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tampered2007-01-29 09:38 pm
juicebox-woes.livejournal.com) wrote in tampered2007-01-29 09:38 pm
Log: Complete
When; January 29th/30th, sometime after midnight.
Rating; PG-13 for swearing (it being Ichigo, afterall)
Characters; Kuchiki Rukia![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
juicebox_woes, Kurosaki Ichigountame
Summary; Still plagued by nightmares of the fears curse, Rukia seeks comfort from her nightmares.
Log;
She was watching them again. Rukia could see it, see it clear as day, and despite the small voice in the back of her head that battered frantically against the images, pushed them aside and covered them with happier ones of his smile and the gentle way his hand brushed tears from her face, they always seemed to surge through the happy memories. Coldness, his eyes staring at her with a dead, disinterested stare while he utterly dismissed her and turned his back. Walking away, as the shadows closed in around him. It was always the same. She'd cry out, to find her voice silenced, words sticking and thick in the back of her throat as she reached for him, strove to make herself heard, to warn him, stop him, anything to keep the next part of the dream from coming.
No, not again, I don't want to see this again. It's just a dream, just a dream, make it stop. Stop! Ichigo, stop, dont' go that way, don't turn your back on me, can't you see them?!
But, just as always, she went unheard. And as she watched with horrified and tear-filled eyes, they came. Aizen, the Arrancar. Zanpakutos striking for the man she held dear. And then...the blood, and the screaming, and she was frozen again, frozen and watching as her other friends tried to help, tried to stop it. But they were all dead, all cut down by the shining lengths of steel that flashed through her dream. And yet again, she cried out, begging for it to stop, to end, for the nightmare to release it's hold on her. And then...it was gone, and she was awake in her bed, body sweatsoaked and trembling as she covered her mouth with her hands to hold back the terrified sobs that threatened to break free while her mind still beat at her in frantic waves of terror.
The complete opposite of Rukia, Ichigo found himself amidst a comfortable and eventfree sleep. Aizen. The arrancar. Inoue. Rukia. His mind may've been on a number of things while awake, but the abyss of sleep seemed to be enough to keep those worries at bay for the time being. It had managed to progress to the point that even the stifled sobs coming from the adjacent room hadn't been enough to rouse him awake. Even after all those nights back home where his own sisters had woken him, upset about something or other that had happened during the day. Of course, the tears had only ever come from Yuzu, but both had seeked some kind of protection from 'the things that go bump in the night' at some point during their childhoods. And, as the only sane one in the house, it'd always fallen on his own shoulders to do just that. But this time was different. He wasn't at home. And things weren't 'normal'. It wasn't his sister, and so his instincts hadn't kicked in. Not yet at least.
Breathing heavily, she clutched the covers in trembling hands as she hung her head, panting as her breathing finally returned to normal. She gritted her teeth, mentally cursing the way her hands shook and her mind blanked with fear. It was just a dream. So why did it keep coming back, haunting her every night with unrelenting fury?
No...not every night..
It hadn't haunted her the night Ichigo had returned. When he'd stayed with her on the couch. Or the other night, when she'd fallen asleep against his shoulder and awoken in the morning back in her bed. No...with Ichigo, there was never a problem. But...it wasn't as though she could just crawl into bed with him. The thought made her scoff a bit at herself. Not only was it ridiculous to think that he'd LET her, but as much as Nell stayed over, even if he WOULD, it wouldn't work. But.....She glanced towards the wall, mind filling in the details of the room on the other side. He would be sleeping, of course. He didn't have nightmares. So.... despite how much she knew it was a bad idea, her mind was already forming a plan.
Maybe....for just a little while....he wouldn't have to know, it's not like I'd wake him up...
His room was tidy. Perhaps overly so, given the fact he was still a teenage boy. The earlier attack at the hands, well teeth, of their new houseguest had been cleared up. Shreded paper, magazines, and even the occassional piece of clothing had been thrown out, the few small piles of 'presents' had been swept up and thrown out alongside the rest. And now it was presentable, his bed standing in the center of the wall, the layout almost identical to his own room back in Karakura. The only difference being its size, larger than his own room. Rolling over onto his side, Ichigo was soon half buried in his covers, oblivious to it all.
