A/N: Thankyou for sharing your views with me, guys :)

Here's the next chapter-

Friday the 14th

14th January, 2011 (Friday)

I woke up this morning because I had been getting nightmares again. My eyes opened and I looked at Ichigo straining me once more, because I had been screaming and hitting things in my sleep.

"Calm down!" he said, his warm breath falling on my face "It's okay, I'm here-"

I felt nauseous "Ichi-" I fumbled before turning away and throwing up.

"Rukia!" he cried and carried me to my bathroom where I threw up some more. I don't even know what's wrong with me. I had a high temperature, but now I was throwing up..? Was that a classic sign of depression..?

It takes a lot for me to find humor in this, you know.

My head ached so bitterly I felt like it'd be better to rip it off and throw it into the toilet and flush it. I thought of how it'd feel to be inside during a flush, or in plane about to crash. That just made me more dizzy and…..sad.

"Urahara, Inoue and Renji called" Ichigo told me as he rubbed my back calmly and held me hair out of the way while I was throwing up. I said nothing. I could actually feel his anxious gaze at me, and it felt so good to know someone was worrying about you. That someone was there to worry about. "Urahara wanted to pay a visit, but I said it won't do you any good."

I felt grateful. Even if Urahara is nice, I just want to be left alone for a while. This pain..it's not Urahara's to share. It isn't Ichigo's either, but there's a difference between someone whose mere touch can make you feel better and someone who can't cheer you up even after knowing you ever since you were a little girl. Ichigo is that guy to me, who ccan make me feel better just by being there. I have never felt this way towards Renji, or anyone else in my entire life.

"I told them all you were sick and just needed some time alone." Ichigo continued.

See….? He knows exactly how I feel.

"Ichigo.." I whispered. I don't think I had the energy left to talk "Take me back"

He cupped me in his arms and carried me to my room bridal style, where he set me down in my bed.

"Stay there. I'm gonna go get you a glass of water."

Nii-sama and Nee-san's face flashed in front of my eyes, but my head ached so terribly I couldn't even cry anymore. Ichigo returned with the water which I gulped in two seconds.

"You want me to make you something to eat?" he asked me.

I looked at him. I felt kind of better. So much for what water can do "Something edible?" I asked. He narrowed his eyes at me but smiled a little, feeling my forehead. I've never seen him smile like that. It made my heart hurt even more as I felt his cool hand touch my forehead, which was well beyond a100 degrees. "You're burning!" He took my temperature.

103.9 degrees.

"Shit. I'm calling a doctor."

I held his wrist "No. Not now."

He stared at me "Not now? Then when? When you're on your deathbed?"

"Just- just not now Ichigo.." I squeaked. I can't believe I've become so vulnerable to such an idiot like him "Sometime else…just not now. Please. I just want to be alone right now."

He smirked "Too bad I'll still be there to pester you."

And then out of nowhere, he popped out a brightly-wrapped package from behind himself (like in cartoons) and said, smiling "Happy Birthday"

I couldn't believe it! Today was my birthday…...

At first, I felt like hiding under my covers and never coming up again. Nii-sama was dead- what was there to celebrate? But then I looked over at Ichigo's face and how he seemed to have tried so hard to make it a happy thing for me for a change and I couldn't help but smile. He doesn't deserve to be troubled by someone like me who can't get over her depression, and doesn't seem to appreciate him.

"You remembered…" I said, tears welling up in my eyes. I've been crying so much lately, but he never seems to mind. He never looks like he's pitying me, rather like he's proud of me for not hiding it all. I feel like myself when I'm around him and it's so nice to feel that way again, because I used to feel that way only around Nee-san.

"You give me really less credit, Rukia" he said.

I hit him softly.

He'd remembered my birthday when I had forgotten it. I don't even remember telling him when it was, only that Nii-sama was- was returning to celebrate it with me. I guess Urahara or someone must've told him. It just- He is amazing, isn't he?

I opened the box he had gifted me and found myself staring at a diamond necklace. A real diamond necklace.

I was shocked, ecstatic, blank…..so many emotions were running through me as I stared at it, holding it up.

"D'you like it?" Ichigo asked.

"Where did you get all that money?" I gasped.

He rubbed the back of his head

"I was saving that up…and well, uh, Dad helped."

I was choking. I am pathetic- why do I have to cry all the time?
"Hey- Didn't- didn't you like it?" he asked when my eyes started becoming moist.

Like it? Like the only birthday present that had touched my heart, not because it was a piece of jewellery but instead because of the person who had gifted it to me? I loved it!
"It's- It's beautiful…" I whispered.

He smiled and took the necklace which had a small diamond pendant, and placed it on my neck. Then he gently pushed my hair out of the way and fastened it at the back of my neck.

I don't think I had the strength to hug him so tightly he might die and never let go of him, and I guess he knew it, so he hugged me himself and told me to take some rest.

I thanked him again for the necklace. I still can't stop touching the pendant. It must have cost a mini-fortune for him, and he hadn't cared at all for the money….

I just woke up from an hour-long nap. I'm too scared I'll get all those nightmares to go to sleep again. I feel better- better enough to write like I am right now. I know my headache is going to return as quickly as it went off though.

I haven't felt so sad and so happy at the same time. I'm ashamed I can smile when Nii-sama's passed away not more than 2 days back, and I'm ashamed I still feel so sad when there is this one person who's trying to make me happy; and won't stop at anything to make me feel that way.

I really like that Strawberry idiot, don't I?

For less than a month of friendship, we sure have come a long way.

'What do people see in that asshole?' I remember saying that in one of my earliest diary entries.

Maybe that's what I used to think, but now, I couldn't have been more glad to have met him. Yeah sure, all he can do is piss me off.

But he seems to be the only person who's ever made me smile since Nee-san's death.

A/N: Sentimental again, but well, one can't expect Rukia to get over Byakuya's death so quickly. She did love him, after all :(

So this was was kinda short and pointless, but the next chapter is gonna be interesting *grins*

Thankyou all you people for reading and please review :)

Ciao!

~SS~