A/N: Had some extra time to write this since I've already uploaded A new life and Yui's romance this week, I had them both prepared beforehand, lucky me. This is set two weeks after the first Chapter.
Chapter 2.
Her eyes. Klein was just swimming in her eyes. The beautiful blue pearls...
"Hello!? Earth to Klein?" Klein shook his head, snapping out of the trance.
"H-hi."
"You were just staring blankly at me, any other girl would think you're a creep." She chuckled, cutting into her meal.
"A-ah. Sorry... I was looking at your beautiful blue eyes." He blushed, and tugged at his collar.
Melany looked up, her eyes widened at the sudden compliment, then blushed and bowed her head.
"Th-thank you... You're such a goofball."
"I know." Klein replied sheepishly. He loosened his tie, and took gulped some wine.
"So, as I was saying, before being... Politely interrupted, how did you get into salesmanship? I mean, you work for one of the biggest companies around, and you travel all over the world to sell goods to other big companies, how does one involve themselves in this?"
"Uh... Where do I start? At the end of Sao, I was approached about a month into rehabilitation, by SaoPsych. The psychological support business I was talking about earlier, they were recruiting Sao veterans that had the qualifications they needed, in order to further help rehab. It was just a short contract. money to get me back on my feet, maybe return to university. But a few months after working with him, coming up on my... departure date, from the company, he approached me, and offered me a spot on a higher payroll."
"Wow, you were hired simply for being good at your job? That's great!"
"Haha. thanks Melany. I rose through promotions pretty quickly, and ended up traveling across the world to those that needed it.."
"It's really incredible Klein, to know how well you've been doing after Sao... I wish I could have partied up more often, and... I regret leaving your guild on the 30th floor."
"N-no! It was your choice to go soloing. I'm just happy I got to party with you every so often." He grinned, and she giggled.
~After the meal
Melany spun as she stood from her seat, planted a small tip in the waiter's breast pocket, and led Klein out of the building.
"Tonight was super fun!"
"Yeah, I'd love to see you again sometime... Next week?"
"Sure, I'd love to!"
"Cool." They stood there awkwardly, just looking at each other happily.
"So."
"So!"
"Um."
"Can I walk you home?"
"Of course." Klein extended his hand, and she grasped it. They chatted on the way to her apartment, laughing and chuckling. The conversation flowed nicely.
"So, what do you work as again?"
"Well really, I'm in between jobs, As I said earlier, I'm cooking in a restaurant at the moment, although I do a lot of contract work, spending a couple of months for one job then jumping to another, mostly I work as an author though, I want to publish a book on what life in Sao was like."
"That's really cool! Would you mind if I read it?"
"Not at all." They chuckled and carried on walking deeper into the town on which Klein lived, always close to the dicey cafe.
"Hey, you live this close?"
"I just moved, mostly for the reason of finding you here."
I'm so lucky. He thought to himself. "You moved here for me? Seriously, I'm not a decent guy... I have drinking problems, and a crappy apartment, a stable job yes... But I don't have many redeeming features." He opened his arms wide. "This is all I am."
"Shut up. Please stop being so hard you yourself, you are a great guy, and anyone who says otherwise is lying, jealous or stupid. And they will have me to deal with."
He smiled. "You're too kind to me."
"No, I'm just honest." She smiled again, taking his hand.
"This is it." She said, pointing at a medium sized apartment, literally a ten minute walk to the dicey cafe, and a thirty minute walk to Klein's house.
"I'm jealous. You're closer to the dicey cafe than I am."
"Haha, oh you."
"Well... I'll see you tomorrow?"
"That sounds... Brilliant. But... I've got to stay at my apartment, lot's of author work to do..."
"I... I don't mind coming over... If you'd have me."
"O-of course! Awesome. It's settled then." They both stood blushing, Melany made a decision, and pecked his cheek, filling it with warmth and love. She looked up, smiled into his wide eyes, and stepped inside.
Klein grinned, he felt the warmth leaving his cheek with his fingertips, and laughed out loud. "Woooo!" He skipped down the steps, a jogged down to the dicey cafe. The bell rang as he opened the door.
"Agil!"
"Klein, you know I close soon."
"I know buddy. I know, but guess who just scored a third date and got a kiss!?"
"Some lucky guy in Australia?"
"No! Me!"
"I was joking." He placed his clean glass and grabbed a mug to start cleaning.
"I know, but you should be amazed right now! Quick! Celebratory whiskey!"
"One."
"I know, one, Quick!" Agil rolled his eyes and poured the drink which, Klein quickly, and enthusiastically downed.
"Ok Agil, I'm off home, see you soon, I'll keep you up to date!"
Agil rolled his eyes again. "Bye Klein." He chuckled.
"Yipee!" Klein exclaimed as he walked out the door and made his way home.
"Oh Klein..." He laughed, and went back to cleaning his mug.
~Klein's apartment.
The alarm rang, and Klein happily bounced out of bed. He made the best breakfast he had ever eaten, got dressed in record time, especially for a suit, and drove leisurely to work. He smiled.
He got out his slick black car, and walked into the building, he nodded to his colleges, and stepped into the elevator.
