-Argo POV-
Argo barely suppressed an impish giggle as she watched the boy's eyes blink back into focus. Kirito had been oh so helpful in testing out a unique kind of "medicine" for her, and now he had to deal with the consequences of the so-called "love potion" she bought off a shifty looking npc earlier. Real and otherwise…
"Argo…ngh what happened? I blacked out after drinking that vile stuff, what did I do?"
"Isn't it obvious, Kii-boy~?"
Argo moaned wantonly and let out an exaggerated breathy pant into Kirito's ear as if only just then recovering from a strenuous activity they had both been 'involved in' until now. The way he jumped back in shock with a face as red as a bullet prediction line at her forward tease alone was well worth the price of the potion. But that was just the beginning as she fanned herself while explaining further.
"I thought you and Asu were still a thing, but I guess there's no tamin' ya at the end of the day. Or maybe I should say it takes all of us to satisfy you-that it? Not that I blame ya Kii-boy, with all those girls around it's only natural to be feelin' the primal urges, right? Least we can both agree that cute 'nd sexy Argo here's a better option to rock 'nd be your world~ nyahaha."
Kirito winced at the description but remained adamant that no foul play had been made... on his part at least. "I think I would recall experiencing something like-like that Argo."
"You said it yourself, right? You don't remember anything that happened? So how do you know that…ya know…we didn't…"
The photon wielder shook his head firmly as the girl trailed off for the obvious implication, his eyes narrowed in determination.
"You almost had me there for a second, but I know for a fact that I'd never, under any circumstances, do something like that. I care far too much about you to ever consider debasing you to that level. That much I'm sure about. I'm not the kind of guy Bazalt Joe makes me out to be after all."
The rat all but pouted at his assurance, before a wild idea took root in her mind. If nothing else, it would be fun to see how far she could get away with the tease.
"Fine then I'll level with ya Kii-boy, I won't jus' tell what you did to me… but I'll walk you through step by step of what ya did if we do it again with you conscious this time 'round. Nyahaha sound like a fair trade? Not every day a girl offers h-herself to ya like this now."
The broker offered her favorite customer and partner a cheshire grin as she leaned forward towards his flustered face, her chin resting on her palm to tilt her face slightly upwards and show off the trademark whiskers on her cheeks which also boasted a pink hue.
-Kirito POV-
Kirito blinked at the offer, initially dismissing the idea outright as one of the rat's playful teases. And yet… somehow, he felt that the offer was genuine. Whether it was the slightly hitched inflection of her voice or the mischievous spark in her eyes that dared him to accept the proposal while holding the confidence that he would refuse, the boy couldn't say. On the one hand he knew without a doubt as he had stated before that under no circumstances would he have ever forced himself upon his dear friend. Even if the supposed drug could somehow bypass the hardcoded Anti-harassment rules put in place by the developers, which in itself should be impossible, he knew deep down his core principles as a person would never allow it to happen.
'Putting both those factors aside for the sake of the hypothetical argument, it's not like Argo is completely defenseless from that kind of attack. Nothing is stopping her from equipping a weapon or the rest of her gear at any time after all and considering that this is a Safe Zone I couldn't harm her if I did try. If all else failed, she could easily contact the Dev hotline to report me or literally just leave the room. So, she must be exaggerating… But then that begs the question of what I actually did to her- if anything? Only one way to find out I guess.'
"Alright Argo, I accept your terms."
The typically in control rat sputtered for a moment of surprise at his words, even going so far as to slip from her perch on her left arm and fall back onto the bed. Her eyes blinked rapidly for a second as if to verify that she wasn't dreaming the response, before she ultimately collected herself with a wry chuckle.
"Well, well… looks like that potion I found has some interestin' side effects to it. You aren't normally this confident or assertive when one of the girls are involved. Or does ol' Argo not count as one of the blushin' maidens you get all flushed over just by holdin' their hand in public while sat on a bench together in the park?"
"W-what? I don't -I mean not every- l-look I know you're a girl too Argo, and for the record I try to treat all of you fairly and equally…"
"Nyahaha, right answer as always Kii-boy. But before you unleash your inner beast an' ravish me again, I better send Prem-chan a message to avoid ya before you go defiling our lil' pure goddess next, hmm? She bought some info on safe areas in the grassland near the ruined city earlier, so I know all about the secret picnic-date ya have planned with her later. Though with the way she snacks on all those sweets like you do, she might already be a different kind of animal. Don't tell me you've been grooming her to choke down your meat all this time hmm?"
