Merry belated Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!

I wrote this little thing about a year ago, when I was still stupid and a lousy writer, so here's the result of my going through my old fics again. Hope you're gonna like it.

It's not set in any particular timeline, I just wanted all my fav characters to participate... well, except Hinamori, but she's a necessary evil :)

Warning: some slight Bya/Ren, Ran/Gin, Gin/Suke...

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters... unfortunately :)

Well, we all know what followed, so enjoy :)

Renji sneezed. Hard.

As he reached with the back of his sleeve to wipe his running nose however, yet another sneeze caused him to bend over and almost loose balance as well as concentration. And if that were to happen, the consequences would have been fatal with the small red ball of light hovering over his palm, guiding his way. He brought a thick woolen scarf wrapped tightly around his neck, higher to cover his chin, though it did not help in the slightest against billowing gusts of freezing wind.
You see, white winter has always been a real rarity in Soul Society - usually it was just unbelievably cold outside and so, except for the winter fireworks watching, most people tried to stay indoors as much as possible. And witnessing a hailstorm was about as probable as finding Kuchiki Byakuya without the usual large amount of daifuku hidden within his bottomless sleeves. Impossible. Ludicrous even...
As was ploughing banks of snow in the middle of it.
And yet here he was edging his way through a raging blizzard, dressed as a reindeer with antlers and a fluffy tail; red and green scarf bellowing behind him; red ball of his Shakkaho spell hovering at the front. And his nose was frozen. And his toes were frozen. And his fingers were frozen... If Renji did not know any better, he would say Hitsugaya-taichou had set Hyourinmaru loose, though...

The thought halted in the part of his brain that was not yet covered in ice. Renji's heart leapt as he finally made the outline of their destination point. Low humming of reiatsu let him know his two companions were still dragging along behind him - apparently oblivious to the fact that Santa Claus had a flying sledge and did not have to travel on foot! Mention, using shunpo in this weather would likely end up quite the disaster.

Gust of warm heavy air welcomed him as he opened the door to the last rukongai pub they had yet to visit, and with great relief he stumbled inside, followed by two other figures also covered in snow from head to foot. They seemed a lot more happier though, than he felt. Or at least one of them did.

"Merry Christmas!" chittered Ukitake Juushirou in his most sing-song voice, as he straightened his snow-white full beard and fluffy red hat. At least he wasn't wearing any stuffing or they would never get the job done in time for the feast.

Immediately a small army of children of all ages, from the most little ones barely able to walk straight to almost adults, gathered around him, and Renji only let himself get swept by the tide of all the "mister raindeer"s and "shiny nose"s. The only thing keeping him sane and preventing an angry outburst when one of those little monkeys jumped at him, pulling his hair out of his hat shaped like a reindeer's head with a delighted cry of: "Look, there's red pineapple on his head!" was the expression on Hitsugaya Toushirou's face, which could only be described as murderous. For it was the small captain who's been dragging a giant sack full of presents around this whole time, and now was handing it to Ukitake while being pulled by the pointy elven ears of the green elf costume Matsumoto had made for him.

"Abarai, would you remind me exactly whyare we doing this?" he whispered through gritted teeth, after finally having managed to get away. They stod side by side in a corner, watching Ukitake obviously enjoying himself as he was handing away the last of his presents.

Of course it was a rhetorical question, and did not require an answer. Though it did make Renji go back to the previous morning, when he was unceremoniously dragged out of his bed by Kira Izuru and Ichimaru Gin, and led someplace he wouldn't recognize, if he didn't know it was the 13th Division office. Most of all, the place resembled a clothier full of people running about making green, red and white clothes for what they called 'Christmas'.
Renji had never heard of such a thing, but apparently Rukia came with the idea from the Material World, and the SWA picked right on it, proceeding to immediately plan a grand Christmas party with a bit of charity for the children of Rukongai.

Renji was to become Rudolph the Reindeer, since his kidou skills would apparently be put to at least some use that way. After he immediately categorically refused, he almost jumped out of his skin when Aizen Sousuke popped up from behind a wardrobe with a pair of scissors in his hand. That kicked puppy expression the captain always used to make even Zaraki Kenpachi feel guilty, firmly in place, he said what a shame it was, because Kuchiki-taichou himself suggested his fukutaichou for the job, and that they couldn't possibly find someone better suited for such important task. Renji, however stopped listening the moment Byakuya's name came up. He knew that instant what this was all about. Revenge. Clear manifestation of his lover's mischevious personality that he invoked himself by taking advantage of the noble in so many ways, thinking it's all good and well when it's behind the bedroom doors.
Oh, how wrong he was! But he couldn't get out of this now. Not if he wanted to keep taking those advantages.

