Ah, terribly sorry i haven't updated much in a while. I'm busy with school (but thank goodness it's almost over) and am concentrating a lot on my drawings... But really it's just procrastination with fight scenes. Like i said, i hate writing them, so that's why LaF will be updated kind of slow until it's over. I'll probably have more inspiration to write the later fights, though.

Oh, and i've been plotting another story with a friend called Fragmented (main pairing is BxS, of course). That will probably be up sometime after LaF and i might even start writing it soon, depending on whenever we complete the entire plot and timeline for it.

Anyway, felt a need to write something. So let's just say Easter chocolate inspired me.

Happy belated Easter, people.

Disclaimer: Twi owns nothing of Konjiki no Gash Bell, get that strait.

P.S. Dark chocolate with ancho and chipolte chillies in it is really good. +u+ -nod-

Sweetener

Lips upturning into a soft smile, Sherry sat down onto the green earth, matting down her white dress as she brushed her hand against the material softly. Smell of green and fresh air overwhelmed her and she inhaled a deep breath. Such a beautiful day, she mused to herself, watching a couple of birds in the distance flutter off into the clear skies above. White, fluffy clouds decorated the blue hue, and the woman couldn't help but feel at peace. Now redirecting her attention to the item in her hand, the woman flipped over the small sized bar of candy, which had been recently bought from a fine store, which she had ordered some of the best chocolate available.

Unwrapping the thin, white paper covering the sweet, she lightly broke off a piece, hearing a small crack while doing so, smiling just a little more as the essence of different spices rose to her nose. This was a treat she didn't receive often nowadays, having been out to battle the past year and a half with her demon partner Brago, fighting for the right to crown him as his world's king. The remaining teams were boiling down to only a good select few, and the final battles were drawing near. Still, everyone should at least be entitled to a well-deserved treat now and then.

Resting the chocolate on her tongue, Sherry smiled as a warm feeling ensnared her senses, and the cool sweet began to melt, revealing the taste of the many specks of spices that had been scattered, now all of which were resting on her tongue. After letting the taste sink in, Sherry finished the small bite still in her hand, rereading the writing on the back of the candy bar.

"What are you doing?" arose a deeper voice from the other side of the garden gate, and Sherry removed her attention from the blissful sweet to none other than her mamono companion. Pushing the white garden gate open, the darker being didn't bother to close it as he strode across the fresh, green lawn with his hands shoved into his furry pockets, staring down at his bookkeeper as her smile never faulted, and she placed another chocolate in her mouth.

"Enjoying the moment," replied his bookkeeper lightly, turning her azure eyes to meet the demon's crimson as he stood in front of her. With the same smile, Sherry gestured her mamono companion to sit down next to her by the tree she sat comfortably under, and he grumbled something incoherent before plopping down to the ground, resting his arm against his propped up leg.

"Tch, we should be training," muttered the demon crossly, "Not wasting our time out here," continued Brago, glaring at the many assortments of colorful flowers surrounding them, something which Sherry ignored as she took another bite of her sweet. As the smell of the spices caught the mamono's attention, he glanced over to his female counterpart's gaze and watched as she paused, enjoying the sweet sensation of the chocolate and the crisp bite the spices gave combined. Curiosity rose to its peak, and Brago grumbled, "What's that?"

Sherry, her blue eyes sparkling, broke off another piece of the divine sweet and handed it to her partner. "It's called dark chocolate, but this kind has spice. Care to try some? You might actually like it."

Having never tried this dark colored sweet but heard much talk of it, the mamono stared at the small square the woman had handed him and attentively picked it up with the tips of his deep, purple claws, noting the smell of the spice radiating from the brown square. Glancing back at the blonde, who was waiting patiently for him to try the piece, he carefully took a small bite out of the square, and Sherry watched with interest as she studied his facial features. Any slight gesture or expression he made would tell her what he was thinking, she had learned over time how to read his movements. Despite she was still learning, Sherry knew of no one else who could read his mind as well as her, sometimes even surprising herself with her own actions as well.

Brago appeared to not have any reaction whatsoever to a normal viewer, but Sherry had already sensed something stirring in his thoughts. The bare twitch of his lower lip and his concentrated expression gave it all away for her; she knew he was attempting to hold back whatever was on his mind, be it positive or negative.

"Well?" she asked after a moment of silence, still awaiting the final answer. By merely observing him, the woman could never understand what he was really thinking, what was needed to completely answer any unresolved question was to hear his voice. The mamono always gave something away whenever he spoke. There was no doubt about it.

