In the dead of night, Rukia often finds herself unable to sleep. She'll only be capable of staring into darkness, and though it's a fairly small cupboard, she can't see anything. She can't even see her hands even though she raises them up to her face. Sometimes, she feels like she's in oblivion. Sometimes, she gets scared.
And then, gently and oh so quietly, she slides open the door and hops out, feet landing on the wooden floor without a sound. Her sleeping gown swooshes about her, hem dangling just below her knees. Barefooted, she pads to the window and opens it. When the moon is high up in the sky, when it's round and full and shining brightly, she'll sit on the sill and gaze out into the night.
It's beautiful, how the moonlight bathes the city, outlining the lines and breathing life into the buildings, the streets, the alleyways and bushes. It illuminates the place, giving it a rather ghostly hue, but still it's stunning, even to Rukia's eyes - and that's saying something.
She will sit there for a while, pondering over what has happened and what will happen. She'll wonder why that teacher in the hallway gave her the sort of look that makes students run for their lives, why Orihime dozed off in class when she's usually so vibrant, why Chad is willing to share his lunchbox with Uryuu in spite of the Quincy's protests.
Rukia will wonder until she feels sleepy, till the night seeps into her skin, creeps into her bones, and then she closes the window and hops off the sill. But, before she goes back to bed, she'll stand by the bedside, gazing down at the sleeping form, his body curled up. He's always buried under the blankets, his mop of orange hair the only thing visible. His side rises and falls in a steady rhythm, reassuring Rukia that he's well, that he isn't having any nightmares.
Rukia smiles despite herself, wonders just why he agreed to risk his life for his family, to accept her shinigami powers. She wonders, trying to find the answer, and every time she comes back to the same conclusion. He's destined to save them, and that's maybe the reason why he didn't die while receiving her powers.
With that, Rukia finally climbs back into the cupboard, snuggles under the blanket. She peeks through the crack of the door, watching Ichigo once more, and then, with a small, satisfied smile to herself, she lies down and closes her eyes, his mere presence giving her the courage to face the darkness.