Amon's Justice

Chapter 4

Amon really hadn't known what he was doing when making the coffee – the stench alone was proof enough of that. Eyepatch briefly grimaced when he first tasted it, but was polite enough not to comment. And so they sat together in the living room for some time, sipping silently on the acidic drink and both pretending it wasn't horrible. Not much was said between them. Instead, each observed the other out of the corners of their eyes, uncertain, a little afraid, and very uncomfortable in the shared silence. Amon began looking at the clock every couple of seconds. When Eyepatch finished his coffee, Amon took the mugs back to the kitchen to wash them. He was eager for any excuse to be alone.

It was then, as he poured the black and silty remains down the drain, that Amon heard footsteps by the door. Then came four knocks, soft but urgent. He strode quickly towards the door and, after verifying that it was indeed Hide, pulled it open and ushered him inside. Hide looked exhausted.

"What took you so long?" growled Amon. Hide merely smiled.

"Sorry, sorry; they didn't clear us until midnight."

"It's 2 am!"

"Where's Kaneki?"

Amon pointed behind himself, and the two started toward the living room.

"I had to swing by Anteik— I mean, a place— break in, and get Kaneki some food. It was a lot of running; they shut down the subway. But I'm here now!"

Wait, food?! Amon wasn't quite sure how to react.

"Hide?" came a voice from down the hall. The two quit their banter and hurried into the living room. Eyepatch's eyes grew wide, and once again Amon couldn't quite make out what the ghoul was feeling.

"Yo, Kaneki." Hide said lightly, his characteristically bright smile seeming quite out of place to Amon.

"Hide..."

"I like the white hair. Super stylish." Eyepatch –or Kaneki, rather– smiled slightly at this comment. Hide, grinning back, sat down next to Kaneki on the couch, and Amon stood awkwardly behind the coffee table, still uncertain.

"Long time no see, man; where've ya been?"

Kaneki said nothing, and after a moment averted his gaze. He then shifted on the couch, attempting to move slightly away, and winced from his injuries. Hide's happy features morphed into a concerned frown. The shadows under his eyes and the creases on his forehead became more apparent, and Amon began to wonder if the situation was wearing on Hide more than he let on. He always seemed so carefree...

"How are your wounds?" asked Hide. Kaneki brought his arms across his torso to conceal them, and muttered "It's nothing. Please don't worry." One hand came up to brush against his chin. Hide's frown deepened. It's obvious that he cares about him. God, he's so stupid. The poor guy shouldn't go around getting attached to ghouls like that. Amon absentmindedly fiddled with his crucifix. Hide pressed further:

"Well, they don't look like nothing. Are you still bleeding?" It's stupid. It will only bring him pain. Kaneki said nothing.

"Can I see them?" Hide reached toward the ghoul to move his arm out of the way, and Kaneki tensed, wide-eyed. Uh oh; dangerous.

"Watch out, Nagachika," warned Amon. Hide glared at him and shook his head, but Kaneki interjected:

"He's right, Hide. I'm – it's not safe."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, Kaneki. I trust you." The ghoul began his faint protests again, but Nagachika paid him no mind and gently pulled Kaneki's arm away from the wound. Kaneki, though clearly much stronger, made no attempt at physical resistance and let him examine his wounds. Odd behavior for a ghoul...

"Why haven't you healed yet, Kaneki? Don't ghouls have, like, healing powers and stuff?"

"Well, they aren't powers..." Kaneki's voice tapered off. He seemed either unable or unwilling to provide an explanation, so Amon decided to be blunt: "He can't heal because he's weak, and he's weak because he's starving." And because he's starving, he's dangerous. But Hide won't want to hear that.

Hide's eyebrows creased further.

"I understand. You need to eat, right?" he said, looking back to Kaneki. Kaneki looked as if he was going to deny it, but after glancing back and forth at the two humans, he looked away and lowered his gaze in shame. Hide, taking that as a yes, began to rummage through his coat pockets.

"Look, I don't really know how this works... But I figured you might need some... to help you heal... so I went to Anteiku and got you... well..." Hide pulled out a brown paper package. Is that what I think it is? Kaneki sucked in a breath, his single kakugan suddenly ablaze. Oh God, it is.

...

Also, since when was Eyepatch a One-Eyed ghoul?