A/N: Welcome! This is going to be very different than the stories I usually write. Rather, it will be a collection of one-shot KiritoxAsuna AUs. I will be using my own prompt ideas, basically telling different stories of how Kirito and Asuna get together. This won't have a strict schedule; I'm going to release chapters when I feel like it and when I have free time (whether it be every few days or bi-weekly). If you have AU prompt suggestions, please do leave them in the reviews. These could spread across many genres, settings, time periods, etc. R/R because I have no idea how this will go. Enjoy!

Prompt 1: What if Kirito and Asuna were childhood best friends?

~All Along~

Rrrrrinng!

The bell that signified the end of 4th period blasted throughout the school. Smiling quietly, Asuna stood up with the rest of her classmates. She bowed to their teacher and proceeded to exit into the hallway.

As she merged into the one-way current of students heading outside, she was abruptly stopped by a small group of friends.

"Sup, Asuna!" Her good friend Rika Shinozaki waved with a large grin. Beside her was Shino Asada, who gave a shy nod. "Wanna sit together for lunch?" She asked eagerly.

Asuna thought to herself for a moment, then shook her head slowly. "No thanks, guys. Kazuto said he found another cool spot outside to eat, and he wants to show me." She rubbed the back of her head, letting out an apologetic laugh.

"Bleh... why don't you two just start dating already?" Rika teased with a smirk. Asuna waved her hands in a fluster, a light shade of red spreading across her cheeks.

"C-Come on, I told you it's not like that! We've just been really good friends for a long time, that's all!" She blurted out, recalling the countless times Rika had teased them about this.

"Yeah yeah, sure... I'd better be one of the bridesmaids." Rika snickered with Shino as they watched Asuna roll her eyes. Although, she could see where their jokes were coming from.

For what seemed like their whole lives, Kazuto and Asuna had been close friends. Ever since the scrawny, raven-haired boy moved in next door when he was 6 years old, they'd always had each other's backs. Asuna couldn't count the amount of times she'd climbed through his bedroom window to talk after a heated argument with her parents. Whether it was someone to vent to or a friend to laugh with, Kazuto was always there no matter what.

And in return, Asuna would make her best efforts to talk with Kazuto at school. She knew that he wasn't a 'popular' guy in the crowd, and he would often be left alone in group projects or gym class. Hence, she tried her best to see him whenever their schedules aligned, but it was difficult with her being in the grade above.

So really, lunch was the only time she could see him on a daily basis. Even if it was only for 20 minutes, sometimes they'd leave in a better mood than they'd experienced all day. Especially Kazuto, when Asuna would make her special sandwiches that he adored oh so much.

Asuna exited the building and felt a rush of cool air brush against her face. She folded her arms, shivering slightly, and pulled out her phone to see where Kazuto had wanted to meet.

'Hey Asuna. I found another cool place around the back of the building, near the soccer field. Wanna eat lunch together there? :P'

A smile spread across her face, and she sent a quick response before making her way towards him.

'Sure, I'll be there soon! :)'

Along the way, Asuna admired the leaves swaying in the brisk atmosphere, kicking pebbles in front of her and greeting friends as they passed by.

Jeez, this place sure is far from everyone else. She thought to herself, watching dozens of friends make their way towards the tables in front of the school. She shrugged and turned the corner to search for her best friend.

After a few minutes of looking, she was finally able to spot his pitch black hair behind a cluster of vibrant trees. She walked over merrily and made her way through a clearing in the bushes.

"Hey Kazuto!" She piped up, catching his attention. He waved back quietly, smiling back.

"Hey, Asuna." He sat back down on a fluffy patch of grass, gesturing for her to sit next to him. She complied eagerly, adjusting her skirt uniform to sit down. She stared across the empty soccer fields, inspecting the different aspects of nature around them. "So, what's so special about this place?"

"Well, it's not the dirty soccer fields everywhere." He leaned back on his hands and lifted one arm, pointing straight ahead of them. "See those buildings over there?"

