Last with FSOM:
He reached a hand out for the seat belt, taking his eyes of Emmett's still form to buckle himself in. Once he was done, gray met gold again, looking at him expectantly.
"So, where are we heading?"
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Kaneki, once they were on the road, looked over at Emmett, waiting for the response to his previous question. The windows to the Jeep were down, the warm air rushing past and into the vehicle whipping his already messy hair around his face a bit. He didn't mind it too much.
The larger man drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "Well, we could head out to Port Angeles Or Seattle? Get something to eat; have you eaten anything today?"
Kaneki watched as Emmett gave him a sort of once-over before smiling when he caught his eyes. Kaneki looked away, not sure if that eating comment was a jab at his weight. He wasn't underweight or anything. Besides, anyone would feel small compared to Emmett.
"I ate a bit ago," he said. More like a few weeks ago. But Emmett didn't need to know that. The pointed look he received told him that he hadn't been convincing enough, but Kaneki refused to back down and change his statement.
He knew he wasn't the best liar. Hide had told him that many times growing up; he had even made a funny side comment about it when the blonde revealed that he'd known Kaneki was a ghoul for a long time. However, Hide had just been more observant and perspective than the average person.
Kaneki glanced at the clock on the dashboard. "Seattle is pretty far," he mentioned. "It'll be late by the time we get there."
Emmett hummed. "True. Unless you want to go club-hopping." He smirked at Kaneki.
The white-haired man scoffed. "Definitely not."
Night clubs and parties were never something he'd enjoyed, even when he was just a regular, human college student.
"Port Angeles it is then. And since you've already eaten"-- insert a side-eyed glance here--"What do you like to do? I'm sure there's something we can find."
Kaneki thought for a moment and then cringed mentally when the only thing that popped into his head was reading. He felt a tad bit self-conscious, which was odd since he'd never cared before whether people found him boring or not in the past. The only bad experiences he'd ever had with it were the grade school bullies when he was a child. His anti-social behaviors combined with the school system were not a good mix.
And then there was Rize, who had had a similar interest in literature. And as much as Kaneki hated to admit it, they had gotten along very well and had a lot in common--before the horror of a woman ruined his entire existence, of course.
The thoughts left a bitter taste in his mouth. Because of those similarities, sometimes the line between Rize and Kaneki started to blur at times, even with those apparent differences in demeanor. And those times had occurred so often in the beginning that even Kaneki had a hard time finding his own thoughts and personality within.
A feminine chuckle sounded in the back of his mind, and in an instant, he had the heel of his hand pressed against his temple as the noise traveled quickly to his right. Kaneki's name was called tauntingly, and it was as if she was right beside him. Not now...
Just as Rize's presence pushed her way through, a hesitant hand on his shoulder brought him back. Kaneki sucked in the air sharply, his hand reaching in up with swiftness. The much larger hand that he latched onto was cold like it had been sitting in a freezer box for hours on end, a noticeable contrast to Kaneki's warmth. He glanced over.
The hand gripping Emmett's was tight, tight enough that the bones should have been crushed under the force. His grip slackened a bit at the thought but didn't let go. Not until Rize drifted back, and he let out a shaky sigh.
He mumbled an apology as he let go, his hand going down to clutch his own in his lap. Kaneki could feel the confusion and concern radiating off the body beside him, but he kept his gaze downward.
"Um," Kaneki started. "I like reading, I guess."
His tone and body language, and the short continuation of the conversation after Kaneki had unknowingly fallen silent for too long, was a firm indication for Emmett not to question it.
"You guess?" Emmett asked, moving his hand back to the steering wheel. Kaneki immediately missed the contact.
Kaneki shrugged, looking indifferent. "I don't know. I haven't read as much in the past few years. Not as much as I used to anyway. I used to be a Literature major."
"Used to be," he echoed. "You didn't graduate?"
Kaneki went silent, then shook his head. "I had to drop out for health reasons."
"Ah. I've never been that much of a reader myself, to be honest," Emmett said. "I don't think I have the attention span for it."
Kaneki nodded. That made sense. Emmett came off to him as a very visual, hands-on type. The type of person who is more likely to watch the movie adaptation rather than read the actual book.
Kaneki asked Emmett about his hobbies--mostly to keep the other from asking for more of Kaneki's, which the ghoul thought was very lacking.
