Of course it erased my f-ing lines.

"How's this?" the white-haired boy looked up at the mirror, staring at the black-haired boy. The black-haired boy caressed his chest, smiling.

"It's great. I'm sure they'll like it."

The white-haired nodded, a small smile curving on his lips.

The black-haired faded away just as the door opened.

"Eyepatch, are you ready?"

Shiro turned to the blue-haired boy, nodding.

"'Kay. Let's crash this stupid party," Ayato stomped away, Shiro following close behind.

-*-*-*-

"Nagachika.. that's your mask?"

"Yup!" Hide grinned, holding it up.

"Can you even see through that?"

Blink, blink.

Hide put the mask on, blinking even more as he realized.

"... Oh. No, I can't."

"Give it here," Akira snatched the mask grabbing a nearby knife. She poked two holes in it and gave it back.

"Oh! I can see!" Hide grinned from behind the mask. The three in front of him sighed. Hide took the mask back off, grinning at them, "Thank-you! Amon-san, Mado-san, Seido-san!"

"Remember, Nagachika, some of the guests may be ghouls," Akira told him sternly.

"Okay!"

While Akira, Amon, and Seido were there just in case any ghouls showed up, Nagachika was actually there for the activities. For finding someone.

"Are you guys going to write down any nicknames if you like someone?" Hide inquired.

"Of course not. I don't have time for romance," Amon easily replied.

Hide cringed, "Owch. You're going to break a lot of hearts like that, Amon-san."

"They'd have to be pretty good.." Takizawa replied thoughtfully.

"That's reasonable," Hide nodded.

"I agree with Takizawa."

Hide cringed, laughing nervously, "Why do I feel like your expectations are a little too high, Mado-san..?"

"They probably are. I'm not the type for romance after all." Hide nodded thoughtfully.

"What about you, Arima-san?" Hide grinned at the man who'd just been standing there.

"I have no use for romance," Arima replied.

"Daiyone..?" Hide laughed nervously, scratching his cheek.

"It's time," Akira announced, looking at her watch. "Remember, Nagachika, be careful."

"I will, I will!" Hide grinned, and they all departed the room to sit at the tables.

-*-*-*-

"..." Shiro stared at his respective name tag for a little while before sitting down in front of it.

Techincally, the masquerade was at the end of the night. For now, however, they were to just converse with people for five minutes and then move to the next table.

"Yo," a boy with a sun mask on sat in front of Shiro, "Nice to meet you. You can call me Sunshine. Your name?"

"Shiro."

"White, huh? That's pretty neat. You get that from your hair?" Shiro nodded. "So, why'd you choose to come here?" Shiro only stared. "You're not much of a talker, huh? Well, that's alright. I can talk enough for the both of us. So, I'm a college student. I work as a part timer, as a messenger," the boy babbled. Shiro felt two arms wrap around his neck, but they weren't Rize's.

'He smells familiar,' Shiro thought to himself. The black-haired nodded thoughtfully, and Shiro glanced around as the boy in front of him babbled his head off. Shiro spotted a familiar hair of blue a few tables away. Across from the angry teenager was a girl babbling off. Ayato was obviously annoyed and probably just wanted to kill her, but he was doing good to suppress that urge.

For now.

"Hey, are you listening to me?" the boy suddenly asked, and Shiro turned his attention back to him.

"Sunshine, huh..? Shiro, I like him."

"Yes, I was paying attention," Shiro told the boy, which wasn't a lie. Obviously, Kuro had been paying attention to his babbling.

'Do you want to talk to him?'

"Sure. You're too distracted and cut off for this," Kuro chuckled softly.

"Your best friend sounds like a nice guy," Kuro commented once he was given control.

"He is. You know, he's actually a bit like you, in a way. Quiet, reserved. Kind."

Kuro's lips curved in a smile, an almost painful smile. "Kind, huh? I don't know about that."

"Why do you say that?"

"Lots happened," Kuro cracked a finger under the table.

