I do not own any of the Tokyo Ghoul characters, only my own imagination and my own ideas.

12 years old

"Ayato!" He heard Touka called out from behind him. He looked at her and saw her climbing over a fallen tree, slowly making her way towards him. Ayato turned back around and continued to run, his feet slammed into the ground nice and solidly, his erratic heartbeat pounded loudly in his ears, he smiled at the sensation of his arms slicing through the air cleanly, his indigo hair flowing out behind him in messy bunches. He leapt over a small stream before stopping to see if Touka was behind him.

"Ayato, I'm heading back!" He heard her voice echo desperately.

"Okay!" He yelled back to her before sitting down and watching the sunlight bounce off the shifting ripples in the water. His gaze softened as he watched it; maybe he could ask his dad if they could go fishing tomorrow. It was his birthday after all. A shifting sound in the bushes startled him out of his peaceful thoughts. He looked around, just some birds, one black one and one white one. They flew out and danced around each other before disappearing from his view. Ayato began to turn away, but something caught his eye. A flash of white. Snow white hair. He watched it vanish behind a tree and immediately felt the childish desire to follow it.

So he did.

24 years old

Ayato gazed out the window and sighed miserably, another day in dreary gloomy hell. He wanted to go home and just curl up into a ball under his doona and just sleep for, like, eternity. He was always bored, everything seemed so mundane since the day he met him. Even his own family. Ayato groaned and laid his head on the table between him and the empty chair that he longed for a certain white-haired man to fill. He rolled his head over and continued to gaze out the window. How long had it been since they'd last met? Two years? Felt like longer. In that last meeting he'd looked older than he should have, he sometimes did. Stress, apparently. The liar.

"You should at least try to look happy Ayato." Hinami scolded him, lightly tapping his head with her book as she sat down.

"Too much work." He grumbled, continuing to gaze out the window in hopeless longing. He heard Hinami sigh dramatically before opening her book. His eyes lingered on passing people on the street, just random pedestrians, not anyone in particular. Of course, he wasn't there. He was somewhere else; of course, he was in the same world. Just the wrong part of the fucking timeline. Why couldn't he be there?

Ayato waved good-bye to Hinami, did he feel guilty? Yes. He'd just wasted Hinami's time. It was supposed to have been a nice afternoon with her and he'd spent it thinking about someone else. He clicked his tongue angrily before setting off down the lonely path, he missed him. He wanted him here, beside him. Walking along the dull slabs of concrete as well. Was that too much to ask?

"Damn it Ken, where the fuck are you?"

"I'm right here."

12 years old

Ayato crept behind the trees occasionally peeking around them to check if he was still there. He was. His white hair still reflected the sunlight magnificently. His figure was still beside the small pond Ayato had discovered last summer. What was he doing here? Did he live nearby? Was he lost?

"I know you're there, you can come out." They spoke up. Ayato leapt back behind the tree in shock, he wasn't there. He wasn't there. He wasn't there.

"Hello." He saw the person he'd been following appear beside him, their grey eyes fixated on him. Ayato squeaked in surprise and quickly took a step away from him.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you." They murmured gently. Ayato kept the distance between them and remained tense.

"Who are you?" He asked timidly.

"I'm Ken. Ken Kaneki." They responded. Ayato relaxed a bit and looked him over.

"I'm Ayato." He stated. That was all he got to say before Ken disappeared right in front of him. His clothes falling into a crumpled heap on the ground.

24 years old

"Fucking hell Ken!" Ayato exclaimed as he jumped away from the sudden companion. Ken smirked and leant back against the building wall, watching Ayato regain his stability. The younger glared at him before bothering to speak.

"When did you get back?"

Ken uncovered his watch to check. Ayato found it extremely difficult to not show how ecstatic he was that Ken was back and be pissed at the same time.

"I got back eleven minutes and 47 seconds ago, now 48, 49, 50, 51-"

"I get it." Ayato cut him off, running his right hand through his hair while his left hand placed itself firmly on his hop.

"If you just got back, then where are the clothes from?"

"Is this an interrogation?"

"Ken…"

"Because if it is. I think I should have a lawyer present." Ken joked. Ayato pinched the bridge of his nose, a bad habit that surfaced when he was frustrated.

"Just answer." He hissed, his tone caused Ken's cheerful gaze to drop.

"I stole them." He replied.

"I fucking knew it."

"Ayato…"

"You just had to drop right into the public eye, didn't you?"

"Look, just let me explain." Ken managed to interject over Ayato's fuming. The indigo-haired man turned to him, his eyes raging silently.

"Fine."

"When I come back, I don't have any…well, clothes. So I have to find some…obviously." Ken whispered, carefully checking to see if anyone could hear them even though there was no one around.

"I know, but isn't there any other way?" Ayato whined.

