an: thanks to @izvmimi for requesting a character from a beloved fandom I haven’t dabbled in for what feels like forever! I really enjoyed writing this.
starring: Asta x female reader
warnings: fluff, fluff and fluff, SFW
now playing -
Asta wore his heart on his sleeve.
It was a part of his nature, and one you admired. There was something remarkable about a person who had not come from not the best of starts and still found a way to give his true authentic self to everyone he met. It should be applauded, admired—studied?
Whilst you couldn’t say you were exactly like him, because honestly... could anyone equal him? You were not fearful of emotions or those feelings that had a way of sneaking up on you. They weren’t scary. Yes, they were new and curious. They rubbed the inside of your chest like a gloved hand might brush against a velvet drape, but it wasn’t something to be feared.
There was no one like Asta. Some might say that was a blessing, in good nature, of course. For you, the sentiment was wholly true and in the best possible way.
No one could compare with his exuberance, determination, loyalty, kindness and the depth of his love knew no bounds. If he could come to love and accept a Devil as his brother, then it was safe to say that he was a special breed of man.
Maybe it was a little intimidating. It wasn’t like he came as a standalone man; he had a whole crazy found family surrounding him as well as responsibilities that he balanced on his incredibly broad and insanely powerful shoulders. Despite his baggage, it didn’t put you off, if anything it only added to the love that was growing like a meadow in Spring.
What started as harmless flirtation escalated fast.
Soon you were besotted with him, and he was as equally head over heels with you. It felt like a dream, but was it moving too fast?
Asta’s emerald gaze remained steady on you whilst you expressed your concern, told him you could wait if the time wasn’t right, that you would understand if he had other priorities to take care of first.
His hand reached for yours, the rough scrap of callouses from the years of physical training and sword wielding. With deliberate slowness, he turned your hand over and traced one fingertip in a swirl starting from the centre of your palm.
All you could was watch and listen to the beat of your heart until he finally spoke.
“With you by my side, I can do anything I set my mind to. I don’t want to wait, not when my future stands right before me.”
zai says: back on my black clover grind that movie changed everything!! this fic is gender neutral btw that’s just what asta said in the ep
ˏˋ«────── « 𓆩♡𓆪 » ──────»
it was his first official day as a black bull, since he was a rookie he had plenty of chores to do. they weren’t all bad compared to what he did back at the church it was nothing. however he will admit that the laundry load was something that he wasn’t used to, the pile was bigger than he was. then again it beats waking up yami by miles.
as he washed the clothes he came across vanessa’s bra. he turned a bright red and slapped his cheeks to snap him out of his daze.
“the girls in this guild are beautiful…but they have nothing on sister lily!” he yelled to himself and got back to washing the clothes.
you leaned against the wall of the base and rose a brow “sister? like a woman of the cloth?” you went outside to check on him you knew how hefty laundry duty was, and you wanted to feel bad for him but honestly you were glad you didn’t have to do it anymore.
he immediately turned around when he heard your voice. you were recruited to the black bulls a year before he was but the two of you were around the same age. his eyes widened when he saw you, he remembered seeing you when he first joined the guild but he never got a good look at you. maybe he was wrong about the sister lily thing, as soon as he thought that he felt the heat rise to his face.
he nodded. his cheeks were dusted with a bright pink “uh yeah.” he scratched the back of his head slightly embarrassed. sister lily was the only one for him he was sure of it. but why were you making him feel so different?
you laughed. oh god he loved that sound.
“you know they can’t marry right? let alone date.”
he knew that. how was he supposed to say the moment this conversation someone else caught his eye. he never thought someone else would catch his eye and turn him away from sister lily. but you? he didn’t know what you were quite frankly he could care less he just knew that he really really liked you.
“i-” he cleared his throat to prevent himself from stammering “yeah. i knew that.”
you shrugged and sent him a wave over your shoulder as you walked back into the base.
suddenly sister lily was a close second. hell who was he kidding close wasn’t even the word.
cw: reader goes to a high profile event with asta. reader is related to the silva family. characters, including reader, are referred to by nicknames. fluff.
One of your favorite but also somewhat exasperating things about Asta is the fact that his voice carries well when he wants it to, and now, as you try to fasten the last of your jewelry, a pale blue sapphire and diamond pendant that once was your mother’s and bequeathed by your father in the spirit of Undine, you realize he’s made it into your wing of the estate and is likely coming up the stairs.
