{ON HOLD!}The Language of Flowers (ShuuNeki/TsukiKaneAU)

{7: Peony}

{7: Peony}

"It's your fault," a voice hisses. Groaning due to the pain in his head, Shuu slowly (and shakily) pushes himself up into a sitting position. Even though he moves slowly, the whole process is painful. His head feels as though it has been run over by a truck, his ribs feel like they are on fire and his legs feel like they have been stung by a million bees. "It's your fault that Hinami died." Upon blinking his eyes to clear his vision, Shuu realizes that he is ALONE in a basement with Rabbit. Rabbit was a famous murder that had mysteriously disappeared... Many had assumed that Rabbit had died. Staring at the figure before him, and comparing it to the memory of an image shown on the news years ago, Shuu knows that this Rabbit is no imposter. Rabbit isn't dead. However, it is clear that Shuu will likely be dead soon.

"How did you know Hinami?" Shuu asks, meanwhile bracing himself for any possible blows. Hopefully he can somehow talk his way out of this...

"She is... Was my friend," Rabbit whispers, momentarily losing the anger in her voice that made her sound harsh and intimidating. "SHE WAS LIKE A LITTLE SISTER TO ME!" Her voice quickly rises in pitch. "YOU TOOK MY LITTLE SISTER AWAY FROM ME!" Rabbit then kicks Shuu with a surprising amount of force. "YOU, YOU, YOU..." Rabbit's voice trails off as she begins to cry. "She would talk about you ALL the damn time! Shuu told me that this flower means this, and that flower means that..." Rabbit kicks Shuu several more times, as if trying to prove to him that even if she is crying behind her mask, that she is still able to injury (and kill) him.

"DO YOU THINK THAT I COULD DISAGREE WITH YOU?" Shuu wails, meanwhile clutching his stomach, the place where Rabbit has kicked him the most. "IF I HAD TURNED RIZE INTO THE AUTHORITIES WHEN SHE PAID ME A SURPRISE VISIT, NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE EVER HAPPENED! IF I HAD ACTED FASTER, SOONER..." Tears soon blur Shuu's vision. Shuu KNOWS his vision must be majorly blurred as he thinks he sees Rabbit bend down to stroke his face.

Yep, he can't see worth a damn.

Rabbit lands a powerful punch upon Shuu's jaw. The force of the blow results in Shuu biting his own tongue. He hastily spits in a desperate attempt to prevent himself from having to taste the horrid taste of blood. Upon seeing him spit, Rabbit clicks her tongue in annoyance.

"I don't get what Hinami ever saw in you... Wouldn't a normal person be trying to defend themselves? Why are you just sitting there? Get up and fight me! GET UP, GET UP, GET UP!" Rabbit screeches, before throwing herself at Shuu.

Shuu fails to move. He merely waits for it, his punishment for his failure to save the precious Hinami... Knowing that he only as seconds to live, Shuu decides to take one nice, long breath.

"Touka-chan, STOP!" A familiar voice hollers. The voice proves to be powerful because it results in Rabbit not only realeasing Shuu's neck from her strong grasp, but also results in her backing away from him. At the top of the stairs, seeming to be glowing due to the intense daylight from above, is Kaneki Ken. "Hinami wouldn't want you to do this."

"I know but..." Rabbit or "Touka-chan" responds, her voice trembling, "but I have to do something, I have to..." Slowly descending the stairs, Kaneki soon stands by Touka.

Placing a comforting hand upon one of her narrow shoulders, Kaneki says "We all wish that we could do something... If you're like me, you probably wish that you could travel back in time to prevent her death. We can't do that, no matter how much we desire to." Touka mumbles something inaudible upon hearing Kaneki's words. "We were all close to Hinami. Her death makes us extremely sad, angry and frustrated... Those feelings, caused by grief, COULD consume us if we make poor choices. Touka-chan, if you were to kill him..."

With a trembling hand, Touka rips off her mask and throws it to the ground. "I just wanted to do something.... I just... OH GOD I ALMOST KILLED AGAIN, KANEKI, I ALMOST..." Touka has fallen to her knees. She is currently crying harder than Shuu thought humanly possible. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry. I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorry..."

"I'm sorry," Shuu whispers, although failing to specify what he is sorry for.

"I'm sorry," Kaneki says, and he too fails to specify what he is sorry for.

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"Anyways, I had originally came to give you this," Kaneki says, handing a Peony to Touka. Touka accepts the flower with a small smile.

"It's a Peony, and it represents healing," Shuu notes, "A very good choice, Kaneki." For a few minutes they all just gaze at the flower. Perhaps, with time, they can all heal.

/I'm sorry there hasn't been much Kaneki x Shuu in this yet.../