Aincrad, Floor 64: Village of QROW 10:47 AST (Aincrad Standard Time)
"Mhhhm..." A strong sensation of warmth rushed over Kirito as he awoke, sleep clouded ebony eyes peering idly from behind his parting eyelids as the usual view of the rented inn room's discoloured celling greeted his slightly distorted gaze. Yawning, he attempted to sit up, grimacing at the fatigue that clung to his recently reawakened muscles, managing to raise himself only a couple of inches before dropping back to the cushioned mattress with a surprised 'whumph' as he acknowledged a foreign weight resting upon his bare chest.
He looked down and chuckled warmly.
Masses of lavender hair splayed across his torso in an unending sprawl, the fugitive shards of lights that penetrated the rooms blinds casting the normally tempered purple into brighter shades of cheerful violet. Casting a weary glance at his sleeping partner's face revealed relaxed, peaceful features that showed no sign of the fierce, indomitable warrior that hid behind closed crimson orbs: When asleep all that remained was the dainty teenage visage.
He felt his own features melting into a smile, and raised a hand to stroke through the mop of unruly hair which threatened to engulf him.
"Rise and shine Yuuki'" he laughed once more at the muffled protests from the sleeping woman as she attempted shrug off the hand that threatened to break her slumber, ignoring her protests, he continued the menstruations to her scalp, gradually coaxing the slumbering swordswoman back to the world of the living.
"Morning sleepy head." Kirito murmured as Yuuki's eyes finally fluttered open, followed by a suitably loud yawn.
"Mornin' Ki." Yuuki looked up at his raised face from her position, the parts, pieces and memories from the previous night, leading up to her current predicament slowly falling into place as they held one another's gaze. He suppressed a snicker as her cheeks darkened with a smattering of red.
"So we?"
"Yup."
"As in-"
"Uh-huh."
"Oh."
Kirito again tried, and failed, to supress laughter from bubbling up in his throat at the famed swordstress' stunted reply, her blush only growing deeper as she felt the bare skin of his chest rub tauntingly against her cheek as he chuckled at her; she raised an arm to cover her face in embarrassment.
"You're the absolute worst, ya' can't just laugh at a lady like that." she hissed, failing to inject any actual malice into her tone, to her own irritation.
"Hey, hey, hey, you can't blame me, that expression was just too priceless! Besides, this entire operation was your idea."
He started to chortle again as she could only groan in response.
"…I suppose you're right, I'm not complaining, but isn't morning after pillow talk meant to be a little more, I don't know, romantic, than confusion, mortifying embarrassment and then laughter."
Kirito, just raised an eyebrow at her and grinned.
"Isn't that just a perfect summary of our entire relationship though?"
Yuuki stared at him for a moment before conceding defeat.
"Fair play, fair play. Anyways, I think I need a shower to freshen up and get rid of this bloody blush, and then…"
"Breakfast?" Kirito finished.
"Yup."
"Gee, how could I guess?"
"Oi, you're a witty one this mornin' aren't ya?"
Kirito went to answer but stopped when he saw the devilish smirk plastered across her face, a sure sign he had just walked into a devious trap.
"Shower time!"
Without warning Yuuki threw the covers off herself, jumped from the bed and rising to stare down at the still stunned Kirito, her smirk still growing. The Black Swordsman himself just gulped in response, trying to looking anywhere but Yuuki's bare frame as she started to snicker, leaning down to murmur in his ear.
"Aww, Ki' what's the matter, cat got your tongue?"
"…"
Bellowing at laughter at his lack of response, she straightened up and shot him a quick peace sign before strolling towards the bathroom, a shit eating grin still firmly plastered to her face, leaving the dumbfounded Kirito in her wake. Stepping into the shower Yuuki hummed softly to herself as the water cascaded down her; collecting her thoughts, her mind drifted to the previous night, causing a small smile to grace her lips as she busied herself with the cathartic task of washing herself.
Reluctantly, Yuuki eventually turned off the stream of water and stepped out, her hand opening the character screen and reequipping her usual outfit which had been hastily discarded the previous night. Slicking back her still damp lilac bangs, she gave her appearance a quick once over before opening the bathroom door and exiting, smiling and softly giggling at the sight of the back of a still shell-shocked Kirito finishing reequipping his own gear, clearly suffering from the hormonal torture she had dropped upon him. Deciding he'd suffered long enough, and moving quietly, she walked up behind him and snaked her arms round his chest in a warm embrace, pulling him close.
