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Yuno didn’t hate Asta. Nor did he act uncomfortable around him after what happened. Getting rejected by his crush, hurt so much. But at least Yuno treated him the same as he did before. Asta knew he let go of his feelings – or ignore them whenever he’s around Yuno. It was for the best – for both of them. Asta wouldn’t get more hurt by Yuno’s words, while Yuno wouldn’t be put in an uncomfortable situation.
But yet,
“Yuno… I love you.”
“No.”
Yuno didn’t want to hear Asta’s confession.
Ever since Yuno has gotten the grimoire, everything has changed. Yuno got a rare grimoire, he joined one of the best squads, was blessed with an elementary spirit, his childhood friend has a demon inside him. And apparently, his parents were alive.
Oh, also, he was prince.
Yuno’s life has completely changed. He felt like he lost himself in all this change. Living in the capital was different from the Hage Village. He wasn’t a poor kid from poor, unknown village no more. Nothing was the same. He wasn’t the same. The one thing that stayed the same was Asta – his friend.
It didn’t matter if Asta was a demon or not, he was still Asta. Until,
“I love you, Yuno.” Asta repeated. “I’m in love with you!”
“Stop it.” Yuno hissed. He didn’t want to see what kind of look Asta had on his face. It seemed like every time he spoke to the white-haired boy, he hurt his feelings.
Yuno loved Asta, but it was a different type of love. Their friendship has progress into something more and it wasn’t brotherhood.
It was new, different – new. Yuno didn’t like that. He didn’t want that. He wanted Asta stay the same. He wanted something to stay the same.
“I will.” Asta paused. “After I’ve finished confessing my feelings.”
“No! I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want your love.” Yuno couldn’t hold it inside anymore. “I want things to go back to normal! I’m tired of change-“ He choked.
“Yuno…” Asta’s eyes widen.
For some reasons, tears threated to spill. It got hard to talk, and his body wouldn’t stop shaking. “I-I’m tired… I’m tired of change.” Yuno hide his eyes behind his hands. “I want things to go back like it was.”
A familiar hand touched the back of Yuno. Asta rubbed him in comfort, as he stared in the other direction.
When Yuno stopped shaking, he took a deep breath. It felt easier to breathe now but the tears wouldn’t stop coming.
“So, you’re scared of change?” Asta questioned softly.
“I think…” Yuno paused. “I feel like I’m losing my self ever since I came to the city. I’m not Yuno from Hage Village anymore. I’m Prince Yuno.”
Asta’s hand moved from the back to grab Yuno’s hands. “You’re Yuno. Not Prince Yuno or Yuno from Hage, but Yuno. Only Yuno. A title will never change who you are.” The shorter boy spoke with great determination.
Emerald meet yellow. The boys held the eye contact. Asta were the one to notice the space between them were small, and how soft Yuno’s lips looked while the other boy thought about how comforting the emerald eyes were, it was something familiar – it reminded him of home.
Yuno were the one to take action first. He leaned onto Asta’s forehead with closed eyes. He could feel the shorter boy sharp inhale. Yuno smiled gently when he felt Asta relaxing in the touch. He leaned in more, their nose brushing against each other.
“Oh, Yuno!” Asta beamed.
The tall boy nodded in acknowledge as he and the Captain of Golden Dawn entered the base of the Black Bulls.
“Goldie!” Yami yelled. “You finally came to take me out on a date, eh?”
The short captain flushed. “If you don’t mind, I need to discuss something important with you in your office.”
“Mhm? Discuss?” Yami threw an arm around the other captain. “Yeah sure, let’s go and discuss. Alone.”
The other members watched as William struggled to form a word. Vanessa chuckled for herself, enjoying how her captain teased William while Klaus started to shout how inappropriate Yami’s action were.
Asta ignored the Black Bulls members teasing an angry Klaus and skipped to Yuno.
“Hey, hey! Guess what?” Asta asked the other boy but didn’t let him respond. “I found a new sparring area. Let’s go!”
He grabbed Yuno’s hands and dragged him out of the base. Ignoring again the other members, Asta ran inside the forest while holding Yuno’s hands.
At some point, they slowed down the speed as deeper they went in. Yuno was annoyed the fact Asta dragged him around but didn’t mind it. It has been a long time since he has seen the shorter boy in a good mood.
Also, it reminded him of the time they were young.
Yuno starred at Asta back. He could see his muscles moving underneath the clothes. Yuno had always been jealous of the other boy’s body. It was fit and muscular. Yuno looked down at his hand, the one Asta was holding on. He traced down the scars at Asta hand with his thumb. His hands were rough, something that it didn’t use to be. But yet, Yuno found it… attractive?
Yuno looked up to see the tip of the other boy’s ears being red, but he didn’t think nothing much of it. After all, it was a hot day.
A new day, a new mission.
Nothing excited Asta more than a new mission. Especially a mission with Yuno.
“Klaus and Mimosa will take the route to right. Luck and I will take the middle one while Asta and Yuno will take the left one.” Noelle took the lead and assigned the roles.
Asta watched proudly as she told them about the plan to conquere the dungeon. He remembers the first time they went to a dungeon together. It was a mess, but he would never trade it for anything else.
“Everyone has a comm, right? Keep us informed and regroup at the start point.” Noelle ordered. She took a look at Asta and gave him thumbs up. She mouthed something for him, but he didn’t catch it, though he gave her thumbs up in return.
Beaming, Noelle dragged Luck to their path.
Asta walked happily beside his childhood friend.
He stole a glance at the other boy.
It hasn’t been even a month since Asta realized his feelings for Yuno and his sexuality, yet he was head over heels Yuno. Walking beside him, feeling his warmth made Asta’s stomach tingle. It felt like having butterflies in his stomach.
If Yuno notice the other boy walking closer than usually, then he didn’t mention it.
Asta casted a glance at their hands and then up to Yuno again. He walked even closer, brushing their hands together. Yuno looked down at their brushing hands. He had missed the warmth of another human being, but there were few people he felt comfortable with.
Yuno leaned closer, pulling Asta’s hand in his. He felt the stiffen of the other boy, but it didn’t take him long to relax. Asta tightened the grip.
“Did I tell you about my last mission?” Asta started a conversation. It didn’t take him long to return back to his old chattery self. He talked about everything and nothing, and Yuno listened intensely to the stories told by him.
Many things have changed since the boys came to the capital, but one thing that stayed the same was their relationship – whether if it was romantic or not, nothing changed the fact that they were Yuno and Asta.
Nothing could change that.