Gaming was not a shock to him. The latest consoles set up around the TV in the Cullens' living room told him that. The family was well off.
So, why would Emmett be interested in someone way below his caliber? Kaneki thought. And compared to the blonde one, Rosalie? The obvious choice is there.
Kaneki figured it would be rude to ask Emmett why the two of them had broken off. Maybe another time.
Emmett mentioned that he enjoyed a bit of hunting; his whole family did on occasion, with a glint of laughter in his molten gold eyes. Kaneki didn't find the humor; Forks was populated with more wildlife than actual people, so he was sure hunting was just a regular pass time for many people there. He asked Emmett what was so funny about it, but he only got a chuckle in response and an "I'll explain another time."
But Kaneki was insistent, and they fell into a bit of lighthearted bickering, but Emmett refused to budge. Kaneki gave up with a huff, falling back against the seat, a position he hadn't noticed he had moved from. His body had automatically turned in Emmett's direction, leaning a bit forward.
Emmett's rumbling laughter filled the cab, and no! Kaneki was not pouting!
It was strange. Kaneki couldn't ignore how at ease he felt. Perhaps Hinami was right...
Suddenly, the Jeep erupted with sound from the radio, and Emmett began flipping through the stations using a button on the steering wheel. This went on for a little while before the man gave up with a grunt.
"I don't know why I bother with Forks' music stations," he said, shaking his head before gesturing towards the glove box in from of Kaneki. "I have a case of CDs in there. Why don't you pick something out."
He did as asked, finding a thick fabric case sitting on top of the Jeep's manual. Kaneki didn't know what he expected Emmett's music taste to consist of. Still, he found himself pleasantly surprised that the collection was a mix of several different genres, the majority being rock bands.
Kaneki didn't recognize a lot of the artists. His experience with music didn't go outside a few famous Japanese artists.
He flipped through until he came to the 'Z's; the album was neatly sorted in alphabetical order. His eyes stopped at a band Touka had been interested in when they began traveling outside Asia: Led Zeppelin. It was an English band from the 60s; he believed he heard Touka telling him about it once. He shrugged, carefully slipping the disk from its place.
"You like Zeppelin?" There was a hint of surprise in Emmett's voice upon seeing Kaneki's choice. Emmett pressed the eject button on the dash so the disk tray would open and removed the CD that was already sitting in there. He waited as Kaneki placed the Led Zeppelin CD in the tray, and Emmett handed over the other CD to put back into the album.
"Touka does," Kaneki said. The CD he was putting away was that of a heavy metal band. At least that's what the cover art looked like. A lot of fire and skulls. "I've heard a few of their songs."
"What do you normally listen to?" Emmett asked as the first song of the album began to play.
"Mostly Japanese artists. Some Korean. I like a lot of the Pillows albums..." Kaneki noticed the blank look on Emmett's face, telling him the man had no clue what he was talking about. "Ah, you've probably never heard of them."
"You might be surprised," the man said, then he sighed. "Even if I look like I don't know what you're talking about, I want to know. That's kinda what getting to know someone involves."
Kaneki blinked. Was he being difficult?
"I'm so--"
"If the next words that are about to come out of your mouth is an apology, I swear to God."
"I told you, it's a habit."
"There's nothing to apologize for," Emmett reinstated. "How about this, for each apology, I get something from you. Like a swear jar." He grinned at Kaneki. "Deal?"
Kaneki crossed his arms over his chest. "What would you be getting exactly?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Hm, good question."
"Well, I'm not accepting a deal with no knowledge of the consequences."
"Awww, come on! I wouldn't make it that bad!"
"Nope," Kaneki shook his head, a smile on his face.
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They arrived in Port Angeles an hour later. Midway through the drive, Kaneki remembered to text his family, or at least just Touka, and letting them know that he was fine and would be back sometime that night. To avoid any future lectures and causing his family to worry over him, Kaneki and Touka had come to a compromise for his wonderings.
They couldn't exactly stop him from doing it; he was an adult after all. But if he continued to do it, Touka wanted him to at least inform one of them and for how long he'd be gone. It felt a bit like a child being given rules from their parent, but Kaneki conceded.
"Is your family always so worried about your whereabouts?" Emmett asked him. It was evening now, the sky a bright mix of oranges and pinks.
