Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, or any of the Bleach characters used in this fic. They all belong to Tite Kubo: the genius behind the captivating manga that started it all. I only own any of my original characters that I choose to include, as well as any of my own original plot ideas.
One Too Many
Prompt: Another...
A/N: For "Kill_Your_OTP" on LJ. I'm killing my pairing!
There was a limit to everything. Her patience was no exception.
So many times she'd been pushed to the brink, barely hanging on by a threat. And, each consecutive time, she'd suffered it alone. Retsu wasn't one to verbalize another's grievances, but this was getting to be too much. Now, she was just fed up with it all. He'd pushed her to the limit.
Her instincts had always been driving her to find a way to obtain what she desired above all else. It had been this way for years. She'd seen the children in the Rukongai, growing up without so much as a care in the world, watched by loving parents. Now, when she thought she'd finally found a way to obtain a gentle little soul of her own, it had slipped between her fingers, the recoil pushing her back. As much as she wanted to, Retsu couldn't bring herself to ask him for this. Brilliant or not, he was all but incapable of following through on such a powerful commitment, even had he wanted to. Such a thing was far out of his range, his skill set, for him to sincerely give a damn for something of this magnitude.
And, given the rashness of his actions, it wouldn't work.
Whether she stayed with this situation or left it, there would be a hole for her to cope with, leading her into an unpleasant process of healing. Having recognized this, all that was left was to make the choice. Both were bittersweet, not nearly fulfilling enough. But she had to choose, as he certainly wouldn't be tormenting himself over such things.
The one thing that was certain was that it was a miracle something like this had gone on quite this long.