Hello everybody and I'm back with another one-shot. This is both something I've wanted to write for the past couple weeks and something to fill the gap between chapters of my story Project New Grounds. If you haven't checked that or A Blacksmith's Love out then I'd appreciate it if you did. I need more people's input on them. This particular story ,if the title didn't give it away, is about Kirito and Argo. Now I've kinda wondered why more people haven't done anything with Kirito and Argo. It's always Kirito and Asuna or Kirito and Sinon. The other girls never get as much love as they deserve. Although my opinion on them could be biased due to being a teenage guy. Back to the subject, this doesn't really have a specific timeframe just like most of my stories. It takes details from different points in the first season so don't bother trying to put this anywhere. I also want to note that I'm not good at remembering which mobs spawned where so if the enemies seem out of place please forgive me. Okay I think I'll stop talking before I start blabbing on and on. Enjoy the story!

A lone house sat away in the woods from the main towns and many of the other players. This house belonged to the fabled black swordsman. He was also known as Kirito to those who knew him.

One of the few friends he had in Sword Art Online had decided to drop in for a visit today. It was none other than the game's famous information broker known as Argo the Rat. She made the trips to this place under the excuse of it being the only place where she could get a bath between jobs. Truth be told, she actually enjoyed Kirito's company. He was one of her few friends that wasn't strictly business. Being in his presence helped sooth the stress she was under due to her profession. Of course it helped that he was a fellow beta tester. Many had asked for information on him that she had refused to reveal.

Kirito himself was thankful for that. It helped to have the game's best information broker on your side. If Argo was an enemy then he had no idea how things would be at this point. She was a reliable friend and ally. Of course he was used to her visits. He knew that she enjoyed the time more than she let on. He had no problem with it as he needed someone around for once. He wasn't always a loner after all. He did have a few friends that he didn't mind hanging out with every so often.

Argo had appeared at his door this morning after he'd been out all night grinding for whatever XP he could get. He was a bit surprised, but welcomed her in anyway.

She had gave him one of her rare nonbusiness smiles, "Morning Kii-bou~" she greeted in her usual tone.

He had yawned, "Good morning Argo. What brings you here?" he asked.

She walked in and he shut the door behind her, "Just the usual bath and catching up." she answered.

The black swordsman chuckled, "Alright. I'll make some tea and try to see what I can make for breakfast considering my cooking skill isn't great. I've never really been good at cooking really." he said

She smirked, "I wonder how much money I could get for that. The legendary black swordsman can't cook!" she joked.

He just waved her off and headed for the kitchen.

He quickly made the tea since he was quite accustomed to making it in the morning. However, breakfast was another story. He had tried many times to make a simple breakfast of bacon and eggs. Argo's constant teasing wasn't helping much either.

He sighed as he attempted for the third time to cook breakfast, "Kiri-bou~! Would you like to join me?" sArgo called teasingly.

Kirito's face flushed and he continued working on the unfinished food. The more he ignored her, the faster he could finish the food. A few more failed attempts later he stood proud looking at the two plates consisting of a few pieces of a few pieces of bacon and a decent portion of eggs.

It was about that time that Argo chose to enter. Kirito nearly dropped both plates, but quickly recovered. Argo had walked into the kitchen wrapped only in a bath towel.

She smirked at his reaction, "You like what you see, eh Kii-bou~." she teased once more.

Kirito was stumbling over his words, "Argo...please put on...some clothes." he stuttered.

She giggled, "Alright. You're reaction wasn't as much as I was hoping for, but it'll do." she said leaving the room.

He sighed, "Jeez would it kill her to go one visit without teasing me?" he asked aloud.

Suddenly Argo was right next to him, "You should know the answer to that. What fun would it be not to tease you Kiri-bou?" she responded and moved to where she was pressed against his back.

His breath caught in his throat from surprise causing him to start coughing.

Argo patted his back, "Does this make you uncomfortable?" she whispered into his ear.

She had no idea. This was killing him. He was still a teenage boy after all. He could've swore that his heart was going to jump straight out of his chest of he didn't get some distance between the two of them.

He gently removed her from him and sat the two plates of breakfast down on the table, "Let's eat while we have have the chance." he told her.

She nodded, "Ok." she said rather disappointedly.

It was only then that the hurt in her eyes registered to Kirito. He felt bad, but then he began to wonder why it was there. He knew she liked to tease him, sometimes to a very large extent, though he never thought anything of it. Could there be more to it? Was it her way of getting his attention?

Argo raised an eyebrow at his sudden silence and spacing out, "Hey Kirito is something wrong?" she asked.

He snapped out of it, "No...just...nevermind. Wait did you call me Kirito?" he returned.

She turned away, "And?" she retorted.

He scratched the back of his head, "Nothing it's just sorta weird hearing it from you." he replied.