The gamer was so out of it by his companion's forward implication of his intentions that he failed to pay attention to the rapid string of menus she bright up with a few practiced flicks of her finger while he struggled to come up with a coherent reply. The familiar sound of a chat message notification echoed throughout the room.
"Argo I would N-NEVER-!"
'Wait is she actually messaging Premiere? What did she even say-do I even want to know!?'
As his partner manipulated and tapped text into the holographic box at blinding speed, her trademark giggle cut him off again. Clearing her throat, she gave her best impression of the AI's voice.
"Aw ain't that sweet, you wanna know what she said? "While ingestion of raw meat carries significant risk of incurring debilitating status effects in the form of 'Diseases', I am confident in the safety standard of quality protein he has to provide me to minimize such perils. Wou-nyahaha, would you recommend a particular condiment to enhance the flavor?" Mayo sounds good if ya ask me!"
Despite the way Argo was nearly rolling at the sight of her private chat window, her right hand never stopped navigating and otherwise interacting with the interface. Kirito found himself uncaring of the slight-if marginally impressive- detail as he attempted to reign her in. Though he groaned inwardly as he made a mental note to try and explain the situation to the goddess later. If such a thing was even possible-he prayed to her twin sister Tia in thanks that she was still so innocent regarding a double entendre.
"A-Argo please that's enough. I thought this discussion and deal was about what we-er I did, there is no reason to bring Premiere in on this!"
Seemingly finished with her trolling for the time being, she dismissed the abused holo window with a scratching motion as if her hand was a paw. Said window suddenly looked as if a flurry of animal claws attacked it relentlessly until the whole screen had been sliced and diced into pixelated confetti. Given her career as an information broker, it made sense to Kirito that she would want to take steps to avoid anyone from screen sniping her scoops but changing the dismissal animation to something akin to it being put through a paper shredder seemed a bit much…
A recent minor update added the cosmetic feature to assign unique gestures to perform certain actions with the interface, a boon to players tired of the same simple animations who wanted to add a bit of flair to their everyday actions. Of course, the customization was mostly limited to only in town use to avoid players taking advantage of marginally faster animations when navigating for gadgets or certain skills for the sake of combat balance, but that did not seem to be a problem for the rat. If anything, the excessive animation might have taken even longer than the default swipe and gradual fade away.
"Alright Kii-boy I had my laughs to break the ice, now are you really ready for this?"
The gamer nodded, unable to speak out of apprehension of what was to come. With a single command Argo would prove the concern warranted.
"First things first, you need to strip. So, show me some skin Kii-boy~."
Kirito blinked once. Twice. Yet the rat's expression remained intent and utterly focused on him as she refrained from elaborating further.
"What? Y-you mean I really-?"
"That's why you're playin' along to find out the truth right? You won't know until the end of this either way. So off with those clothes!"
Kirito sighed and pulled up his equipment menu, at times like this it was better to quit while he was ahead and comply-bargaining with Argo only ended in raised prices somehow. Moving to unequip it all in mass, a sudden tap of the girl's foot against his forearm halted the process.
"Ah, ah, you didn't use the menu last time. Ya opted for the more immersive way 'f doing things. And real slow 'cause of how clumsy you were acting."
Kirito bit his lip, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment but complied to the stipulation. It was nigh impossible to beat this girl in a battle of wit and words, especially when she held all the cards. Besides he had been the one to agree to submitting to this alternative form of payment for the information after all.
'I'm just glad she didn't record me doing anything crazy while I was naked before. The others would never let me live it down, and I'm on thin ice already with Sinon believing I can't control myself around a girl in her underwear after what happened before the last BoB…'
After unclasping the sleek silver chest plate and protective armored collar, he shrugged it along with the bulletproof long coat to the floor and off to the side. Given that it was his room, any items discarded in such a manner did not pose the risk of becoming fair game for another player to pick up or losing durability. As he tugged at the thin bulletproof vest and hem of his black undershirt-the extra layer a discovery to himself as he had never bothered with the roundabout way of equipping items until now-his observer chimed in again.
