Falling With and For You

by FrozenLotusOTP

Kirito and Sinon prepare to face their first BoB together, though things don't go according to plan and shenanigans ensue. (Game verse Kirinon story, pre Fatal Bullet)

Prologue

-Kirito POV-

Kirito watched with a slight frown as Sinon paced back and forth in her in game apartment in GGO, obviously beset by pre-tournament nervousness. While she was typically the coolest and most collected person he knew, Kirito respected that everyone had a breaking point and a trigger. He had a feeling that it wasn't so much the player versus player event that was getting to her, but the possibility or fear of encountering something-or someone-during it. A certain psychotic stalker with plenty of unresolved issues and a clear obsession with his friend came to mind.

'If that guy gets into this tournament too and survives until the finial round, I'm taking him out no matter what. Sinon deserves better than to have to deal with his shit again. Still, that won't change the fact that she is on edge now. Hmm we do have some time before it starts-maybe some quick dungeon runs will take her mind off it? Heck I'll offer myself as target practice if it will help her. Barring that, some food always helps me stay cool before a raid…'

Doing his best to not be entirely obvious about his intent to distract her, Kirito began to muse on the meal before him.

"You know, this brings back some memories…" The swordsman all but announced as he sat at the table while digging into the before battle feast his partner had made for them in preparation for the upcoming Bullet of Bullets later that afternoon. The meal wasn't anything fancy or elaborate by any means, simply a single serve dish that one might take on a camping trip or purchase even when on a budget when living alone-with a bit of home cooking thrown in for the occasion.

Kirito wouldn't have been surprised if that was more or less what Shino Asada lived off of in the real world while alone in her apartment as a full-time student and little excuse or means to cook herself something better. Kirito himself had his doting and loving sister Sugu to thank for his more balanced and wholesome meals, otherwise he would have likely ended up cooking the same-if only for the convenience of instant meals. Being such a hardcore gamer, time spent away from VR was more of a hindrance than it was worth at times.

'Besides it's not like any strong meal buffs would carry over into the BoB anyway…'

"Hmm, what memories are you talking about Kirito? I don't recall the two of us ever eating alone together after I joined you in SAO, at least not something I made myself."

A slight chuckle escaped his lips as he reflected on his earlier moments in the death game.

"Well I was just thinking of the time Asuna made me that rabbit stew-"

A dismissive hand waved him onward, the girl across from him now seemingly irked as she cleared her throat.

"Yes, yes, you have shared that story countless times now-what is your point? Are you saying that it was the only other time in your life you ate a meal alone with a girl? Something tells me with your track record that is unlikely…"

Turning away from him with a scoff, he watched her get up from the table and move over to the privacy screen in her studio apartment so that she could change from her casual clothes into her combative gear. As the owner of the home, Sinon had the perk of instant gear swapping so the secluded area was debatably pointless, but she always insisted on using it regardless. Given that she disliked the unnatural vacuum-like feel of the instant swap, the girl typically manually changed into her different outfits anyway.

"For peace of mind, especially when You are involved. I can't trust you not to try sneaking another peek of me after the time you made use of your current avatar's appearance to sneak into the girl's locker room."

"For the last time, I wasn't trying to spy on you, I just got turned around and accidentally went in the unmarked side entrance of the changing area! It's not my fault the doors aren't gender locked-or at least this avatar can apparently fool the system!" No matter how many times he plead his case, Sinon never believed his explanation for the honest mistake…

As Kirito reflexively averted his eyes from even the screen's location out of respect for the sniper and her sense of personal comfort, he continued the story. "Well I was just going to say this remined me of the moment when after dinner she came out to me stripped of her clothes and expecting me to stay over for the night. I guess she read my enjoyment for the rabbit stew as something more and took the initiative to-"

Had Kirito even been facing the direction of the privacy screen, he would have noted the way Sinon's body had gone ridged while listening to the tale, despite being mid motion in selecting her next outfit to equip. It did not take much for Sinon to assume where Kirito's line of thinking was going with that recollection. Irritation and self-consciousness spiking, she cut him off.

"B-Baka, what kind of girl do you take me for!? Do you really think I-I'm that desperate for your attention like she was that I'd feed you then j-just suggest we hook up? Let alone on the eve of a tournament that will require our hearts, minds and bodies to be in top condition? We don't have time-let alone the energy to do something like t-that right now!"

In her fury, the female gamer disregarded the fact that she was only dressed in her underwear at the time and strode over to grab the nearest object- a heavy book and flung it towards his face. The normally level-headed girl was so flustered at the moment she didn't even consider the fact that she hadn't even denied the prospect of bedding the swordsman, merely stated the reasons why it would be inopportune timing at the present…

Before the equally shocked and somewhat flustered-he did get another tempting view of her body after all despite the circumstances- even began to dodge the projectile or allow it to hit him to appease the girl, a ring of flames sparked up around him and incinerated the text. Even after the threat was gone however, the flames lingered before abruptly bursting outwards in all directions.

