[PP-F11] Summer Lovin' (Grave)

[Jevi 0]

It had happened to her again, just like it had months before. The memories, the anxiety, the depression.. it all hit her like a ton of bricks. Of course, not knowing how to handle her emotions correctly, the separated herself from the world, including Grave. She was not used to this, having a boyfriend and all, so it did not click in her mind to go to him for support. No, instead she locked herself away like the truly immature girl she still was. 

However, that was weeks ago, and the purplette's feelings were beginning to return to a stable state. The first thing that came to her mind when she awoke that morning was that she needed to see Grave and ask for his forgiveness for leaving him for so long. Without donning her armor or weapon, the woman rushed out of her sandy, Floor Five forge and rushed to the warp plaza, hoping the man was at his diner. 

~"Warp, Floor Three!" 

Seconds later, after her body materialized into the new environment, Jevi hopped off of the platform and hurried towards the small diner. The girl brought her hand up and gently bit on her forefinger, a worried look in her eyes. She hoped he was still there. What if he didn't forgive her? Or love her anymore?.. or what if he had found someone else. She took in a shaky breath as she hastened her pace. 

Standing in front of the familiar wooden door, she did not hesitate to knock; not loud enough to sound panicky, but enough so he could hear it. She took in a deep breath and held her arms behind her back, a gentle smile on her face as she waited for Grave to answer. 

[Grave 0]

My whistling was cut short and my hand halted its stirring of the stew before me as a knock rang out from the door at the front of the diner. "Hm? Usually people just walk in if they want to order something... who is it?" I asked quietly, pointing to Hikari, then the stew to tell her to continue her work. I reached behind me and undid the apron, slipping it off and laying it over the counter as I made my way to the door. "Who is knocking on my door to-" I began to ask as I swung the door inwards and peered down at the purple haired girl before me.

"Heh. Heya Jevi." I greeted my girlfriend, placing a hand to her head and ruffling her hair gently. "Why have you been hiding?" I asked, shepherding her into the shop and shutting the door behind her. "You seem... shaken. Everything alright, sweetheart?" I asked, cocking my head in a confused manner. 

[Jevi 0]

As she stood there, the anticipation causing a sweat to break out on the back of her neck, she blinked in a sudden realization. This was not his personal home, or private business; it was a diner open to all. It came to her now that knocking on the door was such a stupid idea. The purplette shook her head, Get it together Alex.. and reached forward to push the door open. Before her hand touched the door however, it had swung open, with the ever-so-familiar man standing on the other side. With a sly smirk on his face, he ruffled the girl's hair and greeted her. ~"Hey Grave." she through a relieved sigh as he brought her into his shop. Once he closed the door behind her, she turned to him with a smile, placing a hand on his chest and kissing him on the cheek. ~"Sorry I.. went into another one of my funks like last time. " she looked down at her feet for a moment, ~"I would have gone to you but.." she chuckled, "Guess I'm still getting used to the whole 'boyfriend' thing." 

[Grave 0]

I led Jevi over to one of the bar stools, before going to lock the door to my diner; I did not want anyone walking in on us while we talked after so long. I swept back over to the girl and sat opposite her as she spoke. I sighed with my eyes closed for a moment, before opening them and looking at Jevi with a soft smile. "You are a real doof at times, you know that?" I told her, leaning forward and gently kissing her forehead. "I understand, sweetheart. If I were in your position, I would still be getting used to it to... to be honest, I am still trying to register the fact that I have you in my life." I told her, gently brushing her cheek. "But we will figure ourselves out soon enough, do not worry about it."

[Jevi 0]

The girl's golden eyes fell to the counter which they sat at, ~"I know I know."  a light sigh passing through her lips. Hey eyes closed slightly and her cheeks took on a pink color as she felt his lips press against the skin of her forehead, and her lips hooked into a smile as he looked back up at her beloved. As Grave brushed against her cheek, she brought her own hand up and gently placed it over his, wrapping her fingers around his hand and smiling. ~"We will, and we will have plenty of time to do so... Speaking of which!" The girl slid off of the stool so she stood in front of Grave, her hands behind her back, ~"Lets go out. You and me. Right now. I don't care if you're busy with something." she said with a playful chuckle and wink. ~"Its the summer, we shouldn't stay cooped up in a shop.. I was thinking we could go up to Floor Eleven, just outside of Taft, and spend a day at the beach." The girl slowly walked forward to Grave, placing a hand on his chest and looking into his eyes, "Just the two of us." she spoke softly. 

