Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Living at the base had become a nightmare. 

Noelle had found a home at the Black Bulls’ hideout. She had become fond of living there, she appreciated the warmth, and the shabby rooms were quite charming in her eyes now. Even the nonsense of the layout rearranging everyday had grown on her, providing her with a surprise every morning as to where she would wake up. 

Now, she hated it. 

She pushed her door carefully and looked around the corridor. Clear. Noelle padded out as quietly as possible, and closed the door behind her. She twitched as the heavy door made more noise than she’d expected. 

“Morning.”

It took Noelle all her willpower to not scream. She calmed down as Vanessa started laughing in front of her. 

“Oh come on! It’s 6 in the morning, no one’s up anyway.”

“You are,” Noelle remarked.

The witch shrugged, “So, care to tell me why you’re being all sneaky?”

Noelle sighed, looking away. 

“It’s early, I don’t want to wake you up.”

“Yeah, yeah. Like you care.”

“I do.”

“Mmh... Maybe you do.”

Silence settled. Noelle tried to find an excuse to go on with her day and disappear from the common areas. But Vanessa broke the silence, “Captain Yami comes back today, and as you could’ve guessed, we’re having a party. You should come and help prepare everything.”

Noelle felt a gush of happiness. Finally, their captain was coming back. It had been a strange week without him around, everyone was traipsing carefully around the icy authority of their new Vice Captain and missed the easy-goingness from Yami’s time… It was awfully quieter too. The base wasn’t the same without their captain— it was a simple truth.

But if Noelle felt like this, surely Asta felt the same, and she was certain he’d be the first on deck to help with the preparations. She couldn’t risk running into him. 

Vanessa took a deep breath and gave Noelle the look. 

“Don’t make me drag you to the common baths, Noelle.”

There was a silent understanding. She knows. Might as well get some advice from the witch. 

Noelle sighed, “Fine, I’ll help you.”

♣        ♣

♣

Thankfully, Asta was out in town with Finral to buy some stuff they needed for the welcome home party. So, Noelle could finally talk freely to Vanessa about… the whole situation they had had during the war. Noelle had been racking her brain around it for days and had come to the conclusion that… she needed help. 

“Aww," Vanessa cooed. "You confessed your love to each other on the brink of death? How romantic. You could’ve chosen a better moment, though.”

“We confessed we’re soulmates,” Noelle corrected as a deep blush was settling on her cheeks.

“Same difference,” Vanessa said while gesturing at the cardboard box which contained the ugliest decorations Noelle had ever seen. 

“I beg to differ.”

Vanessa didn’t seem to care. Noelle fished out a guirland and almost immediately dropped it back in the bow. Was there anything worth it in that box? 

“And you ran into each other’s arms as soon as you woke up,” The witch pointed out. "If that isn't love, I don't know what is."

"That's irrelevant."

"Very relevant."

“We were barely conscious.”

“That proves my point all the more. That was a desperate, limping run towards your one and only. Your soulmate. Your lifeline!”

Noelle stared at Vanessa and hoped it showed on her face she wasn't amused.

"Can you stop making fun of me?"

"I'm not making fun of you." 

Vanessa flashed her the usual just teasing! smile and hanged one particularly shabby and ugly guirland. Noelle took a step back to avoid the flakes of disintegrating bits. Seriously, the common room was better off without these horrendous guirlands. Now, they had to swipe the floor to remove… whatever kind of plush that guirland was made of. Yami wouldn’t care about any of that anyway, why were they bothering? 

“You’re training inside when he’s training outside and you’re pretending to still be recovering to avoid common areas. Why are you avoiding him? Shouldn’t you be all over each other?”

Noelle looked away. 

“It’s… awkward. I really thought we’d die down there so it was easy to… talk. It felt so natural. Now, I can’t think about what I said without blushing, I’m so ashamed of…— Everything I said was so...”

Vanessa cut her off, “You did think what you said, right? You were being 100% honest down that pit, right?”

Noelle sighed, “Yes. But now… we’re back to how it was before, we’re back here, you’re all here, and I don’t know how to act differently to how it’s always been.”

Now, Noelle had said it. She had been trying to figure that out since they came back to the base, roughly a week ago, and she still… couldn’t understand what exactly she was supposed to do. All she knew was that she was afraid of coming across Asta. And she hated to be afraid. So Noelle avoided him. 

Vanessa sighed and got down from the stepladder, “It’s one step forward, five steps backwards with you… You know, life is short.”

Now, that was something Noelle wouldn’t have expected Vanessa to say. But then again, the war had been hard on everyone. Noelle knew Asta and her were only alive thanks to Rouge and the team of healers. She watched as Vanessa ruffled inside a cardboard box and took out what looked like a handmade clay bull. 

“What happened to ‘you’re young, take your time’?” Noelle teased

“You were helpless 16 years old rookies living in a peaceful country,” Vanessa pointed out. “You’re 17 years old war veterans now, and you’re among our highest-ranked members. Look, you’re senior magic knights, you’re automatically old. ” Noelle twitched. They were not officially senior magic knights… yet. “And even our womanizer Finral is getting married. Finral of all people. So you have no excuse.”

No, Noelle did have an excuse: Finral wasn’t a good example. Arranged marriages didn’t count. He had been engaged since he was a kid. 

Vanessa continued, “I know you both too well, I know how stupid you are,” she said while menacingly pointing the bull at her, “and at this rate, what happened in that pit will happen for real, and you’ll die before you can enjoy what it means to be in love. I don’t want to be an accomplice in your downfall.”

The witch settled that ugly bull figure on the bar and took a few steps back to admire her work. 

“We’re not… in love.” Noelle muttered under her breath, arms crossed.

“Sure.”

“We’re not.”

“I heard you.”

“We’re just… soulmates.”

Vanessa chuckled and turned to face her. 

“Yes. It’s nice to hear you say ‘we’ so much.”

Noelle was beet red instantly. Vanessa, of course, burst into laughter. 

“Nice ribbons you’ve got there...”

Noelle’s whole system stopped working. How did Vanessa know about the ribbons? Why did she know about the ribbons?

“Oh sweetie, did I break you?” Vanessa giggled. “Alright, I’ll stop teasing. But keep in mind that you’ll have to confront Asta one day. It’s not as if you could avoid him forever. You two work together.”

The water mage knew that. This was precisely why she was terrified. It was one thing to lose Asta, another to lose him and still have to see him every day. 

Vanessa kept humming as she shoved the decorations they hadn’t used in the cardboard box, visibly keeping her promise of not prying more. Noelle hesitated. She still had a hundred questions. What if he shuts me down again? What if he hasn't meant the words he’d said? What if he had meant them as… friends? Comrades? 

Vanessa broke her train of thoughts.

“If I stop, you stop too. Stop brooding over it. This is the day our captain comes back, you’d want to put on a smile!”

Noelle smiled awkwardly. That was easier said than done.

Chapter Text

“Next, we need... fireworks..?”

Finral blinked a few times and re-read the list. Yes. Fireworks was definitely written on their list. That must have been Magna’s request, because the fire mage hadn't let a second pass before he ran off towards that aisle. Unless it was Luck’s, because he bolted right after Magna. 

Finral sighed. “I have a feeling there’s gonna be trouble at that party… I don’t want to get Owen in the middle of the night again...”

He took a look at who was left in their “errands” party. Only Asta. And a calm Asta at that. Well, that was how he’d been for the last week… since the end of the war. 

The war. 

Finral’s role in the Spade Invasion had been that of support, as it had always been. He moved people from places to places, retrieved the injured, teleported mages to other battlefields, but also, and most of all, he had been the one to beg their mana detection experts to map the area and to look for Asta and Noelle’s grimoires and mana signatures. He had also been part of the rescue team who got them out of that pit. Struggling to make it back up as they carried the two rookies on the brink of death. He had been the first to see them lying there, looking so pale, but hand in hand and still breathing. 

That image still haunted him at times. 

Finral kept pushing the cart and distractedly grabbed some chips from the aisle. If anything, Finral knew that the war had been hard on their rookies. He knew how determined they had been to get the kidnapped people back, to defeat the Triad… Finral could only imagine how frustrated they must be, of having been shut down before they could achieve any of that. 

And right now, Asta looked... like his mind was somewhere else. 

“Yami’s fine,” Finral tried tentatively. “He’s coming home only now, but he’s been fine for a while.”

Asta looked at him with puzzled eyes. 

“Yeah, I know. They just wouldn’t let him leave because they knew he wouldn’t rest properly at the base...”

Finral smiled awkwardly. That captain of theirs was a handful. 

“Hey Finral," Asta said suddenly. "You’re marrying Finesse soon, right?”

The spatial mage turned slowly towards Asta. The situation was a little more complicated than that. Sure, Finral was officially engaged, but he still had... one big hurdle on his way. One that pretty much terrified Finral.

“Hopefully soon enough. I’m preparing for the royal hearing.”

“Do you love her?”

“Yes,” Finral said confidently.

Asta narrowed his eyes at him, frowning. 

“How do you know?”

“Mmh… I just know.”

“How is it? To be in love?”

Ah. They were having this talk. 

Back when they were training in Heart, Asta had already come to him for… girl advice. Finral had no idea why the magicless knight would come to him for this kind of matter, but he had anyway, so Finral, as a good senior, provided as much guidance as he could. Asta had asked if he could have done something to anger Noelle. To which Finral had answered ‘nothing out of the ordinary’. They ended up discussing many... many things. Long story short, Finral had advised him to get her something, to which Vanessa (who had sneaked up on them) had shamelessly and blatantly said that he was the greatest gift he could get her, before offering to gift-wrap him. Finral stopped her short, and, thankfully, Asta didn't understand a thing. 

The spatial mage would not claim to be awfully smart, but he knew Asta had a soulmate tattoo, and he saw how the two rookies were when they were together. You either had to be blind or completely oblivious to not notice.

Asta shrugged. 

“I… I love you all too, and the kids at the Church, and Sister Lily. How is that different? I care about you all, and I want you to be happy…”

“Well, it’s simple, really. It’s more than trust and it’s more than care. It’s something you feel for that one special person.”

He seemed to consider the idea. 

“How is that different from soulmates?”

Finral was taken aback by the question. He didn’t know. He didn’t have a soulmate himself. 

“Don’t soulmates automatically come with love?” Finral said, unsure. “I’ve seen somewhere that the concept of love was crafted after the soulmates relationship. Love is the closest to what us, mere mortals, can have to what you, soulmates, have. It’s fated love, more or less.”

Asta went silent. So Finral decided to keep the talk more grounded and less conceptual, “You’re talking about Noelle, right?”

The boy raised surprised eyes to his mentor, cheeks red. The spatial mage smirked, satisfied to see him flustered like that. It amused him that the magicless knight could think that no one had noticed what was going on between them.

“So, what about her?” Finral asked with a grin. “She’s your soulmate, isn’t she?”

Asta nodded slightly before grabbing random stuff on the shelves. 

“Yeah, she is. But it’s weird… because I’m pretty sure I wasn’t in love with Noelle when we met. But… I think… I did feel a connection? Maybe it was the tattoo.”

“Your feelings grew afterwards,” Finral explained.

Asta rubbed a hand to the back of his neck, “But I’d been in love with Sister Lily at first sight! I've loved her my whole life! So I’m not sure…”

He paused. Finral took out the pile of useless things Asta had put in their cart. 

“That nun could be your mother, right?”

“What? No she’s not that old!”

Finral chuckled, “No, what I mean is… she’s old enough to be, and she helped raise you, didn’t she?”

“Uh… I don’t really know how old she is. But yes, she did take care of me, and the rest of the kids too.”

Finral smiled. 

“Don’t think too much about how you felt for that nun of yours. What’s important is how you feel right now.” 

“Yeah, but I’m confused.”

Finral couldn't believe what he was going to tell Asta, "It’s because you’re thinking too much."

Right on the spot, the magicless knight gave him a puzzled look. So Finral continued, “If it’s love that you feel for Noelle, then go ahead and make a move. Because she most definitely won’t.”

Asta stopped, then turned to him, his face completely blank. 

“What do you mean by ‘make a move’?”

Finral thought he was joking. But he looked dead serious.

“Uh… tell her you love her?”

Asta went redder than he already was.

“She’d send me flying with a seadragon or something,” he mumbled.

Finral wanted to contradict him on that point, but he found he couldn't. Their resident royal would, most definitely, react in such a way. She already had too many times. 

“And what if she… doesn’t love me back?”

Finral raised both eyebrows at Asta's quiet question. How blind could that kid be to think she didn’t love him? Everyone at the Bulls had figured that out. He was even sure most magic knights who had ever been on a mission with them had figured that out. 

“I’m sure that if you tell her how you feel, that if you tell her everything, it will be fine.”

Asta didn’t look so sure. 

“Will you help me again?” he asked, eyes full of hope.

Finral smiled, feeling like a proud, respected mentor for once. 

“Of course I will. Now let’s get everyone and head back to the base.”

Chapter Text

They were all gathered in the living room, waiting in high anticipation for Finral to come back with their captain. Nacht had left, claiming that he didn’t want to be here. For some reason, he still wasn’t too keen on staying with them if not obligated. 

At the far end of the room, Noelle was pretending to fix some decorations. Should she take advantage of the party to talk to Asta? Maybe. They would all be busy eating and partying… she could take him aside and… and then what should she say? The mere prospect of having to imagine the conversation created an uncomfortable knot in her stomach. There was no way she wouldn’t make a fool of herself in that state. Maybe she should rehearse before. Or at least write down a few sentences… Noelle’s hand froze mid air. That was ridiculous. Write down a few sentences. She turned around, feeling Finral’s magic portal and gathered with the others. 

“WELCOME BACK CAPTAIN!” they shouted in unison.

Said captain looked at them one by one, before cracking one of his rare heartwarming smiles. He looked fine. Better. He still had some bandages, but he was mostly healed. 

“I hope you haven’t gone soft while these harpies kept me prisoner in bed.”

They laughed and suddenly, it felt like it was before. After months of peripeties, of stress, injuries, recovery, of worrying about the consequences, of burying their dead… it finally felt like it was over. The beginning of a new era. 

They had the greatest feast since their coming back from the Seabed Temple. Charmy had prepared too much, but with all the gluttons they had in the squad, everything had been eaten rapidly and the cooking sheeps had to surpass their limits to keep up with the Black Bulls’ pace. 

As of now, Noelle had settled the farthest possible from Asta, and was painfully aware of it. She still had no idea what to say, and she resolved to not think about it so she could, at least, eat something. 

“Ah, by the way...” Yami started.

It was his “captain” tone. He would probably announce a new mission. The mission requests had been piling up, and Nacht was still reluctant to send any one of them on the field (he did the most pressing missions on his own— did he not trust them just yet? maybe).

To be completely fair, Noelle had appreciated these few days off. She had fought enough the past few months to last for a lifetime. She still trained, of course, she couldn’t afford to grow dull, but the breather was a blessing. Asta and she had been out of recovery for a week only, so surely, they wouldn’t send her on a mission this earl—

“Asta, Noelle, you’re going on a mission.”

Noelle choked on her cake.

“It’s a simple one, catch some bandits or whatever. A walk in the park for you two.”

Noelle didn’t want to go. On a mission, first of all, but on a mission alone with Asta, even less. She looked straight at Yami, hoping he would understand. He sighed.

“Nope, it’s gotta be you two. Gotta earn your pay.”

Yami looked at every member gathered in front of him, and they all tensed. 

“Listen, I know that war was hard on all of you, and that’s my fault too for letting myself be kidnapped. But we need you back on the field. You need to build up experience so you can find a solution for whatever’s coming at you.”

That last part sent a shiver down her spine, and Noelle felt the knot settle back once again. Images of the pit flashed in her mind, she remembered the fall, the wind, how she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t grasp anything, struggling to keep her eyes open; the vision of the ground getting closer and closer, of her mana getting wilder and wilder and, at last, the moment, the precise moment she had realized they would not make it out alive. The only thing that got her through was that he’d been there with her. 

“I can go alone,” Asta offered in a feeble voice that was… very unlike him. 

Noelle’s jaw clenched, and she started feeling guilty. She couldn’t refuse, she didn’t want to go, but she couldn’t let him go alone either. Their eyes met for an instant. He didn’t look too eager to go back on a mission. She could see he was not feeling too confident himself. 

“No, I’m going too,” Noelle stated. “I’m a magic knight.”

Yami nodded, “You’re leaving tomorrow morning.”

♣        ♣

♣

Yami hadn’t lied. It was a simple mission. This was the only solace Noelle could find… well, no. Really, it would’ve been worse if she had been alone. Or would it have? She couldn’t decide. 

Noelle hadn’t been that nervous since her first mission, supposed to be a simple one: hunting down a boar near Saussy village. It had ended up in protecting an entire village and taking down a group of criminals. Nothing they had signed for in the first place. So Noelle knew firsthand how missions never went according to plan. 

“We should go gather information at the town office,” she said.

Asta nodded. She had no idea where the town office was, though. It was already a miracle Finral had already been here. They walked down the main street, thinking that they should reach a plaza, or at least meet someone on the way.