"I have a habit of wandering off without telling anyone," Kaneki explained quietly. "We agreed to where I at least tell them if I leave and when I'll be back."
His disappearance from Anteiku would be the blame for all of that. It was for the best, though, so he couldn't complain. He hated worrying his family intentionally.
"What about your family?" Kaneki asked. "I'm sure they worry for you too. And your siblings."
Emmett shrugged. "Yeah, but not too much. They trust me and the others to stay out of trouble."
They never agreed on a place to go, but Kaneki didn't bother asking again, as Emmett clearly had a destination in mind based on his confidence in maneuvering the city streets. A few moments later, they were pulling into a small parking lot made of gravel. The building in front of them was an old, white one, the rickety porch holding two small shelves with books crammed on them and two old rocking chairs.
There were two other vehicles in the lot besides Emmett's Jeep. Above the wide-open front door was a wooden sign with the words "Thunderbird and Whale Bookstore" engraved on it.
He glanced over at Emmett, who sent him a toothy grin. "I thought this might be a good first step," he said, unbuckling his seat belt and stepping out of the Jeep. Kaneki followed, and as they walked up to the steps, Emmett dramatically bowed at the waist and held his arms out in a gesture of "Lady's first."
Kaneki rolled his eys. "Such a gentleman," he said as he ascended the steps, ignoring Emmett's snickering behind him.
The inside was jam-packed, not with customers, but with books that practically went floor to ceiling. Some were on the many shelves, others in stacks on the floor and in chairs. There were two people inside; a man behind the front counter was clearly the owner, and an older redheaded woman was off towards the back, scanning the shelves.
The man was older and looked to be Native American, and he looked up as Emmett and Kaneki entered, the wooden floorboards creaking beneath their feet.
Kaneki nodded at the man in greeting as he looked the two over, receiving a similar gesture in return. Then his eyes landed on Emmett, and whatever friendliness that had been there disappeared. The man stiffened, and eyes snapped back to Kaneki. Whatever he had been searching for looked to be found, and it relaxed him a bit, but only a little as he looked back at Emmett, eyes narrowed.
Kaneki looked between the two, the tension in the room like a thick bog.
Finally, the man spoke to Kaneki. "What can I help you with, young man?"
Kaneki blinked at the man acting as if Emmett wasn't there at all and only addressing him. "We're just browsing," he said.
There was a pregnant pause before the man grunted. "My name is Jordan. Let me know if you require any help."
Kaneki nodded, sending the man--Jordan-- an odd look. He grabbed Emmett's arm and pulled him towards one of the shelves away furthest from the counter.
"What was that about?" Kaneki asked aloud.
"Not sure, probably nothing," Emmett said dismissively. "Let's not worry about it."
Kaneki stared, eyes narrowed a bit. "That didn't seem like nothing."
Emmett visibly cringed, and Kaneki turned away, dropping the subject for now and looking at the shelf in front of them. There were black labels glued to the part under the books, telling them the genre of the sections. 'FICTION' was written in all caps and a bright red marker.
"What kind of books do you usually read anyways," Emmett said, leaning his back against the shelf, watching the white-haired man.
"Anything," Kaneki said, taking a book off the shelf and flipping it over to read the back.
"You pegged me as a classic type of guy."
Kaneki chuckled. "Asian classics, mainly."
Emmett hummed.
"My father, before he passed, had been an avid reader," Kaneki continued absentmindedly. "He left all his books behind, and that's what started my liking for it."
"Ah, sorry." It sounded to Emmett like he'd brought up some bad memories.
Kaneki waved him off, though. "It was a long time ago. I barely remember what he looked like; I was too young."
Emmett hesitated before asking, "And your mother?"
"Passed when I was ten," Kaneki said quietly. "She overworked herself."
The two fell into silence after that. Kaneki went from shelf to shelf, browsing. He knew that this probably wasn't the most exciting venture for Emmett, but Kaneki found himself falling into a comforting zone, one he hadn't been in so long. It felt good. Smiling softly, he backed away from the shelf he was in front of now, already having a couple of books in his arms. He glanced over his shoulder, a bit shocked to see Emmett wasn't near him. The larger man always seemed to hover around him when they were together; Kaneki was kind of used to it, he guessed.
He looked around, seeing Emmett crouched next to one of the book stacks on the floor. Readjusting the books in his arms, Kaneki wandered over to see Emmett had a few books of his own in his hands.
