges.

"Sensei," Mutsuki hesitantly called, steeling himself not to back out on this like those numerous times in the past. "Is there something bothering you?"

Sasaki blinked and appeared as if he was about to wave off his inquiry before becoming undecided.

Suddenly, the man dug into his coat pocket and brought out a piece of paper. He handed it to the teen who hesitantly accepted it. The creases on the paper told Mutsuki just how many times the other had probably folded and unfolded it in order to stare at its contents. Unfurling it, his eyebrows lowered as he frowned, reading the name that was supposed to be the cause of Sasaki's agitation for the past three days.

"Kamishi–" He was cut off when his mentor lunged forward to cover his mouth.

"Don't read it out loud." Sasaki warned as his eyes roamed around the coffee shop for possible eavesdroppers before letting go and sitting back down. "That name– it's something bothering me for a while. I don't really understand but I know it's important and it's been bugging me so much–"

"Where did you even get this?" Mutsuki wondered as he bit his lip.

Now, he saw the familiar expression that told him Sasaki was nervous about something when he didn't particularly know if it's alright to tell.

"About that–"

Sasaki was, again, cut off but by another voice this time. One that Mutsuki had gotten used to for the longest time he'd known his mentor.

"Sasaki!" A loud greeting met their ears.

A blonde haired man practically barreled into the two-toned haired man while Sasaki appeared exasperated, slumping. Though, for his part, Mutsuki hastily crumpled the piece of paper in his hand and immediately pocketed it before their surprise visitor could catch a glimpse of it.

"N-Nagachika-san," Mutsuki nervously greeted. "What are you doing here?" He asked in confusion.

"Aww, Mutsuki, it's Hide. Hi-de. How many times do I have to tell you?" Nagachika Hideyoshi playfully scolded as he let go of Sasaki. "You don't have to sound like I'm that unwanted! Geez, didn't Urie tell you? I called a while ago and he told me that you'd be in the 13th. I was just at the office a while ago and Abara-san was kind enough to tell me that you might be here. Guess he was right." He talked rapidly in a way only the other was capable of and Mutsuki struggled hard to keep up.

"What Mutsuki-kun meant to say, Hide-san, is you're supposed to be in the 20th Ward," Sasaki sighed as he moved aside to make room for the other.

"Something happened so I'm reassigned as additional help in the "Nutcracker" case." Nagachika answered solemnly as he sat down beside the other, his excitement dying down. "Actually, Akira-san's down there with Hirako-san. I can't exactly tell you since even I'm not clear about it myself." He explained but Mutsuki had this suspicion that he was purposely withholding something.

"Akira and First Class Hirako." His mentor stated quietly, obviously concerned.

Mutsuki was about to change the topic when another voice joined in on their conversation.

"Here are your orders–" The waitress paused as her visible eye widened in shock. Though, for the first time, her eyes weren't directed at Sasaki but at the blonde arrival. For his part, Nagachika appeared as surprised.

Mutsuki watched the unfolding event intently. He felt as if he now had the pieces to fix the puzzle but what was he missing–

"Do you two–" He decided to make the necessary step. "–know each other?"

"Touka-chan?" Nagachika called out hesitantly, a bit disbelieving as his gaze fleeted back and forth from the waitress to Sasaki.

Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, Sasaki abruptly stood up as he braced himself on the table with a hand. Though, Mutsuki noted in alarm, he seemed to be nauseous and on the verge of throwing up, countenance paler than he had ever seen of the man.

"Sensei!" He was quick to react as he quickly moved to his mentor's side to support him while Nagachika and the waitress, Touka as the blonde had called her, could only watch in stupor.

"I think I'm gonna have to take you up on that offer to rest, Mutsuki-kun," Sasaki smiled at him weakly.

"You could use one of our backrooms." The waitress suddenly interjected, voice firm, as she set their tray of orders on the table.

"It's alright," His mentor waved off as he dug for a couple of bills to pay for their untouched orders. "I think I'll be more comfortable in my own bed. I apologize for the trouble." Sasaki, Mutsuki noticed, hadn't let his eyes fleet towards Nagachika and the waitress' direction even once. For her part, she appeared as if she had just been slapped before uncharacteristically stalking away angrily.

"Are you sure?" Nagachika questioned, hovering uncertainly, apparently torn between staying with Sasaki and going after the girl.

"I'm fine," Sasaki assured the blonde as he covered his mouth.

Nagachika grimaced.

As they exited the coffee, on their way back to their residence, Mutsuki saw how much it pained Nagachika to be turned away by Sasaki. While he had always known that the other obviously thought highly of his mentor, he noticed that Sasaki wasn't exactly receptive to it. It was just recently when the blonde became a more stable part of his mentor's life, making him wonder again what changed.

Still, this mystery surrounding his mentor, he had the pieces if he could just–

Just who was Sasaki Haise?

Touka remained quiet as they entered the backroom.

It unnerved Hide somewhat.

"Tell me that Sasaki Haise isn't Kaneki Ken." She monotonously stated as her gaze fell flat, darkening.

"Why lie when the answer is obvious?" He smiled resignedly.

