[Orihime's reaction isn't surprising in the slightest, it's not the first time he has ever made her cry, frankly he is almost surprised that she manages to hold it together as long as she does. Ichigo is obviously never happy about it when he is the cause of her tears (or when she cries at all), but if there were ever a time for him to stew in his guilt over this dreadful ability he has a knack for, it is now. Even the way she laughs in what seems like relief just nails in the shitty feeling that only seems to be increasing in intensity.
Ichigo tries to be reassuring, with his voice and with the way he grips her hand in return, but the apology he has is stuck in his throat, just beneath the words he says.]
Not a ghost, no tricks, it's really me.
[Selfishly, and it could wind up being a weird thing he will also have to apologize for, Ichigo finds himself wanting that contact. It's that sense of comfort he stupidly needs, and maybe it's presumptuous of him to guess that she probably does as well? But he's making the assumption and acting on it, regardless of the consequences. He can’t help it, not after everything they’ve been through together, before the trial, during the trial and the really messed up after. Ichigo doesn’t have the strength to hug her like he wants to, and the lack of shirt thing might make that even weirder than the fact that he wants to at all, so he just settles on bringing his free hand over to touch her head, lightly brushing against the hair there. Any normal day, he wouldn’t even dream of doing this and he would be bright red just thinking about it at all, but… this isn’t a regular day and it’s too damn serious for him to be concerned about giving her the wrong impression.]
Inoue…. [Ichigo starts and stops there, not… even sure which thing he should say first, thank you or I'm sorry. The mix of gratitude and regret is really hard to sort through, to weigh which he feels more… But maybe. Maybe it’ll be better to approach it the way people do when they have both good news and bad news to deliver. Bad news first, so that it’s at least a little easier to swallow when it’s warmed a little with the good news?
it's okay, we have multiples often. this can still happen
Ichigo tries to be reassuring, with his voice and with the way he grips her hand in return, but the apology he has is stuck in his throat, just beneath the words he says.]
Not a ghost, no tricks, it's really me.
[Selfishly, and it could wind up being a weird thing he will also have to apologize for, Ichigo finds himself wanting that contact. It's that sense of comfort he stupidly needs, and maybe it's presumptuous of him to guess that she probably does as well? But he's making the assumption and acting on it, regardless of the consequences. He can’t help it, not after everything they’ve been through together, before the trial, during the trial and the really messed up after. Ichigo doesn’t have the strength to hug her like he wants to, and the lack of shirt thing might make that even weirder than the fact that he wants to at all, so he just settles on bringing his free hand over to touch her head, lightly brushing against the hair there. Any normal day, he wouldn’t even dream of doing this and he would be bright red just thinking about it at all, but… this isn’t a regular day and it’s too damn serious for him to be concerned about giving her the wrong impression.]
Inoue…. [Ichigo starts and stops there, not… even sure which thing he should say first, thank you or I'm sorry. The mix of gratitude and regret is really hard to sort through, to weigh which he feels more… But maybe. Maybe it’ll be better to approach it the way people do when they have both good news and bad news to deliver. Bad news first, so that it’s at least a little easier to swallow when it’s warmed a little with the good news?
Seems like as good a plan as any.]
I’m… I’m sorry.