Heart Stitches ([SAO] Alice x [Female] Reader]

Chapter 11: Dislike; Love

Silence echoes in and out of Alice's ears, having that today was another day she still couldn't face without feeling her chest tighten.

She doesn't know why this hurts more than it should, but it just does for a reason Alice is aware of but still can't comprehend fully. Alice clenches her chest in a reflex to her heavily beating heart that causes half of the pain.

She takes a shaky breath, holding it briefly before sighing it all out. She pushes herself closer into the embrace she's in, wanting to feel all of the girl who's holding her in comfort when she needed it more than Alice did.

She continues to push herself briefly closer, feeling the arms wrapped around her waist tighten in what she assumed was obvious confusion to what she was doing until her crossed legs were now tangled with another pair with herself resting on top of the person she's still embracing tightly.

She heard a small grunt after her back hits the mattress once again just like how she woke up and hums when Alice pulled her face at the crook of her neck with her lips brushing just on her neck.

Alice was holding back the urge to just scream, scream with all her might all the pain she holds within her that creates this burden this girl, (Y/N), speaks of. But Alice didn't want to let it overwhelm her that (Y/N) would have to lift it off of her shoulders and place it on her own.

For a long time, Alice was blind to these burdens (Y/N) holds on her shoulders and away from anyone else's business, only sensing something wrong but never fully observing it until they stepped on Floor 26.

After the scare from (Y/N)'s extraordinary attack and her near death, Alice carrying her on her own back much to (Y/N)'s dismay. She put up a short fight, filled with too much fatigue that she only grumbled when Alice picked her up.

And once Alice did, she felt (Y/N) actually relax after just a few seconds. The weight Alice felt disappeared when she felt (Y/N) numbed her shoulders, hearing her hum in an adorable tone, but it held such relief that Alice could gush at it.

But that relief she heard in (Y/N)'s hum really went into her mind, feeling as though she has almost never had anyone pick her up when she was down on the ground her whole life, figuratively and literally.

Until Alice along with Kirito and a Eugeo on his back as well reached Floor 26, where Asuna went ahead to ensure the safety of especially (Y/N). She felt (Y/N) shuffle around slightly on Alice's back, making her moan a bit with accidental annoyance.

That mistake made the weight on her back disappear and walk in front of her in a limping way, bending down in a small squat as she breathed heavily. Alice of course asked her to allow herself to be carried by her until they activate the teleporter and go back to the Inn, but she refused.

She said something about not wanting to add anything on her shoulders, which could mean figuratively or literally if Alice would look at it at different angles. But Alice knew it was technically both, seeing how (Y/N) still looked a bit exhausted but didn't want Alice to exert too much for her.

This saddened Alice, seeing (Y/N) struggle but refuse any help was definitely not healthy for your emotional health, since it would lead to this that meant she must've had a rough time with moments like this for a long time as the obvious source.

Alice still didn't understand why someone like (Y/N) was treated this way even when they were way younger, always jokingly brushing off her bruises that are revealed by certain clothes she would wear that made Alice swore would multiply once a week.

"I just fell bumped on the door frame again! And maybe fell down the stairs and more, not a big deal you overreacting olive flower!" Was what she would usually say and maybe different version Alice could no longer recall from the variety of them, representing each bruise unknowingly.