Kaneki's eyes gradually fluttered to life as he stirred. The events were a blur and he could barely register where he was. He rubbed his groggy eyes and observe his surroundings. The first thing he heard was the constant downpour of rain outside.
He was in his room and his mouth tasted of blood.
A small nugget of dread sunk down in his stomach as his sense returned to him.
Did he hurt Hide?
Did he hurt Touka?
There was a cup of coffee beside the table that filled his room with a pleasant aroma. It did help keep him calm at least.
Letting a deep sigh escape his lips, Kaneki took a drink of coffee before getting up and heading downstairs to meet up with the rest of Anteiku.
To his surprise, he found both Touka and Hide chatting, a cup of coffee in the boy's hand.
"Oh hey, Kaneki. You feeling any better now?" Hide greeted him as the half ghoul made his way to the cafe floor.
Kaneki looked perplexed for a moment, before turning to Touka, who silently narrowed her eyes at him.
That's right
He lost control.
And Touka had to save him.
Again.
"Y-Yeah, Nothing a bit of rest couldn't fix. Are you doing any better? That accident was pretty bad." Kaneki effortlessly picked up on Touka's hint. He didn't enjoy making Touka cover for him.
He should get her something nice to make it up to her.
"Yeah, surprisingly. Managed to just come out with some scraps and bruises. Though my head's been killing me since yesterday." He murmured to himself as he rubbed the spot where Nishiki stomped on his head ruthlessly.
Mr. Yoshimura really was a miracle worker.
"Eh, nothing a few aspirin won't fix. I'm headed home. See ya, Kaneki." Hide waved at the two as he left Anteiku.
Once the door shut, Touka grabbed Kaneki by the shirt, yanking him down to her level as she glared at him with a nasty scowl.
"You're not eating right." The purple haired girl glared daggers into Kaneki. "Get something to eat before it happens again. I shouldn't have to save your ass everytime you lose control of your hunger." Touka lectured him as she pushed him away with an annoyed sigh.
Before Kaneki could react, the door opened again and Touka's glare immediately switched to her customer friendly face as she faced the newcomers. "Welcome to-" She paused as two girls walked in, a mother and her thirteen year old daughter drenched from the downpour.
"Ryoko! Hinami! Kaneki, be useful and get some towel for them." Touka's face immediately shifted to shock and worry as she rushed to the two girls.
Hinami, who looked haunted, saw Kaneki and her face brightened up a bit, throwing herself into his arms. "Big Brother Kaneki!" She cried out as she buried into his chest.
Kaneki was almost knocked onto the ground from Hinami's flying tackle as he caught her in his arms. "H-Hinami?" He blinked, taken aback, as he turned to Ryoko. "W-What happened?" He asked the mother.
"Is Kuzen here? Something happened at the clinic." Ryoko told them as Hinami buried herself deeper into Kaneki.
xxx
"I so love the rain. Don't you Amon?" Mado asked his partner as he locked his case back up and turning to the downed ghoul. "Get the pliers, girl." He hissed at the junior investigator.
Saiko yelped, lowering her huge hammer quinque and fumbled for the medical pliers to hand to Mado "R-Right here, sir." She squeaked out. Her blue bangs hugged the side of her face as she was utterly drenched in the rain.
"That a girl." He patted her wet hair as he held the pliers to injured ghoul. "Now, you wouldn't happen to know who these belong to, would you?" He knelt down to the ghoul, resting his chin on the metal briefcase.
"N-No way. I've never seen anything like that!" The ghoul stammered out.
Mado simply looked bored at the answer and sighed. "Looks like another dead end to me." With a lazy swing of his briefcase, Mado crushes the skull of the ghoul. "Time to find another one. Third Class Investigator Yonebayashi, you don't mind being the bait again, do you?"
"N-No, sir." She slumped in defeat as they continued on.
xxx
After helping the Fuegachi's get settled in the cafe's guest room, Touka sighed and slumped down on a nearby bar stool. "Kaneki, your damn mask stinks. You're coming with me to Uta's to get a new one tomorrow." She barked angrily at Kaneki, who flinched and quickly nodded.
"Y-Yes ma'am!" Kaneki stood flagpole straight as he addressed her.
He was met with a smack over his head from the teen. "You're older than me, dumbass. Knock it off with that "ma'am" business."
"In truth, I was planning on getting a new one anyways." Kaneki added with a nod while rubbing his head
"I also think it'd be a good idea for Kaneki here to get a new mask as well." Kaneki and Touka stood up straight as Yoshimura commented while coming from upstairs. "There are three Ghoul Investigators in the 20th Ward."
Dread washed over the two upon hearing Yoshimura's words. "D-Doves in the 20th Wards?!" Kaneki gasped in shock. "We're peaceful, why would they ever-"
"There is little need to panic, Kaneki. As long as we don't cause them trouble, they won't cause us trouble." Yoshimura assured Kaneki with a hand over the half breed's shoulder as he returned to his office.
Kaneki felt another hand grasp his shoulder, way more firm as Touka squeezed down. "Tomorrow, train station, 2:30. Keep me waiting and I'll kill you."
"Y-Yes-"
Kaneki's head got reintroduced to Touka's hand before he could finish.
xxx
Saiko hated this.
Nervously looking around the alleyway, she made her way though the gloomy urban maze of the 20th ward slums.
Of course it had to be at night.
First Class Investigator Mado always made her the bait.
Mado told her to dress in everyday clothes instead of the CCG uniform.
