Ulquiorra considered most things as trash, whether they were human, Hollow, Soul Reaper, or Arrancar. Yet, why did the Espada constantly find himself wandering about the World of the Living? Even though he constantly said he hate that place and couldn't understand the way humans thrived, the young man found himself walking down the dark, dimly lit streets of Karakura Town. He wasn't hunting for anything; he wasn't looking for anything... well... maybe he was looking for something. Ulquiorra just didn't know what that something was yet.
He came up to a streetlight, a bus rolling to a stop beside him. The Espada stopped short, looking over at the object before the doors opened. An elderly woman walked out onto the dark street, right through Ulquiorra's body. She shivered, pulling her jacket closer before disappearing in the dark.
The Espada glanced back at the bus, wondering what this thing was. Curious, he stepped on, the doors closing seconds after. He looked up at the driver, whose eyes were trained on the street in front of him. Ulquiorra cautiously walked up the steps, seeing four passengers, sitting in different seats. His eyes darted back and forth before walking down the aisle and sitting in a double seat of his own, next to the window.
Ulquiorra found himself looking out and watched as the town of Karakura went by. He found it oddly interesting how this contraption was used and the Espada found that he began to relax into the seat. A feeling of ease came over him as they hit the seventh stop. The door opened, letting on a young girl around the age of nineteen, maybe twenty. Ulquiorra knew she was just younger than he was.
She walked down the aisle, nodding to an elderly woman with a kind, yet tired, smile. Ulquiorra's eyes flashed to the area beside him when the young woman slid in beside him. She didn't try to move over, just sat where she was, contempt. He wondered if she even knew he was there. However, a quick examination of her soul, and Ulquiorra knew that wasn't the case. This human had barely a trace of spiritual pressure.
Her body relaxed into the seat and after a few minutes her head began to bob up and down as she tried to keep her eyes open. Ulquiorra looked away, watching as they headed into the central part of Karakura. The building lights were glowing in the dark, reflecting on the window's glass. Pressure was applied to Ulquiorra's shoulder and his eyes casted to the side, finding the young woman had passed out against him.
The Espada did not know what to do, having never been in this situation before. Her breathing was steady, feeling hot against the fabric of his jacket. He could feel the heat radiating off her body, yet she shivered from time to time. Unknown to the Arrancar, he was staring, and the bus finally came to a noticeable halt.
"Last stop!" the driver called out, breaking Ulquiorra out of his trance. They were the only two left. He looked down at the girl, finding her still asleep. "Last stop!" the driver called.
Ulquiorra shook his shoulder lightly, jolting the girl from her sleep. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, looking around. Her eyes widened in realization and she stood, gathering her bag and walking to the front.
"Sorry about that," she apologized, scratching the back of her head.
The driver smiled at her kindly, wishing her a good night. Ulquiorra stood up from the seat, sonidoing between the doors before they could close. The bus pulled away and Ulquiorra's eyes flashed over towards the retreating human. He watched her until she was lost in the darkness before opening a garganta, and disappearing into Hueco Mundo.
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Another thing, which Ulquiorra had not realized how it happened, was that he returned to the World of the Living on a regular basis, not to just walk around aimlessly, but to ride the bus. Every night he would get on at the same stop, sit in the same seat, and wait for that one stop to come. The young woman would walked on, the same tired look in her eyes, sit in the same seat as Ulquiorra, and doze off every night on his shoulder.
He didn't know why he let her do that, but... the Espada found the feeling... nice. Never had the word crossed his mind before, but every time she sat next to him on the bus he found himself examining her. He was interested in the young woman, wondering why she came to this specific seat every night and why she always fell asleep on his shoulder. Ulquiorra knew for sure that she could not see him. If she could, then this development would've never happened. Anyone who could see him stayed far away. They could sense the danger.
It was another night in the streets of Karakura Town and Ulquiorra waited for the bus to come rolling to a halt in front of the bus stop. And like every other night for the past month and a half, the young woman walked on, sat in the seat next to him, only to dose off a few minutes later.
