Work Text:
It starts with a haircut though that’s hardly where it ends. But Haise wants and needs to learn more about Eto and this is the best way, to learn from the woman directly. A book is grand but Eto cannot be summed up by words on pages, no matter how skillfully she has woven them.
“Is this on the CCG’s check or yours? Though I suppose they are one and the same,” Eto says as she riffles through the rack of shirts. She picked out the store after passing by several, though what makes this one different, Haise can’t tell. One had been too old fashioned, another had been too gaudy, and so on; Haise thinks it’s more that Eto had decided to see if he had any opinion on the matter.
Haise doesn’t think he’s ever sat by and watched a woman shop, though he does feel something in the back of his head itch the longer he stands. (Repress and hide but not too much because you cannot block yourself if you want to see the puzzle that is Eto, let alone begin to solve her.)
“It can’t be on yours, the CCG has your funds frozen by now,” Haise said, though he isn’t sure and he doesn’t care. He doesn’t buy much for himself, all the more that he’s left the Chateau. He doesn’t have pseudo children to drop money on nowadays. “I don’t mind.”
Eto blows him a kiss.
“You’re a woman’s dream come true,” Eto says. “I’ll need something nice for the press conference. Though I suppose a good portion of my readers don’t expect me to dress up; Takatsuki never had much of an eye for fashion.”
Haise slightly raises an eyebrow at how Eto refers to her author persona but says nothing. Eto has seen his expression anyway. She won’t miss any tiny gesture of his just as he will not miss anything of hers.
Eto hooks her arm in his and tries each item on, modelling them for Haise. He smiles and tries to give an opinion, though Eto is beautiful in her own dangerous way and complimenting her is equally dangerous.
“I won’t bite you if you say something looks terrible,” Eto says midway. She spinning around in a long flowy dress, frowning at it.
“You know,” Haise says simply.
Eto stops her twirling to smile at him.
“You’re too much,” Eto says with a laugh.
Haise pays for her clothing and they leave the shop.
“Where to next?” Eto asks. She’s holding her own bag, swinging it around like a teenager, eyes roaming about to find the next shop to explore.
“Wherever you’d like,” Haise says. “I’m to follow you.”
“I know that,” Eto says, looking a trifle annoyed. “Would you like to find a bookstore?”
“Whatever you’d like,” Haise repeats. He would not like to find a bookstore, because while it would be an excellent chance to learn more about Eto in a comfortable environment, he’s equally sure she’s thinking the same about him.
Eto gives a pout but doesn’t bring it up again. Instead she elects to window shop, and they spend an hour exploring the stores from the outside. Eto doesn’t ask or make to go inside any of them, and when Haise asks, she shrugs.
“No desire, I suppose. And isn’t this fun in it of itself? Or do you think it’s a waste of time?”
“The CCG would probably think it a waste of time,” Haise said.
Eto doesn’t smile. Instead she scowls and tosses her head away from him.
“Don’t talk to me about those fools. I’m trying to enjoy my day with company that I’ve longed to chat with.” She glances back at him now to see his reaction to her words. But Haise has known that Eto has a soft spot for him, and this is not news nor a surprise. “I would have liked to talk to you more from the beginning.”
“My beginning or yours?” Haise asks. He doesn’t mean anything by the question but Eto considers it seriously all the same.
“I suspect our stories would have been different if I had met you earlier,” she says, thoughtful in a delicate way. Then she smiles sharply. “Though perhaps not so different.”
Haise lowers his eyes and says nothing. Eto hums a little at his silence and then begins up again.
“I think I’m ready to turn in for the night. It’s getting late,” she says. The sun is beginning to set but there’s no danger for the two of them in staying out at night. If anything, they’re more comfortable with it.
“If you’d like,” Haise says, and they make their way to the hotel.
There are no doves here yet but they will come soon enough. For now it’s perfect though because Eto looks around sees none, and she relaxes by a smidge. It’s in the way her shoulders loosen and her step bounces a little more. For now it’s still an adventure. Tomorrow, who knows.
“We’ll be staying here tonight,” Haise tells her as they take the elevator up to their room.
Eto looks around, nodding in approval of his choice of hotel.
“I suppose we need to be close to where the press conference will take place so we can avoid any reporters and fans of Takatsuki’s,” Eto says. Haise smiles a little, for of course Eto wouldn’t miss any details. She grins a little at seeing his look and grips her shopping bags tighter, the plastic crinkling in the otherwise empty elevator. “You won’t be surprised to hear this, but I’m rather looking forward to tomorrow.”
“Not surprised in the least bit,” Haise says. Eto has plans afoot, that much is easy to tell, but what those plans are, they are safely enclosed in her head.
Eto doesn’t say anything more until they are locked in their room. She glances at the two beds and hangs up her new clothes up nicely so they won’t be wrinkled for tomorrow’s press conference. Haise sits on the edge of one of the beds and watches her. Then she stands up and walks towards Haise.
There’s a kiss in her eyes and body, and Haise can see it coming. But he doesn’t back away. Instead he meets her so that its mutual, though decidedly more aggressive on Eto’s part. She takes, wants control and for a moment Haise lets her. It’s good and wet, and they break apart though Eto keeps him close by sliding her hand behind his head, so that he can feel her breath with every word she speaks.
“Am I your first, hm?” Eto asks, smiling because she’s already certain of the answer.