Bare feet padded silently across the short span of a few feet that seperated the doors to the two rooms. His was ajar, thankfully. Suppressing her reiatsu, Rukia rested one small hand on the knob, swallowing past the lump in her throat. Honestly, she couldn't believe she was about to do this. It was...not only mind-boggling in itself that the idea would even have presented itself, but also risky. She truly had no idea what to expect if he woke up before she was gone. But....she had to get some sleep.... Taking a deep breath that seemed shakier then she wanted to admit to herself, she carefully nudged the door open and slipped silently inside.
The creaking of the door was only enough to cause Ichigo to move once again. His arm dropped from the side of the bed, fingers brushing lightly on the carpet. But other than that, there was no reaction. For all intents and purposes, he was dead to the world for the time being.
She froze as he shifted on the bed, breath held as tightly as she held her reiatsu in check. Had he woken up? As he remained still, breathing never leaving it's even rhythem, she relaxed again. Letting her feet carry her softly around the perimeter of the room, she stopped beside the bed, staring at his back. Violet eyes roamed over the lines of his back and shoulders, cheeks warming as keen mind pointed out the obvious that he wasn't wearing a shirt. That same voice in her head was answered by yet another voice that commented somewhat wryly that someone who was in the kind of shape that Ichigo was in didn't need to be covering up anyway. Of course, that only served to make her turn redder as she swallowed past the lump that had suddenly appeared in her throat.
You can do this, Rukia. It doesn't matter if he's got a shirt on or not. You aren't doing anything, you're just going to stay next to him so you can sleep. That's ALL.
Ignoring the heat of her cheeks, she took another deep breath and stepped closer, holding it as she carefully sat down on the edge of the bed. Hopefully her slight weight wouldn't be enough for him to notice the slight dip in the mattress. Slowly, so slowly, she drew her feet up onto the top of the covers, rolling over onto her side to face his back. After a moment of stillness, she began to relax. Good. He hadn't woken up.
The slight shift in the matress had been enough. It hadn't been him to cause it, which meant someone else was behind it. Eyes snapping open suddenly, he took a moment to register the second set of breaths, he slight warmth building behind him. Nell? No. When Nell made her way over, he'd hear her long before she'd even touched his bed. She'd found out the hard way that was the best thing to do. So who else? Well, whoever else was there wasn't anyone dangerous. It just...didn't feel like it. The only other person was...
"...the hell're you doin'?" His voice was soft, despite the harsh words.
She froze, blood turning to ice in her veins as she sucked in her breath with a gasp. He was awake. And unfortunately for her, he seemed to be perfectly coherent and aware of his surroundings. Pulling arms back even tighter against herself, she tensed, readying herself to flee. Backing up to the edge of the bed, one leg slipped off, foot searching for the purchase on the ground that would give her momentum to be up and out of his room before he could do anything about it
He felt the new shift, causing him to turn onto his side, now facing her fully. A frown was his only reaction before he was reaching out to pull the blankets from underneath her. "You gonna get under the covers or what?" It was a simple as that. She either stayed or she didn't.
Blueviolet eyes widened in shock. He was....inviting her to stay? But...that would mean that..he didn't mind her being there. One eyebrow raised slightly. Was this really Ichigo? She'd expected him to freak out, to yell and throw her out of his room, physically if necessary. Not...frown at her and simply ask her if she was staying or not.
"You just gonna fuckin' sit there?" Because if she was, he'd kick her out that moment. "Get under the covers, or go."
With a startled yelp, she did the first thing that came to mind and slipped under the covers, curling up into a ball and staring at the ceiling. Well....not exactly how she'd imagined this would play out. But...he hadn't thrown her out. And he hadn't yelled at her. So..it could always be worse. Especially since she had managed to get away without him asking her WHY she was sneaking into his bed in the middle of the night.
