Sword Art Online

A Forbidden Love

Chapter 10 – The Dance Of A Lifetime

~In the limo on the way to the party, Kazuto's POV~

Kazuto was sweating from nervousness all the way in the limo on the way to the social event. Tonight he was going to dance. Not only dance, which was something he had never done legitimately, but he was going to be dancing with the lady of the house he was working in, a beautiful young woman. He was so nervous, but also very excited.

His breath was braited and he kept pulling at the collar of his tux to breath, since he felt like he was about to choke if he would sit in that damn limo for a minute longer.

Finally, the dreaded moment came. A man in a sharp serving suit walked over and opened the door in Asuna's side, while Kazuto let himself out on the other. Asuna cast a short smile over at him, and he blushed slightly as he nodded at her.

'She said that her father wouldn't be here, but...' he thought to himself 'But what about her mother? She wasn't in the limo with us so... If she really is here, where is she? And will she flip out if she sees us together like this?'

He gulped silently and pulled at his collar one final time, before offering his arm out for Asuna to take as he stepped up to her side. She blushed, her chestnut hair flowing behind her as a breeze rolled over the parking space as she gracefully gripped onto his arm, and they stepped inside the massive hotel foyer.

The place was beyond anything Kazuto had ever expected. A red carped was folded out from the door and further into the foyer and up the stairs to the upper floors over a marble floor, the pillars looking like they were made out of solid gold. A huge and graceful fountain was sat in the corner beside the stairs to the upper floors, only adding to the grandious feel of the situation.

Giant gold chandeliers with crystal-formed glass hanging from the ceiling, gracious figures and curves carved into fillets of the walls, stiff waiters walking around and offering drinks to everyone in high red suits, and a live band of at least six members. To the right there was a huge arching doorway, to something that looked like a big open restaurant-like area, with a big empty space in the back, which seemed to be used as a dancefloor.

That huge room was even more gracious as the goyer, and it was something Kazuto had never even hoped to experience in his lifetime.

And yet, he was here. With one of the most beautiful girls in the world. How could he ever have gotten so lucky?

Once they stepped further into the party, Asuna immediately called over a waiter. She had participated in these kinds of parties before, so maybe she was used to calling people over so casually? It was something Kazuto had a hard time imagining.

"You don't drink, do you Kazuto?" She asked as she lifted one of the drinks off the tray the waiter was holding.

"No, not particularly" He said with a wry smile "I never really had money for drinking, since my aunt drank everything. And even so, i'm below legal age"

He could feel a few gazes his way when he talked about his drinking aunt, and he quickly clasped a hand over his mouth to shut himself up.

"Damn, i should watch what i'm saying here" he mumbled softly as he tried to ignore the gazes "Party or no party, it's still a whole new part of society"

She smiled softly and took another drink from the waiter's tray, before offering him to take it.

"A single drink can't hurt, right?" She asked sweetly.

Her sweet smile and innocent gaze made it so he couldn't help himself but accept the drink from his partner. But he barely even managed to lift the glass up to his lips and take a sip of the see-through bubbling liquid, when...

"Ohoho, i didn't know the quality for suitors had dropped so drastically"

Suddenly, Kazuto heard an ice cold voice from behind and quickly spun around to look at Asuna, who's gaze was firmly locked at one particular person. He felt a weird ice-cold feeling as he saw the tall man stride over to them.

"Ms. Yuuki, good to see you again, my dear"

It was a tall man. His hair was put up nicely, though with way too much wax. His eyes were hiding behind a thin set of glasses, but despite that, Kazuto still got a distinct feeling that his eyes had a simple resemplance to that of a snake's.

He wore a fancy white suit with a red undershirt and a red rose in his breast pocket, but his slimy tone of voice and his rude tone only made Kazuto all the more revolted of being near him, though he might see charismatic to some other people.

"Skip the pleasantries, Nobuyuki" It didn't seem like Asuna liked him either "What do you gain from approachin me like this? I already rejected you"

Kazuto looked over at her with a surprised expression. So this slimy asshole had tried to win her heart and failed? He didn't know if it was her parents that had approved of him, or if he had approached on his own, but either way, his gut feeling told him that this was a guy you wanted to stay clear of.