"Slow down there, you didn't move nearly so coordinated last time. Lift the stuff off 'f ya gradually now, pretend you're real sore after workin' out all day or something if it helps…"
Glancing down at his hands, he followed the instructions by mentally reliving the early days after he had been released from the hospital once SAO was over and rehabilitation had begun. Sugu-while requiring comparatively less treatment herself- had been not unlike a drill instructor and keeping him to a tight exercise regimen she personally oversaw.
By the time she released him to his own devices again, Kazuto was certain he had ended up being in better shape than he had ever been before he had been trapped. That didn't change how his body had felt like it was enduring another kind of death game run by his beloved sister turned personal trainer during the rehab, nor did it change how mentally taxing it had been to pay attention to her instructions while avoiding any thought of how form fitting the clothes hugged the very real body of his curvaceous cousin…
That last stray thought invoked a particular natural reaction to his body unbeknownst to him, though the rat certainly noticed with a barely audible gulp.
Recalling how difficult it had been to even remove the sweat soaked clothing in the past-which he had often required the support of an eager Sugu to get off- his movements became sluggish and awkward. Dropping the hem of the shirt more than once while channeling the leaden sensation that once made independence impossible, he worked the clothing upwards. The sleek build that was revealed once the shirt had finally surpassed his breast was not a far cry from his actual lithe form in the real world, though it was obviously more toned in the abdominal region.
While Gun Gale Online did not enforce any one to one scaling of their bodies as SAO had, Kirito and his friends had made an unspoken agreement not to change their in-game avatars overmuch, no matter what game they were in. After truly living in the virtual world for years their appearances just felt too natural to modify.
Whether it was real or a virtual equivalent, his companion voiced her obvious approval of the view after his hesitant half-acted stripping of the upper half of his clothes. Fumbling with pulling the shirt completely over his head at the low wolfish whistle, he couldn't help glaring at the girl indignantly. While she laid back as casual as always, he could tell he had her undivided intention-and he was certain her eyes weren't focused on his face... With groan of humiliation, he turned his back to her and tried to ignore how his face felt like it had been hit with a blaze bullet effect.
"D-don't stop now Kii-boy, you're only h-halfway there. Don't pay any mind if ol' Argo gets a bit e-excited now and then."
The slight hitch in her voice was noticeable even with the girl's unique manner of speech. That alone tipped him off that something wasn't right, the feeling only growing stronger as he unbuckled his pants-the shuffling of the durable light cloth intermixed with her now audible shallow breaths. Hooking his thumbs into either side of the lower garment he pulled downwards to reveal his backside still thankfully covered in black default undergarments that theoretically couldn't be removed anyway. Just as the pants reached his knees a sudden realization stunned him in place as even he came to notice a flaw in her logic.
"W-wait a minute Argo this doesn't make sense! Even if what you implied I did was true-why would I be wearing more clothes now than I was before!? Did you dress me up again after w-we-?"
A shuffle of clothing followed by a snicker was all the answer he needed to receive. But of course, the rat didn't stop there.
"I said it before and I'll say it again, yer real lucky you're so cute with how slow ya can be a times. Guess we both know you got the body to match that charming face at least huh? Nyehehe!"
"W-what? Was this your plan all along?"
Turning back to face the girl laughing at his expense, Kirito moved to close the distance between them and give her a piece of his mind-before belatedly realizing that his pants were still around his ankles and promptly tripping over them. As he faceplanted with a grunt, Argo answered his question with one of her own.
"What we should really ask is how Sinon trained ya to be so obedient Kii-boy. All it took was a cool 'nd commanding girl's voice in your ear and you were rollin' on to yer back like a mutt to please me. Wonder what other sorts of commands your favorite partner gives you when ya go out farmin' alone together in dungeons and how you two "are 'training' for the next BoB together" for hours at a time after the rest of us logged off for the day? I knew there was a good reason you party with her more often than any of the rest of us… Guess I can sell that little tidbit to Rei the next time she comes snooping 'round asking why her Master's friends aren't around to play late at night."
Stumbling over his own tongue as much as his clothing at the moment, the gamer gave his best attempt at a rebuttal while shuffling to his feet.