She still didn't seem to be just...relaxing? Scowling at the way she lay, he reached out once again, an arm making its way around her waist as he tugged lightly to pull her closer. He remained silent for a few minutes, wanting to give her a chance to relax before he spoke again. "...something wrong?"
If anything, she tensed further when he pulled her against himself. It wasn't that she didn't like being this close to him, she just wasn't used to him being so....comfortable with it. But his silence seemed to help, and she could feel the tension in her muscles begin to slowly leave, their knotted coils unwinding as she relaxed in his arms. Resting her head on his shoulder, she didn't answer he question, keeping her eyes averted from his. It was...embarassing. Embarassing to admit that a shinigami of countless years, who had faced down monsters in all shapes and forms, was so frightened of phantoms in her own mind.
Sliding his other arm out, it too wrapped around her waist, drawing Rukia into a firm hold. His head ducked down, resting a short space from her ear as he spoke quietly. "What happened?" If he knew then maybe, somehow, he'd know how to help.
Her eyes widened again as a shiver shot down her spine at the feel of his warm breath on her ear. But...no, didn't need to think about that. Did NOT need to think about that at all. Swallowing, hoping he couldn't see how red her face probably was, she bit her lip and shook her head. "It's....embarassing."
Well, that was better than nothing at least. "You don't have to hide things yanno." Pot meet kettle, or something along those lines. "There a reason you woke up in the middle of the night, snuck out into my room, and climbed into my bed?" His tone was light, almost amused by the situation. However, despite that obvious amusement, his hold remained constant, the only change being the one arm that loosened to allow a hand to run careful strokes up and down her back.
Her indignant frown was interrupted by the slight hitch in her breath as his fingertips danced across her back, the touch of nails through thin cotton tank top causing goosebumps to blossom on her skin. "I'm not hiding things...Of course there's a reason! It's just....embarassing."
"Then're you gonna tell me?" Pulling his head back a little, Ichigo smiled gently down at her. It was something he only seemed to feel comfortable doing as openly around her. "I'm not going to laugh yanno."
"I....I know...." Dammit, he just had to smile at her, didn't he? She sighed mentally. He really had no idea what that smile did to her, did he? How with just that one single gesture, he could turn her to putty in his hands. Break down her resolve, deflate her anger, even make her tears dry up. Without a second thought, she scooted closer and nuzzled her head up under his chin with a contented sigh. "......nightmares....they won't....stop."
And that explained even more. There was only one thing that Rukia had told him about that'd caused her nightmares as of later. And he was fairly sure that was the cause this time round too. "That wasn't real. It was a curse." The hand on her back moved to the back of her head as he held her carefully. "You're safe. We all are."
She sighed, frowning. She knew that. Knew that they were safe, knew that SHE was safe. But....it wasn't her death that she kept seeing in her mind. Shaking her head slightly, she pulled away to look at him, dark eyes full of concern. "I know, but...you aren't." Continuing before he could protest, she rolled her eyes slightly and shook her head. "I know, I know you won't be part of the truce, I'm not trying to get you to be. But...." Snuggling back down, she bit her lip as her arms looped around his arm, head bowed against his chest. "...it just....makes them more frightening. Because...." She didn't finish, didn't need to finish. She knew he could probably complete the sentance for her. Because it means that it really might happen..
So that was it. It wasn't the nightmare. It was the fact that there was a chance that things could be similar. All because of this truce idea. "Rukia, look at me." His expression serious, Ichigo waited, simply staring down at the shinigami. He needed to try and explain himself as well as he could. But it was Rukia. He wasn't about to lie to her. Not now.
Great. Now he was probably angry with her. But...she couldn't lie to him. She'd never lied to him before, and she certainly couldn't do it now. Not with the direction their relationship had taken. Biting her lip, she raised her head to look at him.
She was looking. That was all he could ask from her just then. Fingers tracing a gentle path down her cheek, he smiled slightly. "I'm not going anywhere. Nothing's going to happen to me."
