AN: I actually thought about this fic as I was about to sleep. It was a short sweet thought, that I decided to turn into a oneshot. So review if you like.

Rain was common where Ichigo lived. A storm like this one though, was not. Rain practically battered his window as they fell one by one. Every single pound he could hear, and obviously he was irritated. When he got home from school, all he wanted was a good long sleep after three hellish exams. Right now however, he scowled spitefully at his window, as if commanding the rain to shut the hell up.

Knowing the rain wouldn't stop for some time, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. Knowing as well that this wouldn't work, he tried anyway.

As minutes passed, another sound disturbed him, this time from his closet. He thought this as rather strange. Rukia is usually an easy sleeper, he thought. He couldn't help smiling though, as sometimes he couldn't stop himself opening the closet a quarter of an inch, seeing the sleeping brunette inside. As far as he could remember, he always found her awfully cute when she slept, mouth slightly agape, and her hair slightly ruffled. Now, he was tempted to look again to check if she was alright.

"Oi, Rukia. You're not asleep yet?" he said, making his voice loud enough so she would hear him beneath his closet, and his tone slightly hard like it always was. Ichigo never really wanted Rukia to know of his sudden change of interest in her. Why, he still didn't know.

A strange whimpering sound escaped from his closet. Honestly, this cannot be Rukia, he thought.

"Hey, can you just get out of there and tell me what's wrong? Whimpering isn't going to get me some sleep here you know." He called, with a tinge of both concern and irritability in his voice.

Unexpectedly, Rukia rushed out and went close to him, hugging him tight. Her eyes were squeezed shut with fear, and muttered, "Make it stop." Over and over again. Seeing her vulnerable like this, Ichigo involuntarily stroked her arm.

"What the hell are you afraid of anyway?" he said. Suddenly, his hard tone softened and so did his voice. Right now, he didn't seem to care about what she thought of him, and he tilted her chin upward so he could see her face. Opening her eyes slowly, he saw her fear. Now, he was worried as he realized he never saw her afraid before. He didn't know what to do.

"The…. The sound. Of…. Thunder was…. So loud. I've….I've never…..heard something….. so loud….be….before." she said, burrowing her face in his shirt as another strong bolt of lightning streaked across the sky.

Figuring she never encountered storms in Soul Society, he sighed as he realized it. "Well, what can I do to calm you down? You look terrified."

"T….tell me some….something that'll…..make it… go away." She replied, her face still burrowed.

With a sigh and a grunt that sounded like, "fine", Ichigo started to think. All of a sudden, he remembered his mother. While she was alive, she had a book of Shakespeare quotes she would always read to him when he was sad or scared. He remembered those lines clearly, and they all came back to him as he said them carrying the same emotion his mom used to have while reading.

"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind."

"When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew. "

"My bounty is as deep as the sea,
My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite."

"Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds.

"Love from one side hurts, but love from two sides heals."

"So long as I can breathe or I can see
so long lives your love which gives life to me."

Looking at her, he found she was sleeping. He smiled quietly to himself as he realized she looked as peaceful as the last time he saw her sleeping. Trying to get up and leave her on the bed was even harder, as her hands clung to his shirt. Sighing, he gave up and decided to not get up at all. Making sure she was asleep, he kissed her forehead in the most subtlest way possible, and cursed himself for being so obvious. She's asleep anyway, he thought and turned his head to the opposite side.

Little did he know, a smile escaped her lips.

AN: DONE. Yes, I found those Shakespeare quotes online at the last minute. LOL. I hope you guys enjoyed this little oneshot. It's supposed to be fluffy, so sadly no IchiRuki arguments present here. Anyway, review review review still and let me know what you thought about this fic. :D