Disclaimer: Don't own Sword Art Online (I or II), or any of it's characters.
Rating: T
Continuing the holiday fluff, hehe
RL
December 31th, 2030
Staring at herself in the bathroom mirror, Asuna brushed her teeth, Kazuto alongside her (he was swishing mouthwash). She mostly ignored it as he spit into the sink, ran the water for a split-second to douse it down the drain, then test how clean his mouth was with his fingers.
"So, the shower went well, didn't it?" he asked, not particularly looking at her.
She squeaked a little, nearly dropping her toothbrush.
"I'm guessing that blush means yes?"
She made a sound, glancing away + refusing to answer - a hand went to her waist, and despite her efforts to (playfully) pull away, he leaned in close.
"Come on, you know you enjoyed it" he continued, mild.
"I-I didn't say I didn't, Kazuto" she stuttered a bit, trying for a slight annoyed tone. "Just that next time, I'd appreciate some warning - you know, b-before you suddenly press against me."
He was silent for a moment, his fingers moving over her waist. "Well, maybe I do go over the line sometimes" he admitted, very soft. "However... if you truly didn't like them, at least a little, I think you might have reacted more strongly."
Her cheeks heated even more; it was getting harder to pretend she didn't like/want his closeness right now.
Then he kissed her neck gently, making her gasp. "Still, I'm sorry about startling you" he breathed gently, leaning back to normal.
She looked at him a moment, slowly smiled as she finished up, touching his shoulder. "It's okay" she assured, before walking out, making sure to finish getting ready. He took a little longer, while she exited out the bedroom door, while at nearly the same time, Yui's door opened.
"Aaaahhhhhhhh" Yui breathed, yawning as she stretched, eyes still bleary from sleep before she noticed her. "Oh, morning mommy."
"Good morning, Yui" she said gently, briefly touching Yui's shoulder. "I'll have breakfast ready for all of us in thirty minutes; give you enough time to get ready yourself."
Yui definitely brightened at that. "Okay" she said more cheerfully, humming a little happily as she walked into the other bathroom, door closing behind her.
For Asuna's part, she just giggled a little; Kazuto and Yui would always get a kick out of anything she cooked. It never failed, ever.
/
Before noon
"Hehehe" Yui breathed, curious. "These pictures look so cute, just like the little puppy Liz and Silica brought before."
Mommy smiled at her, nodding. "Well, puppies generally have that effect" she said sweetly. "They invented 'puppy-dog-eyes' for a reason."
Yui nodded excitedly, remembering the one given to her by the little puppy; oh it was so cute, and she was just remembering it hehehe! And apparently even the adult dogs could do so as well, which she couldn't wait to see!
"Still" mommy continued, looking over the page, where several breeds were on display. "Puppies or not, dogs come in all shapes, sizes, and even colors."
"How different are their sizes, mommy?" she asked, curious.
Mommy hummed, glancing up, before looking at her with a smile. "Well, this is off the top of my head, but, let's see" she said softly, before holding up her hands. "I believe the smallest breed of dogs, is somewhere around here in height, from paws to shoulder anyway, even at adult age."
Yui breathed out; mommy's hands only had a difference of roughly 3 inches. The puppy Liz + Silica had been roughly the same size - could an adult dog be that small? "Are you sure about that?" she asked, looking up.
Mommy nodded, but understanding. "Like I said though, that's the smallest breed of dogs; not all of them can be that small" she assured, making her relieved. "And on the other side of the scale-"
"The big dogs?"
"Mmh-hmm. I believe the biggest breeds can be... well, from paws to shoulder, around 3-and-a-half feet tall."
This time Yui gasped, not because of the number, but the imagery involved - she'd seen the puppy for herself, moving on all four paws normally. If the little guy had been able to stand, he'd be near double his normal height. A big dog 3-and-a-half feet tall from paws to shoulder would be even bigger than mommy or daddy if it stood up! And from what mommy had told her, some of the dogs were very affectionate, reaching up and pressing their paws to the human's shoulders, licking their faces. Imagine living with such a big dog, capable of licking your face anytime they wanted!
"Like the smaller dogs, those are the larger ones; mostly they're anywhere in-between" mommy continued, gentle. "And generally, dogs are very loyal to their owners, especially the friendly ones. The more aggressive ones will bark loudly at newcomers, but usually it's an act."
"Hehe" she breathed, imaging it all for herself. "They sound so wonderful; I can see why many have them as domestic pets."
Mommy giggled, to her brief surprise. "Not everyone is a dog person though" she added, a little playful. "They can also take a lot of work - for some, cats are easier to handle."
Curiously confused, she was about to ask-
-mommy saw that coming, and turned the page to another 'common' animal.
Four-legged and one-tailed, just like dogs, but generally a lot more covered in fur. Usually more colorful eyes, this gaze in their eyes when they looked at something, and generally smaller too. An obvious difference was in their ears, as while many dogs' ears would hang down, all of these animals' ears perked up instead, pointed too. At first she saw a lack of claws, but then a diagram showed that these did have claws, but unlike dogs, were able to retract them inside their bodies. "What are these called?" she asked, really curious.
