i'm so tired.

im sorry i didnt update for sooooo long but my computer fucked up (Messed with photoshop too) and i couldnt open libreoffice (which i write with)

No Jet and Aqua this week.

This is 1000% unedited to bear with it for a few days (I'm 3 days behind fenhawke week AHHHH!)

Also on another note:

I'm going to be making oneshots for this series further on down the road and adding them to a collection. They'll mostly be shorts that I feel didn't fit in with the story, or just hindered it. So watch out for them!

I own nothing but the au idea

ARTOD xx

/

Saying goodbye to Hinami was probably the hardest goodbye of Hide's life since bidding his mother off for university. The little ghoul almost crushed Hide in her tiny arms before she lets go to repeat her actions with Kaneki.

"I'll come to visit, I promise." He speaks softly to her, a small smile on his face as he runs his hand lightly over her head then swiftly pulls it away. His words seem to make Hinami feel better however as she returns the smile. Hide almost hates to watch the touching scene as his throat starts to swell with a dull ache. He needs a distraction, and so one comes.

Yoshimura taps Hide on the shoulder and Hide turns around to see an old leather bag being presented to him. "What's this?" Hide asks, as he reaches to take the bag from the elderly ghoul.

"A bag, and a spare uniform shirt and pants that were collecting dust in the store room. You'll need them."

"Why?"

"Well there has to be a reason as to how your would-be assassin found you here if she isn't watching you now."

"You think my stuffs been bugged?"

"Well perhaps not, but being old you learn precaution is better than death."

"I think that's a wise lesson to pass on sir."

"Use it well while you're young. I feel like you may need it more than most."

"Alright then." Hide takes a small peak inside the bag. "Should I change now or..."

"Kaneki can tell you when he feels it's best to leave behind your old clothes."

"Ok I understand." Hide looks up at Yoshimura and smiles. "Thank you for helping me. I promise it won't be in vain."

"If you stick to that promise there's no need to thank me."

"Yeah, well, at least let me take you out to buy you a burger or something when I finish this medication."

"I'll be looking forward to that then, so please work fast." Hide can see the old ghoul's smile has changed now, it seems to be softer, more real and Hide hopes to god he can work fast. Then he'll take the whole of Anteiku out for a burger, even mean ol' Kaneki.

Hide shuffles in his seat, feeling slightly awkward to the clean smell emitting from Kaneki's car. Hide had almost expected such a violent ghoul to have the scent of rotting corpses embedded into everything he would own, but the most frequent scent Kaneki gave off would be that of strong brewed coffee.

The scent of coffee mixed in with the clean smell of the car wraps itself around Hide as if to judge him. "You assumed he was a savage because he's a ghoul, but he's not. He's really quite different to what your expecting Hide" The smell taunts him as it drifts in and out his nose with each quick breath Hide took.

Hide's body however harboured a different reaction. His stomachs natural reaction to the scent of coffee (or any food for that matter) was to remind him that he hadn't eaten much of anything today, and he most certainly did not have dinner. The loud growl pierced though the uncomfortable silence of the car like a hot knife to butter.

"Uh... Kaneki... I'm hungry." 'Ugh, obviously he knows that idiot. He does have ears.' "Can we stop into a fast food place? McDonald's maybe?" Kaneki's face visibly pales at Hides suggestion and twists into a look of disgust, Hide can even swear he is turning slightly green.

"No." Is the blunt answer Kaneki gives. He doesn't stop to think, nor takes his eyes off the road to even look at the poor, starving Hide.

"But I'm hungry and McDonald's is good."

"No!" His refusal is louder this time. Kaneki is now gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles are turning white.

"Ah Kaneki please," Hides stomach growls again to prove his point, and Hide's cheeks gain a touch of pink in embarrassment. "I really need to eat."

Kaneki is silent for the moment, his eyes not leaving the road but not watching it either. His tight grip on the steering wheel loosens. "We can stop in a service station, but we a NOT going near McDonald's." He finally compromises and while feeling slightly disappointed Hide agrees, feeling it was the best offer he was going to get. "And while your there go into the bathroom and ditch your clothes. Including sandals and socks."