“That’s a calm town,” Asta said.

Noelle could only agree. For this mission, they were to arrest a group of bandits. They had the group’s name, the members’ physical description, their magic attributes, and they even had the rough estimation of when and where they would act. Julius’ ears in the kingdom had informed him they would attack that town, on that precise day. A simple mission, they didn’t even have to investigate anything. They had never had such a simple mission. So, Finral had dropped them, and left them there. Ever since that moment, they had been patrolling aimlessly, pointlessly, looking for anything suspicious. To Noelle, the only thing that looked suspicious was them: two magic knights patrolling in such a calm town, to the point Noelle wondered if Julius’ intel was right. 

“Are you okay?” Asta asked with no warning at all.

She almost jumped, not expecting him to talk. 

“Yes.”

“Your ki is just... You’re scared?”

Noelle hated when he read her ki. She glared at him, hoping she could get the message across.

“I’m not scared.” And it was true. She was simply… nervous. Very nervous. 

Silence fell over them. Then Asta broke it. 

“It’ll be fine. We’re together.”

God, did he have to say it like that? Noelle kept on walking, trying her hardest to calm down. It was only a mission. She had gone on plenty of those. Before. And Noelle had always been sent with senior members. Well, now Asta and she were senior members too… but they didn’t have the experience. 

Noelle had led just fine in Heart. Why was it so much harder now that they were back? She had taken a stand, pulling everyone up with her. She had felt like she couldn’t crumble back then. Loropechka was scared, so Noelle thought that she couldn’t be too. That she had to help. To stand tall. Now that they were back to Clover, Noelle wasn’t feeling all that confident anymore. After all, Noelle had been overconfident back then, back in Spade. After all, both she and Asta fallen down that pit. And failed. 

It was only natural to be scared. Right?

Noelle looked sideways, glancing at Asta. 

“Aren’t you scared?” she brought herself to ask.

Asta chuckled, but it felt different from his usual laughter. It was almost bitter. 

“Yeah, of course!”

Noelle looked at him, surprised he’d say it like that, so easily. 

He grinned, “But I’m with you, so I know we’ll be fine!”

Noelle went redder than she already was. That weird mission was already enough, she didn’t want to add the whole soulmate or… love situation in it… she focused on the building at the end of the road. That should be the town office. 

“You’re very red, you’re sure you’re ok?”

Noelle most definitely was not okay. She needed to calm down. She also needed him to stop asking. They were on a mission, he should be concerned with the mission, or the bandits, or whatever… What had they come here to do? She looked at the town office, desperately, trying to escape his presence, to forget about it. 

“We still have time until the time the Wizard King gave us," Asta said. "If you don’t feel good we can stop at an inn.”

What exactly was he suggesting?!

“I’m going to check that street!” Noelle all but yelled at him. She would not be able to calm down if he kept sputtering and probing like that. She would not. She needed a small time alone. To calm down. To compose herself.

“I don’t think we should split”, Asta said. “You should stay close to me.”

“I’m checking that street, you stay here.”

It had come out more harsh than intended. Noelle bit her lip, regretting the words as Asta's green eyes widened, but she still turned away and darted off to the street, then turned, and turned again, running as far away as possible.

Chapter Text

Sorting the reports was every Black Bulls’ least favorite job. It was not that they hated it for having done it, though— most of them had never sorted a report in their whole lives as magic knights— but they all hated the mere prospect of tidying. With all the craziness they’d had to face these past few months, the brigade members had prioritized the most needed activities: missions, recovery, investigation, and above all, training. Sorting the reports and tidying their archive room, however, had been pushed on the back burner. In clear, they hadn’t even set foot in there for nearly a year, except for an occasional dust-off. So, Yami had asked those who had nothing to do to handle the whole chaotic situation they had with their reports. 

The Black Bulls wasn’t an old squad. In fact, it was one of the newest squads. With only over a decade’s worth of files to sort, one might think that the great amount of members requisitioned would have been done in an hour, or two. How wrong would that be. 

First, they had needed to find the room. Even Henry wasn’t certain of where he’d put it that day. He claimed he usually considered it an appendix to their library (their library wasn’t exactly the squad’s favourite room either), so the two should be close enough.

When they finally figured out the day’s location of their archive room, they had to physically enter (the door wouldn’t open). At last, with a strong kick from their captain, they managed to break into a cramped, dusty, spider web ridden room with some wobbly shelves that, surely, shouldn’t have been empty. In the centre of the room, there was a large table and a bench whose varnish was peeling, and also a shabby sofa against a wall.

But what had the brigade members shaking was what was lying on the table and what was scattered on the floor: countless loose leaves; in other words the “reports” they would have to sort. That was the moment they discovered that Yami had never, ever, cared about sorting the files and had only dropped them on the table, one report after the next, and left.

The first step towards cleaning up had been to put together the sheets that belonged to the same mission, before even thinking about classifying said reports. After two hours of hard work, they were almost finished with that part. Vanessa yawned, before collapsing on the sofa, “Cap’n, we’ve worked enough, haven't we?”

“Hands off that bottle, Vanessa,” Yami answered without lifting his eyes from the sheets he was examining. “We’re finishing these files by tonight.”

She hadn’t even brought a bottle. In fact, she hadn’t drunk on the job or alone since the Elf Invasion… Vanessa sighed. She could use a drink right now; that was the most boring being a magic knight had been in forever. She surveyed the room, watching her squadmates either do the job seriously (strange) or slack off (she was more used to that). The weirdest part in the whole “file-sorting” situation was that Yami was there. He never did this kind of boring task. He would always “delegate”. As a good captain always does, Yami would say. Seeing him on deck was strange. Not disagreeable, but… strange. 

“Why does that matter?” Vanessa asked after a while “No one ever reads these files anyway.”

Yami glared at her, and she smirked back. To her surprise, he sighed, “I intend to become a captain worthy of your bunch and of this kingdom.”

Silence followed the declaration, Vanessa and Finral exchanged puzzled looks, before setting their eyes on their captain again. Yami laughed, “What? I can do it. I’ll work hard.”

Well, it wasn’t exactly the problem… the problem was that Yami didn't care about what they thought of him, or what the kingdom thought of him, really. He had taken them in, useless, broken, fallen as they were without asking anything in exchange; he had gladly accepted the squad ranking last every year with their over-growing impressive number of negative stars, telling them that it didn’t matter, and that it didn’t reflect their worth, that he just wanted to have a good time with them. 

Yami seemed to take the hint, as he sighed, crossing his arms, “Let’s just say that seeing all of you surpass your limits to get me and the Golden Weird Mask Guy back was some inspiration to start doing the job correctly.”

Vanessa was beaming. 

“And Nacht is being a pain in the ass,” Yami added. 

They all laughed, before remembering that the vice captain could appear anywhere at any time with his shadow magic, so they went back to sorting files.

They worked in silence until Yami’s communication device rang.

“I’m busy being a respectable captain, what’s up kid?”

Vanessa raised an eyebrow and turned towards Yami. He looked up, gestured for them to get closer. For three minutes, they listened to Asta telling how he ended up alone in the streets, how he had no idea where he was at the moment, and how Noelle wasn’t coming back. Vanessa and Finral lost it when he had talked about proposing to stop at an inn. Finally, Asta went silent, waiting for orders from Yami. 

“You two, pipe it down," Yami said, glancing back up at Finral and Vanessa. "Ok, kid, listen, you’re going to-”

“Captains the bandits are here! I’ll call you back!!”

And then he hung up. Vanessa risked one look at Finral, and it was all it took for them to have a go back to giggling. Yami sighed. 

“How did they get promoted to senior magic knights…” Yami wondered aloud. “You two, stop laughing and get on these files or you’ll do that on your next day off.”

They stopped laughing immediately.

“Wait, come to think of it…  Finral, Vanessa, you’re off to that town. I’ve just realized something...”

♣        ♣

♣

Noelle tried to catch her breath, but she had to admit: she had gone past her limits with that sprint. She leaned against the tree, still panting. Damn it all. What on earth was wrong with her? She had made up her mind. She had said she would tell Asta everything. She had said she would handle the situation. So why? 

When Noelle could finally breathe at a semi-normal rhythm, she put her back against the tree and slid down the trunk until she had made a nest for herself on the ground. 

Then again, hadn’t Noelle “decided” the very same several times before? Her mind flashed back to when he gave her the ribbons. She had said she’d tell him at that time. But then the war happened… Noelle clenched her fists. No, that wasn’t true. She had tried several times before that. She had tried to talk to him the next day, only to have cold feet and propose a training session instead. When he had gone off and attacked the mobile fortress too, she had tried to talk to him right after that. He had invited her to go back to the Black Bulls base then, she had denied the request, pretexting she needed to train some more. Vanica attacked, so she will never regret her decision of staying back. But she can’t help but realize that she had always, without a fault, found an excuse not to reveal her feelings to him. 

Or rather, of not confronting her feelings for him.

It was hard, loving him. Noelle would always think about the time he said he would marry the nun. Asta did say he would never leave her when they were down in that pit. But that didn’t mean he… loved her. She didn’t know what to think. She most definitely wasn’t ready to be rejected. And Noelle didn’t want to get her hopes up either. She couldn’t take that pain again. Asta was so stupid sometimes, he wouldn’t even realize the meaning behind the words he used, or the actions he took. And of course, Noelle would inevitably interpret his actions the way she wanted, the way she wished he meant them. 

Noelle brought her knees to her chest. She couldn’t go on like that. Something had to be done, and fast. She needed to tell Asta, at last. What was the worst that could happen? He rejects you, and you lose him. Forever. The thought sent a shiver down her spine. She hugged herself tighter. Asta wouldn’t do that. What he said down that pit… he’d never leave her. She wouldn’t lose him, whatever his feelings, or lack thereof, were. She needed to know. She needed an answer. She would figure this out later, for now… Noelle needed to get back to work. 

Noelle sighed. It went in the way of her job. She was a senior magic knight now, promoted like a few others who had participated in the Spade Invasion, especially because they had fought in the war and survived, because half the Golden Dawn had died and because the country needed more high-ranked knights to keep up appearances. Of course, Noelle knew that in terms of power, Asta and herself were close to the level of a senior knight. When it came to cold-bloodedness and cool-headedness however, she was certain they were not even intermediate knights. The fact that she was sitting on the ground at the base of a tree instead of patrolling the town with her squad mate was enough proof. 

Noelle lifted her head and looked around. She had no idea where she was. She had left the streets, left the town, and was now positioned somewhere outside the walls. She needed to get back. She checked her clothes, before realizing that they had only been given one communications device… and Asta had it. 

She groaned. Then she imagined Yami’s reaction to their failure. This was something she was not ready to face, not so soon after they’d got him back and on their first mission after the war, on such a simple mission… a walk in the park. Couldn’t they manage a simple arrest mission? They could. She was done being an embarrassment. 

So Noelle got on her feet. She would ask directions if need be, but she would get to Asta. He should be at the town office. If the bandits hadn’t already attacked… No, there was no point thinking about that. He could hold his own anyway. If he was fighting, she’d find him more easily too. She could still catch up with him if she sprinted there… 

Noelle was getting ready to run back when she noticed something down the hill. There was some sort of shady barn. Well, it wasn’t shady per se, but an isolated barn here, with no fields and no cattle around? She tried to remember the briefing about that area. Ever since an earthquake a few years ago, the soil was unfertile, nothing could grow here… But what made her more suspicious was that even though the barn appeared positively abandoned… it looked like some grass had been uprooted around, as if there had been people walking that path. 

Looks like a base of operation , she realized. 

Well, Noelle would need proof. She wasn’t 100% positive this could be the bandits headquarters. Noelle walked down the hill, slowly, hand on her wand, grimoire unsatched. Just as she was reaching the barn, the door opened. 

The man looked at her. Looked down, taking in the robe. And then he darted off.

“Oh no, you don’t!”

Noelle couldn’t harm a citizen. Maybe this man was just running because he distrusted magic knights, or… for any other reason? It struck her how little experience she had in arrest missions. Well, Noelle didn’t have time to think. She donned her Valkyrie Dress and flew past him, getting in his way. 

Then she looked at the man. He matched the description. That should be him, right? But how could she be certain of it? 

“Are you a thief?”

The words escaped her lips and she had to resist the urge to facepalm. Would anyone answer ‘yes’ to that question? How else could she confirm it anyway? She’d have to go into the barn and retrieve the stolen goods… then she’d have proof. Well, she’ll arrest him and see later… 

A few more men got out of the barn and immediately scattered, running away for dear life. 

Seriously?

Noelle knocked out the one in front of her and then went after the others. 

When they were finally all out, she entered the barn carefully. And breathed out in relief. The stolen goods were here. She had got only 5 of the bandits, though… the mission required all ten of them to be taken. She went back out, looked at the 5 knocked-out bandits in front of her. How she wished she had a communications device at that moment…

I’ll take care of these five now and regroup with Asta.

Then she realized it. The thought infiltrated her mind, plaguing it with both shame and anger, showing her plainly how stupid she had been. 

Noelle had no restraining spell.

And soon, they’ll come to, and they’ll run away, and I’ll have to knock them out again. She had no way of arresting these five and bringing them back to the capital. She couldn’t carry five people with her Valkyrie Dress. She didn’t have any way to move them. Noelle wasn’t a versatile mage, she knew that perfectly well, but a binding spell was the bare minimum for a magic knight. Most of the time, they weren’t at war or fighting powerful enemies, but patrolling and arresting criminals. Come to think of it, Asta didn’t have any of these spells either. Why on earth had Yami sent the two of them on an arrest mission when they were clearly combat mages?

Well, she would think about this later, right now, what mattered was finding a solution. Noelle racked her brains around it, but found no way. She couldn’t get a cart without leaving them, and she couldn’t leave them unattended. What’s more, she was almost certain of having twisted her right wrist. If only Asta was here… or anyone, really. Why had she run off… 

Noelle heard one of the men grunt. Crap. I’ll have to knock him out again. But then, the others moved too. Knocking them all out again? Until when? That would be a never ending cycle, and she was pretty sure she wouldn’t win that fight. She should have checked the barn for a rope… well, for now, she’d try her most powerful weapon: faked overconfidence. 

“You’re going to follow me,” she said.

Noelle realized it would never work. They would most definitely not follow one isolated magic knight (no matter how powerful) if not restrained, and they most definitely knew it. She could see it in their eyes. One man stood up, walked towards her. Crap. 

Then the man froze. Noelle’s eyes widened as she sensed a familiar mana around. An ally, and one… or two others. She breathed out when they showed themselves, confirming their identity. 

“Do you require my help?”

Captain Charlotte and two Blue Rose knights. Noelle nodded, setting her pride aside because, anyway, she had no way of getting out of this alone. Captain Charlotte’s briar restrained the other four.

“Let’s take them to the capital. And then you’ll explain everything.”

Noelle looked away, then sighed in approbation.

Chapter Text

Asta didn’t know what was worse: having to write a mission report when he couldn’t understand half of what had happened during the mission, or realizing that Noelle had been wounded. She had come back to the base a while ago accompanied by none other than the Captain of the Blue Roses who insisted on talking to Yami. After that, the captain of the Black Bulls was in a terrible mood and had ordered Asta and Noelle to craft a detailed report about the mission, saying he needed it by the next morning. Asta and Noelle had simply nodded, too tired and guilty to protest.

Now, they were sitting next to each other in the archive room, blank sheets of paper on the table, ink and quills at their disposal... in the most uncomfortable silence they had ever experienced. Until Noelle broke it.

“I’m sorry.”

Asta raised an eyebrow. Noelle continued, “I shouldn’t have left. It’s my fault it went south.”

Well, it was true Asta would have preferred to fulfill this mission together. Instead, they ended up taking care of half the bandits each thanks to some external help. But the mission was a success. At the end of the day, it was all that mattered: the bad guys were behind bars. 

“Don’t say it’s your fault,” Asta answered. "You had a hunch and I let you go alone."

Noelle scoffed bitterly, “No it’s my fault. I left for the most stupid reason.”

“And I should’ve followed! So, it’s fifty-fifty.”

“It’s not fifty-fifty, Asta. It’s all my fault. I’m the one who left you alone, and I told you not to follow me.”

“We’re a squad, we’re a team," Asta answered. "We share the responsibilities. You don’t have to beat yourself down like that.”

“Yami had to send Finral and Vanessa to help you, and you got wounded,” Noelle said quietly. 

“It was nothing! I’m always wounded to some extent... It’s not your fault if I’m careless. And you’re wounded too!”

“That’s on me,” she repeated.

Asta parts his lips to answer, but closed them. He could feel it again, that overwhelming guilt Noelle had. He realized she wasn’t only talking about the mission anymore. There was more to it. Asta was growing more and more uneasy, waiting for Noelle to talk again. 

“I’m the one who made us fall down that pit.”

Asta felt his shoulder slump at how low her voice was, how weak she sounded. He looked away, biting his lip. This was the problem, then. He had meant to talk it out with her, knowing full well Noelle would beat herself down for it, but she had been… distant. And honestly, he didn’t feel like bringing it up first if she didn’t. Asta wasn’t keen on thinking or talking about Spade. 