"My, my, why so hostile, sweety?" He asked as his upper lip contracted into a crooked smile "We're going to be married soon enough, after all"

"We are NOT, gonna be engaged, and you know that fully well Sugou" Asuna had an angry glare in her features now. Kazuto had never seen her this angry.

He frowned quietly as he looked up at the person standing opposite of him. Sugou Nobuyuki. The name rang a bell for him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

In any case, he felt like this awful conversation had gone on for long enough, and decided to take a decisive step between his partner for the evening, and the ma that had come to ruin it.

"I'm not sure if you have problems sir," He mumbled as he fit the gloves on his hands a bit "But unless you do, i think the lady told you to back away"

Sugou's expression turned into one of mild annoyance.

"And who are you to intervene, boy?" He asked with a glare "Who even are you?"

"My identity does not matter, sir" Kazuto shot back, his eyes full of determination "But unless you back off immediately, i will call the police for harrasment"

Sugou rolled his eyes and chuckled quietly.

"Hehe, as much as i would simply LOVE, to spent my night in a jailcell, i have more important things to take care of. Take care, both of you now. Tata"

And with that, he turned his back to them, waved his hand, and walked back into the crowd, soon dissapearing from view. Asuna sighed once he was gone, and turned to look at Kazuto.

"Thank you so much" she mumbled as she let out a breath she had held onto "I don't think i would be able to fend him off alone"

"Who was that creep?" He asked as he looked back over his shoulder in the direction Sugou had went "He seemed so slimy and... Creepy..."

"Yeah, i can't understand how my parents picked him either" She mumbled with a sigh "But he acts completely different around them, so i don't blame them"

He looked at her with a frown. If Sugou was only one such suitor that they had tried to make Asuna accept, then how many slimy and greezy people has she had to make her way through? Of course he didn't think all of them was like that bastard, but still, he might not be the only one out of the bunch. It must have been a close resemblance to torture.

"Anyway, we're not here to be all gloomy, we're here to socialize!" Asuna said with a beaming smile, raising the drink she had grabbed earlier "To a great evening!"

She smiled at him softly as she offered him a toast. It was only then that he realized that he was still holding onto his own drink, and he blushed as he raised his own glass for toasting.

"Cheers" He said with a smile, their glasses clinking together before they each took a few sips of their drinks.

Kazuto widened his eyes as the bubbly liquid hit his tastebuds. He had never tried alcohol before, and this was a taste unlike anything he had tried before. The taste was a mild one, but still felt like it was going to his head. He smiled quietly as he let a sip or two more run down his throat.

"Mmm, this tastes surprisingly good" He said with a smile as he looked over at his partner "Is this champagne or something?"

"It is, yes" She said with a smile "I'm surprised you know it, given your background"

She said the last bit in a bit more restrained voice, so no one would hear it. He smiled softly and chuckled.

"I've been serving dinner for you and your family, after all" He said with a smile "It's common for you guys to have champagne with dinner, isn't it?"

"It is, yes"

They stood by the food table for a while, simply conversing and having a good time. Every now and then, Kazuto got a weird glance from one of the other party guests, but he tried to ignore them and focus on Asuna instead, which he didn't have a single problem with.

After a while, the two walked around, and onversed with Asuna's aquaintances around at the party, and she introduced him wherever they went. He felt nervous as to how he was supposed to act around the upper class, but he decided to try and relax. Acting uptight certainly wouldn't do him any good.

After a while of socializing, chatting and, (more than he wanted to admit) drinking, Asuna looked over at him, a red hue over her cheeks. Kazuto was not sure if it was because she was shy of their still linked arms or if it was because she was starting to become drunk, since they had at least 3 or 4 glasses of champagne each, but he didn't mind at all. He found her slightly blushing expression cute after all.

