Okay, so apparently there’s a demand? Good, time to get to work then! I’m thinking about doing it in March again, though a little earlier than last year—either that or early April, the second half of March I’m completely booked. Who’s got any ideas for dates and especially prompts?

#YunoAsuWeek Day 7: The Wall, the Ball, and the Greatest of All

A tall, tall wall looms up in front of me.

Some people can look over it. Some people can see its other side when they jump. Some people just need to stand on their tip-toes. But not me. I’m not as tall as them. I can’t jump high enough to reach over its edge yet.

I can’t wait to see what’s waiting for me on the other side.

—

I’m too short for volleyball. Yeah, they all say that.

Some people also say I’m not just too short for volleyball. I’m also too short for my age, or just plain short, or whatever. But guess what, short players can make it too. There’s been one. You know him. He’s called the Small Giant, and he was barely taller than me.

How he made it? Well, he could just jump super high!

So I can do that too. If I work really really hard, I’m gonna jump that high too. And then I’m gonna become the next Small Giant. Screw height! You tall jerks think you’re better than me, but I’m gonna beat all of you and show you!

That’s why I practiced. Every day, every day, ever since grade school. Even though my middle school didn’t have a boys’ volleyball club. Sometimes I practiced with the girls. Sometimes with the neighborhood ladies. Sometimes even by myself. So what if was no club! I wasn’t gonna give up till I could form one and enter a tournament!

And then, in my third year of middle school, I finally did.

We were finally enough people. We were finally at a tournament. We could finally make some memories and show what we were made of! Maybe we’d make it into the second round. Maybe even further. You know, if we worked really really hard, maybe we’d even make it to the nationals!

But in the very first round we faced off against the powerhouse of the prefecture.

I don’t remember their name anymore. I don’t remember their faces. All I remember is one guy. Their strongest guy. The guy I lost to.

Their setter. Yuno. His name was Yuno.

I have to admit, he’s scary good. And tall. And also a huge jerk, even to his teammates. He doesn’t even yell at them or anything. He just tells them off with this blank face and tries to make them do whatever he wants! Like, who does he think he is? I know they call him the King of the Court ‘cause he’s so good, but that’s just too much!

So I’m gonna defeat him. I’m gonna get into the same school as the Small Giant and defeat him. He’s my rival now.

Just you wait, Yuno!

—

That’s what I think when I finally, finally come running into the gym of the high school of my dreams. The same place where the Small Giant used to play. I can’t wait to be the first at practice today and—

Hold on. I’m not the first. Somebody’s already there.

And someone really good, too. I can tell just from the way he’s playing. Man, I hope I get to play together with him sometime and—

Then I spot his face and stop short.

Wait. Waitwaitwaitwaitwait. Are you kidding me?

“Yuno?!”

The guy stops playing and turns. I can’t believe it. It actually is him! What the hell is he doing here?

“Yuno!” I yell at him, running into the gym. “What are you doing here? Get outta my high school, you jerk!”

He doesn’t even get mad at me or anything. He just blinks, like he’s confused. “Not a chance,” he says. “This is my high school too.”

“It can’t be your high school, it’s my high school!” I shoot back. “Shouldn’t you be playing for some fancy powerhouse or something?”

Yuno says nothing. I can’t tell what he’s thinking. His stupid, handsome face stays blank.

Wait. Does he even remember me?

“In case you’re wondering,” I declare. “I’m Asta! And I’m your rival, Yuno!”

Yuno still doesn’t bat an eye. “You’re that loud guy from the first round, right?”

Now I’m the one who’s confused. “You remember me?”

“You’re pretty easy to remember.” Yuno doesn’t blink. “You totally sucked.”

“Excuse you! That doesn’t mean I’m not gonna beat you!”

“Not a chance.”

“Oh yeah? I’m gonna prove it! Play against me! Play me right now!”

I’m not expecting him to actually say yes, because it’s obvious that he thinks he’s too good for me, but Yuno actually shrugs and nods. “Sure,” he says. “Show me what you’re made of.”

