a/n: This prompt was requested by Spunky0ne (thankyou so much dear!) but it works so well as this years Christmas special, so please consider it my Christmas gift to all my friends old and new :)

I will be away having family time til the new year but enjoy the fic, have a happy Christmas and a lovely new year. And I'll see you in the next decade, hopefully with more updates. And please let me know if you like this, so I can add it to my list of 'things to write&post more of'.

Notes: pure fluffy waffles with a side of shippyfeels. Heirverse phase 1 but only if you feel like squinting.

Wordcount: 2205

Winter Solstice (Christmas special 2019)

Sousuke walked into the kitchen with a smile on his face, lured by the smell of baking gingerbread. "Mmm, those smell good, he purred, sneaking his arms around his husband and kissing his neck. "The baker doesn't smell too bad, either."

Gin turned around in his arms, playfully swatting him. "Nice try, but these are for when Tetsuya gets here. I can't have you eatin' em all."

"Aw," Sousuke pouted. Face a picture of disappointment. "Well, how about I eat you instead?" he smirked, making his lovely fox blush that wonderful shade of pink.

"Sousuke, will you behave?" he chided lightly. Still blushing furiously.

"Oh, but you know you like it when I don't," Sousuke smirked devilishly. "You love it when I'm naughty."

Gin's face turned an even brighter shade of scarlet. "Ye-yeah, well…" he cleared his throat in an attempt to recompose himself. Which worked – until his lover grabbed his ass.

"Sousuke!"

"See?" the older man chuckled. "You love it."

Gin groaned, and thankfully the doorbell chimed.

"Go get that, will ya? I gotta get these cookies outta the oven."

Sousuke sighed softly. "Alright, but later I'll make you admit you like it when I'm naughty."

And with that, he gave a little suggestive smirk, smacked Gin's ass, and then left to answer the door.

. . .

Tetsuya stood nervously on the porch of the Aizen/Ichimaru household, holding his solstice gift to them. He hopped from foot to foot and fidgeted, waiting for someone to answer the door. He'd heard foxes yipping and barking when he'd rung the doorbell, so he knew someone would come let him in soon. After all, they wouldn't just leave him standing on the front porch like the used vacuum salesman, right? Right?

Before his mind could pursue that line of thought further, the door opened, and he saw Aizen Sousuke grinning at him.

"Ah, Tetsuya!" he greeted. "You're here. We were starting to think you'd got lost. Come on in, you must be freezing."

Tetsuya kicked the snow off his boots and then followed Aizen into the warm house. And oh, what a wonderful house it was! So homey and cosy. Walls lined with photographs of them, Cherry and Tsuku. And the lovely, enticing smell of gingerbread drifting from the kitchen.

"Oh, gingerbread's my favourite," Tetsuya sighed happily.

"Well, Gin did know you were coming," Sousuke chuckled. Making Tetsuya blush a little.

"He made gingerbread just for me?"

"Of course," Aizen answered. "He wouldn't even let me have any until you got here."

Tetsuya smiled widely as he followed Aizen into the kitchen.

"Hey Gin, look who I found," Aizen beamed, and Gin looked up from icing the little gingerbread foxes he'd made.

"Tetsuya!" Gin grinned, and Tetsuya couldn't miss the light flush of pink in Gin's cheeks. His slightly fluffed hair. Had he and Aizen indulged in a quick roll in the hay before he arrived? He stifled a giggle. Because it sure looked like they had.

Not that he could blame them. They were happily married and very much in love. They were allowed to express that no matter what the insufferable old coot said about some archaic law.

"Nice to see you, Gin," he smiled. Cherry and Tsuku looked up from watching Gin ice the gingerbread foxes and eyed Tetsuya. Eyes sparkling.

"I'd brace yourself," Aizen told him, taking the box off him right before the two white foxes launched themselves at him. All happy yips and tail wags. And pretty quickly, Tetsuya had a fox in each arm, and was being licked to death while laughing uncontrollably.

"I think they missed ya," Gin smirked over at the trio, who were quite enjoying themselves.

