-Sorry for taking such a long time with this! I've had a lot going on right now and honestly, it is getting stressful. I hope you all still ike this lil fic though and I'm gonna try my best to write more :)-

Working in Anteiku fell back into Shiro's life as easy as breathing. He became used to the routine again, preparing and serving coffee so fast that sometimes, Touka sent him suspicious looks. He wondered if he should slow down, but some days there was such a rush in the shop that he couldn't help it.

Once in a while, he'd catch sight of a familiar face from his college years and a flash of nostalgia left a bitter taste in his mouth. Seeing people he didn't really care for didn't cause the same remembering that seeing Hide or Touka did. He shared playful jabs with the ghoul behind the counter and often found himself searching for Hide's blonde hair among a crowd. He liked the warm way they made him feel, as though he had found a little bit of a home in this new life of his.

He caught himself looking for Kaneki quite a bit too. For some odd reason, Kaneki hadn't been coming into the shop as much as he had when Shiro first started, a few days ago. Shiro couldn't think of anything he'd done to offend the human, so he assumed it was because of lingering fear over being around so many different ghouls in one place.

That didn't stop the disappointment from hovering in his consciousness every time he searched for Kaneki's face in a line of customers.

I should be happy, he told himself, as he set down a stack of clean mugs with a clack against the dark wooden countertop. Now, he won't be in any more danger by being near me.

His shift was close to ending—thank God—and he only had one more customer to check on; a blonde female ghoul sitting in a corner. She was definitely a suspicious one, scarlet nails tapping thoughtfully on her mug as she surveyed a human sitting at the table in front of her. The glint in those icy blue eyes spoke of hunger. Shiro had served her earlier and planned on staying out of her business, until Touka heard of his plan. She then berated him for acting like a moron and insisted that he go over and check up on her before she left, "because we didn't need ghouls in here planning their dinner arrangements."

It was dangerous to have a ghoul planning on, erm, eating so close to Anteiku. Word could spread to the CCG and the last thing they needed were investigators snooping around a coffeeshop full of ghouls.

Shiro sighed, setting down a tray of emptied coffee mugs at the counter, and vowed to take a nap as soon as this day was over.

The girl glanced up when he made his way over, momentarily distracted from her prey. "Hi, again," she said, the words light as feathers.

"Hi," he replied flatly. She had a question on her tongue, he could tell, and he really had no interest in learning what it was. "Is there anything else you need?" Probably not the most polite way to ask.

"Oh, no, I'm fine." She touched a fingertip to the rim of her mug, teeth flashing white in her smile. "But I was wondering something." Leaning forward conspiratorially, she went on, "what's it like, working here with all of the...?" Her sentence trailed off with a wave of her finger, to indicate all of the humans surrounding them.

"We don't talk about that," he answered.

"I guess you can't, not with them all around. But it must be easy to get a snack, though, isn't it?" Her smile turned deadly.

Folding his arms behind his back, Shiro cracked one of his knuckles. "I don't eat here," he told her, each word succinct.

Her bottom lip pushed forward into a pout. "You can't tell me you haven't tried at least once," she purred flirtatiously. "Human girls must throw themselves at you all the time."

"I haven't tried and I don't plan to."

"Aw, c'mon..."

"Are you done?"

She scrutinized him for a long minute, evidently not used to not getting her way. Then she exhaled lightly and nodded. "Fine," she said, handing him her empty mug and standing up. Her pale eyes swept over him from under a fringe of blonde. "But if you ever change your mind, you can always find me." The last bit was thrown to him over her shoulder, as she stalked confidently out the door. The bell dinged as the door fell shut behind her and Shiro swore he heard a guy in the corner sigh dreamily.

Idiots, he thought, taking his tray with her added mug atop it to the counter. He set it in its place with the others and glanced around for Touka. She was at the other end of the counter, wiping a rag around the rim of a cup. When their gazes met, she blew at the bangs in her face and jerked her head toward the back of the shop: fine, you're done. Get out of here.

