Authoress' Ramblings: Ah, here is the next chapter! Heheheh. I'm sorry if its quite unedited, I wrote this a long time ago… hehehe. Oh well. Here we go!

DISCLAIMER: See other chapters. Yeah. Don't own them…

Stuffed Toy

By psychedelic aya

"Happy birthday, Nina!"

It was a smaller party now, not so much guests invited by her parents. It was she who invited the people now. She was 15 now, a bustling highschool student. She was popular, pretty, cheerful and kind. That's why everyone loved her.

"Nina, I'm glad you decided to have this party. Everyone came!" One of the popular girls, Akiho, exclaimed. "Even Kaji-kun is here! And his best friend, Tsujiai-kun!" She squealed in delight. Then, with a nudge, she added, "You know, I think Tsujiai-kun likes you!"

Nina smiled sheepishly while fending with the cake. "No, we're just good friends!" She said, glancing at the mentioned black-haired boy. He was looking at her, and she blushed slightly. She gave a small wave and he waved back.

Akiho looked at the exchange with a knowing face. "See what I mean!?" She giggled. "You two make a perfect match!"

"Oh Akiho," Nina said disbelievingly but with a giggle. Then suddenly, Nina's best friend came in. "Oh Ayu-chan! You're here!"

Tateishi Ayu walked to Nina and Akiho with the coolness and calmness she was known for. "Hey." She greeted the two of them. "This party was a really nice idea, Nina." She commented the same thing Akiho did. Then suddenly, her gaze set on a young boy with dark brown hair and matching eyes. The coolness and calmness faded. "I-It's Kaji-kun!"

Akiho rolled her eyes. "You break down like a little puppet when you see him, Ayu." She said while flipping her hair. "Well then, excuse me, I have people to meet." And she winked at them and gave a friendly smile.

Ayu looked confused. "You know, I don't know why she's nice… then she turns all nasty when I mention Kaji."

Nina smirked. "She's just jealous. Kaji-kun obviously likes you!" And she giggled when she saw Ayu turn six shades of crimson. "See what I mean?"

Ayu laughed as well, and then the two started chatting about various gossips animatedly. Their voices added to the many chatting students around.

"Oh, and did you know that Orihara-san and that cute guy with long hair got together already?" Ayu said, as smiling happily. "I'm happy for Maya."

Nina nodded. "Maya-chan must be happy too!" She added, as beaming brightly. She then darted her eyes around to look for the mentioned blonde girl, but she found herself lost in the many chattering students. "Ayu-chan, did Maya-chan come—" Her words were cut off when she didn't meet Ayu's face, but instead it was someone with light brown hair and green eyes. "Yuta!?"

He smirked and winked. "Yo, Nina." He said, raising a hand. He gave a smile to her. "Happy birthday."

All the fangirls around started squealing secretly—but still, they were obvious.

"Do you always have to create this effect when you come in, ne, Yuta-kun?" Ayu suddenly said, staring at the female population. Most were babbling about how the three hottest guys in school came to Nina's party.

Yuta laughed. "What effect, Ayu?" Among the three 'most popular' guys in school, he was the only one who called Ayu and Nina by their first names. Kaji and Tsujiai stuck to the last name basis. "Everything seems to be normal." He ran a hand through his wind blown hair, giving her a charming smile.

It wasn't Ayu who got affected though—it was the others. The squealing merely increased.

Ayu rolled her eyes. "No, Yuta-kun, don't give me that look." She said sternly, pouting. Then, in a soft but stern whisper, "Why are you flirting with me when the one you really like is Nina?"

Yuta was taken aback. He sweatdropped, saying, "That's our little secret."

Ayu gave him a knowing look, and was about to say something, when Nina suddenly interrupted.

"Hey guys! Help me open my gifts!" She said with a bright smile. She then pulled her two best friends to the table where all the pretty packages were placed.

The familiar line struck Yuta. She said it to him every year ever since her sixth birthday…

He sighed. During their childhood, it was just the two of them. Then Ayu, Maya and Luna came. Then lastly… Tsujiai and Kaji.

…And not to mention the rest of the whole school population who just loved them.

Although the three of them were known to be "the most popular guys" in school, the title didn't really matter much to Yuta. After all, he only changed schools because Nina was in them. He knew Nina didn't have any other family other than her grandpa, ever since her mother and father died in a car crash… so he decided to keep her company.

Nina's smile lit up the whole room. "Okay everybody, I'll start opening my presents!"

