The Adaptive Quincy of Bleach

Rukia was seen looking stunned. She didn't know what to say—what did any of this have to do with training?

"Sora... what is this? And why do I have to wear such... revealing attire?" The first half of her question sounded like a genuine inquiry, while the latter half was just... well, her becoming a lightly blushing mess.

The sound of waves crashing against the sand could be heard, seagulls crying in the background, as the sun cast a warm glow over the earth.

This place felt warm.

"This is the beach. You have that in the Soul Society, right?"

"I've never indulged in such activities before..."

"Stop speaking all noble-like—it's not you. And cut the emotionless act, that was fake too."

He didn't like it when people put on a mask. The same went for him—he hated wearing one. When he did, anyone who knew him well enough could tell. It only worked on strangers or people who didn't know him at all.

"Wh... y... do I have to wear such revealing attire?" She was stuttering—a lot—as if his gaze made her nervous. Cute.

"It's called a bikini. People wear it to the beach. Unless you'd rather come here wearing just your panties and bra." He teased her, and he got the reaction he wanted.

"I do not want such a thing!" She was embarrassed—that was adorable.

When she finally returned to her usual self, she looked at him and asked, "Why did you bring me here, exactly?"

"Let's see. You were sent on a mission, lost your powers to a human, fell in love with a Quincy, and then got dragged back to the Soul Society with the intention of being killed.

You kept hearing that your execution date was being moved up, as if the elders really wanted you gone. You were rescued, but then you watched your boyfriend get one-shot by the person behind everything.

Apparently, you had a wish-granting orb inside your body, which left you drained. You had to deal with noble intrigues and wondered whether your boyfriend actually loved you or just the Hogyoku that was inside you. Did I miss anything?"

Well, he wasn't wrong.

"You're stressed, and anyone who went through all of that deserves a little break. Plus, I need to remove that bad thought in your mind—that I don't love you. Sure, at first, the presence of the Hogyoku attracted me. It felt like a piece of myself that was missing. But you know me, don't you? I wouldn't stay if I didn't find something I loved about you. So cheer up, let's have fun. I promise to be gentle."

That earned him a light smack on the back. Her face was red, though, so he guessed he was doing well.

And thus, their little date at the beach continued.

Building sand structures... His were better... He 100% did not use Reishi to cheat.

Him? Cheat? His artistic skills were wonderful. He was so talented as an artist that when he first joined school, his drawings were so good he wouldn't even showcase them next to the other students to preserve their purity.

{A/N... #/he cheated.}

Sora felt like someone had just ratted him out. He was fine. He was the writer of his own story.

Anyway, speaking of which, whatever shell she had around herself seemed to be melting away now.

"Trust me, it's fine."

Sora stood in the water, about waist-deep, though that was probably much higher for Rukia. He motioned for her to join him.

She stood on the shore, refusing to move, her feet sinking into the soft, wet sand. She refused to step foot in the ocean.

"I... I can't swim," she muttered. Her voice was barely audible, probably because of the crashing waves and her speaking so low.

"Yeah, I kinda figured," Sora added. Someone so short knowing how to swim would genuinely be terrifying. Just imagine this 4-foot-9 girl swimming toward him at a speed faster than the fastest fish in the ocean—it gave him chills.

"Come on, it's not like the water is gonna bite. I'm here, aren't I?" he added softly.

"That doesn't make it any less terrifying!" Rukia's hands were balled into tiny fists at her sides. Jeez, did the water owe her money or something?

"Rukia," Sora called, his voice now sounding more soothing, as if calming her down. "You can fight Hollows, deal with annoying nobles, and even face down Aizen himself. But water? That's where you draw the line?"

"I don't like it."

That was understandable.

"I'll buy that cute little bunny snack you were staring at in the restaurant."

...

POV Change:

Rukia could be seen licking some ice cream. What seemed to be a bunny-shaped treat had been utterly devoured. She was incredibly wet... not in the way you dirty pervs think.

Swimming had drained her of her energy, but oh well—at least she learned how to float.

The food was nice.

"Good. Your Reiryoku is drained. Time for the main event."

Sora said, getting close to her, his body towering over the now-exhausted and drained Rukia.

"Sora... what are you doing?" Her voice sounded rather weak as she looked up at Sora.

A/N...Hehehe.