If you've watched the anime, there are some discrepancies in this story, such as when she reached up and touched the scratch on his cheek. So just keep in mind this is a slight twist on things like that.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.


Chapter 3. Uncertainty

Nightmares frequently haunted Kazuto's dreams for the next week or so.

Sometimes they were as tame as Asuna not being able to attend classes with him at school, but often times they were grave, horrifying scenarios that had him start awake covered in a cold sweat. The worst ones always involved Asuna injuring herself in some way, sometimes even fatally, and his dreams would be filled with terrible screams.

Kazuto awoke this morning feeling he had just managed to fend off one such nightmare, as there was a foreboding sense emitting from his mind, yet it ebbed away as his conscious brightened. He sat up in bed and groggily stretched his arms, rubbing the backs of his fists against his eyes as he tried to remember what he would be doing at the hospital today.

It was ten days after Asuna's first stomach problems, and she had vomited three more times since then, each one more painful for Kazuto to watched than the last. However, each time it happened, Asuna had said it was less aggressive than the previous, and now she was confident that her body was able to sustain itself after eating a certain portion of food.

Kazuto got out of bed and went to his bathroom to freshen up before putting on a dark gray sweater over his black pants.

The weather was particularly dreary that morning, and they gray skies barely showered any form of pale light into his house. As he ate his breakfast, he asked Suguha about any plans she had that day. Kazuto had learned by now that if he did not begin a topic of conversation at breakfast, then his aunt and cousin would instantly ask about Asuna's condition, and there were some days when he could deliver nothing but distressing news.

He no longer wished to worry his family with the matter, and therefore would only tell them favorable news, yet it seemed to be rare for the past several days.

He could tell that Suguha desperately wanted to meet Asuna, the girl he had told her so much about and one of the most famous players in SAO who had beaten the game. When Kazuto had met up with Rika, Keiko, Ryoutarou, and Andrew one afternoon for lunch, it was evident that they all felt the same way.

However, Asuna had decided not to see anyone but Kazuto and her own family until she could stand on her own two feet. Until then, even in the unlikely case that the hospital permitted visitors, she would decline the requests to see her.

Just wait a little longer. Kazuto thought as Suguha gave him a look that silently implied the question. She seemed to understand when he shook his head, so she bowed her own, saying nothing more for the remainder of the meal.

There was about a month left before classes would begin and Asuna was still in the first phases of rehabilitation, which focused on sustenance and restoring movement and feeling to her body. However, the nurse had told Kazuto to arrive a little earlier than usual this morning, so he wondered if a new stage of Asuna's recovery had been decided upon.

Remembering the time, Kazuto excused himself from the table before wishing his family farewell.

"Have a safe trip." His aunt Midori smiled a smile that made Kazuto feel everything would be alright, an expression he recalled from his younger days that would always sooth his troubles no matter how dire they seemed. Yet now, as he gave a partially-fake grin in return, he realized how her smile no longer had such a strong affect on him.

When he went to fetch his bike, a sharp breeze gusted past him, making him shiver as he started to pedal. He had traveled this path so many times now that it was clockwork, even to such an extent where he could time the red lights perfectly and miss each one by either slowing or quickening his speed.

Just as the hospital came into view, raindrops began to fall, and Kazuto swiftly parked his bike and took shelter inside of the building. He followed the routine of showing his visitor's pass to the head desk before quickly ascending the stairs to Asuna's room. He knocked twice.

"Yes?" If anything had changed for the better about her condition, it was undoubtedly her voice. It had gotten to the point where she could speak at a normal volume without too many pauses for breath, which indicated that her lungs were gradually regaining strength.

Kazuto entered the room, bright with artificial lights as well as the gray light from outside, but the warmth he felt upon stepping inside did not come from the noisy heater underneath the windowsill.

An aura surrounded Asuna that was warmer and more pleasant than even the nicest weather conditions, and Kazuto wondered if he was the only person blessed enough to feel it.

Her face, now restored with a bit more color, instantly lit up when she saw him. Her hazel eyes sparkled more strongly than they had yesterday, and even her smile had blossomed to be healthier than before. Yet Kazuto knew there was still a long way to go before they could unlock the true potential of that smile.