He sings your name loudly and you can imagine he’d be annoying the more uptight maids at the main Silva wing, but the few servants that tidy up your home have already grown fond of him, and it’s soon that you hear a knock on your door from your father’s most trusted employee.
“Precious, your suitor is here, if you’ve failed to hear him hollering already.”
The two of you laugh, and you nod, grabbing a clutch from the edge of your bed and making your way out. Mrs. Doucevoie takes your hand and squeezes it, which makes your heart squeeze, before helping you down the winding escalier where Asta waits eagerly for you. He takes the steps by two on his way up and your maid rolls her eyes playfully before letting go of your hand and letting him take it.
“You look amazing!” is the next thing to come out of Asta’s mouth.
Instead of saying thank you, in the true Silva way, you reply, “Would you be so bold to tell me if I looked terrible?”
He looks quite dapper himself, hair smoothed down slightly into a softer silver coif, and a more ornate version of his usual squad cape draping over his left shoulder, lined with warm fur for the slight November chill, the aureate Black Bulls insignia stitched onto the left breast pocket of his high collared shirt.
“Can’t say for sure given it’s never happened,” he replies with a wide grin.
You hate that he’s wittier than you simply by virtue of being terribly honest and straightforward. Scrunching your face, but inevitably too flustered to say a word back, you rummage into your bag instead to pull out a set of braided gold cufflinks.
“A gift.”
He blinks for a moment, but accepts them, thanking you with a kiss on your cheek, and you help fasten them onto his wrists. Taking your hand again more firmly this time, he bids the rest of the small crew of helpers in your estate adieu, and you wave yourself, the loose and sheer golden fabric overlaying the satin sleeves of your rose taupe dress reminiscent of wings, and you might as well be taking flight.
There is a carriage waiting for you just outside the estate which surprises you, and you can tell Asta is particularly pleased by his own foresight when he sees the look on your face.
“I knew you wouldn’t want to stomp all around the city in your high heels and would make a bigger fuss if I carried you, so…”
Pinching his cheek gently before you peck the other one, you thank him. He warms up to his ears as you pat the cheek you pinched, then make your way through the door he opens for you. The magical carriage takes flight, and soon you’re right before the Nest.
Today’s Magic Knight guards at the entrance of the once monthly engagement are members of the Green Mantises that appear far too excited for the job. It’s understandable, as budding journalists and image capturers conjure up magical paintings and other records of this month’s patrons and their dates, and the selected guards for this occasion will often get publicity in their own right, as well as the first look of the eligible selected ladies who present without partners on their arm.
This will be the first time you’ll be debuting publicly with Asta as your partner, and you know that all eyes will be on him as well. He takes this in stride, presenting your invitation labeled Raven to the guards and flashing them his charming smiles. They bow to the two of you, and you pretend you don’t see one thump Asta on the back cheerfully as you step ahead of him. He skips a few paces to catch right back up to you, his hand placed gently on the small of your back. It makes a shiver run through your spine, but you attribute it to the cold.
The Nest is particularly vibrant and embellished tonight -
A once monthly event, exclusive to royalty, noblewomen, and women of otherwise great merit, handpicked by the Blackbird herself. You know her personally, and know that she is a lot more than the gossip she’s rumored to be, an actual personal informant of the current Wizard King without a malicious bone in her body. To others, she remains the mysterious cheery head of the Nest’s events and a formidable social force.
Soft power is real power, and the show of force tonight is less the amount of magic or anti-magic that runs in your veins, but your ability to charm and win over hearts.
Asta’s won over yours, and you hope he wins the remainder of the country’s hearts in due time.
Tonight is open to members and their partners, and instead of games to keep the aristocrats entertained and talking over wine, cheese and fruit, and the bourgeoisie buzzing with things to talk about, the gala is more centered on courtship and networking. New links are formed in the winter Roost and new regulars are introduced.
Last year’s Roost you were arm in arm with your cousin Nozel Silva against your best wishes, and today you come with Asta, who holds your hand eagerly and delighted. You'd have been concerned about the buzz around this, but the vibrant host reassured you that no one would dare cause a commotion.
The Blackbird announces each guest by their invited name, and both you and Asta grin at her in unison as you make your entrance.
“We welcome the Raven and her lovely guest Asta of the Magic Knights, Black Bulls!”
