Work Text:
"What do you mean a new Burger King's opening two streets down?"
When Hide had applied for that job offer last year, he would have never imagined the turn for the better it would lead his life to.
It had started out as a mean to have a stable income like any other. When you're a college student in the best (and most expensive) university of Tokyo and you also happen to be a bit tight on money, you can't afford to be picky when you chose a part time job. Not that Hide thought of himself as the type to refuse a tiring, underpaid one. He'd done worse, and he'd never complained. Plus, working here had his perks. Being surrounded by people his age (for the most part) and questionably-healthy food for his most rough days of college for example. What else should a bloke in his late teens dream for, really. The comfort food and the company were top notch.
"I meant exactly what I said, Shittychika," Well, most of it anyway. "This is bad."
Hide glanced at him. It wasn't like working hard was a bad thing per se as Hide always did his best in every circumstance. His batteries recharged constantly on his bubbling optimism.
Still, he scratched his cheek with an hesitant smile. He did like having a flexible work schedule, and as things were now he could already tell that was likely going to change in the immediate future.
Hide straightened his shirt, contemplating the folds in the fabric; Nishiki looked away, readjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. Far away, Seidou was handing his last receipt, blissfully unaware.
It wasn't as if any of them felt the rivalry between the two fast food chains on a personal level.
They tentatively glanced at each other, then at the staff's backroom, then again at each other.
Yeah, the problem was something else. Or rather, someone else.
"Well, this is going to be fun!" Hide finally declared, cheerful glee already back in place. He wasn't one to dwell on the grim side of future for too long, unlike his companion. If war had to break loose, better keep savoring these moments of peace.
Nishiki snorted derisively. As if, his grimace said.
Hide wanted to poke him with a fork, he was so stiff. He stifled a laugh. "It's nice to see you have our brand's best interests at heart, Nishio senpai!" he joked. "But don't worry! We'll provide the best service in the world as we've always done, and we won't lose any customers!"
Nishiki leveled him with a glare. "I don't. And stop that. Now you're just sounding like an advertisement."
Hide ignored him. "It's common knowledge that our burgers are better, senpai! Unlike that self-proclaimed King!" He looked affronted now.
"They all taste like horse shit to me."
Hide grinned. "It must be sad to be born with your tastebuds, man!" he said, patting him sympathetically on the shoulder. Nishiki gave him a blank look. "There's no way they will threaten our supremacy anyway," he continued, "Hopefully, Mado-san will see that, too."
She'll triplicate our workload, Nishiki thought, shoulders slouching. He didn't need to say it aloud. Hide knew as much.
What he couldn't possibly know though, was that not so far in the future he would be thanking his lucky stars for his exhausting schedule.
x.
(While he waited for the future to happen though, he definitely wasn't thanking anyone for the bags under his eyes.)
x.
(Not especially his crew manager.)
x.
Hide woke up to the sound of his blaring alarm going off in the distance.
Right, he'd thrown it on the sofa the night before after coming back home from an exhausting saturday shift. And he'd also forgotten to turn off the alarm apparently, because today was sunday and there weren't classes on sunday, thank god. Add that to his schedule and he would probably be dead before the following weekend came by.
He covered his ears with the pillow, mentally willing his phone to shut it. He wanted to chide Past Hide for his mindlessness; had he left it on the nightstand as he always did, he wouldn't be wasting precious minutes of faithful sleep right now. He thought it as a sophisticated metaphor for life the universe was trying to made him aware of, but unfortunately his sleepy mind was too tired to try and decipher the aliens' bad timing. Shame, that's for another time, Supreme Extraterrestrial Wisdom, he thought.
Hide wouldn't think of himself as a morning person as his still blaring alarm liked to remind him.
Fine, he surrendered, giving up trying to go back to sleep before actually turning off the damn spawn of hell. He yawned, sitting up and shivering at the morning chill before going back to the couch to retrieve his phone.
All residual traces of sleep left him as he noticed the current date the device was slapping to his face: Saturday, May 14.
Wait.
Saturday?
There could only be two possible explanations for that. Either he'd slept so deeply his subconscious had opened a crack in the fabric of reality and he'd traveled back in time or it was just one of those days your internal clock plays tricks on you. One was more fun than the other.
Either way though, the Saturday on his phone didn't take pity on him and change to a sunday, so he was practically screwed anyway, because the time written right under the date informed him he was really, really late for class.
Hide didn't waste any more precious time trying to find other rational explanations for his bad luck, hastily grabbing a toast and putting on some clothes.
