Well here it is, the last planned chapter of Warmth. I'm in two minds about writing a epilogue chapter but I'll wait and see what people think. Despite not having an overall plan I hope that It's been as enjoyable to read as it has been to write and hopefully some people at least found in endearing.

As mentioned previously I have a long story that is still in the planning phase, though at this point the plan has become a story in and of itself. But to keep up with practicing I have another short - medium story that I have already begun working on, the first chapter of which should be posted within the next week or so.

Finally I would also like to take the time to thank all those who read, followed or favorited. There are a lot of other stories in this fandom and the fact that you felt this story was good enough to spend your time reading it means a lot to me. Additionally, I would also like to extend a further thank you to everyone who took the time to post a review. It means a lot to get feedback on what I put out so again, thank you for taking the time to review and provide advice.

With that said enjoy the final chapter and I hope to see many of you in the future:

Having received advice from a close friend and released much of his pent up anxiety on the enemies of the surrounding area. Kirito was feeling prepared, yet apprehensive. Despite what he had been told he still wanted to let Asuna know how he felt about her, an emotional change that he was still coming to terms with. Keeping in line with the idea that he wouldn't do anything too grandiose or over the top he had decided that a meal would be his best bet. It was simple enough that if he felt he couldn't handle it then he could play if off as just a regular dinner that they often shared together. Though this could also serve as an opportunity for him.

Owing to some reliable information he had acquired, at a rather outrageous price might he add. He was made aware of a upcoming time appropriate event that would be the perfect time for him to make good on Klein's advice.

As evidenced by the cold the night before it was coming up to that joyous time of the year. When people would travel home to spend time with their families and children would await the day when they could open the presents they so desperately wanted. All around the world people would be in a celebratory mood and despite their situation the players stuck in SAO were no different. Over the past week the atmosphere had changed, while it wasn't obvious people seemed to be in a better mood and based on what he had heard from Argo it seemed that Christmas was indeed the cause.

Not wanting to miss out on a chance to include special events SAO was packed with a number of quests and changes specific to the time of the year. One such change was that of the town of beginnings which, according to Argo's information had been transformed into a festive wonderland. Lights of varying colors now lined the edges of buildings as decorations hung from each side of the main streets. In keeping with the theme the floor itself had been altered to take on a more white wonderland appearance as snow now coated the once green plains and cobbled streets.

As someone who didn't enjoy haphazard plans Kirito was always one who preferred to scout out the place ahead of time, and in keeping with this tradition he was now standing on the teleport gate of the first floor for that very purpose. Despite it being almost a year ago the memories of that day were still as vivid as when they happened. The despair and feelings of hopelessness still strong despite it being so long ago. Looking around the area now you wouldn't be able to guess that such an event took place.

The area was mostly devoid of people, with only a small number of NPC's roaming to help set the ambiance of the town, you would be forgiven for thinking that the floor had been abandoned given how long they had been stuck in the game. But there were still a select number of people who made the first floor their home. From children who had logged in without their parents and had no guidance, to people who simply couldn't bring themselves to get past the fear of dying and take their first steps outside the safety offered by the town. It was a place that encapsulated their situation and served as a reminder to players who had seemingly forgotten such things as they went about what had so quickly become their routine lives.

Being the town in which all players would spawn it was designed with large crowds in mind, though somehow still retained the feeling of a densely packed city. Walking along the main broadway Kirito was feeling optimistic about the day's events and based on the information he had been given from Argo there was the perfect little restaurant to suite his plans. From what he had been told it sat on the edge of an enclosed lake and unlike many didn't open until six in the evening.

Following the map that Argo had so graciously sold him for the meager price of 300 col he continued to wind his way through the backstreets and walkways that allowed for players to move through the town without using the main streets. After spending an hour following, or rather deciphering his map Kirito eventually came up on the restaurant in question.

Unlike most other buildings it sat alone with only a number of trees to keep it company and the city wall as a backdrop. Just as Argo had said the building in which the restaurant was housed sat on the edge of a small lake, two willow trees helped to enclose the area while flora and fauna grew both on the edges and utop the lake to complete the look. As if to capitalize on the calming aura produced by the area, the building also had a deck that sat slightly above the water, allowing patrons to enjoy their meal while taking in the sights and sounds on offer.

Kirito knew from the description that he had been given that this would be a good place for him and Asuna to share their meal. But even knowing what type of area this was meant to be he was still astounded. He couldn't believe that such a place existed and more so that it was on the first floor. Without even realising it a smile formed as to the possibilities for how the evening with that girl that had become so important to him could go.

