Title: Starstruck

Author: Serpent at Sunset

Rating: T

Fandom: Tokyo Ghoul

Pairing: Kishou Arima x Haise Sasaki

Words: 1,226

Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Romance

Summary: Sasaki can't sleep, and it is up to Arima to soothe the little lamb.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.

"I can't sleep," Sasaki suddenly complained.

Arima continued staring at his laptop screen. Normally, he would have ignored the offhand statement, but it was getting to be more of a more frequent complaint. What if something was wrong with his subject? No...his name was Sasaki. Kaneki.

"I just want to sleep," he repeated.

It almost sounded like a plea. As if he was intentionally being kept up. Arima chanced a glance at the investigator, and he was now openly rubbing his fatigued eyes.

If Sasaki chose, he could have slept right there in the chair, and Arima would have allowed it. But, he chose not to. Odd. Sasaki, it seemed, was starting have his own preferences now.

Kaneki couldn't be too far behind.

Arima set himself away at a careful distance. One day, Arima knew that Sasaki was liable to self destruct like a bomb going off. Of course, one was never sure when or if it would happen. Or, even if Arima could stop it. He had to ready in any case.

Arima finally decided to answer him. "And, why haven't you been sleeping, Arima?"

In the past, Sasaki would have been huddled in a corner refusing to meet his eyes. Now, after a time of rehabilitation, he was more open. Others would say normal.

"I just...can't. I want to, but I can't. It's too lonely in bed."

Arima could tell that he was thinking of something that he didn't want to say out loud. The White Reaper decided that he had to probe him more. However, it turned out that he didn't need to.

"Maybe..." Sasaki started.

Arima listened. He held his breath.

"Maybe...you could go in there with me?"

Arima had to drag it out of him "Are you inviting me into your bedroom?"

Sasaki blushed fiercely. He wasn't scratching or rubbing his chin, so he wasn't fibbing.

"...yeah."

Arima agreed for the sake of Sasaki's health if nothing else.

"Thank you, Arima." Sasaki sounded a bit weak. A bit broken.

Arima closed the door of Sasaki's apartment behind them silently. Cluctched under his arm was a book for the evening. He could be in for a long night.

Arima was only doing this because Sasaki's work could start suffer if he didn't get some rest. He was an indispensable power on their force, so he couldn't just wither away.

"Follow me. The bedroom is back here," Sasaki revealed.

The bedroom was certainly large enough. There was even a generous double bed. In truth, there was no reason at all that Sasaki couldn't sleep properly.

"Get comfortable," Arima suggested.

Sasaki nodded and entered the bed without even undressing.

Arima stood there in place. He was unsure of what to do at the moment.

"It's good that you're here, Arima," Sasaki sighed. "I just...don't want to be alone."

"I have to assist you somehow," Arima asserted. "How about a lullaby?"

It was what his own father had done. A relaxing lullaby for an overwrought youth.

"All right," Arima replied. "Maybe it will help."

Kishou Arima smoothly searched his mind until an old childhood rhyme surfaced. Soon, it was on his tongue. Sasaki watched him attentively.

Sleep, baby, sleep,
Thy papa guards the sheep;
Thy mama shakes the dreamland tree
And from it fall sweet dreams for thee,

Sasaki suddenly settled deeply in the mattress, and even Arima could see that Hypnos wasn't far away.

Sleep, baby, sleep.
Sleep, baby, sleep,
Our cottage vale is deep;
The little lamb is on the green,
With woolly fleece so soft and clean,

The slight snoring confirmed that the words had hit home and accomplished their mission. He hadn't even finished his lullaby. Still, he had to finish. Even though he wasn't positive if Sasaki could even hear him anymore.

Sleep, baby, sleep.
Sleep, baby, sleep,
Down where the woodbines creep;
Be always like the lamb so mild,
A kind and sweet and gentle child,

He wondered what Sasaki was dreaming of. Maybe a deep green valley full of sleepy sheep; a peace Kaneki never had enough of.

Sleep, baby, sleep.

The rhyme was finished. Arima supposed that this was his cue to leave. He got up then, but only to brew some tea. He was curious to see if Sasaki's physical and mental would improve upon waking up.

Arima had long since finished his book when Sasaki awoke around five hours later in an obvious distressed state. Arima rushed to his side. The lad was holding his face in his hands.

"What's wrong, Sasaki?"

"It's...probably dumb." Sasaki's words were a bit muffled by his hands.

Arima frowned. "Let me be the judge of that."

"Well..." Sasaki was hesitant. "I was wearing a black suit, and you were wearing grey."

Arima nodded and could feel his glasses subtly sliding down his nose. He made a mental note that he needed to shower later.

"...and they were neon lights everywhere. We were models, I think. Fashion models."

Such a strange dream. However, sometimes, the more routine life was, the wider the subconsciousness roamed.

Then, Arima noticed how tight Sasaki's knuckles were grasping the blanket. They were paper white. Arima was mildly surprised at his reaction.

"Relax," Arima said.

It was an order not a suggestion, but Sasaki did not heed him.

"So," Sasaki continued, "we had to do a show for the audience, but the carpet was...crunchy. I looked down under my shoes, and there were all...centipedes." Sasaki actually shuddered.

Hmm. It appeared that the Aogiri Tree incident still wouldn't leave his mind. Yet, there was no help for it. Such was the permanence of trauma.

"It was a dream. Just a dream," Arima soothed him.

And, it was just a dream. However, it was based on a very real pain.

Arima then took an opportunity to brush a lock of hair off Sasaki's heated forehead. Though it was only a show of of being supportive, the gesture was almost automatic. What's more is that Sasaki seemed to welcome his touch.

Not even Arima was aware when he reached in for an embrace. In that instant, he swore that Sasaki stopped breathing. But, what mattered was that he was calm.

Arima knew that he should feel terrible. He was already guilty of manipulating him, but after all Sasaki was his responsibility. It was only right to tend to him as a keeper would.

In some ways, Sasaki really was like lamb role, the gentler side of him, anyway. Though, the predator still lurked inside.

Though, Arima wasn't sure if he was even playing the role of nurse any more. Especially when found himself leaning forward to kiss him on his head.

Sasaki seemed to be vaguely drunk. Starstruck. Maybe from disbelief. He murmured to himself and unfurled himself on the bed. Soon enough, Sasaki had dropped off to sleep again.

Arima considered, and before he could dissuade himself, Arima slid into bed with him. Sasaki didn't want to be alone, right? Ever so slightly, Arima's arms snaked around his waist. He hoped that Sasaki at last felt secure even if it was only for the night.

One thing was for sure. Sasaki couldn't survive without him nor would he want to any more. Not after tonight.

Arima made another mental note not to come into work late tomorrow. And to shower.

He also noted that today was Valentine's Day.