Happy Birthday! Asuna!
Asuna was feeling rather lonely today.
But she wasn't alone. Agil, Klein, Silica, Lisbeth, Sinon, leafa, and even Alice were all here in ALO to celebrate her birthday. Yes! It was Asuna's birthday today, and she had been shower with love and presents all throughout the day. The only person missing from this group is the person who Asuna wanted to see the most.
Except he wasn't here.
"Leave it to Kirito, right? Choosing work over celebrating Asuna's birthday." The loquacious blacksmith said out loud.
Sitting around in a circle of her cabin home in ALO, Lisbeth's frown grew in size, "I mean, can you really believe Mr. Kikuoka needed Kirito again? I wouldn't be surprised if it was another shady project or something like that."
Asuna thought back to the events of Project Alicization which seemed so long ago. A shiver run up her spine, the result that created Alice, the artificial fluctlight sitting right next to her at the moment.
Asuna waved her hand quickly to dismiss that thought, "I am sure he's just held up. Mr. Kikuoka promised me that it's just a regular test with the STL this time."
But Asuna was a little bit worry as well. If Kirito ended up in danger again, Asuna promised to use whatever power possible, perhaps her family influence, to put Kikuoka away for good.
Alice shared that sentiment, "It's true that we are all worried about Kirito, but there is still time before he's supposed to meet us here, right?"
Sinon followed up with a question, "But Alice, I thought you could sense if Kirito's fluctlight was in any danger. It's the same with you, isn't it Asuna?"
The chestnut brown hair girl shared a long, understanding look with the blonde girl with blue eyes, "Yes, our souls have indeed connected much more deeply with Kirito's, hence we could tell if something awry happened."
Out of the corner, Silica whispered jealously and pout, "Of course you two would get even closer to Kirito-Kun."
Leafa bumped her shoulder with the small girl and grinned.
"But I don't sense anything wrong." Asuna said shortly after a pause.
Alice followed up, "Me neither. Perhaps Mr. Kikuoka was telling the truth this time. Hopefully."
The group went silent.
"But hey! If Kirito's in trouble again, we'll just rush back in to save his sorry ass." Klein butt in with a drink in his hand, putting out his usual bright and steady smile.
Klein shook his head, "That boy… always getting himself into trouble."
The girls giggled and nodded at that. There was no objection.
How Klein wished for a bunch of pretty girls rushing to save him if he was ever in huge trouble. He sighed, resigning himself to this fate. Just then, Agil put his hand on his shoulder and shared an understanding look.
"Well, it's been fun everyone, but I should get going. Happy Birthday, Asuna. Tell Kirito I said hi."
"I will. See you, Agil-san."
Agil pulled up the menu and log off from the world.
Soon, more and more of her friend log off for different reasons. Sinon had to get up early for her part-time job. Silica and Lisbeth both needed to wake up early for school. Leafa had morning practice. Klein had his job to go to.
Everyone was gone now, and they all wished her a happy birthday before returning to the real world.
Asuna tried desperately to feel happy, but with the time far beyond when Kirito was supposed to meet up with them, Asuna gave up hope waiting too.
Alice was the only one who remain, and she decided to help her out with the dishes.
"Are you going to keep waiting?" Alice asked as they took turns washing.
"Of course I am!" Asuna couldn't leave, not until Kirito offered an explanation and an apology to her in person, or rather, in-virtual person.
"Why are you waiting too?" Asuna returned her question.
"Oh. Well, he's someone that I treasure deeply, so I wanted to make sure he's okay before leaving. Is there anything wrong with that?" Alice tried to pass off a smile, but it earn her a scowl.
"Is that right?" Asuna crossed her arms.
Alice sighed as she picked up on Asuna's discomfort from where she was standing, "Asuna, you know I don't intend to— I mean, when I found out- really found out about your relationship with Kirito, I know nothing could change that."
Alice turned to the dishes and smiled inwardly, "I do admit, as I still have a lot of unresolved feelings for Kirito. He saved me multiple times just when I thought I couldn't stand anymore, but after learning what you two have gone through…"
"… What about me?"
That promptly startled both girls. They swung their bodies around to face the doorway toward the bedroom, seeing a figure clad in black and as always with his onyx hair all mess up. He spotted them in the living room and immediately smile.