The moment she said that, all the guests rounded on the table, sitting down with anxious talks and looks. There were shouts of, "Open mine first, Nina!" or "Nina, open mine when you're alone, I didn't have any money, so my gift is embarrassing!" And others of the like. The birthday celebrant giggled at the shouts.

"Okay, okay," Nina said, stifling laughter. "I'll choose randomly!" And so she closed her eyes, then with a smile, picked a package from the lot. "This one!" She pulled it one out and held it high. It had no wrapper, but was merely a carton box with holes. Everyone stared at it curiously. "Eh?"

"That's my present." Ayu raised her hand, and although she was a bit embarrassed, she tried not to show it. "Heheheh… I hope you like it, Nina!" And she smiled.

Nina nodded and slowly put the carton box down. She opened the lid slowly, then suddenly, the box moved! "Nani?!" She exclaimed, surprised. Even more cautiously, she lifted the lid up… and then…

"Meooww!"

"KAWAII!" Nina exclaimed immediately, seeing the contents of the package. "Neko ga!" She exclaimed, taking the gray furry cat in her arms. "It's a cat!" She held it endearingly in her arms. She looked to Ayu with a shining grin. And then, also taking her best friend in a hug, she exclaimed, "I've always wanted a pet, Ayu-chan! Arigato!"

And so that began the opening of the gifts.

With much elation, Nina opened the other gifts. Akiho had gotten her a make-up set, in which Ayu and Yuta sweatdropped, cause it wasn't likely for Nina to use one… but anyway… Kaji had gotten her a pack of cookies, while Tsujiai gave her a weird toy that was at the same time cute but freaky.

It became late eventually, and the many gifts still weren't finished. Ayu had decided to sleep over, and almost everyone had left. The house looked like any house when a party was finished—messy and disorderly, confetti around, food everywhere, utensils scattered.

"I guess we should clean up," Ayu murmured, almost disdained by the mess. She started with picking up the paper plates and plastic cups.

It seemed that Yuta had stayed behind also. He started taking the gift wrappers and putting them in a large garbage can. "Our classmates sure know how to make a mess," He commented. "I wonder why they don't do this at the classroom."

Ayu laughed. "That's because Mikami-sensei will punish them for it…" Then she put her finger on her chin, as if pondering. Then, it a grand imitation of their teacher's voice, she exclaimed, "20 laps around the field, class! Go, go, go!"

Yuta sweatdropped at the thought, because it could be most highly possible. "I promise I'll never throw a paper airplane again if he does that to us…"

Footsteps echoed through the stairs. Nina came down, already dressed in normal everyday clothes. "Arigato, Ayu-chan, Yuta, for helping me clean up the mess!"

Yuta then rolled his eyes. "You're not even cleaning up…"

Nina smiled sweetly, almost in a mocking manner. "Well, I will be soon, Yuta." She answered, going down to them and getting a garbage bag too. "Wow… I still haven't finished opening all the gifts… I never knew I received so many…"

Ayu giggled. "A lot of people like you at school, Nina." Then, as she threw all the plastic utensils into the garbage can, she glanced at Yuta. "By the way, Yuta-kun, I didn't see you give Nina a gift!" She didn't miss the slight pink on his cheeks when she mentioned it. So she looked to Nina—there was slight mischief in her eyes. "Well, what did he give you?"

Nina smiled brightly, and got a familiar parcel. "I know Yuta's gift is this one." She said. Her bright face smiled as she held it up, looking to it with an emotion Ayu couldn't just crack.

"How did you know?"

"Oh… I always know which one is Yuta's."

Yuta didn't say a word as the two friends exchanged a conversation. When he was done picking up all the scattered trash, the room looked almost decent again. He smiled proudly at his work as shoving the garbage bag into the trash chute. "So, Ayu," He started, momentarily interrupting their conversation. "Are you staying over tonight?"

Ayu looked to him and nodded. "Yup." Then suddenly, "Why?"

"Hmmm…" He placed his hand on his chin, as if in thought. Then he looked to Nina and winked. "If Ayu's staying, I guess I'll be staying over too!"

Ayu was very much surprised as he said that, but Nina didn't seem to be bothered by the thought of him sleeping here. She only had one complaint.

She pouted. "It was supposed to be a 'girls-only' sleepover, Yuta!"

"Well then, let's just pretend I'm a chick, alright?"

"Mou!" The birthday girl crossed her arms in mock frustration. Then afterwards, "Don't blame me if you turn gay!"

Yuta laughed as he approached the door, holding the doorknob. He gave the girls a smile before saying, "I'll be back! I'll just go and get my things… and tell sis…" And before they knew it, the door shut, leaving the two of them alone.

