DISCLAIMER - see chapter 1


"So, have you figured out what you want?" Ichigo asked as he slumped onto his bed, immediately falling onto his side with a sigh. Shopping for Yuzu had been no small task; especially since they had needed three times more than usual. They'd bought meat, vegetables, tinned foods and ingredients for a Western styled Christmas cake, and of course he had carried most of the bags. Seeing him shaking at the knees Rukia had valiantly taken a few of the lighter bags.

"Hm?" Rukia hummed as she put two steaming cups down on the desk before sitting beside Ichigo on the bed, idly running a hand through his orange locks. Ichigo smiled as he took her hand and pressed it to his lips before entwining their fingers contentedly.

"For Christmas, what do you want?" He elaborated as Rukia raised her steaming cup to her lips slowly, sipping to test the liquid before replacing it on the desk with a sigh. Licking her lips she savoured the taste of the chocolaty liquid, her tongue slightly burned from the heat.

"I hadn't given it much thought…Just buy something you think I might like. I've already decided on yours." She added impishly as she looked down at Ichigo, who smiled softly as he pulled her lower, resting a hand on her waist as her ebony hair tickled his cheek lightly. He lifted himself slightly to capture her lips, a slight trace of chocolate entering his senses.

"Nee-san!" A familiar voice shouted, the couple breaking apart with flushed cheeks as the squeak of Kon's feet sounded on the bed. Ichigo sat up, looking anywhere but at the small lion as he ran a hand through is hair. Rukia on the other hand seemed perfectly fine as she turned to Kon,

"Oh, you're back." She said in greeting, quietly surprised that he hadn't launched himself at her as he usually did. She had been expecting to grind the small toy underfoot as soon as she got through the door, but he hadn't been there. "Where did you go?" She asked, slightly concerned by his lack of action.

"Nowhere in particular." He replied in an unconcerned manner, hopping to the floor as he did so. Rukia frowned slightly, while Ichigo took on a guilty expression. He hadn't told Kon about his relationship with Rukia, but in hindsight it would have been better to tell him straight away. "No need to ask what you two have been doing." Kon added with a nonchalant look over his shoulder,

"Gomen Kon, I was going to tell you but…" Ichigo trailed off awkwardly, cringing slightly as Rukia's foot landed on the stuffed lion's head, squeaks filling the room as she ground him underfoot.

"Don't apologise Ichigo. Our relationship won't affect my friendship with Kon, he's just sulking." She said as she removed her foot and kicked the stuffed animal across the room, watching him bounce off the various surfaces until he landed flat against Ichigo's chest and fell back to the bed.

"Nee-san! You do care! I knew you did!" Kon cried emotionally, jumping up and latching himself onto her chest, Ichigo cringing again as Rukia peeled the lion off and threw him against the wall with a smile. It's weird, but things seem to be back to normal already…Ichigo thought as he watched Kon hop onto the bed beside Rukia and begin telling her about his travels, which were hugely exaggerated. Apparently he had been in Soul Society wandering the streets of Rukongai again.

"We should start a list!" Rukia said finally once Kon had finished his story and her mind had returned to Christmas. "It seems more sensible to buy joint presents; they'll be better than what we could afford separately, and this way I can buy things for the girls and leave the guys to you. You'll know what to buy them better than I do." She reasoned, and Ichigo could hardly argue with that. She was a girl, and therefore knew all about what he labelled as 'girly stuff,' and surely Karin and Yuzu would appreciate something they could use more than a stuffed animal or something like that, which was all Ichigo could ever think of, though I will buy them something myself too...

"So we'll make separate lists then?" Ichigo said questioningly as he sat up and reached for his half full cup. Rukia shifted to the desk and rummaged in a draw for a notepad, ripping out a sheet before tossing the book on Ichigo's lap.

