Browsing through this thread, I have come to two conclusions:
1. This Rukia/Ichigo/Orihime triangle debate is ruthless XD
2. When people are bias to a certain pairing, they will interpret actions of those characters as "proof" that the pairing is canon and disregard actions that support alternative pairings as irrelevant.
That said, here's my beef:
My favorite favorite favorite pairings are Ichigo/Rukia and Gin/Rangiku.
Few people seem to care about Gin/Rangiku, which surprises me because I think it's pretty cool. And sad. They definitely have some sort of depressing bittersweet backstory going on between them, and will likely have a depressing bittersweet end/conclusion. Since nobody really cares about this pairing but me, I'll just move on. *sniff sniff*
Then there's Ichigo/Rukia, which I suppose belongs here because the Ichigo pairings always call forth the debate whores.
So yes, I love Ichigo/Rukia and yes, I think it's canon. The entire show pretty much exists because Ichigo and Rukia met, and the entire first episode is devoted to their meeting. Then the entire Soul Society arc exists because of Rukia and Ichigo's determination to save her, and now the current manga arc is sort of reversed, all about Ichigo's angst and desire and I'm sure that Rukia will come into play like she always does.
I won't be a noob and claim that Ichigo loves her or visa versa, but they have a strong connection that I tend to think of as more than friends but less than something romantic. Yes, Ichigo is also close to Chado and Ishida, but his connection with Rukia is something different than his connections with those two. They support each other, they look out for each other, they depend on each other, they trust each other, they stick their necks out for each other. Even in the pre-Soul Society miniarc I found it extremely generous of Ichigo to share his room with her. Again, I'm not saying that any of this is out of "love" because the connotations for that are different, but it's a different sort of "caring" than, say, Ichigo letting Chado stay at his house for a few weeks.
That, and Ichigo and Rukia have this wicked chemistry I haven't seen him have with any other female character. He's open and completely comfortable with her, and it's been proven that she's the only one who could end his self-pity and get his rear in gear (even Orihime acknowledged this). Again, not something out of "love", but a connection stronger and different than one Ichigo's had with other girls. (I'm emphasizing this so much because I HATE it when people put words in my mouth. ^_^) Their interaction has many layers; they're friends, co-workers, partners, and supporting guidance. Their connection is one of the most complicated in the entire series.
So, I suppose you want to hear why I'm not Ichigo/Orihime, huh? First, let me say that I don't hate Orihime--actually, I've come to like her for who she is. She's a kind hearted, gentle, soft spoken character who provides a nice contrast to the brash ones like Ikkaku (bless you, Ikkaku ^_^) I think she's one of those overlooked characters just because she's not built for combat, kind of like Hanatarou, who never fought but played a hell of a huge role leading Ichigo through the labyrinth of Soul Society. I like Orihime, just not with Ichigo.
I've yet to really see anything that solidifies Ichigo/Orihime as something other than one-sided. Yes, Orihime cares for him and even says that she "loves" him. She has a crush on him. She admires him. But Ichigo doesn't reciprocate this. I haven't really seen them seriously connect on any level--actually, he seems rather formal with her, calling her by last name and acting polite. He doesn't really joke with her or tease her. I think Orihime's crush on Ichigo is going to be her motivation, like her admiration for him will propel her to become stronger/more useful/more important, but ultimately I see her getting together with Ishida, a nice pairing that I've come to like a lot.
So...Ichigo/Rukia for me!