Moving up to the entrance Kirito was greeted with a closed entrance as he had expected, though after going up to one of the windows rather than seeing a empty seating area there was instead a person inside. This was to say the least odd and unexpected. There shouldn't have been anyone inside at this time and on the few occasions that system businesses opened later than usual, it was setup so that the NPC's didn't spawn in until just before opening. Checking the system clock there were still 3 hours to go before it opened, so logically no one should have spawned in yet. With this in mind the only other possibility was that it was a player who had somehow found their way in. Though this also shouldn't have been possible as all buildings were a simple block asset when not open and as such didn't have an interior for players to find their way into.

Taking a closer look at the person in question they were of a short stature, perhaps around half his own height and just barely reaching above the tables. Based on the long black hair cascading down their back it was a female player. An idea that was reinforced by the white dress that they were wearing.

Moving around in an almost drunk like manner the girl seemed to be slightly out of it. As if she wasn't aware of her surroundings and confused as to how and why she had gotten there. Intrigued as to how someone could have gotten into the restaurant, considering it wasn't open. Kirito lightly knocked on the window in hopes that it would get the girls attention. And get her attention it did. Startled by the sound of an unexpected noise the girl turned towards its source and was met with the sight of Kirito's all black apparel.

It only took the girl a few moments before her face lit up in what Kirito assumed was delight before she began running past the tables and chairs towards him. Coming to a stop just inches from the window she started waving her hands about in an exaggerated manner while her mouth made a multitude of different shapes. Evidently she was trying to tell him something but as a result of how the game handled buildings he couldn't hear a word of what she was saying. Something which he indicated to the girl by shaking his head and pointing towards his ear.

Having got the message and not being pleased with the results as she took on a downcast expression the girl thought for a moment before the spark of happiness she previously had returned to her face. Apparently she had found a solution to her problem, one that involved the back of the restaurant as she ran off towards it. Feeling slightly bewildered at the events that had taken place Kirito took a step back, hoping to get a clearer picture of what was happening and some insight into who the girl might have been. Though not a minute later he was again surprised as the shutters on the windows of the building slammed shut, similar to how it would have normally looked at this time of day.

Had the inside of the building stopped existing? He questioned. If that was the case then what of the girl. Perhaps she had found a way outside and that was why the shutters had been closed. Guessing that this was indeed what had happened he started looking around the immediate area, hoping that he would find some clue as the whereabouts of the small girl. Though with the lake to it's back taking up most of the wall it was a doomed endeavour from the start. Not being able to find anything and with the light of day quickly fading Kirito decided to give up the search. Whatever the girl was trying to tell him, he hoped it wasn't important.

With the evening's location scouted Kirito moved onto the next part of his plan. Ensuring that he wouldn't be attending alone. As such he opened his in game menu, navigating his way to the frankly short list of people who made up his friends list. Despite how long he had been stuck in this game he hadn't made all that many friends, through with being pegged as an outcast from practically the beginning it wasn't all that surprising. Besides, it meant that the few people he was friends with he felt closer to and as such they were more trustworthy.

With a heavy sigh his gaze turned to a player near the top of his list, not being able to spend anymore time putting it off he opened up the interaction dialog and selected to send a new message. Thankfully he found this sort of thing easier to do through a message rather than face to face and after little more than a couple of minutes he was done:

From: Kirito

Subject: Dinner?

Content:

Hey, I've had a few hours sleep and feel a lot better.

I was wondering if you wanted to grab a meal together? I've got some info on a really nice place down on the first floor in the town of beginnings. It's kind of out of the way so should be nice and quite, I'll meet you there around 6:00pm if you're up for it.

It was simple and to the point but hopefully the fact that he had chosen for them to meet at the restaurant rather than at the teleport gate like they normally did would give her a hint. Even if he didn't really have the experience in such escapades he at least wanted to give it a go. If not for himself, then for the sake of his relationship with Asuna. Closing the dialog menu his previous thought gave him pause. Relationship. The word sounded almost foreign to him, like it wasn't something he should be getting involved with.

"A relationship, huh?" He muttered to himself. Still not entirely sold on the idea.

Then again, perhaps this was precisely what he needed. He hadn't exactly been an extremely social person before getting stuck here and after finding out about his past he had become somewhat withdrawn. Naturally this also included his friends and classmates which in turn meant that his interactions with girls had been kept to a minimum. Though maybe that wouldn't be the case for much longer…

Kirito felt like a lemon at a vegetable party, that was to say he felt ever so slightly out of place. There was one key piece of information that Argo seemed to have omitted in her rundown of the restaurant. That being that it was less a small relaxing getaway and more of a up-class dining experience. Looking into the previously empty building Kirito could see a multitude of different people, some of them players and some of them NPC's. But they all had one thing in common, they were dressed in some measure of formal attire, helping to set the atmosphere to one far more classy then he would have liked.