And....how could she not believe him, when he smiled at her like that, and touched her cheek so gently. Lower lip quivering slightly, she clung to him, eyes tearing up slightly. "Baka....how come you can always make me cry?"
"Wimp." Though there was nothing behind the word as he brushed her tears back. Ducking down a little, he placed a soft kiss on her lips, pulling back after only a few seconds. "You need to get some rest."
"I am NOT a wimp..." Pulling back reluctantly, she tucked her hair behind her ears. "I guess...I should go back to bed, then." She didn't want to leave. But...it wasn't as though he had said 'Hey Rukia, stay with me tonight', or anything like that. And...she didn't want to overstep boundaries and limits by actually admitting that right now, the one place she wanted to be was enveloped in his arms. Safe, warm, content. Not the lonely bed in the other room.
Nodding his head slightly, Ichigo's arms didn't shift. If she'd come to him in search of comfort, then he was going to give it to her. This time at least. If it was going to help... "There's plenty of space." The closest he'd get to flat out telling her that she was welcome to stay.
Cocking her head to one side, she ignored the colour that threatened to rise in her cheeks as she got yet another eyeful of a shirtless Ichigo. It didn't help that, due to the nightmare, she was now wide awake. And...he was still doing that thing with his nails on her back... Resisting the urge to arch her back and purr, she nodded slightly and settled back down, head pillowed on his shoulder so she could see his face. "I...I don't want to bother you. I know...you don't really like it when Nell does this. Are you...sure it's alright?" That was it. Conversation. Boring thoughts. Think about anything but the way his fingertips send tremors down her spine.
"You're not Nell." It was as simple as that. Nell was a kid, a friend, and practically a kid sister to him. Rukia was his...girlfriend. "You're the only person who I'd let stay this close." For emphasis, his arm tightened round her, the amused look returning. "There's a reason I said I...love you. It's different to other things."
And there he went again, turning her into a puddle. Damn him, he was getting TOO good at this, and she wasn't even sure if he knew it. Which...meant that once he did realize it, he would be impossible to win an arguement with... Him pulling her closer only served to make her turn redder. Oh WHY couldn't she be sleepy again? She was quickly starting to wonder if this was really as good of an idea as she'd thought it to be in the first place. Especially since that little patch of skin right above his collarbone suddenly looked rather...tasty. Swallowing, she glanced up at him. "R..really? I'm...glad. I like being this close."
A smirk was his only answer as he finally lay back against the pillows. Now hopefully she could get some rest. Which in turn meant he might be able to get back to sleep again too. His hands finally stilled, a single arm wrapped round her as he moved ont his back, keeping Rukia close regardless of where he shifted to.
She shuddered slightly as the muscles in her back finally relaxed when the "torture" trailed off. Taking a deep breath or two, she snuggled up against him, head under his chin again. "Ichigo?"
Keeping his head where it was, his eyes flicked down to the mass of black hair just out of sight. "Something else wrong?"
Shaking her head, she slipped an arm around his waist, nuzzling contentedly against him. "No. I just......can I...stay like this again...sometime?"
Was that all? In that case, he was suprised she didn't already know the answer. Afterall, he hadn't turned her away at all when she'd turned up in the middle of the night. It didn't look likely that he'd turn her away any other time either. "...yeah."
"But...what about Nell? I don't...want her to feel like she can't come over and stay anymore..."
"She knows she's free to come over whenever she wants. It's just when she wants to stay over that things'll get difficult."
"Yeah....I don't want her to feel like she can't be around you anymore. She's really attached to you, afterall. Like a big brother, in a way. But...I wish I could just always stay like this...." OK, so maybe sleep WAS a good idea. Especially since she was finding that laying like this, listening to Ichigo's heartbeat, was quite a soothing situation.
"...I'll talk to her about it." Though what that would accomplish, he didn't know. But at least, if he explained things to her... "Just get some rest and we can sort something out in the morning."
