The furrow of her brow doesn't manage to quite smooth away as Rukia sheathes her sword, the motion swift and practiced as she turns her attention to the young man, more anchored somehow than he wants only moments ago. It's the rush that comes with needing to protect people, Rukia thinks. It's capable of tossing a person off balance, but equally capable of narrowing their focus, all depending on timing and circumstance.

But his words remind her of the reservations she had some time ago, mostly surrounding the woman that the young man kept around him. Gaze breaking free for a second, Rukia glances around, tries to scan for the same sensation she got from that woman. But all she feels seems to be coming from the man himself.

"...that was me, yes," Rukia nods, shifting her feet so that she's standing fully on the ground again, rather than hovering that invisible amount of distance above, normally done to avoid the limitations of friction. "Is your friend around?" Subconsciously, she tightens her grip around the handle of her sword at the thought.