The pain of half of his bones being broken was agonizing. The fact that he had been beaten by a half-ghoul made it worse. Piling on top of that embarrassment was the news that Saya had been taken by Tsukiyama.
Aogiri Tree had lost a good number of ghouls, including Yamori, so it would be some time before they could hope to be as powerful as they were before. It was beyond irritating. Even if he wanted to get Saya back, it would be too difficult to hold onto her now. Their new base was not as accommodating for prisoners and Saya would never willingly return to him.
The healing process was painful, but when Ayato was feeling up to it, he ventured to her apartment. An informant had said that she and Kaneki did not return to Anteiku. It came as no surprise though. Besides, Ayato knew that if Tsukiyama really had been the one to remove her from her cell, the violet-haired ghoul probably had her in his possession.
It made him sick to his stomach when he thought about their relationship. Saya and Tsukiyama were always close in the creepiest way. Even when they fought, the male ghoul never looked fearful or angry; he looked like a child play-fighting with their crush. The older ghoul never looked at her like prey, either.
With her still healing from losing a limb and fingers, she would be easy food. If Tsukiyama really wanted to, he could eat her with little effort. Just the thought of this made Ayato want to track the man down and kill him.
Currently, he was standing in Saya's room in her apartment. He had staked it out for a few days before making his move, just to be sure that she was not returning to it. When it became clear that she really had abandoned it, Ayato entered to take his pick of her belongings.
There was still meat in the freezer; packed away for later consumption. He helped himself to chilled cans of coffee and water bottles as well as some items from her bedroom. Everything was shoved haphazardly into his bag before he settled on her bed, stretching out to make himself comfortable.
Closing his eyes, he could remember what she felt like when she slept beside him. Lying on her bed, the ghoul was surrounded by her scent and it left him oddly calm. When I find her again, I'm not letting her escape a second time. Smirking, he pushed himself to sit upright and his hair fell over his eyes. She can run. She can hide. But I'm going to find her.
As Ayato prepared to leave, he caught the scent of a human approaching her door. He stood still, listening as someone knocked and called for Saya. Who's this? Approaching the peephole, he frowned and stepped back quickly. A boy with rather spiky dirty blond hair and bright colored clothes was standing outside, clearly distressed that Saya was not answering the door.
Shift P.O.V
"Saya? Are you okay?" A warm, gentle hand rested on hers as Kaneki leaned forward in his seat.
To her frustration, she felt herself starting to blush. Even after all of this time, seeing him look her way with such a soft expression made her heart race. "I'm fine," she assured her. The girl attempted a smile, but it was difficult. Their current situation was hard to smile at.
She would give anything for things to be the way they were before. Back when she could go to school and work. When she and Kaneki were able to go on dates to book stores. These things were no longer a part of her life. It had been a while since she was even able to speak to anyone from Anteiku.
"Uh…are you nervous about going out tonight?" Banjou inquired. "It's okay if you don't want to go."
"I'm going." This was said quickly and with a slight edge to her voice. It was an important night, after all. Kaneki was going to speak to some other ghouls about the whereabouts of their boss Shachi. It was far from a romantic outing, but she was still excited to be going out somewhere with Kaneki.
"Here we are! I finally found the perfect selections for you both~" Tsukiyama announced, letting himself into the base. "Hm? Oh, my dear Saya. Why the solemn expression? Come now; let's see that thorny smile you like to give me."
"Thorny smile?" Banjou glanced from the violet-haired ghoul to Saya.
"I save that especially for you, Tsukiyama. Why would I share it with everyone else?" she taunted, already standing. The girl approached him and raised an eyebrow at the color of the fabrics he was carrying. "What did you bring? I'm getting sick of wearing those bright patterns you always put me in."
He reached down, caressing her cheek and simply smiling when she slapped his hand away. "My sweet little flower. You say it like I'm some kind of pervert dressing a doll. Non! What I'm doing is creating a living work of art with my dearest friend~"
"That's the creepiest-!" Saya went silent when she felt Kaneki's hand clutch hers, his warm palm pressing against her own. The creepiest pick-up line I've ever heard, she finished the sentence in her head.
"What did you bring?" Kaneki asked, trying to be nice. "I don't really want to look too flashy…"
Tsukiyama's face seemed to light up at this and he flashed Saya a rather smug look. "Kaneki, you want to try on the clothes that I brought for you? I brought a few options that I thought would look good. Do you want to assist me, Saya?"