"It makes sense, so who are we buying for? Orihime and Rangiku obviously, Ururu and Yoruichi…Tatsuki. We should buy Soi Fon something, and Hinamori…Yuzu and Karin are on my list…" Rukia listed off as she wrote down the names in one column, leaving space next to it to list possible gifts. Ichigo opened his pad and grabbed a pen from the desk before pausing thoughtfully.

"Do you think you could do Byakuya? You know him better than I do." Ichigo excused as he looked up at Rukia, who was already deep in thought, though she gave him enough attention to nod her agreement. "Ishida, Sado, Renji, Urahara, Jinta, Tessai, Kon, Dad…Hisagi, Keigo, Mizuiro, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Toshiro, Hanataro…Kira…and Ulquiorra…What would an Espada want?" He wondered aloud as he leaned back against the wall. Looking over the list he didn't think he'd missed anyone, so he focused on what to buy them, and Rukia of course.

Mizuiro and Keigo should be relatively easy; I usually give Keigo collectable baseball cards and Mizuiro a CD…Come to think of it I haven't been keeping up with the charts lately…Ichigo mused as he looked up at the ceiling, resting the pen on his lower lip as he went over the bands he knew Mizuiro liked. He couldn't recall any of them having an album out recently, but I haven't been looking…I'll check that later. He added as he scrawled CD beside Mizuiro's name and cards beside Keigo.

Let's see…Nii-sama's art supplies are running low…I wonder if there's a store in town that would keep some fresh traditional paints and brushes? If not I'll update his Human world wardrobe. Rukia decided with a satisfied smile as she imagined what sort of clothes would suit her older brother. A nice black shirt and some jeans…I know he has some already, but it doesn't hurt to have extras. She added as her pen danced across the page.


"Ulquiorra? C-can I come in?" Orihime called hesitantly as she once again stood outside the Espada's room, shuffling her feet slightly as she waited for an answer. After a few moments of silence she reached for the door, pausing and nibbling her lip nervously before slowly pulling it across. "Ulquiorra?" She called again as she stepped into the darkened room, seeing a lump in the futon.

Orihime slowly padded towards the futon, her grey eyes fixed on the lump beneath the thick white covers. As she drew closer she could see that Ulquiorra was shaking slightly, his breaths getting louder as she drew closer. Crouching down the redhead pulled the covers away from his head, seeing his face scrunched up in something akin to pain,

"Ulquiorra?" Orihime said quietly as she brushed his ebony locks away from his face, moving to shake his shoulder as she got no reaction. "Ulquiorra!" She said more firmly, a small shriek escaping her, almost drowned out by Ulquiorra's angry roar as his hand grabbed her throat, his green eyes snapping open as he flipped them so that he was pressing her into the futon.

He seemed furious as he looked down at her, his eyes filled with hatred and contempt as he tightened his grip and choked her. Her grey eyes widened as tears pricked the edges, her voice unable to work as she struggled to breathe, her small hands trying to pry Ulquiorra's away from her neck. Finally she managed to get out a panicked, terror filled screech, coughing and choking as Ulquiorra's grip suddenly released.

"Orihime! Gomenasai I…" Ulquiorra trailed off in horror as he drew back fearfully, his green eyes filled with terror as he watched her coughing and wheezing, tears trickling down her cheeks as she got her breath back. Getting to his knees Ulquiorra pulled Orihime to his chest, his whole body quivering as he held her, his bare torso slightly sticky with sweat, "Gomenasai." He whispered,

"Ulquiorra, is something wrong?" Orihime asked quietly, her hand massaging her throat gently where Ulquiorra's grip had bruised her skin lightly. Seeing the bruises as he drew back Ulquiorra dropped his gaze to the bed. "What is it?" Orihime insisted gently, her grey eyes firm as she looked at him,

"Nothing…Just a dream…As an Espada they aren't always pleasant…" He replied simply, the darkness lingering in his eyes telling her to drop it. Whatever he had seen had clearly shaken him. He had never attacked her in his sleep before, though during his illness he would have been too weak to attack even if he had wanted to. Seeing Ulquiorra shiver slightly Orihime settled down cross legged on the futon, the duvet wrapped around her shoulder.

