Chapter 16

I woke up easily, slowly working my way to alertness. Even when I was fully awake, though, I didn't bother trying to move. I could tell from the feeling alone that I wouldn't be able to go anywhere.

To my left, curled against my back and judging by the position of my shirt clutching a handful of the cloth, Yuuki was still snoozing away. I could feel her soft regular breaths tickling my neck; not enough to make me uncomfortable, but just enough to let me know she was still there.

In front of me was Sugu. Like her little sister she was still asleep. I blushed a little bit as I realized I was staring straight at her chest, but that wasn't really my fault. We'd fallen asleep last night with my arms around her, and I guess during the night she'd rolled over. She smelled really nice...

I blinked, and looked around. The bed only fit three people if they cuddled really close, and I couldn't see Aiko anywhere. Still, I didn't think the older twin would be the type to just miss out on a cuddling session... I carefully freed my left arm and raised the sheets, trying not to disturb Sugu or Yuuki.

Sure enough, Aiko was sprawled out across the three of us, somehow comfortable despite half of her body being draped over my legs and the other half smushed against Yuuki.

The girl stirred as I watched her, and blearily opened her eyes. "Mmm," Aiko mumbled quietly. "Morning, Kazuto..." With a sleepy smile, she wormed her way up and pressed a kiss to my cheek. "I had fun last night..."

I tried to remember what exactly had happened last night, my memories still a little fogged by sleep...

...

The four of us were sitting around in our living room. I was busy doing temporary maintenance on my sword - I'd need to visit Liz soon to get it repaired correctly, but just using the Whetstone item would serve for now - while the girls were doing their own thing. Sugu and Yuuki were sitting by the heater, gossiping quietly, and Aiko...

"Kazuto~," Aiko called out playfully.

...and Aiko was holding a book, looking at me upside down. I recognized the look in her eyes. It was the same one I'd seen two days ago, just before the twins and I, ah...

"What?" I asked her.

She lowered her book, revealing an impish smile that had more than a trace of desire. "You and Sugu had your fun alone last night," she purred. "Tonight, I don't think it's fair for me and Yuu to get left out again..."

W-wait, she's thinking... all four of us?!

...

...only to blush when I finally remembered what the four of us did the night before. "So did I," I said, patting her head. Aiko giggled, letting me tousle her hair for a few seconds.

It was the perfect way to wake up in the mornings -

- before it was promptly ruined by the bedroom door slamming open. "Ack!" Yuuki exclaimed, popping up blearily. Her short hair was messy, sticking up in weird directions. The strand of hair that usually stood up had multiplied! "Wha? Big Bro? What's going on?"

Somehow, Sugu was still asleep, and as I sat up she mewled in her sleep and curled up tighter, seeking the warm spot.

"Argo," I sighed, staring at the intruder, "what are you doing."

My best friend glanced over the girls and me - I was wearing a shirt, fortunately, and Aiko had ducked back under the covers, dragging Yuuki with her so they could get dressed - before sighing. "C'mon," she moaned, "is it too much ta ask for a lil' eye-candy?"

"Argo."

"Yeesh," she muttered.

I frowned. "How are you even here, anyway?" I asked. "The front door was locked."

Argo shrugged. "Don't worry about it." I had my suspicions, and looked at Aiko, who'd just squirmed back up, wearing her nightdress. She just looked at me innocently, batting her eyelashes. I swear... "Anyway, sorry ta interrupt yer honeymoon, but we got trouble."

Immediately all thoughts of who was responsible for giving Argo access to our house disappeared from my mind. "What's happening?" I asked.

"They found the Floor 75 Boss, an' the KoB are callin' in everyone that can fight. By the way, that's 10 col for the info," Argo said, swiping open her menu and opening a trade window with me. As I put in the small amount of money to pay for the information, she nodded. "Thanks, Kirito," she said. "They're meetin' in the main city, at around noon, so ya got a few hours ta do yer shoppin' before headin' out."

As Argo turned to leave, I sighed. "This couldn't have waited until we got up? You really had to come in?"

Argo looked over her shoulder at me and grinned smugly. "Nah, but this way I got ta have some fun," she said impishly. "Later, Kirito, don' forget ta sell me the scoop about the boss, 'kay?" With a cheery wave, she slipped out of the door.

I watched silently as the door closed behind her, sadly used to Hurricane Argo by this point. "Guess our vacation's over," I said to the twins.

"Hooray," Yuuki said, breaking off into a yawn. "I don't know about you, Big Bro, but I'm ready for a fight."

"Not like that you're not, Yuu," Aiko said. "C'mon, let's go get dressed and I'll brush your hair. Honestly, sleepyhead..." she sighed, dragging her twin sister with her.

I leaned over and prodded Sugu. "Sugu," I whispered gently, "c'mon, wake up."

She mumbled in her sleep.

