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"What are you doing to Nash's face?" Asta asked Sister Lily, moving to sit beside Nash and gripping Sister’s dress sleeve. Tugging on it to gain attention he already had, Asta cocked his head to the side like a little puppy as he awaited her answer.
"I'm kissing his tears away." Sister Lily said softly, gently lowering Nash into his crib as he started to calm down. She leaned over him and wiped the excess of his tears with her thumb, her faint touches bringing a sleepy smile to the baby's face.
Asta leaned over the crib, standing on his tippy-toes to see Nash, who quickly dozed off into a peaceful sleep, sucking his thumb as babies do. Asta's eyes sparkled with care and wonder at the sight before turning back to Sister Lily. "Why? What does kissing mean?" Asta asked, ever the curious child. Sister Lily brought a hand to her chin, contemplating her next words carefully.
"...kissing is something you do when you can't express emotions through words." Asta gave Sister Lily a blank stare making the maiden purse her lips, eyebrows pulling together. "You know the saying 'actions speak louder than words' don't you?" She asks for confirmation and the blonde boy nods. Asta plopped down criss-cross applesauce, sitting patiently while waiting for Sister Lily to finish her carefully worded statement. Sister Lily was trying her hardest, she wanted Asta to remain a pure child, if just for a little while longer.
"When your heart is... overwhelmed, that's when just telling someone that you love them isn't enough, that's when you kiss them." Sister Lily explained, clasping her hands together with a kind smile fixed on her face. Asta’s mouth opened and closed like the faint recollection of words weren’t quite there for him yet.
"...I kiss them...when I love them?" Asta interprets, more of a question than a reply, awaiting Sister Lily's approval of yes or no.
"Exactly." Sister Lily says cheerily, moving to a crouch beside him with her dress fanning out around her feet gracefully. Sister Lily was genuinely proud of Asta, so much that her warm smile managed to barely crinkle the sides of her bright blue eyes.
“Okay!” Asta confirmed loudly. Leaning over excessively to slide off the chair, the reckless action giving Sister a mini-heart attack. Asta stands ready to leave with a mission of sorts in mind. But before Asta took another step he glanced back at Sister Lily and his eyebrows pulled together. Asta’s face scrunched up and his lower lip jutted out in over-exaggerated thought.
Asta turned around and marched back over to Sister Lily, standing tall on the tips of his toes with his chest puffed out. Asta pulled on Sister Lily’s dress, a recognizable gesture that meant he wanted her to be closer. Sister Lily followed suit, confused as to why Asta would turn back around for her at that moment.
All of Sister Lily’s thoughts came to a screeching halt when Asta pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. The blonde’s antics elicited a shocked gasp from Sister Lily as a tint of color rose to her cheeks. “Thank you, Sister Lily! I love you!” Asta exclaimed to the world with a toothy smile, eyes squinting shut as he waved his goodbye before bolting out of the room.
Sister Lily's eyes widened and welled up with tears of joy. Sister held her cheek in her hand, flashing a loving smile in Asta’s direction, the boy’s figure having already begun to disappear into the distance. “Goodbye... Asta...” Sister Lily’s response was slow and mostly to herself, but her voice was laced with unrivaled affection for the little boy. The young woman steeled herself, unwilling to let any tears fall. Because Sister knew that the minute she did, Asta will have finally secured his strings around her heart. She flexed her hand in and out of a fist, turning back to Nash with thoughts of Asta’s proclamation cycling through her head as a single tear trailed down her cheek. Asta really had her wrapped around his tiny fingers didn’t he?
Asta ran out of the room, rushing to find Yuno. Sister Lily said that she was kissing Nash because he was sad, and Yuno always cried, so Asta had lots of kisses to make up for. At least he thinks, and that same thought of not being able to do all he can for his best friend fueled his determination. After all, how was he supposed to be the Wizard King if he couldn’t even take care of Yuno properly?
Asta gunned it out of the church and onwards to his and Yuno’s favorite place, the hill behind their home. The peak of the hill rests in the center of a meadow, the grass was always clean and fresh there. The view was one of Asta’s favorite parts. It overlooked the skull of the legendary demon and the statue of the first Wizard King who defeated it.