A nod and a yawn, and she was soon drifting off to sleep. And this time, her dreams remained peaceful.
Rating; PG-13 for swearing (it being Ichigo, afterall)
Characters; Kuchiki Rukia
juicebox_woes, Kurosaki IchigountameSummary; Still plagued by nightmares of the fears curse, Rukia seeks comfort from her nightmares.
Log;
She was watching them again. Rukia could see it, see it clear as day, and despite the small voice in the back of her head that battered frantically against the images, pushed them aside and covered them with happier ones of his smile and the gentle way his hand brushed tears from her face, they always seemed to surge through the happy memories. Coldness, his eyes staring at her with a dead, disinterested stare while he utterly dismissed her and turned his back. Walking away, as the shadows closed in around him. It was always the same. She'd cry out, to find her voice silenced, words sticking and thick in the back of her throat as she reached for him, strove to make herself heard, to warn him, stop him, anything to keep the next part of the dream from coming.
No, not again, I don't want to see this again. It's just a dream, just a dream, make it stop. Stop! Ichigo, stop, dont' go that way, don't turn your back on me, can't you see them?!
But, just as always, she went unheard. And as she watched with horrified and tear-filled eyes, they came. Aizen, the Arrancar. Zanpakutos striking for the man she held dear. And then...the blood, and the screaming, and she was frozen again, frozen and watching as her other friends tried to help, tried to stop it. But they were all dead, all cut down by the shining lengths of steel that flashed through her dream. And yet again, she cried out, begging for it to stop, to end, for the nightmare to release it's hold on her. And then...it was gone, and she was awake in her bed, body sweatsoaked and trembling as she covered her mouth with her hands to hold back the terrified sobs that threatened to break free while her mind still beat at her in frantic waves of terror.
The complete opposite of Rukia, Ichigo found himself amidst a comfortable and eventfree sleep. Aizen. The arrancar. Inoue. Rukia. His mind may've been on a number of things while awake, but the abyss of sleep seemed to be enough to keep those worries at bay for the time being. It had managed to progress to the point that even the stifled sobs coming from the adjacent room hadn't been enough to rouse him awake. Even after all those nights back home where his own sisters had woken him, upset about something or other that had happened during the day. Of course, the tears had only ever come from Yuzu, but both had seeked some kind of protection from 'the things that go bump in the night' at some point during their childhoods. And, as the only sane one in the house, it'd always fallen on his own shoulders to do just that. But this time was different. He wasn't at home. And things weren't 'normal'. It wasn't his sister, and so his instincts hadn't kicked in. Not yet at least.
Breathing heavily, she clutched the covers in trembling hands as she hung her head, panting as her breathing finally returned to normal. She gritted her teeth, mentally cursing the way her hands shook and her mind blanked with fear. It was just a dream. So why did it keep coming back, haunting her every night with unrelenting fury?
No...not every night..
It hadn't haunted her the night Ichigo had returned. When he'd stayed with her on the couch. Or the other night, when she'd fallen asleep against his shoulder and awoken in the morning back in her bed. No...with Ichigo, there was never a problem. But...it wasn't as though she could just crawl into bed with him. The thought made her scoff a bit at herself. Not only was it ridiculous to think that he'd LET her, but as much as Nell stayed over, even if he WOULD, it wouldn't work. But.....She glanced towards the wall, mind filling in the details of the room on the other side. He would be sleeping, of course. He didn't have nightmares. So.... despite how much she knew it was a bad idea, her mind was already forming a plan.
Maybe....for just a little while....he wouldn't have to know, it's not like I'd wake him up...
His room was tidy. Perhaps overly so, given the fact he was still a teenage boy. The earlier attack at the hands, well teeth, of their new houseguest had been cleared up. Shreded paper, magazines, and even the occassional piece of clothing had been thrown out, the few small piles of 'presents' had been swept up and thrown out alongside the rest. And now it was presentable, his bed standing in the center of the wall, the layout almost identical to his own room back in Karakura. The only difference being its size, larger than his own room. Rolling over onto his side, Ichigo was soon half buried in his covers, oblivious to it all.
