Chapter 1 – Therein Lies An Answer

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…Back in the Saddle I guess. Back from another long hiatus to work on a SAO I fanfic. If everything goes according to plan it should end up being a decent sized story. But that's only if people ask for it. At the moment I might just leave it as a one-shot. It takes place right at the scene when Asuna catches Kirito sleeping and scolds him for his laziness.

It was a beautiful day in Aincrad, but then again it was always a beautiful day in Aincrad…Despite its constant state of despair and overall desolation. Maybe if more people could take a moment out of their busy lives to appreciate it, then they would understand its beauty and the benevolence of its citizens and this is what Kirito believed in the entirety of his heart. He pondered this as his mind wandered through the myriad of thoughts rummaging around in his head… That is until the most reoccurring one suddenly appeared before him..…Angry.

" KIRITO! EXPLAIN YOURSELF?! " Yelled Asuna at the raven-haired man that lay before her.

"Explain myself?...Well, My name is Kirito, I'm 5"9 and I love—(cut off)

"KI-RI-TO…Why aren't you with everyone for the raid?!"

Kirito sharply turns his head to look at her.

"Huh, are you upset? You sound upset. You shouldn't be upset." Her face is beat red and she is visibly upset.

"Kirito you better—(cut off)

"Here's why you shouldn't be upset. This is the best weather we've had since we came to Aincrad and I see no reason in anyone being upset on such a beautiful day.

Suddenly, Asuna shoots Kirito a puzzled look, not really understanding the meaning of Kirito's statement. So she questions him, as she usually does.

"Isn't the weather always the same here?"

Kirito takes in a deep breath to think…Not about the question, which is a rather stupid one in his opinion (he would never tell her that though), but something else that has been on his mind a lot lately.

"No…The weather is randomized, maybe if you stopped and smelled the roses everyone in a while you would know that." With his voice noticeable soft and docile in response to Asuna's loud and temperamental one.

"How about you sit here and take a break Asuna…Clear your mind."

"Hmph…It's just a bunch of 0's and 1's to me, but I guess I'll play along.

~~~A FEW MINUTES PASS BY~~~

"…Isn't that right Asuna?...Asuna?!"

"….Is she asleep?"

"I told you to sit down not fall asleep."

Kirito froze for a moment…He never realized how pretty Asuna was, when she wasn't busy killing monsters or scolding him about being lazy. Actually, pretty would be more of an understatement. She was downright beautiful in Kirito's eyes. He began to blush when he realized how long he has been staring at her and how many people were watching him. He jumps up and nervously walks around to iron out all of his feelings and figure out why he was acting so weird. Then suddenly Asuna wakes up.

"Kirito...Can I ask you a personal question?"

Kirito turns around and looks Asuna in the eye, so much so that his glare is piercing the very contents of those eyes he deemed so beautiful and says…Nothing. He proceeds to dust off his jacket and opens up the pop-up menu and looks back at Asuna.

"No clouds. 70 degrees. Light breeze with no chance of rain."

Asuna gives him another confused look.

"Asuna…The answer is no. I don't like it here. But I'm willing to make due with the hand I was given…I have things that I have to protect, because I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to those things." Asuna pauses for a moment to take in the depth of Kirito's answer.

"Is that why you treat this world like its reality?" Kirito lifts his head up to gaze at the castle in the sky.

"Therein the question lies your answer…What do you define as reality? What you can see? What you can taste? Asuna can't you do that here? They have jobs here and people who go about their everyday lives as if nothing has changed. You can get m-married and buy a house here and here…HERE Asuna we have purpose, we get to save thousands of lives. We actually make a difference here instead of just being your everyday high school students who don't matter."

Asuna stares at him for a long time.

"I never heard you stutter before…Why did you stutter at the word married?"

Kirito's face is very, very red.

Regardless Kirito moves his face closer to Asuna and says-(Cut Off)

. . . . .Suddenly….

Asuna logs out.