As the fiery explosion cleared, leaving nothing damaged but a thick layer of ashes and soot coating the entire room, Kirito dashed over to the side of his soon to be partner and only ally in the upcoming fight.

"S-Sinon are you alright? I had no idea that the shield was still active, let alone that it would react like this!"

A keen sense of danger filled the black-haired boy with dread as she rose, her still and seemingly calm expression a poker face to what she felt. With his immediate concern for Sinon's well being soothed, Kirito began to worry for his own. Especially after reflection on how she had taken his remark earlier. Thinking quickly, he tried to placate the soot coated beauty with the first words that came to his mind.

'M-maybe she took offense to that as the cook?'

"F-for the record, your food was b-better than the rabbit I had with her!"

The black and blue girl's eyes remained as cool as the tundra despite his comment, though one eyebrow slowly arched in curiosity even with her simmering rage.

"Oh really, care to explain to me just how that meal of standard pre-fabricated military rations that you can buy at any convenience store in the game-with only a bit of leftover mochi I made myself yesterday- compares to her completely maxed out cooking skill, along with the S class ingredient that she had available at the time?"

"W-well that's the thing, you're cooking is good because it's not as good? Heh ok I admit that sounded better in my head now that I think about it…"

While the sniper began to tremble with no longer concealed anger, Kirito made haste to bow before her and smacking his forehead repeatedly against the temporarily burned floor hard enough that the Immortal Object message appeared in the corner of his eye.

As the girl raised her foot to strike him even though it would do no actual damage, Kirito raised his head just in time for her heel to collide with and grind against his face. Ignoring the way the blue haired beauty was stepping on him like an irksome bug she let into her home-and heart- who was the cause of all the problems in her daily life, the gamer did his best to amend his earlier statement.

"Wai-wait Shino l-let me explain agh! What I meant is the thing with Asuna's cooking is that it's too good. It's not really immersive for every single bite you take to be a masterpiece of cuisine, after a while it began to taste…fake I guess? It was so artificially good-being the best it could possibly be- that it just didn't taste real any longer. Real food has issues, defects-obvious or otherwise you can nitpick away and deem it to be lesser quality. But it's because of those mistakes that normal food is more worthwhile. The flaws just make what is right that much more pronounced. It makes the dish whole, a balance of the good and bad and not just one outweighing the other to the point of being too perfect most of the time. I got sick of Asuna's ideal meals all the time, that's why I prefer what you have to offer…"

After a moment of consideration, his partner ceased to treat him like a cockroach that was too stubborn to die and lifted her foot from his cheek, though it was swiftly repositioned to angle underneath his chin. Forcing his head to tilt upwards at an awkward angle, Kirito neglected to voice complaint to that pain upon noticing the searching look in her eyes. He wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for at that moment, but nevertheless he laid himself bare before her mentally, emotionally, and physically more or less-in that moment. Lowering his subconscious barriers was something he rarely did, an effort on his part to spare his loved ones worry-but he felt it was necessary right now.

"Kirito…" The soot cloaked sniper whispered, her tone heavy with a mix of emotions before she cleared them away with a gradual lament. "Only you could say such things that could be easily taken a different way out of context."

"Eh? What do you mean by that?"

A faint red hue seemed to peak through the soot coating her face, masking how the hot blood rushed to her warming cheeks, which now felt as though they rivaled the flame shield in terms of heat. That the red showed whatsoever was a testament to how intense the reaction truly was.

"J-just that that only you would go on a tangent about the meaning behind the statistical quality of virtual food in a situation like that. Sometimes it seems like you swapped the places of your brain and stomach... Honestly I don't know whether I want to kick or kiss-I mean k-kill you on days like these."

As she mused to herself, more of her typical cool persona returned which only made her intent that much more obvious as she navigated the menus without even looking to equip her beloved sniper rifle.

"Until I decide, I suggest you start running."

Chuckling nervously with a sweat drop, the swordsman brushed a hand through his shoulder length onyx locks as he attempted to 'play dumb', though he suspected Sinon would argue over the need to try to act differently in that regard then.

"W-where am I running to Sinonon?"

A cool smile fitting for the goddess of death from which her rifle was named curled the girl's lips as her eyes closed in an expression of pseudo happiness that promised only suffering in the near future. In a mock cheerful tone that left no question to how she felt, his partner answered his inquiry.

"Out of my sight, Kirito-kun~. Because if you're still here by the time I open my eyes again, I really will make you as feminine as you look. And just because you dared to use Her nickname for me, I might just make the operation take three shots rather than one. Do you understand what I mean, or should I explain it in terms even someone as thick skulled as you can understand?"

As Sinon made a show of chambering a round into her rifle with an audible click that resounded throughout the destroyed room-still without even opening her eyes the slightest- the gamer hastily made his escape. The sniper didn't need to see to know that as he did so, his blade of light was drawn and held in an awkward angle to protect that which he so feared would soon be parted from him in as many shots as Sinon decided it would take…

'Well on the bright side, maybe playing a bit of cat and mouse through the streets will calm her down. Might as well make the most of this situation! Still, why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?'