Thank you, he would then say to the wisdom of the universe as he came rushing down the stairs in his haste to get to class. This was an excellent metaphor for my own stupidity.
x.
If almost missing Asian History at eight in the morning on a saturday wasn't enough of a bad way to start his day, there was always the fact that by the time he actually made it to class almost every seat was already occupied, leaving him close to no choice as to where to sit. Well, better than finding none, he supposed, sitting in the first row.
The last of the seats were taken just as he was rummaging through his backpack to retrieve his notebook and pen, only to realize he had forgotten the latter at home in his rush. Of course he was bound to forget something, silly him.
He turned to the guy sitting next to him with a hopeful smile: "Hey man, do you happen to have a spare pen?"
The black haired guy looked a bit surprised someone was addressing him, closing the book in his hands and setting it on the desk. "Uh? Oh, sure," he said, summoning a ballpoint one from his backpack pocket. He gave him a curious glance, handing it to him. Hide didn't give it much of a thought. He was probably still sporting a massive bedhead, for he hadn't had the time to properly comb his already messy hair. "You can keep it, if you want. You have class after this one, don't you?"
Hide grinned, grateful. "Yes and thank you! You're a life saver!" Then he remembered something. "Ah, er... Actually, can I ask you another big favour?"
The guy tilted his head slightly, waiting. Hide awkwardly scratched his cheek. "I had work last week so I skipped class... I know you don't even know me, but could I maybe borrow your notes if that's okay with you? " his expression became pleading, knowing that not everyone was comfortable with sharing them.
The guy just looked surprised though, if only a bit shy, so maybe that wasn't his case.
"Uh, sure, I guess," Hide saw him glancing self-consciously at the notebook sitting on his desk. He wondered if he was only saying that out of courtesy. "As long as you give it back."
"I mean, you don't have to!" Hide hastily backtracked. "I could probably survive without them..." he trailed off, sounding unsure himself.
"No, no, it's really no problem," the guy said. "You just surprised me, is all."
Hide pumped a fist in the air. "Awesome! I really owe you one, man! And don't worry! I'll treat them with the utmost care," he grinned as a memory resurfaced, scratching his cheek. "After borrowing Nishio's I've learned my lesson: never drink coffee as you're copying notes."
"You know," the other smiled a little at his enthusiasm, "that just makes me wonder if you make it a habit of borrowing notes from absolute strangers," he said, not a drop of wickedness in his tone, despite his words.
Hide glanced at him with smiling eyes. Now that was an interesting turn of events. Nishio had been his friend for the past three years, not that this dude would know about that. Had he taken him for a notes-thief or something? He wondered if that was even a thing nowadays.
He leaned on his opened palm, mischievous smile getting the better of him. "Who knows? Maybe I do," he said, trying and failing to keep the mirth out of his voice.
At that the guy properly looked at him, turning completely in his direction to give him his whole attention. He scratched his temple with his pen, still smiling. Hide decided he liked that secretive smile. It suited him somehow.
"You don't look like the type to skip class just for the fun of it though."
Hide pouted, "I said I had work!" Then he looked down on himself, realizing he probably didn't look like a functional adult either. "Errr..." He scratched the back of his neck before letting his arm drop. "I swear the bags under my eyes aren't from nights spent playing Diablo in a scarcely lit dorm room!" he joked, his voice solemn, hand flying to his heart.
"They definitely aren't," agreed the guy, "it had to be Mario Kart."
Hide looked at him blankly, caught off-guard. Was that sass? This guy didn't even know him, and he was sassing him?
Fun thing was, he did like Mario Kart, too.
"Touché," he just said, short for words. They kept looking blankly at each other. Then, without even knowing who'd started it, they found themselves guffawing so hard their belly hurt.
It was then that Hide decided he quite liked this dude, and they hadn't even properly introduced, yet. He was just about to say it, laughter still on his lips, when the classroom fell silent altogether as the professor entered it.
The guy immediately faced forward, wiping away tears of mirth. Such diligence for a saturday, Hide silently mused.
His smile didn't falter. He used his pen to write on the other's notebook: "I'm Hide, by the way. Nice to meet you!"
Now that he'd calmed down, he realized something he should've noticed earlier. He hastily scribbled a follow-up. "But wait, how did you know I had other classes today?"
The guy glanced at the words on his notebook.
"I'm Kaneki. Kaneki Ken. Nice to meet you too," he wrote.
