Endless Night

Tokyo Ghoul: re (c) Ishida Sui

Illustration down below was drawn by me myself

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It was the coldest night ever. Haise needed to clutch tightly over his muffler several times and sniffing his own cold breath. Tiny little snowballs emerged into great pile of white sheaths. Looked beautifully with the flakes around the air. In fact, nobody ever wanted to endure the pain of frost bite by any seconds they put their feet on those white matters. Once again, he sniffed. The white mucoid substances flow from both of his nose hole. His nostril became less sensitive, eventually the only thing he was able to smell was a fresh odor of a cup of warm coffee bean stew. The heat started to radiate from beneath his skin, crawling together with the pack of solar source right on his left side. The parking lot was too strangely quiet, the goosebumps ran an electricity pressure along his spine cords.  He barely could count the numbers of lined vehicles. Black ones with same types. Typically CCGs employees with no chance of having their own one. No wonder since so many of them, include Haise himself, had to spend the money from their minimum account of outcome as well as their income. And being the one with a standard simple way of living.

Ever since Haise realized his less opportunity to going back home safely, he just stood there for as long as miracle came. He huffed couple times, but sometimes, his sanctuary just showed up in a apathetic face. Cold as ever.

The rigid body started to relax a bit. Haise smiled. Sheepishly. Accepting Arima Kishou's offering. Sniffing the black liquid calmly. Having his first sip while peek a glance through the corner of his diamond shaped eyes. Drink it in calmed sigh.

"The snow is getting horrifying. By any minutes you keep standing on the same spot until ten minutes onward, people may being fooled by a morning greet from talking snowman tomorrow morning."

A very lame joke, yet Haise could not hold his sweet laugh.

"Ah, isn't it good to hear? Does it mean our HQ won't need to buy a new greeting Santa robot for this Christmas eve, ne Arima-san?"

A small and soundless snort seemed awfully played across Arima's stoic expression. He was having fun with the pun maker, probably.

Tired, the young one sighed and huffing. Try to end off the awkward memento. Staring blankly on his cup.

"Any better plan, then?"

Arima was seen in black coat and thick greyish shawl. Swaying elegantly in every motion. New brand of costume but perfectly collaborated with his amber eyes. The true Arima would always had a weird sense of picking simple casual for informal outfit. That was the first impress Haise had toward this cold hearted guy. Haise might be blindfolded for times he did not know, or rather did not want to know, from the outside world while he was under CCG medication treatment. Brainwashed, yet much like fugue. He pushed the 'Kaneki' once he knew very well back away. Creating this Haise Sasaki as a new identity. And the first human who he welcomed well, without finger creaking neither kagune-kiss-of-death, obviously the man who inisiated the steps toward a black car few meters from them. Waiting patiently and following the tall man direction. No arguments. Orders only.

"So, where are we going to go, Arima-san?"

The sound of engines and radio buzzes followed by stirred wheels became an answer of long paused. The road they passed through seemingly like a dying city. Broken and so empty. Darkest hour of snowy season engulfed by untold screams and creeping touch. Even the each breaths of heat could not melt the thin layers of ice on glass.

Haise enjoyed the long silence. The light bulbs looked much brighter once Arima choose the more like town area. And yep, they definitely would spend the lonely night together inside one of luxury apartment of the Tokyo city. Classy and full of Arima Kishou's. Haise gulped. So different compared to his Chateau where he and the Quinx brats lived on. Special Class Investigator was sure paid off with so much excellency rather than the new leaves one.

"Wow."

Every pitter patter of people in gown and suit twitched Haise's gut. He watched intently yet almost got a squeaky yelp from a fat lady in diamonds. The young vigilante swirled fast before any embarrassing moment happened. Arima stole a straight glance to Haise's clumsy and cute posture. Each steps he made looked sloppy. Right in front of ding-voiced elevator, the tall man with spectacles pull Haise's thin wrist. A simple way to show your dignity of possessiveness toward 

hungry looks of filthy dogs. Not quite different with ghouls either.

"Err, Arima-san?"

The answers held for three minutes away. Arima took much faster steps after the elevator stopped at right level.

Better stay in white silence since... Haise loved this comfort feelings.

"I hope my 'grandkids' won't mind."

"Eh?"

Arima unlocked his own room's door with card and codes. The clicked sound tugged Haise's less defense. Following the tall one and whispering ojyamashimasu quietly. Walking casually inside first, Arima stopped his steps, undress his thick coat and shawl. Leaving a white shirt and dark long pants only. Scrubbing his cold nose. Showing his board back to Haise.

"Sometimes, you just needed to be more aggressive by showing your teeth, Haise. Marking your territory. Since, I know they need to be disciplined more. You're too way soft on them. Still, it's you anyway. Some old things was hard to be changed, right?"

