100 Prompt Challenge - Astelle

Prompt: Inspired by The Unemployed Demon King.

On a joint mission to a newly discovered dungeon, Asta and Noelle return with something completely unexpected.

—

The dungeon was eerily quiet. Noelle felt it the moment they stepped past the threshold, the kind of silence that pressed against the ears, making every little noise seem louder than it should be. She cast a wary glance at Asta, who, as usual, showed no signs of caution. His wide grin and the way he marched forward made it clear—he was having the time of his life.

She scoffed, crossing her arms. "Try not to run off like an idiot, Asta. We don't even know what kind of dungeon this is yet."

"Aw, come on, Noelle! It's not every day we get sent on an undiscovered dungeon mission! This could be something big!" Asta turned to her with a determined gleam in his eyes, his excitement practically radiating off him.

Noelle sighed, shaking her head. It had been a few weeks since the war ended, and things had calmed down. But that didn't mean her feelings had. She was still trying to get a grip on herself around Asta, especially after their battle against Megicula.

He was still Asta—loud, reckless, and infuriatingly kind. And she was still Noelle, dealing with an increasingly obvious crush that refused to go away no matter how much she tried to ignore it.

Or one she just couldn't bring herself to confront.

The dungeon itself was strange. There were no monsters, no traps, only dimly glowing walls that pulsed faintly with mana. It was as if the whole place was alive, leading them deeper inside.

Then they found it.

A chamber unlike the others, grand and circular, its ceiling stretching so high Noelle could barely see the top. At its center, floating just above a pedestal, was an object she had never seen before.

It was shaped like an egg, but made of smooth, dark stone, faintly glowing with an eerie blue light. It hovered in the air, slowly rotating in place.

Noelle tensed. "This… this has to be the dungeon's relic, right?"

Asta stepped closer, hand reaching toward the floating stone. "It's kinda cool-looking!"

Before she could snap at him to be careful, the stone reacted.

A sudden, invisible force locked them in place. Noelle's breath caught as she felt a sharp prick on her finger. A droplet of her blood—along with one from Asta—was drawn from their bodies, floating toward the stone.

The moment the blood touched its surface, the glow intensified. The egg pulsed once. Twice.

Then everything went still.

The force holding them disappeared, leaving Noelle stumbling back with wide eyes. "What… what was that?!"

Asta blinked, staring at the stone. "Uh. I don't know, but I think we just triggered something really important."

Noelle clenched her fists, heart pounding. "Idiot! You don't just go touching mysterious floating artifacts!"

"But we're supposed to bring it back, right? It's gotta be worth something!" Asta grinned, already moving forward to pick it up.

Noelle groaned, dragging a hand down her face. This was going to be a long day.

—

Black Bulls Base 

"Whoa! That's a weird-looking rock!" Luck poked the floating stone with a crackling finger, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"Don't poke it!" Noelle snapped, swatting his hand away. "We don't even know what it does!"

The Black Bulls had gathered around the artifact, each throwing out their own ridiculous theories.

"It's obviously a doomsday weapon!" Magna declared.

"It's cursed," Gauche muttered.

"Maybe it's food," Charmy suggested.

Vanessa took a long sip of wine. "It's glowing. It might be dangerous."

Asta grinned. "I don't think it's dangerous! I mean, it's been floating this whole time, and it hasn't attacked us or anything!"

"That doesn't mean it's safe, Bakasta," Noelle muttered, still feeling uneasy.

Charmy stepped forward, rubbing her chin. "Hmm… Maybe if we cook it, we'll know if it's edible!"

Before anyone could stop her, Charmy tapped her grimoire, summoning a flaming pot beneath the stone.

The reaction was instant.

A loud crack echoed through the room as a deep fissure split the stone's surface.

Everyone froze.

Then, like an eggshell breaking apart, the stone shattered.

For a moment, no one moved. Then the dust settled, revealing what lay inside.

A baby.

A tiny infant, wrapped in a soft, misty aura, squirming slightly before letting out a loud, wailing cry.

The room plunged into stunned silence.

Noelle's brain stopped working.

Asta's mouth hung open. "Wha—"

"What the hell?!"

"THAT CAME FROM THE ROCK?!"

"It's a baby!" Charmy cooed, completely ignoring the sheer impossibility of the situation.

Yami, who had been watching from the side, scratched his head. "Well, that's new."

Noelle's breath came in short, rapid bursts as she took in the details. The baby had silver-white hair, but his eyes… his eyes were unmistakably green, bright and filled with life.

Asta's eyes.

Her stomach dropped.

As if sensing them, the baby reached out toward Asta and Noelle, still crying.

Then Rouge appeared.

The tiny cat purred and hopped down from her creator's shoulders, tail flicking as she let out a soft meow. In the next instant, maroon-ish threads shimmered into existence, stretching from the baby's small chest—one connecting to Asta, the other to Noelle.