"Well, I missed them, too!" Tetsuya laughed. Aizen and Gin smiled back at him, enjoying the sight.

"Alright, that's enough you two," Gin said, calling the foxes off. "Tetsuya doesn' want you two slobberin' over him the whole day. Come, now."

There was a bit of whining on the part of the foxes, but eventually they left Tetsuya's face alone. He put them down and they ran back to their masters, still wagging their fluffy tails happily.

"There," Gin smiled. "That's better. Now Tetsuya, why don't ya come help me ice these biscuits while Sou makes tea."

Tetsuya smiled softly at him. "Sounds like a plan," he said, and made his way over.

. . .

The building of the gingerbread house for the gingerbread foxes to live in had been the most arduous task. But the three of them managed it. Okay, the roof was a bit cracked and Cherry had taken a little bite out of one of the side walls. And the door was a little askew – as were the crudely iced on windows. But they'd successfully constructed and built their gingerbread Fox House. And it was decided that a mug of hot tea was in order to celebrate.

A mug of tea, and, of course, some of the gingerbread cookies. After Gin had taken some photos of everything. Including the construction crew. "New photos for the wall," Gin said. "And for the Kuchiki Manor."

That made Tetsuya smile, too. His smile muscles were really getting a workout today.

"So, Tetsuya," Aizen said when they were all relaxing in the living room together. Gin and Sousuke cuddled up beside each other on the sofa, Tetsuya on the armchair with Tsuku and Cherry on his lap for more attention and fuss, which Tetsuya happily provided. "What's in the box you brought with you?"

"Oh?" Tetsuya smiled, somewhat sheepishly. "That thing? Well, I went out and got a little something for the two of you. And something for these cute little fluffballs too," he added, looking down at Cherry and Tsuku on his lap. Both foxes now looking up at him quite expectantly at having heard their names spoken.

"Oh, you heard me, huh?" Tetsuya asked them, scratching them both behind the ears. "Wait right here, I'll go and get the box for you."

. . .

When Tetsuya left to get the box from the kitchen, Gin turned to his partner. "Hey, Sou, where'd ya put the stuff we got Tetsuya?"

"In the wardrobe in the bedroom," Sousuke answered. "It'll be right at the back." He paused. "Possibly buried under a lot of other stuff."

Gin smiled. "Good thing we bubble-wrapped the breakables then, huh?"

Sousuke returned the smile. "Yes, indeed. Now go grab it before he comes back."

"Yeah, yeah, I'mma goin'," Gin grinned and made his way up the stairs, making good use of his flash step along the way.

. . .

Tetsuya carried the box back into the living room, a grin on his face. I really hope they like what I got them for the Solstice, he thought. Nervous and excited both at once. Before Byakuya had taken him under his wing, Tetsuya hadn't really had any friends to buy gifts for. So he really hoped his new friends would enjoy what he'd brought for them.

He sat back down in the armchair again and smiled when he saw Gin holding a similarly packed cardboard box.

"We got ya something, too." Gin smiled. "Trade?" he said, holding out his box.

"Trade," Tetsuya smiled. Swapping his box for theirs.

"So… who goes first?" Tetsuya asked.

"Oh, you open yours first," Sousuke smiled. "Your reaction's all Gin's been talking about for weeks."

Gin blushed a very nice shade of pink at that and Tetsuya giggled.

"Sou, yer embarrassin' me."

Aizen smirked. "I can't help it if I like it when you blush. Besides, you make it too easy."

Gin swatted him playfully. "I'll give you 'too easy'."

"Ohh, I'm sure you will. Later tonight," Aizen chuckled, and Gin went even redder.

Tetsuya just thought it was nice they felt comfortable enough to be themselves around him. So unlike those stuffy clan elders - and to an extent, the household staff. And they'd made him feel the same, too. Made him feel at home.

Gin cleared his throat in an attempt to recompose himself. "Anyway. C'mon Tetsuya, open your box!"

Tetsuya smiled and started opening the box, simply buzzing with excitement. Inside the box he found a few things, all carefully wrapped in brown paper. He picked them up out of the box and opened them one by one.

