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Long ago, Hide had requested a crash course on all CCG weapons. He hoped to learn how they all worked, but mostly he just wanted to know which ones were non-lethal. He knew that if he was to get involved with ghouls, he would need to defend himself, but he didn’t want to kill any of them.
After getting involved with Akira and Amon, Akira was happy to give Hide a crash course. After explaining the 4 types of Quinques, how each worked, and showing Hide examples from her father’s collection, Akira finally held up a small cylinder.
“And this one’s something new. RC Gas. It’s non-lethal, though.”
Hide sat up in interest. This was what he had wanted to know. “What does it do?”
“It just temporary, but it makes a ghoul unable to use their kagune, and it stops their regeneration.” Akira answered. “And it’ll also make them very, very angry.”
---
“Hide, run!”
“What? Why?” Hide asked.
“I’m... hearing voices. Hide, please run before I do something. Before I hurt you.”
“No! Kaneki, I’m not leaving you!”
Hide ducked as Kaneki’s thrashing kagune nearly hit him. He wasn’t in control of them right now.
Hide mentally went through his options. Any weapons were out of the question. He couldn’t hurt Kaneki.
Hide watched from a safe distance as Kaneki’s kagune continued to spasm behind him, crashing into walls and making dents in them. Kaneki was yelling — either in agitation or pain; Hide wasn’t sure which — and his kagune were starting to drag his body around. Soon he’d end up seriously hurting himself.
What about something completely harmless, then?
Hide swung his backpack around so he could access it, and he quickly unzipped it and started rifling through it.
“H-Hide... please...!” Kaneki begged. “Just forget about me and run!”
Hide found what he was looking for. He pulled the pin and tossed it so that it would roll over to Kaneki. Smoke quickly poured out from it.
Kaneki gasped, and stepped back. And then Hide watched as his kagune hardened, turned grey, and then started crumbing and falling apart.
Kaneki smacked a hand over his mouth. “This is...!”
“It’s okay!” Hide called out, slowly stepping closer. “It’s just gonna make you not able to use your kagune!”
Kaneki gagged, dropped to his knees, and started to dry-heave.
“Kaneki?!” Hide cried, running over closer to him. “What’s wrong?!”
Was this an allergy? A side effect? Hide had seen a demonstration of RC Gas used on a ghoul, and they hadn’t reacted like this.
Kaneki was looking awfully green, so Hide bent down at his side and rubbed his back.
“It...” Kaneki gagged again. “Smells awful!”
Then Kaneki grabbed Hide, and yanked him closer. He buried his head in Hide’s shoulder, breathing in in his scent.
“What?” Hide asked. “I don’t smell anything...”
It was scentless. ...Wasn’t it?
“Lucky you...” Kaneki muttered, sounding sick and miserable.
“You’re not gonna throw up on me, are you?” Hide asked, making a face.
“No promises...”
Hide sighed. One problem solved, another problem caused. Now he had a sick ghoul clinging to him, when they needed to quickly escape this place.
“Are you okay now?” Hide asked after a moment. “Can you walk by yourself?”
Kaneki pulled his head back, slowly, and then moaned and once again buried his face against Hide.
“Ugh, nope.”
Hide sighed in agitation. “Well, we gotta get out of here.”
“If I breath that in, I swear I’m gonna throw up.” Kaneki said.
“Yeah, I believe you.” Hide said, patting him on the back. “Alright, I have a plan.”
Carefully, Hide shifted himself so he was sitting on his knees. Then, he hooked his arms around Kaneki’s thighs, and carefully maneuvered Kaneki into his lap.
“Hold on, okay?” Hide said. He felt Kaneki nod, his arms tighten around his back, and his thighs squeeze around his waist.
Hide grabbed hold of Kaneki’s waist, and carefully stood up, continuing to hold his friend.
“You’re heavy...” Hide complained.
“Sorry...” Kaneki muttered into his neck.
Hide hoisted Kaneki higher. Kaneki tightened his grip.
“I’m fine. I can do this.” Hide said, trying to channel his confidence. He had to get the two of them out of here safely.
---
Hide was walking aimlessly through Kanou’s lab, simply trying to find routes that didn’t have ghouls or investigators.
And then he heard heavy footsteps, and suddenly a group of 5 ghouls came around the corner and were running toward him, calling out battle cries the second they saw him. They came out of nowhere, and Hide screamed and jumped in surprise.
“We won’t let you kidnap Kaneki-kun!” One of them cried out, pointing his sword kagune forward.
Hide was too spooked to register the statement.
“Whoa, wait, hey, guys!” Kaneki said, twisting around and waving his hands around in a “stop” motion.
