37

February 14, 2023

Floor 1, Trevica

Closing the door behind him, Jae shivered. The room always got cold during the night, especially when no one was inside, but he doubted he'd ever get used to it.

Drafty fucking hole.

He found himself cursing the room more and more frequently with each passing day. It was cramped, empty, cold, too far away from the current Floors, and the bed was too small to name just a few problems. Each time he came back to the place after yet another late night Labyrinth grind or raid, he vowed to leave the next day. Hell, he had wanted to move out months ago. And yet, he never did.

So instead it became repetition. Each morning before he left to head off to the front lines, Jae told himself he wouldn't come back, and each night he asked himself why he had. And the answer was always his brother. Israel had moved out over a month ago, but never officially. They hadn't had a falling out either, just loss of communication. At any moment, he reasoned, Israel could walk right in. If the room was sold, Israel wouldn't know where to go to find him. Obviously, he could just send Jae a message, or even check his location on the maps, but that wasn't the point.

After setting his spear on the wall by the door and activating the fireplace, Jae sat down on the small bed and contemplated even bothering to take his armor off before passing out. Deciding to go through with it, he opened his menu and shook his head at the time. It was nearly four in the morning. Life on the front lines with the Assault Team had a way of taking up most of his waking hours.

Muttering under his breath at the inconvenience of having to unequip one item at a time seemed only to add to the eternity it took to get all of his gear off. Finally done, Jae wrapped the worn blanket around his body and laid down. The pillow had long since lost its plush, making it somewhat difficult to find a comfortable position, so several minutes of continually shifting his body had become something of a requirement.

When he at last found the right spot, Jae took a deep breath, exhaled, and closed his eyes.

And then the message notification beep went off in his ears.

"I swear on all that is fucking holy…" he grumbled irritably, opening his eyes to see who had messaged him at four in the morning.

It was from Israel.

…

Leaning against one of the stone arches of the public fountain, Jae looked around.

The plaza located in the center of the Town of Beginnings, the same place where Kayaba had issued his bloody ultimatum, was bigger than he remembered. The cobbled ground was smooth and spilled out into the four streets that exited the plaza, one in each direction. While the other three streets eventually wound their way to the main gate of the city, the north street led to just one building: the Black Iron Palace.

The Palace had become a symbol of both love and hate for the residents of SAO. Not because of anything the building itself had to offer, but for what was within it. Jae hadn't visited the Monument of Life, and he hoped he'd never feel the need to. For it was on that massive slab of black marble that the names of every player who had died to date in SAO were etched. Jae couldn't decide if Kayaba had been cruel or kind in the making of the site.

"Jae."

Turning, Jae saw Israel approach. His brother wore a scale mail hauberk and brown brigandine pants over a chainmail undershirt. Sheathed at his side was Silverthorne.

"Israel."

The two looked at each other awkwardly for a moment, neither one knowing quite what to say. After a moment, Israel gestured at Jae's steel chestplate.

"You look cool as hell in plate armor."

Jae chuckled. "You look pretty badass yourself. Kind of reminds me of a sellsword in Game of Thrones or something."

Israel laughed softly. "Can't say I'm not proud of that kind of compliment."

Silence again.

Jae cleared his throat. "So...why exactly did you want to meet at four thirty in the morning?"

Israel flashed an apologetic smile. "Yeah, that's my bad. I didn't want to wake you, but I didn't know who else to turn to. I'm out of my fucking depth here man. In fact it's been making feel pretty sick for days now. I've been up all night, just laying in bed."

"Alright, slow down." Jae said. "You need to tell me what exactly you're talking about. Do you feel like you have some kind of illness of something? Like a serious one?"

Israel nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly. And I've got no idea what to do about it. It's been eating at me for days, ever since Naomi and I visited Tristan's shop."

Jae rubbed his eyes, trying to find patience. Israel was clearly distraught. "Alright, what's been eating at you?"

Israel hung his head in shame. "I need to get Naomi something for Valentines Day and I need your help."

Jae blinked.

And then he burst out laughing.

"Dude, this is serious. I came to you in good faith."

"Yeah no, I…" Jae struggled to stop laughing, but he couldn't help it. "I just need...process this for a second…"

Israel turned to go. "Alright, fuck this."

Containing himself as best he could, Jae grabbed hold of his brother's shoulder. "My bad, dude, my bad. I'm glad you came to me with this."

