Noro x Ghoul!Reader | see you later

"Wow," you gasped.

The Ghoul Investigator had appeared out of nowhere, as you and your friend were playing in the park. Noro was a silent child, so silent that the teachers at school thought he was deaf or mute when they called out to him and got no reaction or reply. You tended to speak for him when teachers tried to talk to him. Not that either of you would be going to school anymore. Both yours and his parents, good old-fashioned ghouls, believed that humans and ghouls were like oil and water; immiscible. Neither could mix. And ghouls, like oil, were always on top, Kings of the food chain. So once you'd both learned enough to read and write a little, they decided it was enough association with your food and pulled you both out.

To celebrate your newfound freedom, you and Noro went to the park.

It was going well until a dove came out of the shadows, attacking two children in broad daylight. But the humans didn't care, screaming in terror when your kakugan activated automatically at the sight of the dove. Noro's didn't reveal themselves but his Rinkaku-type kagune slipped out to protect himself and to protect you, too.

"Don't touch (her/him)," Noro spat, his voice full of spite.

Every time you heard his voice, it made you shiver. Those were such rare occassions, since he only chose to speak when he felt it was very necessary. It led to many one-sided conversations with only his subtle nods and gentle gestures to show he was still listening.

"Even vile children like you two, who feed on human flesh, should still show more politness than that towards their elders," the Investigator sneered, his face scrunching up into a look of pure contempt that you were still too young to truly understand. "Didn't your parents teach you better? Oh," he said, as if suddenly remembering something. "They can't now, can they? Too bad they won't be around anymore to teach you better."

He opened his suitcase, four sets of Quinque cores - kakuhou - spilled out. They were painfully recognizable, the scent of yours and Noro's parents still strong on their dismembered kagune's.

"Mom? Dad?" you whimpered.

Seeing their kagune's, once so powerful and beautiful, laying on the grass like dead weights, made you feel sick to your stomach. Bile welled up in your throat and you bent over, spewing the remains of your last feed on the ground. Standing back up, you wiped your mouth on your sleeve, an indescribable rage racing through your veins.

"I'll kill you, asshole!" you roared.

Noro came to your side, so silent and light on his feet that you didn't notice he had until his hand slipped into yours. It was only there for a moment before he let go and took a protective stance by your side, ready to defend your lives. Though it was just a few seconds, his hand had given you the courage to face the dove without quivering in fear.

You glanced over at your friend, his head tilting to the left in just the smallest inclination.
But you'd noticed it, picking up on his silent instructions.

A fierce wind blew through the park suddenly, fluttering your clothes and ruffling Noro's short black hair*.

Then the fight began.

.

His name was Tsuka Yukine.

It hadn't even occured to you that the dove could possibly have a name or a family of his own, as you gazed down at his bloody body with Noro by your side. He said nothing, not even glancing over at his parents left-overs. He just stood beside you, your silent and moral support.

It was only when news circulated about two ghoul children, nicknamed "Eerie" (Noro's nickname came from his eery silence) and "Snake" (your nickname was because of your Bikaku-type kagune that shimmered in the light like a snake's scaly tail) by the CCG, did you hear the Investigator's name that you'd helped kill after he'd killed your parents.

Tsuka Yukine.

He was the first dove you'd killed but definitely not the first human.

To train you in the art of blending into human society whilst also feeding from them and while fighting for territory amongst other ghouls, your parents and Noro's parents would take you two with them when they went hunting. It taught you how to be independent. And it certainly came in handy now, hiding out in abandoned buildings or alleyways or sewers while the CCG searched for you and Noro.

To all Investigators, you were both nothing but filthy ghouls - murderers and monsters wearing the skin of "normal" humans.

They didn't care that you were also two homeless children, having just lost their parents.

"Noro?"

He didn't look over at you but his head tilted slightly.

"I'm cold," you said, taking his subtle movement to mean that he was listening. He proved that he was when he scooted over to you, throwing an arm around you. You pressed against him, basking in his warmth. The forgotten tunnels beneath Tokyo's streets, once used by ghouls, was your current hideaway and it was absolutely freezing.

"If you're that cold, then join us," a voice said.

It was unfamiliar and held such an authorative tone that you wanted to stand up immediately, bowing in respect to the stranger, despite how badly you were shaking from the cold.

"Who are you?" Noro wondered, choosing this moment as one of those rare times which he considered important enough to warrent his speaking. His kakugan activated, automatically encouraging yours to reveal themselves. (E/C) eyes were replaced by black sclera and red irises, inspecting the darkness all around for any trace of the speaker.