-Sinon POV-

With the soot washed instantly from her clothes with the aid of a household item, the sniper set out to work. Sinon sighed wearily as she holstered the rifle on her back, mentally mapping out the most likely escape routs her prey would take, along with the corresponding locations that would offer ideal views of the surrounding area she would be hunting in. In truth her anger against Kirito's words had long since faded by now, no actual harm had been done to either of them or her room after all. And more importantly she understood-and appreciated whether outright admitted or not-the sentiment he had been attempting to convey. Taking stock of the situation, she couldn't help chuckling.

Apparently even he crumbled against a hypothetical threat to his virtual manhood, fear gripping him enough in the moment of weakness to seemingly not notice how his primary weapon had been unequipped and confiscated upon crossing her threshold. Even though he was exiting and not entering, it was an automated security feature of higher class apartments to disarm anyone in conflict with the owner immediately. Apparently, her intimidation tactic of disarming the duel wielder's third and most treasured blade counted as conflict between players…

'Who would have thought the system would be so unsympathetic to the plight of a boy given the vast disparity of male to female players in this game? Perhaps this is just a small effort to even the odds for the seldom few girls that play…' A pleased, cat-like grin curled her lips at the thought.

Of course, player killers had long since discovered an exploit to get around that feature-namely by keeping a low caliber side arm on hand that could make it past the security check if their Smuggle skill was high enough. Granted even then a low caliber pistol would do even less damage when invading a pseudo safe zone-to the point where it would take literal hours for an invader to chip away their health-so anyone in their right mind dismissed the near pointless gesture. Ironically a weapon like the blade of plasma was one of the additional exceptions that could be held onto given its compact form factor- so long as it wasn't in the primary weapon slot-but obviously Kirito would never rely primarily on a hand gun- even in a world of bullets and iron steel. Given that the action necessary to raise the Smuggle skill up to an appropriate level required stealing from other players and NPCs alike, it was unlikely Kirito would ever consider it.

Though even had he raised his blade against her, his otherwise debatably broken (in terms of game balance anyway) weapon would have been reduced to little more than a strong flashlight with the intensity of a matchstick in strength. The image of herself literally blowing out his blade just for the opportunity of witnessing his shocked expression of defeat pleased her more than it should…

With Hecate on her back and her wayward partner's blade at her belt, Sinon made her way up to the roof of her apartment building, content for the time being to merely watch the unnerved boy run. She had no intention of actually sniping him after all, that she sent him running was punishment enough. Sinon knew that the boy she had fallen for was no coward, a part of her even suspected he was doing this more for her benefit than his own and would come to his senses soon enough after his "escape" from her deadly sight.

That he would go this far and offer himself up as bait despite the danger for a brief game of cat and mouse to help shake the pre-battle nervousness she suffered from was touching. It did not take her long to pick his shoulder length flowing onyx locks dashing through the crowd of burly, overtly muscled soldier avatars that most of the player base favored.

'I guess it falls to me to be his guardian angel of death until he returns. He had better appreciate me holding onto this for him despite the trouble he caused me…'

As she settled into the familiar position with her rifle at the ready, the cool sniper -whose cheeks were certainly not warming- found herself idly stroking a finger along the length of the saber hilt as she scanned for any threats nearby. Doing her best to ignore the mental image of her slim fingers entwining with the hand that typically held it, adding her strength of will to his own and vice versa, a familiar sensation gripped her heart. Despite the layers of ice carefully layered around her emotions over the years, even the idea of that warmth gracing the bloodied hands of a killer thawed through her icy persona.

But it was far more than just the temperature that comforted the once lonely girl, more than anything else there was the profound feeling of safety. The acceptance and empathy for her struggles she sought for years until meeting Kirito and the others, the vulnerability she feared to expose herself to once more after the way her former peers treated the event that changed her life, none of that mattered. As long as he stood beside her, Shino was comforted by the idea that she was protected-that she didn't have to be strong all the time. Together they could do or witness the impossible, be it clearing a game of death against all odds or deflecting even the highest of caliber bullets with only a blade as bright as his will was strong…

All that said however, while the other girls in his life seemed mostly content to follow in his footsteps like love-struck school girls straight out of a high school manga-Shino for one was not afraid to call him out on his questionable choices. Even if he had a disarming personality that made it impossible to stay angry with him for long, no matter the offense.

