Jade went very still as the Shadow latched onto him. The roaming hands brought a faint flush of pink across his face. "Wh--" He caught himself quickly and regained his composure, albeit with some difficulty. Having Rukia's other self press insistently against him proved distracting. This was... what she was repressing?

If he'd had any doubts that her feelings for him weren't entirely platonic, this was making it very hard to deny.

What she said next drove all embarrassment out of his mind. Jade frowned, staring at Rukia while the others were speaking. He understood why she would put duty before herself. Although returning home meant leaving behind the bonds they'd formed in Crystallis, he felt the same way. Some things were more important than seeking one's own happiness.

However--

I want to keep living. Now why did that wail hit him so hard? The situation wasn't the same, yet Jade's thoughts rushed back to Luke. Dying for his duty just when he'd discovered the worth of his own life. It had taken Jade too long to understand why human beings wanted so badly to live just for the sake of living -- but he had, in the end.

That Rukia was denied such a fundamental human need... It felt cruel.

"There are too many unknowns to say for sure what will happen. Whether we'll be able to return home at all, whether we can stay in contact... We won't know until the very end. Regardless..."

He didn't push the Shadow away. Instead, he took it by the shoulders firmly, but not roughly, and steered it around to face Rukia. His hands remained where they were so that the Shadow hopefully wouldn't feel abandoned and lash out.

"Rukia. Prioritizing your duties is your decision... But don't you think you could afford to be a little kinder to yourself?"