Noelle stared in horror. "No. No way."

Asta slowly turned to Vanessa. "Uh… What's happening?"

Vanessa's face was frozen in disbelief, her wine glass trembling in her fingers. "I… I don't believe it, but… That's the thread of fate. The one that binds my family."

Up till now the only one's Vanessa had considered to be her family were the Bulls, so for this thread to connect that baby to Asta and Noelle in particular…

A cold, horrifying realization settled over Noelle.

"You're saying," she whispered, voice barely above a breath, "this baby is… our child?"

Asta swayed on his feet. "…I think I'm gonna pass out."

Then, at the same time, Asta and Noelle collapsed.

Nacht disappeared into his shadows, he refused to deal with whatever this was. 

The rest of the Black Bulls erupted into absolute chaos.

—

Asta and Noelle woke up to the undeniable reality—they hadn't been dreaming.

Taking the baby—no, the artifact—to the Magical Tool Research Lab for answers yielded nothing. The researchers were stumped, having never encountered anything like it.

Strangely, the baby refused to part from Asta and Noelle, clinging to them with an unsettling attachment. That discomfort only deepened a hundredfold when they looked into his teary, innocent eyes—eyes that seemed wholly dependent on them.

So when the Magic Parliament ordered them to care for the child until the lab could uncover the truth, neither of them put up much resistance.

That resolve only strengthened at the mere thought of leaving him in Sally's… enthusiastic hands.

And so, Asta and Noelle's unexpected journey into co-parenting began—raising a child that was, and wasn't, theirs at the same time.

—

A few days after being forced into parenthood…

Noelle paced back and forth, arms crossed, while Asta held the baby in his arms, grinning. The little one cooed at him, tiny hands reaching for his face.

"Alright, we need to name him," Noelle said firmly. "We can't keep calling him 'the baby.'"

Asta nodded. "Yeah! Okay, let's think. What's a strong, cool name?"

Luck leaned in. "How about Thunderlord?!"

"NO."

Finral smirked. "What about Astarion? Sounds like Asta, but fancier."

Asta blinked. "Wait, that actually sounds kinda—"

"No," Noelle cut in. "We're not naming him after you!"

"Then you pick something!" Asta shot back.

Noelle frowned, deep in thought. "Something noble and dignified… Silva Junior."

"ABSOLUTELY NOT," Asta shouted.

Vanessa chuckled. "How about Rouge Jr.?"

Rouge meowed in approval.

The baby sneezed.

"Yeah, that's a no," Asta said.

Gordon mumbled something.

"…Did he say Beelzebub?" Noelle asked, horrified.

Gordon nodded enthusiastically.

"Next."

Magna adjusted his glasses. "How about Firestorm?"

"He's not a move in a mana battle," Noelle deadpanned.

Zora smirked. "I vote for Trouble."

Asta groaned. "C'mon guys, let's be serious! We need something strong and meaningful!"

"Okay, okay," Noelle sighed. She glanced at the baby, who had been staring at them curiously the whole time. Then, out of nowhere, the baby reached up and grabbed Asta's headband, pulling on it with surprising strength.

Asta's eyes widened. "Oh! He's strong!"

Noelle smiled slightly. "Yeah… like a knight."

Asta's expression softened. "A knight, huh…?"

They both thought for a moment. Then, at the same time—

"Gale!"

They blinked at each other.

"You were thinking that too?" Noelle asked.

Asta grinned. "Yeah! It sounds cool, strong, and kinda free, like the wind!"

Noelle hesitated, then nodded. "Gale… It fits."

The baby—now Gale—let out a happy squeal, as if approving of the name.

Luck pouted. "I still think Thunderlord would've been cooler."

—

Noelle had never felt exhaustion like this before.

Sure, she had fought deadly battles, survived life-threatening encounters, and endured Asta's ridiculousness for years. But this? This was something else.

Because Gale did not sleep.

The moment night fell, the baby wailed. And wailed. And wailed.

"Why won't he stop crying?!" Noelle groaned, pacing back and forth in their shared "nursery"—a hastily repurposed room in the Black Bulls base.

Asta, bouncing Gale in his arms, looked equally desperate. "I dunno! I already checked his diaper! Maybe he's hungry?"

Noelle stared at him. "Then feed him!"

Asta's eyes darted around. "Uh… how?"

A beat of silence.

Then, in perfect synchronization, they turned to the only person who could help.

Vanessa.

—

Five minutes later, Vanessa sat back, watching with amusement as Noelle, red-faced, tried to get Gale to drink from a bottle.

"Hold him at an angle," Vanessa instructed lazily, sipping from her wine glass.

"I know how to hold a baby," Noelle snapped, except she absolutely didn't.

