DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sword Art Online or any of its characters. I do, however, own the fanart used as the cover; as I drew that myself.

() = Skills.

EXAMPLE: (Blacksmith).

[] = Stats and status effects.

EXAMPLE: [Strength] and [Invisible].

{} = Item names.

EXAMPLE: {Anneal Blade}.

«» = Monster and location names.

EXAMPLE: «Dire Wolf» and «The Town of Beginnings».

Chapter 3: Secrets.

"Whiskers what whiskers?" Argo says quickly, her healthy blush deepening to a cherry red blaze. "I mean, I like whiskers; they make m'look cute. Yeah, tha's why. My whiskers make m'cuter so I have whiskers, duh."

Of all the answers Kirito expected, immediate denial was not among them.

"It's almost like. No, that can't be right… could it?" Kirito thinks, narrowing his eyes before the words slip out of his mouth. "Are you… embarrassed of them?"

"Embarrass'd?! Who, me? Nope, not even a little!" She says with an embarrassed squeak.

"Now I'm really curious." Kirito says, sipping his drink. "If you don't like them, why do you still have them?"

"Tha' info costs 20,000 coins."

The young man's coughing fit starts the moment those words leave her lips. An insane price on such a minor request, a price so high that Kirito was convinced he could actually buy «The Town of Beginnings» with that much money! Assuming it was ever for sale, of course.

"W-well." Kirito coughs, clearing his airways. "I have a counter offer. You tell me why you have whiskers and I don't leak that the Argo the Rat is easily flustered by her whiskers."

"Yer blackmailin' me—you wouldn't dare!" Argo says; yet despite her words, her smile and respect were only growing.

"I learned from the best, just watch me." Kirito says, pushing his meal aside to rest his elbow on the table, his chin resting in his now open palm. "I'm a moderately well known forum moderator, a rumor like that might spread."

He didn't bother stopping the teasing grin growing on his own face.

"Y've got a lot of balls usin' my own technique against me Kii-bou. Such dedication might give a girl the wrong idea."

"Dodging the question might give me the wrong idea Argo."

"Maybe…" Argo says, leaning across the table, her tone seductive and heavy. "…I want ya t' get the wrong idea?"

A tension, something thick hanging in the air. Neon blushes rage on Kirito's and Argo's faces. The young rat's confidence suddenly shakes, her posture wobbling as doubts enter her mind.

"Maybe I'm flirtin' too hard." Argo thinks. "I should prob'ly dial down a bit."

"Hey, maybe we should—"

Her next words were lost to the void when Kirito reached his hand out, gently grasping the back of her head and pulling her into a deep kiss. Lips pressed gently yet insistently together; and when the young man tried pulling away, an apology on his lips for supposedly reading the room wrong, the whiskered woman dragged him forward by his shirt collar into an even deeper kiss, chasing after that initial pleasure. So lost were the two of them in their desire for the other, neither of them noticed the diner door opening; nor did they notice a vaguely familiar face.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me." The same male-voiced, female-bodied player from the church says, watching as Argo's foot kicks off the table's edge so she can jump and land in Kirito's lap. "Is it too much to ask for you two exhibitionists to get a room?!"

At some point tongues got involved, open mouths allowing their wet and slippery serpents to wrap and coil around each other, amplifying their mutual lusts beyond that initial spark. When the two of them finally separated, a bridge of slick saliva connecting them together, Kirito's onyx gems lost themselves in Argo's golden meadows, their eyes as connected as their mouths once were.

"Tavern room." The green-haired woman mumbles, leaning forward and slowly rolling her lips over the black-haired adventurer's once more.

"Aight, y'win. I'll tell ya th'incredible epic on how I, Argo the Rat, earned my stripes."

Currently said rat was scrolling through her inventory for a new shirt, having accidentally destroyed her previous one when she tackled Kirito to the tavern's bed. Her armor was fine, having enough presence of mind to take it off with some degree of care, but it definitely needed repairs.

They didn't go all the way, mutual respect and lust definitely guiding them farther than they reasonably should've, but they were still recently strangers. Heavy petting and intense make outs were how they spent the past few hours, with their undergarments still in operation.

Argo couldn't suppress the shiver upon remembering the feel of Kirito's hand sliding across her body, stroking her muscles while his lips pressed gently against her abs. The man would definitely find work as a masseuse, if no other job offers ended up available.

"In exchange fer me sharin' this secret with ya, fer free might I add, y'will not let slip that 's embarrassin' and y'will go on another date with me at some point in the near future."

"You drive a hard bargain." Kirito says, pushing his half-naked body to the side to let the recently-shirted girl sit on their temporary bed. "How ever will I pay for such a deal?"

"Oh, I'll find a way." Argo says, her eyes smoldering with lust's embers and threatening to consume the both of them again. "But tha's later, now 's story time with Argo! Let me tell you 'bout a special quest, only available on th'second floor!"

AN: The next chapters will definitely be late for KiriArgo Week 2021, as I only have so much time to work on this, to work on projects I want to do, and to do writing in the spirit of NaNoWriMo (note: I am not actually signed up for NaNoWriMo.)

The Prompts for KiriArgo Week 2021

Prompt 1: First Meeting

Prompt 2: Food

Prompt 3: Secrets

Prompt 4: Dungeon

Prompt 5: Rest

Prompt 6: Weather

Prompt 7: Family