“First ghoul,” Haise murmurs because there’s a difference between his first and Kaneki’s first.
Eto laughs at that but she doesn’t stop her hands from crawling all over his back and body. She squirms and moans, and when they’ve both come down from their climaxes, Eto turns to look at him. She’s on her belly, feet swinging back and forth, the blanket kicked off long ago.
“What would your darling Arima say if he saw you like this?” Eto asks but not even she expects an answer. Instead she’s spinning out plots in her head, imagining what is to come after she has set up her characters and twists. Her hand is playing with his hair and she’s soft in a way that Haise thought she wasn’t entirely capable.
Part of Haise wants to tell her that he doesn’t give a shit what Arima thinks. Another part wants to be inside of Eto again. That’s the part that wins out and Eto gives out a delighted noise as Haise climbs back on top of her, spreading her legs and sliding his fingers inside of her.
He follows her into the shower, which she teases him for, and though it’s not entirely necessary, it’s what he wants to do. Eto doesn’t stop him as he presses their slick bodies together, and she definitely doesn’t protest her orgasm. There’s a half smile on her lips the whole time and if Haise were anyone else, he would be offended by it.
“I didn’t know CCG officers took such care of their charges,” Eto says as she rubs the towel into her hair.
“You’re a special case,” Haise says and Eto preens at that.
“You know just what to say to a woman,” Eto says. She sits down with a bounce onto the hotel bed and drapes her towel around her neck. “Can I use your phone? You’ve been fun but I’d like to get some sleep before tomorrow and I usually read before I go to bed.”
“What do you like to read?” Haise asks as he hands his phone over.
“Lately I’ve been working on my own books,” Eto says as she focuses on the phone. “It’s been hard to find time to read for myself. But Takatsuki’s latest book is done and I’ve got a chance so I’m going to take it.”
“Don’t stay up too late,” Haise chides and Eto flashes him a sharp smile.
“Oh come on now,” Eto says. “As if you haven’t stayed up reading past your bedtime.”
“Not lately,” Haise says cheerfully and Eto’s smile fades as she turns back to the phone.
“You have been busy,” she says and then doesn’t speaks to him for an hour while she reads.
Haise pretends to do some work in a notebook but he’s really just drawing scribbles and doodles. He watches Eto the whole time, openly and blatantly because there’s no point in pretending when it's just the two of them like this.
She’s almost adorable, wrapped up in a blanket, lost in a story. Her face is carefully blank but Haise hopes it's a good story.
“You got two beds,” Eto says, looking across from him, her eyes peeking out from just over top of the blanket that she has pulled up to her face.
“I thought you would be more comfortable in your own bed,” Haise says.
“Hm.”
“And I figured you could use some actual sleep,” he continues.
Eto laughs at that, and nods her head in agreement.
“You’re not going to try to keep me awake all night in some attempt to sabotage me?”
“You would probably do fine,” Haise says.
“I would,” Eto agrees. “Not even an attempt though?”
“I’d like some sleep as well. Please don’t try to escape. There are doves guarding the hotel though I don’t think you’ll do that. I’d rather not have to explain it though.”
“I wouldn’t want to cause more trouble for you,” Eto says and Haise understands this to be true, to a certain extent.
Haise slides into his bed, and Eto turns off the lights. He’s not surprised when she slides into his bed.
“Do you want me to go to my own bed?” She asks, murmuring against his neck where she’s pressed her face into.
“If you think you can sleep like this, I don’t mind,” Haise says. “I kick in my sleep though.”
Eto laughs, the sound muffled by Haise’s skin. Her breath is warm and he’s probably just imagining it but it smells of blood.
“If you kick me, I’ll have to punish you.”
“I’ve warned you so it’s really your own fault if you get kicked.” Haise turns around so he can meet her eyes. “But as I’ve said, if it makes you feel comfortable, go right ahead.”
Eto studies him for a moment. She gives an exaggerated sigh and curls up around Haise more. It feels nice, to be so close to someone, though he’s vulnerable and Eto is dangerous. Tonight though, it seems she’s decided to rein in her claws, and Haise takes advantage of that.
“Do you snore?”
“Only if I’m exhausted.”
“Then we’re fine. I can’t stand snoring.”
Haise should wait until she falls asleep but he never knows if tomorrow will be kind. So instead he falls asleep to Eto watching him, which should be more disconcerting, but he expects nothing less from her.
He wakes before her though, and watches her for just a few moments. She’s calm and her breathing is even. But she spoke true when she said she was a light sleeper and the moment he gets out of bed, she’s wide awake.
They go downstairs to get coffee, both remarking on the average quality of it, and make their way to the conference room. Eto quiets down as they near the building, though she switches to her Takatsuki mask as soon as they step through the door.
Haise says nothing as she makes polite chitchat with the staff and simply remains by her side, waiting to see what Eto plans to do. He has ideas, guesses, but only the author herself knows how this part of her story will go.
“The cameras are ready,” Haise murmurs as he sees the crew gesture to them and Eto shivers.
“You may not believe this, Kaneki, but I’m a little nervous,” she says, looking out though she’s already begun walking.
“I can,” he says. “I’d be more surprised if you weren’t.”
Eto half turns to smile back at him.
“Record this for me, won’t you? I want to see your reaction.”
“Of course,” Haise says without promising anything.
She doesn’t need to see what she already knows.