Perfect Two

Chapter Twenty-Two: Past Recollection

Asuna closed her textbook as the bell chimed, announcing that classes were over, and everyone began collecting their belongings and leaving in a orderly fashion to the door.
"What are you doing tonight Asuna?" Liz asked as she tucked her laptop into her book bag.
When she turned her attention back to the chestnut haired girl, she noticed the troubled look she had in her eyes.

"Asuna? You okay?" Liz asked, reaching out and touching Asuna's wrist softly. That seemed to wake her from her thoughts, she blinked a few times and turned her attention to the chocolate brown eyes that were set on her.
"I'm fine, I'm just thinking about this weekend." She sighed, laying back in her chair.
Liz chuckled softly and patted her friend's shoulder.
"Must be hard being a rich city girl huh?" She teased.
"Hey come on, that's not fair..." Asuna pouted, covering her face with her hand as she did.
Liz smiled apologetically. "Listen, just talk to him, he'll understand. It's just a meeting, right?"
Asuna looked at her friend and nodded.
Both girls got up and left the classroom, heading outside.

Asuna had meant to talk to him about it sooner, but with her studying for a huge test she hadn't had much time to see him besides their daily lunch meetings, and that hardly seemed like the time to talk about something like this.
She'd finally put some time aside to have him over tonight, which he agreed to happily. It had to be tonight.
Liz sighed as she watched Asuna's face scrunch up in seriousness.

"Seriously Asuna, stop worrying about it so much, so your dad wants your help with a business venture, it doesn't mean anything." Lis continued.
"Lis... I've been matched up with all kinds of suitors since my first year of high school. My mother is relentless." Asuna explained, "I have a hard time believing it's only a business meeting."
Lis shrugged her shoulders as the girls stepped outside, the weather had finally started to warm up, snow melting away to reveal green grass.

Asuna smiled as she took in the fresh spring breeze, the wing blowing through her chestnut hair gently.
Liz spoke up then, causing Asuna to turn to meet her gaze.
"Is that Kazuto....? He doesn't look so good." She said quietly. Asuna turned her head to look towards the onyx haired boy, and her face fell as she realized what Lisbeth was talking about.

Kirito, who hadn't realized that his girlfriend was only meters away, tried to blink the sleepiness from his eyes.
"Kirito," Eugeo chided from behind him, causing him to sigh and ruffle his hair. "I'll be fine Eugeo. It'll pass." He grumbled in response.
"You've had nightmares all week... don't you think you should at least talk to someone? Maybe Asuna?" The blonde suggested, hopeful that her name being mentioned would snap some sense into him.

It did not however, as he turned to give the blonde an irritated look. "She's studying for a really big midterm... I'm not going to bother her with something so ridiculous."

"Bother me with what?" A voice chimed from in front of him, he whipped his head around and was almost touching noses with the girl in question, her honey coloured eyes watching his carefully.
"A-Asuna, you're out of class?" He asked, smiling awkwardly. "I thought you had late classes today."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "That's on Tuesdays Kirito. It's Thursday." She corrected.
Kirito blinked a couple times, had the week gone by so fast...?
"A-ah right, right I guess I got them mixed up." He laughed awkwardly.

Asuna however didn't seem very amused.
"Kirito... are you alright?" She asked, taking a step closer to him and placing her hand on his head. "Are you sick again?" She wondered out loud.
Kirito smiled softly and reached up to pull her hand from his forehead, lacing his fingers in hers.
"I'm okay. I just..." his gaze shifted to Eugeo, who raised and eyebrow at him, tilting his head urging him on.
"I just... uh I had a rough study night." He stuttered out. Asuna watched him carefully for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"If... you say so." She said.

The four of them began walking, Liz started teasing Kirito about who knows what. Asuna felt a small tug on her arm, she looked to her side to meet the green eyes of Eugeo.
She let him slow them down some so they gained some distance from the other two, Asuna looked at him questioningly.

"Eugeo? What's wrong?" She asked. His eyes wandered towards Kirito, and then he sighed.
"I'm worried about him..." Asuna followed his gaze, and she nodded in agreement.
"It happens every year around this time... he refuses to talk about it with me, or Alice. But ever since we were kids, he's always had these episodes." He explained. "I don't know if it's insomnia episodes or what... but he's always had these nightmares." He finished, frowning as he looked to his best friend.

Asuna sighed softly to herself. "He... had one when he stayed over last weekend... he said he didn't want to talk about it then too.. I've tried yo ask a few times since but he just waves it off like it's all okay..." she admitted. Eugeo turned to her and and she could see the frustration in his eyes. "That idiot... he takes care of everyone but himself." He grumbled to himself.
Asuna pressed her lips together. "I'll talk to him tonight." She decided out loud, Eugeo smiled as his face gave off the relief. "If it's you, you might be able to get him to talk." He said.

~~~

"That smells really good. What do you have going?" Kirito asked as both of them stepped into her loft. Asuna smiled and hung up both of their coats. "I left a crockpot going all day so I could throw together a roast tonight." She said with a soft smile before making her way to the kitchen.

"You stay on that side of the counter this time." She scolded him, pointing to the bar stool at the island. Kirito gave a sheepish grin and yielded immediately, knowing better. He took his seat and watched as Asuna got the rest of their dinner ready.
As she cooked they chatted about this and that, both avoiding the topics that needed to be spoken aloud.
Kirito tried his best to hide his sleep deprived state. But Asuna was too observant and noticed his eyelids drop and the yawns he was trying to hide. Seriously how much more obvious could he get?

She put the rice in the cooker and set a timer before turning to the dark haired boy.
"Kirito.... What's going on, you look exhausted, you clearly haven't been sleeping, is something going on?"
Kirito gave a guilty looking smile. "It's..." he stopped and looked at the worried expression of his loving girlfriend... he couldn't continue to blatantly lie to her anymore, especially when she was this worried, her eyes showing the utmost concern.

He sighed and rubbed his eye. He was cornered.

"It's...." He stopped again. Asuna tilted her head. Her worried gaze urging him to continue.

"It's the anniversary.... of my accident." He finally managed to get it out. His hands balled into fists on the counter. "Accident?" Asuna asked, moving to lean against the counter.

"When I was a kid... my parents and I were coming back from a day trip, it was dark and we were hit with a sudden storm." He began, "it only got worse as the time went by, my mother wanted to stop for the night but dad insisted that we could make it home." He lowered his head, and Asuna reached forward and intertwined her hands in his. "A tree branch broke, it sent us off the road. I remember hearing my mother scream, my father cursing, then glass... it was hovering in the air around me."

He stopped, swallowing hard. Asuna's mouth parted slightly as she held her tears back.
"I woke up dangling upside down... the car had flipped over the divider, into a ditch on the other side... my father... was still. Hanging over the steering wheel. My m-mother-" He stopped, his eyes prickled as he tried to fend off tears. "She was launched from the car. I could see her in the road." His shoulders began to shake as he sucked in a breath, and Asuna quickly made her way around the counter, pulling him into her arms protectively.
He hid his face in her chest as she held him closer, trying to shield him from his own memories.
"That's enough... you don't have to say anymore...." She said lowly as she stroked his hair.

The timer beeped, but she didn't move. She didn't dare move away from him. He was clutching her so desperately, she stayed glued to his side.