"Great," Shiro cheered under his breath, "I need to get out of this uniform now." He was already tugging at the collar when he disappeared into the back of the store.

Unfortunately, he had left too soon and missed the tentative black-haired boy edging into the shop at that moment.

Kaneki had told himself multiple times that this was not a good idea. He was a human; Shiro was a half-ghoul. Any sort of attraction he might feel should not be messed with by coming here. Why? Because one: he didn't know what a future with a ghoul could possibly be and two: he was one-hundred-and-one percent sure that no one in their right mind would be attracted to him.

People tended not to be attracted to nerdy, quiet bookworms.

Yet, here he was. Wearing his damn favorite blue-and-black jacket because he thought he'd seen Shiro staring at him in it once. He was even letting him decide his clothing choices, for God's sake.

"I should leave," he whispered to himself, bell on the door chiming as it shut again behind him. "I should definitely leave." He continued to chant it in his mind as he cautiously made his way across the shop, sparing glances left and right in search of a certain white-haired employee. His hopes sank when he realized that Shiro was nowhere to be found. Well, he'd gone through the trouble of showing up. He could wait for a short while.

Choosing a barstool near the center of the counter, he perched on the edge of it like a child waiting at a doctor's office. Touka seemed to have a radar for terrified dorks because he'd been there for roughly a second before her icy gaze was searing into his. "Oh, hey," she said, not unkindly but not exactly kind either. "You're back."

"Yep," he replied with a wobbly smile.

"Kaneki, right?"

"Yeah."

"You want some coffee?"

Nose scrunching up, he asked, "are you like that with all of your customers? N—not that it's bad!" he added quickly.

"Nah," she answered with half a shrug. "Only with friends." If her voice softened at all in that sentence, he was sure she would deny it until the end. But he still thought he caught it there.

"Oh," he laughed, glad to think of this sparky, independent girl as his friend. "In that case I'll have—I'll have—um, oh." This was the embarrassing floundering of his sentence that resulted from a back door clicking open. Kaneki's mouth snapped shut as Shiro slipped out into the shop. He wasn't wearing his uniform, but he also wasn't wearing those sleepy-looking sweatpants. Are those skinny jeans?! Kaneki thought swooningly.

Before any of these mortifying thoughts could be stammered out, those wintry eyes found him. Shiro stopped mid-step, lips parting as though surprised by Kaneki's appearance. Kaneki stilled at the lightening in Shiro's expression; no, not surprised. Happy.

"Hi," he said, curling his fingers under the edge of the barstool.

"Hey." Shiro rounded the counter and Kaneki was stupidly delighted when he took the seat right next to his. His elbow resting on the edge of the countertop, Shiro's mouth slanted into an almost-smile. "What're you doing here?"

Kaneki loved the way Shiro smiled. It was always nervous, slow, something coaxed from him. It was like he tried not to, and it was a victory when Kaneki won it from him. "I like it here," he replied. "I used to come back before I knew about you guys, so why stop now?"

"Because I'm a bitch when I'm hungry," Touka joked in a lowered voice, though her sarcasm made it hard to tell if she was really joking. She glanced between the two and then left them to it, going to see to other work.

Shiro grimaced. "She is."

"You're not very good at making me feel better about all this," Kaneki pointed out, amused.

"You shouldn't feel better. You should want to stay away." There was no anger or annoyance, just a simple truth. Shiro rested his chin on his hand and sent his gaze into that far-off place again. "We're not good for you, Kaneki."

Kaneki tilted his head, wanting to catch Shiro's gaze again. He didn't want it like this. "I don't think Touka's that bad. And the manager was—"

"I'm not good for you," Shiro interrupted softly, and Kaneki was sure that he wasn't meant to hear it. Shiro's gaze met his, realizing that he'd heard, and then dropped away.

An uncertain smile touched Kaneki's lips."You've been a good friend," he ventured.