"I'm counting on you, Renji." Byakuya told him as he came along the dressing room hours later, fixing those dark heavy-lidded eyes on his vice-captain having antlers fashioned onto his head, and a fluffy, little brown and white tail sewn to his now furry bottom. They were dancing with laughter. And Renji again very much considered refusing to do this until he saw it - the flicker of a pink tongue and a slight nip of lower lip promising heaven itself.

Byakuya was clearly tempting him on purpose.

"'Course he's doin' it on purpose!" he murmured to himself the following night, half-drunk and grateful he had the guts to leave the Shinigami Christmas feast when he did, rummaging through his drawer. "Shit! Got me wrapped round his little finger."

"Who has?" the quiet, measured voice made the red-head jump and hit his head hard.

String of handpicked curses ran through his mind, though he did not voice any of them. Instead he turned around to see Kuchiki Byakuya sliding the door to Renji's quarters close, watching his vice-captain from beneath long, dark eyelashes; pale face the mask of stone as usual.

"Taichou!" Renji immediately hid the package he successfully retrieved a second earlier, behind his back. "What're ya doin' here?"

Byakuya did not speak immediately, his obsidian eyes still fixed on Abarai's face now lined with shadows of a single lamp illuminating the darkened room. Snow was still falling outside, though there was no trace of yesterday's storm.

"As I recall we had an appointment, had we not?" said the raven-haired noble calmly, though there was a slight icy edge to those words.

"Yeah, but you're two hours early." Renji checked the clock for good measure and discovered that he was quite right.

Byakuya, however did not argue with him. Silently, he swept past his lover -who tried not to turn his back for his captain to see what he was hiding- and began removing his scarf, tekkou gloves, haori and finally the kenseikan too.

"Such gatherings are troublesome." his voice reverberated through the silence, and Renji knew he meant the very same party he too had left a few minutes earlier. Perhaps Byakuya followed him? "I did not wish to remain there any longer than was necessary." obsidian eyes searched for their chocolate counterparts. "Do you wish me to leave?"

"Hell no!" Renji's raised voice surprised and pleased Byakuya.

When it came to his vermillion-haired lover, the noble's self-confidence dropped below zero. He could never help himself doubting his being worthy of such devotion and love. He did not feel he deserved it, though he took great pride in Renji's strength and skill both in bed and on the battlefield.

The greater his surprise when the red-head apologized for nothing in particular, and stood inches from the 6th Division Captain, holding his hands in front of him with a small ornated lockbox resting on his palms.

"What is this?" Byakuya asked, though he accepted it. And when he opened it his deep, dark eyes widened with surprise as he gazed upon a set of brand new calligraphy brushes of the highest quality, and solid black ink beautifuly decorated with a single gold and silver koi.

"Merry Christmas, Byakuya." Renji said only, crooked grin spreading on his tanned, tattooed face at the sight of delight roaming over his lover's beautiful features.

Before long, brushes lay forgotten on a table nearby in the heat of passion that surged through the two bodies entwined in a familiar fashion on a bed underneath the window. Everything except the welcoming warmth and closeness of the other's body erased by hot moist tongue and nimble fingers wandering across heated skin; kisses sending echoes through bundles of nerves it felt like a chill coiling around the spine, and silenced by sounds of the deepest pleasure scraping their way through parted lips.

Neither had gotten much sleep that night, and Renji did not forget to ensure his lover that the only thing he wanted for Christmas was Byakuya himself.

o*O*o

The snow beginning to fall more heavily made the small, dark-haired girl look up into the sky. She could feel fain, familiar reiatsu behind the glittering, diamond flakes settling in her hair; melting at the slightest touch of the warm skin of her hands clutching a small package, tied up with golden ribbon.

"Shiro-chan..." she whispered softly into the night, and watched her breath coming out of her mouth in white puffs. She smiled.

Her childhood friend would always try to make her happy. And though she loved snow very much, this he did mainly to thank her for the christmas present she had given him, before she braced herself and left for her own captain's quarters with another one.

She stood in front of the shoji door to the 5th Division captain's quarters, her eyebrows knitted together in a nervous frown. Would he accept such a thing from her? Wasn't it too much to expect him to keep her humble present, when he must have surely already received so many more? She did not know, but...

