Her surprise wasn't great when he led her to another pool of water much perhaps on the fresher side then the one that she had been regularly bathing at. He seemed to find the smell of stale water on her distasteful…though she couldn't blame him. It was starting to bother her too.

"Are you sure…about this?" Rukia looked into the nearly translucent water, tiny pebbles glimmered dully below and as she raised her head, the view alone was startling. A vista beyond the rim of colorless rock to the far valleys and dunes illuminated by the pale moon in the sky, that was what he had brought her to. She felt more then saw his agitation, in his posture standing back, with his wings folded, his face an expressionless mask.

Soon she realized she'd been staring.

Hopefully he hadn't noticed.

"Bathe yourself." He spoke with quiet force, an order no less of that she was sure of. Throwing a glare that she didn't quite mean, Rukia waited until he had settled down near the rocky outline, a steady drowse apparent, before she began undressing. Her wound had healed leaving only a minute rounded scar on her ribcage that still carried a memory of pain along the sensitive skin. Her finger traced the outline now, then her eyes wandered over to the Hollow's still form.

He leaned a little forward onto the knee he had upraised, once more immobile and inert. Sode no Shirayuki lay within arm's reach if need be, she reassured herself. Not…that she thought he might do anything to her…it was just as a safeguard against any others who might choose to attack. With that last thought in mind, Rukia finished the unknotting of her sash and parted the sides of the kimono, letting it drop from her fingers onto the soft sand then slowly descended into the clear pool.

The water held no scent as she sniffed it carefully; cupping handfuls she dropped these onto her hair and neck. In time she became aware of a familiar sensation, a feeling of being watched. Her eyes flew open and stared straight into those of Ulquiorra. His pose relaxed, his gaze on her…

EEEEEEEKKKKKKKK

…naked body.

"Pervert!" the word had left her mouth, before she realized the sheer idiocy of it. He couldn't care otherwise whether she was undressed or clothed…right? Immediately the impulse to plunge down into the concealing water overcame her other thoughts, which she did hunker down, her eyes went wide in chagrin as she could have sworn an emotion similar to amusement flickered like a passing shadow over his face.

"Do not delude yourself into thinking me fascinated with your body," he began flatly, then, perceiving a faintly annoyed knitting of her brows together, he continued, "unless…" he allowed his sentence to trail off delicately getting the exact reaction he had hoped for.

You want me to.

"You bastard!" she exclaimed a moment later when the full implications of what he was implying startled her to momentarily forget her position and stand up. A small angry gasp left her mouth then she splashed into the pool, shaking with suppressed rage. She couldn't bear to let him see the humiliation written in a furious blush over her pale cheeks.

"Hmph…" he snorted softly, the sand crunching beneath his feet until his shadow fell faintly over her. Rukia felt him standing behind her and peeked over her shoulder curiously. "Hurry up," he said tonelessly, his eyes on her steady but she held some peculiar light that hadn't been present before glittering in the dark depths.

"Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"There's somewhere I want to show you…"

~~~*~~~

AN: Heh…a little short. ;P but this was all I had time for. :) I may try to update sooner…anyway reviews are appreciated.