Asta, sitting beside her, beamed. "You're doing great, Noelle!"

"Shut up!"

Gale, seemingly sensing Noelle's frustration, just stared at her with big green eyes before grabbing onto a strand of her hair.

Noelle's heart skipped a beat.

Then he yanked.

"Ow—Asta, do something!"

Asta laughed, gently prying Gale's tiny fingers from her hair. "I think he likes you!"

Noelle turned away, her face somehow getting redder.

—

Nothing in life had prepared them for this.

Noelle stood frozen, eyes wide in sheer horror as she stared at the mess before her. "I… I refuse."

Asta, equally horrified, held up a clean diaper like it was a shield. "Noelle, we have to do this."

"No. You do it."

"But you're the one who—"

A loud, gurgling sound came from Gale.

Asta paled. "I think it's getting worse."

Noelle made a strangled noise. "This is your fault! You kept feeding him!"

"HE WAS HUNGRY!"

"HE DIDN'T NEED THREE BOTTLES!"

From the doorway, the rest of the Black Bulls watched with pure entertainment.

Finral chuckled. "This is better than any show I've seen."

Zora grinned. "I wonder if it'll explode."

"DO NOT JINX IT!" Asta and Noelle yelled at the same time.

—

"You hold him, and I'll wash his hair," Noelle instructed, rolling up her sleeves.

Asta nodded, sitting in the giant washtub they had filled for Gale. The baby kicked happily, splashing water all over Asta's face.

Noelle smirked. "He likes you."

Asta wiped his face, laughing. "He's having fun!"

Then Gale grabbed a handful of water and launched it at Noelle.

She gasped, utterly drenched. "…Did he just water magic me?!"

Asta snorted. "Maybe it's a sign!"

Noelle's eye twitched. "You're lucky he's cute."

Gale giggled in response.

—

Noelle knew this was going to be bad the moment Nozel walked into the Black Bulls base.

He took one look at her. One look at Asta. And one long, calculating look at Gale, who had been peacefully sleeping in Noelle's arms.

Then, in the most emotionless voice imaginable, he said, "Explain."

Noelle flinched. Asta gulped.

"Um. Funny story, Captain Nozel—"

"No."

Noelle sighed, bracing herself. "We're kind of… raising him now?"

Nozel stared at her, his expression unreadable. Then he turned to Gale again. His cold eyes softened—just slightly. But then his gaze flickered to Asta.

"…You."

Asta sat up straighter. "Uh, yes sir?"

"Do not corrupt my nephew."

Asta choked. "N-NEPHEW?! WAIT, DOES THAT MEAN YOU'RE ACCEPTING—"

"I SAID NOTHING." Nozel turned on his heel, cloak billowing as he left.

Noelle blinked. "Wait. Did he just…?"

Asta grinned. "He totally wants to be Uncle Nozel."

Noelle groaned.

—

Mimosa's eyes were shiny with unshed tears. "So… he's really your…?"

Noelle tensed. "It's not like that!"

Asta nodded quickly. "Yeah! We don't even know how it happened!"

Mimosa let out a wobbly smile. "But… you're raising him together?"

"Uh… yes?"

Mimosa visibly deflated, placing a hand over her chest. "So it's true. My first love… taken before it could even begin…"

Asta scratched his head. "Huh? Mimosa what are you-"

She wasn't listening. Instead, she turned dramatically, wiping her tears. "I will be strong! I will support you both! Even if it shatters my heart!"

Asta and Noelle exchanged a glance.

"What was that about?" Asta whispered.

Noelle sighed. "Nothing… you wouldn't get it…"

Noelle bit her lip and averted her gaze.

You don't get anything. Ever.

Asta, feeling the strange loss of joy in Noelle's ki, lowered his head, his brows furrowing in deep thought.

—

Yuno stared at the baby.

Gale stared back.

Asta and Noelle held their breath.

Then Yuno turned to Asta. "…You're a dad now."

"NO, I'M NOT!"

Yuno ignored him and turned to Gale again. Then, completely deadpan, he said, "Uncle Yuno."

Asta nearly threw a chair. "WHY DOES EVERYONE WANT TO BE HIS UNCLE?!"

Noelle sighed, rubbing her temples. "Because, Asta, you and I are literally raising him."

Yuno nodded. "I will be the cooler uncle."

Liebe perched on Asta's shoulder wanted to oppose that statement, but decided to keep quiet.

Asta gasped. "Oi, I'm the dad! That automatically makes me the coolest!"

Gale, as if sensing the argument, suddenly giggled and reached for Yuno.

Asta looked betrayed.

Noelle burst out laughing.

—

One night, after Gale had finally fallen asleep, Noelle sat beside Asta in the dimly lit room, watching the baby's peaceful face.

"I don't get it," she murmured. "Why do I feel like… we've always been meant to do this?"

