Better Than Chocolate [Ea/Cornelia]

[Maria Arlington Sumner]

Maria waited somewhat nervously in front of the Xocolateria la Xicra, watching anxiously for Ea. It was still early, but Maria couldn't help worrying that maybe Ea had gotten lost. Not that the fact that, for the first time since Fifth grade, Maria was wearing a dress helped the girl's nerves. Maria looked herself over again. <... It's beautiful, but it doesn't seem proper...>, she thought to herself. The dress was of a medium shade of purple, satin, long-sleeved, and was loose enough to allow her to run in it, yet long enough not to show too much of her legs when she ran or sat. The front of the dress had been beautifully embriodered by her mom with the image of an emerald-green tiger with black stripes. Underneath the dress was a (rather incongrous, if anyone could have seen them) blue pair of shorts which ended about mid-thigh. Maria was also wearing a gold locket with two pictures, both hand-drawn.

Looking over her reflection in the window of the cafe gave her the impression that she was a bit overdressed for the occasion. <I wonder what Ea will be wearing?>, she thought to herself, picturing Ea in various outfits, some almost gravely serious in their formality, others outlandish enough to be Halloween costumes. Maria giggled at her untamed imagination, deciding that whatever Ea wore on their date would be perfect. Maria sighed and checked her watch. Five minutes left.

[Ea Katrina Mary Blake]

Ea stared at herself in the reflection of a shop she was passing, brushing a stray piece of hair back in place. She could never understand people that did that, stood in the mirror for hours when they were just going out for the day. She got dressed in full costumes and still didn’t take too long. But now she understood. After all, today was special. Today was Valentine’s Day, and she got to spend it with the most beautiful girl in the world. So she had to at least try to look kinda worth it. Though... She wasn’t sure if she had succeeded. The dress was one she had brought from home, never worn and tucked into her suitcase by a sneaky mother. It was the only dress she owned that wasn’t loose and old fashioned, and it clung to her hips in a way that had her blushing the moment she had it on. What had her mother been thinking? The flat smoothness of the front just showed off her sad lack of anything in that area, and reminded her of why she loved men’s clothes. It was a soft blue, at least. Her favorite color. The neckline followed her collarbone in the front, but dropped low past her shoulders, leaving over half of her back exposed. It ended a few inches above the knee, and the material was heavy enough to shift and bounce with each movement. The fabric was definitely her favorite part.

She regreted wearing it now, but it had looked so pretty, hanging in her closet, and she couldn’t help but try it on. And she really had nothing else to wear... She didn’t want to wear a costume today. She wanted to be just Ea. So she had slipped on some white tights and black flats, and hurried out the door without letting herself look in the closet for another option. And now the damned dress had gone and made her late!

Tearing herself away from the window, one hand still tugging at one of the curls (why hadn’t she just left her hair how it usually was? She must look ridiculous!), she hurried on to their meeting spot, eyes searching for that familiar...

Oh.

Oh, Ea was the luckiest girl in the world.

She couldn’t help it. She stared at the girl for a long moment, eyes wide, face heating. Maria wasw always beautiful, but... Well, Ea had never seen her look so stunning. She looked like she was a goddess, just stepping out of some ancient myth to grace the humans with her presence. Ea approached her shyly. Maria hadn’t seen her yet, it seemed. She swallowed, and managed to find her voice.

"Maria?" A pause. "You... You look more than perfect."

[Maria Arlington Sumner]

Maria jumped slightly at the voice, then turned around. "Ea!", she gasped, her hand over her heart, "You nearly gave me a heart att-", Maria stopped short, a blush rising in her cheeks, as she noticed the dress Ea was wearing. "Wow... Ea... You look... amazing!", Maria commented when she finally found the words, "Where did you get that dress? It looks amazing on you!", she continued, then kissed Ea's forehead. "Then again... Just about anything looks amazing on you...", Maria added, blushing as she silently added, <Especially nothing at all...>.

"Shall we go in?", Maria asked, smiling, then walked over to the door and held it open, "After you.", she said, waving her arm as if ushering Ea into the cafe.

Meanwhile, across the street, a pair of red eyes watched the girls' every move. "... seems like those two are having fun...", the owner of the eyes commented as she pulled a small case out of her handbag. Inside the case were several pairs of theatrical contacts. The girl selected a chocolate-brown pair, put them on, then waited for the girls to go into the cafe.

