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     1.4 +Fruits Candy
     1.5 +A Sakura and Tomoyo Story
     1.6 +By G. P.
     1.7 +Please send comments to treeandleaf2002@yahoo.com
     1.8 +Note: All characters depicted herein are property of CLAMP. This
     1.9 +work in no way is meant to infringe on those rights.
    1.10 +
    1.11 +This is story is part of a continuing series, though it can also be
    1.12 +read alone. The previous stories in the series are:
    1.13 +1. Love is the Crooked Thing
    1.14 +2. First Date
    1.15 +
    1.16 +
    1.17 +
    1.18 +Gazing out the window, Sakura caught sight of the long, black
    1.19 +Cadillac pulling up to the curb. With clipped, almost military
    1.20 +motions, a female bodyguard dressed in a severe, slate-gray dress
    1.21 +popped out and opened the back passenger door. Tomoyo emerged,
    1.22 +dressed in a simple cobalt-blue dress, her gray-black hair in two
    1.23 +long braids, tied at the ends with pink ribbons. Sakura felt her
    1.24 +heart flutter at the sight, and blushed deeply. She was still
    1.25 +adjusting to the notion of Tomoyo-chan as something more than her
    1.26 +very best friend. Like a double thunderclap, Tomoyo's love for her,
    1.27 +and her own love for Tomoyo, had come as explosive revelations, one
    1.28 +after another. 
    1.29 +
    1.30 +She still felt deafened by the shock, a bit confused and
    1.31 +disoriented. In some ways, nothing had changed. Tomoyo especially
    1.32 +seemed as she always had: bright, cheerful, kind, and helpful. But
    1.33 +Sakura was sometimes uneasy in her presence in a way she had never
    1.34 +felt before. Sometimes, sitting by her in class or at lunch, she felt
    1.35 +buffeted by a strange whorl of emotions. She knew now that those
    1.36 +emotions had always been there, laying unrecognized in her heart,
    1.37 +waiting. When she finally saw that Tomoyo liked her- like that, her
    1.38 +own feelings were at last unfettered. As the leaves fell and the
    1.39 +nights grew chill with winter, Sakura had struggled with the dilemma
    1.40 +of how to love her best friend.
    1.41 +
    1.42 +Tomoyo stepped lightly up to the door, carrying a canvas bag with a
    1.43 +picture of a French flag on the side. Sakura sprang to the door,
    1.44 +opening it as she approached. 
    1.45 +
    1.46 +"Konichiwa, Tomoyo-chan!"
    1.47 +
    1.48 +"Konichiwa, Sakura-chan!" She took Sakura by the hand and smiled,
    1.49 +"Thank you for inviting me to your house."
    1.50 +
    1.51 + "No, thank you for coming. My father is at a Conference for the
    1.52 +weekend and won't be here, so I wanted to make a special dessert for
    1.53 +oniichan tonight. You're just so much better at it than me."
    1.54 +
    1.55 +Tomoyo looked aghast, "But Sakura-chan, you make beautiful things.
    1.56 +The cake you baked for your father was wonderful".
    1.57 +
    1.58 +"All the same, I'm glad you're here. Would you like some tea?"
    1.59 +
    1.60 +"Oh, yes, thank you. Shall I help?"
    1.61 +
    1.62 +Sakura smiled, nodded, and went to boil the water as Tomoyo gathered
    1.63 +up the cups and napkins. It was just like her. She was helpful and
    1.64 +considerate in such a natural way that you were sometimes unaware of
    1.65 +what a gracious friend she was. Sakura broke the silence,
    1.66 +
    1.67 +"How is your Mother?"
    1.68 +
    1.69 +"Oh, she is very well, thank you. She was talking about you the
    1.70 +other day".
    1.71 +
    1.72 +Sakura tilted her head quizzically.
    1.73 +
    1.74 +Tomoyo smiled, and continued, "I showed her the videotape of your
    1.75 +race from the school festival. She watched it so many times that I
    1.76 +had to make a copy for her before the tape wore out." Tomoyo
    1.77 +suppressed what seemed to be a giggle,
    1.78 +
    1.79 +"She said you have great potential as a runner, but will need work
    1.80 +on your technique. She said your father should teach you, but if he
    1.81 +is too busy she would be happy to coach you."
    1.82 +
    1.83 +At the prospect of running like Sonomi, Sakura brightened visibly.
    1.84 +Almost leaping from her chair, her eyes glistening at the prospect,
    1.85 +she blurted out, 
    1.86 +
    1.87 +"Really? That is so nice of her! I would love to run like that!"
    1.88 +
    1.89 +Tomoyo touched her cheek with her hand and gazed adoringly at her
    1.90 +friend. In physical activity, in track and gymnastics and swimming,
    1.91 +Sakura was like some beautiful, feline animal, coiled power exploding
    1.92 +with easy grace. No wonder she made such an exquisite Card Captor!