Asta knows he’s close when he sees the lush leaves of their favorite tree. It stands tall at the top of the hill, looming over its surroundings protectively. He and Yuno would always climb it because of its vast range of branches. Asta would get closer to the top every time, and every time Yuno’s eyes would water and his lip would wobble as he tried not to burst into tears at the thought of Asta falling. Yet Asta always managed to get down by himself, but by the time he did, Yuno had already started shaking with tears.
There were so many memories in its branches, Asta faintly remembered Sister Lily calling it a willow tree. Now, in the spring, the tree was vibrant and teaming of life, full green leaves sprout from every possible twig, practically ready to burst. And at the bottom of its trunk was Asta’s favoritest thing in the whole world, Yuno.
Yuno was propped up against the tree, hands fisting at the grass while he waited for Asta. The blonde smiled and made his way up the hill, panting heavily. “Yuno!!!” He yelled, waving frantically to gain the messy, dark-haired boy’s attention.
“Asta!” Yuno responded just as eagerly, waving back at him, but less urgently than the latter. Asta approached Yuno, out of breath, and fell onto his back in front of him. It was all so overdramatic and silly it made Yuno’s amber eyes shine at him. Asta lifted his head with a smile, the blissed expression on his face making Yuno blush in turn.
Without warning, Asta wrapped his arms around Yuno, almost yanking the poor boy to him with the force. Yuno let out a startled yelp and steadied his feet. Asta used that moment of distraction to lean forward and peck a quick kiss on Yuno’s forehead. After a beat of Asta holding Yuno tightly, the shorter boy pulled away, smile wide as ever.
Yuno’s normally pale skin took on various pink hues, openly staring up at Asta in sheer bewilderment. The ravenette’s mouth opened and closed, trying to find words but his voice and mind betrayed him. The only noise he was able to make was the faintest of sounds akin to a whine. “I love you Yuno!” Asta announced so loudly birds flew out from the treetops. So many things happened so soon it caused Yuno’s nose to start to bleed in the midst of it all.
Seeing this panic bubbled up to the surface of Asta’s mind. He took a step closer to Yuno, unsure of where to put his hands, and instead settled on waving them around frantically. “Aaaaaahh! Yuno, are you okay?!” Asta shouted nervously, Yuno calmly wiped the underneath of his nose with his sleeve, smudging the blood on his face there. Asta didn’t pay it any mind and continued looking over Yuno worriedly, hands and eyes inspecting every inch to check for injuries, practically dropping Yuno in the process. Not wanting Asta’s warm embrace to leave him, the wind user quickly formed a response and slapped his hands onto Asta’s shoulders.
“Y-yeah, n-never better.” Yuno stuttered, looking down sheepishly, trying desperately to avoid eye contact with Asta. The blonde simply leaned underneath Yuno’s own head, tilting back up to look at him with his big green eyes filled with adoration.
Yuno’s expression was one of silent awe, the tips of his ears were slowly turning red and his palms were sweaty. Closing his mouth, Yuno coughed awkwardly and looking off to the side. Yuno used a small bit of wind magic to cool his burning cheeks. After a brief moment or two like that he gathered the courage to glance back at Asta and gulped audibly. “W-what are you doing?” Yuno asked, usual monotone replaced by a slight wavering in his voice from surprise and something else neither could quite name.
“Sister Lily said that you kiss the people you love to show them how you feel when your heart is too full, and you don’t know what to say! Sister also said that sometimes when people cry or are sad they might need a kiss! And I’m not too good with words, plus you cry a lot—hey!—so I thought that maybe I could kiss you instead!” Asta’s speech made the other boy freeze in shock instantly, relaxing when Asta patted his head soothingly.
Yuno pursed his lips and looked to the side, cheeks flaming with embarrassment as his next words flew out of his mouth without permission. "I've seen older people kiss each other on their mouths." As Yuno spoke, he looked back on every single choice he’s made that has led up to this moment, finding himself regretting about 100% of them. But rather than outwardly showcasing it, Yuno simply pointed to his mouth and then to Asta's, the latter's eyes lighting up with glee at the new idea.
"Maybe they share food that way! Do you think we could share tatoes?!" Asta asked excitedly, swaying from side to side and interlacing his fingers with Yuno's, making the taller nearly pass out from too much serotonin. Yuno eyed him, his expression laced with amusement, and care, and love. Yuno coughed and slowly slithered his hands out of Asta’s grasp.
