The Breaking Point - Kirisuna

Battling Alice

Alice's POV:

Living in the same house as the one I loved was hard. But even after all the drama that I was in at first, I still got a second chance with Kirito.

I couldn't help myself. I was strong, he was strong. It just made sense for us to be together.

Kirito came out of the bathroom with a towel around his neck. He had casual clothes on while I had on the survivors' school uniform. It was an outfit I wore every day unless told otherwise.

Kirito stretched in ache.

"I don't know, Alice. How about you choose what we do today?"

He looked bored already.

"Are you feeling well?". I observed him rubbing his neck like he usually does when he's tired.

"I've been doing so much with everyone, my muscles are a bit sore."

"I know! We can train today! It's good for you and we don't have to go out anywhere. We can go out back to the dojo and come back in for lunch."

"That sounds pretty alright. SUGU! ALICE AND I ARE GOING OUT BACK IF YOU NEED US!". He started walking out.

I did a little hurrah with my fist at my brilliant idea.

We got to the empty dojo and sat on the floor to stretch.

"How have you been doing lately, Alice? It seems you've been accommodating to the real world quite nicely.".

"I'm doing well. I've been feeling homesick, though. I have no family here."

"All of us are your family. You always have the support of everyone."

"I don't know about that. I don't think I get along too well with the girls."

"Trust me. The girls can get a bit competitive at times, but they do care for you. Even Asuna, who I know you think hates you, truly thinks of you as a friend."

His bringing up Asuna reminded me of a few things I wanted to ask him.

"Kirito, I have a question for you."

"Everyone always has a question for me. Go ahead" he sighed but I ignored it.

"Do you think you're actually in love with Asuna? Why do you think you're in love with her?".

I suddenly had a flashback to the fight on the school roof. When Asuna broke up with him, he looked as if he would die. I hated her for that. I hated myself for causing that. Still, in the years we had been together, he didn't say a word about her, so did he love her, or was it pride?

"I have no doubt in my mind that I'm in love with Asuna. I knew it from the moment I saw her. She was unreal to me. And when she was sassy and sweet, the fact that I liked every aspect of her, I just knew. No one's ever made me feel that way." He blushed near his eyes in embarrassment, then reached for another foot to continue stretching.

"How come you never said anything about her before? You didn't tell anyone you had a girlfriend, why? We're you trying to get me to fall for you intentionally?". Even though what I asked was shameful, I was determined to get an answer. It felt like all the love I had was boiling up, about to spill.

"I didn't say anything because I was embarrassed by myself. I had been engulfed in a world and knew my mission was to help others. I was lost in the new friendships I had created, I didn't even think about boundaries. When she came to save me, it only hit me then how much I had missed her. When I came to, it only hit me then how much it seemed like I didn't care about her at all."

"That didn't answer my question. Why did you not tell me you had a girlfriend, even when I got to the real world?"

"... I knew you were in love with me. I knew you weren't the only one. I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings." He stood up finished from his stretch.

"What was it about me that you couldn't love?". My chest felt like it was crushing under pressure. Although artificial, I'm guessing this is what real sadness felt like.

"It's not that you aren't lovable. I never questioned that. But you have to know that I have a more protective relationship when it comes to you."

"SO WHAT? EUGEO DIES AND NOW I'M NOT ALLOWED TO BE WITH ANYONE ELSE?"

"I just didn't say that. EUGEO was the one who always loved you. He told me to look after you and I think you wouldn't be in love with me if I hadn't."

"I loved you when he was alive."

Kirito then looked offended. I shouldn't have said that.

"Let's just practice." He got into his stance with the bamboo sword.

I did the same.

"Fight me," I said with the sword in front of me. Kirito's brow raised with the challenge. "Fight me for your heart.".

At first, he was ready to attack me. His face quickly softened to sympathy.

"Alice..."

"Fight me. You win, you can marry Asuna and I'd be happy for you. I win, you marry me instead."

Kirito's stance was relaxed. He then tensed back up and carried himself as the infamous black swordsman.

My heart raced. There was a chance I could win. The fact that he didn't reject that, he must have love in his heart somewhere for me. I smiled wide and got into my knight's stance that I knew so well.

We suddenly charged at each other, crossing skewers and scowling face to face.

"I'm only fighting you because I'm confident that I'll win" he stated strongly at me, no fear was detected in those obsidian eyes.

Hearing that was my true heartbreak. He didn't want me to win. In my second of weakness and hurt, he struck my skewer so hard that it broke. His bamboo sword was turned to my chest.

My artificial tears rolled from my eyes, there was no protocol to stop them.

From the blur in my eyes, I could still see Kirito with that stern look, sword still to my chest.

"Ok. You win" I choked. I didn't even get a chance in this fight.

He dropped the sword and brought me into a hug.

I heaved in his shirt, holding on to the fabric of his grey button-up for dear life.

"I'm sorry. But not as sorry as the both of us are gonna be when we tell Sugu we broke another Kendo sword". The last time, it was me who broke one. He laughed and pulled me out of the dojo.

He acted like I didn't just humiliate myself. He acted like I didn't just threaten his relationship like everything was normal.

"You should be mad at me." I looked up from his shoulder.

"Why would I be mad at you?". Suddenly, I felt really silly.

"I keep getting in the way of you and Asuna."

"Puh-lease. Nothing can stand in the way of our true love. You couldn't stop us from wanting each other even if the whole world tried". Kirito's expression was content.

He said that with pure unwavering faith. Like it was a fact.

This must be the power of the human will. Or was it love? Either way, I wanted that feeling for my own.

Good game, Asuna. Well played.

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A/N: Humanoid Alice experiencing human feelings, awww. Chapter 30 I'm revising all the other chapters. It's been fun playing with the POVs so I hope you guys are liking it so far!