So here she was, dressed like a sixteen year old girl.
Absolutely humiliating.
She was nineteen years old damnit!
Saiko missed her hammer already...
The girl froze at the sound of footsteps in the shadows of the alley. She knew Amon had her back, even if Mado liked to boss her around.
They, were, uh, they were in position, right?
xxx
Today's rain made tonight so much colder.
Kaneki's walks took him into the worse part of the 20th ward tonight.
Dressed in his black sweater and khakis with a dark gray jacket, he wandered the maze of back alleys and neon signs.
This takes us back, doesn't it?
The ghostly form of a nine year old Eto appeared beside Kaneki as he expertly weaved in and out of the shadows.
We raised hell together in these streets, didn't we, Ken-Ken?
Eto giggled as she danced in the neon lights, twirling and spinning like a dancer in the spotlight, her crimson red hoodie and black dress fluttering in the darkness of night.
I'm not that person anymore.
Kaneki remarked at the apparition as he leaned against a building, watching the young Eto dance happily.
You move around these streets like you never left, Ken-Ken.
Eto was still as sharp tongued as ever.
A noise nearby caused Kaneki to snap to attention, instincts took over as the kakugan underneath his eye patch pulsed into life. As if his body took over, Kaneki prowled in the shadows, two scents close by,
A ghoul and a human.
One was hunting another.
The nine year old Eto simply skipped after Kaneki as he slipped into one shadow to the next, making his way to the human scent.
Whoever that was, they were in trouble.
He had to save someone.
To prove to himself that he wasn't as useless as he felt.
xxx
Shit shit shit!
No sign of Amon or Mado.
And the footsteps were getting closer.
A snarl from the darkness caused Saiko the yelp in fear and dive out of the way as a ghoul lunged at the spot where she just was.
Those lessons at the academy might actually save her life.
Too bad she slept though the history stuff.
Alright, Saiko. Stay cool, you can do this.
It's just a ghoul.
Even you can take this one on without your hammer.
To her surprise, the lid of a trashcan flew out from the shadows, smashing the ghoul and sending him sailing across the alley.
W-What?
"A-Are you okay?"
The voice cause Saiko to look up.
A boy in his late teens with short black hair offered his hand to her. He had an eye patch covering his right eye and a kind smile.
Blinking a bit, Saiko took his hand in a daze.
The expression of the boy shifted into a guarded one, as he yanked her towards him as the ghould lunged at her again.
The eye patched boy whirled around and slammed a kick into the ghoul's chest, causing him to skid across the pavement.
So cool...
"B-Bastard!" The ghoul cursed, but retreated into the shadows.
The boy sighed deeply as he noticed he was still holding Saiko's hand.
"S-Sorry!" He yelped out and let go of the blue haired girl's hand instantly.
"It's uh, it's fine." Saiko managed out with a bit of pink in her cheeks.
This meant nothing! It was just really cold out! It had nothing to do with a cute shy boy who was secretly a badass holding her hand!
Suddenly to her annoyance, Saiko realized she was forced to look up to see the boy's face, as he was a head taller than she was. Saiko was well aware of how short she was and was the source of irritation for most of her life.
"I'm Kaneki, by the way." The boy introduced himself. "Ken Kaneki."
"Saiko Yonebayashi, but just call me Saiko. My last name is annoying to say." The young investigator dusted herself off.
Saiko suddenly found herself with very few things to say trying to keep a conversation. Kaneki also seemed just as awkward at socializing as she was. Somehow, this made her feel a bit more at ease around him.
"W-Well, it's nice meeting you Saiko. Do you want me to walk you out of this area?" He offered kindly.
Yes
Absolutely yes
A part of her screamed at her to make new friends and this cute shy badass seemed like the best way to start.
Wait...
Was she always this boy crazy?
Pfft, of course not! Romance was overrated anyways.
People were complicated, video games and anime were easier to understand.
God, she missed her room.
If it weren't for Mr. Marude dragging her out on this assignment, she'd still be there.
Field training, he called it.
Oh yeah! The cute boy was offering to escort her out of the slums.
Where was Amon and Mado anyways?
xxx
"Will she be okay by herself, Mado?" Amon asked as the First Class Investigator nudged the ghoul's body with a foot, clicking his tongue in annoyance.
"Huh? Oh yeah sure. I'm having her map out the 20th ward by herself. We can do our own investigation while she gets a lay of the land." Mado shrugged off Amon's worry.
"Right, and you did remember to tell her this, correct?"
Mado paused, rubbing his chin in thought.
"Whoops. must've slipped my mind." He casually said without a second thought.
Amon simply sighed and pulled out his phone to inform Saiko of her instructions.
A/N: Although she hasn't appeared in awhile, this is ultimately a EtoKen story. I'm just setting up the stage and players in it.
As much as I'd like to write Touken for this version of Kaneki, Touka doesn't get the guy.
Though it won't stop me from giving the girl false hope.
It's dramatic irony I'm aiming for.
You guys know it won't happen, but she won't.
And it'll make all the more heart wrenching when reality comes crashing down.
As for SaiKen?
I'm a bit more lenient on, if not way more fond of Saiko than Touka.
Hell I even considered Saiko in on the Kaneki love, although that's up to you guys.
I've always found Saiko's relationship with Haise endearing, since she affectionately calls him "maman" in the series and that always stood out to me.
I want to deepen the bonds between Kaneki and Saiko in this story.
Though it's up to you guys if it gets romantic.