Chapter 12: Week Before the Wedding- Asuna
(A/N: You guys know the drill by now)
Months passed, and the wedding was right around the corner. Being one week away, Kazuto and Asuna were as busy as could be. They were juggling a dozen of different tasks and chores, to make sure everything got done in time.
But now, the two were each having their final party as single man and woman, respectively.
Kazuto was going with the guys to test a new feature on ALO, while the girls decided to stay in and have a movie night. Since Yui was still too young to watch the kind of movies they were going to watch, they set up a slumber party for her at Kotori's home.
Asuna grabbed the keys to the car, "Come on Yui, we gotta go!" She called.
Yui soon walked into view with her bag all set up, "I'm ready Mommy." She said with a smile. Asuna smiled back as they walked out to head to the car.
As they drove, Yui looked over to her mother, "Why can't I spend tonight with you, Mommy?" She asked.
Asuna smiled, "Oh Yui, I'd love to spend the night with you. But me and the other girls are going to watch a big girl's movie." She told her.
Yui made a pouty face, "But I am a big girl!" She insisted.
Asuna made a quiet laugh, "Of course you are, but the movie's gonna have a lot of kissing, and people saying how much they love each other..." She says in a mock baby voice.
Yui put her fingers in her ears, "BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" She said loudly, causing Asuna to laugh.
She glanced at the child through her rear-view mirror, "And that's why you're having a sleepover with your school friends." She said.
All the girls gathered at the Yuuki residence. Kyouko had left plenty of food and beverages in the refrigerator for the girls while she and Shouzou went out to have a night out of their own.
Mei was always stunned at the beauty of the mansion, "I swear I will never get used to such a fancy place." She said.
Suguha nodded, "I know, it's all just so beautiful."
Asuna shrugged, "Eh. I've come to prefer a simpler style." She said honestly.
The girls all sat at the dining table, eating dinner before putting in the movie. Suguha looked over to Asuna, "So, what made you and Kazuto decide on a traditional Japanese wedding?" She asked.
Rika nodded, "Yeah, I thought you'd go for the western style, considering it's how it happened in SAO."
Asuna smiled, "Well, to be honest, that's one of the reasons we chose to do it traditionally. It would have just felt like the same as back then. We wanted to get a brand-new experience. To have an experience that's unlike anything else in our lives. After all, it is gonna be our big day." She said with a small blush, "And also, after a lot of research we both agreed that Japanese weddings are so much more beautiful than the western ones." After a short while, they all finished eating and prepared to play the movie.
The girls put in a movie that everyone had seen a couple of times before, so they were really half watching. Mei looked to Suguha, "So how are things between you and Nagata? Things gotten any better?" She asked.
Two weeks prior, Suguha and Nagata had gotten into a big fight about a misunderstanding where Nagata thought Suguha was cheating on him, when she was actually being tutored for her physics class.
Suguha made a small smile, "We're doing a lot better. I've been making sure to make it up to him by trying to spend more time with him when I can. And I think we've really been doing great lately."
Keiko smiled, "That's great! I'm glad you made things work."
Rika grinned slyly, "Don't get him too happy, or else you'd find yourself either wearing a ring, or wearing him." She said, creating a collection of giggles from the other girls.
Suguha eyed her, "Remind me, who are you dating?" She asked.
The other girls then echoed, "Ooooooooohhhh!" Making Rika cross her arms in defeat.
Asuna laughed, "This has been great girls. Just what I needed." She said as she sighed, "These last few months have just been so stressful."
Keiko nodded, "I can imagine. Planning a wedding has to be difficult. Especially when you guys have to juggle Kazuto's job and your college classes."
Suguha smiled, "And that's why we're doing this. To give you one last hurrah as a single woman!"
As they continued to watch the movie, Rika hummed, "Say, does anyone know what the guys are doing? I couldn't get anything out of Klein or Agil." She asked.
Mei shook her head, "They're all playing a new player vs player thing on ALO, it's supposed to be crazy difficult and intense."
Suguha hummed, "I hope they'll be ok." She said, worried for her boyfriend and brother.