"You won't know anything unless you try, silly. Now go and give it to him. I'm sure he'll be glad."

Matsumoto Rangiku's voice was loud and clear in her ears; she felt a flush coloring her cheeks as she stood there shivering with cold, waiting for god knows what. And i took only a heartbeat more for her to finally make up her mind, and with an expression of utmost concentration she raised her hand to knock...

...only to be given permission to enter even before her frozen knuckles could touch the door.

She started and obeyed, stepping into the warmth of her captain's room, and closing the door behind her. It looked the same as always - a little dim but very familiar with a certain not entirely definable atmosphere she had come to associate with her captain's kindness and patience. It even smelled like him. Soft, lingering fragrance of waterlilies. She breathed deeply the scent, feeling her mind slipping away as she did so.

"What is it, Hinamori-kun?" a kind, deep voice made her snap out of it. Hinamori blinked.

Aizen Sousuke was sitting at a kotatsu table, brush suspended in midair over a sheet of brand new paper. He put it down beside an ink bottle and smiled up at her, his chocolate brown eyes seemed to sparkle with kindness behind his black square spectacles. And as he slowly rose up to his full height, the empty sleeves of the beige, striped haori thrown casualy over his shoulders, flapped quietly.

Hinamori's cheeks darkened as she watched him edge closer. Her eyes searching the room to avoid looking ito his dark, bewitching depths, she thumbed the little package in her hands, and strived to find words. "Aizen-taichou, I... It's... Here!" she outstretched her hands, her gaze still not meeting his. "Merry Christmas." she uttered quietly asan afterthought.

"Thank you, Hinamori-kun." Sousuke said only, his thin lips once again curled in an affable smile, exchanged for surprise for just a little moment. He took the gift from her trembling hands, and their fingers brushed together as he did so. It sent a shiver through her body, causing her to flinch with surprise.

"Unfortunately I did not think to give you anything for you trouble."

Hinamori shook her head vigorously. "I-I-It's not necessary, Aizen-taichou!" she hurled at him, her hand clenched on her chest. "I am happy just being your fukutaichou! It's the most wonderful thing anyone could wish for!"

Sousuke's eyebrow raised for a moment and then his heavy-lidded eyes softened as he looked into hers to see the light dancing within. "Then I shall do my best to cherish those feelings and make sure to have a marvelous suprise prepared for you next year."

Hinamori's face positively gleamed with pride and delight at those words. She noded and bowed to the man she adored from the bottom of her heart.

"And please do not stay outside for too long, or you will catch a cold." he said as she was about to leave.

Hinamori turned around, smiling from ear to ear in spite of the cold gust of wind sweeing past her into the room "Hai!" she nodded and closed the door behind her quickly.

And the moment she did so, something in Aizen Sousuke's handsome face changed. If she could see him now, she would tremble not with delight but fear instead, for his eyes darkened and grew cold as he examined her present; his kind smile changed into something very close to a self-satisfied smirk. Cruel curve of lips promising slow and painful death for anyone, fooling enough to stand in his way.

"After all, admiration is the emotion furthest from understanding."

o*O*o

"Matsumoto! That's enough!" Hitsugaya Toushirou finally turned away from the window through which he's been watching snowflakes falling heavily onto Seireitei's rooftops for the past hour - on his orders of course. Hyourinmaru had indeed surpassed himself this time.

His blond fukutaichou tilted her head, using her usual puppy-eyes trick. It didn't work this time either. "But taichou-"

"No buts. You've had enough. We're leaving." the small captain said resolutely, grabbed Matsumoto Rangiku by the collar of her shihakusho and dragged her away; angry vein pulsing at his temple.

Kira Izuru and Hisagi Shuuhei waved at her clumsily, both already having had too much sake in their blood, before their heads painfully hit the wooden table between them. Kyouraku Shunsui on whom their little drinking contest did not seem to have any effect whatsoever, laughed. Only his cheeks betrayed a rosy tint.

"Ne, taichou, where are we going?" Matsumoto asked, now at least walking by herself by Hitsugaya's side. He only supported her a little bit.

"To your quarters. And I don't want to hear any complaints!" this ended the discussion, and she kept silent the rest of the way, leaving the boy Shinigami to his own thoughts. No need to say the whole lot of them circled around Hinamori.

