In the Squad 11 barracks, the Christmas party always started one early, on Christmas Eve, and the party was in full swing. The fourth seat of the Zaraki squad sat quietly perched on the Captain's desk, looking out the window she'd cracked open to let a few snowflakes dance in while she sipped her cup of sake modestly. Having slipped away from her place in between Ikkaku and Yumichika awhile ago, never having been much of a heavy drinker herself, and she usually distanced herself from the squad once they started to get plastered to the point where the didn't know up from down, or left to right.
Even though being a Soul Reaper was the only life she knew now, however, she always had the feeling she hated Christmas when she'd been alive. The feeling was just like a habit that you've always had, even though you have no memory of why you have it in the first place, like how she always knew how to ride a horse.
And to top the whole night off, Yachiru talked her into wearing a pair reindeer antlers on her head, which quite frankly, she felt silly in.
Now that she thought about it, she liked the life that she had now, even though more than half of the Zaraki Squad where neanderthals who didn't have an etiquette bone in their body.
Setting her cup down, she was ready to ask the Captain for leave to go down and feed Captain Kuchiki's horses when a hand suddenly removed the reindeer antlers from her head. Glancing up, she saw Yumichika tossing them on the Captain's desk.
"Thank you," She sighed gratefully, "I'd never be able to live it down if anyone else saw me in those. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got hungry horses to attend to."
"Hold on a second, Akiu," Yumichika replied. When she raised her eyebrow at him in question, he pointed to something above their heads.
She looked up and...
...all the color drained from her face
Mistletoe.
With every step she took backwards, Yumichika followed with a step forward, until she was back against the wall. "Nowhere to go now," He said, smirking somewhat, putting a hand on the wall next to her head.
"This is fun for you, isn't it," Akiu replied, looking up at him as a flush scalded her cheeks. The whole room instantly feel silent when his lips connected with hers. It was a chaste kiss, but it was enough to send her heart fluttering.
"Cliches are ugly, but I chose to make exception this time," he said when he pulled away.
She could barely hear herself talk over her heart. Without even asking for leave, she darted out of the room.
"You do realize what you've just done, right?" Ikkaku said, topping off his cup of sake.
"Yes, I do," Yumichika replied, "but it was very endearing to see her speechless for once."
...
It was only when she finally stepped foot into the barn that she touched her lips, and grinned. Giggling, she spun around in a circle. "Ohh, what a night, Kyo," she said, grinning even wider at the big black horse staring curiously at her.
Resting her forehead against Kyo's, she inhaled deeply, letting the sweet smell of hay and horses steady her heart.
"Those reindeer antler's didn't suit you," Captain Kuchiki's voice startled her from her reverie.
"Good evening Captain," Akiu greeted, bowing, "I didn't hear you come in."
Byakuya paced a hand on Kyo's neck, and handed her an envelope. For the second time that night, she found herself speechless when she read what was written on the piece of paper. It was rights to own the first foal Kyo was to sire. When she opened her mouth to thank Byakuya, he was already gone.
"What a night indeed," she murmured, climbed the ladder up to the hayloft.
Once she returned to her quarters, Akiu found she had a third and final gift waiting for her, marked from Kisuke Urahara.
Quite frankly, this was rushed, and sloppily written. But, this was just a little something I wrote for myself. And my mom wouldn't have had it any other way if I didn't mention Kisuke at least once. Merry Yule, everyone.