Ulrich had always liked the idea of having a sibling. Someone he could pick on, take care of, be responsible for. One of his uncles was the father of three children, and though an age gap was present, they all three seemed genrally close.

Maybe he wouldn't feel as lonely all the time.

When Ulrich was five he finally mustered up the courage to ask his parents about it.

"Why don't I have any brothers or sisters?" He'd asked during breakfast one morning. His parents, although far from talkative, suddenly grew quiet. His mother in particular looked visibly upset by the question.

"Because you don't," is what his father answered, his voice gruffer than usual.

"But wh-"

"I won't repeat myself!" His father boomed over him, making both Ulrich and his mother flinch. His dad let out a sigh and rubbed his temple. "Finish your breakfast. You have piano lessons at 9:30,"

And that had been the end of that.

Ulrich didn't think much of the idea of siblings much after that. Through his own eventual reasonings, the chances of it happening were slim to none anyway, so why bother thinking about it? By the time he'd enrolled at Kadic, he barely even remembered ever asking about it.

Then he met Aelita.

He admittedly, didn't think much of her first. He felt just as strongly as Yumi or Odd in the want to see her materialized, and considered her a friend, but little beyond that. It wasn't until she was back on Earth for good that their bond formed. He wasn't sure what it was about her, whether it was her genuinely innocent naiveté or the lost, puppy dog like look she wore on her first few trips Earth, but something about her brought out his protective nature.

It was one of her first days at Kadic, during lunch that it really showed. She and Odd appeared in front of him with their trays in hand. She smiled upon seeing him, as if she hadn't just spent the last several hours in classrooms with him.

"Hey. Enjoying your first real day of classes?" He asked.

"Yes, very much," she affirmed. A sheepish expression overcame her face. "It's still all a bit overwhelming though. I'm not sure how you all do it everyday,"

"Heh, no one said we were good at it," Odd laughed. "Anyway, enjoy the experiences while you can, Princess, cause the routine gets old pretty fast,"

"Then I'll be sure to take in as much as I can," she smiled.

"Hey, where's Jeremy?" Ulrich then asked. The blond genius was nowhere in sight, but he could definitely remember seein him in class.

Odd gave a strange wave. "Oh, you know Einstein. Always raring to work whenever he can on Lyoko stuff,"

"He's trying to make some headway on my antivirus," Aelita elaborated. "Although I do hope he doesn't work himself as bad as he did with my materialization. The amount if times he was up pas-"

"Well, if it isn't Kadic's newest brainiac," A shrill voice cut in. Aelita was startled, to the point that she almost dropped her fork. One look at who it was and Ulrich groaned.

"Go away, Sissi," he said tiredly.

She gave him a smirk. "I hardly think it's a crime to want to get to know Kadic's newest student. Why, our dorms are next to each other but we've hardly spoken at all. Why is that exactly?" She gave Aelita an uncomfortably close stare.

Aelita squirmed. "Well, uh..."

"Because she doesn't have to if she doesn't want to," Odd said with a slight scowl.

"You don't have to answer for her, she can talk just like the rest of us," Sissi shot back. She returned her focus on Aelita as if Odd had never spoken in the first place. Her sickly sweet smile returned as well. "At least, I assume so. You didn't say much in Mrs. Hertz's class today. Say, what's your story anyway?"

"M-my what?"

Ulrich clenched the edge of the table tightly, his knuckles turning a hot white. "Back off, Sissi," he warned, straining to keep himself from growling at her. It was one thing to mess with him, Jeremy, or Odd, it was another matter entirely to mess with her. If Sissi heard, she gave no indication of it.

"Your story. Y'know, what you did before Kadic, your family, friends, your life? Everyone wants to know, you're quite the mystery," Sissi stopped for a moment and tilted her head. "And what's with the pink hair? That shade is so last spring."

"W-well-"

"What part of 'go away' do you not understand?" Odd said, glaring.

"Did you dye it? Figures you're just like your cousin, bad taste and all," Sissi sighed and shook her head. "I guess it's not entirely your fault. I'd probably just as bad off if I were related to Della-"

That was the last straw. He slammed a fist onto the table, scattering their utensils and creating a loud boom. The usual buzz of noise suddenly grew still as everyone began to stare at him. He didn't care though; they hardly mattered. His blood was boiling.

He kept his gaze low with a dark expression. "I'm not going to ask you again: buzz off, and leave us—Aelita—alone," he all but snarled. "Or else,"

"Uh– oh! I think I hear my father calling me. Goodbye, Ulrich!" Sissi stammered before running off, her lunch long forgotten. Ulrich let his fist relax only after Sissi had left the cafeteria.

Odd stared for a moment in shock, then shook his head. "Hey, mind your own business! Nothing to see here! Go back to your food!" He shouted to the others still staring. The usual noises returned in full force after a few moments of them scrambling to tear their gaze from them.

Aelita, face red, looked down at her lap. "I, um... thank you, Ulrich," she stammered.

He nodded. "No problem. And be sure to tell me if she starts up again. She won't be for long if she does," he told her.

"Honestly, after that performance I'm not sure Sissi will come near you or Aelita ever again!" Odd said a grin. Ulrich allowed himself to lean back again.

"If only," he smirked. They both laughed, only stopping when he noticed Aelita looking a bit flustered. "You alright there, Aelita?"

"I... is it normal for my face to feel this warm?" She asked, her tone implying she knew how silly it sounded. Ulrich and Odd shared a look before cracking grins. Not out of enjoyment of her confusion, but out of Aelita being... well, Aelita.

"I dunno if I'd call it 'normal' there, Princess. But it does happen from time to time," Odd explained.

"You can ask Einstein about it later, but you're good," Ulrich assured her.

Yumi approached moments later with a confused look. "Did I miss something? Because I just saw Sissi running off to the dorms and she almost had a panic attack just looking at me," she asked as she sat down.

Ulrich, Odd, and even Aelita to an extent, all burst out into laughter again. And seeing Aelita getting progressively more comfortable with the conversation, he couldn't help but smile.

Ulrich was proud to see that very few dared to mess with Aelita after that. And their strange sort of relationship only grew affer that.

It wasn't growth in the most obvious ways, like how her relationship with Jeremy was, but it was there. Like how she started going to him more for answers for certain questions she had, usually pertaining with how to deal with certain other studemts in class, or about other skills that Jeremy wasn't good enough at to answer.

Or how some mornings she'd flock to his and Odd's dorm room, if only because she knew he wouldn't ask about the dark marks forming under her eyes. Or that when she did bring up the reasons, he would listen without interrupting once.

Or how she started to look over his work and made corrections, all while assuring him that, 'no, you're not an idiot, anyone could've made that mistake. This is how you really do it,.'

Ulrich didn't have siblings, and he suspected he probably never would.

But who said siblings had to be related by blood?

It's like, 2 in the morning, and I wanted to write about these two since the show hardly ever lets them intereact.

Yes, they are my brotp. Deal with it.