After all, Hide had never been a very good liar.

It took almost an hour to convince Mutsuki that he could go home by himself.

Though, a bit shamefully, Haise remembered that it involved getting the other to feel guilty about leaving Urie and the others alone. He had to emphasize that Mutsuki needed to watch over their other squad members while he was gone. Even if Haise trusted Shirazu to handle the team as the squad leader, so far from what he'd observed, it was always Mutsuki who pushed the other into persevering. He left the car with them knowing that Urie could drive them home.

Still, Haise knew that he'd allowed himself to get sidetracked.

Fortunately for him, words hadn't reached Akira or Arima yet. That would instantly be a troublesome affair. Lately, he'd been having nightly pains around his abdomen. He'd wake up in the middle of the night, his middle aching as if he'd been stabbed through, and be forced to heave the acids out of his stomach in the bathroom. One time, it had been accompanied by a nightmare. It hadn't been that white haired ghoul. Mostly, he remembered having his insides gently scrambled–

And woke up with no clear recollection of the dream afterwards.

Just the quick hammering of his heart and the intense fear that washed over his skin. Then, after he calmed down, Haise just had this strange urge to cry. The sadness that followed next was so overwhelming that he had to bite his hand in order not to wake up the others with his pitiful sobs.

Now, though, he was on his way to the closest station to go back home. He really could use the rest and had informed Juuzou that he couldn't assist with the investigation today. It was better to let it set before it became worse and make him a liability to the case. A while ago, a strange bout of vertigo got a hold of him. The moment Nagachika had addressed the waitress, there was that strong sense of déjà vu that made his stomach churn painfully.

It was so intense that, for a moment, Haise honestly thought that he would lose consciousness.

He had needed to get away. As far as possible.

A loud honk snapped him out of his thoughts and saw a sleek black car stop next to the curb. The tinted window of the passenger seat rolled down to reveal a rather familiar face. One that, at least, didn't leave him on the verge of sickness. Haise smiled faintly at the driver.

"Reborn-san." He greeted feebly, waving a hand weakly.

"Get in." The man ordered succinctly, glaring at him as if daring him to protest.

Haise was simply too tired to resist. Not after that debate with Mutsuki.

After collapsing on the front passenger seat and closing the door, he heard the lock clicked into place as Reborn drove off. Knowing the man, Haise had actually expected the man to test the thrill of fast limits. Though, he discovered that it was fairly moderate. Still, he shifted for a while until he could finally relax into the seat. Suddenly, he felt the weariness that he had tried to ignore for the past few days. He was just so exhausted.

Just who was Kamishiro Rize? Even now, just thinking of the name made him want to claw at his abdomen. It just didn't feel right.

"I thought you'd be back by next week." Haise pointed out as he got more comfortable.

"Non importa. Dame-Tsuna can take care of it," Reborn swiftly replied, not missing a beat. "Did you go to work sick? Even Tsuna is not this stupid to overstep his limits." He clucked his tongue at this, voice dripping with heavy disapproval.

"It just suddenly came up a while ago." He explained with a sigh.

Technically, it got worse a while ago. He could've still worked then. He knew that it wouldn't be his best but he'd still be capable. It was just that it had gotten a bit severe earlier. He randomly recalled what happened that morning. Saiko had worn his glasses, with her hair down. Haise couldn't recall the image properly but the strong flash of purple never left his mind. He'd been so blindsided that he had slipped.

He mused that he had probably just traumatized Saiko into never touching his eyeglasses again.

"Where to?" Reborn, letting it go, questioned him.

Haise was about to say home– it was at the tip of his tongue but, he stopped. Did he really want to go home right now? He'd probably be more comfortable in his own bed, especially having the place for his own, and not worrying what might transpire. But, at the same time, he didn't want to.

What does "running away" exactly mean?

Haise wanted to find out.

"Anywhere," He breathed out, letting an exhilarated smile to grow. "Just– let me get away for a while."

"Just for today?" The man questioned almost amusedly.

He nodded decisively, closing his eyes.

"Just for today." Haise agreed.

Haise ignored the glare burning the side of his face.

"Of all the places to spend the whole day, you choose an ice cream parlor." Reborn deadpanned at him, voice so flat that it might as well be considered dark.

"I don't know why," Haise laughed as he pulled the man inside the shop, not even bothering how it must've looked childish of him. "It feels nostalgic, somehow. So, come on, there's got to be a flavor here that you want." He urged almost excitedly, feeling himself vibrate with foreign energy.

"You're not ordering?" Reborn raised an eyebrow at him.

At that inquiry, Haise only felt himself smile almost sadly.

"We both know the answer to that, Reborn-san." He calmly stated as he curiously looked at the different colored cold treats on display. "Please don't lie to me." He kept the smile on his face as he said this, not meeting the man's eyes.

For a moment, the other was silent before he stepped forward to Haise's side.

"Lo so. I won't." Reborn responded softly. "I think I'll have their classic chocolate flavor." He continued, a trace of emotion in his voice that Haise couldn't identify, as he called for the worker to take his order.