"Kaneki," 'Oh no' he can't stop himself. "That is so forward. We only just met today," 'Hide stop!' "Propositioning me that early. Sorry I'm not a bathroom-fuck-on-the-first-date kinda guy." 'I'm dead.'

Instead of the murderous, aggressive reaction Hide was expecting, Kaneki just sighs and leans into the back of his seat, with a hint of pink of his cheeks.

"I'm not gay," Kaneki mumbles back to Hide. "I used to have a girlfriend."

"Used to? So you're not together now?" 'Nagachika you're pushing it.' He tells himself, but he will most likely continue anyway. At least until Kaneki tries to knock him out to get him to shut up. Although Hide's thinking that Kaneki might not do that now.

"She… Uh… Tried to eat me… Then was crushed to death… It's not really something I like to talk about." Kaneki mutters back, his focus sharply glued to the road now. Just how long until they reached a service station?

"Naturally, that's women for you." The story seems familiar to Hide, like he heard about it in the past. Maybe on the news? Or did he read about it in the paper?

"That's ghouls for you."

"You seem to be cosy with Touka though? Think you might date her?"

"Oh my god," Kaneki seems to be close to screaming, but Hide is relieved he's conversing with him. "I want any discussion of my love life to end right now."

"Ok, what about your sex life?"

"You know what just stop talking to me Nagachika."

Hide doesn't know when he fell asleep, but with the presence of his dream-phantom signals he is in fact unconscious. The phantom reaches out to run a cool, ghostly, hand across Hide's face. Very rarely does it touch him and it makes Hide feel as if he's done something right.

"Who are you?" Hide mumbles, barely coherent enough to even realise he's asked the question. The dream-phantom doesn't answer Hide, it never does. Instead it aims to distract Hide by running its touch down his face to his neck. Hide sighs and leans into the touch. The phantom steps closer, slipping it's other arm around Hide's waist and drawing him in. The phantom settles it's head in between the crook of Hide's shoulder and neck, nuzzling it's cool nose along Hide's skin, pulling him into a pure, calming bliss.

"Just… Who… Are… You?"

Then everything is gone and Hide is awake again.

Arriving at the service station Kaneki finds that in the silence he had enforced, Hide has fallen asleep. Kaneki actually thinks he has a child-like innocence to him when he's asleep. Hide's curled himself into a ball, hiding the lover half of his face and nose behind the sleeves of that ugly Christmas sweater. He seems to be at peace, giving Kaneki one of the only expressions he knows is true. Kaneki almost hates to wake him up. Almost.

"Get up!" He roughly grips Hide's arm and shakes until the pharmacy student is jolted awake. Hide looks around confused for a moment and rubs his eyes.

"Where are we Kaneki?" Hide mumbles through his tiredness. He is slightly flushed and staring at Kaneki with half open golden eyes.

"At the service station. Get changed in the bathroom and I'll meet you inside."

"Alright." Hide gets up without an argument and proceeds to walk in the opposite direction of the station and its bathroom, leaving his bag behind as he does so. Kaneki sighs, grabbing the bag before locking the car door and jogging in the direction of Hide. He takes Hides hand and leads him to the bathroom.

"Now everything needs to come off, even your underwear. Got it?" Hide just gives a goofy smile and nods as he enters the bathroom.

Kaneki sighs before he goes back to the car and fills it with petrol. He then enters the service station and spends 3 minutes selecting a doughnut and ordering 3 coffees before Hide enters the station in just a white shirt and black pants. He's shoeless and seemingly more awake now. He walks over to Kaneki and snags a packet of chips before putting them on the counter with Kaneki's doughnut and coffees.

"It's nice to see a couple out this late together," the cashier comments to the two of them. "Me and my boyfriend used to take long drives too, that's..." Kaneki doesn't really listen. He just slaps a few bills on the counter before grabbing his coffee and doughnut and leaving. He can hear Hide apologise for him and explain they weren't dating as he collects the change. He also sees Hide flash one of his fake smiles and cringes before he's out of the door.

He waits in the car for half a minute before Hide enters the passenger seat. Kaneki throws the doughnut to hide who looks in between it, his coffee and his chips before thanking Kaneki. Kaneki just shrugs and takes a sip of his coffee and sighs. It tastes like shit.

The two realise the rest of this ride is going to be a long, boring one.