Asuna followed the line of his finger and saw a few large city buildings in the distance, one standing out as the tallest in the area. "Yeah, what about it?" She asked curiously.

"That's the building for a company called Argus. I heard they're the leading developers for virtual reality games right now."

"So that's why you like this view? Jeez, you're such a nerd." She elbowed his shoulder playfully, earning a barrage of ticklish fingers.

"I may be a nerd, but at least I'm not ticklish!" His fingers scurried up and down her sides, throwing her into a fit of laughter.

"Okay okay, I take it back! I take it back!" He smirked and stopped his assault, allowing her to catch her breath and lay back on the grass.

"Oh, I almost forgot." She turned around towards her backpack and pulled out a brown bag. She opened it, revealing the fresh, homemade sandwiches to him. The childish look on his face made her wonder if he really was 16 already.

Once Kazuto had finished his last delicious sandwich, he let a long sigh and stretched his arms over his head. "Seriously, you should become one of the cooks for our lunchroom. Wait, no... then you wouldn't have as much time to make food for me." He teased, wearing a goofy grin. He stood up feeling satisfied, and offered his hand to Asuna. She accepted cheerfully, using it to pull herself up off the ground.

"Dummy." She flicked his forehead playfully, and they walked their separate ways to class.

Once the train had finally reached their stop, Kazuto and Asuna carefully stepped onto the platform underneath them. Enjoying the autumn breeze, they talked non-stop about whatever topics arose. Whether it was Asuna ranting about her absurd amounts of homework or Kazuto getting excited about a new bakery in town, there was always something to talk about.

But alas, their congenial conversing always came to an end at about 5:15 in the evening.

"Typical Rika." Kazuto rubbed the back of his neck, a smile creeping upon his lips.

"I know, right? She teases me about it almost everyday. I mean, I know we're close and all, but do people really think we're...?" Asuna stammered, a light shade of red spreading across her cheeks once again. Shaking off the thought, she stuck a hand in her bag and fumbled for her house key.

"Just ignore them. Even if they do think we're dating... what's the harm?" Kazuto removed his backpack to find his key as well, hiding his slight grin by turning the other way.

Asuna placed a hand under her chin and thought about it for a moment. There really was no harm in that. Sure, they would get the occasional teasing, but it's not like they hadn't experienced that already. Unlike the guys she'd hung out with in the past, Asuna never felt ashamed to call Kazuto her best friend. Yes, he had his dorky moments now and then, but she wholeheartedly believed that he was, without a doubt, a good person.

"Anyways," Asuna jumped back into reality once she heard Kazuto's voice again. "I'm gonna hit the hay for a while. Try not to let your friends bother you so much, alright?" He smirked, playfully patting the top of her head. She let out a tired sigh, twisting the key in its slot and pushing the door open. Kazuto did the same, both of them vanishing from each other's sight.

Once she was inside, Asuna removed her shoes and neatly placed them on a rack at the door. She leaned back and stared at the ceiling, closing the door behind her. Soon, she heard her mother's quiet yet snappy footsteps draw nearer.

"Have you picked an outfit for tonight yet?" Kyouko asked abruptly, causing Asuna to let out a groan of irritation.

"Hello to you, too." She rolled her eyes, sensing an ice cold glare from her mother.

"Answer the question. You need to look your best for when he arrives, and I need to assess whatever you wear to make sure it's appropriate."

"Why don't you just choose it, then? Add it to the list of things you decide for me, even when you say that I have a choice." Asuna frowned, shooting a glare right back. Growing furious, Kyouko marched up to her daughter and stuck out an arm, pointing to the staircase.

"Up to your room, now!" She scolded with unflagging anger. Asuna flinched back slightly, feeling her eyes begin to heat up with tears. She quickly looked at the floor to hide her face, slowly walking away from her mother and up the winding spiral staircase.