"No. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Ayato sighed, lifting his gaze to look Ken right in the eyes, those sad, empathetic eyes. He knew his gaze was softening but he couldn't care less. The man could read him like a book anyway.

15 years old

He was still curious, it had been three whole years and he still wanted to know where the hell this "Ken" went. Who the hell was he anyway? How could he just disappear like that? Ayato's head hurt from all the wondering but he couldn't stop. Was he an alien? Why was his hair white? He'd never seen hair like that before. Ayato tried to shake the thoughts from his head and do his homework but he just couldn't. His name flashed in his mind like Broadway lights. Ken. Ken. Ken. Ayato slammed his head against his desk. Fuck, his life sucked. His room remained silent for a couple of minutes before he heard a click from downstairs. The front door opened with a creak and Ayato's eyes snapped open. Touka's gymnastics class didn't finish until five and his dad was still at work. Who the hell had opened the front door?

24 years old

"You got anywhere to stay?" Ayato asked as he sipped his hot chocolate, balancing himself on the dilapidated stool.

"You know me, the lone wolf, roughing it in isolation-"

"A hobo."

"Ouch. Your words wound me." Ken called out from behind the bathroom door. Ayato smirked.

"You are though; you literally have nowhere to live."

"You cut me deep Ayato. Cut me real deep." Ayato snorted, choking on his hot chocolate. Ken emerged from the bathroom with a proud smile on his face and new clothes. Ayato glared at him with teary eyes.

"Just breathe, you'll be fine." Ken shrugged as he walked up to him, taking the cup out of Ayato's hands and patting him on the back soothingly.

"My god, I wouldn't be choking if you hadn't made me laugh." Ayato hissed.

"I like making you laugh. Laughter is like instant coffee, you crave it." Ken replied as he stood up behind Ayato, casually leaning over his shoulder and placing the hot chocolate back on the bench.

"Yeah, but sometimes it's really shitty and it leaves a horrible taste in your mouth."

"If you make the coffee right it can taste phenomenal."

"Why are we talking about coffee?"

"Well, I was talking about how laughter was like instant coffee and then we got deeper into the subject and-"

"I get it. I get it." Ayato groaned, leaning forward and resting his face in his hands. He heard Ken exhale lightly through his nose before feeling him nuzzle his face into his shoulder. Ayato felt immense heat flood his face and silently thanked the fact that Ken couldn't see it. He felt Ken's arms wrap around his waist and he stiffened.

"You're so easy to hug Ayato; I don't know why I haven't hugged you more often." He murmured into his ear. Ayato stayed silent, Ken's husky voice ringing in his ears and echoing around his brain.

"Am I able to hug you more often?" Fuck, was he toying with him?

"No." Ayato stated bluntly. His sharp tone pulled a high pitched whine from Ken's throat.

"Why noooooot?!" He complained. Ayato gingerly pulled Ken's arms off of him and turned around to face him.

"I hate hugs."

"Lie." Ken snapped quickly. Ayato frowned.

"No, it's true. I just don't like hu-"

"Lie~" Ken cut him off, wrapping his arms around his waist yet again, pulling him off the chair and onto his feet. Ayato couldn't stop the blush from dusting his face, it was just inevitable that it would happen. Ken smirked.

"See? You like it~" He purred into Ayato's ear. He always did this, meaningless flirting. It wasn't that they weren't well received; it was just that Ayato wasn't in the mood. That didn't stop him from breathing it in though, letting these same, very breezy comments down him like a cancer.

"Shut up." Ayato hissed and pushed Ken off of him.

15 years old

Ayato crept down the stairs with a baseball bat in hand. He kept telling himself that he was just being delusional, the front door hadn't actually opened. He was hearing things. Ayato stopped at the bottom of the stairs and took a deep breath before peering around the corner. Big mistake. Big, big, big, big, big mistake. The invader had turned around at the same time Ayato had looked around the corner and, well, there was a lot to take in. For one….he was shirtless. For two….well there was no two, he was shirtless. SHIRTLESS. Ayato wished he hadn't looked at his bare chest straight away but he had, then his legs. Thankfully, his lower half was covered by a pair of pants that were obviously too big for him. Ayato then gazed at his face and froze. His grip on the baseball bat tightened in shock.

"Ken?"

24 years old

Ayato looked over Ken as he read. Picture perfect. The sunlight shone around his head, illuminating his hair and making him appear more angelic and mysterious as ever.

"Ayato?" He blinked, suddenly realising that he'd been staring and worse, the cheeky bastard had noticed. Ken smiled at him before slowly making his way over towards him. He laid his arms over Ayato's lap lazily and watched as Ayato's face turned red.

"What is it?" Ayato asked, putting his book down on Ken's head.

"I'm hungry." Ken mumbled.

