A/N: wowow first request by @kimiii000 ! That's AWESOME AND they gave me a challenge by writing a character I had never analyzed before. Personally I find Tatara too scary to even like his character but thank you for the opportunity to write about him! Maybe I'll like it and write some more!

Your hurried pace could be translated to nervousness by anyone who was walking by you. You looked up at the building looming above your head a few ways away and sighed deeply, wishing that this could go as smoothly as possible. But for that to happen, you needed to calm down. You needed to collect your thoughts and get into character so that the lies you would be spewing in a few moments would seem more realistic to you and the officers who would hear them. The nervousness that came with having your friend's fate on your hands sort of incapacitated you. Trying to become calmer only made you more restless.

Stopping right in front of the CCG office, you looked down and took a deep breath. Some employees gave you crooked glances, but you didn't mind at all, considering the fact that you had bigger things to focus on.

"Why me?" You questioned, almost insulted that the man had come to you for help. "I know I'm human and all, but I can still be gravely punished if the doves know I'm hiding important information on ghouls! Tatara, I'm practically hiding Aogiri from the CCG."

"No, we're more than capable of doing that ourselves." The Aogiri executive said in the calmest of tones. He was obviously unimpressed with your reluctance to cooperate. And yet, he didn't feel any disgust towards you as he did with other humans. He didn't quite understand why; you were a typical one. Afraid of pain, sometimes (not often) afraid of him, privileged... And look at him. He practically got you a place in Aogiri. It was absolute nonsense, but no one even questioned it. You were some sort of double agent for them, and although you didn't work with the CCG, you still provided them information and, in cases like these, protection.

"Ayato is old enough to watch out for himself. He decided to go hunting without a mask and that's his problem! I don't understand why I have to go defend him." Tatara's head lowered and he gave you the typical menacing glare he'd give to his underlings, yet you didn't yield like any of them. "I'm just saying that he's probably replaceable, right?"

"No. If he were, I wouldn't be here, (Y/N)." Tatara sighed. "I'm done arguing with you. Tomorrow, you will go to the main office to report a ghoul sighting around our hunting grounds, and you'll give them a description to scramble the evidence they have on Kirishima. Is that understood?"

Yeah, you weren't going to win this one, but you were childish at times. You had to win something. You glanced around your apartment, portraying confusion on your face. "Huh, is Eto here?" You wondered out loud, not even waiting for the man's answer. "No? Then maybe you should stop acting like I'm underneath you."

As he said, you were immensely privileged. And careless. And naïve, for thinking that he wouldn't tear you to shreds in an instant. Maybe he'd been too easy on you. But if it was so, why had he even let himself be easy on a human in the first place? Those questions led him to a place in his mind he really didn't want to visit.

Tatara turned around and headed for the window in your living room. The one with a horrible view of the neighbouring building's roof, which had proved to be very useful for ghouls. "There won't be anyone to back you up tomorrow. You'll be on your own and someone will stop by to get news on how it went. You better not disappoint." And with that, he left through the window.

Sometimes you really do wonder why you even agreed to this bullshit in the first place. A human had no right to be in something such as Aogiri, yet here you were. It felt wrong; it felt like you were stabbing humanity in the back, but there was something inside you that validated your choice. The CCG had killed so many that by now you wondered who the true murderers were. All you wanted was to see things from another point of view for a while. Sooner rather than later, that plan had failed and you got caught up in Aogiri's crossfire. If you were to bail now, you have countless S-rated and above ghouls after you, which was not something you wished for yourself.

Taking your courage in hand, you walked into the building and informed the secretary about why you were here. This was going to be a long and dreadful hour.

Which had turned into two. Yeah, that's right. The CCG kept you there for two hours in grand total. It had been absolutely nerve-wracking. They had done a lot of mentally destabilizing drills on you in order to get you to speak the truth, but you held on to your story. Your alibi seemed flawless, your description of the ghoul was specific and you had remained somewhat calm (you had no idea how you managed that last part). Walking out of the building, a sense of lightness overcame your body. For a second, you had mistook it for dizziness and feared that you were going to pass out on CCG grounds, but nothing of the sort happened. You simply walked away and carried on with your life. Or so you thought.

Around halfway back home, you had taken a detour in which you crossed the street, when you quickly glanced back at where you came from. There wasn't any kind of reason as to why you did so, but when you recognized a face in the crowd, your heart stopped beating for a second or two. You were being followed.

How come you were human and you were as scared of being followed by a dove as ghouls were?

The investigator's head was easily recognizable. His hilarious bowl haircut was easy to spot in a crowd since literally no one else was insane enough to get it. A stupid fashion choice, but you didn't exactly judge him. Not for that, anyways. For smoking, though? Yeah, a bit. It seemed odd that a working investigator took the time in his life to destroy his pulmonary capacity. Doesn't he need that in battle?

Roasting aside, the man was actually following you. It raised a few doubts in your mind that maybe, just maybe they hadn't bought your lies like you thought they had. It was obviously not the case if they sent someone back home with you without your permission.

