TRACK ME DOWN [Taneki] [Touken Fanfiction] [Tokyo Ghoul Fanfiction]

Chapter Sixteen :RE

•Sasaki•

"Just so you know I am not doing this for you." Touka's snarly voice threatens as she slams the door of her apartment shut, strolling past me as she plops herself down on the sofa, along with a large stack of files. I sigh, nodding my head timidly as I follow suit, sitting myself down a safe distance away. Silence follows as she selects particular files from her stack and places them on the table, making a slapping sound against the table as they do so.
An awkward tension hangs around us like a bad smell, and it's hard to think we used to get along so well. As Touka continues her search for various information, I can't help but look at how much she's changed since the first time we met. What used to be soft, milky hair is now unkempt and relatively discolored. Her eyes - what used to a beautiful lilac - now display only dark indigoes and greys. Her cheeks are no longer a soft, creamy color - only rough and worn. She still looks stunningly beautiful in every way, but now she just looks tired; worn. For some reason I can't help but feel like it's all my fault. I look away.
"Right." She says monotone, sighing as she rubs her forehead harshly with her fingers, another sigh quickly following.
I return my attention to her.
"That's all the relevant information I have." She begins.
"Read it, call me when you're done."
"You're not staying?"
"I have some business to take care of. Now start reading." Nodding my head, I begin opening the files as I thread my caloused fingers between the pages. I feel the sofa move, and realise Touka has stood up.
I hear a tinkering of some sort as I glance in Touka's direction. Her white hair masks her face as she leaves once again, sidestepping the door as she pulls it open. Taking one small step into the hallway, she closes it, leaving behind a small 'click' as she does so. Silence follows. Sighing, I shake my head and prepare myself to overload my brain with ghoulish information.

•Touka•

I walk briskly through the small corner shop of :RE, stopping only momentarily to greet Yomo, who stands behind the counter.
"Oh hi, Touka. What're you doin' here? I thought you'd be working today. Yomo asks, his voice slightly monotone.
I turn to face him.
"I am. My subordinate's helping me with some paperwork. I'm just leaving to grab some files I forgot." I lie. Ever since Sasaki came into my life, I haven't been able to manage the shop as much anymore. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever get my old life back.
"Y ' sure it's just paperwork? This isn't turning into a romantic thing, right Touka? Besides, I want my employee back." Yomo smirks the tiniest of smirks, and I roll my eyes.
"No, it's not. And don't worry, as soon as I'm done with this section, I'll be back to normal. Trust me." I smile a little trying to hide the things Yomo doesn't know of. Yomo nods his head slowly in sort-of understanding.
"Gotcha. Well, go do your thing. We'll talk business later." I do gratefully, leaving the small, quaint coffee shop quietly as I walk through the almost empty streets.
It's rather early here, so not many people will be out and about at these hours. I wrap my green jacket tightly around my slim frame as the wind blows harshly, and make haste to pull down my shorts too. I must say it feels weird wearing home clothes again. I feel like I haven't taken my work uniform off in decades. Rubbing my arms to warm them up, I turn the corner and walk down the entire length of the street, turning a few blocks before I reach my destination. Walking up the apartment building stairs, I stop at the front door and knock once, twice, three times.
A few more seconds and two gusts of wind later, I hear the click of the door lock and a creaking sound as the oaken door swings open, revealing a disheveled mess of red knots and clumps of hair, as well as a very downtrodden looking Yoriko. Her eyes still show sleep, and her face tells me that she isn't in the greatest shape. I feel a pang of guilt, waking her up so early like this.
"T-Touka - Chan?" Yoriko says sleepily, rubbing her eyes as she slumps against the doorframe.
"What're you doing here?" Her honeys sweet voice asks. I roll my eyes.
"Just let me in, I'm freezing my ass off out here." I say, a hint of sarcasm dripping from my mouth. Yoriko chuckles.
"Okay." Sidestepping the door, she opens the slab of wood on hinges wider to let me in, and I willingly comply. As of the moment I set foot in the small apartment, I immediately feel an embrace of warmth engulf me in it's midst, and 'mhm' in elation.
Yoriko soon guides me to the kitchen, where she offers me a seat at the dining room table. I take it. The walls and color palette are still the same; a creamy white and sleek, glassy greys.
Yoriko approaches the stainless steel refrigerator, pulling out a carton of milk. She also retrieves a bowl, spoon, and box of cereal from other various kitchen locations. It doesn't take long for Yoriko to prepare her breakfast. I sit in silence AS I waif patiently for her to finish.
"You want some?" She asks, shaking the box of cereal as the small corn oil and butter based pieces tumble around in the box. Just thinking about human food makes me feel sick.
Shrugging, she sits down, taking a spoonful of the vile stuff and shoving it in her mouth, slurping it down in one gulp. I cringe.
"So. What brings you to my humble abode, and so early too?" She asks between mouthfuls, and suddenly stops, dropping her silver spoon into her half eaten bowl of cereal. She stands abruptly, grabbing hold of either of my shoulders and shaking me vigorously.
"Is there something wrong? Did someone die? Are you eating? Do you have a boyfriend? Do you want to die?!" Yoriko shouts in my ear, spouting get complete nonsense. I try to pry her death grip off of my now very sore shoulders, but to no avail.
"Yoriko! Calm down, will you? If you let me speak, I'll tell you. Now please stop shaking me." I exclaim. She stops. I inhale a deep breath of air before continuing.
"Sorry... It's just been too long!" She says. I smile.
"Yeah, I guess it has."
"It's good to see you again. You've cleaned up well." She says. I laugh.
"I guess you could say that." Suddenly, she goes all sad.
"What? What's wrong now?" I ask. Yoriko sits, scratching her messy, unkempt bed hair.
"I still don't get why you dyed it. "
"Dyed what?"
"Your hair. I miss your purple hair, Touka Chan..." She trails off, and I look at her weirdly before laughing at how down she seems about my hair color. Sometimes it's funny that she gets depressed over the littlest things. It's cruel, I know. But funny.
"Maybe I'll dye it back." I say reassuringly, and her face immediately lights up like a Christmas tree.
"Well, that's good. What line of work are you in nowadays, Touka? I heard someone saying you were a CCG Investigator. " I sigh, nodding my head.
"It's only temporary, though. I'm working part time at a coffee shop my brother and I own." Yoriko nods her head, a small look of confusion on her face. After a few seconds though, she wipes it, replacing it with a content smile.
"Well, it's good to see you. So. Why did you come here so early then?" I sigh. Am I really about to do this?
"Well, there's this guy..."