Internally though, she was also squeeing a bit; they were so cute too! And they were a lot like Silica + Sinon's Cat Sith ears from ALO!
"Cats, Yui, one of the other most common pets on the planet."
Surprised, she looked at mommy. "Really?" she asked, excited, mommy nodding. "Do they get along with each other?"
At that, mommy laughed, really surprising her again. "Not unless they've been raised together" she said mildly. "Cats don't trust dogs, and dogs generally chase cats - it's a kind of animal instinct thing. They're as different as can be."
"Oh?"
Mommy smirked. "Dogs can a handful to control, having near-boundless energy" she said easily. "However, if you can handle them, they're loyal and loving. Cats are generally less of troublemakers, usually, though they shift from 'no energy' to 'too much energy' in a heartbeat. However, they basically act as if they're superior, ignoring us one moment and demanding we give them affection the next... but they're still loving as well."
At that, Yui giggled too, finding the idea of both creatures being like that being exciting - she could almost imagine their behavior herself, even if she'd need videos to confirm them. "That's so-"
Motorcycle engine revving interrupted them; Yui jolted a little at the unexpected noise, despite knowing it was daddy's. At first she worried daddy was leaving the house for some reason, but then she realized the sound was from 'in place', rather than 'moving away'.
"Honestly" mommy breathed, slightly exasperated, but mostly playful. "I get what's he doing, but he didn't have to test that. Still-" mommy continued, glancing at the time. "It's nearly lunch anyway. Yui, would you go ahead and tell him that?"
She smiled, proud as she nodded. "You can count on me, mommy!" she cheered, racing through the house, though she made sure not to crash into anything. Living here, the first few days had taken some getting used to, being a new place, but now she knew it like the back of her hand! On the way, she checked her 'mosquito' bite, while still noticable, had healed past it's itchy stage. Still, boy had that thing been distracting, especially since she couldn't scratch it hehe. Anyway, it wasn't long before she went outside (putting on her winter coat + shoes in the process), moving toward the open garage.
Daddy was bent down beside his motorcycle, adjusting various things, his breath visible in the cool air (but also 'covered').
Despite what she came here to do though, she was curious: the loud noises it made while riding were kinda scary, but she'd never looked at it in detail before. Especially since, even now, vehicles capable of such fast speeds were still new to her - she still kept having to remind herself this was the real world, that daddy and mommy could not move beyond their own human movements, or fly faster than that. Anyway, the motorcycle itself was mostly-black (of course it was, daddy; pick something different next time hehe), but with parts that gleamed silver. Two-wheeled, kickstand thing to keep it upward while at rest, 'boxy' combined parts housing all the important functions, the seat itself big enough to fit two-
Daddy wiped his forehead, then looked behind him, only to stop when he saw her. "Yui" he breathed, before smiling. "What's up?"
Jolted out of it, she slowly came closer. "Well, I was curious daddy" she said softly. "And also, mommy told me that she's starting to make lunch."
It was subtle, but daddy got excited about that - as he should; mommy's food was the absolute best!
His smile a little wider, daddy nodded. "I'm glad to hear that, but if she's just starting, we've still got a little time" he assured, before gesturing at his motorcycle. "You said you were curious?"
"About this thing, yeah" she admitted, stepping closer. "I mean, I don't like it's loudness, but..."
"Why ride it?" he asked gently; she nodded. "Well Yui, you've experienced the inside of a car; it is more convenient, that's true. However, on a motorcycle, you can physically feel the road underneath when you travel, and you physically turn as if you're part of it too."
"And you love that" she noted softly, smiling; it was a look in her daddy's eyes that she liked too, knowing he enjoyed this sensation, even if she didn't quite understand it yet.
"Of course I do" he assured softly. "And more than that, on a motorcycle, the second person has to hang on tight to your back... something a car doesn't allow."
She slowly giggled. "You mean mommy, don't you?" she teased.
"Maybe" he playfully drew out, before reaching his fingers out-
-she squeaked, quickly backing away, and barely avoiding a poke from him!
"Ah, missed you that time" he teased, with a little smirk. "Just means I gotta chase ya!"
"Ah!" she squeaked, quickly running! "Daddy! Don't you-! AHH!"
"Feeling light yet?" he asked, all-too cheerful.
She just flailed, slung over his shoulder. "Daddy, put me down!"
He just grinned with a chuckle, before he actually did, letting her step back on the ground with a heavy breath - daddy kept his too-cheerful look, before it softened, just giving her a little smile.
It took her a few seconds, but she did too, sheepish... oh daddy, always with teases meant in good fun. Sometimes he caused a lot of trouble with them, but she couldn't deny they made things interesting.