“You got us out of harm’s way,” Asta answered.

“Your anti-magic would’ve protected us. Or I could’ve protected us with a spell.”

“You were out of magic, weren’t you? I shouldn’t have looked back, that’s all.”

“If I had gauged my magic power better, I wouldn’t have been out of magic, and you wouldn’t have had to help me.”

Asta tried to lock eyes with her but Noelle kept looking away. 

“I wanted to come help you,” he said firmly. 

“And then I threw us down that pit.”

“You protected us from Vanica’s spell.”

“By throwing you down an endless pit! You could’ve died! I could’ve killed you!”

She was screaming now, and her eyes started to water. Asta’s throat tightened and his heart sank. He didn’t know what to say. 

“Noelle...” he tried to say as calmly as he could, trying so hard to soothe her guilt. 

He pondered his next words, trying to catch her eyes but her gaze was fleeting, her bottom lip trembling. 

“If that spell had hit us, we wouldn’t have died… maybe. But there’s no telling if the impact wouldn’t have thrown us backwards either. We were standing too close to the edge…”

Noelle was trying so hard not to cry. Asta could tell from her breathing, from how she was avoiding his gaze, from the heavy despair he was feeling from her, mixed with frustration and guilt. So much guilt. Asta glanced down at her hand resting on her lap, curled into a tight fist. He couldn’t bring himself to take it, so he looked up, focusing on her face, her tired features, her eyes glowing with tears she wouldn’t shed. 

“What matters is that we didn’t die. We survived this, and I know I would have crashed and died for sure if you hadn’t been down there with me. I owe you my life, and you owe me yours. That’s how our squad works. We look out for each other. I don’t blame you for anything, and I’m certain no one in the Bulls does. So you shouldn’t blame yourself either!”

Noelle stayed silent, but he could feel her calming down a little. Her breathing slowed progressively and after a while, she nodded slightly.

“Why did you leave during the mission?” Asta asked. 

Asta didn’t want to talk about it, but he needed to know. Both for himself and for the report. He felt Noelle stiffen. He waited until she talked, but she looked like she was struggling with phrasing it. 

“I… was scared.”

Asta knew that much. He had sensed it, and he had asked her. But it didn’t make sense to him that she would rather be alone when scared than with him. 

“It wasn’t only the mission that got me that nervous. I was also… scared of being alone with you.”

What? Asta’s mind started racing. Had he done something? Had he scared her with anything? 

“I’d never do anything that could hurt you, Noelle, I…”

“I know,” she cut him off. Her chuckle was heavy. “You’re kind to a fault…”

Asta breathed out, but still, he wasn’t relieved. Why had she been scared of then?

“Do you... do you remember when we were down that pit?”

His heart skipped a beat. He looked down at the quill and the sheets. He hadn’t talked about it to anyone. He felt like that moment down there… belonged to the two of them only. But it didn’t change the fact that he kept thinking about it. He nodded quietly. 

“Do you remember… what I told you? what you said?”

Asta thought back to the infinite darkness around, their conversation. He could remember all of it. Every single word. The battle in the castle right before was still fuzzy, but their conversation was crystal clear in his mind. 

“I said I wouldn’t leave your side,” Asta stated. 

Noelle turned towards him, a puzzled look on her face and he wondered if he had understood correctly. Among everything they had admitted down there… it was what struck him as the most important. It was also something he wished he had phrased better. 

“Did you… really mean that?”

“Mean what?”

Noelle was searching his eyes for something. He didn’t understand what. 

“That you… wouldn’t leave me?”

It was Asta’s turn now to be taken aback.

“Of course I meant it. I still mean it.”

“Can I… trust you?”

Asta would have laughed if the question hadn’t felt so serious, if she hadn’t sounded so terrified of the answer. So Asta grinned, “Of course you can. I trust you already. Didn’t I tell you?”

Noelle didn’t answer and silence befell them. Asta wasn’t sure where she would been going with this conversation. Then, Noelle reached out for the quill and dipped it into the ink. 

“L-Let’s just get this report over with,” she said, blushing slightly.

Asta raised his hand to stop her, but gave up halfway. Her wrist was bandaged, yes, but surely she could still write— otherwise she wouldn’t have taken that quill— and Asta was still scared of setting her off. As he stared at her face however, he realized that she looked much calmer. Her ki too felt calmer. 

Asta watched as Noelle's shaking hand was trying to form the letters of her name but achieved nothing else than randomly splash ink all over the sheet. Alright, it was clear now that she couldn’t write. He looked at her grimacing face.

“Does it hurt?” he asked.

Noelle sighed and put the quill aside, holding her wrist with her other hand. 

“It’s okay,” she said. “Owen’s out of town and for some reason he’s the only one who can mend broken bones now? So I just have to wait until he’s back. It shouldn’t be long and they gave me something for the pain. You’re plenty beaten up yourself.”

Noelle turned to face him, and stared. Asta was suddenly shamefully aware of having a head bandage instead of his trademark headband, and a few bandaids on his face. He took the quill and dipped it before writing his name at the top left corner of the sheet. 

Noelle giggled. “Oh god, your handwriting…”

“Yeah..." Asta said. He chuckled. "I know it’s bad.”

He remembered how Yami told them to get him a proper report. He had said it had to be clearer than clear, because reading about a mission was already boring enough, it didn’t have to be painful on top of it. It probably meant that the words needed to be readable. And although Asta didn’t care about his handwriting most of the time, he was aware of its sloppiness. 

Noelle sighed. “Leave it to me, I’ll write…”

Asta held onto the quill. “You can’t write with a broken wrist. I’ll do it. I’ll make an effort.”

Noelle narrowed her eyes at him, then sighed. “Fine.”

Right. He could do it. If he really did his best, he could write well enough. Asta dipped the quill once again.

“You’re putting too much ink, the sheet will wrinkle”, Noelle remarked. “And how are you holding your quill?”

He turned to face her, a puzzled look on his face. 

“Asta, did you learn how to write on your own?”

“What? No, Sister Lily taught me.”

Asta saw her eyebrow twitch and he wondered what he had said to trigger that reaction. He was expecting an outburst of anger, but instead, Noelle sighed and shrugged, the hint of a blush on her cheeks.

“Well clearly you weren't taught properly," Noelle said. "It can’t be helped. I’ll teach you, then.”

Asta couldn’t help but feel excited. He had always admired her handwriting, and thinking that he could get closer to what was written on his left forearm made him happy in anticipation. Noelle took the quill from him and showed him the proper holding position. He remembered having it been taught this way. He simply hadn’t really cared at the time. 

Taking the quill back, Asta dipped it into the ink and made sure to dip it less than he had before. Then, he positioned the tip above the sheet, ready to write her name next to his. 

“Wait, don’t bend your wrist like that.”

“How?”

Asta froze completely, still as stone, as Noelle came closer to him and corrected his posture with her uninjured hand. She forcefully shifted his stiff fingers, adjusting his grip. 

“Don’t grip too tight. It should be easier to write now. Try it.”

Asta wished he could, but he was so aware of how close Noelle was at that moment. He couldn’t care less about that quill, that ink, that sheet, that report. He turned his head towards her and gazed at her. He could feel her hot breath on his neck before, but now he saw how close she really was. Noelle was still looking at the page, or at his hand, probably analyzing how he was holding the quill, her hand still on top of his, the bandage brushing his skin softly. He had never heard his own heartbeat so loud. 

Asta realized how flimsy his doubts were. He wondered how he could have been confused about how he felt for Noelle. It seemed so clear to him at that moment, crystal clear. There was her, only her. He could not take his eyes off her; he looked at the ribbons, he remembered how nervous he’d been when he’d given them to her, he remembered how he failed at telling her the three words at that time, maybe because he still wasn’t certain, maybe because he thought it wasn’t the moment. He looked at her eyes, these beautiful pink eyes, the ones that came to mind immediately when he’d seen the ribbons in that shop, and the ones he associated with every time he saw anything pink. Pink… his gaze went down. Her lips… 

“So, when are you going to write, Bakasta?”

Asta jumped, startled, and she turned her head to him, a quizzical look on her face. He realized he had been staring at her for an unreasonable amount of time. But he still didn’t look away. Honestly, he couldn’t. He watched as Noelle gradually lost her composure, her pale skin turning a beautiful shade of peony pink. Pink again. He was expecting her to pull away, but instead she stared back in silence, looking at him inquiringly. He felt her hand slide away from his and the cold sensation it left behind made him want to snatch it back, but he realized that now her arm wasn’t between them anymore. There was nothing between them anymore. 

They stayed gazing at each other in silence for moments that seemed to stretch for hours. Asta’s heart rate was picking up, pouding faster than ever, he could feel the heat rising up his neck. Unconsciously, they got closer and closer. With every beat of his pounding heart he shut his eyes slowly before putting his lips on hers. 

At first, it felt like Noelle had frozen completely. But then, she returned the kiss, maybe a little too eagerly, as their noses bumped. Asta couldn’t help but grin, before he adjusted, slightly parting his lips as he reached for the back of her neck to pull her closer. They clumsily crash against each other, trying to figure out how they were supposed to kiss, but mostly savoring every sensation this new found proximity sparked in them. 

When they finally parted, Asta was feeling so hot he was certain he was redder than he had ever been. Well, Noelle was bright red too, but she was smiling. God, she was so pretty. 

“What, uh… what does that mean?” Noelle brought herself to ask, her voice incredibly low. 

Only then, as he saw Noelle's flustered face right in front of him, did he realize he was alive. No Sea Dragon's Roar, no water ball, nothing. Just an incredibly cute flushed face, and her gorgeous smile. Asta smiled back, taking her hand. Tell her how you feel, Finral had told him. It was the perfect moment. 

“I like you a lot.”

He remembered he had already said these words during their first Star Festival. He didn’t clearly understand what these feelings were at the time. He had answered what he had felt. Now he knew it, he was sure of the words, he could utter them confidently, so he squeezed her hand and corrected, “I love you.”

It was so hot in that room. He looked away for a second, before watching her reaction more closely. Noelle was so clearly burning up, looking like she was struggling to get words out and he felt her hand tighten in his, so close to crushing his fingers. For an instant, he thought that, at the end of the day, he’d still get that Sea Dragon’s roar. But instead, Noelle was stuttering uncontrollably. 

"I, uh… I… I…”

Asta chuckled, before bursting into laughter. He found it funny that she would be less flustered about kissing him than being confessed to. 

“Don’t laugh!”, Noelle cried out.

But Asta couldn’t stop laughing, and Noelle couldn’t help but start laughing too. The pressure faded away with their giggles, and they slowly reached back their usual level of camaraderie and calmness they normally had around each other. 

“Well, it’s fine. Let’s finish this report!” Asta said when they finally managed to stop laughing nervously.

Noelle sighed, “We haven’t even started it. Ah, it’s going to be a long night…”

Asta smiled and took the quill back in his hand, looking at the blank page. His left hand was still in hers. 

“Ok, so! Where do we start?”

Chapter Text

The first thing that Noelle thought upon waking up was how everything hurt. Her back, her neck, her wrist. The second thing she grasped was that she had fallen asleep on a table, and that it was awfully, terribly cold in that room, save for her right hand that was, for some reason, burning hot. The third thing, she realized when opening her eyes set her into panicking mode. But she immediately told herself to calm down. Asta, his hand in hers (that explained the warmth), peacefully asleep, his jaw resting on the report they were supposed to finish by morning. That made four things, actually, because it was morning, and she doubted the report was done. 

Noelle stayed immobile for seconds that felt like an eternity, afraid he would wake up if she moved even a millimeter. She couldn’t remember when she had fallen asleep. They had gone over her part of the mission and then… she remembered allowing herself to rest her eyes for a minute and… well, nothing after that. She had fallen asleep on the spot.

Gathering the blanket that had slipped when she had pulled away, Noelle put it around Asta’s shoulders before wondering when this blanket had landed on her anyway. There were many things that didn't make sense, but Noelle decided not to dwell on it. Asta was still fast asleep, his regular breathing softly raising up and down a sheet of paper, his face so still and serene. 

Noelle rested her head on the table again, staring at his adorable sleeping face. Maybe she should wake him up. No, that would be a shame to wake him up. Not because he was very cute, sleeping like that, no… (he was incredibly cute) but he had finished that report alone when she had passed out, so… he deserved to rest for a little longer. Yes, Asta deserved to stay this serene a little longer. This was not for her own personal benefits of being able to feed off that sight a little more. 

Noelle gazed at him, taking in his calm face, burning the image into her mind. That was a face of his that she never wanted to forget: a calm Asta, a non-screaming Asta. And he was asleep anyway, so she could shamelessly stare all she wanted for once. Her fingers made their way to his face, where an ash-blonde lock of hair had fallen on his nose, and Noelle put it back behind his ear tenderly, unable to repress a smile while doing so. Asta frowned at the touch and Noelle backed away, terrified he would wake up. But his eyes kept shut. 

Thankfully. 

Noelle didn’t know she could be so bold. Her heart still racing, Noelle reluctantly shifted her attention to the sheets on the table, that report they had crafted. Asta had indeed made an effort for his handwriting as she could read the beginning effortlessly, but it gradually became a lot more like… his usual handwriting. At least, the report was finished. Not thanks to her, but it was finished. That was already one less concern to have. 

Now. The real thing Noelle had to worry about. 

She blushed, thinking about that kiss. They had kissed. He had confessed. It was in all too good to be true. It was true, though. It was very much real. Only just thinking about it had her burning up. 

What now? What did that mean? He had confessed. Directly. There was no ambiguity anymore. Did that mean she had to confess too, now? She hadn’t been able to answer anything. She had wanted to tell him. But the words simply hadn't come out. Could she tell him now? Could she really tell him? And what then? 

A grunt interrupted her thoughts and she turned to look at Asta. He was rubbing his eyes, and had an impressive bed(table?)head. 

“Morning,” he grumbled.

Now, that was too adorable. 

“Good morning.”

Asta blinked several times, his eyes still half closed, and ran the blanket through his fingers with a quizzical look. He turned a curious face towards her and she felt herself blush once more.

“I— you…uh… were sleeping.”

“Thanks,” he said with a grin.

God, he was so calm about it all. It made her calm down, somehow. Then, Asta stopped smiling and stared at her. For a long time. A very long time.

“What?” Noelle asked, uncomfortable

“You’ve got a bit of ink there,” Asta said while gesturing towards the general area of his jaw. Noelle immediately put her hand on the mentioned area and started rubbing frenetically.

“It’s, uh, it’s the other side, higher…” 

Asta didn’t wait for her to find the spot and, closing the distance between them, removed the splash of ink from her face.

“Uh… th-thanks…”

Asta smiled again. “You’ve been up for long?”

“Just woke up,” she lied.

Noelle absolutely hadn’t been staring at his sleeping face for entire minutes. 

“Um…” she started. “About…”

Noelle stopped. About a split-second later, someone broke into the room and they could tell from how the door crashed into the wall that it was their captain. 

“Done with that report?” Yami asked.

Asta and Noelle exchanged worried looks.

“Yeah?”

“Then go get ready, there’s that ceremony. Imma go smoke one while reading this.”

A ceremony? Oh yes… Noelle had completely forgotten.

Asta and she would be officially promoted to senior magic knights on that day. 

♣        ♣

♣

They arrived just in time, which by Nozel's standards would mean they were late, but thankfully, no one had Nozel's standards. 

First off, Yami was a slow reader, and for some reason, he didn’t want to go before being finished with that report. Then, Finral had dropped them at Owen’s so Noelle could have her wrist fixed. When they finally arrived at the Wizard King’s quarters, Finral realized they had forgotten Vanessa at the hideout so they had to go back, get the witch (who complained heavily), and head to the ceremony again. 

There were a lot of magic knights there. All the captains were present, maybe because this time, every squad had a member to promote. Noelle watched as Yami greeted (in his own rowdy manner) the captains present. 

“Sooooo……”

Noelle stiffened. Vanessa’s tone was screaming to her that she was up to no good. The witch draped an arm around her and leaned into her ear.

“Did you sleep well?” she whispered.

Noelle’s cheek coloured a bright red. How on earth did she know? They were already up when Yami entered the archive room! 

Wait. No. You’re assuming she knows. Maybe she doesn’t. 

“Hum. Yes. I slept well. Thank you.”

The witch giggled, pulling away to face Noelle, arms crossed, her inquisitive gaze burning into her. She knew. No doubt about that. But how?

“Come on, tell me! Details! I want details! Did you...”

Noelle was quick to cast a palm to her lips. She looked around, her heart racing. No one seemed to pay them any mind. She did catch her brother’s gaze, but Nozel averted his eyes a split-second later. Noelle released the witch, who kept smirking. Noelle loved Vanessa. She really did. But she hated when she was this smug.

Noelle stared sideways at Asta, who was enjoying the banquet, as he would always do.

“We kissed. And he confessed.”