Bare feet padded silently across the short span of a few feet that seperated the doors to the two rooms. His was ajar, thankfully. Suppressing her reiatsu, Rukia rested one small hand on the knob, swallowing past the lump in her throat. Honestly, she couldn't believe she was about to do this. It was...not only mind-boggling in itself that the idea would even have presented itself, but also risky. She truly had no idea what to expect if he woke up before she was gone. But....she had to get some sleep.... Taking a deep breath that seemed shakier then she wanted to admit to herself, she carefully nudged the door open and slipped silently inside.
The creaking of the door was only enough to cause Ichigo to move once again. His arm dropped from the side of the bed, fingers brushing lightly on the carpet. But other than that, there was no reaction. For all intents and purposes, he was dead to the world for the time being.
She froze as he shifted on the bed, breath held as tightly as she held her reiatsu in check. Had he woken up? As he remained still, breathing never leaving it's even rhythem, she relaxed again. Letting her feet carry her softly around the perimeter of the room, she stopped beside the bed, staring at his back. Violet eyes roamed over the lines of his back and shoulders, cheeks warming as keen mind pointed out the obvious that he wasn't wearing a shirt. That same voice in her head was answered by yet another voice that commented somewhat wryly that someone who was in the kind of shape that Ichigo was in didn't need to be covering up anyway. Of course, that only served to make her turn redder as she swallowed past the lump that had suddenly appeared in her throat.
You can do this, Rukia. It doesn't matter if he's got a shirt on or not. You aren't doing anything, you're just going to stay next to him so you can sleep. That's ALL.
Ignoring the heat of her cheeks, she took another deep breath and stepped closer, holding it as she carefully sat down on the edge of the bed. Hopefully her slight weight wouldn't be enough for him to notice the slight dip in the mattress. Slowly, so slowly, she drew her feet up onto the top of the covers, rolling over onto her side to face his back. After a moment of stillness, she began to relax. Good. He hadn't woken up.
The slight shift in the matress had been enough. It hadn't been him to cause it, which meant someone else was behind it. Eyes snapping open suddenly, he took a moment to register the second set of breaths, he slight warmth building behind him. Nell? No. When Nell made her way over, he'd hear her long before she'd even touched his bed. She'd found out the hard way that was the best thing to do. So who else? Well, whoever else was there wasn't anyone dangerous. It just...didn't feel like it. The only other person was...
"...the hell're you doin'?" His voice was soft, despite the harsh words.
She froze, blood turning to ice in her veins as she sucked in her breath with a gasp. He was awake. And unfortunately for her, he seemed to be perfectly coherent and aware of his surroundings. Pulling arms back even tighter against herself, she tensed, readying herself to flee. Backing up to the edge of the bed, one leg slipped off, foot searching for the purchase on the ground that would give her momentum to be up and out of his room before he could do anything about it
He felt the new shift, causing him to turn onto his side, now facing her fully. A frown was his only reaction before he was reaching out to pull the blankets from underneath her. "You gonna get under the covers or what?" It was a simple as that. She either stayed or she didn't.
Blueviolet eyes widened in shock. He was....inviting her to stay? But...that would mean that..he didn't mind her being there. One eyebrow raised slightly. Was this really Ichigo? She'd expected him to freak out, to yell and throw her out of his room, physically if necessary. Not...frown at her and simply ask her if she was staying or not.
"You just gonna fuckin' sit there?" Because if she was, he'd kick her out that moment. "Get under the covers, or go."
With a startled yelp, she did the first thing that came to mind and slipped under the covers, curling up into a ball and staring at the ceiling. Well....not exactly how she'd imagined this would play out. But...he hadn't thrown her out. And he hadn't yelled at her. So..it could always be worse. Especially since she had managed to get away without him asking her WHY she was sneaking into his bed in the middle of the night.