"I-I don't know what you are talking about Argo! I-I mean sure Sinon and I practice a lot together given the natural synergy between our skill sets-it's been like that ever since she discovered the archery skill back in SAO! We only practice so late at night because that has comparatively less traffic for enemy players for us to deal with, that's all. So-"
"So what yer saying is, she's had ya on a leash since way back then? No wonder she's taught ya how to obey a trick or two by now. Or maybe that's just your natural sub shining~. Makes it even more shocking that you'd go 'nd deflower a poor lil' rat like me. Shame on ya."
Kirito grit his teeth as he struggled to find the right way to answer Argo's accusations, let alone the inner voice wondering just how much of that could be true.
'I am not a-I mean there is no way I would just give into any command a girl gave me, right? Sure, I am used to listening to Sinon's orders-I mean input- in the heat of battle, but that's because she provides a feed of tactical information in a fight given the range of her scope and cunning mind a perfect combination to come up with strategies-its only logical to listen to her! And we both know I am a capable solo player in my own right and a leader when need be and can function just fine be it independently or in a group these days. I j-just tend to follow her lead because her plans are admittedly much more thought out than mine most of the time, so there is no reason not to give her the reigns when tactical strategy is involved. Especially in a game like this where she seems to be in her element as much as I was in SAO! But-but why do I feel like Argo just revealed something really obvious to everyone but me all of a sudden!?'
"A-Argo, what do you mean by-"
"Don't worry about it, now be a good boy and sit for me~."
The gamer scoffed at the notion that a firm tone from her was all it would take. "J-just because you say that doesn't mean I'll-"
He cut himself off upon noticing his traitorous body had already done so on reflex after hearing her firm tone in the span of a blink. While still on his hands and knees he couldn't actually see Argo as she remained perched on the bed, but he could hear her muffled giggles all the same. Rising from his kneeling position on all fours, the boy- who was certainly not a dog- tried to collect himself with a rueful sigh. Maybe she did have a point there-but that was something to address Sinon with another time. Instead he ruefully mumbled under his breath.
"Why are you enjoying this idea so much anyway, I thought you hated dogs?"
"I can make an exception if it's you or ol' Mr. Woofles for lil' Yui's sake-but don't tell her that-I got a reputation to keep. But that's beside the point, we are trying to relive how much of a wild beast you were with me when you drank the potion, not discussing the ethics of keeping ya as my pet. Though I bet I can find a nice collar for ya in time…"
Ignoring her snicker with the change of topic, Kirito did his best to refocus on the task at hand. "Alright, alright, so what did I do next then?"
-Argo POV-
'Heh, didn't even notice how I distracted him from the way I had him strip down to his skivvies for me. Guess it's true what they say, once you get 'em talking and take charge of the conversation, most guys will pay too much attention to what's happening now to worry about what happened before. Even if he does notice and change back later, I can still sell the recording of his unintentional strip tease to the girls for a small fortune, I know Strea 'nd Philia at least will pay for it. Though a part of me wants to monopolize this moment-at least for a day or two…'
"Next you got up close and personal with me, get up and we can reenact how ya tossed me onto the bed like a horndog on his honeymoon~."
"No." The boy stated flatly, his voice broking no argument on the matter despite the rat's best efforts.
"Aw come on Romeo, don't you wanna know what happens next, we haven't gotten to the good part yet where ya grabbed me by the hood and tugged me onto your-"
"I said no Argo. I won't-I… I c-can't…"
Bleatingly Argo recalled one of the most important rules of a tease or troll-never allowing yourself to get too caught up in the game-the joke- to not realize when something was seriously wrong. With the way her crush was shaking like a leaf in the wind and more than likely beating himself up inside, Argo realized that perhaps she let things go a bit too far. Cursing herself inwardly at the pained look of self-disgust in his eyes as he likely imagined what 'happened next' despite the logic against it, she did her best to ease Kirito's suffering.
"Kirito…" She would whisper softly, her usual nickname for him and playful speech pattern forgotten due the seriousness of the situation.
"I-I don't know what to do with myself now. How could I harm someone I care so much about, especially in the worst way possible?! Even after you and the rest of the girls punish me, there is no way I can ask you to forgive me for-ah!"
Argo silenced the boy with a brief but firm embrace, her hands wiping away the tears welling in his eyes as she did so. Once they broke apart she offered her best reassurances.
