Keep in mind I've only watched the anime so far. If any details are left out, I apologize. Just going from what I saw. This chapter will be original content just because I'm starting at episode two's end. Enjoy!

"What about you?" Kirito paused.

What about him?

What he'd just said was completely redundant. Solo players had a limit, yet he was leaving her here. He didn't quite understand it himself, so he weighed his options carefully. On one hand, he could take her with him, she was helpful and had been of great use in defeating the boss.

On the other hand... well, Kirito couldn't find a con for letting her tag along. Aside from wanting to be alone due to his beater status, taking Asuna with him could really only be beneficial. He sighed, turning to face her with a slight smile.

"Are you coming, or not?" He asked. He watched as Asuna's face lit up and she nodded, following him up the stairs.

"Hey!" Kirito turned back around to find Kibaou glaring at them, mainly Asuna. "You go with that beater, and your just as bad as he is!" Asuna huffed.

"Without Kirito, we'd all be dead," Asuna shot back, "You owe him your pathetic life."

"I don't owe that beater anything!"

"Would you rather have died?" She retorted. Silence fell upon the raiding party, "Without him here to inform us about the boss or defeat Illfang, we'd be de..."

"Asuna," Kirito firmly said, grabbing her wrist, "Leave it." Asuna opened her mouth, as if she wanted to add something, but she didn't. He released her wrist, and they started walking to the nearest village.

As they arrived at Urbus, Kirito turned to Asuna.

"Do you need any supplies or anything?" He asked her. She pondered his question for a moment.

"Yeah, I could use a few supplies." Kirito nodded, and pulled up his map.

"The market district is over here," He told her. "If you need anything, it'll be there." He looked back up at her, "Meet me by this inn in... 3 hours?" She nodded, marking the inn and market on her own map.

"Alright, got it...oh! Hold on a sec!" Asuna yelled. She pulled her menu back up, swiping and pressing a few buttons. Soon, a message popped up on his screen.

A friend request.

He paused and looked at her. She was grinning. "If we'll be traveling together, best to keep my eye on you, right?" Kirito managed a chuckle and accepted the request. As Asuna ran off towards the market, Kirito sighed and stood still for a moment. He could see other members of the raiding party passing, giving him dirty looks and muttering about how Asuna had already ditched him.

He ignored them. Kirito really couldn't care less how people thought about him online, even if this was the death game. There's a reason why he took on the beater status. Their opinions were as meaningful to him as the slime mobs he had killed on the way to the city. Kirito silently scoffed at them, then realized he should be buying supplies.

He began walking in the direction Asuna had gone, looking through the market district. He hadn't bothered himself with asking what she may have needed, probably just an easy sword mending at the blacksmith and a few healing potions. Kirito himself was looking for a new blade, or just a mending at the blacksmith if no better option was availible.

"Greetings, customer!" The weapon salesman said, startling him as he was blindly walking through the street. "Can I interest you in my fine wares?" Kirito opened the barter menu and skimmed quickly through the menu, looking for anything that matched or was better than his current sword. He found nothing, but he sold some of his lower level loot and made it for the inn, already exhausted.

As he reached the inn, and figured he would wait for Asuna, so they could get the same room.

Oh...wait.

It then occurred to him that Asuna was a teenage girl, and that she may have been uncomfortable with that idea. He'd wait anyway. He layed down on the couch in the lobby and closed his eyes, trying to rid his mind of Diavel dying in front of him. He had a terrible feeling he wouldn't survive this game, but he shrugged the thought off. Kirito should be focusing on how to survive in a death game, not envisioning his so-called death.

He was interrupted as the door to the inn opened, revealing his chestnut haired teammate.

"Hey, Kirito-kun!" She said. Kirito noticed the basket she was carrying. "Did you get a room yet?"

"No," He replied. "I was waiting for you, just to see if you wanted to share a room or not. Cause, you're... y'know, you might be uncomfortable with it and all..." He trailed off, his eyes staring at the floor. Asuna's face flushed slightly, and Kirito couldn't help but feel he was the same.