She subconsciously gripped Kaneki's hand tighter, causing him to look over. "Kaneki doesn't need any help dressing," she protested. I'm not letting you ogle my boyfriend, you creep!
The man's smile faded to a muted variation of what he showed her before and he tilted his head. "Do I detect a note of jealousy~? Non! That can't be! My darling little flower wouldn't be jealous of a man helping another man, would she? Don't you think that jealousy in a woman is ugly, Kaneki?"
The pale-haired boy frowned and gave Saya's hand a light squeeze. "She's…just nervous. It's okay," Kaneki replied. "Right, Saya?"
When she saw him smile at her so gently, it sent her pulse into overdrive. Her chest felt tight as she saw that sweet expression on his face and she just wanted to hug him. "You're right. We've just been through a lot. I don't like being separated from you."
"It's alright though. Tsukiyama is our friend now." Kaneki could still see the conflicted look in her eyes. "If anything happens, I can take care of it. I promise. I'm stronger now, Saya. You have to have faith in me."
He left with Tsukiyama to try on clothes, leaving her behind with Banjou and the others. With no reason to hide her real expressions, Saya sat there with the scariest scowl that any of the other ghouls had ever seen. They gave her plenty of space, wary of each time she moved. It was no secret that they were afraid of her. She had yet to fight any of them or even act violently, but the way she glared and scowled seemed to be enough to convince them to back off.
I hate this, she thought with a louder than necessary sigh. I hate thinking about them being alone together! That perverted cannibal creep is probably touching him right now! Her stomach churned at the thought and she shook her head. Kaneki wanted her to have faith in him. He said that he could protect himself. He doesn't know that that scum has a crush on him. What if Tsukiyama touches him?! If he does something gross, I'll take off both of his hands!
She was so deep in thought that she failed to notice the tall figure approaching her side until her wrist was firmly yet gently being taken in someone's hand. Saya snapped her head in his direction and glared icily up at the man. "Where's Kaneki?" she demanded in a growl.
He pretended to pout for a moment before smiling and licking his lips. "Oh, Saya. My dearest friend. That look on your face is so delicious~"
"Where is Kaneki?" the girl repeated.
"He's trying to decide between outfits. Not to worry," he assured her. "Come with me now. We need to get you all fixed up for tonight!"
As irritated as she was, the female ghoul stood. She glanced over at the others to find them all quickly looking away. Saya let him lead the way to her room, but she was on high alert. Any sudden movements from him and she would be quick to defend herself.
She watched him lay out a selection of clothes and subtly sniffed at the air around him. He doesn't smell like ghoul blood and the only traces of Kaneki's scent on him aren't very strong. Saya winced when she abruptly found herself wrapped tightly in his arms with his nose buried in the side of her neck. "Hey! What-?!"
Tsukiyama took a long inhale and trembled, his embrace tightening. "Oh, my dear Saya. Were you enjoying my scent just now~?" he teased. "You're going to make me blush! My darling little flower, are you just too bashful to show your true feelings?"
Struggling to try to free herself, Saya felt him sigh against her collarbone and then nuzzle his cheek against her neck. Her hands planted on his shoulders, trying to shove him away, but he held tightly. "Tsukiyama! I'm serious! Stop it!"
His lips moved to her ear, gently caressing her sensitive skin. The girl tensed in his hold, teeth gritted and face rapidly turning red. Licking along the curve of her ear, he could taste her flesh and it sent shivers of delight throughout his body. Clutching her against his chest, Tsukiyama released a moan that made her face turn even redder. One hand lifted to trail through her hair, his fingers trembling. "You really have no idea what I want to do to you~" he taunted.
That was all it took to push her over the edge. Saya shoved him away from her, adrenaline pumping through her veins, and she glowered up at the man. "I said to stop it! Do you really not realize how creepy that is?!"
Pouting, Tsukiyama sat on the edge of the bed. "Clearly you don't understand romance. My dear, sweet Saya. You can't honestly say that you never wished that our Kaneki would hold you that way and whisper something so lascivious in your ear. It's the only way that I could think to show you how I feel right now. Your scent, your taste, your voice, those passionate eyes of yours; I love every little piece of you so much that I just want to hold you and never let go."
She had no doubt that this would sound romantic coming from someone that she actually liked, but coming from Tsukiyama it all sound unbelievably unsettling. Fucking creep. Saya leaned back against the bedroom door for a moment, glaring at him. Her gaze slowly slid to the clothing selection.
He saw her looking at the clothes and brightened instantly. "Let's get you ready for tonight, shall we?"