"Enough of that talk Kirito. Do you think I'd really be sticking 'round here if you had actually done something like that to me? Or that the others-not to mention the police-wouldn't be beatin' down your real-life door wanting a piece of you right now? Let me give you a tip free of charge, we didn't do anything at all that I wasn't completely comfortable with and consented to doin'."
As the boy's form steadied with her explanation, slowly but surely relaxing into her embrace, Argo continued her confession.
"I-I am sorry I got caught in making ya squirm a bit for a laugh and for being selfish enough to blackmail you like that just to ensure you spent a little more time with me now before-before you moved on again to Sinon or one of the other girls. I won't lie to ya, I want more time just for the two of us like this-but not if it makes you feel horrible. 't's not worth it at all, and wrong to do regardless. I…"
She trailed off for a bit, unable to speak as she opted to nuzzle into the side of his neck with a whimper, not trusting herself to speak and make it worse. For a time, they merely held each other in the somewhat awkward embrace, before the gamer's voice broke the silence.
"I…it's ok Argo, I knew deep down there was no way I could have actually…I just let paranoia get the better of me. I'm not mad you even if that joke was taken too far. If anything, I feel…well just glad I didn't do anything so unforgiveable-especially not to one of the most important girls in my life. Though, now I really am curious what we actually did together."
Barely suppressing a sniffle, Argo leaned back and offered the boy a relieved smile. It never failed to amaze her how patient and understanding Kazuto was no matter how much shenanigans that she or one of the other girls put him through. Some might assume the tolerance was born out of desperation or delusions, but she knew the truth. The swordsman played along with and endured their games -and the unspoken cold war for his attention and time- not because he felt like he had to but because he was the type of person to devote himself to his friends' happiness even at the cost of his own. Giving the boy she didn't deserve a brief peck on the cheek before nuzzling the spot with her own whiskered ones, she offered the truth he searched for.
"Curious about it even after getting all sappy with me huh? Don't know if I should call ya chivalrous or jus' horny at this point. But… I suppose I can indulge ya just this once, make us square for earlier. You might as well get comfy on the bed next to me while we're at it-wasn't exaggerating that bit."
As the swordsman settled down beside her, Argo did her best to settle the sudden increase in her heart rate. Although teasing her companion was one of her favorite past times, actually going through with the physical contact was a different story. Nevertheless, she wasn't going to let that stop her from making the most of the opportunity.
Her hands traced along his forearms without a further word, feeling the strength of the virtual limbs that went beyond mere statistical values- the iron determination he held to protect those he loved with his photon blade of choice was the real source of his power-and a secret no one would believe even if she did sell information about his stats. Eventually her digits made their way to his hands, entwining them with a gentle squeeze.
Paying no mind to the way her cheeks burned at the contact, she guided his left hand to her cheek and mutually caressed it as the other pair combed through the golden locks. Not for the first time that day-or in her life if memory served- she hinted at one of her own secret kinks. As much as she teased him earlier for the same thing, playing the part as his pet rat had a certain appeal…
"Could get used to some light pettin' from ya Kii-boy."
The black-haired teen complied to her request, taking up the rhythm she had set without argument. Just as she was about to ask why he was looking at her face so intently and if he was comfortable with indulging her like this, he took it a step further. The broker's eyes widened as his lips brushed against her own, silencing the inner voice of worry that she had overstepped his comfort zone again. A pleased moan slipped from her throat, even if the kiss only lasted a second it was more than enough to send her heart fluttering.
'Didn't expect to feel him doin' something like this again with me so soon, not with all the others around him so often and me testing his trust like that with the digital ruffie joke. Never should've teased him like that just 'cause I got a little horny. This feeling right here… it's better than anything. Guess that's why everyone else is so much more open about hangin' on him in their own ways. Not that I blame 'em or something, just want my fair share of my hero too. Still, there's got to be better ways of getting my fix than literally resorting to 'drugging' him though…'
Clinging to her partner's body the rat allowed her eyes to close as she nestled against him. She berated herself inwardly for trying to trick her crush into doing this, the genuine contact now was better than any synthetic forced equivalent that was only fleeting in the end. And even if it had lasted several hours, the drug would have only be a disappointment in the end. Argo wasn't after some cheap wish fulfilment like something out of a virtual reality erotic visual novel, what she craved for was the conscious attention and affection from the boy she cherished more than anything.