"Good morning, Kirito-kun." She greeted, her voice sounding livelier than ever.

"Hey." He smiled in return as he walked over to her bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Well enough." She replied ambiguously, but Kazuto did not have time to dwell on her words, as she eagerly continued. "Kirito-kun, watch this." Kazuto blinked in confusion as he looked down at her. Asuna took a deep breath, appearing to be mustering some form of determination. Then, Kazuto watched in utter amazement as she slowly raised her arms.

At the beginning of her rehabilitation, the most basic of exercises were to move her fingers and hands to get her blood flowing properly. About a week ago, Asuna could curl her fingers into loose fists, but that was the extent of her abilities at the time.

However, a few days ago, after more exercising with the help of Risa and Kazuto, Asuna had claimed she had feeling back in both arms. It was apparent that since then, Asuna had been working hard, even by herself at night, in order to lift her arms up off the bed where they had stayed for two years, only having been moved by other people.

But now, Kazuto felt tears welling as she raised her arms up before her, entirely by herself.

Kazuto instantly recalled the countless times he had seen her this way within SAO, opening her arms up to him with a beaming smile. Now, she was trembling from the unstable motion she was performing, but she wore the same beautiful smile, her eyes closed happily with small tears clinging to the corners.

Kazuto could not hold back any longer and leaned forward to gently wrap his arms around her as she accepted him into her welcoming embrace. He could remember the first night they had met, how she had shown him that perfect smile and cried in his arms, but at the time she had been unable to touch him.

Now, as he gently wrapped his arms around her back, he could feel her soft hands on his, shaking yet somehow also very firm and comforting. He longed to hug her back as tightly as he could, but only just managed to restrain himself as he remembered her situation. He settled for basking in her embrace for as long as possible, burying his face into her shoulder.

After a moment, Asuna breathed a long sigh as the strength in her arms finally gave out as they slipped from his back. Kazuto let her go and straightened his posture, helping her fold her arms back into her lap. He gazed down at her with proud eyes, and her own gaze was happy and excited, for this meant she was one step closer to recovery.

"That's wonderful, Asuna." Kazuto forced his voice to stay steady and not be overcome with emotion. "You're amazing. You can finally move..." Despite his intentions, his voice cracked from sheer joy and a tear fell down his cheek.

"Hey, don't start crying now," she scolded gently. "I've still got a ways to go."

"I know there's still a lot to do," he nodded. "But I'm just... so happy."

"And if I try really hard, I can twist sideways down to my waist." She informed him. "I pushed myself up out of bed this morning, too."

"That's great..." He could form no more words at the moment and could only offer her his best smile. This was the first time in the days since she had woken up that he had felt such an overwhelming feeling of pride and accomplishment for her. There's only a month left, but if this keeps up, she'll be fine. She'll definitely make it.

Just then, a knock came on the door before Asuna called out. "Yes?"

Risa then entered the room, and Kazuto's eyes widened when he saw what she had in front of her. She had brought in a vacant wheelchair which she pushed over to the side of Asuna's bed.

"Good morning Asuna-san, Kazuto-san." She greeted them. "After sending in the reports of Asuna-san's improvements in condition to the doctors, they authorized that we proceed to the next step!" She patted the handle bars of the wheelchair before addressing Asuna. "You're a few days ahead of schedule you know. And that's weeks ahead if you're thinking in terms of actual recovery time and not just your shortened version."

"Really?" Asuna's voice betrayed her excitement.

"Indeed." The nurse replied with a smile. "Despite some minor setbacks, your body is recovering at a steady pace, and that is likely due to your mind's unwavering perseverance." Kazuto and Asuna shared a delighted look before Asuna remembered something.

"Ah, that's right! I can finally lift my arms!" She informed the nurse. Proving her words, Asuna raised her arms in front of her again. Risa's eyes widened in astonishment, almost disbelief.

"My, my..." she muttered. "This is really quite something. For you to have undergone such extreme circumstances and to already be at this stage..." She trailed off, still in awe. Kazuto lifted his chin a little, silently boasting about how proud he was of Asuna.

