Timeless

1

The bell to your bookshop jingled quietly. Not looking up from the 16th century text you were translating, you called, "Sorry, we're about to close."
"Have you got enough time for me?" a familiar voice asked. Your head shot up and a brilliant smile stretched across your face.
"Touka-chan!" The black haired girl smiled at you sheepishly, obviously thinking about the last time she had visited your shop. You beamed at her and she seemed to relax a little. She walked to your desk. You stood up, walked around your desk and engulfed the short ghoul in a hug.
When you pulled back she gave you a small smile, which was a lot coming from Touka. You grabbed thick pile of manuscripts from a chair and gestured toward it, "Please, sit." Touka complied, placing her school bag on the ground. You moved more papers off your desk and sat opposite her, propping your elbows up on the desk. She glanced at your work, "Did I come at a bad time?" You waved a hand nonchalantly, "Oh, this is just the usual, nothing too big." Touka stared in disbelief, "That certainly looks big." You smiled slightly and decided to change the subject, "So, Ms. Touka, what brings you to my fine establishment?" You spread your hands dramatically. Touka rolled her eyes, "We've got a new member at Anteiku."
You raised your eyebrows, "Do tell."
"His name is Kaneki Ken," she reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. She fiddled with it for a second then pushed it across the table. You looked down at a picture of a black haired boy wearing an eyepatch and Anteiku uniform.
"He's cute," you commented. Touka's face heated up a little, "He's a boy Y/N."
"Yeah, so?"
"You're a boy."
"Yeah, so?"
Touka huffed, "Anyway, he was Rize's prey, but while she was attacking him, some metal beams from overhead construction fell on her. She was dead by the time the ambulances arrived. Kaneki was dying, so the doctor decided to transplant Rize's organs into him." You made a face, "A one eyed ghoul, huh?" Touka nodded grimly. You smiled sarcastically, "Bit of a turnoff, isn't it?" Touka rolled her eyes at the ceiling, "Honestly, you're worse than Tsukiyama sometimes." Your eyes widened, "Untrue!"
Touka grabbed her phone and shoved it back into her bag.
"Mr. Yoshimura wants you to train Kaneki."
"No."
"Not in fighting, just teach him the basics of being a ghoul."
You breathed a sigh of relief, "Okay."
"Great, what time?"
"This time tomorrow, tell him to ask me about the weather."
Touka frowned, "Y/N, you've already seen what he looks like, do you really need to be that cautious?"
You stared her dead in the eye, "I've spent my entire life trying to find a place where I'm safe and now that I've found one I'm not giving it up because of some child who's still wet behind the ears. You hear me?"
Touka blanched, "I hear you."
You sighed, "Now get out of my shop! I really do have to close up."

Thanks for reading!