Disclaimer: Don't own Sword Art Online (I or II), or any of it's characters.
Rating: T
Little after the new year, taking it as they come
RL
January 6th, 2031
Humming, Asuna took inventory of their kitchen, writing down what she saw they needed - hmm, didn't need too many of spices or other condiments, but they were running low on several other things. But that was merely the tip of the iceberg of course, with how stocked this house tended to be... yeah, yeah, no, okay, hmm...
During that, several little 'whacks' sounded, briefly leading her to smile; ah Kazuto, Yui. Her husband keeping up his skills, and helping Yui exercise her body + reflexes, as was his turn - it'd be hers next time. And as a bonus, it wouldn't just keep Yui on her toes due to their different styles, but it'd help surprise her own body, as the best way to work up a sweat was to do something new each time.
"Probably good timing though" Asuna thought, mentally content. "Kazuto might not remember to check our food stores, but even if he did, he probably couldn't have categorized all of this so easily. Hehehe."
"Haaa-! Ah!"
"Oh! Daddy!"
Jolted a bit, she looked back, a little worried- did something happen?
"Ahh- wow, you got me good, Yui."
"Did I hurt you?"
A slight chuckle. "Nah, it wasn't that hard" Kazuto said gently, before making a sound, "I just goofed; my instinct was to use a Sword Skill... which isn't possible out here."
Yui just giggled (Asuna had to struggle too, trying hard not to burst out laughing!); luckily Kazuto was merely a little embarrassed. "Oh daddy, you're so silly!"
"Hehehe" he breathed. "But, can't say that's the first time; Suguha did the same thing to me before. Several times, actually-"
"Really?"
"Yup. Hehe..."
Yui laughed again while Asuna smiled, continuing to go over inventory of what to get at the store, listening... including when Kazuto said he was getting a drink, since they were stopping. She heard his footsteps come very close to the sink, nearby to herself, while he reached up into the nearby cupboard-
"Whatever you're planning, don't even think about it" she told him, completely mild.
Kazuto was barely surprised, pulling a cup down and filling it with water; he had a little smirk though. "What makes you think I was gonna?" he asked, glancing at her. "I thought the cliche was that we'd have to be married for years before you could anticipate my actions like that."
"Oh, I'm sure that's how the cliche goes" Asuna admitted, looking at him with a similar smirk. "But I have known you for years Kazuto, before and after our dual marriages."
Kazuto slowly shrugged, drinking. "True enough" he answered, completely mild himself, as per usual. "And I did have a thought about doing so. Making you think I was gonna do something, but not in practice."
Her smirk widened. "So I beat you to the punch?"
"Yep" he breathed, with slight (playful) irritation.
Giggles sounded just beside them then: "She sure did, daddy" Yui breathed cheerfully, but with a big smile when they turned. "Can't win them all."
Kazuto slowly rubbed his head, but with a small smile. "No respect in this family" he said, completely teasing; he soon grinned at the way they laughed, joining in himself. "Yeah, like I could say that seriously!"
"You're telling me!" Asuna exclaimed, pushing his shoulder. "That sounded ridiculous!"
"Hehehe!"
As expected, their laughter went on awhile, before she caught her breath. "Ah, you two" Asuna breathed softly, before she held up her checklist again. "Still, can't be all fun and games; I've gotta stock up on a few things. Anyone wanna come shopping with me?"
"You know I would, if you asked" Kazuto answered, before he shifted. "But this time I can't."
"Why's that?" she asked.
"Something important I gotta do."
Asuna slowly arched an eyebrow with a 'look', 'hmm'ing a bit. "Important, huh?" she breathed shrewdly; what was he up to?
"Um, mommy?"
Surprised, she looked at Yui then: "Yeah?"
"I'm helping daddy with his important project" the little girl said, happy, but seeming a little nervous. "I'd like to go with you too, but I can't."
Okay, now Asuna felt really surprised; if Yui was in on this, and still keeping it a secret, it must be good (in all senses). "Oh, I see" she breathed, looking at Kazuto, who remained slightly sheepish. After a moment, she relented, stepping back with a hum, "Whatever this is, it'd be better be good then" she continued mildly, looking at Yui again. "Just make sure daddy doesn't go overboard with whatever this is."
At that, the little girl nodded, smiling, "Okay, mommy."