"It's bitter," he answered after a moment, and Sherry's smile widened. In other words, the dark chocolate she now loved had passed his test of acceptance. She watched as his ruby gaze turned to her after his remark, and she laughed a little before snuggling up against the tree's base, resting her back against the bark of the trunk.

"You're just not used to it, is all," responded the woman, the corners of her lips rising even more. "Really, I find it kind of sweet, it's only 55 percent cocoa. That's not very bad, but you probably wouldn't like it any stronger." Again, Sherry's amusement increased as the demon rolled his eyes and she laughed even more. "You probably like it sweeter, but I say the spices added to it gives a pleasant touch."

Breaking off two more pieces, the woman handed one to her demon assistant and kept the other half to herself, enjoying the spices and the sweet flavors all together. Within the corner of her eye, she noticed Brago biting into the piece handed to him, and a feeling of happiness rose inside her as the two spent the next minutes in silence, simply enjoying the presence of the other beside them, Sherry all the while handing out chocolate while doing so.

Watching the clouds pass over their heads lazily, Sherry glanced down and noticed there were two more square pieces left of the candy bar. Instinctively, her hand outstretched as she offered it to her mamono companion, who stared at the piece and quietly shook his head.

"Suit yourself," Sherry said with a smug smile, not paying attention to her demon partner next to her, nor noticing the peculiar gleam in his darkened eyes as he watched her take a bite of the chocolate in her hand. Her eyes were closed as she smiled, enjoying the flavors once again, but the next thing that occurred the woman did not expect, and she couldn't help but release the surprised squeak that emitted from her throat when the mamono pushed her to the ground, and she stared at him from where she lay on the grass on her back as he crawled over her, placing an arm on each side of her body.

However, before she could react, or even swallow the sweet in her mouth still, the demon had already taken a course of action, moving forward quickly and pressing his lips against hers as she gasped. For a second the woman believed she would choke, but what startled her most was when she felt the darker being's tongue inside her mouth. Still startled, Sherry attempted to move away by squirming, but her plan failed as Brago's hand held the back of her head close to his, his tongue still searching through her mouth.

Feeling air leaving her quickly, Sherry was about to push Brago off with as much force as she could muster when he abruptly stopped, leaving the woman to stare blankly up into his eyes as the mamono broke contact. Only then was it that Sherry realized the chocolate had left her mouth, and she stared up into the triumphant smirk carved into Brago's expression.

For a moment the blonde was silent as she stared at the mamono still, her eyes wide in pure disbelief at his movements. Why had he done what he did, the woman knew not, but she was bewildered at the fact Brago had done it still. Right as she found the strength to speak though, Brago beat her to it first, with the smirk still adorned on his face.

"It's much sweeter this way, you'd probably like it," he chuckled lowly with his face against hers, lips nearly touching yet again. The woman could feel the mamono's breath beating against her face softly, the different spices that had been mixed with the chocolate lingered within the smell. When it dawned on Sherry just what the demon's true motives were, she couldn't help but let the corners of her lips upturn into that same, genuine smile yet again.

"I probably would," she murmured, feeling her cheeks heat up as the blood rushed through her face. Smirking still, the demon reached out for the remaining chocolate that lay on the leftover wrapper sitting on the grass, and placed the sweet square into his mouth before letting it melt some. His bookkeeper took a deep breath when their lips came in contact yet again, and the mamono pushed the chocolate into the woman's mouth.

Sherry gasped at the strange sensation once Brago gave her back the sweet, yet willingly took the gift as Brago stared at her, expecting her to take it anyway. Squinting her eyes for a moment, Sherry let in the remaining flavors of the already partially melted chocolate dissolve on her tongue, taking in the heated feelings being aroused. The mamono hovering above her face smirked in victory yet again, this time letting his tongue brush against her lower lip, licking away at the smudged chocolate that was there.

When Sherry swallowed, she breathed a little harder as she stared up at her companion, letting the emotion sink into her mind as the demon chuckled lowly and sat up a little, staring down at her with a toothy smirk. The woman observed him with a sparkle in her eye, and she giggled a little before breaking the silence with words.

"Yes, I would say you like it sweeter," murmured the blonde, watching with a smile as the mamono laughed lowly, and Sherry kissed her mamono partner one last time before sitting up, brushing off the grass and dirt and heading back through the white garden gate, the demon following close behind.

Even bitter things could taste sweet, she concluded.