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Why in the world did you wait until now to eat them?
(Though, granted, the Second Archive did a really great job at preserving their freshness.)
You pop another one of Mata Hari’s chocolates from last year in your mouth. The taste is wonderfully nutty and creamy, and... it’s also only the second super-rich bonbon out of the five in the box. You’ve already polished off Euryale’s random chocolate and Elizabeth’s surprisingly delicious octopus chocolate, but… considering how many gifts you got last year you really aren’t very far in.
You wonder how many of these you can eat before Mash finds you. Even the thought of being caught with last year’s chocolates is embarrassing enough to make you eat quicker. (Gosh, Mata Hari really knew what she was doing with these, though!)
You’re handed a glass of water. “Might be a tad rude of me, but I don’t suppose you’d be so kind as to share?”
“I mean, I’m hiding away in my room shoveling these in my mouth, so rudeness is wait a minute. Wait.” Your head whips around to see Billy the Kid, smiling and sitting next to you as if… “How long have you been here?”
“Oh, not long. Seems pretty clear to me you’re trying to clear out, though, for… whatever reason, though.” He picks up a bonbon and inspects it. “Not enough space in the Archive or somethin’, Master?”
“Er. Yeah, actually.” You really need to get in there and organize your leftover event CEs. You look at the mountain of edible gifts piled up before you and back to the half-empty heart-shaped box of chocolates from Mata Hari. “You can help, but do you mind locking the door?”
He seems surprised at that. But he says, “Sure.” and moves to sit across from you at the small table in your room. He pops a chocolate in your mouth. “Oh, darn, that’s good.”
“Haha. It is, isn’t it?”
“If all the stuff’s this delicious, I don’t think we’ll have a problem packin’ it all away.”
You pop the last bonbon in your mouth and set the box aside for later. “Why’d you come over, by the way? Need anything? I hope I didn’t, like, derail your plans or anything.”
“Naw. Didn’t have any plans to derail so I thought I might, ah…” The Archer flushes, just a little. “Well. Hang around. Thought that might be fine with you.”
“Of course.” You smile warmly. “Always.”
“Good. Good to know, I mean. So hey, time for more chocolates, yeah?”
“Haha, yeah. But speaking of chocolates! You never told me what you thought of the ones I got you last year.”
Billy raises an eyebrow. “Didja tell all the Servants who gave you these what you thought?”
“No, but… wait, are you implying that you still haven’t eaten my chocolates?!”
“What?! No! Yeesh, that came out wrong. Forget it.”
“So what did you think? And you did eat them, right?” You look up at him as you put a plate of rock candies from the Valkyries on the table.
He scratches the back of his neck. “They were good. Mixed them into my coffee for a couple of mornings like I told ya about.”
“That did sound pretty tasty.”
“Did it, now? Maybe I’ll make some for you this year, then.”
You look at him. “I don’t think I’d be patient enough to wait to melt them in coffee.”
Billy chuckles, setting aside a rather expensive looking tin–that must be Medusa’s, you think, and reach over to grab it and pop it open.
“Oh!” He snaps his fingers. “We could go camping or something. You wanna?”
“I do!!” And you would. “But I’d hate to miss out on Valentines’ stuff with everyone else.”
“Hmmmmm.” The cowboy shifts, then drops his head in your lap. “You should go with me anyway.” He shoots a coy smile your way that has the corners of your lips tugging up into a smile, too.
“Good point!” You place the tin of chocolates on Billy’s chest. “It’s a date then.”