Description: Rukia has a nightmare, and Ichigo soothes her. (IchigoXRukia)

Written by: Ves

On: 3-28-06

Dislclaimer: I do not own Bleach, only my own imaginings of what could happen...

Author's note: This is my first finished fanfic, and my first of Bleach. Please be gentle!

The Blessed Nightmare

The night was silent, save for a brisk wind that drifted through the landscape, swaying tree's branches and batting against window panes. It had rained earlier that evening, leaving tiny crystal droplets to hang upon the windows of the house. The full moon cast its lurking shadows across the flooring of a room, shutter pane designs drawn onto the floor.

Despite the inherent beauty of the night itself, a young death god still struggled in sleep. Inside the closet of Ichigo's bedroom, Rukia tossed and turned as she had been for hours in her small bed. Usually a light sleeper, this nightmare had unfortunately caught her fast between remnant thoughts of despair and fear, keeping her firm in its merciless grasp. The horrid dream played out many deaths, but the one that upset her the most would not end. Over and over she watched her loved ones fall lifeless to the ground, unable to do anything at all. Worst of all, Rukia could not wrest herself from sleep; condemned to watch this horror film as it repeated endless times on the canvas of her closed eyelids.

Suddenly she shot up in bed, eyes wide and bloodshot from trauma. Finally she was awake, but now she felt even worse, if it were possible. Slowly the small Shinigami lowered herself back onto her pillow, trying desperately to forget her prior nightmare. Lying there, all she could do was think about it. All the options brought Rukia's fragile mind into more sleepless distress. If she closed her eyes, the same bloody scene played itself on the black of her unconsciousness. If she opened them, her imagination went wild, making her see Hollows closing in from every corner.

As she lay there helpless, Rukia decided a breath of fresh air might do her some good, and maybe help her get some rest. Pushing over her tousled sheets, she carefully twisted her legs off her bed, feet dangling over the edge. Using care, she creaked open the closet door as quietly as possible. Opening it only a few inches, Rukia peeked outside into Ichigo's darkened room.

All was quiet, and Rukia smiled to herself as she heard Ichigo's steady breathing, reassuring her all was well. Gingerly creeping out, she tiptoed cautiously across the wood floor to the window. Luckily for her, Ichigo was naturally a deep sleeper and not easily wakened. Because of his dead-like state during sleep, she did tend to worry for his safety from time to time. He does have a lot going on, though, she thought to herself. It is not every day one becomes a substitute Death god.

Walking towards the window, she stood in silence, gazing out at the moonlit night. Reaching her hand out, Rukia cracked open the window pane by a small measure, relishing the feel of the wind against her flushed cheek. It had been a long time since her sleep was troubled by nightmares of this caliber. Come to think of it, ever since she had come to live with Strawberry,—in his closet—her rest was more peaceful than it had been in years.

The wind picked up slightly, stirring her black hair to curl around her shoulders. Closing her eyes briefly, she breathed a sigh of weariness. She felt like such a child, having nightmares at this age. Really, death shouldn't bother her at all. For her duty, as a god of death, she was tasked with the responsibility of living in it. She really had stayed in this world for too long, it was starting to rub off on her. Since when have I felt like this, she thought, daring a glance back at Ichigo's sleeping form. His bright orange hair was darkened by the shadows, a rusty ginger ruffled around his face. "No, I can't," Rukia sternly told herself. "There is no way I could—" Quickly shutting off her wandering thoughts, she turned her attention back to the outside world, staring once again out through the window. It had just started to rain softly, patting the window pane with gentle drops. How could I let myself get involved? I am a Death god, with no time for such fantasies. Silently she continued to berate herself, forgetting to notice how far her thoughts had strayed with her attention.

"Rukia?"

Catching her breath, she turned to see Ichigo groggily staring back at her, hands rubbing his eyes. She frantically hoped she hadn't spoken her thoughts out loud.

"What the hell are you doin' up?" He blinked a few times to clear his vision, then suddenly started up in bed. "I—Is there a Hollow around?"

Rukia's speech was locked shut for a moment of pure shock, then with indecision. She was not about to tell him she had been scared by a nightmare. All she could do was lamely shake her head. "No."

"What's wrong, then?" Ichigo was not one to give up; he would find out the reason, though his tired brain was flipping itself to keep up with his mouth. Looking out towards Rukia, he could see her expression. The moon shone brightly in its fullness, and her pale skin soaked up the light making her skin glow. Observing her face, Ichigo saw something he had never witnessed before. She was frightened. Truly shaken, her cerulean eyes were wide with uncertainty, and she gripped her arms tightly. He immediately knew something was really wrong, if Rukia had forgotten that stoic persona of hers. He sniffed, "What happened?"

"Nothing," she answered, though she still hadn't regained complete control of her tone, and it betrayed her fiercely.

Knowing only one thing that could disturb a person so late into the night, and having many of his own frequently, Ichigo prodded sarcastically, "Nightmare?"

Rukia instantly stiffened. One-word answers were all she could manage at this point. She began to walk slowly back to her haunted closet, knowing only arguments would ensue, should Ichigo pursue the topic like she knew he would.

"You idiot. Come here," Ichigo sat up fully on his bed, motioning for her to sit on the edge of his bed. He was being a bit more forceful than usual because of his bleary state. His intentions were completely innocent; he was only trying to comfort her when he knew she was scared. Unfortunately, that was much easier said than done, especially for him.

