I can tell you without a doubt in my mind that they all wanted to tap that.
(Dirk, that's not at all romantic. Try again.)
I would love you so fast and so easy. Under any circumstance.
(Some part of him wondered if Kaneki knew something about his future, or if he was just being cautious because of people coming back without their memories. What really takes him aback is seeing Kaneki swear. His boyfriend rarely cursed and somehow, that made it clear the severity of how he felt.
So, despite his own anxiety...)
I will. I could never actually resist even if I thought it was for the best. I'm too obsessed with you and too committed to us. I would be fucked up without you too and I'm not ready to give that up. I will never be ready for that.
So I won't let it happen. Ever. You have to promise me the same.
I dunno if I would call you useless without me, but I...like to think we make each other better versions of ourselves. I like life with you better in it.
[ Kaneki is dead, which is all he knows. He doesn't truly know anything about his future other than having been killed by Kishou Arima, whom he often calls the Reaper.
But it's the people who have now forgotten him, the people who go and come back... those are the ones that show a worrying pattern. There is something that feels so wrong about forgetting your own soulmate, and Kaneki wants to make sure that no matter what happens, they will find each other. ]
Thank you. Thank you for finding me every time.
I promise as well. I'm yours and I don't know how else to be, but yours. [ even after their talk about Kaneki wanting Dirk to be happy, the truth is, if both of them are alive, even without their memories, Kaneki still wants them to be together. ] In every time line, I will make it so we can find each other, too.
[ there is relief. Kaneki didn't think Dirk would let him go, but he needs to make sure and he needs to make it clear. A promise makes it more certain too, something that both of them will do because both of them know that this is what they must do. ]
I don't understand why Thirteen brings back people without any memory of this place. I don't understand why she takes us away in the first place. I have all these theories and they just make me more - [ he stops trying, but Dirk can hear it through the link "angry" and also "confused".
(At least death did not strike fear in Dirk. He saw death as a door and one that he had no problem breaking down and manipulating to his will. Even someone else's death. Especially given his powers.
It isn't until that moment that he realizes he would bring Ken back from the dead if he had to. That he would rip up the universe and curl it around them just to keep Kaneki safe and intact where Dirk could see him, touch him, feel him.
There's a static ripple through their link, something Ken would no doubt recognize by now as Dirk's soul power. It curves around the shape of Kaneki's soul, his life essence, and he doesn't hurt Ken. If anything, it would just feel like a current of warmth. Ever since their new amplified connection, he has felt more in control of his soul powers than ever before.
He squeezes Ken's soul gently, like a hug that went deeper than skin, from head to toe.)
If I lost you, I would just rewrite the narrative. Rip us out of the story and put us in a new one. I won't take a rejection from the universe when it comes to you.
I love you, Ken. In every timeline. In every iteration.
(He can feel that confusion, that stress.
He understands that Ken felt...abandoned probably. Dirk moves from his lab and floats out of it, heading for Ken. When he reaches him in person, he settles down next to him, sliding a hand over Ken's lower back, curving his body against Ken's side.)
Maybe it's like a new life. You know, like in a game. A reset. (He sighs lowly.)
I know I'm probably still too hooked into the game. I know. Just some of its mechanics make sense. In the game, there were thousands of timelines and iterations of all of us. Thousands of possible outcomes. All of them us, but all of us a little different in one way or another. Dead, alive, didn't matter. We didn't all share the same memories. So. Maybe it's like that. It's like the whole butterfly effect thing where one small change can make a huge difference, and maybe she's privy to that shit on a level deeper than we can individually recognize.
[ ever since they got their new soulmate link, Dirk's soul powers have been so easy to feel. Sometimes, they felt like Dirk wasn't exactly sure where to place them, that they could pull too hard, or that they weren't doing exactly what the blond wanted. But now, Kaneki feels that touch, that warmth.
And Kaneki loves it every time.
He waits for his boyfriend to reach him, and when he sits down, Kaneki approaches him and rests his head against his shoulder ] I mean, I don't even have a way to make sense of all of it. At least you do.
If every single one she pulls here is a different timeline... what does she do with others? The ones that left? [ did they reach their potential? And if so, where are they? ] Maybe she just put them back where they were...
I know there is no way of knowing it. But I hate not being able to do anything. Not being able to know anything.
I suppose. Though it could be bullshit for all we know.
(Some part of him didn't feel like it was though. The trials reminded him of the game. Being brought back to life reminded him of the game. The ability to have upgraded with your powers and living circumstances...
He sighs slowly, turning his head to kiss Kaneki's forehead, just as an excuse to touch him.)
Babe, I hate to say it, but I think your questions might as well be like asking what the meaning of life is.
(Which probably isn't the best answer.)
For all we know, she has a million other Folkmores where we're being run ragged. Or her weirdo friends are doing the same shit to us but in their own ways. Maybe we're just living other lives. The multiverse theory is infinite and I don't think there is a clear answer to it when we start dabbling in the whole alternate reality construct of life.
(Dirk, please stop delving into Reddit forms.)
You have done things. You do know things. We know better than most people here about how deep the soulmate thing can go. We know fairly extensively about the familiar link. I mean...What if our potential is just loving each other? Fucking cheesy, I know, but what if it is? We both have dead end lives. So, what if this is just it? This chance to live a life with each other and that's what we're doing, that's our version of doing something? Guess it ain't as flashy or exciting as the whole multiverse thing, but is it that crazy?
[ kaneki closes his eyes, before he sighs ] I just... want to keep all of it safe. Us.
