The next month passed with little incident, aside from the minor drama involved of living together-Ken was clingy and kept close to Hide, who kept with bad jokes and walked the apartment, still forbidden to go outside, yet. Touka commanded and reorganized their bedroom to her satisfaction, through the efforts of the helpers (she told Kaneki and Nagachika, mostly Kaneki, what to put where. Changing her mind and her orders multiple times).
It was a week later, that a repeat of their first night was asked for and changed the routine they were establishing.
"Shouldn't we do some more couple… well, trio or whatever things? Aren't boys supposed to be interested in those kind of things?" surprisingly, it's Touka that voices the request.
All three blush, and she decided that she liked the way Ken reddened.
"W-well, we… that is… I'd rather not grope a girl that might decide to eat my face for it, without permission", Hide answers, rubbing the back of his nack with a hesitant, uncertain smile, "Besides, Kaneki here doesn't know what to do with girls despite being a badass ghoul. This is the guy who thought a bookstore was a good place for a date!"
The other boy glares at his friend and mutters, "shut up, Hide!"
He does not disprove it though.
"Do I have to hold your hands throughout this relationship?"
"I think you better, Touka-chan, we just might get lost in your eyes otherwise."
"It wasn't my eyes you were staring at last time…"
"Touka-chan, this was as bad as Hide's jokes." A white haired tomato whined.
This time, nobody was tied up.
They started with a hesitant kissing session, where she kissed Ken, then Hide, before having them kiss each other. They then did some more kissing experiments between the three of them. Hide tasted good enough to eat, and Ken even better-she needed to eat soon, and Kaneki probably did, too. Next Touka guided their hands with her own trembling limbs and guided towards her chest.
She decided to limit the activity that night to kissing and some petting. They needed to get used to one another and learn each other in a comfortable pace. And she didn't feel comfortable about doing anything more, yet.
"Guys? If we are to be girlfriend and boyfriends, how will we go on dates, when Ken and myself supposed to be hiding? When can I go outside again, for that matter? Nice as your company is, I need the sun to keep my shiny disposition?"
After a moment of silence, Touka answered, "We lay low for just a bit more, we should get new documents for Nagachika soon, though you will have to keep that stubble, for now. Kaneki will get to learn how to use nail polish and hair dye like a real girl. Probably some lip gloss will become part of her accessories as well. The rumors about him might take more time to be put out of mind."
The Whitehair glared at her. "You are starting to sound just like Hide! I shouldn't have let the two of you scheme together! "
"Don't worry, I'm sure I have a dress your size, or I could borrow from Irimi-sa…"
At the name both ghouls bowed their heads.
"Do, you know if… if she lived, after? I tried to save her, and I remember her going for the V14, but…"
"I haven't heard anything about her since Anteiku was attacked."
Hideyoshi bowed his head too, his mind calculating the likelihood of survival with what information he knew. He remained silent.
The next week, Touka tended to leave every morning, and return afternoon.
Hide also noticed that the brown meat packages for his two … 'special ones', seemed to slowly dwindle.
Touka tended to eat at the early mornings and wake him to see it so he knew she didn't go preying on people (she also now had reason to help him extricate from the iron hold of a sleeping Kaneki, who was still displaying clingy tendencies), and his best friend seemed to be sneaking to eat at late night when Hide was asleep, apparently uncomfortable with it, or Hide seeing it (at first Hide wasn't sure, but Touka-chan confirmed that Ken was now eating regularly-it made Hide worry at the implication that it wasn't so before).
As the week ended, Hideyoshi was presented with a new (fake) documents.
He was now Samura Hideyoshi, and had convincing documentation claiming he was from Kyoto.
"Touka-chan", he started, as she was presenting Kaneki the tools that would be needed for his disguise, "I think Ken needs a new mask, something that nobody will be able to connect to him, and not even other ghouls will know or recognize. I think you shouldn't look for it at any of the place ghouls usually get masks. Something to hide both of his eyes, and preferably his hair as well."
She gave him a strange look, but nodded soon after.
The next time she left, Hide stopped her near the door, before she exited.
"And Touka-cha, please don't tell even your Ghoulfriends about his new mask."
"Why?"
"It's just a gut feeling, but I think I, we all, should listen to those."
She narrowed her eyes. "Just what do you know?"
"Nothing. But just in case, please do as I ask."
She reluctantly nodded, and as she left, Hideyoshi thought about the small package in a safe deposit box in a bank account he left.
He shook his head. It wasn't time for that.
"Is something wrong, Hide?" his best friend turning lover asked, frowning. It was so great to have Kaneki with him daily again.
"No, nothing. Now let me show you a card game an upperclassman showed me while you were skipping collage…"
At the first opportunity to go outside again, Hide made a visit to his old apartment, and retrieved a small notebook he hid, as well as his stash of emergency money. On his way outside he took the mail he missed.
With that, he could go shopping.
The first things he bought were a couple of masks. Then he went and ordered a cane.
Once again, on his way back, he noticed the big man with the strange beard undoubtedly following him, and walked in circles to lose his tail, only to return to his track home after he was certain of his success, breathing heavy from his exhausting exertion.
He had no idea, yet, that it was not the only man to notice him. That he drew attention of others.
OMAKE:
Mado Akira was an unflappable individual, a high ranked and experienced Ghoul Investigator, one who saw many gruesome things, and considered prodigy and a clod bitch even among other practitioners of that grim profession.
Still this was not something that elicited a shocked gasp even from her.
On the couch, her son, Mado Koutarou, was lying on top of the girl she recognized as Kirishima Yoriko, tongue tied.
Or more accurately his tongue was too busy exploring the girl mouth, in a heated kiss, to say anything to his mother.