Tower - Sudden change, iconic scene or fav plot twist. / Disaster, upheaval.
After Hide and his athletic crew had somehow asserted that Kaneki was a part of their gang and couldn't be touched, everything subsided.
He and Hide still hung out after school often, for study sessions or movie marathons that would last all night and end in inevitable sleepovers.*
Kaneki had become used to Hide falling asleep on him, and due to his unending clinginess and half-awake begging, Kaneki finally relented to sharing the bed. Hide was always pleased at the reluctant submission, and would nuzzle into him with vigor. However, every time he woke up confusion would slam into him from finding a foot either against his face or on his neck, and realizing the tangle of limbs that refused to rise was the resulting overnight transformation of his previously affectionate friend.
He secretly enjoyed those nights too much; the warmth and deep layers of their bond was the most comfortable environment. Or maybe he liked the room so much because he associated it with Hide. Or because every item there was inexplicably Hide-like; bright, strange, but pleasant.
"Kaneki?"
"Hmm?" He turned his head to meet his friend's gaze.
Hide smiled amicably. "Be at my house tomorrow around eleven-ish."
Hide's family had invited him out on a get-together on the beach. He had been spending more time with them recently. Anything to get away from his wreck of a family. Not wanting to be a bother, he was going to initially decline but Hide's impeccable persistence had won him over.
"I'll be there."
The next morning Kaneki was tipping his head back upon the headrest, looking out the window at the moving scenery while keeping half an ear tuned in to the conversation in the minivan. Hide's shoulder would sometimes brush against his own as he moved around. The fiery-haired boy was focused on playing some game on his phone, although he still managed to contribute.
Hide's parents were in the front seat. His mom was nothing like Kaneki's. She was boisterous and unapologetic. It was understandable where Hide received most of his appearance from. The lady was tall and her hair spread out in interlocking messy orange waves. Hide's father was more toned down yet equally carried an air of good-humored carefreeness.
Kaneki bit back his jealousy. It wasn't fair to compare parents. The world worked in mysterious ways and he should be grateful for knowing them, right?
"Kaneki?"
"Mhnm?" He turned around to greet brown eyes.
They were playfully energetic. Glowing, almost.
"Stop thinking so hard-I can feel it on my skin." Hide made a face, and whined, "Mom, do we have to move? Why can't the other boys sit in the back?"
"Don't be rude, Nagachika Hideyoshi! I taught you better than that. Always be considerate of others before they even think of asking."
Next to him, Hide mumbled, "Sorry."
He glanced at Kaneki. "I guess we're stuck in the back."
Kaneki shrugged. "I don't mind."
The car had stopped near a driveway, while they waited for some others to arrive. To be honest, Kaneki hadn't even known Hide had invited other people and was surprised at the turnout.
They were track boys, of course. Plenty of them. Beaming and far too enthusiastic. Once Kaneki and Hide had switched to the back seats, they piled in. Kaneki noted that some weren't athletes but rather other jokesters that had complemented Hide's easygoing personality.
Where did he fit in?
He shook the unpleasant thought away. This was simply another outing with his best friend. He would still enjoy it even if the amount of people increased.
He jumped a little when he felt the arm around his shoulder, but then relaxed into it. He looked at Hide and gave him a reassuring smile. I'm fine.
Seeing straight through it, Hide leaned close to say into his ear. "I wanted it to be just us too, but my mom thinks we need to 'socialize more.' It's not healthy to stick with only one person, apparently."
Laughing a little, Hide leaned closer to whisper, "She doesn't get us."
Kaneki couldn't help the involuntary shiver from his hot breath. Something warm pooled in his stomach at the words, but he couldn't articulate it.
The rest of the ride passed relatively smoothly. The energetic coil around the other boys calmed as time went by and they tired out. However, as soon as the minivan neared the beach, it shot right back out. They sped from the vehicle, running into the sandy shore as soon as the car stopped.
Hide and Kaneki followed at a slower pace. They weren't in as much of a rush to get in the water. When he turned his head, Kaneki noticed Hide's parents were laughing as they talked to each other and grabbed the materials from the trunk. The bright sunlight glimmered their tall figures, and the breezy autumn wind swirled their hair in dance verses.