A few minutes later, they were seated by the bench just outside the shop. There were only a few people around and Haise let himself unwind as he leaned back on his hands, inhaling the warm fresh air. Reborn was beside him, taking small careful bites of the soft creamy treat from a sugar cone. He knew that the man wouldn't lower himself as to openly lick the ice cream in front of him, much less to anyone. Strangely, the thought was amusing.

"This is what I call a break." Haise declared light-heartedly. "All I need now is a good book and I'm all set."

"You're such a simpleton." Reborn remarked quite matter-of-factly.

"Am I really?" He questioned back playfully, a teasing smile on his lips that didn't quite feel as humorous as he made it out to be.

The man tilted his fedora hat to shadow his eyes. For someone who could stare others down with that sharp, piercing gaze, Haise would like to think that it might as well be the most expressive feature of Reborn. For all the time that it seemed unreadable and cold, those brief flashes of real emotion were too intense to simply hide. If he were an ordinary person, he would've said that it made the other "more human". But then, lines blurred at the notion.

"Say, Reborn-san." He started out curiously. "What does chocolate taste like? Saiko-chan and Mutsuki-kun, my subordinates, are so fond of it. Most people are, now that I think about it." He mused contemplatively.

"It's sweet." The man merely said. "Dolce."

Haise frowned, unsatisfied.

"That's it?" He couldn't help but jab.

"Whatever deep, poetical, or meaningless adjectives I give, someone like you still wouldn't understand the complexity of the flavor." Reborn continued straightforwardly but one that made Haise wince and grimace. "Just as I would never understand what taste would set your tongue on fire." The man smirked at him but Haise understood, all the same.

He understood it so, so much.

"How long?" He questioned a little bit wearily.

"Ever since I found out you work for the CCG." Reborn disclosed as he took a bite of his cone.

Haise hummed.

"You know, I should really be troubled that you can somehow hack into CCG's database." He proclaimed with no real heat behind his words as he remembered Hori Chie. "But, somehow, I'm really not. If anything, I should've known since I'm growing used to it." He chuckled quietly, carefree, and he wondered when was the last time?

"Non c'è male. What happened while I was away?" Reborn was quick to close in.

"Just had some trouble sleeping lately." Haise answered as he rubbed his chin and plowed on. "This is supposed to be my break, you know, so no more about this." He declared with finality as he playfully wagged a finger towards the man.

Reborn ruthlessly slapped the hand away, frowning.

"Then isn't it more productive to actually rest?" The man countered rather testily.

"It's fine." Haise forced a smile. "I'm fine."

Reborn made an expression that told him he didn't actually believe his words. The same expression Akira used to make during those troubled times of his earlier days. Still, he'd never seen it on Arima, though. Haise had never lied to the man. It wouldn't count as lying if he simply failed to mention some things, right?

"You idiot," Reborn sighed and Haise felt a hand on the back of his head as he was pushed towards the man's shoulder. The jacket suit was dark but what were those little darker patches– "Say that when you're not crying."

The man was right. Why was he crying?

So what if he couldn't sleep well at night? That he always had nightmares? That random things he couldn't understand set him off? That he couldn't even confront his ghoul side without needlessly worrying about losing control, being taken over, erased, and lose himself? Was that how his past self felt? No, it was what they felt. So why was he crying? That didn't matter. All of that didn't matter. So why was it so painful? Still, he would let himself be reassured, just this once.

Just for today.

"Running away isn't the answer?" He croaked quietly, closing his eyes as more tears leaked out, feeling like a child all of a sudden.

That's what Haise had always been good at, after all.

When Reborn answered, it was almost exasperatedly but he didn't mind.

"It never is."

"What's this?" Haise asked curiously as he stared at the silver ring in his grasp intently. More specifically, on the mesmerizing yellow gem inscribed to it.

Reborn didn't immediately answer. He just handed a long silver chain to Haise. At first, he didn't understand what it was for before he realized that it was to be used for the ring. After all, he couldn't exactly wear it out in the open, now that he thought about it. At least, not without answering discomforting inquiries. Especially now, he certainly didn't imagine the soft thrum the surface of the gem gave him or that momentary spark inside it.

"That is a Sun Ring." The man told him succinctly. "It's a custom made ring that could withstand a high-level output of flames. You've asked me before why, after you've accessed yours, that you had a hard time manifesting them again. It's because flames needed a medium. Now, in this case, it's usually this ring. There are other ways, of course, but those aren't preferable for someone like you." Reborn explained to him straight and direct to the point.

"Why are you giving this to me?" Haise asked incredulously as he knew better than to return something Reborn gave him.

"To help yourself." Reborn told him bluntly. "I've explained before what properties the Sun Flames possess, haven't I? Now, you figure it out on your own." The man practically ordered him and he couldn't help but sweatdrop.

This was the mafia's power, he knew.

Reborn was trusting him.

"I'll take care of it," Haise assured as he reverently wore the necklace, staring as the ring dangled from it. "I promise." He smiled widely at this, feeling honestly happy.

He yelped as he was given a painful flick on the forehead.

"You better." Reborn's voice darkened.

Haise suddenly frowned as something else occurred to him.