How can this guy be so calm? It’s irritating!

“Okay!” I shout, taking on a fighting stance. “Bring it on, Yuno!”

—

Ten minutes later we’re both kicked out the door.

“And you’re not coming back in,” Captain Yami says as he shoves our club signup forms at our faces, “till you get along. You’ve fucked up enough already.”

Then the door shuts with a clang, and we’re left outside.

“Hey!” I shout and bang on it. “Captain Yami, I’m sorry! Please let us back in! I promise we’re not gonna pick any fights anymore! Or blow the wig off the vice-principal’s head! It was just one time, okay?”

Silence. If Captain Yami and the other upperclassmen can hear us, they’re ignoring us.

“Jerk,” I say to Yuno. “This is your fault.”

Yuno stares back, and finally he shows some irritation in his blank face. “You started it.”

“Yeah, and who slammed that stupid ball so hard it bounced and hit the vice-principal? You go back in and apologize!”

“Not a chance.”

“Hey! I dunno ‘bout you, but I’d like to stay in this club and not get kicked out! They’re not gonna listen to us till we get along, so—”

Wait a sec. I think I just had an idea.

“Hold up,” I say. “I have a plan.”

A moment later we knock on the door together. It opens a crack, and Captain Yami’s eye peers out at us. Yuno and I exchange a look.

“One, two, three,” I whisper.

“We’re very sorry for fighting!” we both say in sync… okay, more in sync-ish, but it’s the thought that counts, right? “We promise we won’t fight anymore so please let us back in!”

“I heard them counting,” Magna remarks from behind Yami’s back.

“And they were still out of sync,” Luck pipes in.

“And glaring daggers at each other,” says Finral.

Captain Yami just gives us a dark look. “You’re not making a fool outta me,” he says. “I can see through your bullshit. Come back when you can do better.”

“Wait!”

Yuno’s foot stops the door before it closes. “We’ll play together,” he says. “Against any of you guys. And if we win, you let us back on the team.”

—

And that’s how we ended up at the gym at five in the morning, racing each other to the door and both trying to be the first one in.

“Just move already,” Yuno says as he tries to push me aside. “I won the race anyway.”

“Like hell you did! It was a draw!” I push back. “I would’ve won if you hadn’t grabbed my shirt and pulled me back, anyway!”

“I didn’t do that.”

“Liar, liar, pants on fire!”

“Guys,” Finral’s voice pops up from behind us. “Is it really that important when the door’s big enough for both of you?”

So we start practice. Our match will be three on three, we agreed with Captain Yami. Magna’s on our team officially. Finral’s helping us not so officially. That’s all good. There’s just one itty, bitty, tiny problem.

“What the hell are those tosses?” I shout after missing the millionth one in a row. “Nobody can hit ‘em that fast! Toss normally, dammit!”

“You couldn’t even hit a normal toss at the tournament,” Yuno replies.

“That was back then, now is now! Are you trying to win this or not?”

“I’m trying. You’re not trying.”

“At least I’m trying to cooperate with my teammates!”

“Doesn’t look like it to me.”

“Oh yeah? Just you watch me!” I pick up the ball and shove it against Yuno’s chest. “I’m not gonna give up till I can hit your spikes!”

Something in Yuno’s expression changes, but I can’t put my finger on it.

—

“I’ve been thinking.”

I look up with my meat bun still in my mouth. “Hm?”

“About how to win,” Yuno says, staring up at the night sky. We’ve been practicing at the park until now and are about to head home. “You can run fast and jump high, but your timing with spikes sucks.”

I choke on my food. “Hey—”

“So I want to try something,” Yuno goes on. “Just jump and hit how it fits you. I’ll get the ball to your hand.”

—

Ka-boom.

I open my eyes. For a moment I’m still floating in midair, the net stretched out below me, the other side of the court beyond. The ball bounces off the floor and rolls across the gym. My hand tingles.

“I hit it!” I shout. “I hit it, Yuno!”

“Of course you did,” Yuno answers. “I made sure you would.”

