100 Prompt Challenge - Astelle

Prompt: Asta is less of an oblivious dork then he lets on. He's very well aware of Noelle's feelings. He enjoys edging her on about them. 

—

The halls of the Golden Dawn base were as pristine and orderly as ever, a stark contrast to the rowdy chaos of the Black Bulls' hideout. Sitting at a long oak table, Klaus pored over a stack of reports from their most recent mission. Across from him, Yuno sat with his usual calm demeanor, sipping tea, his sharp golden eyes scanning over a letter from Hage.

Klaus exhaled sharply, placing the report down. "I must admit, Asta has truly proven himself as a Magic Knight. I was skeptical at first, but his performance in the dungeon was commendable. Still, he really ought to do something about his lack of intelligence."

Yuno, without looking up, stirred his tea absently. "You think Asta's an idiot?"

Klaus furrowed his brows at the unexpected tone in Yuno's voice. "Isn't he?"

A pause. Yuno's lips curled ever so slightly before he let out a quiet hum and nodded. "Yeah. He's definitely, definitely an idiot."

—

The thing about Asta, Noelle realized over time, was that he could be impossibly dense when it came to romance—but only when he wanted to be. It had taken her a while to see the pattern.

Sure, he went on about Sister Lily with the devotion of a man determined to fight a hopeless battle. Sure, he acted like he didn't understand why girls blushed around him. And sure, he was loud and borderline obnoxious. But every once in a while, he'd say or do something that made her feel like he saw through her completely, as if he was just waiting for her to come forward first.

Like the time at the mixer in Nairn.

Noelle had told herself she wasn't going to follow him. That she didn't care what he was doing, or who he was with. But somehow, her feet had carried her to the very place he and his fellow Knights had gone, her mana suppressing her presence as she watched from the shadows.

And somehow—somehow—every time he spoke, it was like he knew she was there.

"Ah, Rebecca, you're really easy to talk to!" Asta beamed, leaning forward just slightly. "It's nice spending time with someone who's so honest with their feelings."

Noelle bristled. What was that supposed to mean?!

"Oh?" Rebecca arched her brow. "And what kind of girl do you prefer, Asta?"

Asta grinned. "Hmm. I like girls who are strong, even if they don't want to admit it. Someone who can be a little stubborn, but deep down, really cares about the people around them."

Noelle's face burned. Was he—was he talking about—?

She watched as Asta took a sip of his drink, his eyes flickering in her direction just for a second before he continued. "But sometimes, I wonder... if there's a girl who likes me, maybe she should just come out and say it already."

Noelle nearly choked on her own breath. She pressed herself back against the wall, hands trembling as she tried to will her heart to stop hammering against her ribs. He—he had to be messing with her. He had to be.

Did he know she was there? Did he—?

But no. That was ridiculous. This was Asta. Loud, goofy, oblivious Asta.

Right?

—

Time passed, and Asta never confronted her about it. He never directly acknowledged those moments, never broke character. He continued to be his usual, overenthusiastic self, grinning and shouting about getting stronger, as if nothing had changed.

And yet, he still teased her. Still made little comments that flustered her, still caught her off guard with words that always felt just a little too pointed to be coincidence.

It was infuriating. It was terrifying. And worst of all, it was making her fall for him even harder.

So one day, she snapped.

They were at the Black Bulls' hideout, and Asta had just made another of his infuriatingly ambiguous comments, something about how "some people just take forever to be honest with themselves." He had said it with that same dumb grin, that same oblivious look in his eyes. But she wasn't fooled. Not anymore.

She grabbed his collar, her face burning. "You—! You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?!"

Asta blinked, tilting his head. "Doing what on purpose?"

"Messing with me! Acting like you don't know, when you do!"

Asta stared at her for a moment, then grinned. "Took you long enough, Noelle."

The room went dead silent.

"...WHAT?!" The Black Bulls exploded into shouts, all eyes locked on Asta in complete disbelief.

"Y-you mean—" Grey gaped. "—he's known all along?!"

"Wait, wait, wait." Magna clutched his head. "Asta, you mean you're NOT actually an idiot?!"

"I feel betrayed," Finral muttered.

Noelle, meanwhile, was frozen, her hands still gripping Asta's collar. "Y-you... you knew? This whole time?"

Asta gave her a softer smile. "Yeah. And I've been waiting."

Her heart did something ridiculous in her chest. "Waiting for what?"

"For you to say it first."

Her grip slackened. Her breath caught in her throat.

He wasn't joking. He wasn't teasing her anymore.

She took a shaky breath, forcing herself to meet his eyes. "I—I like you, Asta."

And then—

Asta's grin widened, and he pulled her hands from his collar, holding them in his own. "I like you too, Noelle."

The Black Bulls erupted into chaos once again, but Noelle barely heard them. Her head was spinning, her heart racing, and Asta was still grinning at her like she had just made his whole world.

"Took you long enough," he added with a wink.

And just like that, Noelle knew her life was never going to be the same.