As a quick reminder

Kirito = Kazuto

Lisbeth = Rika

Leafa = Suguha

Aurain = Ryan

Incoming somewhat important fluff because it sort of does character development. To be honest there was barely any in the first draft, but I had INCREDIBLE writers block. Writing pointless romantic things fixes it. Also chapter seven will be posted in a week or two, so don't be bringing the pitchforks and fire quite yet (if I don't post it by then, THEN you can bring pitchforks). Thanks for all the reviews, and uh sorry if I forgot to reply to a few. I couldn't remember which ones I had sent responses to and which I hadn't. I've been insanely busy.

Chapter VI: Nighttime Ramblings

I rubbed my eyes sleepily and sipped on the cup of hot chocolate Suguha had been generous enough to make me. She ran into me in the hallway as I headed down to the kitchen to wait for Rika to arrive. When she asked what was up, I replied that Rika was headed over to 'Talk some sense into Kazuto'. Suguha gave me a sympathetic look as she looked me up and down, and insisted on making me something warm to drink. I probably looked like a wreck, though I hadn't looked in a mirror to check.

I wondered briefly why I didn't talk Rika into waiting until the morning. I probably could've done it with enough arguing

'Maybe I just want to see her. Funny what your brain makes you do subconsciously.'

I chuckled and leaned back against the fridge in the kitchen. I ignored the phantom pains in my chest, though I did wonder briefly when they were going to go away. Everytime they came up (which was every few minutes) my entire body would involuntarily shudder. If they didn't go away soon, a doctor seemed like a good idea. Something could really be screwed up in my head to make the pains come back over and over like that. I grimaced and rubbed my chest.

I heard a loud knock at the door and breathed out a sigh of relief I didn't even know I was holding in. I pushed off the fridge and went to open the door. I opened it, and let out a grunt of surprise when a human body slammed into my chest and wrapped her arms around me.

"Hey Rika." I chuckled, the phantom pains in my chest somehow now so far back in my mind it was like they no longer existed. I kissed the top of her head and squeezed back.

"Your mom let you out this late?"

Rika giggled into my chest, then looked up at my face with a devious grin.

"Nah I snuck out. She'd never let me go to a boy's house this late at night."

"Ah."

I gulped at the mischievous look on her face. It turned me on little too much considering how tired I was. I mentally slapped myself trying to focus. I didn't need this right now, I needed to focus.

"So." Rika gave me firm look, "Is Kazuto still holed up in his room?"

"Y-Yes." I looked up at the ceiling, feeling kinda bad for selling my friend out to my girlfriend like that. I couldn't lie to her though. I felt bad for poor Kazuto. Rika was like a tornado when she was mad.

Her frown deepened and she grabbed me by the hand and led me up the stairs. I reluctantly directed her to Kazuto's room, still conflicted on whether I wanted her to confront him or not. I sighed. I'd just let things play out.

She knocked on the door of his room.

"Kazuto! If you're in there, I want to talk to you RIGHT NOW."

'Glad she's not using that tone with me.' I chuckled nervously.

There was no response from Kazuto's room. Rika tried several more times until she was practically crimson in the face. She growled and stomped her foot on the ground.

"C'mon Rika," I tugged her by her hand, which was barely poking out of the dark pink sweater she was wearing, "You can give it another go in the morning. I'm about to pass out on my feet. You know Kazuto. He's stubborn. After a good sleep he'll be much more willing to listen to you rant at him."

My girlfriend turned away from the door with an irritable look on her face, probably partly from that last bit of teasing. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but her face immediately softened after getting another look at me. She wrapped her hand around mine firmly and softly pulled me down the hall towards my room.

"You look awful." She said softly as we walked down the hall, "Your eyes are all bloodshot and your so pale. I'm so sorry I didn't notice before. You shouldn't have even let me come over, I wish you'd have insisted on getting rest. I was just so caught up in Asuna being a prisoner and-"

"Lisbeth."

She turned to face me, biting her lip. Her hand was still firmly grasped in mine.

"You being here has made everything so so much better, believe me. Please don't feel bad. In fact, do you think you could sleep over tonight? I know it might get you in trouble but..."

She nodded vigorously and smiled brilliantly at me, "I'd love to."

We entered the guest room, Lisbeth still leading the way. She dragged me onto the bed, but I wasn't protesting. The determined look on her face made my lips twitch upwards. She hopped in next to me, pulling the sheets over the both of us.

"ahhhhh..." Rika pulled herself closer to me, and rested her head on my chest, "It's been too long since I've been able to just melt into your arms like this."

I murmured my agreement back and sighed in contentment at the feeling of the warm body of the girl I loved pressed up against me. Any remote thoughts of attraction to Suguha vanished like dust in the wind and I felt complete again.

"Ryan?"

"Hmm...?" my eyelids flickered open lazily and I looked into Rika's warm brown eyes.

"You'll be here for me forever and ever right?"

Her normal firm tone was shaky. I put a hand on her head curled my fingers in her hair and stroked it softly. I wondered why she was asking this again out of the blue. Maybe after this whole ordeal was over I'd ask her. Now wasn't the time. Better to do it after this whole ALO mess got cleared up.

"That's what I told you when I was about to take on Kayaba with Kazuto, and I haven't even had thoughts of ever going back on that promise. I still haven't told you something I was saving as a surprise."

