A/N:
Double post day! What would have been next week's chapter is being posted alongside this one! In other, unrelated news, we've passed 300 favorites! Thank you!
So I originally wasn't going to write this little side story, but then I realized that not writing it wouldn't be doing these characters justice. After all, we've been following their development for over 40 chapters now at this point, so we deserve to see the fruits of our/their labor first hand instead of hearing about it off-screen, so to speak.
As such, this chapter's going to be heavy on character and less on overall plot. This chapter's also one of the shorter ones I've written, so my apologies, but the double post should make up for it (I hope!). It's also going to heavily feature some fluff, so you have been warned. Damn chapter's a sheep, it's so fluffy.
Like I warned during last chapter's notes, this chapter takes place about a month after Kagachi's fall.
Enjoy!
"So I hear you haven't taken Asuna out on a date yet."
Kirito almost fell off his seat.
He was caught completely off guard by Sinon's rather abrupt declaration and lost his balance, having been balancing himself on the hind legs of his chair at the time. A strong hand gripped his shoulder, catching him before the back of his head met the floor. He glanced over his shoulder to see that Leonn had caught him.
"Wait, you haven't taken her on a date yet?" Leonn asked incredulously as he shifted Kirito - and the chair - firmly on the floor, this time with all four legs in contact with the ground. He pulled up a nearby chair and plopped down on it. "Dude!"
"You've been together for over a month now, Kirito." Yuna said, surprising him. He didn't even realize the songstress was sitting nearby. "What's the hold-up?"
She wasn't wrong, technically. It had been over a month since they'd made their feelings known for one another during the elven dance - he didn't even bother trying to remember the name for it - and while they'd definitely grown closer to one another in the month that had passed since, they hadn't actually gone on a date yet. They'd been so focused on clearing each floor that a date hadn't even registered for him. It was probably overdue though, given that they were now on the 14th floor. He was probably lucky she hadn't said anything yet.
Kirito gulped and thanked whatever higher powers were out there that his girlfriend wasn't in earshot at this moment. Thankfully, she was otherwise preoccupied with Liz, Nautilus, and Silica, acting as mediator as the three were caught in a heated exchange. The trio were making such a ruckus, Kirito was sure those in the lobby downstairs could hear them. He worriedly looked over at the other three who were so keen on prying into his love life.
"S-sorry!" Kirito apologized. "I'm still getting used to the idea that she's my girlfriend! I've never done this before."
"You've never been on a date before?" Yuna asked, judgement steadily giving way to concern.
"Wait, seriously?" Sinon asked, but there was no hostility in her question. It was more amazement than anything else.
Kirito shook his head, feeling some shame. He knew he was a bit of a shut-in in real life, but he'd never really entertained the idea of a relationship before. He never really had the chance to get close to anyone before, not like this anyway. Now, he felt woefully inexperienced.
"Hey, give him a break." Leonn interjected suddenly. "Not everyone has that kind of luck when it comes to relationships, you know? Some of us really struggle with it."
Sinon and Yuna looked over at Leonn, surprise evident on their faces. Kirito found himself joining them, not expecting that kind of hasty and somehow personal defense. Leonn sat there, his mouth open for a moment before he hurriedly clamped it shut and shifted his gaze downward. After a very heavy and awkward pause, Sinon turned back to Kirito.
"You should take her on a date." She all but commanded.
"I don't know the first thing about dates, though." Kirito admitted. "Where do I even start?"
"Well, first things first…" Yuna began. "Don't spend any part of it killing monsters if you can help it. I know that's how you like to spend your free time, but that's not exactly romantic."
"Okay, I'm not that clueless." Kirito grumbled back. "I know what not to do."
"That's a start, then!" Yuna exclaimed, beaming. "You've known each other for a while now, so you can skip the awkward getting-to-know-each-other phase. That means you can just relax and have fun."
Kirito breathed a sigh of relief. She had a point. He was still nervous about the prospect of the dreaded first date, but at least he had that going for him. He didn't need to make a good first impression.
"Okay, so what would you all recommend then?" Kirito asked, looking back and forth between the three of them.
"Well, movies are out of the question." Sinon said. "Never mind the fact that they don't exist here in Aincrad, you're not doing a lot of talking and bonding while you watch a movie."
