Primera Espada

Chapter 5

A/N: Their room layout above

Levka makes her way out of the kitchen holding a tray full of drinks. There are four different glasses of cocoa resting on the tray along with different sized marshmallows.
    As she strolls down the bare hallways, making turns when necessary, she notices two lower Arrancars come into her field of vision. She recognizes the two, #33 and #34, but heeds them no mind. Levka never really liked the two. Both of them going on and on. Aizen sama this, Aizen sama that. They really just need to shut up.
    So as they pass each other, and the two bow slightly to her, she completely ignores them.
    Levka turns left then strides down the hall to one of the doors. Pushing it open, she sees Lev and Lily still playing with their two chairs she got during her recent visit to The World of the Living. The two are fascinated by the squishiness and love to jump on top of it. Levka walks into the room and sets the tray on the table. She hands Starrk his favorite drink then calls the two children over. They bounce their way over and grab a mug, cradling it in their hands.

Starrk takes his cup of hot chocolate. He takes a sip and smiles, it's just the way he likes it. Every since meeting her and becoming allies with Aizen sama it's been different for him. For one, it was his first time to try human foods. The only time he tried human food was when Aizen sama served tea at the meetings. Hollows don't need the food to survive. But, Levka took a liking to The World of the Living. She constantly brings backs items for their room or drinks and snakes for them.
"Lev and I met a strange man the other day." Levka says as a conversation starter, "He held a zanpakuto even though he wasn't wearing the standard shinigami outfit." Starrk raises his brow at this, showing he is still listening. "He didn't attack us, and we went about our business."
    "Sounds like a stupid human to me. He lost a good chance to attack a hollow." Lily sneers.
    Lev pipes up, "Yeah, but he wouldn't have been able to win against Levka. She's too strong for him," he praises.
    Levka smiles and ruffles Lev's hair, "You think too highly of me."
    Starrk is smiling fondly at the three. The mother figure in their group playing with the children brought a sense of fondness that Starrk has felt over the years but pushes the thought away again. Starrk enjoys the feeling, maybe revels in it. He doesn't want the small warmth in his chest to go away. Maybe. Just a little. Things could stay like this.

————

    Levka is still lounging in the new chair, enjoying her cocoa. Her eyes flash as she laughs lightly. She watches in amusement as Lilynette sneaks up next to Starrk and stares at his openly displaying neck. Lily gaps in wonder at the strange, round object that bobs in his throat. Levka almost spit out her drink when Lily karate chops Starrk's throat, aiming directly for his adam's apple.
    The said man's body jerks up, coughing and nursing his bruising neck. "What the hell, Lilynette?" he roughly says, his voice still slightly scratchy from the hit. He calms down then tenses when he feels a hand on his shoulder. He untenses and looks behind him. Levka is there, consoling him and trying to calm him down. She offers him his warm drink to sooth his throat, and he accepts it willingly.
-
    Starrk nurses the cup in his hand and carefully drinks its contents. It's hot cocoa, and it's just the way he likes it. Starrk glances up at Levka, who is explaining what an adam's apple is. She's always different to him. His fraccion understand him, but Levka knows what it's like to originally be alone. It's weird, he's never comprehends these type of emotions before. He always thinks it's just the happiness to have comrades but maybe it's something different. Starrk pushes away the thoughts and saves them for later.
-
    "Lily, what you just hit is called an adam's apple. All men have then. When you hit a person's neck like that, it will cause them to choke or cough." Levka informs the girl.
Lilynette nods intently, planning to put this new information to good use.
    The doors creeks open, and they all turn their heads to the noise. Levushka steps into the room. He sees them all sitting on the mattresses, huddling in a group, "What happened?"