"Will you sit with me?" Orihime asked as she held up the duvet beside her for Ulquiorra to cover himself. The ex-Espada hesitated a moment before crawling over to her and pulling his knees up to his chest as he wrapped the duvet around himself, feeling Orihime shift closer as she did the same. "I should apologise too…You weren't expecting me to be there when you woke up; I must have unsettled you somehow…" She said apologetically, curling her legs up at her side as she put most of her weight on Ulquiorra's shoulder,

"You…aren't angry?" Ulquiorra asked in surprise, his green eyes shifting to the top of Orihime's head, a slight flush forming on his cheeks as her felt her arm slip through his, her grey eyes shifting to look up at him. She smiled at him warmly before leaning her forehead on his arm,

"You didn't mean to…but…" Orihime trailed off hesitantly, feeling Ulquiorra's gaze on her, encouraging her to continue. "I wish you trusted me enough to tell me what it was you saw…" She added quietly, feeling Ulquiorra tense up beside her, his head leaning on hers as his hand searched for hers beneath the duvet.

"Don't mistake my silence for distrust…My memories are deep and complicated…You must remember that I am made of many. Though mine is the dominant personality and my memories have remained intact, I also hold the memories of many others…Even when I see them I rarely understand without context." He began quietly, feeling Orihime nod her head beneath him. "The memory I was experiencing seemed to be a great battle, in the feudal era. I had fallen from my mount and was in a grapple with one of my foes…We fell to the ground, where I got the upper hand…Unfortunately it seems you woke me at that moment." Ulquiorra explained, feeling Orihime's grip tighten on his hand.

"It must be hard…having all those memories, emotions, even thoughts that weren't yours to begin with." She said sympathetically, though he knew she couldn't really imagine what it was like, though truth be told it didn't bother him. During his day to day life he didn't think about his memories, so they didn't affect him. They only crept up on him in his sleeping hours, which hadn't been a problem before he was trapped in Human form.

"It is not as bad as you think…What was it that you wanted?" Ulquiorra asked, feeling a change of subject was needed before Orihime became any more distressed. She was far too tuned to other people's moods for her own good, not spending enough time thinking of herself.

"Well…earlier you said I could some back later so…" She trailed off, her cheeks flushing at his question. Looking back on her actions, it did seem quite rude of her to enter his room and wake him up for no reason, but he was having a nightmare…She justified, hearing Ulquiorra chuckle quietly beside her, his arm moving from her grip to rest across her back, pulling her closer.

"You are correct. I did give that invitation, and I am grateful for your waking me up…Arigato Orihime." He almost purred in her ear, a blush spreading across her cheeks for a whole new reason as he nuzzled her. She liked this new closeness that had developed between them; the fact that he would hold her and subtly touch her in small shows of affection.

"What do you think of Christmas?" Orihime asked as a silence grew between them and all she could feel was Ulquiorra's hot breath on her neck. At her question the Arrancar straightened slightly, though this didn't stop Orihime's heart from pounding. She had only just noticed how close they were, her chest almost flush against his side as his arm pulled her closer.

"It is a holiday associated with a religion referred to as Christianity, though it is common to a few others. In more recent times the religious aspect has become less pronounced with the lowered amount of religious followers. Aside from this I have no experience with the holiday." Ulquiorra replied, falling on his side as Orihime gave a shocked yelp and pushed him down, her shocked grey eyes looking down into his green as he turned onto his back and found her small hands on his chest as she knelt between his legs.

"Then this will be your very first Christmas!" She exclaimed, apparently less aware of their position that Ulquiorra, who's cheeks flushed as her orange locks fell over her shoulders to tickle his chest. At his stunned nod Orihime got to her feet with a look of determination before running from the room. Ulquiorra looked after her with a puzzled expression as he sat up, perhaps I damaged her earlier…He thought guiltily, "Alright! I'll teach you about Christmas!" Orihime decided as she returned with a notebook in her hand.

