Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.
Paring: Stark X Rukia Kuchiki.
Full Summary: She knows hates coffee. She hates the bitter taste that stays in her mouth for a long time. Even so, she doesn't know why she keeps coming back for another cup of coffee.
For a cup of coffee.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Turn left, walk straight and you will see it on your right side.
~*~*~*~*~*~
~ When I first met you. Antique coffeehouse ~
A petite woman strolled down the sidewalk, a slight smile on her soft pink lips. Breeze from the ocean gently caresses her hair, making her smile widen.
There is nothing out of the ordinary about this woman; in fact she's just any other woman that you would meet on the sidewalk after a tired day from the office. But no matter how ordinary she looks, people can't help but turn around at take another look at her. And like always, she'll just smile back. A façade she easily puts on when she's in public.
The petite woman's name is Rukia Kuchiki.
Wearing a violet colored sundress that reached past her knees with matching white sandals, Rukia Kuchiki stopped abruptly when she walked past a coffeehouse. She stared at the antique coffeehouse, surprised. She'd never seen this coffeehouse before.
The coffeehouse looked inviting enough to make her stop from her stroll. The slightly tainted glass shop front gave a full view of the coffeehouse. The chairs are made of a dark brown colored wood while the tables are made of white marble. A few customers were enjoying their cup of coffee, some typing on their laptops while others were just enjoying the ocean view.
The view in the coffeehouse reminded her of her family before her parents passed away. Sitting at the coffee table, sipping their tea while telling each other about their day. Sometimes her mother would rant about how horrible the condition of her room was. The urge in her heart, that yearning to feel that same homey feeling again made her turn to her left and walked towards the coffeehouse. Hesitantly, she pushed the coffeehouse door open. The chime sounded great along with the fresh smell of brewed coffee and home-made cookies. Timidly, she took a step in. Like always, heads turned to look at her. Surprisingly, she found herself unable to smile back like she usually did. Blushing, she forced herself to walk towards a coffee table near the glass front.
"Do you want anything Miss?" a friendly looking waiter asks her. Rukia blinked in surprise. What she should say! She doesn't know a thing about coffee. Heck, she doesn't even know what an espresso is!
Taking a deep breath, she orders a cup of black coffee and chocolate chip cookies. As soon as the waiter left her table, she groaned. She hates black coffee! She hates all types of coffee! And why did she order black coffee of all types of coffee!
Oh ya, she forgot. She only knows one type of coffee. And that is the infamous black coffee.
Muttering a short thanks to the waiter who's now back with her order, she looks at her black coffee; feeling stupid for ordering it. Sighing, she nibbles her cookies slowly, savoring the taste of the fresh cookies. She grabs the cup of black coffee before taking a sniff of the coffee. Oh well, she still likes the smell despite the taste. Taking a look at the people around her who happily drinking their coffee, she decides that she will try hers. She took a sip of her black coffee before she stuck out her tongue, hating the taste of the coffee. Man, no matter how much time has passed; she still hates coffee.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Stark chuckled when he saw the woman's expression. Several heads turned to look at him, curious. He changed his expression to his usual lazy and laid back, yawning to add to the effect. He turned to look back at the woman. She was blushing hard, slowly she rose from her seat, put her money on the table and hastily left the coffeehouse.
He couldn't help but to notice the glare that she threw at him before leaving the coffeehouse.
Did she know that he was laughing at her? He hopes not. Because he will be more than glad to see her again at the coffeehouse. Lazily he rose from his seat, taking his briefcase and his discarded coat. Untying his tie languidly, he paid for his coffee. Taking another glance at the place where she previously sat, he noticed that she only finished the cookies while the coffee was left untouched.
Ah, well everyone has something that they dislike.
~*~*~*~*~*~
How dare he laugh at her! She knew from the very beginning that she shouldn't enter the coffeehouse. It would only bring disaster and misery.
She sighed softly, her violet eyes stared out at the wide ocean in front her. Just by looking at the open sea helps her forget everything. The orange and dark red color of the sky as the sun set low over the sea made the ocean look like a living flame. The view is mesmerizing and breath-taking. She stared at the ocean for a few minutes taking in the familiar view. Every day without fail, since she first moved to this city; she would spend some time in the evening to come here. Just a few minutes at the harbor will make her day.
Slowly she turned around, taking a last glance at the ocean. The view is still marvelous despite the years that had passed.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Rukia stopped in front of the coffeehouse and turned her head to look in. Thank god she couldn't see him anywhere. She had been doing this for two weeks now. She knows that she sounds like she's paranoid or maybe scared by his presence but who cares! She was humiliated when he laughed at her. With a very happy mood, she stepped in the coffeehouse and walked straight to her favorite spot; the table nearest the window.