"Ready? Sorry if that show earlier was a little too much."
Kirito snorted softly, leaning back into the embrace.
"To use your own words, I'm not complaining, just warn me a little next time, I enjoy avoiding heart attacks where possible. C'mon, let's go, bet you're pretty hungry after… well."
Yuuki giggled at his awkwardness and nodded her agreement, grabbing one of his hands to lead him out the door.
/Scene Change/
Eventually, after multiple childish bouts of mock-bickering, the two clearers decided upon a restaurant, a small, quaint establishment huddled in the spawn town of Floor 33, dubbed 'La Meat Toboggan' which had been recommended to the two as having excellent food at pound store prices; a perfect combination for any tight pocketed player. Namely Kirito.
"H-how are you doing anyways?" Yuuki looked up from her meal in surprise at Kirito's line of questioning.
"What do you mean?" she asked, one eyebrow disappearing up into the purple locks. "Y-you know, after..." he trailed off his cheeks burning, "I didn't, y'know, hurt you?"
Yuuki's own cheeks briefly flashed scarlet before her composure returned, "Not really, quite the opposite in fact." Her eyes briefly took on a thoughtful glaze as she looked down into the depths of her tea before returning to his gaze.
"Talking to you about… everything, about me, about my past, about how that's changed me; it… it helped more than anything, so thank you for staying, thanks… for just being you."
"R-Really?" Kirito's blush deepened further, always terrible at accepting compliments.
Yuuki giggled softly, a trademark smirk gently replacing her neutral expression whilst she placed a hand upon own outstretch one.
"I'm sure K', it was wonderful, thanks to you and Elucidator Jr there."
He looked up in confusion briefly, "Elucidat- ?" his face suddenly burned crimson once more as he processed Yuuki's comment, "Y-YUUKI!"
She laughed jubilantly at his flustered expression before her own melted back into a gentle smile, "Ok, ok I'll stop." Taking a moment to compose herself, she continued.
"But really thank you, that meant a lot to me, it was the first time I've ever, y'know..." a mirrored blush painted her own face as Kirito squeezed her dainty hand and smiled, her own blush gradually reduced and she returned the gesture.
"There is something else I've wanted to ask you..." her voice trailed off as if she seemed to gather her thoughts once more, "When this game is cleared... when we're booted back into the real world, will we ever see each other again?" her voice seemed to catch and she cleared her throat before continuing, "I mean, I obviously want to find you after, but I don't exactly have many other priorities once I get back. I have time to search; I didn't want you to assume that I thought you had to drop everything, friends, family, just to come looking for me…"
Kirito once again looked at her incredulously, "Of course I'll come looking for you Yu', as soon as possible, we both live in Tokyo after all, it wouldn't be any trouble at all, and..." he looked deep into her eyes and sighed as words failed him as they always did, "..and, you know me, I'm a giant sap, I don't think I could or want to manage without you a second more than I have too."
Yuuki sniffed, in attempt to stop tears from breeching the defences of her eyes, as Kirito finished.
"Thank you Ki', y'know I haven't had the… easiest life." her eyes flickered with long harboured ghosts for a fleeting moment before rebounding to a joyous glow, "But… right here, in this castle, in this moment, it's by far the happiest it's been." With that, and a warm smile exchanged, the two returned to their meal.
It was sometime before Yuuki drew his attention again for anything but pleasant small talk, the two having finished their meals and were now aimlessly wandering the streets and vending stalls of Floor 33.
"Hey, if you're up for some excitement today I think we should head to Floor 72, I hear the clearers are struggling with the field bosses; something about not having enough D.P.S players, you in?"
Kirito's raised an inquisitive eyebrow, "72?" his expression only grew more confused as Yuuki nodded, "We only just reached that Floor why the sudden push?"
Such speed was indeed confusing, Aincrad's field bosses were usually only situated in the infamous Labyrinths, which in turn were located at the very end of a Floor, connecting it to the upper levels; being as they were, dangerous by their very design and only increasing in size, it usually took a great deal of time and caution to clear one.
"Heathcliff" came Yuuki's terse reply, Kirito's face immediately darkened and he shared a grim look with her.
"He's back?" she nodded,
"Apparently KOB's reconstruction is finished, he's back on the front lines. Word has it he's making up for lost time."
Heathcliff, master of the Knights of the Blood Oath, had pulled the guild from the front lines after Asuna's murder for an apparent vetting of all members to ensure no further incidents occurred, the guilds return was a game changer, whether for the better or not, was certainly questionable.
