Chapter Text
Hide is dressed like he’s going to a funeral, and he hates it.
The black dress shirt clings to his chest like a second skin, plastered by sweat. The equally dark, pinstriped pants remind him of something he’d find while looting a business man’s wardrobe. The only ounce of free will he’d been able to exercise was through his hair, which he had sloppily pulled into a ponytail, bangs still hovering in his vision and its back still brushing against his neck.
“Following the desired dress code only strengthens your chances,” the instructor had chimed at the students back in the middle of the year, a time that felt like forever ago. Gods, was today really the last day of training? ...Technically, it’s actually a testing day, but that doesn’t mean it’s not related to training. Hide stares at the sidewalk and notices how far away from the ground his view is. He really had gotten old.
Tugging his shirt’s collar to give his neck breathing space for the umpteenth time, his hands go clammy for an entirely different reason as a building looms in front of him. The CCG’s HQ is practically a high-tech fortress straight out of a movie. Dark metal and shimmering, tinted glass stretch upwards like an elaborate pyre, framed by a circlet of clouds.
He’s taking his test here. One trial. Pass or fail.
Hide jitters as he paces through the building’s sliding doors, nervous yet thankful for the welcoming blast of cool air. The lobby’s as intimidating as the rest of the building’s exterior, with stone tiling and a minimalist set up. He lets himself listen to his heels clacking against the stone for a few moments, imagining himself as an important person-- people living the big life always have loud footsteps. His father’s echo throughout entire rooms, even.
The receptionist has been expecting him, a strained, professional smile stretching his mouth too wide.
“You must be here for the test at two,” he greets Hide, who beats down his nerves in order to offer a grin back.
“Yep!” he confirms with a thumbs up.
“You’ll want to take the elevator to the second floor, then go through the door at the end of the hallway to the right,” the receptionist directs Hide. He looks tired from the repetition of his job. The false smile only makes it worse.
Hide gives a quick word of thanks before hustling to the elevator. The journey to the second floor is quiet, with hardly any encounters with workers and visitors. He takes it as an opportunity to recite what he needs to know in his head, a jumbled recap.
‘The results are best when you know what characteristics you should focus on at the test’s start…’ For him in particular, that entails ‘kindness, protectiveness, loneliness, and dominance--’ Hide shudders at the last one. ‘Successful encounters will present figures with black and red eyes,’ he recites this sentence word for word, the line in from his textbook as clear as day. ‘Once contact with the targeted figure is established, attempting to turn back or refuse proper interaction leads to a coma or death, though the exact cause behind this is unknown.’ He’s not going to turn back. He darts his hand into his pocket, fumbling with the leather eyepatch. ‘Mementos are helpful, too.’
The ding of the elevator snaps him from his thoughts.
The room is easy enough to find, with a helpful, hastily-printed sign taped outside the doorway. Hide strolls his way in, giving a wave to the instructors and his classmates that are scattered throughout the room. The entire floor has been supplemented with matting; it‘s probably a combat training room on any other day. Devoid of any tables or chairs, all that’s left are mirrored walls.
Unsure as to what else he can do, Hide settles himself onto a spot on the floor, then whips out the eye patch to place in front of him. He fidgets with his clothes, criss-crosses his legs, and heaves an exaggerated sigh to quell his racing mind. There’s no point in overthinking this test… Right?
The other students meander around to find their own places. Like Hide, they shuffle through pockets or remove items from boxes. There’s a collection of objects nestled by their respective owners; a bunny keychain, a platter of some sort of finely-cooked meat, and even a hockey mask worthy of a serial killer are all among the number Hide notices as he glances throughout the room.
An older, blonde woman in sharp attire strides to the front of the room by the doorway, focused eyes inspecting each of the students’ mementos.
“If everyone is ready, then we’ll start the test,” she begins, wasting no times on introductions. Hide squints to read her name tag for the sake of future reference… Mado Akira.
“Exactly three minutes from now we will cast the appropriate charm to begin-- anyone who decides to not take the test must leave the room before then. We will be providing the necessary boost for testing to go underway, but each of you must act accordingly to your situation in order to fully pass. Of course, this only applies to those who make initial contact. Speaking of which, I will remind you all that you have signed the appropriate waivers for this test.” A heavy silence hangs over the room.
Mado glances at her watch before taking a step backwards, detaching herself from the daunting atmosphere.
“Prepare yourselves, and remember to utilize your studies.”
The room bursts into motion. Students work on strategically positioning their objects, some curl up on the floor and get comfortable. Others massage their temples to help them focus. One or two even plug their ears to block out the terrified buzzing in the room.
Hide doesn’t have much he can do besides sitting and focusing on the characteristics from earlier. His chosen subject is extremely new in comparison to others’; there’s only bare-boned information about him in textbooks. All he’d find were reports of fleeting interactions, some supposed abilities, and a description of the tragedy that led to his infamy, honestly.
...Something tells Hide that focusing on the tragedy would not put him in his target’s favor.