She still didn't seem to be just...relaxing? Scowling at the way she lay, he reached out once again, an arm making its way around her waist as he tugged lightly to pull her closer. He remained silent for a few minutes, wanting to give her a chance to relax before he spoke again. "...something wrong?"
If anything, she tensed further when he pulled her against himself. It wasn't that she didn't like being this close to him, she just wasn't used to him being so....comfortable with it. But his silence seemed to help, and she could feel the tension in her muscles begin to slowly leave, their knotted coils unwinding as she relaxed in his arms. Resting her head on his shoulder, she didn't answer he question, keeping her eyes averted from his. It was...embarassing. Embarassing to admit that a shinigami of countless years, who had faced down monsters in all shapes and forms, was so frightened of phantoms in her own mind.
Sliding his other arm out, it too wrapped around her waist, drawing Rukia into a firm hold. His head ducked down, resting a short space from her ear as he spoke quietly. "What happened?" If he knew then maybe, somehow, he'd know how to help.
Her eyes widened again as a shiver shot down her spine at the feel of his warm breath on her ear. But...no, didn't need to think about that. Did NOT need to think about that at all. Swallowing, hoping he couldn't see how red her face probably was, she bit her lip and shook her head. "It's....embarassing."
Well, that was better than nothing at least. "You don't have to hide things yanno." Pot meet kettle, or something along those lines. "There a reason you woke up in the middle of the night, snuck out into my room, and climbed into my bed?" His tone was light, almost amused by the situation. However, despite that obvious amusement, his hold remained constant, the only change being the one arm that loosened to allow a hand to run careful strokes up and down her back.
Her indignant frown was interrupted by the slight hitch in her breath as his fingertips danced across her back, the touch of nails through thin cotton tank top causing goosebumps to blossom on her skin. "I'm not hiding things...Of course there's a reason! It's just....embarassing."
"Then're you gonna tell me?" Pulling his head back a little, Ichigo smiled gently down at her. It was something he only seemed to feel comfortable doing as openly around her. "I'm not going to laugh yanno."
"I....I know...." Dammit, he just had to smile at her, didn't he? She sighed mentally. He really had no idea what that smile did to her, did he? How with just that one single gesture, he could turn her to putty in his hands. Break down her resolve, deflate her anger, even make her tears dry up. Without a second thought, she scooted closer and nuzzled her head up under his chin with a contented sigh. "......nightmares....they won't....stop."
And that explained even more. There was only one thing that Rukia had told him about that'd caused her nightmares as of later. And he was fairly sure that was the cause this time round too. "That wasn't real. It was a curse." The hand on her back moved to the back of her head as he held her carefully. "You're safe. We all are."
She sighed, frowning. She knew that. Knew that they were safe, knew that SHE was safe. But....it wasn't her death that she kept seeing in her mind. Shaking her head slightly, she pulled away to look at him, dark eyes full of concern. "I know, but...you aren't." Continuing before he could protest, she rolled her eyes slightly and shook her head. "I know, I know you won't be part of the truce, I'm not trying to get you to be. But...." Snuggling back down, she bit her lip as her arms looped around his arm, head bowed against his chest. "...it just....makes them more frightening. Because...." She didn't finish, didn't need to finish. She knew he could probably complete the sentance for her. Because it means that it really might happen..
So that was it. It wasn't the nightmare. It was the fact that there was a chance that things could be similar. All because of this truce idea. "Rukia, look at me." His expression serious, Ichigo waited, simply staring down at the shinigami. He needed to try and explain himself as well as he could. But it was Rukia. He wasn't about to lie to her. Not now.
Great. Now he was probably angry with her. But...she couldn't lie to him. She'd never lied to him before, and she certainly couldn't do it now. Not with the direction their relationship had taken. Biting her lip, she raised her head to look at him.
She was looking. That was all he could ask from her just then. Fingers tracing a gentle path down her cheek, he smiled slightly. "I'm not going anywhere. Nothing's going to happen to me."
