Disclaimer: I own nothing of the SAO Universe.
For a long time, I stared blearily into the darkness of my bedroom. I was tired of course, more than any reasonable person could expect to be after several sleepless nights. But if I factored in the cause of my insomnia, then the level of exhaustion I felt made complete sense.
A soft sigh to the left of me drew my attention momentarily, and the bed dipped and shifted as the other occupant turned in their sleep.
Tari, my girlfriend of two years, dozed peacefully next to me, her hair strewn haphazardly over her pillow. It was actually my favorite pillow, but she'd long since laid claim to it with the reasoning that she was 'special enough' to warrant the use of my favorite things. Even now, she looked like she was thoroughly enjoying the comforting support it provided, her expression a level of serene that indicated a lack of a single care in the world.
It was sickening, really.
My skin literally crawled at being in such close proximity to the selfish, inconsiderate, exceptionally clingy woman who was the bane of my existence, but as much as I wanted to leave the bed, the room, the house and put as much distance between us for at least the night... I didn't. The moment I so much as made to get up, she would awaken, and the drama would begin all over again. I was tired of it. Tired of her. Tired of everything.
I sought temporary relief in the only way I knew how.
ALfheim Online.
Fortunately, I'd taken to going to bed with my neuro linker already on, ignoring Tari's prodding remarks about it to the point she eventually stopped commenting on it. Turning my head so that I was once again staring at the ceiling, a whispered "Link Start" was all it took to be drawn into the world.
I experienced the usual few seconds of tunnel-vision, kaleidoscope colors as the NerveGear intercepted the signals from my brain. The welcome screen finally appeared, and after completing the pre-game status check, I'm dropped into Freelia, the Cait Syth capital.
I'd gained enough rank among the Cait Syth to warrant my own personal quarters in the castle. It was on the same level as the Leader and the Vice Commander's rooms, and they often came to chat with me about one thing or another whenever they were both online. My friend's list indicated that Yllia, the Vice Commander, was online at the moment, and my heart, and body, warmed at the thought of seeing her.
"But first thing's first," I murmured as several of the tamed beasts I allowed to stay in my room bombarded me from all sides. "Guess I should feed you guys, huh?" The beasts in question made this exceedingly difficult for me as they crowded around my legs, hindering my movement as I made my way towards the cupboard on the far side of the room. Several minutes later showed them happily munching away, and I rearranged some items in my inventory and checked a few messages before making my way towards the door. Seeing that I was about to leave, Pounce, a rare Stygian Wolf Pup beast I'd tamed just the week before, pranced after me.
My minimap revealed Yllia was in the city as well, just outside of the castle grounds. Smiling to myself, I decided to take the scenic route to her, my tail flickering in reflection of my amusement as I scooped up the wiggling ebony ball of fur once we made it to the balcony at the end of the landing. Flexing the muscles in my back, the silken fairy wings materialized, then extended, fluttering experimentally before I kicked into flight.
The feeling never got old. Each time that I flew in ALfheim was more exhilarating than the last, if that was even possible. The wind whistling around me as I propelled myself forward; the bird's eye view I had of the land as I rose above it; how utterly free I felt to be airborne in general when I felt so bogged down by everything back in the real world. It was no wonder why I so frequently sought ALO as my refuge.
And then there was Yllia, of course.
I'd be lying to myself if I said I wasn't in love with her. That might seem strange, falling in love with a player you met in a game. But I enjoyed my time with her far too much to let something like that ruin it for me.
Speaking of Yllia, my ears flickered forward, picking up the faintest traces of her voice as I pulled closer to the bridge that connected Cait Syth territory to the mainland. Gradually decreasing in speed and altitude, I eventually caught sight of her short, lithe frame garbed in the earthen tones usually associated with our race. She turned to face me as I landed a few feet away from her on the bridge, my wings folding to rest against my back and fading away as I crouched down to free the excitable wolf puppy from my grasp.
Pounce all but sprinted in her direction, his entire rear end wagging furiously in excitement as he pranced playfully around her, taking a moment to share his brand of love in the form of sloppy, wet kisses before taking off to explore the area around the bridge.
"Couldn't sleep?" she inquired, eyebrow quirked teasingly in my direction. She had honey red hair that fell in loose waves down to her waist, and her eyes were a shade of cerulean that I found very entrancing.
"You surprised?" I retorted dryly as I kept an eye out for Pounce, currently snuffling away at the base of a nearby tree.
"If I was, it would be pleasantly so."
"Why are -you- awake, Lia?" I inquired, genuinely curious as to why she wasn't logged off by now.
"I was hoping to see you." It wasn't so much the words as the way she said them that drew my gaze, now simmering with heat, towards hers. A sharp whistle and the telltale clattering of clawed paws against wood could be heard as Pounce heeded the return command. Lia stared innocently back, though the tiny grin that tugged at the corners of her lips pretty much ruined the effect. "I can help you sleep," she added, still in that same guileless tone.
I continued to stare at her, the tension in the air becoming so palpable that it caused Pounce to whine curiously as he looked between us. I looked away, the spell momentarily broken. Or so I thought before Lia closed what little distance there was between us, aligning her body flush with mine and causing the heat to once again return full force. "Let me, Kairi," she whispered, nipping teasingly at my bottom lip.
I stood no chance of saying no, not to Yllia. Not that I wanted to deny her to begin with. Placing a chaste kiss against her lips, I pulled away reluctantly. "I'll meet you at the usual spot," I promised, picking Pounce back up once more as I made to return him to my room.
When we next met, it would be within a very dense copse of trees surrounding a lake with water so clear you could see straight down to the bottom of it, even in the dim lighting of the night. Lia was already waist deep in the water, facing away from me, but would turn once I landed in the clearing. I could see that she'd set up a complicated spell around the area to both shield us from sight and alert her to any potential eavesdroppers, and with a swipe of my fingers, I was just as bare as she.
The water felt lukewarm as I entered it, the difference in temperature just enough to raise the tiniest of goosebumps along my body. Or maybe it was the the sight of Yllia in all her naked glory as she waited for me to approach in the lake, presenting a somewhat ethereal image as the moon bathed her body in halo of light. You would think after seeing her like this as many times as I have that I would have been used to it by now.
I wasn't.
She was still as breathtakingly beautiful as ever.
This time there was no hesitance as we embraced, and I allowed myself the chance to be as open with her as I could never be with Tari.
We'd stay together well through the night, and when I eventually returned to the real world, it would be with a tired, albeit very content, smile on my face as I finally fell asleep.