Hide noticed how he'd completely avoided his question and raised an inquisitive glance at him. He managed to catch the small smile the guy hid behind his closed palm, just before facing forward again.
Kaneki, uh?
Definitely an interesting guy.
x.
When he got to work that afternoon, he didn't feel an ounce of the sleepiness of that morning.
"What's that dopey smile for, Nagachika? Have you even looked at yourself in a mirror today?"
Hide didn't bat an eye at his senpai's teasing. "I met someone," he simply said, still grinning to himself as if that was enough of an answer.
x.
(If anything, he felt like he could prepare a thousand Big Macs per hour, he was so fully recharged with his trademark positivity.)
x.
After that day, Kaneki's mop of perfectly-combed, ink-black hair kept popping up in a few other classes, always in the first row, always taking neatly written notes, always sitting with his back straight and always holding a novel in his hands as he waited for the professor to come.
Well, that explained how he'd known his saturday schedule that one time. Still, it didn't explain how Hide had never noticed those curious and intelligent gray eyes among that sea of faces, not even once.
Kaneki had noticed him after all, despite the books in his hands, and even though he probably had it easier due to Hide's unmistakable blond locks and loud persona, it still didn't feel right not to reciprocate.
So Hide made it his new personal resolve to sit in the first row too despite his morning sleepiness, just to see Kaneki jump in surprise whenever he greeted him too loudly, his nose still buried deep in his fictional world.
It was starting to become their routine, and after a few days he'd learned to sense his presence at a few meters radium somehow, and was now able to close the book and put it aside before a pair of hands settled on his shoulders in a overly friendly greeting.
Today's one was "The black goat's egg", Hide noticed, and it must have been a favourite of his, for he'd put it aside at lightning-fast speed. He grinned toothily as Kaneki glanced at him and smiled, too.
"Let me guess: you need my notes again."
x.
The Burger King's opening day finally came by, and it was such a hectic day at work Hide didn't even have the time to shoot Kaneki a quick text to arrange their study session for the following day.
Kaneki didn't text him either, and it would have struck him as strange, had he had any time to actually stop and think about it.
Since they'd swapped numbers, they'd made an habit of sending messages to each other for everything. Well, to be fair it was mostly on Hide's part as he enjoyed sending memes and silly puns or even anecdotes from work. He had quite a few of the those, actually.
Still, Akira had been on their backs all day, so not even Hide was able to try his luck escaping her hawk-like gaze to type on his phone under the counter.
He did wonder if Seidou was going to lose his shit though, he was so desperately trying to impress their managers with his skills. It was common knowledge he still resented Akira for stealing his promotion after all. He was the most competitive guy Hide had ever met, and even though it was true he was the fastest of them, he was still messy sometimes, and more importantly, he had a tendency to screw up under pressure. Unfortunately for the poor guy that was one of those days.
Hide wondered if Akira would keep true to her promise to make him wear the Roland McDonald costume, if he kept messing up orders in his haste to have things done. As much as he felt bad for him, Hide couldn't help but crack a smile at the thought. Seidou would make the most terrible clown to ever be forced to wear that red nose, that was for sure. He would scare the customers away with his scowl, so probably that was just an empty threat on Akira's part, Hide mused, as much as Seidou thought otherwise.
There was this rumor floating around that their rivalry was more deeply rooted than the present fight for a better pay. Hide would smile knowingly whenever he heard Amon-san and that other new guy from the stocking section muttering about it. He had his own theory, and the blush that reached the tip of Takizawa's ears as Hide took his place behind the grilling machines only further proved it.
Akira was watching them, but she didn't say a word; Hide smiled.
x.
When he crashed on his bed that evening, he reached for the phone in his pocket, unlocking it with lazy fingers. He glanced at it with drooping eyelids.
0 new messages.
Odd.
x.
The next few days passed in a haze of never ending evening shifts, even longer nights spent revising the material for his finals, and very few chances to see Kaneki's face in between.
Hide was starting to feel restless.
If you asked him about it, he would tell you he was on a caffeine rush. But Nishio Nishiki didn't need to ask him, for he lived on caffeine alone, being a night person himself, so he knew very well the symptoms: he could tell Hide had none of them.
So, as the great friend he was (add sitcom fake laughter here), he called him out on it.
"Who is it," he said, voice flat, making it sound like a statement, more than a question.
Hide looked at him blankly. "Who's who?"
A very, very unimpressed silence.
Right, Shittychika thought he was the only perceptive little shit, here.
Nishiki gestured at his whole persona with a spatula. "The one responsible for this," He wasn't going to listen to any more bullshit.
