Title: understanding
Character/Pairing: Kurosaki Ichigo, Inoue Orihime, mention of Kuchiki Rukia - Ichigo/Orihime and Ichigo/Rukia
Style: Drabble
Genre: Angst/slightly Introspective
Rating: PG
Ichigo had never said 'I love you' to her, no matter how many times Orihime said it to him.
He explained to her, once, that he had never said it to anyone since his mother had died. Orihime still said it to him though, a sympathetic look on her face, and Ichigo thought that perhaps she was hoping that someday he would.
Orihime didn't understand.
He had never said it to Rukia either, but she had understood.
---
Whenever she could, whenever she really felt it, she would say those three words to Ichigo.
He never said them back and that never worried her, as she knew the reason why. Orihime knew what grief felt like and would smile and wrap her arms around him, receiving a sheepish smile back as silent thanks for her support.
And Orihime would smile back at him, a flimsy shield for her resentment that she only knew what it felt like, but didn't understand.
She was still jealous of Rukia.
---
She had never expected, never hoped, to hear that phrase from him. He hadn't expected it from her either.
It was stalemate, the closest they ever got to uttering it was a promise that one would always protect the other.
The words had never passed their lips, though it had been clear to both what was lurking at the edges of their minds, words hanging, unsaid, as they battled together.
Rukia hadn't needed to hear that Ichigo loved her, she had known it well enough.