"My, this is a big package," Shigure Sohma told the mailman as he slid it into the house. "I wonder who sent it…"

The mailman checked his clipboard. "A Mr. Ayame did, sir."

Shigure gave a special smile, "Oh, of course he did." He chuckled.

Shigure signed the receipt on the mailman's clipboard and waved him goodbye. As the mailman left, he closed the door and turned to the package. Shigure feared the package would be too heavy for him to lift and carry into the other room. (Though he's physically strong enough to lift such a package, his laziness weighs him down) He tested the package and found it was easy to lift. He gave a high-like happy smile and carried it into the other room, placing it on the table.

"Oh, right, it's taped..."

He gave another one of his high-like smiles and scurried off to the kitchen to grab a knife. As he entered the kitchen, the front door opened.

"Hellooo! Sensei! I came to visit!" a voice called. The front door closed after that and footsteps were heard.

Shigure had grabbed a knife and headed back to the other room as the footsteps came closer. "I'm in here!" He replied and sat down at the table.

The footsteps became louder as they approached the room Shigure was in. Then they stopped. In the doorway was Kagura in her usual light green school uniform, Kyo cat backpack, and cheerful expression on her face. She stepped into the room and sat down beside Shigure. She blinked at the package.

"What's that, sensei?"

"It's a package from Aaya…I have yet to discover what is inside, though."

Shigure slipped the knife through the tape. He placed the knife down on the table beside the box and opened it. On top of all the packing foam, a small note was left. Shigure picked it up and read it in his head, hearing Ayame's voice as he did so…

"Gure-saaaaaaaaan!

I had finished this one order the other day- a wonderful and very colorful dance dress for a man in his early 30's- using these new fabrics I purchased at that delightful shop I had told you about the other day. Problem was, when I finished the dress- and what a fabulous dress it was!!!- I had so much extra material, but not enough material for anything else like a dress. So, I tucked them away in a safe spot. Then as I was checking around the shop, guess what I found! Fluff! You know, the cottony stuff they use for stuffing up stuffed animals and such. Then it hit me... "Why don't I make some adorable plushies for Gure-san and the bunch?! I know Tohru would love them!" So I found some spare time and made the cute little things! I hope you enjoy them! They make great little home decorations!

(I also made a snake one of myself… You know…Just in case you get lonely, Gure-san…winkwink)

Have fuuuuuun!

-Aayaaaa!!"

Shigure had his high-like face on again. "Oh...That Aaya really is something…"

"What's inside, sensei??" Kagura asked eagerly.

Shigure placed the note down on the table and reached his hand into the box through the packing foam. He felt around as though he was searching for a prize inside a cereal box. After a minute he finally found one and pulled it out. It was a soft, shiny, orange cat plushie with an angry face and an angercross on its forehead. Kagura gasped with delight.

"IT'S KYOOOOO!" She shouted happily as she snatched the plushie from Shigure's hands and hugged it tightly. Shigure sweatdropped.

"Yes, of course…Hmm...Lets see…"

He reached into the box again and pulled out another soft and shiny plushie. It was a rat this time with light violet body and dark violet eyes. Kagura looked over while clinging to the Kyo plushie.

"It's Yun-chan!" she said, smiling.

"Mhm," Shigure replied, stroking the soft fabric. The front door was heard opening again and Shigure blinked.

"Ugh…I'm home, Shigure…" a voice called followed by footsteps.

Kagura jumped up in excitement, "KYOOO!!!"

Kyo stopped in his tracks and his hair frizzed up like would a cat's fur. Kagura slid out of the room; arms open wide and one hand holding the plushie. Kyo's jaw dropped.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

As though in slow motion, Kagura started to run towards him, "Kyo-kuuun! I missed you soooo much! I came here to visit you!" She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged tightly. Kyo fumed up. Shigure peered his head out from the room and blinked.

"Kyo-kun, where's Yuki-kun and Tohru-kun?"

Kyo was on the brink of exploding in anger when Shigure appeared. He growled, "They…went…food shopping…and will…be back soon…"

"Ah, I see…Well, Kagura, drag him on in here so he can see what else we have," Shigure replied, his high-smile on his face again. He leaned back into the room and placed the Yuki rat plushie back in the box.

