100 Prompt Challenge - Astelle

Prompt: A string of comments from a drunk Vanessa, leaves Asta reeling, and so he decides to take a good look at himself and whatever it is that is his relationship with Noelle.

—

The Black Bulls' hideout was louder than usual that night. The aftermath of a successful mission meant a feast — one that Yami insisted on hosting. Plates clattered, barrels tapped, and the air was thick with laughter and bickering. Somewhere in the chaos, Charmy's sheep chefs were aggressively protecting their territory, while Gordon tried whispering something ominous to a shivering and trembling Grey.

Asta, seated between Vanessa and Magna, nursed a mug of juice. He'd given up trying to convince anyone that he didn't drink alcohol — they'd just keep filling his cup and forgetting.

"Man, you should've seen our princess back there," Magna snickered, tossing a peanut into the air and catching it in his mouth. "All flustered and red. Thought her face was gonna pop."

"Aw, cut her some slack," Asta grinned. "She did great with her new spell. Way better than when I was trying to figure out how to use my swords"

Vanessa chuckled lowly beside him, slouched back in her seat with her usual glass of wine. "Ohhh, you have no idea..."

"Huh?" Asta turned, but Vanessa's gaze was glassy, her cheeks flushed. She swirled her drink lazily, voice slurred but oddly pointed.

"Noelle..." Vanessa sing-songed. "She's got it sooo bad for you."

Asta blinked. "What?"

"She's always like, 'Asta this, Asta that...'" Vanessa grinned, sloppily mimicking Noelle's voice — which sounded nothing like her — before tipping her wine glass back. "That girl's gone, you know? Totally smitten."

"That's not..." Asta paused, feeling heat crawl up his neck. "She's... that's not true."

"Pfft," Vanessa snorted, half-laughing, half-choking on her drink. "You're dense, kid, but you're not that dense."

"I mean... Noelle's always yelling at me," Asta argued, shifting uncomfortably.

"She yells because you're an idiot," Vanessa countered, grinning. "And because you're blind."

The words struck deeper than he expected. He knew Vanessa was drunk — and when she drank, she said dumb things — but there was something about the casual certainty in her voice that shook him.

Asta spent the rest of the night quieter than usual, poking at his food while Vanessa eventually slumped over the table. His thoughts kept circling back to her words.

Noelle?

Noelle likes... me?

—

The next day, Asta couldn't stop noticing things.

The way Noelle's eyes lingered a second too long when he spoke. How her voice would waver whenever he grinned at her. How she'd bite her lip when he got too close — like she was forcing herself to stay calm.

Was it always like this?

Asta found himself replaying past moments — Noelle's panicked shrieks when he trained shirtless, the awkward pauses in their conversations, how she'd sneak into his room and silently (as well as clumsily) tend to his injuries — changing bandages and applying ointment, when she thought he was asleep.

He didn't know what to do with that. His heart would thump weirdly sometimes, like it had missed a step.

What if Vanessa was wrong? What if Noelle didn't actually...

But then he'd remember the way she blushed, or the nervous way she fiddled with her bracelet whenever he teased her.

And suddenly, Asta wasn't so sure anymore.

—

Asta lay on his bed, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. The faint glow of the magic lamps flickered against the stone walls, but his mind was far from the hideout. No matter how hard he tried to push it aside, Vanessa's words from last night kept creeping back in.

She's got it sooo bad for you...

He scoffed to himself.

"Noelle? Seriously?"

But the doubt was gnawing at him now, and worse... part of him didn't hate the idea. That part of him had been loud lately — too loud. He remembered how Noelle smiled after he'd praised her magic during their last mission. She always tried to hide it, tucking her hair behind her ear like it didn't mean anything.

Except... maybe it did.

Asta groaned and shoved a pillow over his face. His mind raced through memories he hadn't really thought about before. The way Noelle had always been there after battles, her grumbling complaints barely masking how quickly she'd rush to check if he was okay. Before checking on anyone else, even if it was one of the rare times he was in the best condition of their bunch of misfits. 

How she always pretended she wasn't worried, yet kept glancing his way until she was sure he was fine. How she'd chosen him to train with more often than anyone else in the squad.

Was it really just friendship? Was Vanessa right?

"No, no," Asta muttered into his pillow. "She's always yelling at me. That's not... that's not how it works."

But a voice in the back of his mind sneered back. Yeah? And what about when she's not yelling?

The awkward, stammering moments. The way her voice softened whenever he was hurt. The little smiles she thought no one noticed.

You're dense, kid, but you're not that dense...

Asta tossed the pillow aside and shot up in bed, gripping his hair in frustration. "Ugh! What am I supposed to do with this?!"

He couldn't ask Noelle directly — if Vanessa was wrong, he'd look like an idiot. Worse... he'd hurt her. The thought twisted his gut.

Guess I'll just... pay attention for now.