She’s positively glowing from the Master of Ceremony’s seat, and you can spot her own date, Captain Yami Sukehiro, a few paces away and seated, watching the two of you. You’ll tease both of them about how they managed to get him into a formal outfit but for now you manage a polite wave at everyone as you finish your entrance and get seated. Asta’s excitement has him practically bursting at the seams, and he’s bent over, elbows resting on his knees while he asks you if you want anything to drink.
“We have to wait for everyone to sit, Asta,” you remind him, and he frowns, but there’s poured sparkling water in the table setting and he offers it to you before downing his own glass.
More guests arrive - Robin who hails from the Forest of Witches, the captain Vermillion on her arm (or rather his hers), Harpy of the Silver Eagles with a date who seems to be being dragged along questionably willingly, along with her younger sister Swan of the Black Bulls with Yuno Grinberryall, Vice Captain of the Golden Dawn; Dove who is the newest addition to the Nest and practically flies down the staircase, mysterious and gorgeous in her own right, but will surely pick a suitor soon; and Hummingbird who comes down the stairs, her eyes lost in those of the vice-captain Vermillion’s.
The seats fill sequentially, as the Blackbird smiles and clasps her hands together in glee.
The Roost is filled and the doors close, the lights dimming, and the feast begins.
Asta provides you with drink and dance, and enthuses you as you glide through the groups, playing nice with a couple of ancillary members of the magic parliament (but not too nice because you remember their willingness to put the object of your affections to his death), catching up with Swallow and Finral in advance of their soon to be wedding.
The Blackbird has somehow convinced Yami to dance and you find it hilarious until Asta pulls you to the dancefloor as well and you’re side by side, twirling with him, as Asta and Yami find themselves back to back.
“Not a single damn comment.” Yami warns him.
Asta laughs. “Can I at least tell you you’re at least lighter on your feet than I expected, Captain Yami?”
The two of you twirl and you find yourself back to back.
“Did you see Finch and Nacht in the corner?” you ask.
Blackbird giggles, “I’m surprised he even came to be quite honest with you.”
“Finch is persuasive when she wants to be. And so are you with Captain Yami wearing sleeves for once.”
Yami and Blackbird switch places suddenly for Yami to grunt at you.
“Watch it, you’re still under my jurisdiction until the end of the month,” he warns, and Asta switches places with you.
“She’s behaving,” he says with a smile, as you remind him he’s not your keeper. He dips you suddenly and you gasp.
“Are you sure that’s true?” he asks, while Blackbird whistles which makes your face warm even worse.
Asta has you lightheaded as he brings you up but he doesn’t dare to kiss you in public even if he wants to, even if you can tell the desire to by the flutter in his lashes. You want to as well, but you’re quickly dispelled by the clink of glasses. The Blackbird moves far too quickly at times, by virtue of her Movement Magic but also because she is light on her feet and soon she is at the center of the room.
“Please let us know if you have any needs and thank your servers. We hope you’re having a lovely time!”
You are absolutely, you think, as Asta takes your hands again, kissing your knuckles, and asking you if you need another drink. You shake your head and place your hands on his shoulders.
“Let’s continue to dance.”
Your waltz continues under the watchful eye of the Blackbird and the rest of the Nest.
if you went to the heart kingdom with him and the others he’ll be your biggest hype man
if he did well and was able to get out of training early he would stop by where you’re getting your magic trained
he’ll stand off to the side watching you practice your magic and get the hang of the magic runes
sometimes y’all would train together, you improving the strength of your magic while Asta works with his anti-magic
dates in the heart kingdom, y’all exploring some of the kingdom at first, weather it be the city, or exploring the woods near by for a picnic you name it
sometimes y’all would go into the town for dates trying all the different foods the heart kingdom has
sometimes y’all would ride around in the sky, him on demon slayer and you and your broom
cuddling after a long day of training, him caging you in his arms, or he’s being the little spoon
if you stayed behind in the clover kingdom he visits you any time he can, some times he would sneak out during his breaks
but with demon slayer he can make it quick with some help from finral of course
when he visits the hideout he’ll look for you first if you’re a black bull, if not he’ll visit the black bulls first then head over to your squad to see you
he would always tell you about the others and their progress and how they’re getting stronger n stuff
he would also tell you random dumb stories that happened over there
if he can’t visit you for whatever reason he’ll send you a letter apologizing that he couldn’t be there in person, but the he goes on to tell you basically he what he wanted to tell you
in the letters he always tells you that he loves you, if someone saw him writing one he’ll just be beaming when he says it’s for you
Fluffvember Day 29: Stargazing - Asta (gender neutral reader)
Summary: While on a mission, you spend the night under the stars.