Noelle put her hand on the witch’s mouth again as she started squealing excitedly. When Vanessa looked like she would stop making so much noise, Noelle let go again to let her breathe.

“Does that mean you’re dating now?”

Vanessa’s grin was so wide Noelle couldn’t help but smile a little too. 

“I don’t know. I haven’t exactly… answered anything.”

Vanessa rolled her eyes but said nothing. She didn’t need her to phrase it: Noelle knew really well she should have said something. 

The witch frowned, staring at her. “You don’t look too happy about him confessing.”

“No, I am happy about it.”

Vanessa didn’t answer. So Noelle sighed. “We barely had time to talk about it. And I just don’t know what… we’re supposed to do now?”

The witch huffed. “You don’t have to start making babies right away, you know.”

Noelle choked and Vanessa patted her back, still laughing. She stopped suddenly, eyes widening as she looked like she had realized something that, to be completely honest, Noelle feared greatly. 

“Wait, did you guys even get… the ‘talk’?”

Noelle stared at her blankly. So Vanessa clarified, “You know, the bees and the flow—”

“I know,” she interrupted.

“Okay, good. Because I'm not doing that. Come to think of it, Asta was raised in a church, right? Does he even know…”

There was a silence as they both contemplated the idea. Then Noelle erupted, beet red, “Why are we even talking about that?!”

Vanessa burst into laughter once again as Noelle hid her face behind her hands.

“Stop pulling a Grey!”

“Then stop talking about this!”

Vanessa sighed and took Noelle's hands off her face gently. Noelle was still blushing like crazy.

“You both have tomorrow off, right? Planning anything fun?”

Noelle blinked. Vanessa crossed her arms, a smile on her lips. “You should go on a date.”

The silver-haired mage looked like her mind had gone completely blank.

Vanessa cocked an eyebrow. 

“You do know what a date is?”

Noelle scoffed, “I know what a date is.”

“Ok, what’s a date?”

A minute passed without her formulating an articulate sentence. Vanessa sighed. “Do you even know what it means to date someone?”

Noelle looked away, then admitted, “Not really.”

The witch had to resist the urge to facepalm. She was honestly more shocked than despaired by the situation, “Don’t you have any couple among your friends or family?”

Noelle looked like she was thinking really hard to find one.

“Well, my aunt and uncle, I guess? I don't know if they're a good example; it was an arranged marriage... Oh, and Domina and Fanzell of course. I think that’s about it.”

Vanessa blinked. She was waiting for Noelle to add something, but she didn’t. So she uncrossed her arms, barely believing her ears, “First, forget about Domina and Fanzell— they’re a terrible example. Second, there’s no one closer to you? What about your siblings?”

“I don’t think they’re dating anyone? I wouldn’t know, but they’ve probably never dated.”

Vanessa raised both eyebrows. 

“There’s no way," Vanessa said. "Isn’t that captain thirty or something?”

Noelle shrugged. “I don’t think he’s interested in that.”

Vanessa looked completely lost. She put both hands on her junior’s shoulders, then looked away. “Oh, this isn’t gonna be easy…”

“What isn’t?”

“You two! Asta is as clueless as it comes, and you’re no better!”

Noelle wanted to contradict the witch on that, but she found she couldn’t. Vanessa sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, “We need Finral.”

Chapter Text

Noelle wondered how she had ended up in that situation.

She was sitting down at a table. Vanessa was at her side flipping through a book. The both of them were facing a chalky blackboard that Noelle didn’t even know they had at the Black Bulls’ hideout. But the worst in this scenery was probably Finral, an unusual smug look on his face, his arms crossed in an attempt to look cool. 

Then he spoke, and Noelle started regretting the silence. 

“So, you’ve come to me for dating advice.”

Noelle looked sideways, then mumbled a positive answer.

“You have come to the right person.” 

That had been Vanessa’s idea. She had said that Finral would have the most comprehensive knowledge of everything related to relationships. And even though Noelle usually trusted her judgement, she couldn’t help but express reservations regarding asking Finral for dating advice. True, the man was the only Bull to be in a relationship. He was also engaged and soon to be married. But that absolutely didn’t mean that he was the right person to go to. Especially since his marriage with Finesse was arranged, and his romantic life before that hadn’t exactly been ideal; if anything, it had been chaos. 

Then Finral pointed at Vanessa.

“And you’re here for what? A refresher?”

“I’m the psychological support I wish I had had back when you gave me that talk.”

From that sentence, Noelle should have known what sort of hell she was getting into. 

“Very well. I allow you to stay,” Finral said.

“I would’ve stayed either way, Fin’,” Vanessa answered absent-mindedly, flipping a page of her book, not even looking up.

He nodded, then his attention switched back to Noelle, which… worried her the most.

“Alright, what do you know?”

Noelle didn’t answer. She honestly didn’t know what to say. And she was a little too ashamed to even… say anything.

Then Vanessa came to her help, “Just start all the way from the beginning and I’ll stop you if you go overboard.”

♣

Noelle’s brain cells had fried. 

After a strenuous lecture on dates by their “master in romance”, she couldn’t think anymore. Even with Vanessa’s so called “support” (which consisted in nuancing and explaining that it wasn’t an exact science and that what counted was guts more than the steps Finral was describing), Noelle felt close to snap. The amount of information he had pushed onto her was too high and Noelle had come to the conclusion that dating was way too complicated and that maybe she was better off single. 

That kiss and confession had made everything weird. Well. Weirder. Things were going smoothly with Asta before… Noelle stopped. She tried to recall when, exactly, things were going smoothly. Probably before she got her tattoo. She resumed her walk. That proved her point all the more. Love was the problem. 

“Ah Noelle!” Asta said, waving. “Perfect timing!” 

This was not perfect timing at all. All she wanted was to lie down and stop thinking about dates. Or love. Or anything, really. Asta stopped in front of her and the grin on his face faded away. 

“You’re okay?” he asked.

“Yes. What is it?”

He blinked, confused, before deciding to go on with what he wanted to say, “So, tomorrow’s a day off…”

Noelle backed away instinctively. 

“And uh, I was thinking of going to Hadge for the day…”

Wh… what?! Wasn’t it too… too early to meet his family?! Sure, he’d met hers already, but they were Magic Knights, it was within the framework of their duties… during meetings, or even on the battlefield… and they weren’t… together at the time. If they were together right now, actually, they still hadn’t talked it out? They needed to talk, didn't they? And going all the way to that small village to meet them… Noelle felt a deep blush settle on her cheeks. She wasn’t ready to meet them officially. Not yet. Finral had said meeting the parents was supposed to be way later in the relationship! Wasn’t Asta cutting corners?! But he did kiss her before confessing too! Was it supposed to happen in this order? 

“Is that ok with you?”

Noelle opened her mouth and for an instant, she felt like blurting all of her thoughts onto him. But then she stared into his eyes, lime orbs so full of hope… and her mouth closed. Asta looked so happy, so eager to go home… Noelle relaxed. After all, if he was with her, it should be fine. It would be fine. She could rely on him, she knew that. So she nodded prudently, a small smile curling her lips. He was beaming. 

“Nice! Thanks! And, you? Um... what did you plan for your day off?”

Noelle’s grin turned into a strained smile. What?

Asta kept on, “I think Vanessa is free too… maybe you two will go somewhere?”

That was the moment Noelle understood that she had… misunderstood. And she felt so, so, so terribly stupid for that. She could feel her ears grow hotter and hotter at the realization that of course he wasn’t inviting her to go with him? It was too soon? They hadn’t even been dating for a day? If they were dating at all? But still she… she had thought… But Asta had phrased it so strangely too! His choice of words! And he didn’t even think she could have taken it any other way. Why would he even ask her permission to go visit his family?! Noelle closed her eyes and massaged her temples. Finral’s talk and now that… everyone and everything was conspiring to give her a headache. 

“Noelle?”

The last thing she wanted was to take it out on Asta and regret it later. 

“Sorry, I’m tired,” she answered flatly. “I’ll just go back to my room.”

Noelle left Asta here, in the middle of the common room… not understanding a thing. 

♣

“So, you’re not going on a date?”

Vanessa sighed. She had seen Asta leave in the morning, alone, so she had guessed that the whole "first date" deal wouldn't happen on that day. The witch was disappointed, that was for sure, but Noelle looked straight up despaired. The water mage had let her head fall on the table and was fiddling with the stem of the glass next to her. 

“Apparently not,” Noelle answered. “I feel so stupid.”

The witch scoffed and sat down across her, “Why didn’t you tell him?”

“Tell him what?”

“That you wanted to go on a date. He’s never going to guess it, you know.”

Noelle took a moment to answer, then said, “I don’t know. Perhaps I should have. But I really thought he was going to... ask me.”

“Well, you can’t help it if he wants to visit his family," Vanessa said, tapping her arm gently. "I have some errands to run, why don’t you come with me?”

“I don’t feel like leaving the hideout.”

Vanessa sighed once more, “It’s ok, you misunderstood, it happens. You’re disappointed— I get that — but you don’t have to spend the rare days off you get brooding over it.”

Noelle wasn’t moving. She let her hand rest next to the glass, defeated. “Guess I’ll just train today.”

Vanessa snickered. “You sure look like you’re gonna train.”

Noelle glared at her before straightening up and settling in a proper sitting position. Vanessa couldn’t hold back her laughter as she noticed that Noelle's right cheek was red from being pressed against the table.

“What?”

“Nothing. You’re coming with me today.”

Noelle sighed and offered her squad mate a thin smile “Looks like you won’t get me off the hook anyway.”

♣

The morning was uneventful. Noelle tagged along with Vanessa who had an incredible number of things to purchase in both the legal and black markets. It genuinely looked like most of her war rewards were going to be put into the various herbs, ointments and potions available. When finally Vanessa had everything, they headed back to the hideout and, true enough, tiredness aside, Noelle was in better spirits than when she had woken up and realized she would be going through her day off alone. 

But still. She simply wanted to spend more time with Asta. Was that too much to ask? It was true that they didn’t have to be glued to each other all the time but… they didn’t have that many days off with the reconstruction of the kingdom, and it would certainly not be better now that they were senior magic knights… 

Asta could’ve taken her with him. Or at least offered. 

Remembering what Vanessa had said about not brooding on her days off, Noelle got up and attempted to find a distraction. Walking down the corridors, she noticed that the library door was ajar, so she entered and found Finral bent over a book. He looked like he needed a break. Well, perfect, she could use some light chitchat. Light. No lecture this time.

She sat across him and peeked at what he was reading. There were papers scattered around chaotically, some sheets sticking out from massive volumes, and she easily made out what he was doing.

“How’s the preparation for the royal hearing going?” she asked.

Finral jumped, startled, then smiled, “Ah, it’s you. It’s going alright, I think.”

Noelle took one of his sheets, read through the words. These things had been drilled into her since childhood, but she guessed nobles didn’t receive the same education. Or maybe Finral hadn't been the studious type... which honestly, she could see. Finral sighed and gave up on whatever he was doing.

“Do you think I have a chance?”

“Your marriage is arranged. It’s only a formality,” she said while putting down the sheet.

“You know the Heads, don’t you? Who do you think I should look out for?”

Noelle pondered the question. She didn’t know them too well. Even her brother was a mystery more often than not.

“I don’t know Leonard very well, but I still think that the King will be the worst because he won’t care about your achievements as a magic knight. The Silvas and Vermillions should at least respect that. Nozel will.”

“I saved his little sister during the war, your brother should be on my side automatically, no?” Finral said with a wink.

Noelle scoffed awkwardly. “I’m not sure that’ll be enough.”

Finral smiled before ruffling through his sheets. Noelle watched the mess on the table. She knew he had been taking etiquette lessons and history classes at the Vaudes, but she never thought he would do some extra studying. He had changed so much since she had met him... he looked so determined now. 

“How was the date?” Finral said suddenly, not looking up from what he was reading. “I thought you’d be back a lot later. Did you put yesterday’s lessons into practice?”

Noelle raised an eyebrow. “I was just accompanying Vanessa.”

Finral looked up, puzzled. She searched his eyes, confused at his reaction. 

“You didn’t go on a date with Asta?”

Noelle shook her head. Finral frowned, “Uh? Weird.”

Right? Even Finral thought so. 

♣

That day off was never ending. 

Noelle was lying down on her stomach, head buried in the cushion of the sofa, vanquished. She was bored to death. The hideout was so quiet she had started wondering if it really was the Black Bulls base.

She had let Finral study in peace and spent the rest of the afternoon training because Vanessa was out like a light on the other sofa, and all the other Bulls were either away on a mission or busy. She had nothing else to do. 

Maybe Noelle could train some more. She was trying to find some motivation to roll off the sofa when she heard a swoosh outside, one she knew really well: Asta’s sword, the one he used to fly. She would’ve straightened up normally, greeting whatever member who would come back, too happy to not be alone anymore. But somehow, she didn’t feel like it. She kept her head down, her left arm hanging down the sofa, her fingers grazing the dusty floor. 

The door opened and she heard the sound of Asta's boots hurrying on the stones. She sighed silently. She was still glad someone was back at last. Or maybe Noelle was glad he was back at last. 

“Hey Noelle!”

She raised her head as she heard how close his voice was. And indeed, his face was right in front of her, his chin cocked on the armrest. Red coloured his cheeks, proving that he had hurried back and the strong wind had grazed him. For a split-second, she considered how early it still was and thought that maybe, he had come back sooner to see her. But she didn't want to get her hopes up, so she pushed the thought aside quickly. 

“You’re tired?”

Noelle shook her head prudently. She couldn’t help but stare down at his lips and how close they were. Just within reach. They had only kissed once, briefly, before deciding to work on their mission report. She wanted to try and take her time now, press her lips against his. She remembered his strong hand on the back of her neck, the other on her hip. She wanted to touch him too now. To feel him close. There was so much she wanted to try. 

“Noelle?”

She blinked a few times. She hadn’t heard him. 

“Sorry, what?”

Asta chuckled. “You’re acting weird.” 

A thin smile curled her lips, but Noelle didn’t say anything. Honestly, he was right. She was acting weird. She was feeling weird. All of this was, just like he had just said, weird. They really needed to talk about that kiss and that confession. 

Then he repeated, “Do you have time right now? Can I take you somewhere?”

Noelle’s heart skipped a beat.

“Sure.”

Chapter Text

Crap. Crap. Crap. It’s happening.

With no warning at all, here they were, walking around a nice small town in the noble realm, yeeted out of the base and into a portal by a smug Finral. Sure, Noelle  wanted that date. She had done nothing but long for that date all day. But that was a surprise Noelle hadn’t been ready for. (did she mention she hated surprises?) Asta could have, at least, warned her prior.

“Uhhh... This way!” Asta said.

Noelle looked at the narrow stairs and at the obscure path he intended for them to take. She was sceptical. But Asta sounded sure, so she followed him. They were magic knights anyway, they could fly, they could fight, everything would be fine. It was only a small town in the Clover Kingdom. These were peaceful times now, and they were together. 

The stairs were slippery and unstable, stony steps covered in moss. When finally Noelle reached the top, completely out of breath, she wondered why they had bothered climbing like that. Asta had been doing nothing but lead the way and mumble directions to himself. Where were they going, exactly?

“Um… alright, I think it’s here!”

Asta grabbed her hand suddenly, leading the both of them closer to what looked like an old fence. That place must have been a lookout point back in the days, but everything was in shambles. The bench was almost completely destroyed, with pieces of wood lying on the ground. The gazebo missed its roof. Looking around, it seemed clear that this place had been impacted by the Eye of the Midnight Sun’s attack and hadn’t been rebuilt just yet. Despite all their efforts, reconstruction took time and with the war and their shortage of magic knights, it would only be so natural that a lookout point wouldn’t be a priority. 

Still, Asta had decided to bring her here. And he looked so happy too. Noelle wondered why.

“Noelle, look! It’s so cool!” Asta said, letting go of her hand to point his finger. 

She followed his gaze and gasped. What lay before them was stunning. A lake and the lights of the town softly grazing the surface. They could hear the sound of townsfolk partying outside, the faint beat of music too. It took her back. It reminded her of that banquet back in Heart, the last perfect moment right before everything started going south. 

“It’s beautiful” Noelle said.

“Right?” Asta replied excitedly “I knew Finral knew some good spots but this is too cool!”

Noelle flinched, turning to him with an eyebrow raised, “You asked Finral?”

“Yep. Yesterday, during the ceremony.”

Noelle felt her stomach flutter. Asta had planned this. He had intended for this date to happen. He hadn’t just wrapped up a little earlier at Hadge and decided he would simply take her somewhere because Noelle happened to be there, facepalming on the couch and he felt pity. He had meant for this date to happen. 

A smile curled her lips. 

“And we’re alone,” Asta said, his voice a little lower.

Noelle blushed. There really was no one. They had been alone before. Plenty of times. But it was night, and they were really… it really was like… like they were the only two people in the world. They were alone for the first time since… the kissing incident. 

Noelle had to tell him. He had done it. First. Again. She owed it to him. She wanted to tell him, she wanted him to know how important he was. 

