Agnès had wedged a chair under the doorknob. Just in case; Airy was asleep next door. Edea and Ringabel were out buying supplies and not due back for at least an hour or two. More than enough time for this. Now that she was ready. In the back of her mind, Agnès knew love-making was a variable length activity. There had been some crude jokes amongst the sailors during the crossing to Caldisla about inability to persist during such an encounter. Though, if she understood everything she had heard, such a comment might apply more to Tiz than her. Still, two hours felt like ample time. Time enough to go further. Time to experience physical love for the first time. Time to put all their clothes back on and be in the Drunken Pig without a crumpled collar or mussed hair in sight. No one need know. Though would it be so terrible if she told Edea? Agnès had taken her unexpected quantity of relationship advice to heart and went over it in her head once again as the day progressed. When asked how she knew it all, Edea claimed it had all originated from Einheria years before.

No matter. Agnès put those thoughts out of her mind as Tiz's lips pressed against her own. They had gone further than this already; kissing sessions that flew past but turned out to have taken whole hours from their day. Ringabel was forever raising an eyebrow at them if they spent time away from the other two. That and demanding they get a room when they cuddled in the corner of the bar, always touching and kissing. All safe touching, at least in public. But other urges started to manifest in private. Tiz's skin felt so good against her own when they clasped hands, and now she wanted that sensation elsewhere. On her face, her neck. Maybe her chest. She tried something new the previous night, pressing his hand against her breast, prompting him to caress her. Even through her clothes it felt so good. Each touch sent little sparks of pleasure coursing through her, each heading lower and lower down her body. Maybe Tiz could touch the place those sensations converged. How different would it be from her own touch?

Edea cut that encounter short by returning far too soon. The would be lovers leapt away from each other as if blasted apart by thundaga. But that warm sensation Tiz provoked would not leave. As on other sleepless nights, Agnès ran her fingers across her body, the sensations close to overwhelming. With a snap she came undone, trying to stay quiet as she gasped. She wriggled in the warm glow of the aftermath, her limbs limp, her nightwear askew, the sheets deliciously tactile on her exposed skin. Once such an act would have been unthinkable. Her devotion was to the crystals; not to base, transitory pleasures. But so many convictions changed thanks to their travels. And it was somewhat hard to stop thinking about Tiz after he used the monk asterisk. That particular memory always made her smile, the smooth curve of the shepherd's back revealed and hard to look away from. Touching it seemed the best idea in the world.

She wanted to touch it again and again. Touch it right now and more besides. No turning back; she could do this. No need to be nervous.

"Are you still okay, Agnès?" Tiz asked as he pulled back from her. His hands were on her hips, still safe and on top of her clothes.

"Yes," she said, murmuring the word. She cupped his cheek with her hand and drew him back to her.

He pulled away again. "We can stop whenever you like, you know," he said, his face flushed.

She smiled at him. "I know," she said and kissed him again. She slipped her hand from his cheek to his hand. If he would not take the initiative then she would. They were going to do this. Agnès pushed worries and concerns out of her head again. Edea's words echoed as informed by Einheria's thorough advice; she had heard before to expect pain the first time. Einheria apparently insisted relaxing enough would negate it. Agnès had decided she would be. She pulled at Tiz's hand, guiding it up her body and onto her chest.

"Agnès," Tiz breathed between kisses. "We don't have to," he said.

"Please," she whispered. "Do you not want to?"

Tiz trembled, his fingers squeezing a little harder. "I do... I just- Ah," he gasped as she slid her hand under the edge of his shirt. Tiz's skin felt cool beneath her fingers and she drew closer to him, her hand sliding further up under his shirt. "Oh," Tiz murmured.

"Do... do you like that?" Agnès asked.

He nodded. "Would... would you like me to do the same?"

Ages paused for a heartbeat before she nodded. "Please." He looked nervous as his fingers pawed at the back of her dress.

"Um, Agnès?" He scratched his head. "I don't... I mean. Can you turn around a moment? Your clothes aren't as easy to get under as mine."

"Oh," she exclaimed. "Oh, oh." She slipped her hand out from under his shirt. She was going to have to take her dress off. Of course she needed to take her dress off; on this point anything and everything she had ever heard about sex was clear. A single candle lit the room. Even that was a little too bright to just reveal herself to him. "Um. I'll take it off, but can you blow out the candle first?" As Tiz crossed the room Agnès took the opportunity to pull back the bed clothes and untie the front of her dress. A moment later the room plunged into darkness.

"This might get awkward," Tiz said from somewhere in front of her.

"I'm going to get into bed," Agnès said. "Just give me a moment... Do you think you can get over here okay?"

"I... I hope so," Tiz replied. She pulled her dress over her head. The room was pitch black. Agnès made a calculated guess and threw the garment past the bed. The sheets were cool on her legs, her back, her stomach as she slipped under the covers. "You can come back now," she said. Tiz's footsteps drew closer and stopped.

"Agnès?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want me to take my shirt off too?" he asked.