An even longer silence.
"You know, senpai" Hide then started, and Nishiki shortly glanced at him as he waited for the machine to eject his buns. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you're worried about me."
Nishiki paused, mayo dispenser still in hand, and for a long second he considered it as an offending weapon. Then he decided he quite liked this job, as shitty as it was. He wordlessly finished preparing his burger, then he readjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose and turned completely in Hide's direction.
"Let's pretend I am. You still haven't answered my question."
Hide dropped the oblivious act altogether. He huffed. "Nobody you need to beat up for me, don't worry," he offered him a smile.
Nishiki snorted. That much he could already tell. He knew those symptoms. He had a girlfriend after all.
If Nagachika didn't want to tell him about it though, he probably shouldn't pry. He let his shoulders drop. "As if I'd fight for your honor," he said, not meaning it.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Hide smiling.
That much would suffice for now.
x.
The Talk with Nishiki had made him realize that things were getting out of hand. Like, really out of hand.
It wasn't as if Hide felt ignored. He wasn't petty like that. Still, it had become more and more difficult to find a day both him and Kaneki could hang out together outside of class since his friend, too, had started doing his part time job.
Hide was becoming greedy, and that was scaring him a bit. Yes, scaring him, because as much as he loved the company of the other boy, as much as he savoured every moment he could talk to him or find a minute at work to send him a text, Hide could tell there was something off with Kaneki. He was hiding something, and it was making Hide worry because they'd known each other for a few months already, and they told each other everything.
Hide lazily stretched his stiff limbs, groaning in satisfaction as he felt his joint crack under the pressure. He put an arm over his eyes, blocking the sight of the ceiling enveloped in darkness he'd been staring at for the past ten minutes.
He briefly wondered if maybe he was just overthinking this. Maybe he should just be honest with the guy.
Maybe he should just tell him that he liked him a lot, not necessarily in a platonic way, or maybe he should just tell him he wanted to know everything about him. Not only the way his eyelids fluttered whenever he talked about this one author or that one novel. Not only the way his secretive smile lit a bonfire in the left part of Hide's chest.
Everything.
Hide was getting greedy, and he didn't even know what that damn part time was, even as it was currently robbing him of his time with his best friend.
Maybe he just needed to say 'fuck it' to it all and just ask him out.
x.
(In the darkness of that room he decided he'd ask him the following day.)
x.
(...What his part time job was.
He was a coward just like that.)
x.
He ended up completely forgetting about it when the next Saturday came by and with it Asian History class and a pair of really stunning, really familiar grey eyes.
Momentarily, Hide couldn't find it in himself to really complain about it as long as those eyes were directed at him and no one else. And right now they were, and they were also alight with a rare fire not even Hide had seen him sporting that much. Very few things had him so passionate about as literature did, Hide came to know a long time ago, and a special place in his heart had to be Takatsuki Sen if his present, excited ramble was anything to go by.
Hide found himself grinning earnestly as an idea popped in his head as his friend still went on. This was the perfect occasion to hang out with him out of class, he decided.
Kaneki was going to be thrilled, and Hide couldn't wait to see that one smile that lit his insides on fire.
x.
Don't think of it as a date, don't think of it as a date, Hide mentally chided himself as he checked himself in the mirror one last time. Who even goes to a book signing as a first date? Not even Kaneki would reach that low. This isn't a date.
He wasn't sure he quite believed himself.
What was I thinking, he huffed, plopping down on a chair as he waited for the clock handle to finally reach the five. He won't be even glancing at me. He will only have eyes for her, he reasoned. He was the one who set too high of a competition. What an idiot, Self.
He couldn't find it in himself to care all that much though. This wasn't a date after all.
Or was it?
x.
(It wasn't.
Hide had to remind himself of that as they rounded the corner for the bookstore and his hand felt useless at his side, so close to Kaneki's but not so close to reach for it.)
x.
"I could kiss you right now."A breathless whisper.
For a moment Hide thought he'd been the one to say it aloud and he panicked a bit.
Then he realized it hadn't sounded like his own voice at all. He turned slowly to the other boy as an easy smile slowly found its way on his lips.
Likewise, he thought. Don't just say stuff like that or I'll start believing you.
Kaneki's own smile was breathtaking. Even more so than he'd anticipated, and for a blissful moment he really considered confessing right then and there. Then Kaneki grabbed his wrist and practically dragged him inside where Takatsuki Sen was already signing copies of her latest bestseller.
x.