"Come on, Kyo-kun! Come see!" she told Kyo, beginning to walk towards the room with him.

"NO! LET GO OF ME!"

"But Kyo-kun…" Kagura muttered, "...YOU NEED TO SEE THESE WITH ME!!!!"

Kagura punched him up-side the head then grabbed him in a headlock, dragging him to the room. She sat down, brought him down beside her, and started petting his head. Kyo's angercross throbbed.

"Aaya sent us some handmade gifts," Shigure told him, smiling.

"Yes! Look!" Kagura held the Kyo plushie before his face and dangled it by its paws. The angry face glared at Kyo. Kyo glared back at it.

"So? I don't care about some stupid stuffed animals!" He hit the Kyo plushie away from his face.

"Now, now, Kyo-kun…Be nice. Aaya made them himself!" Shigure pulled out another plushie and smiled happily. He showed it to Kyo. "Look, Kyo-kun, your favorite person!" He tossed a Kagura boar plushie into his hands.

Kyo fumed up, his skin turning red and his angercross multiplying. He stood up out of Kagura's grasp, yelled in frustration, and threw the plushie across the room. The plushie hit the wall, ripped open, and fluff spread everywhere. Kyo panted, Shigure sat dumbfounded, and Kagura stared with wide eyes.

"K-…Kyo-kun…." Kagura muttered.

"HMPH!!"

Shigure began to hide his head under his arms.

"How…" Kagura stood up, "HOW COULD YOUUUUUUUUU?!!?!!"

She grabbed the box and reached her hand inside, pulling out a Hatori seahorse plushie and pelted Kyo with it; the plushie ripped apart and fluff flew everywhere.

"HEY!!"

"Oh no, dear Hari!" Shigure cried.

Kagura reached in again angrily, packing foam spilling out of the box as she did so. She pulled out a HatsuHaru ox plushie and pelted Kyo with it. Then again with a Ritsu monkey plushie.

"HatsuHaru! Rit-chan! Dear me!" Shigure yelped.

Kyo blocked his face from the plushies with his arms. My, how dangerous they can be in the hands of an obsessed lover…

"YOU NUTCASE!"

That one phrase fueled up Kagura more and made her throw faster. Like a continuously spinning wheel, she picked up one plushie after another and pelted them at Kyo. A Momiji bunny, a Hiro sheep, a Kisa tiger, all of those plushies were the victims of Kagura's rage. Shigure lifted his head up slowly and looked at the note on the table, noticing it had flipped over from the madness. He quickly picked it up and saw more writing on the back. He read it in his head, hearing Ayame's voice yet again…

"P.S. Gure-san.

The plushies are VERRRRRY fragile so make sure Kyo or anyone doesn't throw them around, Kay?

Ta Ta!

-Aaya"

"Oh, NOW he tells me…" Shigure wept.

Kagura then threw a Shigure dog plushie at Kyo. Shigure yelped.

"You killed me!"

Kagura continued throwing the plushies at Kyo. As she had picked up the Yuki rat plushie, another plushie fell out of the box to the floor undamaged. Shigure saw it and crawled over to pick it up. He scuttled back to his spot and looked at the plushie. It was an Onigiri. Shigure blinked.

Kyo got a glance of the onigiri plushie in Shigure's hands and his eyes widened. He looked around for a scapegoat and found his own cat plushie on the table. Kyo grabbed it and held it in front of him.

"ONE MORE MOVE AND THE PLUSHIE GETS IT, KAGURA!"

Kagura froze. She stared at the plushie in fear for its safety. Her eyes began to well up with tears.

"NOOO!! Please! Not the Kyo Plushie, Kyo-kun!" she pleaded.

"He's holding himself hostage," Shigure mumbled.

"Drop the box, let me go, and you can have it!"