Something strange tugged in his stomach, but all thoughts of it vanished when Hide grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the sandy dunes.
"Should we make a sandcastle, or do you want to bury me? Or we could go swimming. Can you swim, Kaneki?"
"Uh…Not really," he admitted, with a faint blush.
Hide smiled eagerly. "I can teach you! But first we'll need the floaties. They're in the trunk."
Grabbing his hand again, Hide led the way back to where their car was parked. Hide's mother was still unloading items with a pleasant hum, while his father was setting up their spot. Upon their arrival, Hide's mother asked, "So what do you boys need?"
"Floaties! And goggles too, I think. I'm going to teach Kaneki how to swim!"
"I already kind of know how," Kaneki protested with a whine.
"Shh." Hide placed a hand over his mouth, and addressed his mother. "He doesn't know what he's saying."
Hide's mother laughed loudly. It was a nice sound. Full of love and abundance. He noticed how Hide's smile widened at it. She finally turned to face them, and looked startled for a second. Her eyes were focused between them, and it took Kaneki a few moments to realize she was staring at their jointed hands.
As if Hide had just realized this too, he quickly let go.
"So are there any floaties?" His fiery-haired hamster of a friend asked with fake oblivience.
Hide's mother pushed back her thick, curly mane of hair, and scrutinized them carefully. She finally passed them the necessary items. "Here you go. Have fun, boys."
"Thanks, mom! We will," Hide said as they walked away.
Kaneki couldn't get the image out of his mind. Why was Hide's mother staring at him like that? It was like confusion but also...suspicion? Or did he imagine it?
Whatever it was, he forgot as soon as Hide grabbed his arm and rushed him back to the shore. Without hesitation, his friend stripped out of his collared shirt and shorts, leaving him only in his dark blue swimming trunks. His skin glowed golden from the sunlight, and his thick messy hair was shooting everywhere as usual.
Kaneki felt an urge to run a hand through it, to pat it down, and was surprised at the compulsion.
What on earth…
"Kaneki! Oi, are you going to just stand there or what?"
Feeling heat pool in his cheeks, Kaneki looked at the sand sliding around his feet. He took off his shirt and shorts to reveal his own swimming trunks. When he glanced up, he was relieved to find Hide was no longer looking in his direction, but instead squinting into the shoreline with the floaties in his hand.
"Whoever makes it to the water last is a hot-ironed pig!"
With the sudden declaration, Hide was off sprinting.
Eyes widening, Kaneki stumbled after him, shouting how that wasn't fair.
As the sand underneath wettened, he gained stride to catch up. The water splashing under his feet, and creating riveting ripples in the although towing current. The winner was obvious but Hide feigned a close tie with his pleasant laugh.
They waded cautiously further in until the green-blue glimmering water was up to their waists. They splashed each other frequently, but when an immense thawing wave came crashing over them, they were completely soaked.
Kaneki couldn't help a shudder from the shock of the sensation. He was cold, cold, cold. The post-summer heat had thoroughly mitigated in exchange for the intermittent autumn breeze. The sun was bright and lavish, yet Kaneki wished it burned more intensely today as goosebumps ran up his spine.
"Are you cold?"
Kaneki turned to look at Hide. What he saw made his throat dry up. With his skinny frame and skin glistening wet, Hide's skinny shoulders hunched in as he tried to warm himself, rubbing his arms rapidly. His golden hair was dark and drenched, falling flat over his forehead and dripping. His face was scrunched up from the water trickling into his eyes. His almond eyes that were a concerned pool of deep brown.
"Kaneki?"
He blinked.
Understanding seeped through, and he furiously nodded his head. Hopefully, the heat he felt in his cheeks wasn't visible. "I'm f-freezing," he agreed. "Y-you?"
Hide moved his shoulders weirdly in what Kaneki assumed to be a shrug.
Hide's pale lips cracked a smile. "I still need to teach you how to back peddle. We're just going to have to warm up then."
