Chapter Text
Hide resisted the urge to strangle himself with his tie. Barely. Work has been dragging on more than usual, without any field work to take care of. Hide was a popular source of entertainment, and today was no exception. Seido and a few others hanging around would not leave him alone about his soulmate. Thanks to the shenanigans yesterday, it seemed that everyone at headquarters and their mother knew that Hide's timer zeroed, and his mysterious disappearing act last night helped nothing. They could never know the truth- that he was an CCG First Class Ghoul Investigator with a ghoul for a soulmate.
“Is she tall? I feel like you'd prefer a tall lady, Hide.” Seido waggled his eyebrows. Hide huffed and bent further over the papers on his desk. He hadn't filled out any of them, and was honestly considering bribing a Bureau Investigator to do it for him. He'd never liked the formal stuff. Akira walked by, towering over them in her heels. Seido looked meaningfully at Hide, and he scoffed. His insides felt all mixed up. He had no problem listing his soulmate’s good qualities- he'd only seen him once, and already loved that hair, his strength, how good he looked in leather. He just wished people wouldn't pry, because every question reminded him that Eyepatch had left him with nothing. He didn't even know his real name! How was he supposed to find someone who was completely off the radar?
“She probably has to be tough, to counter your personality, too. You're super nice.” Seido mused. Hide died a little more inside. “Was the kiss good? I hear it's like, amazing.”
“Buzz off.” He snapped. Seido wilted, and Akira came by again, this time, pausing at his desk.
“That's really none of your business, is it?” she deadpanned, forcibly turning her boyfriend away from her partner. Hide thanked her with his eyes, and finally cracked down on his work. Maybe if he finished, he could get off early, and figure out what to do. He hated the gaping-hole feeling in his chest. He reached to his left to grab a pen, and started when he felt a hand pull him farther than he intended to go.
Seido quickly flipped Hide’s arm and pushed up his sleeve. “Let's see how you're coming… along…”
Hide snatched his arm back, covering the six zeros imprinted there. Akira and Seido stared for a moment. Hide felt his cheeks burn. He didn't know why, but he was sort of embarrassed. Akira snapped out of it, and smacked Seido upside the head.
“Rude.” she bit, and came around to stand behind Hide. She rubbed one shoulder awkwardly, in her way of assurance. “Come with me.”
They left Seido, tentatively feeling the back of his head, and walked to an empty hallway off of the offices. It was nice and open, polished metal and glass, and Akira moved to lean against the wall. Hide followed suit, more at ease with his partner than any other Investigator by far.
“Sorry.” she said, keeping her eyes straight ahead. He had to give her credit for trying, though. Emotions weren't really her deal- it was why she had earned the nickname ‘Ice Queen’.
“Don't apologize for him. It's not your fault.” Hide shrugged, nudging her with his shoulder. She looked over at him.
“Not just for Seido.” she sighed, and held up her left arm between them. She rolled up her own sleeve, and Hide had to take a second to process what he saw. Her timer was all zeroed out, like his, but faded. It looked like she had written it on, and the ink was starting to wear off. He met her eyes, and they were more emotive than he'd seen in a while.
“What…?” He couldn't seem to put his question into words, but she understood anyway. Her sleeve fell back into place as she let her arm drop.
“Amon is my soulmate.” she began, and Hide raised his eyebrows.
“But, you two are so…”
“I know. He hates himself for wanting to be with me, and I hate him for making me suffer like that. Soulmates can feel what the other is feeling, and… well. We were fated to be together...” Akira shifted closer to Hide. Their shoulders brushed. “But, before I worked here, he fell in love with another woman. They weren't soulmates, but he wanted her to be his. I'm not sure how she felt. I never met her.”
Akira sounded bitter, and Hide had to keep himself from firing off all sorts of questions.
“Anyway. She died, and he never got over it. So when his mark began counting down, he made sure to avoid the eyes of every person that day. He didn't want a soulmate that wasn't her. I, on the other hand, couldn't wait. I'd always been… closed off. I wanted someone to understand me. Amon walked into the room, and I could just tell. He refused to look anywhere but down at his own hands, and I stormed over there… you can imagine.”
Hide could. Akira was quite frightening when she wanted to be.
“We both felt it, when our eyes met. That… spark. But then, I could see this wall come down, and he didn't speak to me for the rest of the day. I felt like he tore out my heart. He must have felt that too, but he'd made up his mind a long time ago. She took his heart with her. Sometimes, when I get really drunk, I still try and kiss him. It's that bond, pulling me in. But... both of our marks are greying. Pretty soon, I think there won't be anything there. How crazy is that? I guess fate can make mistakes sometimes.”
Hide felt a weight on his shoulder. Her eyes were closed. “Why are you telling me this? It must be hard. To talk about it.”
Akira suddenly straightened up, and the fire was back in her eyes. “Because, Hide. I don't want you to end up like me. You're so wonderful. I'd hate to see how you'd change as the days wear on, as you get lonelier and lonelier. Go out and find your soulmate! Don't let them slip away from you- you deserve to be happy.”
He nodded. She smiled, genuinely, and it warmed Hide's heart. He still had a chance. “Should I-”
“You can have the rest of the night off. I'll cover for you.” Akira suggested, and Hide laughed. She was really a great partner, but an even better friend. They went back into the office, and Hide packed up his stuff so that he could leave. He wasn't sure how, but he would find his soulmate for sure! Though, there would be… complications…
Seido apologized no less than six times before he managed to leave. Hide gratefully breathed in the crisp night air for a moment once he got outside. He had a good feeling blossoming in his chest, filling the void that had taken up residence there. That feeling turned into a tug, and his feet started moving before he could properly decide on a course of action.
He ended up in the shadier parts of town, where a couple of C-class ghouls had been taken down that afternoon. Of course! To find a ghoul, he had to think like a ghoul. He had learned that in training. The fact that his mind didn't know where his body was taking him was obviously disconcerting, but the tugging sensation was only getting stronger. Any minute now, he would be face to face with his soulmate.
Who was an SS rated ghoul. Yikes.
Hide shook his head, ignoring his fear. For one, he was well-versed in ghoul combat, and he could always page for backup, if it came to that. He could hold his own in a fight. His pace slowed as he reassured himself. Eyepatch- or whatever his real name was- wouldn't hurt him. He didn't want to hurt him. If he had, Hide wouldn't have walked out of that alley alive.
The streets he was walking were totally abandoned. He came to a stop. As an Investigator, he had to remain completely impartial when it came to those he hunted. But he knew. He knew that ghouls were just unlucky people who were dealt a horrible hand, cursed to hide in the shadows and survive off of human flesh. He couldn't imagine what that had to be like. Lonely, probably. Some ghouls were dangerous, of course- he wasn't an idiot. Those who killed excessively and mercilessly needed to be taken care of, for public safety. But that went for humans and ghouls alike. Ghouls could be good people.
He just hoped that Eyepatch was one of those ghouls.
“You shouldn't have come here, Investigator.”