Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

A/N: I wrote this a couple of years ago but found it again when I was going through files on my computer. This is way different than anything else I have written so tell me what you guys think. The story is AU after chapter 378.

Sidekick

Before it had been a suspicion, a nagging suspicion, but just a suspicion. It was not until tonight though that her fears had been confirmed to be true.

It was the Espada that had made her realize the truth. Not the weak one that she had disposed of easily with Sode no Shirayuki, but the strong one. The one that when she had sensed, she had felt fear. When he had come towards her she had had no time to react. He had shoved his hand through her chest and then he had oh so casually flung her out of the way. It had been like he was flicking a drop of water off his hands. He had barely even looked at her.

Ichigo on the other hand had met the Espada with his blade. He had matched him strike for strike, while she had lay on the ground bleeding, unable to even move. After the battle (which Ichigo hadn't won, but hadn't lost either unlike her), as she had lay on the ground while being healed by Inoue, Rukia had had a chance to mull over her realization.

She had always known that Ichigo was strong. Everything related to being a Shinagami had seemed to come naturally to him. At first she had written this off as being due to her superb teaching skills. However as Ichigo had continued to grow and grow beyond her wildest expectations she had been forced to admit that there was something special about him. She had suspected then. But he had her powers, and she did not, so she was able to accept the fact that for the time being he was stronger than her. He may have had ridiculous stores of reiatsu and a seemingly natural aptitude for Shinagami activities, but she had 150 years of experience. She had 150 years of blood, sweat, toil, and sacrifice. She convinced herself that when her powers returned they would be equals.

How wrong she had been.

She had never expected the gulf between them to be so big. He sat watching over her, brooding because he thought he had lost, while she, who had really lost, lay bleeding on the ground with the bitter realization that she was nothing more than a sidekick. He would always be the hero, the one the stories would be about, the one who would lead the way. She on the other hand would be the assistant, the footnote, the subordinate, the one the hero would always step into help when the going got tough.

As they hunted hollows Rukia began to notice it more and more.

Before she had been his teacher. He had needed her for her knowledge and expertise in regards to Hollows and Shinagami duties. Now all he needed was her phone.

She still killed hollows. Sometimes. But he didn't really need her there. They never encountered any hollows that he honestly couldn't have taken care of by himself. More often then not though she did not even fight. Instead she just tagged along.

Even in everyday life she began to notice it. How everyone called them Ichigo and Rukia. How people always assumed she would be wherever he was.

The realization had begun to eat away at her.

Would it be the same the next time she met an Espada? Would it also look at her like she was a fly and then casually swat her away? Would it even take notice of her at all?

She would lay awake at night brooding over this. It began to occupy her thoughts so much that even Ichigo noticed something was wrong.

She wanted to talk to him. Wanted to pour her heart out to him, but he wouldn't understand. He wouldn't understand what it was like to feel weak. Wouldn't understand what it was like to doubt one's abilities.

When they were told that Inoue had been taken to Hueco Mundo Ichigo had immediately looked to her. He had asked her to come with him to help him save Inoue. It was then Rukia had come to another realization.

On the bridge in Soul Society when Ichigo had come to save her, looking every inch the hero, she had been furious. Furious because if he was the hero then that meant she was the damsel in distress.

For a brief moment then she had hated him, hated him for doing that to her.

Now Rukia realized that she may not have been Ichigo's equal, but she would rather fight by his side than stand behind him. She would rather be the sidekick than the damsel in distress.

When she had suggested that they split up in Hueco Mundo Ichigo had said it was too dangerous. All the while he had been looking at her, and the fragile confidence that she had built up within herself shattered. She wasn't even the sidekick. She was weak in his eyes. She was a burden.

Maybe that's what she had been to him all along.

A burden.

Like she had been for Renji. For Nii-sama. For her sister.

Kaien-Dono had asked her to kill herself. Give him her life to atone for that which she had taken. She had agreed. She was just a burden to her family, to her friends, to him.

Then he had asked her to kill her nakama. She had regained her will to fight. She may have been a burden, but she was not a traitor.

He had saved her.

Again.

It was an Espada again, a stronger one this time, but just an Espada nonetheless.

The final battle with Aizen had come.

Ichigo had been fighting with Aizen one on one. Then Aizen, realizing he was losing had aimed a cero at the injured Chad. Ichigo hadn't had time to deflect the blast, but being the hero he was had flung himself in front of his nakama.

As she saw him fall she had whispered one word: Bankai.

It should have been a moment of triumph for her. After 150 years she had finally achieved Bankai. But her Bankai was weak, Aizen barely had to flick his sword to deflect her attack. This left an opening though, for Ichigo, having recovered from the cero, to give the final strike that would end the winter war. He was the hero. He would get the honour and the glory, but she was able to take pride in the fact that even if she was not the hero she had finally managed to save someone that she loved.

Inside everyone was celebrating. She however was standing outside on the balcony, leaning against the railing and admiring the stars. She wondered if they would ever immortalize him in the stars like the heroes of old.

"Why aren't you inside celebrating?" She heard his voice from behind her.

"I didn't want to spoil your moment." Rukia answered, telling a half-truth. What she did not speak of was the bitterness. Her bitterness that would have spoiled the mood if she had been inside with him. She was happy that the war was over. Happy that he had been the one to end it. But there was still a bitterness. The bitterness of knowing that no matter how hard she worked she would never be quite good enough. The bitterness of knowing he would always be lightyears ahead of her.

"Spoil my moment? How would you do that? I want you in there beside me."

Beside him. Beside him as what?

"Ichigo, what am I to you? Am I a burden?"

"A burden? Why would you think that?"

"In Hueco Mundo you didn't want us to split up. Was that because you thought I was weak? That I wouldn't be able to take care of myself?" Rukia asked, finally letting all her insecurities come to the surface.

"I didn't want us to split up because I fight best with you by my side. Look at the fight with Aizen. I wouldn't have been able to beat him without you."

Rukia smiled at this, "It's hard for me to accept that you will always be better. That you will always be the hero and I will always be the sidekick. But I think it's okay now."

"No," Ichigo said leaning in "You aren't the sidekick. Because the hero never does this to the sidekick." And then he kissed her.

After when they came up for air he said "You're my partner."