Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, but I decided to rewrite the epilogue! I was originally going to end it with Hide dying and Kaneki crying and everyone becoming miserable. But I decided to switch it up some. Hopefully you'll enjoy this version much more!

He felt like he was barely treading water, sinking deeper into a thick, murky pool as the days passed. He couldn't move forward and he couldn't see anything through the fog, just stuck in the blurred world around him.

Even the few moments of clarity when he reaped or spoke with other ghouls felt fake. It reminded him of light bouncing through smoke and if he waved a hand through it, it would all dissipate too. It was a strange, detached sensation to experience and one even stranger to consider. If his mind hadn't already been preoccupied by a single thought, he might have enjoyed thinking about it.

It had been a month since the Reaper took Hide away. A month of strange looks from Touka and desperate hugs from Hinami. A month of silent vigils on a park bench and stone-faced anger whenever he passed Rize on the street.

"No, but there are other ways to find wings."

Kaneki didn't know what his words meant and hope felt fragile and dangerous, but he had to cling to something when the Reaper pulled Hide's still-warm body from his arms.

"Hey, Kaneki—"

He looked up, dazed after being yanked from his thoughts. Touka watched him with the same indescribable look, lips pressed tight and gaze softened.

(Was it pity or amusement? He couldn't tell anymore.)

"Huh?"

"You know what today is, right?"

He nodded. A month had passed. It was time to get new assignments.

"I didn't want this to come as a shock," she started slowly.

"What would come as a shock?" Kaneki eyed her curiously.

Touka huffed and crossed her arms, settling for a forced gruffness to break the news. "I, uh… Y'know what—I'll just say it. I requested that Hinami be my new partner."

Kaneki blinked, feeling a bit betrayed. She's replacing me with Hinami? Is she old enough to start reaping?

"She's new and needs someone to teach her." She avoided his gaze with another huff, blowing a lock of her bangs to the side; Kaneki belatedly realized she didn't want to admit that she was proud of her student. "You are doing well enough so it's time you train a new partner. Besides, you always look miserable all the time. Now you can depress someone else."

Her tone was light and Kaneki felt himself smiling despite the harshness of the words. I suppose I have been a bit melancholy over the last month… er, year.

The rest of her words sunk in and his eyes widened.

"Wait… new partner?"

"Female. Roughly in her seventies or eighties. Full ghoul mark under the left side of the chin."

He grunted and scribbled the details down in his notebook. Akira glanced over his shoulder with an approving nod.

"Your handwriting is neater than Nagachika's was. It'll be easier to review cases."

Seidou accepted the compliment with a weak smile. It felt strange to talk about his predecessor in the past tense, having accepted the open scribe position in Nagachika's absence.

His absence? That made it sound like Nagachika was away on vacation or sick leave. He wasn't coming back to this position; it could be Seidou's job if he so desired to keep it.

He eyed the dead woman in front of him, slumped against her kitchen wall.

At least the hours are better.

"It'll be nice to have a scribe again," Amon added. He had temporarily taken over the role and was glad to relinquish it.

They fell silent. Akira tilted the old woman's head to the side and Seidou snapped a half-hearted photograph.

"Hmmm, but it's too bad that we lost our contact in the police department. Even if half the cases were false alarms."

Seidou rolled his eyes, but said nothing. He had suffered from Akira's jabs back when he was still a police officer. If he took on the job, he would have to get used to them.

"Don't worry. My old partner promised to keep me in the loop about suspicious cases that might be caused by ghouls. Houji-san is a pretty dependable guy."

Amon nodded with an approving grunt. He had encountered the officer several times during investigations. Appeased, Akira straightened up and pulled off her gloves.

"Good. I think we're done here. Just a routine feeding. Natural death."

Seidou slipped the pen back in his notebook and wandered towards a row of picture frames along the woman's side table. "So what's next then? Do we contact the next of kin? File a report?" He reached for a frame and smiled sadly at the photograph. It was the woman, younger and beaming next to an ashen-haired man. He hadn't noticed male shoes or coats by the door.

"Usually at this point Nagachika would go get coffee for us."

"No, I wouldn't." Seidou jumped at the voice, lowering the picture frame to the table with a heavy thud and a wince. "Don't let them bully you."

He spun around and saw Nagachika in the apartment door threshold, one shoulder pressed against the doorframe and arms crossed.

"Ahh, sorry for startling you. Amon-san texted me the address and I figured I'd drop by to see how your first day was." He grinned broadly at Seidou, who hesitantly smiled back.

"He's less talkative than you. He doesn't get distracted as easily."

"Plus, his handwriting is neater. I can actually read his reports."

Nagachika gave a mock groan of pain, clutching at his chest with one eye squeezed shut. "Ouch. Have some mercy. Still, it looks like you're fitting in just fine." He turned back to Akira and Amon, chattering with the same excitable expression he always wore.

