“I feel like a whale,” Touka mutters, stretching out on the sizzling sand.
“You’re beautiful!” Kaneki cries, rubbing more sunscreen into her shoulders.
“Meh.” Touka pokes her seven-months-pregnant belly. “Well, the kid’s awake, so they must love the beach.”
“Good.” Kaneki pats her stomach.
“Touka!” Hinami and Ayato race back from the boardwalk. “Here, we got you ice.”
Hinami shoves a snow cone in Touka’s face. It hasn’t been more than two weeks that ghouls have been able to eat human food. And Touka has, correspondingly, not been able to get enough of sugar.
“Isn’t it good?” Kaneki asks eagerly as his wife takes a bite.
Touka closes her eyes with pleasure. “This is amazing. Humans are so creative.”
Ayato snorts, but he’s also nursing his own chocolate ice cream cone, so he can’t tease her too much.
“Want to go for a walk in the surf, Onee-chan?” Hinami asks.
“Ayato, when are you going to make Touka officially Hinami’s Onee-chan?” Kaneki whispers as his wife saunters off with Hina.
“Not before I stab you.” He sticks out his tongue.
———————————-
Touka sniffs the salty, sweet air as surf pounds around her ankles. “The water feels good on my feet.”
“Good.” Hinami smiles.
“I’m still gonna play volleyball when Akira and Amon get here,” Touka grouses.
“Obviously. With your ukakus, you and Ayato will dominate,” Hinami says with a smirk.
“I don’t know, if the Quinx show up to help Akira, we’re done,” Touka jokes. Her snow cone dribbles around her lips, red as blood.
Hinami giggles as two figures wave from down the beach. “That’ll be Akira and Amon.”
Touka grins as they draw closer. “Hey there.”
Amon nearly chokes.
“Huh?” Touka’s eyes widen with the realization.
Akira elbows him with a laugh. “Amon, dear, it’s a snow cone.”
“I’m sorry!” Amon exclaims. He doesn’t want to make her feel any worse. Really.
Touka flicks cherry syrup onto his face. “There. Now we’re even.”
