@onceabluemoonwrites / onceabluemoonwrites.tumblr.com
WOOT! I actually got this done in time. So here’s my contribution to @yunoasuweek’s prompt collection! The first six days will be a complete interconnected series of shorts. The last day will be a one-shot AU that I have yet to figure out.
My heart!
Here’s @yunoasuweek day 1′s prompt: Childhood/Firsts! Hope you like it!
Yuno stood there, confused by what was just said to him. Maybe it was everyone else at the festival being so loud or because what he just heard made no sense. So, he asked Asta to repeat it. Asta, always with that super bright and happy-go-lucky smile, just laughed and repeated his request.
“I really like you! Go out with me~!”
Yep, the exact same thing. Yuno understood what was being said so why was the only thing coming from him more questions?
“…What?”
Asta’s smile fell and became a confused pout. “What do you mean ‘what’? Did Four-Eyes yell at you again and you went deaf?”
Normally Yuno would respond with a snarky comment on how if Asta hadn’t made him go deaf, no one else could but it was buried under the immense confusion he was currently feeling.
“You’re…” Yuno didn’t know why but it felt like he needed to clarify it one more time. “You’re asking me…to go out on a date…with you?”
Asta nodded slowly, looking more and more concerned. “Yeah…are you feeling okay?”
Yuno didn’t know. All he knew was Asta, his childhood friend and rival, was asking him out on a date out of the blue and he was supposed to give him an answer. He knew what he was supposed to say, what he had wanted to say for years. So, why…why was it the only thing he wanted to say was…
“No way, Shrimpsta.”
Yuno cursed himself, wanting to take it back, but Asta laughing silenced him.
“I figured you’d say that, Yuno, but don’t worry.” Asta gave him a wink before running off and shouting, “I’m stubborn! You know that!”
Yuno sure did. He watched as Asta caught up with the other Black Bulls, all of them looking excited about something as they gave Yuno several glances. Not wanting to be there when Asta told them what happened, Yuno quickly hid himself in the crowd before going to find his team.
-
“And that’s the story.”
With that, Yuno took a sip of his tea and looked to his captive audience. Klaus’ eyes were so wide that Yuno was scared they would pop out his lenses. Mimosa had placed her own tea down on Yuno’s side table, resting her face in her hands.
There were several awkward seconds of silence before Klaus broke it.
“You told him ‘no’?” Yuno nodded. There was another moment of silence before Klaus nodded. “I understand.” Yuno and Mimosa looked at Klaus like he had lost his mind. Klaus merely adjusted his glasses as he explained, “From what you’ve told us, you’ve held feelings for Asta for several years, correct?”
Yuno didn’t say anything, just took another quiet sip of his tea. But he could tell from the knowing smirk on Klaus’ face that he was blushing enough to answer the question.
“Exactly. And from what else you’ve told us, for those years, Asta had a crush on this Sister Lily.”
Not wanting to be reminded of that, Yuno all but spat out, “Are you going somewhere with this?”
“Simply, you most likely said no because you were not certain of his affections,” Klaus told him. “It’s understandable that after years of seeing the object of your affections chase someone else, you’d be uncertain if they truly felt that way towards you.”
Yuno listened to Klaus’ explanation, taking it in. It did make sense. Even if they weren’t his favorite memories, Yuno couldn’t deny that his childhood was filled with nothing but ‘Sister Lily, marry me!’. Asta was never shy with his affection after all. The guy was all feelings and no filter.
Thinking on that, Yuno remembered when he and Asta went back to Hage Village for the holidays. Yuno hadn’t noticed it back then but now he could remember clearly. Not once had he heard Asta ask Sister Lily to marry him.
And that’s why Klaus was wrong.
“Asta stopped asking her,” Yuno mumbled. “I don’t know when but he did. Asta…Asta wouldn’t just ask me out without feeling something.”
Asta really did like him and he was happy about it so what was wrong?
