Kirito
A week has passed since Yuuki's funeral. Asuna has hardly made an appearance online since her death. She has popped in a few times to check on Yui and the house but she never stays long and she always does it right before dinner when she knows she has a time limit.
I looked at the message I sent her on my phone 3 days again
Kirito: If you need someone to talk to I am always here for you.
Asuna: Thank you
As I Walked up the driveway to Asuna's house I slipped my phone into my pocket. My plan was to give her some space to grieve and sort out her feelings and hopefully she would come to me when she was ready. I fear I made a big mistake. I should have showed up at her doorstep days ago, hopefully I am not too late to make things right.
I knocked on the strong wooden door of her family's mansion. Kyouko answered the door with her expressionless face. "Mr. Krigaya I was wondering how much longer you were going to take to show up hear." She said coldly
Biting my tough I summoned all of my manners and asked if I could please see Asuna. She quietly let me in and I sneaked passed her as quickly as I could. I waited momentarily for directions as I knew she would not allow me into her room.
"She is in the garden. She has not been well since she lost her friend. I'm starting to wonder if I need to take her to talk to someone since she isn't responding much to anyone. All she does is sleep and read. I don't even think she has been online much." Kyouko had some hints of concern for her daughter in her voice and I tried to remind myself that no matter how much Kyouko doesn't like me she still cares for her daughter to some degree.
"She hasn't hardly been online and even when she is she is very distant to everyone. Thank you Kyouko." I took off towards the garden as quickly as possible.
The garden behind Asuna's house was stunning. The gardeners they hired to tend to it where excellent and grew many kinds of exotic flowers that smelled so vibrant. Walking down the cobblestone path I found Asuna sitting on a large wooden bench under a pavilion surrounded by roses of all different colors. All of the roses where blooming and the smell was very pleasant as you walked past them. As I climbed the steps of the pavilion I could she a river on the other side that Asuna was facing. I came up next to her and sat down on the bench.
"Kirito" she whispered closing her book. Her eyes still fixed onto the river in front of her. There where ducks swirling around on the river's surface but her hazel eyes glazed over as if she saw nothing at all of the beauty that lay in front of her.
"Asuna….. I-I've been worried about you." Finding the right words where so difficult. On the way over I contemplated everything I wanted to say, but now none of it was coming out.
She turned to me slowly with tears in her eyes. "I'm trying so hard to stay strong." She wiped away one of her tears. "But….." the tears started coming faster now and she could no longer keep up with them. "The harder I try to stay strong and move on the more I hurt inside!" She raised her voice and confessed. I wrapped my arms around her and let her cry. The words were still not coming to me. Why didn't I come hear sooner?
"Asuna I am so sorry, this is all my fault." I buried my face into her beautiful orange chestnut hair. "Can you forgive me?"
Asuna took a deep breath in and pulled back. "I am not sorry I met her, if anything I wish I would have met her sooner. I just….. I loved her Krito, I loved her like my sister and now I feel like my heart has a huge piece missing from it. I feel like I am so happy that I met her but she took a piece with her when she left."
I pondered this for a moment. "Have you considered that maybe she left a piece of her heart with you. She loved you too just like a big sister."
Asuna looked down at her book and rubbed the remaining tears out of her eyes. She laughed a little as she said "You know I haven't cried like this since the day she died."
I leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Maybe that's what you needed was to just let everything out. Instead on trying to be strong and holding everything in."
She stared at me for a moment then smiled. "Come on I could use something to eat and there is a new sushi restaurant downtown. Do you mind?" Her smile didn't last long but it felt good to see it even if it was only a moment.
"I would love to take you out." I smiled and helped her up off the bench.
"Do you mind if I go change?" She asked
"Not at all. I'll wait in the living room." I kissed her cheek and she led me down the steps back to her house.