Turning back around, Israel crossed his arms under his chest. "So you'll help?"

"I will." Jae paused. "The only thing is, and please don't take offense if this sounds bad, but what exactly do you need my help for? Can't you just grab some cheap red roses and chocolate and call it a day like every other guy alive?"

Israel shook his head vehemently, his shoulder length blond hair flying out behind him. "No. Red roses imply love, and so does chocolate. I can't get her shit like that. It has to be less than love, but not too much less."

Jae frowned in confusion. "I'm lost."

"Don't you remember what happened when Naomi and I had sex for the first time?"

"Yes, you wouldn't stop bitching about it the entire time it was going on. You guys were a dumpster fire."

Israel raised a hand matter of factly. "There you go. The reason we were a dumpster fire was because I was scared she might have gotten the wrong idea and wanted to start something serious. And vice versa."

Jae nodded. "Ok, but that's kind of in the past at this point, right? I mean, you guys are kind of living together now."

Israel shook his head. "I moved in with her because it made patrolling together easy and convenient. We weren't planning a goddamn family."

Jae's eyes widened in mock surprise. "You got Naomi pregnant? Wait…" He scratched his stubble. "Is that even possible?"

"Jae, stop joking around." Israel began pounding his forehead with a palm. "God, I have no idea what I'm doing."

Jae straightened. "Alright, let me see if I can understand this. You and Naomi are fuckbuddies, but you want to be something more, but she-"

"I mean I wouldn't exactly say that." Israel protested.

Jae fixed his brother in a disbelieving stare. "You're falling apart at the seams trying to decide what to get her for Valentine's Day, in the middle of a murder game that could kill us at any time if we make even one tiny mistake."

Israel closed his eyes in shame. "Fair point. Continue."

"Alright, so you want to be something more, but you aren't sure if she reciprocates the feelings and you don't want to push her away, but at the same time you can't go on anymore without telling her how you feel. So you figured the best thing to do was get her something for Valentines Day that betrays affection, just not too much affection. Am I correct?"

Israel nodded. "I'd say that hits the nail on the head pretty well, yeah." He wrung his hands. "Are you saying there's a better way of going about this?"

Jae pondered the question for a moment. "Actually no...I honestly have no alternatives. I mean unless of course you just told her you...erm...kind-of-love her."

Israel shook his head. "I would have no idea how to put it into words. You know me, I'm shit with relationships and love. No, the right gift will explain it way better than I could."

Jae shrugged. "I guess we'll find out. So why here in the Town of Beginnings?"

"More people live here than anywhere else," Israel pointed out. "There's probably some good player item shops. And the Town of Beginnings is the biggest city in the game so far, so there's plenty of NPC event themed shops as well. Which means all we need to do is search out every shop until we find the right thing. Its early so most of the shops won't have any people buying things yet, so that gives us more time to narrow down options and choose."

Clapping his hands together, Jae straightened. "Right then, sounds like a plan. Let's do this."

…

"This is a terrible idea." Naomi groaned, burying her head in her pillow. "I can't go through with it. I'd rather fight a Floor Boss."

Sitting down on the coffee table, Evie rolled her eyes. "You've been saying that for the past twenty minutes. You do realize it's almost noon now, right?"

Sitting up again, Naomi picked up the box, setting it in her lap as she stared at it.

After purchasing Israel his Valentine's Day present the day before, she had also bought a small wooden box to hold it, as well as red and white wrapping paper and a ribbon. Looking at it now, she wondered how she had ever thought she could go through with giving it to him.

"Why does everything have to be so complicated?" Naomi complained. "The one guy I feel this way about, and I can't even tell him."

"I'm your friend," Evie said seriously, "So I'm going to come right out about this and be honest. I think you should stop bitching and tell him how you feel. I mean after all, today's the best day for it."

Naomi shook her head. "You don't get it. If you were in my position, you would not be thinking its that easy."

Evie shrugged. "That's why I make a habit of not getting into those positions. In fact, anything that screams, 'This is something Naomi would do,' I generally avoid."

Naomi scowled at her. "Some friend you are."

"You love me."

Keeping the gift in her hands, Naomi stood up and began pacing the room, carefully avoiding tripping over several articles of Israel's clothes.

"I just don't want to ruin what I have with him, you know? Like, is it really worth risking our current relationship showing him how I feel when he might not even feel the same way?"

Evie considered the question for a moment. "Do you think he doesn't?"