Klaus looked shocked by the revelation but quickly calmed down as he tried to think on any other reason why Yuno would turn down his childhood crush.
That was when Mimosa spoke up. “Um…maybe it’s because it wasn’t how you wanted it.” The other two gave Mimosa their full attention as she placed a hand to her cheek, giving a pleasant sigh. “I know you aren’t an extravagant person, Yuno. But is it possible that when you imagined Asta confessing to you, you had special ideas for it? Like under the moonlight or after an intense battle?”
Yuno stared at her for a moment, taking in her idea. To be honest, he never really thought about how he wanted Asta to confess to him. He didn’t really think it would happen. But if he ever wanted it to happen a certain way, he probably would have liked it after a battle. The two battling fiercely side-by-side and Yuno swooping in to save him and then…
It clicked.
“That’s it.” Klaus and Mimosa looked at him, curious about what he had just realized and Yuno asked, “Are there any dungeons that need to be searched?”
-
And that was how Yuno found himself in front of a dungeon, holding out his hand to Asta who stared at him in shock.
Yuno gave a smirk (one he would deny that he practiced all night on) as he looked down at the other teen. “Go out with me.”
Asta blinked once, twice, three times before he screamed, “What?!” Asta started waving his arms around, complaining, “No way! No way! I asked you first! What the heck, you jerk?!”
“I don’t remember that. Go out with me.”
“Liar! Liar! Why are you always lying?!”
Yuno knew that Asta wouldn’t just say yes but that was okay. “Fine then. Let’s make a deal.” Asta stopped flailing, choosing to cross his arms and pout. Yuno couldn’t help but think how cute that was. “First one to find the dungeon’s treasure wins. Winner gets to ask the other out and take them on our first date.”
Asta’s cheeks went pink. “Our…first…date…” It was taking most of Yuno’s willpower to keep up his suave appearance. Thankfully, Asta decided to pull out one of his swords and hold it in the air. “Alright! I’m gonna find that treasure and take you on the best date ever!”
Yuno just chuckled. “Not a chance.”
Adorable!
Here’s my quick sketch for day 1 of yunoasu week with the theme Childhood.
Currently in the field right now, so all I have is my gel pen.
Hello everybody, of course I’m also taking part in the @yunoasuweek! Every day, if I can. Why don’t you come join me!
Prompt: Childhood/Firsts
Civilians rarely dare to speak with Yuno. He has always been quiet and aloof, surrounded by an unapproachable aura even as a teenager, but now that he’s in his twenties and the new squad captain of the Golden Dawn, even other Magic Knights treat him with a careful distance. The common folk, the ordinary people, rarely have the courage to do more than look his way in awe.
But of course, this is the Star Festival, drinks lull fears and inhibitions, and careful tongues are for once set loose.
It all began with a village man coming up to him, his half-grown child hiding behind his back, fearfully asking how he, as a commoner, managed to climb the ranks like that. Yuno answered the question politely and patiently; people like the man and his son remind him of home, and he’s happy to speak to them, happier than he often is to speak to nobles and fellow Magic Knights.
But his politeness attracted a crowd, and now he’s surrounded by a bunch of people, trying to keep his exhaustion in check as they bombard him with questions. Most of them are strictly professional, thankfully. Even encouraged and slightly intoxicated the people are still too afraid of the unapproachable squad captain to meddle too much in his personal business.
Then, inevitably, someone asks him if he’s single. He looks up. The question comes from a noblewoman. Of course it does.
Yuno hesitates with his answer. He doesn’t want to say yes and encourage her or anyone else to hit on him. But saying no would also be a lie. Unless, of course…
His eyes flit over to Asta, who returns his gaze over a mouthful of grilled meat, oblivious to what’s going on. “Sorry,” he says to the noble. “I’m not available at the moment.”
If any of the people noticed him looking at Asta, they don’t let it show. Yuno catches them whispering about his dedication to the job.
