Title: An Awkward Conversation
Author: raikune
Rating: PG
Characters: Stark+Lilinette
Notes: Written for and winner of bleachcontest's week 11 challenge on Livejournal :D COntinues from a scene in manga chapter 269 Also, Stark is the Primera Espada in this fic (just, y'know, because he's awesome). This is the only deviation from the manga.
Prompt: week 11 - Good vs Evil (Aizen)
Summary: Lilinette questions which side the Arrancar are fighting on. Oneshot.

"Aaroniero was beaten, you know," Lilinette said softly, looking down. Stark gazed back at her, still a little sleep-stricken.

"…I know," he answered quietly. Lilinette shifted above him, gripping his waist a little tighter. Her eyes searched his own.

"And you're alright with that?"

A melancholy weariness came across his face. "What do you want me to do? Hm?"

--

Lilinette pursed her lips. "I dunno. Do something, Stark! Stop lying about! One of the Espada just got killed," she enunciated. "Doesn't that bother you in any way?"

"Hm. Well. If Aaroniero was weak enough to let a low-level shinigami get the better of him…what?"

His Fracción's eyes flared. "We're bein' invaded. So react! C'mon!"

"I'm not a one-man army." This was a lie. If he wanted, he could kill all the other Espada without breaking a sweat.

"You're strong, though," Lilinette insisted. "You're the Primera Espada! If there's anyone could take the intruders down, it's you! You…" she trailed off. Pinkness crept into her cheeks. She let her breath out, slowly. "…You can do anything, Stark."

The Espada said nothing for moment. Lilinette waited, riding the gentle swells of chest as he breathed. He never seemed to mind her fascination with his body, how she liked to clamber all over him when he was sitting or standing, or play with his long dark hair. He recognised that her affection was of a physical sort, and he'd accepted that, in his own quiet way. That Stark allowed her to be so familiar with him was something that she loved dearly.

His eyes were blue, and bright, the very opposite of the sky of Hueco Mundo. Lilinette watched the thoughts swimming behind them.

"I can't act on my own will and you know that," Stark spoke gently. "Grimmjow did, look what happened to him."

"Grimmy's an asshole." She scowled. "An' the reason you're not moving is because you're so damn lazy. All you do is sleep."

"That's beside the point. If Aizen-sama wishes me to do something about the intruders, I'll go. But now is not the time." He closed his eyes again.

Stark waited, feeling and hearing Lilinette fretting above him. He knew without opening his eyes she was chewing on her nails. She always did that when she was agitated. It made her look like the child she was.

"Hey, Stark…" Lilinette spoke slowly, her tone changing, "…We're the good guys, aren't we?"

Here it came. Stark found he had been expecting this in one form or another.

"Why do you say that?" He opened his eyes.

"Why are those shinigami so angry at us? I mean, I know Aizen-sama kidnapped the girl, but why are they against us really?"

Stark paused. The nature of the answer was extremely complex and he didn't care to go into detail. Until now he had never considered lying to his Fracción, but apparently there was a first time for everything. He quickly decided he would skim over the truth, touching down every now and then like a seabird, without actually revealing anything in full.

"They oppose Aizen-sama," he answered. "From what I understand, he betrayed them. Aizen-sama set out to create a newer world. He could not achieve his great goals if he stayed in Soul Society. They were afraid of his power and ambition."

Lilinette nodded slowly. "That makes sense. Aizen-sama is a great man."

"Yes." Stark didn't tell her about the cold, sinking feeling he'd felt when he first looked into Aizen's eyes.

"If he wants to make a better world where we can live in, that's ok, isn't it? And he used that orb-thingie to make us stonger than we normally would be. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for Aizen-sama."

"No," Stark agreed. "No, we wouldn't."

"So we're like Aizen-sama's children." Lilinette gave Stark a grin. "We're kind of like family, aren't we!"

"I suppose."

Lilinette's bright smile faltered when she saw his expression. "Stark? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Stark absently put a hand on her thigh in reassurance. His eyes were dark and distant.

We're all his pawns, and he moves us where he pleases, he doesn't care if we live or die. He can do this, because he's God.

"Stark!" A small fist struck his chest. Stark batted it away irritably.

"Get off already, Lilinette."

"No." The girl pouted. "God, you frightened me for a minute. You had this weird look on your face." She paused. "Are you scared?"

"Of course not." The Primera Espada had little to fear from anything or anyone.

"I knew you weren't." Lilinette cracked a small grin. "I am, though. What if…we've underestimated these intruders? What could happen? I could die. We could die. That's why I want you to do something!"

"You're not going to die. No one else is going to die."

"Yeah, but you can't be sure." She puffed at a stray hair. "We're the good guys, the good guys shouldn't die."

"We're already dead anyway, Lilinette." Stark yawned. He was rapidly tiring of this conversation. He would've fallen back to sleep already if Lilinette's anxious reiatsu hadn't been bouncing off his body.

"But Staaarrk!"

"I wouldn't let you die," the Espada snapped, his patience at breaking point. "Now, seriously, get off."

Lilinette did what she was told. When Stark actually bothered to get angry, then he meant it. She dismounted and sat in a corner, making sure to poke petulant tendrils of reiatsu at him, which he ignored. To her disgust, he was asleep again in five minutes. Typical. The world was crashing down but Stark just snoozed away.

When she was sure he was deeply asleep, she crept back to his warmth, curling herself by his side on the pillows. Despite his reassurance, the fear in her heart wouldn't leave.

-end-

A/N: First Arrancar fic :D Please review.