Hey guys! (And of course girls!)

Sorry I haven't updated my crossover fic in so long; I've been really busy with school and everything else. Hopefully, this will keep you happy for as little while, until I update again.

I wanted to do a Christmas fic, just because, well, it's Christmas! And since it's me, it had to be an Ichihime, or it just wouldn't feel right. Be warned, however; nothing but incredibly sappy, predictable fluff awaits you if you read on.

Apologies for any typos etc in this; I did it in practically no time at all, and refused to let my Mother proof-read it, 'cos I'd get all embarrassed. Awww.

Okay, I just realised that I probably need to explain some things. This is set long after the winter war, so spoilers, but not too many – this is a one-shot, so it won't ruin it for you too much.

Also, the paragraphs. Sorry about this, but I realised earlier that it might be a bit confusing if I didn't explain. Three asterisks (***) Means a change in setting and/or viewpoint. Five stars (*****) indicates that time has passed and that the setting has changed, but the viewpoint remains the same.

P.S. I'm sorry, I made it more about Orihime than expected – I guess it's just the hopeless romantic in me. Also, I didn't put in an author's note at the end, though I had intended to – I feared it would detract from the ending. Anyway, I'll stop bothering you now and let you read. I hope you enjoy it.

P.P.S. Yes it was a half moon on Christmas day this year, or close enough to it. I think.

P.P.P.S. I know I didn't completely explain one aspect of the summary, but it was implied throughout, if you were looking.

P.P.P.P.S. Wow! I had no idea that there was song called "The Greatest Gift of All" - and it fits the fic so perfectly! I'm so happy! (It doesn't take much).

This was it, then.

Orihime sighed at herself in the mirror as she recalled everything which had happened to her in the last year. It had been a rollercoaster ride beyond comparison, both emotionally and physically. However, the scars which could be seen had long since faded.

It was those which could not that caused her to tremble.

The pain... Cold laughter ringing through the darkness... His face, contorted in agony as...

Orihime snapped out of it, shook her head, and least it was all over now.

Although there was one thing that remained...

* * *

"No!" Ichigo caught his father's flying kick, swatting him away angrily.

"No way am I letting you come! You'll spend all night harassing my friends and embarrassing me! Just stay here. I'll be back later, anyway."

"But Ichigo; it's Christmas! Oh, Masaki! Why has my son grown into such a rebellious youth?!" Kurosaki Isshin's wailed at his wife's poster, his eyes watering.

Suddenly, he collapsed to the ground, a large lump beginning to form on his forehead as his daughter's foot pressed down hard on it.

"Shut up, old man." Karin chided him, scowling in a manner not dissimilar to her brother's.

"Ichigo, you'd better go and get ready. You don't want to keep her-" She coughed. "– Sorry, I mean them, waiting."

Ichigo frowned for a moment, then rushed off to him room, thanking his sister as he did so.

His bedroom door swung open as he neared it, and a small, dark-haired girl glared at him from the doorway.

"What took you so long?! Come on; we need to get ready – fast!"

With that, she snatched his arm and dragged him over to the dresser, flinging him down on a chair beside it as she rushed off to find something.

As Ichigo looked in the mirror, he sighed. He looked as exhausted as he felt. Even though the Winter war, which had in fact lasted almost a whole year, was finally over, he had still been unable to sleep.

Images and sounds flashed through his mind; snarling monsters, the clashing of swords, the faces of the dead and the dying, and a scream, slicing through his consciousness even as the world turned to black...

* * *

"Ano... Megumi-san... I'm not sure if this is such a good idea. Maybe I should just go in jeans or something. Anyway, it'll be too cold..."

"Now, now, Inoue-san. We agreed no arguments, remember?" Matsumoto squeezed the younger girl's shoulder as she chided her, grinning.

"But, Rangiku-san! It's too expensive! How did you..."

"Oh, don't worry about that. Captain's paying for everything. Just sit back and relax. As for the dress, what do you think, Arisawa-san?" Matsumoto winked at the spiky-haired tomboy, knowing that Orihime was bound to listen to her best friend, regardless of what she thought.

"I think it looks lovely, Orihime, but then again I'm no expert." She turned to face the tailor.

"Megumi-san, what do you think?"

The tailor bowed to her client, then turned to face Orihime.

"My dear, I have never in all my time seen anyone quite so well-suited to this dress. I assure you that it will enhance your already breathtaking loveliness to a level never before seen by mortal eyes."