Ayu looked to Nina with utter shock. "He was serious about that!? He's staying here?!"

Nina shrugged as she took Yuta's gift in her arms, approaching the stairs and urging her best friend to follow her. "Yuta always stays here now and then," She confessed, but without much embarrassment. The two of them climbed up the stairs, heading for her room. "Ever since Grandpa got that foreign job, Yuta would stay with me once in a while… even on school nights." She opened the door to her room, and turned the lights. "He sleeps on the couch downstairs, in the living room, drowning himself on late night TV shows."

"You mean… this isn't the first time he's going to stay here?"

The celebrant shook her head. "He's been sleeping over with me ever since I was 10." And she entered her room.

Ayu looked like she was going to faint as she followed Nina inside the spacious room, feeling the fur of the carpeted floor under her feet. "If Akiho hears about this, she'll go loca." Then afterwards, "I mean, you're having sleepovers with one of the most popular guys in school! And it's so NORMAL to you!"

"It's just Yuta…" Nina laughed as she sat down on her bed, starting to open Yuta's gift. "Hmmm… this one's larger than usual."

Tateishi raised a dainty eyebrow. "Eh?" She approached Nina and sat beside her on the bed. "What do you mean?"

With a soft smile and sigh, Nina then began to explain. "Yuta always gives me the same gift on my birthday, on Christmas… or when he just feels like it." She smiled at the stuffed toy in her arms, hugging it softly, feeling the fur tickle her skin. She loved doing that when she received a new one. "It's always a teddy bear. He gave me my first one when I was six."

It was then when Ayu decided to glance around the room. Indeed, there were several shelves and closets full of teddy bears, and even Nina's bed was full of them. "All of these… came from Yuta-kun?" Her voice trailed off as she marveled at the so many toys.

Nina nodded, as throwing the wrapper of the most recent bear. She then took the toy and gently placed it on the head of her bed, where there were 5 others, all of different sizes. "Like I said, some were for my birthday, some for Christmas, and some when he just felt like it." Then she smiled at the many stuffed bears, as if recalling a fond memory. "There was this one time when I forced him to go shopping with me, he suddenly dragged me to the toy store and said he felt like adding another one to the collection."

Ayu had to smile at the thought, thinking that maybe although Yuta said he never showed his feelings for Nina, the teddy bears showed it all. She was about to say something, but then the doorbell rang.

"That must be Yuta now," Nina said, looking to Ayu. The two of them nodded to each other before descending the stairs, heading for the front door.

When they opened the door, what they didn't expect to see was one of the most popular guys in their school—wearing a blonde curly wig.

Ayu couldn't help it. She laughed loudly right at the spot.

Nina giggled, unable to say any word.

"What?" Yuta exclaimed, touching his hair affectionately. "Oh… you mean my hair! Yes, yes, I know its horrible now." He was using a slang voice that made him sound like a girl. "I was hoping you girls could give it a make-over!"

The two girls burst into fits of laughter again, and they tried to form some kind of sentence, but failing miserably. Nina held on to the door knob, trying to balance herself, while Ayu did the same to the wall.

Yuta raised an eyebrow. "If you're just going to act like that, how am I ever going to learn to be a chick?"

"W-we're s-sorry, Yuta," Ayu managed to say between guffawing. "But you look so funny!"

"Hey, I'm pretty as a blonde, and you're just jealous," He said, with a mock pout. That just made them laugh harder, if possible. "So… are you going to let me in or what? It's kinda chilly out here, you know!"

Trying to stop, Ayu and Nina nodded. They opened the door more widely for him to come in.

"I borrowed the wig from my sister." Yuta explained, as throwing his backpack near the couch and going to the kitchen. "She laughed at me too when she saw me, and she called me pretty!" He seemed to be bothered by the thought. "Me? Pretty?!" And then, without even another word after that, he headed for the kitchen and exclaimed, "I'm going to make a midnight snack!"

Ayu raised an eyebrow at Nina, but the other just smiled sheepishly. "He likes cooking." She clarified, before sitting on the couch and grabbing Yuta's bag. She opened it and searched its contents. Then she added, while browsing through the depth's of his backpack, "You should taste his chiffon cake. It's the best!"

"Reealllyy…" Tateishi replied, and her voice held a tint of confusion. Yuta acted so "at home" in Nina's house, and Nina acted so casual around him in turn. She watched as her best friend rummaged through Yuta's backpack—and to think that she didn't ask permission yet… I mean… were they that close to act like this around each other?