'That idiot has such a way with words at times. Not even the most sophisticated and witty characters in any of the novels I've read over the years can compare to his…impromptu speeches and innate aura of attraction from others. How can someone be that charming and not realize it half the time? Or maybe he knows exactly what he's doing, playing all of us for fools as he flings between his fancy of girl for the day…'

Below her in the veritable maze of streets that made up of the lower city, she witnessed through the eye of her scope Kirito rushing frantically through the neon lit alleyways towards a teleport zone. Perhaps due to the flustered and panicked state he was still acting in at the time, his gaze whipping left and right while ever upwards towards the apartment complex and nearby rooftops that she could have set up at rather than where he was going, misfortune struck. Fate itself decided that at that moment he would unceremoniously collide with a nearby shadowed brick wall at full speed, a playful player killer having painted a section of it in resemblance of a doorway. Such a trick would only work with an exceptional investment in the camouflage skill against panicked new players not able to notice how out of place it was-but Kirito fit the bill at the moment. Unsure if she should laugh or facepalm in embarrassment for her partner's cartoonish antics as he slid ever so slowly to the ground in a daze, Sinon pondered further.

'Then again, that might be overthinking things- this is Kirito after all. He might be a fool-but he's not stupid or the kind of person that would knowingly manipulate those close to him for attention. Especially if he wanted to live to tell the tale.'

"Speaking of his survival, I should probably get him out of there before he gets mugged. His chances unarmed aren't high against the experienced PKers that roam the low streets looking for a good score, not that he isn't an experienced fighter in his own right… Still, being able to hold his own doesn't mean I can't be concerned about his safety-we're…partners after all."

As if summoned by the worry, three players rounded the corner to the trap alleyway that Kirito had mistakenly took for an exit. From what she could tell at her current distance, two of them were carrying machineguns while the third and apparent leader given the superior quality of gear favored a riot shotgun. With her magnified sight, Sinon was able to clearly take note of how one of the lackeys was withdrawing some sort of grenade from his belt in preparation to toss it Kirito's way-who was only just now getting to his feet and still unaware of the danger as he was facing away from them.

Racking her brain for her own knowledge in the art of player versus player combat in the game, she immediately eliminated the reflexive idea that it was merely a standard explosive. Given the tactics used and how the "door" had not been a cover to disguise a pressure plate to conceal a lethal trap like a fixed rifle hanging from the roof for a headshot, immediate kills were not their priority. 'Which means an actual mugging-a forced trade via surrender and intimidation tactics is there game.'

While certainly less dangerous than engaging a full party of players returning from farming, it was not without a moral compromise. Setting another player back like that, stripping them of everything they collected and worked to gain for untold hours in an instant-that was just not fair nor fun. The tactic was generally looked down upon by the more good natured pkers like herself, the idea being less honorable than a battle out in the open world where at least only one item would be lost. Even then, one could pay an insurance fee to a NPC controlled bank that in return would promise any one item (such as her rare rifle) would not be lost in a drop should she get killed.

'I don't know what I would do if I lost Hecate… Though obviously there are certain lines I wouldn't cross, even for that gun. Granted even if I was that desperate to consider embracing the stigma of female players offering their bodies to pkers as alternative payment for the drops-which is probably part of the reason why so few girls play this game to begin with-I know Kirito and the others would step in. He wouldn't even need his blade to kill them if they tried to even touch me. When he becomes that seriously angry, I wouldn't doubt his ability to take them out with only his fists if needed-maybe even with just one punch! Regardless, there's no reason to worry about something that would never actually happen like that…'

Still, no one could deny that attempting a shake down of a given target to force them to trade away everything they had rather than merely one item in their inventory was more lucrative. That alone was tempting to those looking to pay for their subscription through in game exchanges for real currency. While Sinon knew that not everyone could afford to pay for the subscription, that didn't excuse dirty tactics like this and completely ruining another player's experience for their own gain.

"But no matter their reason for doing this, I will stop them. Especially with Kirito involved. Ok, with their motive there is only two options available for them. In his hand is either a stun grenade or a smoke screen and given the comparatively increased cost of the stun variety and considering the shabby condition of their guns-it's obvious their cutting corners where they can. Which means it has to be a smoke screen!"

It made the most sense from a tactic standpoint as well, she would reflect later. After all, for what they intended, the stun would ensure a brief moment of weakness but ultimately be a let down when only three mooks showed up and demanded your money or life. Whereas the smoke screen could theoretically conceal their numbers in addition to making it more difficult to be targeted.

"There question now is who-or what to take out. My first shot won't have an indicator so even if they were looking this way, they won't be able to get out of the way in time before they die. But wait-even if I take out the worst threat, their leader- that still leaves the other two and Kirito can't dodge very much with that limited space and lack of cover. So… I just need to give him some-or the next best thing!"

With her decision made, Sinon adjusted her sights away from their heads and towards an even smaller target-the man's hand. It was a long shot-in more ways than one- but as long as she timed it right it would give Kirito a window to escape. Barring that, the smoke filling the dead end of the alley will make it more difficult to track him and give her the time she needed to pick them off. Either way with the men closing in, there was no time for further debate. Focusing intently on the gloved wrist, she slowed her heart rate down as a slow breath filled her lungs. The moment the bandit pulled the pin, Sinon pulled the trigger.

"Kirito…don't waste this opportunity!"