Hide tripped and nearly dropped him as Kaneki’s weight shifted. He grit his teeth as he used all his strength to continue to hold onto Kaneki
Kaneki suddenly took a heavy breath, apparently still feeling sick, and shoved his head back into the crook of Hide’s shoulder. He continued talking to the ghouls, although it was very muffled. “He’s a friend!”
“Eh? Really?” One of the ghouls asked, a tall and burly fellow.
“Why’s he carrying you then?” A ghoul with a mask marked “1” asked.
“Kaneki-kun, what’s wrong?” Number 2 asked.
“RC Gas.” Hide said.
The ghouls exchanged a look. They didn’t seem to know what that meant or what it even was.
“RC Suppressants.” Kaneki supplied.
“Ah.” The muscular ghoul said with a wince. “We’ll help you get Kaneki out of here. Follow us.”
Hide nodded and followed closely behind the group of ghouls.
---
Kaneki’s ghoul group brought him to their apartment, and then pointed Hide in the direction of Kaneki’s bedroom. Hide brought him inside and carefully laid Kaneki on his bed.
Kaneki groaned and put a hand over his stomach.
“You need a bucket?” Hide asked.
“I don’t know...” Kaneki whispered. He sniffed his arms and then gagged and slapped a hand over his mouth. “Ugh, that smell is sticking to me!”
“I seriously don’t smell anything. At all.” Hide said.
“Enhanced senses aren’t always good things...” Kaneki muttered, scrunching up his face.
Hide got an idea, and started stripping his armor off, and then took his shirt off. He tossed the fabric to Kaneki.
“Will this help?”
Kaneki covered his face with it, breathing in Hide’s scent.
“For now.”
Hide sighed in relief. He sat on his knees, and rested his elbows on Kaneki’s bed.
“It didn’t hurt you, though, right?” Hide asked with a grimace. “When it took your kagune out of commission?”
Because it certainly looked painful.
“No, it just... felt weird.” Kaneki said. “Kagune don’t really have pain nerves.”
“That’s good. I was worried that I hurt you.”
“Even if it had, it was the right thing to do. Thanks.”
Hide nodded slowly.
“Can you do me a favor?” Kaneki asked.
“Sure. Anything.”
“The top right drawer of that dresser.” Kaneki gestured to it with his head. “Can you get a pair of clothes out?”
“Can I borrow a pair too?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Hide put a pair for himself on top of the dresser, and then walked another pair over to Kaneki, holding them out.
“Just put 'em on the bed.”
“Okay.” Hide did as he said.
“Now, can you... turn around?”
Hide blinked. “Oh! Right! Of course!”
“Don’t leave though. Please? Just... turn around?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Hide turned around, but found himself looking right into the dresser mirror, so he covered his eyes with his hands. He heard rustling fabric as Kaneki undressed and put on the new change of clothes. Hide also heard him grunting in disgust to himself, as he still must have smelled the RC Gas.
“Shouldn’t you shower if the smell is clinging to you?” Hide asked.
“I’m way too sick to do that right now.” Kaneki replied. “But a change of clothes will get rid of most of it. Okay, you can look now.”
Hide turned around to see Kaneki’s battlesuit and shorts discarded on the floor. Kaneki was laying on his bed once again, new outfit on.
Hide stripped down to his underwear and then put Kaneki’s borrowed clothes on. Once he was dressed, he came closer and sat beside Kaneki. Kaneki had his eyes closed, resting. He was slowly getting his color back, but he looked exhausted. Hide stroked Kaneki’s hair.
There was a knock on the door.
Kaneki nodded his head, so Hide called out, “It’s open. Come in!”
“Is Kaneki-san here?” The burly ghoul asked as he peeked his head in.
“Yeah, Banjou-san?” Kaneki responded.
“I was wondering how you were feeling.”
“Better.”
“Anything I can do?”
Kaneki shook his head slowly. “Just let me rest for a while.”
“I’ll let Tsukiyama-san know to keep it down.”
“Thanks.” Kaneki chuckled. “Oh, can you tell him to try to get the RC Suppressant smell out of my outfit?”
Hide stood up to grab it from the floor and hand it to Banjou. But not before taking a strong inhale of it. He still smelled nothing.
After he took it, Banjou also took a whiff. He made a face, but didn’t gag.
“Sure thing. Feel better, Kaneki-san!”
Banjou left and closed the door behind him.
“Do you have, like, an extremely good sense of smell or something?” Hide asked as he sat beside Kaneki again.
“For a human, yes. For a ghoul, not really.” Kaneki answered. He sighed, “Let me guess. Banjou-san wasn’t really affected, and you’re wondering why my reaction was so bad, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Well...” Kaneki paused. “Let’s just say I have bad memories with RC Suppressants, and so I can’t handle the smell of it.”
