Ichigo x Rukia x Orihime

I Want to Help, Too...

"Rukia!!", Ichigo yelled, ducking to avoid the Hollow's fist, and slicing open it's mask with his Zanpakutõ. "Behind you!!"

Rukia turned to see a massive Hollow, much larger than the usual ones, bearing down on her, ready to squash her into the ground. She used Flash Step, and managed to dodge him.

'Why', Orihime thought, as she hid behind the wall. 'Why can't I help you, Ichigo?' A few moments ago, Ichigo had leapt out of  nowhere in his Shihakusho, and had literally thrown her to the ground in the shadows.

"What... what are you doing?!", she had asked, cheeks flushing.

"Shhhhh", he had whispered, a finger on his lips. "A small invasion of Hollows. It should be fine, but stay here. I don't want you to get hurt. Me and Rukia will handle this", and then he had Flash Stepped away.

Why did she have to get saved all the time? Why couldn't she be the one handling the Hollows with Ichigo? She didn't want him to get hurt, either. Ichigo always made a big show of his motivation for getting stronger being because he wanted to protect his friends, and Orihime loved that about him. But, did no one realise? She cared too. She wanted to protect Ichigo, she would do anything. She wasn't weak; she would gladly do just about anything to ensure Ichigo's safety.

Her eyes narrowed as she watched Rukia draw her Zanpakutõ, preparing to strike down another Hollow. She and Ichigo were working as a team, yelling directions at eachother, warning eachother, protecting eachother. 'Why can't that be me?', Orihime thought wistfully, drawing her legs up and clutching them tightly. She always got nervous for her friends when they were fighting Hollows.

Two Hollows leapt at Ichigo at the same time, he fended off one... Rukia was fighting one somewhere else... wait, Ichigo couldn't handle two at the same time! There wasn't enough time to use Getsuga Tensho, one of the Hollows had Ichigo's Zanpakutõ wedged between it's skeletal teeth, Ichigo couldn't get it free, the other was coming up behind him...

Rukia was still fighting somewhere else...

Orihime gasped as she saw the Hollow's humongous arm draw back, winding up for solid hit on Ichigo's defenceless body. Tears of desperation welled up in her eyes as she willed his Zanpakutõ to be freed... nothing was happening... she had to do something.

"I... I'm not weak...", she whispered. A single glance at Ichigo's determined face, desperate to fight until the end, settled it.

"You may want to protect your friends, Ichigo", she whispered. "But I do too."

She stood and ran out from hiding, hands at her hairpins. A mix of adrenaline and nerves were coursing through her body. The Hollow had begun swinging his arm towards Ichigo, who's eyes were clamped shut in desperation as he wound up, ready to use Bankai, Flash Step, anything.

"Tsubaki! Koten Zanshun, I REJECT!!" 

Ichigo opened his eyes with a snap, to see the Hollow's hand that had previously been a second from smashing into his face, be sliced in two by something small, which created some yellow shield thing, that cut through the Hollow's arm as if it were butter. 

He turned to see Orihime standing defiantly, panting hard, clenched fists, staring right at him. 

"Orihime!! What are you doing?! You're going to get hurt!!", Ichigo yelled. The Hollow was shrieking and spurting blood everywhere. It's other arm was seconds from killing the orange-haired girl. 

"BANKAI!"

Once Rukia had finished her fight, she turned to see Ichigo in his Bankai form, blocking a Hollow with ease, one arm flung out in a protective stance. And behind that protective arm, was Orihime.