Asta looked at her, eyes softening. "Yeah… I feel it too."

Noelle hesitated, then reached out, gently brushing a lock of silver-white hair from Gale's forehead. "He feels… like ours."

Asta smiled. "Maybe… because he is."

For once, Noelle didn't argue.

—

It started, as most disasters in the Black Bulls did, with Luck and Magna.

A harmless sparring session turned explosive—literally—when one of Magna's fireballs missed Luck and detonated against the wall, sending debris flying. Gale, who had been sitting in Asta's lap, let out a startled wail just as Noelle threw up a protective water barrier around them.

Asta's grip tightened around Gale as he rocked him, trying to soothe his cries. His heart pounded. This wasn't the first time chaos had erupted in the base, but something about having Gale there, frightened and vulnerable, made it feel different.

Made it feel… wrong.

"Okay, that's enough!" Noelle snapped, standing up with fire in her eyes. "You two almost hit my—I mean, the baby!"

Luck and Magna froze mid-scuffle.

Vanessa, sipping her wine from the couch, hummed. "Ah, yeah… maybe raising a kid here isn't the best idea."

Gauche, who had somehow appeared out of nowhere, scoffed. "Yeah, you better keep him away from me. If he looks at Marie wrong, we're gonna have a problem."

Asta stared at him, horrified. "WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!"

Henry, voiced a fear, muttering something about a fear of his curse returning or acting up and his mana absorption possibly making Gale sick. Gordon, looking guilty, offered some… questionable homemade herbal remedies that smelled like swamp water.

It was the final straw.

Asta and Noelle locked eyes, a silent understanding passing between them.

The Black Bulls were family. But this base?

This wasn't a place to raise a child.

—

The announcement that Asta and Noelle were moving out sent shockwaves through the base.

Yami, scratching his head, muttered, "Huh. Never thought you two would be the first to leave the nest."

Finral dramatically wiped away a tear. "They grow up so fast!"

Charmy, devastated, clung to Gale. "Nooo! Who's gonna let me steal their baby snacks now?!"

Despite the protests, Asta and Noelle stood firm.

They found a cozy little house in a nearby village, just far enough from the madness but close enough that the two of them could still fulfill his duties as a Magic Knight. It had a small yard, a warm fireplace, and—most importantly—a safe, quiet space for Gale to grow up.

Moving in felt surreal. No Black Bulls breaking through walls. No sudden magical explosions. No near-death experiences caused by their own teammates.

Just the three of them.

Well, four, if they counted Liebe.

And they did.

—

At first, living alone with Asta felt… strange.

Noelle had never spent so much uninterrupted time with him before. There were no distractions—just daily life. Learning how to cook. Doing it and everything together. Cleaning up after Gale's many messes. Late nights were spent talking in front of the fire after Gale had fallen asleep.

At some point, the awkwardness faded.

She found herself more at ease around Asta, teasing him without fear of embarrassment, letting him see her flustered without immediately running away.

And Asta…

He started looking at her differently.

Not in a way that made her uncomfortable, but in a way that sent shivers down her spine. As if he were seeing her for the first time. As if he were falling.

And damn it, she was falling too.

All over again and harder than before.

—

The day the Magical Tool Research Lab sent a summons for Gale, Asta and Noelle didn't even hesitate.

They refused.

"We're not giving him away," Noelle said firmly.

"He's ours," Asta added. "No matter how he got here, no matter what he is—he's our son."

And just like that, the decision was made.

They were a family.

For better or worse, for as long as fate allowed it.

—

A year passed.

They fought Lucius. Faced impossible odds. Survived close calls.

But one moment stood out more than the rest.

Asta, beaten and bloodied, lay motionless on the battlefield, and for a terrifying second, Noelle thought she had lost him.

The sheer, gut-wrenching terror that gripped her at that moment shattered every last bit of hesitation she had ever felt.

She loved him.

And she couldn't—wouldn't—live without him.

When Asta woke up, dazed but alive, Noelle didn't hesitate. She threw herself at him, holding him so tightly he could barely breathe.

"You idiot," she whispered, voice trembling. "You scared me."

Asta blinked, confused, then smiled softly. "Sorry."

Then, after a beat, "Does this mean you love me?"

She pulled back, glaring at him.

Then she kissed him.

Hard.

When she pulled away, face burning, Asta's grin stretched wide.

"Finally."

—

They married not long after, a low-key ceremony in the village. No grand celebrations, no extravagant fanfare—just the people they loved, watching as they vowed to spend their lives together.

Gale, now walking, tried to toddle up to them during the vows, causing Asta to scoop him up mid-ceremony.

It was fitting.

Because this wasn't just their love story.

It was their story.

A family of three—no, four.

Actually five now, because of a certain sea dragon. 

And maybe, just maybe…

There would be more in the future.