Present

They were falling jewels,

broken and in pain,

That's why they always had their tails to keep them company;

They weren't tails at all,

just a ceaseless cycle of tears.

July-August

At first, Touka and Kaneki met every week, but as days passed they found themselves craving the presence of the other and time pulled them closer, like two opposing sides of a magnet, until they began meeting almost every day.

Touka always came after her summer classes and did most of her school work at the pavilion while Kaneki wrote pages and pages of words only to scratch them out with crude ink strokes which were usually accompanied with more, smaller words on top. One day she questioned him about his work but his answer, I express my imagination for a living, isn't that great? Which had been accompanied by a goofy grin had left her hanging. And if he had extra time left over he always helped her out with her literature homework.

Even though his tutoring skills were quite adept Touka could never concentrate, she always caught herself observing him. The way his lashes curled at the ends like a ski slope or the steep slant of his nose that twitched whenever he was about to sneeze or even the way his eyes crinkled at the end when she finally grasped something she couldn't before. More than once they found their fingers brushing and more than once did a tingle run down her spine. And when it did happen, Touka somehow wounded up in a dizzying mess that was impossible to escape from; she had to rely on a bitter shot of coffee for that.

They always had coffee afterwards to replenish their exhausted brains. It was Touka who always brought coffee in her rabbit themed bottle and mugs. It all started when she had brought some for the occasion, or maybe it was just to show off, and Kaneki had admitted, with surprise, that her coffee was infinitely better than his. To this Touka shrugged, in an attempt to play off her blithe, but failed horribly as a shy grin managed to sneak out, and told him that she had been a barista during her high school days and had become accustomed to whipping up an exquisite cup of Joe for herself every morning. No one had ever appreciated her coffee, and even though it was an insignificant matter, coffee was something dear to Touka, it was the one thing that connected her to the fading memories of her late father and a brother that abandoned her years ago.

It was a Sunday afternoon and she had been strolling over to the pavilion when Yoriko had pulled over next to her. Touka looked up, clearly bewildered since her best friend should've been at the mall hours ago. Today had been her friend's long anticipated blind date with, Hirako Take, was it? She lifted an eyebrow and Yoriko just sighed disappointedly.

"He was super boring in every way possible!" she scrunched her eyebrows, "and outrageously persistent, it took forever to get out of there!" and flailed her arms in frustration, a scowl pulling down her usually upturned expression.

Touka couldn't help but laugh, she had known Yoriko since middle school and not once did fate take her side when it came to matters dealing with boys. Her friend's unfortunate luck only succeeded to amuse her and she wondered why she didn't just stop trying so hard, it was truly a waste of time and effort.

"Touka-chan, it's not funny!" Yoriko pouted, but her voice slowed to a shy stop when she saw that her friend had no intention of halting her musings. Touka grasped her sides as they had begun to cramp and wiped a tear that had slipped from the corner of her left eye. She gradually quieted after noticing the whispers and glances the people around them had begun to throw at them behind their palms. After regaining her breath she asked, "Yoriko, why do you try so hard?" it was said gently with a soft tone. Yoriko gazed down at the steering wheel, tightened her grip just a tiny bit -and whispered- her voice barely audible in the sea of conversation that consumed them. "It's because I don't want to lose to you, Touka-chan." Touka's eyes widened, it wasn't very loud, but they had known each other long enough to read the words right off of the other's lips. "Y-Yoriko," she was at a loss for words.

After a minute of silence the other spoke up. "Anyways," the amber-haired girl brightened suddenly, "That wasn't why I came to see you," she glanced up at her friend, mischief hid behind her dark, olive eyes. She reached over for the purse that lay next to her and dug out a hued –flyer? "This is for you, go there with him," she stated. Touka felt a blush creep on to her cheeks and glance upon the brightly colored paper she had received. It was an ad for a new coffee shop that had opened nearby and there was a spread of promotional offers at the bottom. She stood there for a minute to consider –should she go for it? Touka grabbed the bag at her side and swiftly plucked the mug that poked out at the corner and passed it to Yoriko who clutched it gingerly and placed it into a cup holder. "Have fun," she winked.

Touka gently smacked herself with the flyer, feeling her face heat up. What had she done?

She approached him with slow, cautious steps; a soft blush dusted her fair cheeks. Kaneki shot her a curious glance when she sat across from him, an expanse of wood dividing them, an expanse that would always divide them, he thought glumly. He observed the missing thermos that always poked out from the side of her purse and gazed up at her once again. She refused to meet his eyes and appeared to be engrossed with the hem of her skirt. He was puzzled with her uncanny behavior.

Suddenly her head shot up and she blurted, "I forgot the coffee!" silence ensued. Kaneki looked at her first with bewilderment then a wave of relief washed over his features. That's it? He chuckled; I thought something had happened to you. He donned on a goofy grin. "I-Idiot, why would something happen to me?" he watched her shoulders release from the tension that had condensed them before. She flashed him a determined expression before thrusting an iridescent paper in front of him. It was an ad for the new coffee shop that he had passed by earlier.