“Do you have someone you like, mister?”
He blinks. A little girl looks up at him, ignoring her parents and older siblings as they try to shush her. “Have you ever been in love?” she continues. “You’ve had a first love, right?”
A first love.
Yuno forces himself not to look at Asta again, wondering if he heard the girl. But even if he can’t see Asta’s face, he can’t stop the memories that cross his mind.
—
Asta has always been there.
For as long as Yuno remembers, he was always by his side, never more than an arm’s reach, a shout away. It’s hard to pinpoint when exactly he fell in love with him. But what Yuno knows for sure that the feeling has always been there.
He was still a baby, Father has often told him, when he would start crying whenever Asta wasn’t around. Without any other person he could do just fine. But one second of being unable to see Asta was enough to make him burst into tears.
He was three when Asta first offered to hold his hand because he was scared of exploring the dark church attic, and he began to reach for it every time he was afraid, and then every time he just wanted to feel his best friend near him.
He was five when the grownups first asked him what he wanted to be in the future, and he answered that he didn’t care, as long as he was with Asta. They had laughed and said he should make his own plans too, but Asta had grinned and said he wanted to stay with Yuno too, and so it had been okay.
He was six when Sister Lily arrived and Asta decided he wanted to marry her at first sight, and Yuno’s heart was suddenly filled with fear and betrayal and an unexplained loneliness.
He was eight when he almost lost Asta, watching him take a beating from a drunk adult for his sake, just to get back Yuno’s pendant. He was eight when he realized he couldn’t stand in Asta’s shadow any longer; he had to grow strong and independent, or else someday Asta might not survive the beating he took to defend him.
He was eight when he realized he would rather have lost the pendant and everything else he owned than see something like this happen to Asta.
He was eleven when Asta kissed him behind the church—to practice for Sister Lily, he said, and it didn’t count as their first kiss because they were both guys. But to Yuno it counted. And the thought that Asta didn’t feel the same way about it ate at him from the inside and made him distance himself all the more.
He was twelve when the truth finally hit him, twelve when he admitted to himself what he still feels now at twenty-three.
He’s in love with Asta.
But deep down he has always known.
He doesn’t expect to have a chance. But he can’t help it. Asta is Asta, and nobody else can replace him. Not as his rival, not as the one he loves. So he keeps these feelings. Locked away, buried behind friendship and rivalry, hoping, waiting for the day Asta might finally feel the same.
He nearly gave up back when he heard Asta and Noelle were together. But then Asta told him it was really just a rumor, and hope crashed back into him like a tidal wave. It seemed so important to Asta that he knew the truth. And he didn’t even say anything about his heart belonging to Sister Lily and nobody else. Not anymore.
And now… well, he’s not sure where they stand. But to him it looks more hopeful than ever.
—
“Mister?”
Yuno blinks. Very rapidly his thoughts return back to reality.
Oh right, the question about his first love. He still hasn’t answered, huh.
He does glance at Asta this time, and a smile crosses his face.
“I have a first love,” he says. “Actually, that person isn’t very far from here right now.”
Asta looks at him, and Yuno wonders if he caught on. His ever-lively green eyes betray nothing. At least to Yuno they don’t.
“That’s awesome!” the little girl says, her wide eyes shining. “So you guys are a couple?”
He can still feel Asta’s eyes on him. Yuno smiles.
“No,” he says. “But maybe someday.”
@rubyleaf SURE, KILL ME WITH FEELS
Summary: Yuno is an empath. Asta is simultaneously the loudest person and the calmest company Yuno knows.
Written for the @yunoasuweek ! Thank you, Rubyleaf, for organising this fun event! This particular fic was written for Day 1 (Sunday, March 17): Childhood/Firsts
Asta is simultaneously the loudest person, and the calmest company Yuno knows and has been ever since they were little.
