Author's note: This is sort of meant to take place after "Please Understand", after Edea and Agnès have been together for a while!

The two of them had their own particular way of demolishing a box of chocolates: Agnès gravitated towards known and loved flavors, while Edea struck out all over, like conquering a checkerboard.

They were alone for the afternoon, as Tiz and Ringabel were attending to business in town. Agnès was supposed to be resting, but she was awake and alert and tired of sitting in bed doing nothing.

So Edea got them some chocolates to share. Just as a way to pass the time together.

She made a short noise when Agnès picked up a piece she had been eyeing for the past minute. The last almond nougat! If Edea didn't like Agnès so much, she would have called it heartless. Instead, she watched Agnès nibble on it from the corner of her eye while hunting for another piece to eat. She had such neat, tidy bites, and she always brought her fingers to her mouth to clean them afterwards. Cute. It was such a brief movement, just the tiniest of kitten laps against her hand...Agnès was a little shy about this habit of hers, but Edea liked to catch her hand afterward and give the fingers a kiss.

Edea's gaze darted to the Vestal's face when she made her usual post-chocolate-consumption movement. But what caught Edea's eye wasn't the little flicker of pink tongue, as usual, but a minute smudge at the side of Agnès' mouth. She didn't seem to realize it was there...so Edea acted. Instead of reaching for Agnès' hand, she leaned over and licked the corner of Agnès' lips, pressing into the skin just slightly.

Agnès tensed, of course. But Edea didn't mean all that much from the gesture. Until she pulled back a little and realized that she left an even bigger mark. She had just been eating chocolate herself and still had traces of it in her mouth, after all.

"Sorry. I made it worse," Edea laughed. "Let me try again?"

Agnès hesitated, but allowed this with a nod. Edea shuffled closer until she was seated right next to her partner and began licking again, much slower this time. Agnès was stiff, her eyes closed, and her cheeks ever so slightly colored. Edea felt suddenly self-conscious. The two of them had been close for a while, but Agnès still didn't like the idea of someone else's tongue in her mouth. Perhaps this was similar enough to make her uncomfortable? Edea paused. After a moment, Agnès opened one eye and made a small noise. It wasn't one of the ones she did when she was flustered or distressed, though. It was...

Frustrated?

"Are you done?" Agnès asked softly.

Edea bit her lip. "No?"

Agnès leaned closer, nearly bumping their foreheads together. "Then continue."

Edea complied cheerfully, trying to restrain her enthusiasm lest she spook her partner. Agnès leaned into the touch slightly, causing the young Eternian to rumble happily. Agnès' skin was warm, especially where she licked at.

After a few minutes, when the taste of chocolate disappeared, Edea drew back, smiling broadly. Agnès was blushing but seemed pleased. And if Edea didn't know better, a little devious...?

Two fingers dragged across Edea's neck, just under her jawline. It left a warm streak...and then Agnès was pushing against her, licking away the line she had just drawn. Edea was momentarily stunned, trying to process what just happened. Then she laughed, trying to catch Agnès' hand. She wanted to eat the chocolate melted in those fingers and clean them herself! She suckled them, one digit at a time. Agnès moaned softly against Edea's neck.

The two of them pulled back, flushing and bright. Edea poked Agnès' breast, leaving a little dark mark on her dress. The Vestal gasped in a way that sounded like a squeak.

Edea grinned. Agnès leveled a look at her.

"Well? What are you waiting for?"

Getting chocolate out of cloth took more than just a few licks - in fact, that seemed to make things worse. Edea took a mouthful of the cloth, wetting it with her saliva and sucking softly. She wasn't biting into skin, but she could feel Agnès starting to breathe hard regardless.

It left a wet spot. Edea tried to wipe it off, but Agnès pushed her hand away. Edea was about to protest until Agnès started to pull her dress over her head.

"Would you...like me to help you with your clothing?" Agnès asked, slightly breathless.

"Yes, it doesn't come off as easily as - hey!" Agnès had unbuckled some of the straps on Edea's uniform and, while her hands were in the general vicinity, decided to tickle Edea's sides while peeling off the various layers of clothing she wore. "Sneaky little...!" Edea retaliated by drawing lines of chocolate on Agnès' collarbone.

In no time at all the two of them were in their underthings, trading kisses and marking each other's bodies, leaving plans for them to taste and run their tongues over. Agnès was warm and wiggly, whether she was on top of or below her, and Edea purred with delight.

Edea reached for another chocolate, but grasped only air. She turned towards the box, blinking in disappointment. Only one remained. Agnès sat up and glanced at it with an expression of surprise, as if she hadn't realized how much playing they had already done.

Agnès plucked the chocolate and held it between her teeth, blushing harder than she already was. Edea stared for a short moment before understanding the gesture.

"Are you...?" she had to make sure.

Agnès tucked her chin, not taking her eyes off her partner. "For us," she said around the treat.

Edea smiled and kissed Agnès on the forehead before taking a bite of the chocolate.