I really wanted this to be under 500 words but it wasn't. Oh well.
Q&A
She began encountering this problem when she was in the human world. It was from his classmates actually, first from a girl whose name never stuck but her demanding inquiries always would. She asks at lunch, ever so bluntly, "So are you and Ichigo like, dating?"
At the time Rukia was so shocked by the question she almost spit out her juice. My god, did these humans have any social graces? And it takes her a few minutes to compose her smile and answer and cheerfully deny any type of romance between herself and her still slightly unwilling roommate. The fact that it happens again other times makes her start to examine her own steadfast answer, and by the time she left she had developed an effective way to both dodge the question and change the subject so she no longer had to ponder the strange relationship she shared with a boy who she thought was just a dear friend.
It happens again when they are separated for a short period of time. She and Renji are having tea and catching up when he offhandedly asks "So what really went on all that time you were living in that kid's room?"
He has this ridiculous smirk on his face that says more than his words did and this time it only takes her a minute to decide her answer should be both a punch and kick, and she leaves without another word while her friend lies moaning on the ground.
Even people she doesn't even know ask her about Ichigo. Like the green haired little arrancar, when she curled herself up on Ichigo's shoulder, cracked mask and big eyes peering over at her while demanding to know the nature of their relationship in front of all their close friends. Her uncomfortable stuttering said it all. Or maybe his father is worse, not even asking just declaring her his third daughter and letting the unspoken inquiry linger in the air, heavy and awkward and always managing to make them both a brilliant shade of red.
Because at this point, the truth is she has no freaking clue how to define the complex relationship she shares with Ichigo Kurosaki. How do you define someone who knows you better than anyone else in the world but also drives you insane while you trust him with every fibre of your being? She sure as hell doesn't have an answer and she's getting tired of everyone else asking her for one.
And a few years later, when all the battles have been fought and the dust has cleared, and they are no longer a sullen teenage boy and a lonely shinigami girl, he finally gets up the courage to define it for her (FinemidgitI'minlovewithyouokaydamnit) it brings on a whole new set of questions. Because of course she wants to know since when and why didn't you tell me sooner and the not-question-but-still-important yes you fool of course I love you too.
When it comes to him there's always going to be more questions than answers.
The only question she doesn't need any time to answer is asked by the source of her problems himself, many years down the line. Her answer is simple and concise; no other words were needed besides the emphatic and somewhat tear-filled (he always reminds her smugly)
yes.