100 Prompt Challenge - Astelle

Prompt: Request from Rasta_Asta. An aged and retired couple look back and reminisce on their lives and those moments they spent together. 

—

The cabin creaked softly as the wind whistled through the trees, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine. The night was cool, and the stars shone like scattered embers in the vast darkness. Inside, wrapped in a thick quilt, Asta and Noelle lay side by side in the old wooden bed that had been theirs for decades.

Asta exhaled slowly, the warmth of Noelle's hand in his own grounding him. "It's quiet out here," he murmured.

"It always has been," Noelle replied, her voice softened with age, but still holding its regal sharpness. "And yet, somehow, we never got bored."

Asta chuckled. "How could I, when I had you to keep me on my toes?"

Noelle rolled her eyes, a habit she never outgrew. "You're lucky I fell for you, idiot."

Asta grinned, turning his head toward her. "Yeah… I really am." His gaze drifted to the wooden ceiling, memories swirling like autumn leaves. "You know… I still remember the first time I saw you."

—

Years Ago

The Black Bulls' hideout was in chaos—as usual. Explosions rang out from Magna and Luck's latest competition, and Charmy was chasing a terrified Finral with a spoon. But Asta barely noticed any of it. His focus was on the silver-haired girl standing stiffly near the door, arms crossed, an unreadable expression on her face.

"So you're the royal girl joining our squad, huh?" he asked, grinning as he extended a hand. "I'm Asta!"

Noelle looked at his outstretched palm like it was an insult before huffing and turning away. "Don't speak to me so casually, Insect."

"Ahahaha! You're kinda scary!" Asta laughed, unfazed. "But that's okay, we're all weird here!"

He didn't see the way her lips twitched, as if fighting a smile.

—

Present

Noelle scoffed at the memory. "You were too loud. Still are."

Asta gave her a teasing nudge. "And you were a total snob."

Noelle gasped in mock offense. "I was dignified."

Asta barked out a laugh. "Dignified? You could barely control your magic without sending water blasts everywhere."

Noelle groaned. "Don't remind me…"

—

Years Ago

The mission had gone sideways. A rogue mage had ambushed them in the forest, forcing them to retreat into a ruined temple. Noelle's breath was ragged, hands shaking as she struggled to form a defensive spell.

Asta stood in front of her, sword at the ready, his back solid and unwavering. "Don't worry, Noelle! I've got this!"

Noelle clenched her fists. She didn't want to be protected. She wanted to stand beside him.

"Damn it…" she whispered. "Why am I so—"

Asta turned his head slightly, his voice softer than usual. "You're not weak, Noelle. You're amazing."

Her heart skipped. Just for a second.

—

Present

Noelle sighed. "You've always been like that."

"Like what?"

"Unshakable. No matter how much I doubted myself, you always believed in me."

Asta squeezed her hand gently. "Because I knew you'd become incredible. And you did."

Noelle fell silent, staring at the worn wooden beams above them. The fire in the hearth crackled softly, filling the silence between them with warmth.

"…Asta."

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember?"

Asta didn't need her to say it. He did.

—

After Lucius' Defeat

The battlefield was quiet. For the first time in what felt like forever, there was no clashing steel, no spells flying, no desperate struggle for survival. Just the soft rustling of wind through broken ruins.

Asta stood amidst the wreckage, his body aching but his heart light. They had won. They had actually won.

"Noelle! We—" He turned, only to be cut off as she grabbed his cloak, pulling him close.

She was trembling. Her face, dirtied with battle, was tense with emotion. "Asta…" she breathed, as if saying his name physically hurt.

His grin faded. "Hey… you okay?"

She clenched her fists. Then, before she could lose her nerve, she blurted, "I love you."

The words hung between them, raw and fragile.

Asta blinked. Once. Twice.

Then he smiled. "Took you long enough, Noelle."

Her face turned scarlet. "Y-You… you knew?!"

He laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, kinda. But I wanted to hear you say it."

Noelle groaned. "You're impossible."

Asta beamed. "And you love me anyway."