"Do you want to go?" She said, matter-of-factly before looking away. "I-I mean, if you're not b-busy or anything." she began to fidget with the hem of skirt once again. Kaneki threw her an amused look. Was she asking him out on a date? He wondered amusedly. He pretended to ponder on his answer, relishing her squirm under his gaze with her face turning various colors of scarlet, before giving an affirmed nod. She beamed.

"Then let's go," without hesitation she dragged Kaneki by the wrist and he followed, still bemused with these sudden turn of events, but that didn't stop the grin that adorned his face from appearing. Maybe he did have a shot after all.

"This is the place," said Touka. They stood in front of a two-story building surrounded by various potted plants and trees. She glanced to the side; he was reading the sign that stood in front of them, Welcome to Anteiku, it read. He gave her a reassuring nod indicating that they had indeed arrived at the precise location. She didn't think he would accept her offer; it took what felt like eternity for him to deliver a response. She silently thanked Yoriko for making this all possible.

He tugged at their linked hands and nodded towards the door, as if to say let's go inside. She then noticed her still-tight grip on his wrist and abruptly let it go. Turning crimson, Touka apologized frantically. She wanted to crawl into a dark hole when she imagined the fact that she had held on to his hand for that long and with such force. She covered her face with her palms, which were both gently pried away by the man standing in front of her. It's okay. He wrote with a timid grin. Let's go inside. His cheeks were besprinkled with a rosy hue and his reassuring smile lifted her dying spirit. Touka nodded shyly and they both entered the shop.

It was a quaint place, not many customers occupied the round, brown tables. An array of coffee beans and espresso machines were displayed against the left wall and a long L-shaped counter sat in front of it. They made their way to a corner table where the ceiling high windows offered them a good view of the street outside.

Touka decided she could use the caffeine so when the waitress came around -a woman in her late twenties with long, black hair- she ordered a double-espresso with a pinch of sugar while Kaneki, with the scorching temperature in mind, selected an iced espresso. The woman's raised eyebrow had been dutifully ignored when the silver-haired man gave her his order. He must be used to it, thought Touka with distress.

She peered up to find him gazing off into the distance. When she turned her head she was surprised to find a little girl crying and clasping her hands on her knee. Her mother was brushing away the little girls' tears as her father picked her up and cradled the small child within his arms. He pulled his cheeks and made silly expressions which caused shrieks of delight to stem from his daughter. The mother kissed her wound and the child was soon released and put back onto the street. The family continued their stroll, hand in hand, and the cries of laughter ensued.

When she returned her gaze sorrow reflected in Kaneki's dusty eyes. Touka knew that expression; it reminded her of the day her father had left for work… only to never come back. Forlorn and void– her sapphire eyes had sunk into a state of abyss that held nothing, just cold cut venom that threatened to poison anything and anyone that made a move to provoke her.

She parted her lips, hoping her next words would extinguish his lonesome demeanor, only to be interjected by the waitress who had come back with their orders. "Enjoy your coffee," she said placing the two china teacups on their table. Touka took a sip of coffee; it was delicious, but maybe a little too good.

It's beautiful isn't it? "W-What?" Touka was startled by the sudden reversal of mood. His lips curved up tenderly, but his eyes still held traces of the anguish that had graced it before. He nodded towards the window. Streaks of light bled from the sun like an endless stream of tears that would continue to run for eternity.

His words were faithful.

But it made her want to cry.

Impenetrable obsidian bathed the city of Tokyo. A piquant aroma of coffee wafted from their clothes and from the building they had recently departed. Crickets murmured amongst themselves in a melodic fashion and a frigid chill that had settled in with the rising moon bit into their skin. The young woman shivered and in response Kaneki handed her a light jacket he had brought with him. "Th-Thanks," she murmured, heat rushing to bedeck her delicate cheeks.

Come on I have something I want to show you, he expressed. He had been mulling over it for the past week but he didn't know how to bring it up. The work week began on Monday and he knew the activity would have them both running late. He was fearful of her answer so he decided to just whisk her away with him while he still had the chance.

The streets were flooded with people; families hurried their children into nearby restaurants while couples strolled hand in hand towards places that emitted warmth. A young man sang songs of God while strumming a worn guitar. In the masses of people Kaneki noticed his companion having a problematic time keeping up with him and eventually it became so that she completely disappeared from sight.

Retracing his steps he found her surrounded by a group of men -maybe around their early twenties- ogling her figure up and down and drunkenly trying to persuade her to go out with them on a date. Aggravated, he swiftly marched over and effortlessly slid an arm around her slight shoulders. Disgruntled, they scowled, and sauntered over to another woman who stood alone glancing impatiently at the clock on her wrist.

