Gakudera Hayato tried to stay at that hideout Little Hideyoshi got himself, but with the frustration of the brat not finding the Key yet, thus delaying him, and the tightening of the noose around him as his 'old associates' were probably getting closer and closer to finding him, He figured he had to go outside, else he end up doing something his cousin will regret, and then bitch about, causing him to get angry himself again, and then resulting in more unnecessary hustle.
'Between 'yoshi and his girly roommate, the place feels like a henhouse, all chicks-no real man around, or anything that would interest one. Almost like he does it on purpose.'
Grumbling to himself, the recently released convict passed by a tall, well built man in a long overcoat, with a strangely silver hair…
Stopping to take a smoke, Gakudera lit a cigarette.
'I'm running out of them. Better go and buy a pack or two, that Kankuro will screw it if I send him on errand again, so I should do it myself. '
Walking around, he soon found a place, and made his purchase. A flesh of silver hair entering just as he was paying for the cig's.
As he left the shop and started going back, he saw a rather strange chick. She had salmon-colored hair in a high topknot with leftovers framing the sides of her face. Muttering something about a damn tree ordering around. From the apathetic look in her eyes, she didn't care what others thought of her looks…
He knew such types in prison. They tended personalize their appearance into something they thought 'special', to run alone and think themselves better then the yakuza men, and were usually right; right until they got outnumbered in a dark corner, and got a lesson…at which point they ended up either joining the bosses or in a ditch, if they didn't escape.
Besides, she was short and wore baggy clothes- which meant she had nothing worth showing off.
Watching for prettier girls as he enjoyed a relaxing smoke, Hayato noticed something familiar from the corner of his eye.
Continuing walking at his leisurely pace, he turned into a side street, noticing silver hair on a tall man, again.
'Do you want a piece of Hayato, silver freak? You may look like you can take a punch, and probably can, but it'll take more than that, against ole' Gakudera here.'
The ex-con finished his smoke, and throwing it, he walked into an alley, as if nothing happened, putting his hands leisurely into his pockets with deceptive nonchalance, his ears hearing footsteps behind him and his fingers grasping the switchblade he cleaned from blood days ago, ready to use it again, mind steeled. Ready to ambush the man that was following him.
Only to turn at the appropriate moment to confront-
'No-one? So the freak is better than I thought… I'll gut you yet, don't worry.'
Kaneki wanted to sigh as well as cringe when he saw Hide's Cousin return. 'And here I was enjoying the quiet.'
He glanced at the book in his hands, and with regret, went to put it on a shelf.
"Is 'yoshi still searching?" the man grunted.
"He wanted to check his old apartment, just to make sure it wasn't still there, and thought it prudent to go now rather than wait."
"Did he leave right after me?"
"I'm sorry, Gakudera-san, I don't know when you left. He did leave recently"
"He better not have run away, or try to be clever and sneak in a break-it's just disrespectful ta forget such a gift from a beloved cousin… it implies a …'lack of respect'. I won't be needin to teach him about respect, now would I?"
"There is no need for that. I'm sure Hide will find it soon. 'Oh, how I wish to teach YOU about 'respect', to put a sudden, brutal and permanent stop to your treatment of Hide, your constant insults and bullying.'
The man started walking towards him, getting into his personal face, and looked Kaneki in the eye. "You want to punch me, don't you? I see it in yer eyes that you do. Well, go on, nerd. Try."
Kaneki looked at the man, saying nothing.
Gakudera punched him, causing the young man to fall on the floor.
As the hiding Ghoul slowly reached for his stomach, in visible pain, glaring at the thug from the floor he was sprawled at.
"Pathetic weakling", Gakudera scoffed, kicking the downed boy in the stomach a few times, calling "never pretend to be more then the wimp you are, know your place", before losing interest and turning, walking away, muttering 'not worth the headache'.
Slowly, regaining his breath, he stood up, and shambled to the bathroom.