Moving off, Asuna made sure to get her coat and boats, still wondering inside - but that was okay; she loved this family, and she could handle whatever Kazuto would throw at her, especially if Yui was helping keep him in check.
/
Minutes later
Yui slowly let out a breath, relieved; much as mommy might like this surprise, keeping it from her had been harder. "Looks we have plenty of time now" she spoke softly, looking up at daddy, who nodded.
"Yup" he breathed; simple, straight-forward, efficient - just like him heehee.
"Still, mommy's look made me nervous" she admitted, even as she followed him into the kitchen. "And I wasn't even the target of it!"
Daddy just rubbed his head, sheepish, but with a little fond smile. "Yeah well, your mom's always had a tougher side" he admitted, opening the fridge. "Even from the moment we met in SAO, Asuna had that kind of strength... sometimes it went overboard, but she always had it, no matter what happened to her; I know that. She'll never lose it."
She nodded quickly, agreeing, but feeling even warmer. "Tell me the story, daddy" she breathed, really soft, even as she helped him set things up.
"Hmm?"
"How you and mommy met in SAO" she continued, "A-And how you fell in love."
For a moment, daddy was surprised as he looked at her, then he appeared to jolt a bit. "Oh... yeah, that's right" he breathed, considering. "You were still part of the Cardinal system, before we met - you must've been watching all the players, and couldn't focus on only us" he continued in a lighter tone, stepping closer to her.
Yui just hugged him, but daddy made a little soft hum. "Yeah" she agreed, looking up at him; daddy just had his little smile, stroking her hair briefly.
"Plus, it couldn't have helped that, back then at least, we didn't really show all that much love" he continued, before gently pulling away (to help continue setup). "That took awhile."
"I'm all ears!"
Daddy just chuckled, smirking a bit, "I didn't think it'd be otherwise, Yui."
...
And boy did she listen, daddy telling the story - as he (playfully) put it, mommy went through three 'phases', personality-wise.
Those first couple of days, well, mommy seemed to be in some kind of shock- she didn't react much, though she still had reasons for moving on. And funnily enough, mommy hadn't played a VRMMO before then; she didn't get simple things like the interface, which embarrassed her (which he said she covered with cheerfulness). Daddy himself had been shocked when he got trapped, but that soon turned into an unstoppable desire, claiming that he would survive- Yuki smiled as he told the moment, offhandedly killing a wolf as he ran, though the scream part made her giggle. Both sounded like her mommy and daddy though, so phase one complete hehe.
After that though, well, things hit rough spots...
"I told Asuna to be strong, after we cleared the first boss, and I took on the title of 'Beater'" he breathed, making sure everything was in order as he talked. "She took my advice all right, and became the second-in-command of one of the top guilds, turning herself into a floor-clearing badass."
She would've smiled again, if it weren't for subtle hints in daddy's tone. "But?" she slowly asked, a little worried.
Daddy slowly sighed, slightly exasperated. "But, well, she was also a hard case really" he continued, looking at her. "We argued over near everything when we met for floor-clearing meetings, never clicked on anything, and she was generally hostile."
"B-But why?" Yui wondered, sad at the thought- mommy could be scary when she's mad, but always hostile?
"I never got the reasons until much later, yet still" daddy admitted, but touching her shoulder; it comforted her. "Part of the fact was, Asuna- she didn't feel she had anything to return to in the real world, initially. No family she really loved, nothing or no one to come back to no matter what- she had no reason to fight for, other than to survive. And that's hard, if it's your only reason..."
Yui breathed out, feeling even sadder - daddy's tone hinted that he'd gone through that as well. But mommy- mommy didn't see her brother too often, her dad was busy with work, and her own mom... mmh...
"So mommy threw herself into fighting?" she breathed, still sad.
Daddy slowly nodded. "Yeah" he breathed, "Asuna didn't have anyone close to her for a long time. Friends, yes, figures she looked up to in the guild... but she didn't let anyone be that close."
Yui made a sound, before shaking off the sadness; maybe things had been rocky, but things worked out, as she knew from experience. "What changed her, daddy?" she asked, more eager now.
He had a little smile, putting things in final order before he sat down, fully facing her now. "Well it didn't happen right away, but the turning point was a rather... mild experience" he said easily, even playful.
"What are you doing?"
"Hmm? ...oh hey, what's up?"
"Everyone in the Assault Team is working their butts off to clear this dungeon, and where do I find you? Out here, taking a nap. Even if you're a solo player, you should take this more seri-"
"Betcha didn't know this is Aincrad's nicest season. Today's weather is at it's optimum setting."