"I am the One-Eyed King," they said. "I'm starting an organization, one that needs strong ghouls, exactly like you two; "Eerie" and "Snake.""

"But we're still little," you said, mind replaying memories of strong, adult ghouls you'd encountered, fighting for land and food. You weren't even half their sizes or ages. You paled in comparison to them. Even Noro did, despite his insanely strong regeneration ability and high pain tolerance. You were both nothing but children in a human-infested, adult world. "How can we help when we're so small?" you wondered.

"You'll grow," they said, footsteps echoing in the dark space, getting nearer and nearer. "My group and I will train you, help you grow and mould you into the beautifully strong ghouls I know you both can become." A foot stepped out of the shadows, followed by a figure wearing a skull and glittering jewelry, most notably being the shining crown on their head. One kakugan eye peered down at you and Noro, a strange and mouth-watering scent coming from the person; half-ghoul, half-human.

You thought they were just myths.

"Will you join me?" they asked.

You turned to Noro, his face impassive and cold.

He nodded.

"Wonderful! Now, follow me, to a place where you both belong."

.

Noro had grown his hair out considerably as he aged.

In your opinion, it suited him well.

You helped him pull those long, dark locks up into a high ponytail, smiling at his unmasked reflection in the mirror. His eyes were dark and dull but you loved them regardless. You knew he cared for you, even if he never once said it. The fact that you were the only one to hear his voice or see his unmasked face was proof enough for you. Roses that would wilt and love poems with pointless words were idiotic to you so you had no qualms with how he showed you his love; actions speak louder than words.

Now, you had become a strong, adult ghoul, just like your parents and all the other ghouls you grew up admiring. It made you feel powerful, to be so high up in an organization as important as Aogiri Tree. Here, you were surrounded by your own kind.

"You're so handsome," you sighed, trailing a finger down Noro's strong jawline. "I'm so lucky that you wear that mask all the time in public or else I'd have to fight others away constantly."

He used to be nothing but a friend to you. But as you watched him grow, maturing into a respectable man, you couldn't help falling for his quite charms. Neither of you had officially asked the other out nor had you announced it to the rest of Aogiri. It was just silently accepted that both of you were together.

Noro hummed softly, the deep sound reverberating from his chest.

"I'm so happy that One-Eyed King found us," you said, resting your head in the crook of Noro's neck. He watched you through the mirror, noticing how your lashes fluttered when your lids shut and how your nose crinkled. "I can't think of where we'd be now without us having being found. Probably dead, rotting in the sewers under Tokyo like rats."

His hand found yours, fingernails freshly painted black, gripping tightly; Don't think about it, you felt he was saying, we're safe now and that's what matters.

He was a hard man to read according to others. But you could tell his exact thoughts and feelings without him having to do or say a thing. It was probably because you'd known him since childhood and because you loved him. Your familiarity with him was likely to be why he was so easy to read, like an open book. But others tended to disagree.

A knock sounded on the door.

Swiftly, Noro pulled on his mask; a white mask featuring a huge mouth and tiny slits for nostrils. There weren't even any eye holes but Noro had a high stamina and endurance, able to fight by hearing alone. Your mask was different. It was shaped like a (favourite animal), crafted beautifully by a tattooed and pierced ghoul you'd met in a peaceful Ward you were passing through. You'd stumbled upon his shop by accident, liking the strange man so much that you had asked him to craft you a mask, sick of the old one you'd been wearing for years. He had done a wonderful job.

You opened the door.

Yamori stood there in his white suit, hands shoved into his pockets. His broad shoulders were hunched over and he looked less than impressed when you opened the door, glaring down at your masked face.

"What took you so long? You're wanted by Tatara for a job," he grunted, shuffling away. "And don't leave him waiting, either!"

It had only taken you seconds to slip your mask on and open the door but Yamori must be in a foul mood you surmised, watching him prowl off, no doubt going back to torture some poor victim. Nico had gossiped to you one day about the new victim in Yamori's "playroom," one of Kanou's experiments who you vaguely remembered hearing about in the news a while ago; the half-ghoul Kaneki Ken.

"I have to go," you said, going back into your room and melting against Noro's side. Slipping his mask up, you exposed enough of his face for you to trail warm kisses along his soft, pale skin before pressing a deep kiss to his cherubic lips. He hummed against your mouth, pulling away and nodding.

I'll see you later, he seemed to say.