Love
 
There should be an unwritten rule that states: never fall in love with your best friend. After all, what good can come of such a thing, right? It’s not like a mere friend is ever going to see you as more than that. And if they do? The break-up would definitely mean nothing good. Of course, that’s getting ahead of myself. Obviously my best friend would never fall in love with me, so there was only one thing left for me to do. I could only watch from a distance as Isshin fell in love with a pretty human girl that had caught his eye. It hurt, I'll admit, but I’m pretty sure love always hurts in some way.

I hadn’t said a word against Masaki; she was a nice enough girl. And honestly, all I wanted was for Isshin to be happy. Masaki made him happy, and who was I to deny my friend that? This would have been the perfect time to have confessed, to have said something, but I couldn’t. I was always good at being selfish, but this once – I had given up on putting me first.

“That’s … great, Isshin,” I said, forcing the usual smile and pulling my favorite hat further down to shadow my face better. It wouldn’t do to have Isshin see through my farce. “I suppose you’re here to get a more … permanent gigai?” It had been years since we had last seen each other, sure, but I could still read Isshin like the back of my hand. “You know by doing this, you’re forcing exile on yourself,” I muttered after Isshin nodded. And, just like I thought he would, he smirked, eyes lighting up with pure mischief.

“So?” he proclaimed in that dramatic way of his. “I’ll have you know true love waits for no man! If you want something, you have to have the courage to take it!”

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. The irony of him saying that to me, of all people – and just when I vowed to stop being selfish. “Whatever you say, Romeo.” I shook my head with amusement and motioned for him to follow me to the back room where I kept my more shinigami related products.

“How’s Yoruichi?” Isshin asked casually, making conversation as he looked around the shop in a curious fashion.

“She’s good. I think she’s out prowling the area today. She won’t be back for a week if that’s the case.” I shrugged, opening the door and gesturing for him to enter ahead of me. “She’s still in a huff about staying in her cat form constantly. I offered to give her one of the gigai I’m about to give you – but you know what she said?” And here I pretended to pout. “She said she’d rather be a cat than use anything created by me. I mean, really! I’m a genius, and she acts like I’m some kind of mad scientist bent on taking over the world.”

Isshin snorted, walking over to a box and tapping it suspiciously with a foot. “I wouldn’t doubt if that were true, you know. Heh, and can you imagine? The first time I met you I kept thinking you were just a lame little wannabe shinigami. My opinion of you has thus been corrected.”

Sniffing disdainfully, I snatched the box away from him before he could seriously damage the contents. “I would hope so. After all, I can’t take over the world without a proper reputation!” When he turned his head away to laugh, he completely missed my smile.

It was almost like the past in that single moment, I remember thinking, my smile turning a bit more sad. And in that one moment, I took another vow. Along with giving up on my selfishness, I’d give up on the past. Maybe it would stop hurting, then.