"Fine, I'll cook." Ayato sighed.

"I also have a question!" Ken quickly stated, pinning Ayato's legs to the couch.

"And what's that?" Ayato asked. May as well get this question over with.

"Am I really that attractive?" Ayato stiffened. Was he actually supposed to answer that? He didn't want to; if he did then he may open up that whole can of worms he'd accidentally discovered when he was fifteen.

"Why the fuck are you asking me?" he finally managed to get out.

"Because you're the one that hasn't been able to keep your eyes off me since I got back."

Ayato blushed before quickly hitting Ken in the head with the spine of his book.

"Sh-Shut up! That's not true!" Ayato growled savagely. Ken sighed dramatically before freeing Ayato. He may be curious about Ayato's feelings but he was also desperately hungry.

15 years old

"Do I know you?" Ken murmured as he laid eyes on Ayato, the on his baseball bat.

"Woah! Um…I-I'm sorry! Look, I just uh…."

Ayato stared at him blankly before dropping the baseball bat and pointing at Ken.

"You're Ken. Ken Kaneki, right?" He asked.

"Uhh….no?" Ayato frowned.

"Yes you are, who else has hair that white?"

"Old people."

"Yeah, but you're not old."

"I could be!"

"But you're not!"

"Give me a couple years!"

"Fine, but you'll still be Ken Kaneki!"

Ken paused, his eyebrows furrowed together as he attempted to counter Ayato's words but his mind ran blank so he simply sighed and turned away from him. Ayato looked down at his feet and awkwardly kicked his baseball bat; the sound of the wood rolling against the tiles was the only sound in the house now.

"How do you know me?" Ken mumbled. Ayato blinked in surprise and then realised that what he'd asked was most likely a suitable question.

"We met, um…three years ago I think. You kind of just…how should I put this?" He groaned, rubbing a stray lock between his fingers.

"Vanished? Disappeared?" Ken suggested.

"Yeah. Why do you do that?"

"I don't know…I just do."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You wouldn't understand."

Ayato frowned. Why did he just assume that he wouldn't understand whatever situation or condition he had? Did he look down on him that much?

"Why not? Am I too dumb?" Ayato snapped.

"No, I didn't me-"

"Do you think I don't have a brain large enough to comprehend whatever's going on?"

"It's not tha-"

"The what is it?" Ayato growled angrily. He was sick of people thinking he couldn't handle certain issues. If they let him confront problems he might be able to help but no, don't let him see the struggle with money, don't let him see the problems at school, don't let him see his mother's corpse! Heaven forbid he should lose his innocence! Heaven forbid he should have to struggle as well! Ken sensed Ayato's overwhelming inner turmoil and stepped back.

"It's just a delicate situation." Ken explained in a soft voice that calmed Ayato a little.

"I can handle it."

"Most people think I'm insane when I tell them."

"I already think you're a nut-job and you haven't even told me." Ken smirked before inhaling deeply. He steadied himself before speaking.

"I time travel."

Ayato looked deep into his grey eyes in surprise.

"That's it?"

"Wh-What do you mean 'that's it'?!" Ken exclaimed.

"I thought you were an alien." Ayato mumbled, blushing as he heard Ken laugh.

"What? Like E.T?"

Ayato nodded a little, a smile playing on his mouth as he continued to listen to Ken's laughter. God, his laugh was perfect; Ayato could listen to it on replay…not that he would. Just that, y'know…he could….

24 years old

Ayato sat across from Ken and watched him wolf down his meal in, what felt like, five seconds flat. He didn't really change. Always hungry. The only time Ayato ran out of food was when Ken came to stay.

"You had enough?" He chirped as Ken licked his lips, Ayato finding himself distracted by the simple act.

"Nope. Is there anything for dessert?" He asked sheepishly, managing to make himself look innocent for a split second.

"No. No dessert." Ken flopped over the table, a long exasperated groan erupting from him as he did.

"It's not that big a deal." Ayato snapped.

"It is when I was hoping to have you~"

Ayato's face turned a violent red. Ken sat up and leaned over across the table, a cheeky grin plastered on his face.

"Am I able to have you Ayato~?" He purred. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK. FUCK. Ayato's mind sounded alarms and screamed at him to pull away but he couldn't do it, there seemed to be no strength left in him. It was like Ken's eyes and words had sapped it out of him alone. Ken smirked at his confused and flustered expression before briefly pressing his lips against Ayato's own. When he pulled away, he smiled and whispered:

"Happy Birthday Ayato."

Ayato came out of his trance and frowned at him.

"I-It's not my birthday." He reasoned. Ken grinned.

"That's a shame; you would've gotten a lot more than that then."

Ayato gulped.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK.

I could say I'm sorry. But I don't believe that's enough. Please, accept this chapter as but a humble offering.