Hiraeth (A HideKane/ KaneHide multichapter fic)

Chapter 9

I do not own this story. It is written by Aellia on FanFiction.net. All credits go to her.

Ways to reach the author:
ao3: Aeliia
http://www.fanfiction.net: Aeliia
tumblr: memesbeforedark/sunshineboyhide
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sorry I missed the thursday update, I uploaded it to ao3 and forgot about ff ahaha

anyways enjoy the precious bbys fighting together

The two walked through the once familiar streets, now littered with bodies and painted in blood. Entrails spilled out of the ripped apart human corpses, most of which were missing a limb or two. The ghoul corpses were less decimated, but still, some were unrecognizable. Hide thought he saw a familiar face among a pile of dead CCG members, but it could have just been his mind playing a trick on him.

The sight was gruesome, and it made his stomach churn in disgust. Kaneki noticed how disturbed he was and touched his arm. "You don't have to do this, you know," he said through the fabric of his mask. "You can still turn back now."

Hide swallowed, forcing the bile that had crept into his throat back down. "No, I'm still coming," he replied sternly, albeit with less confidence than he had on the roof. He was determined to keep Kaneki safe.

They continued their search for a slightly better-looking body, or at least one that didn't have organs spilling out of it. Finally, they came upon what appeared to be the most intact corpse they had seen yet. The cause of death was a blow to the chest. Gulping, Hide knelt down, unsure of how to begin. "How do I...?"

"It would make it easier to eat if what you wanted were separated from the body," Kaneki explained. "And you should probably take your mask off."

"Are some parts better than others?"

Kaneki scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "...I like the thighs the best. But let's just get an arm, those are the easiest to break off." Hide averted his eyes as his friend tore an arm off the body with his sharp claws. "Here." He handed him it.

Taking it hesitantly, Hide took off his mask, laid it on the ground, and looked down at the severed arm. Blood dripped from where it had been forcibly ripped from the body. Looking once again at the corpse, he apologized to whoever it had been in his mind. And then he took a bite.

It was like nothing he had ever tasted before. An explosion of delicious flavor overwhelmed his taste buds and he took another bite, and another, and another. The arm was gone and he grabbed for another piece, tearing into the soft, delicate flesh of the body and scooping out a handful of muscle. Desperately, he shoved it into his mouth. Blood rushed out the fresh wounds on the body, which he lapped up eagerly before ripping another chunk out.

This was what it was to be a ghoul. This was the hunger and the satisfaction of a monster. Hide suddenly came back to his senses when this thought crossed his foggy mind and he collapsed to the ground, looking down at the stained pavement in shame. A hunk of meat slipped from his bloodied hands, landing beside him. The sweet taste of human flesh lingered in his mouth, and he blinked the tears that were threatening to spill out of his eyes away.

"I...I don't want to eat anymore," Hide whispered. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his back. Ever so slowly, Kaneki began to rub the tension out of his muscles. Hide allowed himself to fall completely on the pavement, curling up in a ball and covering his face in remorse.