Daddy made sure to close the garage door first, stowing the opener thing in his pocket. "Now, how about we go inside?" he asked, gesturing to the front door.
She giggled a little. "Okay" she breathed, before pouting a little, "But the next time you pick me up like that-"
"You know there's gonna be a next time?" he teased, but grinning.
"Yes there will be! And that next time, I'm gonna playfully get you back daddy!"
Nighttime
Kazuto came back inside, quickly shutting the door behind him - well, garbage/recycling was a weekly thing, and it had been his turn. Still, even as he took off his coat + boots, he heard... crackling?
Laughter sounded, from both his wife + daughter.
The sound made him smile, then after he was done putting his stuff away, set out to see what they were up to. It didn't take long; Asuna was tending to the fireplace, sending little sparks into the air whenever the poker adjusted a burning log, with Yui watching curiously.
"See the different colors, Yui? Red is the coolest temperature, moving up through orange and yellow, with blue as the hottest."
"Why no green?"
"*little laugh* Honestly, I don't know; fire is a chemical reaction, and apparently it doesn't have a 'green' temperature."
He had to admit, that particular answer nearly made him crack up, and it was hard not to; but hey, sometimes that comes with the little 'watching them' maneuver.
Meanwhile, Yui hummed as she warmed her hands by the fire's heat. "Ahhhh" she breathed, quite content, even as he thought he saw Asuna smile in response to this (and why not; Yui was adorable). "I definitely like real life fire better" she continued to hum, "Virtual fire may be cool, but this has all the warmth, and then some hehe."
"So long as the fire's in a controlled space, like this, then I definitely agree" Asuna breathed gently. "And of course, this one's gonna be nice and good."
"Hehe" Yui breathed, before looking at Asuna. "But for what, exactly?"
"New Years."
Yui turned in response, jolted a little, but curious when she saw him coming closer - Asuna only had a little smile, still tending to the fire. "New Years?" the little girl wondered, looking at him as he slowly got eye-level with her.
Kazuto kept up the smile. "Well, yeah, the celebration of this year, and the hope that the next one will be better" he said softly. "People would be up till midnight-"
Yui made a little motion.
"-and count down the new seconds till it was officially January 1st" he continued, but understanding. "That's why mommy is building up this fire; we're doing our own celebration."
"And not at midnight" Asuna said gently, touching her free hand to Yui's shoulder (behind her, the fire gradually built up to a 'roar'). "We know how important it is to you, Yui, to get your rest every night."
Yui softened. "Thank you" she whispered happily, hands together. "But, what do I wish for?"
Asuna gave a soft smile, getting down in front of Yui (he slipped closer, and neither minded). "Well, that's up to you" she assured, before: "Kazuto?"
Couldn't say he hadn't been expecting that-
"What I wish" he breathed, glancing up. "Well, I won't say all the details, in case I jinx it" he continued, pretty sure Yui and Asuna were giving him playful little looks, "but the gist is, I wish that everything goes well, with our businesses and, of course, this family."
A little hum, then Asuna kissed his cheek - he was a bit surprised, looking at her. "Somehow, that's just like you, thinking about both at once" she teased, but smiling. "But maybe you've rubbed off on me, because I was thinking along similar lines, for what I wish."
To that, he just smiled warmly, taking her hands- of course she liked that, the way she returned the grip.
"And then, there's me" Yui breathed gently, her fingers together, having sat beside them now. "You both wish things go well, and I'd like that too" she continued, soft, "but I think, I just want something more simple."
He glanced at Asuna, who merely returned a smile; they both knew what Yui was about to say.
"All I want, for this New Year" Yui breathed, "is for us all to be happy, together."
Even despite knowing, it gave him a sense of warmth (Asuna's fingers tightening gave him that sense as well) - still, he bent down, and hugged Yui.
"Daddy" she breathed happily, holding him back tightly.
"That's my little girl" he whispered gently, even as he saw Asuna bend down, giving them both a hug. "Part of this little family" he continued, before he gently directed Yui to look at the fire. "Now, everyone close their eyes, and make their wish."
Yui nodded softly, Asuna's eyes sparkling before they closed; all three of them basically held each other.
They wouldn't have it any other way.
...
A little later
Soon, he found Yui, who was admiring one of the plants in their home - though she also glanced up at the sky, at the moon that had changed phases since the last time. It made Kazuto smile, remembering how at one point, she asked about that- he'd answered that the moon reflected the sun's light, so it was different as they orbited.
Yui's curiosity still knew no bounds, hehe.
It didn't take long before she saw him, and she brightened a little as he came over. "Hey daddy."
He returned it with a smile, before he bent down in front of her- she was a little surprised.
"If you don't mind, I'd like you to help me with something, Yui" he whispered gently. "Just a little surprise, somewhere in these next few days, or maybe the week."
"Huh?"
"A way to show Asuna how much we appreciate her."
And now some New Years fluff (even if not synched to real life lol), with a hint of what these two have in store ;)