Hide knew that RC suppressants were used for ghoul dissections, as well as given to Cochlea prisoners in doses to keep them under control. And RC Gas was something brand new, so it was unlikely that Kaneki had encountered it before in the battlefield. But, then where...?
“Can I ask why...?” Hide asked.
Kaneki was silent. His fingers and toes twitched.
“Okay. Nevermind.” Hide said, and he changed the subject. “Your ghoul friends seem nice.”
“Yeah.” Was all Kaneki said.
“I’m... glad you’re not all alone. I was worried, y’know?”
Kaneki didn’t say anything. Hide was kind of glad he didn’t. It was easier to be honest and open when Kaneki was a little out of it.
“So, you’ve been with them the past several months? Going on missions and being a badass, huh?” Hide asked rhetorically, mostly to just avoid the silence. “I... I can’t believe I actually found you.” He leaned in and brushed a hand against Kaneki’s hair. “It doesn’t quite feel real yet. But I’m glad. I’m so, so glad.”
Kaneki fluttered his eyes open. He hummed. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” Hide smiled.
Kaneki suddenly squeezed his eyes shut and grunted in pain, moving a hand to rest against his head.
“What’s wrong?” Hide whispered.
“I have a headache now.” Kaneki groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.
“I’m sorry.” Hide rubbed Kaneki’s shoulder. “I hope it doesn’t last long.”
Kaneki shifted, scooting closer to Hide and leaning his head to rest against Hide's leg. He blindly reached upwards, and Hide took his hand and squeezed comfortingly. They sat in silence like that for several minutes, with Kaneki doing his best to relax and Hide there comforting him.
Finally, Kaneki spoke again, “So what are you going to do?”
Hide shrugged. “I don’t know, what do you want me to do?”
“No, I mean, what are you going to do about the CCG? You didn’t meet up with them after the mission.”
“Oh, right. Well, I wasn’t even supposed to be on the field, so its fine!” Hide put his arms behind his head, and leaned back. He closed his eyes and smiled.
He was silent for a few seconds, and then his eyes shot open. “...Actually, I was supposed to be with Marude-san but then I snuck off. And didn’t come back. Shit, he probably thinks I’m dead! He’s gonna be so pissed if he finds out I snuck off and didn’t come back! Not to mention Akira-san’s gonna kill me for being stupid! And Amon-san will probably give me one of those disapproving looks. I hate those!” Hide snatched Kaneki’s hand. “What do I do?!”
“How should I know?” Kaneki yelled back, pulling his hand away. He was not in the mood to deal with Hide's antics.
“Headed back to the battlefield alone even now is a death wish...” Hide muttered.
“I’m not up to take you, but I could have my group bring you there safely?” Kaneki suggested.
“Really?!” Hide asked.
“Why not? I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.”
“Thank you! But, ugh, what do I say to Marude-san?”
Kaneki shrugged innocently. He had no clue. He didn't know how the CCG worked, much less how Hide fell into it all.
“I was searching for the bathroom and got lost...?” Hide suggested.
Kaneki gave him a pointed look. “I thought you didn’t want him to be pissed at you?”
“Oh, he’s gonna be pissed at me no matter what. But better to be pissed at a stupid reason than be pissed because I’m a traitor.”
Kaneki frowned. Hide’s words repeated in his head. Hide was a traitor. He would be considered a traitor to mankind for helping a ghoul. For helping Kaneki. For helping his best friend.
“Hey, let me worry about that, okay? I was kinda exaggerating. Marude-san honestly likes me. I’m not gonna get into that much trouble, just get yelled at a bit. Nothing I can’t handle.”
“Well, if it goes bad, you can come back here.”
“So you can eat him?” Hide joked.
“What?!” Kaneki cried out. “No!”
Hide grimaced, regretting his joke.
Kaneki felt bad, so he smirked and joked back, “Tsukiyama-san can eat him.”
Hide started laughing. “Alright, sounds good!”
Hide stood up and put his CCG armor back on. As much as he wanted to stay, he knew he really should head back as soon as possible. It would be a lot harder to explain himself if he had to meet the CCG at the office building instead of back at the battlefield.
“...I can come back, even if I’m not in trouble, right?” Hide asked. Or was Kaneki going to cut him out of his life once again?
Kaneki sat up. “Yeah. You can come back.”
“Anytime?”
“Um, sure?”
Hide lunged and hugged Kaneki, squeezing him as hard as he could.
“Too tight!” Kaneki cried out with a laugh. If he had been human, he probably would have been unable to breathe.
Hide released him, and the two of them headed downstairs into the main room of his apartment. Kaneki still wasn’t feeling good, so they walked slowly, and Kaneki had a hand resting against his head.
“Hey, can you guys do me a favor?” Kaneki asked his group.