"Wanna grab a bite, before we head home?"
They'd left the bookstore a few minutes ago, but Hide didn't want this to end too soon, whatever 'this' was.
Kaneki nodded and Hide's feet led him to a very familiar path before he even realized it, chatting of trivial things all the while. This was nice. He could get used to it.
When they reached his workplace though, he stopped dead in his tracks.
"Uh. Sorry, man. I didn't mean to come here even on my free day," he cringed. Damn habits. "Hope you don't mind a burger, for dinner."
Kaneki watched him with amusement. "Actually, Burgers are my favourite."
Hide stared at him dubiously. "And when I thought you couldn't get any nerdier..." he joked, grin already in place. "Next thing, you'll tell me you prefer Burger King's."
Kaneki elbowed him in the ribs, making him yelp in surprise. "Shut up," he chuckled.
Hide rubbed at his chest, faking a pout. "Ow, that hurt, you know?" Then, since his companion wasn't looking sorry enough for his tastes, he added: "that bony elbows could give me paper cuts, you better watch it, man! You don't want me flying around like coriandoli, right?" To which Kaneki promptly elbowed him again.
They laughed like kids at Christmas after that, forgetting their surroundings until a sharp voice brought them out of their reverie.
"Oi, Nagachika. You'd better come in or stand aside and let proper customers do it."
Realizing they'd been stared at for that whole performance, they fell silent and hurriedly got inside to avoid other curious glances, both boys red-faced and avoiding each other's eyes.
x.
"Hey, Shittychika, could you cover my shift, tonight?"
Hide paused from where he was wiping the table. The clock signaled it was four pm, and there were few customers still around. Give it two hours and the evening rush would surely start. He huffed. "You know, you could at least pretend to be nice, when asking for a favour," he said, faking a pout. It wasn't like he really minded Nishiki's potty mouth. Years of knowing him had taught him that those were his terms of endearment.
A distant grumble. "Yeah, whatever. C'mon, don't be an ass," Or maybe not. "Kimi will have mine if I don't get home sooner today."
Ah, that explained it. He was nervous. "Dinner for two, uh? What's the big occasion?" Hide wiggled his eyebrows, certain of the reaction he would get from him. He ducked just in time to dodge the crumpled take-out paper bag Nishiki threw half-heartedly at him.
It wasn't like Hide liked to press all of the latter's buttons. If anything, he was returning him the favour for the other day. Besides, he knew that if his senpai really wanted him to stop nosing into his private life he would have made sure not to miss his blond head. Nishiki had had years of friendship to perfect his aim after all.
"Anniversary, maybe? Yeah, sounds sappy enough," he heard him reply. A pause. "Not that this is any of your business, anyway," he then added as an afterthought.
Hide gave the table a last wipe, then he rounded the counter, resuming his position.
You do like to pretend you really forgot about it, uh? He thought. Kimi chose well, he smiled. Seeing them this happy made something in his chest swell with pride. He was decidedly ignoring the other, smaller -but still present- part that envied them.
He winked at the bespectacled boy. "I've got your back, man. Go and get lucky, tonight."
He kept giggling even as Nishiki threw the lettuce he was chopping at his hair.
Yeah, you're very welcome, man.
"I'd say same for you and that Kaneki guy, but it looked kinda hopeless to me yesterday."
Hide choked on his own saliva, effectively stopping mid-laugh.
x.
To be completely honest, Hide was kinda regretting staying longer to cover Nishiki's shift. Tonight was a really slow day, and he was bored out of his mind.
Checking that Akira was nowhere in sight, he retrieved his phone from his jeans pocket and started texting Kaneki.
For a while they just talked about college and stuff. Then even that topic became boring and Hide started sending him his usual puns.
To: Kaneki
what do u call a pig thief?
From: Kaneki
You tell me.
To: Kaneki
a hamburglar
From: Kaneki
...
I hope your taste in literature isn't as hopeless as your common sense with puns.
To: Kaneki
u loved it. just admit it
To: Kaneki
im better at puns than ull ever be in ur life
From: Kaneki
I sure hope so, if that's your best, Hide.
To: Kaneki
who said that was my best
To: Kaneki
answer this, smarty pants
how did Burger King get Diary Queen pregnant?
He didn't wait for Kaneki to reply this time.
To: Kaneki
He forgot to wrap his whopper.
Kaneki never replied, that evening.
x.
They were at Hide's place today.
They had called this a 'study session', too, but to be fair they were just chatting about anything but. Hide had no regrets. It wasn't his fault Kaneki was so utterly horrible at English. He did try to explain him the basics, but he was just not getting them.
