Summary

Rukia has a new passion, baking. What happens when a certain Espada passes through her place and becomes addicted to her baked sweets? But the question is whether he is actually addicted to sweets or the baker itself?

"Oheee, Rukia, we're gonna be late!" Ichigo yelled from downstairs. Angry at the short girl who was taking centuries to get ready for school.

"No need to yell, idiot." Rukia hissed as she came down the stairs when Ichigo noticed dark circles around her eyes.

"What happened? Didn't get enough sleep?" Ichigo asked annoyingly. "Oh, let me guess, you were reading those cooking magazines all night again." Ichigo responded to his own question.

"When you know, why ask then." Rukia became irritated. "They are interesting and I want to learn as much as possible about bakery."

They both walked out of the door and headed for school. The day passed by rather quickly for everyone, except for Rukia who had been waiting all day long just for the sixth period - which was obviously home economics (aka cooking class). At the end of the class, she got a new recipe for a French pastry Chausson aux Pommes from her teacher that Rukia wanted to try as soon as possible. After the school bell, Rukia passed through the others as blowing wind and headed home. Just for her pastaries.

"Is Kuchiki-san alright?" Inoue asked looking at Rukia's small but speeding form.

"Ya, she's fine. It's just the effects of addiction." Ichigo replied with no interest.

"Ehh! Kuchiki-san is been taking drugs! You have to stop her, Kuroksaki-kun!" Inoue cried in concern. "It's bad for her health." Ichigo, who was too tired to explain Inoue the whole idiotic story and the new passion of Rukia, thus, he passed Inoue and exited school.

Rukia reached her home (wait Kuroksaki's home) and found that Isshin, and the twins were getting ready to leave somewhere. They had their bags packed which showed that they were going to be away for a little while.

"Is everything okay?" Rukia asked eyeing their luggage.

"Ohhh! Rukia-chan. Welcome back. My sister-in-law is sick and we're going to go pay her visit in Okinawa. We'd be away for about two weeks, the most." Isshin replied. "Where's Ichigo? He's suppose to come with us."

"What's going on here?" Ichigo asked standing in middle of the door while looking at the packed bags.

"Akane-san is sick. It's a serious situation, and she's really hoping to see you kids. After all, she looked after you for years." Isshin said sadly. It was the very first time for Rukia to experience such sadness in Isshin's voice. Something that had never occurred during her stay. Ichigo was shocked to hear about her Aunt's situation. He rushed upstairs to his room and packed whatever clothes his hands could find. Ichigo came down with his face showing the obvious emotions, and headed outside to put the luggage in their car.

She had never seen Ichigo this worked up for someone.

"I'm sorry to ask you for such a favor, but could you watch over the house. We'll be back in two weeks." Isshin said.

"Yes, of course. You don't need to worry about a thing. I'll handle everything." Rukia's voice shuddered. Isshin went outside and Rukia followed them to their car. She walked towards Ichigo who was still taking care of the luggage and whispered to Ichigo "Don't worry. She'll be fine." Ichigo gave her a thank-full look and got in the car. She waved to them as the car lingered on the road and disappeared from her sight.

Now, knowing about Akane-san's sickness, she didn't really want to bake. Instead, she would go and buy the ingredients and leave the baking for tomorrow night. She grabbed her purse and headed out, making sure to lock the door of the house and the clinic, also posting a note 'Closed for Two Weeks' on the clinic's door.

The next day in school, she had to explain their homeroom teacher and their friends about Ichigo's absence and how he would be away for 2 weeks. She made her mind that now she would take good notes in class so Ichigo would be able to catch up to his studies. Though usually it was the other way around, Rukia always copied Ichigo's notes as well as homework. But for her friend she was willing to listen in the class, but that seemed like a big goal for her. She was always lost in thought about the whole Aizen situation that troubled not only her but her friends. She walked home silently and alone missing the presence of her annoying but good friend.

She entered the house but forgot to lock the door; she had to make this a habit. After washing up and cleaning the house, she took out her recipe and headed for the kitchen. It was almost midnight when she finished baking her Chausson aux Pommes. It turned out rather well. But that's what she thought, adn her opinion mattered but only to her.

"I am a genius!" Rukia cried in victory as she discovered some kind of new math equation that could prove the existence of 4-dimensional object. (sorry, I'm a math freak.)

Stark was too bored in Hueco Mundo - not having anything to do was good because he never wanted to do anything in the first place, and having Lilinette and her screaming and painless beatings was okay except when she stepped on his balls - made him irritated. So, he decided to come to the living world and find a peaceful place to sleep. Away from his other part of the soul. He looked around for a suitable place to take his nap or rather sleep, when he heard someone scream "I am a genius!" Someone thinks highly of herself. Stark thought. He walked towards the house from which a faint but delicious odor was coming out. He peeked through the window with no interest whatsoever, when he a saw girl with raven hair, wearing an apron and some sort of white sticky stuff glued on her face. She was jumping around from one place to another like a bunny who has been on caffeine for quite a while. Stark watched her do her happy and victorious dance, and wondered what she was so happy about. Not that he cared, but just curious.