Emmett looked up as Kaneki approached. "Find anything interesting?" He asked. Kaneki nodded.
"Yourself?" Kaneki tilted his head as Emmett rose to his feet, glancing down at the three books Emmett had. Fahrenheit 451, the Scarlet Letter, and The Great Gatsby.
"Oh," Emmett glanced down and smiled sheepishly. "Um, yeah. You said you've only read Asian classics, so I figured you might be interested in some of the American classics."
Kaneki blinked, then grinned at the thoughtfulness of it. "Thank you."
Emmett stared at him for a moment, and just as Kaneki was about to ask what was wrong, his large hand went into his hair, fingers running against his scalp. Kaneki shuddered a bit and stared up at the man, head tilting to the side in question.
"Um, please tell me if I've brought up another bad thought, but I've been meaning to ask. Why's your hair white?"
"...Stress."
"Come again?"
"It turned white from stress," Kaneki repeated, looking off to the side. The redheaded woman was heading to the front counter now. "Ever heard of Marie Antoinette Syndrome?"
"Yeah...what was it before? The color."
Kaneki let out a silent breath of relief as Emmett didn't ask the cause. "Black. And before you ask, I'm fine."
Emmett nodded. "Alright." He pulled back and then held out his hand. "I'll pay for those," he said.
But Kaneki instantly shook his head, walking to the counter. "You don't have to do that. I can pay for myself."
The woman finished up her transaction and went to leave, offering the two behind her a smile. Kaneki set the books in his hands on the counter, Emmett's insistence on him paying going in one ear and out the other. He gestured for Emmett to do the same as he dug his wallet out of his back pocket.
But Emmett didn't move. Kaneki glanced over his shoulder questioningly to find Emmett and the Jordan guy in another intense staredown. Kaneki's eyes moved back in forth between the two glaring men and hesitantly took a step back from the counter and into Emmett's chest, a hand reaching out to wrap around his wrist.
The sudden tenseness in the room had increased by tenfold, especially now that they were the only ones in the shop. Kaneki opened his mouth to speak when Jordan cleared his throat roughly. It sounded more like a warning growl to Kaneki.
"I'll wait for you at the Jeep," Emmett suddenly said as he dropped the books he was holding with the others, and without another word and not even an explanation, he was out on the porch and going down the steps. Kaneki called out to him but was ultimately ignored.
He turned back to the shopkeeper, who had been staring off after the larger man as well. Sensing Kaneki's gaze, Jordan relaxed a bit as he started ringing up the books.
"Did you find everything alright?" He asked calmly as if the past few minutes hadn't occurred at all.
"Yes..." Kaneki answered slowly, not moving back up to the counter. He glanced out the open door, but he couldn't see Emmett in the now darker night.
"Um...do you guys know each other?" Kaneki had to ask. Perhaps there was just bad blood between the two.
Jordan frowned. "No. Nor do I care to." He read off Kaneki's total, and Kaneki wordlessly handed him his debit card. He couldn't keep the shock off his face at the blatant dislike for someone he didn't know. A bit of anger bubbled up in the pit of his stomach.
Kaneki frowned deeply. "That's a bit harsh, no?"
Jordan met his eyes, and there he went again, searching for something. And like before, whatever it was he was looking for, he found as a look of understanding fell on his face. "I see, you are not aware."
He slid Kaneki's card back to him.
"Aware of what?"
Jordan raised a finger to his lips, eyes darting to the door before telling him to wait where he was. He came from around the counter and walked to one of the book stacks in the back corner.
Kaneki probably looked as bewildered as he felt at that moment, shuffling nervously on his feet. He had half the mind just to grab his books and run. The man had already given him his card back, and Kaneki could survive without a receipt.
Just as Kaneki went to take a step, Jordan spun around with a look of triumph and a book in his hand. He came back around the counter and silently bagged the books. Jordan held up a finger, placing another book on the counter next to the bag, and bent down, rising with a large sticky note and a pen.
He went to writing, and as he did so, Kaneki curiously stepped forward, looking down at the book. It was worn, clearly having been used often with its dog-eared pages and cover. He didn't get the chance to see the title as Jordan set the sticky note on top of it.
Jordan nodded down at the writing, clearly wanting him to read it.
This one is on the house. I highly suggest you give it a read. You may find some of the information very relivating. It would probably be best if you didn't let your friend see the book.