-Kirito POV-

'In retrospect, maybe I overdid it running away like that. As much as I wanted to humor Shino with a little mini game of tracking me down to help cool her down and ease both our nerves before the PvP tournament later, doing the total noob thing and running off without at least asking for my blade back was foolish. Sinon will have a field day using this as ammunition against me though. Still…'

"Who the hell paints a photo-realistic doorway on a non-descript wall in the middle of nowhere!?"

'I guess the real question is what kind of idiot runs into it in the first place? Still, what's the point of this super detailed graffiti?'

His answer came as a trio of men rounded the corner, the timing to convenient to be anything other than a planned trap. Taking a breath to calm himself, he made no sudden moves as doing so would likely spur the trigger-happy thugs into action. As much as he cursed himself for not memorizing the layout of the city, his luck hadn't completely failed him. At least the ambush wasn't on the level of something the Laughing Coffin with a variety of paralysis, poison, and other sorts of debuffs thrown into the mix. Even if they weren't professionals however, they did have the advantage in this situation.

Kirito had been in his share of unbalanced fights before, be they players or the titans known as floor bosses back in SAO, though even he was having doubts on his chances at the moment. For one thing, he was far more used to having at least one sword at hand if not more to help deal with the situation-but in his admittedly frightened at first escape, he had lost his one and only photon sword. Compounding the weapon issue was that in all honestly his skills as a truly solo player were a bit rusty.

While it wasn't as if he never spent time by himself grinding for materials and leveling minor skills, for years now he had always had at least one capable (usually-well ok almost always) female companion at his back, if not more. It could be a bit overwhelming at times trying to balance out the desires of all his friends-especially since they could form up their own raid worth of a group at this point- but he did his best even if that meant little time by himself.

Besides he truly enjoyed spending time with each and everyone of them, and they were far stronger than he ever could have been alone. Still, time alone was a increasingly precious commodity these days as his (female) friends list grew with no end in sight. But right now, he would gladly sacrifice what private time he had left for a partner to help even the odds. While it wasn't as if he doubted Sinon's capabilities in the slightest, she possibly was the most reliable of the group when it came to situations like this-there was no logical reason to believe she knew where he was right now. Given that they hadn't formed a party since it would be disbanded at the start of the BoB anyway, they couldn't track each other's location precisely. Friend tracking only gave general locations outside of safe zones-which the slums unfortunately did not qualify as.

Without a reliable weapon, he had to rely on a bizarre quality of his current avatar which his partner commented on more than once much to his annoyance. Namely-his extremely feminine appearance to most. There was literally no reason why his avatar should have turned out the way it did, he certainly hadn't chosen these long locks of hair during his character creation! But it seemed all avatars were finial barring the customization trades that were far out of his price range as a relatively new player. Though even if he could afford it, nearly all the avatars he had seen were so muscle bound and borderline cookie cutter that he felt more comfortable in this form than a hulking frame like the others.

'It's like some mysterious force of RNG has it out for me or something. Well whatever-at least I can make it work for me in this case!'

Flashing the three approaching brutes his most "innocent" smile in imitation of the one his sister gave him before he suddenly found himself buying her countless gifts online with what savings he had-and yet he couldn't find it within himself to even be upset with the manipulation afterwards- he tapped his fingers together coly with a greeting.

"H-hey guys, I seem to be a bit lost. Do you think you could show me the way to the nearest teleporter? I'm going to meet up with a friend and she will get really worried if I'm late…" Much to his disgust, the drooling one responded.

"Of course we can girl, the three of us are men of…culture after all. We would be happy to take you~ ha ha…"

Kirito did his best to maintain the cute expression, even as blatant stares of the three men roamed his body with obvious intent, one of which even openly drooling as his eyes lingered on his chest plate. Continuing his feminine façade, he giggled while trying not to shiver involuntarily.

"Ah w-well you know on second thought I think I can find my way there after all. So, if you wouldn't mind just moving aside so I can get past I'll be-"

"You'll be accepting the trade request I'm sending you for everything in your inventory-and I mean everything got it?"

"Oh-oh make her trade us her panties too, ay boss?" The far most henchman would add to the demand with a leer.

As the shotgun toting brute leveled the sawn-off piece towards his head, Kirito reflexively tensed as his legs shifted in preparation to dodge. Just because he was mostly disarmed and acting like a stereotypical "lost new girl" didn't mean he was helpless or willing to submit to their intentions after all.

"Sorry but I couldn't do that if I wanted to fellas." The gamer commented as his resolve of using his apparent feminine wiles to charm away the threat crumbling.

"And why's that hmm? No need to be embarrassed girl, cultured men like us believe in the flat system of justice-we will treat ya fairly across your board~ of a chest. Appreciate you more than any guy in the past that scorned you!"