When it was put like that, Orihime found it even more difficult to argue. As she sat back in her seat, her mind began to drift once again, back to the same subject as always...

* * *

"Hold on – what the hell is he doing here?!" Ichigo yelled, pointing at the tall, bespectacled boy leaning against his bedroom wall. Even after being comrades for over two years, Ichigo and Uryu still found it difficult to see eye-to-eye, despite their best attempts. Or so they said.

"I am here because Rukia-san asked me to be. Do not think for a moment that this is something which I in any way desired, because to do so would be most incorrect. However, since I am here anyway I may as well lend my services. Please remain still."

"Pompous bastard" Ichigo muttered under his breath as Ishida marched up to him, wielding a long, shimmering silk shirt.

"Why do I have to dress up like this anyway? And why do I need a jacket? You know I don't feel the cold." Ichigo demanded as Ishida finished tying his tie.

Rukia and Ishida shared a momentary glance, then spoke in unison.

"Just sit still and quite complaining!"

Ichigo muttered inaudibly, but complied nonetheless. After all, he had too much on his mind to be worrying about these two acting strange.

* * * * *

Ichigo clenched his teeth, his breath coming out in tatters as he fought to keep himself from shaking. Why was he such a mess? He wasn't cold at all... Must be an adrenaline rush. He glanced up at Rukia and Ishida, who were walking a few paces ahead of him. It was odd; they weren't the only people who had been acting strangely for a while – Rangiku and Toushiro had been acting up too, along with Chad - though of course it had taken a while for Ichigo to notice in that instance – and despite all his best efforts he still had no idea what was going on. The only person who seemed oblivious to it was Inoue, and that was hardly surprising – for a genius, she spent a terrific amount of time staring into space. Furthermore, some of the things she came up with were beyond bizarre. Nonetheless, he had to admit that she was-

"Ichigo! Stop daydreaming already!"

Ichigo snapped back to reality at the sound of Rukia's voice.

"Ishida and I are going to go meet up with Renji. Can you wait here for the others? Thanks!" Rukia ran off before Ichigo had a chance to answer, followed closely by Ishida. He considered calling after them, then gave up on the idea. After all, they had only asked him to wait. What could go wrong?

* * *

Orihime shivered. As she had anticipated, it was far too cold outside to be wearing only a dress. However, she couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't the cold which was making her shiver.

Kurosaki-kun... She had not seen him since the end of the war, but he had always been on her mind. Ever since the day she left for Hueco Mundo, he had been all she had thought about, even though the pain of it made her feel sick. She should long since have come to terms with the fact that her feelings were unrequited, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to let go of the dream which she had harboured for so many years...

Orihime started at the soft sound of a teardrop striking the ground, and dried her eyes. It wouldn't do for the others to see her crying, especially on Christmas day. She would put on a brave face for them, and for him, no matter what. Ahead of her, she saw the blurred image of the tall, cast-iron park gates draw closer.

"Hey, Orihime!"

Orihime turned to face her best friend, forcing a smile.

"We're gonna go grab some hot dogs – can you let the others know we're on our way, please?"

Orihime nodded. At least there would be plenty of other people there already.

"Okay, Tatsuki-chan! Have fun!"

With that, she began to make her way towards the centre of the park, where the huge community Christmas tree resided.

* * *

It was only once alone that Ichigo began to really think about what had happened in the past year. Up until that point, he had tried so very hard to forget, to end the flashbacks, that he was shocked by how easily the memories came to him. Strangely, that was all that came; memories. Not flashbacks, not nightmares, just... Memories. For the first time, he found himself capable of looking back at what had happened and feeling... Not... Good, as such, but he felt that, at last, he was able to feel that they had accomplished something. For the first time he was able to see beyond the lives which had been lost to the purpose of the war – the lives which had been saved.

The inhabitants of Seireitei, Karakura Town, The Spirit Kingdom... And above all, her.

Wait... Why am I placing Inoue above the others? Ichigo wondered, confused. It was true that he had only gone to Hueco Mundo in the first place to rescue her, but surely... No, He realised. The outcome of the war would have been very different if I hadn't gone to Hueco Mundo. Maybe even... He stopped thinking then. He didn't want to think about what might have happened had he not gone to Hueco Mundo.

Even so, I would have done the same for any of my friends. I would have fought with my life if it had been Chad, or Rukia, or Ishida. So then, why... Why did he still feel like this? Why did he still feel as though he was missing something?