"Kirito!"
Alice disregarded the dishes and went over for a hug right away, "Kirito, you wouldn't believe how worry we all were. Everything is okay, isn't it? Mr. Kikouka didn't make you do anything, did he?"
Kirito had all his breath squeezed out of his virtual lungs, "A-Alice-e… C-Can't breathe."
When he was finally free, Kirito explained everything in detail, how it was just a regular maintenance test with the STL and he wasn't even diving into the underworld.
The worriedness of Alice's expression disappeared. She pressed both hands to her chest and sighed, "I'm just glad you are okay, Kirito."
Flashing him a subtle smile afterward, Alice tried to warn him of what's to come, "Anyway, you've got a lot of apologizing to do to Asuna, Kirito. I do hope you are ready for that."
Kirito chuckled nervously.
Alice stepped back from the couple and swung the menu open, "Well, it's been fun, Asuna. Happy Birthday. And see you around, Kirito."
"Thanks for keeping everyone company, Alice," Kirito said.
Alice smiled one last time, then disappeared into streams of blue lights.
…..
Asuna was feeling rather lonely today, but not anymore.
"Well," Kirito approached her, "Sorry, Asuna, but I got held up with work."
Asuna stepped back suddenly, "No, what's really going on, Kirito? Why did you lie?"
When Kirito looked shocked, Asuna was ready to cry because she couldn't believe her lover would hide something from her, "You weren't really helping out with any maintenance test with the STL, weren't you? What were you doing? Where did you really go?"
Asuna didn't want to have that thought, especially not on her birthday. It really sucked because she could easily tell he was lying- their lives were so interconnected that nothing could stay a secret between them, yet she didn't dare to ask him the reason why.
"I guess I really can't hide anything from you anymore, Asuna." Kirito chuckled and received a cold glare from his girlfriend. It was a bad time for a joke. As always, his ability to read the room hadn't improved even after spending a significant amount of time in three separate worlds. He shrunk backward and held his hands up, "Come now, Asuna, you know I would never do that."
Asuna knew it as well, and it didn't feel good to almost outright accuse him of it. There must be some specific reasons why Kirito would keep whatever it was a secret from everyone.
"Look, I know I lie to everyone, but it's a surprise. The reason I'm being so secretive with you… Look, how about I'll tell you everything when we log off together, okay?" His smile gave her enough confidence to act normal again.
"Log off? But you are so far away… How are you going to-"
Asuna almost lost her voice when Kirito suddenly backed her up against the kitchen table. She let out a girly squeal, one that made sure her face was deeply flustered, especially when Kirito grab her hand and held it tight. He smirked at her.
Asuna had an inappropriate thought just then: If only Kirito-Kun could be this bold all the time…
"Just trust me, okay?" He flashed his up-to-no-good smile.
Asuna sighed and relented.
Before Kirito logged off, Asuna was told to wait at least five minutes before following after him. It didn't make the slightest sense why he would go through all this trouble. Lying to his friends, keeping some secrets, plus the surprise…
Even if Asuna had unlimited guesses, she wouldn't be able to figure out what Kirito was up to. No doubt just one of his usual mischief.
Of course, Asuna was so wrong.
…
"Kirito-Kun?"
Asuna called out to her lover, but then she remembered how Kirito was on the other side of the city, probably in the Roppongi office where the STLs were held, while she was back in her room in the real world.
"Jeez… Kirito you Baka…" Asuna wasn't surprised when she was alone, "How am I supposed to talk to you now?"
With the AmuSphere still on her head, Asuna removed the device, sat up, and got the shock of a lifetime.
"Don't worry, Asuna." It was Kirito's voice, "You can still talk to me."
She threw the device away in a rush to see her boyfriend, trying to discern whether she was still in the stimulation or if this was actually the real world, where Kirito was sitting in her room, another AmuSphere beside a chair close by her bed while he watched her sleep.
"How?!" Asuna covered her mouth when she remembered that both her parents, even her brother, were home today.
Kirito kept that uneven smirk on his face, the same one that he left her before he disconnected from Alfheim Online five minutes earlier.
"Your parents let me in."