[Grave 0]

I blinked as Jevi stood up and began ordering me to go out with her, whether I was busy or not. I threw a fretful glance to Hikari, and she gave what seemed to be an approving squeak, to which I smiled and turned back to Jevi. "The beach, huh?" I mused, wrapping my arms around the girl's waist, grinning at her. "I do not see why not, I should really get the hell out of here, get myself some Vitamin D... and a lot of Vitamin U~" I flirted, winking charmingly at the purplette, before I let her go and stood up, towering above her. I looked to Hikari and beckoned her onto the counter next to us, where I scratched her gently around the horn. "Thank you, Hikari." I whispered, the little weasel mewling in appreciation. "Alright, lead the way, my love." I whispered to Jevi as I looked back to her, then at the door.

[Jevi 0]

As Grave wrapped his arms around her waist, Jevi gently placed her arms on Grave's shoulders and smirked at him. Her eyes closed and she scoffed, her head looking towards the ground before she groaned at Grave's usual, corny, but adorable, flirting. ~"You know, I actually missed those comments of yours." Her features became softer as she stepped forward to the man who stood over her and wrapped her arms around him in an embrace, ~"I truly did miss you Grave.. I'm sorry I was gone." After their short embrace ended, Jevi turned towards the door to Grave's diner and led the man straight for the center of town, where they would then warp up to Floor Eleven. 

[Floor Eleven]

Jevi and Grave's bodies materialized into the bustling town center of Taft. Jevi's golden eyes turned to the gray haired man as his body appeared from the blue light, taking his hand and leading him towards the outskirts of town, ~"So, what have you been up to while I was away?" 

[Grave 0]

I smiled down at her and returned with my own comment; "And I missed making them." I sighed down to her. "I missed you too, and do not be sorry. You are here now, and that is all that matters, sweetheart." I reassured her, running my thumb through the hair behind her ear. I made sure to flip the sign out the front of my diner to 'Closed' as Jevi led me out and towards the centre of town and onto the teleporter platform, where the swirling, blue energy whisked us away and eight floors up.

My eyes took a moment to focus as the blue haze fell away from my sight, revealing the quite pleasing city of Taft. "I have to say... I come up here a lot more often lately. I should shift my shop up here." I commented idly, looking around, before Jevi lead me to the outskirts and asked me a question. "Well... I am now a frontliner. Since I was so busy with my shop, though, I missed out on the latest raid... although I did play a part in the planning for it. I promise, though, that I will make it to the next one." I explained to the girl, hoping she would not worry too much for my safety.

[Jevi 0]

The purplette's eyebrows raised in surprise as she turned to look at Grave, who stated that he was now fighting on the front lines. She felt a combination of mixed emotions, one side of her being proud of Grave and happy he was doing this, but also terrified that now there was a greater chance of her losing him. She shone a wide smile at the silver haired man, ~"I'm happy for you Grave, you finally made it to the front lines. But..." she was silent for a moment, though she was sure that he knew how she was thinking, ~"Just please, be careful? I.. don't know what i'd do if I lost you.." her tone of voice softening as she spoke, a flush of pink on her cheeks. The woman then brought her fist up and punched Grave in the shoulder, ~"And you better not do anything stupid to make that happen." The girl's voice was stern, but she had that smirk on her face as always. ~"I've really been slacking lately when it comes to leveling.. I'm no where near strong enough to join the front lines.. let alone go out on this floor alone.." she said with a sigh, disappointed in herself.

 

[Grave 0]

Yep. There she went. I knew she would be worried about it, and I honestly did not blame her; fighting on the frontlines was death's dice roll - and with a loaded dice, for that matter. Of course, she lightened up a little when she punched me; it seemed being a punching back for her helped to brighten her mood. "Do not worry, sweetheart. You know I am strong, no way can I die. I will always come out alive, promise." I replied to her, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. "That is not a problem at all, love. Some people have more important duties to attend to. As much as I would love to have you fighting beside me, it is your choice whether you want to aim that high." I explained with a wide grin.

[Jevi 0]

The pruplette chuckled, ~"Yeah, you'd better come out alive" she said as she reached up to peck him on the cheek, graciously accepting the arm around her shoulders as the two continued their walk towards Taft's beach. ~"Eventually maybe." she said with a sigh, ~"though I am enjoying the beauty of the safer life.. away from the front lines. But maybe I'll consider getting stronger so I can protect you." she ended her sentence somewhat taunting Grave. After a short while longer, the grass began to become littered with grains of sand, which became more and more prominent until grass no longer remained. Jevi's golden eyes glistened at the sight of the beach, for it was her first time being to this area on Floor Eleven. She smiled, ~"Its nice to get to see an ocean lining the sand.. rather than more sand lining the sand." she said with a laugh, mocking the location of her oven of a shop on Floor Five.

