[How could she even think that? He looks even more pitiful after he gets over his shock, eyebrows lifting in a worried way as he looks at her.
It's so like her to think he would be angry with her after her death, but it's anything but. If he didn't feel like he didn't deserve it, he would have reached out and pulled her in for another hug.
As it is, he just...stands there. Looking heartbreakingly miserable and upset, because he failed her.]
[Orihime watches Ichigo's face practically melt into that horrible, miserable expression. She hates it and she can practically feel his anguish. If she hadn't just given him one, or she could convince herself it was in any way appropriate, she'd have hugged him again. Anything just so that he didn't hurt like that.
But she had just hugged him, and anything more would've been overstepping her bounds. So she stood there awkwardly, just a foot away, not knowing what to do.
It was obvious that her death had caused this. Seeing him in person, she could tell that now. But... why? He had told her himself that people came back, so why would he be so upset at this death in particular? It wasn't even like it was particularly gruesome or anything.
Instead of hugging him, though, Orihime finally reached out to tug at his sleeve]
Alright. Come on in and sit down, though. I made pancakes for us.
[Right...pancakes. He'd forgot all about those, what with his anguish over her death. Numbly, he nods - and his stomach chooses that moment to loudly complain.]
...Pancakes sound good.
[Honestly, if he didn't feel so bad, he'd probably have a scoffing remark on his stomach, on her cooking...something to lighten the mood.
But what was the point? This whole place was terrible and awful. Why should he even try to pretend that it wasn't?]
Let's go.
[Inside, so they can eat - and he can stop thinking of how badly he failed her, of all the pain that this place will eventually force her to feel.]
[He still seemed so unhappy - normally he'd say something flip about her cooking, but this time he just sort of limply agreed with her. She was almost totally absorbed in thinking about it as she went inside and started to fix him a plate.
Why? Why was he so upset? This sort of thing happened to people here all the time, didn't it? And she hadn't even told him what it was like - it wasn't that bad, and she thought she'd communicated that clearly enough so far. Don't worry about me, I'm fine, I'm not even scared or anything!
Then what...
Suddenly, Orihime's eyebrows went up as something dawned on her. If she was in Ichigo's shoes, and he had just died, she wouldn't care how much or little it hurt him - she'd be devastated either way. Aside from the death itself, he'd be gone for days. And there was always a possibility he just wouldn't come back; she'd seen the board outside the church, she knew sometimes people died and stayed dead. So maybe... Ichigo felt the same way about her dying.
Which would mean...
Orihime blushed as she realized why he was so sad. Her eyes moved from his plate back to him; suddenly she kind of wanted to cry. She had hurt him so badly without even realizing it. She had to try and make it up to him somehow.
She had to try and help him feel better.
And when she had a chance, she had to try and help him get his powers back, since that was no doubt a part of this]
Here. I thought you'd be hungry when you came home, so I fixed enough for everyone.
[She brought the plate to him, shakily, hoping he didn't notice her nervousness. As soon as she'd set it down in front of him, she went back and got her own. There was still something else they needed to talk about]
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[How could she even think that? He looks even more pitiful after he gets over his shock, eyebrows lifting in a worried way as he looks at her.
It's so like her to think he would be angry with her after her death, but it's anything but. If he didn't feel like he didn't deserve it, he would have reached out and pulled her in for another hug.
As it is, he just...stands there. Looking heartbreakingly miserable and upset, because he failed her.]
That's not...don't apologize, Inoue. please.
no subject
But she had just hugged him, and anything more would've been overstepping her bounds. So she stood there awkwardly, just a foot away, not knowing what to do.
It was obvious that her death had caused this. Seeing him in person, she could tell that now. But... why? He had told her himself that people came back, so why would he be so upset at this death in particular? It wasn't even like it was particularly gruesome or anything.
Instead of hugging him, though, Orihime finally reached out to tug at his sleeve]
Alright. Come on in and sit down, though. I made pancakes for us.
no subject
...Pancakes sound good.
[Honestly, if he didn't feel so bad, he'd probably have a scoffing remark on his stomach, on her cooking...something to lighten the mood.
But what was the point? This whole place was terrible and awful. Why should he even try to pretend that it wasn't?]
Let's go.
[Inside, so they can eat - and he can stop thinking of how badly he failed her, of all the pain that this place will eventually force her to feel.]
no subject
Why? Why was he so upset? This sort of thing happened to people here all the time, didn't it? And she hadn't even told him what it was like - it wasn't that bad, and she thought she'd communicated that clearly enough so far. Don't worry about me, I'm fine, I'm not even scared or anything!
Then what...
Suddenly, Orihime's eyebrows went up as something dawned on her. If she was in Ichigo's shoes, and he had just died, she wouldn't care how much or little it hurt him - she'd be devastated either way. Aside from the death itself, he'd be gone for days. And there was always a possibility he just wouldn't come back; she'd seen the board outside the church, she knew sometimes people died and stayed dead. So maybe... Ichigo felt the same way about her dying.
Which would mean...
Orihime blushed as she realized why he was so sad. Her eyes moved from his plate back to him; suddenly she kind of wanted to cry. She had hurt him so badly without even realizing it. She had to try and make it up to him somehow.
She had to try and help him feel better.
And when she had a chance, she had to try and help him get his powers back, since that was no doubt a part of this]
Here. I thought you'd be hungry when you came home, so I fixed enough for everyone.
[She brought the plate to him, shakily, hoping he didn't notice her nervousness. As soon as she'd set it down in front of him, she went back and got her own. There was still something else they needed to talk about]
But...
When you were outside of the zoo, did you...
Did you see Aizen?