“Asta…”

She turned but found him laying down a blanket on the grass. Asta sat down and tapped the spot next to him, inviting her to sit too. Noelle swallowed and settled next to him in silence. 

He wasn’t talking. He usually spoke a lot more. Nonsense, idiocies, all that. But he kept silent, staring at the view in front of them, the destroyed fence, the soft shimmer of the moonlight on the lake water. 

Finral’s advice suddenly came back to her. No silence. If you’re nervous, start with small talk. 

“So, uh… how was your family?” Noelle said, turning to him.

Asta chuckled, still staring in front of him, “Oh, they’re fine. Yuno told them I hadn’t been that hurt… but Father was still worried! He had me promise to write more… and better, too. He thought I had some permanent motor function impairment because of my handwriting…”

Noelle smiled. Every time he talked about his family, he seemed so happy. So proud too, and grateful. It lit up his eyes. Now, she really wanted to meet them, the people who raised such a nice boy. But then, his smile faded, and he looked serious. 

“I… uh… didn’t go only to see them.”

Asta looked down, his arms were still circling his knees, but he brought them closer to his chest, even so slightly. There was something… small in him at that moment. She couldn’t exactly pinpoint what, or how, or why but that was the word that came to mind. Small. Touching. He looked unsure. That vulnerable part of him… she wasn’t used to it just yet. 

“I needed to confirm something. About Sister Lily. You know I… thought I loved her?”

Noelle’s heart sank to her stomach. Oh please. Please. Please. Don’t say another word.

“I needed to confirm I didn’t. And tell her too. I just… I wanted to be sure of it so I could be… fully with you. Now, I’m sure of it. I love you.”

Noelle’s eyes widened in surprise, and she held her breath. What did he? What does…— How did he even manage to say it so easily? To her face? Her throat tightened, as he broke eye contact with her to look down. That was two to zero now.

Noelle had to do better. 

Asta continued, “But there are so many things I don’t know. Like if we are dating now, or what dating is supposed to be, or how I’m supposed to act with you now. It’s all very new and I asked Father— oh, he said I should bring you with me at the church next time, by the way— he did give me one piece of advice. He said… that I wasn’t facing everything alone anymore and that I should discuss this with you.” 

He looked up, risked a glance at Noelle. She was listening, silently staring at him, her expression unreadable. 

“Are we dating?”

Noelle didn’t answer. She couldn’t answer. She had no idea. In all honesty, she was dumbfounded he would ask that to her. Asta kept staring. They stared at each other. For a long, long, very long time. Until Noelle couldn’t stand this anymore and started giggling.

“What?” Asta asked.

“Why are you asking me that?”

“I thought you’d know.”

“That doesn’t depend only on me, Asta!”

The puzzleness on his face morphed into a wide smile. Noelle calmed down, then took one long breath. She felt calmer now. 

Thank God she loved an idiot. It simply made it easier for her to be one too. 

“We are,” she decided.

“Oh, ok.”

Silence again. Noelle looked at the lake below them, at the town, while fiddling with her fingers nervously. 

“You could be a little more enthusiastic about it, don’t you think?”

“About what?”

“Us dating!”

“Well, I don’t really know what that means. What’s dating anyway?”

Noelle thought about it, then decided it was too long to explain so she said, “Ask Finral.” She stopped. Thought for a second. “No, actually, don’t ask Finral.”

Asta wouldn’t survive that lecture. 

Asta asked, “Is it, like, holding hands and kissing?”

“That’s... uh… part of it....?”

Asta contemplated the answer. He did want to hold her hand. He did want to kiss her again. Maybe this whole thing was more natural than he thought.

“What’s in the basket?” Noelle asked.

Asta raised an eyebrow, then settled said basket between them, opening it.

“We made sweets this afternoon, so I brought some. I know you like sweets so I thought…— Maybe you’re not hungry, though.”

“I’m fine. I’ll have some.”

“Cool.”

Asta passed her a muffin and bit into one for him. They stayed in silence. 

Silence wasn't awkward between them. Usually. But the uneasiness grew somehow. Asta couldn't find a thing to say, and it felt like Noelle was trying to say something, but wouldn’t. So he tried addressing the problem.

“I can’t read your ki half of the time,” he admitted.

Noelle huffed. “I noticed. Honestly, I don’t want you to read my ki if you can turn that off.”

Asta chuckled, then his expression sobered and he started pulling the grass next to him. 

“You know you can tell me anything, right? I want you to trust me enough to tell me what’s on your mind.”

“No, I trust you, Asta. That’s not… the problem.”

Noelle exhaled slowly, trying to slow down her pounding heart.

“I…”

Crap. She stopped short as her voice nearly cracked. Noelle closed her eyes, breathed in, opened her eyes, forcing them to get lost in the lake water in front of them. No. If she said it, she needed to look at him. 

“I… love you too.”

Her whole face felt on fire, but she had said it. To his face. Noelle saw a deep blush settle on Asta's cheeks too, and he grinned as he reached for her hand. She closed her eyes. Now she couldn’t face him anymore. Her mouth kept running on its own. 

“And I’ll talk to you more, I promise. The truth… the truth is I don’t have a clue what we’re supposed to do either. I asked Vanessa, and Finral too, and it still wasn’t clear… if anything they got me even more confused.”

Asta chuckled, squeezing her hand as he got closer to her. 

“I don’t know a thing either! We can figure it out as we go, can’t we?”

Thinking back on their first mission, how they’d struggled to fight, at their lack of spells and experience, at how they couldn’t fly, how they had no idea what they were expected to do, or what they were supposed to do... they had grown together, back to back, supporting each other as they made their way up. 

Noelle chuckled in turn. Yes, they would figure it out together.

Like they had always done.

Chapter Text

It was extremely funny to every Black Bull to watch them try and navigate around that new relationship of theirs, especially as they intended to make it secret at first. 

They broke the news one morning, both beet red, and approximately no Black Bull was surprised. It was quite unsettling for the two lovebirds; they had thought they would, at least, bat an eye. Yami had risen up from his armchair in a heavy sigh and gestured them to the next room without a word.

“Reckon he’s asking them to break up?” Luck said with a huge smile.

“No way. Yami would never,” Vanessa answered.

“Are there rules against magic knights from the same squad having relationships?” Finral asked suddenly.

“Why?”

“They almost blew up that arrest mission,” Finral pointed out.

“Because they shouldn’t have been sent on an arrest mission in the first place,” Vanessa pointed out. “I’m certain Yami knows there’s no use in separating the two of them anyway. They work well together. Except… except on that mission.”

They all went silent, considering the idea. Then Yami and the two rookies came back into the room.

“I’m off,” Yami deadpanned as he grabbed a broom.

They watched his back as he disappeared behind the heavy hideout door. Then they switched their attention to the rookies. 

“So?” Vanessa asked.

“Uh… nothing”, Asta answered. “We told him we’d be fine going on missions together, and that was about it.”

“Awww, that's lame,” Luck said, rising from his chair and leaving the room too.

Asta and Noelle sighed, sitting down on a couch. Vanessa smirked, “What? You look so defeated.”

“Well, he also said we’d be going on a mission tomorrow,” Noelle started. “Dungeon exploration. ‘Piece of cake’, Yami said. It’s sort of a test to see if we can ‘work together’.”

♣       ♣

♣

By 9am, Asta, Noelle… and Leopold were somehow standing at the entrance of the new dungeon. Noelle had no idea why they had been sent on that mission with Leopold Vermillion, of all people. But, well, none of her teammates seemed to be fazed by the situation, so she decided to go with it without asking too much questions. 

“Let’s go!” Asta shouted confidently as he entered the dungeon

They were used to dungeons. Unless this one suddenly happened to be more hellish than the ones they had cleared before, Yami would be right: it would be an easy mission. At least, it would be much more in keeping with what they’d been doing since they’d joined the Black Bulls (fighting, reacting to unexpected situations, getting severly injured and so on). 

As they made their way through the different rooms and avoided the traps, they discovered that it wasn’t a hard dungeon either. The traps were easily dealt with, and there were no enemies in sight. The team was progressing smoothly and it was safe to say that the mission was going pretty well… until they reached an embranchment with three different ways they could go. 

“Let’s split.” Leopold said

“Let’s not split.” Noelle answered

“But there are three ways and we’re three! It’s perfect.” Asta noted

Noelle sighed, “We’ll do each tunnel one by one, the three of us.”

“That would take so much time!” Leopold complained

“We don’t have a time limit.” Noelle pointed out

“Efficiency comes first,” Leopold argued. “This is such an easy dungeon! We’re expected to wrap this up quickly.”

“If we split, we’re not sure to even find each other again,” Noelle pointed out. “We don’t have anyone here who can map the place.”

Actually, now that she thought about it, that was such a weird team to be sent together on a dungeon exploration. 

“One of these tunnels will reach the treasure room.” Leopold answered “We have communications devices, we can go meet up with the person who found it!”

Leopold glanced at Asta, who shrugged. The Vermillion frowned.

“We’re strong now! We have ultimate magic, and this guy has devil union!”

“And?” Noelle retorted “If we’re trapped, there’s nothing we can do.”

“Why would we be trapped? This dungeon has been nothing but easy so far!”

“Exactly, that’s suspicious.”

“That’s not suspicious. That’s how most missions go!”

Noelle sighed again then looked away. She had no idea how to get her point across. And he was probably right. Missions weren’t supposed to go south. Almost all the ones she’d been on had, though. Perhaps she was being over cautious.

She looked at the dark, shallow tunnels in front of them.

No. One could never be over cautious. Splitting was a terrible idea. 

“It’s just that we are this strong now, so it looks easy.” Leopold pointed out

She wasn’t too sure about that. And from Leopold’s frown, she guessed he understood it.

“Ok, let’s vote.” Leopold said

“Yes, let’s vote.” Noelle answered confidently

Maybe she shouldn’t have been so sure, because she found Asta was more in favour of splitting.

“Yes! I recognize my rival there.”

Noelle stared at her idiot boyfriend, dumbfounded. Then she realized, of course he would be in favour of going for danger? This was Asta? 

She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose, “Ok, I’ll take this one.”

“Wait, Noelle, if you want, I can come with you.” Asta tried

She turned, anger clear in her eyes, and he flinched. 

He looked away, “If you’re scared…”

“Scared?”

He looked into her eyes and didn’t understand a thing.

“We voted. I’m going into that tunnel. I’ll see you two later.”

And she disappeared, leaving a heavy silence behind her. 

“I think you pissed her off.” Leopold said after a while

“Yeah… I think I did too.”

“Let’s see who gets to the treasure room first, my rival!”

Asta tried to smile, but it kept stuck. He shuffled to his tunnel, glancing one last time to the one she took before engulfing himself in darkness.

It was dark in the tunnel. He could barely make out his surroundings with the little magical light which… he looked at the gauge. Would be running out of mana soon, he realized. Leopold had fire magic so he could shine some light and Noelle could replenish her lamp’s mana, so they both should be fine, but him… Asta sighed. He hadn’t wished he had mana in a while. He would soon be out of light. 

Maybe he should have taken her side. He thought, like Leopold, that they were strong enough to face whatever would be coming at them. It was just a dungeon. They had seen a lot worse. And it wasn’t even as weird a dungeon as the first one they had explored. It was the easiest dungeon they had ever come across. He was certain that Noelle knew that. Then why?

If we’re trapped, there’s nothing we can do. 

The light went out suddenly, and Asta groaned in desperation as he tried to make the device work again. Shaking it, tapping it. Nothing worked. There was no use. Anti-magic wasn’t magic, after all. Asta looked up again. It was completely dark now. He waited for his eyes to adjust then resumed his exploration, a hand tracing the wall as he progressed.

Asta wasn’t scared of the dark. He had never been scared of the dark. Even as a kid, he couldn’t understand why Yuno was. Whether there was light or not, whether you could see around you or not, it didn’t change what was around you. But this tunnel… the walls were getting closer and closer… the darkness… the air that was scarcer and scarcer…

He stopped short as the realization hit him. It wasn’t the air that was scarcer. It was his breathing that was faster. The walls that were closing in all around him… was it an illusion? An impression? Was it magic? Was it some kind of trap? Why was he dizzy? What… what was happening? He wasn’t scared of the dark. He’d never been scared of the dark! 

Was he trapped? The trap was closing… 

He started running. 

Splitting was a terrible idea. He hated being alone on missions. He knew he could handle most magic knights duties on his own now. Despite being magicless, he had found countless ways to make up for his lack of mana. But he was used to having someone at his sides. And he preferred it this way. He was barely ever alone on missions. But now he was alone in the dark, struggling to breathe, lost, and on top of that, he had angered Noelle. 

There was no exit. It looked like there was no exit. He was trapped. She’d been right and he was trapped. He turned, looked behind him. He had no idea for how long he’d been running. He turned left instinctively, but then thought that maybe he should’ve gone right. Or maybe he should’ve stopped running. Or maybe he should’ve retraced his steps, turned back and gone to get help, or light, or… 

A ringing almost had him scream. He stopped short and took out his device with shaking hands.

“It’s a dead end for me,” Leopold announced, his disappointment clear. “I’m heading back. How is it for you?”

“Nothing worth mentioning,” Noelle deadpanned.

Asta tried to still his breathing to answer, but wasn’t confident he could say anything right now.

“Asta?”

“My rival, where are you?”

Where… he had no idea. He had taken a wrong turn, maybe. He couldn’t see anything… he rested his hand on his pounding heart, trying to calm it. It felt better. He forced air down his lungs, closed his eyes, focused. Right, they were there with him too. It was fine. 

“Uh, there was… it’s dark so I don’t know.”

“What happened to your light?” Noelle asked

“Ran out of mana.”

“What?” Noelle exclaimed “Why didn’t you check before?”

“I didn’t… think about it. I don’t know.”

There was a silence. The magicless knight waited for an answer, for anything. He was conscious that his pants were passed on to his teammates, reverberating even more against the tunnel’s walls. Then Noelle spoke again, her voice softer, “Ok, and um… how’s the tunnel?”

“I don’t know, it’s dark, it’s a tunnel… errr … ah! I took left.”

“There was another branching?” Leopold asked

“Yeah, a while ago.”

He heard Noelle stifle a groan. Asta’s throat tightened. For seconds that felt like an eternity, no one spoke. 

“Asta, are you okay?” Noelle asked at last

“Uh, yeah.”

A beat. He was certain she would not buy it. Even he could hear the uncertainty in his voice, the slightest crack. He wasn’t exactly okay. He was panicking. Him. And he had no idea why. 

“Leopold, can you go to his tunnel please?”

“Sure.”

“Don’t for……..o………. en……... you…....”

“What?” Asta and Leopold said in unison

Oh no… no no no… what was happening? 

“Noelle?” Asta tried

“...……eft…… sta……mo….”

“Noelle we can’t hear you,” Leopold said

And then the buzzing cut. Completely. No more fragments of her voice. Only silence. Then Leopold broke it. 

“I’m coming, my rival.”

“No no, go to Noelle’s tunnel.”

“She clearly told me to go fetch you. I’m sure she’s fine.”

“But—!”

Asta didn’t continue. He sighed. He had no light. No idea where he was. But if there was any chance that his tunnel would meet Noelle’s, he had to keep advancing. He took a long breath. Ok. It would be fine. She would be fine, and he would be fine too. 

“I’ll keep moving in the meantime.”

“I’ll catch up with you.”

It cut. 

Asta continued running, until finally he saw some light at the end of the tunnel. He started dashing, going faster and faster until he reached a huge room, lit by natural light. He got on all fours, panting. Finally… finally some air. 

“Asta!?”

He looked up. She was here. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She knelt, cupping his face.

“Are you hurt? What’s wrong?”

He inhaled sharply, trying to slow his pounding heart. 

“I don’t know! It was dark… And there was… I thought there was no way out!”

Her gaze was sorry. She took her hands off his face and for a second, he considered snatching them back. Then he understood as she gently shot some water from her fingers to his forehead. He sighed with relief as cold water ran down his face. 

“Is it better?”

Her hand reached his.

“Yeah… thanks.”

He sat down on the ground in front of her. Noelle’s worry was clear on her face, her eyebrows were knitted together, and her eyes were looking for an answer. 

“What happened?”

“I don’t know. I panicked.”

“You never panic.”

His chuckle felt heavy, “I know! That’s the weirdest part of it all.”

They stayed silent. Asta reached for a loose silver bang and tucked it behind her ear, only just realizing that she was here now, with him. 

“You’re a little out of breath too.” he noted

Noelle scoffed and her hand tightened in his. 

“You ran here?” he asked

She shrugged, “I wanted to get out as soon as possible. I’m not a fan of enclosed space. Never been a fan.”

“Is that why you didn’t want to split?”

“Part of. Of course, there were all the other reasons I mentioned already. But mostly... it’s not that I was scared of going through that tunnel. I simply… didn’t want to split. I didn’t want to be apart from you, or even Leopold, for what it’s worth.”

Asta’s eyes softened, and he looked down at their hands.

