Chapter Text
They've only just barely set out from Rulid when a storm starts to move in. The cool spring breeze takes on a chill, and in the far distance, lightning sparks in patches of darkening clouds in the sky.
"That looks like it's going to hit us soon…" says the boy at Kirito's side. "I don't know if we'll make it to the next village in time."
Kirito looks over at him. Eugeo stares off at the gathering storm, flaxen hair stirred by the breeze. There's a little furrow between his deep green eyes, a hint of worry over the weather.
He's never traveled before. Almost nobody from his village has, but Eugeo's Calling in particular had rooted him in place as securely as the roots of the Demon Tree they'd had to fell to free him.
Kirito still can't quite fathom that they've only known each other a little more than a week. A lot has happened, over the course of that time. They almost died for each other—and that was just in the first three days.
He taught Eugeo how to swing a sword. He watched Eugeo cut down the Gigas Cedar. He heard Eugeo declare his new Calling as that of a swordsman. Eugeo had his own reasons for wanting to get to Centoria—but he'd stayed six years in that forest before Kirito appeared. As though he'd been waiting for Kirito so they could make that journey together.
There's something aching and nostalgic that lingers about him: the way he moves and talks and thinks, how sunlight gleams in those clear green eyes like a serene forest spring. It makes Kirito feel like this is what they're owed, somehow—like the easy-going days spent on the road will make up for lost time.
"Kirito…?" Eugeo asks, his gentle voice curious. Probably because Kirito has zoned out and been staring at him for an uncomfortable amount of time.
"You don't think we'll make it?" Kirito asks, recovering with a grin.
"I doubt it." Eugeo shakes his head. "I'm not sure of the exact distance but old man Garrita said it's at least a day's walk, and that storm doesn't look like it'll wait for nightfall… we should probably find somewhere to take cover."
"We really need to get a map…" Kirito strokes his chin. It's their first day of the journey and already they're being slowed down—he'd prefer not to take too long getting to the village if they can avoid it.
"We could take shelter under one of the overpasses in the mountain and wait for it to pass us by," Eugeo suggests.
"That'll take us entirely out of our way!" Kirito protests. "I think we can make it."
Eugeo gives him a funny look—like he thinks maybe Kirito is an idiot, but is too kind to say anything. "I really don't know if that's a good idea…"
"I think it's a great idea," Kirito says. "Come on, Eugeo! We're out here, now, where's your spirit of adventure? We can't be worried about a little storm. Where's the fun in that?"
"I didn't think there was supposed to be much fun in a storm," Eugeo says.
Sighing dramatically, Kirito puts a hand on his shoulder. "That's where you're wrong, young Eugeo."
"We're the same age."
"But I'm more mature in wisdom."
"You haven't got any of your memories."
"Listen, you!" Kirito glares at him. "First of all, I'm your swordmaster, have some respect."
"This has nothing to do with swords," Eugeo points out.
Kirito waves a dismissive hand. "I may not have all my memories, but I do have a keen sense of adventure. And no two swordsmen worth their blades would be afraid of a little rain, would they?"
"I suppose not," Eugeo says, nose wrinkling cutely. Kirito can't resist the urge—he flicks it. Eugeo yelps and claps his hands over his face. "Who says you're more mature?"
"I do," Kirito says. He grins—teasing Eugeo just comes naturally, and the fact that Eugeo is too earnest to see it coming only makes it more fun.
"Alright, Sir Adventurer," Eugeo concedes. "Since you are so wise, I will let you lead the way."
"Then onward!" Kirito exclaims, pointing down the road. He likes Underworld; nobody ever notices when he talks like a quest NPC, because most people in the villages talk like that anyway. "Besides, it's just water! How bad can it be?"
*
It is pretty damn bad.
The storm hits in the afternoon with such an immediate downpour of rainwater that Kirito can see it approaching like a wall of white, signalling their impending doom.