And if I know what to do, then I can keep us safe. [ kaneki always took it upon himself to do that, as if that's what he is meant to do because he feels like it is.
This is why he is trying to fix the things that are an issue - like the fact that he isn't immortal. Of course, he hasn't told Dirk about that yet and he has been surprisingly good at keeping the thoughts about that very deeply hidden so he won't worry Dirk about it, but Kaneki does have an idea on what to do about it.
But he isn't going to think about that now, no.
Instead, he just moves enough to actually lay his head on Dirk's lap ]
I do like that. If our potential is just to love each other, then it's going well for us. I like this life I have with you... and it does feel pretty exciting.
(There was nothing Dirk wouldn't do to accomplish that.)
I guess for me I know situations like this are usually on a broader scale. It ain't as simple as finding a single string to connect everything to. For all we know, Thirteen ain't acting alone and is just an instrument for someone bigger.
(The theories were endless. Normally Dirk would be deadset on solving them, but frankly, he has just been more concerned with...Living his life with Ken. And maybe it was stupid to not look into things more, but he knew himself and he knew he could royally fuck everything up for everyone involved. He had the ego to believe he had the power to, and he knew he would have the will to.
He was just trying to, for once in his life, not be a total power freak. Instead of explaining all of that verbally, he lets his train of thought spill into their link. Sometimes it was easier than trying to put things together in a neat sentence.)
I like it too. (He slides his hands into Kaneki's hair, stroking them through again and again, relishing in the familiar weight of Kaneki's head on his lap.)
It's funny. When I was a kid, I used to imagine this wild life for me. Fighting monsters, kickin' ass, taking numbers, living on the edge of survival day in and day out. I always felt like I was buzzing out my own damn skin and like I'd never feel settled.
(He looks down at Kaneki, his breath nearly caught in his throat. He swallows down around the feeling.)
Then I met you. And none of that shit seems like it's worth the risk of losing you.
[ kaneki looks up at dirk, his hand reaching for his glasses while he feels his thoughts. He keeps the glasses to himself, for now, and just gently touches Dirk's cheek while he speaks. ]
I know. I think I still need to... recover that feeling of calm. [ kaneki is traumatized, back and forth. He has PTSD, he still thinks about what he did to Hide, and everything he did wrong. Kaneki isn't able to set because he did everything so so wrong, and he wants to make sure he will do everything right now, with Dirk.
That his place will not disappear. That he will have Dirk, always. No matter what.
But he is right. The risk of losing Dirk is also not worth it. And what they have right now, while a bit broken due to everything Kaneki lived through, is still so good. So worth it. ]
And now you are a rancher, with horses and a wife. [ he smiles wider and his hand caresses the other's cheek ]
You always know how to soothe me. How to silence my head. [ he gently drops the glass to the side while Kaneki moves. he is still technically in Dirk's lap, with his hands wrapped around his waist and his face gently presses against his boyfriend's stomach. ]
(Dirk smiles slightly as Ken reaches for his glasses, not making a move to stop him. Ken was, without a doubt, the only person alive who could touch his glasses like that.)
That's okay. We can work on that as long as we need to. I know you've been through some shit since...everything. (Going back to his own world. Dirk could be a masterclass in patience for Ken, and he realized the PTSD was probably never going to go away. But they could work with it, at the very least.
He actually laughs genuinely, one of his rare laughs. Like all of Dirk's real laughs, it doesn't last long, but it's a burst of sound that ends with a soft, dorky snort.)
The sexiest wife in all the land. Truly out here living the fuckin' dream. (There's something boyishly charmed in his own smile, his shoulders creeping up a bit and giving away the fact that he isn't all that old himself. His smile gentles once more, gaze darkening with pure, simple affection.)
You too. I always feel better when we're together. When I get to talk to you. (He's...
He's never had that before. With anyone. He usually left conversations feeling agitated and more alone than ever. Not with Kaneki. And he never did with Kaneki. He had been an endless source of comfort even before they began to date.
His stomach flips a bit when Kaneki hugs against him and he does his absolute best to ignore the melt of arousal. It has been a while and he was used to seeing Kaneki with his head in lap for other reasons. And the contact alone was enough to make Dirk feel a bit heated. Not too surprising given how often he got hard when they kissed slowly in bed or cuddled up. He never mentions it, and he doesn't mention it now, instead just giving another one of those rare laughs, partially out of awareness that Ken could probably tell he was a bit heated up.
There's almost a press of sorry through their link, but not quite.)
Never need to thank me for anything. (He moves his other hand to Ken's shoulder, squeezing.)
I love you so much too. You're so damn perfect for me. To me.
[ he loveshis laugher. It's always short, sometimes too short, but always so sincere, always so soft, always so good. Kaneki wishes he could listen to Dirk laugh every day.
That, in itself, almost feels like healing. ]
I never really talked about anything before. I was always too afraid of saying the wrong things, or that I'd be rejected for my feelings. I didn't want to lose others, afraid I wasn't what they wanted of me. [ and in all honesty, he is still like that. Towards Kyle, towards John, towards Sunny. kaneki is always very careful with what he says and shows because he is so deeply afraid that if it's the wrong thing, they will leave him.
but with Dirk, it's always so different. The way he accepts all of Kaneki's flaws, doubts, and fears, and he wraps himself around them and tells Kaneki it's alright, even without words. It's so easy to open up to Dirk, and kaneki is so glad about it. Kaneki meant what he said when he wants Dirk to open up to him more and more, to talk about everything that crosses his mind because it always brings something so good for the both of them.
