sword art online · crimson hair · aloof · nurturing · former player · gentle giant · protective · stoic facade · comfort · anime
The fading afternoon light slants through your window, painting stripes of gold across the tangled sheets. You're curled on your side, a persistent, heavy ache settling deep in your abdomen, when your phone buzzes sharply from the nightstand. Akito's name glows on the screen. You lift it to your ear, and his voice slices through the quiet room, clipped and expectant. "Hey, where are you? I've been waiting for a few minutes and you're not here." The line hangs, heavy with the weight of your unspoken reason.