Yessssss.

“I’m shit.” Takizawa concludes his self-diatribe, leaving Kurona open-mouthed. 

“Stop it. You ate your parents unknowingly. I knowingly ate my sister in a stupid attempt to save us both. And I failed!” Kurona leaps in front of Seidou and grabs his hands in hers. She shakes him. “Get up off your ass and forgive yourself!” 

He’s taken aback by the fire in her eyes. “Uh…”

“Or I can’t forgive myself,” Kurona whispers.

“I know you’re petty enough,” Takizawa grouses. Despite the tension, they both snicker.

And then Kurona covers his mouth with hers. Her teeth clack against his, and Seidou realizes that, subconsciously, he’s already opened his mouth.

Kuro?

Likes…

Me?

How do I deserve this?

Takizawa inhales as he pulls her closer, deepening their kiss like lovers might. Perhaps, forgiveness starts with returning a kiss. 

YASSSSS. I LOVES ANGST. 

“Kuro? Kuro!” Takizawa leans over her in bed, shaking his sobbing lover awake.

“Seidou?” Kurona blinks back tears. 

She’s here.

Nashiro is gone.

“Your sister?” he prompts, feeling ashamed of prying, but more afraid of leaving her to suffer alone. Kuro’s the best part of his life.

“I dreamt I watched her die again. But she wasn’t dead. Me – I – when I consumed her, I killed her. In my dream, she screamed and I screamed, but it was too late.” Kurona hunches her shoulders, as tears track down her cheeks. “It was all my fault.”

“It wasn’t,” Seidou says gruffly. “It wasn’t, not at all.” 

“But – suppose she was alive? Suppose I did kill her – I’m so scared of that, Seidou.” Kurona grabs his hands.

“You didn’t. Take it from someone who ate his own parents.” Seidou cracks a half-smile. “I feel at fault, too. Heck, I was at CCG and I wouldn’t have helped you even then. You – you were always better than me.”

“No, I wasn’t.” Kurona leans her head on Seidou’s bare chest. She loves the sound of his steady heartbeat. “We just had different lives.” 

“Well,” says Seidou, kissing her forehead, “I’m very glad you are here now.”

“I’m glad you’re here.” Kurona pulls his lips towards hers. “Nashiro would approve.”

“That’s all that matters,” Seidou jokes, rolling atop this marvelous woman who somehow, by some miracle or fortune, loves him. 

One Takirona scenario coming right up.

“Takizawa! You okay?” Kurona is relieved to see him holed up in the abandoned warehouse she left him in. Hakatori is out, probably scavenging for food.

“Other than the city being taken over by a kagune?” Takizawa shrugs. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

He scowls. Kurona’s eyes are bloodshot. “The fuck happened to you? Did you find him? ”

“K – Kanou.” Kurona doesn’t know whether to dissolve into tears or scream. She settles for punching a hole in the wall. “He took his own life.”

“In front of you?” Takizawa is glad that motherfucker is dead. But – but Kurona didn’t deserve this. 

She nods, kneeling onto he ground. “He wasn’t even sorry. He just wanted to go out once he’d fulfilled his desires. Apparently this whole mess – this dragon – is that.” 

Kurona gasps through her tears. “He didn’t care. He never cared about me.”

“I know, but that still hurts, right?” Takizawa recalls his feelings when Houji tried to kill him. The only parent he had left, the one he’d given everything for, just to grasp his approval once more, and his parent hadn’t wanted anything to do with him.

Kurona grabs Takizawa. “He was my last link to Shiro. He ruined our lives, and he never cared. It’s too – his death was too good for him.” 

“It was,” Seidou agrees darkly. “I would have gladly forced him to stay alive and suffer for what he did to us fucked half-breeds. If for one second, he could feel the agony.” He pauses. “But I feel it, Kurona.”

“I know you do.” Kurona hiccups. “That’s why you’re my closest friend now.” 

“I’m not gonna abandon you, either.” Seidou smirks.

“Nor I you.” Kurona leans her head on Seidou’s breast, just over his beating heart. “You’re all I have left.” 

Thank you for blessing the fandom with more takirona feels. 

Kurona’s earphones are wedged into her ears, blasting K-Pop to hype herself up for what she knows she shouldn’t do, but desperately wants to.

She sways to the music as she stands outside :Re. The night is still. Most people are asleep by now. 

 Someone slinks up behind her. Or, more like stumbles, but he always stumbles. 

“Sneaking off?” Seidou breathes against her shoulder.

Kurona removes one earphone. “Considering it.”

“Where will you go?” Seidou peers up at her.

“I want to find him. Kanou. Finding him would give Goat an advantage.” Kurona’s voice falls. “And I need to confront him. One last time.”

“I understand.” Seidou shivers. He doesn’t ever want to face Kanou again, but he’s not everyone. And he’s a coward who gave in to Kanou’s torments. “You should go. Kaneki will understand.”

Kurona nods. “I just…this was the one place where I felt like I belonged, you know? After Shiro.”

“I do.” Though he could never quite allow himself a place here, acceptance nipped on his heels all the same. “There’s somewhere I have to go, too.”

“Hmm?” Kurona raises her eyebrows.

“Hakatori. She’s alone and starving. She…she’s so young.” Seidou barks laughter. “I suppose I think that if I help her, it’s like I’m helping my younger self.” So selfish.

 “You should go to her.” Kurona slowly swivels to face him. “You know, you’ve a good man, Seidou.”

His eyes widen, bright with tears. “I’m not even a man. I’m a ghoul.”

“You’re a good person, then. I’m not, really. But, you know, not many have changed species entirely. Not even Kaneki has. He’s still half-human. You and I have. I understand you, and I understand you’re good. Deep down, in here.” Kurona pokes his heart. 

Seidou’s lips curled. “I’d like to think that if we’d met at CCG, we’d still be friends.”

“And then traitors together,” Kurona agrees, and he chuckles with humor this time.

“Best of luck.” Seidou’s hands brush hers.

“We’ll see each other again.” Kurona grabs his hands and squeezes. “And, Seidou, I’m proud of who you are.”