    1.93 +
    1.94 +Sakura caught the pale girl's look and blushed. Tomoyo was
    1.95 +so....eccentric. Even knowing they were now more than best friends,
    1.96 +her adoration still stirred a strange mix of feelings: embarrassment,
    1.97 +shyness, and a delightful sense of being utterly loved. Sakura put
    1.98 +her hand behind the back of her head and laughed in an odd voice,
    1.99 +
   1.100 +"Ha-ha-ha, um, should we begin the dessert?"
   1.101 +
   1.102 +Tomoyo nodded, all smiles, and began to open the large canvas bag.
   1.103 +Sakura watched, her curiosity aflame. First out of the mysterious bag
   1.104 +was....the video camera. She felt the welling of a sweat drop. Tomoyo
   1.105 +laughed and said,
   1.106 +
   1.107 +" To film with, and to help you study your technique". 
   1.108 +
   1.109 +Sakura groaned at the prospect of her culinary clumsiness captured
   1.110 +for all eternity. She watched as Tomoyo next brought out a small
   1.111 +white bag and a set of little silver cones. Handling them with
   1.112 +respectful care she said,
   1.113 +
   1.114 +"This is a piping bag, and these are the nozzles. With a delicate
   1.115 +finger she pointed to a cone with a slim, tapering opening, and spoke
   1.116 +in a hushed, reverent tone,
   1.117 +
   1.118 +"This is a Saint Honore nozzle. Saint Honore is the Special Saint of
   1.119 +Pastry Chefs. The dessert we are making was done in his honor." Then,
   1.120 +she took out a small candy thermometer, a pastry mixer,  and a
   1.121 +strange, wicked looking whisk, whose rounded ends had been clipped
   1.122 +off. Looking at Sakura, she asked solemnly,
   1.123 +
   1.124 +"Do you have the other ingredients I asked for?"
   1.125 +
   1.126 +"Yes, ummmm", Sakura's voice trailed off as she scrambled into the
   1.127 +kitchen, then rushed back in with the list, reading it breathlessly
   1.128 +while Tomoyo closed her eyes and listened, "Flour, eggs, sugar,
   1.129 +butter, milk, heavy cream, powdered sugar, superfine sugar, gelatin,
   1.130 +cornstarch?" Tomoyo nodded, opened her eyes, and smiled,
   1.131 +
   1.132 +"Shall we begin, Sakura-chan?"
   1.133 +
   1.134 +Vigorously nodding, Sakura followed her friend into the kitchen.
   1.135 +With a sinking feeling, she saw the dark-haired girl merrily setting
   1.136 +up a tripod in a corner. The red light showed the camera was on,
   1.137 +ready to follow her every blunder. At least it was something only
   1.138 +Tomoyo would see, and, thankfully, there were no costumes. The girls
   1.139 +tied on matching aprons and began, Tomoyo directing and Sakura doing
   1.140 +her best to follow.
   1.141 +
   1.142 +"We'll start with the Pate Sucre", Tomoyo sang out. She set the
   1.143 +pattern by showing Sakura how to do it, and then watching,
   1.144 +encouraging, and helping her friend along. Sakura took pride in the
   1.145 +dishes she could cook, but desserts, especially fancy ones, baffled
   1.146 +her. Watching Tomoyo in the kitchen, she felt a sweet heartache.
   1.147 +There was a perfect precision in her movements as she sifted and
   1.148 +rolled and mixed and whisked. Like a ballerina, she whirled and
   1.149 +dipped and spun her own special magic. Tomoyo had no sense for the
   1.150 +magic of the Clow Cards, but here, she was the Mistress, the cooking
   1.151 +tools her Cards. Lightly dusted in the fine, white pastry flour, she
   1.152 +looked like an angel: calm, watchful, and glowingly beautiful. 
   1.153 +
   1.154 +Sakura lightly placed her hand on the girl's shoulder, as if to
   1.155 +assure herself that this was indeed her friend, and not some
   1.156 +celestial visitor. Tomoyo glanced up and smiled, placing her hand on
   1.157 +Sakura's own, then slowly pulling away, their fingers lightly
   1.158 +interlacing for the briefest second. Sakura caught her breath and
   1.159 +swallowed hard, a crimson blush tickling her neck and ears. But
   1.160 +Tomoyo was back to her choux paste, mixing the egg into the crumbly
   1.161 +dough. Sakura shook her head and tried to remember Tomoyo's
   1.162 +directions. Peering into the oven as the round base baked to a golden
   1.163 +sheen, she asked in a puzzled voice,,
   1.164 +
   1.165 +"Tomoyo-chan, how can you be sure you can make it rise?" 
   1.166 +
   1.167 +Tomoyo turned with a puzzled look and answered, "I'm sorry, I don't
   1.168 +understand".
   1.169 +
   1.170 +"The pastry base we made...how do we make it rise?"
   1.171 +
   1.172 +Tomoyo laughed quietly and regarded her friend with thoughtful
   1.173 +eyes," We can't do anything to make it rise. It has to want to do it
   1.174 +itself".
   1.175 +
   1.176 +Sakura stared back, blinking in quiet incomprehension.