He looked around the room that seemed to be a moderate sized kitchen and on the other side he could see the living room. He eyed the soft and supple sofa and made up his mind. He would stay here. It's not like this human could see me, Stark thought. He walked around the window and found a door, not wanting to break it because it would be too troublesome, he tried to open the door. And to his surprise, it wasn't locked. He entered the house and walked towards the living room, and sat himself on the sofa. The house had a warm feeling to it, unlike Hueco Mundo where you kill your own kind if they annoy the crap out of you. Unless you are Stark who would rather sleep in and not interact with his 'fellow comrades'.

Rukia heard a noise from the living room. Her heart racing, fearing it might be a burglar, and cursing herself for her divided attention. She grabbed a chef's knife and peeked in the living room and found an arrancar lying on the sofa like he owns the damn place. She didn't know what to do, she had to pass the living room to go to her room, which was upstairs, and get her soul mode. From now own, I'm going to keep it with me, always, she thought.

Stark sensed her fear and confusion and was rather surprised that she could see him. But maybe not. He got up and walked towards her so he could make sure whether this human could actually see him or not. He opened his mouth to say something when he saw the pastries on the kitchen counter which made his mouth water. Instead of talking to the human, he walked by her who, by the way, was still holding the knife, and reached the kitchen counter. He grabbed one pastry, sniffed it and put it in his mouth. He finished eating one, and reached out for another. One by one, Stark ate all eight of them. Rukia stood there in awe and thinking what the hell is going on? When Stark turned around and saw her looking right at him with a knife pointed in his direction.

"So, you can see me." Stark stated.

"Ya, so what." Rukia hissed, but in fear.

"Normally humans can't see hollows." Stark said

"I'm a shinigami, not a human. Leave this place at once." Rukia ordered, but again in fear of course. She could tell just by his reiatsu that he could finish her off without dropping a sweat.

"Do you have any more of these?" Stark asked pointing at the plate where once the pastries were. Ignoring her question he went on with his own and looked around the kitchen where he might find more of those pastries.

"Do you like them?" she asked excitingly that someone actually likes her baking. Usually, she would give Ichigo to taste her baked sweets and the only response she would get was either "They suck" or when Ichigo was really pissed he would go as far as saying "They taste like shit". But then he would get a good beating from the midget.

"If I hadn't, I wouldn't have asked for more." Stark said tiredly.

"Right. There are more batch left in the fridge. I was thinking about taking them to school. But, you can eat them. I can always make more." Rukia said happily and forgetting the fact that it was an arrancar she was dealing with. Rukia passed by Stark and went toward the fridge and took out a plate full of pastries. She sat them on the dining table and pulled out a chair and sat down. Stark did the same. He sat on her opposite direction and started to finish off the pastries. Rukia just sat there with her face cupped in her hands as her elbows rested on the table, she was smiling.

"What's so funny?" Stark asked while putting another pastry in his mouth.

"I was never praised by anyone for my baked sweets." She said. "And you are the first who is actually eating them."

"Well, that's a shame." Stark stated. "Maybe they don't have a good sense of taste."

"Thanks, I'll take it as a complement." Rukia said and gave him a glass of water which he quickly gulped down.

After finishing the pastries, he went down the living room and placed himself on the sofa. Rukia followed him in there and shocked but not scared anymore. She didn't think he would kill her, he seemed too lazy and the type that would just do nothing. He is the weirdest arrancars, Rukia thought.

"Umm, why are you here, what you want and most importantly what ..." Rukia asked but was cut off in the middle.

"Listen, I'm not here to fight or kill anyone. So leave me alone. Pretend I'm not here." He said as he drifted into his sleep.

"Okay." was all Rukia could say in return. She was too tired to bake anymore pastries, she would do that tomorrow. She went to her bedroom washed the flour off her face and too tired to think about the arrancar downstairs and what he might do, she fell asleep.

In the morning, she came down the moment she woke up. Thinking that arrancar last night was nothing but a dream. She came down and found the arrancar fast asleep on the couch. This is something she wanted to be her dream or rather nightmare but not reality. She's going to have to put up with this hollow and listen to him. Otherwise, he might rip her apart.

How am I suppose to leave this hollow behind and head for school? Rukia thought and tried to use any kind of logic reasoning that might aid in making this arrancar leave Kurosaki's place. Though she thought about calling Urahara and the Soul Society, but she felt uneasy. Somehow it didn't feel right. Why? Maybe because he liked her baked pastries. But was it enough of a reason for her to let her guard down? Rukia was troubled with all sorts of questions. She decided that she would ask him to leave on his own, with his free will. But the first step towards to that was waking the arrancar which she thought was an obstacle. Would he kill her out of annoyance? Who knew? Rukia stood beside the sofa and looked at the sleeping arrancar. Rukia just stood there wondering what and how she should do the wake up call.

Well, that's it for the first chapter. I actually enjoyed writing this story. It was fun. Please review on anything, is it bad or good. I'd be glad for any comment and remarks regarding this story. :)

Sorry for any grammar mistakes. J