A/N: o.o well, this story is ridiculous. :D Stark x Nel x Nnoi. I'm not sure what I'm trying to prove with this one...

Debt

"You're the only one I ever tried for, Neliel."

Her eyes shot open and her body was sent hurtling to fully upright in bed. She gasped for breath, felt for empty space beside her, prayed for it.

She felt a body, wondered why it was there, wondered why it was not moving. Her hand roamed, discovered the identity.

"Nnoitra…" she muttered. Why was he—she couldn't remember…she did not want to. She loved the lanky man, but there was another—another—and she felt terrible, and she wanted to be sick.

Neliel fled from the room—her own room—nausea coursing through her body. She did not know where to turn, where to flee to. She found a bathroom; she emptied her stomach. She felt no better than before.

She splashed cold water over her face, confused and exhilarated all at once.

Nnoitra—in her room—that was incredibly absurd. She leaned on the wall outside of the bathroom, catching her breath.

"What's got you so winded, Neliel?"

The voice was all too familiar. The voice was not welcome. She covered her mouth, her eyes searching him.

"It's nothing, Stark."

"So you say." He smirked. "It doesn't sound like nothing. Wake up with Nnoitra in your bed again? That would send me running to be sick, too."

"How can you speak of the matter as if it holds no importance to you?" Neliel demanded, obviously hurt by his words.

"Simple. It holds no importance to me."

"I know that's not true."

"Yeah, you're right. Maybe I'm just pretending. What does it matter, anyway? It's not like anything matters in this world. So you fucked him again. Big deal."

"If you can pretend you do not care, then why can't you pretend to be sensitive?" she sniffed. "This is—this is not nothing."

"So you lied." Stark looked proud, almost.

"Stop trying so hard." Neliel folded her arms across her chest. "You never tried with anyone else."

"Never felt the need." Stark returned loftily. "Strangely, you're the only one worth the effort."

"Oh. Am I that much of an enigma?" she scoffed. "Don't kid yourself with those illusions, Stark. It's not good for your health."

"Starting to feel better, are you? Maybe you should listen to your own advice, Neliel. Your illusions are twice as numerous as mine."

Neliel huffed and walked away.

"Off to face that demon of yours, right? Good luck." Stark wished, with a soft wave of his hand. Neliel chewed furiously on her lip as she stormed through the halls and to her own room, where Nnoitora lay in slumber.

She sat on the edge of the bed, her back to him. She felt his arm snake out toward her, his hand gripping for her hip.

"Neliel…" he groaned, opening his eye. "What the hell'm I doing here?"

"I've been asking myself the same. What did we drink last night, Nnoitora? Do you remember?"

"Something…something from the living world. Vodka, I think they called it."

"Let's not make that mistake again, shall we? Get out of my bed, I did not give you permission to waste the day within it." She dismissed him coolly, ushering him from her room. Nnoitora grumbled and swore under his breath, but Neliel was relieved once he had gone.

Another presence quickly trumped that relief, along with a soft knock upon her door.

"Leave." She commanded, but he entered anyway.

"You seemed relieved." Stark smirked.

Neliel lay back on her bed, completely exhausted. "I was." She admitted. "It was vodka that we drank. Alcohol that influenced my decisions to sway in the wrong direction." She scoffed. "I will not make the mistake again."

"It's better that way. You know the octava will hate you for it."

"He already hates me, so where is the difference?"

"Point taken." Stark tapped his chin, sitting on her bed, beside her. "You know, we could have worked."

"How is that?" she looked at him curiously.

"We're both bitter, aren't we?"

"Speak for yourself."

"See? It shines through there. It doesn't even matter."

"Your opinions are unfounded. Stop making assumptions."

"You know, I could use a nap." Stark lay beside Neliel, closing his eyes and yawning.

"Don't you dare," She sat up, glowering at him.

He made no answer, feigning sleep. Though, as soon as she lay back down, his arm snaked around her waist. She mumbled a weak protest, but fell asleep herself, finding that it was not so bad to be held.