"You shouldn't be laughing so loud at a ghoul scene. It's disrespectful." Amon tried to chastise him, but he was smiling too. They all were, like it was some sort of a happy reunion.

Seidou was suddenly struck by déjà vu. He felt like he was still a Tokyo police officer instead of the new scribe, watching their team from the outside.

He was gone for a month, but he looks so comfortable to be back. Like nothing had changed.

He swallowed and stared at Nagachika. Things had certainly changed though. He remembered the phone call from a weary Amon, how tightly he had gripped the receiver until his knuckles glowed white.

He died. He was dead. That's what they said.

He wasn't sure what to expect when he found out Nagachika would come back. His first impulsive thought had been translucency or mottled green skin—not for Nagachika to look the same as how he had always looked.

It was all very confusing, but he supposed it would be all right in the end. He shook his head with a faint smile. Straightforward solutions didn't seem to be his new profession's forte. He would just have to get used to that too.

Hide accompanied Akira and Amon to their regular café. He had extended the offer to Takizawa, but the latter had politely refused with a rapid shake of the head and an excuse about clearing out his desk at the station.

Hide waved until Takizawa's brown hair flopped out of sight.

"I hope he enjoys being on the team."

"Today was his first day, but he did well."

The corners of Hide's lips twitched upwards in a rueful grin. "Oh, I heard all about his neat handwriting and his boring seriousness. Sounds like you found an upgrade."

"It'll take time getting used to him being there," Akira countered, settling down in her favorite seat at the café. "And getting used to you not being there."

"Aww, so you miss me?" He kept his voice teasing and light. He was giving them permission to shrug him off with another dry quip. Instead, Amon and Akira both nodded.

"It's good to have you…back."

Hide swallowed thickly and dropped his gaze. Back, huh?

He doubted they meant back in the coffee shop. They meant back among the living.

Is that what I am now? Living again?

Everything had happened so quickly and left him disoriented, like a series of strobe light memories. The serial killer, the knife, the numbness that swept over him, punctuated by Kaneki's distant pleas for him to live. But he had been so sleepy and warm that he couldn't anymore, falling further into the darkness.

And then he was awake, gasping and blinking at the sterile whiteness around him. His body felt no different than before, but was that what "being alive" meant?

He looked up to see Akira's and Amon's concerned gazes on him. He brushed them off with a weak chuckle and a scratch at his cheek.

"Oops, my bad. I've been spacing out a bit more since, uh, waking up. I'm fine though," he hastily added, answering their inevitable next question.

"Are you?"

Hide paused to consider the question, deciding he owed them a genuine answer instead of a blanket placation.

"I think so? I don't feel that different. I know I should though. I mean, my hea—" Hide hesitated, glancing around the café for eavesdroppers. He grabbed a fistful of fabric on the left side of his chest. "My heart doesn't beat anymore. It's just…silent."

Their eyes widened and Akira dropped her coffee cup with a ceramic crack to the table.

"The Reaper—err, Arima said it's expected. That's the way it is for all of us. Technically, I don't have to breathe, eat, or sleep anymore either. I still can—and believe me, I do, because I don't think I could handle all this weirdness otherwise and it would get me some really weird stares if I suddenly stopped breathing and—" His voice hitched as he inhaled reflexively and Akira winced at the desperate sound.

"Jeez, I thought I was past that," he grumbled, scowling at the table. "I don't even need to breathe."

He seemed embarrassed by the reaction, though Akira didn't know why. He had died a month ago; there was bound to be some residual trauma.

"You said all of us…?" Amon echoed, brow furrowing as he changed the subject.

Hide nodded, shoulders drooping as he relaxed. "Arima said there are others like me. Doves, that's what we're called. We can remove ghoul marks from people. Save them before they're killed."

Akira's eyebrow darted upwards. "That's impressive."

"Yeah, yeah. But there's not many of us around, so don't start looking for a new job yet. Arima said I won't be able to save everyone. Plus, you guys will still have to investigate natural ghoul deaths."

Akira didn't miss the way he excluded himself or the way his eyes dropped to his empty plate.

Neither did Amon, if his tightened frown was any indication.

"Will you work with a different team then? A group of, uh, Doves?"

Hide shook his head. "No, not quite. Arima said I'm the only Dove in the 20th Ward. Basically, that means I'm kind of a big deal." He grinned, the faded look in his eyes disappearing underneath the crinkles.

"But you'll still work with someone, right? You won't be out there by yourself?"

He laughed at Amon's concern, brushing it off with a wave of the hand. "You don't have to worry. I'll have a partner, a ghoul who's familiar with, uh, my condition." Hide's grin took on a wicked glint. "He actually doesn't know about me yet, but I'll be seeing him later today."

"You're making me feel sorry for a ghoul," Amon muttered with a shake of the head.

