Be Rough

A week of intense fighting and training to level up the task force has passed.

After meeting Esther and discovering how rigged the game is against the demon players Kouichirou has been in game full time. He hired two nurses to care for his real body while he stays in Armageddon with Esther training, surveying, and collecting intel on the Holy Spirit. Asuna was appalled at her brother's choice at first and tried to convince him to stop, but after a couple of days he noticed how much less she was playing and when he asked her 'why' she got very quiet.

Her brother flew in front of her to force her to stop. "Asuna? What is it?"

She glances at Kirito who looks just an uncomfortable as she does. They didn't want to tell anyone else, not until the game was over and everyone was safe… and maybe not until after the wedding…

"Oh my god you two. Why are you being so weird?" Kouichirou bursts with frustration.

Yui joins her uncle at his side. "I'd like to know why mommy isn't playing as much either." Her arms cross and an eyebrow raises.

Asuna grabs Kirito's hand and he squeezes tightly. She spoke in a firm and unwavering manner. "Just promise you two won't tell anyone else."

"Promise." The two in the dark say at the same time.

Kirito tries to stifle his smile as Asuna speaks, her eyes shifting between her daughter and her brother. "Well… I haven't been feeling that well since we left Japan, and I just thought it was all the adjustments and stress… until Hanna did a blood test… and… well…" Her heart was racing so face and both her and Kirito's palms were getting clammy. When she made the announcement it came out faster and louder than she was planning. "I'm pregnant!"

Kouichirou and Yui only looked shocked for a moment, then excited, and before they could fly to pull them into a hug the worry washed over them. They slowly make their way to the couple and pull them both into a warm hug. Kouichirou kicks into loving older brother mode. "Thank you for telling me Asuna." He pats her hair as his determination to save his sister reaches a new level.

Kouichirou has spent any time Kirito and Asuna are not playing with Esther, usually at her home in Eden. Between glances while they read encrypted emails from each other, and sipping tea by the fireplace in her home he was slowly falling in love with the angel on a suicide mission. She is brilliant and committed, two things he found himself hopelessly attracted to.

"Tomorrow they are planning to storm the Vatican..." Kouichirou states blankly while staring at the fire.

"Mm" Esther responds while staring at the flames as well.

"Esther..." his words got blocked by the sudden knot in his throat. His mind raced as he waited for another acknowledgement from her. 'She's been a widow for a month, there's no way she's feeling the same way I feel for her... but then I catch her watching me with a bit lip or laughing at things I say that are definitely not funny... that doesn't mean... uh... I'm an idiot.'

"Kouichirou, you're making that tortured face again." She smirks as she stands and goes to grab his cup. He reaches forward and grabs her forearm.

A faint blush rises in her cheeks as her golden eyes meet his green ones. Wherever that knot in his throat had come from, it just as quickly went back as he spoke clear and confident. "I think that you're amazing."

Her face almost doesn't move, except for the slight lift of the corners of her mouth. "And I think you're amazing as well."

"I know what you're planning to do... I wish I could change your mind—" His voice dropped, but his eyes remained fixed

She sighs and looks back down to his cup. "And ask a different angel player to sacrifice themselves? Every player has a story Kouichirou. They all have families that will miss them."

He stands up and pulls her to him, making that soft blush turn five shades darker as she looks into his tense eyes. "You think no one is going to miss you?"

She swallows. "I think Hanna, my sister in law will... but she will get over it... in time."

His brows lower as his gaze intensifies. "And what about me? You don't think I'll miss you Esther?"

She looks away and her entire face scrunches. "This is why I tried to run from you before..."

He lets go of her wrist. "What do you mean?"

She looks back at him angrily. "The moment I saw you charge in to fight alongside Kirito— I felt something— something I didn't think I'd ever feel for another person, especially so close to losing Jay..." she was biting her lip again, which was only driving him crazier. Her voice trembled a bit as she spoke now. "I found you—"

"Interesting." He interrupts before pressing his lips to hers. He expected her to shove him away, or at the at the very least he expected her to be shocked and not immediately pull him deeper into the kiss.

Who was in charge, neither of them knew as they continued to open themselves up to each other. She pushed him, he pulled her until his shirt was being ripped off and she pushed him back onto the dining room table and climbed on top of him.

He sat up and started sucking on her neck while unbuttoning the back of her romper until the top could easily be pull down to reveal her breasts with small dark nipples that he quickly pulling one into his mouth and playing with the perfect handful of the other. Her hands made quick work of unfastening his pants despite the distraction of him playing with her breasts.

"Esther, have you ever used the bed?" He asks with her bud still in his mouth.

"Boring." She states while pressing her hips against his.

"Sorry sorry. I didn't think you'd be so adventurous... I just thought it would feel nicer when I bend you over and make you forget how to breath for a few seconds— ah! Take it easy!" She was biting his shoulder and he stood from the table and quickly found the nearest wall to push her against and remove the rest of her clothes. "This game is annoyingly realistic with clothes...." he mumbles as she pushes his pants down with her feet before locking her legs around his waist. "Mm" she replies.

He rubbed his need against hers, getting quiet desperate moans as her nails dig into his shoulders. "Kouichirou—" she whispers.

"Yes Esther." His eyes are half lidded and hungry.

"Please, be rough."

He paused, not sure what exactly she meant until she reached down between them and positioned him while speaking again in her steady voice. "I want to feel really alive, so don't be afraid of leaving marks or hurting me okay?"

"Esther—" his words are swallowed be desperate lips as she grips his hips and pulls him into her.

He did as she asked. He was merciless, and if this wasn't VR she would definitely be covered in bite marks and bruises but here she healed just as fast as the marks appeared. None of it took place on the bed until after he had his second orgasm, and she had lost count of hers.

Esther knew this was cruel. She knew this was selfish. She also knew that what they did was possibly the best sex she'd ever had.

They stayed in the bed, not sleeping, just holding each other's naked virtual bodies. She listened to him talk about his family and his life until they got the alert that the fighting at the Vatican had started. She kissed his forehead and whispered her thanks before getting up from the bed and finding her clothes. "Annoyingly accurate..." she mumbles as she searches.

When Kirito and Asuna woke up that morning they also took a moment to just lay in the bed. "I should go in there with you guys..." Asuna mumbles while skimming her fingers over his chest and stops on his heart.

Kirito gingerly grabs her hand and brings it to his lips. "Yui will keep you updated. I don't want to send you in for nothing."

She huffs. "I'm not the strongest on this team... but I could at least be part of the main body to take the heat off of you, Kouichirou, and your other heavy hitters..."

He nods. "You could. That's a great idea. It's still a no. You're nausea is only better because of the drugs they are giving you, and maybe the ginger tea you are drinking, which makes you pee a lot more... you're too unreliable right now— ah!" He was stunned that she slapped his chest with her other hand with her eyes glaring and mouth tight. He chuckles and pushes her on to her back to place a hand on her stomach, if there is any swelling he cannot defect it yet. "You have one job right now." Her face relaxes into a smile despite the big ache in her heart.