"Huh?"
"It'd be a waste to have to go to work on a day like this."
"Whatever; I can't believe you. Do you even understand what's going on? Every day here is another one lost in the real world."
"Yeah, but right now we're not in the real world, are we? We're alive in Aincrad. *pause* See? Doesn't that breeze feel good? And the sun?
"Oh come on; the weather's always the same here."
"*yawn* I bet if you lay down here, then you'd understand."
After that, he kinda dozed off... but woke to a very surprising sight.
Yui tried not to laugh, she really did, but it was too much! It didn't help either when daddy perfectly (he claimed) recreated mommy's expression when she woke up, mouth open and eyes bleary, before going into pure shock! And even more when her first instinct was to attack him, barely not doing that while he ducked for cover, before tersely saying she owed him a meal. She could just imagine daddy's confusion at the time too... but, Yui gradually calmed down, just feeling warm; there was another reason mommy reacted as she did, about the meal, because daddy had protected mommy from Sleep-PK'er's by watching over her.
...
Well, Kazuto was glad Yui enjoyed the story; it was better than the instinctive "Duck!" reaction he had back then. "After that, things got better gradually" he said easily, "Asuna 'sorta' tolerated me at first, but then we became friends... sorta against my will, since I was a loner type."
Yui just giggled, but with a knowing smile.
Yeah hehe, because she already knew the end result of that attempt.
Kazuto then hummed, glancing up. "So yeah, she stayed a fierce one, but she gradually showed her softer side more. I don't know exactly what it was, that made Asuna decide that she liked me" he admitted, but gentle. "Maybe it started with protecting her way back then, or maybe it was solidified by other factors later on. Myself, I was close to her, but I didn't tend to look for romantic hints-"
"This from you, daddy?" Yui asked, entirely playful, hands on her hips. "Who are always so playful?"
"Hey, watch it."
Yui just stuck her tongue out.
"Anyway" he spoke, lip twitching, trying to keep an amused smile down. "Well one day, I was out in the forest... and I stumbled upon a Ragout Rabbit; I seriously couldn't believe my own luck."
Yui smiled. "I remember that one, from the S-Class list" she spoke softly, giggling. "It was so cute, except for the eyes - but you're right daddy; that monster had a spawn rate in the tens of thousands."
No wonder it sold so well hehe, but Kazuto just chukled. "Despite getting it's rare food item though, I couldn't cook worth anything" he continued, slightly playful (Yui laughed again), "So I thought about selling it to Agil. At the last minute though, Asuna came into the shop, and I asked what her cooking skill was... she had it totally maxed-out last week."
"Then you cooked it, ate it, and fell in love with mommy's delicious cooking skills!" Yui cheered, completely happy and proud.
"Uhhhh..." he breathed, surprised, but slowly laughing. "Well, it was a lot more nuanced than that Yui, but... sure, I guess."
Yui just nodded, like she'd known it all along- kinda like when Asuna was self-satisfied too, he fondly noticed.
"I offered her to have a little bite if she'd trade it, but then she got up close in my face, and stated 'half' like she'd accept no less" he mused, remembering that even now. "Then she dragged me over to her place, literally, while I was still trying to register things - it wasn't half-bad, and it was the first time I saw her in clothes other than her guild's uniform."
"Did you start getting suspicious?" Yui asked, but teasing.
Kazuto smirked a bit, but chuckled. "Started to, yeah" he admitted, remembering how Asuna threatened him with a Sword-Skill'd knife, to get him to join her party. "She was so relaxed that day, saying weird stuff all of a sudden; it was really surprising. I didn't act on it though, because I was unsure- did I feel the same? Was I misreading her? Stuff like that."
His daughter just hummed, before tapping her fingers. "I bet you two then fought The Gleam Eyes sometime after that" she breathed, but happy, "Now I know the story, between the love you two shared, having lunch and all on the 74th floor."
Really surprised, he looked at Yui; she'd seen that? And also, that's what got her interested in the emotions other than those rampant throughout SAO?
"But, I think the real love came later" she continued softly, looking up at him, a little shy. "Didn't it."
Kazuto slowly thought for a moment, going off Yui's tone, and what it implied she knew- then he smiled. "Actually, by the end, I think it was already there before that" he breathed gently. "It just took- well, a close call before we both realized it."