As they arrived at the 10th Division vice-captain's quarters, Hitsugaya led Matsumoto inside to sit down. "Now, I hope you can manage to get to bed by yourself. Good night, Matsumoto." and he turned to leave.

"Taichou," she called after him, straightening up. Her gaze was suddenly clear and austere. "You worry too much. It's Christmas."

He frowned at her for a moment, then nodded and walked out into the snow, closing the shoji door behind him.

Matsumoto heaved a deep sigh. Her head was spinning and she felt a slight discomfort in the pit of her stomach. This certainly meant another terrible hangover in the morning but surprisingly she didn't care much.
She didn't get to see Gin today, though she had told him to come. How very like him not to listen to anyone but himself. She could feel her alcohol-clouded mind sharpen even as she propped herself up, walking slowly towards a drawer to get changed and go to bed, just like her captain had instructed her to. And that was when she saw it. Small, inconspicuous box lying on a table next to her Haineko, embroidered with a silver ribbon. She didn't need to think twice about whom it had come from.

Entirely sober now, she took the little thing in her hand. It fitted perfectly in her palm. Her fingers wrapped around it tightly as she pressed it to her chest, smiling to herself. "Gin..."

o*O*o

"Merry Christmas, Rangiku." Ichimaru Gin murmured, though she could not hear him.

Perched just above his childhood friend's door, he shoved his hands into his sleeves to protect himself from the cold he so disliked. Concealing his presence, he watched her captain making his way towards his own quarters before his senses registered the slight fluctuation in Matsumoto's reiatsu, which could only mean that she had found his present.

He wouldn't loiter to see her, nor would he expect something from her in return. She wouldn't give him anything, for she had learned not to do such sentimental things for him. He vanished in shunpo almost immediately, slight furrow edged in his silver brows, the ever-present grin not as face-splitting as usual.

Slowly, he closed the shoji door to his own quarters behind him as he entered a bare second later, and at once his grin returned. He straightened up a bit more if only to defy the so much familiar reiatsu tickling at his senses.

"I see you have been out enjoying this silly holiday as well, Gin." the soft, deep voice reverberated through the room. It folded like velvet, wrapping around his body just like it's owner's overwhelming presence lured his mind into a false sense of security.

He knew very well how dangerous it could be to succumb to those bewitching eyes; he fully understood why others would venture to the depths of Hell should they be commanded to do so, even if they knew he wouldn't care whether or not they return.

He turned to face the figure looming out of a darkened corner. Tall and handsome with short hair the color of milk chocolate falling over deep-brown eyes, now devoid of black, square spectacles so that they seemed to gleam with cruel expediency. And those dark depths were boring into him, searching for a soft spot that would show something for their owner to exploit.

"Silly?" Gin's smile widened. "Oia, ya suggestin' I shoulda brought somethin' fer ya too, Aizen-taichou?"

Sousuke smiled, but there was no joy in the curve of his lips. "I wouldn't ask such pointless thing of you, Gin." he said, crossing the space between them with two strides. Two long, graceful fingers reached up to cup the silver-haired man's chin and tilt his face up. "Or perhaps you are under the impression that I might feel jealous of that girl?"

"Ya tell me." Ichimaru pushed his luck further. Being god's jester kept him alive after all. He needed to live up to his reputation.

"I asure you I have no reason to feel such ridiculous emotion, for Iam the one in possession of everything else." his free hand slithered around Ichimaru's waist, Sousuke pulled the thinner man towards him, pressing their bodies together and lowering his face to whisper in his ear. "Let her have that little trinket. I shall take the rest."

And the kiss that followed was one of hunger and demand without any concern for the other one's wishes. Crush of lips against lips, tongue forcing his way into Gin's mouth. But he did not object. It has always been like this. He got used to it and even if he didn't, there was no other choice. He knew when his little acts of defiance were keeping this man entertained, and when there was a line he couldn't cross without suffering the consequences. This was one of those lines, and so Gin gave himself up to hands sneaking into his shihakusho, taking it off bit by bit; teeth biting the soft skin of his neck and collar bone that were sure to leave marks, and the pulsing ache of being taken, violently and without any chance to scream as the pain tore him apart and he felt blood trickling down his inner thights.

And the snow stopped descending upon the already glittering white ground, and a full moon became the only witness to what was going on behind closed doors.

Reviews are always welcome ofc... and in case some of you are wondering, the title comes from World of Warcraft, where Christmas is called the Winter Veil. :)