Standard disclaimer applies.
Author's notes: There's been so many things going on at school (exams and graduation requirements), with relationships, my grandmother's health, a close friend's death... My mind has just been cluttered with these things that I haven't had the time to write that much. This upsets me because I usually write when I want to feel better. But anyway, I'm hoping the next updates will come out sooner. Finally, I want to thank everyone for their wonderful reviews, they make me strive to become better when I write. Thank you, thank you!

Oh, and I just wanted to say one thing. To Danny: I think you're right, although girls also have troubles with admitting our feelings too ((cough)) though in different ways. Yeah, Ichigo is learning (in the hard way sometimes) and growing up; I hope I portrayed that little fact well enough :D

Y ¡Sarah! No tienes idea como me encanta leer tus reviews! Si, entiendo lo de Orihime... (mi pobre Ishihime ;o;) aunque no me quise meter mucho en eso porque "esa es otra historia..." xP Es cierto lo de mi novio; aún no he podido cambiarle de idea acerca del IchiRuki, pero él tampoco me ha convencido del RenRuki, así que supongo que estamos a mano. :3 ¡Saludos y abrazos!


Insomnia
13.03.2005

Rukia flexes her fingers and stares at them longer than she should for the sake of her peace of mind, enough to let her see how it is getting harder to move them every day. The soul-fix isn't working anymore. She shakes her head to brush off the thought because it isn't worth worrying over. She'll have a talk with that guy Urahara tomorrow, trash him for selling her flawed products. He'll have to solve this.

"What are you still doing up there?" Ichigo snaps her out from her train of thoughts, his voice gruff from strained sleep. Ichigo's head pops out from the room; he is looking up at her from the open window, both hands on either side on the window's white ledge as he leans on it.

"Nothing, just watching the stars," she says, not caring enough to look down at him and staring at the dark, blue sky instead.

There aren't many stars in the city tonight and it makes her brows furrow together. For her, and considering as a Karakura a place with frequent starry nights, this is an unnatural scene; she's watched the sky enough times to have this much knowledge about the town.

"Get inside now." Once again, Ichigo's order wakes her from her wandering mind and she has to frown for it. Ichigo's smug, scolding tone is one she is not ready to hear or to approve of.

Really, she huffs, this human boy thinks too high of himself if he believes he can order her around. She might not possess her powers as a full-fledged shinigami right now, but she can still show him who is the boss. The black-haired woman looks down to send him a glare and in the process catches him staring at her, which immediately throws him off-guard.

Rukia's eyebrows rise curiously at this and her lips move to form a pretty smirk. "Why? You worried?"

"No," he mutters and looks away, leaning on the frame of his window, now noticeably flustered.

The sight of the fifteen-year-old truly makes Rukia want to laugh at him. Ichigo has to pull his 'I-don't-give-a-damn-about-you' impressions a little bit better, she thinks, polish his act some more (or a whole lot) before he can even think of fooling someone with as much practice on the subject as she has. Yes, he is leagues away from her.

"Can't sleep without me, then?" Rukia asks sweetly, despite the fact that her smirk grows wider, and her sarcasm is so very obvious.

He almost slips down the window frame when she asks so and blushes deeply. He straightens up and turns to glare angrily at her, the scarlet lingering on his cheeks veiled by the darkness. "Don't be an idiot, Rukia," Ichigo scoffs. His cheeks flush harder, and as bright as his orange hair, when she snickers and his tone grows impatient. "We have school tomorrow and it's late. Besides, if you stay out there, you'll catch a cold. I won't take care of you if you do, because I warned you already," he adds, scrunching his nose up unpleasantly.

Ah, so that was it.

"It is not like you do, anyway," she retorts automatically. Rukia glances at him one more time before cracking her knuckles slightly. "Hn… alright." The black-haired, small-sized woman gives up, jumping down to the windowsill, and he pulls her in through the window.

"Thanks," Rukia mumbles as he helps her in, taking off the shoes before stepping completely into the room. The bed is soft, but then the wooden floor is cold against her tiny, thin-socked feet.

"Whatever, just go to sleep," Ichigo shrugs her off and moves back to his bed, undoing his bed sheets and plopping himself onto the mattress. He slips under the covers quietly.

"But I can't…" Something within Rukia makes her reply nonchalantly before she can stop herself, her voice growing deep and low, as though she really wants him to know; her back is turned to him. "I have insomnia." And yet, she makes it for the closet without waiting a response of some sorts.

"What?" This kind of attitude seems to be one Ichigo is yet to get used to, for it startles him. He arches a brow as he sits up, the ever-present frown deepening. Strawberry's puzzled look turns into a smirk suddenly as he puts two plus two in his head. "I never thought," he ventures testily, "that you'd get scared of your own nightmares."

"I don't… I am not… How did you..?" Rukia turns around hastily, black hair swaying over her shocked, blue eyes as she stops in mid-step on her way towards the boy's –her– closet. Her frown dissipates into confusion.

But he only looks away, and buries himself under the covers once again without even sparing another glance at her. "They aren't real," he mutters, turning on his side and closing his eyes, "They can't hurt you."

"Ichigo…" she barely whispers his name, and for a moment she wishes her eyes could see through the covers to observe his expression, to see something in his face to tell her he is not joking with her. But somehow, she knows he isn't. "You too…?"

"Go to sleep, Rukia," he urges her again, and then more softly, "You need it." Ichigo leaves no place for further argument after these last few words, so she quietly retreats into her make-shift bed inside his closet.

That night is one of the firsts for many years in which Rukia sleeps soundly. As her mind drifts off, she knows there will be another time to ask about his nightmares.