"Sugu, it's time for breakfast."

"Five more minuzz..." she mumbled.

Sighing, I unleashed my strongest attack - pinching her cheek and tugging on it gently. Sugu grumbled, before slowly opening her eyes. "Oh, hey..." she mumbled, looking up at me with a loving smile. "Morning..."

"Rise and shine," I said to her. "Hey, sleepy."

She pushed herself up, looking around. "Where are the twins?" she asked, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "I know I remember them here last night..."

"Getting dressed in their room," I said. "We have to get ready for a boss raid."

Sugu's eyes snapped open, and she jerked upright. "Ack! Why didn't you wake me earlier!" she protested. "I have... I'm... Gotta go get dressed!" she said, getting out of bed and hurrying away.

I did enjoy watching her leave. Still, she's as weird as ever. That won't ever change, I guess.

Eventually all of us were ready to go, but before we left the house I hesitated. This was a checkpoint boss, and the Floor 75 boss on top of that. The danger we were about to face had never been higher. I knew that if any of us were to d... that if any one of us didn't come back, then the rest would be devastated.

For a second, the urge to ask the girls to stay behind rose in me, and I almost asked them without thinking, before Yuuki hugged me from behind, giggling. "I'm really excited, Big Bro!" she said, nuzzling against my back.

I staggered under her weight, before catching myself and looking back at her. "Alright, alright," I laughed. All thoughts of asking them to stay behind disappeared under Yuuki's sunny expression. "The meeting time isn't long now, so we should get going if we want to get Liz to repair our equipment first. Everyone ready?"

"Yeah!" Sugu, Aiko, and Yuuki cheered.

I have to make sure they're all safe. No matter what, I'll make sure they stay alive!

...

The first person to greet us when the four of us arrived in Collinia, the main city of Floor 75, made things a bit awkward. "Hey... Asuna..." I said.

Naturally, Yuuki didn't care about the awkwardness. "Asuna!" she cheered, throwing herself forward and wrapping the Knights of the Blood sub-commander in a huge hug. "Hi!"

"Hi, Yuuki," Asuna said with a patient smile.

"Um..." I said, scratching my cheek, "Thanks for letting Yuuki and Aiko stay with you a few nights ago."

"It's... fine," she said slowly, looking me up and down. I glanced at my own equipment; it was my usual black coat, with the hilt of my sword poking over my shoulder. Finally, she smiled. "It looks like you're doing well."

"I am," I said. "We all are."

Asuna's expression shifted, but she didn't stop smiling. "I see," she said simply. "I'm happy for you."

"Awkward," Leafa whispered to Ran.

Ran whispered back, "No kidding."

Yuuki, once again, came to our rescue. "Hey, hey, Asuna," she said, "are you excited?"

Asuna smiled at Yuuki. "A little nervous," she said, "but it's going to be another milestone to our freedom."

The two of them kept chatting for a little bit, while Leafa, Ran and I went off by ourselves. Eventually, Yuuki joined back up with us, and it wasn't long after that when the Warp Gate lit up again. We turned to look as Heathcliff strode regally out of the gate, flanked by two members of the KoB.

The leader of the largest guild passed through the crowd of players as we parted automatically for him, before stopping on the other side of the group. "Corridor, open," he declared, lifting a Corridor Crystal in front of him. "Now," he said, turning around, "here we go."

My sisters and I were near the end of line going through the portal. As I stepped through, my surroundings shifting from the sunny town to the gloomy dungeon, I shivered. There was something eerie about the stone pillars surrounding us, and the ornate door seemed to be staring down at me. I felt a hand slip into mine, and I looked over to see Leafa standing next to me. "Spooky," she said.

"Yeah," I murmured back, squeezing her hand. The twins stood next to me, rubbing their shoulders together for comfort.

At the front, right in front of the boss door, Heathcliff slammed his tower shield down on the ground, catching every gamer's attention. "Everyone, are you ready?" he asked, his voice ringing out. "The Knights of the Blood will be out in front, distracting the boss and blocking its attacks. In the mean time..."

I noticed Yuuki watching Heathcliff intently, all her focus on him, and I nudged her. She jumped, startled, and tilted her head at me. "What's up?" I asked her.

"Nothin'," she said. "It's just... Something weird's bugging me about Heathcliff..."

"What?"

Yuuki shook her head. "I'm not really sure," she said, before grinning sunnily at me. "Probably nothing!"

I grinned and patted her head, the way she liked. She giggled. "Well, keep it in mind," I told her, "it might come to you later. For right now, though, you have to focus."

"Yes sir!" she chirped.

Up front, Heathcliff shouted, "For our day of liberation!"

The players cheered loudly, rattling their swords and shields.

...We're going in there blind, and I don't know if my sisters will -

Leafa kissed my cheek lightly. "Don't worry," she said. "Nothing's going to happen to any of us, I promise. I'll make sure of it. So you have to try too, okay?"