"If you've known about my place in the CCG and what I am," He started out hesitantly as he absently traced the yellow gem on the ring with his finger. "Do– Do you know about my lost memories as well?" He questioned as he stared at the man intently.

"I do." The man simply answered.

Do you know who I've been? He wanted to inquire further but the words wouldn't make it past his lips.

Instead, another thing came out altogether.

"If I ever regain them," He looked off to the side, eyes looking at everything and nothing. "Do you think I'll die?" His smile felt like lead by this point.

"You can be who you want to be," Reborn merely said as Haise's vision became obscured and it wasn't until the weight on top of his head made itself known that he realized that Reborn had just placed his fedora hat on top of his head.

Somehow, the man's words eased most of his worries.

When Reborn parked the car outside the address Haise had given him, his eyes narrowed when he saw a familiar blonde haired woman and a teen with a medical eyepatch standing outside the building.

Slowly, he parked the car in front of the entrance and, consequently, in front of them as well. Switching the engine off, he removed his seatbelt and got out of the driver's seat. Piercing violet eyes met his dark ones sharply. The teen beside her just looked plain intimidated by his presence. He felt Leon twitch within the confines of his hat, feeling his sudden agitation. Ignoring them deliberately and making a show of it, he walked around the car to the front passenger door.

Opening it revealed the slumbering form of Sasaki Haise. After that rather surprising breakdown, Reborn had given Haise the details Hibari had managed to acquire regarding the "human-trafficking" amongst the ghoul domain. Then the ring after that. Several months into this strange acquaintance, he knew that anything could trigger Haise's mental instability.

He knew the signs. Haise hadn't been that good at being subtle in the first place. The boy had stressed himself out too much. Thankfully, he had his Sun Flames to ease the other and had even been able to give him a quiet and undisturbed slumber. Hopefully, the other would learn to activate the ring on his own and help himself. He knew the risks when he gave that ring to Haise but he trusted the other. He certainly earned it.

Reborn wondered if it had to do with the other's dormant Sun Flames that Haise had easily accepted the man's. Or had manifested his own so easily from Reborn's own flames. He remembered, when he had still been under the Arcobaleno curse, wondering if Checkerface would be able to find his son to succeed him as the Sun Arcobaleno.

That had been a justified fear. After all, Aria and Yuni had inherited the title from Luce.

"Haise," He roughly shook the boy. "Wake up, we're here."

"Already?" Haise complained sleepily as he opened his eyes.

At the voice, the teen's visible eye brightened as he forced his way beside Reborn to peer at Haise. The man was irritated but held himself back.

"Sasaki!" The other cried out, relief coloring his voice. "You said you'd go home! But when we got back, you weren't there! I was so worried! Your phone is out of reach so I contacted Akira-san! And it's already late!" He babbled in a stream of anxious words, eyes fleeting to Reborn from time to time.

"I just met a friend on the way, Mutsuki-kun." Haise waved off rather groggily as he got out of the car. "You didn't need to call Akira."

"Where were you, Haise?" The woman's frigid voice echoed tersely.

"With a friend. Remember those coffee appointments on that coffee shop near the headquarters?" He tiredly gestured to Reborn with a yawn, obviously still quite out of it. "This is Reborn. And I'm sure you've already heard of him from Tsuna-san, Mucchan." Haise rubbed the back of his head.

The teen, Mutsuki, appeared shocked as his widened green eye openly stared. Though, Reborn deduced that it was partly from the nickname Haise had just addressed him.

Reborn then assessed the woman whose eyes had never left him. This was an astute one. She almost reminded him of Lal, in a way. It didn't escape his notice that his obvious "friendship" with Haise somehow bothered her. Frankly, he didn't care. He had gone through this with the knowledge that he was entering enemy territory. But, he didn't carry the title of the world's greatest hitman just to be daunted by such obstacles.

Just to rile her up, he smirked at them. Her eyes narrowed.

"I'll take my leave. Devo andare adesso." He delivered smoothly as he went back inside the car. He didn't have the time nor did he want to deal with them. "And, Haise," He called out through the window. "Get some rest."

With that, he drove off, watching through his rearview mirror as Haise waved at his direction with a grateful smile.

"Rest, Haise." He repeated to himself. "I'll take care of everything. Ti prometto."

"I'm sorry about that," Haise apologized as soon as he set the mugs of coffee on the center table. "Reborn-san isn't usually that rude." He admitted a bit sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head in discomfort.

Akira didn't immediately reply, merely picking up the mug of bitter beverage to drink. Now, that gave Haise a pause. While her odd taste was usually questioned around the headquarters, similar to her father's preference for anything spicy, she had never liked the taste of bitter things. That was the reason why he had set up the containers of sugar, creamer, and milk nearby. He even knew that she preferred her coffee creamy but not overly sweet.

"You seem better than what Rank Three Mutsuki had portrayed to me hours prior." She commented quietly, an observation.

"Cooling off a bit helped, I think." Haise replied a bit reluctantly, knowing well that his words were being carefully measured by the blonde woman. "I haven't been sleeping well lately and it's my fault for letting that affect my performance. I swear that I'll do my best tomorrow–"

"It's not needed." Akira cut him off rather brusquely.

