100 Prompt Challenge - Astelle

Prompt 12: Asta gets hit with some strange trap that makes him fall madly in love with the next person he sees. Naturally said person ends up being Noelle. Chaos ensues.

—

Asta had always been reckless, but charging into an unknown dungeon without checking for traps? That was a new level of impulsive.

The Spade Kingdom war had ended, and peace had been restored—or at least as much peace as a world filled with magic and chaos could afford. It had been a few months since they'd all returned to their usual duties, and this mission was supposed to be straightforward: clear a newly discovered dungeon, secure any ancient artifacts, and return.

Simple. Easy.

Yet here they were, with Asta slumped on the floor after triggering some bizarre magic trap, his body glowing with an ominous pink aura.

"Ugh… what happened?" Asta groaned, rubbing his forehead. His eyes flickered open—sharp, determined, full of energy. Then, they landed on her.

Noelle.

And just like that, something in him changed.

The moment his eyes locked onto Noelle's, the pink glow around him intensified before fading into sparkling dust. Asta's mouth fell open, his face shifting into an expression no one had ever seen before—not in battle, not in training, and certainly not when looking at Noelle Silva.

Pure, unadulterated adoration.

Noelle, already wary, took an instinctive step back. "W-What? Why are you looking at me like that, you idiot?"

Asta shot up from the ground so fast that it startled everyone. He took a deep breath, then, with all the passion in his body, he declared:

"Noelle! Oh, Noelle! The stars must have aligned for this moment! I never realized it before, but you—YOU are my one true love!"

Dead silence.

Magna dropped his weapon. Luck's jaw hit the floor. Even Zora, the master of mischief, had to take a moment to process what he'd just witnessed.

Noelle's face went scarlet. "H-HUH?!"

Asta wasn't done. He grabbed Noelle's hands—ignoring her sputtering protests—and stared deep into her eyes, his gaze intense with a devotion so strong it could've melted steel. "Noelle Silva, would you do me the greatest honor of becoming my wife?!"

A full second of stunned silence passed before the dungeon erupted.

Magna wheezed, nearly doubling over. "Hah! WHAT?!"

Luck looked excited, "say yes, you two are strong, so your baby will be strong, and then I'll get to fight someone really really strong."

Noelle nearly collapsed.

Zora whistled. "Well, damn. Didn't see that one coming."

Noelle, on the other hand, was malfunctioning. Steam practically poured from her ears. "W-WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY, YOU MUSCLE-HEADED MORON?!"

Asta, still holding her hands, looked deeply, hopelessly in love. "I said, will you marry me, Noelle? Oh, how blind I've been! How could I have not realized my true feelings for you all this time?"

And just like that, Noelle punted him into the nearest wall.

—

Asta's sudden shift from battle-crazed knight to hopeless romantic was beyond anyone's expectations. It didn't stop at the one proposal—oh no. That was just the beginning.

The dungeon mission had barely ended before Asta was back at it, singing Noelle's praises, complimenting her every move, and showering her with poetry so dramatic even Charlotte would've cringed.

"My beloved Noelle, your water magic is like the gentle waves of destiny, washing over the battlefield with beauty and grace!"

"JUST FOCUS ON THE ENEMY, YOU IDIOT!"

It was a miracle Noelle made it out of the dungeon without combusting from embarrassment.

By the time they returned to the Black Bulls' base, the news had spread like wildfire. The entire squad found themselves unable to breathe from laughter every time Asta threw himself at Noelle with dramatic declarations of love.

"I'd fight the entire Clover Kingdom for you, Noelle!"

"I DON'T WANT YOU TO DO THAT, YOU FOOL!"

"You don't have to be shy! I know my feelings overwhelm you, but don't worry—I'll wait for you to realize that you love me too!"

"THAT'S NOT THE PROBLEM HERE!!"

Even Captain Yami found the whole ordeal amusing, though his response was just as unhelpful as the others'. "Well, Noelle, you've been fussing over our kid for years, and now he's finally realized what's good for him. Maybe you should just accept it."

"CAPTAIN, YOU'RE NOT HELPING!"

Months passed. Noelle learned to tolerate the madness. But deep down, past the frustration and embarrassment… a tiny, almost imperceptible part of her didn't mind it.

(Because she was magnanimous, not because she liked it). 

According to her, anyways.

—

Then, one fateful afternoon, Zora finally figured it out.

"Alright, dumbass. Sit still."

Asta blinked, utterly confused as Zora slapped a strange-looking seal onto his forehead. "Huh? What's this for?"

Zora smirked. "Undoing whatever love-struck nonsense you got hit with back in that dungeon."

Noelle, who had been drinking tea nearby, nearly choked. "Wait—WAIT! You mean you can fix him?!"

Asta blinked again. "Fix me? But there's nothing wrong with—"

Zora snapped his fingers. The seal flashed, and Asta suddenly swayed, clutching his head. "Oww… wait, what was I doing again?"

Noelle felt her heart slam against her ribs.

"D-Do you remember anything?" she asked hesitantly.

Asta frowned, rubbing his temples. "I remember… the dungeon… getting hit by something… and…" His eyes widened slightly as he looked at her.

For a moment, Noelle felt breathless. This was it. He was back to normal. No more embarrassing declarations, no more random marriage proposals—

Asta grinned.

"You're still really pretty, Noelle."

Noelle's face turned a shade of red not previously known to mankind.

Gauche snorted. "Oh no."

Finral gasped. "Wait, does he still—?"

Noelle stumbled back. "W-WHAT?!"

Asta scratched his cheek. "I mean… I guess that spell made me say everything out loud, huh? But, well… turns out I wasn't actually lying."

The world stopped.

Noelle's mind went blank. "You… what?"

Asta gave her the most Asta-like grin possible—brilliant, unwavering, and full of sincerity. "I still really like you."

Noelle was certain she had stopped breathing. The entire room fell silent.

Zora let out a low chuckle. "Huh. Guess the spell wasn't that far off after all."

Vanessa whistled. "Oh dear, Noelle, what are you gonna do now?"

Noelle had no answer.

Asta, seemingly unaware of the absolute turmoil he had thrown her into, rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Wanna go on a date sometime?"

Noelle's response was immediate—and entirely instinctive.

She blasted him out of the building.

With a point-blank Sea Dragon's Roar.

—

(And later, when she was sure no one could see her, she smiled. Just a little.)