"Dinner's a good idea, though." Yuna suggested. "There's a great place on the 2nd Floor that'll do nicely, I think."
"If she's talking about the one I think she's talking about, I can vouch for that." Sinon added. "Good food, good ambience."
"Okay, what next then?" Kirito asked, eager to learn more.
Leonn, much to everyone's surprise, spoke up next. "I think you should keep it simple. Take her on a walk, go visit places that carry significance for the two of you. Maybe treat her to a dessert or something while you're out. Just talk and spend time with her; enjoy each other's company."
Again, they all stared at the Renegade tank, who seemed to be in his own little world right now. Where was this coming from?
"... What?" Leonn asked, breaking out of his trance. Kirito followed where his gaze had been and noticed he'd been staring at the verbal scuffle between Nautilus, Liz, and Silica. It looked like Asuna had since given up trying to referee and was just watching from the sidelines at this point. He turned his attention back to Leonn, who now looked flustered. "Would you stop looking at me like that? Damn."
"He's not wrong." Sinon confirmed. "Keep it simple. You're not trying to impress her. You've already done that. Just make her feel appreciated."
He could do that. At least, in theory, he could. If there was anything he learned about life so far is that nothing seldom went according to plan. Their situation here in Aincrad was evidence enough of that grim fact.
"Do you want help planning it…?" Yuna guessed, apparently noticing how deep in thought Kirito was. "We're not going to plan it for you but we can provide feedback if you want."
Kirito smiled. "Yeah, actually. That'd be great, thanks."
"Girl, would you stop pacing already? You're gonna wear out the carpet's durability at this rate."
Asuna paused in her tracks and glanced over at Liz, who had a look of amusement painted on her face. She and the other girls of the Renegades were hanging out in Asuna's room before her date. They'd helped her pick out a casual outfit and were now just waiting for Kirito to come knocking. The fencer took a deep breath and calmed herself. This was nothing to worry over; it was just a date.
Her first official date.
"Seriously, stop worrying." Liz told her. "How am I supposed to enjoy this date vicariously through you if you're stressing out about it?"
That got her to stop dead in her tracks. She glanced over at Yuna, who was rolling her eyes, before looking back at the blacksmith. "...What?"
"Yeah!" Liz said shamelessly. "What can I say? I'm a romantic. I don't have a boyfriend, so I've gotta get my kicks somewhere."
"Or you could just go get yourself one." Sinon suggested pointedly, causing the blacksmith to flush red in the face. Asuna giggled at the momentary distraction from her own nervousness.
"Hey, are we talking about me or are we talking about Asuna?" Liz tried to deflect. She leaned forward and grinned. "So, any idea where he's taking you?"
"No idea." Asuna admitted. Kirito had told her he'd take care of everything, but she had no idea what sort of evening he had planned with her. It was both worrying and exciting.
"This is so exciting! You've gotta tell us all about - " Silica began before a knock at the door interrupted her. She squealed. "That's gotta be him! Go, go, go!"
"Alright, alright!" Asuna laughed as Silica and Liz practically pushed her to the door.
"Joking aside, I do hope you'll tell us how it goes." Kizmel added with a gentle smile just before Asuna reached the door. "I am curious to hear how human courtship compares to elven courtship."
Asuna smiled. "Of course, Kizmel. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow."
"Yes!" Silica exclaimed under her breath, just as Asuna opened the door.
She was greeted by a semi-formally dressed Kirito. It was just formal enough to show that Kirito was putting effort into the date, but casual enough to hint that he wasn't taking it overly seriously. With how well they knew each other at this point, she was glad they weren't making this out to be anything more than it was. Her own attire complemented his, oddly enough. She had also taken a semi-formal way of dressing herself, so it was nice to see they were on the same page.
She heard a wolf whistle call out somewhere behind Kirito. She looked over his shoulder to see Nautilus backhand Lokuss's shoulder and glare at him. The loremaster, for his part, was flush with embarrassment and shrunk away behind the posse of young men. She focused her gaze back on Kirito, who was offering a genuine smile.
"Hey Asuna."
"Hi Kirito."