Kagura nodded, tossed the box to the corner of the room, the packing foam flying everywhere, and reached for the plushie. Kyo tossed it to her and she caught it, clinging to it with a death grip. He turned to the door but stopped a moment and looked at Shigure. Shigure blinked at Kyo in confusion. Kyo leaned over and snatched the onigiri plushie out of his hands, then stomped off towards the kitchen. Shigure looked around at the room and flowing tears rolled down his face seeing that everything was a complete mess. The front door was heard opening again and two pairs of footsteps followed after it.

"We're home, Shigure!" a voice called.

"We're back from shopping!" another voice called after it.

"Welcome home…" Shigure wept.

One pair of footsteps came towards the room Shigure was in then stopped by the door. It was Yuki and he stood shocked at the surroundings. He looked around at all the fluff and packing foam on the floor and partially on the walls. He placed his shopping bag on the ground next to him and looked at Shigure.

"What happened in here, Shigure??"

Shigure began to pretend he was bawling his eyes out.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Kyo leaned against the counter holding the onigiri plushie in one hand and a carton of milk in the other. He took a sip of the milk as he gazed at the onigiri plushie intently. Memories began running through his head of a past moment with Tohru…

"Think of someone's good qualities…as the Umeboshi in an onigiri…"

"There's an amazing umeboshi…On YOUR back, Kyo kun…"

"You know…There's one on your back too…an umeboshi…I can see it."

Kyo sighed and stroked the plushie's soft fabric with his thumb gently. He then heard footsteps approaching the kitchen and looked to the doorway. He hid the plushie behind his back as he saw Tohru walk in with a shopping bag and a bright smile on her face.

"Hello again, Kyo-kun!" she greeted.

"Hey…" he mumbled. Then he sighed and took a last sip of the milk. "Ugh…" He tossed the carton out, still keeping the onigiri plushie behind his back.

Tohru placed the shopping bag on the counter and started taking the contents out. She looked to Kyo. "So I see Kagura-san has come to visit again."

Kyo sighed irritably, "I don't know WHY she comes when she knows I don't want her here. It's just wasting her time."

Tohru blinked at him, "Spending time with you isn't a waste of anyone's time, Kyo-kun." Kyo's eyes widened slightly and he looked at her. She smiled, "I cherish every minute we're together! Not one time have I ever regretted being in your presence, Kyo-kun."

Kyo blushed slightly and turned his face away to hide it. He slowly held out the onigiri plushie before her. "…Here."

Tohru blinked and smiled, "Uwaah! How cute! An onigiri! ...For me?"

Kyo nodded.

Tohru blushed and smiled, taking the onigiri plushie into her arms and stroking its soft fabric. "Did you make this yourself, Kyo-kun?" she asked, blinking.

Kyo looked back at her, "Do you really think I'd know how to make something like that??"

"Ah! ...I'm sorry."

Kyo sighed, "No….It's alright…Ayame made it. He sent us a package of different ones but Kagura destroyed them all except that one… I…held onto it …for you." He blushed again and turned away.

Tohru blushed madly. "…Thank you, Kyo-kun…" She smiled brightly and stroked the fabric again.

Kyo glanced back at her stroking the plushie. "…It's soft like…Your hair…or something." He said in almost a mumble.

Tohru blushed even more, "Ah! Ah! Oh, no, it's Uh…Not…uhh..!"

Kyo chuckled a bit, hesitantly reached over, and pet her head gently. She looked up at him, her face red from blushing so much. She saw that Kyo had another rare smile of his on his face along with redness of his own on his cheeks. Tohru couldn't help but giggle along with him.

Then footsteps were heard approaching the kitchen. Kyo pulled his hand away quickly and turned away as though nothing happened. Tohru blinked and looked to the doorway. Yuki entered the kitchen with his shopping bag in his hand. He walked up to the counter and placed the shopping bag on it, smiling at Tohru. Kyo couldn't help but glare at him. He stomped off out of the kitchen and Tohru blinked as he left.

"Kyo-kun? ..."

Yuki looked back with her but dismissed the thought and turned back to the bag, "Leave him be…" He continued taking the contents out.

Tohru sighed and turned back to Yuki, smiling, and helped him with the groceries. Kyo had gone upstairs into his room and sat by the window. He gazed out into the horizon of the setting sun and sighed.

"One step closer…" he whispered to himself, "One step closer…"