"Yuta, what tapes did you bring this time?" Nina suddenly shouted, grabbing out a VHS tape. The cover looked like it was going to pop out and eat them alive. "This is a horror movie!"

Yuta's head emerged from the kitchen door. "I know!" He replied with a smirk, his eyes full of mischief. "I wanna hear you and Ayu squeal! Isn't that exciting?"

"Mou, Yuta!" The birthday girl exclaimed, putting the tape on the nearest side table and once again digging through the bag. "Didn't you bring anything else but horror movies?!"

The electric blender was heard humming, as if Yuta was really actually baking something. But although the kitchen's tools were noisy, his voice stood out. "Check the pockets! I think sis wanted you to watch some corny romance movie…"

Nina found the tape. It was a known romance movie. She held it dearly, and in a fake drama voice, "Arigato, Mito-oniichan! Once again you have saved me from watching Yuta's terrible horror movies!"

Ayu sweatdropped and giggled, watching her two friends in their bickering exchange. 'I never knew they were so close…' She thought, joining Nina in rejoicing and setting up the VCR. 'Yuta acts so casual around her… and likewise with Nina… it's almost as if they've lived with each other for years…'

Her reverie was cut off when Yuta suddenly came in with the chiffon cake and popcorn in a tea tray. There were also three cans of soda. They were, after all: teenagers.

"Midnight snack's ready!" He announced, proud of himself. Then he glanced on the TV, which was already playing the romance movie. "Aww… are we really going to watch that?" He put the tea tray on the table, then grabbed one of his tapes. "These horror ones are much better…" And he mentioned the horror titles, hoping that the girls would change their minds.

"I told you that this was an 'all-girls' slumber party, Yuta…" Nina reminded, all knowing. "But you insisted! So we get to be followed tonight!"

Yuta facefaulted. "Fine, fine…" And he plopped down the sofa, beside Nina. With romance movies on the list, he was sure this was going to be a boooorrriiinnnggg night.

"Pass the popcorn!"

Later on…

"That was wonderful!" Ayu exclaimed, wiping off the slight tears in her eyes. "I'm glad we watched that movie."

Nina nodded and smiled at her girl best friend. "True! It was sweet! Aren't you glad we watched it, Yuta?" She looked to the only male within them, only to find him snoozing off, his head on the sofa's armrest.

Then, he murmured a barely audible, "Yeah… it was great…" A snore. Then, "…Whatever…"

"I think he went to sleep 10 minutes after it started…" Ayu commented, stifling a giggle. Who knew Kirishima Yuta could be so cute when he was asleep? All vulnerable and like a child…

"He sleeps like a rock, honestly." Nina said, sighing in disbelief as knocking on Yuta's head to prove her point. He didn't even flinch. "See what I mean?" Then she grabbed the remote control and switched the TV off. "Well, Ayu-chan, lets go to sleep as well?"

Ayu nodded. "Ok!" Then she stood up, and was about to head for the stairs, waiting for the birthday girl to follow her.

Nina looked thoughtful for a moment, then suddenly, "Oh, Ayu-chan, you go ahead. I'll just clean up a bit here."

"I'll help you then!"

"No, its okay! You're a guest." The celebrant smiled. "I'll be alright."

With a small shrug and a grin, Tateishi nodded. "If you say so." And soon enough, thumping going up the stairs was heard.

Nina sighed and started picking up the tea trays and the utensils they had used. She put everything back in the kitchen, planning to wash them tomorrow. Then, when she was done, she exited the kitchen and turned off the lights in the living room. She was about to follow Ayu back up, but then the slumped figure of her childhood friend caught her eye.

She rolled her eyes in disbelief. "He is going to have a stiff neck when he wakes up…" And so Nina went to Yuta, trying to move his body so that it would be in at least a more comfortable position. When she finally got him to lie down properly, she got a pillow and put it under his head.

Her hand brushed his hair as she did so, and she couldn't help thinking that it felt so soft—just like silk…

With a gentle smile, she cupped Yuta's cheek with her hand. Then, in a swift motion, she brought down her face and kissed his forehead so lightly that it didn't make a single sound. And then she whispered, "Oyasumi-nasai, Yuta." And then she ran back up to her room, joining her best friend Ayu with the intent on going to sleep.

Ayu never figured out why there was a blush on Nina's cheeks that night.

Authoress' Scribbles: Pretty longer than the other two, ne? Hehehe. The next one will be… well… kinda sad, I guess. Hehehe. But I think they we're kawaii in this chapter. Hehehe! Ok! Yuta rules!