Advent Calender

By ElemenTalia

Beta'd by ElemenTalia and nightslashcheetor

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in any way.

Summary: Christmas is one of the best times, and sometimes the only time some adults allow themselves to become children. Others don't constrain themselves as well. Kami-help Ichigo. Female Ichigo/Urahara

Authors Note: I found a challenge on the internet to write a story with specific keywords. I just decided that it was the perfect opportunity to write that Christmas Urahara Ichigo Fanfiction I've been wanting. Here's the words below, if you want to spend the time to search for them.

Candles, ice crystals, time off, snow flakes, seasonal, winter, snow, holidays, Christmas, family, eating, Santa Claus, reindeer, Rudolph, blizzard, snowstorm.

Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. No matter how we may dread the rush, the long Christmas lists for gifts and cards to be bought and given--when Christmas Day comes there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes."

~ Joan Winmill Brown, American author and editor.

It was a beautiful day. The birds were chirping, a fine layer of snow dusted the ground, and there was an absolute peace. It was Christmas, the time for families, and presents, and peace on earth. Ichigo smiled slightly, her normal sullen expression softening for once.

Thud.

The smile froze. Ever so slowly she closed her eyes and turned around. Her eyes opened, before a snort suddenly escaped her mouth. Urahara pouted, his face a bright red from where he had slipped on the ice, and slammed into the door when he had been trying to sneak up on her. The pout deepened as she almost suffocated herself in her effort to avoid laughing.

Finally deeming herself controlled, she smirked at the wiry male on the ground in front of her. Such a nice view. "That's what you get for trying to sneak up on me. Probably going to do something weird. Pervert."

Urahara gave her his most angelic expression. "Oh, Ichigo, you would think so badly of me!" He wilted at her reply.

"That's just because I know you too well."

He tried to pull himself together. "Regardless, it is Christmastime, one of the best holidays! The time for forgiveness, and joy across the world." He exaggerated his words carefully.

Ichigo's tone was dry as she responded. "Forgiveness in allowing you to grope me as much as you want, and joy as in expensive Christmas presents, right?"

Urahara beamed at her. "That's right."

She rolled her eyes. "Forget it. You get your presents with everybody else at the Christmas Eve party. You're not getting anything before then."

He gave her his moth pathetic look, which she only raised her eyebrow at. "What? You expect that to move me? Forget it."

She opened her mouth to say more, before being distracted by her front door opening. Yuzu poked her head out, and Urahara had the opportunity to watch Ichigo's eyes soften unintentionally.

"Onee-chan? Can you decorate the Christmas tree?"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "We aren't doing it as a family this year?"

The smaller girl shook her head. "Karin has been busy spending time, or getting presents with that friend of hers…" She frowned as she tried to think of the name.

Urahara looked interested, while Ichigo started frowning. The male spoke. "Hitsugaya-kun?"

Yuzu nodded cheerfully. "Yep. That's the name. Karin has been spending a lot of time with Hitsugaya-kun, and I've been really busy lately helping our next door neighbor with her house."

Ichigo started to snarl. "Hitsugaya? That white-haired midget?"

Yuzu ignored her, and instead spoke to Urahara. "Every year we set up the Christmas tree as a family. It became a special thing. This year we've become too busy to do it."

Urahara perked up. "What about Isshen? Is he too busy?"

Ichigo shook her head, attention temporarily diverted from the horrifying realization that the white-haired midget-captain liked her sister. The random thought about how she would be forced to beat him up passed through her mind, before she concentrated on the present and spoke.

"Course. Goat-face is always really busy around Christmas. People tend to get hurt around Christmastime. You know, falling off of high places trying to set up the Christmas lights, having to have their stomachs pumped because they drank too much 'Christmas Cheer', the sudden outbreaks of sniffles and diseases because of the cold weather… This year has been really bad for him, the office has been really packed. The only reason we're not there, is because we've been really busy too."

Yuzu frowned slightly. "Normally though, he's working here, and Karin, Ichigo and I help."

