Tokyo Ghoul x Reader [ oneshots ]

Come Back Soon [Kaneki Ken]

She walked out of the lecture hall alone.

With her books in hand, she let out a quiet sigh and stepped out into the open, glancing around the grounds of the university. A quick glance of her timetable told her that she had some time before the next lesson and thus she started making her way to one of the quieter cafés on campus.

It was a café that he liked as well.

They often frequented this place between classes, and sitting there with a coffee and book in hand really brought back memories of all those times they spent together.

Coming to terms with his disappearance was difficult. His absence created a huge chasm in her everyday life. The best friend that she had was suddenly gone without a trace and even Hide had no idea where he was.

Worst of all, his absence made her realize one thing.

She loved him.

The happiness – that bliss – she felt around him was not merely friendship. It was something more; and that made his sudden departure all the more heart wrenching.

She still missed him sorely. That shy smile of his whenever she got too close; the enthusiastic glint in his eyes when he spoke of a new book he picked up... she missed all those little things about him, and most of all...

... She missed him.

The pages of her new book were left untouched as she stirred her tea with a stirrer. Watching the liquid swirling in the cup was almost hypnotising, and she almost didn't notice the piercing stare directed at her.

When she finally noticed it, she looked up and scanned her surroundings, and her gaze instantly gravitated towards him.

"... Kaneki..."

His name left her lips in a whisper of disbelief; her eyes wide as she watched him step out from behind the corner of the shop, a tiny smile hanging on his lips as if he were embarrassed about getting caught. He began walking towards her, but it was too slow for her liking; for when she finally snapped out of her trance, she stood up and ran towards him.

He caught her with ease, a soft look painted over his features as he held her trembling form.

"Shh," he said quietly, "don't cry."

The sound of his voice only made her cry more against his chest, and he decided that it would be best if he spoke no further and let her calm down a little instead. He never knew her to be this much of a crier, but hearing her whisper his name over and over like a mantra, he knew his disappearance must have affected her badly too.

So he embraced her for as long as she needed, trying to etch into his memory the feeling of being so close to her.

When her sobs finally subsided, he heard her inhale deeply before breathing out in a shaky voice, "please tell me I'm not hallucinating again..."

"I'm real," he mumbled.

"You're alive... Thank god you're alive..."

Shifting so as to look at him, she asked, while rubbing away the wetness on her face. "Where have you been?"

It was only then that he realized that he didn't know how to answer that simple question that he should have expected the moment he let himself get caught staring at her. Telling her the truth was out of the question. There was no way that he would drag her into the dark world he now existed in. She was not tainted the way he was, and he wanted to protect that light from the darkness – from himself.