Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The characters that make up the wonderful 2002 movie, The Cat Returns, do not belong to me; nor does anything that you would be able to recognize. Instead, just about everything, aside from the drabbles, belong to the writers and animators over at Studio Ghibli.

Summary: All occasions, no matter how long or shot, sudden or predictable, are special.

Warning: Major Haru x Baron shipping. Lots of fluff (mostly) and romance.

Enjoy!

1. Dance

As he led her in confident turns and gentle dips around the enclosed ballroom, their movements were more than simply synced.

2. Treat

Despite loving chocolates and sweet strawberry cheesecakes, Haru's most favored treat was visiting a familiar statuette with orange fur and a black-colored cane.

3. White

The color white no longer reminded her of snow forts and smiling snowmen; instead it made her think of a certain chubby, white cat.

4. Salt

While cooking, he always followed the hand written recipes in his cooking books down to the last letter and period mark. Though there was one time he did not.

The Baron winced visibly as he tasted the cake batter that he had suddenly stopped stirring. His eyebrows furrowed as he set the bowl down onto the kitchen counter, and picked up yet another labeled container. He sighed.

Make that twice.

5. Clip

Ever sine the adventure to the Cat Kingdom, the Baron had grown a liking to Haru's shoulder-length hair. In his opinion, hair clips were a style that was to be well forgotten. He was all about being honest and natural, after all.

6. Red

Haru had always liked the Baron's crimson red vest. The soft material seemed to make his green-blue eyes stand out that much more.

7. Fish

Haru knew from that moment on that she would never grow a liking to fish.

8. Race

Despite having several people cheering for her and sending yells of encouragement to her, the half-cat was filled with doubt. As her eyes remained focused on the light sky above her, doubts filled her mind. Maybe she did not want to finish this race anymore.

9. Sand

She watched as her toes curled in the sand, scraping up the small grains from the drenched shore line. The curves of her face softened as a familiar memory resurfaced, reminding her how much she longed to be small again.

10. Name

"I'm Baron Humbert Von Gikkingen. But you may call me Baron."

Haru inwardly sighed. Man did he have a cool name.

11. Vault

For years he had vowed to himself to keep the vault to his heart locked ever since the loss of his very first love. Though somehow someone had managed to crack the code, and her name was Haru.

12. Rich

As Haru stared out the large window, memories flooded her mind of the months-old adventure to the unknown kingdom of cats. She would never forget it, for she was rich and full of memories.

13. Crime

The Baron sighed, although smiling despite the dull ache in his heart. He had fallen for a human, and that was a crime that he would gladly plead guilty to.

14. Photograph

Despite being several blocks apart from each other, framed photographs resided in similar spots on each of their desks; the memory holding their own special spot in both of their hearts.

15. Quill

He gently guided the feathered pen across the off-white piece of paper, carefully writing a response to the previous letter, which rested an inch or two past his silk-clothed covered elbow.

16. Punch

Often times, he would consult his cane as a means of weaponry. Although, there were times that Baron favored a little hand-to-hand combat.

17. X-Ray

The schoolgirl frowned, and sadly glanced at the weathered pavement underneath her feet. She knew, as soon as it had happened - when Machida had asked that younger, much so, woman out - that her heart was broken. She did not need an X-ray for that.

18. Railroad

Sometimes Haru wished that there was a train line from her house to school.

19. Wreck

He was a silent wreck, preferring to keep his fluctuating emotions to himself rather than to make a mess.

Haru, on the other hand, had no real trouble voicing her problems to her close loved ones.

20. Coin

Haru tossed the silver coin into the perfectly rounded item, which was known to be the town's well; the oldest one, too. She waited a moment and listened closely for the soft plop of the aged coin as it hit the water. When it did, she left in high hopes of her wish to be granted.

21. Ice

Haru never really liked the ice, especially when she had to walk across it; or more like shuffle akin to a penguin.

22. Truck

Ever since that day when she had saved the prince of the Cat Kingdom, Haru has been a little more wary around trucks.

23. Antique

As he looked out the window at the beautifully setting sun, a smile appeared on his ginger-colored face. Sometimes being an antique was not so bad.

24. House

As he looked around his house, Baron found it to be a little bit more empty than he liked it to be. Especially when it was the many and seemingly endless minutes following the departure of a cheerful schoolgirl.

25. Shatter

As Baron looked up longingly at the retreating figure of Haru, it was at that moment that the statuette had felt a new emotion, something much deeper than a simple 'like'.

And with that joyful feeling came another, much deadlier one. And it caused his heart to shatter as he continued to watch the running shorter half-cat; coming to a conclusion.

The Baron loved her, and it made his heart break into millions of pieces, for he was loosing her to the world of man.