Thanks to everyone for reading, favoriting, and reviewing this story. I hope you all continue to enjoy the wacky shenanigans of Kirito and Argo as they stumble over themselves and figure out love.

This event is being hosted at the SAO Fanfiction Central Discord, linked here: AGDxbvCh

Day 2: Food

"Where are we going now?" I asked, somewhat bemused at the way that Argo was pulling me through the Town of Beginnings. It had been a challenging dungeon run today, and all I wanted to do was go back to my inn and rest, something that Asuna had done.

Argo, however, had decided that I needed something to "Cheer me up" and dragged me away from the siren call of my bed into the busy streets. Not that I had struggled too hard. It was always nice to spend some time with the info broker.

"We're here!" Argo chirped, sliding to a stop in front of a fancy-looking storefront.

"Five Winds Restaurant?" I read off the sign at the front. The Kanji were so stylized that they were almost illegible, and the rice-paper screens that stood maybe half a foot back from the walls were distinctly out of place in the western-style Town of Beginnings.

Argo nodded. "I came across this place while I was hungry a couple days ago, an' I've been waitin' fer a chance ta take ya." She nudged me in the side with an elbow. "They serve Inarizushi," the info broker whispered, and I almost started salivating in response.

"Then why are we still standing out here?" I asked, grabbing Argo by the wrist and marching towards the restaurant. It had been weeks since I'd last had my favorite food, and even if it was sub-par, it would still be Inarizushi.

As we walked into the restaurant, Argo chuckled. "Slow down, Kii-bou, the food is still gonna be there."

"But I haven't had any in weeks!" I pouted, even as the info broker laughed louder.

"Alright, Kii-bou," Argo said, struggling to stop giggling even as she dug in her heels and brought the two of us to a stop. If I had a higher STR stat, I could probably have kept dragging her, but at the moment, I didn't. "If ya stay here, and let me order food fer us, I'll give ya the location of a nice farming spot fer some rare loot."

I paused, mind racing. If I moved ahead, I could get my Inarizushi sooner, but if I waited—

"Don't mind if I do!" Argo slipped past me, answering my dilemma for me. I smiled as she skipped up to the counter. I guess it wouldn't hurt to let her order. She clearly had something in mind.

Was there a secret order that you could only get if you had completed a quest? Some special sauce or something? It would make sense why Argo would try and keep such a thing secret, but only to figure out a good price for it.

Maybe I was overthinking things. Argo had always liked shopping. This was probably just an extension of that.

"Here ya go, Kii-bou," Argo said, skipping up to me and pressing a platter into my hands. "Make sure ya eat it while it's hot, okay?" I nodded, as the info broker steadied her own dish, a platter of sushi, it looked like. She then sped off to a table, leaving me to call after her.

"I will, than...ks…" I trailed off, looking down at the dish that Argo had given me. It was the Inarizushi I was familiar with, the rice balls wrapped in a sweet dough shell. But… the pieces had been arranged into a heart. And in the center, the dipping sauce spelled out three words.

"Argo?"

"Yes, Kii-bou?" She was nervous. She was trying to hide it, but Argo was nervous. She wasn't looking me in the eye, and hadn't popped up with a prank or had some sort of hidden message involved. Her hands were clasped tightly on her lap, and she was ignoring the food that sat in front of her.

She was serious about this.

God, what was I supposed to do?

I'd never had a girl confess to me before. Was there even a good response here?

Did Argo even want to date?

It would be really nice if she did, but…

Ugh, I was working myself into knots. What could I do about this?

I could ask for a waiting period, time to get myself specc'd for this?

No, she'd probably interpret that the wrong way.

I could play it off like I didn't notice and confront her later?

No, that would hurt her, and that was unacceptable.

There was only one path of action I could really take. I gulped, trying to steady my breath.

"Argo, I have something for you," I said, steeling my nerves.

I walked up to the table slowly. As I approached, I saw Argo draw in a breath. With one hand, I pushed her sushi to the side, and set my plate down, facing her.

For a second, neither of us moved. Then Argo's head jerked up to look at me, her mouth open in an unasked question.

I nodded in an unspoken answer.

Argo stood up so fast that the table jolted a bit, before grabbing the front of my jacket. I wrapped my arms around her as she tugged me down, and then her lips were on mine.

They were warm, and rough. Almost chapped, even. Her lips pressed insistently against me, rubbing against mine. It was all I could do to try and return the enthusiasm.

I couldn't tell you how long we kissed, only that when we separated, both of us were panting for breath and smiling.

