Disclaimer – I don't own Bleach. This was my contest entry for Wattpad's holiday contest. Very belated merry Christmas.

1/13/2015 ~ Kaien dying after Isshin disappeared is actually not a mistake. There are actually no context clues in canon indicating when Kaien's death took place. This means he could have died before Isshin disappeared, or after.

Frostbritten Mistletoe
Hating Christmas

Two bright teal eyes watched as a puff of breath came out on the frosty air. The young taicho of the tenth division walked with his arms tucked into the sleeves of his Shinigami uniform to help keep warm. The white haired youth wasn't fond of the cold despite the fact his powers were ice based. His feet made a crunching sound as he walked across the yard of the thirteenth division grounds. The third seats of the division had spent a good deal of time decorating the place.

Toshiro's ears picked up conversations about the celebration that was planned for his and Ukitake's birthdays. The child taicho slipped past the members before they could see him and arrived shortly afterward at the Ugendo Quarters. This part of the thirteenth division was decked out with the most decorations. He peeked around the door frame as a sweat broke out over his body due to the ill feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Ukitake's head darted up and he waved the young taicho in. A Santa hat was on top of his head. "Good morning Hitsugaya Taicho. Come on inside."

The young taicho slipped into the room and knelt in a traditional position in front of the taicho of the thirteenth division. The corners of his mouth twisted up in frustration. "I know why I'm here today. You should know full well that I don't like my birthday anymore then I like Christmas."

The smile on the other white haired taicho's face left as his thin hands worked at making the traditional tea. "The Shiba clan is expecting you at their Christmas celebrations this year."

Toshiro's mouth opened only to snap shut in frustration. His young head turned to the side in order to try and hide the hurt feeling. "The current head should know full well why I don't like celebrating my birthday and Christmas." The child taicho's mind drifted off to seeing families celebrating Christmas in the world of the living and the twinge of pain that would set off. He also remembered a warm hand always coming to settle on his shoulder and a voice telling him it was fine to feel the way he did. "Taicho and Kaien-dono should have told her."

"You're under the assumption that I am actually the head of the family." Kukaku's voice caused the young taicho to turn and look at the female Shiba clan member in surprise. She slipped into the room and sat in a traditional position. She faced the young taicho instead of the captain of the thirteenth division.

"Kukaku-dono..." Toshiro's throat tightened as his hands clenched. He looked at the ground wondering how he could avoid the subject of not going to the Shiba clan's celebration. "If you aren't the head of the Shiba-clan, then who is?"

"Technically you are."

The young taicho's body froze up as his throat tightened even more. His mind began to whir as he tried to figure out the meaning of what she meant by him technically being the head of the clan. His hands tightened their grip on the front of his uniform. "I am?" Toshiro swallowed. "I'm not a member of the Shiba-clan. And shouldn't I have been told about this if it was true?"

Kukaku took a deep breath as she looked at the young taicho. "It was my decision not to tell you as well as my decision to serve as a stand in for you."

A sudden flare of anger caused Toshiro to grit his teeth as well as cause his rieatsu to flare out. His head snapped up. "Why... shouldn't I have been told?"

Ukitake placed a cup of tea in front of the young taicho. "When Kaien died... why do you think he did what he did that night?"

"Great... this Christmas buisness is enough of a damper as it is..." Toshiro looked way as he crossed his arms across his chest. "He loved Miyako-dono dearly. Taicho disappeared a few months prior if I remember correctly and that was effecting him as well."

"That's what most people know about the situation, but there is some more." Ukitake watched as the young taicho looked up with teal eyes reflecting a high level of hurt. "His actions also had to do with you."

"No..." The young taicho shook his head. "He was upset because he couldn't protect Miyako-dono. She was his other half, the part that balanced him out. You're implying that I was more important then the woman he loved. That's not true."

Kukaku took a deep breath. "It wasn't that you were more important then the woman he loved, but what importance you had to the two of them. My brother and sister-in-law..." There came a long silence as the young taicho looked at his knees. "We decided not to tell you that you were the head of the Shiba-clan because that would have meant telling you that my brother and sister-in-law managed to finalize your adoption a few days before they died. You were already dealing with our older brother leaving and their deaths. You didn't need that as well."

"Why now..." Two teal eyes looked at two small hands. The knuckles of the hands were stark white as the boy's frown deepened. "Seriously... I hate the Christmas season enough as it is. Isn't this going to make me hate it even more?"

Ukitake took a deep breath. "We don't know the year you were born, so we don't know how old you actually are. A physical was done on you to asses your physical age and from there we calculated when you would be the equivalent physical age to that of a thirteen year old. You understand now that I didn't ask you here to celebrate your birthday? Though truth be told I enjoy having a young one with a birthday so close to my own."

"If I'm the head... then I'm banning the celebration so I don't go... I think." Toshiro closed his eyes. "So... today is the day I'm expected to take over my duties as head of the Shiba-clan?"

"Today was the day you were supposed to take over your duties as head of the Shiba-clan." Kukaku shifted to a more relaxed position and pulled out her pipe. "One of the positive things that came about because the Quincy war was the fact your duties as head ended before you had to worry about them. You're coming to our Christmas celebration not as our head, but as our dearly loved nephew. Even Ganju is looking forward to seeing you. We want you there, particularly since there is plenty to celebrate this year unlike the other years."

"I'll think about it." The young taicho's head tilted down so he didn't have to look either adult in the eye. "Truth be told I don't feel comfortable coming."

Kukaku let out a sigh. "I'm not sure if you'll be given much choice in the matter. You of all people should know how the Shiba-clan operates."