It's perfect.
Even when there is that hint of arousal through their link. Kaneki is familiar with it, so so familiar. Their sex life was stopped right now, while Kaneki regained some sort of identity again. Kaneki still felt disgusting and the thought of being touched by Dirk scared him. Not because of Dirk, he'd never be scared of him and his touches - but because Kaneki is afraid of dirtying Dirk. The thought of seeing Dirk touching something as disgusting as Kaneki also often floods his mind, and Kaneki is petrified by it.
But despite that, they still do touch here and there. They kiss, they hug, and they bring their bodies together. kaneki feels Dirk's arousal almost every day and he is not disgusted by it or upset; in a way, it helps him feel less dirty too because Dirk still wants him despite the disgusting thing Kaneki became. So he doesn't move again, still keeping his face against his boyfriend's stomach, still keeping his arms wrapped around his waist.
They squeeze a bit harder in fact, when Dirk calls him perfect ]
... You never ask me to do it. [ he knows Dirk wants to have sex, he feels it all the time. But Dirk never asked, neither tried to talk Kaneki into it. ]
Yeah, I understand what you mean. (Dirk had always felt like he was too much to deal with and as if no one would ever really understand what he meant. Even among his own friends, he had felt like something of a pariah. But it was okay to open up to Kaneki, even if Kaneki was the only person he opened up to. He had gotten better in other ways, sure, mostly thanks to Kaneki, but there were still so many things he really only ever wanted to share with his boyfriend and his boyfriend alone.
Which he knew was risky to put all your eggs in one basket, so to speak, but he was fairly certain that was the entire point of having a familiar. He was also pretty sure most people did want to be able to trust their partner like this, be able to depend on them like this. Were they so codependent? Maybe...
It was hard to care when it helped them both feel saner and more loved than they had anywhere else in their lives.
Dirk knew what Kaneki was afraid of. He thought it ridiculous, but he never wanted his boyfriend to be made to feel guilty for those feelings. If anyone was dirtying anyone, it was Dirk to Kaneki, but Dirk didn't believe in the concept of being able to dirty anyone through sex. He had never been conditioned by society to believe that purity and sex went hand-in-hand.
But he had also never wanted to push Kaneki past his breaking point either. He wasn't the best with mental health, admittedly, and he hadn't wanted to fuck it up. So if Kaneki didn't want sex, if he wasn't ready for it, then Dirk wasn't going to push it. He had wanted to prove to Kaneki that he didn't need sex to be happy in their relationship. That he could wait forever if Kaneki needed it and it wouldn't change how much he loved Kaneki or wanted him.
He stares down at his boyfriend, gaze softening, and he gives a small shrug.)
I don't want to make you feel guilty. (It's a simple enough thing.) I don't want to be that asshole boyfriend who begs and whines for sex while you're going through something. Like, yeah. I uh-
(He clears his throat.)
I'm blueballing hard on a daily basis, but I can deal with it. (He absolutely did want it all the time. Every day, just about, and they used to do it all the time too, so he was pretty conditioned for that. Still would catch sight of Kaneki bending over or the slope of his neck and Dirk would be filled with burning want.)
I want you to want it too. Or at least to feel okay about wanting it.
It's not that I don't want it... [ It's very hard to explain, but sex itself is not the problem. And certainly not Dirk, he would never be the problem.
Kaneki feels arousal. He does get hard. He is not repulsed by any of that. He too is very much conditioned to want it, and even after six months in his world, kaneki would not forget how it felt and how much he loved it. How it made him feel Incredible and how it was so good that he turned silly.
And with Dirk masturbating every day (sometimes several times a day), kaneki remembers it and his body responds accordingly. He feels that burning desire, that want, and he feels the pleasure and how aroused he gets.
But kaneki himself is the problem. It's so hard for him to accept himself as part of this pleasure. He still has not forgiven himself enough and he still has not accepted his own existence enough. He doesn't believe he deserves any of that pleasure again, and no matter how much he tries to rationalize it and think of Dirk's words and everything he has said to reassure the ghoul, he still freezes everytime he touches himself to try to ease that arousal.
He doesn't want to do that in the middle of sex.
But he still wants it.
In fact, he makes sure to push those feelings through the link so Dirk can feel them too, so he can understand that even if Kaneki is so broken he still feels it and wants it.
Kaneki's head is the problem here. ]
I still want you. I still .. feel for you the same way. You are so gorgeous, Dirk. [ so arousing.
Kaneki glances back up at his boyfriend, his head now pretty much pressing against Dirk's groin. It's hard to express what he wants but as he looks up and his cheeks turn red, kaneki whispers very softly ]
I can... Use my mouth. [ they have kissed so much. Sometimes for hours. It is incredibly pleasurable for kaneki and he can do it, his brain doesn't freak out over that, right?
So he can use his mouth. That should be fine, right? ]
(Dirk trails off, caught up in Kaneki's own emotions pertaining to sex. He understands that Kaneki didn't feel he deserved the pleasure, and Dirk reached back through their link. It's not about deserve. I want to give you pleasure. Because I love you and it brings me pleasure to pleasure you. It isn't said so much in words as much as it said in feeling.)
I know you do. (And he did. He could feel that arousal and often allowed it to wash over him as he got himself off. He never closed the link when he was getting off. He wanted Ken to always know how badly he was still desired even if they weren't fucking.
He takes in a slow breath, hyperaware now of where Ken was, that pressure growing until he was undoubtedly half-hard against the front of his jeans. It never took long when it came to Ken.
