Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Bleach

Here is another chapter. Flashback in italics. Enjoy!

-#-

Aizen sat at his desk looking at his computer screen. He was an editor of one of the largest design magazines in Asia area. Any designer who wanted good press for their designs, Aizen was the one who could make or break the designer. He has an eye for unique and good designs and Gin he thought had 'it'.

He has followed Gin's career before his return from the New York. Although not world known at the time, Gin's fashion was a unisex design that looked great on both men and women from the board room to a night on the town.

He knew Gin was going to be a hit because who was backing him now: TD Designs.

He knew that when TD Designs was behind a designer, it was more than guarantee a designer that will be around for a while. TD Designs did not go after one hit wonders, TD Designs went after long term winners.

He knew about TD Designs for a while. He followed the company when it first started. Aizen is probably one of the few people who actually knew who TD is in TD Designs. Although people know her, only few know what she is: multi-millionaire. She comes from a family of wealth. She is an only child of two families of wealth. Although she does not talk about, she has a doctorate in Business. She took a staff of five and now Gin will be six, and is running a design conglomerate. She is, as Aizen smiled to himself, a force to be dealt with.

Aizen wanted to be in on that group with her and Gin.

About the same time Tamika discovered Gin, he had also found the website of Gin's products. The Site went down the next day so he could not bring it up again. It was down for two months but when it came back, TD Designs was the co-owner of the Site.

He knew then that he had another obsticle to get by to get to Gin. It was Tamika.

He has respect for both of them but Tamika will protect her interest.

Aizen and his staff were the best at entertainment and celebrity news in the area. They could get a buzz about anyone or anything, anywhere, anytime. If anybody who wanted to be somebody, wanted a picture with him or have him in the picture to be known. And designers would get the best exposure because if a celebrity was wearing their line, it was a guaranteed success.

One day he was out for lunch when he looked out of the window and saw Gin in the market district. He was looking at cloth sample and notions at a booth for his next project.

Aizen decided to get his nerve up and introduce himself to Gin. He stepped outside and walked up to meet him.

"Hello. How are you?" Aizen said with his most beautiful smile.

Gin liked his smile but it was his eyes that he warmed to. "Hello," Gin said as he realized who he was speaking to, "I know who you are. You are Aizen, the famous magazine owner."

Aizen looked at Gin and realized that it was something about that he liked. He felt that he knew Gin before but could not place his finger on it.

He and Gin spoke until they both were hungry. Aizen invited him to lunch. Lunch led to dinner. Dinner led to a long walk home. There Gin stopped him.

He told Aizen that he could not make that step now. All he could concentrate on now was his career and it would not be fair to him to try a relationship if he was not going to put a hundred percent to into it. Gin then gave Aizen a kiss on his cheek and went into his home.

Aizen stood there and thought about what just happened. Gin had just turned him down.

'Me?' he thought, 'Sosuke Aizen. He turned me down.'

Aizen smiled to himself as he walked back to the area where his car was. He thought that now he has a challenge: win the heart of Gin.

As Aizen walked back to his car, he started to think about the last time he felt this way about anyone.

Aizen was a young reporter working with a young Kaname Tosen. He was good at his job and he was in love with a young Sosuke Aizen. The two decided to start a blog about celebrities, their home and designs. Their blog grew and as their blog grew, so did their love. Soon, they were in a committed relationship. As their love grew, the more they could not stay away from each other.

On the second anniversary of their commitment, Tosen was diagnosed with terminal disease: Cancer. Aizen stayed with him throughout the ordeal. He watched as his lover went from a strong man to a weak one. As Tosen died in his arms, Aizen felt his heart die with him.

After the funeral, Aizen closed his heart. He threw himself into the blog which in turn into a weekly column in the national paper. It turned from a weekly column to a magazine. A magazine that went from a regional to an international magazine.

And he did it all for him, Aizen thought as he made to his way to his car. He got in his car and for the first time in years, he felt tears fall from his eyes. He did not know he was crying until he wiped the tears from his eyes. He placed his head in his hands and started to cry.

The next the thing he knew, he was waking up in his bed alone. His mind went to Gin and not to the pain of his lost. He got out of bed and smiled. He walked to the window and looked at the sun come up. He remembered that morning.

Aizen woke up that morning in the hospice. He had fallen asleep in the chair. He looked at Tosen who had his hand out. He reached out for his hand and came closer to him.

"It's time for me to go. I love you."

Aizen got in the bed with him and held him. He held him tight as he felt his lover slipping away. "I love you too," he whispered as Tosen took his last breath. He held him until the sun came up.

He remembered the numbness at the funeral. The Tosen family always accepted him but he was filled with grief he doesn't remember what was said to him. His parents told him that their son had left him an inheritance. They told him that he wanted to make sure that he followed his dream.

Before he knew it, the sun was up and shining brightly. Today, he decided that he would not go into work. He wanted to go and visit his lover. He sat on the bed and looked at the picture on the nightstand. It showed him at a happier time with Tosen.

"These are the times I wish you were here," he said as he picked the picture up and hugged it.

He slowly rock as he cried.