He was very pleasantly surprised with his finds. In his box he found a tin of tea leaves, a framed photograph of them and the two foxes taken some months before. A new tea mug. And an assortment of biscuits in a little selection box – all baked by Gin. Because they'd all unanimously agreed some time ago that you couldn't have tea without biscuits.

Tetsuya couldn't help but smile and feel warm inside. The gifts were so simple, but so perfect. And such a nice change from the highly elaborate and very expensive gifts the bulk of the Kuchiki family liked to give during the holidays. And who didn't want a nice, lovely framed photograph of them and their friends?

"We hope you like it," Gin said, smiling hopefully. "We wanted to keep it simple, but still something you liked."

Tetsuya smiled, trying not to tear up, touched that his friends had been so thoughtful. "It's perfect," he said, imagining all of the perfect nights in he could have with the tea and biscuits. And now he could add a photo of his new friends – no, family – to his wall, too.

"Thankyou," he said. "Now come on, open your box." He grinned. "I think you'll like what's inside."

Aizen and Gin looked at each other curiously and then between them opened their own box. The things inside were a lot more carefully wrapped than Gin's clumsy attempts, and one they guessed was fragile because o the bubble wrap.

Aizen took the non-fragile looking things out first, which included two deer antlers with the sharp tines sawed off.

"Those are for Cherry and Tsuku," Tetsuya supplied before they could ask. "The man at the shop said they were good chews and lasted a whole lot longer than the regular kind."

Gin beamed at the antler chews. "Oh, that's neat! Hey, Cherry, Tsuku, look at what Uncle Tetsuya brought ya!" he called, waggling the antlers and beckoning the two white fluffballs over. They leapt up from their seats on Tetsuya's lap and came sniffing at their new treats. Tails wagging high in the air as they recognised Tetsuya's scent on the antlers.

"New chewy toys fer ya! Look, aint that nice?" Gin grinned at them. And then all three men watched with no small amount of joy as the two foxes took their antlers off of Gin and proceeded to lay down on the floor and chew them with gusto. Occasionally rolling around on the floor with them and making everybody laugh. Cherry even threw hers and chased after it excitedly.

"I think they like them," Aizen smiled, and Tetsuya felt all warm inside again.

"Aww, I'm so glad," Tetsuya beamed back. "I mean, I've never bought any treats for foxes before. But I know they like to chew things. And pinch hats and scarves," he giggled.

Aizen chuckled. "And your gloves. Those, too."

"Yes," Tetsuya nodded, agreeing. "But come on, open up yours. I want to see your reaction!"

"Haha, alright, alright," Aizen chuckled, and carefully picked up the little bubble-wrapped package. It was a flat thing, about the size of the photograph they'd given Tetsuya. Aizen opened it carefully, not wanting to break whatever it was because it felt like glass. Gin watched him curiously, leaning on his shoulder.

Aizen took the bubble wrap away and heard Gin gasp softly beside him. In his hands was a glass frame, bordered with gold with a gold chain to hang it on the wall. And inside the panes of glass were carefully and artfully pressed flowers.

"Oh, that's lovely," Aizen said softly.

Tetsuya's cheeks coloured a little. "Do you like it?" he asked eagerly. "I mean, I know I wasn't around when you two actually got married, and it was such a big thing for you, even if you did it in secret. And I really wanted to do something for you. So I did some research and found out the traditional gift for four years of marriage is flowers. And I know you like flowers, so… I pressed some for you." He smiled shyly. "I hope I got the meanings right."

His voice trailed off as he watched his friends quietly admiring their gift.

"It's beautiful," Gin told him. Looking as though he might cry, too. "Thankyou so much, Tetsuya," he said, smiling so very warmly at him. "I know just the place for it."

Tetsuya smiled as he watched Gin take the glass-pressed flowers and place it on the mantelpiece above the fireplace, leaning it against the wall, right where it caught the eye.

"We'll put it here, so we can see it every day." Gin said proudly.

Sousuke nodded in agreement. "Until we can hang it on the wall just above there," he added, always practically minded. "So it doesn't get knocked off and broken.

Tetsuya smiled and nodded. "That's a very good idea," he said.