For a second, your mind went back to Tatara, who had told you someone would drop by tonight to talk to you about things. That would be near impossible if you were being followed and watched. The only problem was, how the hell are you supposed to warn him when the only contact you have with him is personal and upfront? It's not like Tatara has a cellphone. This was a risky game you were playing, and you were only hoping that Aogiri was one step ahead.

Apparently, a day passes by very quickly when you're on your nerves for most of it. By the time the sun had set, you began questioning if you really understood what Tatara said. No one showed up, and you had been chilling in the living room for the entire day in order to see what was happening.

Glancing at the time, you decided that maybe it would be best if you got some rest. It's not like a ghoul would come in and slaughter you in your sleep; you're pretty sure your Chinese friend would throw a fit if someone killed the only human spy they had.

You reluctantly peeled your butt off the couch and dragged yourself to your bedroom, already fantasizing about a good night's sleep. You practically threw the door open, jumped three feet in the air and yelped when a familiar ghoul clad in white had appeared in your field of view.

"The fuck are you doing in my room?! We established that you'd go through my living room." You complained while Tatara rolled his eyes. That was the most emotion you've seen on his face since forever.

"You're being watched."

"Tell me something I don't know." You retorted, semi-disappointed that he came just to ruin your already ruined sleep schedule. "Why are you even here if there's a CCG investigator watching out for ghouls that could potentially show up nearby?"

"Because I'm getting you out of here. If they threaten your life, we lose the only valid link to the doves." His excuse for 'kidnapping' you seemed more like an excuse for himself.

"Aw, I'm a valuable piece in your little scheme of things?" You were positively playing with fire. Seriously, was mocking a ghoul like that even a sane thing to do? Were you deranged for attempting it? Or were you just so cocky that you knew Tatara wouldn't hurt you over it? Besides, he was way too proud to give in to human mockeries.

...right?

"Let's go now, before he sees that there's an unguarded exit." You didn't even have time to process his sentence before he picked you up and threw you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. And you certainly felt as useless as one.

"Am I supposed to be holding onto anything?" You questioned, considering how wobbly you felt. Tatara ignored your useless rambling and took off by jumping out of your window. "What, so you're going to drop me off in a hideout full of ghouls? I won't make it through a day, you know." Despite the dangerousness of the situation, you actually weren't very stressed. It was as if you had the lingering feeling (or hope) that Tatara wouldn't allow any harm to come to you. You had noticed that he was easier on you than everyone else, after all. The subtle things were noticeable. It was nearly heartwarming, and you had an underlying hypothesis on why he was acting this way, but it was so crazy that you were convinced you were simply making stuff up. There was no way a ghoul like Tatara would allow himself to fall for a human. He had a bigger picture in mind; he couldn't let himself get caught up on the tiny things like feelings.

Your trip to Aogiri was accomplished without the slightest interruption. Upon arrival, Tatara had hidden you away in a fancy looking cell. Yes, a cell. It had a lock and everything, but it honestly looked comfier than your own home. Besides, you weren't expecting them to have a penthouse. Ghouls just can't afford that, for the most part.

When you were secured, Tatara lingered for a while. He had the reflex to ask if anything was missing, if you were hungry or perhaps thirsty, but he stopped himself. He shouldn't and didn't care about that. He saw the look on your face when you turned to him. You weren't worried nor were you homesick, but you had a small confused glint in your eyes. "It's only a for a few days. Eto said she'd relocate your apartment to the 11th ward and then you'll be free to go."

Great, you were getting moved away without having a say in it. And just when you were getting comfy at home, too! Your mind raced around the word '11th ward' until something sparked in your mind. "Oi, doesn't Jason hunt in the 11th ward now?" You questioned. "Because I don't want to become a torture... toy, or something."

Tatara huffed, which you assumed was his own way to laugh at your stupidity. "As if I'd let him touch a single hair on your head." He muttered low enough so that you missed what he was saying. "I'm supervising the 11th ward. If I say you're off limits, then you're off limits."

"Yeah, that makes sense." You nodded, settling down on a plush chair in the corner of your cell. "I'm sure it'll be fun, staying in a new place and doing new things."

As soon as you left your new apartment building, you were pushed flat against the wall while someone behind you handcuffed you. A shocked scream left your lips and some pedestrians stopped walking to witness the events.

"(L/N) (Y/N), you are being arrested for possible conspiracy against humankind and the protection of ghouls. Anything you do or say can be held against you in a court of law." Ah, shit. You muttered when, in the corner of your eye, you spotted the only and only bowl cut king. It turns out that even in Tatara's ward, investigators could do their thing as they pleased as long as it was in daylight.

A few onlookers whispered amongst themselves and gave you dirty looks. Some even had the audacity to point at you while you were being dragged into a car, remaining as silent as possible. Sure, you were scared shitless about what they could or would do to you, but you weren't that much of a snitch. You'd keep your mouth shut as long as you had control over it. Your only hope was that someone in Aogiri would care enough to bust you out of prison, or wherever you'll be. Hell, you might not even be on this earth in twelve hours. You heard somewhere that people can get the death penalty if they hide ghouls from the CCG.

