Author's notes: IchiRuki. Set after the series. Requested on LJ.
The Rules of Dating
Rukia seemed to have it decided that "dating" meant she could safely strip in front of him and he wouldn't bat an eye. After all, we're dating, she would say knowledgably, her dress hitting the floor as she took off for the shower, oblivious to his red face and his inability to reply with anything other than something that sounded like a strangled goose.
It was only when the door had been shut for several minutes that he was finally able to yell out, "KEEP YOUR CLOTHES ON, DAMMIT!"
And then that little testosterone-driven voice in his head would smugly ask, But do you REALLY want her to keep her clothes on? Then he'd turn back to his homework, grumbling to himself as he stared at his math problems, wondering why they looked like another language.
When Rukia came back, she'd be humming to herself, fresh and clean, and would inexplicably crawl into bed next to him, propping her head up on her elbows as she watched him do the work she should be doing as well. She might even fall asleep there, her head descending to his shoulder, her hair brushing his chin, the too big neck of her pajamas baring one smooth shoulder.
He smiled slightly to himself, knowing she wasn't aware of him.
Maybe he could get used to this dating thing.
And not just because of the stripping deal, he thought hastily, but because her small body fit perfectly against him, and that was something, too.
The End.