The idea of Ken going down on him nearly makes him groan. The obvious arousal increase pours through their link and there's an immediate sense of yesyesyes! But on the surface, he clears his throat yet again.)
--I mean. Yeah. Yeah, if you want to. That would be...cool.
(Dirk, you should not sound like such a virgin this far along in the game, dude. But in his defense, Kaneki gave the best head and Dirk would die happy to have that gorgeous mouth back on his cock again. It's a pronounced image in his head, the way Ken would look going down on him, something Dirk has etched into his memory.)
[ kaneki closes his eyes for a moment just to gather himself a little. All of those feelings, his own and Dirk, it reminds him why their link was such a good thing between the two of them.
Slowly, one of his hands moves to the front of Dirk's pants to open them for Kaneki. He already knows Dirk's body is reacting, it's no surprise.
And yet again it just makes Kaneki react too. The way he feels, the way he smells, the way he wil taste.
Once kaneki has enough room, he actually presses his lips against Dirk, although he is still covered by the underwear. He already knows how amazing it will be, how wonderful Dirk tastes, but it has been so long ]
I have missed it... [ he admits under all that embarrassment, looking up at Dirk. ]
Show me. [ is he asking Dirk to strip for Kaneki while he watches? Well, yes. He misses that too ]
(It was going to be hard to not touch Kaneki back. He had been desperate for his boyfriend ever since he came back from his brief time away. He sucks in a slow breath when Kaneki makes contact with him, and while it might not be skin-to-skin just yet, it had been long enough that even the slightest pressure was mindboggling.)
Me too.
(He wants to ask if Kaneki is sure, but he knows he is. Not just because of their link either. He knew his boyfriend well enough by now to know how much he enjoyed sucking Dirk off.
His eyes flutter shut for a second and he has to take in another deep breath. Then he smirks.)
What, so you want me naked while you get to have fun with my body?
(He.......was really into the idea of that actually!)
[ Dirk's responses get to his brain. It's intense; he never forgot how intense their sex was but memory is very different from having it happen.
Kaneki's body feels like it's on fire and for a moment there his instinct tells him to tear off Dirk's clothes but he holds back. Instead kaneki sits up and both his hands busy themselves with making sure Dirk's pants were open all the way so he can see his boyfriend's erection.
He wants it. In his mouth.
Kaneki doesn't even ask any longer how he came to love having Dirk's cock in his mouth like this, he just does. ]
It has been a while since I did it. And i want to see how much you like it.
(Dirk watches Ken open up his pants with a growing smirk. That smirk grows sharper at the sight of that smile. He leans back and slips his shirt up and over his head in a matter of seconds. It gets tossed aside and although it had only been a little while, Dirk seemed almost a little more buff than the last time Ken had seen him.
He leans back onto his hand, tipping his head to the side. He guides his hand down to slip his erection out of his boxer briefs. He grips himself firmly by the base, half to keep him from losing it right then and there.)
You can do whatever you want to me.
(He pushes his shoes off and moves his hand so that he could push his pants and underwear down and push them off to the side. It's far from the first time they have slept together outside, and it wouldn't be the last. He's comfortable with it and it was such a long time that he would have been happy to do it anywhere.)
[ kaneki watches the whole thing as if it's art. The way Dirk strips for him, the way he moves and reveals more and more of his body to ken... It's so inviting.
And of course when he exposes the chest area, kaneki doesn't even wait and reaches for him. Even if they don't have sex, kaneki is still stupidly attracted to that part of Dirk's body and he nuzzles and presses his face against it very often. And now? Now he was going to just enjoy it.
He leans forward and immediately presses his mouth against one of Dirk's nipples, tongue tasting him right away while his hand lands on the other pec to grope it with a delight characteristic to Ken.
The other hand moves lower, gently wrapping fingers around Dirk's erection and giving it a light squeeze. ]
You taste so good... I missed your skin so much... [ kaneki kisses Dirk all the time but this is very different. ]
(It was always cute to see Kaneki rush to his chest whether for comfort or sensuality. He makes an immediate noise when Kaneki slips his mouth around a nipple. It had been way, way too long since they had last touched like this and it felt electric and new. A flush begins to spread across Dirk's face and he's gone fully hard by now.
Then Ken is grabbing him and he lets out a breathy moan, pinching his eyes shut.)
Fuck- (He meant to say something more eloquent than that, but Ken's got him pegged in three places right now and Dirk's starting to feel a bit like a virgin.)
Me too. (His voice is a bit wobbly like it tended to get whenever he got into his more submissive moods. It wasn't too surprising seeing as he wanted Kaneki to have the control for how far they went and how fast they took it.)
Mmm- you- sure you don't want me touching you back?
[ kaneki could stay like this for hours and he would be so happy with it. To suck on Dirk's chest like that while his tongue plays around with the nipple and his hand continues to explore Dirk's body as if it were the first time.
Eventually he looks up and releases his boyfriend only to lean closer and press his lips on his ]
Kiss me a lot, Dirk.
[ for now, he is fine with not being touched. He really doesn't want to suddenly freeze halfway and start to think about the awful things kaneki thinks about himself. Right now, he just wants to feel Dirk, kiss him and touch him and suck on him.
Tha hand that remains on the cock starts moving faster now, up and down, squeezing the head whenever it reaches for it. And than, slowly, kaneki's lips part, his tongue licks the lower lip slowly and kaneki remembers the heat of Dirk's dick against it ]
(Dirk doesn't need to be told twice. He also holds nothing back from their link. He hasn't been shy about how much he has been aching for Ken, but he really lets it all loose when he kisses Ken.