I slid into the seat opposite Argo's, bringing my plate with me.

Across from me, the info broker sat in silence, tentatively brushing her lips with the very tips of her fingers.

I could still feel the lingering heat of her lips on mine, and it would be so easy to lean over the table for another kiss. The plate of Inarizushi, that I had been so looking forward to, was left by the wayside as Argo and I breathed in the moment.

It was raw, and tender, like fresh skin after a burn. I was petrified of making the wrong move and breaking the fragile aura we had somehow created. But I needed to speak with her, to ask where she wanted to go from here.

"Um, Argo?" I asked hesitantly, one hand fiddling with my chopsticks.

"Yes Kii-bou?" The info broker asked, more serene than I had ever seen her.

"Ah, where do you want to go from here?" I asked, picking at the food in front of me. "I mean, I love you, but I spend so much time in dungeons and on the frontlines, I'm not certain that—"

"C'mon Kii-bou," Argo said, faking a swoon, a teasing glint returning to her eye. "Ya really can't jus' drop that on a gal. It's the kind o' thin' that needs a bit o' buildup."

"Still, I—" Before I could continue, Argo all but vaulted the table to put a hand on my lips.

"No, ya are not doin' this right now Kii-bou," She said, leaning in so that our faces were mere inches away from each other. "I want ta be with ya, an' that means all the good, an' the bad. An' no matter how much I wish that ya would leave the frontlines—" I felt my heart stutter. Argo wanted me to leave the frontlines?

Of course she does. Some animal part of my brain yelled at me. She loves you and doesn't want to see you die.

"—I know that even tryin' would be an exercise in futility. Yer too competitive ta ever leave them behind fer long." Argo finished, before leaning in and laying a kiss on my cheek. "Just please keep yerself safe, okay?"

I nodded.

"Good," Argo said, sitting back down in her seat and dragging her own platter of maki back in front of her. "Now, c'mon, try the Inarizushi!" I worked really hard ta get them fer ya!"

I looked down at my plate, and shook my head. "I'll get another platter. This one's too precious to eat." I reached for the camera tool and snapped a screenshot before anything could happen to the piece of art sitting before me.

Surely enough, half a second after I snapped my photo, a pair of chopsticks reached out and grabbed one of the pouches of Inarizushi, lifting it up to hover in front of me.

"None o' that now," Argo said, a light blush coating her cheeks. "I paid good money fer this, so be a good boyfriend an' eat it."

"Would I be required to eat anything you buy?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as Argo waved the tantalizing piece of fried tofu and rice in front of me.

"Nah," Argo said, "But I did get this fer ya," she brought the pocket of Inarizushi closer. "Won't you please try it? Fer me?"

I gently grabbed Argo's wrist, before leaning in, bringing her hand up at the same time to eat the pocket of fried tofu and rice off of her chopsticks. The taste exploded in my mouth, the combination of flavors making me hum in pleasure as I chewed. It had been too long since I'd had Inarizushi.

"Wow, Kii-bou, ya really want ta do this here?" Argo said, breaking me out of my trance. She grinned at me, her eyes glinting in the evening light. "I mean, I'm not opposed, but other people might get jealous, ya know?" I glanced down.

I was holding her hand.

I almost dropped it in a flash of embarrassment, but that would have just led to Argo teasing me more. Instead, I steeled myself, and before I could chicken out, slipped my hand up to turn hers so that her palm was facing down, then pressed a kiss to the knuckles of her hand.

Her chopsticks clattered to the floor as her hand went limp.

"Kii-bou!" She cried, trying very hard to sound offended, but only managing to sound embarrassed.

"What?" I asked, grinning. It was rare for Argo to get this embarrassed. "You don't want me to kiss you?"

"Mmmmmh!" She whined, grabbing her chopsticks and scooping a piece of her sushi up to her mouth. "Not fair, Kii-bou. Not fair."

"I'm open to more kisses if you want, Argo," I said, leaning forward. I felt strangely confident right now, and with Argo on the backfoot, I had a rare opportunity before me.

Argo's eyes met mine, and before my eyes, she seemed to transform into someone completely different. Her eyes were hooded, and when she spoke, it came out as a seductive purr.

"Oh, I'd like ta do much more than that, Kii-bou." She ran a finger up my lips, and I felt the oddest urge to suck on it. "But not here, I don't want an audience when I eat ya up." she finished with a seductive smirk, and I gulped. I bit into another piece of Inarizushi to calm my nerves.

God, this relationship was really going to be something.