'Why should I settle for fake when I got the real deal in my arms now? This is better for both of us.'
With that revaluation in mind, she allowed herself to drift off in a cat rat nap for a time…
"So, what do you want to do now Argo? I'm not that tired myself anymore-or maybe I am just too alert now to fall asleep anytime soon. Though you're always welcome to rest here if you want. Might try farming for some mats, even the odd low rank legendary gun has useful chips to enhance my gear with Liz's help. Speaking of rare drops, I do have some info on a new exploit to farm the Gatekeeper in record time if you're interested. I don't think that many-if any- other players have figured it out since it involves using a photon blade on certain segments of his armor that are otherwise bullet proof and blast resistant."
Kirito would muse after roughly an hour of the pair indulging in each other's embrace had passed. Tapping her chin in thought, Argo considered her options. On the one hand they could simply go out farming for a while, the Gatekeeper was handled easily enough with only two players even if it took too long for her taste. But the selfish part of her didn't want to end the moment so soon, even if doing so was the safer option. Though there was only one thing (other than food and she wasn't a certain gluten goddess) that she could think of to entice the boy to linger.
"Business can come after pleasure today Kii-boy. I do have a hunch for how the potion worked by the way, so we can test it if you really wanna know. Though we can't do the method I have in mind all snuggled up like a pair 'f lovebirds in our nest o' blankets. We will need more room to move 'round..."
"R-really, what is the secret?" Kirito's eyes sparkled with hesitant intrigue-though after the trouble she caused him, the broker couldn't blame him for wanting to know the truth. As he took the hint to reluctantly slip from their warm embrace and off the bed, Argo gave a playful solution to the puzzle as she followed suit.
"Basically, it just does what you do all the time but forces the users to fulfill the requirement that you naturally seem to whenever a cute girl is around. I already checked the system logs with a trick I learned from Zeliska, so I know there's nothing too fishy going on-that's what I was doing with my menus earlier if you were wondering. Now close your eyes, spin 'round till your dizzy and hold out your hand like this so we can see if I'm right."
Seeming to know better than to argue with her or at least allowing curiosity to take the reins, Kirito obeyed the series of commands with an exaggerated sigh.
'Or perhaps he is too afraid to argue that point, but as long as he listens it doesn't matter in the end.'
"If this is some elaborate plan to humiliate me again. Er wait no this MY room s-so you're leaving! Come to think of it, what were you even doing in my room in the first place? And…oof and what is this soft thing against my face?"
"That'd be my chest Kii-boy. I know I'm not nearly as blessed as Strea or your sis, and barely beat poor Silica in that department, but I hope ya like 'em for what they're worth."
Kirito opened his eyes to see just how close they were and that they were indeed leaning against one another, before stumbling to the floor with a face burning with embarrassment. "Ah I-I'm sorry Argo I didn't mean to-wait why did you have me hold out my hand if you were going for my face?"
A coy grin curled the girl's lips as she offered him a hand to get up.
"Of course ya didn't-that's the point-and your hand was just a helpful distraction for you to focus on. Ya see I figured out how you get away with feeling us up more than the devs would ever allow-it's all a loophole in the antiharassment code that nobody ever bothers to read since the oversight is so hard to hold up in court let alone repeat. See the reason you cop a feel and get off scot free is 'cause you legitimately don't intend to do so. Our curves are just…Fated to come in contact with ya, and you can't be punished just for testing out the collision mechanics of our avatars with one another can ya? The code is only against "intentional displays or actions of physical contact without consent of both parties involved" which is why even if you tried groping a unconscious girl you'd still get flagged as you intend to touch her naughtily no matter how she feels about it- or if she can feel it at all."
Argo paused to make sure her crush was still following before she continued.
"The potion right here inhibits the user's brain's connection to the game or otherwise scrambling it, not making them conscious of what they are doing at the moment-if anything. It probably functions on the premise that the user's instincts while horny will do what it's intended for. Since the game can't tell the difference if you are running your hands along me or running into a wall, it treats the whole thing as a gray area. I suppose if you had enough continued unconscious contact for a long time something would trigger-but then that's why the ruffie only lasted about ten minutes at most before your connection reset. That sort of limitation is probably why that Genesis creep back in SA:O still had to consciously activate his steroid virtual drug rather than leaving it on the whole time while playin'. Both your body and the system can only take so much strain before somethin' gives."