Akira agreed with a fond roll of her eyes. "I might have to ask Arima to transfer the poor ghoul before you torture him like you tortured us."

His laughs grew louder, attracting stares from those seated around them. His gaze shifted over Amon's shoulder, landing on a trio of customers, each eyeing him with various expressions of shock. No plates lingered on their table.

The female customer recovered first, eyes narrowing behind her red-rimmed glasses before she glanced away with a puckered frown. Hide stared at her a moment longer before turning back to his friends.

"This isn't goodbye, you know. You aren't getting rid of me that easy. Just because I'm off doing a different job doesn't meant I can't pop in now and again."

Akira and Amon exchanged hoisted eyebrows, both groaning simultaneously.

Hinami wanted to join them when they went to see the Reaper. Kaneki supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. After all, she was about to start working with Touka soon. It was only natural to expect her to tag along.

Kaneki fell in step behind Touka and Hinami as they crossed the empty park. The sun was hot overhead, warm enough to heat Kaneki's chilled skin. He supposed the humans had fled for the indoors, where air conditioning and cool drinks awaited.

They always met in the wooded area at the summit of a low hill. Kaneki had always thought it strange—even if the park was crowded, he and Touka would never be seen. However, he never realized that the Reaper was part of the human world as well. Hide's teammates had proven that, when they had called him their benefactor a month ago.

Kaneki slowed his pace, lost in thought again. He couldn't blame Touka for being agitated with his new habit. It happened more often than he would have liked.

Ahead of him, Hinami raced up the hill and skidded to a stop at the edge of the trees. Touka followed her up at a more relaxed pace, offering a greeting at whoever waited up top.

"Hurry up, Onii-chan!" Despite the urgent words, Hinami's voice sounded reserved. Kaneki wondered if his new partner was there, if their appearance had startled her.

He sighed and hiked up the hill. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the bench where he and Hide met. He steered his gaze away, focusing on the hill's summit instead of the empty bench. He first recognized the bright white of the Reaper's trench coat, stark against the dark tree line.

"Reaper," Kaneki murmured softly, nodding towards the man once he reached the top of the hill. Hinami dipped her head as well before darting behind Kaneki, using him like a protective shield she would periodically peek out from behind.

"Touka-chan told me I would have a new partner. Are they here?"

Hinami's eyes darted towards a shifting shadow behind the Reaper and Kaneki's gaze followed. He stiffened, feeling his chest tighten and his lips part.

It's…

"Yo, Kaneki! Looks like you're the one who's supposed to show me the ropes. Be sure to take good care of me, all right?"

It was Hide. Bright and alive with every feature crystal clear. Hide with a wide grin and crinkled eyes. Kaneki mashed his lips together to try to stifle the muted burn along his eyelids. He wanted to run to Hide, to grip him tightly and make sure he was real, but he remained rooted to the spot.

I don't understand… I saw him die. The Reaper said he couldn't be a ghoul.

As if understanding Kaneki's stunned silence, he nodded and offered an ever-patient smile. "You are being reassigned. You'll have a different task."

Reassigned? What else can a ghoul do other than reap?

"The 20th Ward finally has a residential Dove again." The Reaper gestured towards Hide, who flashed an embarrassed smile. Kaneki took a reflexive intake of breath, causing the air to rattle uselessly in his chest. "Just in time, as the rates of secondary reapings have been rising."

Hide's a Dove? How is that possible?

"While the human teams continue to investigate the deaths caused by errant ghouls, you will work to prevent wrongful deaths from occurring in the first place. You will find those marked and remove the marks."

Kaneki's gaze darted back towards Hide, who nodded dutifully, his expression serious. He's…he's a Dove. He can remove ghoul marks—he can save people.

"Do you understand?" The Reaper paused, shifting his stare back to Kaneki.

Did he understand fully? Kaneki wasn't sure, but it didn't matter.

He could save people now, working alongside Hide. He didn't have to be a monster anymore. He didn't have to be alone.

He blinked the brightness from his eyes before bobbing his head rapidly.

They encountered their first marked human a few days after their partnership began. Kaneki saw her first, shiny and clear against the blurry world around them.

"Do you see her? The one with the hair clips?"

Hide followed his gaze, squinting slightly. "Yeah, she's a little bit brighter than the others. Looks sort of like an aura? Does that mean she's marked?"

Kaneki nodded.

"Okay…so what do we do next?"

"The Reaper didn't tell you?"

Hide shot him a flat stare, though the corner of his lips were twitching upwards. "Other than the basics, he told me literally nothing. I figured this was a hands-on-experience kind of job."

Kaneki set off towards the woman, lip snagged between his teeth as he thought. "Well, uh, whenever Touka-chan and I would reap, we would make sure that the human was in a private place to prevent attracting unwanted attenti—" Kaneki broke off as a businessman nearly plowed through him.

