Addiction 7

I am back! Yes, after all this time of volunteering. I am sorry AGAIN for the late update. For past couple of months I was in heaven. Kidding! Well it was like heaven, a very warm and sunny heaven. I was volunteering in a conservation camp in Africa for big cats. Goshh, it was like heaven seeing baby cheetahs and leopards, those were the best moments of my life, so far. I could have updated there but the net sucked and all that. Anyhow, now I am back and my fics would be updating soon, all of them. Hope to see you all around! Ok, enough of my heavenly life, and back to Addiction 7. Enjoy and leave comments!

Rukia looked at the ceiling with heavy bags under her eyes. Last night. Yes, last night was a blast, for a while. She thought about of humans and their rituals that they had for everything. Valentine's Day. Rukia thought. It was something that she wanted to avoid. As a matter of fact, Valentine didn't really come with the package of being a shinigami. She looked at the rose ring that now nested contentedly in a glass of water and then at Lillinette who lay beside her with her brittle arms encircling Rukia. No matter the situation and all the fuss that could have been stirred up last night, Rukia just could not help to think of these two arrancars as just some beings. She cared about them. She cared about both of them.

She had realized that and she wanted to do something for them.

She planned to skip school and give them a proper Valentine's day. She got out of the bed after struggling with Lillinette's bristlingly strong arms. Rukia got ready and slipped out of the house to buy some ingredients to make them a perfect cake for the occasion. She knew she was being to overly familiar with them or rather being more like a caregiver, but she didn't mind. These two were different. It was like they had a heart of their own and will of life that now seemed to be too attached to hers. Rukia thought of the time when the duo would finally leave her side. This thought left her taut and uneasy. How would I feel when they'd leave me? Would I be relieved or …? Contemplating on these thoughts, Rukia failed to notice the stop sign and kept walking to cross the road. But when she came to her senses, it was already too late.

"Oeeee!" Lillinette yelled. "Oeeeee Stark!"

"Umm, what do you want so early in the morning?" Stark mumbled and put the blanket back on his face to escape the morning light.

"Rukia is not here."

"Probably at school."

"No! Her school clothes are still here!"

"Uhgg." Stark growled.

"Do you think she ran away from us?" Lillinette's eyes teared up. "Like she got tired of us because we give her too much trouble?"

"You think too much." Stark assured her. "Even if she did, we'd just follow her to the other end of the world." He would not let her escape. Never. "Don't worry, she didn't leave us. She said she loves us. Remember?"

"Ya! You're right!" Lillinette sobbed over her words. "She loves us!"

Stark was about to get up when he heard some voices at the front door.

"Do you have someone who would look after you?" An unfamiliar voice said.

"Yes, I have got family here to look after me here. Thanks for driving me here." That was Rukia. What was she talking about? No, who is this MAN that she's talking to? Stark felt rage storming inside him. Though he was always calm or rather too tired to waste his energy on getting mad, he couldn't help but feel infuriated.

"Well, take care and be careful next time." The unfamiliar voice expressed concern.

"I will." Rukia said and limped through the door. Stark and Lillinette stood there and looked intensively at the white bandages on Rukia's ankle.

"Who did this?" Stark asked looking in Rukia's eyes. His eyes glowed and his jaw clenched. Rukia could feel his anger coming out of his very valiant and vehement body. That was a first, and she felt intimidated. His aura, his spiritual pressure, the glow in his eyes, they all started to build up and that wasn't good for the humans and souls around them.

"Ohh! It was my mistake. I wasn't looking where I was going a-and fell off the stairs!" She lied. She lied in fear of the life of the man on the bike. It is not a complete lie. It was my fault for not paying attention. Rukia's mental heuristics protected her from her guilt of lying.

"Really?" Lillinette asked, looking a bit disbelieved and teary. She walked over to Rukia and hugged her with all her might and burying her head in Rukia's chest, she sniveled. "R-rukia! I don't wanna see you hurt! I don't wanna lose you!" Rukia felt compassioned towards the little girl. She hadn't known her for long yet she had built all her life around Rukia. She patted Lillinette's head.

"It's alright, Lillinette. You won't lose me. I am alright." Rukia tried to calm her.

"Really?" Lillinette sobbed.

"Yep!" Rukia gave her an honest smile.