"What?" Rika burrowed her face into my chest again.

"I'm staying in Japan up through college. From there who knows. I might move back to America, I might stay in Japan. I'm hoping that wherever I do go though, that you'll be right there with me."

Rika's face shot up from my chest and she grinned so widely at me I thought her face was going to break.

"Really!?"

I chuckled, "Really. I wouldn't tease you like that Rika. That's the kind of thing you do to me."

I stuck my tongue out at the last statement and gave my eyebrows a little waggle. Rika puffed her cheeks out, but then suddenly a sly look came over her face. She wiggled up the bed and immediately shoved her mouth over mine, forcing my already stuck out tongue into her mouth. My eyes widened for a brief moment before they closed and I immediately began kissing back. After a few moments of bliss, Rika pulled back and winked at me.

"That's my thank you. You're so wonderful. Have I ever told you that?"

"A lot." I replied in a deadpan tone.

She swatted me in the shoulder playfully and giggled at my mock hurt that followed.

"Are you going back in ALO tomorrow?"

I nodded, "If we can."

"I'm coming with."

"Alright."

Rika's face went from apprehensive to her smiling radiantly in a matter of moments. She wrapped her arms around me tightly and kissed me so fiercely, and so long that when she pulled back my lips were on fire and I was light-headed. I stammered, trying to respond, I hadn't had a whole lot of contact with her since SAO ended months ago, so that kiss overloaded me a bit. She smiled at me coyly, clearly enjoying my confusion. I gulped slightly at how far her shirt had managed to ride up her body. I could see the edge of her bra poking out underneath the bunched-up shirt. It was black and looked lacy. I suddenly felt even more light-headed.

"N-Not that I'm c-complaining." I managed to wrest some control back into my voice, "But...why?"

"I expected you to say no to be perfectly honest. It was nice not having to argue. I also haven't had a chance to really REALLY kiss you in forever. Gotta make up for all the time since SAO's been cleared."

"R-right. Well, I'll be perfectly honest too. I knew you wouldn't take no for an answer even if I'd said no."

"Awww I've trained you so well."

She went back up to my lips and we kissed again, but softer this time. So softly that I managed to drift off to sleep during it, much to my regret later. I didn't want it to end, but my body had other plans.

I yawned and tried to wipe the sleep out of my eyes. The only problem was my right arm was pinned down by the female body of my girlfriend. She'd somehow managed to intertwine her entire body with mine last night, and I could barely move. I grinned softly and rolled my eyes. She was so clingy in her sleep.

"This brings back memories..." I wiggled out of her grip slowly but surely, trying not to wake her. I ignored my morning...problem rubbing up against her, and the slight bucking of her hips in her sleep. Eventually I managed, though her legs kept trying to intertwine with mine again, and I set off to the kitchen, hoping Suguha had set out some food so I could quickly get something in my stomach before the hell I knew today would be. First order of business after breakfast was getting Kazuto's head back on straight if it wasn't already. I needed him. I needed to know if Sugou gave him any info before kicking us. It would be hell rescuing Asuna if we were perma-banned, so finding out if that was true was step two. That wasn't the only reason I needed him though. Other than Rika, he was my closest friend and I didn't fancy tackling this without him.

I was so deep in thought that I almost ran over Suguha on my way down the stairs.

"H-Hi!" I squeaked out, turning red more from how high-pitched my voice sounded than almost running into the girl.

"Morning." Suguha giggled at my expression.

"M-morning." I coughed trying to get my voice back to normal, "Is Kazuto up yet?"

"Not yet no. I was going to let him sleep in a bit more considering what happened yesterday.

'She really loves her brother... Well I'm gonna go get him up right now before Rika wakes up and goes on the warpath. She'll be buzzing mad if he hasn't put himself back together by the time she's up."

"Why does she care so much?"

Suguha followed me back up the stairs and down the hall, our sock covered feet barely making any noise on the wood floor.

"Rika and Asuna are best friends. Out of all the people in your brother's and my circle of friends from SAO, they're probably the closest. Rika's probably just mad that Asuna's boyfriend, your brother, wasn't immediately making plans to save Asuna, and was instead crying his eyes out. I guess she's a bit more used to the crazy things I've done to save her life."

"You'll have to tell me sometime. Sounds interesting."

"That's... one way to put it." I chuckled

We stopped in front of Kazuto's door and I rapped on it loudly with my hand. I took a deep breath, and steeled myself the best I could. I needed to be forceful and firm, something I wasn't great at. Kazuto needed to be back on his feet. I needed his help. After a few moments, the door cracked opening, revealing only a single dark eye from my friend.

"...Kazuto?" I asked tentatively.

The door opened all the way, and to my relief he looked relatively normal. No tears, only furrowed eyebrows, and a frown.

"We've got a lot to talk about." Kazuto said angrily, though it didn't seem the anger was directed at me. Mad was good, it sure beat him crying and doing nothing I supposed.

"We do."

I keep teasing the Kayaba scene and I know people are probably mad hehe. It'll be described in full detail soon. Oh and that other story is still coming. Slowly. I haven't been able to write much in this universe. I partially blame my own novel I'm working on haha. I don't even plan on writing it out until I get better, but world planning takes a looooooooooooot of work.

-Forscythe