Perfect Two

Chapter Nineteen: Stay The Night

Kirito sighed to himself as he left the science building, winter break had ended, and everyone had returned to their daily rituals of going back to their school lives.
It was a crisp afternoon, the snow stubbornly refusing to leave as it stuck to the ground. Kirito looked ahead and smiled as he saw the perfect figure of his girlfriend walking towards him. She looked to be embarrassed as Liz smirked about something triumphantly.

"Hey Kirito!" Liz called out in an all too good mood.
"Hey Liz, enjoy your winter break?" Kirito asked as he approached the two girls.
"Apparently not as much as you two did! You have to let me spy on your next date because the way Asu over here describes it it seems too good to be true." Liz teased again.

"L-Liz!" Asuna squealed in protest, her face reaching optimum redness as she pouted at her friend.
Kirito chuckled and wrapped one of his arms around Asuna's shoulder. Pulling her into his chest, which she welcomed gladly to be shielded from her embarrassment.

"Ah I'm only teasing, any plans this weekend?" She asked, her tone suggesting she was not intact, done with teasing.
"Nothing fancy. Just heading out for dinner." Kirito responded with a shrug.
"Hm, well I'll leave you both to it then, I have homework to do that Asuna over here somehow managed to finish during class." Liz grumbled, causing a little smile to appear on the chestnut haired girl's pink lips.

"Let me know if you need any help okay?" Asuna said with a smile. Which only made Liz groan.
"Yea.... You go enjoy your evening. I'll just suffer. See ya later!" She said before turning and making her way towards the parking lot.

Kirito watched her go before turning his attention to Asuna, who had come out of hiding from his coat. "Ready?" He asked with a soft smile. "Mm" Asuna responded, nuzzling into his side as they made their way back to her student lodgings.

They hurried back quickly, as a snow storm picked up, stirring up quite a blizzard. Finally the pair made it back, quickly hurrying inside.

"It's still really bitter out there." Kirito said as he eased off  his coat, hanging it on the hook. Asuna giggled. "We'll it is only January Kirito." She said as she made her way to the kitchen, placing her books on the counter as she did. Kirito followed her and watched as she pulled out some pans, placing them on the stove.

"What's the plan for dinner?" He asked curiously as he watched Asuna pull some items from the fridge. She smiled as she placed them all on the counter. "I have salmon, rice, and I'll butter steam some vegetables to finish it up!" She said smiling.
"By the way, why didn't you mention you were coming here for dinner to Liz, Kirito?" She said to him with a raised eyebrow.

Kirito laughed and made his way over to her. "Well that was for you more than anything." He said before placing a kiss on her temple. "I imagine that would fuel Liz with more ammunition to tease you with." He finished as he grabbed a knife from the block and started chopping some vegetables. Asuna watched him for a moment, he was going to help her?

The realization made her chest warm as she smiled, taking some rice and putting it in the rice cooker. "Well I'll thank you then for sparing the details." She answered, a smile plain on her face.

The two continued side by side preparing their meal together, until it was all ready to be broiled and steamed. Asuna put the Salmon in the oven and Kirito tossed the vegetables in the boiling water, as he did, some of the water splashed back at him, the scalding water burning his hand.
He stepped back and hissed loudly, shaking his hand and cursing to himself.

"Kirito?" Asuna questioned as she strode across the kitchen quickly, looking at his face first, then took his hand in hers, inspecting the now reddening burn across his knuckles.