"Have to get home… Can't miss anniversary dinner… Gotta get home" he recited to himself as he ran for the subway, bouquet of flowers in his hand.
He had just gotten off work; he was a games developer. Ever since he was a young boy he's loved video games and nothing could ruin them for him (Not even 2 years trapped inside a death game). It had been ten years since Sword Art and Alfheim Online. Ten years since he met Yuuki Asuna in the real world, and he was about to be late.
They celebrated many dates in their relationship; the day they took down the first boss in SAO together, the date of their marriage within the game, the day they met in the real world and of course their newest one, the day of their actual real world wedding.
He made it onto his train just in time. The doors closed behind him as he panted in relief. He took a sharp breath and straightened himself up. He had to look presentable; he dusted off his suit and tried his best to tame his hair using the reflection of the window. The tram jolted, so he had to stop pruning himself and hold on.
He had last seen her this morning tucked up in bed, sleeping soundly. He desperately wanted her to wake up so he could capture her lips in a good morning kiss and that she would drag him back to bed, forcing him to take a "sick day" from work, but she didn't.
He remembered how peaceful she looked this morning. He truly believed that each day he spent with her she seemed to get more and more beautiful. She was all he thought about every day, from the way her chestnut hair danced across her face in a light breeze to the way she'd squirm and giggle if he dared to tickle her toes. Life with her was bliss. He constantly found himself thinking that he should kick himself over his luck of finding her in such a place as SAO.
It had reached his stop. He quickly pushed passed all the people and ran up the escalator to the street above.
They lived in a house not too far away from the station. It was a fairly modest house. Asuna's parents had offered many times to buy them a larger, more extravagant house closer to the countryside but the young couple refused with gratitude; they knew they could both earn enough to support themselves, they had done it in SAO and they believed they could do it in reality too.
He walked down the road briskly, checking his watch every few steps. He got to the front door and took a deep breath before unlocking it and entering their home.
"Asuna?" He called as he took off his shoes and put his laptop case on the ground.
"Asuna?" He walked into the kitchen. There was no sign of her
"Hmm" He stroked his chin before going upstairs
"Asuna?" He entered their bedroom. He looked around. The bed had been made but still no sign of her. As he walked further into their room he noticed something on the dressing table "Huh?" It was a folded over sheet of paper with "Kazuto-kun" written on it. He picked it up and opened it.
Dear Kazuto-kun.
Happy anniversary! Can you believe we've made it to ten years in reality!? It only feels like yesterday that we fought our first boss and won. I want to tell you how much you mean to me and how much I love you. I've never met anyone quite like you; you're strong, determined, stubborn even, but you're also kind and gentle.
We protect each other.
I have a surprise for you. I know you're going to be as excited as I am. All you have to do is turn around.
"Turn around?" He said to himself. He did what the note told him to do and he slowly turned around.
He saw her. There she was standing in the doorway dressed in a beautiful flowing dress, smiling at him. He could feel his heart leaping out of his chest at the sight of her. She was so beautiful. He blushed slightly.
She giggled and blushed in return
"It's been more than ten years and I can still make you blush" She said shyly
"And what do you call that on your cheeks, eh? Don't say I don't do it to you too" he smiled.
He walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She snaked her arms up his shoulders and around his neck.
"Happy Anniversary, Asuna-san" He leaned in and kissed her softly. Ever since she had woken up, seeing how weak and fragile she was after near three years in virtual reality, he was always afraid that he'd break her, or that she would shatter into a million pixelated pieces.
She, on the other hand, knew of her own fragility, or rather, her own strength and would often deepen the kiss by pulling him by his collar closer to her… but this time, she didn't.
They withdrew and placed their foreheads together.
"I still have a surprise for you, Kazuto-kun" She said with a smile.
"You've made me a whole a batch of sandwiches!" He said playfully as he took his forhead away from hers.
"No" she nudged his arm. Both of them laughing.
She stopped "I'm afraid it's a bit more permanent than a sandwich" She smiled
"Huh?" he raised an eyebrow.
She took one of his hands and placed it over her stomach.
He looked at where his hand was, dumbfounded. He looked up at his wife's smiling face. She placed her hand over his.
"You're… You're preg…" He was finding it hard to spit out the words he desperately wanted to say
"Aye" She said as she gripped his hand "Happy Anniversary, Kazuto-kun"
A smile crept up his face; happiness taking over from shock and he began to laugh out of pure joy.