DISCLAIMER
The following is a fan-based
FICTION
Tokyo Ghoul, Tokyo Ghoul Root A and Tokyo Ghoul:re and other products related to the TG Series are all owned by Sui Ishida, Shin Towada and Shueisha.
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Chapter 25: Reconciliation
Pain kickstarted my brain from the ill-induced slumber, my eyes catching sights know to my mind.
I was back my room, some bandages nicely applied to where my bones had suffered the brunt of the chit-chat with the dangerous Ghoul before I-
Mind freezing as few fragmented memories remained regarding the aftermath of that recent event, I finally noticed the curious, warm weight grasping at my left arm.
Turning to my side, I grimaced at the sleeping form of the female teen that had so much troubled and eased my own burdens.
Eto snored quietly, fully dressed and her lower body still seated on a chair near the bed.
I smiled sadly at the sleep bags that were forming under her eyes and my free hand moved quietly as it started to softly caress her head.
She mumbled unrecognisable words as I continued with my ministrations, yet the pleased expression showed that she was enjoying the massage.
Someone knocked by the door and soon it was opened to reveal.. a man wearing doctor clothes?
He paused for a moment, staring at the scene, then smiled and nodded. "You are awake. That is good."
He walked closer to the bed and in the mean time I tried to understand who this stranger was. He noticed the familiar stare and nodded again.
"It's the first time I have the pleasure to meet you in person, Langley-san." He stretched his hand towards me and I moved the one previously busy with patting the sleeping girl to shake the awaiting palm. "My name is Asaki Fueguchi and I'm a close friend of Arata. I've been called for an emergency case.. yours."
My eyes glanced briefly at the still-snoring, green-head as I focused on Asaki.
"I hope everything is alright, Fueguchi-san."
"Oh it is. Mind you, I would have taken you to my office to better help you if it was truly a worrisome case." He sighed and settled in the free chair in front of the bed. "Sir... your RC cells counter is the lowest registered."
... "What?"
"Your current RC level is 126. Healthy humans should have 200 or above and... your situation is unique."
"Good or bad?" My tone turned slightly whiny at the suspence created by the doctor, which replied with a sheepish look. "I-It's not bad in the present... actually, you are possibly one of the few people that have better chances in avoiding suffering the ROS in any circumstances."
"So you build up this dramatic moment, drawing concern and all... and that is it all?" Asaki nodded and I sighed. "You sure you aren't a tragic actor, doc?"
The Fueguchi chuckled nervously at the comment as a young woman and a little girl entered the room staring intensily at the man, the doctor seemingly having been too much immersed in my judgement to actually notice this two intruders.
"But do tell me, doc, do you believe in jumpscares?" I grinned as the man blinked in confusion, turning around. "Jumpscares, what do you me-Ah!"
The woman giggled as she had positioned herself well enough to surprise the dense doctor with her relative closeness to his face.
The child followed her mother's reaction and my grin widened.
"I think you should go now, Fueguchi-san. I can pick my pieces up from there."
He sighed. "Why are all my patients like this.."
The brunette smiled kindly as she patted his back. "It's not you, dear.." Then she nodded in my direction, taking the curious girl with them.
The door closed and I returned my attention back to the still unconscious Eto with a suspicious look.
"You are awake."
Her snoring got a tad bit louder, a false move from someone that tries to fake sleeping.
My finger poked her right cheek. "You areeee."
She groaned and a pair of green eyes shone an annoyed glint back at him.
"You truly are a pain at this hour."
I grinned. "You are the remaining 23."
The young Ghoul conceded a smile at the meek humor but shook her head.
"I'm sorry." Was she starting to apologise?
As much as it sounded poor-planned after that ordeal, I couldn't be cruel to her and ruin that moment, thus I let it happen.
I patted her head softly. "I know."
"I shouldn't have been that much harsh with you." She muttered in her daze as I continued my ministrations.
"I know." It was four months of notes and writing... I had suffered worse.
"I might have to take some of your underwear to catch your scent."
My left eye twitched in annoyance at her partly-logical choice of.. cloth to be used for the search patrol. "I.. I forgive you."
She sighed, this time a serious tone in her voice. "I love you."
...
I froze for a moment, my eyes going wide for a brief second to understand the very meaningful words.
"I... know."
...
"What do you- how you already knew?" Initial surprise was replaced by a questioning tone and I sighed to my poor predicament.
"It... wasn't that much to spot your attempts."
Eto deflated a little, her eyes half-closed as she groaned to herself. "Was I that much see-through with my efforts?"
"Quite." I stated calmly, looking at the disheartened girl. "It was as clear as an hammer straight in one's face."
...
"Then you- why didn't you ever say anything about it?"
Hard question for her, hard question for me.
"Because..." I started thinking how to word the following sentences and I found myself stuck in a crude deadend.
"C-Can you at least... tell me what do you think of it?"
I've been thinking of this for a long time and, even if I looked at it in a serious study, I couldn't find any issue with that change.
Our relationship had been a weird kind of the roommate type, never of siblings and... I would be lying if I said that I hadn't grow close to that girl that wanted to kick the world right.
"I... I think I can... live with it and..." Her rapt attention was now onto me as I felt an unpleasant rock settled in my chest. "I think I... love you too."
She blinked at the words, seemingly unexpected in her plans and... she smiled.
"I.. we can work with that... right?"
A shaky smile was now on my face and I sighed to myself. "We... can-no. We will make it work."
They laughed at the curious tension and Eto decided to move from her seat, her arms carefully pulling me close to her as she settled her head on my shoulder and mine settled in hers.
"Thank you. For everything."
"No." I was smiling genuinely at this point. "Thank you."
OMAKE - Post-Reconciliation Crazy Party
Our moment was brief as someone slammed the door open and Arima and Arata rushed inside.
"Senpai!-" "Wade-san!-"
They both froze at the scene, paling as they caught my not-so-veiled fury and Eto's pain-promising glance.
In their shocked state they barely noticed Hairu and Touka entering the room and sighing at the reaction of the two, limiting their own to mere smiling.
"We will take them out." The pinkette stated, the Kirishima nodding in agreement as they both grasped their father/big brother's hands and pulled them out of the room.
"Oh, there is everyone here." The little Ghoul said before leaving the two alone in the room, their face sporting two similar blushes.
"Maybe we should go?"
Eto nodded and I smiled as she helped me getting up from my bed and walk towards the door.
Before she could open it, I coughed at her as she stopped with a confused look.
"No groping in front of the children."
Her wandering hand recoiled from her previous place near my botton and she pouted at the restriction.
That night sure became one of the most memorable in our memory... just not in the brightest light imaginable.
"Wade, Tatara is hugging the cactus!"
"Tatara, that is not a woman!"
"Oniichan, look at this!"
"Rei, that is not how you are supposed to use your knives!"
"Oji-chan, why is Oniichan touching Arata-jichan like that."
"Kohai, stop with that at once! Arata, you too!"
"And Eto, stop groping my butt!"
"Nope!~"
AN
And thus the first arc is over and next week I shall start the second one!
I've been thinking about starting to write some chapters of the fanfics I plan to publish after I end some as I started to have some massive ideas blooming quite frequently and I need to write this down!
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Review Q&A!
King0fP0wers: Psychological warfare is far worse than normal warfare. Naki is going to be a difficult nut to understand and break, but he will come around.