"There's some feeling back in my legs," Asuna went on. "But I can't move them or feel my toes yet."

"That's perfectly alright." Risacleared her throat and readjusted her glasses, regaining her composure after the little shock. "Starting today, Kazuto-kun is allowed to take you around the hospital in this wheelchair. Of course this will help get you used to moving some more, but it is mostly about improving your vision."

"My vision?" Asuna parroted.

"Indeed. After two years of being in a coma, and then a week of nothing but a dimly-lit room, your eyes will slowly need to adjust to their surroundings. The world outside is full of colors and different brightnesses of lighting, so moving you around the hospital will get you used to different sceneries again. Ah, but of course you are prohibited from leaving the property. For today just stay here on the second floor, and then perhaps tomorrow if the weather permits it, you can go out into the courtyard."

"Wow..." Asuna breathed. "I can finally leave this room..."

"Do you want me to call Rika and Keiko?" Kazuto wondered. "If you're feeling up to it that is. I know you didn't want to see them until you could stand but-"

"No buts." Asuna said. "I won't see Liz or Silica-chan or Suguha-chan until I can walk by myself."

"I understand." He sighed a little, but understood what she meant.

"Ah, that reminds me, how is Yui-chan?" Asuna remembered that the last time she had seen her precious daughter was when she had been forcefully removed from Asuna's arms by the gaming system.

"Oh, she's fine!" Kazuto put in quickly before Asuna could worry. "I went online a few nights ago to tell her you were awake and she squealed the entire time. She says she misses you but that the most important thing is for her Mama to get better quickly."

"I see." Asuna's eyes were a bit sorrowful. "I'm sorry, Yui-chan. Just wait for me a little longer."

"Well, then," Kazuto changed his tone as he looked toward the wheelchair. "Are you up for it?"

"Do you really even need to ask?" She sounded so eager that Kazuto could not hold back a small chuckle, marveling at her cheerfulness.

In the past week filled with serious matters and troubling setbacks, and the month prior to that when he had been completely without her in ALO, Kazuto had forgotten her bright, chipper personality she had shown him in SAO so many times prior.

She had a grimly serious side, but was also very fun-loving, active, and carefree at times, not to mention her protective side and her abilities in combat. He had fallen in love with every side of her, but it was this one he had missed most sorely, and now that she could smile so wonderfully brightly again, Kazuto felt rejuvenated inside, his worries fading more and more each time she beamed up at him.

"Well then let's not waste another second!" Kaztuo glanced at Risa, seeking permission to go to Asuna, which she granted with a small nod. Kazuto pulled the sheets off of Asuna as the nurse turned the empty seat of the wheelchair toward the bed. She then went to remove Asuna's IV drip before she stepped away to let Kazuto by.

He was a bit nervous to touch her, as the last time he had held Asuna prior to that morning had been the first time they had met in real life a few weeks ago. Her eyes told him that she would be fine, but Kazuto still had his doubts, so he went about it very slowly.

He reached his right arm behind her back to gently secure her shoulders, and she lightly leaned her head against his chest. Through the fabrics of the white hospital robe, he could feel her thin body, her shoulder blades pressing against his arm and her ribs against his fingers. He tried to ignore them as he slid his left arm beneath her knees, which stayed still and limp even as he made contact with them.

He counted to three under his breath in order to prepare both himself and Asuna. Then, he carefully lifted her up into his arms, something he had always dreamed of doing, but was never allowed to until now. He had to restrain himself from doing any more than that, however, and he needed to suppress his urges to hug her tightly to him or spin her around joyfully.

On the other hand, Asuna was very silent, her eyes locked onto the mattress she had been confined to for so many months. Kazuto thought he could feel a bit of the tenseness in her shoulders fade away as she finally, finally was free of that bed.

He tried to ignore how easy it was to hold her up, how disturbingly light she was even after several weeks of rehab. He turned to the wheelchair Risa held in place for them, and gently lowered Asuna down.