Haise stiffened in alarm as his eyes widened, hardly believing what he'd just heard.

"I know that I've been unnecessarily irresponsible today and I actually have a lead–" He tried to reason out, his anxiety overwhelming him for one second. He needed her to understand. The sudden apprehension was a sharp blow to the gut.

"You're misunderstanding me." Akira sighed as she shook her head, putting her mug back on the table. "You're officially removed from the Nutcracker Case. From now on, you and I are going to be the support group behind First Class Hirako's squad. Leave the accomplishment of the Nutcracker case to Juuzou's team and the Quinx. Right now, we have more urgent matters to attend to." She informed him bluntly and precise to the point.

Now, he understood why she let go of the Reborn issue so easily.

"Is this about what happened at the 20th Ward?" Haise questioned solemnly.

"That damn Nagachika." She cursed rather viciously with narrowed eyes. "That man knows too much for his own good." She murmured with an odd glint in her eyes before focusing back on him. "Yesterday afternoon, a group of investigators encountered an odd ghoul. To be more precise, they encountered a one-eyed ghoul." Her lips thinned at these revelation, something dark flickering in her expression.

Not one-eyed owl. Simply a one-eyed ghoul.

His throat constricted.

"One-eyed ghoul?" He parroted almost numbly.

"There are two of them." Akira disclosed monotonously. "Both of them are recorded to be humans before this recent encounter. And one of them–" She cut herself off as her fists clenched, anger darkening her features that it surprised Haise, having never seen such emotion on his superior. "One of those one-eyed ghouls is a former First Class Investigator. And my former partner named Amon Koutarou." She disclosed softly as she forced her hands to relax from their clenching.

Haise's eyes widened at this information. He had known, of course, that Akira used to have a partner before him. While their colleagues acknowledged the existence of Amon Koutarou, she had never mentioned anything about him. Haise knew why. This person was obviously important to her. It was painful. But, the root of the matter was, this Amon was supposed to be dead. Killed in the raid back at the 20th Ward three years ago.

The only one who could give birth to such monstrosity was the Aogiri Tree. Specifically, Kanou Akihiro.

He honestly didn't know how to feel about the existence of another artificial half-ghoul.

"What do you want me to do?" Haise asked carefully, his brows furrowing with worry.

"As I said, we're going to assist First Class Hirako's squad regarding this case." She started out calmly this time, her voice getting firmer. "I'm going to be counting on you, Haise. Please treat this case with care." Her expression softened but Haise could only think of one thing.

Akira was invested in this case.

It was the first time he'd seen her so defeated.

As Akira remembered the report Hirako had given her, she couldn't help but muse.

She'd almost forgotten what tragedy felt like.

Haise had never warned her that it would be so, so bitter. After all, she should've already known.

"I'm leaving everything in your hands, Juuzou-kun." Haise smiled slightly as he stared at the shorter man.

That talk with Reborn and, well, letting it out had definitely helped. He hadn't had a nightmare last night and he had been able to sleep peacefully. When he had woken up, he felt so refreshed and enthusiastic that it might have scared his squad a little.

"Don't worry about it, Haise," The other waved off with a wide grin. "I'll take care of your babies. For the meantime, though, we'll make use of the lead you gave us. It's a bit too informative but I'm not going to ask about your source, it's different for every person, but be a bit careful. The higher-ups aren't as lenient as I am. Or easy to bribe with snacks." He emphasized this by unwrapping one of the coffee candies on his desk and popping one into his mouth, chewing loudly as always.

Babies? He couldn't help but think with a sweatdrop.

"Though, if our current case reaches its peak, you might also be summoned to give a hand." He reminded the other who was currently popping another candy into his mouth.

"I heard about Amon-san." Juuzou put in with a curious tilt of his head. "Akira must be devastated." He mused impassively as he frowned, pinkish red eyes suddenly peering at Haise's face. In particular, his left eye.

"Akira is doing her best." Haise merely said, not knowing enough of his superior's thoughts about the matter to speak for her.

"You know, I think I see it." Juuzou unexpectedly declared as he hopped off his chair and circled a bewildered Haise. "No, I think I've always seen it but didn't care enough about it at the time. Changing partners in our line of work isn't anything new. But, Akira made it harder for other people to work with her after Amon-san and Seidou-san's death until the management pushed her to work with you. In just a short amount of time, you've gotten her full cooperation willingly." He tapped his bottom lip in thought.

He winced at the wording of how Akira had been basically forced to watch over him.

"Where are you going with this?" He mused a bit in discomfort since he knew that while Juuzou could be airheaded sometimes, he also had the sharpest insights.

"While you're not as serious as him, you remind me of Amon-san." The shorter of the two nodded decisively at this while Haise didn't even bother hiding his disbelief. "Hey! What's with that face?" He pouted sullenly at this. "You're both dedicated. You're so empathetic that, at first, I didn't think this job suits you two at all. But that might just be because I used to be a horrible bastard but whatever! But what really seals it is that you're both too kind." He murmured quietly.