Releasing the embrace Kaneki confronted her cherry red appearance. Are you okay? he questioned. She nodded, her soft curls bobbing with the motion. He held his arm towards only to observe a quizzical expression rippling through her features. In answer he quickly scribbled, Take my arm so you don't get lost again. Her brows lifted and her rosy lips molded into an 'oh'. "A-Are you sure?" she stumbled out. He gave her a reassuring nod.

She laced her arm through his bent one and clanged their elbows together. Although it was such a formal gesture it didn't seem odd in the mass of interlocking hands. As he led her towards their destination, Kaneki was acutely aware of the slender arm that cleaved to his left arm. He could feel the heat radiate off her skin and wondered if she could hear the rapid beating of his heart; she was so close she surely could, he thought. They traversed in cumbersome silence; he noticed her dainty lips part twice only for them to reunite once again with a shaky breath.

When they reached Shinjuku station she looked up at him with surprise spilling from the depths of her eyes. "Where are we going?" she asked, a glint of curiosity lit her face. But a You'll see was all she was going to uncover from him.

It approached half past nine when they finally boarded their train. It was mostly unoccupied except for the old man who lay asleep at the far left and a disheveled man rustling through a copious pile of files. They sat, right across the sliding double doors, unnoticed. They didn't utter a word. Instead all Kaneki felt was light thump on his left shoulder as the grip around his arm went limp.

He gently turned his head in order to gaze at her sound expression, her eyes were still but her chest rose rhythmically. He took in every detail, her deep set eyes, the elegant curve of her brow, and her lips…. Kaneki leaned in, he was unsure of what drove him to be so brave, maybe it was the adrenaline or maybe it was her expression, so innocent, so unguarded, unlike the usual protective nature she always hid behind. He was inches away before he sighed and brushed a stray strand of her hair away from the porcelain nose it caressed. A snort resounded in the distance.

It was the bedraggled man from before. He rolled his eyes and resumed scribbling in a corpulent organizer. Kaneki gave him a measured look before sighing disappointedly –yet again– and rest his back on the cushioned seats. He slid his arm and laced his fingers with hers, a perfect fit, he thought, before closing his eyes.

Touka's eyes fluttered open at the sensation of a warm hand gently nudging her shoulder, trying to disentangle her from the netted confines of sleep. All she saw was white, then a few blue lines, and ink streaks that eventually coalesced to knit words. We're here it read. She evaluated her surroundings, there was no one, the train car was empty. Recalling the events of who-knows-how-long-ago, Touka jolted awake. She looked up to find a beaming white-haired man looking down at her and hurriedly tugging her by the hand. She stood up clumsily; sleep still clung soundly onto her. Although it was all flung away as soon as she read the screen above his head: Last stop Mount Takao.

"Why-what?" was all she managed to sputter before he hauled her through the sliding doors. She breathed in -about to let him hear a piece of her mind about what they were doing on a secluded mountain alone- when what lay before her stole her breath. They were about half-way up Mount Takao on a guarded overhang. The city lights danced like fireflies in the distance and Tokyo Tower stood amongst the throng of skyscrapers like a King, ruling the others with fine dominance. But that wasn't really what left her speechless.

It was the stars. The stars that twinkled above them. Touka shuffled through her memories; no she could not remember ever gazing at these many stars. They glittered, swarms of them, they all glittered like tiny drops all part of the same ocean. Coming together to create something as marvelous and wondrous as the sky that hung above them. Suddenly, the inky black of the night seemed to dissipated as the dazzling lights that danced above them illuminated the desperate world underneath.

He lifted his right arm and pointed with a single slender finger and told her, See that one over there, the bright one with a tiny sprinkle next to it, that's Jupiter and one of its many moons. He wrote more and more until the words spilled of the page. Then he began pointing out various stars and the constellations that they were a part of.

He beamed, his smile for once reached his eyes and bathed them in luster, his lips stretched wide and his features waltzed, leaving Touka to wonder if she would ever be able to witness such a dazzling sight again. Suddenly fearful of a delusion she squeezed their interlacing hands to reassure herself, he was solid, he was here, and he wasn't going anywhere.

Then it began.

It was sluggish at first, they only came on an occasion and were few in number, but then they really fell. This is where the show really starts he wrote. They were like little lightning bolts, they flashed across the sky in a blink of an eye, she thought. Petite heads followed by long tails sprinted across the starry ocean. There were hundreds, maybe thousands of these fascinating objects flying in front of them.

Some crisscrossed while others ran parallel, others raced against each other while others flew close together only to part quickly as the sky fell short on space. One pair even flew towards each other but the large echoing bang was never heard. They were like children and the sky was there vast playground.

How nice it would be, thought Touka,

to become these ignorant stars.

Copyright Disclaimer: All credit goes to the brilliant Ishida Sui for creating such complex and beautiful characters for his fans to create stories with ^.^ (Seriously, he works super hard for all of us and we should recognize him for that )

And thanks again to all of my readers for supporting me; I sort of ended up procrastinating on this chapter so forgive me for that. I hope this chapter was able to make up for my absence .