She turned back towards him without saying a word and starting eating the plate of breakfast that was given to her.

Kirito just sat back down at did the same. The awkward tension in the air lifted after a few moments.

Argo kept glancing back and forth between her plate and the boy sitting across from her.

He placed a hand on hers, "You can talk to me you know? I promise to keep it between us." he assured her.

She sighed, "I can't tell you." she said.

Kirito's frowned, "Why?" he persisted.

Tears started to form in her eyes, "It'll ruin everything." she replied.

He sighed, "Please tell me. You can trust me. No matter what the problem is." he said giving her a small smile.

She blinked the tears, "I just can't!" she yelled and darted out of the room.

Kirito already had an idea where she was going, "Argo stop!" he said getting up and following.

He chased her through the woods. They were beginning to enter very dangerous territory. There were many spawn points for mobs here and they weren't friendly.

It was at this moment that Argo realized her mistake. She was now in the middle of a mob spawning zone. A pack of wolf mobs spawned in front of her. These weren't the ordinary wolves though. These ones looked as if they came from hell itself. They probably did knowing Kayaba.

She dodged each attack with unmatched speed. She was used to this as she had done this as a way to level up many times. Although it was better if she wasn't unprepared and in a bad emotional state as well. The battle went on the first wolf of the six went down within a few minutes. The second and third charged her while the pack leader watched beside the fourth. The leader of the pack was larger and had just slightly more health along with slightly stronger stats.

Kirito quietly approached and was amazed to see how easily Argo defended herself. He hadn't expected her to be as strong as she was considering her line of work. The scene before him proved that theory wrong. He got so caught up in watching that he almost didn't realize that the leader, who was now alone, was sneaking up behind Argo while she was dealing with the other two remaining members of the pack. It lunged at her with a vicious growl.

The black swordsman's eyes widened, "Argo! No!" he shouted.

Without even thinking, he equipped his dual wield skill and charged the wolf.

In a single strike, the wolf shattered into a frenzy of bright shards that signalled its death.

Argo finished off the last two wolves before staring at him wide eyed. Kirito calmed down from his rage and his brain registered the fact that he had just used his secret dual wielding skill in front of her.

She crossed her arms, "You've got some explaining to do." she said forgetting about the earlier conversation.

He crossed his arms as well, "And so you do." he said in a challenging matter.

She rubbed her arm nervously and walked back towards the house with a very angry looking pout on her face.

Kirito sighed in relief and followed suit.

They both sat at the table sipping their tea.

Kirito set his gently down on the table, "I'll start, but you have to tell me what's been bothering you." he said sternly.

She nodded and tried her best to glare at him, "Stupid Kii-bou." she muttered under her breath.

He smiled a little hearing it, "A few weeks ago I was checking my stats and inventory when I'd noticed that I had a new skill. It was dual wielding. I don't know why or how I got it, but I did. Sorry, but no info for you this time. That's it." he explained shortly.

He looked at her waiting, "Your turn. Take it easy though. No rush." he said.

Argo sighed in defeat, "Well...um...I don't know how to say this." she started.

After a brief pause, she continued, "I'm in love with you." she said in a barely audible voice.

Kirito moved closer, "What?" he asked.

The short haired girl swallowed her pride, "I'm...in...love...with...you." she said with tears in her eyes.

The boy seated across from her gasped, "Argo...I should've known. All the teasing was your way of trying to test what I thought of you." he said with a look of realization.

She nodded as a single tear slid down her cheek.

Kirito wiped it away, "You could've just told me you know. I don't mind honestly. You're probably the best friend I've had in this game. Of course I've made other friends, but none of them compare to you." he said stroking her hair.

She absently leaned into his touch before retracting and blushing madly.

He chuckled, "Well I'm still tired. What do you say? You look like you could use some rest." he offered.

Argo smirked and jumped up and pecked him on the cheek before dashing off, "Don't keep my waiting Kii-bou~" she said going back to her old self.

The black swordsman chuckled, "Alright then." he said to himself and finished off the last of his tea.

He stood in the doorway to his bedroom and smiled at Argo who was sitting under the covers grinning at him.

He slid in beside her, "Good Night or morning I guess." he said.

She smiled and snuggled against him, "Yes it will be." she whispered and they both fell soundly asleep.

Well how was it? I know that I'm not very good at keeping them in character. Or ever having them be in character to begin with, but I hope you all liked it. Kirito/Argo is such a good pairing just like Kirito/Lisbeth, but people seem to blindly support Kirito/Asuna because it's canon. The new chapter to PNG should be up soon depending on my schedule. I got a on my plate at the moment. Also the wolves they were fighting are actually the Hell Hounds from Call of Duty Zombies. Anyway that's all I really have to say this time. Have a good night everybody!

~Trevyler