"Oh, hell—" he hears Eugeo start to say, and then it passes over them. The two of them go from being dry one second to drenched the next, like two half-drowned cats.
Sputtering, Kirito tries to push his sopping bangs out of his eyes, but he's so soaked through that they just flop back over his forehead uselessly. He can barely see.
"A LITTLE RAIN?" Eugeo yells. Kirito can hardly make it out over the storm, except he's shouting at the top of his lungs.
"I may have underestimated—"
"We need to find shelter!" Eugeo tells him. He seizes Kirito around the wrist. "Come on!"
Suddenly, Kirito finds himself being dragged along, following after his friend instead of the other way around. Eugeo's fingers are cold and wet but they grasp him tightly as they run, following the path up a semi-steep hill. Standing at the top gives them a much clearer view of the surrounding land, and in the valley below, Kirito can just make out the outline of a few sparse buildings, and the faint glow of lights on inside.
He can't hear what Eugeo says, but Eugeo tugs on his hand again, pulling him forward. The grass and rain-churned mud are slippery underfoot, and the hill is fairly steep. The angle and momentum have him rocking off balance.
"Eugeo, wai—"
Kirito immediately and very gracefully trips over his own two feet, sprawling forward and slamming into Eugeo's back, knocking his friend over. They tumble down the hill in a rolling heap of flailing limbs, before finally coming to a very mucky stop at the bottom. For a long moment, as their bodies are battered by the relentless wind and rain, neither of them move.
They look at each other. Kirito isn't sure what he looks like, but it's probably similar to Eugeo, who is so covered in mud his hair has turned nearly as black as Kirito's. Only his big green eyes are visible in his face, wide and blinking at Kirito in shock. Kirito opens his mouth to apologize, given that the mess they've found themselves in is entirely his fault.
Eugeo bursts out laughing. Stunned, Kirito shakes his head.
"What are you laughing at?" he yells over the wind.
"You!" Eugeo yells back. "You look ridiculous!"
"Wh—so do you!"
"I know!" He tips his head back to let the rain wash the mud from his face. He doesn't seem mad at all that Kirito's ill advised decisions have led them to this point. Eyes shut against the torrential downpour, he's still smiling. It makes a strange twinge pull inside of Kirito's chest.
Bedraggled and filthy, they hurry the rest of the way to the tiny homestead in the valley. Eugeo knocks on the door, which swings open after a few seconds.
"Hello!" he says brightly. Kirito waves from behind him.
The farmer's wife screams and slams the door in their faces.
They do eventually get let in, after the initial shock passes and they manage to convince the couple that they aren't goblins. The farmer is impressed by their Calling and mission to the capital; his wife fusses over the state of their clothes and belongings. They are given permission to use the bath and allowed to stay until the storm has passed.
"I can't believe they just let us in, looking like we do," Kirito chuckles.
"We did put them in a bit of a difficult spot," Eugeo says, chewing on his lip. "They could hardly turn us away…"
"Couldn't they?" Kirito asks.
"Well, if they had, something might've happened to us in the storm. Or we could have caught a chill and fallen gravely sick," Eugeo says. Interesting, Kirito thinks. It looks like the implications of the Taboo Index have a far reach. "Speaking of which, would you get out of those clothes already?"
"Um—oh," Kirito says. The bathroom is tiny, and the tub is barely big enough for one person. "I thought I'd just wait for you to finish…"
"Absolutely not," Eugeo says firmly. "You think I'm about to let you die of a cold? Undress and get in!"
"But—"
"No buts!"
Eugeo, Kirito thinks fondly, is a little bit like Asuna—in that both of them almost always mean well but are very hard to say no to when their minds are made up. They also both seem to have a tendency to fuss, and are very cute when they fret.
Wait, what? Where had that last thought come from?
He's so distracted by it that he doesn't even react to Eugeo reaching out and yanking his wet shirt up and over his head before it's too late. Kirito yelps, hands flying up to cover his bare chest. Eugeo snorts.
"We're both boys."