The world is so terribly loud, a cacophony of red, red, blue, green, violet, yellow, mint, mint, purple. It bleeds out of people’s skin and hurts Yuno’s heart and hands. It makes him cry- blue, blue, blue, blue desperation and sadness for all the hurt in the world.
It chokes him up, it boxes him in, it makes him sob and cry from everything.
It’s only when he burrows into Asta’s side that they are silenced. Night or day, it doesn’t matter, feelings are there always and adults never sleep. But Yuno does, despite Asta’s loud snoring, despite the breathing of the other children, because Asta’s feelings are larger than life, even in his dreams.
And larger than life, surprisingly, is far easier to deal with than the cacophony of feelings that attacked him at every turn when not in Asta’s vicinity.
The emotions of others are overwhelming and he can’t deal with them. Some emotions even frighten him- like the men licking their lips at the serving girls in the tavern. The unbridled… Greediness? No, greed is safe. This feeling- it’s not.
It is red, but not the red of love. It is festering and uncaring, and it feels like vomit orange.
He shudders, runs back to Asta, who is already holding out his hand, waiting on Yuno. With a trembling lip, he hides behind the ash blond. At least this way Sister Lily won’t see his tears- because when she does it’s awful. She gets so sad and concerned (blue, blue, orange, navy bleeding across the canvas of God), and Yuno doesn’t want her to feel hurt.
People think Asta is noisy, but Yuno, in truth, is the loud one. He bleeds emotions.
For most of his youth, Yuno cried endlessly. The emotions of others overwhelming him.
But Asta- Asta’s presence was a blessing. His aura big, emotions so, so strong. Larger than life- only one influence where there where thousands normally. It is no wonder then, that he used to hide behind him.
It is their declaration of rivalry that makes him realize they can’t go on like this. His dependence on Asta is crippling- so they go their separate ways, training.
But still, Asta is always somewhere in the vicinity- close by enough that his presence is a comfort to Yuno.
The city is almost too much to bear, and Yuno longs for the quiet familiarity of the church. Because sure, the church had quite a few people in close quarters, but it was still the countryside. It was nothing compared to just how many people were around here in the city. The cacophony was so utterly loud it felt as if he were surrounded by a typhoon of sound. Or well, feelings.
But Yuno’s no longer a child. He must deal with this, no matter how being alone out here is a shock.
He screams, because he is not alone, because he never has been, because he has been blind: ‘’You’re my rival!’’
And Asta…
Yuno’s breath hitches as Asta shines like the sun. This, this must be what God felt like when he declared ‘’Let there be light,’’ and Light appeared.
Just a little later, he feels like Icarus, flying too close to the sun, wax wings melting, but God, Asta is beautiful.
Yuno might just be in love. His heart has been bleeding red at Asta for years at this point. And Yuno knows Asta feels the same. Yuno’s never felt the need to act on it before now, not when they just were. Living, breathing in perfect unison was enough. But now the urge is there he can’t let it go and…
(Icarus kissed the sun)
Dear everyone, I’m sorry it took so long (life was getting in my way a bit), but now let me proudly present you with the dates and prompts! I said early March before but since it took me so long, I moved them up a little to give you guys time to prepare. So!
YunoAsu Week is officially from Sunday, March 17, to Saturday, March 23!
(That Sunday is also St. Patrick’s Day, and you know, shamrocks, which are a type of clover. Which sort of influenced my decision.)
Now, for the prompts:
Day 1 (Sunday, March 17): Childhood/Firsts
Day 2 (Monday, March 18): Light and Dark/Promises
Day 3 (Tuesday, March 19): Fortune/Competition
Day 4 (Wednesday, March 20): Magic/Special
Day 5 (Thursday, March 21): Family/Gifts
Day 6 (Friday, March 22): Hurt/Future
Day 7 (Saturday, March 23): AU
You can interpret the prompts however you want. Let’s get ready and then have fun!
Reminder that Day 1 is tomorrow!
