Sword Art Online-Encroaching Shadows

Chapter 21

December 6th, 2022

The smell was familiar, but still out of reach of his memory. It reminded him of his grandparents' farm where he lived for a few years after his mother divorced. It was some sort of flower, but he was never good at recognizing them by scent alone. Was it lilacs? Or maybe tulips? His grandma liked to garden and planted mostly vegetables, but near the house there was a small patch of various flowers she also kept. Numerous multicolored plants each with a distinct look and scent.

Jayce opened his eyes slowly, blinking a few times to help ensure he was awake. He was still on the couch in the room of the inn Jemza and he had rented last night. A lot of last night was a blur, but he remembered enough to know he had told her about his mother and sister. She was the first person in years he had told the whole story to. Argo received a much shorter version the day the portal opened.

He shifted slightly and found it difficult to move. Also, why was there a large amount of something white piled up under his chin? Wait...not something, but hair. White hair in large quantity with something very solid underneath in the shape of a head. Jayce swallowed hard moving his neck back so he could look down. Jemza was curled up against him, her head resting against his chest.

"What did I do?" He whispered his thoughts out loud beginning to panic. A blanket was covering them both, but he could see that they were both dressed. Why was she sleeping next to him? Furthermore, why was her arm draped over him and was that her leg resting on top of his own. He moved his arm down towards his legs until his fingers brushed against bare skin. He found what had to be her knee before pulling his hand back rapidly.

Survival instincts began to kick in now. If she woke up now he did not doubt that she would kill him. Even in the <<Safe Zone>> of Urbus, Jemza would find a way to kill him. He didn't even know how she wound up like this, but he would be blamed. He had to get out of this situation and fast. Maybe he could push himself up and over the back of the couch. The fall would most likely wake her up, but he could just say he tripped walking past her. That would work right? He turned his head back forward finding a pair of silver eyes staring back at him.

"Wh...whoa!" Jemza's arms swung wildly as she rolled backwards off the couch landing on the floor with a loud bump.

"Are you alrigh...wow." First instinct was to make sure she wasn't hurt. His first mistake since there was no pain or injury from small falls off a couch in SAO. Second instinct was to stare dumbly at her now that he could see her in a small t-shirt and shorts. Her legs all the way up to her thighs as well as her arms and part of her midsection were exposed. Thus, Jayce committed his second mistake of the morning.

"What are you looking at?!" The girl yelled curling her fingers into a fist and sending it into his face. While damage was negated in the <<Safe Zone>> the impact of the blows was not and he reeled backwards into the couch from the strength of her fist. The blanket was yanked from his body as she quickly wrapped it around her body to cover herself.

"Oh...good morning Jemza." How could so much rage exist in such a frame? The blanket was around her, but the stupid grin on his face was telling enough that his memory was functioning and focused solely on what he had seen.

"Round two Alchemist!" A second fist found his jaw sending him backwards again. He didn't mind at all. For once he felt like he could die happy.

"Come on! It wasn't my fault you know that!" A white ponytail of hair bobbed up and down ahead of him as they descended the stairs of the inn.

"Get a good feel of my leg?" What a sharp pain that lanced through his chest upon hearing those words come from her mouth. So she had been awake at that time, but it wasn't like he was doing it with ulterior motives.