Hide waited for Kaneki to move back to his side. Kaneki felt so real beside him that sometimes he forgot those around him couldn't see him too. No wonder he was getting so many strange stares from passersby. He probably looked like a lunatic, talking to the air.

"All it took was a touch. It was… it was kind of like an instinct. Maybe that's what it'll feel like to you?" Kaneki shrugged, which only made Hide's brow furrow more.

"Yeah, maybe." His gaze shifted back to the woman, who had ducked into an apartment building lobby. Hide trailed after her, holding the door open for Kaneki.

(Kaneki had to admit, it was nice having someone clear the way for him. Usually he had to wait or get creative when following humans inside.)

Hide paused, waiting for the woman to move a few meters away before following her. On the street, she seemed unbothered, but once inside, she started throwing strange looks over her shoulder. Kaneki kept to the edge of the walls, trying to stay out of direct sight. One particularly vigorous backwards glance caused a hairclip to fall from her bangs.

Hide grinned and scooped it up.

"Ma'am! Ma'am!" He called, taking advantage of his chance to get closer without seeming creepy. She paused, eyeing him nervously. "This fell out of your hair." While one hand offered the hairclip, his other hand was reaching stealthily for her exposed upper arm.

Kaneki moved a step closer, interested in a better view of what would happen. Her eyes jumped to the shift in movement and she backpedaled quickly, bumping against the wall in her haste to escape.

"That's one of them! They've been following me all day!" Her voice was hoarse and breathy, as if she were holding in a scream.

"Ma'am—listen to me. I'm going to help you. He—he won't hurt you."

She turned her gaze back onto Hide. "You're one of them! You're glowing just like them! Monster!"

"Please, I'm not going to hurt yo—"

"Get away from me! All of you! Leave me alone!" Her voice was rising, growing more panicked with each word. "Help!" She threw her hands up like a defensive barrier against Hide's approach.

Hide winced, looking instinctively over his shoulder for anyone lingering in the hallway. Fortunately, it was empty, but he wasn't sure how much longer they had. He made another face and apologized quickly before grabbing the woman's outstretched hands.

Kaneki tilted his head, watching the scene unfold. A faint light blossomed around their connected skin and the woman's profile gradually blurred and dimmed as she crossed back to the land of the living.

He unmarked her. He had never seen it happen before. It made his skin prickle, like there was electricity in the air.

She recoiled at his touch, squeezing her eyes shut with a soft moan. When she reopened her eyes, she looked confused before ripping her hand away.

"Get—get away from me!" she hissed before rushing down the hall. Hide watched her go, a pained expression on his face.

"I didn't even get the chance to ask her if it worked." His tone was flat, but his eyes were wide and lips drawn tight. He looked a bit rattled by the encounter, perhaps even more so than the woman.

"It worked. I couldn't see her clearly anymore."

"That's good." A pause. "Do they all act like that? Try to get away or fight?"

He probably isn't used to being called a monster. For Kaneki, the woman's reaction didn't seem particularly out of the ordinary. He had been branded worse.

"I didn't expect—well, I was expecting something different," Hide continued, still staring down the hallway.

"You expected gratitude?"

Hide shook his head with an embarrassed laugh. "I'm not that self-centered. I just thought she would be more relieved. Not terrified or angry."

Kaneki watched Hide's fingers. They were still glowing from the contact. Still shaking.

"She was so… I could feel it. The disgust and fear. It was so strange. Draining, almost."

Kaneki considered the implication of Hide's words with a frown.

It makes sense. We steal life when we mark. He's the one who atones for our greed, fills up the empty spaces we leave.

He had hoped that Hide would be immune to the negative or painful emotions, but he supposed it was only to be expected with anything that had to do with reaping. Still, Kaneki knew that only someone as resilient as Hide could ever be a Dove.

However, instead of telling Hide this, Kaneki settled for a shrug. "They've probably never encountered a ghoul before."

Hide digested Kaneki's words with a slow nod and an overly bright smile. "I guess that just means I have to work on my bedside manner then, huh?"

Kaneki glanced down and watched Hide's slackened fingers, the ones that had removed the woman's mark, curl into a loose fist. He wanted to grab them and reassure Hide that he wasn't a monster, that these fingers had saved that woman's life, but Kaneki's arms remained by his side as he followed Hide out of the apartment complex hallway.

He was scared to touch Hide again.

He thought back to the Reaper's first words when he found Kaneki cradling Hide's broken body.

("Kaneki, what have you done?")

The Reaper didn't offer an explanation, but Kaneki knew that using the stolen life from the murderer had caused another ripple in fate. Perhaps even causing the ripple that allowed Hide to become a Dove.

(At this point, he wasn't going to question it. He was just grateful to have Hide back.)