He slides his tongue against Ken's until the taste of their mouths blur together and he's left feeling more raw and desperate than he has felt in months - even when they had been still fucking. Whenever he was finally allowed to touch Ken again, he would absolutely lose his mind.
For now, he was fine with this. It felt like a long, drawn-out edging session and he was going to treat it as such. He was going to get off several times through this, and he figures Ken knows, and if he didn't? Well he sure does now.)
Then-
(Words fail him. It really has been too long and his mind has been reduced to pleas and just the idea of Ken in general. He quite literally has been kissed stupid.)
Kaneki could spend hours just tasting Dirk's mouth like this, allowing their tongues to rub and press together while kaneki grows intoxicated by the taste, while they taste each other's saliva, until their lips turn raw.
But kaneki is well aware of Dirk's desire and how much he wants more. He is aware his boyfriend wants him and while Kaneki doesn't realize why, he still feels it all through their link.
The kiss breaks and kaneki lowers his head towards Dirk's chest just one last time to nuzzle it (he loves it) and eventually kaneki lays between Dirk's legs with his head dangerously close to his dick that he had been stroking for a while.
But instead of actually reaching for it with his lips, kaneki sucks on his index finger to make sure it's properly coated with saliva, and afterwards he presses it between Dirk's buttocks. ]
... I haven't done this in a while. You will have to tell me where to aim. [ kaneki doesn't really need to be told, no.but he wants to hear Dirk's voice. ]
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(Dirk, that's not at all romantic. Try again.)
I would love you so fast and so easy. Under any circumstance.
(Some part of him wondered if Kaneki knew something about his future, or if he was just being cautious because of people coming back without their memories. What really takes him aback is seeing Kaneki swear. His boyfriend rarely cursed and somehow, that made it clear the severity of how he felt.
So, despite his own anxiety...)
I will. I could never actually resist even if I thought it was for the best. I'm too obsessed with you and too committed to us. I would be fucked up without you too and I'm not ready to give that up. I will never be ready for that.
So I won't let it happen. Ever. You have to promise me the same.
I dunno if I would call you useless without me, but I...like to think we make each other better versions of ourselves. I like life with you better in it.
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But it's the people who have now forgotten him, the people who go and come back... those are the ones that show a worrying pattern. There is something that feels so wrong about forgetting your own soulmate, and Kaneki wants to make sure that no matter what happens, they will find each other. ]
Thank you. Thank you for finding me every time.
I promise as well. I'm yours and I don't know how else to be, but yours. [ even after their talk about Kaneki wanting Dirk to be happy, the truth is, if both of them are alive, even without their memories, Kaneki still wants them to be together. ] In every time line, I will make it so we can find each other, too.
[ there is relief. Kaneki didn't think Dirk would let him go, but he needs to make sure and he needs to make it clear. A promise makes it more certain too, something that both of them will do because both of them know that this is what they must do. ]
I don't understand why Thirteen brings back people without any memory of this place. I don't understand why she takes us away in the first place. I have all these theories and they just make me more - [ he stops trying, but Dirk can hear it through the link "angry" and also "confused".
Kaneki hates not knowing things ]
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It isn't until that moment that he realizes he would bring Ken back from the dead if he had to. That he would rip up the universe and curl it around them just to keep Kaneki safe and intact where Dirk could see him, touch him, feel him.
There's a static ripple through their link, something Ken would no doubt recognize by now as Dirk's soul power. It curves around the shape of Kaneki's soul, his life essence, and he doesn't hurt Ken. If anything, it would just feel like a current of warmth. Ever since their new amplified connection, he has felt more in control of his soul powers than ever before.
He squeezes Ken's soul gently, like a hug that went deeper than skin, from head to toe.)
If I lost you, I would just rewrite the narrative. Rip us out of the story and put us in a new one. I won't take a rejection from the universe when it comes to you.
I love you, Ken. In every timeline. In every iteration.
(He can feel that confusion, that stress.
He understands that Ken felt...abandoned probably. Dirk moves from his lab and floats out of it, heading for Ken. When he reaches him in person, he settles down next to him, sliding a hand over Ken's lower back, curving his body against Ken's side.)
Maybe it's like a new life. You know, like in a game. A reset. (He sighs lowly.)
I know I'm probably still too hooked into the game. I know. Just some of its mechanics make sense. In the game, there were thousands of timelines and iterations of all of us. Thousands of possible outcomes. All of them us, but all of us a little different in one way or another. Dead, alive, didn't matter. We didn't all share the same memories. So. Maybe it's like that. It's like the whole butterfly effect thing where one small change can make a huge difference, and maybe she's privy to that shit on a level deeper than we can individually recognize.
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And Kaneki loves it every time.
He waits for his boyfriend to reach him, and when he sits down, Kaneki approaches him and rests his head against his shoulder ] I mean, I don't even have a way to make sense of all of it. At least you do.
If every single one she pulls here is a different timeline... what does she do with others? The ones that left? [ did they reach their potential? And if so, where are they? ] Maybe she just put them back where they were...
I know there is no way of knowing it. But I hate not being able to do anything. Not being able to know anything.
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(Some part of him didn't feel like it was though. The trials reminded him of the game. Being brought back to life reminded him of the game. The ability to have upgraded with your powers and living circumstances...
He sighs slowly, turning his head to kiss Kaneki's forehead, just as an excuse to touch him.)
Babe, I hate to say it, but I think your questions might as well be like asking what the meaning of life is.