"Oh, and as for your hand, it was just something for your subconscious to focus on feeling for, so it wouldn't occur to ya that I was goin' for your cheeks till it was too late nyehehe."
"Alright I get it so far, but wait since you intended for that to happen-wouldn't you be flagged?"
The rat shook her head with a click of her tongue. "Think again Kii-boy-it takes two to tango one to jail after all. Devs can't ban one player just for being horny for another and running into a wall or somethin'. If they did…well this player base would be null in a few weeks. While you were spinning around I took a lil' sip of the potion and let my natural urges take over while blacking out for a second. I myself didn't know what I'd do to ya either. During the time we came into contact, the game considered me nothin' more than a bit of environment in your way-and you didn't mean to grab for me regardless." Given the overwhelmed expression on his face, it was clear Argo had given him a lot to consider.
"Nyehehe, if you're still disappointed that your hand was a distraction, I'll let you give me a lil' spank if it makes ya feel better, just this once."
"W-what I wouldn't hit you Argo! A-are you sure you aren't under the influence of the poison even if it was just a sip?"
The rat sighed with a dismissive wave of her hand at his worry for her health. "Course not Kii-boy, you're too gentle to play rough even with a girl offering ya permission and literally throwing herself at you, but that's fine. Long as you let me cuddle ya like before we're good."
Argo settled against her crush with a sigh, her gaze lingering on the potion. As interesting as it would be to drink more of it or just propose the idea of outright doing when she implied with the boy, something about that rubbed her the wrong way. She wanted her first time with her hero to be something they both remembered, not just a haze of lust and fantasy fulfilment. Even if they both agreed to do it now without the potion's aid, that would require both of them logging off of GGO and onto one of the more adult oriented VR games out there-if only to circumvent the code and have avatars that actually possessed the working equipment for what she had in mind. The reliance on such sketchy third parties aside, there was no doubt that the synthetic (and grossly exaggerated) sense of pleasure they would experience there still wouldn't compare to the comforting warmth of just laying beside each other in a world they were familiar with.
"Still, after all 'f this-I hope you're planning to take responsibilities for how you have been acting around me. First you saw me soaked and stripped me down to nothin' the other day to escape those mooks and now this? Only way I see for you to settle the debt between us in this lifetime is if we get married Kii-boy."
Kirito's face paled at the leap in logic. "M-marriage? I don't-I mean we can't just- Even if that is the best option I'm still obviously married to Asuna so-"
"Kirito." She deadpanned with a stern glare.
"If I can sell info regarding your marriage to people-specifically whether you're still hitched or not, it's not obvious enough that you are in a relationship with her. Or ya could say-it's more obvious that the relationship's just not workin' out-at least not as a monogamous deal. But what do I know? I'm an info broker not a marriage counselor. Though if ya ask me, if the girl has to take it upon herself to remind others and point out yer own relationship status after you introduce her as "your friend" like what happened with Philia, then something's up. Just givin' ya more food for thought to pile on your plate."
"Ah w-well you might have a point there, I just…" The poor boy's mind was clearly overwhelmed by the slew of revelations at this point, which is why the charitable broker took pity upon his dwindling sanity for now.
"Alright Romeo, looks like your brain is throttling with processing all that, so how about we shift things over to something easier for ya to understand?"
Not giving the boy time to ask or object, she all but tackled him back onto the bed and rubbed her cheeks against his own like an affectionate cat. Kirito's body seemed to react before he knew what was going on, returning the embrace on instinct as he found himself cocooned between her and the blankets.
"Let's jus' stay here for a while longer and hide from the rest of the realities' mess. No crazy players tryin' to kill us with guns o' death, no mats to grind for gear or even juicy scoops to learn. Just you and me enjoying each other's company from now on for what it is…and could be. Sound fun?"
Kirito nodded, his eyes unwavering from his companion's own as he noticed that their lips were mere inches away from each other as she moved to rest her forehead against his. The rat could feel his heart racing as fast as her own. But that proximity only gave her the courage to do something she had been too afraid of doing for years; truly opening up and being open with him.