Kaneki considered the faint glow from Hide's touch, how he described it as an empty, draining feeling. Would the same thing happen if Kaneki ever touched him again? Would all of his life be sucked out by Kaneki's greed, until there was nothing left of Hide?

Kaneki didn't want to risk it until he knew more. He pushed away his desire to grab Hide's arm and squeeze it tightly, never to let him go.

He found himself spending more time in Hide's apartment with each passing week.

The first visit had been unintended, a backtracking trip when Hide had forgotten his subway pass. Kaneki had followed him into the building and up the stairs out of habit.

(Kaneki was surprised to see the shelves lined with food and the bedding rumpled. Hide almost seemed embarrassed when he admitted that he still ate and slept like he did before, unable to break the habit.)

However, when Kaneki reluctantly explained where he went each time they parted ways, how he wandered the streets for hours, Hide was stunned and demanded that Kaneki stay with him instead. He tried to argue, convinced that Hide's offer was out of politeness rather than practicality, but Hide refused to take "no" for an answer.

It was quieter in Hide's apartment, especially when his host went to bed. There was much less to do, but he appreciated the change of pace and the chance to relax.

After their first month as partners, Hide presented him with a surprise when they returned to the apartment. He held a book towards Kaneki, shimmying with delight.

"I noticed you kept looking at the book that had fallen out of that guy's hand after I demarked him. You said you liked to read, right? The book store lady said this was the next big hit."

Kaneki offered a faded smile, touched at Hide's thoughtfulness, but reluctant to bring up his inability to read. He couldn't even make out the details on the cover.

"I appreciate the thought, Hide. Unfortunat—"

"I know, I know. You can't read it. That's why I'll read it to you."

"Huh?"

Hide crossed to the couch and jumped onto it, bouncing for a moment until he got comfortable. Kaneki followed, brow still quirked upwards in confusion. Hide cracked open the book, cleared his throat, and read the first few sentences, waggling his eyebrows at Kaneki with each pause.

"Hide, you don't have to do this."

"Nonsense. Now, where was I?" He scrutinized the page before picking up his place again. Kaneki settled down on the floor beside him, smiling.

Hide continued. Kaneki could tell he wasn't used to reading out loud. He read too fast, only pausing when he stumbled across a tricky character or to catch an instinctive breath. Nonetheless, he tried to add some excitement to his narration. His voice would fluctuate between a bored monotone to pitchy falsettos depending on which character was speaking.

Kaneki closed his eyes and leaned against the couch, letting Hide's words guide his thoughts. It had been so long since he could remember reading. Hell, he couldn't even remember it at all, but Hide's thoughtful gesture had awoken a warmness in his chest.

Hide's voice grew hoarse as it tapered off to a drowsy murmur. Kaneki opened his eyes and glanced over at his partner, chest gently rising and falling as he slept.

"Hide?"

No response.

Kaneki smiled and shook his head. The book had been engrossing and he was eager to find out what happened to the poor protagonist, but he knew Hide needed his rest. He was a bit surprised Hide was even willing to keep reading after the subject material turned dark with the appearance of a serial killer.

("Man, now this has a serial killer?" Hide had interrupted at the character's debut. "With a silly name like Black Goat's Egg, I was hoping this would be a funnier story.")

Kaneki studied Hide's sleeping face, how his eyelids fluttered and his lips puckered into a pleased smile. He was grateful for Hide, grateful for the distraction from his loneliness.

Kaneki snared his lower lip between his teeth and hesitantly reached for Hide's limp arm. He was terrified, afraid that he could lose Hide again, but he couldn't help himself. He gingerly lowered an index finger to Hide's skin, followed by the rest of his fingers as if he were playing a chord on Hide's arm.

At first, all he was aware of was the heat radiating from Hide's skin. He gasped, feeling his chest tighten again. The world around him burned brightly with color. He could see everything: the dark illustrations on the book, the checkerboard print on Hide's curtains, and the discarded headphones resting on the coffee table. With his free hand, he reached for the headphones, his fingertips brushing against the cool plastic.

It's real. It's all real.

He was acutely aware of the burning sensation where his skin connected with Hide's and he jerked his hand away. Slowly, the room faded into a dull, shapeless haze. His fingertips passed through the orangey blur of the headphones.

Kaneki tuned back to Hide and his shoulders slumped in relief when he saw that his partner was unchanged, still dozing with a peaceful smile.

What… what happened?

Kaneki took another steadying swallow and wrapped his fingers around Hide's wrist. Again, the details of his surroundings came back in dizzying sharpness. It felt like the aftereffects of a reaping, only more intense. Like he was actually a human again.

Kaneki dropped Hide's wrist and the world blurred again. He could feel the pulsing of a burgeoning headache from the rapid shifts, but he didn't care.

"Hide! Hide!"