"Rukia! I love you!" Lillinette cried and started to furnish sloppy kisses all over Rukia's face making Rukia red as beet. Having Stark stand there and watch this girly scene was even more embarrassing for her. She tried to stop Lillinette and to avoid looking at him but where else could she look when he was standing right front of her. Lillinette still showering Rukia with her kisses, Stark couldn't take it anymore. He separated the little girl from Rukia and pushed her away.

"Give her some break." Stark grabbed Rukia's slender wrist and said with hint of anger in his voice.

"Oeee! Give Rukia back! I am not done yet!"

"No." Stark's hold on Rukia's wrist tightened. "It's my turn." Rukia looked at the duo back and forth. Their irrational argument making her even more tired and not to mention standing with one foot was even more excruciating. These two just never look at their surroundings, do they? And what does he mean 'my turn'? Noticing Stark's tightened hold on her wrist flushed her face. She felt her heart rate increasing, blood rushing to her face. Nevertheless, she didn't hate this intimacy, his touch, his strong hold, his presence so close to her. It was different than before. She acknowledged she cared for them. For these two arrancars who had changed her in some way. But she couldn't grasp the kind of caring she felt towards them, especially Stark. Lillinette's tugging on her arm brought Rukia to the present situation.

"Giver her back! She loves me more!"

"How about you go and do the dishes. She'll love you even more." At that, Lillinette deliberately considered the idea.

"Hhmm, ya, I'll do that." Lillinette pondered the idea. "And then I'll get to kiss Rukia all night long!"

"Stark!" Rukia yelled at him. "Stop giving her the wrong ideas!"

"What?" Stark feigned innocence and picked up Rukia in his two arms, effortlessly. "Let's get you to your room. You've been standing on your foot for awhile."

"Thanks for finally noticing." Rukia mumbled.

"What was that?" Stark said and brought his face closer to Rukia to hear her properly.

"Nn-nothing!" Rukia's pale skin crimsoned more. Gosh how many times is he going to make me embarrassed?

"You should eat more." Stark said while walking. "You're light as a grain of sand." Stark weighted her in his arms.

"No. It's just you are unnecessarily strong." Rukia counteracted.

"Thanks."

"It wasn't a complement."

"I'll take it as one since it sounded nice coming out of your lips." Stark said and watched her flush again. She was blushing a lot today and he had to admit she looked beautiful. Big violet eyes avoiding his gaze, small hands lightly holding on to his white kimono, scarlet cheeks, were all too un-resistible. Her attempt to control her heavy breathing caused by embarrassment, feeling her racing heart in her small and delicate chest, her small frame in his strong arms, he wanted nothing but to be able to kiss her all night long. Though that might be an issue when considering Lillinette.

Stark brought Rukia in her bedroom and gently placed her on the bed and took off her sandals. He then sat on the edge of the bed and started to massage Rukia un-hurt foot.

"W-w-wait!" Rukia yelped at the contact. "What are you doing?"

"Massaging, didn't you stand on this foot for too long?" Stark looked in her eyes and never stopping his large hands moving around the small foot.

"It's not that bad." Rukia flustered. "You don't have to do this."

"I want to."

"…"

"Who was the man you were talking to at the door?" Stark asked after a short silence.

"Ohh, that. He was from the hospital. He came to drop me off here since I didn't have enough fare for the taxi." Rukia explained. "That was nice of him.

"Um." Stark kept massaging her foot and never looking away from Rukia's face that made her even more uncomfortable.

"Umm Stark. It's fine. My foot doesn't hurt anymore." Rukia softly said without looking at Stark. She couldn't take his hands stroking her foot anymore. She liked the sensation that his hands left on her body but she was afraid that she liked it too much and was afraid to feel this way. "It really is fine." She repeated quietly.

"If you say so." Stark said and moved closer to Rukia and in one swift motion he picked up Rukia and sat her on his lap.

"Hey! S-Stark!" Rukia struggled to get off him but his strong arms failed Rukia's effort to escape. Feeling trapped and unable to do anything, Rukia just sat there on his lap while Stark put his arms around her in an embrace. "Stark, wh-what are you doing?"

"Holding you." Stark answered in a straight manner.

"…" Ya! I know that!