“I get why Yami asked us if we’d be fine going on missions together now.” Asta said after a while “When your call was interrupted I thought something had happened and I… started rushing here.”

“I know. It was… strange to hear you panic. I thought about heading back to get you, but I figured that you’d be fine because… well, because you’re you. And Leopold was coming anyway. But I was worried.”

“Yeah, me too.”

Asta contemplated the idea. Going on missions with her, worrying… how their relationship could get into the line of their work, how dangerous it could be if enemies learned about it and played that card against them. Yami had warned them. They had thought it would be fine, they had assured him they would be fine. It wasn’t so different, after all. They had cared about each other, maybe had loved each other for about as long as they had been magic knights. This had always been their daily lives, intertwined with their duties and their wills to get stronger. 

“Still, I’d rather go on missions with you.” Noelle said

He looked up at her, puzzled, “Really?”

“Sure, you’re stupid and you don’t care about plans, and you don’t check if you have enough mana in your lamp before heading into a dark tunnel…”  

She glared at him, but with such a sweet smile he couldn’t help but chuckle.

“...but I trust you more than anyone.”

He stared, awestruck. Then she blushed furiously, “Anyway! We just need to find Leopold and then we can resume that dungeon exploration.”

“ Errrr… I’m here?”

They froze. And then, they realized, from his tone, that they were still both on the ground, holding hands, their faces barely a few centimetres away. For how long had he been standing here, exactly? No one moved for a solid minute, until Leopold made a few steps towards them.

“Are you… do you…?”

They glanced at each other. There was no denying it now. Asta nodded slowly.

“Nicely done, my rival!”

“Leopold, if you don’t shut up, I will.” Noelle said as she got to her feet, her face completely red

The Crimson Lion went quiet in an instant. Noelle dusted off her dress, then looked at the Vermillion with a serious face.

“Listen, you can’t tell anyone,” she said.

“Why?”

“Because no one knows, and it’s better this way. For now.”

That wasn’t exactly true. The Black Bulls knew. Julius should know by now, Yami having what he called a “moral obligation” to tell him. And Asta’s family back in Hadge knew. Even that Yuno guy had heard about it from them. But Noelle thought it was fine. Sure, he was a magic knight, one of the Golden Dawn (a squad full of nobles, which wasn’t exactly optimal), and close to Mimosa (a royal, which definitely wasn’t optimal) but… somehow she felt like he wouldn’t tell. Objectively, it was dangerous that he’d know. In reality… he would have to care about it in the first place. Knowing him, he didn’t. 

Leopold, on the other hand, was a dangerous person who would risk blurting it out. Noelle didn’t trust him. She didn’t know enough of him to trust him with a secret, and knowing his family and their tendency of being overly straightforward, he wasn’t the best person to learn about them; all the more as he was royalty, and as such, he would attend royal parties and events and if he happened to blurt it out… Noelle didn’t want to think about it. Telling her siblings was on her list, but… definitely not now. 

“Leo, you can’t tell anyone.”

“Ok, I’ve got it,” he shrugged, pouting a little.

They went on, traveling down the dungeon’s corridors.

“Why were you sent with us, by the way?” Noelle asked after a while “It was supposed to be a mission to see if we could work together, it’s strange there would be a third person.”

Leopold smirked, “You want to know?”

She didn’t want to know now that she saw how smug he was, but she still nodded.

“Actually, Asta, we’re not rivals for nothing… because I got myself a girlfriend too!”

Noelle almost tripped. Him? How? Who? She couldn’t believe it. Sure, he was a prince, and maybe some people could find his face and attitude attractive (she wondered who, but most girls in the kingdom found Kirsch, of all people, attractive, so she had given up on understanding people’s tastes), but… Leopold. It felt… weird.

“Really?” Asta asked excitedly “Do we know her?”

“You might. The thing is: we got a little carried away during a joint mission, and the Wizard King decided I’d go with you. I don’t know why.”

Noelle frowned. But she didn’t really have time to wonder about that, because they suddenly entered a new dungeon room… and with its fair share of traps.

♣       ♣

♣

“Ah… that was a quick mission!” Leopold said

Well, yeah. With two ultimate magic users and the ultimate magic nullifier, a dungeon was nothing too worrisome anymore. Even that thorny bit in the middle with the three passages and all the panicking hadn’t been too much trouble. Leopold had been right. She hated to recognize it, but they had been strong enough to handle things on their own in that dungeon. There had been no reason to get so worked up. 

Now that she thought about it… dungeons had always been special missions. She remembered that first joint mission they’d had, Asta Luck and her with Mimosa, Klaus and Yuno. The second time she’d gone through a dungeon, she’d got her soulmate tattoo. And now, that third dungeon exploration… It was the first time someone who wasn’t family learned about their relationship.

“We’ll go write our report”, Asta said, “I guess you’ll write one for the Crimson Lions too?”

“Uh? Oh yeah… I guess.”

“Don’t slack off.” Noelle said

“I won’t! Hey, do you both have tomorrow afternoon free?”

This wasn’t exactly what not slacking off sounded like. Asta and Noelle glanced at each other and shrugged, “Yeah, we’re free.”

“How about a double date?”

Chapter Text

It was such a nice warm day, a little breezy maybe. Breezy enough to remind everyone that it was only the beginning of April. 

A double date was a terrible idea. That meant telling one more person about their relationship… and there was no way to know if they could trust that person. Leopold had been so vague on who his girlfriend was that Noelle couldn’t help but think about the worst. A noble. Of course it would be a noble. And it would be a noble from a family that wanted the Silvas gone. Or maybe, a noble whose family wanted favors from the Silvas and would rather throw the failure to the lions if it meant they could get into Nozel’s good grace. 

Noelle swallowed hard. Oh, she didn’t want to think about it.

It wasn’t a good idea. They’d had this conversation all night and morning already. And they always reached the same conclusion. They had both seen Leopold’s hopeful, bright eyes looking at them with such expectancy that… they hadn’t had the heart to refuse. 

Noelle sighed, giving Asta’s hand a light squeeze, “Ok, now that we’re here, let’s have a nice afternoon.”

“Love that spirit.”

She chuckled. 

“I’ll really have to tell my siblings soon, though… I don’t want them to learn it from anyone else.”

She’d been saying that for over a month, but still hadn’t quite worked up the courage to. She rejoiced in Asta not pointing this out. He used to do it at the beginning. Then he’d stopped as he probably realized it was useless. 

They spotted Leopold immediately as he waved in their general direction and even jogged towards them. He looked a little too happy, a little too breezy too. 

“She hasn’t arrived yet… she loves to make me wait.”

Noelle offered a strained smile. It was weird enough to see her cousin outside of work or royal gatherings. But seeing him completely smitten was the weirdest of all. 

They chit chatted for a while, talking about work mostly, the reports they had crafted for their dungeon exploration, until she appeared. Noelle recognized her immediately. These dark blue-ish hair, blue eyes, pale skin… 

“Fragil Tormenta...” she whispered

Noelle remembered having seen her during the Royal Knights tournament. Their teams hadn’t gone against each other though, because she’d been on Langris’ team and… well… things played out differently with Langris. She remembered she was an Azure Deer with either ice or snow magic (something cold). Not much else, focused as she was on… focusing, precisely. The Azure Deer… she had made it into the Royal Knights, hadn’t she? Hadn’t she been possessed by an elf too? Tormenta… she didn't know much about these nobles. Then again, she didn't know many nobles personally. 

“Good afternoon!” Fragil said with a soft smile “I’m Fragil Tormenta of the Azure Deers.”

“Oh, I remember you!” Asta said suddenly “Leo lost against your team during the Royal Knights exam!”

That might have been a little undiplomatic, Asta. Noelle looked at Fragil, expecting at least a hint of irritation, but the girl kept smiling, eyes lovingly staring at Leopold. There was something wrong with that. This was Leopold. Noelle would never be over it.

“My little lion did destroy our crystal…” Fragil said, not taking her eyes from the ginger, “but Langris had destroyed theirs first.”

Hold up, “little lion”? What on earth was that? And what was with the dumb stare, the swoon and the stupid smile?

“Yes, and it ignited the raging flames of love in my heart.”

It… ignited what. Noelle would have rolled her eyes if she hadn’t been too… surprised by the scene. 

“Let’s go, shall we?” Noelle said, eager to have these two stop ogling each other

♣        ♣

♣

They never stopped ogling each other. Actually, it didn’t even feel like a double date, it felt like Asta and Noelle were third-wheeling, intruding on their very intimate moment. That was… uncomfortable. Even Asta looked uneasy. Asta. Uneasy. This was telling something. 

They were both quietly following them, answering whenever solicited, but they kept it like that. What made it worse was that they were very much going down the main street of the royal capital. That was the worst place possible. And listening  to… whatever blabber these two had in store wasn’t making the situation easier. 

At some point Leopold started talking to Asta, so Noelle was left with Fragil, in an awkward silence, until the snow mage broke the ice. 

“So, Leo and you are cousins?”

“He’s my cousins’ cousin. His father is the brother of my aunt’s husband.”

Fragil didn’t answer. Well, it was confusing. She was probably trying to picture the family tree. 

“Um, do you see Kirsch and Mimosa Vermillion?”

“Oh, yes. The Coral Peacock’s Vice Captain? Mimosa… she’s in the Golden Dawn, isn’t she?”

Noelle nodded, “They’re my cousins from their mother’s side. And Leo is their cousin from their father’s side.”

“Oh, ok. It’s clearer. I really thought you were cousins. You’re quite close.”

Noelle had no idea where she had had this impression. They weren’t that close. In fact, her side of the family barely ever interacted with that branch of the Vermillions. Well, except for Nozel and Fuegoleon. 

“How was he as a kid?”

Noelle thought about it. She didn’t remember much. She knew they had played together a few times when Fuegoleon would do what Nozel called “intrude” on a good day, “invade” on most days, and bring Leopold with him. But as for the specifics… 

Noelle shrugged, “He was pretty much the same.”

Silence settled again. Noelle tried to listen at what the hell the two boys were talking about, but it was about whatever hellish training they wanted to try next, so she decided they’d let them at it. Noelle was thinking really hard about a conversation subject. She didn’t want to ask about Leopold. But she had so many questions. How and why, for starters. 

“So, um… how… did it happen? Leopold and you?”

Fragil smiled, “Oh… he asked me out. With flowers, too. He’s so charming…”

Charming. Really? Him? Leopold? Well. There’s no accounting for taste. 

“And you?”

“Errr…”

How? It was… actually a good question. Was it on their first date? Or in that archive room? During their walk in Heart? Or did it go way back?

“What about getting some ice cream, my Ice Queen?”

Noelle jumped. She wasn’t expecting Leopold to talk. At all. Fragil giggled and accepted, before the fire and ice couple each turned to them, asking them if it was okay with them. Well. It was. 

They entered the ice-cream shop that, they learned, was where they had gone for their first date. 

“Oh, where was your first date?” Fragil asked

Asta and Noelle glanced at each other.

“Um… I don’t remember the name of the town. Somewhere in the Common Realm? There was a nice view, with a lake.” Asta said. 

Leopold and Fragil stared at them in disbelief, then smiled. An awkward, pitiful smile. Then they changed the subject. 

“Lemon sherbet for you my love?” Leopold asked

“Yes, please...”

Uh? Noelle glanced at Asta. She had no idea what his favourite flavour was. 

“ Err… what do you want?” she asked

He shrugged, “Dunno. You?”

“I don’t know.”

They kept silent until they placed their orders, Leopold and Fragil’s conversation filling their ears. 

♣       ♣

♣

“It barely looks like anything has changed for you two,” Leopold remarked while finishing his bowl of ice cream.

Noelle and Asta glanced at each other. 

“My family doesn’t know,” Noelle admitted, “and I’d like to keep it this way for now. So we can’t really… um… act like you two do.”

Yes, this had nothing to do with the fact that they… didn’t even want to be all over each other like these two were. 

Even without that, she didn’t know his favourite flavour. True, it wasn’t that important, but… it struck her how little she knew of him. It felt like they barely ever… talked. Were they supposed to be like them? Not acting all lovey-dovey was one thing, it was even required because they worked together, but Noelle didn’t even want to act like that, even when they were in private. Calling him pet names would be so off, him calling her pet names would be so strange… This was… too much. This didn’t feel right . Were they supposed to… if they really loved each other, should they be… like these two in front of them? 

She couldn’t get that out of her head. 

They said goodbye and parted from Leo and Fragil, and Noelle sighed.

“They’re a lot.” she said at last, rejoicing in finally having some silence around and not the constant buzzing and purring

“They look so in love,” Asta noted

Noelle tensed. They did. They were all over each other. 

“Do you mind if we stay a little longer?” Asta asked after a while “I have some stuff to buy.”

“Ok, let’s go.”

She followed him down the capital’s main street. Now that she thought about it, Leopold was right. It was like nothing had changed. She didn’t feel especially closer to him than she was before. They were spending more time alone together, that was true, but… was there supposed to be something more?

“You’re so quiet, what’s wrong?”

She jumped, startled, not expecting him to talk at all, lost as she was in her reflexions. She had almost forgotten he was here at all. Was it how it was supposed to be? Wasn’t she supposed to be conscious of him?

“I was… thinking about Leopold and Fragil.”

Asta chuckled, slowing down to walk beside her.

“I think they go well together! They’re so different too, and they look happy.”

Different, yes… that was true. Fire and snow, after all. She guessed opposites did attract. On the contrary… she glanced sideways at Asta. The two of them were similar. Sure, he was a magicless peasant, and she was a princess with too much magic power but… they both trained harder so they could get what they wanted, him to become the Wizard King and end discrimination, her to get accepted by her family and maybe… just maybe to accept herself too. Somehow… deep down… they were the same. 

“Yeah, they go well together,” was all she answered.

She didn’t know what else to say. Asta entered a shop and went to get whatever he wanted to get. She hadn’t even asked. Noelle snooped around the shop, waiting for him to come back, then noticed a pair of ribbons that looked exactly like the ones she was wearing at the moment. 

“I’m done,” he announced suddenly “did you find something?”

She turned and shook her head. He looked over her shoulder and grinned, “Ah, yes I got your ribbons here… it feels like an eternity ago.”

Noelle couldn’t help but smile a little. He reached for her hair, letting the ribbons slide around his fingers with a focused look.

“They’re a little worn out.”

“No, they’re not! Still good to go.”

“They went through a war. Look, they’re fraying, and what Gordon used to remove the blood dulled the colour...”

His gaze was sad as he studied the pink ribbons. Noelle caught his hand, and locked eyes with him, determined. 

“I don’t want to change them. They’re…”

She stopped. These ribbons were only a little over two months old now, but it was true that they had seen a lot. It would be a lie to say that they didn’t need replacement already: they were fraying and the colour wasn’t as bright as it used to be. Noelle had failed to take care of them and it was on her (and on that war). But it was his first gift to her. It was also a moment in time, what she still held as their first heartfelt conversation, the precise instant she had realized that maybe she needed more, that maybe fighting her feelings, her tattoo, her fate wasn’t what she wanted deep down. That late night walk by the river was one of her most precious memories with him. 

She didn’t want to let go of that. 

She reached for the ribbons, feeling them through her fingers.

“You gave me these ribbons. They’re precious to me.”

Asta’s lime green eyes opened in surprise before his face grew into fondness, offering her that special smile she loved so much. She couldn’t help but smile too, watching how the sunset light fell on his skin through the shop window and played with his ash blond hair, making it look slightly blonder, brighter. She tried to print that warmth in her memories. 

“Thank you,” was all he said as he slipped his hand in hers.

They went out again, and Noelle welcomed the breeze on her burning cheeks. She had said she’d be more honest with him, and it was easier to be but… it still flustered her. A lot. To let him know just how much he meant to her.

She stopped short, realizing it suddenly. How stupid it was. She loved him. She didn’t have to give him pet names. Or to kiss him all the time. Or to hold him. Somehow, she simply wanted to… exist with him. 

...and that was maybe more ridiculous and cheesier than anything Leopold had said all afternoon. But it was true. 

“So, what was on your mind during the whole date?”

She couldn’t help but chuckle.

“That’s stupid.”

“I thought I was the stupid one.”

“You are.” she confirmed

He scoffed, giving her hand a small squeeze that made her chuckle.

“I was thinking about how we… absolutely don’t act like Leopold and Fragil. For an instant, I doubted we were… doing things right. We don’t have pet names, or… I thought that maybe we didn’t love each other enough. But that’s stupid. Because I…”

She stopped. Damn, that was still hard to say without any mental preparation.

“... love you. A lot. But with them it’s so clear to anyone in the room? I don’t know, I was just wondering if we should be acting like them.” 

“No, I thought the same.”

She turned to him, a puzzled look on her face. 

“But I think it’s because we’ve had this special relationship from the start.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’ve got along from the start. We’ve started as friends, and our relationship is based on that, our trust and that link we have. So I don’t find this weird that we don’t… act like Leo does.”

He paused.

“And I love you too, we love each other. We simply do things our way.”

She stopped and he turned. She was absolutely stunned. 