"Kii-boy, I know I got ya in my pocket forever with the debt you owe me from the last couple days alone but…you wanna buy one more secret from me tonight-I'll give ya an exclusive offer for it. S-someone asked me for this scoop before for the record, so I know it's a valuable one. It's so valuable that it's worth more than all the credits in the game-so I won't ask for a single one from ya. But the catch is you have to agree to pay the asking price before I tell you what it is."
The intensity in her eyes along with the noticeable hitch in her tone all but gave it away, but he still played along as always. The way the blonde's cheeks were also so flushed was another indication that it wasn't just another tease like before. While the swordsman had every right to be uncertain about such a wager-he didn't hesitate for a second.
"Sure, what is it Argo?"
With an unsteady breath, the rat answered even as her dilated eyes drooped half closed.
"D-do you wanna know…who I love?"
Within a heartbeat the boy nodded, though before he could voice the affirmation he would find his lips locked with the blonde's own.
Leaning back just far enough to speak she whispered, "Does that answer your question Kii-boy? Or do you wanna hear me say it too?"
"I-I would like to hear you say it but before that I need to know-what is your price for t-that?"
The rat grinned with a knowing look in her eyes as her left hand slid to caress the side of his face.
"That's simple, you just got to feel the same way back. Think you can manage that even with that whole guild worth of girls chasing after ya? Can ya make time 'nd a place in your big heart for ol' Argo before she gets forgotten in the background?"
This time, it was the gamer's turn to laugh with confidence and throw Argo off balance.
"Of course I can Argo, I k-know everyone vies for my attention all the time but I want to give everyone what they deserve-and that includes you. I could never forget about you even if you did ever get tired of being a broker or just stopped playing with us altogether. I don't come to see you over anyone else because of how good you are at your profession spanning several games now, I choose you exclusively because I care so much about you. No one could ever replace you in my heart, and I know the others feel the same way."
The rat sniffed as tears welled in her eyes, her heart racing faster than ever before as she fought to retain her composure for the confession and return it with her own directly.
"W-well then I guess I have to agree that ya paid the price in full right off the bat, as expected of my number one customer 'nd partner. Guess I better hold up my end of the bargain then huh?"
Taking a deep breath, she whispered into his ear even as the boy's hand wiped the welling tears away.
"The truth is… I'm in love with you Kazuto."
The swordsman embraced his broker with a warm high of content. "I-I am so relieved. You had me worried for a second that this would all be an elaborate joke."
"What did ya seriously think I was going to say, "I'm actually whiskers over heels in love with Klein? That "He's been the samurai of my heart since the beginning?"
Despite the serious situation, Argo couldn't help but laugh at expression of unbridled horror and dark look in his eyes which seemed to have been transformed into twin voids of possessiveness for a moment before she started laughing. She knew he would be the type to support it too as much as his own heart ached at the sight. Though what amused her was that he even allowed that fear to taunt him considering everything that had happened between them.
"Nyahaha, you should 'a seen the look on your face when I said that Kii-boy! Even I wouldn't troll ya that much during our little confession exchange. Don't you worry, I won't let our crimson ladies' man seduce me away from ya, unless you're into that kinda thing~…"
"Wha-Argo no I would never-"
The rat giggled and silenced him with another kiss, this one far passionate than the last.
"Course ya won't, but you don't need to be afraid of some NTR drama with me. You provide more than enough lovin' just through moments like this, and as long as you want me I'll stick around just for you. Enough talk for now though. Don't know about you but I'm getting a lil' sleepy."
Brushing her lips against her now committed crushes' own, Argo settled atop him with a sigh as the two drifted off to sleep together at last.
Author's Notes:
I hope you enjoyed reading the fluff centric version of my version of what happened between Kirito and Argo during and after the Love Potion bed scene in Fatal Bullet.
As always, I appreciate any and all constructive thoughts and criticism on the story as I work on getting a better feel for the SAO characters and such.
Special thanks goes to Saint Neos for inspiring me to write this version at all as before I was only going to do the lemon version that had the minor Overwatch crossover elements xD
For what it is worth I am REALLY trying to focus on the Sinon and Kirito story now, especially since I have the cover art for that story done now.
Though another story I have in the works involves Kirito, Strea, Premiere and shall we say more than one kind of Three-way (if you know what I am talking about you get a cookie from a fellow local xD) but until then that is all I have planned. Have a good day everyone!