Asuna smiled, "No worries. I gave Kirito's avatar my saber so he can dual wield, just like he used to." All the girls teased her with an echo of "aaawwww!" making her blush.
After the teasing faded, Suguha raised an interesting question, "So, are you and Kazuto thinking of having a baby after the wedding?" She asked.
Asuna, who had just started taking a sip of water, did a spit take and began coughing, "Wh-what brought that up!?" She asked.
Suguha flinched slightly, "Well, I'm just saying...it's uh, it's something that a lot of couples think about. Besides, I'm not talking right away, I just meant... down the road someday."
Asuna, now slightly more calm, shrugged slightly, "I don't know, we've never talked about it... but... maybe..."
Keiko made a small smile, "Can I just say how amazing this all is?" She commented, "I mean, despite how terrible it was for SAO to be a death game, without it, none of us would know each other."
All the girls smiled, "That's true." Asuna said.
Mei smiled, "Hard to believe that we're all apart of each other's lives because of a death game."
Suguha raised her drink, "Then here's to Kaiyaba the psychopath! For building the death game that brought us all together!" She exclaimed.
All the other girls raised their drinks as well, "Cheers!"
Afterwards, the girls watched the rest of the movie in silence, allowing Asuna to think on all the events leading up to this point. "I remember when I first met Kirito. At the time, we only teamed up because we had to. Nothing more, nothing less." She thought to herself, "Then later, we met again after I became a part of Knights of the Blood Oath. He and I were total opposites. He hated my strategy to take down a field boss. And looking back, I can understand where he was coming from. And despite our differences, we worked together to solve the mystery of PK's in safe zones. That was when we officially became friends."
She then put on a slight frown, "Then there was everything with Kuradeel...and what he tried to do. And that's also when we had our first kiss, and it's when we got married in game." Her smile then returned, "And not long after came wonderful little Yui. I absolutely adored her when she called Kirito Daddy..."
She stood up and walked to a window to stare up at the night sky, "And who could forget all the craziness that followed SAO. First was my kidnapping thanks to Sugou. Then I ran away from home, and Yui joined us in the real world. We confronted my parents... Kirito and I had our first real fight, our first date IRL... and so much more... I don't think I'll ever forget how scared I was when Takeru, father of Sachi, kidnapped Yui in order to draw Kirito into a death match."
She then turned back to glance at her future sister-in-law, "If it wasn't for Sugu, I don't think we could've beaten him."
She took a deep breath as she looked at Mei for just a moment, "When Mei revealed that she was Yui's sister, I was so freaked out and confused, that I couldn't think straight. But she proved to be a valuable ally in what was to come. Thanks to her, we were warned about Akechi, and knew in advance how dangerous he was."
She then shuddered, "But nothing could've prepared me for what happened in the courtroom. Kirito was held at gun point, and there was nothing I could do to save him...I'm so grateful to Mei and Kouichirou for having a plan for that...otherwise...Kirito would be..."
She then shook her head, "No! Don't think about that! It's in the past. Besides, after all of that, Kirito went above and beyond for me. He treated me to the fanciest restaurant in town, and, best of all...he proposed to me."
She took a deep breath, "And now, here I am. So close to a life with the man I love... So why am I so afraid?" She asked herself.
Mei saw Asuna and walked over to her, "Nervous about the wedding?" She asked.
Asuna nodded, "A little bit, yeah." She answered honestly.
Mei smiled at her reassuringly and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I think that's only natural. Marriage is about the biggest step a relationship can take. And not that many marriages last anymore." She then turned Asuna so that they were facing each other, "But I'm confident yours with Kazuto will."
Rika walked up to the two, "She's not the only one who knows it."
Keiko nodded, "We're all rooting for you two."
Suguha nodded as well, "And we always will." The girls then shared a big group hug.
Asuna smiled warmly, happy to have made such wonderful friends.
(A/N: That's it for this chapter! Sorry for the late update, but I was hit in the face with inspiration for something and I had to write it down, and I'm loving it so much, that it may be the next story I post after this one, but I'm still debating. Anyways, the trilogy is closing in on its finale, prepare yourselves. And please Review!)