Pop check-In [Rangiku, Igen]

Igen couldn't help but chuckle just a little as Rangiku attempted to comfort him. Stuff he'd heard before, admittedly. Between the lot of his guy friends, though certainly they had had some more uh...extreme ideas of getting over women at that. But more than anything, there was something else that was bothering him, and so before Rangiku could keep up with that train of thought, he lightly folded his arms and cleared his throat.

"This isn't my first breakup. I've... had a lot of them actually. I know that things aren't going to be the same, and ...sure. maybe some day those feelings will change, maybe now's just a really bad time. But..." He trailed off as his shoulders hunched so very slightly.

"I just.... I don't get what I'm doing wrong." His voice came out soft and uncertain as he felt a bit of vulnerability peek out. It wasn't just advice, but this was something that had bothered him for .... a very ... very long time. "I try to be there for them. I get to know them. I got to know HER. And I cared so much... I did everything I could. But again... and again... and again I-..." He furrowed his brows and stopped himself, his eyes misting slightly as he gently clutched his brow and .... chuckled ruefully. The tension rising in his voice, and in that moment, he did something he rarely did.

"This is ... SO not a good time for all this. But I ...I don't know what to do, I can't...HELP it!" The sound of his fist firmly stamping the desk was perhaps just as jarring as the sound of Igen raising his voice, even if just for a second, as he hunched over the desk and took a steady breath in through his nostrils. He hadn't damaged it, at least. He still had THAT much control. But the frustration and pain was palpable in his voice. Fuck. This was such a bad time for this. Wiping his eyes, he shook his head.

"I don't.... have time to have this in my head. I just... I just don't know how to get it out."

He expected a lot of things, but not quite what happened. When the Lieutenant made her way over and put her arms around him he froze. After all, her ribs were still healing, but more than that, he had....well expected another talk, maybe some advice. But he hadn't expected the nightie-clad woman to pull him in and hold him. And after a brief moment of staying very still, he gently wrapped his arms around her in return, a soft sigh escaping him as he allowed at least a little bit of that tension to leave him. Taking solace in this moment.

Some small part of him wondered if this was one of those contributing factors. But he was too exhausted to get too far into the weeds of those thoughts. Just... having someone to hold him. It all felt at least a bit more manageable. The gentle warmth of someone else.

When Rangiku pulled back and gently kissed the top of his head, he came back from that warm refuge, resisting the urge to pull her back. Ugh...how embarassing. But even so, a very small sheepish smile formed on his features.And for a moment, saying nothing, just settling into the hug.

Igen couldn't help it. As she kept a hold on him, he slowly relaxed more and more. At first, he just let her hug him, but as he settled and he realized how much tension had been inside him, he couldn't help but begin hugging her back, hunching his shoulders a bit as he slowly tightened his grip and let out a slow, steady sigh. He stayed there for a good few minutes, nodding his head as she gently told him that he could help himself to a hug now and then. Obviously he wouldn't go doing that infront of people, that would just be insane. But even so... that she'd offer such a thing still made him smile, and after a few more minutes, he gently unwound his arms from the woman's shoulders and pulled back, an appreciative smile on his features.

There was a lot her probably could have said. Maybe made a little joke back. Maybe tried to assure her that he wouldn't need such a thing. But honestly, every now and then? It might be nice to have. And so rather than any ....complications. He was still a mess. Honestly he didn't know what kind of nonsense would come out of his mouth if he tried to say much of anything, so he stuck with the basics. He gave her one last squeeze of a hug before stepping back and giving a gentle nod. And in a brief moment, the warmth of his voice let her know just how much he appreciated her.

_{"Thank you."}