Separating herself from Grave's arm, Jevi turned around to face Grave as she swiped her hand up to open her inventory. Her slowly scrolled through her apparel until she came upon her bathing suit, which she looked at Grave with a soft smile and blush before tapping on the screen. Her orange casual clothes disappeared in a white light, leaving the dark skinned woman in a black and white bikini.

[Grave 0]

I nodded in agreement. "I do miss the safe, chilled out life... working my stats up has been a grueling and often stressful task. I just hope it pays off in the end." I sighed, not wanting to work so hard for nothing. "Haha, I do need a woman to keep me in check, both romantically and physically... probably in more ways than one." I replied, scratching the back of my neck with a cheesy grin, knowing she knew about my heavy flirting problem. My boots slowly traversed from soft swishing in the grass to crisp crunching on the golden sand as mainland turned to beach. I looked out to the glimmering water beyond; I had not been to a beach once in my time in SAO. "It is beautiful... much like a particular, purple haired girl I know~" I casually flirted, gently nudging Jevi with my elbow.

I watched as Jevi swiftly exchanged her usual getup for her typical bathing wear, and I smiled; she did not seem reluctant at all to show her skin like that now. It was also a relief that the bright light hid her body as she changed, as that could have proved awkward for both parties. I worked through my inventory, removing my coat, tunic and everything else, leaving me in a pair of shorts suitable for wear in the water. "Well, that is done and done... shall we test the water?" I asked, walking down to the shore and motioning for Jevi to follow.

[Jevi 0]

~"Mmm.." Jevi smirked in response to Grave's needing of a woman in different ways. She placed her arms behind her back and interlocked her middle and pointer fingers on each hand, leaning forward just slightly, ~"I think I can do that." Her tone of voice was soft, but playful, like the purr of a cat. Soon after her own changing into her bathing suit, Grave did the same. The girl, purposely, watched as piece by piece his clothing disappeared in bright lights, leaving him shirtless in a pair of shorts. She looked from his chest into his eyes as she took in a small breath through her nostrils, a smile coming to her lips. Oh God I hope he didn't notice that.... she thought to herself, completely embarrassed that she just openly eyed him up and down with those golden eyes of hers.

The purplette turned towards the water, her back now facing Grave. ~"Hm.. its been so long since I've gone swimming in the ocean. I know that its all virtual now.. but I'm just hoping it feels like it does in the real world..." ..She was silent for a moment, taking it in before looking over her shoulder with another playful smirk, ~"...Race ya'" She said before her foot dug into the sand, and the bikini clad woman rushed towards the water.

[Grave 0]

"Haha, good." I nodded and petted Jevi's head gently, as if she were a cat of sorts. The pose she was in was quite cute, I had to admit, like you would see in a magazine. I stretched my arms up into the air after changing, groaning as my muscles relaxed in the sun. "Mm... this day is going to be good." I groaned with a satisfied smile, looking at Jevi, unsure as to whether she just watched me or not. "Well, now we match. And yes... you are right. I never had much experience with the beach, being from London and all. This will be a nice throwback." I said with a nostalgic grin. "It has also been a while since we last swam. Last time we were occupied killing fish for sushi, though, so this should be more pleasant." I sighed, before raising my eyebrow at Jevi as she began to race towards the water. Rolling my eyes, I broke into a jog and followed her, pumping my legs into the sand as I tried to catch up.

[Jevi 0]

The girl laughed as she ran as fast as she could through the sand towards the blue ocean, her feet colliding with the hot sand with each step. She had to admit, she was not very fast, especially since she wore her heavy armor most of the time. Speed was not her ally, and it never would be. She looked over her shoulder for a moment and saw that Grave had taken her up on her offer to race her. She was not surprised, nor was she surprised at how much faster her was. Jevi tried to move faster, but her long legs could only carry her so far. The sand under her soles began to become less hot and began to feel moist as she neared the water. She dared not look behind her, for she knew if she did, it would slow her down enough for Grave to be able to easily catch her and win the race. A wave of excitement passed through Jevi and she smiled with an open mouth as she could not wait to enjoy the feeling of swimming in the ocean.