“You’re actually not so stupid when you want, Bakasta.”

“Hey, I do have a pet name!”

She snickered, “I don’t know if that counts. That’s more of an insult...”

“But you say it, so I like it. Like your worn out ribbons that you don’t want to let go of.”

She considered his answer, then sighed, “You’re being smart tonight, what’s wrong? Has the ice done something to your brain?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you’re rubbing off on me! Let’s head home!”

♣        ♣

♣

Noelle let out a heavy sigh, burying her face in her pillow. Never again would she go on a double date with a cousin of hers. That was 1) too embarrassing 2) too tiring 3) too weird. She sighed again. Still. It felt good to know that at least Leopold and Fragil hadn’t had a bad reaction to Asta and her being together. They hadn’t mentioned him being a peasant and her a royal. They hadn’t as much as hinted or joked at it. No, despite all the awkwardness and third-wheeling, this double date had gone fine. Even though Leopold was royalty, he was so laid back concerning status. Then again, Vermillions cared a lot less about status and royalty than Silvas.

That last thought sent an uncomfortable knot down her stomach. 

Noelle knew that she would have to tell them soon. It had been almost three months now. She should work up the courage to tell Nebra, Solid and… 

No, there was someone else she needed to tell first… Mimosa. 

It would be a challenge. 

It would be the first time she would be telling a family member. Well, a close family member, Leopold didn’t count. It would also be the first time Noelle would be telling a royal, the first time she would be telling someone who wasn’t a Black Bull. The first time she would be telling someone who knew how difficult such a relationship would be. 

And Mimosa’s usual (sometimes brutal) honesty was something Noelle feared greatly. 

She thought she’d do it over some tea. Tea was always nice. Mimosa loved tea. If Noelle played her cards well enough, her cousin would simply be having a good time and the water mage could just let the information slide, like it was just a talk about the weather, no big deal… maybe she’d even forget about it… 

Noelle sighed. Even though she knew Mimosa wouldn’t tell her siblings, even though she trusted her, she was still a royal, and one of the worst liars she’d ever come across. Ok, now, Noelle was starting to believe that telling her cousin (and good friend) about her relationship wasn’t the best decision after all. Or maybe she was simply making excuses. 

She was definitely making excuses. 

Two months was a long time to keep such important information from Mimosa. Putting it off any longer might make her angry, if not angry maybe disappointed. She didn’t want that. They’d grown close. She had to tell her. 

Noelle looked at her next day off, and sighed heavily. This was in quite some time. She wanted it to be over soon. She wanted it to be a test drive for when she would be telling her siblings. Yes, she definitely needed to practice before.

♣        ♣

♣

Mimosa and Noelle finally managed to have an afternoon off on the same day. Asta was on a mission, unfortunately, so Noelle had to do this alone. They settled on having tea at the Vermillion estate. Noelle brought tea, Mimosa’s favourite. 

“This is some, um, fine tea.” Noelle said

“Yes, very herbal. One of my favourite teas… it’s not produced all year round, unfortunately. I’m surprised you remembered I love it.”

“Hmph, of course I’d remember.”

‘Of course’ was an exaggeration, it took Noelle a lot of brain racking to remember which of the colourful boxes was the priced item her cousin had gestured at during one of their outings. Noelle didn’t know much about tea. Even back at the Silva household where there were a plethora of different teas to choose from, she would always drink the same. 

Mimosa put down her cup, “So, anything you wanted to talk about?” 

Noelle could feel herself start sweating as her cousin’s gaze settled on her. She couldn’t help but look away. 

“Nothing in particular,” the water mage answered calmly.

Why on earth had she said that? Mimosa had just given her all the ammunition she needed to finally spit it out. And yet, Noelle had just refused it.

“How’s the Golden Dawn doing?”

Mimosa smiled friendrily, and Noelle knew she’d lost her open window. Now, it felt like they were at some royal gathering, making small talk. They were not friends, only cousins flashing respectful smiles while secretly wanting to go home. 

Mimosa started telling her about her squad, her squadmates, the missions she had gone on recently. Noelle listened, but her mind was definitely elsewhere. Focused on how to break it to her. 

“We also recruited a few good rookies at the entrance exam in September. They’re promising… And the Black Bulls?”

Noelle flashed a strained smile. 

“Oh, um… you know… Asta and I are still the rookies.”

“You didn’t recruit anyone in September?”

She looked more surprised than shocked. And she didn’t look like she was pitying her either, so Noelle guessed it was something good already. 

“Um… no.”

“Well, most of your squad is backdoor members so maybe your captain will simply recruit more down the way.”

Noelle smiled awkwardly. She wasn’t too sure about that, but hope was an important thing to have. 

“You’re still the two rookies despite being senior mages… that’s cute.” Mimosa giggled.

Cute wasn’t the word. This was mortifying. A year and a half after joining, they were still the youngest, freshest members, and if it wasn’t for Finral’s occasional help, they would still be handling all the chores. Well, Asta would still be handling all the chores. 

“So, are you two finally dating now?”

Noelle’s grip on the cup handle went loose and she panickingly slammed the cup on the table, spilling some tea in the process. She looked up in horror at Mimosa, feeling her cheeks on fire. 

“I take it, that's a yes.” Mimosa giggled

“How do… how do you know?”

She raised an eyebrow, then went back to giggling. Noelle stayed there, flustered, staring at her friend and waiting for her answer.

“I already thought you were dating back when we were in Heart.”

Noelle’s eyes opened wide. In Heart? How did she get this impression? “We… weren’t. What made you think we were?”

“Because I thought you had a fight! And you were avoiding him!”

Noelle scoffed, perplexed, “And that made you think we were together?”

“And then you showed up with brand new ribbons… that he kept glancing at.”

Noelle took a sip of tea, looking away.

“You’re too observant.” she mumbled, confirming it.

“I’m so happy for you! When did it start? Was it love at first sight?”

Noelle’s mouth opened, but she closed it, rethinking her words. Maybe for her, it had indeed been love at first sight. Or really close to. 

“No,” she still answered

“When did you get together? It was in Heart?”

“No, not in Heart. After the war… a few days after we went out of the infirmary.”

“You confessed first?”

“He did. I, uh… it took another day for me to… actually… reciprocate.”

“Awww…”

Noelle didn’t answer. Damn. She was burning up. Mimosa, on the other hand, was smiling fondly.

“Both Leo and you are lovestruck then?”

Noelle huffed, “I’m nothing like this guy.”

She chuckled still, “… but I do like Asta. A lot.”

“I could tell that.”

Noelle sighed. She reached for her napkin, wiping the spilled tea from the table. 

“Do… your siblings know?”

Noelle tensed, and that didn’t escape her cousin’s scrutiny. Her cheerful expression turned into worry. And Noelle had no idea what to tell her.

“I plan on telling them… soon…” she said, folding back the napkin on the table. 

Mimosa didn’t buy it at all. She sipped some tea, then said, “Be careful, because it does show.”

Noelle sighed. After all, no Black Bulls had been surprised, but she had thought it was simply because Vanessa or Finral had run their mouths, or maybe because they were close, living at the same place and all, but Mimosa barely ever saw them and still thought that it showed? 

“It does? Please don't tell anyone...”

“It does. I won't tell. But it’s just so clear when I see you two together. It’s like you’re soulmates.”

Noelle almost choked on her tea. 

“And, um, and you? Love, all that?”

Mimosa giggled, “Oh, I don’t have time for that!”

Noelle laughed in turn. And then she realized it. It was done. She’d done it. Mimosa knew. And it felt so much easier to tell her now that she’d told Leopold already. Maybe she could do it. Maybe she could tell her siblings. 

Just maybe. 

But not now.

Chapter Text

Finral’s wedding ceremony was never ending. 

Asta had admittedly dozed off a few times, but had always been brutally brought back to consciousness either by a soft kick in his legs or an elbow in his ribs. Noelle didn’t look like she’d let him sleep during their friend’s wedding ceremony. 

Asta had gone to plenty of weddings, having been raised in a church. He had never found it particularly interesting. People from the village would get married, and he was happy for them… but he had to wear the one set of clothes he never wore and couldn’t get dirty. Asta would assist Father Orsi as he would sputter a bunch of ready-made sentences while trying not to break down in tears… which he would fail to do every time. 

True enough, this wedding had nothing to do with the ones he had been to. Obviously, a royal wedding had a whole lot of numerous choice guests. The royal family was, for starters, in the front rows on the right side, where Lady Finesse’s guests were positioned. Finral’s side had the Bulls, at the very back, and the important people which Asta guessed were the Vaudes’ bigshots and other noble families were at the front. The cathedral had nothing to do with Hadge’s shabby church. The ceiling was so high Asta thought he’d get dizzy simply by looking up. The decorations were stunning too. There were intricate floral compositions everywhere that he couldn’t even begin to understand (Noelle had started to talk about the symbolic meanings behind the choice of this or that colour, this or that species of flower… but he didn’t understand a thing so she’d given up early). Everything was simply… perfect. Too beautiful. That was what a royal wedding looked like. 

And in the middle of that, Finral seemed to fit in just right. Unlike them, the Black Bulls, sitting at the very back of the church for those lucky enough to have found a seat. Yami had been standing, his back against a pillar, but he was out smoking at the moment. He’d kept Luck close to him (separating him from Magna) because he feared he’d start randomly fighting people and also Charmy, so she wouldn’t sneak away and eat the whole banquet before the ceremony had even ended. Henry was able to come too, his curse being finally lifted with Megicula’s defeat. He was still getting used to society, but as he was quiet, he wasn’t as much of a threat as the rest of them. Nacht… didn’t show up. Most of the Bulls who were here knew how to behave. Well, ‘behave’, all they had to do was sit in silence (this was hard for them, though). Asta’s eyes shut once again, and a split second later, Noelle landed an elbow in his ribs. 

“Ouch! I was awake!” he lied.

She sighed, which, he knew, meant “no you were not”. Then she came closer, whispering in his ear, “You don’t want to miss that”. 

Miss what? Well, he couldn’t see much anyway from where he was, being as short as he was, so he tried to listen to the priest’s words, but all he heard was Finral’s, “I do.” and then Finesse's, “I do.”

Asta was clapping so hard he knew he’d have red hands afterwards but he didn’t care. Finral looked like the happiest man alive. That was all that mattered. 

♣

The afterparty was nicer. Of course, Charmy was all over the buffet and Yami had to restrain her constantly, using the threat of “no meal for a week”. Well, anyway, the Black Bulls were keeping on behaving , which had been a concern that Finral had to clear up with so much strength when imposing their presence at his royal wedding. No major incident had been registered yet. 

Noelle came back and slipped her hand inside his. He looked at her, grinning. 

“So? How’s the buffet?”

“Vanessa, Magna and Yami were gushing over some fancy wine so I left them. Hopefully, they’ll be fine.”

He laughed, looking at the dance floor in front of them.

“I was surprised Finral knew how to dance,” he said, recalling how the spatial mage had offered to teach the rest of the Bulls. 

Noelle chuckled, “Nobles learn how to dance in case they’re invited to royal balls.”

Asta raised his eyebrows, “Royals have balls? That’s how you learned how to dance?”

She took a moment to answer, which gave him a hunch that she wasn’t really good at it.

“I didn’t get invited much, so I… lack practice. How did you learn?”

“There were folks balls at Hadge. Sister Lily would always be kind enough to have one dance with me. There were so many guys from the village who wanted to dance with her though. I figure she danced with us kids so she didn’t have to reject their offers.”

Ah crap, he’d talked about Sister Lily again. But Noelle simply chuckled, “Look at how nervous Finral looks.”

Indeed, he looked like his knees would give way anytime now. Was he going to be fine? But when Finral and Finesse started waltzing to the music, Asta couldn’t help but watch, mesmerised. Okay, he could dance alright. He didn’t even know why he’d doubted him. It was Finral, after all. He’d been preparing for this moment for months. Strenuous months of getting ready for the hearing. All of this leading to this very moment where he could dance with the woman he loved.

After everything he’d been through, he deserved it. 

Asta let go of Noelle’s hand to join the round of applause at the end of their first dance. Then he started stressing out. It was customary for the first dance to be only the newly weds, but the next dances were open to whoever wanted to join. And he really, really wanted to dance with Noelle. But… he surveyed the room. Her siblings were here, members of the other royal families too, and even if she had come clear to her family about the nature of her relationship with him, there was still a world between knowing and tolerating their couple, and accepting public showing of their affection in front of all the other royals. Holding hands discreetly was all they could manage most of the time. 

Asta watched nervously as other couples joined the second dance and started waltzing in time. He didn’t care about dancing in front of these royals. He couldn’t care less about them tearing into him, telling him he’s a peasant and he should go back to the Forsaken Realm. But he cared greatly about Noelle’s feelings, and he knew he couldn’t be as bold as he used to be because she cared about her family, and offending them was something she wasn’t too keen on. 

But he really wanted to dance with her. There were a lot of people dancing… maybe they’d go unnoticed. Even with his shoe-lifts, he was short, barely taller than her, and Noelle wasn’t tall either… Plus, it was just one dance. They would let it slide, right? A dance couldn’t hurt… there were plenty of people dancing. Platonically. 

“Hey Noelle, would you…”

She turned to him, an eyebrow quirked. And he completely forgot his resolve. 

“...like something to drink?”

She stared at him for an awfully long moment before nodding silently. So he left hurriedly, his cheeks burning. 

They were at a wedding . Everyone danced at weddings! He took a look at where the royals were, looked at Noelle’s siblings. They were not dancing. Maybe dancing was something considered lowly? How he hated that. They should all be dancing, regardless of their class, their upbringing… dancing was celebrating the couple. Father Orsi had always told him that. It was rude not to dance. 

Asta sighed, taking two crimson juices, gifts from the Heart Kingdom, in his hands. Noelle had said she hadn’t been invited much. Despite being royalty. Even with their own, royals would discriminate against. It was endless. It was unfair. 

He came back to Noelle, handing her the juice in silence before looking at the dancers. He almost choked on his drink.

“Is that Captain Yami dancing with Mereoleona?!”

Noelle giggled, “He said he’d go ask for a good laugh, and well, you know Lady Mereoleona… she’d never back down from a challenge.”

Asta didn’t know if he could call whatever they were doing “dancing”. They were staring at each other with murderous intent, and they looked like they were trying very hard to step on each other’s feet. Well, at least the tension was gone. Asta felt calmer. 

The magicless boy took a sip and grimaced. He only remembered now that this drink needed mana to sweeten, otherwise it was bitter as bitter comes. As if she’d read his mind, Noelle’s hand cupped the glass briefly. He thanked her before tasting it. It was much better indeed. 

The third dance came, and Asta started feeling guilty. They’d finished their juices by now, and they’d been standing in a heavy silence all the while, watching the crowd of dancers. Maybe he should invite her after all. What was the worst that could happen? After all, if she didn’t want to dance, or if she thought it was too risky, she’d tell him… right? They were better at understanding each other now, better at communicating. Alright. Alright, it was the moment. 

“Would you dance with me?” he asked finally

She turned to him, a soft smile on her lips, “I was wondering when you’d ask.”

He chuckled and took her hand, leading her to the centre of the room, concealing the two of them among the rest of the dancers. 

For an instant they didn’t move an inch, staring awkwardly at each other. Then he stepped forward. She put one hand on his shoulder, and they tried to figure out how to get into a dancing position, gesturing awkwardly at each other, trying to coordinate and failing miserably at it. The music had started already and they were the only couple still struggling to get into it. So Asta swallowed and put his hand on her waist. He looked into her pink eyes, they were gazing at him. For a split-second, he forgot what the two of them were here to do, he forgot how to waltz. Then he stepped his foot forward, as she stepped hers backward to the beat, finally joining the other dancers. 

There was some resistance at first. Noelle wouldn’t let him lead or she wasn’t too good at following. So Asta had to adjust a little as she kept stumbling slightly at every step they took and looked positively mortified at not being able to dance properly.

“Relax,” he said while holding back a laugh “Let me lead for once.”

She laughed and it was better afterwards as she let him take the lead completely. They waltzed around the room, doing their best not to crash into anyone. Feeling bold, Asta spun her once before pulling her back into his arms. Her next steps were uneasy, and he grinned, satisfied.

“You could’ve warned me!” she cried out

Her pretty smile was enough to know that she wasn’t mad. So he laughed it off and simply squeezed her hand as a pale apology. 

They danced in silence after that, waltzing around, only seeing each other. It wasn’t a waltz. It was an intimate moment, like they were the only two people in the world for the time of a song. And it felt good. A blissful break in the constant holding back. Their steps went lighter and lighter. Subconsciously, they were drawn closer and closer, to the point they were almost dancing with their chests touching. By the end of the song, their faces were only a few centimetres apart. They remained there, embracing each other, panting from all the waltzing. Lost in each other’s eyes. They registered the other dancers leaving, passing them by. They didn’t move. They couldn’t. Their feet were glued to the floor. 

“One more?” Noelle asked

Not displaying affection in public… neither one of them cared at that precise moment. It was a dance, they tried to tell themselves. But it had felt like so much more. And they needed more. They missed that feeling already. 