But he looks pretty impressed himself, and there’s a small smile on his face. I grin back.

“One more! One more!”

—

Blocked again.

I’m out of breath. My arms and legs hurt. It’s been going so well until now, but Luck is scary. He’s not even that tall, but he can reach anything. Everything.

“One more,” I say, but I’m losing energy. Dammit. We were leading just a minute ago. Now we’re about to fall behind.

Yuno sends me the next toss, and the next, and the next. Blocked. Blocked. Blocked. Luck is everywhere I am. I can’t match up against him.

“One… more.”

I run and jump again, but this time Yuno doesn’t toss to me. He tosses to Magna instead, and he scores at once. Luck’s still been marking me.

Dammit.

The next tosses go to Magna too. I wonder if I should even still jump. Sometimes Yuno looks at me like he wonders that too. So I keep jumping and jumping anyway. Out of spite.

Then, suddenly, Yuno looks at me as he jumps for the ball. Really looks at me. And I just know.

I run. I jump. Then I close my eyes.

The ball against my hand. Luck’s hands are still in front of me. He’s bigger than me, taller. Faster too, probably.

But I’m not alone. I’ve got Yuno.

With all my strength I send the ball over the net.

I wait for the slam as it’s blocked yet again, but this time the sound is different. It hits against Luck’s hands. But when it lands on the ground, the sound comes from the other side of the net.

I open my eyes.

The ball has bounced straight through Luck’s block and hit the floor. I scored. No, we scored. Luck’s taller than me, but that didn’t stop me this time.

The other side of the wall… is that what it looks like?

When I land on the ground Yuno and I are both grinning. Then we both get tackled by Magna and almost knocked into the net.

This guy is still my rival, but I guess he’s not half bad. Not just as a player… as a teammate too.

I tap a fist against his chest. “One more like that, Yuno!” I say. “Let’s win this!”

Yuno smiles and returns the gesture. “You don’t have to tell me.”

—

A tall, tall wall looms in front of me.

But with my new teammate, I think I’m still a bit taller.

YunoAsu Week Day 7- AU

Welp!  It’s the last day of YunoAsu Week.  Today’s prompt was AU (Alternate Universe).  At first I didn’t know what to do but I think I came up with a fun one that I’m going to expand into further stories as a series.

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YunoAsu Week: Day 4!

Alright, here’s @yunoasuweek Day 4: Magic/Special! My original idea was scrapped because I realized I didn’t like the way it fit the category so maybe I’ll just write it for a short story later. I have day’s 5 and 6 almost finished and then I gotta figure out which AU to choose because there are so many fun ones! Anyway, enjoy!

Yuno’s magic was amazing. It always had been ever since they were children. Asta remembered when Yuno first awakened his magic. The two had been playing in the forest near the church when Asta hit the ball too hard and it ended up in a tree. So, of course Asta climbed the tree.

And then the branch broke. Asta didn’t have time to register what was happening before he was falling to the ground. He heard Yuno scream his name and watched as the ball got farther and farther away as he fell.

Then Asta stopped falling and was pleasantly surprised when he didn’t feel any pain. He looked down and couldn’t believe what he saw. Holding him up was a small tornado made of green magic. Asta stared at it, taking in the way it swirled over and over as it kept him safe.

Looking over at Yuno, he saw the other boy looked just as shocked as he did. Once it registered that Yuno had made the tornado, Asta rushed over, congratulating him. He couldn’t believe that Yuno managed to get his magic and it was Wind, too! Wasn’t Wind one of the strongest types of magic? Of course, Yuno would get it.

And then as Yuno kept training, it just got stronger. Soon, Yuno was making tornadoes that were able to destroy trees. Asta would have been scared of Yuno destroying their forest if he didn’t see how Yuno was able to control them. It almost wasn’t fair. How did Yuno get to be smart, handsome and have super awesome magic? But it made sense, who else could be so amazing?

And then they became Magic Knights and suddenly Yuno’s coolness just exploded. He got to be in the Golden Dawn and he even managed to get one of those elemental spirit things. Honestly, Slyph kind of scared him but that didn’t change the fact that she somehow made Yuno even stronger.