She woke to a suffocating grasp and the feeling of dead weight at her back.

She needed to get out, she needed to get up, but what was worse was the undeniable feeling of not ever wanting to move again.

"Let go of me now, Stark." She demanded coolly.

"Five more minutes, Lilinette." He grumbled, and Neliel shoved him off of her quickly.

"Make that mistake again, and I will have you dead."

"I dare you to try." Stark smirked.

Neliel sat atop his chest, crossing her legs comfortably.

"How shall I kill you, Stark? Shall I slit your throat and watch the blood stain your bone fragments? Shall I run you through with my blade? Do you wish for a painful death, or a quick one? I could fire off a cero at point blank range."

"You must see me as a warrior."

"I see you as a threat." She told him bluntly. "You are a threat to my sanity."

"And here I was thinking that you were a complete fool." He scoffed up at her, taking on an indifferent expression.

"Leave my room." She demanded.

"I'll see you soon, Nel-chan." He returned breezily as he left her room, sending her toppling over onto her bed.

--

Her first outing into the desert after becoming an espada was unsuccessful. She sat atop a sand dune, her head cradled upon her knees, and her arms curled around her legs. Her shoulders slumped forward, and she was so engrossed in her problems that she did not feel Stark's presence.

"Why so sad, Miss Tricero?" his voice was low, bitter.

Her head lifted, and she turned her face toward him. The primero, someone she had not had much contact with.

"I'm not sad. I am merely thinking." She returned softly.

"Thinking about sad things, no doubt."

"No."

"You must be thinking about how dead you are."

She said nothing, only looking at him mutely.

"You must know it. You're here after all. You're just as dead as anyone else."

"That makes you dead, as well."

"So there is a brain under all of that." He said, gesturing to her skull mask and hair. She stood, glaring at him.

"You have no business with me." She told him, and began to run toward Las Noches. Stark was more than capable of keeping up.

"Running does not solve your problems."

"Maybe not, for they seem to follow me."

"No matter how fast you run, Neliel, you're still dead."

"I can breathe. I can feel my heart beat. I eat, I sleep and I behave like any other creature. How can I be dead?" she asked, skidding to a halt in the sand.

"There is no purpose in your existence."

"You do not know that." She lifted her chin, her eyes narrow and cold.

"Oh? Then what purpose could you possibly have? You seem to lead a meaningless existence."

"If I told everyone what my purpose in life was, or anyone, for that matter, the need to help me would arise within them. What worth does my purpose have if I am not the only one who aided in achieving it? I cannot have the help of another. If I told you, you might wish to help me, and I do not wish that."

"Sounds like shoddy logic to me."

"Oh. And what insight have you got into the mind of a woman?" Neliel teased boldly.

"None. I'd rather not have any."

"The same goes for me."

"What could you possibly mean by that?"

"Perhaps that I am not like a woman." Neliel returned mildly, turning her head. "Why do you ask such questions of me?"

"Simple. I am curious about the new addition." He scoffed. "You should feel privileged. Normally, I don't bother."

"Privileged? I feel smothered. I feel invaded." She sniffed. "I feel as though you have no right to see what is inside of my head."

"Perhaps you are right, and yet, you have revealed a great deal of yourself to me."

"If I leave now, will you follow me?"

"Nah." He shrugged, not expecting her to truly leave.

The sight that greeted his eyes when finally he looked up was empty space, and Neliel had gone.

"Huh." He scratched the back of his head. He'd surely have time to figure her out, he thought.

She breathed a sigh of relief only when her heavy door was safely shut and locked behind her. She could sleep, she could think; she could breathe.

And she could think about the primera espada. Certainly he was an interesting one, but should she really trouble herself? Neliel sighed deeply, shaking her head. Who did he think he was, anyway? Yes, he was the primera—but did that really give him the right? She was confused, and slightly shaken.

Then, there was a knock upon her door. "Yo." The greeting followed soon after.