I don't own them, CLAMP does. It borders on Fuuma/Kamui, but it can be interpreted otherwise. My only warning is that this is apparently depressing. I didn't think it was that bad. Oo...
-------------------------------------------------------------------
/Kamui/ watched from across the way, through a window, as his counterpart laid out the ingredients on the stove. /Kamui/ knew what he was up to, but wondered if the other Seals were aware. As they poked their heads into the kitchen, surprised or curios, He concluded that they didn't.
Kamui had all the ingredients: semi-sweet baking chocolate, butter, flour, sugar, baking soda, eggs, vanilla, water, strawberry whip cream and strawberries. It wasn't a hard cake to make. Kamui had made it, before.
He heated the chocolate and butter in the microwave, it was easiest to do it that way, then stirred the two until they were completely melted. He carefully measured the ½ tsp of vanilla and the ¾ cups of sugar, cracking the two eggs and adding it all to the mix.
Kamui had made this cake so many times… He knew the recipe by heart. It was Fuuma's favorite dessert, after all. And when Saya had made it and Fuuma had proclaimed it the best, Kamui had to know how to make it.
Likewise, he'd done the same for Kotori's favorite, but she wasn't here to sample his baking, anymore.
1 ¼ cups of flour. Kamui scooped into the bag, lifted the measuring cup, leveled it, and added it to the mixture. Water was next, baking soda, then came pouring. 9 inch round pan. Kamui always made sure to have one. It was about here that the first few tears fell from his eyes.
He poured evenly, carefully, calculated, into the pan. It was probably the easiest part but Kamui had always had the most fun doing it. Now it was just ritual.
Into the oven, preheated to 350 degrees. Now he was to wait 30 minutes for the cake to bake.
/Kamui/ wondered if the other was going to walk away and do something else, now. But he didn't. The boy just stepped back to the other side of the kitchen and slid down to sit leaning against the fridge. 30 minutes was a long time when you were waiting for something. It was also very short a time to sit and do nothing.
The clock turned, 30 minutes were up, and so Kamui stood and pulled a toothpick from a box in a drawer. He opened the oven, stuck the tooth pick into the cake (Exactly in the center, all the way to the bottom, just as he was taught and loved to do.) It came out clean. The cake was done.
He placed the cake in its pan on the stove. Now to wait 10 minutes for it to cool. 10 was nothing compared to 30. He didn't even bother to sit.
10 minutes were gone, so Kamui picked a plate from the cupboard and placed it up-side down on the cake, then flipped the whole thing and pulled the pan off the top. It came out perfect. It always does.
Kamui turned on the fan in the kitchen and decided to wait another 30 minutes. He was supposed to let the cake cool completely, but he never knew how long that took. 30 minutes was all he was willing to give.
Now Kamui took the strawberry whipped cream from the fridge and spread it artfully over the cake. He indulged himself a moment, drawing a little pink bunny on the surface, before spreading over it and continuing the recipe. This he could take all the time he wanted, with. There was no such thing as too much, just too little. And in the end presentation didn't actually matter, because little kids just liked that it was dessert.
He sliced the strawberries, taking extra care to pick out the perfect ones. Fuuma was obsessed with them being bright red, and Kamui always wanted them unblemished. Between them, Saya found it very hard to buy acceptable berries. Kamui never had this issue. He wanted them perfect, and didn't mind the time it took to find them.
Gently, Kamui stuck the strawberry slices into the cream and made a starburst/flower pattern. He really just wanted lots of strawberries, but a pattern made him look more sane. Finally, he melted the last of the baking chocolate and drizzled it over the cake.
Pretty.
Done with his task, Kamui allowed himself to step back and admire it. It looked exactly the same as it always did. Give or take a few strawberry slices. And now that he had realized this, he could relax.
/Kamui/ watched as his twin star's knees gave and he crumpled to the floor, ostensibly crying. He really was very weak, but that was okay, for now.
The day was February 28th.
Only two people still alive knew the significance of that.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
We're not actually sure Feb. 28th is Fuuma's birthday, but it's something we heard somewhere once and couldn't find anything otherwise. If someone knows this is wrong or right, it'd be nice if you told us. Oo... Thanks.