When he saw Yuno’s Spirit Dive, Asta was breathless. It was like Yuno had turned into an angel. It wasn’t just the way his magic formed those beautiful wings or the crown that looked just like a halo. It was watching him fly around the battlefield, descending on his opponents. It was watching him use his Wind Magic to completely clear the field and then stand in the center, as if he was the only one in the world that mattered.

It was watching him and knowing that Asta could become the Wizard King but Yuno would always be the amazing one.

-

Asta’s magic was terrifying. Yuno would be lying if he said that he hadn’t been concerned. After Yuno had been attacked by that rogue Magic Knight, of course it had been Asta who ended up saving him. When the grimoire appeared in front of him, Yuno hadn’t been surprised. No one deserved a grimoire as much as Asta.

What had been a surprise was the giant black sword that appeared from it, radiating a dark red mana. Yuno was astonished. Whenever he imagined Asta’s magic, there were dozens of options. Fire because of how warm he was. Earth because of his strength. A small part of him even hoped for Wind because of how often Asta complimented him on it. Whatever this was, it didn’t seem like Asta.

But then Asta grabbed the sword and moved, defeating their enemy with ease. He saw the way Asta’s smile lit up from being able to use magic for the first time, the way his spark to become the Wizard King was reignited and Yuno felt any concerns fade away. Whatever this magic was, it made Asta happier and stronger than ever.

As they continued to grow as Magic Knights, Yuno became more certain that this magic was meant to be Asta’s.

A sword was perfect for Asta. It allowed him to take advantage of the speed and strength he had spent years honing. By the time any of Asta’s enemies realized he was a threat, it was too late and Asta had already bludgeoned them. It always made Yuno smile.

His Anti-Magic, no surprise Asta would get something so special. Cutting through spells, destroying armor as if it wasn’t even there. It was perfect for a magicless hothead who needed to put others in their place.

And then there was…whatever that Black Asta was. Yuno could feel it when they battled together. Whatever magic was radiating from that form, it wasn’t something to trifle with. It was anger and destruction and darkness…but it was strong. And it made Asta stronger and faster than he had ever been. It let Asta fly through the air and decimate anyone who stood in his way. And when it tried to take over, Asta just beat it, like he did everyone else, and he proved that he was the one to watch out for.

This magic wasn’t anything like Asta but it did its job: it let the world see that Asta was amazing.

YunoAsu Week: Day 3!

Ahh! This week has been so hectic! I had ideas and wasn’t able to write as quickly as I wanted! But It’s Saturday and now I’m getting as many as I can done! Here we have @yunoasuweek day 3′s prompt: Fortune/Competition!

“Yuno, thanks so much for your help.”

“You’re welcome, Sister Lily,” Yuno said as he finished dusting the cobwebs out of the corner with a small tornado. This was actually good control for his magic so even if it was boring, it was necessary.

Sister Lily thought about it for a moment. “Hmm…maybe you could—”

“Sister Lily!” The two turned to the entrance just as Asta was rushing inside. The young boy was covered in scrapes and scratches but that didn’t take away from the big smile on his face. He stopped in front of the two, turning his attention to Sister Lily. “I weeded all the plants!”

“Oh, Asta, good job.”

Asta’s grin only grew at that but Yuno frowned. It had only been a few days since Asta had been injured getting back Yuno’s necklace. He was supposed to be resting but of course, Asta couldn’t do that.

“How did you get scratched up?” Yuno asked.

Asta turned to Yuno, rubbing the back of his head with an embarrassed chuckle. “There was a gopher and I tried to shoo it away and it kind of attacked me.” Yuno couldn’t help but giggle at that. Asta let out a huff, crossing his arms. “Hey! I got rid of it and it’s good training! Soon I’ll take out all the scary animals because I’m gonna be the Wizard King!”

Yuno shook his head and was going to argue that he was training hard too and that he was going to be the Wizard King…but Asta turned to Sister Lily, eyes bright.

