The Shadow Noir Nexus [Sword Art Online Fanfiction]

Strategy

This time they were spending time in the building's cafeteria. It was late and it was raining outside.

"Kayaba-san," she started, nibbling her lip and looking at him hesitantly. He nodded to acknowledge her, though he gave her a pointed look to remind her of her recent agreement to him.

"Akihiko-san," it made him smile to hear his name from her, since he had kept repeatedly trying to get her to call on him more familiarly. "Thank you for the taiyaki. It's really good."

That made him very pleased and he glanced down at the taiyaki that was almost gone on the plate in front of her. "You are welcome and I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's been a while since I cooked for someone."

Her eyes widened and he hid his smile. "You cooked it?"

"Yes —I like cooking. It's one of my few hobbies."

He leaned forward and searched out one of her hands. "Kirito, it's been our fifth outing together, even if it's been in the building's cafeteria. Are you having an easier time at all, being outside your home?"

She frowned and shook her head. "Not...not really. Aside for the beta-testing and your requests, I can't make myself go out of my room."

"What about our time together? Do you still have trouble staying after the testing?"

Still, he was a bit disappointed. Then again, he knew he couldn't just instantly cure this. But he was hoping for some progress. He'd really thought that there had been some made and she was getting better, even in some small way.

"I d-do," she started to stutter. She blushed oddly. "I like this. I still have trouble coming with you and making myself stay...but I want to be here and I want to spend time with you. So thank you for forcing me to do this, Akihiko-san."

Akihiko let out a sigh of relief he hadn't meant to. For the first time, and not just the first time with her, he allowed himself a full smile and reached over to take her hand, smiling even more at the red staining her cheeks and her startled expression.

"That's good, Kirito-san," he murmured. "I would hope that I have, in all this time, been able to help you through this time and enjoy the beta-testing, and to somehow at least been able to help you through your issues specifically. If you were able to leave here and find yourself leaving your home more often..."

She gave a strained smile. "I will try," she promised.

For him, he knew she had a long way to go still. Some time here and some work with him was hardly enough time for Kirito to fully overcome her problem or completely help her. But if he had managed to just help along her progression towards good progress, then he could be pleased for that...

"Let's finish our food and then call it a day, hm?" he said then and she picked up her fork again, focusing back on the taiyaki.

A few moments of silence, where he found himself observing her and even committing her to memory for some reason, he was reminded of his drawing of her —where she was this fragile, beautiful fae being that commanded all eyes to her and drew admiration as easy as breathing.

In front of him, he could acknowledge that she was every bit of that drawing and again thought it would probably be more than easy to spot the inspiration if one was to see her and the new in-game character he'd recently derived.

"Are you ready?" he asked, distracting himself.

"Yes," she answered, getting up gracefully. If she was not a fae, he could just as easily re-imagine her as an elegant Lady or Duchess in his head. She had all the grace and elegance of one, and her poise was very becoming of her.