"Is it a bad thing?" Haise couldn't help but ask.

At that, Juuzou broke out into high-pitched cackles.

"And both indecisive too!" He pointed out in a way as if it were a really humorous joke.

"Juuzou-kun," Haise sighed exasperatedly, not quite whining, but close.

Abruptly, the door to Juuzou's little office–something he'd been proud of ever since his promotion to Associate Special Class–slammed open and Haise was suddenly staring at the whole Quinx squad, including Saiko whose elbow was held hostage by Shirazu. Ever since their first day of tailing Nutcracker which had ended in disaster, his squad had done their best, particularly Shirazu who still felt awful after the ordeal, to make up for the blunder.

"Sassan!" A panicked Shirazu approached him, dragging the female member of their group with him. "What's this I hear about ya being dismissed from the case? It's not about what happened yesterday, is it? Tooru told me about it! I don't think it's fair–" He ranted out almost passionately.

"Shirazu-kun," Haise raised a hand to stop the other's rambling. "I'm being transferred with Akira to another case. We'll be stationed to another ward. The department decided that the Quinx and Suzuya's team can handle the Nutcracker Investigation themselves. So I am going to have to ask you to do your best without me." He smiled this time, trying not to let his worry slip about leaving his squad alone and the consequences that might arose at this point.

"To another case?" Urie was quick to close in, displeasure radiating from his person.

"It's classified~" Juuzou intervened in a sing-song voice. "So, for now, the Quinx Squad's jurisdiction falls to me. I'm going to collaborate with the Squad Leader, Shirazu-san. From now on, I'm your boss! Whether you like it or not!" He declared childishly, hands on his hips, but his eyes were wide and dark and understandably unnerving.

Haise wondered if it had been wise to tell Juuzou about his dysfunctional team. The other was certainly taking a step to counter it. A step too big, he thought as he watched Urie narrow his eyes, Mutsuki to nervously fidget from behind, Saiko showing a bit of discomfort at having to work with new people without their mentor, and for Shirazu to break out in anxiety. As much as it worried him, Haise trusted in the abilities of his squad.

Akira did tell him that he put too much faith in them.

"You're leaving us behind, Sasaki?" Urie challenged him openly and Haise tried not to grimace at the wrong timing.

"He's your mentor," Juuzou suddenly pointed out, frowning, which, to Haise, was never a good sign. "Not your babysitter." He grinned widely as Urie remained silent before turning to Haise with a beaming smile. "Anyway, Haise, can you buy me some strawberry flavored pocky? The convenience stores around this ward ran out of stock. And I promise that I'll take care of your squad." He patted the taller male's shoulder.

"If Akira let me sneak away long enough to buy one." Haise returned the other's grin.

He knew that Juuzou didn't really care enough to bother about fixing and handling the issues of his squad. But he liked Haise enough to at least look out for them. Still, Haise also knew from experience that their definition of "limits" differ greatly from each other. At least, he had Abara to remind Juuzou when needed.

"Anyway, I'll be gone for a while." Haise announced to his squad without giving specifics. Akira had warned him that only a select few knew of the current situation. "So, do your best to work with Juuzou-kun's team. I'll be leaving the success of this case in your hands. Shirazu-kun, watch over the squad. Mutsuki-kun and Saiko-chan, take care of yourselves. Urie, you're a sharp one, I know you'll do splendidly." He directed to each one of them who gave nods of affirmation.

"How long will you be gone?" Saiko stepped forward and asked him, a sullen expression on her face.

"I don't know yet, Saiko-chan." Haise answered her honestly, subconsciously smoothing out the tangles in her hair and straightening out her pigtails. "But, I'll bring back something nice for you when I get back as long as you continue to do your best. Deal?" He grinned at her imploringly.

Saiko brightened at that, nodding enthusiastically as she went back to Shirazu's side.

"You take care of yourself too, sensei." Mutsuki hesitantly hedge in, worry painting his features.

"Of course, Mutsuki-kun." He ruffled the other's hair reassuringly.

"I-I'll do my best, Sassan." Shirazu put in, a bit flustered as Urie scoffed and walked out of the office. Shirazu yelled after him before bowing and apologizing to Haise and Juuzou as he chased after the man. Mutsuki waved to him one last time before following the two while Saiko jumped in for a quick hug as she ran after Mutsuki, her pigtails swaying after her. Haise could only look at his squad fondly.

"Akira wasn't joking." Juuzou breathed out in awe as he stood beside Haise. "You're really like a mother!"

Haise flushed lightly at this remark.

"She said that?" He groaned out loud at this.

It was all he could do not to hunch himself in embarrassment. It was bad enough that Arima referred to the others as his 'grandchildren'. He had hoped that the teasing about his 'children' would pass on soon enough. It seemed that it wasn't the case. There was also the fact that Reborn often addressed Mutsuki as Haise's 'child' and even Nagachika had more than once mentioned that Haise could rival Akira as CCG's holy mother.

Though, it also didn't help when, as he exited Juuzou's office, Juuzou had dramatically waved him off.

"Bye-bye, Sasaki-kaa-san!"