“And after that, please marry me, Sister Lily!”

Sister Lily started her usual explanation on the many reasons why that would ever happen. Yuno just stared at the scene, feeling something building up inside of him.

It wasn’t fair. Yuno understood that Sister Lily was nice but why was she all that seemed to matter to Asta? He was Asta’s rival now so…so why wasn’t he more important to him? Was it because Asta still didn’t see him as a rival? Didn’t think he was strong enough yet? Yuno clenched his fists before he started walking out of the church.

“Yuno?” Yuno stopped and turned to the two. Sister Lily gave him a concerned look as she asked, “Where are you going?”

Yuno didn’t reply. He just focused on Asta who tilted his head in confusion.

“I’m going to go train. I won’t lose.”

Yuno ran outside and started heading to the forest with one thought on his mind.

‘I won’t lose to either of you.’

-

“Hello!”

Yuno hid his annoyed grumble. Klaus had forced him to attend this Magic Knight ball and he had been doing a good job of being overlooked by everyone there.

“Hello! I’m talking to you!”

“I know,” Yuno muttered, looking up at the nuisance.

Leopold Vermillion grinned broadly now that he was being acknowledged. “You are Yuno, correct?” Yuno nodded, wondering what the Crimson Lion Knight wanted with him. Did he want to talk about Mimosa? She had been improving a lot lately. Leopold got far too close to Yuno’s face. “You are Asta’s other rival!”

Yuno felt his eye twitch, remembering what it was that bothered him so much about Leopold. Other rival?

Keeping himself in check, Yuno replied, “I’m Asta’s rival.” He was certain that came out harsher than intended but Leopold seemed to pay it no mind as he took the seat beside Yuno.

“Excellent! You must tell me everything you know about my rival!”

“Your rival?”

Leopold nodded. “Yes, I have declared Asta my rival and as such, it is my duty to learn all I can about him.” Leopold let out a resigned sigh as he rested his chin on his hands. “Unfortunately, Asta isn’t a noble and from outside the city so it’s not easy to find information on him.” Glancing at Yuno, he smiled. “But thankfully, you are here to tell me all I need to know.”

Yuno just stared at him, becoming more frustrated the longer Leopold talked. He had seen how the other had just walked up to Asta, declaring himself his rival and Yuno had just stood there. Maybe it had been the shock, the shock that someone just strolled up and declare themselves Asta’s rival when Yuno had worked and trained and fought for the right to call himself that.

“There’s nothing to say,” Yuno said, going to stand and end the conversation.

Leopold didn’t sound happy with that answer. “What? Certainly, you must know something about my amazing rival.”

Yuno froze then scowled at Leopold. “Asta’s my rival—” And only mine was cut off by a loud “Hey!”.

The two stopped glaring at each other when they heard the familiar voice. Asta strolled up to them, mouth full of food. “What are you two doing?”

Leopold’s face brightened when he saw Asta. “We are discussing you, my rival!”

“Eh? What about?” Asta turned to Yuno, probably thinking he would be able to explain the situation better. Yuno avoided his gaze as he stood up and walked off. “Hey, Yuno, where are you going?”

Yuno didn’t stop as he told Asta, “I have to go train. I’m still working hard to be the Wizard King, unlike you, Shrimpsta.”

He heard Asta start to argue about his intense training and how he wasn’t going to lose to Yuno. Yuno risked turning around and he barely glanced over Asta as his gaze went straight for Leopold.

“…I won’t lose.”

-

“I could have had Finral come get me, Yuno.”

Yuno kept his eyes forward as he continued flying through the air. He knew that if he looked back at Asta, he would probably end up losing control of his broom. Just having Asta sitting behind him with his arms wrapped tightly around his waist was making his heart pound.

He made sure to keep his voice steady when he said, “What kind of date would I be if I let someone else take you home?”

He heard Asta scoff. “Don’t be so cocky, you handsome jerk.”

Yuno took in a deep breath, getting himself prepared as he looked back at Asta. Asta was looking down at the ground but Yuno could see just how badly he was blushing. Yuno just wondered how this muscle head was so cute.