He felt that the time he had gotten to hold her close to him, to share his warmth with her, had ended far too quickly, and longed to continue to embrace her. But he forced himself to let her go and he straightened up, relishing the sight of her not being in that hospital bed for the first time. Her lips were silent but her eyes said so many things as she glanced around the room from a different perspective, obviously doing her best to not appear too excited.

"As I mentioned," the nurse said to Kazuto. "You may take her around the second floor for today, but if she starts appearing tired or overwhelmed, return to her room and contact me."

"I understand." He bowed his head.

"Well then, I wish the both of you best of luck. I hope Asuna-san's recovery continues to improve at this astounding rate." Kazuto tried to ignore it, but he felt a small prickle go up his spine as she said those words, but he shook his head until it dissipated. As she exited, Risa left the door open to make it easier for Kazuto to wheel Asuna out.

"Okay, are you ready?" Kazuto asked her as he gripped the handle bars.

"Yes." Her voice was steady and eager.

"If you feel unwell, even just a little bit, you have to tell me right away. No pretending to be fine when you're not, okay? Promise." He placed one hand on her shoulder.

"I promise." She said in a more serious tone. In order to prove her words, she leaned sideways as best she could, until she lightly rested the side of her head on the back of his hand. Kazuto briefly let his fingers trail through her hair until he took the handle bars again.

"Alright. Let's go."

There was a moment of building tension and excitement as they headed toward the door. Kazuto brought her to a stop once they were in the hallway, and Asuna took a deep breath.

Once outside, the lights were brighter, the scents were stronger, and the noises were louder. Asuna sat upright as her senses were overcome by the factors of the world she had been absent from for two years. So much was familiar about it, as though she was naturally used to it, however at the same time it felt foreign and uncomfortable.

Yet she pushed away the negative feelings and wondered which sense she should focus on first. The brightness of the artificial lights caused her to squint in discomfort until her irises adjusted to the stark contrast of light and shadow. She could smell flowers and even the distant scent of food, and strove to recall if her senses had been so keen before her coma.

There was not much sound in the hospital hallway, but she could very clearly hear people speaking in other rooms, even though she felt they should sound muffled instead. But the clearest, most comforting sound to her was none other than Kazuto's concerned voice.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly, placing his hand on her shoulder once more.

"Yes..." she murmured. "It's just... there's so much going on."

Kazuto found it hard to believe her words as he looked down the vacant hallway, but he understood that this dull scene to him was another world to her. Until now the scenes beyond the door were but a figment of her imagination, and it was only through her determination that she had been able to turn them into a reality.

"Should we go down the hallway?" He wondered.

"Yes. I'm ready now."

He could not see her face, but he knew the expression she was making, could imagine her hazel eyes sparking with anticipation.

"Okay."

But before he started to move, he first leaned down to kiss the top of her head. Her silky, chestnut hair tickled his lips and he closed his eyes for a brief second. Just as he was about to pull away, he felt cool fingertips brushing his ear and reopened his eyes to see Asuna's trembling hand touching his hair. He gave a small grin, placing his hand on top of her shaking one until it was steady. He kissed the back of her hand before slowly returning it to her lap.

Giving her shoulder one final pat, they slowly began down the long hallway.


The day after, Kazuto and Asuna had been authorized by the staff to use an elevator to reach the first floor.

Kazuto had taken her outside to the courtyard that was fresh and bright from the previous day's rainfall. Not much was blooming in the cold winter months, but to Asuna, even the gray trees and bleak ground were more than beautiful. She was particularly fond of the sky, often gazing up into the white clouds and getting lost in old memories.

She had savored her first breaths of fresh air in years.

A small stone path took them around a grassy area that would look much more inviting in the following warmer months. For a while, Kazuto had sat on the ground beside her wheelchair and enjoyed the cool breeze. Even though she had a thicker hospital robe around her at the time, he still draped his coat around her shoulders.

He talked to her about all kinds of things, and as she listened to his words, her memories gradually came flooding back to her. She could remember the warmth of the summer sun and the colorful flowers and animals that emerged with it. When she imagined herself taking classes with Kazuto and her friends in the onset of spring, a tear rolled down her cheek.

She imagined doing normal things again, like shopping, going out to eat, and wearing her school uniform. But in order to do all of those things, she was sure not to let her mind wander from the obstacles still before her.