It wasn't much of a plan, but it was better than embarrassing them both over something that might not even be true.

Observe, then decide, Asta told himself.

Even if it made his heart pound every time she walked into the room.

—

The next day, Asta started small. Nothing crazy — just little comments here and there to test the waters.

"Hey, Noelle," Asta called out as they crossed paths in the hallway. "That new braid looks nice."

Noelle nearly tripped over her own feet. "Wh-what are you talking about?! It's just a braid!"

"Yeah, but it suits you," Asta shrugged, flashing his usual grin. "Looks good."

For a second, Noelle's face turned bright pink, her mouth opening and closing like she couldn't decide whether to yell at him or thank him. In the end, she just stammered something incoherent and hurried off.

Asta blinked. No way...

Later that day, when they trained together, Asta dialed things up. During their sparring match, he let his fingers linger a little longer than usual when helping her correct her stance. He kept his tone calm, low, like Captain Yami's when he was being serious.

"You're holding too much tension in your shoulders," Asta said, stepping behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders — gently, just enough to feel the heat rise off her skin. "Relax."

Noelle went rigid as a board. "I-I know how to stand! Don't touch me like that!"

"Oh, sorry!" Asta jumped back, scratching his head sheepishly. "Didn't mean to freak you out."

He kept his eyes on her as they returned to sparring. Noelle stumbled twice more after that — both times when he got too close.

Okay... so maybe Vanessa wasn't so crazy after all.

Over the next week, Asta kept pushing. Compliments got bolder. Teasing got sharper.

"You know," he said one morning, leaning over her shoulder while she wrote a mission report, "I never realized how cute you are when you're focused."

Noelle's quill snapped. "W-WHAT?!"

"I mean, you're cute all the time," Asta added, grinning. "But when you're concentrating? Wow."

Noelle's face practically glowed red. She shot to her feet, fumbling her papers before bolting out of the room. Asta laughed until his sides hurt.

During lunch a few days later, he slid into the seat beside her and casually snatched her fork. "Y'know, if you wanted to share food, you could've just asked."

"I didn't want to share!" Noelle snapped, her voice a few octaves higher than usual. "Give that back!"

"Aw, you're so caring," Asta teased, taking a bite. "Worried I'm not eating enough?"

"I'm worried you're going to choke!" she huffed, snatching the fork back.

Asta leaned closer, chin resting on his hand. "You sure that's all you're worried about?"

Noelle choked on her drink.

This is way too easy, Asta thought, grinning. She's totally into me... isn't she?

As soon as the satisfaction from that thought worked itself into Asta's expression, he wiped his smile right off his face.

His eyes turned downcast, with unusual and rare somberness and seriousness.

Gritting his teeth and shifting awkwardly in his seat for a moment, Asta's carefree grin returned just like clock-work.

But if anyone who knew him well saw it, they'd only have one word to describe it.

Fake.

—

It came to a head during one of their evening training sessions.

"You're getting better at this," Asta grinned as he parried her water spell. "Gotta say, it's pretty amazing seeing you like this."

"Like what?" Noelle huffed, sweat clinging to her forehead.

"I dunno," Asta shrugged. "Confident. Strong. Beautiful."

Noelle's magic sputtered mid-cast, drenching herself instead of Asta. "What is wrong with you?!" she barked, face burning.

"You!" Asta shot back, frustration finally boiling over. "I don't get you! You act like you don't care, but then you freak out whenever I get close. You're... confusing!"

"Oh, I'm confusing?!" Noelle's voice rose. "You've been driving me insane! Teasing me, grinning like you know something I don't! Are you just messing with me?!"

"No!" Asta's voice cracked. "I'm trying to figure you out! Vanessa said..." He paused, breathing hard. "Vanessa said you might... like me. And I didn't know if that was true or not, but... I think I... I think I kinda... I mean..." He exhaled. "I think I like you too."

Noelle froze, her face a mess of shock, panic, and something else.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about," she mumbled, turning away.

"Noelle," Asta stepped closer, his voice softer now. "If I'm wrong... if you don't feel that way... tell me. I'll stop. I swear."

She turned back, eyes wide and uncertain. "Idiot," she whispered. "You're not wrong."

For a moment, they just stood there. Then Noelle swallowed hard and spoke again. "I don't... I don't know how to be honest about this. I was scared... scared that if I said something and you didn't feel the same way, it'd ruin everything."

"Yeah," Asta murmured. "I get that."

"So... what do we do now?" she asked quietly.

Asta smiled, more sincere than his usual grin. "We give it a shot," he said. "No more second-guessing. No more teasing until you explode. If we're feeling something... let's just be upfront about it."

"Deal," Noelle said, her voice soft. Then, after a pause, "But if you start acting like an idiot again, I'll drown you."

"Fair," Asta laughed, heart racing. "Fair."

And so the magicless swordsman and tsundere princess decided to give whatever it was that they were feeling for one another a chance.