Forever
She knew it wouldn't last.
If she were in love with someone else—someone of her own kind—she could have said they had forever. But she was in love with Ichigo. He, for one, didn't have forever.
She could wish and hope all she wanted, but, at the end of the day, he would still be human. She could never belong in his world, just like he could never belong in hers.
One day, he would be the same as her, and he could stay by her side as long as he wanted. There would be no boundaries or deadlines between them. But he wouldn't be the same; there was no guarantee he'd ever remember her again. He wouldn't be hers, and she wouldn't be his.
Every time she thought about it, there would come a hollow feeling aching deep inside her. Then the tears would escape her eyes, no matter how hard she tried to hold them back.
Sometimes he would be there to see the droplets roll down her cheek. He'd wipe them away gently with his fingers, not asking what was wrong, knowing he wouldn't get an answer.
He wanted to heal the pain. He wanted to protect her. If he could, he would even give up his life for her.
She wouldn't let him.
If she confided her fears to him, would he understand? Compared to her, he was still just a child. She couldn't bring herself to drag him down into her misery.
Someday, he would die. It was a simple fact. They both knew it was bound to happen. But it never seemed to bother him as much as it did her.
She had forever. Though that was more a curse than a gift as she knew she wouldn't be sharing it with him.