"Don't make me worry too much." Stark said while nestling his face in the crook of Rukia's small neck. Inhaling her scent with every breath he took while his lips touched her neck slightly. Feeling this intimacy left her body hot. Rukia clenched on to his kimono and buried her face in his toned chest to stop any sounds that may come out of her mouth.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Do you not know?" Stark asked expecting Rukia to know the answer. Stark softened his embrace and slipped away his arms from her only to move his hands around her face and to lift it so he could look at her. He looked at her crimson face, wide eyes, pick lips trembling to utter something but the words not coming out of them, her small hands gripping tightly on to his kimono and unintentionally loosening it a bit. "Lillinette gets to hug you." He said at last.

"Umm, th-that's different." Rukia stuttered and tried to move her face away from Stark's but he held her still making sure not to hurt her. Making sure that she would look at him.

"Why?" Stark whispered in her ear while he gently stroked her earlobe.

"Why can she hug you and I can't?" He whispered and planted a small kiss on her forehead.

"Why can she kiss you and I can't?" He kissed her left cheek.

"Why can she show you her love and I can't?" He planted a kiss on her right cheek.

"Why can she sleep beside you and I can't? Stark moved closer to her lips only to stop a few centimeters away from them. He wanted to kiss her. Kiss her so much. He could smell her sweet and warm and heavy breaths on his lips.

He wanted her to breathe inside his mouth as he would explore her soft mouth and her soft tongue. As he would lick and kiss her pearly teeth.

Rukia clenched on to him with all her strength. He was so close to her and she could think about nothing but those lips that were so close to her owns. Each kiss that he planted on her made her body move towards him. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to lick his lips and to fit them over hers.

Rukia moved closer. Closer to him.

"Starkk!" Lillinette suddenly barged in Rukia's room and saw Rukia sitting on Stark's lap. "Rukia." Lillinette called her seriously.

"Y-yes." Rukia hesitated, not sure how the events would unfold.

"Can I sit on your lap?" The little girl asked with a genuine smile on her face.

"AHH? Umm, sur-"

"No. You'll break her bones." Stark cut off Rukia's response.

"Well, Rukia is very flimsy. Then you can sit on my lap."

"That's alright." Rukia tried to sound composed and rejected the offer.

"What did you want?" Stark asked with annoyance.

"There are some humans at the front door?"

"Humans?"

"So, you fell down the stairs?" Inoue asked while handing everyone a cup of tea.

"Yes, pretty much." Rukia stated. How did it turn to be like this? And what's with the seating arrangements. Rukia thought and looked around once again. She sat in middle of the two-seater sofa while Stark sat to her left and Lillinette sat to her right. She was stuck between the two and not to mention the sofa wasn't that big. They looked like a trio cuddling together on a cold night. While Ishida, Chad, and Inoue sat on the big sofa, that Stark used as bed, right front of them.

"Ohh. You should be more careful Kuchiki-san." Inoue said.

"What are you guys doing here?" Rukia asked.

"Well, you didn't show up to school today. We were worried." Ishida explained but he didn't escape Stark's and Lillinette's glares.

"Yep! Also I wanted to give you and your friends Valentine chocolates." Inoue smiled.

"Ohh! That's very kind of you Inoue." Rukia was moved by her pureness.

"First things first. Let me look at you foot." Inoue said and moved closer to Rukia but was rapidly pinned down by Lillinete. At that, Inoue and Chad took out their weapons.

Ohhh my god! Rukia thought.

"Don't touch her!" Lillinette yelled.

"No wait! Lillinette, it's alright. She's a friend." Rukia tried to get up to get Lillinette off Inoue but Stark grabbed her midway and plopped her back on the sofa.

"You're gonna hurt you foot." Stark said while holding on to her waist. An action that didn't go unnoticed by the two male humans.

"It's alright Lillinette-chan." Inoue smiled at the little arrancar. "I am just going to heal her foot. That's all."

They sat there and drank their tea while Inoue used her Sōten Kisshun to heal Rukia's ankle. After healing Rukia, Inoue gave everyone Valentine's chocolate. They all talked about the day and the school, well except for Stark and Lillinette who were getting agitated since the humans were taking over their Rukia.

"Stark-san and Lillinette-chan, how come you're not eating the chocolates?" Inoue asked.

"That's okay. We only eat Rukia's baked sweets." Lillinette said. "Others are garbage."

"Ohh! I see." Inoue said with a sad smile.

"I'll eat them only because you healed Rukia's foot." Stark said and earned an elbow from Rukia. He opened up the chocolate and put it in his mouth. "Uggh, it tastes awful." Stark said and earned another powerful elbow from Rukia.