Haise stood straight forward. He knew what exactly Arima aim to pull a string on. The latest incident about his previous deviant disproportion of metamorphosis. The old 'he' succeed creeping out from his strong invisible jail. And, God finally punished him. Again and again. Through Kuki Urie.

Holding the door knob in golden ambrosia while freezing too sudden. Clutching tightly until the knuckles turned pale. His pupils grew larger. Full of fear. The voices continued to haunt him, luring his sanity into apocalypse. But other warm whispers successfully pulling him back. He stared to the white haired man's back and trying so hard made a soft thud. With his steps.

"If 'he' came back again, make sure you eat properly, Haise. I will help you. So, do not cry anymore."

The consistence of Arima's lulled words made a shiver ran down sheepishly along Haise's shocking state. He bite his inner cheek, feeling the blood started to leak and oozing. The salty one mixed incoherently with the flowing tears. Shutting his eyes so damn tight.

"But, the last thing I remembered was only how hard I try to pull myself to not hurting others. Anymore." he answered. With restrained voice. "It was so... painful."

Whispering. With his sad tone.

"I don't want to be like that forever. I don't want 'him' to come back. I want to bury him for eternity."

The lonely arms reach his salvation.

He found a relaxed yet strong and board back. Full of adult man pride, calming fragrance mixed of mint and man cologne. Haise inhaled every inch of Arima's back. Strange, no smell  neither blood odor. Though, this man was so much like grim reaper for ghouls. Weird. Still, it lulled him. This man, yes, this human only who never turned his eyes down from him. Never give up on him. Though, the IXA chopped both of his eyeballs, pierced right through his thick skull. An avid way to gauge ghoul's freedom from his kakugan. Nevertheless, Haise still attached to and admired this man. Arima Kishou. Stockholm Syndrome.

"Will you... Will you let me to keep staying like this for awhile? Please, I beg you."

No need for reluctant answers. Arima let this little guy did what he wanted. Hugging him from behind. Pairs of thin arms tried to find its way around Arima's large built hips. The cold fingers altered inches to inches and melding together. They shared the body warmth without letting the lust taking over. Resting his tired body and leaned on back to front. Enjoying each other's skinship. Bit, it slightly hurt since he was unable to see Haise's pain expression. Or, swept away the tears and touching his puffy red face. No.

The sniffed sound unlikely getting much louder. And Haise's wet tears flooded up onto a large island on Arima's white shirt. Transparency. He did not care, actually. Kept silent and waiting until the feeling of moving gestures became his light of alertness.

But it could not last forever.

"I wonder if you are willingly to story-tell me the Franz Kafka's Crossbreed. I want to hear how your voice wave will be while trying to manage the emotion inside."

Haise's silent sobbed muffled together with his running nose. He laughed ironically to cover up his embarrassment. Arima took a short glance and wiping the rest of tears below his long eyelashes. His finger tips felt a sudden gasp. But, Haise stayed still. Smiling.

Arima caressed the side of Haise's soft cheeks gently. And pinch it. Resulting with sudden yelp of pain from the short guy.

"Ouch."

"But first, you need to take a bath,  Haise. Relaxing your trouble mind."

Haise's pouty lips gave a slight urgent for Arima to let his insanity flow by the wind. His cold demeanor and elegant attitude must be the first priority over the edge. So, he still had a very high confidence on self controlling.

His sensibilities moved along with the seconds Haise made steps toward his bathroom. There would be long unfreezing night with the boy with so much tragedies beyond his twenty years of life. No more turning back. The only things matter now were future and today's adventure. For the first time ever, Arima smiled genuinely and so much relieved. He even had not mind to undress his work wardrobes and starting to take a sip of Franz Kafka's short story sooner.

Over centuries and passing through many dimensions, times lingered people and tame them inside a cage of sand pendulum. Arima saw everything from his strange point of view about how unfortunate this delicate yet strong build little man inside Kaneki Ken's special character. Turmoil with so much question which he never had the answers for so long. Imagining the world upon the brightest day when ghouls and human were only parts of living trees. The branches and the trunks. Growing intimately and peacefully and. If only.

The weakest part of him was undeniable feeling as how his half lidded eyes staring passionately at a pair of fluffy knitted sweater  which joined so perfectly at each angle of Haise Sasaki's body curves. Smiling like a child and goofing around. But the other him was sleeping and waiting. Waiting.

Otherwise, Arima Kishou would always be in the same spot. He would not go away. Giving his 

shoulder to lean on and back to cry out. 

He smiled back.

"Can we start now?"

The crossbreed elapsed through time capsule. Unfreeze the frozen night.

The End