From beyond his mask, 'Sunshine' found himself unable to take his eyes off 'Shiro''s face. Sunshine knew that when Shiro was found out, it would be trouble. He didn't want that.

Little did Sunshine know, Shiro also wanted to save him from the turmoil that would come later.

"You're very cute, Shiro."

Shiro and Kuro smiled softly, Kuro responding, "Thank-you. I'd compliment your appearance, but I don't know what you look like."

Sunshine laughed, "I wonder.. Just between the two of us, Shiro.. you should probably leave."

"?" Kuro frowned. Shiro also frowned, serious.

"It won't be long before you're found out, don't you think?"

Shiro twitched behind Kuro, whispering in his ear.

"You don't think he knows, do you? Is he an investigator?"

"He said he's a part timer though.. a messenger.." Kuro mumbled back to him, never once losing eye contact to the eyes behind that mask.

"Then what is he talking about?"

"Would you prefer I call you Eyepatch?" Sunshine cocked his head, and Kuro and Shiro's eyes widened.

He knew.

He knew.

"How do you know?" Shiro hissed, now back in control.

"That's a secret! But I think we both know that you're better off leaving. Amon-san could probably recognize you."

"He's here?"

"Yes. A few investigators are. Including the CCG's Reaper."

".. Why are you telling me this?"

"I wonder."

"..."

"You aren't going to take my advice?"

"I can't leave. I have business."

Sunshine sighed, "Aogiri, is it..? Why don't you leave that organization? You fit Anteiku so much more."

Shiro glared, "How do you know about Anteiku?"

"I wonder," Sunshine repeated. "I think you should leave Aogiri, Eyepatch. You don't fit it."

"I've changed."

"I can see that. But you're still the same Eyepatch. Just under a veil."

"..."

"I know you feel guilty. Killing so many must be hard on you." Sunshine reached up, caressing Shiro's face, and Shiro couldn't help but melt into the touch.

How long had it been since someone touched him so tenderly..? A real person, not a figmant of his imagination.

"So stop. Quit Aogiri. You don't deserve that pain. They don't deserve someone as great as you. Your strength should be used for protection, don't you think? So leave. Leave Aogiri. Come back. Be that shy little bookworm you used to be." Before Shiro could object, Sunshine continued, "I know you've been through a lot, but he's still there. You're still there." Sunshine's hand retreated from Shiro's face, and Shiro involuntarily whined at the loss of warmth. "You've gotten so cold.." Sunshine commented as he scribbled onto a piece of paper. Once finished, Sunshine pushed the paper to Shiro, and Shiro read it, not noticing as Sunshine got up.

I may call myself 'Sunshine', but I'm not your sunshine, am I? You need your sunshine, and you know that. You shouldn't leave him alone.

Shiro picked up the note, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Your sunshine is Hideyoshi Nagachika. And you need him. And he needs you. How are you supposed to protect him when you're so far away and alone?

"I-" Shiro looked up, about to speak to Sunshine, when he realized he was no longer there. "..."

Shiro stuffed the note into his pocket and left.

-*-*-*-

"You exited early on, Nagachika. Why was that?" Amon asked at the masqurade.

"I guess you could say I got a little too satisfied with someone!" Hide grinned behind his mask.

"So that note you gave him, was that your phone number?" Akira inquired.

Hide's grin widened, "Yup! Phone number and name!"

It certainly was his name, that's for sure. But Hide doubted that he'd needed his phone number. After all, they were best friends.

-*-*-*-

"F*cking Eyepatch.." a certain bluenette growled, "Dropped out at the last moment.."

If you couldn't predict, yes, in that last scene, the entire wherever-they-were was burning to the ground. I do believe this one's finished, but if you ask, you shall recieve. I will eventually do another TG fanfic with a similar start as this one called Speed Dating. With that one, I will actually keep with it, I did not mean to make Shiro and Hide leave, I'm so sorry ;-; In that, you'll actually find the fluff for all our favorite pairings.