Title: Vanilla Fudge
Rating: G
Summary: Vanilla fudge always reminded him of Miranda.
Type of fic: Vignette
Disclaimer: Miranda, Gordo, and all Lizzie McGuire related stuff belongs to Disney and…whoever else has rights to them.
Distribution: Random Thoughts and FF.net
Author's notes: I haven't seen the 'missing Miranda' episodes, but from the movie I believe she went to Mexico. This is just my take on it.

Vanilla Fudge

Vanilla fudge always reminded him of Miranda.

It was her favourite candy. Every time he gave her a present - birthdays and Christmases and all other present-giving occasions - he made sure to include a bag of vanilla fudge. She would tease him, of course, about his reliability, and that was why he often bought her unexpected gifts to go with the vanilla fudge. Like last Christmas when he bought her a cactus plant.

In return she always added a bag of red liquorice, his favourite candy, with every gift she gave him. It was just a thing they had, and one that neither complained about. "Mutually agreeable" was how they referred to it.

But this time he could think of nothing to go with the vanilla fudge. What kind of gift adequately conveyed "Goodbye. I'll miss you very much"? He could think of nothing and decided instead on an extra, extra large bag of vanilla fudge.

*

'Oh, hello David!'

He smiled. 'Hi, Mrs Sanchez, I hope I'm not intruding?'

'Not at all,' Mrs Sanchez replied, opening the door wider for him. 'Come on in. We weren't expecting you and the McGuire's for another half an hour.'

'Oh, I wasn't doing anything and decided to show up early,' he replied, stepping into the house. He was supposed to have been arriving with Lizzie and her Mom to take Miranda and her parents to the airport. 'I hope that's okay?'

'Of course it is. Miranda's in her room, if you want to go up.'

'Thanks, Mrs Sanchez.' He climbed the stairs and lightly knocked on the first door to his left, which was slightly ajar.

'It's open!' a muffled voice called out from the bedroom.

He pushed the door open, searching for the person that belonged to the voice. 'Miranda?'

Her head popped up from the other side of the bed, hair slightly in disarray but with a bright smile on her face. 'Gordo!'

He couldn't help it. He laughed at her. 'What are you doing down there?'

'I was searching for my old diary under the bed, but I can't seem to find it.' She stood, dusting herself. 'Where's Lizzie?'

'She's not here yet. I wanted to come by early.' He lifted the large, and heavy, bag in his hand. 'And I wanted to give you this.'

She hurried towards him with obvious delight. 'Ooh! Present!'

With a grin, he handed over the bag of candy. 'I hope you'll like it.'

She opened the bag wide, and the pleasantly yummy aroma of vanilla fudge escaped into the air. 'I could die happy right now,' she sighed in that dreamy way that was usually only reserved for Ethan Clark. She looked back at him with a gentle smile. 'I love it. Thanks, Gordo.'

'Just don't eat them all at once,' he teased, waggling a mocking finger at her. 'That's going to have to last you until you get back.'

'I'll be good, I promise,' she said with a laugh, reaching into the bag and pulling out a piece. 'You want one?'

'No, I'm good.' He moved towards the end of the bed, and sat down. 'I can't believe you're really going,' he said, shaking his head.

It must have been the three hundred and seventy-fourth time the words had been spoken since she first broke the news to him and Lizzie. All three of them had repeated the same words at the previous night's "Miranda's Last Night", continuing like broken records until they had all fallen asleep in the McGuire's living room. It was going to be hard finishing, and graduating, their last year of middle school apart. The three of them had done everything together, always been there for each other.

She hugged the bag to her chest, reaching in once again for another piece. She studied it for a moment, and sighed. 'I can't believe I'm really going either.' Then she grinned again, popping the candy into her mouth. 'But I'll be back before you know it!'

He shook his head. 'That's real attractive, Miranda. You look like a cow.'

'Hey!' She sat beside him on the bed, elbowing him for his remark.

He laughed. For a moment they sat in contemplative silence. Well, him in contemplative silence while she chewed on her third piece of vanilla fudge.

He turned to face her, unusually aware of the distance between them. Or rather, the lack of it. Her shoulder rubbed against his, her arm almost tangling with his. 'I'm really going to miss you, Miranda.'

She looked back at him, smirking slightly. 'You do care about me after all, Gordo.'

He raised an eyebrow. 'Yes, but it's a secret. Don't tell anyone, okay?'

A light laugh escaped her lips. 'I'm going to miss you something awful, Gordo. There's nobody quite like you.'

'Hey, you're one of a kind yourself, Mir,' he replied, meaning every word. The two of them sat smiling at each other.

Then…it happened. He leaned forward, and she leaned forward.

His first kiss.

Her lips were warm and soft. He hadn't realised anything could be so soft.

And the kiss was tender, and it was wonderful, and it was sweetly innocent. The kiss was simple and pure. It was the kiss, he knew, that he would measure against all other kisses.

She pulled back. 'That was…'

A subtle taste lingered on his lips. 'Vanilla fudge,' he said.

She laughed. 'Not exactly how I pictured my first kiss. But I'm glad it was you.'

He smiled at her. 'Me too, Miranda.'

'And Gordo? Thank you.'

'For the kiss?'

She smiled mischievously at him. 'For the vanilla fudge.'

Vanilla fudge always reminded him of Miranda.