To anyone else, the silence that followed could have been mistaken as awkward. To Asuna - and she knew Kirito shared this sentiment - it was a comfortable silence. Both were very straightforward people; neither were prone to needlessly chattering just to fill empty space.
"You ready to go?" Kirito asked, a tint of pink dusting his cheeks.
"Yep!" She replied, beaming.
"Now listen here, young man." Leonn said to Kirito in a tone of mock authority. Asuna could tell he was trying - and failing - to hold back a laugh. "I want her back home no later than 10:00, is that understood?"
Kirito blinked. "...Sorry?"
The Renegades, save Kizmel, all burst out into laughter. Asuna herself had to hold back a snicker. Once he'd recovered, Leonn clapped Kirito on the back. "Just messin' with you, man. You two enjoy yourselves. Message us if you need anything."
"Will do!" Asuna said, taking Kirito's outstretched arm. Ignoring the coo's and aww's of their guildmates, she and Kirito left the tavern and began their date properly.
"So Sinon and Leonn recommended this place?"
Kirito nodded as he took a look around the place. While he wasn't particularly a fan of the 2nd Floor and its savannah-like heat, he had to admit this little restaurant was nice. The place reminded him of a bakery with how fragrant and, for lack of a better term, bready the air was. It was warm, inviting, and the hearth was practically begging him to sit nearby and warm himself, but right now he had other priorities.
A priority named Asuna.
"Yeah, apparently Argo recommended the place." Kirito informed her. Just then, the waiter arrived with their meals. He thanked the waiter before turning his attention back to his girlfriend.
"Recommended or sold?" Asuna asked with a knowing smirk.
Kirito chuckled. "Probably sold. This is Argo we're talking about."
Asuna giggled, which like every other time before sent ripples of warmth through him. "True. Speaking of, she does still owe us some favors. What are you thinking?"
"Honestly?" Kirito asked after he finished chewing a bite of his sandwich. "If and when this mess with the guild flag blows over, I'd like her to join our guild."
"That's a great idea!" Asuna exclaimed.
Kirito smiled. "I thought so too. Aside from the fact that everyone gets along with her, having an information broker of our own would be really helpful."
"Well, what about Lokuss?" Asuna asked.
Kirito shrugged. "His specialty is more on lore - which is helpful, don't get me wrong; just look at the elf war story - but he doesn't have the connections Argo does."
"That makes sense." Asuna agreed as she started to dig into her own meal, some sort of ravioli dish. She glanced up at Kirito's food. "How's your sandwich?"
Kirito gave her a knowing look. "I've had better."
She stopped mid-chew and smiled at him, her cheeks flushing slightly. He smiled back, knowing the compliment landed. It wasn't an exaggeration, either. Since she'd picked up the ((Cooking)) skill on the 2nd Floor, she'd gotten really good at cooking. Every night she cooked for the guild and everyone loved it.
"That reminds me." Kirito said, drawing her eyes back up to him after she stabbed another ravioli. "Thank you for cooking for everyone every night. I know everyone appreciates it a lot."
She beamed. "Of course! I didn't think I'd like cooking so much, but it's actually a lot of fun experimenting with flavors and ingredients. The cooking system here in SAO is actually very complex. You can create new flavors by mixing ingredients. Oh! That reminds me…"
Setting her fork down, she scrolled through her menu and procured a small purple vial. She held it out to Kirito. He eyed it for a moment before taking it from her. "What's this?"
"Pour a little on your sandwich. I think it'll actually go well with it, actually." She explained. As he poured a few drops on the sandwich, she continued. "It's not quite exact, but I'm getting close to matching - "
"That's soy sauce!" Kirito exclaimed. He looked back and forth between his sandwich and the vial of purple liquid before looking at Asuna. "You've made soy sauce!"
"Not quite." She corrected him, but the flush in her cheeks was indicative of her pride and embarrassment. "I'll get it eventually, but it's close."
"You could make a fortune off of this once you figure it out!" Kirito said. Then he thought about it for a moment. "But that would mean less for me…"
She giggled. "Yes, I suppose so. Don't worry. I'll make sure to keep a batch especially for you."
"Sounds good to me." He smiled before digging back into his now-enhanced meal.
Asuna was enjoying this more than she thought she would.