Ulquiorra let a small sigh escape his lips at this for the first time. Her breathing was steady once again, and Ulquiorra knew she had gone to sleep. The Espada wondered what made her so tired everyday. "So does the person, who's been kindly lending me their shoulder, have a name?" a soft voice came to Ulquiorra's ears. His eyes widened at the sound, head turning away from the window to look down at the top of her head. Did she know? How could she know? How long had she known?
He was quiet for a few seconds, wondering if his voice would even reach her ears, since her spiritual pressure was nearly nonexistent, and answered, "Ulquiorra Schiffer."
A hint of a smile touched her lips, before a yawn escaped. "Andrea Uzumaki." Ulquiorra's eyes roamed the bus, seeing that no one had noticed their private conversation. "If it wasn't for you, I'd be ending up downtown a lot," she continued lowly. Her body shivered, nuzzling into the Espada's shoulder more. The days had been growing chilly, signaling winter... and the Showdown.
"How long?" Ulquiorra finally asked.
The bus came to a halt, and Andrea sighed, removing her head from Ulquiorra's shoulder. The driver called out, "Last stop!"
"Come with me," she whispered.
Ulquiorra stayed in his seat for a few seconds as she walked away, but followed her off onto the street. Andrea turned down the road in the direction she walked every night, and he followed after.
She lived in a small apartment on the top floor of a complex. It had one main room with two others breaking off; one was the bathroom, the other the kitchen. A floor table sat off to the side, a closet next to it, most likely holding her bed.
"At first," Andrea spoke, disappearing into the bathroom, but leaving the door open a crack. "I thought nothing of it. I just thought that I had fallen asleep in that position. It had been a long day. However, when it continued to happen and I found myself in the same position every night I knew it wasn't my imagination anymore."
"Why didn't you sit somewhere else?" he asked, hearing the shower turning on.
Andrea shrugged her shoulders, feeling the warm water hitting her skin. "I didn't mind it really. Something was there, I could tell, but it didn't seem threatening, so I didn't run away."
Ulquiorra shook his head, leaning against the wall beside the door. "You're a fool, thinking that. How can you trust something you can't see?"
She laughed lightly. "If you were going to hurt me, you would've done it by now."
"What makes you think I won't, now that I have you alone?"
Andrea thought about it before turning off the water and getting out. "You wouldn't be standing here, telling me your plans, if you wanted to hurt me."
Ulquiorra knew she had a point. This young woman was smart, he noted, even in her tired state. The door opened, and Andrea walked out. She was dressed in an over sized T-shirt and sweatpants. Her hair was damp, some strands of her hair clinging to the sides of her face. She ran the towel through her locks, trying to get the water out.
"Can you see me?" Ulquiorra asked, the one question that he wanted to have answered.
Andrea's head turned towards his voice. "At first I couldn't... but over time the area in front of me began to grow fuzzy, like when you're in the heat for too long and things get hazy." Ulquiorra nodded, knowing the feeling since he lived in Hueco Mundo. "Sometimes I can make out a part of you. I know you're taller than me and that your hair is black." His eyes studied her. "You wear a lot of white, and your voice is always monotone. That's about it."
"Can you... see... other things?"
She cocked her head to the side. "You mean something like you?" Andrea thought about it. "No, not that I can remember. Only you. Why are you invisible, yet have presence?"
Ulquiorra pushed off the wall, walking forward till he stood in front of Andrea. She stared at the basic outline of his body, wondering what he was doing. The Espada brought up one of his hands, lightly touching her face. "I think of humans as trash..." Andrea did not look offended, so he continued. "Yet, you intrigue me. There's something about you that draws me to you, to come to the World of the Living and get on that bus, and wait for you."
"What is it about me that intrigues you so?"
This close to Andrea, Ulquiorra could see the bags under her eyes, meaning she was not getting enough sleep. Again, he wondered what made her so tired. "The fact that you are not affected by me. My spiritual pressure, my coldness; most humans would flinch away at my presence around them or would know something was off. Almost like prey being hunted. You don't show that."