At the drooling man's rebuttal, the mask concealing Kirito's disgust crumbled as he did his best to swallow the bile in his throat. In the back of his mind, he made a mental promise to Silica to kill any players on sight who approached her like these men. That she might face such attention for years if not her whole life due to stunted growth from her time in SAO impacting her real body made his heart ache with sympathy. Something told him her protective "big sister" Liz would be the first up to bat with a heavy club-regardless of which reality they were in- though. His eye twitching, Kirito dropped the act altogether.

"Maybe because I'm a boy?"

At his deadpanned counter, the three scruffy teens froze for a moment in shock as their eyes blinked rapidly, as if seeing him clearly for the first time. With a grunt of outrage, the drooling bandit pulled out some type of hand grenade and held it menacingly in the air.

"Well, well, looks like we caught a Trap in our trap guys. And you wanna know what we do to men like you who lead our hearts astray with your soft features, flowing hair and level tits? We-AGH!"

With the sound of booming thunder echoing in the distance, before any of the assailants could react a large bullet pierced through the man's wrist, destroying it along with most of his arm in the process and sending the grenade flying. It ricocheted against the nearest wall before landing at Kirito's feet and going off. Luckily for him, rather than explosive a cloud of thick smoke cloaked the player who was most definitely male, offering limited cover for the time being. Given the defensive properties of the smoke screen, it was mostly translucent on the inside of the fog which would allow him to dodge their shots and see where their guns were pointed without having to infer solely on the prediction of prediction line tracking.

Had his attackers been more disciplined and fired in coordinated lines through the alley instead of wild pot shots where they thought they could see his silhouette, they might have had a chance. As it stood now, he just had to wait for the opportunity of them needing reload, then he could make his move. His gaze drifting upwards to the faint glint of the scope-far more pronounced than usual given his darkened surroundings- atop the apartment building he had fled. Though there was no way she could see him motion from within the smoke, Kirito gave his beloved companion a thumbs up as he grinned in appreciation.

'Thanks Sinon, I never should have doubted your eyes in the first place. I owe you one…'

-Sinon POV-

With the shot taken, the impulse to offer the boy a returning thumbs up-a gesture she instinctively knew he had made-was too great to ignore even if he wouldn't be able to see it. While doing so, Sinon shook her head as the muggers below scrambled left and right, seeming to alternate between aiming at Kirito and wild shots in the air as if trying to narrow down where she was via spray and pray. Only the most inexperienced of players taking up the art of sniping would allow such a rudimentary tactic based off luck more than anything to work. Any sniper worth the caliber of the rounds they shot would eliminate the threat long before they could sniff her out, and that was just what she intended to do.

'Idiots, if common thugs like that are what Kirito is up against I didn't need to help in the first place. They might not even know how to turn their safeties off. Still just to be safe-'

A shot rang out once more, this time with the tracer of a prediction line leading back to her current location. As a trade off however, she had taken out the rifleman who had the most accuracy of the lot given how close his shots had been to where she mentally tracked Kirito's location to be. While she truly could not see the boy skirting around the potshots like a deadly interruptive dance, she didn't need to. Not only was her sense of tracking and adjustment to harsh conditions more difficult than a mere smoke screen able to picture him in her minds eye, she knew the way Kirito moved around in a fight well enough to track his most likely steps. But Sinon wasn't even relying on that game-sense as it was so often referred to as to know where Kirito was, a more intimate pang in her heart of hearts like a compass told her everything she needed.

'I'll just eliminate them anyways, let them be his warning for the future to watch what he says. I-'

Game sense was what pricked her reflexes in that instance however, causing the girl to suddenly arch her body backwards with a grunt. Before her eyes flew the peculiar sight of an arrow-the most primitive source of ranged weaponry in the game only suited for stealthy role players if anything. Still even that could be deadly if shot in a critical area. Just as she moved to pick up her rifle and return fire towards her attacker standing on a nearby water tower, a subtle clicking sound was heard as the initial arrowhead collided with the ground before fracturing into smaller arrow-like shards that sprung outwards.

Abandoning her precious Hecate for the time being, the cool sniper dove for the cover of a nearby cooling unit rather than risk herself further out in the open. Not only would bringing the heavy rifle up to bear take too long against a mid-ranged opponent, she had already lost her surprise shot so she could be tracked.

'Really, archery had a scattershot affect in this game? That could probably shred through even a tank player if enough hit, and they wouldn't even need to aim for the head!'

Angered at the "broken" weapon ability that could be debatably on par with the power of her rifle or the blade currently at her waist, she reached for the small handgun at her side. However, before her palm had closed around the grip, a peculiar feeling of curiosity began to nag her as she became increasingly aware of the photon blade resting against her thigh.

'As bizarre as the idea is, I have been curious how Kirito pulls that deflection technique off. And considering how my side arm will barely damage the guy at this range anyway, I might as well try it to help close the distance.'