Eyes forward, Yuno had to ask, “Did you have fun?”

Yuno had won their little contest so he had earned the right to take Asta on their first date. It had been something simple because he knew that Asta would be more uncomfortable at anywhere too fancy. Dinner at a small restaurant that served an amazing tatoe gratin and then a walk through the local market. Asta had complained most of the time about Yuno cheating but that hadn’t stopped him from complimenting Yuno about how nice the choices were or from slipping his hand in Yuno’s as they walked.

“Of course!” Asta screamed and Yuno flinched from how close it was.

“Don’t scream in my ear, Shrimpsta. Do you want to fall to your death?”

Asta just laughed at that. “Sorry but it will be okay because…” Asta’s voice seemed to soften as he squeezed a bit tighter. “…because you’ll be there to catch me, won’t you?”

Yuno’s fist clenched his broom tighter as his heart beat erratically. He was going to die. He was going to plummet and all they would be able to write is that he died from being a lovestruck idiot.

“I don’t know. Maybe it’d be easier to just let you fall,” Yuno argued.

“As if. Then you wouldn’t have a rival to fight you as the Wizard King and you wouldn’t want a victory that boring.”

Asta wasn’t wrong. “So…we’re still rivals then?”

Asta sounded surprised by the question. “Of course we are. You think me being in love with you is going to change that?” Yuno could feel Asta rest his head on Yuno’s back as he sighed in content. “Dummy. If anything, I gotta fight you even harder. Can’t let my boyfriend get the better of me.”

“T-that…” Yuno forced himself to calm down, refusing to let Asta know that he was getting to him. “That’s my line, Shrimpsta. I already won our first date so Wizard King won’t be that much harder.”

That only led to Asta going into another ramble on Yuno’s cheating and how he was going to take Yuno out on an even better date next time. Yuno just countered each statement with insistence that he’d already won so it’d be easy to beat him again. That continued the entire trip until they reached the Black Bulls’ hideout. Once they landed, Yuno could see the Black Bulls from the windows, doing poor jobs of pretending like they weren’t spying. Asta didn’t seem to notice them as he hopped off of Yuno’s broom.

“Thanks for the ride, Yuno! You wanna come in for something to eat? Charmy’s sheep cooks make some awesome food.”

Yuno glanced back at the Black Bulls who seemed to light up at the prospect of him entering. Yuno knew that if he went in, he was probably not going to come back out.

“I have to head back. We have a mission in the morning.” Which wasn’t a lie. Asta seemed upset by the response but quickly perked up when Yuno said, “I’ll see you for our next date.”

“Heck yeah! It’s gonna be awesome! I already have it planned out!”

“Too bad that’s going to have to wait for the date I have planned.”

Asta frowned before he started to stomp to the hideout. Yuno watched as Asta went to the front door and stopped. There were several seconds of Asta just standing there and it made Yuno wonder if he was scared to tell the Black Bulls about their date.

Asta suddenly turned around and rushed back towards Yuno. Yuno had no idea what he was doing but he didn’t move. The next thing Yuno knew, Asta was a centimeter from Yuno’s face.

“A—”

Asta kissed him. It was only a second but it was enough to leave Yuno with an everlasting reminder of Asta’s lips on his. Asta pulled away, the biggest smile Yuno had ever seen on his face.

“I win.” Asta ran back to the hideout, waving to Yuno. “See you next time!” Once Asta opened the door, he was tackled to the ground by several Black Bulls. “Ah, get off me!”

Yuno just hovered in the air, watching as the Black Bulls demanded answers on what happened and congratulating Asta for taking the plunge. They then turned their attention to Yuno which snapped him out of his daze. He flew off, using his wind powers to speed away as quickly as possible. Once the Black Bulls’ hideout was just a dot in the distance, Yuno thought back to what happened. Touching his lips, Yuno couldn’t stop the smile that wormed its way to his face.

“…I won.”

YunoAsu Week Day 6- Future

Here’s Day 6 prompt from @yunoasuweek!

