REALITY
Rukia sits looking at the moon, zoning out while Ichigo is off killing various hollows down the street. "You know," she thinks, "he never asks about my past."
FLASHBACK
Ichigo is standing in front of her at his mother's grave in the rain crying rivers of tears.
"Rukia, my mommy died when I was just a little boy! Uh, hu hu hu hu!"
Ichigo dropping his sword, "Rukia, I can't get motivated because I'm so depressed! Uh, hu hu hu hu!"
Ichigo scowling in his school, "Rukia, nobody understands me! Uh, hu hu hu hu!"
Rukia purses her lips as she continues to ponder.
"Hum, my life..."
FLASHBACK
Rukia almost dying of starvation innumerable times in the Rukongai
Rukia growing up with no family
Rukia's only true friend (Renji) ditching her once she was made a Kuchiki
Rukia's brother abandoning her to be executed after constantly being cold to her for literally decades
"Humm, Ichigo's life..."
FLASHBACK
Warm loving family
Able to peruse academic goals
Plenty of food and shelter
Gets excused from everything that was formerly judged a crime in Soul Society's eyes.
BACK TO THE PRESENT
"Hum, Ichigo doesn't know anything about my past, but I know pretty much everything about his."
"Ichigo should be..."
Rukia pictures the ideal shoujo manga prince, looking into her eyes sincerely,
"Dear Rukia ojousama, I am so sorry for the horrible, traumatic, and depressing life that you have been forced to lead so far. I am determined to make life easier for you and at least not complain about my trivial worries when you are in such obvious daily pain." He kneels and kisses her hand. "At the least I will listen and be a shoulder to cry on when you need it."
As she muses, Rukia starts to become aware of Ichigo in the background waving his sword around and yelling, "Hey Rukia, look at me, I'm killing hollows, aren't I cool?"
Rukia shunpos to the last hollow he is with, slices through its mask, and knocks him in the head with the flat side of her sword. "Tch," she said, "child." and walks away.
Ichigo falls down and looks up at her with wide eyes and begins crying, "Rukia, uh, hu hu hu hu hu!"
Really, who is the strong one here? The one who survived incredible odds with no help or sympathy or the one who had everything handed to him and who still needs constant self-affirmation from his girlfriend?
THE END