Asuna couldn't process that at all. Her mom, Yuuki Kyouko, who was always strict toward strangers, especially toward Kirito who she had a mild distaste for and didn't bother to hide that fact, actually let him in the house and even as far as giving him permission into her room while she was diving.
How?!
Has she lost her mind?
"Don't look so shocked, Asuna… I didn't sneak in here. Your mom and dad gave me permission." Again, there was that mischievous smile that made Kirito-Kun looked so… irresistible.
"What are you doing here?" Suddenly, Asuna felt the urge to grab her pillow and hug it to her chest.
Kirito cleared his throat when she hugged her pillow close to her body, then he reached inside his pocket and brought out something, hidden within in a closed fist.
"I am here to give you this." He smiled.
Asuna held her breath close. For a second, she thought Kirito was going to propose, but that would be silly because she was already wearing the engagement ring he gave her on that camping night, just the two of them underneath the stars.
She had never taken it off since then when she was outside with him. It stayed on her ring finger at all times, except when she needed a shower, but right after she would put it back on before anything else.
The suspense was killing her as she leaned off the bed a little bit so she could have a better look.
"W-What is it?" Asuna asked hesitantly.
"Hold out your hand."
Asuna held out her hand before Kirito brushed her palm with his, giving her something that resemble a key. When she got a closer look, it was definitely a key around a keychain.
"What is this?" Asuna couldn't figure it out, not until she saw that Kirito had the similar-looking key around the same keychain roped around his index finger. He was smiling brightly.
Asuna knew what's going on now.
Finally, the tone of his voice grew a bit more serious, "Asuna. After everything that we've been through, I'm… I'm ready to take the next step with you. You are my everything, and I don't want to live without you anymore."
"I want to come home every single day and be able to see you."
"I want to eat your delicious cooking all the time."
Kirito kneeled down before Asuna and gestured at their matching key, "Asuna, I want you to come and live with me."
For the longest time, Asuna was speechless.
"Asuna?"
Then tears fell from one side of her soft cheeks to another, repeating again and again.
"K-Kirito-Kun…" Asuna pushed her pillow away and flung herself down to hug her lover, "Of course I'll move in with you. I love you so much."
Kirito smiled when they pulled away, then immediately went on a tangent, "Don't worry, Asuna. I still have some savings left. Of course, Mr. Kikouka also helped me out too after I reminded him about the mess he got all of us in, so I got a job with the ministry of defense."
"It's nothing serious. Just typical office work, you know."
Asuna chuckled, "Is that why you lie about testing the STL? You were persuading Mr. Kikouka about a job offer?"
Kirito ran his hand through his hair, "Yeah, sorry for lying."
"Well, Agil and my sister knew about this too because Agil helped me find a place not far from my family, and Suguha also helped convince my parents, so…."
Asuna shook her head softly and stared into his onyx eyes with something deeper than her affection for her loving boyfriend/fiancé, "I don't mind, Kirito."
"I could never forget everything that you have done for me. My heart belongs to you and I couldn't wait until we can live together, Kirito-Kun."
The only source of light in her dimly lit room was from the moon. After her confession, Asuna caught onto Kirito's eyes reflecting its sliver glow right away, and soon they were both lost in each other. His mesmerization of her sitting slightly above him soon made her blushed, it was Kirito who took the first step when he leaned up and prep a soft kiss on her lips. Everything became instincts then, and Asuna tilted toward his lips too, mewling softly when they separated.
Pulling away slightly, Kirito put all his attention on her and leaned forward again, "I'll always love you, Asuna."
Asuna let him leaned further and further until he was on top of her on the bed. Gazed lovingly into his eyes, Asuna lay flat on her bed while her boyfriend hovered gently above, and this time, she was ready to let Kirito know just how her love matched for him too.
"I love you too, Kirito-Kun." She leaned up to kiss him passionately, "Forever and ever."
And that night on Asuna's twentieth birthday, she received the best birthday present she could have ever wanted.
"Happy Birthday, Asuna."
AN: A short fluffy fanfic for all those kirisuna shippers out there. I know, it's a little late for Asuna's birthday, but hopefully, you enjoyed reading another one of my SAO stories. Till next time.