She sighed, then finally—finally—smiled. "Yeah. I do."

—

Present

Noelle glanced at Asta, expecting his usual teasing grin. Instead, his eyes were soft, filled with the weight of years.

"I meant it, you know," he murmured. "I was the luckiest guy in the world that day."

Noelle felt a lump in her throat. She turned onto her side, facing him. "And I was the luckiest girl."

Asta chuckled. "Guess we both won, huh?"

Noelle shifted onto her side, facing Asta. The night still had more to give, and so did their memories.

"Do you remember our first date?" she asked, her lips curving slightly.

Asta laughed, shaking his head. "How could I forget? It was a disaster."

—

Years Ago

"A date? With you?" Noelle crossed her arms, lifting an eyebrow.

Asta grinned, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah! I mean, we're together now, so we should go on one, right? That's what people do when they like each other!"

Noelle felt her face heat up but kept her composure. "Fine. But it better not be anything ridiculous."

Asta took her to Kikka, a quiet town outside the capital. His plan? A simple day at the market and then dinner at a well-known restaurant. But fate had other ideas.

They barely got through an hour before trouble struck. A group of bandits attempted to rob the marketplace, and naturally, neither of them could just sit back. Within minutes, the streets turned into a battlefield, with Asta swinging his sword and Noelle blasting enemies away with her water magic.

By the time the dust settled, the restaurant had caught fire, the marketplace was in shambles, and both of them were covered in soot.

Asta scratched his cheek. "Uh… this wasn't how I planned it."

Noelle sighed, exhausted. "Of course it wasn't."

Then she looked at him—disheveled, grinning like an idiot, eyes full of life. And she realized something.

"But… I guess it was fun."

Asta blinked, then beamed. "Really?! Then our next date will be even better!"

Noelle groaned. "Don't push your luck."

—

Present

Asta chuckled at the memory. "You didn't run away after that, so I must've done something right."

Noelle smirked. "I was already stuck with you by then."

She rested her head against his shoulder. The fire crackled in the hearth, casting long shadows across the room. There were so many moments to remember—so many milestones in the life they'd built together.

—

Years Later

They grew, they changed, and the world changed with them.

Asta took over as Captain of the Black Bulls. It was a natural transition—Yami following his sister had decided it was time to stop running from his past and return to his homeland so he left (alongside a certain Blue Rose Captain), promising to someday return yet leaving behind a squad full of misfits that needed a leader. Asta stepped into the role without hesitation.

Noelle, too, rose to command. The Silver Eagles, a squad that she was supposed to be born into, yet never so much had stepped into their base, through Nozel's pleads and her siblings support, became hers to lead. She rebuilt them in her own image—not as nobles who looked down on others, but as warriors who fought for the people.

Their paths were different, but their bond never wavered.

And then, Asta achieved his dream.

Wizard King.

The ceremony was grand, filled with cheers and celebration. As Asta stood before the kingdom, the boy who once had nothing now had the world's respect.

Noelle stood beside him, her heart swelling with pride.

Later that night, when the celebrations had died down, Asta found her on a castle balcony, looking out over the city.

"I did it," he said, stepping beside her. "I actually did it."

Noelle smirked. "Took you long enough."

Asta laughed. "You sound just like me."

She turned to face him fully, the moonlight making his silver-trimmed robes shine. He was still Asta—still the loud, reckless, kindhearted idiot she'd fallen in love with. But now, he was so much more.

"Noelle," he said, his voice quieter now. "Will you marry me?"

Her breath caught. There was no grand speech, no over-the-top gesture. Just him, standing there, asking her with all the love in the world.

Tears pricked her eyes as she whispered, "Yes."

—

Years Later

Marriage was an adventure in itself. Their lives remained chaotic—leading squads, protecting the kingdom, dodging meddling friends who demanded details about their honeymoon. But through it all, they had each other.

And then, they had something more.

A child. Their first.

Noelle cradled the small bundle in her arms, her heart full in a way she never imagined. The tiny baby had silver hair like hers, but Asta's bright, determined eyes.