Word Count: 316
masterlist
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The night air was chilly as you lay on your blanket, only the stars for light. There would be no fire tonight, you and Asta were on a stealth mission, and staying hidden was essential. You’d eaten dinner under the cover of darkness, and now you lay on a hill, plenty of open space in all directions. You were too riled up to sleep, so you stared up at the stars, the points of light creating pictures in your mind. Asta lay nearby, breath rising and falling quietly. “Hey Y/N are you awake?” He whispered after a while. You nodded and rolled over to face him, he was close, you’d decided to sleep near each other for warmth. “Can’t sleep?” You asked, taking in his features in the dim light. He shook his head, “Nah, but it’s alright. I’m sure I’ll be able to sleep eventually.”
You both rolled over, backs almost touching. “This really takes me back.” Asta commented, voice barely above a whisper. You frowned, “How so?” Asta let out a low chuckle. “Back home, I’d go out and train by myself, sometimes for weeks at a time. I’d always look at the stars and marvel at how beautiful they are.” He shifted, propping himself up on an elbow, “I’ve always loved the stars, they can guide you home, lead you to places you’ve never been. And the most important, they’re always there.”
You hummed quietly in response, his words were comforting in a way. “That’s awfully poetic for a meathead like yourself.” You teased, slapping his arm lightly. Asta smiled, “Maybe so. Well, sleep well Y/N.” “You too.” Instinctively, the two of you shifted closer; it was unclear whether it was because of the warmth, or something else. But, that was a matter for another time. For now, the stars would watch over you, and when it was time, they’d lead you home.
cw: fluff. reader is royalty by way of the Silvas, and engaged to Asta.
Your hands shielded by oven mitts, you scrape a potful of mashed pop potatoes in a large bowl before transferring it to the table, then arrange the rest of the meal you’ve spent the day preparing, steamed assorted vegetables, a roast, the works… It’s hard to cook in a new kitchen, and even if you spent the morning going to the market and filling the new pantry with the things you enjoyed, you know your speed has been reduced and your faithful maid would have done a far more efficient job than you could have. What you can only hope for is that the food is at least good, and as you dip a tasting spoon into the pop potatoes, you are happy to confirm that it’s at least decent.
It’s early evening and Asta has stepped out on magic knight business for the day. Just a week has passed since you’ve moved into this new cottage just on the edge of the city, and Asta has apologized profusely ever since the first day you moved your things out of the Silva estate into this cozy space for not being immediately able to provide you with the lavish life he’s somehow convinced himself you deserve, but you’ve loved it ever since he presented it to you on bended knee, and spend your time daydreaming how you’ll make it into the home of your dreams. Given the circumstances, you’ve made sure to let none of the servants know of your new dwellings (they assume you still live at the hideout) except for the woman who partially raised you and also taught you to cook once your mother no longer could.
It’s odd for royalty to have any skills of this respect and thus you are very thankful for her, even if she always thought it strange that you hung so close to her in the kitchen. It at least gave you something to talk about with Charmy, and now, as you plate a meal for you and your future husband, you feel a sense of accomplishment that has nothing to do with magic or any royal bloodline.
Asta is surprised to say the least when he finally makes it back, eyes widening as he smells Hage’s flagship meal from the very door.
“No way!”
A smile is impossible to wipe from your face as you tell him to go wash his hands before he sits down with you, and he does so quickly, then slips into the chair beside you, offering you a kiss on the cheek before digging in.
“You didn’t - mpgh- have to - cook!” he reminds you between sips and swallows. With honesty, he reminds you that he’s surprised every time anyone of noble descent cooks but you tap him on the forehead with the edge of your fork instead.
“Is it good though?” you ask. The most important question.
“Incredible, actually!” he asks. “Like you used magic!”
“Asta…” you pout and he laughs at your annoyance, then kisses your nose before going back to stuffing his face. “I mean effort and love,” he rectifies.
It’s filling enough just watching him eat, but you do manage to eat your fill as well, and when the two of you are satisfied, he thanks you for the meal before he recounts his day to you.