[Grave 0]

That one moment when Jevi peered back gave me a chance to gain on her, running faster through the sand, pushing up and forward so I did not uselessly shove the soft, searing sand out of the way and fall flat on my face. The purple haired girl seemed to already be having fun, and I smiled; she needed it. With how she seemed to have been lately, she needed to have more fun. I grew closer to Jevi as we approached the water, running becoming much easier as the rippling waves had compacted the sand below, providing a much thicker platform to run along. "Here I come!" I shouted and lurched forward, throwing my arms around Jevi's waist and twisting, falling back-first into the water and pulling Jevi with me, drenching us in the waves. I sat up in the sand, holding onto Jevi as the water rocked back and forth up around my waist. "Well, now we are in the water~" I stated the obvious as I looked up at the drenched girl.

[Jevi 0]

Before the girl could figure out what was about to happen, she quickly saw two arms reach out to either side of her before they wrapped around her waist. With a twisting motion, Grave turned their bodies so that he could, literally, sweep Jevi off of her feet and drag her down into the water. The girl let out a yelp as she felt her feet slip out from under her, and her body becoming submerged in the water seconds later. The two were not very deep in, so there was no risk of drowning. In fact, Jevi's face still stuck out of the water, though her back laid in the wet sand. She pushed herself up onto her knees and swiped her purple bangs back out of her face, before glaring down at the man who had soaked her. As she pushed the purple hair from her eyes, she reached for the circlet that held her hair up in a ponytail and undid it, letting her long purple locks fall down her back, the ends dipping into the water at her tailbone. ~"You asshole." she said with a chuckle as she grabbed the back of Grave's neck and pushed his face down into the water.

The girl rose to her feet as she waited for the silver haired man to take his face out of the water to avoid drowning. Her ankles pushed through the water, it slowly rising up to her knees, then her waist, as she moved further and further out into the digital ocean. She turned around in the water, once she was no longer touching the sand, to see if Grave had come up yet. She smiled at him softly, beckoning him to join her.

[Grave 0]

I grinned sheepishly up at Jevi as she released her purple locks from their binding, her long, beautiful hair dropping to the water below. I snorted when she called me an asshole, and gasped just before she thrust my head into the water, gargling and coughing slightly as my face became submerged, kicking bubbles and froth up to the surface. I finally broke free and sat up straight, taking a deep breath and spitting the salty taste from my mouth. "Blegh, not sure whether or not that is meaner than what I did." I complained jestingly, pouting at the girl, before grinning and following her deeper into the ocean.

Jevi was barely off the sand where she beckoned me to, just keeping herself up by kicking her legs. With my higher stature, however, the flats of my feet firmly sat on the ocean bed, and I grasped Jevi by the waist, holding her off the sand so she didn't exhaust her legs. "Many perks come with being tall, I must say." I told her and poked my tongue out in a teasing manner.

[Jevi 0]

Jevi smirked mischievously at Grave before winking. ~"Meaner than what you did to me... well.. of course it was." After turning her face back around, she made her retreat into the water and waited for Grave to join her. She had waded out just far enough to where the tips of her toes gently brushed at the sand below her to keep her head above the water's surface. So kicking her legs gently, she floated upwards so more of her head was visible. Grave, on the other hand, simply walked out to her and stood perfectly fine, gloating about his height to her. ~"Hey, I'm not that much shorter than- oh" She was taken by surprise at Grave's hands wrapping around her waist, not only helping keep her above water, but also pulling her closer to him. She looked up into the man's eyes as he looked down at her, feeling his body pressed against hers. Jevi felt her cheeks heat up, as well as some of the emotions running through her mind. Lifting her own arms up out of the water, she laid them on Grave's shoulders and interlocked her fingers behind his neck, still looking into his eyes without words. Pulling herself upwards, with the help of her arms on his shoulders, she pressed her lips to Grave's, holding their intimate kiss for a short while.

[Grave 0]

Jevi gasped quite cutely as I pulled her close to me and off the sand. "Hm? Sorry, what were you going to say?" I asked with a sly grin, before softening it as I peered into her eyes of glimmering gold, highlighted by the sparkling sun only just disappearing over the rim of the twelfth floor above us. She locked her fingers behind my necked and pulled herself in, meeting my pale lips with her pinkish tanned ones, kissing me firmly. I grasped her waist tight and shut my eyes as I savoured the taste of her lips and the intimacy of the moment; her lithe body tightly held in my arms, purple hair daintily floating in the water like beautiful sea grass, brushing my hands oh so lightly. I broke from the kiss and looked at my love once more. "I love you, Alex." I whispered with an adoring smile. "And I want to become strong so I can see that you can make it out of this hell alive. I will protect you with my life."