Well, it would have been the same for him if they had to study literature really, so either of them didn't care about it that much.
Hide was balancing a pencil on his nose, lazily leaning his back on his bed, his head facing the ceiling as Kaneki asked him a curious question.
"Why McDonald's?"
Hide fell silent. "What do you mean?" He never actually considered the whys.
"Why not any other fast food chain? Is there a reason in particular you chose that one?"
That was a weird question.
"Uhm," he said. "Don't think so," He dropped his pencil and pouted.
Kaneki smiled. "And here I thought you were going to give me a speech on how McDonald's food was healthier than, I don't know, you name it."
Hide snorted. "Like Burger King's, for example? Burgers are burgers everywhere, man. They all taste like barely-legal food, if you ask me."
Kaneki smacked him with a pillow, and Hide looked at him. "Let me dissent on that. I'm the Burgers expert," he joked. "Besides, you're sounding like Nishio-san now."
Hide sent him a Cheshire cat smirk. "Don't tell him I said that."
Kaneki laughed. Like, a full on laugh, and Hide thought he wanted to commit that sound to memory. His gaze softened as his eyes fell on the pink on his best friend's cheek. He should laugh more, he thought. Even at trivial things like these.
He retrieved his pencil from the floor and balanced it again on his nose to try and avoid staring at him for too long. His chest ached, but one of those days Kaneki would notice and call him out on it if Hide didn't watch it, and he wasn't sure he was ready to admit the extent of his affections for the other boy. He didn't know the answer himself.
Then he remembered something he'd wanted to ask him for a while now. "You never told me what your part time was though."
Kaneki eyed him with amusement. "I work there," he said. "At Burger King's."
Hide sit up straight so fast his pencil fell again. "You what?"
"You heard me."
A grin slowly stretched on the blond's lips.
"Is this why you didn't want to tell me?" he asked, voice quivering with suppressed laughter. "Because we're rivals? Oh, Kaneki, you wound me! I thought you knew better than thinking I would hate you for your terrible eating habits!"
Kaneki blushed, smacking the pillow more forcefully on his friend's face to block from view that stupid, infectious grin. "But you just said they taste the same!"
Hide ignored him, grabbing the pillow and holding it at arm's length. "Don't worry, man. You're still my best friend in the world, I won't leave your side for this act of treason against my household," he solemnly said, hand still holding the pillow flying to his heart.
"Oh, shut up. You're ridiculous," Kaneki groaned, leaning on the small table. He hid his face in his folded arms, pouting, but Hide didn't miss the pink that dusted his cheeks at his undying declaration of friendship.
He just smiled toothily. "You love me," he teased.
And I do too, you doofus, he mentally added.
x.
(Still, that news was too good for him to just drop it without teasing him about it a bit longer.
Kaneki didn't seem bothered by it anymore, anyway.)
x
He gave the floor a last wipe with his mop, before deciding the Cola stain was finally removed. Ah, Kids these days. They can't even afford to eat sitting still. Not that he himself was any different.
The Halloween festivity was nearing its way in the calendar, and Hide knew it would be a rough time at work. Still, it didn't make him appreciate it any less.
The Burger King had already announced the Halloween special to be a variation of the whopper, and Hide knew his bosses were going to counterattack with something along those lines as they always did. The rivalry between the two fast food chains wasn't just for show after all.
He wondered if he was going to end up working overtime this time too. That was a thing about imported festivities he didn't like all that much.
He left the mop in the staff backroom, going back to clean up the tables. Today was another slow day apparently, for the only customers he did see during his shift were a bunch of high schoolers during the lunch break. They'd left quite a mess, so Hide wasn't complaining: he wasn't fond of mopping the floor while people were loitering around.
He was going to empty in the nearest trashcan one of the trays that had been left on the table, when he noticed a folded flier with a very familiar brand name on it. He unfolded it, smirking when he realized what was on it.
He shot Kaneki a quick text.
To: Kaneki
srsly? black cheese?
so scary
Kaneki's reply came soon after.
From: Kaneki
I tried it yesterday and I can tell you that isn't the scariest thing about it.
Hide arched an eyebrow, at that.
To: Kaneki
then what is it
From: Kaneki
Do you seriously expect me to say that to my rival household?
Hide snickered, recognizing those words as his. He was a fast learner.
To: Kaneki
aw man u cant leave me hanging now
whats the scariest thing
From: Kaneki
You'll have to come here and see for yourself.