Naomi adjusted her leggings as she continued pacing. "No. I mean, I don't know. Lately there have been a lot of moments where it really seems like he might feel the same way."

"Like during the Field Boss fight the other day?"

Naomi nodded. "And a few days before that, when that guild Justice came looking for Beta Testers."

Evie's face went grim at the name. "Fuck those guys. They're lucky I wasn't there. Honestly, the one time Israel's recklessness would've been justified, he didn't even try to kill them."

"Focus, Evie. This is a serious crisis."

Evie raised her hands helplessly. "I don't know girl, I can really only see two options here."

"Which would be?"

Standing, Evie walked over to the window and grabbed a bag of roasted peanuts from off the sill.

"Those are Israel's," Naomi stated, still looking forward as she paced. "He'll turn into a moody bitch if he finds out they're all gone."

"Let him," Evie said cheerfully. "I'm over here putting work in fixing his relationship, the least he can do is donate some snack food." she threw a handful in her mouth, chewed, and then gave Naomi a disappointed look. "There's not enough salt."

"You said you saw two options?" Naomi asked

"Yes I do," Evie said around bites, "Number one being you tell him how you feel regardless of how he might respond. If you love this guy, and I've known you long enough to say I really think you do, you can't just pretend like that feeling isn't there. That would be like friendzoning yourself. And no one does that."

Naomi rolled her eyes. "And number two?"

Brushing crumbs off of her woodland jacket, Evie swallowed. "Number two is you kick him out and end the relationship. Or if that's too cold for you, you move out, but I mean this was your place first and-"

"Why the hell would I do something like that?" Naomi asked incredulously.

"If you never tell him how you feel, it's just going to go to your head after a while. You'll feel like you're living an artificial life when you could've had something real. You sure as hell won't be happy."

Naomi looked over at her friend, a sad expression on her face. "Sounds like you know what you're talking about."

Evie went back to looking out the window. "I'm just stating facts. Now personally, I'd rather you didn't go for number two. Mainly because I still want us all to make a guild, and I want to help protect people. That job will be a lot less efficient, and incredibly more awkward, if I'm doing it with a girl who friendzoned herself from the same guy we're working with, not to mention guilting herself forever afterwards."

Naomi stopped pacing and leaned against the wall in defeat. "You certainly don't beat around the bush."

Evie nodded thoughtfully, meeting Naomi's eyes. "That's why you asked me to come over. But seriously Naomi, just tell him. If it doesn't work out, at least you can say you tried instead of making this death game even more of a trainwreck."

Before Naomi could reply, a message notification appeared in front of her along with the familiar beep that accompanied them. Seeing that the message was from Brock, Naomi opened it.

I've heard more than a few rumors starting to go around that some orange player guild named Laughing Coffin is going to attack players heading into the Town of Beginnings for Valentine's Day. Thought you should know.

…

Hearing the teleport gate begin to activate behind him, Israel quickly opened his menu and moved Naomi's gift into his inventory.

"You were already here?" He heard Naomi ask in surprise.

Turning, he saw her stepping out of the teleport gate ready for a fight. Axe at her side and bedecked in chain and plate armor, she was an intimidating sight. On her back was a new shield, larger but not as durable as the legendary one she had had before their Field Boss encounter.

"I was in the area when Brock sent me the message." He said with a nod. Meeting her inquiring gaze, he added, "I met up with Jae. We went and had breakfast together. Talked some things out."

Naomi offered her special smile and his heart lifted at the sight. "That's good. I'm glad you guys talked. Does the Assault Team know anything about these rumors?"

Israel shook his head. "Not to my knowledge. Jae didn't mention it and he left before I got the message."

Falling in beside him, Naomi took off at a brisk pace towards the nearest exit out of the plaza. "You should let him know anyway. If we can get the Assault Team to help us keep a watch out on the roads leading to the Town of Beginnings, we'll have more than enough strength to deal with trouble if something happens."

"Already done, but I doubt he'll read the message. He mentioned going on another Labyrinth raid today, and it would be stupid for players to open menus and check messages when they need to keep their guard up checking for traps and mobs."

Naomi sighed. "Just us then. Maybe against real people this time." She glanced at him. "You ready for this?"

Israel nodded grimly. "Don't aim to kill, but if it comes down to our lives over theirs, pick ours."

Checking to make sure Silverthorne was clear in its sheath, Israel readied himself for battle.