   1.177 +
   1.178 +The pale girl joined her at the window of the oven, "It's just like
   1.179 +flowers, or paintings, or sewing. You can't make it do anything. You
   1.180 +can only be there for it, to help it be what is wants to be." She
   1.181 +tilted her head, and smiled. 
   1.182 +
   1.183 +Sakura looked at her friend in slow realization of what she meant.
   1.184 +Tomoyo was so gentle, she would never force anything, be it pastry or
   1.185 +painting or costume. Or even, she thought with a start, her love.
   1.186 +Tomoyo had loved her for so long and never spoken, lest Sakura be
   1.187 +burdened or troubled. She had never tried to control their friendship
   1.188 +to her advantage, even going so far as to encourage Sakura's crush on
   1.189 +Yukito-san, and her tentative feelings for Li-kun. Tomoyo had been
   1.190 +ready to sacrifice her own happiness to ensure Sakura's own. The
   1.191 +auburn-haired girl felt a shiver as she blinked back the tears.
   1.192 +
   1.193 +Tomoyo gazed at the shimmering emerald eyes and felt her own heart
   1.194 +racing. Sakura lunged at her, staggering her back, hugging her
   1.195 +tightly. Tomoyo closed her eyes, feeling the trembling form in her
   1.196 +arms. Had all her hopes and dreams and prayers come true it could not
   1.197 +have brought a sweeter moment than this. Sakura's love washed over
   1.198 +her like an ocean wave, knocking her off her feet, swirling and
   1.199 +eddying in every corner of her being. She smoothed the red-auburn
   1.200 +hair, straightening a ribbon with nimble fingers. 
   1.201 +
   1.202 +Sakura drew back slowly, smiling, blushing, looking dazed and
   1.203 +slightly embarrassed. Tomoyo smiled at the white flour that now
   1.204 +powdered the girl's cheek. She reached out her hand, tenderly wiping
   1.205 +away the flour and the tears. She rested her palm on Sakura's cheek,
   1.206 +and then lightly caressed the soft skin with her fingertips.
   1.207 +
   1.208 +"I love you, Sakura-chan".
   1.209 +
   1.210 +Sakura gently enfolded the hand in her own and squeezed tightly. "I
   1.211 +love you too, Tomoyo". 
   1.212 +
   1.213 +Hands clasped, both girls stood transfixed until Tomoyo wrinkled her
   1.214 +nose and exclaimed, "The pastry base!"
   1.215 +
   1.216 +As if choreographed, the two twirled about and saw gray smoke
   1.217 +billowing from the oven. Quickly donning silver oven mitts, Tomoyo
   1.218 +opened the door and removed the baking sheet. Coughing in the smoke,
   1.219 +Sakura stared at the blackened circle.
   1.220 +
   1.221 +With a disconsolate look, Tomoyo murmured, "I ruined it". 
   1.222 +
   1.223 +Sakura looked sadly at her friend, then suddenly brightened.
   1.224 +
   1.225 +"We didn't ruin it. It wanted to burn!"
   1.226 +
   1.227 +Tomoyo looked up, smiled, and suddenly began to laugh. Sakura looked
   1.228 +on in surprise, and then started laughing, too. Neither had laughed
   1.229 +so hard in a very long time. Gasping for air in the still-smoky
   1.230 +kitchen, Sakura blurted out,
   1.231 +
   1.232 +"We...we better..hee...start another one, hee hee...before oniichan
   1.233 +gets back...hee..."
   1.234 +
   1.235 +Tomoyo, still giggling, nodded, and the two began again.
   1.236 +
   1.237 +After the surprisingly delicious noodle dinner, Touya watched Sakura
   1.238 +and Tomoyo disappear into the kitchen. The two had seemed inseparable
   1.239 +of late, and he was glad. He liked the pale, dark-haired girl,
   1.240 +sensing her intense devotion to his sister. He thought to call out
   1.241 +and ask if Tomoyo had actually cooked the meal, since it was so good,
   1.242 +but he smiled to himself and kept quiet. After several minutes the
   1.243 +two girls returned, each carrying one side of a large serving plate.
   1.244 +They placed the magnificent Saint Honore Pastry on the table before
   1.245 +him and shouted, "Happy Birthday!"
   1.246 +
   1.247 +From his job at the bistro he knew it was a complex dessert that
   1.248 +only the boldest chefs would attempt. The carmel-dipped buns ringed a
   1.249 +lake of layered, criss-crossed Crème Chibouste, deftly executed to
   1.250 +look like ripples on the water. In place of the normal spun sugar
   1.251 +ball on top sat two delicate pastry swans, gracefully arching necks
   1.252 +entwined like lovers. Enclosing them was a sparkling, bowl-shaped
   1.253 +cage of golden carmel. Amazed that they could create such a work, he
   1.254 +glanced up at them. Like two swans, the girls nestled together, hand
   1.255 +in hand, expectantly awaiting his reaction. He smiled, and understood.
   1.256 +
   1.257 +"It's beautiful."
   1.258 +
   1.259 +And it was.      
   1.260 +
   1.261 +  
   1.262 +