Yui's expression flickered on 'close call', but she blushed slightly after that. "And somehow, your love led you to Floor 22" she whispered, entirely soft and happy, "Where we met, daddy."
His smile softened- of course it did.
/
Slightly later
"Okay, I'm back!" Asuna announced to their home, door open a bit. "Help me carry stuff?"
Yui soon came, humming happily as she put on her already-ready coat, and it didn't take long for her boots to follow - Kazuto soon followed behind her, a little softer than normal. "Oh, we'll carry stuff" he said mildly, before he looked at her. "But not you, Asuna."
"Huh?" she breathed, confused.
"Just go to the dinner table, sit down, and enjoy" he continued, smirking. "And don't move from there. We insist."
"Yes we do, mommy!"
Their surprise no doubt- she'd been expecting that, certainly, but not this sudden command from her husband and daughter. Before she could even say a word, both of them were outside, closing the door behind her - they really were insistent upon it, which slowly got her to giggle; well, if they both were, who was she to deny it? Making sure to take off her coat + boots, Asuna was quick to hurry into the kitchen, but she soon stopped; there was a spread set out for her. It wasn't incredibly fancy: some apple and cheese slices, a few biscuits, a PB&J sandwich, pancakes, and some orange juice.
"This looks like the kind of thing for bed-in-breakfast" she thought, surprised, slowly approaching. "Except it's way past breakfast."
Still, remembering they'd told her to sit down, she quickly did so - by then, Kazuto and Yui both came in with the initial armfuls of stuff, kicking off excess snow on the rug first. "Be right back, mommy!" Yui cheered, putting the bags on the counter before she ran off, Kazuto being slightly slower on that (but with a chuckle).
"Don't go anywhere" he teased.
"Y-you don't have to repeat it" she told him, which just got him humming playfully, slightly irritating her - like she wouldn't appreciate this effort they'd put in. Still, when Asuna looked back at the spread, she smiled a little, wondering if she should start eating now or wait for whatever they had in mind- she decided on the later, though it felt weird not to go out and help them.
A little later, Yui came back in with more stuff, but she didn't go back out after that; perhaps Kazuto was getting the last of it. "Heehee" the little girl hummed, continuing to do so as she sorted stuff, saying 'older stuff first, newer in the back'.
Asuna had a little smile; Yui was really taking to the little quirks that came with running a home.
"Mommy?"
"Yes, Yui?"
Her daughter came closer, holding up two different packets - in the background, Kazuto came in with the last of stuff. "I think I've seen these before, once, but I never got to try them" she stated softly. "What are they?"
A quick look told her all she needed to know. "Well, that one's 'sweet-and-sour' sauce, and the other's 'barbecue' sauce, Yui" Asuna explained, humming, "Both of them have a bit of a spicy taste, but in different ways - I'm sure you'd like them."
Yui just brightened on 'spicy', giggling. "Well all right!" she cheered, quickly going to put them away. "I'm gonna enjoy tasting these! Which do you like better, daddy?"
"Oh, you know" he said easily, knowingly. "With Asuna's skill, it's just so hard to pick a favorite."
"Hey!" she exclaimed, half-whining; both of them started laughing, before she joined in, unable to help it. "Come on you two" she continued, playful now, "What are you up to anyway? What is this for?"
Kazuto just hummed, handing a few things to Yui, who continued to help put things away with a smile. "Call it our appreciation, for everything you do for us" he said softly, gesturing around the kitchen (Yui added in a cheerful 'Mmh-hmm!'). "We realize that you love cooking, but it still needed to said."
"You guys didn't have to do this" she whispered, entirely soft and warm. "I know you appreciate me."
"We knew that too, mommy" Yui spoke, much the same. "But we insisted, hehe. And after you finish, we'll do anything you'd like for the next hour."
She was purely surprised-
"Anything" Kazuto added gently.
-even more so after that, as Kazuto didn't add a teasing comment; their smiles remained soft.
Her vision blurred briefly, which she wiped at, but her smile was happy. "Okay" she whispered softly, slowly turning back to her made-for-her meal; she couldn't wait to taste their efforts. "Just promise that you won't pamper me too often."
"Now why would we do that?" Kazuto asked, in this incredibly over-the-top playful tone- Yui tried and failed to contain her laughter, while Asuna just made a face.
Yui probably would've asked for that story much sooner, if it had been years since SAO, but what can you do? :P