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#YunoAsuWeek Day 6: Taming the Horror

The demon is raging on the battlefield.

The monster is out of control. No one can slow it, no one can stop it. No one ventures into its way anymore. Everyone within its reach is running, fleeing for their lives.

The person once named Asta is lost. For all these years he has lived in harmony with the demon, always in control, in any situation. But this time he has gone too far. This time the monster has taken control of him, possessed him completely, picked up his body as a puppet to slaughter the people. All he wanted was to try and save his kingdom from the attackers. Now he has turned into the attacker himself.

The sky is dark. Asta’s body is dark too, covered in black lines from head to toe, his eyes glowing red. His anti-magic is spreading, lashing out, consuming all spells the people send at him and devouring them whole. And still he keeps moving through the lines. Raging. Raging. Leaving nothing in his wake except destruction and terror.

Cries grow louder, cries for help, for the Wizard King, a strong Magic Knight, anyone. But even the strongest can’t reach him. Even the strongest have nothing on the demon’s all-consuming power.

A figure emerges from the group. Bright in the darkness, tall and fearless, the young captain of the Golden Dawn. Cries of relief surround him. The people regain their hope. Yuno is strong. If anyone can save them, it has to be him.

But Yuno does not touch his Grimoire and cast any spells. He only keeps walking straight towards Asta, his posture undaunted, his expression calm in the face of the storm.

“Asta,” he calls, “look at me!”

The monster turns. Glowing red eyes land on the figure clad in white, who returns their gaze with an expression that’s impossible to read.

The demon-possessed Asta starts heading towards him, and Yuno keeps walking. Still he does not reach for his Grimoire. He doesn’t cast a spell either. He only keeps walking to meet his best friend.

Behind him the people begin to shout. “Why aren’t you doing anything?” they yell at him. “Take out the Grimoire already!”

Yuno keeps walking.

“What are you doing?” another voice rings over the battlefield. “He’ll destroy you!”

Yuno keeps walking.

Then Asta stands before him. Raging, possessed, barely recongizable. If he knows who stands before him, his face does not give it away.

Taking a deep breath, Yuno steps into the swirl of anti-magic and pulls him into an embrace.

He almost can’t breathe. The anti-magic pierces into him, claws at him, sucks at his magic. The demon rages and flares under his grip. Yuno holds on. He holds tighter than ever.

“Don’t be like that, Asta,” he says into his best friend’s ear. “I know you’re in there. Don’t you recognize me?”

The demon makes a strangled noise. More anti-magic tangles around Yuno’s body and pierces into his chest. He holds on.

“What are you doing,” he says, “getting yourself possessed? That’s not like you. I know you’re stronger than that. You’d never have come this far if you weren’t.”

It hurts. It hurts. It hurts to talk. He must be bleeding all over. The demon is sucking out his magic. He can feel his power disappearing, drained out of him like water out of a broken cup, seeping into the all-consuming black. He holds on.

“Remember our promise, Asta.” Lifting his head, he gazes into those red eyes, those furious, glowing eyes that were once green and cheerful. “Remember Hage, the church. Remember that day when you saved me and we promised to aim for Wizard King. Can you remember that?”

He can barely stand. He can barely move. All he can do is keep talking, keep hoping. Asta isn’t that weak. He won’t give in that easily.

“Remember the church,” Yuno goes on, resisting the urge to close his eyes, the exhaustion sweeping over him like a tidal wave. “Remember Father and Sister Lily and the kids. Remember the woods where we used to train. Remember the smell of cooked tatoes when we got home. Remember the Magic Knight exam. Remember the trip we took to get there… the adventures we had.” His hold turns into a desperate grip, his words coming out as mangled gasps. “You can’t have forgotten all that, can you? Remember, Asta!”

The demon flickers.

Asta’s eyes turn green, then red, then back to green. The black streaks disappear from his body. The sky clears up.

Then Yuno’s best friend stands right there in his arms, breathless and shaky and human once more.