So characteristics it is.
Mado’s voice rings through the room.
“We start in 10 seconds.”
The instructors circle around the room with their clipboards pressed to their chests, the charm’s incantation slipping off each of their tongues like a countdown. Actually, that’s exactly what it is. Hide feels the familiar build-up of pressure in his ears and smells the nonexistent sulfur in the air. He shuts his eyes and lets his thoughts fade entirely. He’s so ready for this.
“And begin.”
Hide’s eyes flutter back open.
The room is the same as ever.
Disappointment wells in his chest for a moment before he can wrestle it back down. He’s just begun; there’s still time! He just needs to focus.
Kindness. Protectiveness. Loneliness. Dominance.
Hide thinks of his mother’s clattering in the kitchen in the early hours of Saturday mornings, intending to give her family an amazing breakfast to wake up to. He remembers the days he’d come back with bruises all up his arms thanks to his fights with bullies during school-- someone had to protect the shy, outcast students! He reminds himself of the times he’d had to curl up in his bed and listen to a silent house as he drifted to sleep because his family was busy that night. He thinks of shouting matches with his father, and the sheer willpower that radiated from the other’s form as he pinned Hide down with audible daggers.
Hide takes these memories and feelings, then stuffs them into his skull like a glutton. The more memories he piles into his head, the more frantic he gets because nothing’s happening-- something’s not working! Worry is winding its way into his lungs, but he’s too self-controlled to show it, so he glances around the room rapidly instead, praying for something, anything to happen.
And then, something does.
The surroundings and its people drop away in a blur, leaving Hide alone in the dark.
He doesn’t plummet like everyone else. He almost wishes he had.
The blackness is like an endless canvas, spanning with no horizon. His dark clothes make it feel like he’s being eaten away, merely a head and remnants of a body. Hide rubs a comforting hand up and down his arm. There is no chill to give him goosebumps, yet there they are.
“Hello?” he wearily calls, letting his cheery demeanor drop away entirely for a moment.
He gets nothing in return. Not even an echo.
“Anyone there?” he weakly tries again, hoping repetition will do the trick. Loneliness is creeping through his feet, into his bones.
Something white shimmers in the corner of his eye. He whips around, relief coursing through his veins like adrenaline.
The other boy-- man?-- stands stock still, a pale hand clutching the bottom edge of his jacket. His white hair waves in an imaginary breeze. As adept at reading emotions as Hide is, he can scarcely tell what the other is thinking. His eyes are stretched wide in disbelief-- or fear? Shock? His mouth wavers, slightly open as he surveys Hide from the distance.
“I, uh, got the dress code!” Hide exclaims, urging the silence to be shattered. He grasps a loose portion of his shirt and tugs at it as a helpful indicator. “Pretty much all black; like you wanted… I think.” The man doesn’t budge, his own dark clothes nearly hiding his form as effectively as Hide’s. Hide searches for the defining feature of these encounters, knows he’ll find it if he focuses hard enough and… There. Onyx and crimson spar for Hide’s attention, enveloping the entirety of the man’s left eye.
“You’re Kaneki Ken, right?” Hide asks. For the first time, the man moves. He gives a subtle nod.
“Great!” Hide bounds over, only slowing his momentum when the other takes a quiet, weary step backwards. Is Kaneki… scared of him? The notion is almost laughable, considering what he is, versus what Kaneki is. He still makes a note to restrain himself a bit more. He can’t scare off Kaneki, not now. Who knows what would happen to Hide, if he did?
“Nagachika Hideyoshi,” he introduces himself, “but everyone just calls me Hide.” He offers a handshake. Kaneki slowly accepts it.
“How did you find me?” Kaneki questions with a hoarse voice, worried eyes darting between Hide’s face and the darkness beyond. It must have been ages since he’s spoken last.
“I studied so I could meet up with you-- duh!” Hide waves a careless hand, “We were told to pick who we thought we’d work best with, and you seemed like a good match!” ‘Opposites attract!’, he had told himself as he scoured over Kaneki’s information, seeking all the tips necessary to locate him.
“But I thought partnerships with me were banned! Because I… I…” Kaneki chews his lip, struggling to vocalize what had happened.
“It’s been over two decades since that catastrophe, Kaneki,” Hide softly counters. “You shouldn’t beat yourself up over something for that long.”
“But I can,” Kaneki rasps. He may not look it, but he sure sounds his age. Hide musters up his courage, silently begging that Kaneki won’t attack him as he carefully places a hand on the other’s shoulder.
“No one deserves to be so alone,” Hide says, leaning over to look Kaneki in the eyes. He doesn’t know if this is the right thing to do. Frankly, the training had only prepared him for finding, not actually interacting with their targeted partners. So he’s improvising. Kaneki shakily inhales.
“How do I know that you aren’t trying to use me for something evil?” Hide flinches at the suddenly cold tone.
“I don’t know if this has anything to do with Mr. Amon when you worked together, b-but--” Hide stutters, slinking away from Kaneki as subtly as he can.