"Well, yeah, but…" He's not wrong. But when Eugeo pulls his own shirt off, he still can't help but look away, face feeling hotter than normal. He wonders if there's enough mud on him to cover it up. "You just surprised me!"
"A little bit like that storm took us by surprise, hm?" Eugeo says innocently.
"Alright, alright," Kirito says, properly shamed.
"Would you just get in already?"
The tub is small, but the water is so blessedly hot after the cold storm that he finds he doesn't care. They sit at opposite ends of it, reveling in the warmth, scrubbing their faces and bodies clean.
Kirito sighs, resting his arms on the side of the tub. Nothing like a hot bath. The only way it could get more perfect is if he had some tea leaves to boil over the fire in the other room afterwards. He should mention that to Eugeo… they'll need to make a stop in the next town.
"I just can't get over it…" Eugeo murmurs.
"Hm?" Expecting Eugeo to say something about how he still can't believe they felled the Gigas Cedar, or that they've left Rulid, he cracks an eye open. What he's not expecting is for Eugeo to be staring at him openly. His voice cracks when he asks, "E-Eugeo?"
"I can't believe how small you are!" Eugeo bursts out. "Even though you can swing the Blue Rose Sword like that…!"
"O-oy!" Kirito yelps. Now he's really blushing; not just from what Eugeo said, but the way he keeps looking, like he's studying Kirito. "You're not that much bigger!"
Eugeo laughs. "I suppose that's true. But I am bigger."
He's sprung a trap. Kirito opens his mouth to argue again, but instead he can't stop his eyes roving, easy to do when they're both sharing such a tiny bath. They're both about the same height and build, but Eugeo is slightly taller, and he's noticeably less wiry than Kirito, more solid and well-muscled. His arms and chest are nice, even Kirito can admit that. Kirito has always been skinny and delicate, but Eugeo looks just like the boys in those magazines Liz and Silica are always squealing over.
They'd probably—no, definitely squeal over Eugeo, too. He's cute, cuter than some regular old pop star or drama actor.
Kirito blinks. He just thought it again—
"It d-doesn't matter anyway," he says hurriedly, and Eugeo's smile widens. Probably because he knows he's right, and not because he thinks Kirito is… ogling him, or anything. And it's not ogling! He's just noticing things that Eugeo pointed out in the first place. "I'm still just as strong as you."
"That's true, too," Eugeo says. "Still, though, it makes me feel like I should be protecting you, not the other way around."
"You have," Kirito says. "With the goblins."
"And then you had to save me anyway," Eugeo reminds him.
Like he had when they were trying to escape the storm, he reaches out and slides his fingers around Kirito's wrist. They're still wet, but now they're warm instead of chilled; they easily encircle Kirito's wrist. For some reason, this makes Eugeo smile his soft little smile. He looks up, and their eyes meet. His expression is as warm as the bathwater, as warm as his hands.
"Help me get strong so I can protect you, too, okay?"
Kirito takes a deep breath and then submerges himself entirely. He stays under the slightly murky water until he's forced to come up for air.
They dress in their damp underwear again and dry the rest of their things by the fire. Eugeo takes to toweling Kirito's hair vigorously when Kirito is too slow getting to it himself.
"We don't know enough sacred arts yet to afford you getting sick," Eugeo reminds him. The cloth is a bit on the rougher side, but it's been heated, and Kirito can feel his eyes drooping as Eugeo ruffles his hair. Eventually it's dry, but Eugeo draws his fingers through it, trying to feel for damp spots.
"Hey, Eugeo."
"Hm?"
"You were right… we probably should have taken shelter before the storm hit."
Eugeo snorts. "Probably. But… I didn't mind this."
Kirito tilts his head back so he can look at him. "You didn't?"
"No…" Eugeo grins down at him. "It made for a good start, don't you think? Sir Adventurer?"
Kirito blinks, then starts to laugh. "What'd I tell you, young Eugeo? Trust in me."