As the archer lined up another shot, his opponent followed through her snap decision and drew the blade of light, held at a slight angle away from herself. Unlike it's true owner, Sinon had little experience wielding swords and instead gripped it in a way similar to a dagger-which was the weapon type she had relied upon before discovering the hidden archery skill back in SAO. Picturing herself in the man's position briefly, she did the mental calculations as if she were firing against a target at her distance and height. An apparent advantage of the ancient (by this game standards) weapon was the lack of prediction lines, though she doubted the system was aiding the user much either. But even that aid wasn't necessary for the more experienced female archer.

'I don't need Kirito's level of reaction speed to block a shot I can figure out the trajectory to on my own. In the end, it's all just simple geometry and timing.'

With a flash of violet light and a yell of defiance, Sinon swung the deadly beam in time with the archer's release and blocked the arrow. Furthermore, as the scattering effect detonated upon impact with the blade, the shards shot back outwards towards the man instead. While the feat might not have been as impressive as her partner's ability to deflect a speedy barrage of machine gun fire or even a round as powerful as what Hecate used, Sinon felt accomplished nonetheless.

'It may have been just an arrow but…well I can at least understand why Kirito is so confident with this even in GGO.'

Taking advantage of her opponent's distraction with the shrapnel bouncing near his feat and the shock that it happened in the first place, Sinon made use of her energy grapple to pull herself to the man's side. Without a moment of hesitation, she ran the blade through his chest, piercing the left nipple that he left exposed for some unknown impractical reason. That she had faced an archer of all things triggered the pride within of her own skills, and so she resolved to tell him off as he perished.

"Your reliance on the scatter effect of your arrows rather than actual skill in aiming your shots toward vital areas is telling. Even with your numerous advantages over that medium range you couldn't even scratch me, and I had even resorted to the gamble of using a weapon I never even tried before once in my life!"

As the Japanese man crumbled into pixels, she dismissed him with a scoff.

"Your idea of accuracy is a disgrace to bowmen everywhere, and you're certainly no true sniper with that overreliance on the easy burst damage handicap without having to actually aim. Spray and pray only gets you so far no matter the caliber of the weapon, noob."

Suddenly feeling the desire to add true insult to injury, rather than immediately retrieving her sniper rifle, the girl lingered in place. Picking up the bow and matching quiver that had dropped with his death, Sinon smiled confidently despite the range of the shot planned well exceeding three hundred meters and how she would receive no aid from the system. Nocking an arrow back while closing an eye to narrow her vision into focus, she let out a slow breath and mocked him a final time.

"Let me show you how a real archersnipes."

-Kirito POV-

Kirito panted as he resisted the urge to lean against the nearby wall for support. Just because he could react in time to consistently dodge a hail of bullets from multiple sources didn't mean that doing so wasn't tiring. Especially as he was forced to do so consistently without an end in sight, as fast as he was there was nothing he could do against the gunmen until an opportunity presented itself. Fortunately, the shotty wielding man got impatient with their inability to hit the nimble target and in a fit of rage ran into the smoke screen to face Kirito at point blank range. So far, he seemed to have been hesitating out of fear of friendly fire from his party members but it seemed time to throw all caution to the wind.

The gamer would respond in time with his own charge, meeting the lumbering figure head on as he recalled the Martial Arts fighting style to the best of his ability. Even if he couldn't use any skills from that tree without equipping its equivalent in this game, at least the premise of where and how to move remained the same. Delivering a swift sucker punch to his target right as he entered the smog, Kirito waisted not a second in crouching downward before landing another solid punch to his gut. His goal to weaken the bandit was mostly successful, though rather than knocking him out, Kirito only managed to get a grip on the six-foot-tall man's arms and prevent him from angling the shot gun down low enough to shoot. Still a stalemate was better than nothing.

As they struggled for dominance, both players couldn't help but wince at the sudden scream of pain as the now one-armed drooling man found an arrow piercing through his skull, only just registering the slight pain and sensation before he faded into a burst of pixels. Rather than be upset for his loss of a party member, the leader seemed irater than ever as he screamed up to the sky to who he assumed was the cause of death.

"Hanzo you shite sniper! Did you really just kill one of our team again, he wasn't even near the Trap! Are you so bad that you can only hit stationary targets on your own side you mother fuckin' Cun-"

The toxic rant was cut abruptly short as a familiar beam of violet light pierced through the veil of fading smoke, slicing through the last of the attacker's heads like a hot knife through butter. Due to the sudden lack of pressure he had been working against until then, Kirito found himself off balance and stumbling backward towards the backstreet wall behind him. Before he could collide with the bullet riddled brick however, a slim arm wrapped around his waist and halted his fall. Ignoring the way the deadly violet blade still hovered slightly near his own head given the angle of the strike, he offered his savior a wide smile in gratitude.

"Thanks for the save Sinon, I don't know what I'd do without you watching my back."

"I-idiot! What were you thinking, running around the slums without your blade like that!? If I hadn't been watching out for you, you could have been killed. And if you died because of the argument we had I'd…I'd…" Her hand shaking as if considering the idea of striking him with the blade to teach a lesson, Kirito could see clearly the worried expression on her face as emotion and tears welled briefly in her eyes. Though her words were hostile, it was clear from her tone that more than anything, she was just relieved he was ok.

