Later that evening, Asuna found herself in front of the cabin she shared with Kirito and Yui. She turned the doorknob and pushed open the wooden door. Yui's laughter filled the house, earning a smile from Asuna as she made her way over to her family.
"Hey, you two, what are you up to?" She asked. Yui turned to her, rushing into her arms.
"Mommy!" the child cried excitedly. "We were throwing paper balls into the basket, and I won! I got more in than Daddy."
"Only by one," Kirito added playfully, joining them. Yui giggled. He kissed Asuna lovingly.
"I missed you two." Asuna said softly.
"We were together most of the day." Kirito pointed out. "You couldn't have missed me that much."
"It's been a long few hours. My mother came back earlier than I expected her to. I just needed this today."
"Don't worry, Mommy, Daddy, and I are always here. Right, Daddy?"Yui grinned.
"That's right," Kirito confirmed, hugging Asuna tightly, allowing her to lean into his chest. He lightly kissed her head. "We've got you. Maybe you could stay with me for a while. We have a long weekend coming up soon. Maybe the two of us could disappear for a couple days?" The dark-haired teen offered." Asuna smiled at the offer.
"That sounds amazing. I'm just worried it'll cause even more trouble for you when everyone-"
"Hey, I'm not worried about it. I'll take any trouble in the world for you. All you have to do is say the word, and we'll go." They soon found themselves seated on the couch.
"When were we supposed to meet up with Leefa?" Asuna asked.
"A little over an hour from now, She's meeting us here to give us more details. Do you still want to do this?" Yui looked at Asuna in confusion before turning to Kirito.
"Daddy, Mommy, is everything okay?" the child inquired softly. The teens nodded.
"Yeah. It's just that there's something your mom and I wanted to talk to you about before everyone gets here. We need it to stay between the three of us for now, though." Kirito leaned back against the arm of the couch, facing his family. Yui gave a short nod.
"Don't worry, Daddy. I won't tell anyone." She promised. Asuna took the child's hand.
"We love you so much, Yui." She began. "We want you to know that no matter what, you're important to us. Sometime soon, your dad and I will have to have to take time away from coming here. But you can still use the device he made for you to come and see us. We still want you with us, but we'll just be a little busy. What I mean is...Yui, you're going to be a big sister. The baby should be here in April, so we'll need to-" Yui wrapped her arms around Asuna.
"I'm so happy!" She cried. "Can I really still be your daughter?"
"You're always gonna be our daughter, Yui," Kirito replied. " We're just adding to the family we have." Yui grinned.
"I'm so happy! You're the best mommy and daddy ever!" She cried, releasing Ausuna and latching onto Kirito. "I'll be a good big sister, I promise."
"We know you will."The dark-haired teen confirmed, returning the embrace. "But remember we haven't told anyone yet. We're waiting for the best time to tell them."
"I won't tell. But can I ask a question?"
"Sure." Asuna chimed in. Yui released the teen.
"Mommy, Daddy, where do babies come from exactly?"Kirito shared a nervous glance with Asuna.
"W-well, Yui," Asuna began, unprepared for the question. "Babies-"
"Cabbage Patch." Kirito blurted out, his face turned an embarrassed shade of crimson. Yui tilted her head in confusion.
"A Cabbage patch?" She asked. "How do they get there?"
"S-Storks. Storks bring them to the cabbage patch." Asuna chuckled softly. Yui turned to face him.
"They just leave them there? How do they know when it's time to bring the babies? How do you know which one is the right baby when you go to get it? Do you just pick them?" Kirito shook his head.
"Yui, I know it's a little confusing, but maybe it's best if we get into the explanation another time. Leefa should be coming to see us soon. Why don't you go and set up the game again? We can all play until she gets here. " Asuna suggested. The child frowned.
"But Mommy, I want to hear more about babies. I want to know all about the storks and how they know where the babies belong. Are there special cabbage patches? Can we have two babies? Do you pick them- I'm so excited!"
"I know. We can talk more about this later. Let's give your dad a minute to collect his thoughts." Yui nodded, embracing Asuna once more.
"Okay, Mommy. I'm so happy!" She cried, hurrying to gather the papers which had been scattered over the floor. Once she completed her task, she set them down on the coffee table.
"I'll get the snacks too." She offered, running into the kitchen, leaving her parents alone. Asuna moved closer to Kirito.
"Storks take them to the cabbage patch?" She grinned in amusement. Kirito leaned into her, allowing Asuna to wrap her arms around him.
"I panicked." He admitted. "I'm gonna be so screwed when the little one starts asking questions." Asuna rested her head on top of his.
"I think you'll be fine. No one's ever really ready for that kind of talk. We'll deal with it together. It's not going to do any good to stress about it right now. Just relax. You have enough to worry about right now. Let's just enjoy ourselves tonight. You've been working really hard at finding a way to support us. Unwind a little. And remember, whatever happens in here, I'm okay out there. I know how protective you are."
"Knowing that's probably not going to stop me, "Kirito said.
"I know. I just thought I'd throw it out there. I don't expect it to make a difference." She admitted.
"I've got the snacks!" Yui called, setting the tray down on the table in front of her parents. "do you think we have enough?" Kirito lightly ruffled her hair.
"Looks great, Yui, thanks." The girl giggled.
"Can we play now?"
"Yeah. why don't you show your mom how to play?" Yui handed one of the balls to Asuna and pointed to the small basket on the floor.
"You have to get as many paper balls in there as you can. It's fun, and Daddy's so silly when he loses. You can go first."
Asuna took a moment to concentrate on her target, watching it hit the rim and fall into the basket.
"Not too bad." Kirito teased playfully. Asuna glared at him.
"You're just mad because you lost to Yui, and you know I have better aim than you." She retorted.
"Whatever you say."Kirito threw one of the balls, also making his target. Yui followed suit.
"Looks like we're all tied." the blue-haired teen stated.
"Yeah, but not for long. I was just warming up before. Pretty sure I'm gonna take you both down this time."
"Not even on your best day." Asuna fired back. Yui giggled. The family would continue their fight, taking turns until only one remained. Just as Kirito was about to toss the object, a loud knock at the door broke his concentration, throwing off his aim and causing it to miss the basket. Yui jumped up and down excitedly, she had won again.
Asuna smirked. "That's my girl. What were you saying about taking us down, Kirito?" The boy sighed.
"I'm gonna go get the door." He mumbled in defeat, moving to let his friends inside.