[Ea Katrina Mary Blake]

A nervous smile on her face, her mouth already open, apologizing. "I'm sorry, Maria! I didn't mean to sneak up on you. I-" She noticed the girl's expression, and blushed, looking at the floor. She could feel Maria's eyes, taking in her outfit, and she couldn't help but cross her fingers behind her back. When she heard Maria's comment, her head snapped back up to catch the girl's gaze, her cheeks on fire, and split by her wide smile. "R-really? You think so? Thank you! You do too... really." Her voice gets quieter, as she steps forward, taking her hand and bringing it to brush against her lips. "Like some kind of deity..." She shrugs, entwining her hand with Maria's. "My mother bought it for me... This is the first time I've worn it, actually..." She didn't have anything to say about the last comment, so she just settled for a kiss on the cheek, and a quiet 'eep'.

"Y-yes! Lets!" She ducked through the door, then stood to one side, and offered her elbow to Maria. "Madam? Care for an escort?"

If she noticed the feeling of eyes on her back, she didn't say a word.

[Maria Arlington Sumner]

Maria blushed at the compliment. "Surely I'm not that beautiful...", she murmured. Surely something so out of place on her couldn't be all that beautiful, right? "Your mom bought it for you? She seems to have good taste in fashion, at least.", Maria said.

Maria smiled and giggled a bit. "Why, yes, kind Madam. Thank you kindly!", she replied, hooking her arm around Ea's elbow and walking in with the girl. Maria sighed happily. <I'm on a date with the most wonderful girl in the world at a cafe with lots of chocolate treats... Is there anything better than this? Could this day possibly be any better?>, Maria asked herself, smiling. If there was, Maria had yet to experience it.

The mysterious admirer waited a moment, then followed the girls into the cafe, certain the blonde wouldn't recognise her. The red-eyed brunette, however, could be a problem. "I'll just have to hope she doesn't recognise me.", the girl muttered to herself. She sat down at a nearby table to set her stuff down, then looked at the menu, debating between the chocolate cake and the chocolate crepes.

[Ea Katrina Mary Blake]

Ea nodded eagerly, eyes shining. "But you are... You make all those silly love cliches make sense, at least to me..." She looked away, embarrassed at that line. That had sounded so much stupider out loud than it had in her head. She should have just kept her mouth shut, but it was so hard, around this girl. "Yes. She thinks my taste in clothing is... lacking, and she dresses me up, sometimes. It's kind of like another costume, so I don't really mind."

Ea giggled with her, loving how free and happy she felt with the girl. "Oh, it's no problem, no problem at all, miss. Anything for my love..ly." A deeper blush on her smiling cheek, as she pulled Maria close to her, arms twined together as they entered. She sneaked a glance at the girl beside her, and the expression on her face added an extra bounce to her step, as she led them over to a table for two. "Have you been here before? Do you know what you want?" It smelled delicious in here, whatever it was that was currently cooking.

If she noticed the girl sitting alone, nothing about her rose alarm bells in her head, or even caused her to spare a thought. She was too entranced by her date to pay attention to anything else.

[Maria Arlington Sumner]

"... Really?", Maria cautiously asked, unsure of whether or not she really wanted to hear the answer, "I haven't worn a dress since I was in 5th grade, and even that was only because Dad made me wear it to an awards ceremony my school was having...", she added, looking at the ground.

"Ah... My dad used to be like that... That was back when he was convinced that he could make me dress 'more femininely'. The last time he tried to dress me up was when I was twelve.", Maria replied, giggling a little at the last statement.

Maria smiled and pecked Ea on the cheek. "I've been here a couple times... I recommend everything with chocolate in it... Especially the cake. And the hot chocolate.", she replied. It was then that she noticed the familiar-looking girl sitting by herself. <What the...? Is that...? ...Nah. No way.>, Maria thought to herself. Even so, she couldn't help noticing that the girl reminded her of Cornelia. Maria mentally shook her head and refocused her attention on Ea. "So, what are you thinking of getting, Darling?", she asked, smiling.

[Cornelia Marie Sumner]

Cornelia continued to watch the two girls as she decided what to order. "I finally get to see her again, and it turns out she's got a girlfriend... Just my luck.", she said, sighing. Oh, well... It wasn't as if the girl would be an insurmountable obstacle. Cornelia winced slightly at the peck on the cheek, not because it looked painful, but, rather, because she hated the fact that Maria was kissing someone other than her. "I must be a masochist to be watching this...", she muttered under her breath. As Maria's eyes fell on her, Cornelia nearly panicked, only to let out a relieved sigh as Maria looked back at her girlfriend. Deciding now was as good a time as any to place her order, Cornelia walked up to the counter and ordered one of every chocolate-including item on the menu, then went to a table closer to Maria and waited for her order to be ready.