Authoress' Scribbles: Hello! I'm back! I haven't had any ideas for a long romance one-shot for a while, but a story one of my closest friends told me struck me. I told him about the situation of Yuta in UM, then he told me a story in return. And it was just so sad! So I had to write about it! And now I'm here, in front of my PC, typing… lolz. Anyway, here I go! Hmmm… maybe this won't be a one-shot…

DISCLAIMER: Plot is adapted from the story my friend told me. Characters are not mine. I wish I owned Yuta though… wink wink

WARNING: Sort of Alternate Universe. No magic… just plain teenagers… and sorry… I made Tsujiai just a little OOC… sweatdrops as she is being hit by Tsujiai-fans

NOTE: I am so sorry I was dead for so long! I went to Bangkok and left all my stories in the Phil… so I couldn't update. So so sorry! But don't worry, Unexpected Carriage isn't over yet. I'll be updating it real soon. I just wanted to post this one because it's been in my folder for so long… hope ya enjoy!

Stuffed Toy

By psychedelicaya

"Happy Birthday, Nina!"

The crowd she invited cheered and she smiled, as she blew the candles with a single puff. Her pigtails bobbed with joy as she laughed along with the happy guests.

The people around her dispersed as she finished blowing the 6 candles, going about to the food table, chattering with joy. The celebrant smiled as she hopped down the chair.

"Mama," The little girl named Nina started, as going up to her mother. "Can I open my gifts now?"

Delicately, the mother smiled, bowing a bit so that she could affectionately pinch her daughter's cheek. "Of course, Nina," She replied with a soft smile. Then, with a gentle push, she urged, "Go on now."

Nina squealed with glee, as skipping happily to the table full of gifts. She got a stool and clumsily climbed on top of it, reaching for the first gift. Her little hands were short, and she leaned in dangerously so that she could reach the first package.

"Uhhh..." Her dainty auburn eyes squinted in determination. She stretched her hand further. "…Almost there…"

The stool leaned in with her, standing on two legs instead of four. No one noticed how she was about to fall…

"Got it!"

And at the same time she said that, the stool slipped, her feet going along with it.

The crash alerted almost all of the guests, their eyes averting from the food then to the birthday girl. Mama and Papa ran immediately to their daughter, eyes evident with worry.

"Nina, Nina!" Mama screamed, kneeling down to her daughter, fearing the worst. "What happened? Are you ok?"

Nina moaned and nodded, clutching her head with the hand that did not hold the gift. "Nina is okay, mama." She murmured, wincing a bit in pain, but immediately smiling so that her mother wouldn't be worried anymore. "I landed on something soft."

Mama and Papa sighed in relief and patted their daughter affectionately in the forehead, smiling. They stood up and told Nina to be more careful next time, then left to entertain the guests.

Then suddenly, "…Would you get off me now?!" A voice said in an almost hushed whisper, and it came from below Nina. The birthday girl laughed and stood up, brushing herself. She held her hand out to the person she had landed on.

"Are you alright, Yuta?" She asked, in her sweet six year old voice. She smiled to her friend as he took her hand and she pulled him up. "Thanks for catching my fall."

He rolled his eyes, wincing at the pain he felt. "I didn't catch you…" He murmured, but there was a certain lie in his voice. "I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time…"

Nina laughed. "But still, thanks Yuta." Then she grabbed his hand again. "C'mon! Help me open my gifts!"

The boy named Yuta didn't have any other choice as he let his friend pull him to the gift table. She was more careful now as she got the gifts, and besides, he made sure she didn't fall again.

After opening gifts from various people, she came across the last one. It was in pretty shining wrapping paper, and it didn't have a definite shape.

"Oooohhh… I wonder what this one is? The paper is so pretty!" Nina exclaimed, taking the package from the table and bringing it to the floor. She immediately looked at the card, wondering who it came from. She was too absorbed with observing the gift that she didn't even notice Yuta get a pink tint on his cheeks. "It's from you, Yuta!" She exclaimed happily. She looked to him with a bright smile. "I'll start opening it!"

So she tore the paper excitedly, throwing the glittering wrapper around. Her eyes held expectance and anxiousness as she fiddled through all the ribbons and paper.

And then, when nothing concealed the gift anymore, "Kawaii! It's a teddy bear!"

It was a white teddy bear, and its height would be probably up to Nina's knees. "My very first teddy bear!" She exclaimed, immediately hugging it, feeling the white fur tickle her cheeks. The fur felt like silk. She squeezed it tight, elation clearly showing. "Thank you, Yuta!"

And that was the first teddy bear he ever gave her.

Authoress' Ramblings: This was supposed to be a one-shot, but it would be too long… :D So I decided to make it chaptered. But it'll end quickly… I already finished up to chapter 3, I think… it'll only be until chappie 5 or so. Thanks for reading! Sorry to all those who've been waiting for Unexpected Carriage! I read your reviews, but I couldn't update in Thailand… so so sorry! I'll post real soon though!