"No... that would probably be disgusting." He points out, ever the voice of reason between the two. Asta huffed in response, crossing his arms and pouting at Yuno with a mixture of defeat and sadness since he wouldn’t let them share tatoes that way.
"Hmphf, fine, but I still wanna try it." Asta announced with a grin and Yuno’s throat went dry but he nodded.
"Okay." Yuno said simply, making Asta's grin morph into a full-fledged smile, almost causing Yuno to squint his eyes from the overall brightness of it. Asta placed a hand on Yuno’s shoulder, then another, then he moved one to his side, not quite knowing where to put them. Asta looked at his hands as if they’d personally offended him before paler, softer fingers enveloped his own.
Yuno held Asta’s hands making Asta gasp at the gesture, even though it’s nothing much compared to a kiss, but they’re kids, they don’t know the true weight of their actions. A blush snuck its way on Yuno’s face making him cough, clearing out his throat. “Are you gonna kiss me or do I-” Yuno is cut off when soft lips are placed against his own. Yuno’s eyes shoot to the size of saucers. Asta squinted his eyes shut, not sure if he could handle seeing the expression on Yuno’s face when he suddenly kissed him. Peaking open with one eye, Asta was greeted with the sight of Yuno openly gaping at him, the ravenette’s eyes are currently closed and a hint of red coats his cheeks. The kiss isn’t... bad per se, but rather they’re both inexperienced and socially awkward children.
Not wanting to waste this opportunity with Yuno, Asta shut his eyes as well, savoring the moment slowly. Then Yuno puckered his lips out too, much like Asta’s in a way that would probably look ridiculous to an outsider, but for the two boys it felt like nothing they’d ever experienced, they were just glad they could experience it with each other.
Kissing Asta felt like riding a roller coaster, that is if Yuno knew what a roller coaster was. It was exhilarating and it took his breath away. He felt chained to the ground but weightless at the same time. Lips on lips wasn’t exactly a comfortable feeling, but knowing that Asta was the one he was pressing his lips against gave him all the comfort he needed. Because Yuno was really doing it, he was finally doing it, he was kissing Asta, and he never wanted it to end.
Asta was somewhat disappointed that they couldn’t share tatoes, but that soon evaporated when their lips touched. To Asta it was like fireworks, lighting up the night sky. One could say Yuno was his light. It wouldn’t be too far off either. Yuno was his rival, his best friend, his crush. Powerful, emotional, adorable Yuno, was kissing plain, loud, magicless Asta. Yuno, the boy that everyone adored. And like fireworks, Yuno was both unique and worthwhile. And so, very beautiful, and for a peasant in a small village in the boonies, unattainable. But here Asta was, kissing the boy everyone had their hearts and minds set on. But, much like fireworks, it ended much too soon.
“A-A-Asta?! Y-Yuno?!” Uh-oh, they recognized that voice. Yuno’s eyes shoot open in surprise and Asta’s did the same, they tore themselves off of one another and scrambled away, avoiding the other like the plague. Hoping if they did so it would make their situation beforehand vanish as well as the consequences. The boys simultaneously stared at Sister Lily in hopes of turning invisible. Unfortunately, their prayers weren’t answered and they hung their heads low, averting eye contact with each other at all costs to avoid utter humiliation, neither of which were working very well.
With puffed out cheeks and blushing faces they stole one last glance at each other and the both of them felt butterflies fluttering around in their stomach. It was like their brains short-circuited and all of their functions were fried and lost, their hearts welled up so much their chests felt tight, and at that was the time the boys knew, they truly did love each other.
Later Sister Lily would give the two boys a more in-depth explanation about kissing and the different meanings behind different kisses. To which Asta would afterward proclaim to marry Yuno after becoming the Wizard King, leading to yet another back-to-back discussion about proposals, marriage, and the difference between platonic love, amicable love, familial love, and romantic love. Throughout the years as Asta and Yuno would grow older, Asta would be teased relentlessly and reminded of the day that he said he would marry Yuno and would realize just how ridiculous the 'proposal' was. Not because it was far-fetched or that he truly didn't hope for it, but because he had become solely convinced that Yuno did not and would not ever feel the same. The memories would always bring a blush to Asta's face, and out of embarrassment for his actions he would continuously ask Sister Lily to marry him in hopes that the countless "Marry me's!" would all begin to blend (it never did) and that he would forget his stupid promise. Unknowing of the pain Yuno felt upon hearing those words directed towards someone other than himself.