"Strike!" Klein extended his hand.
"Klein!? What brings you up to my office. Unusual for you to come up here." He told his assistant to wait.
"Sir it's rather importan-"
"Shhh! It's fine. Klein, take a seat."
"Strike, I want to ask to stay in Japan for a while, you see! recently... I found someone to come home to."
"I... I see... Well then, we have a problem. There are three survivors in Britain that need to be consulted, we can send the other two but they aren't as well trained. So we need you back out overseas as soon as possible."
"It's just for a couple of months. Hard to get to know someone when you aren't there half the time."
"You have a point." He turned and stared out his office window for a while. "You can have the time, but I need you to be able to travel around the area. You need to be able to do long drives."
"That's on sir, as long as I can go back home at the end of the day.
"Then it's done Klein. For today, I need you to send those last few emails, consult Darkangel down there, and work on your clients."
"Yes sir." They both bowed.
"Strike."
"Right, Strike."
Klein reentered the elevator, and made his way down to the patient floor.
"So, Darkangel, or Daniel?"
"Daniel Please... I don't exactly want to remember my time in Sao."
"I understand but It's ok, I know we have all these shiny suits and sharp looks, but we're veterans too, we know what it's like in there. We are here to help. I am here to help." He sat cross legged on the floor before the teen, and took his jacket off. "Now, please begin. What is the trouble? By the way, I'm Klein." He extended his hand.
Daniel took his hand, AMD gave a weak shake.
"Well... I've been ok for a year and a half... After Sao... But... These dreams, and hallucinations, they keep coming back. Dreams of PoH and the laughing coffin guild, and I have hallucinations of the time I watched my friend get stabbed by Johnny black..." He started to tear up.
"Hey! Hey, it's ok... All of that is over."
"But it isn't is it? PoH is still out there!"
"But we found out his identity. He is on the run, there is no way he would come back for you. As for Johnny black, Kirito took him down, in real life." Good fight buddy. Klein added in his mind.
"I... I didn't know that... I don't know if that'll help stop the nightmares."
"If it doesn't, you let me know. Anything else?"
"Well... I wanted to give you something in person Klein. As well as... I want to meat Kirito personally, and thank him."
"I'm sure that I can arrange that, what do you want to give me?"
"This..." He stood, walked across the room, bowed to his associate, and lifted a sword from his hands. He walked across to Klein and passed him the sword. There was a red piece of cloth hanging from the bottom, and a slight serration at the tip.
"This... This was my endgame Katana."
"I wanted to get something for you... I... I almost got your friend killed... All because you had to save me from that field boss."
"Hey! No need to get me something, he survived, and is now living happy and married, with a kid, a beautiful house and a car I am super jealous of."
"That's good to know... Thank you Klein."
"Anytime." They both bowed, and exited the building. "Keep me updated in how you are doing."
"Will do Klein."
Klein nodded and smiled as he made his way back inside and up the building.
~After work.
Klein sighed, the drive home was always glum. The streets were empty, the skies were dark and Klein's energy always just seemed to evaporate. Until he arrived at the dicey cafe. But not tonight, he took a left at the junction, right leading to the dicey cafe, and traveled to Melany's apartment.
He straightened his work clothes, and knocked on the door. She answered in her nightgown, and blushed.
"Klein! You're just in time, I forgot to get changed, hope that's ok..."
"It's fine!" He grinned, trying not to show his excitement. He blushed slightly.
"Tea is cooking up! Make yourself at home!" He thanked Melany and took off his suit, his tie and unbuttoned the top few buttons. He reached into his pocket and tied his signature cheap red bandanna around his head.
He lightly kissed her cheek as he passed her.
"Wow, hello Mr confident." Melany said, blushing from the kiss.
"I don't know where that came from... Sorry..."
"N-no... I liked it." They both blushed furiously. Klein start on the sofa, and laid his head back. Five minutes later, the tea had finished, Melany had gone and got something to make Klein more comfortable, a pillow and a blanket.
Melany sat next to him on the sofa, which Klein had fallen asleep on. She rolled her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder, both hands wrapped around her tea.
"U-uhhh... A-Eh!?" He woke, and said in shock, although careful as not to knock her with his shoulder.
"Shhhh. It's nice..."
"O-ok..." He liked this. It felt... Comfortable. Cozy. Warm. He looked at his new girlfriend, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
"What stage do you think we are at. We've been going out two weeks, but we have known each other for years. Well. Technically months, but... You know what I mean."
"Yes, I do... Normal couples would be just warming up to each other, and I guess we are but somehow I feel... At ease around you. This, what we are doing now... I like it."
She smiled, and turned to fave Klein.
"Klein."
"Yes Melany?"
"Kiss me."
"Eh?" He widened his eyes in shock.
She closed her eyes. "Kiss me."
He smiled, tucked a lock of her beautiful blonde hair behind her ear, and leaned down. His lips brushed against hers, and he savoured her taste, sweet, he leaned in further, deepening the kiss, they broke apart seconds later, locking eyes.
They embraced on the sofa, and closed their eyes.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Once it gets going it'll be a lot better, I swear!