(Which probably isn't the best answer.)
For all we know, she has a million other Folkmores where we're being run ragged. Or her weirdo friends are doing the same shit to us but in their own ways. Maybe we're just living other lives. The multiverse theory is infinite and I don't think there is a clear answer to it when we start dabbling in the whole alternate reality construct of life.
(Dirk, please stop delving into Reddit forms.)
You have done things. You do know things. We know better than most people here about how deep the soulmate thing can go. We know fairly extensively about the familiar link. I mean...What if our potential is just loving each other? Fucking cheesy, I know, but what if it is? We both have dead end lives. So, what if this is just it? This chance to live a life with each other and that's what we're doing, that's our version of doing something? Guess it ain't as flashy or exciting as the whole multiverse thing, but is it that crazy?
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[ kaneki closes his eyes, before he sighs ] I just... want to keep all of it safe. Us.
And if I know what to do, then I can keep us safe. [ kaneki always took it upon himself to do that, as if that's what he is meant to do because he feels like it is.
This is why he is trying to fix the things that are an issue - like the fact that he isn't immortal. Of course, he hasn't told Dirk about that yet and he has been surprisingly good at keeping the thoughts about that very deeply hidden so he won't worry Dirk about it, but Kaneki does have an idea on what to do about it.
But he isn't going to think about that now, no.
Instead, he just moves enough to actually lay his head on Dirk's lap ]
I do like that. If our potential is just to love each other, then it's going well for us. I like this life I have with you... and it does feel pretty exciting.
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(There was nothing Dirk wouldn't do to accomplish that.)
I guess for me I know situations like this are usually on a broader scale. It ain't as simple as finding a single string to connect everything to. For all we know, Thirteen ain't acting alone and is just an instrument for someone bigger.
(The theories were endless. Normally Dirk would be deadset on solving them, but frankly, he has just been more concerned with...Living his life with Ken. And maybe it was stupid to not look into things more, but he knew himself and he knew he could royally fuck everything up for everyone involved. He had the ego to believe he had the power to, and he knew he would have the will to.
He was just trying to, for once in his life, not be a total power freak. Instead of explaining all of that verbally, he lets his train of thought spill into their link. Sometimes it was easier than trying to put things together in a neat sentence.)
I like it too. (He slides his hands into Kaneki's hair, stroking them through again and again, relishing in the familiar weight of Kaneki's head on his lap.)
It's funny. When I was a kid, I used to imagine this wild life for me. Fighting monsters, kickin' ass, taking numbers, living on the edge of survival day in and day out. I always felt like I was buzzing out my own damn skin and like I'd never feel settled.
(He looks down at Kaneki, his breath nearly caught in his throat. He swallows down around the feeling.)
Then I met you. And none of that shit seems like it's worth the risk of losing you.
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I know. I think I still need to... recover that feeling of calm. [ kaneki is traumatized, back and forth. He has PTSD, he still thinks about what he did to Hide, and everything he did wrong. Kaneki isn't able to set because he did everything so so wrong, and he wants to make sure he will do everything right now, with Dirk.
That his place will not disappear. That he will have Dirk, always. No matter what.
But he is right. The risk of losing Dirk is also not worth it. And what they have right now, while a bit broken due to everything Kaneki lived through, is still so good. So worth it. ]
And now you are a rancher, with horses and a wife. [ he smiles wider and his hand caresses the other's cheek ]
You always know how to soothe me. How to silence my head. [ he gently drops the glass to the side while Kaneki moves. he is still technically in Dirk's lap, with his hands wrapped around his waist and his face gently presses against his boyfriend's stomach. ]
Thank you. I love you, so much.
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That's okay. We can work on that as long as we need to. I know you've been through some shit since...everything. (Going back to his own world. Dirk could be a masterclass in patience for Ken, and he realized the PTSD was probably never going to go away. But they could work with it, at the very least.
He actually laughs genuinely, one of his rare laughs. Like all of Dirk's real laughs, it doesn't last long, but it's a burst of sound that ends with a soft, dorky snort.)
The sexiest wife in all the land. Truly out here living the fuckin' dream. (There's something boyishly charmed in his own smile, his shoulders creeping up a bit and giving away the fact that he isn't all that old himself. His smile gentles once more, gaze darkening with pure, simple affection.)
You too. I always feel better when we're together. When I get to talk to you. (He's...
He's never had that before. With anyone. He usually left conversations feeling agitated and more alone than ever. Not with Kaneki. And he never did with Kaneki. He had been an endless source of comfort even before they began to date.
His stomach flips a bit when Kaneki hugs against him and he does his absolute best to ignore the melt of arousal. It has been a while and he was used to seeing Kaneki with his head in lap for other reasons. And the contact alone was enough to make Dirk feel a bit heated. Not too surprising given how often he got hard when they kissed slowly in bed or cuddled up. He never mentions it, and he doesn't mention it now, instead just giving another one of those rare laughs, partially out of awareness that Ken could probably tell he was a bit heated up.
There's almost a press of sorry through their link, but not quite.)
Never need to thank me for anything. (He moves his other hand to Ken's shoulder, squeezing.)
I love you so much too. You're so damn perfect for me. To me.