Hide startled into a sitting position at Kaneki's panicked shouts. "Wha? Huh? Err, was I drooling?" He wiped the back of his hand against the corner of his lips.

"Hide, could you feel that?"

"Feel what?" He squinted groggily at Kaneki. "What are you talking about?"

"Can I hold your hand?"

"Wha?" A faint blush spread across Hide's cheeks and tainted his ears crimson. "I, uh, sure. Why not?"

Kaneki grabbed his hand, feeling the warmth from Hide's skin seep into his fingers. The world was bright and clear; he could read the words on the corner of an exposed page from the book.

Hide gasped at the contact and Kaneki moved to pull away, but Hide tightened his grip.

"Are you okay? That isn't hurting you, is it?"

Hide shook his head before looking down at his hands. "Your hand was just so cold. Colder than that other time."

"But you don't feel hurt? Or tired?"

"No… Why do you ask?" Hide leaned forward for a better look. Kaneki's eyes were wide and bright and he seemed a bit flushed, which was a strange observation in and of itself. "Are you okay?"

"When I touched you," Kaneki's tone was tight and trembling, like he was trying to keep his words under control, "all of a sudden, the world came into focus. I could read and touch the headphones and—"

Hide felt his own excitement rise with Kaneki's. "Huh? That means—wait a second! Does that mean I could turn you human again?"

Kaneki shook his head. He doubted even the Reaper had that much power. He settled for a faint smile and a tilt of the head, still feeling jitters race up his arm from Hide's tight grip.

"No, but it's nice to experience these things again. You were like an anchor, pulling me to the human world." His eyes drifted towards the open book on Hide's lap. Didn't the Reaper say it was possible to enjoy human pleasures again, if he only waited for the chance?

Hide settled against the back of the couch, the movement forcing Kaneki to climb up and join him unless he wanted to lose his grip on Hide's hand. "Arima did tell me that I would serve as a conductor between the living and the dead. It freaked me the hell out, 'cause I was thinking, y'know, ghosts. But this makes sense too. I guess it also explains why I can see you and my old team."

"Or how the Reaper can work with the humans and ghouls. If he's like you—"

Kaneki's mind was spinning. The few items he had been able to hold before meeting Hide were all things given to him by the Reaper. His uniform and his tablet with the names of his assignments. It had all been right in front of him since the beginning, if only he had stopped to think about it.

"A Dove? He might be. Or maybe he's something similar," Hide agreed with another nod.

"Possibly."

Kaneki smiled down at their interlaced fingers. Hide's radiating heat was spreading across his arms and torso now. He no longer had blood, but he imagined this flowing warmth was similar.

"Are you sure this isn't bothering you? You don't feel sick or tired?"

Hide shook his head, grinning again. "Nah, just cold. But that's nothing I can't get used to."

It soon became a comfortable tradition.

During their lazy afternoons, when Hide needed to recuperate from multiple demarkings, they would return to the apartment. As Hide would doze in the warm sunlight streaming from the living room window, Kaneki would perch on the edge of the couch, his knees tucked under his chin and his ankle tucked under Hide's foot.

As long as a part of him touched Hide, he could read to his heart's content. When night fell and Hide moved to the bedroom, sometimes Kaneki would lie next to him, with tangled calves or interlinked elbows, reading late into the night as Hide slept.

His piles of books grew steadily taller, threatening to tumble at the foot of the couch or the edge of the bed. Hide always set aside a portion of his stipend from Arima to buy more books for Kaneki, following his partner through the bookstore with looped pinkies so he could pick out his next adventure.

Late one night, Kaneki had finished his book but he couldn't reach another for fear of losing contact with Hide. Instead, he settled for a restful stillness, lying beside Hide as he slept. He felt his slow, unfocused blinks align with Hide's breathy exhales.

(Hide had confessed that he no longer need to breathe, at least not the way he had before. He warned Kaneki just in case his attempt at normalcy slipped while sleeping, already anticipating Kaneki's panicked reaction. However, Kaneki needn't have worried; Hide's chest rose and fell regularly, his body unable to break a twenty-year-old habit.)

(It always made Kaneki wonder why he had given up on the human habit after becoming a ghoul.)

Kaneki glanced to the side, studying Hide in the pale city light glow. It was times like these when he was grateful he couldn't sleep, since it meant he couldn't be dreaming. That his new life had to be real.

Hide's brow furrowed in distress, his lips parting with a frown. Kaneki shifted to get a closer look, noting that Hide was having another nightmare. Although the worst ones had subsided with time, Kaneki knew Hide still had nightmares about his death or particularly painful demarkings. He was reminded again of the Reaper's policy to erase the memories of his ghouls, thankful that he didn't have to suffer the same trauma.