Asta nodded, taking a step back to readjust his arms around her into a more proper dancing position. But the song that started afterwards… 

“Slow dance?” Noelle asked, confused. “But it’s too early to…”

Then they turned towards the orchestra, and witnessed… Vanessa, winking at them. As per the witch’s request, certainly... here they were. Noelle sighed. 

“One more” Asta said in a grin as he pulled her closer. 

Slow dancing did not require either one of them to lead. It was easier, less technical, but… it also was a clear showing of their relationship. They were slowly swaying from feet to feet, lulled into a state of intense calmness, soothed to their core. Then, suddenly, Noelle’s head went to rest against his shoulder and Asta flinched. He scanned the room rapidly and tensed when he noticed three glowing pairs of ice-cold eyes on them. 

“Noelle, your siblings are staring.”

“Let them. I don’t care.”

No, but they positively looked like they would be plotting his assassination very soon. Asta was certain that Nozel’s eyes were launching silent mercury spears towards him. 

“Um… your brother…” Asta started, but she cut him off by reaching out to him. Her fingers gently brushed his cheek, forcing him to look down at her.

“You shouldn’t be focusing on him right now.”

It’s not as if he wanted to focus on these royals either. But… 

“Is it okay to dance like that? For… you, I mean?”

She smiled, tucking loose strands of his hair behind his ear, “Yeah. It’s perfect.”

He was taken aback by this answer, by the calmness she was displaying. It was rare for her, and he didn’t want to rain on her parade. So he calmed down too, trying to forget the whole world staring at them and he leaned down to softly press his lips against her forehead. 

She rested her head against him again, snuggling closer, so he held her tighter. Then he thought about it. How nice it would be if they could have this. A wedding like this one, where they could dance without worrying about what might happen if they stepped one toe out of line, where they could love each other freely. If they could be fully with each other every day, if they could stop hiding. He closed his eyes, feeling the beating of her heart, of his own, her warm frame in his arms, the gentle movement of their feet, their hips, their bodies following the music. Wishing this could last forever… 

“Do you think you could marry me?” he whispered softly

He felt her tense slightly before looking up at him. She was completely red, her eyes so bright. So pretty. Asta’s heart skipped a beat and he stopped short. They were not moving anymore, standing there, arms in arms, staring silently at each other. Asta felt so hot. Had he just proposed to her? On a whim? Like that? He didn’t even have flowers, or a ring, he had nothing with him right now. He had thought about it, sure, but he had never really... he hadn't planned... They were in the middle of a dance, of a wedding, lost in a crowd of dozens of guests, of strangers… 

“I could.”

Asta heard nothing but her voice. Everything else went quiet. The chatter, the orchestra, the sounds of partying. He stopped breathing, searching her eyes for confirmation as a grin was already curling his lips, unconsciously. 

“I will,” she corrected in a deep blush.

Yes . A tidal wave of overwhelming joy washed over him and he pulled her closer, leaning down. He stopped at the very last moment, remembering the three pairs of eyes. He couldn’t kiss her right now. Not here. But… 

His eyes opened wide in surprise as she was the one who pulled him for a kiss, a brief kiss, like a breeze or a caress, but he felt it still, he felt the warmth, her love. It sealed the promise they had just made each other. The orchestra stopped playing and the guests were moving around, leaving the dance floor. Both Asta and Noelle snapped out of it. 

“I need a drink. And some air.” Noelle confessed

“Me too,” Asta admitted while tugging at his collar, feeling incredibly warm. 

They were both smiling uncontrollably, their faces completely red. Asta took her hand, but as they were stepping down, Nozel’s menacing presence appeared right in front of them, blocking their path. He was glaring, his eyes ice cold. Asta went cold all over and unconsciously shifted his weight to the sole of his feet like he would have in battle, holding Noelle's hand tighter. 

“May I have the next dance?” the eldest Silva hissed.

It didn’t sound like a request. It was an order. Asta tensed, before looking at Noelle, at her face. She squeezed his hand before letting it go, a thin, uncertain smile on her lips. I’ll be okay.

Asta watched helplessly as she stepped back on the dance floor with her brother. That did not look good, he thought anxiously.

Chapter Text

They had been careless. She had been careless. They should’ve stopped at the first dance. A waltz was okay. A slow? Not so much. And they’d danced so closely… and… of course… that kiss… Oh, she hated that. She’d only wanted to kiss him. Their lips had barely touched. He’d just proposed to her! Of course she’d kiss him… but she was wearing the Silva earrings, and she was a Silva. She may have been here as a Black Bull and as a friend of Finral’s, she was still royalty. And there were some things she was not allowed to do. She knew that perfectly. These rules had been drilled into her early. Rules that her brother— no, her Head of House— would be reminding her. 

Harshly. 

Noelle was stiff. She kept glancing at the orchestra, at the floor, at anyone but Asta, anyone but the Black Bulls, anything and anyone other than Nozel too. She gasped as he put his hand on her back. Damn, a waltz again. She wasn’t sure she could spin around. She was feeling so anxious she thought she might just pass out on the spot; that would ruin the mood, for sure, and ruining a royal wedding would get her expelled for good from the Silvas, so she tried to control her breathing to calm down. A thought crossed her mind, a fleeting thought. Wouldn’t that be fine to be expelled? Wouldn’t it be easier? Don’t mess up. 

The music started, and they started waltzing. Nozel led, but she couldn’t bring herself to follow properly. Her legs felt like cotton, they could barely hold her and she kept stumbling. Noelle shut her eyes tight, her hands unconsciously clenching the soft fabric of her brother’s clothes, biting her lip. Don’t mess up. 

Everything had been so perfect just a few seconds before. She’d forgotten her situation—their situation— for the few minutes that slow dance had lasted, a few minutes of freedom, of happiness… that were over now. Noelle had come down to reality a little too brutally for comfort. She wished Nozel would tell her off somewhere else. She wished he hadn’t chosen to scold her as they were dancing. She wished they were in another room, in private. She wished he’d get this over with quickly too. Most of all, she wished she was hours later, back at the Black Bulls hideout, where it was nice and safe.

“That was extremely foolish of you.”

His voice was severe. Noelle had expected it, but it was entirely different to hear him say it. She kept staring at her brother’s outfit, avoiding his gaze, avoiding, at all cost, the Silva emblem pinned on his collar. She swallowed the lump in her throat, tried breathing more slowly, more calmly. She'd see this through. 

“But I think you know that already.”

She couldn’t answer. All her thoughts were on the steps. She focused on the steps. On dancing. On standing. On breathing in and out; She needed air. The dance was smothering her. The people around were smothering her. The orchestra’s loud notes were smothering her. Nozel’s tall, menacing frame was smothering her. She gripped tighter. She was going to fall. Don’t mess up. 

“Look at me.”

That sounded like an order, but she couldn’t oblige.

“Noelle, calm down,” he repeated under his breath. “Look at me.”

Nozel’s voice was softer than she’d ever heard him be. So she opened her eyes, tried to ease her grip on her brother. Workin up the courage to look up, Noelle read his expression and her body relaxed a little. He didn’t look angry. He didn’t look disappointed. He didn’t look like he was going to publicly execute her either. He looked weary. She didn’t know if she preferred that. 

“I have been meaning to talk to you,” he said.

Noelle waited, fearing the worst. Her feet were still following the rhythm, the steps executed like a robot, and she counted the 1, 2, 3s in her head to calm herself down, syncing her breathing with the music. 

The last time they had talked, which was a month ago, Nozel had vehemently told her he disapproved of her relationship with Asta. He’d told her he ‘advised’ (which, coming from her Head of House, was an order) to put an end to it. She hadn’t. Nozel had tolerated the two of them not breaking up until now. He hadn’t taken any action against them, against Asta. He hadn’t expelled Noelle from the family either. But now… she was afraid of what he might do. Had he perhaps heard the proposal? Was he going to nip it in the bud? Or was he simply going to remind her that he only tolerated their relationship because they were discreet about it and that now, he couldn’t do it anymore? 

“I’ve thought about your situation with… Asta.”

Noelle stumbled once again, surprised. There was nothing in this sentence that would indicate she should get her hopes up, except for the fact that… Nozel had called Asta... Asta . He never did. He’d call him “the peasant”, a “magic knight” on a good day. He never used his name. So she stared at her brother in disbelief. He was looking away. 

“Does that boy … are you still...”

The words seemed to be hard for him to get out. Noelle tensed. Nozel sighed, closed his eyes, frowned, opened his eyes, looked away, then tried again. 

“Do you want to commit?”

Commit? His gaze went back on her. He looked like he was studying her expression, like he hoped she’d understood and he wouldn’t have to say actual words. But she understood absolutely nothing, which he must have seen as he continued, “If you… wish…”

He paused, looked like he was pondering his next words. They kept waltzing in the meantime, Noelle looking at him. Then he finally spat it out. 

“I can get you a royal hearing.”

...what?

Both Nozel and Noelle stopped moving. She was watching him, an utter look of shock on her face. Noelle didn’t know if it was the dance, the lights or what he’d just said, but his face was completely red. What had he just said? She hadn’t heard right… He cleared his throat, looked away, and the… blush(?) subsided a little, not leaving his cheeks entirely. 

“That’s all I can do. Getting the royal blessing out of it is up to you. So, is it what you wish?” he continued as he led them through the waltz once again.

She’d heard correctly… she’d heard correctly, right? Oh she was following alright at that moment, she could barely think straight. Was it what she wished? It was true that she hated the idea of having to hide, she hated the idea of being expelled from the family too. But Noelle didn’t know if Asta even wanted to be part of… royalty. But a chance like this one… whatever had made Nozel offer a hearing to her, she could not throw it away. She’d discuss it with Asta later and if they ended up not wanting that after all, they’d just flunk it, or… they’ll figure something out. They would figure it out. 

“We’ll go through the royal hearing,” she said confidently.

He nodded, unfazed by the answer.

“I’ll summon the council then.” 

The rest of the dance was filled with heavy silence. Noelle was trying to take in everything that had happened, the perfect timing from Asta’s proposal to Nozel quite literally waltzing in to allow it. 

Back when she broke the news to her siblings, Nozel had stated he would never grant them a hearing. She wondered where his hostility towards the two of them being together had gone. Not that she was complaining, not at all. But it was still strange of him to allow a union that he claimed would “disgrace the name of Silva”. 

At the end of the dance, Nozel bowed curtly and made a beeline for where Solid and Nebra were. So Noelle walked back with quick steps to the Bulls and Asta. God she really needed some air. She grabbed Asta’s wrist and snatched him out of the room until they were far enough to not risk any eavesdropping. 

Noelle took in the fresh air caressing her burning cheeks with such relief. She’d been so scared back there. And she thought that she was past fearing her siblings or caring what they thought of her, past craving to belong to that family… she still had a long way to go. This dance had just proved it. She still cared a lot. 

“Uhhh, you’re okay…?” Asta asked

Noelle turned to him. His confusion was evident, and she held back a laugh at how adorable he looked at that very moment. Instead, she pulled him into a long, passionate kiss. At. Fucking. Last. 

“We can get married,” Noelle answered when they parted.

Asta was smiling awkwardly, “Uhhh, yeah, but what did your brother say? He didn’t… expel you from the family or anything?

She grinned, “No, we have a chance to get married by the book. He’s granting us a royal hearing.”

Noelle looked away, then locked eyes with Asta again, “What do you say?”

Chapter Text

Asta and Noelle are standing in front of a large door. Asta is wearing a cape, something he never wears because it hinders his movements and makes him look smaller, but he has to wear one that day. He’s put on the finest clothes he has, he’s removed his headband and waxed his hair, he even has his shoe-lifts on because he’s still too short and shorter than her if he doesn’t wear them. He needs to make an impression, a good impression. No actually, he needs to make the best impression. He looks at his pocket watch (he’s also borrowed Finral’s fancy pocket watch) and feels his heart beating faster. It’s time. 

“All right.” Asta says. "Let’s go.”

“No, it’s too early.”

Asta raises an eyebrow, “It’s ten to one and we were called for one pm sharp,” Asta remarks.

“Yes, exactly. It’s too early.”

He’s puzzled; he thinks Noelle should be the one to beg him not to be late, after so many lectures she’s given him on proper etiquette and manner.

“We can’t be late, you know?” Asta says.

Noelle sighs, “I know. But we can’t be early either. We wait for one to strike.”

He looks at her with so much doubt that she uncrosses her arms, turns to him and explains eagerly with many hand gestures, “Royals are never early, and peasants should never be late. So we’ll be exactly on time.”

The magicless knight chuckles, “You’re overthinking it.”

“Well, someone has to do the thinking,” she says, turning back to face the door.

“You’re scared?”

Noelle scoffs, “I’m not scared.”

Her ki says otherwise, but he stays silent because she hates it when he reads her ki. It’s not like he’s one to talk; he’s not feeling especially calm himself. 

“I’m terrified”, she admits. “We have one shot at this, Asta.”

“I know, but I also know we’ve seen far worse. And you know me. I won’t give up. No matter what these bigshots say.”

Noelle looks surprised, and then lets out a laugh. 

“All right, yes. That I know.”

Asta smiles in turn, “We’ve battled elves, foreign nations, devils… what are three royals going to do to us?”

“You forget the time we fell into a bottomless pit. And then we went back on missions all over the world as if nothing happened. You’ve gotta give it to the Black Bulls for being such a reckless squad...”

“Best squad in the Kingdom, though! Whatever the King has to say about it…”

Noelle scoffs, “Please, don’t start on the King. You know you’ll have to convince him in a minute?”

Asta laughs it off, but the pressure immediately comes back as he realizes where they are and what for. 

In a few seconds now they would be having a “cordial chat” (“invitation to a discussion with the royal council” is written on their summon, which, Noelle told him means “trial” or “hearing”) with the heads of the three royal families (among which, unfortunately, the current king Augustus Kira). Asta had no idea why the Vermillions and Kiras would be here too; it shouldn’t concern them; but Noelle had explained that royalty was royalty, and that the actions of one House could affect the other two. He understood nothing, but he still nodded. 

Noelle lets out a heavy sigh, “You’ve built up nothing but a good reputation. And yet here we are. Having to prove that you’re worth something; that we’re worth something.”

Asta knows they’re worth something. They’re among the Black Bulls’ strongest members. They’ve served the Kingdom for a few years now, they’ve saved the country and even the continent on multiple occasions. They’ve been working their butts off ever since they joined the Magic Knights and escaped death an unreasonable amount of times… 

It’s not enough, though. 

Despite everything, he’s not Wizard King yet, and discrimination continues to plague the Kingdom. True, there’s been some improvement in that regard. But at the end of the day, he’s a magicless orphan peasant from a Forsaken Realm village, and she’s a royal from the capital. They’ve finally conquered their fears and their hearts, but they still have the kingdom to change, they still need to be accepted, they need the right to make their relationship official. 

Asta knows firsthand how difficult it will be. He’s dealt with discrimination his whole life. But he also knows he won’t give up. The peaceful (yet mission-plagued) months they’ve had after the war have been the happiest in his life. He won’t let go. 

“I’d like it to be Father Orsi…” he says suddenly. “For the wedding ceremony, you know?”

She punches his right arm, “Don’t talk about it now, you’ll jinx us!”

Asta laughs and watches her as she nervously keeps shifting her weight from one foot to the other, fiddling with her bracelet. He’s certain she would be pacing if they weren't standing in front of the castle door. He can easily imagine why. They’re facing royals. 

Following the events of the war, her situation as a royal improved significantly. She was suddenly invited to celebrations. Annual dinners where she used to leave as soon as introductions were made, she now had to make speeches and tell stories, entertaining guests and even foreign representatives. Of course, she adapted quickly. But some habits die hard. As he looks at her at this precise moment, he realizes that even though she’s grown much more confident, there’s still one thing she fears more than anything: her royal peers. Good thing confronting nobles and royals is one thing he’s never been afraid of. 

“Do you love me?”

He asks the question as bluntly as he can and can’t help but smile when she blushes. They’ve told these words to each other a few times now, but saying it out of the blue like that always triggers this adorable flustered reaction, and he loves it. 

“Yes, Asta, of course I love you. We wouldn’t be here otherwise!”

He laughs. 

“Fair point. I love you too. We’re great. They’ll see it, I’m sure. We’re soulmates after all.”

He sees her smile twitch. They barely ever mention it, that they’re soulmates. They know it, their squad know it and a selected few know it. The both of them couldn’t forget the ink on their skin if they tried (and they’ve tried, a long time ago), but they like to think that their bond, their relationship, their history is theirs and theirs only; that Fate has nothing to do with it. 

Asta points at her hair. 

“You put the good-luck ribbons on.”

She smiles and points at his wristband.

“You’ve hidden it.”

Asta shruggs. 

“They don’t need to know.”

1pm strikes. 

Noelle takes his hand again. 

“Alright, Bakasta, we’re doing this.”

“You make it sound like another battle.”

She lets out a nervous chuckle, “It is.”

♣