This oneshot is dedicated to A Dreamer's Eyes, as a prize for winning my mini-contest.

Very, very, very mild romance if you squint. It's more like friendship if you don't squint.

*****

Yachiru tugged at Kenpachi's hair.

"Ken-chan! It's gonna be Christmas!"

Kenpachi grunted.

Yachiru pouted, and grabbed his hair some more.

"Ken-channnnnn! Icchy said that people give presents on Christmas!"

Kenpachi didn't see the point.

Yachiru vaulted off his head to land on the desk. Arms akimbo, she looked Kenpachi squarely in the eye.

"Ken-chan," she said with the serious air of a five-year-old, "I want you to make a Christmas present for someone this year."

Kenpachi frowned.

"Can't I just give you a sweet or something?"

Yachiru, oddly serious for once, ignored the comment.

"I want you to give a present to someone. A real present. For someone not in our division."

*****

And so, Kenpachi found himself looking at a jar with the names of every female in Seireitei (except Yachiru) within.

He plucked out the topmost strip. When he saw the name, he almost wished he hadn't.

Of all people, why that woman?

*****

A week to go before Christmas. Kenpachi's office was a mess of ribbon, wrapping paper, and tape.

Yachiru had enlisted Yumichika to help with the wrapping of the present. Which was why, after much argument, Yumichika had beautifully wrapped the box in black with yellow ribbon.

Of course, Yachiru forced Kenpachi to write a card as well.

Kenpachi was not looking forward to Christmas day.

*****

Christmas Day dawned bright and cheerful. A beautiful layer of snow dusted the ground, adding to the silent beauty of Seireitei at 6am in the morning.

At 7am began the Eleventh Division's Great War for the Toilet. This consisted of fighting, yelling, window breaking, toilet paper ripping, and generally waking the whole of Seireitei.

At 8am was the Eleventh Division's Great Canteen War. This was when all Eleventh Division members made a mad dash to get seats in the canteen, as well as places in the queue.

At 9am, Kenpachi found himself sneaking along the shadows of the buildings, clutching a black-and-yellow box. Checking to make sure that the occupant in the office he was hiding behind was not there, he slid the present through the window onto the desk, and then ran for his life.

*****

When Soi Fon, Captain of the Second Division, came back from washing her hands in the toilet, she saw a neatly wrapped black box with yellow ribbon sitting on her desk.

Unwrapping it, she saw a small wooden model of a black cat. It had a ribbon for a collar, and where the tag should be, there was a small crystal.

Scrawled on the card that accompanied it were the words Merry Christmas.

Soi Fon smiled slightly. Only one shinigami had handwriting like that. And she intended to give that shinigami something as a thank-you.

*****

Coming back from training that evening, Kenpachi saw on his desk, tied nicely with ribbon, a new training dummy. He picked up the small card lying next to it.

Thanks for the present, it said in Soi Fon's distinctive neat penmanship. Merry Christmas to you too.

*****

Review, please!