Her older sister frowned. "Goat-face said that there was some weird flu going around, and he didn't want us to get sick. He closed down our clinic, and is working over at the nearest hospital. They need a lot more doctors, since they're shifting their normal ER people over to pretend to be surgeons. Stupid people keep getting really hurt in some strange ways."

Urahara clapped his hands together cheerfully, his eyes in little crescent shapes. "Well then, I suppose that you and I can set up the Christmas tree, Ichigo-chan!"

Reflectively she snapped at him, "Don't call me Ichigo-chan!" before she registered what he had said. "What? No! Your gonna somehow manage to burn the tree down. Besides, it's a family event."

"There's not many of your family going to be there. And how would I burn down the tree?" He pointed out, almost singing the words.

She sighed, forced to give him that win. Yuzu pouted up at her older sister. "Come on, Ichigo-nee-chan! Please?"

Finally Ichigo threw up her arms and groaned. "Fine. Sandal-hat can help with the Christmas tree…" As both Yuzu and Urahara cheered, dancing around in little circles, Ichigo could only ask herself what she had gotten herself into. As she watched Urahara slip on the ice, and once again crash into the door, she couldn't help but sigh and mutter, "Mischief, thou art afoot, take thou what course thou wilt."

Somehow Urahara heard, and he looked up in amusement. He stood up carefully, stepping inside the house so as to avoid sliding again. "Ah!" he said, cheerfully. "You like Shakespeare too? That would be from his play, Julius Caesar, correct?" Ichigo nodded, wary of what he might say. "Rest, rest, perturbed spirit! It's in-"

Ichigo's expression turned flat. "Yes, it's in Hamlet, telling someone, I can't remember who, to calm down. I know. Though I can't say there's much comfort in that. Get inside, and let's get this torture over with." She turned to her sister. "Come on Yuzu."

To her sister's surprise, Yuzu shook her head. "I've got to go help the next door neighbor. She finally got enough time off from work, and promised to tell me, and her children, stories about Santa Claus, Rudolph, and the other reindeer as I teach them how to cook the things they're planning on eating for Christmas."

Ichigo couldn't help but let a dismayed expression slip over her face. If Yuzu weren't there, she would be alone with… She scrambled for some excuse. "But the news said that there is going to be a snowstorm. If you go over to help cook now, you're not going to be done in enough time."

Even now a few snowflakes danced down, making the scene look like a beautiful winter picture from off the front of a seasonal greetings card. Now all they needed were the ice crystals to cover the window, and everything would be perfect. Well, the ice crystals, and the removal of Urahara Kisuke. It was Urahara. She was not going to have a crush on him if she could help it.

Yuzu grinned. "Karin is spending the night with her friends,"

Ichigo cut her off. "Not the white-haired midget?"

"No, not Hitsugaya-kun. Daddy said that he would only be able to eat on break, and Karin and I will be eating with the people we're staying with."

Unable to say anything without sounding suspicious, Ichigo had to settle with, "I hate winter."

She waved her sister goodbye, and turned to go inside. The knowing look in Urahara's eyes forced her to catch her breath, before she determinedly pushed past him. His hand suddenly touched her lower back stopping her, and he leaned forward to speak in her ear. She shivered, partly from the cold, and partly from the feeling of his breath dancing upon her ear.

"Don't be afraid, Ichigo. I'm not going to take advantage of you during the blizzard." He chuckled, a sound that forced another shiver down her back.

She gathered her strength and pushed past him, into the house. She heard the door close behind her, before looking up. A small smile crossed her face. "Good. The tree's up. And the garlands up too." She pointed towards a box. "There's the decorations. Have fun." She turned to leave, only to find herself face to face with Urahara's pout. A dangerous thing indeed. She could just feel Shirosaki, her inner hollow taunting her.

"Aw… You're just going to leave me here? All alone?"

Ichigo scowled blackly. "Of course not." She pointed towards another box. "I'm going to get out the candles, flashlights, blankets, and matches in case the power goes out."

