Hide was sitting and listening to relaxing music on his headphones, after a tiring day-it still tired him a bit to walk around, after that… unfortunate operation at Anteiku, despite all the time that past since then.

So he could be forgiven for only paying cursory attention when he saw Kaneki going for the door from the corner of his eye, after all it's not like his stupid best friend, or boyfriend or… His Kaneki- both words failed to describe just what kaneki was to him to such a degree they were green with jealousy-it's not like his Kaneki will go away again, probably… hopefully…

'But he left, when he became a ghoul, avoided you when you got hurt.'

When the subject of his thoughts was delayed, Hide couldn't help but think 'Oh boy'.

He took the headphones of his ears and left them hanging on his neck immediately and standing up, went to peer at the reason for his Best Guy to linger at the door.

He thought about skulking to the side, trying to learn if there was someone at the door to make Ken linger, and if he should hide his presence, but dismissed the thought. It wasn't in his nature.

As he approached the doorway, he halted as it came within view.

There, along with a subtly tensing Kaneki, stood a person hide didn't see for a long time.

It was someone Hideyoshi hope to not see for a long, long time.

"Cousin Hideyoshi, not comin to greet me?" the thuggish man asked, half mocking.

"What are YOU doing here?" Hide asked accusingly.

"Ya used to be much more appreciative-you chased me askin' fer stories last time we talked." The mocking tone remained.

"That's before I knew better! I was a little kid back then. And after they caught you it was hard on the family! The neighbors didn't appreciate our company there. Your mother couldn't look anyone in the eye for years! "

"Well, then it's good that you can!" the cousin angrily replied. " ya even went as far as to go be a frikkin gho-"

"What do you want?" Hide interrupted him before the sentence could be finished.

"Can't I just come visit a cousin that used to chase me when ye was little?"

Hide was about to retort, but his eye caught Kaneki getting ready to a fight, body tense and ready for action, fingers holding finger as if to snap, and, he was certain, Kagune bubbling ready under the shirt to make his ex con cousin into so much a smear on their front, and so many subtle indicators recognizable only due to their long friendship that Ken was anxious, and might freak out and go Centipede.

While the thug before them caused much misery to his family, Hideyoshi really didn't want Ken to ruin their precious anonymity, the fragile illusion that they are dead and the respite and relief it gave them-those quiet, peaceful days. He didn't want kaneki to suffer, to go on that lonely, violent road again. Touka will be miserable too, after finishing yelling at them. Besides, his cousin didn't deserve it. Probably. He hoped.

"Let's talk inside." He said tiredly, hoping to diffuse the situation, or should he fail, to divert it to a more easily cleanable, less public and more manageable place.

The cousin entered as Kaneki moved out of the way, still weary, but no longer as tense.

Hide didn't allow himself to express the relief he felt.

What did you want, Gakudera?"

"Don't ya want to introduce me to your friend here?"

"Kaneki Ken, this is Gakudera Hayato, my cousin. He got released from prison like two weeks ago, after spending almost a decade there. "

"Ya didn't need to point THAT!" Gakudera angrily exclaimed.

"Ken is my best friend; I won't keep such things from him, not even the shameful cousin who dishonored our family.

The thug glanced at the unassuming brown haired kid-scrawny, youth, evaluating and calculating, before turning to look at Hideyoshi himself.

"Ye ein't rabbitin him, are ya?" the man asked, suspicious.

"Rabbiting?" Hide asked incredulous at the unfamiliar term.

"Doin it like rabbits, you not doing him, are you? Tell me you didn't go and become a fag on me." The thug demended.

'As glad as I am that you didn't recognize the danger hidden in the Kaneki, and didn't see past his disguise, why did you have to say this? And like that!'

"I've known Ken from kids, we've been best buds for years while you were in jail, and met couple of years after you got there. Besides he's my roommate here." Hide answered,not a trace of the usual smile on him. " And not the only one", he added, as if in afterthought. He hoped Hayato will get the clue.

