SAO (FanFictions)

Birthday Gifts

"Sorry I took so long, I was in the middle of a shower." Asuna bowed her head apologetically and led her friend to the kitchen for some snacks.

"Yeah, no problem."

Asuna felt so lucky to have a friend like Rika-san. Rika-san was one of the very few girls- no, one of the very few people in general she could talk to about anything and not feel out of place. Rika treated her like a normal human being and never felt the need to pity her; something that Asuna greatly appreciated. Not ever having to justify or quantify her feelings... was so much easier than having to hopelessly explain things to someone who wouldn't and could never understand, no matter how desperately he or she tried, the implications of having been trapped in SAO for two years.

"So, when will the others be showing up?" Rika asked, glancing at the bag containing Asuna's gift. The moderately sized bag was stuffed with hot pink tissue paper to hide its contents and rested beside Rika's plain shoes near the front door.

"Well, Keiko-chan should be arriving in about an hour. I was planning for us to have some lunch together before a little at-home spa." Asuna said matter-of-factly. "But Kazuto-kun won't be here until dinner time. Apparently he still has to run some errands." Asuna smiled gently once she thought of seeing Kazuto again. They only haven't seen each other in a week, but a week was more than sufficient time in terms of separation.

"I wonder if he's shopping for a last minute gift." Rika laughed gently.

"Maybe, but he honestly doesn't have to get me anything." Asuna started. "I mean, I appreciate the effort and everything but I already have everything I could ever want."

"True," Rika nodded thoughfully. "but surely, somewhere on the inside, you must want to believe that Kazuto-kun made the effort to get you something special, right?" she smiled at her friend, gently probing for some honest answers. No matter how many times Asuna would deny being a princess, Rika knew that she secretly wanted a prince charming to sweep her off her feet. The girl was a hopeless romantic, and you could tell from the vast library of romantic literature lined up along the living room bookshelf.

"It... would be nice." Asuna admitted quietly, tapping her slim fingers on the kitchen island.

She and Kazuto weren't your everyday couple. Their entire bond was built upon a premise of hardship, pain, and struggle... in a world that was... never really real to begin with. So flowers and chocolates weren't really a part of their romantic vocabulary.

Still, she knew that their bond was real. And it was precisely those things- the hardships and the struggles- that taught them how to truly cherish the time they shared with each other.

Asuna sighed.

So why couldn't she banish that voice in her head? The little voice in the back of Asuna's mind that nagged her for something more. A little more romance. A little more... something. She chided herself every time she thought that way. What more could you ask from a man who had risked his life on multiple occasions to ensure that yours would be spared? Nothing. What better declaration of love was there? None. And it would simply be too selfish of her to indulge in these senseless thoughts.

Asuna let out another small sigh and stared glumly into space. Rika followed her gaze only to find that it was focused intently on an apple.

"Hey, snap out of it!" Rika poked Asuna in the ribs and brought her back to reality. "You're really lucky to have a guy like Kazuto, you know. You don't see any guy risking his life for me, do you?" Rika smiled sadly as she comforted her friend. She reminisced about the time when Kirito-kun had saved her from the White Dragon.

Wow... that was already three years ago. Who knew... that time would pass by so fast.

"I'm sure he got you something awesome." Rika mustered. "So don't look so glum or I'll start pointing out your wrinkles!"