"I didn't think Christmas was an integral part of your culture." Ulquiorra said as the redhead returned to her place beside him and pulled the duvet over her shoulder again. Ulquiorra watched curiously as she began to draw various shapes in the book, a small smile on her face as she twitched with nervous excitement.

"It may not be integral, but that doesn't mean we don't like to celebrate it…You've already seen most of these, but in town we put lights up in the streets, and a huge tree is put up in the square. Normally people buy trees of their own to put up in their homes too, and the trees are decorated with lights, tinsel and decorations." Orihime explained as she drew a tree, adding circles, stars and candy canes. Beneath the trees she began drawing boxes with ribbons on top and small packages, "On Christmas Eve parents sneak downstairs and put presents under the tree like Santa Clause. Santa is based on a man called Saint Nicholas, who used to lived somewhere in the north and gave poor children gifts at Christmas…Somewhere along the line he was selected as the modern figure of Christmas." She continued with a bright smile as she pushed the pad over to Ulquiorra, who seemed to be listening with rapt attention.

"So it is part of this holiday to exchange gifts?" He asked, the redhead nodding brightly in response as she took the pad and turned the page, where she showed Ulquiorra a list of all her friends. There were quite a few too; Ulquiorra hadn't realised she was so popular in Soul Society.

"I make up a list like this every year, and then go shopping and do it all in one day…I was thinking of going tomorrow if…if you'd like to come with me…" Orihime trailed off with a slight blush, fiddling with her fingers in her lap. Ulquiorra hesitated a moment and examined her posture, I wouldn't want to get in the way of Orihime's shopping…"Ururu-chan is coming too; and Yoruichi." She added as if sensing his hesitation.

"Was this not to be a female day?" Ulquiorra asked, Orihime laughing brightly as she shook her head,

"I think you meant a girly day, or a girl's day out, and no, it wasn't. It was just convenient for us to go together." She replied as she pointed to her list, where Ururu and Yoruichi were already ticked off. "I saw a couple of things in town a few days ago and had them wrapped and stored for tomorrow." She explained, so there was no risk of either women seeing what she had bought them.

"What am I to buy?" Ulquiorra asked thoughtfully. Aside from the wrap he had bought for Orihime he had never bought a gift, and was unsure where to start, or who to start with. Smiling, Orihime flipped the pad and handed it to Ulquiorra, along with the pencil.

"Start by making a list of the people you know; ones you'd like to buy a present for." Orihime instructed, watching as familiar names began to appear. First was her own name, followed by the Urahara household, Renji, Ichigo, Rukia, Ishida, Tatsuki, Sado, and to her surprise Shinji. He then listed Miaka and the other girls in his study group. Pausing to look it over he hesitantly handed it to Orihime,

"Like this?" He asked, the redhead nodding in response as she handed the pad back and shifted a little closer.

"Now the difficult part. Think of something they would like. They don't have to be expensive gifts, as long as you put thought into it; and usually people spend more money on family members and close friends than people in school…ano…Ah! Usually I buy Tatsuki-chan something special that I really think she'd like, but I usually give Chizuru a box of chocolates or book coupons." She explained brightly, watching Ulquiorra's nod of agreement as he eyed the list. He seemed hesitant as he looked at the list, his green eyes darting to Orihime for guidance as he pointed to the girls of his study group,

"I should give them chocolate?" He suggested, Orihime nodding her agreement,

"That would be a good gift, unless you can think of something particular to them, like if one of them was bad at maths a calculator would be useful, or a helpful book, and, with books, a message in the front can make them more personal." She suggested, Ulquiorra nodding as he looked through his memory, finding various subjects where his friends were lacking, listing those subjects beside their names.

