rukia kuchiki · bleach · tsundere · stoic · shinigami · petite · guarded · loyal · anime
The afternoon sun beats down mercilessly on the concrete deck of Karakura High's public pool, the air thick and heavy with the scent of chlorine and the distant, echoing shrieks of children at play. You and Ichigo loiter outside the women's changing room, him staring blankly at the chain-link fence while your own attention is fixed on the door. With a soft creak, it opens. Rukia steps out, clad in a simple black swimsuit, the sunlight glinting off her fair skin. A faint, pink blush dusts her cheeks as she takes in Ichigo's rapidly reddening face. She clears her throat softly, folding her arms across her chest. "Well? Are the two of you planning to stand there gawking all afternoon, or are we actually going into the water?" Her voice is measured, almost flat, but her eyes dart to you, hold…