So... I'm (kinda) back. I just wanted to work on something that I hadn't done in a while and felt inspired to do something with this. I'm sorry for leaving y'all hanging for... half a year or more ((HOlY SH!T! It's been THAT long?!)) A-Anyway, have some more gay-but-totally-not-gay-precious-tg-boys. :) I also kinda just spat this out without really going back to edit it so there may be a few typos... srry.

Hide lay on the couch, groaning softly to himself. He'd eaten way too much and was now suffering for it. Kaneki had gone to bed a few hours ago at the blond's own insistence. Though Hide did have to admit, Kaneki was super cute when he's worried, but like sassy worried. He went to laugh and then flinched at the dull pain in his abdomen. "Ow... ow ow."

The sword rolled off the couch with a grunt and stumbled to his room. Even though the last few day had been calm, the foreboding feeling hadn't left Hide, even for a moment. While part of him believed it was just from Kaneki and the darkness he'd seen, another couldn't shake the image of that Tsukiyama Shuu person.

So, Hide did as he does best. He opened up his laptop, pulled his hoodie off, and looked for the one place information could be easily found. Hide went to the Internet. Looking up aspects probably wouldn't yield anything worth his time, that would be a last resort. But he knew three names of currently existing aspects. Judging from what Yamori said, "Kaneki" it didn't seem that the aspects change their names from one life to the next. It also wasn't without reason to assume that the family of an aspect didn't have at least one member other than the aspect themselves that knew. And also, from the fact that aspects seemed to have to be awakened to really become a demon...

Hide shook his head, typing out Tsukiyama's name into the search engine. Too much speculation wouldn't help anything. He needed solid facts right about now, and while he could ask Kaneki... Gods, it hurt to think he can't trust the white-haired youth's answers. But Hide just wouldn't know which soul he was talking to, if that even really mattered that much. The demon inside Kaneki seemed colder, more wary and hostile. It wasn't likely that he give Hide any straight answers...

The blond bit into his lower lip and growled under his breath, pulling his focus onto researching the current object of... was this fear? Concern? Whatever this feeling was, Hide didn't like it, not at all.

He scrolled through several cities, most of which talked about the Tsukiyama conglomerate. Apparently it is a massive parent company with a lot of influence in Japan. The founder's image was nowhere to be found, but the name was strikingly familiar. Tsukiyama Shuu. Shuu wasn't that uncommon a name though, so without an image attached there was no real way to tell. Hide bit his thumb, eyes flicking over the illuminated screen, his only source of light at the moment. The days were getting darker faster. For some reason, that notion made a shiver tickle up his spine.

The sword located an interview with the heir to the current company CEO. Also named Tsukiyama Shuu. The charming yet equally unsettling smile, the purple-tinted hair, the flashy suit... This was him, the aspect that Kaneki said betrayed him in a past life. This was the demon whose shadow Hide still felt halfway around the world.

Hide plugged in his headphones and listen to the interview, watching Tsukiyama's mannerisms and memorizing his posture, speech patterns, every subtle detail he could. He needed to be able to recognize the similarities. The sword pulled out a notebook he'd never used before for classes and flipped it open. He started by writing down everything he knew, every innocuous thought, every little quirk he'd ever seen. There was a section dedicated to what the Reaper had told him, a section for their fight with Jason, speculation on Aogiri's involvement with aspects, a detailed sketch of Yamori's soul and whatever those limbs were coming out of his lower back. A section also for Shuu where those little mannerisms were recorded. Hide put down information on the company and wrote an entire paragraph of questions, most of which pertained to how an aspect knew they were and aspect, the involvement of their families, and other such insights into an aspect's impact on human society around them.

Finally, with a deep breath and the only hesitation Hide felt in even making such a journal, he wrote Kaneki's name at the top of one page. Hide poured everything he knew about his meister into those pages, from the way he talked, to how he sat. The sword drew a sketch of Kaneki's face, the subtle smile in his dark eyes, completely from memory. He'd almost forgot to leave the other's hair white. Hide's froze, tears blurring the corners of his vision and he blinked them away. No, he needed to do this. Watching Kaneki is his job now too. Kaneki isn't human anymore, not entirely. He's dangerous. He one of these things, a demon in human form that devours human souls... He's... He's...

Hide couldn't do it. He slammed the journal shut, dropping his pen and shooting to his feet. The chair toppled over with a bang and his headphones had been yanked from the desktop speakers. "Well that's quite the interesting story, Mr. Tsukiyama," the female interviewer's voice hid the sounds of Hide's ragged breathing, the blond trying to keep himself from spiraling back into seeing those horrors from Kaneki's demon soul that day. It's hard to imagine that was only two weeks or so ago. "I'm sure our community will prosper with such a particular man at the head of the conglomerate. Though," she scooted closer to Shuu, "we are all curious about your artistic works. You mentioned that novel you're writing earlier, but I've got to ask, is there someone special you based the main love interest on? It doesn't seem like such a well crafted work could come without first hand experience."

He smiled at the interviewer. "I'm glad you asked, cheri. My muse's name will remain my little secret, but he is the reason I create, a god among men you could say. Something about his presence always chills and excites me. I find that whenever I even think of him I become inspire and must write my thoughts down."

Hide's hand tightened into a fist and he paused the interview rather aggressively, leaning forward on his desk. The blond spread his palms over the cool wood and took several deep breaths, glaring at the notebook lying there oh so innocently.

"Hide?" Kaneki pushed open the door a bit more and their eyes met. The blond pushed himself back upright, turning to face his meister, body between the notebook and the other boy. "Hide, I heard a crash. Are you okay?"

He quickly wiped his eyes and shook his head. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Heh uh, I was watching a video of a horror game and got really startled by a jumpscare. It's no big deal."

"Uh... hu." Kaneki gave him a firm once over, scanning Hide's form through the darkness, one hand on the doorframe and the other clenched around the doorknob, leaning into it. The weapon stared back at his meister, memorizing every little thing that he'd come to know and love. The way Kaneki's brow pinched in a mix of concern, relief, and irritation. The soft shine to those deep grey eyes belying the sharp mind hidden behind them. "So, you're stomach's feeling better?"

"Oh, uh yeah... Jee hadn't even noticed." The sword flushed slightly. He was, in fact, feeling better.

Kaneki glanced out into the living room. "Well it's late so get some rest. We have those three from the remedial class to tutor tomorrow."

"O-okay."

An awkward silence stretched out before them, neither really breaking eye contact, both trying to puzzle something out about the other.

"... Hide?"

"Yeah?"

"What..." Kaneki looked away then sighed, pushing the door fully open and walking the last step into Hide's room, still staring directly into the blond's eyes. "What really happened when we fought Yamori?"

Hide's blood turned to ice. Kaneki's left eye had turned red, glowing in the low light.