He has no idea why Ms. Sylvester of all people wanted to bring Mr. Schue a Christmas tree, but nobody's fighting and an eight-foot hoagie is coming, so all is calm and bright on this Christmas Eve. So much so that when he catches Rachel's eye across the tree, for a moment it doesn't matter what she did, how he's bruised - he just loves her. Of course he does, but...things are tough.
She looks away, carries on with decorating. No tears, no intensity, no throwing herself at him. Giving him space, time, breath - gifts he needs right now.
A/N: Thanks to 15poundspurebunny for this chapter's plot bunny. So to speak.