For the entire day, they had watched the birds flitting from bush to bush, listened to the distant passing of cars in the streets, breathed in the musky scent of earth, and savored the wind sweeping over their skin.

Kazuto assumed they would be doing such things for a few more days, however, the following day, at present, Risa informed him that the wheelchair rehabilitation had been completed.

"What?" Both Kazuto and Asuna asked in surprise as she told them this. Asuna currently sat in her bed with a shocked expression while Kazuto stood beside her with his mouth slightly ajar.

"Indeed." The nurse smiled. "She has adjusted very well to movement and her senses are almost all back to normal. The only thing that remains is getting the feeling fully back in her legs and having her regain her strength so that she may walk."

"Walk..." Asuna repeated the word blankly before a tiny smile formed on her lips. Kazuto knew that just weeks before, such a simple thing as walking was an extravagant concept for her. Yet it only made sense that she could progress so far after completing all other steps of the rehab.

"Yes." Risa replied. "Which is why I have brought this." She presented them with a walker with very small wheels. "At first, all you need to do is stand. That will be the hardest part. After that, walking will come naturally. Therefore, today will consist of nothing more than standing. Am I clear?"

"Yes." They both answered.

"Splendid." Risa nodded, heading for the door. "Keep this up and you'll be ready for school a week in advance." She smiled before closing the door as she took her leave.

Kazuto turned to Asuna. "You've eaten, right? Do you want to start right away?"

"I think I want to practice moving my legs a bit first." She decided. He could see the longing in her eyes to move on to the next stage of recovery, but there was a strong patience holding her back.

"Alright."

Pushing the walker aside, he sat on the edge of her bed and rolled the sheets off of her. She now had most of the strength back in both of her arms, and was able to hold herself up as Kazuto lifted her left ankle. He slowly moved her leg forward and backward, bending her knee slowly. They had done this exercise before, but Asuna has still shown no signs of getting the feeling back in her legs, most likely due to the lack of using them for so long.

But she was relived that now as Kazuto worked on her legs, she no longer had to sit back helplessly. By supporting her upper body entirely by herself and without the use of the bed or pillows, she was gaining more muscle back in her arms, which was why she drove herself to keep going no matter how badly she quivered.

They continued with these exercises for fifteen minutes, occasionally taking breaks to let Asuna's arms rest. But after a few more moments, Asuna felt a strangely familiar sensation.

"Wait, Kirito-kun." She said focusing every bit of her energy on that feeling.

"What is it?" He asked, gingerly letting go of her ankle.

"It's like before... it hurts a little, but..." Even though she spoke so ambiguously, Kazuto instantly knew what she meant. Just as previously with her arms, the blood flow must have finally returned to her legs properly.

She bit her lip a little as the prickling ran all the way down to her toes on both legs simultaneously. "Ow, ow, ow..." Her arms began to give under the weight of her torso, so Kazuto quickly moved up to support her back. "Ah... it hurts, but at least it's a feeling!" She grimaced a little.

"Don't try to move yet." He told her. "Just wait until the pain dies down."

For several more minutes, he continued to hold her as she gritted her teeth through sharp breaths. Even though her legs were not moving, there was a dull soreness tingling all throughout her lower half and it even reached her stomach. It hurt much more than when it happened to her arms, and after a few more minutes her forehead was covered in sweat and a small trickle of blood stained her bottom lip.

"Do you want to lie down?" Kazuto asked, his voice rising in a bit of a panic.

"No..." she rasped. "I'm okay... It's... starting to die down." As she said this, she slowly reopened her eyes and her pained expression loosened. Her shoulders relaxed again and her breathing returned to normal as the pain subsided.

"Just wait for a minute." He laid her back down and got up to fetch a glass of cold water from the small cooler. He also took a clean cloth from the table and dabbed some water onto it before pressing it to Asuna's burning chest. She closed her eyes and sighed as he wiped the sweat away with the cold material, clearing off her face and the back of her neck as well.

He then took her arm and pressed the cloth to her wrist, which sent a cooling sensation throughout her entire body. He helped her sit up and held the glass for her as she drank.