That scary thought almost got you crying, but you held it in. Tears would only confirm your guilt and then the possibilities of dying would rise. You needed to distract yourself, so you frantically searched for something else to think about.

"Who payed you to cut your hair like that?" You asked the investigator driving the car. He didn't even spare you a glance. You tilted your head to the side. "Seriously, it looks really weird. I think the fringe is crooked." Annoying a dove was extreme fun, especially when you knew he had to be able to hear you loud and clear. Besides, what you were saying could be recorded as much as he wants it to be, but it can hardly be something they could use against you in a trial. So why not engage in a little fun before you're imprisoned or killed?

You had opened your mouth to say something else before the car shook. Instead, you yelled some incomprehensible things as you wondered whether or not the shell of the vehicle would snap clean off its wheels. The investigator shoved his foot on the brakes, which sent you flying face-first into the seat in front of you. You groaned loudly as commotion happened outside. Mister Awful Haircut rushed out of the car after grabbing his quinque, leaving you inside with your hands tied up and a possible bloody nose. You were too preoccupied by the action outside to check if you were actually bleeding.

The first thing you noticed was Tatara's mask; an incredible contrast to his pale complexion and white clothes. What then shocked you was that he appeared to be acting alone. You didn't spot any other ghouls around, which was incredibly odd. You knew Tatara well enough to know how he plans things like these. He always sent others out to do his bidding. He used the pawns first, and then if worse came to worse he would jump in. That's how he did everything. So seeing him there, alone and looking like he was fuming mad, was an incredibly dangerous treat. You must mean something to him (or Aogiri) for him to go out of his way like that.

The black haired dove seemed to hold his ground pretty well against him for a while, until he got thrown a few meters away by a violent swing of Tatara's kagune. The man's head struck the ground and he fell ungraciously on the floor, obviously knocked out. Or dead. Maybe both.

Tatara took a moment, wondering if he should finish the job or just leave him there. Dead or not, you would still be wanted for treason. If he knew, that meant the doves knew. One dead man wouldn't change a thing.

"Tatara!" You exclaimed, knocking on the car window. "You can do all that thinking later, okay?! I'm pretty sure there's backup coming soon!"

The ghoul snapped his head to you and was at your side in mere seconds. He practically ripped the door open and helped you out. His kagune swiftly undid the handcuffs keeping you from moving. You have no idea why a ghoul investigator was carrying (or had access to) human handcuffs, but you were glad because if they had been out of quinque steel, it wouldn't have been as fun to remove.

No words were shared between the two of you when the handcuffs came off. You would have wanted to say something, but the mood hanging around your saviour was too heavy for you to try and dissipate. He seemed pissed- no, he was fuming. The sudden idea that maybe you were the reason for his current mood stopped you from talking to him in hopes he'd get to calm down.

Tatara lifted you up over his shoulder again and fled the scene before backup could arrive.

Instead of going straight to the Aogiri base like you had expected him to do, he stopped on the roof of a short apartment building, setting you down and walking off. For a quick second, you thought he was going to just leave you there to fend for yourself. What were you even supposed to do then? You were definitely wanted for treason! By this time tomorrow, your face will probably be on posters all around Tokyo with the words "dead or alive" written somewhere on it.

But maybe that was why Tatara was leaving you there. You couldn't work for them in secret anymore since the entire world knew whose side you were on. If you wanted to keep your freedom, you'd have to avoid society and therefore avoid information that could help Aogiri Tree. You were useless now.

For some reason, the fact that Tatara was able to just ditch you and leave really hurt. You felt a pinching sensation in your chest and couldn't help but question his methods. "Why don't you just kill me?" You yelled before he could get any further from you. He stopped in his tracks but didn't face you yet. "You're just going to leave? Leave me here?" You sounded desperate. No, scratch that, you sounded pathetic. And if you knew that, then it must have been as clear as day.

"Do you have any better ideas?" The man retorted. He only twisted his neck so that he could glance at you from the corner of his eye.

His question left you thinking. You then decided to simply ignore it and say your own thing. You know, like the selfish human you apparently were. "So you're going to leave me in society? You don't think that's dangerous?" Your tone didn't sound like one speaking facts. It sounded taunting. "I could tell them, you know! I could save my own ass and tell the CCG all I know about you and the others!" At this point, the plea wasn't about snitching. It was about not having him leave you. Before you could stop them, tears started burning your eyes and the familiar feeling of a lump in your throat stopped you from continuing your threats.

Tatara wished that he had turned to you because he was entertained. He wished that the only reason he heard you out was because your anguished state was funny to him. But that wasn't the real reason, and at some point, he had to accept it. He could regret all he wanted to though; it just wouldn't change the facts.

As he fully turned to face you, you were struck with a sudden embarrassment. In the face of a ghoul who had lost his entire family to investigators, your tantrum seemed like nothing. You were alive and no one you loved was killed. Although Tatara said nothing about it, you knew that you might have stepped over an invisible line here. You shakily wiped your tears away and sniffed. "I'm sorry, you're right, this is... urgh." You blushed in humiliation and wanted to collapse on yourself when you felt Tatara's intense stare. You just knew he was judging you. Hardcore.