Nagachika, who had arrived a bit later to see him off, had joined in on the playful farewells. After what happened yesterday, Haise almost expected the blonde to fret over him. He didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed when the other acted as if nothing had happened. But, he supposed that it was good that he didn't bring it up. Especially not without admitting as to why he'd had a relapse in the first place.

At least, he had departed on a lighthearted note. He would certainly need it for the case.

"Oi, Hideeeee." Juuzou whined as he tugged on the blonde's sleeve.

Curious brown eyes blinked at him.

"Do you have any snacks with you?" He questioned a bit forlornly as he gestured towards the empty wrappers on his desk. "I've already ran out." He admitted sadly, pursing his lips.

"Didn't Sasaki just bring you some a while ago?" The blonde's brow furrowed, squinting suspiciously at him.

"Do I need to spell it out for you?" Juuzou bit out petulantly as he stuck his tongue out at the other. "Geez, oh well, I'll have Hanbee buy for me later. Though, I've got to ask, are you really okay about leaving Haise alone?" He grinned knowingly, giving up at his futile attempt of small talk.

"No, no, I'm not." Hide answered firmly, gaze fixed on the documents in front of him, not looking at Juuzou. "Of course, I'm not. While I trust in Sasaki's strength, I've been in the 20th when it happened. It just doesn't seem right. Exposing their identity and knowing the CCG would be hot on their tails. It almost smells like some kind of trap but I'm not too sure." He bit his lip at this, worry for Sasaki or the case itself, Juuzou wasn't curious enough to tell.

But, he smiled at the other's insight, Akira was right to assume that this man knew too much. Observed too much.

This kind of intuition was dangerous. It almost reminded him of Shinohara.

"You're not really loyal to the CCG, are you?" He grinned widely at the other, wiggling his fingers at him and merely received an unnerved look in return. "After all, you're Haise's best friend. Need I continue?" He hummed cheerily.

"No." Hide smiled but it wasn't happy. "That's all you need to know."

He just hoped that this one didn't end up dead too.

Haise had sent Reborn a message to meet at ":re" before he and Akira were scheduled to depart for the 20th tonight.

Apparently, there were some things that still needed to be taken care of in the main office. He didn't want to speculate that Akira was purposely stalling, that's just not part of her work ethic, but, at the same time, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something she wasn't telling him. It made him nervous. He knew that the reason he was pulled into this case at all was because he was also a one-eyed ghoul himself.

[Eventually… you'll break or become useless. A breathy whisper, hands closing around his throat and he can't breathe. Once that happens, you'll be discarded. Right, Haise?]

He shuddered at the memory of that nightmare.

Entering the coffee shop, Haise hummed as he strode to his and Reborn's usual place by the back. There weren't a lot of people here today. He admittedly felt lighter and marveled at the calming effects of sun flames on himself. It was so surreal. He couldn't help but think back on their first encounter. The reason why he had even sought out Reborn again in the first place was because his nightmares had calmed and the ghoul within him had quieted.

These flames were something to be cherished, he thought, as he absently fingered the ring dangling inside his dress shirt through the fabric. He had yet to use it or truly examine it.

To think that the mafia had something this beautiful.

Removing his coat, he folded it neatly and placed it on the chair beside him. Before he had to work on the new case with Akira, for tonight, Haise wanted to be just simply himself. Not the Rank One Investigator or the artificial one-eyed ghoul. He brought out the book from the shoulder bag he had with him and his round-framed eyeglasses. He contemplated about loosening his tie but then thought better of it. Putting on his glasses, he began to read.

It was a book Reborn had lent him entitled 'Hunt for the Wicked'. Haise had just started it this morning, already on his fifth chapter. It was a bizarre book. Clearly, it was obvious by the end of the first chapter that it was written in the antagonist's point of view. The thoughts weren't 'evil', per se, but the adversary's side were clearly considered as the bad side. At the same time, he could also understand the points of the 'good side' so far, despite the biased words of the antagonist.

Still, he also couldn't help but sympathized with the bad side too. They had their own reasons for what they were doing. It was just that they went about it the wrong way. Haise knew that conflicts and revenge wouldn't solve anything. The story was fast-paced, enclosed in suspense and horror. But, the story felt awfully familiar.

It might be the reason why he couldn't stop reading despite the heavy feeling it gave him.

He blinked in surprise when a cup of black coffee was set before him with a distinctive clack and Haise looked up from his book to see the waitress staring down at him. Gone was her soft expression and a forcefully neutral one was in its place.

"I haven't ordered anything yet." He mumbled in a mix of confusion and embarrassment for the lack of anything to say.

"Since when do you wear glasses?" Her voice was a quiet demand, visible eye narrowing, ignoring his words.

That question obviously bewildered him.

"Uh, I wear them when I read." Haise found himself answering hesitantly, recalling his abrupt departure yesterday. "I've been in an accident years ago and my eyes had a hard time focusing on words most of the time. Hence, I wear them so I won't get a headache." He found himself explaining and was surprised at himself for disclosing something he considered personal to a person he barely knew.

"Accident, was it?" Her eye softened slightly and something that was almost melancholy seeped into her expression.