Asta sat beside her, looking down at their child with pure wonder. "Wow… we made a person."

Noelle rolled her eyes. "That's usually how it works, genius."

Asta chuckled, gently brushing a finger over the baby's cheek. "They're gonna be so strong. So amazing. Just like you."

Noelle leaned against him, exhaustion settling in. "Just like us."

The baby let out a small, content sigh, curling closer to her warmth. Asta wrapped an arm around both of them, pressing a kiss to Noelle's forehead.

The kingdom called him Wizard King. The people called her the greatest captain the Silver Eagles had ever known.

But in that moment, all that mattered was this. Their family.

—

Present

Noelle smiled softly, her fingers brushing over Asta's hand. "We really had a life, didn't we?"

Asta kissed her knuckles. "And it's not over yet."

Noelle, saying nothing, traced slow circles on the back of Asta's hand. Their lives had stretched so far beyond what they ever imagined.

—

Years Passed.

They had more children, each one a storm of love and chaos. Sons who carried Asta's fire, daughters who inherited Noelle's sharpness. The Black Bulls and even the Silver Eagles had once been their families, but this—this was something else. Something more.

Their children grew, forging their own paths. Some became Magic Knights, others scholars, healers, artisans. Some stayed close, others wandered the world. But they always came home, bringing laughter, stories, and eventually… grandchildren.

The first time Noelle held one in her arms, she almost wept. Asta did.

"We're old," he said, blinking at the tiny baby clutching his finger.

Noelle scoffed, wiping at her eyes. "Took you this long to realize?"

Their grandchildren adored them. They clung to Asta, listening to his stories of battle and glory, wide-eyed and eager. They curled up in Noelle's lap, demanding tales of her adventures, her victories, her love story.

She told them everything.

But as their family grew, their old family slowly faded.

One by one, their friends left—not all in death, but in parting.

Yuno returned to Spade, Mimosa at his side. He had rebuilt his kingdom, and at long last, he chose to stay. He visited often, standing tall and regal, but with a warmth he never had as a boy. When he held Asta's hand in a firm, silent farewell, they both knew—it would likely be the last time.

Vanessa left for the Witch Forest. "It's where I should've been all along," she had said, smiling, though her eyes were distant. "Besides, I've got a brat of my own to raise now." She ruffled Asta's graying hair before vanishing into the mist.

Finral and Langris retired. Gauche and Grey, too. Some settled in far-off places, others stayed, watching over the kingdom. But one by one, their goodbyes came.

The hardest was Yami.

Noelle never expected him to go first. He was too stubborn. But when it happened, it was like an entire chapter of their lives closed. Asta stood over his grave for hours, silent. That night, he held Noelle tighter than ever.

More years passed. The world continued. New Wizard Kings came. The kingdom changed. But Asta and Noelle… they had done enough.

Eventually, they left the capital. The new generation didn't need them anymore. Their children had their own lives, their own battles. It was time.

They moved to Hage, far from the bustle. Into Lichita's old home. Liebe's old home. It felt right. A place full of love, of history, of quiet. Liebe, now unbound to Asta and free to walk the Earth himself, visited often, sitting on the porch, reminiscing with them.

And then, one day, even he stopped coming.

Their world became smaller. Just the two of them, in the home that had once belonged to the woman who loved Asta before he even had a name.

They were tired. Not unhappy—never that. Just… full. A life well-lived left little room for regrets.

And so, one night, this night, as the fire burned low, they curled up in bed, facing each other.

Noelle brushed a strand of silver from Asta's face. He still looked at her the same way. Like she was the only thing in the world.

"Asta," she murmured.

"Yeah?" His voice was quieter now. Softer.

"I love you."

His eyes crinkled as he smiled. "Took you long enough."

She scoffed, swatting his arm, but he just laughed. It was a weak laugh, barely more than a breath, but full of warmth.

The night wrapped around them. Their hands stayed clasped.

And as they closed their eyes, they drifted away together.

From this world. From conflict. From everything.

Peaceful. Warm. Smiling.

Together, always.