“So we might have to spend some time at the Eastern border again, just because there are some concerns that Diamond Kingdom might be sending in spies through Kiten to mess with the witches. That being said, I’m pretty sure the witches can take care of themselves, but it seems that there was a specific request for backup. I think it’ll be a short trip, but if you want, I know this place is small, so if you do feel like going back to the Silva estate for a while…” he starts, and then you frown.
“You keep calling our house small as if it’s a bad thing, Asta. It just is different, but not any worse.”
Asta adjusts in his seat, then lets out a sigh finally. His eyes focus on yours and he takes both of your hands carefully before continuing.
“I just don’t want to force you to settle into a humble life just because you care about me,” he finally admits.
There’s a short pause, in which you can practically hear his heart thumping, in unison with yours; you grip his own hands gently, rubbing the roughened skin tenderly before answering.
“You couldn’t force me to do anything Asta. I’d live on a farm and uproot pop potatoes by hand every single day for a living in a space half as small if only I were doing it with you.”
It’s a heavy declaration, but you mean it with your whole heart. Asta’s face reddens as he gets flustered, practically indignant at the very thought.
“Absolutely not! I’ll become Wizard King and I’ve already worked hard enough for the both of us, so no damn way you’ll ever have to work that hard!”
As expected, Asta never changes. You smile at him and kiss his forehead.
“My point is that I love you regardless. Wherever your home base is will be home for us both now, okay? I personally love our home.”
You can practically see Asta’s heart swell as his lips part, and at a loss for further words, instead pulls you into his lap and holds you tightly. You settle into his hold comfortably, burying your head into his chest.
“You’re too good to me. I want us to have the happiest life possible,” he whispers into your hair. “Everything.”
Your daughter is practically climbing up your leg, barely 4 years of age but energetic and talkative, and always desiring to be helpful, and acquiescing to her demand, you pat the ash blond curls of her hair and transfer the glass of moguro leaf juice into a safer cup instead and hand it over to her. Her green eyes grow starry and wide as she takes it from you and runs out of the kitchen to outside the home, where you can see your husband do hundreds of sit-ups in the front yard.
Even now, he’s still a feast for the eyes, you think to yourself, as he moves almost faster than your eyes can track. Training is still a necessity for him, and he takes any idle moment to do so, complaining often that the bureaucracy of being Wizard King and constant meetings are not at all what he was anticipating. With every little morning routine, he insists on refreshing himself with the moguro leaf juice concoction of his childhood, and now that you know the recipe, you’ve decided to occupy yourself with making it when you can, just like this morning.
You’re pretty sure whatever is in that green juice that he insists on drinking is completely useless when it comes to magic power - you’ve checked the ingredients yourself - but Asta is the exact combination of superstitious and stubborn that means you might as well go with the flow if there is no harm done than argue needlessly against him, especially if it makes him happy.
And as you watch Luna practically jump, vibrating with excitement as she waits for her father to finish his set, you’re even more glad that you’ve continued to indulge him too.
Asta stops finally, sitting up and turns to grin at her, and Luna thrusts the cup towards him with tiny hands, almost spilling the cold juice onto his bare chest. He still manages to catch it, and then he pats her head as well then thanks her, and drinks as he rises, making a scene of saying a loud, refreshing “Ahhhh!” once he’s gulped it all down.
“That really hit the spot Luna, thank you!”
Luna is practically bursting with joy and is quick to hug his knees. He laughs and picks her up, then carries her like an airplane between his side and left arm, his parcel giggling as he makes his way back to you.
He sets the cup on the counter next to the sink.
“You sent Luna in your stead this time,” he says lightly, setting her down as you give him a swift kiss on the cheek, tasting the salt of sweat on his tongue.
“She was very excited to do the all important job of making sure you stayed hydrated. Right, Luna?”
Luna shakes her head quickly, and before you can say anything else, she’s already lost interest in the two of you, running off to go get her toys. You watch her speed off into the corner, then let your eyes snap back to your husband.
“Are you disappointed?” you ask, teasing. Asta takes another look in Luna’s direction to confirm that she’s out of sight and earshot, then pouts.
“Never disappointed, but it is nice to see the person I chose to spend the rest of my life with is still interested in my workouts and looking at me and-”
“Asta, I was literally less than ten steps away.”