"Inoue, don't mind them! They are not good with words." Rukia shot back a glare to Stark and Lillinette.

"That's alright. Everyone has their own preferences." Inoue smiled. "Well, it's already getting dark. We should go now."

"Ahh alright." Rukia said and moved closer to Inoue. "You're chocolates were delicious. Don't mind their comments." Rukia whispered in her ear.

"Thank you, Kuchiki-san." Inoue giggled and kissed her cheek and hugged her. "Happy Valentine's day!"

"Ohh, Happy Valentin-mmmph!" Rukia chocked on her words when Stark pulled her back from Inoue and held her in his arm.

"Don't touch her so causally." Stark said with anger glowing in his eyes.

"Heyyy!" Ishida moved closer. "What're you think you doing? Let go of Kuchiki-san!"

"Stop!" Rukia yelled. She had enough for the day. In fact, more than enough. "Just, just stop with all the drama. I'm tired and you all should go home." Rukia breathed out. They all bid farewells and left for their homes. Meanwhile, Rukia ran upstairs to her room not saying a word to Lillinette and Stark.

"Do you think she's mad?" Lillinette asked.

"Isn't obvious?" Stark said. "Don't bother her too much tonight and sleep downstairs."

"Okay." Lillinette answered with disappointment.

Upstairs, in her room, Rukia went over the events that had taken place today. Got hit by a bike, almost kissed Stark, yelled at my friends, and didn't make food for the pets. I guess they'll have to sleep hungry. Well, they did eat some Inoue's chocolates; the sugar should last till morning. Rukia thought as she lay on her bed and kept thinking about the-kiss-that-almost-happened between her and Stark when heard a knock at her door.

"Yaa." Rukia said unconsciously and then regretted her unintentional response as she saw Stark standing at the door. "Y-yes?" Rukia sat up quickly.

"Are you mad?" He asked.

"No. Not really." Rukia managed to pull a fake smile and looked around the room to avoid seeing him, again.

"I see." Stark smiled. "I'm glad to hear that." Did he just smile? No, I'm seeing things. He turned around and was about to leave when Rukia called out to him.

"Stark."

"Um?"

"I–I am, I am not mad." Rukia said this time looking in his eyes. "It's just … umm a lot happened today." Stark walked inside the room and stopped front of Rukia who still sat on the bed. He bent down and gently tipped her face up with his finger. He gently pressed his lips against Rukia's and softly cupped her face in his large hands. He felt the softness and the warmth of her lips. He felt her hesitancy and tried to control his overwhelming need to kiss her deeper. His overwhelming need to touch her. As he softly brushed his lips against hers, he felt her hands clutching onto his chest and trying to bring him closer to her. Still tenderly kissing her, moving his lips slowly over hers, Stark sat on bed and held Rukia in his arm. He licked her lips, asking for an approval to kiss her deeper. To kiss with this fierce hunger that now consumed him, Stark wanted to touch her desperately.

Rukia felt his hands tenderly encircling her face. She felt his soft lips moving over hers. His gentle kisses showed his desperation for a deeper bond. She felt warm and protected as he embraced her in his arms. She felt loved as he gently stroked her cheek with his thumb while kissing her lips softly. He held on to her and she felt the need of opening up to him.

He was caring and Rukia knew that.

She felt his need for deeper and immersed kisses. But did she want that? She hadn't known him for a long time. It hasn't even been two weeks but she felt so attached to him and Lillinette. Deep inside, she felt fear. She was scared.

Scared that one day they would leave her and it would not be good for her. Attachment, affection, this need to care for them would break her and she wouldn't let that happen. They would leave and she would be thinking of them. They would move on and she would be hurting alone.

She was scared. Rukia was scared to be left behind by these two arrancars who suddenly showed up at her steps and who changed her. Made her feel emotions. Tears slipped down her closed eyes as she kissed Stark.

Okayyyyy. Addiction 7 is done! Thanks for reading. I know, there are a lot of conversation dialogues. Please review and let me know what you think about the fiction so far. It's coming to an end soon, but if there are enough votes for a sequel, then that can be done! The romance between Stark and Rukia, I didn't want to rush it like the romance in soap operas, not that there is anything wrong with. But then I think slow romance is much more sweeter and tells us more about the character development, their feelings and bla bla bla. Or maybe it's just me thinking in a twisted way. Anyhow, thanks bunch for reading and I hope to see a lot of reviews!

Till next time!