When Kaneki needs someone to lean on...

...when no one seems to understand, a persistent ghoul will always be there whether Kaneki likes it or not.

In which Kaneki is over come by his darkness and when he thinks he's all alone a certain someone is there to remind him he never is. Shuuneki, or could be considered as bromance and Tsukiyama being Tsukiyama (we all know how he is when it comes to Kaneki). Also set in Manga-verse where Kaneki is housed with Tsukiyama, Banjou and his gas-mask friends, and the visits from Hinami.

Genres: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Romance (or really close Friendship), minor Fluff

[DISCLAIMER] I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.

Pain. Pain was a constant in his mind. A constant reminder of what he lost...

"Kaneki-kun?" Tsukiyama asked from where they all sat around the table eating, he had noticed the younger man looking distant and not mingling in their conversations.

Kaneki raised his gaze to meet the Gourmet's before looking around at Banjou and friends and Hinami. "Oh, yes?" he asked, and Tsukiyama gave him a small smile to hide the worry that was slipping through.

"We were just discussing how we should spend the rest of our evening." Tsukiyama told him, and that made Kaneki feel guilty for not listening in to the conversation.

"Yeah, I really want to watch the new horror movie Flower Man ordered for me!" Hinami smiled cutely as she held up the DVD, causing Banjou to immediately pale.

"Please no..." The bigger man uttered quietly as if in prayer and his friend beside him patted him lightly on the back in pity.

Hinami opened her brown eyes to stare at Kaneki. "Onii-chan, will you watch it with me?" Unlike the others, Kaneki always shared in her love of the horror movies!

Kaneki was still feeling a bit out of it, and regretfully had to let her down. "No, I'm sorry Hinami-chan. I'm going to rest," he said as he raised up from his seat.

Hinami looked disappointed as Kaneki passed and he felt bad, so he stopped.

"Maybe we can have 'Flower Man' order a bunch of movies for us to watch. We can have a marathon day." Kaneki gave her a smile as he closed his eyes, and her eyes sparkled a bit as she nodded.

"Okay!" she exclaimed, and Kaneki started walking upstairs. "Have a good night, Onii-chan!" Hinami called to him and the others gave their goodnight's to him as he walked until he was gone from their sight.

Tsukiyama sighed quietly to himself as the others talked among themselves. His purple gaze went to the plate he specially fixed for Kaneki, and he had barely eaten any of it. Tsukiyama had seen the half-ghoul drift off sometime during dinner, and he grew anxious at the thought of Kaneki growing malnourished.

He would have to do something about that... After all, he lived to serve the dolce boy.

. * .

Kaneki was hoping to get proper rest since that's why he turned in so early, but every time he would slip deeper into sleep, the familiar loud clinching sound would reverberate in his ears. Like he was there, in that checkered room all over again. It was maddening.

He tossed and turned in his bed, finding no comfort in the warmness that remained under the blanket that was over him. Instead he was shaking, shivering against his will. He fought the memories away but they kept clawing at his mind, wanting to make him snap and be back in that place where—

Kaneki froze up then, feeling a presence beside him. Who...?

He lifted his head as the scent rushed into his senses. It was like lilacs... a very familiar scent.

"Tsukiyama-san?" Kaneki's voice came out hoarse as he noticed the tall man standing beside his bed. It would have been unnerving if he wasn't already used to it. The man had a habit of coming to his room uninvited when Kaneki had nightmares like this...

"Kaneki-kun, do you need anything?" Tsukiyama asked him, his tone gentle and Kaneki turned his back to him.

"No. And you can leave, I don't need you in here." He told him, trying to sound firm but his voice was still slightly shaky.

Tsukiyama shifted his footing. "Mon chéri, with all respect, I'd like to stay."

Kaneki could feel his eye twitch at that, but he really didn't feel like putting up with Tsukiyama tonight. "Fine. You can stay." Maybe it'll help me not to lose my composure with him here. I can remain on alert better.

Tsukiyama was surprised and delighted — normally the cold leader would order him out instantly. The purple-haired ghoul sat in a nearby chair and had it near Kaneki's bedside. He listened as gradually, the white-haired boy's heart steadied and slowed. He smiled as the boy got much-needed sleep.

It wasn't long, however, before Tsukiyama could pick up the distress in the air and the harsh pounding of Kaneki's heart.

No matter that Kaneki knew he had to remain "normal" his mind kept taking him there. Kept taking him back to face that man... The one who broke him over and OVER again. His body started moving and acting on its own as he tried to get out of that place. That place where he was all alone, where no one could hear his screams...He could see the faces of the two that Yamori had killed in front of his eyes—

No.

It wasn't his fault. It was all his fault.

He was shaking again, and he hated it. Hated feeling so weak.

Before anything drastic could happen (usually involving his kagune emerging and tearing into something), he felt something warm embrace him from behind. He stopped then as his heart stopped beating so harshly.

The scent of lilacs hit him then, and he knew who it was.

"Tsukiyama." Kaneki shifted at feeling strong arms around him. "What are you doing?" he asked, growing stiff and not knowing what to expect from the man currently holding him.

"I'm sorry, Kaneki-kun." Those arms wound around tighter, but not uncomfortably so. "You were there again, weren't you?" He didn't have to elaborate, they both knew what he meant. Tsukiyama had that uncanny obsession with Kaneki to learn everything about him. Including how he changed into this... though he didn't know all the details of that time.

Kaneki briefly wondered when Tsukiyama started talking to him with such a gentle tone. Since when had the Gourmet — who had only been sticking by him to devour him someday — changed so much? For him?

Since when could Kaneki count on this man so highly, more so than anyone else? As an actual trusted friend?

Kaneki's body slowly started losing its stiffness and it grew relaxed against Tsukiyama's. He even started to lean back into the warmth behind him. "Yeah." Was all the half-ghoul could utter.

Tsukiyama made a humming noise in the back of his throat as Kaneki's unique delicieux scent wafted around him — quite a difference from how he used to scream compliments about it to the point he passed out. Oh how one can mature given time...

"I'll be here to remind you that that time can never hurt you again, mon amour." Tsukiyama's voice was a whisper in Kaneki's ear, and the white-haired leader clenched his fist to stop the shiver from racing down his spine.

That damn Gourmet and speaking in a language he didn't understand...

Kaneki just closed his eyes, suddenly feeling tired. "If you try anything I'm kicking you into the wall."

Tsukiyama could hear the threat in the younger boy's voice, but it still thrilled him that he could continue to keep his most precious so near to him. That he could serve him and help him when no one else fully understood him.

It's okay... because I'm here with you, and won't ever let you go.

A/N: I'm really hoping I'm writing these characters right *flails about* What Tsukiyama is saying in case you don't know French:

dolce - sweet

mon chéri - my darling (ma cherie would be for girls)

delicieux - delicious

mon amour - my love

Thank Tokyo Ghoul for Tsukiyama. I am learning French. As always, please leave me a review so I'll know if it's good or not and if you have a prompt then hit me up! I'm available on Tumblr and Wattpad (links are in my bio).