“I’d rather you be right next to me.”
He grins widely in response, and you’re reminded of the first time you fell in love with his smile, so many years ago. Your cheeks warm gently.
“Sit on my back next time?” he asks. “You can even carry Luna, I can handle you both,” he insists, moving past you to pour more of his awful post-workout juice.
“Fine,” you agree, as he gulps it down, and Luna, like clockwork, runs back into the room, dolls made by Gordon in both hands, and hands one to Asta.
“Play with me?”
He immediately takes a seat cross-legged on the ground without hesitation.
“Lead the way, Luna! What are we doing?”
“Well, Princess Moonbeam has the greatest magic ever…” she goes off while Asta listens carefully, and you find yourself slipping down into a cross-legged seat next to Asta too, letting your daughter enthuse you in the big dreams of her very own.
cw: selfship-coded. reader has just joined the black bulls and has water attribute recovery magic. fluff. reader and asta are both still young (pre-timeskip).
Your hand sways before you, a bubble of water traveling through space at your command. You raise your other hand and spread them apart, expanding the bubble. Slowly it widens and widens and widens as you concentrate until it is the size of your body before you, and finally, it bursts in your face, forcing a gasp from you as your clothes are drenched. It’s temporary however, and as you breathe in, the water seeps through your clothing to be reabsorbed into your skin.
Now dry, you let out a sigh of relief. You feel a little overloaded but eventually you’ll just need to pee the rest out when you equilibrate. Your Grimoire remains closed at your desk, but you’re focusing on making your lower level spells stronger and the water bubble that you’ve been able to generate and control at will for as long as you can remember much more versatile and able to cover more surface area at once.
You’ve been part of the Black Bulls for six months now, and however difficult it may have been to integrate at first, you find that things have somewhat mellowed out. While you spend a lot of time trying to temper your cousin’s bratty behavior and keep yourself from being rattled by your squadmates' overall uncouth manner of being, you’ve grown quite fond of the group, and this transition period where you’ll only be working some parts of the week and not others has finally snuck up on you faster than you expected.
Your tense conversation with Yami feels like so long ago yet so recent, where you’d leant heavily into your royal standing to get what you want, not unlike Noelle, as if it weren’t the reason you felt so stifled every day of your life. Now a part of you wonders if you shouldn’t arrange for a longer stay, to spend more time on missions with your new friends. To protect them. To return the favors granted to you by the members who taught you to fight and gave you a reason to heal fervently other than the commoners who came into the clinic in the capital.
Either way, you have a duty to uphold.
Dinnertime is served soon and Charmy’s Sheep Cooks don’t need you for a nutrition boost with your water enchantment, so you only find yourself there when everyone else is seated. Yami sits at the center of the table, and eyes you disaffectedly as you sit down, but you’ve long stopped being at odds with him.
“It’s about time that you show up,” Noelle quips, but she’s normally gentle with you.
“Say something else and I’ll get up and leave,” you reply with a wide smile, and she glances at you for a moment, then harrumphs. She hasn’t forgiven you for even considering leaving her here with the ‘brutes’ and ‘commoners’.
“It’s not like you aren’t already ditching us.”
“Hey, that’s nwo hwway to tweat our gwuest of mhwonor!” Charmy says through bites of food. Vanessa laughs through her third bottle of wine - no, liquor - while Magna and Luck return to their usual bickering with Yami not yet intervening. When you turn, you realize Gordon at some point has crept up to your other side and he’s saying something completely unintelligible. You nod politely, still with your blood running cold.
You haven’t quite figured him out yet. You try not to think about Grey at all.
Finral has figured by now that you probably won’t ever go on a date with him but he still tries from time to time to make a pass, although he’s settled for surreptitious winking. Sometimes you wonder if you should let him have a pass at you just to watch him crumble when he realizes he actually has no idea what to do with a woman once she’s accepted him.
When you slide your attention away, you realize there’s one person missing at the table, as Noelle spoons food onto her plate and then kindly, yours as well.
“Hey, where’s Asta?” you ask her.
Overreacting as usual, her face turns a deep red and the bowl of baked potatoes practically clatters as she sets it down.
“H-how should I know!?! I’m not his keeper or s-something!”
If you could roll your eyes, you would, but instead you give her a pass, then look to the rest of the group.