I grinned at her, and squeezed her hand once before letting go and drawing my sword with a ring of steel. "Yeah," I said. "Everyone ready?"

"Yeah!" the girls cheered.

For the first time in two years, my eyes opened and I looked at the real world.

I stared up at the fluorescent lights above me uncomprehendingly for a few seconds, blinking slowly. I looked left and right, seeing light streaming into the room through a window on my right. To my left, the door was firmly shut. There was a bed to my left, someone else lying under a thin blanket.

A hospital... I'm in a hospital...

I raised a hand in front of my face, seeing it shake with the unexpected effort. It didn't look like my hand; it was thin and skeletal, with grown-out fingernails. My sisters always insisted I keep my nails shorter, so it felt like I was watching someone else's hand attached to my arm, moving when I tried to turn it over.

But it was still my hand. When I reached up to my head, my fingers brushed cold plastic, and I realized I was still wearing the NerveGear. It was humming with power.

I need to find my family...

As the whir and hum of the NerveGear died away, finally shutting down, I struggled to sit up. With shaking hands, I undid the clasp holding the helmet on my head and tugged it away. Black hair tumbled in front of my eyes and onto my shoulders; my hair had grown pretty long in two years.

All I wanted to do was to stand up and start looking for my sisters, but just the act of sitting up and taking off the NerveGear had exhausted me. I could only sit and stare at the helmet in my lap - scratched, and worn. It looked a little bit like I felt.

A feminine groan came from the bed to my left, and my breath caught in my chest. I recognized that groan. I heard it every morning for the last two years, when it was time for Sugu to wake up. She never could just open her eyes; they'd always flutter open, and then she'd grumble quietly before squeezing them shut and rolling over, trying to go back to sleep.

"Sugu..." my cracked voice whispered, surprising me. It had deepened while I was asleep.

In the bed beside me, my cousin stirred and turned her head. "Kazu...to..." she whispered back. I saw a few tears drip down her cheek. "We're... home..."

I smiled at her, heedless of the way her face seemed to blur in my sights.

I've found Sugu... Now, I need to find the rest of my family. Yuuki is in BIG trouble. Attacking Heathcliff like that, even if he was Kayaba, without telling us what she was planning?

...

It was shaping up to be a nice afternoon. I'd spent the morning in the gym doing rehab, and so the rest of the day was dedicated towards relaxing and letting my taxed muscles rest. I'd managed to walk there and back without needing to rest on my crutches, too. Argo was going to be totally furious when she found out I made the walk before her.

Yep, this was a nice day, and nothing was going to disturb my nap on the couch until dinner was -

A somewhat heavy weight decided to land square on my center. "Oof," I grunted, the wind rushing out of me, and cracked an eye open to look at my sister as she mounted me.

"~Big Bro~! It's time to get up!"

"Yuuki," I grumbled. "Why are you... No. Aiko, why is Yuuki trying to do the mounted wakeup call?" I asked, tilting until I was looking at the older twin upside-down.

Aiko looked up from the manga she was reading on her tablet and glanced our way. "Some answers are beyond even me," she said before shrugging and going back to her reading.

"I wasn't even asleep," I pointed out in a deadpan. "And it's after five in the afternoon. The wake up would have been better ten hours earlier."

"Should I be the one you're telling?" Aiko lifted one leg from the armrest of the chair and draped it over the backrest, her head getting closer to the other armrest.

"She never listens to me," I reminded her.

"I'm right here, guys," Yuuki complained, rocking back and forth in what I assumed was annoyance. The problem was, the end result was that anyone looking in from the outside saw something definitely improper.

"Yuuki!" I squawked, squirming until I managed to get out from under her, somehow ending up on the floor without knocking Yuuki off of the couch. "Oof..."

She pouted. "What is it now?"

"You shouldn't do that," I said.

Her Pout - even though she hadn't fully recovered, the expression still deserved the capital letter - intensified. "Why not?"

"Because people might see!" I hissed. "We're in the living room!" Aiko giggled, wriggling around so that she was lying stomach down, halfway over the armrest with her legs swinging freely in the air. "What's so funny?" I asked, picking myself and sitting next to Yuuki. She immediately wrapped her arms around mine.

"Just, remembering something," Aiko said. "This feels really nostalgic..."

I winced. "Yuuki, a little tight."

"Sorry, Big Bro," Yuuki said contritely, before relaxing her grip. "But when are we gonna have-"

"Yuuki!" I cut off her off with a yelp, feeling my face burn. "Not until everyone's out of physical therapy!"

"But I wanna..."

My answer probably couldn't be classified as words. My next plea, on the other hand... "Aiko, please..."

She just looked over at me, raising a delicate eyebrow.