"I'm sorry about yesterday." Haise blurted out with an apologetic smile. "I didn't mean to brush you off like that. It was rude of me." He chuckled at this as he scratched the back of his head in slight discomfort.

"I'm just glad to see you're fine." She exhaled as she straightened.

Haise couldn't help but wonder if there was more to her words than what just happened yesterday. She was giving him that same smile when she had given him that handkerchief. A little troubled and a bit sad. What was she seeing? No, who was she seeing?

That thought unnerved him.

"Thanks for the coffee, Touka-san." He gave a pleased hum as the bittersweet aroma of the drink reached his nose.

"So, you work for the CCG." She mentioned blankly as she seated herself across from him.

Haise put a bookmark on the book and set it down. He was somewhat surprised that the waitress was boldly speaking to him. He could now admire her beauty up-close but he knew that her eyes were set elsewhere. Somewhere far that he could only hope to reach. The idea strangely saddened him. It also slightly shocked him that someone he hardly knew had this effect on him.

"W-Why would you say that?" He stammered a bit nervously.

"I know Hide." She responded easily. "I thought it was obvious yesterday."

Now that she mentioned it, Haise almost forgot about it.

"Hide-san is a very friendly individual." He mused as he pushed his glasses up a bit. "I don't think it really surprises me anymore. And, yes, he and I work for the CCG. He's hard-working and dedicated so I can't really say anything bad about him."

"Tell me, Sasaki," She suddenly reached out and got a hold of his hand, her grip painfully tight. "Is it hard?" She asked him intently.

At that, he tilted his head and blinked.

"I guess?" He mumbled uncertainly as he scratched his cheek with a finger, slightly uncomfortable at the physical contact. "I'm helping a lot of people, though, so I think I can say the hardship is worth it." He answered honestly, no matter how he came to loathe himself on most times.

"You're an idiot." She mumbled as her brows furrowed.

"Eh?" He blushed slightly, flustered.

"What book are you reading?" She instantly changed course and Haise found himself having a hard time keeping up with her rather abrupt pace.

"A friend lent it to me." He found himself brightening as he presented his book, on its cover was of an antique looking mirror with a web of cracks running down the middle. "It's one of the few translated ones, I'm told. Hunt for the Wicked. It's about a character named Ottavio and his quest to avenge his sister who was killed by the law due to their father's connection to the mafia. It's a bit dark but it's pretty good–" Haise didn't even notice how glowingly he spoke of the book.

"You really like reading." Touka observed, her lips quirking at the thought as she let go of his hand.

"I do." Haise nodded a bit enthusiastically. "I love reading." He ascertained further.

Suddenly, without warning, a tear slipped down the woman's cheek. She blinked in surprise at this and hastily wiped it with the back of her hand only to find more trickling out of her eyes. Haise would've panicked if he didn't remember that he had his own handkerchief with him this time. Pulling the cloth out of his pocket and not waiting for permission, he reached across the table to gently pull her hands away from her face and tenderly wiped the tears. Somehow, there was something serene about this moment.

She didn't resist and merely watched him with wide eyes.

"Someone as beautiful as you shouldn't cry." He murmured quietly, his heartbeat quickening slightly. "Somehow, it makes me sad too." He admitted with a small kind smile.

"Promise me you'd come back." She suddenly told him, avoiding his gaze as she held his wrist. "No matter what anyone says, what I say, you'd come back."

He didn't understand her request but he found himself still smiling.

"If that's what you want." Haise found himself saying, caught up in the moment.

He wondered why she looked as if she didn't believe him.

Reborn didn't meet him that day, though. Maybe, just maybe, the man was right to say that Touka knew him. Or used to know him. He didn't know what to say though. He couldn't remember her. It was sad and heartbreaking and Haise found that it might be better that way.

After all, he was still the reason why she cried.

"You are so unfair, you dumbass." She murmurs quietly to the now empty seat across from her.

The pain was there. But it was lighter than the original one.

And, if there was one thing that never changed about him, Kaneki never kept his promises. That idiot.

:re - "Sasaki Haise" (1)

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AN: Well. There's the first part down. Second one to go. For the mean time, it will be a month or two before I get to post again. Am already crying since I have to fix my paperworks for the job that I've been applying. Goodluck to me! Anyways, more plot next chapter and the closure. Right now, am so glad to see Sasako. Though, I'm sorry if I didn't give it any special mention here. By the time I've written this, I just don't know how to place it here without it seeming forced. Am sorry if it didn't meet up to some readers' expectations. I just hope that you like this. Reminder, this is going to be a Two-shot.

If you like this story, then please check out my other one which is Daybreak.

I've also written "Cloudburst" and "Paragon" as sole Tokyo Ghoul and Tokyo Ghoul:re fics respectively. Thank you for your patience and hope that you like this fic. See you in a month or two! Hopefully, things will be much easier by then.

As for the Italian translations, you can find them in this site. (ielanguages(dot-com)(slash)italian1 . html) and just remove the parentheses and spaces and replace words with punctuations. I just used basic phrases that can be used in most conversations. I think.

Thank you~

Leelhiette