Bleach One-Shots *Closed to Requests*

Forever Isn't Long Enough [Gin Ichimaru] for Akira-Asamiya

Emma was panicking. From the blood flowing past her fingers, to the ashen face below her, to the pale blue eyes staring helplessly back. The young woman's hands trembled, unable to form a proper sentence. Slowly, his cold hands came up, encasing hers. "Emma..."

"It's going to be okay," she managed to stutter out. Her mind flashed back, to the times they spent together in Rukongai. As children. "J-Just... I..."

Emma wracked her brain for something to work. A medical treatment she learned back in the Academy so many years ago. A trick Izuru taught her on the field to fix a wound so the Medical Division had time to appear on the scene. But her thoughts turned up empty. Nothing. Useless information that couldn't help either of them in this situation. Why wasn't she skilled enough? Powerful? Strong? Emma didn't believe herself to be any of those things. But he always said otherwise.

"Emma..." He coughed, blood running down from the corner of his lips. "Calm down."

"I-I-I-"

"Listen," he begged. "I... I'm sorry. I tried; I did..." Her mind flashed back again, to when they became Soul Reapers. "Too... strong." When he became a Lieutenant. "I'm sorry." When she became an officer. "For everything." When he became Captain. "Lies." When she was transferred. "Betrayals." When he left. "Everything."

The blood flow wasn't slowing, no matter how much pressure she put on the wound. Emma's breaths came up short, unable to calm down. "Stop," she sobbed. "Make it stop."

The man's hands reached up further covered in blood cupping both cheeks. "Forgive... me." His eyes began to flutter.

"Gin! N-No, no, no!" But they could no longer stay open. Emma screamed, tears running down her face. Slowly, she felt his chest stop moving under her palms. "Gin! GIN!" His arms dropped, leaving behind red stains on the young woman's skin.

"You're too loud." The Soul Reaper didn't even hear the ex-Captain, holding the dead man's face now. She kept screaming his name, begging for him to wake up. "No matter. I've been waiting a long time to do this." Aizen unsheathed his zanpakuto. "You will no longer be a distraction."

Another voice broke through to the screaming Soul Reaper. "Emma!" For a moment she stopped, starring down at the face she had loved for so long. Realizing that they had never had a chance at living a proper life together. And never would.

Rangiku.

"Emma!" the woman shrieked. The air seemed to be snatched from her lungs, looking down to see a zanpakuto running through her chest. Blood dripped from the young woman's lips onto Gin's pale face. The pain turned numb seconds later, slowly leaning down and kissing his dead lips.

She wished they had longer together.