As the boy looked at his reflection in the mirror above the sink, he remembered his talk with the Rize inside him, in that dark room where Yamori broke him. Words he now all but heard echoed by the face looking back at him from the reflective surface, like the abyss of his inner monster. 'It is fine to be hurt to not hurt others, is it?' and a feminine laughter ringing in his ear.
His reflection glared at him, dissatisfied.
"Just as long as Hide doesn't get hurt, that's the important thing" the boy whispered.
'It won't be enough, that man will try to devour you all sooner or later.'
Kaneki closed his eyes, and he saw in his mind's eye the heart rending image of Hide, bleeding and looking so fragile, lain in that sewer, while his own stomach filled, and mouth tasting blood. He opened them again, glaring at the other self before him.
"I don't, won't lose Hide again! Not to Him, but neither to my Hunger. Never again. The strong devour the weak, but the strong devour everything in their path."
The ghoul tilted his head to the side, and hit it, as if to dislodge something stuck in his ear to fall off, before proceeding to wash his face. 'Strange, my cheeks were already wet before.'
After washing and calming enough that the red in his eyes was no longer immediately noticeable, he returned to the living room, where Gakudera-san was now watching the news on the TV.
The man turned, and scoffed. "done crying, little boy?"
The boy in question meekly flinched, and hurried to the kitchen, hoping for some comfort in a cup of coffee. That drink became a constant source of small comforts ever since his 'date' with Rize. Kaneki closed his eyes, and banished the memory from his thoughts. Trying to focus on something else, anything else. Even the role he now had to play for Hide's cousin. The degree of familiarity he had with the role of the victim was disheartening, though.
'Think of something happy, some happy thoughts….like Hide and his cheery smile'
The happiness he felt, when Hide woke up the first time after that disastrous raid on Anteiku, the acceptance of his longtime friend, and the promise his other cherished friend-Touka-chan, who was the one that helped him when he was drowning in the world of Ghouls- that she will not only accept Hide, but won't let any harm to come to him as well. With both of them by his side, he had the best of both worlds- the people he loved and who cherished him-from both his human life and the ghoulish one.
The once half ghoul sighed, at the happy thoughts this time, as he imagined Hide and Touka, side by side together. The best that happened to him in both worlds.
The moment was short lived, as the Thug entered the kitchen. "Shoulda known I'd find the girl in the kitchen. How about making so dinner for the man of the house, wench?"
"Hide's not back yet."
He got a slap to the back of his head for the backtalk.
Ken was really glad Touka wasn't here to witness any of his altercation with the ex-con. She would just get angry at the both of them, and that could be humiliating for him and lethal for Hide's cousin.
Besides, he doubted she was as good an actor as he knew he could be. Or that she would try.
He suspected it would be a long, unpleasant day.
He was proven right.
By the time Hideyoshi returned, it was evening, and started getting dark.
He was visibly exhausted when he entered, and Kaneki, who opened the door to him, hurried to help him to a place to sit.
"Not so fast", scowled Gakudera-san, "Did ya finally find it, Yoshi?"
Taking a long breath, Hide just nodded, as he reached for a bag he brought with him, and pilling his hand from it, finally revealed the item that would bring an end to his cousin's presence with them.
OMAKE
As Gakudera Hayato left the shop with his newly bought cigarettes and started going back, he saw a rather pretty chick. She had long, peachy orange hair parted down the center and worn loose. Her clothes were revealing as well. She smiled at his interested gaze running all over her body, and approached confidently.
He knew such types before prison. They tended to try charm men with their feminine charms. That one thought she could wrap him around her finger as well, no doubt… 'well, two can play this game.'
"Hey, there handsome, I'm Itori-you look like an interesting guy…"
Hayato smirked and obliged her.
Author Notes: Once again, sorry for the delay, My harddisk burned and backups were out of date-so it took time to update. We finally finish the arc of the cousin, though. Next chapter concludes it and starts the next part.
The omake had Cousin Gakudera meet and flirt with Itori-the information broker and old friend Yomo introduced to Kaneki. Yes, she is a ghoul, actually one of the Clowns. As for how a date between the two of them would end- use your imagination (it is non-cannon, though).
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