With an elbow still tucked against Hide's side, Kaneki stretched his free hand across Hide's face and rested it on the warm skin under his chin, his fingers fanning from neck to the corner of Hide's lip. Hide relaxed at the contact, his heated skin cooling at Kaneki's touch, and fell back into a drowsy slumber.

Kaneki smiled. It was all real.

Hinami kept her gaze adverted when Onii-chan and his friend approached. Seeing the former ghoul investigator standing next to the Reaper on the hill had startled her. After all, she had heard from Onii-chan himself about how his friend had died, killed from her mistake. She never expected him to come back.

As glad as she was for Onii-chan, she was still ashamed. She had kept away, always staying close to Onee-chan or ducking away when a chance to meet Kaneki came up.

However, Onii-chan's friend insisted on seeing her. And here they were, lurking in the alleyway near her favorite coffeeshop.

Onii-chan must have told him about why he died…that it was my fault. She kept her gaze lowered, even when Onii-chan called out a greeting. He's going to be mad.

"Hinami-chan? Are you alright?"

She peeked up, expecting to see a glint of sharpness in Hide's eyes. Instead, his eyes were warm and concerned. Concerned for her, she belatedly realized.

"Kaneki and I can come back another time."

She mashed her lips into a frown and shook her head. No, she would be fine. Onee-chan had already commented about how brave she was in regard to reapings. She had to show Onii-chan that she was brave in other ways too.

Hide smiled at her response and nodded. "I'm glad. Kaneki's told me so much about you. It would be a shame for us not to officially meet each other."

Hinami returned the expression. His smile wasn't guarded like Rize's or humorless like Nishiki's. It seemed genuine and she felt a bit better about agreeing to meet him.

"Onii-chan's told me about you too. He said… he said you tell embarrassing stories."

Hide shot Kaneki a side-eyed glance. "Oh, did he now? Maybe you can tell me embarrassing stories about him later."

Kaneki cleared his throat with a forced scowl. Hinami's smile grew wider; she might like Hide if he could make Onii-chan so flustered.

"Anyway, I have a surprise for you." Hide tilted his head towards the flower shop across the street. Hinami's eyes widened. She had slipped in once to marvel at the blurry colors around her, but she had to retreat quickly when the customer left, never knowing when the door would open next.

"Can you take me in? You can open doors, can't you?"

Hide exchanged glances with Kaneki again. "Something like that. Come on!" He waved her over and she followed quickly after him, Kaneki trailing behind.

He pushed through the front door and held it open for the split second it took Kaneki and Hinami to slip though. She smiled, twisting around to take it all in at once. The colors of the flowers and the store smeared together like aged stained glass. Hide moved to the front counter, speaking softly to the blurry outline of the florist. She disappeared, leaving them alone in the shop.

"Close your eyes, Hinami-chan," Onii-chan whispered. She frowned, brow furrowing at the strange instructions, but complied nonetheless.

Someone reached for her hand and she jumped at the sudden warmth. It had to have been Hide, since Onii-chan's skin was always cool like hers.

A waft of air tickled her nose, prompting her to scrunch up her nose. Was it scented? It must have been her imagination.

Hide's hand felt warmer and she took another tentative sniff, convinced she had smelled something.

Wait… was that…what was that?

"Okay, you can open your eyes now."

She slowly pried them open and gasped, taking another sharp inhale of the cloying scents around her. Bouquets of every color surrounded them, petals and leaves spilling onto the floor with dizzying shades of red and green and pink. The intensity of the colors and the thick floral scent was overwhelming, but she had to get closer. Her grip tightened around Hide's hand, their fingers becoming interlaced as she moved towards a stand of daffodils.

Her surroundings were so rich and vibrant. She had only experienced this once before, when Onee-chan had let her take over a reaping completely on her own.

Was this what it was like to be part of the human world again?

With her free hand, she reached for a daffodil, fingertips quivering when they brushed against the silken petal. Her chest felt tight, like it was about to burst. Onii-chan smiled from a short distance away. He couldn't see what she was touching, but he knew she was enjoying herself.

"I'm afraid we won't be getting any more of the su—" The florist returned from the back room and blinked when she saw Hinami. "Oh! I didn't hear anyone come in."

Hinami gawked at her, taking in the warm wrinkles around her eyes and the green tinge around her fingernails.

She can see me. Not as a ghoul…but as a person. She caught her reflection in a mirrored vase, seeing brown eyes instead of glowing red.

She could hear Hide's breezy laugh beside her. "Ah, yeah. My little sister is always getting lost. Good thing she found me, huh?" She glanced up and saw his easy smile still hadn't slipped.

Hinami's face twisted sharply and her eyelids felt as hot as Hide's hand.

He… He isn't upset. It's my fault that he died and he's not mad at me.

"I'm sorry!" she hiccuped, throwing herself at Hide, wrapping her arms around his torso. Hide stumbled backwards with the jarring action, patting Hinami's back with awkward taps.

