author's note;
09/26/14 — Things I told myself I wouldn't do: Write Tokyo Ghoul fanfiction.

Things I have clearly done anyway: Write Tokyo Ghoul fanfiction.

I blame the soul crushing properties of chapter 143.

Either way, here we go! This will be a series of drabbles, one-sentence fics and one-shots, all placed within the same AUverse where Kaneki's life is decidedly less tragic. That is, an AU where TouKen will eventually be a thing and Kenki doesn't develop a crush on Kamishiro "Literal Man-Eater" Rize. If this idea has been done before... then I apologize and hope this spin will be sufficiently different.

Enjoy!

Like all good love stories, it begins in a quaint little coffee shop in an equally as quaint little corner of Tokyo.

(It's more of a sordid love affair, really.)

between you and i
(there is an ocean)

( sordid )

When she sees him for the first time, there are three things that immediately cross her mind.

One, that he's small and weak and perfect as an appetizer for one of their less benevolent regulars.

Two, that he's been staring at her with the same annoying look on his face for way too long.

And three—oh.

She turns on her heel and tries, with a new found sense of disgust, to pass on her duties to one of her co-workers. She does not have the time to deal with a human and his crush. She does not have the time to put on a kind face, her smile bright and warm, as he unintelligibly stutters through his order while his blond friend encourages him on. She does not have time for any of these things. But she has to make time for them, anyway.

The old manager has always had a sick sense of humor.

"Excuse me!" his friend says. Loudly. Annoyingly. He is truly an exercise in keeping a straight face. Much more so than other humans.

"Yes?" she replies with practiced ease, reaching for her notepad in one smooth movement. She doesn't even have her pen out properly before he starts blabbing on, shooting an order at her and asking his friend (Crush Boy, her mind oh-so-helpfully supplies) whether he wants something as well. To her relief, he doesn't.

Said relief is then quickly replaced by complete horror, when he then decides to ask: "Oh! What might your name be?"

Breathe in. Breathe out. The manager would not be very pleased with her if she scared off their human customers.

"Kirishima... Touka," she says. It feels a little bit like forcing concrete through her teeth.

"Kirishima-san, huh? How cute!" he says, shamelessly. Then, he turns towards Crush Boy. "What do you think, eh, Kaneki?"

Crush Boy (Kaneki) buries his face in his hands with something of a strangled yelp. She kind of wishes she could do the same.

Well. The next time he comes, it might not even be during her shift.

(It is.

And so is the next time.

And the one after that.

And so forth.)

But, she decides, he will never be anything more than a human with a crush.

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She's horrendously wrong.