They spoke at length about guild matters, including some ideas they had about some of the members of their guild. They joked, laughed, and even shared pieces of their meals with each other. Asuna did admit that the sandwich wasn't as good as her own creations. In truth, the meal reminded her of the time they shared a meal after the 2nd Floor field boss. They weren't in the same restaurant as last time, but the same sunset filtered in through the window. Maybe that was their official first date; it would certainly explain why she didn't feel nervous at all about this one. Eventually they finished their meals, tipped the waiter, and at Kirito's insistence made their way down to the 1st Floor. By then, the sun had officially set and nighttime was upon them.
"Where are we going now, Kirito?" Asuna asked.
He took her hand as they walked through the streets, sending waves of comforting warmth up her arm. "You'll see. For now, though, I figured we'd just take a walk."
"Sounds perfect." Asuna smiled.
She had no idea where the destination was, but right now she didn't much care. If Kirito had a final destination in mind, he was taking the longest route to get there. Again, she didn't really mind. Walking hand in hand through the mostly-vacant streets of the Town of Beginnings was refreshing and calming.
"Ooh!" Asuna practically squeaked. She pointed at a small cart serving what looked like desserts. "We should get something!"
Kirito chuckled. "Sounds good. I wonder what they're serving…"
Much to their surprise, the owner of said cart - a player and not an NPC, she noted - had somehow created ice cream using the various dairy products found in Aincrad. There wasn't anything resembling chocolate yet (that she knew of) so she had to settle for what amounted to a vanilla ice cream cone. Kirito was likewise disappointed with the lack of chocolate and settled on something resembling a berry-flavored ice cream. She giggled when she saw it; of course he'd go for something like that.
It looked like blackberry.
They continued the walk in silence as they ate their ice cream cones, and at least once they took a bite out of each others' cones. At one point Asuna felt the need to ask something. It was a breach of online etiquette, but she had to at least try.
"Kirito?" Asuna said, drawing a hum of curiosity from her boyfriend. "Can I ask you something?"
"What's up?" He answered.
"You don't have to answer if you don't want to…" Asuna warned before she continued. "... but I feel like I only know part of you. I know Kirito, leader of the Resolute Renegades and probably the strongest player in Aincrad, but I don't know anything about who you were before all of this."
"You want to know about me in real life?" Kirito asked. She nodded hesitantly, expecting him to shoot her down. "There's not much to tell, but okay."
Her expression brightened. She wasn't expecting him to give in like that. She knew he was a reserved individual, so the fact that he was willing to open up to her even a little like this was a big deal.
"What do you want to know?" He asked.
She paused. Okay, maybe she should have thought this through a little more. What should she ask? She couldn't ask anything too personal; she was already treading new ground here and she wasn't about to pry too much.
"Hmm." She hummed. "What do you like to do for fun? You know, when you're not getting trapped in a video game?"
Kirito chuckled. "Nice. Well, I like to dabble in programming and robotics. I haven't done much outside of just online research, but I was thinking after graduating I'd apply to a college in robotics."
"That's really cool." Asuna complimented. So he was strong and smart. Moreover, he had drive. While that didn't matter too much to her, really - she admired his other qualities more - she knew that if she and Kirito stayed an item after completing SAO she'd have to introduce him to her parents. Having that kind of drive would win him points in their book.
"What about you?" Kirito asked. "What do you do when you're not trapped in a game?"
Even though she made the joke first, she still giggled. As the question started to settle in her mind, her expression became much more pensive. "I'm not really sure, actually. My parents want me to go to a competitive school, but I don't know what I want to do."
"Well, what do you want to do with your life?" Kirito asked as he guided them along, nearing the edge of town. "What makes you happy?"
Asuna thought long and hard about that question. To his credit, Kirito was patient and waited for her answer. What did make her happy? She'd spent so long catering to her parents' wishes that she kept drawing blanks. The immediate things to pop into her head were their aspirations for her, their goals.
Not hers.
"I think, whatever I do, I want to make sure that it makes people happy." Asuna finally said. "I don't know what exactly I'll do in the future, but I think that's fine. Just so long as it makes people happy, I'll be happy."
Kirito smiled. "Good. We'll be there soon, by the way."