He smiled brilliantly at her. So... Hot… Slightly unsteady, she couldn't help but wonder what was so different now. Usually his face was shadowed by his hat, so he didn't… Her mind paused. His hat? "Hey, Urahara. Where's your hat?"

He flashed another odd, happy smirk at her, before pointing to another box, where his hat rested on top of it. "You normally complain about me wearing it, so I decided to be a good guest and take it off in your home."

She glared. "Put it back on. Now." She grabbed the right box and started removing flashlights and candles from it. She stiffened when she felt him come to stand behind her, before deciding to ignore it. Ichigo picked up a delicate white tapered candle, one that was supposed to go in a beautiful brass setting, before nearly dropping it.

His hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her tightly against him. Vaguely, she couldn't help but once again get the opinion that Shirosaki, her inner hollow, and Old Man Zangetsu, were probably having a laughing fit. She also couldn't help but wonder what the weather was like inside her soul. As his lips brushed against the back of her neck, the thought, stormy, definitely stormy, reverberated through her head. She bit back an odd, most definitely inappropriate sound. No, that particular sound would not be good to be heard. Especially by him.

No matter how hard she tried, she could not ignore the masculinity in his voice, or the strength of his fingers that splayed possessively across her lower region of her stomach. She fought her sudden dizziness, trying to get a good grip on her control. She scolded herself fiercely. Control yourself! You are not some damsel in distress! You're a warrior, this shouldn't be affecting you! Another shudder, these were somehow becoming common, rippled down her spine as he spoke in a playful tone, as she tried to stop a blush from appearing on her cheeks.

His voice broke that train of thought. "But I don't want to put my hat on. I don't want to be ignored by you." He leaned closer. "Why won't you be familiar with me, Ichigo? Why won't you call me Kisuke?"

Her knee's almost buckled. No name should be spoken in that tone. That possessive, burning tone that almost caused her to want to do anything he asked. She tried to speak in a calm tone. A tone that she knew was not as steady as she would have liked. "What are you talking about Urahara?"

"Kisuke." His voice was unchanging.

She tried again. "Sandel-hat-"

He nibbled on her ear. "Kisuke."

Her knees did buckle, and he held her up even tighter against his form. "Fine. Kisuke. Why don't you go over there, and I'll finish getting out things from over here. Doesn't that sound good?"

Urahara chuckled. "I don't agree with you though, Ichigo-chan. I like being over here with you. Besides. I don't think you'd be able to stand me going over there." He chuckled again at his little pun. Ichigo wanted to kill him.

Her voice was waspish as she replied. "Hilarious. And I thought you said you weren't going to be taking advantage of me?" She jabbed her elbow back into his ribs. He didn't even flinch.

"You mean you want to me take advantage of you?" He asked in a suddenly chipper tone. "Oh look, Mistletoe! Maybe I should hang the mistletoe above us."

Her answer was snapped. "No! Now, I don't know what your thinking-" The power went out. Great. What next. She turned her head to look out the window. It was snowing badly. She should be able to throw him out that way. I mean, what could go wrong? It suddenly began to snow harder.

"Stupid Murphy's law…." She growled darkly.

Finally he, reluctantly, released her. "Aw. It's not like I'm a problem here, neh? Neh?" Her silence was enough of an answer. He wilted, comically. "Ichigo-chan! So mean…"

She snorted, getting a hold of herself. "Suck it up. Now move." She felt him step back and give her back her personal space, before reaching forward. Her fingers scraped the edges of the box as she felt along the inside. Her fingers grasped something cold, tube-like, and familiar. A grin covered her face. "Got it."

She turned on the flashlight, before quickly pulling out the candles and lighting them. Finally, the room lit up and her job completed, she looked up. Urahara was still watching her. "What?"

His eyes curved in little happy crescent shapes. "Oh nothing in particular. Just noticing how beautiful you are."

He said it so nonchalantly, that it took a moment before she realized what he said. "What?" Her voice cracked slightly. "What are you going on about now?"