'Even though it's not like this is a death game, the thought of losing me-even for awhile as I wait to respawn must hit her hard…'

"Sinon…I'm sorry. I shouldn't take risks like that and make you worry. I was really just trying to take your mind off things but I guess I just made it worse in the end. If there's something I can do to make it up to you…"

The pair lingered for a time in the pseudo close embrace, silently taking comfort in the renewed safety they felt in each other's company. A whirlwind of emotions swept through the two of them, but neither could deny that they felt better, beyond just safe in each other's arms… His heroine hesitated for a time, as if considering closing what few inches remained between them, before reluctantly pulling away.

"Don't mention it-I'll tell you what, save me from a fall next time and we will be even."

"Still, that was dangerous soloing that pk group like that, and I never would have expected you to try out the photon blade-what did you think of it though? There's nothing like slicing through them like cheese once you do close the distance!"

Rolling her eyes at the praise he offered for his own preferred weapon type, his partner deactivated the blade and lightly bopped him on the side of his head with the hilt before releasing it into his possession once more.

"That's not really my style Kirito, besides I think the set up we have now with me taking out the ranged threats while you deal with anything getting too close is more balanced. That's why we work together as a duo better than any of the other girls when it comes to covering each other's inherent fighting style weaknesses. And this way… I can do my best to fulfil my end of the bargain."

"Eh? What deal are you talking about Shino?"

"You promised that you would protect me no matter the odds remember? It's only fair I do the same to you. Even if that entails protecting you from your own stupidity at times, I won't let anyone harm you. That's what it means for us as a couple- I-I mean, that's what it means to be partners. Supporting each other with problems, personal or otherwise-and staying together no matter what happens." Sinon would finish softly with a light blush on her cheeks. It was clear that she did not intend for them to get separated like that again for a long time if she could help it.

Deciding it better not to ask what she had initially been musing about, Kirito merely nodded.

"A-anyway, let's head back to my apartment for now before more of them show up."

"Right, it's a good idea to rest up before the event."

A deadly smile curled his partner's lips as she amended his plan for a pre-battle nap.

"Correction, I'll be resting up after having taken out that party more or less by myself while YOU clean up the mess you left in my home. Understand?"

"H-hey I helped too! I…punched one of the guys."

"You distracted them while I picked them off. Besides it's your fault the encounter happened in the first place! I thought even you weren't foolish enough to run into a wall like that!"

Kirito scratched the back of his head with a nervous chuckle, trying not to think of how sweat dropped down the back of it in embarrassment. "Y-yeah that wasn't my finest moment. But come on Shino-did you see that painting, it looks so real!"

A sigh answered him as she turned to start heading back to her virtual home. Kirito had little choice but to hastily follow after giving the wall a final rueful glare.

"And you can tell me all about those fine details while you're scrubbing the soot off my walls and floors-now march!"

Author's Notes:

Welcome to the first of three chapters in my first short GGO story. As you know doubt have guessed, it is another Kirinon story, which I chose to write and finish before the planned Philia and Strea ones as a tribute to the upcoming Fatal Bullet game as my hype was high for it until recently. Of course, then there was the rage inducing reveal of the worst decision ever to give all the game verse girls bed scenes to the freaking OC :( but I am determined to not let that major idiotic flaw ruin the entire game for me if I can help it… And you can bet I will address that issue a bit in the epilogue chapter!

Anyway as a roadmap for those curious, the next chapter will be the main part involving their fall and dealing with the lemony shenanigans afterwards as they climb back up, with the third epilogue chapter being the lemon-in real life this time for friends have pointed out that the ethics code can't naturally be turned off in GGO most likely- as they will have plenty of sexual tension~ to work through I assure you

Other things to note: Sinon briefly wielding the photon blade along with Kirito's attempt to knock the leader out with a few punches were a minor tribute to my friend Saint Neos' One Punch Gamer story ^_^

I felt like it wasn't too much of a stretch for Sinon to be able to deflect an arrow given her extensive experience as an archer herself in the game verse and being able to reverse calculate the shot from her attacker's position. And besides its not like the arrow was going as fast as a bullet anyway!

The cameo of Hanzo was in part an excuse to give Sinon a bow in GGO, a way to vent my annoyance of unskilled players of him in Overwatch, and lastly a slight tribute to my favorite Overwatch Youtuber Rag Tagg who has an infamous hatred of Hanzo along with a most vulgar vocabulary. Particularly when saying his debatable catch phrase about Hanzo ;p

Sorry the fight was short and very one sided-as I said before I am horrible when it comes to writing combat in general. So that will more or less be skipped when possible.

As always, I appreciate any and all reviews/suggestions for the story, and given that I actually have a portion of the next chapter written with the entire story planned out fully in my head, I assure you that the next chapter will be out only a couple days! So look forward to that if you will!