A/N: Taken in part from eps. 3, The red-nosed reindeer!

A lot of time had passed since the start of it all. Kirito had watched as the people around him either died or fell further behind him. There were faces he missed, and people he hadn't seen in ages. He wondered if many of them were still alive, but tonight, staring out hopeless over the endless open snowy terrain, Kirito could only think of one thing: Sachi. Kirito's hands balled into fists at his sides, because of him, she, and all of the members of the black cats were dead.

So many questions, so many 'what ifs' reigned terror on his deteriorating mind. If Kirito hadn't hid his level, would his guild members still be alive? If Keita, their guild leader had come along, could he have helped Kirito save them? If Kirito had been stronger, smarter, faster- would he have been able to keep his promise to Sachi, and save her from the burden of her last words?

Beat Nicholas the Renegade under a certain fir tree, and win the item that possesses the power to bring someone back from the dead.- that was Kirito's mission tonight. That- was his last hope, and his only means of salvation.

"Hey!"

Kirito slid to a stop in his tracks. Damn it. He had been followed.

"You followed me." Kirito accused, before turning to see the face of a familiar friend. It was Klein.

"Yeah." His old friend breathed out as if no time had passed between them. "You're after the revival item."

"Yeah." Kirito confirmed coldly.

"Don't risk your life on that stupid rumor!" Klein told him. "If you die in the game, you die for real. The moment our Hp drops to zero, our brains in the real world-"

"Shut up." Kirito breathed. He didn't need be reminded about death when he already knew so much about it.

"Fighting solo is crazy!" Klein interjected again. "So just cut it out! Join us. Listen, whoever gets the revival item drop, keeps it, without hard feelings either way. That's fair, right?"

"Then there would be no point." Kirito told him simply. " I have to do it by myself."

Klein's group went to draw their swords, but Klein raised his hands to silence them.

"I can't let you die here, Kirito!" Klein hissed.

Kirito heard movement in the snow that came from neither him, nor anyone from Klein and his guild.

"It seems you were followed too, Klein." said Kirito, unleashing his blade and gesturing to the Holy dragon alliance that had hid in stealth mode behind them.

"Looks that way." The taller boy hissed. "Damn it. Go, Kirito!"

Kirito blinked incoherently. "Klein?"

"Go!" He told him again. "We will hold them off."

Leaving his friend alone to fight, Kirito fled to fight the beast that waited to be found under a certain fir tree.

Once face to face with Nicholas the Renegade, their fight ensued. The fight was long, too long for a solo player, but Kirito somehow managed. His reward: failure.

Once he made it back to Klein, he tossed the useless item in his direction and made to vanish- to disappear completely and never be found.

"Kirito!" He heard Klein cry out his name before feeling a tug at his coat. "You have to survive. Survive until the end… Please!" His old friend- his first friend begged.

Kirito heard the desperate plea- that jagged, croaked cry of his best friend, and in a instant he understood his struggle.

Playing the victim to his own hearts sorrow, Kirito clung to whatever strength he had left, and turned around.

Kirito took notice that Klein's guild had been dismissed, leaving them alone in the snow together.

"Klein." Kirito's voice broke, although he did his best to stay calm. "I want you to do me a favor?"

Klein looked into Kirito's eyes with his big watering orbs.

"Never follow me again." It was a simple request, but even as he said it, he could feel his own heart break.

"Why!? Why do you insist on pushing me away!?"

"I cant be responsible for anyone anymore- much less someone I care about."

"You'd give me up that easily."

"No. That's why I need you out of sight and out of mind. You're strong. You'll survive in this world without me."

"You just don't want me to become your burden. Well guess what Kirito- I can take care of myself."

"That's not it. I can cope knowing there's a chance you're still out there fighting, and I live for those few moments when we run across each other, cause its then that I know that you're still safe. I just cant let you get to close. I cant let myself get…." He eventually trailed off into his own quiet thoughts.

"I don't understand." Klein said through his tears.

"Kirito." Klein begged. "Stay with me. Just stay."

Kirito felt the hand that came to rest on his shoulder reach all the way down and tug at his heart. A part of him wanted to stay forever, lost in the moment with his best friend, away from all the treachery and sorrow that awaited him fighting solo on the front lines- but he couldn't… he just couldn't!

"Please." Kirito heard his friend beg once more before feeling the boy rest his head on the incline of his shoulder.

Just as Kirito was about to speak- to tell him no- that he just couldn't, he felt a gentle waterfall of teardrops start to catch the top of his shoulder, where his friends head had laid to rest.

Kirito's body tensed up. Why did he keep hurting the people closest to him?

Kirito tugged, until one of the gloves came free from his hand. Once bare, he reached it up to cup his distressed friends face.

Kirito bit his lower lip. Klein's face was warm and wet with fresh fallen tears.

"Klein." Kirito whispered. Kirito felt Klein's head fall further into the embrace of his hand.

All of sudden both of Klein's arms wrapped themselves around Kirito's waist causing his breath to catch in his throat.

Kirito turned his face until he felt Klein's flushed cheek rest against his. He wanted to comfort him, to tell him that everything would turn out okay, but how could he promise that? He couldn't even keep his own guild members alive, or his own promises in tact. If he couldn't protect Sachi, he couldn't protect Klein. It was as obvious and as simple as that!

"Stay." Klein whispered again. This time Klein's hot breath tickled the flesh of his cheek.

"Klein." Tingles ran up and down Kirito's body as he whispered the taller boys name.

"I need you to stay." Klein told him, only this time, his voice sounded possessive. As if it was a dire need that could only be sated in one way.

Turning his face just a fraction more towards the taller boy, Kirito's lips brushed against Klein's in the slightest, softest of ways, and if he really wanted to, he could say it was accidental, that it was nothing more than a slight miscalculation of limbs that had caused him to do it, but to be honest, he wasn't quite sure he wanted to….. (TBC)

A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed reading this. Please don't be shy- READ AND REVIEW!