"Yeah." Unconvinced, Shiro watched his index finger bend around the middle one, cracking it.

"You are," Kaneki insisted.

"Mmhm."

"Listen, Shiro." Kaneki's gaze pleaded with him. "You helped me when you barely knew me, and you saved me, and you introduced me to—to..." He broke off, the conversation losing steam as he noticed the relaxing in Shiro's shoulders at his words, even if it was slight. There was also... He examined Shiro a few times, then started again in shock. "I'm sorry, is that my shirt?"

Eyebrows lifting, Shiro glanced down at the red long-sleeved shirt he had on. "Oh. Yeah, sorry. I think I stole it the last time I was at your place."

"It's fine, I don't mind," Kaneki assured him, trying and failing to keep from admiring the steely outlines of muscle his too-small shirt showed on Shiro. It made his heart flutter to think about what he already knew Shiro hid under that shirt.

There was a pointed sound of someone clearing his throat and Kaneki's pulse hammered when he saw Shiro's knowing smirk. "What?" Kaneki asked, defensive despite being caught.

"Nothing." Shiro gazed off into the corner again. But that damn smirk didn't leave his mouth and it drove Kaneki mad.

A burst of sudden courage made Kaneki lean forward, a question on his lips. "Hey, do you want to—?"

It never made it entirely out into the air. The twinkle of the coffeeshop's bell sounded as the door was opened and shoes tapped gracefully across the floor. Kaneki noticed the way Shiro's fingers tensed as they propped up his chin and the half-ghoul straightened minutely. Puzzled, Kaneki opened his mouth to ask what was wrong when someone passing by bumped into him. He snagged a gasp of some rich scent and then a silk-laden voice ribboned in the air beside him.

"So sorry, mon ami, I didn't see you there."

Kaneki responded with a smile and a ready reassurance. "Oh, no, it's fine—" His smile faltered. He couldn't help it. He hadn't expected to come face-to-face with a tall, handsome stranger in fitted slacks and with a flawless smile. Somewhere in his mind, it registered that his purple button-down matched his hair, but somehow it didn't look that bad on him. In fact, it didn't look bad at all.

"Please, don't let me interrupt your conversation," the man replied in his lavender voice. "I'd hate to intrude." Dusky eyes traveled over to Shiro's unmoving form as his hand settled on Kaneki's shoulder. The grip was light, friendly, but Shiro twitched irritably.

Kaneki shot him a look, wondering why he was acting so rude and ignoring this perfectly nice stranger. "It's really okay," he assured again. "It's crowded, after all. I'm sure it was hard to get past all those people." Then he added, "I'm Kaneki."

"Tsukiyama Shuu," the stranger introduced smoothly.

"So you're French?"

An amused and delighted curve appeared to Tsukiyama's lips. "Oui. How delightful of you to notice."

"Shut up," Shiro muttered in Kaneki's direction, hissing it behind his hand.

"Why?" Kaneki asked, louder. Frankly, Shiro was acting like a child. The half-ghoul glared daggers at him, but Kaneki ignored it. "Sorry, Tsukiyama. This is Shiro. He's normally not this rude," he put in meaningfully. Shiro looked as though he was trying to decide if it would be worth it to punch Kaneki in the face in public.

"I see," Tsukiyama commented, a thoughtful gaze roving over the two of them. When it reached Shiro, he frowned right back, eyes going from ash to iron. "The two of you make a charming couple, I must say."

Kaneki made an involuntary choking sound. "C—couple?"

At this, Tsukiyama brightened in new interest. "You aren't together?" he asked, standing over Kaneki with something akin to newfound possession. There was a subtle shift of his body to face more toward Kaneki and if the human didn't notice it, that was fine, because Shiro sure as hell did.

"Actually," Shiro declared, shoving himself out of his seat, "we are together."

Kaneki spluttered. "What?"

"Happily," Shiro added stonily. He faced Tsukiyama with hands in half-fists at his sides, despite being a whole head shorter. Inhaling the ghoul's sickly-sweet scent, he said quietly, "so I suggest you go eat elsewhere."

