I'd like to note that in this AU, the public isn't aware of the existence of ghouls. This doesn't really affect the story too much, but it would feel weird if this wasn't the case.

Yuri Katsuki stared into the cup of coffee, his hands shaking as he clasped the fragile cup. The steam fogged up his glasses. While he usually wore contacts during practices and performances, they often irritated his eyes. So, when Yuri was off the ice, he favored his glasses. Thinking about it reminded Yuri that he might not have to deal with them anymore.

He brought the warm drink to his mouth, savoring the energy the sip gave him. It had been months since the Grand Prix Final, but his pitiful performance was replaying in his head. His only solace was the small coffee shop he'd stopped at.

He was about to return to Hasetsu, but for money's sake, had scheduled his flight a day in advance. He was spending this night in Tokyo before he would return home tomorrow.

He groaned, just thinking of having to face his family again after his epic failure on live TV.

Yuri's thoughts were interrupted by a young man, only slightly younger than himself. He seemed shy, and the book tucked under his arm confirmed it.

"Do you mind if I sit with you? There's no more seats…" the boy trailed off, obviously discomforted with having to talk to a stranger. Yuri looked around him, and saw that every other seat in the cafe was taken by somebody. That was strange, when Yuri walked in there were only a couple other people here. How long was he sitting there?

"Of course," Yuri forced a small smile, which felt like a mask.

The boy sat in the chair, uncertain about sitting across from a stranger. However, the boy's sudden interruption elevated Yuri out of his thoughts, his mood ultimately improving. And so, he decided to do something rash, something he normally wouldn't do. He thrust out his hand, almost knocking over his coffee. The other boy's eyes widened at his sudden movement and near embarrassment. "I'm Yuri Katsuki,"

The other boy tentatively took Yuri's hand, giving him one firm shake. "Ken Kaneki."

They released their hands at the arrival of the purple haired waitress, who gracefully placed Kaneki's cup in front of him. Yuri took her in. She was very pretty, and seemed nice enough, but something about her was off-putting. It made Yuri slightly nervous, and he wasn't sure why.

Kaneki had placed his book on the table in favor of his coffee. Yuri scanned the title and author, wondering if he had read the book before, but did not recognize it.

Kaneki noticed Yuri's eyes glancing over his novel. "Have you read any Takatsuki Sen before?" He asked.

Yuri slowly shook his head. "Can't say I have."

Kaneki looked downtrodden. "Right."

"Are her books any good?" Yuri asked, hoping the conversation wouldn't fizzle out.

Kaneki perked up again. "They're fantastic. She's my favorite author. I would recommend this book, Monochrome Rainbow. It's a collection of short stories, but they're all so beautifully written."

Yuri fished his phone out of his pocket, typing the name down into his notes. "I'll be sure to check it out."

Kaneki seemed to fidget a bit, leading Yuri to believe that he'd never had a chance to talk to someone about his favorite author before. However, his eyes, once a blank grey, seemed to sparkle a little bit. "What about you, Katsuki? What do you like to do?"

Yuri paused. Kaneki obviously didn't recognize him. It wasn't like many people did, anyway, but sometimes it was nice to get away from ice skating fanatics. "I ice skate sometimes. And you can call me Yuri."

"Okay, Yuri, what kind of ice skating do you do?" Kaneki pressed. Yuri was impressed by his determination to know more about him. Usually, if Yuri told anyone he ice skated, that was it, end of conversation.

"Oh, nothing too fancy. I just like to hang around my local rink," Yuri said, his conscience weighing on him for lying.

"Ah," Kaneki said as he closed his eyes. "I'd always liked the idea of ice skating. Propelling your body on a sheet of ice, using blades to carry you. Very poetic."

Yuri nodded, but his thoughts returned to the Grand Prix again. He shook the thought away as soon as it returned. "You could write if you wanted to."

Kaneki opened his eyes again, turning to face Yuri. "You think?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Is that something you'd want to do?"

Kaneki's eyes unfocused. "I'm not sure."

Yuri leaned back in his chair, satisfied with his empty cup of coffee. He placed money down on the table and was about to leave, but he hesitated. He grabbed his phone from his pocket, ready to make another rash decision. "Let's exchange numbers. I'd like to keep in touch," he suggested.

Kaneki looked confused before digging out his own phone. The two exchanged numbers, both feeling alleviated at the prospect of a new friend. Phichit was one of Yuri's only friends, and from the looks of Kaneki's contacts, he didn't have many either.

Yuri left Anteiku feeling both satisfied and fulfilled. When he returned to his hotel, and slept alone in the small room, he didn't think or dream once about his performance. Instead, he thought of Kaneki, who had been a blessing in disguise. Things were starting to look up for Yuri Katsuki.