And....how could she not believe him, when he smiled at her like that, and touched her cheek so gently. Lower lip quivering slightly, she clung to him, eyes tearing up slightly. "Baka....how come you can always make me cry?"
"Wimp." Though there was nothing behind the word as he brushed her tears back. Ducking down a little, he placed a soft kiss on her lips, pulling back after only a few seconds. "You need to get some rest."
"I am NOT a wimp..." Pulling back reluctantly, she tucked her hair behind her ears. "I guess...I should go back to bed, then." She didn't want to leave. But...it wasn't as though he had said 'Hey Rukia, stay with me tonight', or anything like that. And...she didn't want to overstep boundaries and limits by actually admitting that right now, the one place she wanted to be was enveloped in his arms. Safe, warm, content. Not the lonely bed in the other room.
Nodding his head slightly, Ichigo's arms didn't shift. If she'd come to him in search of comfort, then he was going to give it to her. This time at least. If it was going to help... "There's plenty of space." The closest he'd get to flat out telling her that she was welcome to stay.
Cocking her head to one side, she ignored the colour that threatened to rise in her cheeks as she got yet another eyeful of a shirtless Ichigo. It didn't help that, due to the nightmare, she was now wide awake. And...he was still doing that thing with his nails on her back... Resisting the urge to arch her back and purr, she nodded slightly and settled back down, head pillowed on his shoulder so she could see his face. "I...I don't want to bother you. I know...you don't really like it when Nell does this. Are you...sure it's alright?" That was it. Conversation. Boring thoughts. Think about anything but the way his fingertips send tremors down her spine.
"You're not Nell." It was as simple as that. Nell was a kid, a friend, and practically a kid sister to him. Rukia was his...girlfriend. "You're the only person who I'd let stay this close." For emphasis, his arm tightened round her, the amused look returning. "There's a reason I said I...love you. It's different to other things."
And there he went again, turning her into a puddle. Damn him, he was getting TOO good at this, and she wasn't even sure if he knew it. Which...meant that once he did realize it, he would be impossible to win an arguement with... Him pulling her closer only served to make her turn redder. Oh WHY couldn't she be sleepy again? She was quickly starting to wonder if this was really as good of an idea as she'd thought it to be in the first place. Especially since that little patch of skin right above his collarbone suddenly looked rather...tasty. Swallowing, she glanced up at him. "R..really? I'm...glad. I like being this close."
A smirk was his only answer as he finally lay back against the pillows. Now hopefully she could get some rest. Which in turn meant he might be able to get back to sleep again too. His hands finally stilled, a single arm wrapped round her as he moved ont his back, keeping Rukia close regardless of where he shifted to.
She shuddered slightly as the muscles in her back finally relaxed when the "torture" trailed off. Taking a deep breath or two, she snuggled up against him, head under his chin again. "Ichigo?"
Keeping his head where it was, his eyes flicked down to the mass of black hair just out of sight. "Something else wrong?"
Shaking her head, she slipped an arm around his waist, nuzzling contentedly against him. "No. I just......can I...stay like this again...sometime?"
Was that all? In that case, he was suprised she didn't already know the answer. Afterall, he hadn't turned her away at all when she'd turned up in the middle of the night. It didn't look likely that he'd turn her away any other time either. "...yeah."
"But...what about Nell? I don't...want her to feel like she can't come over and stay anymore..."
"She knows she's free to come over whenever she wants. It's just when she wants to stay over that things'll get difficult."
"Yeah....I don't want her to feel like she can't be around you anymore. She's really attached to you, afterall. Like a big brother, in a way. But...I wish I could just always stay like this...." OK, so maybe sleep WAS a good idea. Especially since she was finding that laying like this, listening to Ichigo's heartbeat, was quite a soothing situation.
"...I'll talk to her about it." Though what that would accomplish, he didn't know. But at least, if he explained things to her... "Just get some rest and we can sort something out in the morning."
A nod and a yawn, and she was soon drifting off to sleep. And this time, her dreams remained peaceful.
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