Despite the anxiety he felt it wasn't as if he had much of a choice at this point. Not long after sending Asuna a message he received a reply letting him know that she would be happy to go to a meal and would meet him there at 6:00pm like he had suggested. So now here he was, standing outside of said restaurant and waiting for Asuna to make her appearance. Opening the in game menu he double checked the time, 6:02pm. Two minutes over. Had she ditched him? Was she having second thoughts about their meal? Perhaps she had figured out what he was planning and decided not to show up. His mind ran rampant with thoughts of what could have been falling down around him, the evening he had planned. Being brought to its knees by an unforeseen result.

"Sorry!" Came a familiarly feminine voice.

His fears were quelled instantly, looking towards the direction of the apology Kirito was met with the site of a heaving breathing and slightly red faced Asuna. She was leaning over herself, hands atop her knees as she attempted to reconcile her breathing to a more natural pace, only looking up for a moment to meet Kirito's gaze. A awkward and somewhat apologetic smile displayed on her face. Even if the game didn't model everything perfectly, it was clear from her actions that she had not apparently not planned on missing their appointment. Choosing to run in hopes that she would be able to make it on time, a fact that caused a slight warmness to well within Kirito's heart.

"Ah," Came his eventual reaction. Slightly startled at the girl before him. "It's fine, it's fine. I just got here myself so no harm done." He continued, stretching out a hand to help pull her into a standing position.

Being told as such helped put Asuna's mind at ease, her trademark smile returning as she took hold of the hand being offered to her. Before returning a smile of her own as Kirito pointed towards the restaurant that would be their entertainment for the evening.

"So, should we head in?"

"Yep." She replied, showing a cheerful expression at the prospect of being able to spend more time with a person she had come to grow so fond of.

Walking through the open plan entrance of the restaurant the two of them were quickly overwhelmed. What had once been an empty building was now full of life as NPC's moved about to take and deliver orders, while player's ate and conversed about the day's events. As if to help set the tone of the establishment warm colored lighting filled the room as the chatter of light conversation could be heard. All in all the place gave off a much more inviting feel when inside, a fact that was welcome as neither of them had dressed up for the occasion. A decision that looked to be unanimous among many of the players present.

Scanning the area in front of them Asuna searched for an empty table. While she hadn't known of this place, and by the sounds of it neither had Kirito. It was still popular enough that at first glance they had a full house. Luckily after looking around she identified a empty table before taking her chance and pulling Kirito over towards it. A action that left him slightly bewildered as he was still coming to terms with the fact that such a place existed in Aincrad, and that he had due to some series of unfortunate circumstances not known about it sooner.

"Come on, There's a couple of free seats over there." She called out, clearly enjoying herself. Though for what reason Kirito couldn't fathom.

Deftly weaving her way through the tables Asuna pulled Kirito out of the open doors on the other end. Stepping through the exit way the both of them were greeted with a much more mellow atmosphere. What had once been an air of busy chatter and busy waiters had become quite, peaceful and almost serene. The deck on which they found themselves was shrouded in the sounds of nature and unlike inside it didn't have the same hum of conversation. In what could only have been a deliberate attempt to not detract from the naturalistic setting lighting was kept to a minimum. With only a few small lanterns placed on the fence that surrounded the deck to produce a dim backdrop.

Taking a seat either side of the tabel the two of them were given a menu by a passing waiter and informed that he would return in a couple of minutes to take their orders. A quick browse of the menu resulted in feast for the eye's, a treat for the mouth and a shock for the proverbial wallet. For a restaurant located on the first floor, and in the town of beginnings no less they sure where some hefty prices. A sentiment that was shared by the two of them as they exchanged rather worrying expressions. Being on the front lines afforded them a decent amount of Col, but not so much that they could call such high prices a regular expense. Despite how much of a hit it would be to his reserves, Kirito was the one who suggested this and even if the food wasn't worth it. Asuna sure as hell was. At least in his own humble opinion that was. A point he hoped to get across by slight flick of his wrist to indicate that it would be fine and that she should return to perusing the meals on offer.

Deciding that conversation broke tense atmosphere's Kirito opted to get the ball rolling.

