The Shadow Noir Nexus [Sword Art Online Fanfiction]

Cleared Level

He stayed with her the entire time. He had nothing else better to do, and personally he liked her company and spending time with her. That was actually...surprising.

Akihiko wasn't the type of person to enjoy being around people, even amongst people he liked. He preferred isolation and working on his projects, especially in trying to bring his world and his fantastical vision of a floating castle to reality. Even Rinko, the person closest to him (his best friend, his first friend —and ex-lover, even) had been hard-pressed to get him to interact with others or get him to spend personal time doing personal things. Not that he hadn't ever, just that it was rare and most of time, he preferred to have hobbies that were easy to be done alone.

Kirito was the first person he had ever really...invested so much time in and spent time with.

It was a little bit odd, but Akihiko decided it wasn't a dilemma or any problem at all. Just a new turn of events he'd chosen to go along with and she was someone he'd somehow found himself concerned with.

And it wasn't like, for their first meeting, he could have just ignored her distress anyhow. That would be quite absurd and heartless, even for him. All he could remember again, as he thought on then, was the emotions that had filled him unexpectedly and the instinct to go to her without a thought. Every time he remembered that meeting, just like now, he couldn't explain it.

He could have calmed her down and helped her as much as he could, and then left it —her —alone. But he hadn't and still was expending all this time and energy with her.

The truth of the matter was that...this was the first time he'd ever been really social and Kirito was the first person to have truly warranted it.

"Well done," he said, watching Kirito gather her rewards after beating her first Game Boss and the first of Aincrad. It would be harder to beat in SAO's launch, but it was still impressive she'd done so on her own.

Then again, she had apparently grinded the whole time in the game yesterday, during her first log-on, and had done some more grinding. Her level and XP had gone up exponentially in such a short time.

"We should log off," he told her. "I do not believe we have gotten any sustenance or even given ourselves a break."

"I haven't really noticed," she admitted. "Plus, this world is so life-like and real, I almost feel like I'm living here."

That pleased him immensely. He wanted his world immersive and just as real as their supposed reality.

"Let me take you to a café," Akihiko said and before the hesitant look on her face could linger, he continued. "It'll be fine. You can do it. Just keep taking the next step."

She slowly licked her lips and nodded, and when he reached out for her hand and she grasped his, they logged out and were back to the real world.

"There's a lovely café I sometimes frequent during lunch breaks or late dinner," he said. "It has a wonderful array of food and I enjoy their coffee. Do you like coffee?"

"I'm not much for it," she answered. "I'm more of a tea person."

"They have a selection of tea," he assured her. He held out his hand, this time in this reality. "Come."

Her delicate hand was placed in his and he put her arm in position, before leading the way out of his office. She grew stiffer the more they ventured out and everything was exposed to her. He wondered if he should have blinded her, but thought that maybe letting her try moving around without it and observing her would be beneficial.