She smiled at the waiters and asked for her usual; a cup of coffee and her chocolate-chip cookies. Her violet eyes wondered; taking in the sight. The coffeehouse is unexpectedly crowded today and she can tell that just by sheer luck she got a place to sit. And that place, surprisingly happened to be her favorite place.
"Is this seat occupied?" an indolent voice asked her.
"No" she answered back coldly. She doesn't even bother to raise her head to look at whoever asked her. Her gaze fixed on the crushing tides on the seashore; captivated by it.
"Do you want anything sir?" a feminine voice asked her nameless companion.
"Just a cappuccino." That man answered back softly.
Silence filled them and she felt ease by it. The silence suits her well. She is in no mood to talk and he made no move to start a conversation. Slowly she alerts her glance to her nameless companion. Her eyes widen in surprise.
"So it's you" she whispered softly. Her uninvited companion is none other than the same man that she kept on running away from these past two weeks. That damn man who laughed at her.
Stark raised his eyebrows, amused. "Well there no place to sit. All the other places are occupied except for this seat"
Rukia stared at the man in front her through her sunglasses. His dark hair is unkempt and shaggy. He looks to be around his mid-thirties. Rukia found herself staring at his eyes. His eyes enchanted her. His eyes colored in a light grey shade. His eyes reminded her of the darkening sky just before a storm hit. She lowered her gaze, scared that he'll catch her staring and picks up her cookies. She took a bite, wiped her lips clean from the cookies crumbs. Hesitantly, she picked up her coffee cup. 'Should she drink this and be laughed at by him again?' She mused to herself. She yelped in surprise when he took the coffee cup from her.
"What are you doing?" she snapped at him. She watched in annoyance when that man pushed his cup of 'coppucone' or something like that to her direction.
"Take this. You will like the taste better than black coffee" he said lazily, picking up her coffee and drinking it. She threw him a glare before she picked up the cup that he offered her. She took a sip. Her eyes lit in delight when she savored the taste. She couldn't taste the bitterness of coffee at all! She threw him an almost thankful look. Ah well, he's right. It tasted better than black coffee.
"What is this?" she asked him softly as she took another gulp.
He chuckled. "Cappuccino. Made from one-third espresso, one-third steamed milk and one-third microfoam if I'm correct." He explained to her. Rukia frowned when she saw he took a cookie from her plate.
"It tastes better than the plain old black coffee right?"
Slowly she nodded her head unable to find her voice. Gingerly she took another sip of that so called cappuccino. "I never heard of this drink before. Well, actually, I only know black coffee" She informed him softly, embarrassed by her confession. She watched his expression carefully. He didn't look surprised with that information.
Stark shrugged his shoulder idly. "Well I didn't know that. All I can tell about you is that you hate coffee and maybe you prefer something sweeter, like tea, over something like coffee."
Rukia blinked her eyes in surprise. "How did you know that I love tea?"
A hint of smile played on his lips. "Well you keep ordering black coffee but never once do you finish it. So I made the conclusion that you hate coffee and maybe you always drink tea, not coffee." He said smoothly, his hand reaching for another cookie.
Rukia slapped his hand away from her cookies. "Order your own cookies. I'm paying for that you know" she said snobbishly, before she breaks out into a smile. Stark groaned. He looked at the woman who is still smiling. She is wearing sunglass today. Well that's a pity. He would love to look at her violet eyes.
"What is your name woman?"
"Rukia. Rukia Kuchiki."
Stark 'hmm'd' softly, eyeing her last cookie, interest in his grey eyes. Man, he hates to call the waitress again just to order cookies. It's too troublesome.
"So what is your name?" she asked him softly.
"Stark" He said lazily, his eyes still on her cookie.
Annoyed, she reached for the last cookie watching his expression as she ate it. His face looks annoyed as she dabbed her mouth clean, smiling smugly.
Serves you right, cookie stealer.
Rukia glanced at her watch before she rose from her seat. She pulled out her wallet and put her money on the table "Well I better get going now. Nice to meet you sir" she said softly, nodding her head at his direction before she strode out of the coffee house.
Stark stared at the retreating petite figure.
"Nice to meet you"
~*~*~*~*~*~
That is the last time she saw him at the coffeehouse. Every time she walked past the coffeehouse, she'd stop to just to gaze at the coffeehouse but she never once she made a move to go in. Since last month, every time someone asked her if she know any good coffeehouse that gave a prefect view of the ocean, her answer would be: "Turn left, walk straight and you will see it on your right side. The view there is marvelous."
Truthfully, she would be more than pleased if she gets the chance to see him again.
She turned around and continued her stroll before colliding into a lanky man.
"I'm sorry" she said hastily, looking up at look the man she bumped into.
It's him.
Grey eyes are staring back at her.
It's really him.
"Nice to see you again Rukia" Stark said softly, his grey eyes staring into her violet ones.
She could only beam back in answer.
Yeah, nice to see you again.