Tsukiyama's mouth twitched, whether more toward a smile or a snarl, Kaneki wasn't sure. "My my, he wasn't lying," he remarked in a soft purr. "You are rather rude. It's a shame that all the pretty ones end up like that." Darkly teasing, he brought a hand up as though to cup Shiro's cheek.

"Touch me and I break your arm," Shiro growled, Tsukiyama's hand stopping three inches from his face.

Tsukiyama grinned, slow and sensual. Hand pulling back to cradle his chin thoughtfully, he asked, "and if I touch him?"

Shiro's gaze flashed. "I'll end you."

"Really now?"

"Try me."

The two faced each other, savageness in their postures, Tsukiyama hiding it beneath a layer of elegance and Shiro wearing it like it was a part of him. A slither of heat sank down his spine and pooled in his lower back; Shiro knew that if he looked, he'd find the beginnings of bloody veins forming near where his rinkaku emerged.

It was Tsukiyama who broke the trance. "Very well," he sighed, with a glance down at the expensive watch at his wrist. "Would you mind?" He gestured toward the counter behind Shiro. "I'd like to order."

"Sure." Shiro made the syllable sound like murder. He stepped aside, catching sight of Kaneki gawking at them throughout the exchange. As he made to pass by, Tsukiyama murmured, "don't forget your snack. I'd hate to see someone ruin it." There was a cruel twist to the word "ruin" that hinted at every sinister thing he'd planned on doing to Kaneki.

Fury ignited inside of Shiro, but he withheld himself for the public's and Kaneki's sake. Growling, he marched around Tsukiyama and grabbed a handful of Kaneki's sleeve. "Come on."

"But, why—?"

"Come on!" He practically dragged Kaneki from the barstool and across the room, steps hard and fast. A few tiny protests took form behind him, but he didn't bother to listen to them. He wanted to get out. He wanted Kaneki away from that disgusting, gourmet ghoul. He wanted to understand why he was here, he wanted his second chance, he wanted to keep them safe. He wanted and he hurt and he wasn't sure if he was strong enough. Tsukiyama set it off in him like a match, a ghost from his past that didn't hold such kind memories like Hinami or Touka. What if he comes back? he thought, panicked. What if he takes Kaneki, and the CCG come back, and I didn't change anything? Why me? What can I do to keep them safe?

"What can I do?" he whispered aloud, close to a whimper, and let go of Kaneki's sleeve. He stopped with an almost-stumble in the side hallway in Anteiku's back corner and leaned his shoulder against the wall. Immediately, Kaneki started to circle around him to see his face and he lifted a hand up over his eyes.

"Shiro, what the hell?" Kaneki demanded. It was the closest to real anger that Shiro had seen in him and he wanted to flinch away from it. "You're being a jerk to complete strangers now!"

"He's not a stranger," Shiro replied numbly. Beneath his probing fingers, his head throbbed.

"Why didn't you tell me that then? Instead of storming off?"

"I was mad."

"I could tell!"

Shiro swallowed. Kaneki was disappointed in him. God, he hated it. Why did he hate it so much? "I'm sorry," he murmured and the words hurt like poison.

"You should be!" Kaneki snapped. It was a then that Shiro recognized that it was more than anger making Kaneki's hands shake. There was fear in him too. "You scared me, Shiro! I thought I was gonna have to watch you fight someone else front of me and then get yourself killed by the—" He gritted his teeth, then lowered his voice, "—by the CCG. And that sucks. It really freaking sucks to watch you act like that. It was like you were insane."

A piece inside of Shiro snapped. "I am," he rasped, a few notes above a growl. "I am, Kaneki, I'm not like you. You shouldn't be around me."

"What do you mean?" Kaneki asked. "Why not?"

Because I'm you. And I'm a mess. "I'm not..." he trailed off, the words failing to form.