She slammed her door shut and locked it, clenching her fists in frustration. Her back slowly slid down the polished wood until she was sitting on the floor of her bedroom. For a while, the chestnut-haired girl sat there, choking back the tears that threatened to fall from her amber eyes. Minutes turned to hours, but there was no sign of her lonesome feelings disappearing. Before she knew it, an orange light was already pouring in through her windows, until the room went dark.

How did this day turn around in a matter of minutes? She thought to herself, forgetting how simple it was to smile just by hearing her best friend's voice.

"Kazuto..." She sniffled, finally pushing herself off the floor with her hands. She quietly crossed the room and pushed open the sliding glass door, a cool breeze pushing her hair behind her shoulders.

Cautiously, she hopped onto the sturdy wooden railing and spanned the small gap between her balcony and Kazuto's window sill. Although his house wasn't all that grand compared to hers, it did have two stories that caused the heights of their bedrooms to align nicely. Once one of her legs was steadily placed on his ledge, she quickly moved her other leg and planted it on the solid floor beneath her.

Meanwhile, Kazuto was fast asleep. Just like his birth mother and father, it took a lot of disruption to stir him awake. Except for a peculiar sound that, no matter how strong, always seemed to grab his conscious.

Knock knock.

His eyes opened slowly, squinting from the lack of light. Tilting his head to the right, he glanced at his alarm clock.

Just past eight. He told himself, languidly sitting up in his bed and pulling off the covers. Once he turned his head more to see the distraught girl at his window, his brain woke up immediately. He jumped out of bed and hastily unlocked his window, pushing it upwards with ease.

"Asuna?" He choked out, panicking slightly. "Wh-What's wrong?"

Without a word, Asuna climbed into his bedroom and wrapped her arms around his torso, hiding the tears that were now streaming down her cheeks.

Kazuto had always known about her relationship with her parents, especially her mother. Ever since they were little, he'd occasionally hear Kyouko lecturing to her daughter in her bedroom, with zero back talk from Asuna. He'd always been concerned during the day that followed, not hearing a word from her at school or on the way home. Sometimes he wanted to scream at her mother for making her feel so powerless, but he knew that would only stir up even more trouble.

But Kazuto figured that eventually it would become too much for her. No human being could bottle up their feelings forever... especially not the innocent, caring girl in front of him.

He gently returned the embrace, pulling her slender frame into his chest and acknowledging her overwhelming emotions.

"Is it your mom?" He whispered, pushing away slightly to meet her eyes. She nodded, blinking away the moisture in her eyes to see his sympathetic gaze. Kazuto used the black sleeve of his pajamas to soak up the stray drops on her cheeks. He outstretched his other hand to find hers, gesturing for her to sit on the bed beside him.

"It's not fair..." She mumbled, waves of emotions flooding her mind. "She just doesn't care about what I want. Only what will make our family richer." Kazuto listened to every word, hearing the pain behind each and every one.

"I don't want to live like this anymore." Her shoulders began to shake as she clenched her fists until they turned white. "I can't... I ca-"

Kazuto quickly closed her lips by covering them with his own.

Asuna's eyes widened at the sudden gesture, shocked by his sudden actions. But as Kazuto remained there, her eyes closed on their own, and she felt herself melt into his kiss. He raised one hand to cup her cheek and used the other arm to pull her body closer, fitting together like two puzzle pieces. Their lips pressed together in kisses upon kisses, allowing their true feelings to run free like uncaged animals. After a few moments, they pulled away, catching their breaths and lingering centimeters away from each other's faces.

"Don't... don't say that." Kazuto whispered, moving to nuzzle the silky skin of her cheek with his nose. He gently moved his hands up and down her arm and over her back, soothing her trembling body.

Both of them knew the chaos that would ensue from that night. They knew how much trouble it would stir between Kazuto and Kyouko especially. But they also knew the feelings they had for each other were far stronger than those fearful thoughts, and whatever problems would ensue, they could deal with it in the morning.

A/N: Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed! Please R/R and let me know what you think. -Harv