'I'm really sorry, Kaneki, but we do NOT want that man to be privy to such details. I will apologize and explain it to you as soon as he leaves, surely he won't stay here for long.'

"I heard you became a Ghoul cop. And then you got eaten."

"Well, I got in trouble…"

Hayato smirked then. It was the bigger badder version of the nasty smirks he used to display when he was telling Hide about how he tricked other kids, when both were much younger, before the former was imprisoned.

This smirk was probably developed in the jail, among the other scum and bitterness. The nastiness was much more pronounced in it.

"Did ya do something ya shouldn't have? Did you steal from them? "

Hide sighed.

"Not exactly. Somebody else did, and blamed it on me. It was a big sum, and I only learned it was missing in the first place when the boss called me to their office, and promised not to press charges if I return what was stolen. It was more money than I could gather. There was a raid on a ghoul and I needed to disappear." Hide explained angrily.

"Quite the story there…"

"I saw what happened to our family, to your mother, after you got arrested. I wouldn't be so careless with the law for mere money." Hideyoshi Nagachika pointed, infusing as much determination into these words as he could, and being that they were half true, it was not an inconsiderable amount.

'You, you and Touka are more than mere money, Ken.'

Hide really hoped Kaneki understood it, but he didn't dare jeopardize the ploy, and turn to look at his better half. He needed Hayato to believe his acting.

"Then you will welcome me. I know a bit about this kind of thing and can help. I also just happen to be looking for a place to stay." Gakudera said with mock polite happiness.

"This isn't really my place and I'm not sure the roommates will agree, an-"

"You wouldn't want to risk someone finding you're still alive, that you are here, will ya?"

Ken Kaneki knew, in the back of his mind, that he knew very little about the family of his best friend, and now more than best friend, Hide. His friend, on the other hand was quite familiar with Ken's aunt and her family. Hide just used to turn the conversations into other directions so seamlessly, that he never consciously took notice of it, and while he did wonder about the mysterious, unmentioned family, often, Ken never did pry.

Now, it appeared to be a day for revelations on that subject. Starting from the cousin- and Kaneki never knew Hide had any cousins or siblings… let along one that was arrested and sent to prison. 'What did he do anyway?'

It was understood how such a thing would make the family pariahs. The entire family would be looked at with suspicion, painted by the same brush, if not thought to have been dishonored. No wonder Hide was reluctant to reveal that.

Kaneki wondered what did happen to that family later.

But the rude comment about him and Hide doing… in the bed-that was NOT his business… And it hurt to hear Hide deny it so flippantly. Saying that they were 'just' best friends.

To took more moments than it should have for Ken to remember how he himself sent Hide away, used lies to distance himself from Touka, as he went to search for his answers and fight those who would harm the people he loved.

Was it as painful for them than?

Still The ghoul once known as Eye-Patch couldn't help but have a small part of himself that doubted that Hide really was doing such a thing, that this was a lie meant to deceive the thuggish man.

That doubt would slowly eat at him, almost like an insect.

He really needed to get a chance to talk with Hide. Without Gakudera-san within earshot.

Author Notes: Sorry, no OMAKE this time.

As it was asked repeatedly I will answer here- Gakudera Hayato is an OC, one that is named after a character from KHR manga/anime. the only thing they share besides the name, is that both are criminals. the one here is much nastier, and looks completely different. it is a shoutout, NOT a crossover.

His displeased reaction and disdain to the possibility of a homosexual relationship between Hide and Kaneki is the opinion of a specific, non-main character and is in no way connected to any opinions of the author. I seek to give my characters their own opinions on things regardless of my agreement or lack of it with such ways of thinking, ALWAYS. the stories are about the characters, not about me.

Also, we get here an alternative to Hide's family background, and even a reason for lack of it before. one that may evenbe original idea.

I was delayed with my fics due to RL, as well as trouble writing a Cousin POV that would explain how he found Hide, and that he is alive rather then MIA, suspected KIA-but I had trouble writing that particular segment. Hopefully I will manage it for the next chapter, and thus answer some of the questions.

I hope you enjoy that chapter, and leave a Review.