"So, Kurosaki-kun." Orihime leans forward onto her hands, until she can peer at Ichigo's face through the darkness. "Do you like boys or girls better?"
Rukia's heart stops in his chest. He thought they weren't talking about this, he thought he'd been clear -- as clear as he could be without saying the words out loud, he is a man and Ichigo is a man and this is so improper--
It might ruin everything.
"I mean, not that I think it would matter very much more than in a general sense because Kurosaki-kun is much more inclined to look at people, but --"
"Inoue!" Rukia says, and her nervous babble comes to a stop. She looks sorry -- but sorry she's making him nervous, not sorry she said any of it. Rukia thinks of all the reasons he told himself to keep this truth behind his teeth, and feels a little bit grateful. It's out in the open, now.
Ichigo stares at them both, shocked speechless.
But not, Rukia sees, yanking his hand off Rukia's knee. He can feel it burning right through his hakama.
"I think," he says, and wets dry lips, and gives a short, sharp, decisive nod, "we should experiment."