Catharsis
Asuna lay awake in bed, watching Kirito sleep soundly. His chest rose and fell with every breath. Outside, the moon glowed in the night sky, silently watching over the artificial universe below. She knew nothing was real here, but the sight was nonetheless halcyon, and she loved nights like this in ALO. Only here was she able to sleep together with her boyfriend like this; in the real world, her parents were way too overprotective.
Once, she had been afraid of any contact with males, scarred from her incident with Sugou. There had been more than one time when she'd shied away from Kirito's touch, but she quickly realized that he really loved her—he didn't mean any harm. He was so strong and handsome, and he smelled like cinnamon, although only faintly. She could get a whiff of it now, lying next to him under the covers.
Slowly, Asuna reached out to brush her fingers over the labyrinth of scars on Kirito's back. Each one told a story, she thought as she softly traced his arm. She touched the nasty one that hadn't completely healed, when he got his arm cut off protecting her from Kuradeel. Of course, his arm had regenerated, but not without leaving a lasting scar in its place.
Kirito began to stir, and Asuna pulled her hand back.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," she whispered.
"No, it's fine." He rolled over to face her, and touched her cheek gently. This time she didn't flinch. He brushed a lock of chestnut hair away from her eyes, tucking it behind her ear. She smiled, but it quickly faded away.
"I'm sorry."
"For waking me up?" Kirito looked bewildered. "I already told you—"
"Not that." Asuna hugged a pillow to her chest. "I still feel terrible about that scar. You know, the one on your arm."
"That was Kuradeel's fault, not yours."
"I was responsible for it," she said, feeling tears spring to her eyes. "You must have been in so much pain."
Kirito let out his breath in a small sigh, and the corners of his lips turned up in a smile. "It was worth it. Remember afterward, I told you I would do anything to protect you?" he said. "You are my world, Asuna, and I would give my whole life for you."
She was speechless for a second, and he continued.
"Besides, you have your own scars, don't you? I couldn't prevent them either, no matter how hard I tried. I will never forgive myself for not being able to stop Sugou." Kirito's voice shook. Even then, she could hear the raw anger, hatred in his voice.
"Oh." Asuna tightened her arms around her pillow, deep in thought. She still wished she could make herself forget Sugou's dirty touch, his tongue on her face, violating her body forever. But now, she had found true love, and that was more than enough to heal all her scars. "Kirito, you did the most you could. And in the end, you still saved me."
"But..." A tear slipped down his cheek, and Asuna gently brushed it away. "I failed, Asuna. I failed you."
"No, you didn't. You're my hero." She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his, light as a snowflake. "Shh. Go to sleep."
Kirito hesitated, watching her for a few seconds. Finally, he gave her another one of his smiles, the ones that melted her like chocolate in the sun. "Okay," he said.
A few minutes later, he was breathing softly, and Asuna knew he was asleep. She had slept with him enough times to know. Now she was left gazing out the window again, watching the stars twinkle in the deep black sky. After a while, she wrapped her arms around her boyfriend and rested her head on his shoulder, sinking deep into sleep.