Winter in the Seireitei, night and snow blanketed the buildings; warmly tucked in the shinigami who protected the world slept, peaceful slumbers devoid of fighting. Not a creature stirred, not a sound was heard except footsteps down a quiet hall; a young lieutenant silently making his way from his room to another. Behind fake glasses his eyes looked around, his face frozen in a serious but weary look; he didn't want to be awake, not tonight, but he had to be. After all someone else was.
Sneaking from the barracks to his office, he tiptoed through snow and moonlight until he came to his door; it was open a crack and a flickering light filtered out gently. The lieutenant sighed and opened the door, opening his mouth to speak and reprimand the sneaky one in his office but stopped.
Next to his desk stood a pine tree, small but wide, with ornaments and tinsel and lights wrapped around it; it was a strange sight, the tree, especially with the presents all scattered under it. It simply was missing its star which he easily found; it lay grasped in two hands belonging to two arms connected to a boy, no older than eight. He wore nothing but a night kimono and a silly red hat, his mouth slightly open and his eyes as always closed; he was curled up under the tree, dreaming away peacefully, of persimmons and mischief the lieutenant was sure.
Sighing he walked over, shaking his head; what was he to do with this childish trespasser, this decorating fiend? He picked the boy up carefully in his arms, causing the boy to let out a soft murmur of nothing. He glanced at the tree then at the star; the boy held it tight and he felt no need to steal it. So he walked back to the door, closing it again as he left for the place his fellow shinigami all slumbered peacefully. Into the barracks and back down the hall, he stopped at one room, devoid of its owner; he set the boy on the bed and tucked him in, muttered, "good night Gin, Merry Christmas."
~~~
Veneziano: 1:52 am. Can't sleep. This story invaded my brain. Vene try to sleep now. Merry Christmas.(written on Christmas morning)
Gin*asleep*