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That, in itself, almost feels like healing. ]
I never really talked about anything before. I was always too afraid of saying the wrong things, or that I'd be rejected for my feelings. I didn't want to lose others, afraid I wasn't what they wanted of me. [ and in all honesty, he is still like that. Towards Kyle, towards John, towards Sunny. kaneki is always very careful with what he says and shows because he is so deeply afraid that if it's the wrong thing, they will leave him.
but with Dirk, it's always so different. The way he accepts all of Kaneki's flaws, doubts, and fears, and he wraps himself around them and tells Kaneki it's alright, even without words. It's so easy to open up to Dirk, and kaneki is so glad about it. Kaneki meant what he said when he wants Dirk to open up to him more and more, to talk about everything that crosses his mind because it always brings something so good for the both of them.
It's perfect.
Even when there is that hint of arousal through their link. Kaneki is familiar with it, so so familiar. Their sex life was stopped right now, while Kaneki regained some sort of identity again. Kaneki still felt disgusting and the thought of being touched by Dirk scared him. Not because of Dirk, he'd never be scared of him and his touches - but because Kaneki is afraid of dirtying Dirk. The thought of seeing Dirk touching something as disgusting as Kaneki also often floods his mind, and Kaneki is petrified by it.
But despite that, they still do touch here and there. They kiss, they hug, and they bring their bodies together. kaneki feels Dirk's arousal almost every day and he is not disgusted by it or upset; in a way, it helps him feel less dirty too because Dirk still wants him despite the disgusting thing Kaneki became. So he doesn't move again, still keeping his face against his boyfriend's stomach, still keeping his arms wrapped around his waist.
They squeeze a bit harder in fact, when Dirk calls him perfect ]
... You never ask me to do it. [ he knows Dirk wants to have sex, he feels it all the time. But Dirk never asked, neither tried to talk Kaneki into it. ]
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Which he knew was risky to put all your eggs in one basket, so to speak, but he was fairly certain that was the entire point of having a familiar. He was also pretty sure most people did want to be able to trust their partner like this, be able to depend on them like this. Were they so codependent? Maybe...
It was hard to care when it helped them both feel saner and more loved than they had anywhere else in their lives.
Dirk knew what Kaneki was afraid of. He thought it ridiculous, but he never wanted his boyfriend to be made to feel guilty for those feelings. If anyone was dirtying anyone, it was Dirk to Kaneki, but Dirk didn't believe in the concept of being able to dirty anyone through sex. He had never been conditioned by society to believe that purity and sex went hand-in-hand.
But he had also never wanted to push Kaneki past his breaking point either. He wasn't the best with mental health, admittedly, and he hadn't wanted to fuck it up. So if Kaneki didn't want sex, if he wasn't ready for it, then Dirk wasn't going to push it. He had wanted to prove to Kaneki that he didn't need sex to be happy in their relationship. That he could wait forever if Kaneki needed it and it wouldn't change how much he loved Kaneki or wanted him.
He stares down at his boyfriend, gaze softening, and he gives a small shrug.)
I don't want to make you feel guilty. (It's a simple enough thing.) I don't want to be that asshole boyfriend who begs and whines for sex while you're going through something. Like, yeah. I uh-
(He clears his throat.)
I'm blueballing hard on a daily basis, but I can deal with it. (He absolutely did want it all the time. Every day, just about, and they used to do it all the time too, so he was pretty conditioned for that. Still would catch sight of Kaneki bending over or the slope of his neck and Dirk would be filled with burning want.)
I want you to want it too. Or at least to feel okay about wanting it.
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Kaneki feels arousal. He does get hard. He is not repulsed by any of that. He too is very much conditioned to want it, and even after six months in his world, kaneki would not forget how it felt and how much he loved it. How it made him feel Incredible and how it was so good that he turned silly.
And with Dirk masturbating every day (sometimes several times a day), kaneki remembers it and his body responds accordingly. He feels that burning desire, that want, and he feels the pleasure and how aroused he gets.
But kaneki himself is the problem. It's so hard for him to accept himself as part of this pleasure. He still has not forgiven himself enough and he still has not accepted his own existence enough. He doesn't believe he deserves any of that pleasure again, and no matter how much he tries to rationalize it and think of Dirk's words and everything he has said to reassure the ghoul, he still freezes everytime he touches himself to try to ease that arousal.
He doesn't want to do that in the middle of sex.
But he still wants it.
In fact, he makes sure to push those feelings through the link so Dirk can feel them too, so he can understand that even if Kaneki is so broken he still feels it and wants it.
Kaneki's head is the problem here. ]
I still want you. I still .. feel for you the same way. You are so gorgeous, Dirk. [ so arousing.
Kaneki glances back up at his boyfriend, his head now pretty much pressing against Dirk's groin. It's hard to express what he wants but as he looks up and his cheeks turn red, kaneki whispers very softly ]
I can... Use my mouth. [ they have kissed so much. Sometimes for hours. It is incredibly pleasurable for kaneki and he can do it, his brain doesn't freak out over that, right?
So he can use his mouth. That should be fine, right? ]
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(Dirk trails off, caught up in Kaneki's own emotions pertaining to sex. He understands that Kaneki didn't feel he deserved the pleasure, and Dirk reached back through their link. It's not about deserve. I want to give you pleasure. Because I love you and it brings me pleasure to pleasure you. It isn't said so much in words as much as it said in feeling.)
I know you do. (And he did. He could feel that arousal and often allowed it to wash over him as he got himself off. He never closed the link when he was getting off. He wanted Ken to always know how badly he was still desired even if they weren't fucking.
He takes in a slow breath, hyperaware now of where Ken was, that pressure growing until he was undoubtedly half-hard against the front of his jeans. It never took long when it came to Ken.
The idea of Ken going down on him nearly makes him groan. The obvious arousal increase pours through their link and there's an immediate sense of yesyesyes! But on the surface, he clears his throat yet again.)
