Archive of Our Own ^beta

***

Momoko brushed through her thick, auburn hair while kneeling in front of her vanity. The yellow rays of the sun shone through her sheer blinds, glowing on her fair skin. Her crystal beaded curtain hung by the windows and sparkled in the bright daylight. The scented candles filled the room with a subtle smell of vanilla and flowers. She’s been getting ready for a few hours, making sure everything is ready by the time Ichigo arrives.

The girl wore her favourite dress, which was, obviously, a ‘Baby, the Stars Shine Bright’ piece - a pink criss-crossed frock with lace, frills, bows, and ribbons. On her head, she had a lightweight headdress with flounces along the hem. She had high-kneed socks with thick edgings on the top. Momoko matched the look with fluffy wristcuffs, tied with pink ribbons. She was decked out head to toe in frills.

Momoko put a light tablecloth with a pattern of light pink roses over the table. She rushed to the kitchen after hearing the beep of her oven. You could smell the aroma of caramel, vanilla, and baked goods around the whole house. She grabbed a worn-out oven mitt and put it on to protect her hands from the heat.

She slowly took out the baked cinnamon rolls, dipped in cream cheese, and sprinkled with vanilla. The girl put the freshly baked breadstuff and small slices of homemade cake on the table, along with store-bought eclairs. Just as she put it away, steam arose from the kettle. Momoko hurried to turn it off and looked at the small digital clock on the oven. Ichigo was supposed to arrive by now. She started to move all of the pastries from the table to her room. 

Momoko brought over the kettle and gently placed it on the table, next to the porcelain tea set she owned. It contained two teacups with hand-painted, vibrant light pink roses and gold enrichments. The ornaments were in shapes of little hearts, roses, leaves, swirls, and crosses. They were placed on little plates. The tea set came with fancy spoons with subtle adornments engraved. A sugar pot, a small heart-shaped tea pot, and a creamer. She poured the freshly brewed tea into the pot and went outside.

She sat down on the dooryard and opened a book while waiting for Ichigo to arrive. The weather was humid and warm, which was later supposed to be interrupted by a thunderstorm. Submerged in her lecture, it took her a while to notice the time. It’s unusual for her to arrive this late. That made Momoko concerned until she heard the sound of a motorbike. 

-You’re late. - Momoko complained, forgetting her worries.

-I made sure to do a few laps around here before arriving. I thought you’d still take your sweet time to get ready.

-I’ve been sitting for fifteen minutes. I said to arrive by four.

-I didn’t want to wait!

-And you made me wait instead.

-So now you know how it feels, huh? - Ichigo acknowledged with a smirk on her face

-Come in, the tea will get cold. - The other said with a defeated look on her face.

Momoko opened the door and invited Ichigo in, who was met with the intense scent of baked pastries. The room was bathed in the sunlight of the golden hour, leaving the old wooden furniture warm. The thick smell of butter, milk, and honey, with a fair hint of vanilla and chocolate. The girl inhaled the fragrance.

-What’s that smell? Did you bake something?- Ichigo naively asked.

-Obviously, it’s a tea party.

They went inside Momoko’s room, and to Ichigo's surprise, the table was filled with a handful of desserts.

-All that? For me?

-Not only for you, idiot. Does this look like a serving for a single person?

-What’s that wording? I didn’t expect such manners from a well-behaved princess like you. - Ichigo mocked.

-Ah, it’s not my fault! If you watched your language in the first place, I would never utter such words from my very own mouth.

Ichigo laughed and sat on the silky pillow. She looked over at all of the treats placed ahead of her. Eclairs filled to the brim with sweet cream, small slices of cake, croissants, possibly with a filling, and cinnamon rolls.

-I’m not big on sweets.

-It’s a tea party. What did you expect? 

-God, I didn't put in so much effort so you can brag. -  Momoko added.

They sat in silence while Momoko served the tea.

-Why did you bake and buy all of that? It’s not like we're going to eat all of this.

-My dad told me to save some for guests coming over tomorrow, and I left more cinnamon rolls in the fridge for a tea party.

-What tea party? I thought you didn’t have any friends? - Ichigo blurred out.

-Hey, wa-

Momoko had to admit Ichigo was right.

-Yet recently, I happened to meet other lolitas around Tokyo. We’ll have a meet-up on Monday.

-And you may come, if you want or something.

-You said it’s a lolita tea party.

-It is.

-Then.. Why would I attend?

-They wouldn’t mind at all. They’d be more than happy to welcome you there.

Ichigo sat in silence, considering what to say.