"I don't feel threatened is why."
Ulquiorra wondered if she was too tired to even sense it. He dropped his hand, stepping away. "It's late, and I need to go." Andrea nodded. He walked towards the door, opening it to let himself out.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" Andrea questioned, stopping Ulquiorra. "At the bus?"
He looked over his shoulder with his emotionless eyes before saying, "Maybe..."
The door closed and Andrea smiled softly, knowing that was as close as a yes she was ever going to get from him.
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And just as Andrea had predicted it, Ulquiorra sat in the same seat, waiting. She smiled down at him tiredly, him staring back blankly. Andrea slumped in the seat next to him and gave a big yawn. The Espada noted how weak she was in this state, her body unaffected by anything around her. She barely had half a mind to think straight.
Ulquiorra closed his eyes in realization. If Andrea ever got the sleep she needed, then she would truly run from him. Her senses would be more aware and this little... meeting they had been having for the last two months would go away. His eyes snapped open when Andrea's head hit his shoulder, but then quickly slipped onto his lap. He stared down at the passed out human. She was weak. He placed a hand on her head, stroking the burnt umber colored hair. It was soft, just like how he imagined it would be.
The bus stop was coming up and Ulquiorra shook Andrea's shoulder. She did not stir. He shook harder for a few more seconds before her body shifted. "Time to go," he spoke, making her eyes flutter open. Andrea sat up, eyes still dazed with sleep. They walked off the bus together and she smiled weakly at him. The circles under her eyes were even larger today.
"Sorry, Ulquiorra." Even he could hear the laziness in her voice. "But I don't think I'm up to continuing our talk from the night before. Maybe another night."
"Very well," he answered as she turned and walked off down the street.
Ulquiorra watched her go before turning to leave himself. That was, until a rustling noise caught his attention. The Espada looked over his shoulder as a dark figure emerged from a bush and started after Andrea's retreating form. His eyes widened in realization and disappeared into the darkness.
Andrea walked with a sluggish pace, shoulders hunched from lack of sleep. Her body was over worked, and she couldn't wait for her head to hit her soft pillow. The corner of the young woman's lips twitched at the thought before she was roughly shoved to the ground.
Her shoulder scraped at the pavement and she tried to turn herself around to face the attacker. He grabbed at her arms as she struggled. It was useless though, her body not able to gather enough strength to fight him off. "We're going to have a little fun," he growled, grabbing the front of her shirt and dragging her backwards towards the shadows. "So be a good girl and keep quiet."
Tears formed at the corners of her eyes as she gathered a big breath. "Ulquiorra!" she screamed, only to be slapped senseless.
The man growled, slamming her back into the ground. "Shut up!" he snarled.
However, he stopped when a cold presence appeared behind him, the feeling wrapping around the back of his neck. "I suggest you release the girl, trash," Ulquiorra spoke, anger in his voice.
"W-Who's there?" the man asked, unable to turn around. He couldn't see Ulquiorra, but Andrea could, a wave of relief rushing over her. The man had other plans though, pulling out a knife and cutting into her shirt.
Andrea's eyes widened as she cried out, trying to push it away. Ulquiorra had had enough, ripping the man away and throwing him into a tree. He pulled Andrea into his arms, wrapping them tightly around her waist and rushed back to the street. She looked up at him with wide eyes as his whole being came into focus. His bright, emerald, green eyes stared back, and Andrea thought they were breathtaking. She buried her head into his shoulder, silent tears falling and hitting the jacket.
"Where is he?" she whispered.
Ulquiorra looked over his shoulder, but knew the answer. "Dead," he answered, turning back to her.
"Thank you," she whispered, holding him tighter.
Ulquiorra knew there was no way he was going to let her walk the rest of the way home. It was impossible in her current state.