Hide smiled.
To: Kaneki
if u ask so nicely
To: Kaneki
maybe I will
x.
(The Halloween black whopper had the side effect of making your poop turn bright green, he discovered later that week after he actually showed up at Kaneki's workplace.)
x.
(He would totally deny to a giggling Kaneki that he'd yelped in surprise that evening as he went to flush the toilet.)
x.
"You forgot your phone charger yesterday," was saying a dark-haired girl to a very grateful Kaneki.
"Next time I won't be as nice and collect it for you."
"Thank you, Touka-chan."
Hide watched the small exchange with curious eyes. He'd never met a friend of Kaneki.
The other boy seemed to only now realize he was still sitting next to him on that bench in the campus' recreational area, though, so he hurried to introduce the two, who were already glancing at each other.
"Hide, meet Touka-chan. Touka-chan, meet Hide."
The blond offered a hand that Touka hesitantly shaked. Hide couldn't help but notice she wasn't one for formalities.
"Nice to meet you," he told her, and she nodded without adding up. If anything, she looked a bit stiff as if she'd rather be anywhere else. Somewhere far away from here preferably, Hide guessed. Then a realization stuck him, and he felt his stomach drop. What if...
He mentally apologized to them both as he decided he needed to know. He forced his face to show his usual grin, turning back to his friend. "Kaneki!" he shouted, "You never told me you had such a cute girlfriend!"
If possible, that Touka girl became even more impossibly stiff. Kaneki however only blushed all the way down to his neck.
"H-Hide! It's not like that! Me and Touka-chan are just friends!"
At that two pair of eyes fixed on him.
"Right," Touka said, swallowing back what sounded like one hell of a slimy, gross frog. "I'd better get going. Bye, Kaneki." She didn't even look in his direction as she hurried away.
Oh, Hide thought, feeling sorry for the girl, despite everything. Looks like I wasn't the only one.
Kaneki was trying to send him a reprimanding glare, still oblivious as to what had really just happened.
I'd better hurry up, Hide thought, before it's too late.
x.
(Hide wasn't exactly surprised after that, when he noticed that Touka didn't quite like him.
Shame, he would then think. That's another small piece of Kaneki's life he would never get to know.)
x.
Touka-san was a co-worker of his, he then discovered as the next week came by and he waited in line for the cashier to hand him his receipt.
A very rude coworker of his.
"What are you doing here, McDonald's boy?"
"Hello to you too, Touka-chan," he replied, dragging out the honorific. "Don't mind me. Just spying the enemy," he winked.
"I have other customers in line, if you don't mind..." She forced a smile.
Jeez, that much for trying to make a joke. "I'm a customer too! I'll have a Mocha Frappé, please," he gave her his best smile, hoping she would warm up a little bit to him one day or another.
She still wasn't tapping anything on her screen. Today didn't look like that day. "He's not here today."
"Well, this is certainly sad to hear, but can I please have my Mocha Frappé?"
Another fake smile, but this time she complied.
He waited for her to hand him his order, and left the shop soon after.
If he's not here, then what is he doing?
x.
Hide threw the empty cup in the trashcan, then he went to the back to wash his hands and donned his gloves.
"Was that a Burger King's logo I saw, there?"
Came Nishio's voice.
Hide shrugged, not bothering to deny it. It would be pointless now.
"Kaneki works there," he simply said.
Nishiki gave him a sardonic look.
"The most tragic love story since Romeo and Juliet," he commented, turning back to his duties.
That would only make you our Mercutio, Hide thought. Be glad this isn't going to end up as a tragedy.
x.
(Hide decided he wasn't going to wait anymore.
He was going to tell him.)
x.
Sometimes fate just liked to mess with its pawns.
Hide unlocked his phone and read the message, not really knowing what to make of it.
From: Kaneki
I really need to talk to you about something. Could we please meet at Big Girl's and then maybe go for a walk?
He sent an affirmative, including some emojis that didn't quite match his current mood.
He'd felt his stomach drop with an unpleasant feeling as he'd read the words for the tenth time.
He hoped this wasn't something bad.
Right when he'd decided to confess...
x.
Something was off.
Kaneki wasn't looking at him, and instead his gaze was stubbornly fixed on the hands twisting the fabric of his shirt in his lap.
Hide took a deep breath, sitting beside him on the bench so that their shoulders brushed together. He took it as a good sign Kaneki didn't flinch away from his touch. "You know you can tell me everything, right? Whatever you have to say won't change my opinion on you. You'll still be my best friend, no matter what," he said, his voice soft.
