Centipedes in my ears

Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Why can't I be whole?

Kaneki couldn't wait for the next day. He really wanted to see the observant sunshine incarnate. He still knew to be careful around the boy he met yesterday, but he felt like he could just be himself around the other without consequences. Sadly that wouldn't be the case. Humans hated ghouls, and Kaneki was more ghoul than anything else.

Hide had been nice to him though. Kaneki knew the other was actually a lot more observant than he seemed to be. One of the main questions people had asked Kaneki was how he got his hair white. Along with where he got his nails done. His asked none of these and didn't even ask any personal information about Kaneki. And the reaction that he had first gotten when the other saw his hair. It was clear Hide hadn't been fully looking at him until he sat down, then the flash of emotions in his eyes when he saw the other. Hide knew the sickly white hair that Kaneki had was natural.

Still, Kaneki had to see the other. Hide made him feel like a person. For a moment he felt like he didn't have to put himself back together. That it wasn't a fine line he walked between insanity and stability.

That night and the next day passed excruciatingly slowly for Kaneki. It took him hours to fall asleep and his dreams were more nightmarish than usual. Although waiting for Hide the next day wasn't as bad. Sure, it passed slowly for Kaneki but it was fun. He was having Aunt Rize teach him how to read.

When Hide did arrive, it took all Kaneki had in him not to tackle the other to the ground. He was that excited.

"Hide!" And with that, Kaneki's self control slipped and he ran over to the blonde.

"I didn't know you'd miss me that much 'Neki."

"It's boring without you though! Aunt Rize, when she's not teaching me, is flirting with other guys. Touka doesn't like me and is really mean! And all the other employees are scared of me! Hey Hide! Can we go outside?"

"Sure. Where do you want to go?"

"Can we go to the park? I've never been to a park."

They began their walk to the nearby park. Kaneki was excited. He really had never been to a park before. He'd passed the park with Aunt Rize when she took him home, but they hadn't stopped there. He really wanted to climb one of the trees. It seemed fun.

They first passed the playground the park had, before moving on to the more open areas dotted with a few trees. Kaneki ran up to the largest one. Quickly climbing to the highest branch that he could get to, looking like an acrobat the whole time. He grabbed the branch with his legs and fell forward, facing a flabbergasted Hide.

"How the hell did you get up there so fast?!"

"Look at me Hide!"

"Jeez 'Neki. Are you secretly an acrobat or something? With those kind of moves you must be great in bed!"

Kaneki blushed a deep red at this. The boy may have been immune to a decent portion of factors that caused certain emotional responses, talking about sex was not one of them.

"Hide!"

Hide laughed at the blush covering the others face. He was brash and unstable, but there were parts of childlike innocence about him. He probably never got to have a childhood and was using his newfound freedom to make up for lost time. It was actually kind of adorable, Kaneki's reaction. Who would've thought Kaneki would blush that badly at Hide's statement?

"I'm all alone down here Kaneki, so come back down! Rabbits die of loneliness!"

"Coming!"

Kaneki's descent was even more impressive. When he got to a branch that was about ten feet above the ground, he flipped from it landing on his feet. It was rather fun for him. He hadn't done anything physical since he escaped from Cochlea. Although Aunt Rize said they were going to do a little training with him that night.