"Sorry about this morning," he began "The past couple of days just kind of crept up on me."

Looking up from a moment Asuna seemingly dismissed his statement as she showed a happy expression and replied.

"Don't worry about it. It's not like you fell on me or anything and after what I did I'm hardly in any position to complain."

The recollection of such an incident brought a slight blush to the both of their faces, along with a warm an indescribable feeling of enjoyment.

"Ah, yeah that did happen. Still, I'm kind of at fault for that. I shouldn't have spoken for so long and I know that not everyone's into computers it's just that when I started I-"

"It's fine, It's fine!" Asuna insisted, not wanting him to feel guilty when he wasn't the one to blame. After all it was her who had fallen asleep and even if the fact that he was next to her played a part in it, she didn't want to let him know that.

Accepting her dismissal of his apology Kirito was about to ask what she had spent the day doing, but was interrupted by the arrival of the NPC who was to be their waiter for the evening. Noting down their orders the waiter thanked them before taking their menus and informing them he would return with their drinks soon.

With nothing physical to distract them they returned to their previous conversation.

"I still can't believe I didn't know about this place, I thought I'd seen all the shops, restaurants and cafes that the first floor had to offer." Asuna started, looking around the outdoor deck that they were sitting on and taking in its relaxed atmosphere. There weren't many places like this in Aincrad and she would have been remiss for not taking the chance to see it.

"Y-yeah about that." Kirito started, though his stutter had given Asuna a cause for concern as demonstrated by the tilt of her head.

In resignation of his own inadequacies Kirito admitted the truth. "I didn't actually know about this place myself. If I did I would have suggested we come here for a meal before."

"I see, I kind of guessed you didn't know about this place either. We've spent so much time together recently that you would have let it slip and it's so out of the way that I'm guessing most players don't know about it."

In response to her question Kirito gave a nod of his head.

"And I'm also guessing that this particular snippet of information came from out mutual whiskered friend."

"Is there anyone else?" Kirito questioned.

"You're right there. I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't try and sell a player their name back to them if they ever forgot."

This statement gave the both of them a chuckle, their friends black market like personality giving them something to laugh about. It was something she had stuck to even before getting stuck in here, though despite having such a quirk it still made her somewhat endearing. Causing a momentary break in their conversation, the waiter who had taken their order previously returned with their drinks before once again falling back into the inside of the restaurant.

Taking a sip of their drinks they continued from before. "You know," Asuna began. "I've never really taken the time to explore what this world has to offer."

Intrigued by her statement Kirito gazed upon the girl opposite him.

"I've been through most of the fields on each floor and have a pretty good mental map for where the Inn's are on each floor. But I've never really taken the time to look at this world and see what it has to offer."

"I get that," Kirito started. "I've been all over Aincrad but never bothered to look for the little things."

Looking up at the night sky projected on the floor above, Kirito exhaled a breath of air at the realisation that to him, he had never truly been in this world. But rather that he had only been playing around in its echo and never getting to experience its inner workings.

Seeing the disappointment in Kirito's face, Asuna gave a suggestion.

"We should do that one day, just spend the day exploring one of the lower levels. I could make some lunch for us if you wanted, perhaps eat out in one of the fields where it's quite. We're stuck here so we might as well enjoy ourselves."

Kirito's face lit up at the very idea of getting to eat more of Asuna's cooking. "Yeah, that would be cool. I've always wanted to see what the outer boundaries have to offer.

"That settles it then, it's a date."

"A da-!"

"That's right, a date. Isn't that what you call it when two people choose to spend their time together? Unless you're saying you don't want to go on a date with me?"

"I didn't- I mean-" Kirito's mind was thrown into a foray of different emotions. While he had hoped to make the first move in this particular direction it seemed she had beaten him to the punch. Figuratively speaking. As such he was slightly disgruntled at being the one caught off guard, though not wanting to miss this opportunity he quickly cleared up his intentions.

"I didn't mean it like that, I'd be happy to go with you. I just wasn't expecting you to call it a da-"

Though before he had the chance to finish their waiter returned again, this time carrying their meals.

"Thank you." Asuna replied to the waiter. An amused grin on her face at the unfortunate timing of the waiter.

Sulking at being cut off during his explanation Kirito simply grumbled to himself as his own food was placed down in front of him. Did this world have something against him? If it did, he wasn't aware of it. Something which it may have been trying to fix.

"So, You were saying?" Asuna questioned while taking hold of her knife and fork.

"Forget it." Kirito sulked, "It's not important." He complained before beginning his own meal.

