I felt so weak and helpless in his arms, as we flew over the beautiful lights of Tokyo. I had no idea where I was going but Kaneki's face reassured me that everything was going to be just fine, I wasn't going to suffer any more. A small smile swept onto my face, I felt at peace and almost safe. Though I knew deep down I was never going to be safe or alright. My humanity and every thing that made me consider myself human was stripped away from me. Despite the smile printed onto my face hot tears still seemed to stream down my face. I felt a soft cold hand wipe the tears from my cheeks. "There's no need to cry anymore, I'll protect you." his voice soothed me. Hearing those words alone would make me feel better, but having them come from his mouth made them worth a whole lot more to me.
"Thank you..." I managed to choke out, strangling the sobs stuck in my throat even more. I wanted everything to stop but they wouldn't. I wanted to go back home, where ever that was. I wanted to scream and cry and let the whole world know my pain. I wanted to eat, it felt as if my entire stomach was crumbling beneath the pressure of hunger. I wanted to hug and kiss Kaneki over and over, because he was my enemy and savior all in one. Yet all I could do was let Kaneki carry me to where ever he wanted to and hold on to his shirt with a shaking uncertainty. I wanted to leave the Aogiri, but in my condition I couldn't, even though I knew they were the CCG's sworn enemy, the scum of Tokyo, scavenging for trouble whenever they could. They were power hungry animals. Monsters in human flesh. My mind was swimming with thoughts and memories. My friends back in the CCG, the academy, my best friend, my family, the tables, Dr. Kanou anything and everything was on my mind all at once, slowly suffocating me in a stressed dark world.
I had no idea how long we were 'flying'. When we finally touched down on solid ground, not relying on Kaneki's kagune to steady us, Kaneki set me down on the cold concrete. I didn't recognize any of the surrounding area. The building in front of me was small and run down, the streets were dark, lit only by surrounding room lights and a single running street light. I could hear everything, from the breaking of bottles, screams, and so many other noises. I could tell that this was not exactly your normal friendly neighborhood. Kaneki and two other men came out. One of the larger men with a wisp of facial hair adorning his chin scooped me up into his arms. I squirmed momentarily but went limp because of how sick and horrible I felt. I didn't even have enough strength to fight back, I felt pathetic and embarrassed. My cheeks were burning with humiliation. Kaneki rushed into the house and the other man opened the door for the man carrying me. He handled me so gently, as if I could break any moment.
"Bienvenue (Welcome) mademoiselle~" The purple haired man whispered to me as we entered. The same man shut the door behind me and the chin hair guy. The man with the wisp of hair set me down on an old couch and proceeded to lay me down.
"Kaneki...Where am I?" I asked him, my now dull green eyes traveled up to his haunted grey orbs.
"Your at my place, with my friends, Tsukiyama, Banjou, and Hinami. We're going to take care of you, just like I promised." He looked at me as if I was close to dying. Which I probably was, I was starving and so exhausted. I knew that wound on my stomach wasn't fully healed and my wounds from Ayato as well. That definitely didn't help my case any. I really just needed food and sleep. I closed my eyes for a moment and I could hear Kaneki's breath hitch and quicken. My eyes opened once more and Kaneki almost instantly relaxed. I smiled and tried to giggle, only to be followed by a fit of coughing. A small girl about my height rushed out from the back. I assumed her to be the Hinami person mentioned before.
She was juggling packages of meat, and wet rags. "Here you go Onii-chan." she spoke sweetly and quietly. Her brown hair looked darling on her, her brown eyes were glassy with anxiety and worry over me and her handsome Onii-chan. She helped me up in the same manner Banjou carried me. Her eyes were sincere and caring. Kaneki put the food in front of me as I wolfed it down. Banjou brought in a hot cup of coffee. After treating me so sweetly Tsukiyama ushered them out. Now it was just me and Kaneki. He put his head down in my lap,and his hands curled into fists.
"Kaneki, I'm going to be OK, I just need to eat. There's no need to cry, remember." I whispered into his ear, smiling. My strength was already returning with the amount of food I've consumed already. He looked up at me, his silver eyes brimmed with tears. Did he feel bad, because of me?
"How long did they abuse you like that? I was so worried you were going to die, I knew from the moment we fought that something wasn't right, you weren't as strong as your kagune suggests. I'm sorry." He finished. I took a moment to process what he had said. Was he really that worried about me? The girl he just met, the girl he almost killed, the girl who caused him so much trouble in such a short amount of time. The girl he took away and ran away with just to save her. I wasn't sure if I should feel ashamed or honored. I leaned up and kissed him.
"For about a year, but I'll be fine, especially now that I'm with you, Kaneki." I said confidently as I planted another small kiss on his nose.