--I mean. Yeah. Yeah, if you want to. That would be...cool.
(Dirk, you should not sound like such a virgin this far along in the game, dude. But in his defense, Kaneki gave the best head and Dirk would die happy to have that gorgeous mouth back on his cock again. It's a pronounced image in his head, the way Ken would look going down on him, something Dirk has etched into his memory.)
Do you...want to? Do that? With me?
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Slowly, one of his hands moves to the front of Dirk's pants to open them for Kaneki. He already knows Dirk's body is reacting, it's no surprise.
And yet again it just makes Kaneki react too. The way he feels, the way he smells, the way he wil taste.
Once kaneki has enough room, he actually presses his lips against Dirk, although he is still covered by the underwear. He already knows how amazing it will be, how wonderful Dirk tastes, but it has been so long ]
I have missed it... [ he admits under all that embarrassment, looking up at Dirk. ]
Show me. [ is he asking Dirk to strip for Kaneki while he watches? Well, yes. He misses that too ]
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Me too.
(He wants to ask if Kaneki is sure, but he knows he is. Not just because of their link either. He knew his boyfriend well enough by now to know how much he enjoyed sucking Dirk off.
His eyes flutter shut for a second and he has to take in another deep breath. Then he smirks.)
What, so you want me naked while you get to have fun with my body?
(He.......was really into the idea of that actually!)
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Kaneki's body feels like it's on fire and for a moment there his instinct tells him to tear off Dirk's clothes but he holds back. Instead kaneki sits up and both his hands busy themselves with making sure Dirk's pants were open all the way so he can see his boyfriend's erection.
He wants it. In his mouth.
Kaneki doesn't even ask any longer how he came to love having Dirk's cock in his mouth like this, he just does. ]
It has been a while since I did it. And i want to see how much you like it.
[ he smiles a little, seductively]
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He leans back onto his hand, tipping his head to the side. He guides his hand down to slip his erection out of his boxer briefs. He grips himself firmly by the base, half to keep him from losing it right then and there.)
You can do whatever you want to me.
(He pushes his shoes off and moves his hand so that he could push his pants and underwear down and push them off to the side. It's far from the first time they have slept together outside, and it wouldn't be the last. He's comfortable with it and it was such a long time that he would have been happy to do it anywhere.)
Eat up, sweetheart.
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And of course when he exposes the chest area, kaneki doesn't even wait and reaches for him. Even if they don't have sex, kaneki is still stupidly attracted to that part of Dirk's body and he nuzzles and presses his face against it very often. And now? Now he was going to just enjoy it.
He leans forward and immediately presses his mouth against one of Dirk's nipples, tongue tasting him right away while his hand lands on the other pec to grope it with a delight characteristic to Ken.
The other hand moves lower, gently wrapping fingers around Dirk's erection and giving it a light squeeze. ]
You taste so good... I missed your skin so much... [ kaneki kisses Dirk all the time but this is very different. ]
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Then Ken is grabbing him and he lets out a breathy moan, pinching his eyes shut.)
Fuck- (He meant to say something more eloquent than that, but Ken's got him pegged in three places right now and Dirk's starting to feel a bit like a virgin.)
Me too. (His voice is a bit wobbly like it tended to get whenever he got into his more submissive moods. It wasn't too surprising seeing as he wanted Kaneki to have the control for how far they went and how fast they took it.)
Mmm- you- sure you don't want me touching you back?
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Eventually he looks up and releases his boyfriend only to lean closer and press his lips on his ]
Kiss me a lot, Dirk.
[ for now, he is fine with not being touched. He really doesn't want to suddenly freeze halfway and start to think about the awful things kaneki thinks about himself. Right now, he just wants to feel Dirk, kiss him and touch him and suck on him.
Tha hand that remains on the cock starts moving faster now, up and down, squeezing the head whenever it reaches for it. And than, slowly, kaneki's lips part, his tongue licks the lower lip slowly and kaneki remembers the heat of Dirk's dick against it ]
I want to drink all of you
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He slides his tongue against Ken's until the taste of their mouths blur together and he's left feeling more raw and desperate than he has felt in months - even when they had been still fucking. Whenever he was finally allowed to touch Ken again, he would absolutely lose his mind.
For now, he was fine with this. It felt like a long, drawn-out edging session and he was going to treat it as such. He was going to get off several times through this, and he figures Ken knows, and if he didn't? Well he sure does now.)
Then-
(Words fail him. It really has been too long and his mind has been reduced to pleas and just the idea of Ken in general. He quite literally has been kissed stupid.)
Please, yes. (Dumbass.)
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Kaneki could spend hours just tasting Dirk's mouth like this, allowing their tongues to rub and press together while kaneki grows intoxicated by the taste, while they taste each other's saliva, until their lips turn raw.
But kaneki is well aware of Dirk's desire and how much he wants more. He is aware his boyfriend wants him and while Kaneki doesn't realize why, he still feels it all through their link.
The kiss breaks and kaneki lowers his head towards Dirk's chest just one last time to nuzzle it (he loves it) and eventually kaneki lays between Dirk's legs with his head dangerously close to his dick that he had been stroking for a while.
But instead of actually reaching for it with his lips, kaneki sucks on his index finger to make sure it's properly coated with saliva, and afterwards he presses it between Dirk's buttocks. ]
... I haven't done this in a while. You will have to tell me where to aim. [ kaneki doesn't really need to be told, no.but he wants to hear Dirk's voice. ]