Shrugging her shoulders and guessing his mood would improve after he had eaten some food she proceeded to dig into her own meal.

As if on cue Kirito's mood did in fact indeed improve as she had predicted once he had eaten some of his food, allowing the two of them to make light conversation. They mainly spoke about the state of the front lines and how progress had begun to slow as the fights got harder and less people were willing to join the clearers. Fact was, despite how people were now more experienced compared to when the game first started, the enemies they were fighting had also levelled with them and where bosses were concerned it was ten fold.

Eventually the two of them finished their meals and after some more menu perusing decided on dessert. Which thankfully, came out almost instantly after they had order it. There wasn't exactly a need behind the wait time in restaurants and cafes in the game considering almost all food could be prepared instantly. But the inclusion of such a feature helped to build up a sense of immersion that was only possible through full-dive technology.

"I-I want to ask you something." Kirito began, a sentence that caught Asuna's interest as she placed another scoop of ice cream in her mouth before meeting his gaze. Only to be met with a strong look of determination that she often associated with his time on the frontlines, his eye's seemingly just looking at her and ignoring her surroundings. Despite the look that he was giving her Asuna couldn't help but tease him. After all, he looked so determined to make his speech that he would have likely given a good beating to anyone who interrupted him this time.

"You sure?" She questioned. "It didn't exactly go so well earlier, maybe you're just fated to never ask those questions." She finished before taking another spoon full of ice cream into her mouth.

Kirito's response was swift. "I'm being serious here."

Sensing that perhaps her teasing was misplace, Asuna gave a small nod before placing her spoon down and directing her full attention to him.

"Ok, you win. What did you want to ask me."

Confident that he at least now had her full attention Kirito took in a deep breath before releasing it and asking what he wanted to know.

"Right. So, we're. Kind of close wouldn't you say?"

Somewhat confused as to what he meant by the word close but never the less interested in what it was he wanted to say she simply replied, "Yes."

"Right, right. We've known each other for a while now and alot of that time has been spent together. I… I don't know when it happened, it just sort of did. But what I'm trying to say is i've found that I really enjoy spending time with you and-and"

Full with so much that he wanted to say Kirito drew a blank on his next words. Creating the perfect opportunity for his partner to interject.

"I think I get what your trying to say," she started. Putting a hand up to stop him from interrupting her. She had something she wanted to say and didn't want to have to say it twice.

"I've had a similar thought myself, I don't know if it was a conscious change or if it was just like this from the start and I never noticed it before. But I also like our time together. Then again I might just be using our time as a way of escaping this reality." She said as she gestured at the world around them.

"But- I hope that's not the case. At least I don't think it is."

Pondering on her words for a moment Kirito spoke this own thoughts on the subject.

"I don't think either of us is using our time together as a form of escapism. Rather..." He paused, taking the time to think over his words one last time before speaking them.

"You're, special."

The words gave Asuna a wealth of emotion, all of which stemmed from Kirito all but admitting how he had felt about her. A feeling that unbeknown to him, was in fact recuperated in kind by herself as she share a similar sentiment.

"I'm not one for labels. Not that I've ever had the chance for said labels." He said, something which unbeknown to him was something that the two of them had in common.

"But I at the same time I don't want to downplay what we," he said while gesturing between the two them. "Have. So I just wanted to say that even if I'm not always making it clear and sometimes I make it seem like I don't care. I just wanted to say, I do."

His confidence having grown from his small speech Kirito reached out to take hold of Asuna's hands. They were cold from the night air and the action made her jump slightly. But the mood that the two of them had built up helped to calm her nerves as she too took hold of the hands encompassing her, feeling the warmth of the person through them.

"I love you, Asuna."

The words were short, spoken by so many others before him and in no way unique. They followed a formula for forming advanced interpersonal relationships and as such she had always assumed that they wouldn't mean much. Just a stepping stone from which to launch down a set path and words that may have given her a small flutter at best.

How wrong she was.

Whether it was the atmosphere, the person speaking them or her own emotions she couldn't tell. All she knew was, this was special. Tears began to fill her eyes. Not of sadness, but of overwhelming joy and happiness. Worried that a moment as special as this was the game playing a trick on her Asuna squeezed her hands. Hoping to keep hold of the object of her affection and affirm that they were still there.

With her trademark smile in place and watery eyes Asuna turned her gaze up from her hands, towards the person she had come to care for most in this world. The ones whose existence meant everything to her and the person who she now felt she couldn't do without. And to that person who was so crucial to her she spoke two simple yet integral words.

"Thank you." She choked out.