Thank You

Thank You
(PETs AU)
Rukia groaned lightly as she started to come into awareness

A moan...

...No a GROAN...

....A wimper....

Slowly she opened her eyes and turned over

Seeing Ichigo's face torn into a scrunched up mess of misery

She shot awake fully and sat up, putting her hands on his shoulders

"Ichigo! Ichigo!" she called out, shaking his shouders as he wimpered

"Ichigo wake up! WAKE UP!" she shouted

Suddenly he had shot up like a bullet and wrapped his arms around her, pressing his face to her chest and holding back his sobs

She frowned, tangling her fingers in his hair with one hand and using the other to lightly stroke his back

"It's alright," she wispered

"I promise you, he won't hurt you," she mumbeled

She new this was another nightmare about Graando because Ichigo had a signature for EVERYTHING

When there was a nightmare about anything else, he would let out a very short, quiet, but content sigh and the realization that it was all just a dream and she was sitting right next to him

Anything else

Except Graando

He shook slightly as she tried her hardest to calm him down, closing her eyes and hoping that he was alright, that it wasn't as bad as last time...

....Last time....

When the pain of his mind, both real memories and nightmarish illusions mixed in, ripped him to such peices that he had a complete break down

It was the hardest thing she had ever been forced to witness and she never wanted to see it again

A good ten to twenty minutes after Rukia had been awoken by Ichigo's cries it seemed, to her atleast, that he had calmed down

His breathing was normal, he wasn't shaking anymore, he was just laying perfectly still on top of her

"Ichigo?" she wispered, glancing at the time

It was nine in the morning

Normally she would want to sleep in until atleast noon on a Saturday but this was far from her desiere right now

"Ichigo," she repeated

"I can make you breakfast if you want? And hot chocolate?"

She felt his ear twitch slightly and she grinned

He LOVED hot chocolate

If hot chocolate was a religion he'd be the first one to pray to it night and day

If hot chocolate was healthier he'd never stop drinking it

Hot chocolate ALWAYS made him feel better

He "told" her once that it was because his mother would make it for him everytime he was down

He said that once she died though, no one made it for him ever again...

Until Rukia

He nodded slowly and hesitantly let go of her so that she could slide out of bed

"Come on," she said with a smile, offering her hand, he snatched it and sqweezed her hand hard, almost to the point of cutting off her circulation

But she didn't let on that she minded

He leaned his head on her arm as they walked down the stairs

"Are you feeling better now?" she asked quietly

He nodded slowly

"But not all better huh?" she wispered

He nodded again

She knew that if he was staying this quiet it was because he still hadn't regained his composure

She bit her lip and smiled at him, letting him sit at the table as she parted to make the hot chocolate

"Ru-ki-ah..." he wispered quietly

She turned around and tilted her head

He smiled

"R-ah-ank you,"