"Thank you." She sighed, placing her hand atop his.

"Can you move your legs on your own?" He asked.

Asuna made a face that suggested she was trying to do just that, but she sighed in defeat. "No."

"Well that's alright. Because you're not practicing how to walk yet. Do you want to try standing?"

"Yes." She answered immediately.

"Okay." He nodded in confirmation.

Kazuto helped her shift her legs off of the bed as her hands shakily reached up to grip the handle bars. For a while, she just opened and closed her fingers around the cool metal, seeing how long she could grip onto it before her strength dwindled.

She continued to do this, each time keeping her grip a little longer until she could hold on adequately for about 30 seconds.

When she was ready, she gave a small nod to Kazuto and he placed a hand on her back while holding the walker in place with the other. He supported her as she slowly, slowly leaned forward, pulling herself up as Kazuto pushed lightly on her back. Asuna managed to get her weight somewhat fixated on her feet, but before she could so much as straighten her back, she had to sit back down.

She repeated this process many times, and if not for Kazuto's concerned urging, she would have done so nonstop without any rest in between, but he managed to convince her of that much.

As she continued her attempts to stand, her legs and feet started to get adjusted to supporting her body's weight to the point where standing felt natural, yet her lack of strength restrained her from staying up fore more than five seconds.

Each time she was forced to sit back down on the bed, she would mutter "Again" under her breath and Kazuto would help her back up. But before very long, Kazuto could feel that her back was growing hot, and her forehead was covered in a thin veil of sweat.

"Asuna." His voice alone told her she would have to stop, and although she wanted to protest, she bit her tongue. With a deep sigh, she let go of the handles and sat back onto the edge of the bed one last time as Kazuto pushed the walker out of her reach.

He sat with her there for a while, patting her back and fetching her water as she wound down. "You did great, Asuna." He said, unable to keep the smile off of his face. "Like they said, at this rate you'll be recovered with time to spare."

"You really think so?" She turned her hopeful hazel eyes up at him and Kazuto blinked once. He longed to hold her gaze confidently, but for some reason his eyes flickered for half a second before he responded.

"I do." He replied quickly, hoping she had not noticed the waver in his gaze. But it was apparent that she had, as her shoulders slumped into another long sigh. "I'm sorry." He murmured. "I just... I don't want to lie to you and get your hopes up."

She shook her head. "It's okay. I understand. I'd rather you be honest and tell me the truth." Her lips showed a bitter smile, and Kazuto bit his lower lip in anger at himself.

"But..." his voice was small, yet he lifted his head to gaze seriously into her eyes. "I really do believe that you'll be back in school with me on the first day. Even if it's in a wheelchair or on the walker."

But Asuna shook her head again. "No. I won't show myself in front of the others until I can stand on my own two feet. That was my condition." She reminded him. "So we're just going to have to make sure I've come that far at the very least." She reached toward him and placed her left hand over his right.

Kazuto stared for a moment before he quickly covered her hand with his other. "We'll definitely make it happen." He vowed. "Our dream... the first dream we can fulfill together in this world."

"Right." She nodded, and a small tear clung to the corner of her eye. Kazuto raised her hand to his lips and kissed her cool skin.

As he held her hand in his, he could still feel the bones jutting out, but there was a definite sturdiness there now that was not present before.

A moment later, he carefully took her back into his arms and helped her lie down in her bed, pulling the sheets up to her shoulders. "Actually," she spoke as if suddenly having changed her mind. "Could you let me sit up? I want to keep practicing my exercises."

Kazuto gave her a wary look, and although he wanted to let her do so, something in his stomach made him refuse. "I think you've done enough for today." He told her. "Just rest for now." Leaning down, he brushed her bangs aside to kiss her forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow, first thing in the morning."

"Okay." She said quietly. "Goodbye, Kirito-kun."

"Bye, Asuna."

And with their short farewells, Kazuto stepped out into the hallway, but could not shake the troubling feeling he believed to be leaving in the room behind him.


A/N: We've reached the halfway point. Thanks for all of the support up until now! Until next week!

Please review!