To say the least, Kaneki was considerably surprised when his friend pounced on him. He fell back into the water with a gush of liquid to his open mouth. The tangle of limbs upon him weighed him down although they resurfaced quickly.
Kaneki spit out sea water and glared at the taller boy who was laughing.
"What is wrong with you?"
Hide grinned. "Didn't that boost your heart rate right then? Didn't that get your blood going?"
Kaneki could only stare at him.
"Don't give me that look! It worked, see? Your face is so red now."
With a finger, Hide poked him playfully in the nose, suddenly in close proximities. He felt a hot breath against his cheek-then it vanished, and Hide was moving away from him.
"Come on! We have to go further in if you want to learn."
He licked his salty lips, and followed in that direction.
Once he caught up near his golden-haired friend in the area he deemed acceptable, the water shimmered green-blue against the bright sunlight and lapped cold goosebumps along their necks.
"Where are the floaties?" Kaneki asked after a moment's scrutinization.
Hide's eyes widened comically, and he looked around in a frenzy. There was nothing but more seawater surrounding them. They had strayed significantly from the everyone else. The other boys were close to the shore tossing a beach volley ball back and forth. The occasional cheering and shouts mingled with laughter arose from that area.
Hide have an uneasy laugh and scratched the back of his head. "Whoops. I guess we'll have to do without them."
"How?" Kaneki asked. "I can't-"
"I'll just hold you." Hide shrugged. "That's the same way my dad taught me."
"You're not that much bigger than me," Kaneki protested. "How will you be able to?"
Hide scrunched up his nose in thought. He finally sighed. "I guess you're right. But I can still make sure you don't fall. It can't be that hard."
Noticing his friend's pessimistic look, Hide added, "Don't worry about it. Trust me, nothing bad's going to happen. Worse case scenario is you having to spit out more sea water."
Weighing the logic in his mind, Kaneki reluctantly agreed. "...so what do I do now?"
"Um... do this?" Hide turned on his back with his arms outstretched and floated for display.
Then he straightened himself. "Now you try."
With a gulp, Kaneki attempted to mimic Hide's easy-looking actions, but swiftly sank into the waves instead. He resurfaced as a breeze hit them; more goosebumps shone on his skin and he shivered.
"I can't do it."
"Sure you can!" Hide encouraged. "You just need some support! Try again, here."
The cold was pushed back when his friend's warmth surrounded him. Hide gripped Kaneki's back as he attempted floating again. Although he kept sinking, his time floating gradually became longer.
Once Kaneki had re-emerged, splashing from the waves, he spit out sea water and coughed out. "Hide-no more. Let's go back. I'm shriveled."
He held up his shriveling fingers as proof as Hide threw his head back to laugh.
"Fine, fine. This was a good day though."
"It sure was," Kaneki agreed as Hide's familiar arm came down around his shoulder. It radiated heat and he couldn't help leaning into his friend to escape the cold. At their close proximities, Hide's precious scent of sandalwood and pine, mixed with sweat and salt infiltrated his nostrils. Hide felt so warm and good. Looking up, he stared at the dripping flat mess of Hide's hair and couldn't resist the compulsion.
Kaneki reached out and pushed the sopping golden hair away from his forehead, running his hand through it, and molding it into place.
"Kaneki?" Hide asked softly.
Kaneki stared mesmerized by the pink bud lips. His hand was lightly touching Hide's cheek when he realized what he was doing. Heat traveled down his head and to his toes. Then the mortification tore through him.
"I'm s-sorry! I d-didn't m-mean to-Your hair was just...So I...and it wouldn't-" He blushed hard. He knew he was rambling but couldn't seem to stop.
Warm arms shook his shoulders, and his mouth finally shut up.
"It's okay, it's okay. Don't worry about it," Hide laughed. "You're so weird at times. Let's just go back, okay?"
He was silent for a second. "Okay."
They waded back to where the other boys were drying off. They asked where the two boys had been but Hide had waved it off with a laugh and vague answer that they didn't question. They piled back into the car, where Hide's shoulder again brushed against Kaneki's, and he tried not to focus on that but couldn't help it.
The only thought that kept tumbling over in his head was: What just happened?