"Not what?" Kaneki demanded, though it didn't hold as much bite as before. "Normal?"

Shiro nodded.

Kaneki's posture gentled and he moved a pace closer. "That's why you... What happened?"

Shaking his head, Shiro kept his fingers up, barring his eyes. Blades sliced into his throat when the words tried to shape themselves. "I was—" Tortured. He wanted to share that part of himself, the most broken jagged piece of himself, with Kaneki but he couldn't. That would be admitting too much, getting too close. Shiro wasn't sure what he would do with Kaneki's comfort—because he would offer it in a second if he knew.

"You were what?" Kaneki urged carefully. His hand rested on Shiro's shoulder. "Shiro?"

He couldn't. Sometimes, he wanted to kill, and to feel blood between his fingers, his lips, and sometimes it was Kaneki's blood he wanted. But another side of him just wanted Kaneki. But it was wrong.

Kaneki's voice brought him back from the abyss, soft murmurings of his name and fingers coaxing his hands away from his face. Shiro stared in faint numbness at their joined hands and how Kaneki turned one so that their fingers laced together loosely. "I was taken by a ghoul," he whispered, the confession hanging between them, "and tortured for ten days." Silence stretched on and he recognized the mingling horror and unease in Kaneki's eyes. He couldn't put him through this. This was dangerous. "Kaneki, I can't be around..." But he couldn't go on, because Kaneki's face had fallen at the words and Shiro never wanted to see him like that.

He wasn't sure what made him move.

But suddenly, he was pushing forward, turning to back Kaneki up against the wall and bumping their foreheads together. Kaneki gasped, their twined fingers pressed to the wall beside his head and Shiro's other arm caging him in. Inhaling deeply, Shiro took in that soft strawberry scent and closed his eyes, his nose brushing Kaneki's. The human shivered, wonderfully vulnerable. It would be so easy to sink his teeth into him. I wanna... But he kissed him instead.

"Shiro," was mumbled incredulously into his mouth, but he didn't care. He stepped closer, nipped Kaneki's lower lip, and there was a shakier, softer, "Shiro." Head tilting, Kaneki kissed him back. It started slow, mainly because the two had an equal lack of experience in kissing. But Kaneki's lips were soft and his free hand had found its way around the back of Shiro's neck, and Shiro never wanted it to end. It was deliciously, beautifully wrong. Making a ragged, pained noise, he pulled back. "I'm sorry," he said between heavy breaths. "We shouldn't."

Alarm flashed in Kaneki's face and he shook his head. "Don't," he pleaded, surging forward to claim Shiro's mouth with his own again. Longing and responsibility warred inside of Shiro, even as he returned the kiss. A little sound escaped him and he tried to will himself to tear away from this. But Kaneki's arm had wound around his waist to press into his lower back, pulling him in until their stomachs barely touched. Kaneki leaned his weight back against the wall and Shiro followed him, keeping their lips pressed together. There was hardly room for breath.

"Kaneki," Shiro breathed out, finally breaking the kiss and turning his face away. His entire body buzzed and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not."I gotta go."

"Please, don't." Kaneki tried to catch Shiro's gaze. "Don't try to protect me. I don't care that you're a ghoul."

Shiro knew he should have told him that he should care and that he was going to stay away. But he drew their joined hands up between them instead, and ran a thumb over Kaneki's knuckles. He could've broken them, if he wanted. Kaneki might end up broken anyway. "I have to go," he repeated. But he cut off Kaneki's protest by touching a reassuring kiss to the human's knuckles. "I'll come back," he promised, allowing a soft smile to curve against the back of Kaneki's fingers.

Pink rising to stain his cheeks, Kaneki nodded. "Okay," he murmured, and when he grinned back, it lit up Shiro's world.

His heart constricted in his chest.

It had always been dangerous for Shiro to care about someone. He hoped he didn't end up being Kaneki's mistake.

Out in the shop, the clang of the bell announced another customer's departure, as the corner of a silver suitcase disappeared out the door.