"Listen, Kazuto," She said with a smile "I didn't use all week to teach you to dance for nothing right? Come on, let's find the dance floor"

he blushed quietly at her words as she pulled at his arm, a bit more forcefully than usual, probably because of the alcohol in her system. He didn't mind dancing with her though, and he had a bit of confidence that he would be able to at least get through the dance in one piece.

He smiled and followed her through what was the huge dining room, until they approached the dance floor, which was already filled to the brim with lovely couples. Somewhere over in the corner, the same Nobuyuki guy was talking with a couple of older men, both in stiff suits. Kazuto frowned quietly as he saw them out of the corner of his eye, but decided to concentrate on Asuna.

As she pulled him along to the dancefloor, a new song had just started being played from the live band, so they didn't rush as they got into position. Kazuto could easily remember the way he was supposed to stand, and his hand quickly found their place on his partner's shoulder and slender hip. He could see her blush deepening a bit as their bodies approached each other.

He smiled quietly as they began to sway and twirl to the music. He could feel the romantic setting in the air, and how the world around them seemed to be whisked away. He felt like he couldn't pry his eyes of hers, and they had eyecontact the entire time they danced. They didn't even have to watch for other pairs, as their dancing was perfect and coordinated.

He only saw her. He hadn't been certain what he had felt for her ever since he arrived at her many million yen mansion, but now he knew. When he gazed into her lovely eyes, and when he heard the music in the background. When he felt the bottom of her dress brush against his ankles, and when he heard the tapping of her high heels remenate through the room and the noise that surrounded them...

There was no question in his mind. Within the short months he had lived in the Yuuki mansion, he had gone and done what he himself had thought impossible, and trespassed upon forbidden territory. He had not a single doubt in his mind.

He had fallen in love with the beautiful woman of the house. The woman of the father to which he had sworn to never touch. Just the fact that he was here with her tonight, was enough for him to fear not only losing his job, but the roof over his and his aunt's head that he so graciously had been given.

But still, somehow, he had ended up here. With his hands on her body, he was now dancing with the woman he had admired for her beauty. The same woman who would turn out to be his doom if it was ever discovered that he had danced like this with her.

But somehow, he still didn't care. The fact that he was here, with her, that beautiful woman. Something like that made his mind shut anything else out. Not even the fear of her parents figuring them out could ruin this moment for him. The moment that seemed to last an eternity.

When the song slowly faded out to silence, the dining crowd around them gave a quiet applause to the band, but also to the dancing guests. Asuna looked around the crowd with an evident blush, having seemingly forgotten there were anyone else in the dining hall other than the two of them.

"I-I need some fresh air after all that dancing" She mumbled as she put a shy hand to her breast "Should we go to the balcony?"

He nodded softly and pulled at his shirt collar with his free hand. Suddenly, he could feel his body heat up from embarrasment.

"S-Sure. It suddenly got hot in here" He mumbled, breathing a bit deeply as they walked into the foyer. From there, they went towards the elevator off to the side.

"This place has a balcony?" He asked softly as they walked into the elevator, and Asuna softly pressed the button for top floor.

"Yes, there is" She said with a smile "My family happens to own the hotel. When we sleep overnight in town, we usually use our penthouse on the top floor, which has a connected balcony"

"Wow..." he mumbled softly, looking upwards as he expected for the elevator to stop elevating.

He gulped quietly at the thought. He didn't know if she thought any deeper into it, but he was about to see one of Asuna's family's private spaces, a place where they would come and go on weekends and maybe even vacations. He felt nervous at the thought, but also a bit humbled.

As the elevator stopped moving upwards and the doors swung open, Kazuto's eyes widened for the second time that evening. The penthouse apartment they stepped into didn't fit with the grand and pompous feel of the foyer and dining hall downstairs at all.

This was a much more modern place, the perfect place for the rich family to reside. The living room was directly connected to the kitchen, only separated from the white and clean kitchen counter. The kitchen was filled to the brim with all the newest cooking equipment, something that Kazuto had only dreamt to use when he was taking care of himself and his aunt.