“--He didn’t use me. I used him,” Kaneki corrects him in that same dead voice. His shoulders seem broader; his eyes look more manic.
Hide remembers the mentions of Kaneki’s erratic mood, a pendulum swinging between normality and depravity. He had never quite heeded the words, focusing on the man’s apparent caring nature, his quiet, skillful ability to learn and adapt. Now that Hide’s receiving a glimpse of the other side of the coin, he has to remind himself: He can’t run away.
“I’m not going to do anything evil… and I won’t end up like Mr. Amon,” Hide counters, pushing his own shoulders out and tilting his chin upwards, a prideful stance. Like Father taught him. Kaneki’s irregular eyes scan Hide’s figure, expression shifting subtly as they rest on Hide’s face.
“Prove it,” Kaneki fiercely demands, a rumble caught in his throat. “Show me that I won’t devour you.” He surges towards Hide, stepping directly in front of the other’s face. Hide refuses to budge, offering a grin instead.
“How so?” he chirps, trying to counter the aggression with his own brand of cheerfulness. He stares into onyx and pearl, mumbles internally that this is still the nervous man from before-- the cracks in his psyche are just a little busy twisting him up from the inside. Hide will win him over. He has to.
“Make a contract with me.”
“That’s it?” Hide blinks. That’s what he was planning to do anyways!
“It’s a test of time,” Kaneki elaborates, his tense stance trembling with restrained strength.
“Hell knows you’ve got plenty of it,” Hide jokingly answers, letting out a chuckle. Kaneki takes a step back, apparently satisfied.
“So how do we make this contract?” Hide rubs his hands together-- Kaneki would probably interpret it as eagerness, but it’s really a nervous gesture. Kaneki raises a brow.
“You studied in order to find me, but you still don’t know how to make a contract?” There’s a glimmer of amusement in the question. It still sounds mildly predatory, but Hide will take what he can get.
He shoots Kaneki a sheepish smile. “Eh… No. I thought it varied?” He rubs the back of his neck, embarrassed.
“It depends on our origins,” Kaneki sagely answers. He carefully reaches a hand out, coming to lightly grasp Hide’s collar… Hide’s eyes flicker to it, but he refuses to look fazed. He takes a light step forward, and leans slightly to look down at Kaneki.
“And what was yours?”
“I was lured in by a particularly dangerous woman and we both got into a nearly fatal accident. Someone took pity and transferred her inhuman heart to me,” Kaneki bluntly explains. “Now, here I am.”
“That sounds terrible! Sheesh! Talk about a bad break!” Hide gasps, ruining the somber moment. Kaneki has been edging closer-- it would’ve been unnoticed if Hide wasn’t Hide. His breathing is silent, and his exhales are neither warm nor cold. It’s like sharing a breathing space with a spirit. Kaneki tugs Hide closer, his lips ghosting by Hide’s.
“Passion and its results unfortunately dragged me into this existence. Now let me show you how to make a contract.”
Kaneki closes the distance, a fierce, starving look in his eyes. Hide’s arms skirt around the other’s frame in confusion from the sudden motion, finally settling behind his neck and through Kaneki’s hair as he lets himself be carried away in the kiss. It’s sloppy and a little disgusting to be honest, but the energy behind it gives Hide a persistent rush of adrenaline. He winces as his nose collides with Kaneki’s, yet he cannot find it in himself to care at all. Kaneki offers an approving growl, somehow shoving himself impossibly closer… and… and…
They slam into the floor of the CCG’s testing room.
Kaneki looks startled, and Hide can only wheeze, noting the awkward straddle Kaneki has Hide stuck in, one arm braced by Hide’s head. He watches Kaneki’s head slowly rotate to observe the instructors frozen in place as well as students, slumped on the floor, rubbing defeated eyes, or conversing with newly arrived partners. Hide watches Kaneki’s breath catch in his chest.
Slowly, Kaneki draws his hand back to cover his face, curling over in mortification. Hide bursts out in laughter.
“Oh, so now you act all shy and modest!” he howls with amusement. He drags Kaneki downwards, gently pushing him over so they can lay side by side. Kaneki continues to hide behind his hand, yet he loosens his rigid pose. Hide offers a consoling pat to Kaneki’s shoulder, still shaking with laughter.
He knows the rest of the room is staring, but it doesn’t really matter-- he’d done it! He’d passed, and he’d gotten a partner out of it! His career is now underway, and with Kaneki’s help, he knows they’re going to be great. Better than great, maybe. He ought to think of a team name, just for the hell of it.
One of the instructors pads to stand by Hide’s open side, sliding glasses back up the bridge of her nose as she looks down at the sprawled-out duo. Hide’s face feels like it’s going to split from grinning so widely, and he can’t help but stretch over to ruffle Kaneki’s hair as a subtle form of thanks. He already knows what she’s going to say.
“Congratulations, Nagachika Hideyoshi. You’ve successfully made a contract with a god. Your job as a CCG investigator starts today.”