-I’m not fond of sweets or tea.

-Yet you’re sitting here.

-Because it’s your tea party. - She argued.

-You don’t have to attend, I just invited you. Besides, you’ll hang out with me. I mean, that’s why you came today, didn’t you?

Ichigo’s face was slightly flushed with a hint of pinkness. She looked away and lifted her cup of delightful forest fruit tea. Momoko slightly smirked and grasped the delicate sugar pot.

-You’re going to get diabetes because of how much sugar you eat.

-If I were able to, the only thing that I would eat would be desserts. Diabetes is not a problem.

-How many spoons of sugar do you usually add?

-About four or five.

Ichigo widened her eyes and glanced away. She curiously reached out for the buttery cinnamon rolls. 

-Mh.. That’s so good. - The girl said with her mouth full of creamy pastries.

-Don’t talk with your mouth open. Besides, didn’t you say you’re ‘not fond of sweets’?

Ichigo’s smirk slowly disappeared as she stared back at Momoko.

-It’s not that sweet.

-Hm, is that so? I didn’t get to try them yet, but I did add extra icing. - She grinned. 

Momoko moved the tray of desserts closer and tasted the treat.

-Mm.. so delightful!

-Oh, try this. - Momoko said as she took Ichigo’s porcelain plate. She put a small slice of tiramisu covered in cacao powder. It was rich in sweet beige-colored cream, moist biscuits, and a distinct flavor of espresso. 

Ichigo hesitated to cut a small nibble out of the cake. Upon tasting the dessert, she widened her eyes and took out a larger bite.

-You baked it yourself?

-I didn’t expect it. - She cut the cake with her fork and stuffed her mouth. - I mean, I thought it was sweet.

-You never had tiramisu before? It’s coated in cacao powder, and the ladyfingers are dipped in espresso. That makes it bitter compared to other cakes. 

-It’s not my personal favourite, but I like it because the sweet cream evens out the taste. - Momoko said while slicing her treat with a fork.

-Try the strawberry shortcake, I made it yesterday. It’s fresher.

-Why are you.. - Ichigo glanced over at the table full of Momoko’s cakes. - Baking so much? - She giggled.

-What else am I supposed to do? I have nothing interesting to do around here. It gets boring during the summer. I can’t be in Tokyo every day. Otherwise, I would go bankrupt.

The other put a portion of the shortcake on her tray.

-Ah.. It’s good. But way sweeter than the tiramisu. - Ichigo said with a mixed look on her face.

-I think I’ll just let me - She put the plate aside, drank a sip of tea, and picked up the basket of croissants. - Try this.

-It wasn’t baked by me. My dad’s friend’s wife came over and brought a batch of it. Every time she visits with family, she bakes something.

-Her baking sucks. - Momoko lightly smiled - Although her croissants are scrumptious. I think you’ll like them - they’re not that sweet.

-I think it’s because she baked it with her mother, that’s what she mentioned. They’re from yesterday, so they should be fine. - The girl said while putting the breadstuff on her dish. I’d be glad if she brought her mother’s cooking over more.

***

They ate a whole lot of eclairs, a portion of croissants, as they kept in mind to leave the rest for Momoko’s family, leaving behind the brownie, a few slices of tiramisu, and shortcake.

-Oh.. I'm not sure if the cinnamon rolls will be enough for the tea party. - The frilly girl complained.

-Why? You said you baked a batch.

-If you want to go with me, we have to bake something. I want to make a good impression!

-That’s dumb, cinnamon rolls are enough. You have a handful of them.

-You can enter only if you bring something to eat.

-Who said I’d go? - Ichigo smirked.

-Fine then, don’t go.

-Fine, I’ll go, I’ll go. Stop insisting. - She smiled.

-So, you want me to stay over now, don’t you?

Momoko glanced over at the girl and sighed.

-Ha, okay, we can bake something together if you want to. Do you have any ideas?

Momoko’s eyes lit up as she stood up and led the other to the kitchen.

She grabbed a thick, age-worn, tattered cookbook and started riffling through the book. Momoko dusted off the thin, beige page and read - Chocolate chip cookies. Ah, maybe white chocolate cranberry cookies? My grandma made those when I was younger. Chocolate chip cookies are too common of a choice. They probably will bring plenty.

-Ah.. I don't know, sure.

-Okay, we will need butter, vanilla extract.. Can you get those?

-Uh, sure.

Ichigo sharply opens the fridge and stands there looking for butter. She puts the ingredient on the cold wooden kitchen cabinet. She hesitates to open the cabinet before asking :

-Where's the vanilla extract?