Now she regretted eliminating the light source. "Yes. Please, Tiz."

There was a rustle beside her and the bed-springs squeaked as he slid into bed beside her. She could see a little better now; what little ambient light from the Grand Ship revealed hints and vague shapes in the darkness. Tiz was beside her. Agnès reached out a hand and slid it across his stomach. There was a touch on her own, though it soon slid around to her back and pulled her forwards. Kissing was not easy in the dark. There was a dull thunk as their skulls connected, muttered apologies and an awkward meeting between lips and ear. An awkward meeting that bore pleasing results as Tiz gasped. Agnès pressed down a little harder with her lips, extracting a further whimper of pleasure from her partner. She flicked her tongue along his ear, his hands stroking across her back, her partner moaning at her actions. And each of his touches just got her a little more excited.

Agnès kissed with care from his ear to his lips. A muffled grunt of pleasure and Tiz's arms were around her. Little bit awkward like this, lying along-side with him flat on his back. She raised her leg and shuffled across him.

"Agnès?" he asked as she settled her hips onto his, something hard beneath his pants right beneath her. She felt exposed in just her underwear, but tried to ignore the feeling.

"Tiz," she breathed as she felt the pressure of him against her thigh. She fidgeted, moving this way and that, marveling at the sensations. She ground her hips down; now that felt good. Agnès let out a low moan. "Do you want to keep going?"

"I was going to ask you the same," he gasped as she pressed down harder.

"I'd like to," she said as she found his lips again.

"Me too," he replied as he kissed her neck. It was too hot under the covers. Or perhaps she was wearing too much. No that was absurd, she was almost not wearing anything. Tiz must be a little uncomfortable though. "Tiz, your pants?"

"Oh." His hands moved from her back and brushed against her breasts for a fleeting moment. The backs of his hands caught the skin of her stomach and lower as they moved between her legs. He fumbled with his fly, his hands brushing against her underwear, brushing against the most intimate part of her. The fabric hid little of the sensation; the back of his hand against her, sliding over her. Just a little lower. Her back arched in anticipation.

"Agnès?" Tiz asked. "Agnès?" he repeated.

"Yes?" she asked as his hands lay against her inner thighs.

"I can't take them off like this."

"Oh. My apologies," she said and rolled off him. More rustling and a chorus of strained bed-springs.

"There," he said.

Agnès slipped on top of him again and gasped. The heat of him pressed against her was far more intense now. She could feel so much more of his skin. More. She wanted more. With grasping fingers she pulled at her bra and hurled it into the darkness. Tiz's chest was hot beneath hers, his hands sliding from her back to stroke across her skin. She raised herself up a little to let him explore, delighting in the touch of his hands. She let her own hands stray onto his chest, feeling across his skin.

"Agnès? Is there anything you'd like me to... do?" Tiz asked.

She hummed with pleasure. "What you're doing feels really good right now," she said. She paused. "Did you have anything in mind?"

"Well," Tiz said. He fidgeted, shuffling between her legs, moving downwards. Her legs were either side of his torso now. She was about to protest when something hot and wet and soft closed around her nipple. She gasped and let out another moan.

"Oh, Tiz," she breathed as his tongue flicked across her. "Oh, oh."

"Agnès," he breathed as he moved to her other breast, his hot breath ghosting across her bare skin. She could not be sure when she closed her eyes; it made little difference in the dark. Tiz's lips on her chest made her pant. Her hand drifted between her legs, pressing and sliding across her underwear. She needed more stimulation there; needed him to stimulate her there. She pulled back shuffling their hips together, missing the heat of his mouth, but welcoming the new hard heat beneath her. With a smile she knew he could not see, she darted her lips to his chest and flicked her tongue across his own nipple.

"Good?" she asked, waiting, poised to repeat the action.

"I... don't know?" Tiz replied. "It felt... different."

"Would you like me to do it again?" Agnès asked, more unsure now.

"Not sure," Tiz said as his hands settled onto her thighs.

"I won't do it again," she said, and settled against him.

"Thank you," he said, shuddering as she pressed her hips down again. "Agnès? We can still stop."

"I know." She stopped moving. "You'd like to, wouldn't you?"

There was a pause before Tiz answered. "No," he said.

Agnès sat back. "It's okay Tiz. If this is too fast, we can stop whenever you like."

He sighed. "Please," he said. "I'm sorry, Agnès."

"It's fine, Tiz," she said and slid off of him, curling into his side. "Maybe taking a break would be for the best."

"Thank you. I... I enjoyed that though," Tiz said.

"Me too. Just let me know if we're going too fast in future."

Tiz sighed. "I'm sorry."

"No. Don't be sorry. I wouldn't want to force you to do anything you're not comfortable with. This is good. That was good."

"Next time," Tiz sounded serious. "Next time we can go as far as you like."

"Only if you're ready to," Agnès replied. They should be getting dressed and ready to be the picture of innocence in the Drunken Pig. But Tiz was warm. The bed was warm. Moving was far too much effort.