つきしろ

I love how such a simple, cliche romantic coded trope can say so much about what Ichigo and Rukia were feeling

This person is here for me

He / she is here to save me

I know it

Because I trust this person

She /he is all what I see right now

And all of him /her is reflected in my eyes

It not only shows how grandiose Rukia and Ichigo were to each other at that time but it also emphasizes to the readers how heroic their entrances were

The point is whenever this trope happened in the SS arc or the fullbring arc, it is always the savior who get to be reflected in the eyes of the one being saved, not the opposite

Which is why this panel will never fail to amuse me

Even in the SS arc, Rukia was never reflected even once in Ichigo's eyes because that's not how the trope works.

Like Orhime ... I know it might be hard for you to admit but Ichigo is not the problem here. x)

Basically :

Orhime (full angst) : Kurosaki-kun's eyes ... I am not reflected in them, **sobbing** whyyy ? Does that mean he isn't in love with me ? Does he even care about me ? .⁠·⁠´⁠¯⁠`⁠(⁠>⁠▂⁠<⁠)⁠´⁠¯⁠`⁠·⁠.

Me : ... sweetie... did we ever see him reflected in yours in the first place ?

Orhime :

I could do a lengthy rant about how much I love this loser but I'm going to restrain myself.

This is an IR post after all, maybe someday.

Walk when you can, and let me carry you when you can’t. You’re not a burden. You’re really not a burden.