"Well, thanks for the consideration, I suppose," She said, shaking her head. "But I'll be fine sharing a room, just turn around if I'm changing." Kirito nodded, and approached the innkeeper, taking a room with two beds. As they climbed the stairs, Kirito couldn't help but notice the delicious aroma coming from the basket in Asuna's hands.

He wondered if she'd gotten dinner while she was out. That would've been a nice gesture. He unlocked the door to the room, complete with a satisfying click of the key. They entered, and Kirito threw himself on the bed to the far side of the room.

"Wake me up when we leave, alright?" He called behind him. Kirito then heard her huff.

"You don't want to eat?" She asked. Kirito turned and saw her unwrapping the basket, revealing a meal that made Kirito drool. "I was practicing my cooking skill, and figured I'd take some home for my partner to try," Asuna finished shyly, smiling at him.

Partner.

Is that what they were? Partners?

"Want a taste?" Asuna broke him out of his trance. Kirito nodded, and grabbed a sandwich. As he bit into it, an explosion of flavor enveloped his mouth. He moaned in delight, which made Asuna giggle. "Is it good?" She asked, and Kirito groaned in response.

"That was amazing," Kirito sighed, falling back onto Asuna's bed. "You better level that skill up..."

"I planned too, but if you like it that much, I'll try even harder..." She told him, and he grinned. "Hey, Kirito-kun." He looked over at her.

"Yeah?"

"I haven't thanked you for...back there." Her hands were wrapped tightly in her lap. "If you hadn't known the bosses attack pattern, we might all be..." Asuna trailed.

"I'm sure you guys would've managed." Kirito replied. Not likely, He thought to himself.

"Still, you were a big help!" She said, smiling at him. "So, thanks." He nodded, and they stared at each other for longer than he was comfortable with. "So, where are we going tomorrow?" Kirito sat up, and started to talk.

"I was thinking we could go and level up in a dungeon. We really need some money, and some good drops could be useful too." She nodded in agreement.

"Alright, that sounds good!"

"And getting you some armor would be good too. You can't spend the whole game in those casual clothes." Kirito said, slightly teasing her.

"Are you suggesting we go shopping?" She exclaimed happily.

"After grinding?"

Kirito wandered through the dungeon, staying close to Asuna. They hadn't encountered anything too impressive yet, but Kirito knew this dungeon. He had cleared it during the beta, and knew some good random loot spawned at the end. He was planning on giving most of it to Asuna, she needed it way more than him.

As they approached the end, Kirito spotted a chest.

"Keep your eyes open," He warned, "We're at the end." She nodded, and they proceeded. When they got close, a giant figure dropped from the ceiling. It had dark purple skin and a spiked giant club, wearing nothing but a loin cloth. It had 4 eyes, all of which glowed a dark, demonic red.

"Damn, it's ugly." Asuna muttered. Kirito couldn't help but agree with her. It swung at them, and they retaliated in kind, hacking away at it's legs, causing it to stumble. Wow, Kirito thought. It's so much easier with two people. The boss's health bar was draining rather fast, and Kirito watched as he swung at Asuna.

She easily countered the attacks, slicing his arm.

"One more, Kirito-kun!" She told him.

"Get ready," He told her.

"Right!"

Kirito charged forward, attacking the ogre like creature, but the attack was blocked, just as he wanted.

"Switch!" He shouted, and as he fell back, Asuna charged in and delivered the final blow, which exploded the creature.

"Yes!" She shouted, turning to Kirito and holding up her hand for a high five. He gave her one.

"What was the last attack bonus?" Kirito asked. He knew this dungeon had a random spawn for it's loot. The LAB was not a predetermined item like Illfang. Asuna looked through her inventory and gasped.

"Uh, does it usually drop a rare item?" She asked warily. Kirito looked over her shoulder.

Coat of Sunrise

Kirito rolled his eyes. The opposite of his own coat. Asuna equipped it, and Kirito's guess was correct. It was a blind white coat, rivaling his own black one.

"So, We're twinning now?" Asuna asked. Kirito nodded.

"Yeah, I suppose so..." He scratched his head, and laughed.

Sorry if it was kinda bad, but it's my first SAO fic. Next time with be the Moonlit black cats. Leave a review!