"Uhm, it's okay. Listen, you don't have to cry." He had been trying to come up with a quick cover story; he didn't realize the double meaning to his words.

The florist seemed equally panicked by Hinami's outburst. She bustled to one of the window displays and pulled out a few flowers to make a makeshift bouquet.

"Here you go, dear. No, no—you can take them." She handed the flowers to Hinami, who took them with a sniffle and a smile. She pulled away from her embrace with Hide, but he kept a reassuring hand on her back.

(The poor florist had enough to deal with. They didn't need to add a disappearing girl to her list.)

"Thank you." Hinami paused and glanced up at Hide. "Thank you," she repeated in a softer voice.

"Oh, right. It's all right," he answered with a grin, brown eyes crinkling.

They remained in the shop for a few minutes more. Hinami and the florist quickly bonded over her wares. Hinami gasped and pointed at all the various flowers, asking about their names and meanings.

Kaneki followed behind, silent and unseen, but smiling each time he caught Hide's eye.

He had already ordered by the time she arrived. Two cups of coffee rested on the table, one for her and one for him.

"Hello, Arima-san," Akira bobbed her head in his direction as she sat down. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."

He smiled at her stiffness. He had supervised her for many years, but the latest revelation—that he wasn't simply a rich human with a strange interest in ghouls—had rattled her approach to their relationship.

"How is Takizawa-san acclimating to his new role? From preliminary reports, he seems to be doing a commendable job."

"He's—he's fine." Akira took a brief sip of her coffee before lowering her cup and skewering Arima with a narrowed stare.

"Did you know?"

Arima blinked slowly, considering his words. "About what?"

"About Nagachika and the ghouls. About the serial killer. That…Nagachika would die?"

He settled back in his chair, a soft "ahh" escaping his throat. "I didn't know at first. I knew Nagachika would be a hard worker and recommended him to your team. I also knew that ghouls were reaping outside of their assignments, but I never anticipated they would target him. I found out about it after it was too late."

Akira's stare softened. Nagachika had tried to explain Arima's role as best he could, how he lingered at the boundary between humans and ghouls, making sure everything ran smoothly. He may have watched both sides, but he wasn't omniscient.

"Could you have stopped them? Removed Nagachika's mark?"

"I'm sure Nagachika explained some of the terms to you and your partner earlier."

She nodded. "He said he's something called a Dove, which means he can remove ghoul marks. Is that what you are?"

"No. The ghouls call me a Reaper. Think of it as… a sort of mediator."

Ghouls, Doves, Reapers. The roles all sounded jumbled and chaotic, like they were characters in a teenager's manga.

"A mediator?"

"It's my job to make sure that the rules of fate are followed. Certain people must die at certain times. Ghouls are the ones who take them."

"And when ghouls kill those who aren't supposed to die yet?" Innocent people like Nagachika?

"Then teams like yours are created to help them. You investigate and protect humans from themselves, stopping those who have been wrongfully corroded by ghouls."

Akira fell silent, digesting Arima's words with a slow nod.

So that's it then. We keep each other in check, like two sides of the same coin.

"Did you know Nagachika would become a Dove?"

Arima shook his head again. "He had the right temperament for it—resilient, compassionate, eager. But those traits alone don't mean anything."

Akira smiled down into her coffee cup. Nagachika was all those things and more. It was why she and Amon had grown to care for him so much during their two-year partnership.

"What else is needed then?"

His eyes shifted over her shoulder, glazed and gray behind his silver-rimmed glasses.

"In addition, certain…circumstances must occur. His death wasn't supposed to happen. The ghoul who marked him defied fate and Kaneki's attempt to save him only caused more tangles. It's very complicated and very inexact."

The corners of her lips flicked higher. So, basically Nagachika became a Dove because he and everyone around him told fate to get bent? She couldn't imagine it happening to anyone but him. It felt like the punchline to one of his silly jokes.

Her expression sobered. It hadn't been a joke though.

She thought back to the alleyway, back to the sobbing ghoul who kept pleading for Nagachika to live. She remembered the faint glow around Nagachika's body before everything went still. That ghoul—the one she and Amon tried to protect him from—was the one who saved Nagachika's life.

Nagachika had died and now he was back. Different, but still the exact same.

Akira groaned. All of this talk about fate and death was making her head spin.

"I don't think I understand everything. I… I don't think I ever will."

Arima's smile returned, kind and patient. The same one he offered her when she saw her first ghoul stain.

"Perhaps not. But rest assured, his story does not end with tragedy."

Thanks for reading!

Am I forgiven now? I appreciate all of the lovely reviews you guys have left (even if I haven't had the chance to respond...). I know this AU has the potential to be fleshed out so much more ('cause there are still some loose ends I'm not happy with), but I'm just glad it's over. Maybe I'll come back someday.