Asuna blinked, finally taking stock of their surroundings. At some point - she wasn't sure when - they'd left the Town of Beginnings and walked all the way to Tolbana. In fairness, Tolbana wasn't too far away from the Town of Beginnings, but the fact that they'd walked through open fields was slightly concerning.
"Kirito, we don't have our weapons or armor equipped!" She scolded him. "Sure, none of the monsters on this floor can really damage us, but why would you walk us through open fields like that?"
"Relax, Asuna." He assured her. "I asked Argo to make sure we were protected during the walk. Fortunately, she knows someone who was willing to protect us from potential PKers if we encountered any."
"Wha…?" Asuna stammered. He pointed at a tree in the distance casually. She had to squint, but she saw the outline of a lone figure. She couldn't define any features, but between the scarf that was trailing in the wind and the sentry-like posture, she knew who it was. They'd met only a handful of times since their first encounter during the 10th Floor boss strategy meeting, but they were memorable. "Is that Kuroi?!"
Kirito hummed an affirmative and gave the ninja a nod. The figure in the distance nodded back before vanishing from sight again. "As it turns out, Kuroi's the Shadow."
"Wait, she's the Shadow?" Asuna gaped as she did a double take. "The vigilante who hunts down PKers? That's her?"
"Yup. Surprised me too, but it makes sense." Kirito confirmed as he led them up a hill to a lone tree. "Now we're here."
They were now standing on a small hill just outside Tolbana, and Asuna couldn't shake the feeling that they'd been here before. The way it just peeked over the town nearby. The way the breeze flowed here. Even the field opposite was familiar. Why did this feel so…?
Then it hit her.
"This is the tree I woke up under after you rescued me from the dungeon." Asuna whispered.
"It is." Kirito smiled. He gestured towards a blanket that had been set; Asuna noted that it was placed in the same spot she'd first awoken. "I wanted to go with where we first met, but it's hard to set up a blanket in the middle of a gnoll-infested dungeon. I had to go with the next best thing."
She giggled and wiped away at her glossy eyes. As it turned out, Kirito could be romantic. If the location wasn't enough on its own, the skies were clear and the moon was shining softly on the hillside, blanketing it in a soft glow. The twinkle of distant stars accentuated the atmosphere, something Asuna just now noticed as she was led to the blanket. They both sat side by side and looked down on the peaceful field.
"It's perfect." She whispered, unwilling to interrupt the tranquility in the air.
Kirito seemed to breathe out a sigh of relief. She looked at him worriedly. "What's wrong?"
"I was worried I'd do something wrong." Kirito admitted. "I've never really been with someone before, so this is all new to me."
She searched his face and saw the uncertainty evident in his features. She was his first girlfriend. She smiled at the thought that he'd planned the perfect first date for his first ever date. She looked forward to whatever he'd plan in the future.
"That's okay." She assured him. "I'm new at this, too."
"Really?" Kirito asked, disbelieving. She wasn't sure if she should take that as a compliment or an insult. She chalked it up to his propensity of sticking his foot in his mouth and assumed he meant no harm by it.
"Yep." She answered succinctly. "I've never had a boyfriend before. Never been on a date. Never… kissed someone before…"
Why did she say that?! While she might have looked calm on the outside, she was screaming and panicking on the inside. Great, now she was rushing things! Now things were going to be awkward just when they were getting somewhere, and -
"Neither have I."
That train of thought came to a screeching halt when she felt his hand gently cup the side of her face. She looked at him with frightened, yet hopeful eyes as he closed the distance. Before she knew it, their lips collided and her world exploded. She forgot about the beautiful night sky, the glowing moon above, and even the gently swaying tree they sat under. All else faded away; she melted into the kiss as she focused on only one thing. One thing she'd protect from whatever this virtual hell would throw at them. One thing she swore she'd never let go.
Kirito.
A/N:
I don't think I've written anything so damned fluffy in my life, but I enjoyed writing it anyway! Let me know what you guys think about the fluffy scenes and if you'd like to see more where that came from. The main story will obviously be the focus here, but I might sprinkle in more fluff here and there to help keep the story grounded.
This is the part where I'd say "see you all next week" but there's another chapter posted! What are you waiting for? Get over there!