A stiff nod.
Was he doubting that?
"Hey. I mean it, buddy," he let his voice take an earnest tone. He didn't think this was still an issue between the two of them. He mentally slapped himself. Of course Kaneki would catch on to all those times he'd avoided his gaze, all those times he'd cracked a joke at their close proximity to try and disperse the intimacy that sent a pang right to his heart. Of course Kaneki would misinterpret them. He couldn't know after all, how deeply and thoroughly Hide loved him.
It was Hide's own fault it was that way, because he'd gone out of his way to make sure he couldn't.
Stupid, Stupid him.
His encircled his shoulders with an arm, and felt Kaneki freeze for a moment, before he leaned in his touch.
"Well," Hide started. "To be honest I wasn't completely fair to you," It was now or never. "There's something I've meant to say to you for a while, too," his chuckle sounded weak to his own ears, and he saw Kaneki turn slightly in his direction.
"No, no, w-wait, Hide."
Hide's mouth slammed shut. These were the first words he'd uttered since he'd arrived a while ago.
"Let me speak first. O-Otherwise I'll just chicken out," he said, closing his eyes but not quite managing to suppress the waver in his voice.
"Whatever this is," Hide weakly interrupted him, not letting go of him, "just know you can take your own time. I can wait."
"I know," said Kaneki, and for some reason those were the only words who came out steady.
Hide fell silent and decided to just wait. His hand squeezed his shoulder in a reassuring gesture. He was there for him, that had been and still was his promise. Even if by the end of the day Kaneki decided that wasn't enough to make him happy.
He felt him take a big breath in, then out, then he opened his eyes. As terrified as Hide presently felt, he couldn't help but lose himself in those grey pools of doom and in the intensity of that look that was holding him in place.
He saw Kaneki's mouth moving but he couldn't quite catch the words he'd said, he was so entranced.
He saw as if in slow motion Kaneki's face fall, but Hide's ears were full of static and he didn't trust his voice to sound steady as he weakly let out a "What" with no particular intonation.
That couldn't possibly be what had just left Kaneki's lips.
It couldn't.
He'd passed the last few months, hell, the entire time he'd known Kaneki even, telling himself this moment wouldn't come.
It did.
And Hide was still gawking at him like a complete moron. His arm felt stiff where it was still resting on the other's shoulders. His brain still wasn't catching up.
This wasn't happening.
Kaneki's broken voice snapped him out of his reverie with the force of a slap.
"It's- It's okay if you don't feel the same--" he hastily broke eye contact, still babbling excuses. "I mean, I knew all along you must have had someone else you thought about but--" he broke off, seemingly unable to go on.
Hide let his arm drop.
This was happening.
And he was fucking it up.
Fuck. Fuckfuckfuck.
"Kaneki, there's never been anyone else."
He still wasn't looking at him. "Kaneki, please look at me. No one," he said. "Just you."
Now it was Kaneki's turn not to listen to him. Hide panicked, placing his hands on either side of his shoulders, making him turn in his direction. "Kaneki, please, listen to me. I love you. I've loved you since fuck knows when. Maybe since the beginning. That's what I wanted to tell you, when I said I hadn't been honest with you."
Kaneki was looking at him blankly.
"You're my best friend and you'll ever be. But since the very beginning that wasn't the role I wanted you to have in my life. I wanted you to wake up next to me each day, even if then we'll have to go our separate ways for the rest of the day. I want you to share a home with me, so that you'll always come back to me even after a long shift in that ugly fast food place."
He let his forehead rest on Kaneki's.
"Fuck Romeo and Juliet. I want this to end as it should," he whispered. "So please don't block me out. I love you too, Kaneki. I love you too."
He closed his eyes, feeling tears of happiness prickling at his eyes and warmth replacing the previous dread as Kaneki's freezing hand came to rest on his face, slowly, tenderly, as if afraid. Hide nodded, his movement making their head bump, and them both chuckled weakly.
"I love you too," he repeated breathlessly, close to Kaneki's lips, drunk with the feeling of finally being able to say it out loud. He didn't want to stop. And so he repeated it again until there were lips on his own, to shut him up or maybe to seal the deal.
And their breath didn't smell like burgers for once, and their hands didn't feel useless at their sides as Hide slowly raised his, too, to lock them behind Kaneki's neck and bring him closer.
And they were glad they didn't.
x.
(Fuck rivalry. They both preferred happy endings, anyway.)