.
Inoue Orihime wasn't only beautiful, no, her beauty was merely the tip of the iceberg. She wasn't like any other person he would ever cross paths with. To him, Orihime was like an angel who had accidentally flown too close to Earth's gravitational pull, only to be caught in it's unbearable weight and unable to fly out.
Her kindness and gentle nature were almost unheard of. The way she not only mourned the loss of her friends and comrades, but of her enemies as well.
Her soul was too bright and simply too much for this world filled with darkness and evil doing.
That's why Ichigo vowed to protect her on more than just one occasion. He vowed it silently as she slept against his chest, as they walked hand in hand to school, as she laughed at her favorite show despite it being a rerun.
He vowed it every single day he woke to see her sweet smile.
Because someone as ethereal and generous in spirit needed someone there to battle the darkness that threatened to rob her of her never-ending light.
Because Ichigo would never let anyone steal his single source of light in this all too dark world.