Rukia stopped halfway to her closet, her mouth speaking for her before she could control what she said. "No," her mouth uttered. But still, she did not move. Her mind screamed at her never to enter that cursed closet again in the dark, lest nightmares take her, and she really did want the company. It was not often Rukia was scared, and she could not for the life of her figure out why his offer sounded so appealing.

"SIT!" His voice echoed throughout the small room, reverberating through Rukia's tiny body. She glared back angrily, but was too tired and weak from exertion to refuse. With all the dignity she could muster, she stomped over to the bottom corner of the bed and sat down with some force. She did not look at Ichigo, but rather at the wood floor at her feet.

Ichigo grinned evilly, knowing he had won. Crossing his legs underneath him and placing his hands on his ankles, he waited for some answer. He sighed audibly, eliciting a small twitch from Rukia's neck. "Want to talk about it?" Ichigo asked dully, knowing he was doing an awful job of helping her.

"No," was her simple reply.

After a few more moments of silence he added, "I have them too. Nightmares, I mean. It's nothing to be ashamed of." He gave an encouraging smile, trying to get her attention.

With her head turned away from his, he couldn't see her eyes widen slightly. She couldn't believe he was being so honest with her. He wasn't usually this serious.

She hadn't said anything for quite some time now. His smile faded as she continued to stay motionless. Rukia just sat there; legs dangling off the bed and mind in space. He waited a few more minutes, then threw his arms above his head and yawned irritably, absolutely frustrated at her silence and complete ignorance of his comments. "Fine. I don't care, I'm going to bed." Ichigo slipped under his covers and let his head crash into his pillow.

Once he had been still for a while, Rukia gradually rotated her head to look at him. His eyes were closed, but she knew he was still awake; no one falls asleep that fast. She was torn, and her sorrowful eyes were filled to the brim with conflicting emotions. "Ichigo…" she whispered faintly. She reached a hand towards him, then stopped herself and retracted it. She felt scared, cornered in all directions. Could she really trust him? Ichigo had always been a source of comfort and stability; she was sure he'd understand and prayed he wouldn't mock her. Her nightmare still haunted the back of her mind, and she had no intentions of returning to that closet, at least for tonight.

I still don't know what I should do, but now, while I am still here, all I want is to be…t—to be…with you. It took a lot of guts to admit that, even just to herself, and some sadness lifted itself from her eyes with the silent confession. Gathering her courage from the need to be guarded against nightmares, Rukia lifted herself off the edge of the bed and crawled daintily to the middle, lying down next to Ichigo. Feeling a bit more confident of herself, she snuggled closer, nestling underneath his strong arms with her back against his chest. She rested her small hands on his arms and closed her eyes contentedly.

Opening one eye vaguely, Ichigo smiled and, seeing her need, pulled her closer to himself, wrapping his arms around her more tightly. She is so small, he thought to himself as he rested his head in the crook of her neck, breathing in the smell of her hair.

Rukia giggled, feeling the odd sensation of deep breathing across the sensitive hairs of her neck. She just couldn't stop, and was almost to the point of flat out laughing at how ridiculous this situation was. Almost fully awake now, Ichigo realized there was only one way to shut her up so he could sleep. Using his strength, he twisted Rukia in his grasp; flipping her onto her other side so her mutinous giggles were now muffled to some extent in his chest.

Tightly she curled her little hands together against him, and he held her with his arms wrapped around her torso. Looking up into his coffee-brown eyes, she smiled and whispered words of thanks. Ichigo froze with momentary astonishment, then smirked devilishly, now fully realizing that Rukia does indeed have a frail side. Craning his head down, he nipped the end of her nose lightly, reprimanding her for showing such weakness. Rukia gaped in surprise, and Ichigo leaned down again to capture her squeals with a kiss. Folding her arms around his neck, she twined her fingers in his fiery hair. He broke away and stared at her hazily, his eyes gleaming predatorily like molten gold. Cradling her head with his fingers, he kissed her more passionately this time, one hand supporting her head while the other slid down to her waist, to press her against his body.

Placing a single slender finger on his mouth, Rukia grinned impishly and repeated his actions and bit the end of his nose, kissing him one last time before turning on her side away from him. Still with limbs entwined, they lay together, simply relishing in the close proximity of their bodies.

"Feel better?" Ichigo asked into her ear. His tone was husky, but still playful enough to seem naïve.

Knowing he was purposely ticking her ear with his breath, she did her best to stifle her giggles. "Idiot."

Grinning with eyes half-shut, Ichigo kissed her neck, thanking Rukia for being so open with him. He was glad he was able to help her in some way, even if it wouldn't be so pleasant in the morning. The rain picked up again, and Rukia cuddled closer, rustling the bedcovers as she made herself comfortable. The bed fit the both of them more comfortably then either would like to admit. Still, Rukia gave Ichigo a warning jab to the torso before drifting off in his arms. Ichigo laughed silently to himself, the petite Death god still retained her cynical personality through it all; and maybe that was what he liked about her. Looking out the window beyond the bed, a single black butterfly floated through the trees, reminding him that one day she would have to return to Soul Society. Determined not to let the thought linger, he held her tightly, wanting desperately for this moment to never end. Eventually their breathing matched in regularity, and they drifted off together, sharing the best sleep either had enjoyed in quite some time.

-:…End…:-

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