"I have many books on these subjects that I will not require…May I give them these books?" Ulquiorra asked, the redhead beside him looking thoughtful as she crawled over to his stacks of books to examine the spines. Though they were stacked haphazardly against the wall through lack of a bookcase it would be a lie to say the books had not been well cared for. After one reading they had been neatly stacked never to be used again, the spines showing little to no wear at all.

"Make sure the books are in good condition, and if they are then yes." Orihime replied as she returned to her place, where Ulquiorra had already listed a specific text beside each name. Having finished with the girls of his study group he looked at the others, realising he knew little about what these people would want.

"Orihime, what hobbies and pastimes do these people have?" Ulquiorra asked as he pointed to the remainder of his school friends. It wasn't hard for her to relay what she knew about each, and by the end he had decided on something to do with guitars for Sado and sewing equipment for Ishida. Tatsuki was a little harder, but coupons for sports wear were a strong possibility.

"You're doing so well! It takes me hours to think up gifts!" Orihime complimented as Ulquiorra laid his pad aside, a few names left open for him to browse the shops for inspiration. Orihime watched as Ulquiorra raised a hand to his eye, bringing to her attention for the first time that one was slightly darker than the other, though it was a very slight difference.

"My left eye works as a sort of recorder…everything I witness is etched into my mind and senses, and can be shared if so desired. The fact that I remember every minute detail of every person, every day gives me a distinct advantage." He explained as he lowered his hand to find Orihime examining his eyes closely, her face barely two inches from his as she gazed into his deep green orbs.

"That's why you only read books once, and how you always know the answer before Sensei has finished her questions in class." Orihime said, Ulquiorra nodding his agreement as she drew back. "I almost forgot! Another part of Christmas is the dinner! We usually have turkey this time of year to celebrate in a Western way." She exclaimed almost excitedly, Ulquiorra raising an eyebrow at her enthusiasm. He couldn't recall ever seeing her so excited, not that he was complaining. Her energy put new life and colour into her skin, making her more beautiful than he had ever seen her.

"I have not tried Western food to my knowledge." Ulquiorra said thoughtfully, the redhead beside him smiling assuringly,

"I'm sure you'll like it! It used to be my favourite part of the holiday, except for Sora being there. He never worked Christmas day; it was the only time of the year I was guaranteed to have him to myself all day…I know it sounds childish but…it meant a lot to me." She added with a slight blush, something in her expression dropping at the mention of her brother. Ulquiorra couldn't relate to her feelings in this matter, having no true understanding of what siblings were like.

"You humans confound me…Was Sora not working for your comfort when he was away? Were his absences not necessary for your welfare?" He questioned, his eyebrow raising as Orihime's lip quivered slightly, one of her delicate hands reaching up to rub vigorously at her tear pricked eyes.

"You're right…It was all for me; I was so selfish wanting him at home all the time, but I just wanted to see him! I wanted to play games, tell him about my day, sing and dance and read and just anything! As long as I wasn't alone!" She cried, clutching on to the only thing close to her, which happened to be Ulquiorra. Her arms wrapped around his upper arm and her face was buried in his shoulder as she cried.

"Gomen…It was not my intention to upset you." Ulquiorra said quietly as he shifted to face her, slowly repositioning her so that she was tucked securely in his arms, his hand stroking her silken hair. He felt her shake her head against him as she raised her face to look at him with tearstained cheeks,

"It wasn't your fault…You were just being inquisitive…I should be over this by now…" She added as she wiped her eyes, her cheeks flushing as Ulquiorra rested his forehead against hers.

"I won't leave…" He said quietly, drawing back at Orihime's hum of confusion, "Christmas day; I won't leave your side all day." He promised, the redhead giving him a warm smile as she leaned her head on his shoulder again, quietly enjoying the warmth and security he offered.

"Arigato." She replied simply, unable to think of any other way of showing her appreciation.