Eh, I wouldn't say it's more intimate, it's just additional sex. But yeah, it'd be nice if both bites remained. The fade to black is annoying but maybe it's a labor-saving measure? Less renders to make.
The scenes in particular that I'm thinking of for intimacy are Panki's first and second solo scenes, where she holds Sparkle a lot closer to her - the second one if futa-Sparkle especially, since they're straddling so closely that they're totally wrapped around each other - versus sitting on Sparkle's face in such a way that she can't even see her.
I'm sure the cut to black does help reduce the renders, but that's entirely why I don't like it, because it feels incomplete - it feels like there should be a "Scene Missing" sign rather than just black every time it happens.
Unrelated, something I've noticed during repeated playthrough is, when I (very begrudingly) choose to talk with Kayden, especially near the end of the current content, you get a lot more dialogue where Sparkle actually pushes to be heard rather than getting shouted down like she usually does, as well as more dialogue with others where they actually tell her how she's viewed positively by the group, and how they're aware the group would fall apart without her - which goes unsaid even during their relationship routes for the most part - and also gives opportunity for Sparkle to clarify some things like how the group views Lel (much more positively than Kayden claims).
It shows pretty effectively just how crap of a person and a leader Kayden really is, but it's unfortunate that you can't get those conversations without taking time away from characters I'd much prefer to spend time with, which limits opportunities to develop the relationships with them.
Hopefully it'll come about in some other fashion at a different point.
I will also say, if the free-use route was actually like Kayden claimed it would be - casual sex with members of the group, but where Sparkle is approached and actually asked, with the opportunity to decline or defer to a later time (i.e treated like a PERSON, with whom you have a friends-with-benefits relationship), instead of being coerced and abused, I'd be much happier with it.