•Sasaki•

Just keep it together, Sasaki. You can't let this get to you now. No, it's not going to happen now. There's no way you can just become another disappointment. Keep it together. At least try - for her. I rub my hand against my forehead as I crease my eyebrows in pain. My spine starts to ache at an unbelievable level of pain, but I bear with it. Whatever it is, I'm just going to have to deal with it for now. I continue to scan the through the files reading over and over the information again and again. I can see why Touka would be so frustrated about this, there's barely any plausible information to use to pinpoint Eyepatches location. I sigh.
What I really need to do is check out whatever I missed a few nights back, maybe then I'll be able to shed some light on this very dim situation. I shake my head. What am I doing? Am I really doing all of this for one girl?
Of course you are.
I let out another sigh. Sometimes I wish I could just say sorry and let that be the end of it, but fate has other fucked up plans. Rubbing my forehead, I ignore the ever-increasing pain in my spine as I pull out my phone and quickly dial Saiko's number and hold it to my ear.

~•♡•~

"Nothing much was found. A few hair samples and a broken window pretty much. I think Kirishima-san mentioned that the attack methods were way off, but I might be wrong. I wasn't really listening." I sigh.
"Do you know where it happened?" I ask, exasperated. The pain in my spine seems to have subsided, although I can tell it's not completely gone.
"Uh... Hang on, lemme ask Urie. He'll know." I hear rustling and a bunch of static, before a series of yelling. A few more seconds pass as I wait impatiently for Saiko to hurry up and reply.
"Maman? Are you still there? I have the address." She says, and I quickly reply with a small 'yes'. Following that one word, Seiko proceeds to tell me the address of the crime scene. She asks me why I wasn't there the day it happened, and so I simply tell her I wasn't aware that Mutsuki had tried to call me.
"You weren't there either though, were you?" I ask skeptically, implying the probable truth.
"I don't remember...Nghh." Seiko whines, and I shake my head in complete chastise. Silence follows.
"...Maman?"
"Mhm?"
"Did something happen between you and Squad Leader Kirishima? " I almost choke on my own oxygen.
"No, of course not. Why do you say that?"
"I just heard Mutsuki and Shirazu-San talking about it earlier."
"Nothing has happened. I've got to go, thank Urie for me, will you?" I ask expectantly.
"Yeah, yeah. Oh, and he told me to tell you to stop being a prick and make a move already." I blush.
"Okay... Thanks again, Saiko."
"Bye Maman." And with that, the call ends. Engraving the address she told me into my mind, I immediately return my phone to my pocket and head out of the apartment, exiting through the small coffee shop Touka and I sat in on our first meeting. I sigh, staring at the small secluded area where we sat. I wish things didn't get so complicated, I really wish they hadn't. Looking past the orange haired guy who stands sourly behind the counter and brushing against a few tables as I leave, I walk down the pavement as I head in the direction of the address. I'm hoping I'll find something relateable to Eyepatch there.

Okay so I finally updated again, sorry if the story has gone off of the original plot line I had for it, but my ideas kept getting BIGGER. \(•♡•)/
Please do not be afraid to comment (I'd be so surprised if anyone is still read in this shit fan fiction haha), leave a vote down below if you enjoyed! I know this one seemed a bit like a filler, it probably is, Idc 》○《
Please stay with me, you will not regret it! Thanks to sell of those who have, and trust me, this is still a Kaneki X Touka fan fiction, so do about the ending like ooh plz du naht end up wid saski toka cause bitch she ain't (yeah idfk) XD

~Touka