He saw an offgoing hall both past the living room and the kitchen, but he didn't have much time to wonder where they led, as Asuna was quick to pull him along through the room and over to a set of glass doors, which she swiftly pulled to the side. She subconsciously let go of his arm as she worked the door, but as she reached back towards him again, she took his hand in her own, making his face explode in a rupture of red.

As she pulled him along to the balcony, a sea of stars erupted in front their faces. The night sky was completely clear, giving them the wonderful view of space covering the night sky. Asuna's eyes widened softly at the prospect, and Kazuto's smile widened along with them.

"This is beautiful" he mumbled softly as he leaned against the railing beside her "Is it always like this around here?"

"Not always, but it happens more in summer rather than winter" She said with a soft smile "I used to love it when we came here as a family..."

Her smile dropped a bit at the thought in her head, and Kazuto felt a tinge of worry. He quickly asked without even thinking.

"You used to? What happened to make you love it less?" He asked softly, moving a bit closer to her.

"It was here that mother began talking about marriage" She mumbled with a frown "Last summer"

He frowned quietly at the thought. To ask a 17 year old girl to marry a man she didn't even know... He felt disgusted by the thought.

"Well, i don't think you have to worry Asuna" He mumbled softly as he made her look at him "You have your own will, your own train of thoughts... Your own feelings. You can't just let go of them so easily"

She looked up at him with a hue of red on her cheeks.

"As long as you keep fighting, your parents will have to give up eventually" he mumbled softly "At least, that's what i think"

She nodded softly and let her gaze fall. Even so, he could see that the blush on her cheeks was growing deeper, like she was pondering on something embarrasing.

"Kazuto... You've helped me ever since you came to the mansion..."

Her voice was so low that he could barely here it. He was left wondering what she meant, before she nodded softly to herself and looked up at him with a resolute expression, as if she had made a decision for herself.

She took a step towards him, and he felt his face burn. She was standing incredibly close to him all of a sudden.

"And for that... I must give you my thanks" she mumbled, her blush deepening even further.

She took a small step further, and her hand slowly reached up to cup his cheek. He felt how his heart almost stopped in his chest from surprise and embarrasment, as a wind picked up over the young pair. Asuna's chestnut hair began to wave through the air gracefully, adding even more to her iminent beauty.

He looked on in surprise as he saw Asuna close her eyes and pluck her lips a bit, inviting him to press his own lips on them. He felt a knot tie up in his throat, and he stared at her for what felt like several minutes.

He hesitated a bit, but let the breath that had caught in his throat go, and took the final step forward. He felt his breath quicken, before closing his own eyes and finally feeling the sensation he had longed for all night.

It was soft, and slick. The feeling of her lips against his send a wave of warmth and electricity throughout his entire body, as his arms seemed to move on their own and wrap around her waist, pulling her in, closer to his own body. She didn't resist for a second, willingly letting her body be embraced.

Her hands stayed on his cheeks for a while, before they ran down and wrapped around his neck, making their embrace even closer and tighter. Their lips kept locking in an intense and passionate kiss that seemed to last forever.

As they pulled away from each other, both of their breaths were baited, and their face red with heat. They even panted a bit. That was how long their kiss had lasted.

"W-Why?"

The words slipped through his lips without him registering. He truly wanted to know as well.

"Y-You've given me courage to tell my parents off" She mumbled softly "I am truly grateful for that, and... I feel like... I should give you back for everything you've done to support me..."

"I haven't done much..." he mumbled with a small smile "Only a bit of encouragement... And you shouldn't feel like you owe me anything... Especially not like this..."

He felt how the grip around his neck tightened and he grew a bit more flustered.

"I know... But i want to do this with you" She whispered, before pressing her lips to his once again.

He didn't resist. A wave of pleasure and heat, even greater than the first one rolled over him as he pressed his lips towards hers as well, tightening his grip around her waist in a loving embrace.

A wind rolled over them as they kissed passionately, and he felt a second thought run through his mind.

'If it is courage she needs... Then i would give it to her forever... If this is what she needs... Then i will be there... Until the end of time'