I Won't Leave Again (Touken)

Chapter 24: Presence

"Hide, come on we're going to be late!" 

"Yeah, yeah just one minute" Hide was trying to style his hair as Kaneki rolled his eyes. 

"Aaaaaand done. How do I look?" Hide was wearing his classic yellow and black jacket while Kaneki wore his beige overcoat.

"Like Hide" 

"Good thing?" 

"Meh" Kaneki laughed as Hide shoved him out the door. They walked towards the theatre as Hide told him stories about his delivery job; Kaneki listened until they approached the theatre and saw Touka standing beside Yoriko. Yoriko looked as if she was also blabbering on about her own life stories as Touka noticed Hide and Kaneki approaching. 

"Hey ladies" Hide confidently spoke as he strolled up ahead of Kaneki. 

"Hello Hide" Touka answered while Yoriko giggled. 

There was a bit of a silence before Kaneki disrupted it. 

"The movie's starting in a minute we should head in" Hide walked beside Yoriko starting with small talk. Before long, they were gabbing like friends who've known each other for years. 

"I told you they would be a perfect match" Touka whispered to Kaneki. 

"I didn't disagree" 

In the movie, Yoriko and Touka sat next to each other with their boys beside them on the outside. Hide was sharing popcorn with Yoriko who in turn tried to share with Touka and Kaneki. 

"Here you guys it's a big bag have some" 

"I'm fine I ate before" Touka put her hand up lying. 

"Yeah me too" 

"Your loss" Yoriko giggled. 

It was a romantic movie, Hide started with the classic clichéd move, a fake yawn followed by an arm around the shoulder. Yoriko didn't deny it. Only 10 minutes later, the two were making out as if they were lovers separated for 5 years. Touka and Kaneki shook their heads in disbelief. They thought this pairing would be successful but not THIS successful. Kaneki leaned in. 

"Can you believe this? It took us like a year to even get together" 

"Technically we kissed on our first date too" Both flashed back to the magical night on the beach, a memory neither would ever forget. 

"Yeah, but the setting was a little more romantic than a movie theatre don't you think?" 

"Yeah it was" Touka stifled a laugh. After the movie, the four walked out. 

"How was the movie?" Kaneki sarcastically asked. 

"It was great" A dizzy Hide responded 

"Yeah real great" Yoriko grinned. The two looked at each other like little kids. 

"Unbelievable" Touka muttered hearing their answers. 

The four hung around the nearby park for awhile and chatted amongst themselves, it was a quite beautiful night. 

Finally, Yoriko yawned; it was about 12pm. 

"Maybe I should get you home?" Hide offered. 

"Sure" 

"OK!" Hide offered his hand to her. 

"Bye guys!" Yoriko waived as she walked off with Hide. 

"I'll text you tomorrow Kaneki, bye Touka" Hide yelled. Soon the two disappeared. 

"Can you believe them?" Touka laughed. 

"They're both pretty eccentric" 

"Who would use that word to describe them?" 

"I would" 

"Yeah, because you're a dork" 

"And you're mean" 

She stuck her tongue out at him and gave him the finger. 

"Oh that is it Miss. Kirishima!" He cracked his fingers as Touka laughed and started running. He chased her, but she was too fast. 

Eventually, He lay on the grass by a tree too lazy to chase until she ran out of gas. Touka came over and placed her foot on his stomach. 

"You're pathetic" 

"Yeah you're right haha, lay down with me" 

"The grass is cold" 

"No it's not Touka, lay down" He said in a classic Kaneki voice. 

"Sigh" she rolled her purple eyes, she still couldn't say no to him when he talked like that. The grass actually was warm and reasonably comfortable. They lay there in silence looking up at the stars 

"No science lesson tonight?" Touka sarcastically asked.

"Nope" 

More silence.

"It's peaceful isn't it?" Kaneki had his eyes closed and was smiling ear to ear. Touka adored him. 

"It is" She grabbed his hand as she snuggled closer brushing arms with him for warmth. After a solid 30 minutes, Touka yawned and shuttered. 

"It's getting really late we should probably go" Kaneki offered upon hearing the yawn and noticing her starting to shiver. 

"Umm do you mind if I stay at your place Ken? I'm too tired to walk back to Anteiku and you're close" 

"You don't have to ask" He laid there with his eyes closed for one last moment. Touka moved over him setting her lips on his. She stayed until she couldn't breathe. Kaneki eyes remained closed, but his smile somehow got bigger. 

"Alright come on" Touka pulled him to his feet. They cleaned the grass off each other's back and headed towards Kaneki's. Touka was starting to shiver through her jacket; it had gotten pretty cold fairly quickly. 

...

As they approached, a weird feeling came over Kaneki, the street was empty but he felt... A presence, but no malice came from it. 

...

He looked towards an alley and he was sure he saw something in the corner of his eye. Touka didn't seem to notice being too distracted by the cold and her own tiredness. Kaneki stared around, not totally sure of what action to take. He put his arm around Touka and escorted her into the building. 

They changed into sleepwear, Touka just wearing one of Kaneki's T-Shirts and a pair of sleep pants. He normally would be distracted by how cute he thought this was, but his mind was elsewhere. 

"What was that?" He kept thinking. 

Regardless, it didn't take long for the two of them to end up under the covers. Touka snuggled up to his side with an arm strung across his chest. One of his arms was underneath her as he lay on his back. He listened intently trying to hear her fall asleep. It didn't take long, Touka's breathing became slow and rhythmic 

"Touka?" He whispered. 

No response. 

Slowly, as if he would be killed if she awoke, he rolled her over on her side allowing his arm to escape. 

"Mmmm" she moaned in her sleep. 

He remained still and quite. She was still asleep. 

"Phew" He tiptoed out of the room leaving the door opened a smidgen. He grabbed his sweater and his keys quietly exiting his apartment. 

"I have to find out what that was" As soon as he exited the building he felt the presence again, it had been waiting for him. 

...

"Come out" He spoke to the empty street. He heard movement in a nearby alley. Slowly a figure emerged, a rabbit mask hanging on its head. Kaneki's eyes widened. 

"You" Kaneki spoke. 

"Hello Eyepatch" The figure removed its mask revealing purple hair and two purple eyes. 

"...Ayato"