Kirito let out a heated sigh, a gloved hand coming up to rub his strained temple. "His constant pressure to push further and harder, without care is the exact reason we lost so many, not just her..."
Yuuki's face dropped as she saw Kirito crumple slightly at the mention of Asuna's loss, then again, the scars of her loss still lingered on all of the clearers close to her.
"I promise you we, I, won't let it be the same this time. We'll look out for one another you know we will." she pulled Kirito into her arms in the street, not sparing a care for the glances it got her from nearby players; stroking his raven hair tentatively, she felt him relax into the embrace, savouring the warmth that poured from the swordswoman.
"I ca-n-n't lose you Yu. Please." he mumbled into her hair, the smell of her shampoo invading his senses. Yuuki pulled him back slightly and stared into his eyes her own filled with burning determination that seemed to burn straight through him.
"I won't leave you alone, not again, not ever I won't allow it." He simply stared back at her, mesmerized by the inferno raging in her crimson orbs, he saw a promise among the flames and knew he wouldn't be left alone, not again; a small smile crested his lips and he answered meekly,
"Ok."
Yuuki pulled him back into the embrace allowing the emotions words couldn't express to flow through them, gently separating Yuuki smiled at him, "So, Labyrinth time?"
Kirito smiled once more, the anguished memories extinguished, "Defiantly."
/Scene Change/
"Attack coming in from the left!"
Yuuki raised her lilac longsword to deflect the incoming attack from the axe wielding field boss, the axe's jagged head grating off the smooth surface of the blade with a monolithic clang before rebounding, the figure staggering back from the force of the colossal momentum being reversed against it. Taking the initiative, Yuuki renewed her assault, activating the one handed swordskill 'Vertical Square', she launched herself at the boss, the four consecutive hits from her blade each hitting their mark with frightening accuracy as they tore an equal number of wounds into the Boss' bedraggled flesh, creating a pale lavender square that hung in the air for an instant before shattering.
"Switch" she yelled, springing dexterously backwards out of the boss' attack range as Kirito rushed forward, the single hit skill 'Vorpal Strike' multiplying his speed beyond usual player limits; Elucidator little more than a red tinged, ebony blur as the boss was struck with the full might of the Black Swordsman's signature move. Finally, inundated with scarlet lines, and its health bar dissolved, the Level 80 Field Boss "Tyrian" reared its head and burst into numerous aqua coloured shards with a final defiant roar.
Kirito allowed his shoulders to slump as oxygen rattled into his overworked lungs, the tip of Elucidator piercing shallowly into the ground as he lent on it, legs threatening to collapse; Yuuki enveloped him in a hug from behind, her own breathing as strained as his own.
"W-we did it Ki'!" she heaved, clasping him tightly and pulling both of them onto the soft blades grass beneath their feet.
"G-guess we did" he chuckled weakly as the exhaustion involved with beating an incredibly high levelled Field Boss caught up with them both in its entirety. The two warriors lay for a moment, allowing them to regain their breath and slow their racing hearts, only interrupted when they became aware of the distinct sound of footfall approaching. A stern and slightly bemused voice rising above the growing noise.
"Well, well it seems someone has beaten us to the boss. Men, at ease, lower your weapons." Yuuki sat bolt upright at the voice, feeling Kirito follow suit, there was no mistaking the gravelly voice, the unruly silver hair and the crimson armour the figure was clad in, Yuuki saw Kirito stiffen out the corner of her eye and then stand quickly, his fist clenched around the hilt of his sword.
"Heathcliff" he growled.
Author's Note: Well, this is embarrassing… five months? That's awful even by my, convoluted, mismanaged release schedule. It seems I always have to have an excuse lined up as these delays seen to grow longer and longer, so I'll keep it short; my existing PC decided to fry itself and I moved house, which all took up a couple of months.
As for the other couple? Honestly, I was doubting whether I should or shouldn't continue this story as I wasn't convinced, I was up to the task of doing it the justice it deserved, as work has simply been draining my confidence in and enthusiasm to write. Luckily, I'm back on track(ish) now thanks in no small part to all the brilliant and eager comments that have trickled in and to those people, you know who you are, thank you.
The next hiatus won't be as long, with the projects I've got lined up however, it may still take until next month. Thanks for all the support and views, it's good to see this story is enjoyed.
As always, please leave a review, whether to say you liked it, or thought it was shit, it all helps.
Till next time!