"Wh--" Jordan gave him a sharp look, eyes darting again to the wide-open door. There was no one out on the porch, so why was he acting as if someone could be eavesdropping?
Kaneki wanted to stay and demand further explanations from him, but Emmett was undoubtedly waiting on him, and Kaneki had already taken longer than he should have. He sighed and said a soft thank you.
He didn't like having to turn his back to what he considered an unknown; he felt anxious and jumpy, and Jordan's eyes following his every movement were no help. Finally, he was outside again, and he let out a huff of air he'd been holding in his chest.
Emmett was sitting in the Jeep, and the headlights switched on as Kaneki climbed in. Setting the bag down on the floor between his feet, Kaneki eyed the tense state Emmett was in and the downright thunderous look on his face. Kaneki found himself unsure of who it was directed at.
As soon as he was buckled in, Emmett put the Jeep in reverse, and they were on the road again. The vehicle was deafly silent. Emmett's eyes stayed strictly on the road ahead, and he did not acknowledge Kaneki's presence.
Kaneki wasn't sure how to break the silence, or even if he should. Should he leave Emmett to his thoughts? Or try asking if he was okay? He did want to ask about what had happened back there, but he didn't know if doing so would trigger him, especially if he didn't want to talk about it. He certainly didn't look in the right mood for it.
Kaneki knew that, for himself, he would want to be left alone when he was in a downer mood, but everyone was different, he knew. Hinami, for example, liked physical touch, to be held, when she was upset. That was how he would comfort her.
Would that help for Emmett at all? Emmett wasn't opposed to being touched like Kaneki was.
Kaneki snuck a glance over at the man in question. Irritation fell off him in waves. Taking a quiet, deep breath, Kaneki raised a hand and reached over to the middle console between the seats where Emmett's arm rested, and his hand gripped the shifter. Fingers brushed the back of his colder hand, and Kaneki bit his lip as he took the plunge, slipping his hand into Emmett's.
That certainly got his attention. Emmett's body stiffened like stone, and Kaneki quickly turned his head to look out the window as Emmett looked over at him. He watched their reflections in the glass and prayed to whatever God that he wasn't trembling. Emmett gave a heavy sigh, and Kaneki feared for a moment that he had just made things worse.
But Emmett didn't pull his hand away and instead squeezed Kaneki's gently as if it were Kaneki that needed the comforting.
"I'm sorry," he said, and Kaneki turned away from the window. "I didn't want to leave you in there by yourself, but I didn't want things to escalate."
Kaneki wanted to joke about apologies, like Emmett had hours earlier, but decided against it. Now didn't seem like the best time, not like the lighthearted banter from before.
"It's fine," Kaneki said. "Did you guys know each other? He said you didn't, but..."
Emmett seemed to hesitate. "We don't, technically. Um, my family doesn't have the best history with the Natives here. It's mostly with the tribe in Forks, but it wouldn't surprise me if it spread to others."
"Oh. May I ask why?" His foot shifted against the bag on the floor and bringing his thoughts to the extra book inside. The man hadn't even wanted to speak out loud, as if he feared Emmett would have heard him somehow despite it being only the two of them.
"It's really stupid. You can consider it your typical family vs. family feud. Maybe I'll tell you about it in the future, but not tonight. Tonight's supposed to be fun, and I must say that it's turned a bit doom and gloom," Emmett laughed as Kaneki agreed with a nod.
That's all he could do, after all. He wasn't about to demand answers from him when he didn't want to speak about it. Kaneki would hate it if it were done to him. No, it wasn't his business anyway, and he'd respect Emmett's wishes.
"Though, I guess was one good thing that came out of that first stop," Emmett continued. He seemed to have snapped back to his typical attitude, much to Kaneki's relief.
"Which was?" Kaneki asked, confused.
Emmett held up the hand with Kaneki's in it, a bright smile on his face. "Got to hold your hand."
Kaneki squeaked--fucking squeaked--and Emmett's booming laugh filled the Jeep. He didn't even mind that his comment effectively made Kaneki snatch his hand back, finding the total flustered look on Kaneki's face too cute and priceless to notice.
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A/N: This is just part one to Emmett and Kaneki's date-not a date-date, so don't worry! I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Reviews are very much welcomed and encouraged! See ya next time!