Even after all we'd been through, the only person with the chance to get Yuuki to restrain was her twin sister. "Please?" I asked.

She smiled, and I felt a rush of relief. "Nope." And then I felt like crying. "You brought this on yourself, ~Big Bro~," she said, singing her voice with the exact same tone Yuuki used before, and I felt a shiver run down my spine.

"Having fun?" I looked up from where I was sitting at Sugu, who was leaning over our couch. She had a smile on her face. "So, Kazuto, when are you going to get around to fulfilling our childhood promise to marry?" she said sweetly.

"I still don't remember making that promise," I said flatly, catching a glimpse of our mom standing behind Sugu.

Yuuki nuzzled against me. "Nuh uh! Big Bro's gonna marry me!" she said.

Our mom smiled, as if enjoying a private joke, and then said, "While I'm definitely happy for all of you, how about you give Kazuto some space before he overdoses on estrogen." I'm saved! Thanks, Mom. "And dinner's ready, you four."

A smirking Sugu and Aiko followed me to the dinner table, with a laughing Yuuki joining us not much later. "And," Mom added as I snagged my food, "once you four make a decision as to who's marrying Kazuto, I'll get the paperwork ready."

A piece of fish went down the wrong pipe as her words registered. "Mom!" I coughed, mortified. "That's-"

"-Completely alright, since we're still not related," Aiko said with a shrug, eyes roaming over my body. A wide, Cheshire Cat-like smile was on her face.

I looked at Sugu. She blushed fiercely and focused on her food, stealing glances my way between each bite.

I let out a sigh, trying to ignore how hot my own ears felt. Girls.

Still, though, I loved them all.

It's done! Finished!

…Huh. I actually finished a story in a manner that I'm somewhat satisfied with. Neat. That's new.

Anyway! Moving on. Yes, Team Kiss x Sis formed a raid party the night before (:3). Then, cuddling ensued after all four of them were exhausted. I, uh, am not entirely sure where Argo came from, but I'll never say no to her. It was totally Sugu's fault that Argo had access to the house, too, in case anyone's wondering.

(and if you haven't figured it out yet my over-the-top adoration of argo is like 90% a joke, i think she's a character with a hell of a lot of potential and her appearances in progressive are great but nowhere near the joking praise i heap on her. if i ever refer to a character as best *anything* it's a joke and that's cleared up now people can stop mentioning it)

The meeting was deliberately cut short; I just kinda wanted to give Asuna some closure like I did with the other characters, before ending off the story. As for Heathcliff and Yuuki, I, um… Magic. It was magic. Word of Author. Yep. (don't think too hard about it, just roll with it, okay good great let's just keep going)

The scene where Kazuto wakes up and then immediately walks around always made me twitch; after two years, it'd be nearly impossible to sit up and do all that stuff, let alone start walking around (let's just pretend catheters and other inserted tubes aren't things because of medical advances, i'm not dealing with that). Seriously, two years in a coma would fuck up your body real bad, and there's no way that his body would remember how to walk that quickly.

And finally, the last scene might seem a bit familiar - I wanted to play with it a bit, so hey, here we are. Poor Yuuki, she just wants to go on a date... Kazuto's sister troubles might have ended, but that doesn't mean he's out of the woods just yet~

(that's not a sequel hook, this story is finished)

Looking back on the story, I'm actually kinda happy with it, though a lot of Arc 3 is a little awkward. Then again, I'm really terrible at writing actual relationships with people, so, uh… I tried…

I am happy with how the story came out on a whole, still. I started this wanting to write a cute story focusing on only four characters with little to no action, and I'm pretty confident that's what I ended up writing. Your opinion might vary on quality, but... meh.

Other than that, there were only a few scenes I wanted to write but didn't manage to fit into the final story, so that's pretty nice; one chapter got cut, because it didn't really fit with the flow of the story. It had the lead-up to the Argo reveal, but when I sat down to write the Argo point of view chapter I decided to do a little bit of a flashback over the course of their relationship, so the impact of the reveal would have been delayed half a chapter, losing any force it might have.

It really was too bad. The first half of the dropped chapter had Kazuto getting dragged clothes-shopping for the girls, only to find out they'd be getting him a few dresses too (it was mostly an excuse to have the girls play around in different outfits and stun their big brother with how cute they looked, and to use the brick joke of Yuuki's Pout being able to convince Kazuto to do anything).

Oh well. I have no regrets. (a single manly tear rolls down my cheek)

I am continually floored by the support you all show me while I'm writing. Thank you all so much.

Like, I wrote this mainly on a whim because I wanted to write something fluffy without putting too much thought into it. I found the snippet on the QQ thread, said, 'fuck it why not' and got to work.

And it turned into this.

Thanks for sticking around while I fumbled in the dark; and huge thanks to Mu-Sensei for writing the original snippet that gave me this idea.