He arrived at Andrea's front door, taking her keys and letting them in. Her breathing was steady, meaning she had already fallen asleep, wanting to forget what had happened. Ulquiorra opened the closet, finding her bedroll, blanket, and pillow. He set them out before lying her down and covering her with the blanket. Andrea snuggled into the pillow, breathing deeply before settling in.
The Espada grabbed a towel, wiping away the blood on her shoulder and cleaned the wound before bandaging it. Ulquiorra sat beside the bed, watching the human sleep. It wasn't until he was sure that Andrea was truly under did he leave her in the protection of her own home.
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Andrea did not come to the bus the next day. The driver closed the doors and pulled away as Ulquiorra's eyes searched the area, looking for her. He watched to see if she would suddenly appear, running after the bus. However, her form never came into view. The final bus stop came up and he walked off. His eyes traveled down the road she always went down and walked in the direction himself.
Police tape was all over the area where Ulquiorra had killed the man, but he passed it without a second glance, only one destination in mind. His knuckles wrapped against the door and he waited. He knocked again before the door clicked open and Andrea stood in front of him.
His eyes widened. The bags under her eyes were gone and her face had color once again. Her eyes were filled with life. They were a bright blue, no longer dull with lack of sleep. Ulquiorra had never used the word 'beautiful' in his vocabulary before, but now he thought it when he looked at her.
She wore a black tank top with yoga pants. Her shoulder was wrapped in new bandages from where the man had shoved her into the ground, cheek a little colored and swollen from the hit. It made Ulquiorra's eyes harden, but he knew she wouldn't be hurt by the attacker again, and his gaze went back to normal.
She smiled widely, looking up at him. "Ulquiorra," she whispered. The Espada's eyes widened even more, realizing they were making eye contact for the first time.
"You... can see me?"
She giggled, a sound Ulquiorra enjoyed to hear. "Yeah... something about last night must've done the trick." Andrea stepped away from the frame, opening the door more. "Would you like to come in?"
Ulquiorra entered, the door closing behind him. "You weren't at the bus," he said after a long silence as Andrea got tea for them.
"Oh," she answered, walking in. "I'm sorry about that, but I didn't go out today. I decided to, for once, call in sick and have time to myself."
Ulquiorra sipped at his tea, watching Andrea. She looked much healthier. "What made you so tired?"
"Hmm...? Oh, I work as a waitress in a very well known diner so I can make enough money for the rent on this place. Eventually I want to go to college. But... working so many hours can really take a lot out of a person. So, after last night, I finally decided I needed to work less hours, and if the time calls for it, I'll get a better paying job to make it up." Ulquiorra nodded as Andrea poured more tea for him. "Thank you... for last night. If you hadn't... I'd..." She didn't finish, but didn't have to. Ulquiorra knew what she was getting at. A small smile came to Andrea's lips as she closed her eyes at the same time. "You know, you wear a funny hat, Ulquiorra."
At first he did not understand, but then realized she was taking about his mask. "It's not a hat," he stated. "It's a mask."
Her eyes opened as they traveled down to the hole in his neck, the white clothing he wore, his pale skin, and the green line that ran down his cheeks. "Ulquiorra... what are you?"
The Espada wondered when she would ask that question. "I am what humans call an Arrancar. A Hollow that has achieved a human form."
"What's a Hollow?"
"Something that eats human's and/or human souls. Arrancars are more powerful and can control their hunger."
"So that's why you haven't eaten me yet," she teased.
Ulquiorra sighed, setting his teacup on the table. "We are still very different. I could crush you right here and now if I wanted to." Andrea said nothing. "Are you afraid of me now?"
She thought about it before shaking her head. He was surprised by the answer. "Like I said before, if you are as powerful as you say you are, then you would've killed me on the spot. I'm not afraid of you, Ulquiorra."
His eyes noticeably widened at the statement. This girl was crazy, but a part of Ulquiorra was happy she accepted him for who he was.
Winter was coming faster than expected, but everyday Ulquiorra continued to see Andrea. He knew it was wrong and that he had to stop. With the war coming up he wasn't sure if he would
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