::TRIGGER WARNINGS:: Implied Abusive Relationship, Harsh Language,

::PREFERENCE WARNINGS:: OC Insert, Ambiguous Ships, Cafe AU

::CREDIT:: All Bleach characters are, of course, owned by Tite Kubo.

Hi! Welcome to my fic.

The chapters contained are fairly short, as they're based off of prompts, and written in more of a vignette format. This fic will include most of the characters from the beginning of the series, to about the middle of the Arrancar arc. So, enjoy your favorite captains & Espada in various human forms.

This is more of a fun writing practice for me, but if you end up enjoying it, all the better!

1. Every Day is a Story

On this particular day, at a particular coffee shop, a young woman named Ai sat silently at the last booth in the corner with a laptop. She'd never previously stepped into this cafe before, but recently needing to find a new place to sit and write had urged her to explore her options. Now, staring aimlessly at the blank word doc in front of her, she'd found a new obstacle to overcome: Her own writers block.

Procrastination at the helm, Ai decided to take in her surroundings instead. The cafe was small, but lovingly kept. Potted plants and decor seemed to be perfectly placed in order to give the place a homey feeling to it. Ai never even knew this hole-in-the-wall existed until today. The only people in it besides herself were three of the wait staff.

First was a bubbly girl, leaned against the counter, happily engaged with talking to her coworker. She seemed like the friendliest of the three. Standing opposite of her on the other side was a ginger-haired man, half-listening as he polished cups behind the counter. Lastly, the dark haired young man with the sad eyes who had taken Ai's order several moments earlier. He was soft spoken, but pleasant. None of the trio looked much older than Ai herself. She absently wondered what kind of boss would hire so many college students.

'Maybe to attract a younger clientele?' As the thought crossed her mind, the dark-haired waitor returned to her table.

With the same quiet tone, he barely made a sound as he placed the cup beside her laptop. "Here's your order, Miss." "Thank you, ah..." Ai paused to read his name tag, before smiling a bit as she looked up at him "Ulquiorra."

He seemed surprised at first, but nodded in thanks. "You're welcome. Enjoy." Ulquiorra returned to his post as quickly as he'd come, leaving Ai to wallow in her unmoving lack of inspiration.

Her eyes rested on the coffee sitting left of her. She had ordered a caramel latte, hoping the sugar would overpower the bitter taste. Taking the warm cup into her hand, she stared down at the bear that had been shaped on the foam. She couldn't help but glance up at her waiter, 'It's surprising someone so gloomy looking could make something so cute...'

As Ai thoughtfully sipped the sweet drink, she noticed that the sole waitress had suddenly appeared in the chair across from her. The impromptu movement almost caused Ai to choke on her coffee.

"Ahhh- Sorry, sorry!" The girl pleaded, handing Ai several napkins out of the dispenser. She laughed nervously, "I didn't mean to scare you!"

Setting her cup down, for fear of spilling it on her precious laptop, Ai dried her lips with the abundance of napkins that had been shoved into her hands. "It's alright..."

With no pause, the waitress resumed talking. "I don't think I've ever seen you in here before. Are you from around here?" she asked, before interrupting herself, "Oh- hah! Sorry, I'm Nel." Nel seemed to purposefully flash her name tag with a broad smile. Glancing at the badge, Ai slowly answered her new, albeit undesired, friend, "Ah, Ai... I live nearby... but, no, I've never been in here before. I usually have tea at Espada."

Nel appeared surprised, before let out a long, impressed "Oooooh." A grin suddenly broke onto her pretty features. "Espada is a nice tea room. Their waiters are so cute, but don't let boss hear any talk about that place, he'll totally rip my head off. What made you decide to find to this little place?" Ai barely followed the rapid pace that Nel spoke at, but at least caught the last question. She paused for a long time, gazing at the deformed bear in her cup. "I'm... not really comfortable talking about that.

Despite her brazen tone, Nel seemed to understand almost immediately. She changed the subject almost as soon as she started it, "Are you working on homework?" Feeling a little touched, Ai let herself smile as she shook her head. "No, I'm a writer." A pause came, Ai's expression deflating as she remembered her writers block. "Well... aspiring, I guess you'd say..." Ignoring Ai's self-loathing, Nels' eyes lit up with delight. "A writer? Have you written anything? Can I read!?"

A blush slowly bloomed over Ai's pale skin. "I-I published a poetry book... b-but it didn't sell very well."

Fishing through the messenger bag, hung on the back of her chair, Ai produced a small book, bound in a red cover. She handed it to Nel, almost reluctantly. Nel smiled as she excitedly flipped through the pages. Halfway through, she looked up from the words. "These are really good, Ai! I wonder why it didn't sell..."

Watching the bubbly waitress read intently, Ai noticed a shadow suddenly looming over Nel's shoulder. Her eyes followed the source to the scowling face of a very tall man.

"Um... Nel?"

She became attentive at the sound of her name, "Yes, Ai?"

"Behind you..."

At first she appeared confused, but as her eyes slowly widened, it seemed the realization was beginning to hit her. Maybe also a hint of dread, Ai noted. Slowly, the girls' head turned to look up at the threatening figure behind her.

"B-BosS!" she exclaimed, her voice coming out no deeper than a squeak. "I-I-I-I was just-"

The angry man finally opened his mouth, letting out the bark held within it, "GET YOUR ASS BACK TO WORK, NEL. NOW."

With a short scream, Nel jumped to her feet, "I-I'M SORRY!" With little time to spare, she managed to turn to Ai. "Could I borrow this to read?" "NEL" Interrupted, who Ai was to assume, the boss. Unnerved by the demonic shout, Ai smiled. "Sure. Borrow it for as long as you like." "Thanks!"

With not but a glare, Nel scrambled back to the counter, gaining a mocking snort from the other waiter. Ai shared a quiet stare with the boss-man, wondering if his scowl was a default expression for him, before he lumbered after Nel.

Quietly, Ai decided that this cafe would be a fine spot to become a regular.