“I think he was out training, I don’t think he got the memo that we were having dinner early.” Finral offers, leaning in so close on the table, face propped up by his hands, he might as well be laying on it.
“Then go fucking get him,” Yami growls under his breath and suddenly the room tenses up and straightens.
Magna is out the door immediately with a “Sir, yes, Sir!” but collides right into Asta who is running in at nearly the exact same time.
“Oh shit, sorry!” he exclaims as Magna clutches his head, although his own forehead will probably start swelling shortly. The two boys make their way over to you automatically and with both hands you split your bubble and tap their foreheads gently with cooling water.
Asta is muttering apologies for missing your farewell dinner while Magna reminds him to watch where the fuck he’s going. As usual, Noelle glances at your hand on Asta’s forehead carefully before you withdraw it.
“Watch where you’re going, insect! You’re making her have to use mana unnecessarily!” Noelle also jumps in, and Magna gives her an exasperated look.
“I didn’t mean to…” Asta starts but he trails off and looks at you. You smile at him, sensing he has something to say and wonder why he’s hesitating. Asta’s loudness has a tendency to be muted around you, you feel, and you wonder why. Although you and Noelle are similar in terseness at times, you try to be kind to him as much as possible to compensate. Right now, he looks somewhat aware in addition to being somewhat disheveled and dusty, although that’s expected from someone who’s probably been swinging a sword repetitively for hours and hours.
“Does something still hurt?” you ask.
“No,” Asta starts, then scratches his head. “I-”
“Why don’t you sit down then instead of wasting time? The food’s getting cold.” Yami interjects. Asta seems to freeze in place then nods, scurrying to his seat before Noelle hisses something about cleanliness and Asta remembers to disappear to wash his hands.
When he returns, the lot of you have the planned farewell meal, moot because you’ll be back in exactly a week. Yami smokes the entire time and you remind him that the habit probably won’t be conducive to living long.
“Magic Knights aren’t exactly expecting to live to 100,” he reminds you.
“Maybe you should aim for it,” you reply. He rolls his eyes.
“Just remember that you play Doctor, it doesn’t mean you are one.”
You consider being offended, but you laugh. Magna, kind to you despite his rough exterior watches you first before deciding to laugh as well, and by the time a couple hours pass you’ve eaten and laughed your fill.
—
Before you retreat for bed, you hear a knock on the door. You expect Noelle, here to complain and possibly cry for abandoning her, but it seems that at this point she’s expended all of her pleading energy and has now decided to pretend to be unaffected. You practically slip as you tiptoe to the door, but when you re-steady yourself and open the door, you find not Noelle but Asta.
You blink and in your surprise forget to actually say anything.
Misinterpreting your surprise for annoyance, Asta seems to panic, his face reddening as he tries to explain himself.
“Hi, I, uh…” he scratches his head again like earlier, and you furrow your eyebrows.
“Is everything okay?” you ask. Adjusting the folds in your nightgown you wait for him to speak, then remember that you don’t wear a bra to bed and both of you are teenagers, crossing your arms quickly over your chest. “C-can I help you?” you add.
He turns quickly for a split second, then turns back to you. Taking a deep breath, he says quickly, lowering his eyes to the ground.
“I just wanted to say thank you for everything!”
“Everything?”
He takes another deep breath, and then in another flurry of words.
“You didn’t call me a commoner or make fun of me for not having magic! I just thought you should know I appreciated it!”
His hands are pressed to his sides very carefully as though he’s bowing to you and you find yourself both touched and embarrassed. You laugh nervously.
“I’m not doing anything more than being normal,” you remind him.
He looks up at you, and you nod.
“But Noelle and everyone else…” he pauses before you can say anything more then smiles widely, holding his head up a little higher. “Right.”
“I know we nobles can kind of suck sometimes but-” you start, but he shakes his head vigorously and you trail off.
“It’s no problem! Good night!”
Your jaw falls open just slightly as he, energetic as always, turns and speeds off.
It’s a strange encounter, and you’re never really sure what he’s thinking or what the point of all of that was really. But you think about how earnest he is, always, when he’s helping you train, when you’re healing him, when you’re simply talking.
You’ll just be gone for a week, you’ll be right back here with everyone, going on missions together. With fiery Magna, crazy Luck, sweet Charmy and Rebecca and Noelle and silly Asta.
And at the thought of that again, your own cheeks start to warm.