Suddenly, a thought began to niggle at the back of his mind. Could it be that I... No. He had only ever thought of Orihime as a friend. Nothing more. Even when he was putting his life on the line to save her, he had never felt anything different, had he?

He shook his head to rid himself of his thoughts. He could ponder on things later; this evening was to be enjoyed. He sat down on a bench facing the huge Christmas tree, letting the soft sound of the breeze wash over him as it rustled through the branches, and looked around at his surroundings. He had been oblivious to the scenery up until then, probably due to the fact that he had seen the park so many times. However, he had never ventured there at Christmas time before. After a moment of looking around, he began to wonder why. It was not often he used the word, but the park was truly, breathtakingly, beautiful. The Christmas tree stood in the very centre, in a small clearing surrounded by tall evergreen trees, with large, snow-topped, cast-iron gates on either side, perfect miniatures of the gigantic ones which marked the entrances of the park itself. He marvelled at the snow; it was still falling, but so slowly that it seemed to hang in mid-air. The trees glistened with it; even the very tips of the leaves were adorned with perfect snowflakes – every one perfect, in spite of every one being different. Even his footprints had already been filled in, so that it looked almost as though he had always been sat there on the bench.

And then there was the tree itself.

Its shimmering splendour was unblemished in any way by the snow which was draped across its decorations; rather, it seemed to accentuate the glittering tassels beneath it, reflecting and enhancing the gorgeous reds, golds and silvers into a masterpiece of colours, illuminated perfectly by the multitude of coloured fairly lights which enveloped the majestic tree. Gradually, Ichigo allowed his head to raise itself to gaze upon the very top of the tree, where a huge, ethereal star shone, blazing through the darkness like a... Well, like a star. Ichigo looked up further, following the celestial light of the moon with his eyes as it filtered gently through the trees, to land among the snowflakes.

And then he saw her.

She had approached so quietly that even in the near-silence of the clearing Ichigo hadn't noticed whatsoever, even though she was only a few paces away.

It was strange; they spent a lot of time together, yet had never truly seen her. Not like this. His eyes widened as they took in the sight before them. Megumi had been right about the dress; it enhanced her already astounding beauty so greatly that she seemed to shimmer in the moonlight, her skin glowing with a warm light of its own. The dress itself was of the purest white, long enough that its hem trailed upon the floor, but with a split hem which made her exquisite pearl-coloured shoes visible. It hugged her slender form closely, accentuating her curves while maintaining her modesty perfectly. Although it was not as intricately woven as a wedding dress, the care and attention to detail which had gone into its tailoring was evident from the silver lace at the edge to the pearl belt which fastened it about her waist. From the shoulders extended long silk sleeves, with which Orihime wore a pair of gorgeously delicate white satin gloves.

Her loose auburn hair fluttered lightly in the breeze, drawing Ichigo's eyes to it. Every strand was visible as it glittered in the soft, glorious light of the half-moon. Her grey eyes shimmered with luxurious purples and golds as she walked slowly and gracefully towards him, articulating every step like a dancer.

Suddenly, Ichigo found himself standing, though he couldn't remember getting up. He caught her gaze, and she stopped, less than an arm's reach away.

"Kurosaki-kun..." Orihime trailed off, dropping her head lightly as she did so. Without thinking, Ichigo reached out and placed his forefinger beneath her chin, gently lifting her face back up to his, and smiled.

"Inoue, you look... Incredible."

Her eyes widened, then she returned his smile.

"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun." Suddenly, she remembered how cold she was, and shivered, looking away from Ichigo as she did so, then started as she felt something warm and soft wrap itself around her.

She looked back at Ichigo to find him jacketless, and smiling.

"Don't worry. I never feel the cold." He said, extinguishing her concerns before she voiced them.

"Come on. We may as well sit down while we wait for the others." He said, gesturing towards the bench.

As they sat in silence for a moment, Ichigo shut his eyes and took the opportunity to think. After a few seconds, he reopened them again, and turned to the radiant girl beside him, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Merry Christmas, Orihime."

Blushing slightly, she met his gaze once more, feeling herself fall into his deep brown eyes. Tentatively, she leaned up and brushed her lips against his cheek, whispering in his ear,

"Merry Christmas... Ichigo."

Feeling his face begin to warm, Ichigo drew Orihime in closer, feeling her heart beat in unison with his, and sighed softly.

This was what he had fought so hard to protect. He just hadn't known it back then.

* * * * *