Urahara sighed slightly as he pulled her over to the Christmas tree, and the box of ornaments. He took out a beautiful blown-glass ornament in the shape of an icicle, before setting it on the emerald boughs. He spoke, each word exact and blunt. "I said, that you are beautiful."

She shook her head, confused. "Why are you saying things like this? You're acting like an idiot Urahara."

She took a small candle from the box and placed it amoung the other ornaments on the tree. When it was finished, it would be covered in the identical icicle ornaments, candles, and snowy white garland. On Christmas night, when the candles were lit, her family, Orihime, Chad, and, apparently Urahara, would gather around the tree, tell stories, and pass out presents. It was a wonderful tradition. A tradition only family should take part in. Chad and Orihime were family after all, and it wasn't like Urahara was. Besides, he wouldn't want anything to do with her family except for Isshen. She could do the tree on her own, she didn't need him.

Ichigo ignored the small voice in the back of her head that whispered, telling her that Urahara could be family, if she let him closer.

Urahara apparently seemed to hear the voice, as he, once again, invaded her personal space. His voice was unnaturally warm as he wrapped his arms around her, still continuing to put up ornaments. "Oh Ichigo, haven't I given you enough clues?"

She stiffened slightly, hoping beyond hope that he wasn't going to say what she thought he was going to say. If he said it, she wasn't sure she could resist…

"Ichigo, I love you, and I want you to be mine." His words were simple, and spoken in the normal cheerful tone that so irritated her. But… It was obvious that he meant each word. She could feel her heart simultaneously swell with love, and break from heartbreak.

Her voice was cold as the blizzard outside her window as she responded. "Don't play with me Urahara. Don't pretend to be fond of me like that. Don't play with my heart." I couldn't survive if you were playing… The words remained unsaid, but heard all the same. Ichigo's voice was cold and detached, as she tried to lock up the emotions swirling around her.

He stiffened before crushing her even closer to his chest. "I don't play, Ichigo." She snorted, but he forged onward. "I don't pretend like this, on things as important as this. I want you as mine. Why won't you believe me?"

She could almost hear Zangetsu's voice in her minds eye, as she imagined what he would say. He would be blunt as he informed her that she had better decide quickly, because he was tired of the rain. And then he would make some strange possessive remark about him doing anything to make her happy, that would sound really strange except for the fact that he was a part of her soul. A soft, almost tear-choked laugh escaped her as she made her decision, before she turned around in his arms and kissed him deeply.

He didn't waste a second, tilting her head back as he plundered her mouth, staking an obvious claim. Mine…

She whimpered as her curved body slid against his own, matching his form with her shape. Finally he released her, breathing deeply as he buried his face in her neck. He deliberately kept his voice light as he spoke. "You are mine Ichigo." His lips caressed her skin for a second before continuing. "And I don't let go of what is mine. I love you."

She was silent for a moment, a heavy blush covering her face, and running down her neck. "I…" She sighed slightly, turning her head to the side in a show of pure stubbornness. "I suppose I like you enough… Kisuke…"

Urahara laughed. "So stubborn Ichigo-koi! Meh. I guess that's why I love you though."

Ichigo yelped as though injured. "Don't throw it around like that! Jeez…" Urahara turned her around, placing her back to his front, before handing her an icicle ornament. He reached up, brushing as close to her as possible as he placed another one high up, near the top of the tree.

Suddenly Ichigo was struck with how normal this was… With how natural it seemed. She keh'ed slightly, irritated with the fact that he wormed his way into her heart so easily. "Jerk…"

His answer slipped easily out of his mouth. "Neh, Ichigo? Does this mean I get a kiss every day until Christmas. I plan on coming every day if so!"

She wretched around in his grasp, staring at him strangely. "What on earth are you going on about?"

He grinned as his mouth descended towards hers, preparing to, once again, kiss her until her toes curled. "Instead of an Advent calendar full of chocolate, I'm going to kiss you every day." A smirk crossed his face. "Perhaps I'll even add the chocolate to it!"

Her last coherent thought for several minutes was the sudden understanding that her father was going to kill her. Not that it was going to be that bad. I mean… He kissed great…