-Ah.. You know what?

Momoko hands Ichigo her recipe book and points at the text.

-I’ll look for the ingredients. Pure vanilla extract..

Momoko squatted and leaned the weight of her body against another cabinet. She searched amongst cinnamon, ginger, and other seasonings. 

-Can you get the bowl? It’s in that cabinet - She pointed. - above you.

-I thought I had another bottle left. - She muttered 

-Oh,  but I found brown sugar.. Um.. can you melt the butter?- Momoko said as she anxiously looked through the spices. 

Ichigo grabbed a pot from the pile of washed dishes in the sink and turned the gas on.

-Ichigo, could you.. - Momoko nervously stopped middle sentence.

Ichigo quietly sighed. - Could I what? 

-Go to the store? I think it's still open. I need Pure vanilla extract.

Ichigo glanced over Momoko and complained. -Can’t you go there? Or will your best dress get dirty?

-You’re the one who owns a motorbike. Besides, I can write you the list of things I need. 

 Momoko took out small, yellow sticky notes and started writing on them with a sharp pencil. 

-I could use some cornstarch and white chocolate too.. I also need..

-You’re going with me. - Ichigo cut her off. 

-I can ride you there, but I’m not doing any of the shopping. - She added.

Momoko turned to the girl and quietly sighed. - That’s fair, I guess.

She turned off the stove and followed Ichigo.

-Come on, the store closes soon. - She said while adjusting her motorbike.

Momoko held on to Ichigo’s back, resting her cheek on the girl’s cold leather jacket. The harsh, cold air blew in the girl’s face, flushing her nose with a warm tint of pink. It was cold outside, the twenty-third of August two thousand and four. The last year of their high school, the last memories they can make, the last stench of the tension in the air. She wished to be able to grip this moment and never let go. 

It was already late, late enough for the sky to mark its first stripes of orange, and the sun was beginning to hide in the shades of red. Ichigo dropped off Momoko by the glass entrance, but after a while of arguing, defeated, she went with her inside. The store’s light was overwhelmingly bright, shining through the glazed wall. It was supposed to close in about twenty minutes, which made it so quiet you could hear the sounds of the refrigerators, the barely working AC, and small droplets falling from the ceiling. 

***

-Can you look for the ingredients instead of following me around? - Momoko complained while shoving the shopping list in Ichigo’s hand. 

-Here. Look for this. - She points to a few items listed. 

Momoko stirred the sweet, doughy mass in a pink, ceramic bowl she owned.

-Ichigo, come on. - The other turned to her after what seemed like an endless time of staring at the wall.

-Help me form the cookies. - She said while putting the dough on the cabinet and sprinkling some flour on her hands.

-How big should they be?

-Ah, look. - She said while holding up a little ball of raw ingredients, dried cranberries, and white chocolate.

-Like this.

After kneading the mass, they put the cookies on a tray that Momoko had earlier smeared with oil. She wore her checked mittens and carefully shoved them inside. She propped herself against the kitchen cabinet, and Ichigo moved a few steps away to make space for Momoko. Moving closer to the edge, she pushed the open bag of flour with her back. Upon realizing it was too late. The floor was flooded by white powder, flying in the air like little white snowflakes in Shimotsuma’s mild winter. Momoko stared at the mess and silently brushed off the dust from her dress. 

-I’m sorry.

Momoko just sighed and knelt to open a cabinet.

-Get the mop and a bucket. The blue one, specifically. It’s under the stairway, the small wooden doors. 

Momoko took care of the cabinets and helped Ichigo with the mess she caused. After the cleanup, they both laid down exhausted from the work. Momoko picked up a book while Ichigo sat against the bed’s mattress, occasionally peeking at the girl beside her.

-The cookies.

-Huh?

-They’re still in the oven.

Momoko rapidly rose from the comfort of her bed and rushed to the kitchen. By the smell, you could already tell they had stayed in the oven way too long. Ichigo stood up and followed the other. She watched as the other pulled out the baked goods. Burnt to the core, there was no point in saving them. Momoko sat on the floor and mindlessly stared at the ceiling.

-It’s okay, we can buy them at the store.

-I don’t want to. I wanted to make a good impression. - She said with no hint of emotion in her tone.

-It’s late. You should head home.

-I can stay over to make another batch, if you want to. Or we could do that tomorrow.

-Won’t your parents be worried?

-It’s no problem. Come on, we have to clean up.

Momoko lightly smiled and crouched down to the oven. 

-Wash the bowl and take out the butter. I’ll throw the cookies out.