***It's Your Problem***

It's dark.

So dark and cold.

I huddle in the dark, tears of fear streaming down my face.

Rukia...

Someone whispers my name. I turn to face the sound, and scream, stumbling backwards in terror.

Kaien...

He's here again, a bloody wound right where my sword pierced his chest, all those years ago on that fateful night. The night that had haunted my dreams for so many long years.

Rukia... Why did you... why did you kill me... Why did I have to die? Did you... really hate me... that much?

"No!!!" I shout desperately, "I loved you!!! I loved you, and I wish I was dead instead."

Then why.. Why did you kill me?

"I was a coward! I was a fool, I ran away out of fear for my life, and I came back in fear of being called a coward. I don't even deserve to be alive!

Then why don't I end your unworthy life for you?!

The apparition of the dead Shiba rushes at me, ready to tear out my heart with his bloody hands. I freeze in terror as he comes on top of me.

To my surprise, he lets out an agonized scream as his heavy body falls limp upon my shoulder. I look down, and cold realization washes through me. Sode no Shirayuki, my pure white zanpakuto, has once again pierced my lieutenant's chest, his warm blood flowing over my shaking hands. I scream in anguish, and wake up.

"Rukia!!!" I hear his voice outside the thin door of my closet. Not bothering to answer, I sit up and curl into a ball, shivering from the unearthly cold pervading my body.

"Rukia, are you okay?!" The strawberry calls my name again. I still am silent, biting my lip to hold in the sobs building up in my throat.

"Rukia!!!" He shouts one last time as he slams open the door to the closet.

I stare up at him, the man who looks so much like the one in my dream, and in a single second, I break down.

I throw myself at his chest, my arms wrapping around his strong frame as I sob into his shirt. I feel him tense up in surprise, but he relaxes after a moment or so.

My face heats up and I bury my head in his shirt, hiding my embarrassment for the loss of my self control. I try to regain my composure, but it is still several minutes before I can stop my sobs and sit up. He stares questioningly at me, and I avert my eyes.

"I'm sorry." I tell him, not offering an explanation.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asks quietly. I shake my head sadly, unable to look into his eyes.

"Well, okay then." I look up in surprise. "Y-you're not going to... force it out of me or anything?" I ask in shock.

"It's your problem. A deep, deep problem. I have no right to know. I don't have a method of stepping into your heart without getting it dirty. So I'll wait. When you want to talk, when you think it's okay to talk... talk to me. Until that time... I'll wait."

"You told me that once. The day I fought Grand Fisher, you said that you wouldn't force me to tell you something that was buried so deeply into my soul. I'll do the same thing for you. But when you want to talk about it, I'll listen."

A hint of a smile touches my lips as I nod my head gratefully. He sits next to me on my small bed, tentatively wrapping an arm around my shoulder and hugging me to his side. I lean my head against his shoulder, closing my eyes in tired contentment.

Quietly, as I'm drifting off to a peaceful, dreamless sleep, he kisses me on the forehead, spreading warmth throughout my body. My last thought as I drift into sweet oblivion is; Ichigo... my midnight sun...

If you read this story and want me to write more, REVIEW!!!!!!

Otherwise... bad things will happen to you... _

(Bleach belongs to Kubo-sama and not me; otherwise, Ichigo and Rukia would be together and Orihime would go die in a hole)