“Yuno,” he gasps out, reaching for his face. “What… what happened?”

Yuno smiles.

“I knew you could come back,” he says. “I’m glad.”

Then his strength leaves him, and covered in many wounds he collapses to the ground.

—

“He’ll live.”

Asta jumps to his feet. He doesn’t know how long he’s been sitting here, waiting, waiting for news. All he knows is that, after what felt like sitting underwater, he finally knows how to breathe again.

“Can I see him?” he bursts out, and Owen nods. Asta starts off in the direction of Yuno’s room. Then a thought hits him, and he pauses again.

“And his magic,” he says. “What about his magic?”

The look on Owen’s face is enough to answer his question.

“I’m sorry,” the healer says. “I can’t say if he’ll ever be able to use it again.”

Asta swallows and nods. His vision blurs, but he wipes his eyes and enters Yuno’s room.

“Hey,” he says, trying to sound cheerful and failing.

Yuno smiles up at him from the bed. “Hey.”

“So… you lived, huh?” Sitting down by his side, Asta tries to grin. “Sheesh, Yuno, you’re always so careless. Who’s gonna be my rival if you get yourself killed, huh?”

Yuno reaches for his hand. “I wouldn’t have died. You wouldn’t have killed me.”

But I might as well have.

Asta swallows again. He doesn’t know what to say. Yuno looks almost normal, but Asta knows he isn’t, he might never be.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Yuno’s voice turns soft, tender even. “That face doesn’t suit you. I’m fine.”

“But your magic!”

Asta’s voice almost breaks. Yuno’s face blurs before his eyes again. He wipes them, but it only helps for a second.

“Owen says you might’ve lost it forever,” he says. “What’re you gonna do? Don’t act like you’re okay with that!”

“I’ll think of something.”

Yuno’s smile still hasn’t faded, and his voice remains steady. “Don’t go around acting like I can’t,” he says warmly, bringing a hand up to touch Asta’s cheek. “You’re the guy who showed everyone you can make it with no magic. If I can’t do the same, it means I’ve lost to you.”

“Don’t talk like that! I’ve got the anti-magic! What are you gonna have?”

“I’ll think of something—”

“Yuno!”

Yuno looks at him. His smile turns forced and then breaks. Tears well up in his eyes that he quickly covers with his arm.

“I’m scared, Asta,” he rasps out. “I really am. But… don’t worry about me.” A tear emerges from where his eyes are hidden under his arm and rolls down his face. “Worst case, you win.”

“…That’s not a fair win.”

Asta tries to laugh, but it turns into a sob instead. Wiping his eyes doesn’t work anymore. A tear runs down his face, then another one, then another one. He doesn’t care anymore.

“Dummy,” he rasps out, burying his face in Yuno’s chest. “Don’t just do stuff like that, you stupid handsome jerk! You better get your magic back soon, okay? If you’re not my rival, it’s not the same!”

Yuno wraps his arms around his back. “Don’t worry. Not giving up isn’t just your magic.”

Asta sniffles into his shirt. “But Yuno…”

“Hm?”

Still tear-stained and messy, Asta looks up, wiping a hand over Yuno’s wet eyes and cheeks and offering a lopsided grin.

“Thanks for bringing me back,” he says. “I’m glad you’re alive.”

#YunoAsuWeek Day 5: Two Idiots, One Thought

Flowers, check. Snacks, check. Magical toys, check.

Asta looks in satisfaction at the pile of bags and boxes on his arms. Perfect; he has found something for everyone, and he even still has a bit of money left. He bets Yuno hasn’t been that quick. Or that successful.

A holiday is approaching, and this year they finally both got it off and can spend it at home with everyone else in the church. The orphanage has grown since their days; several more kids have joined the ranks, and of course, being who they are, Asta and Yuno instantly started viewing them as part of the family. That means more gifts to buy now that they’re finally getting to visit home again.

But of course, being who they are, they instantly turned the gift-buying into a competition.

Money-wise, Yuno has the advantage. But Asta has wits and secret spots and skill with kids, and especially the little ones he knows better than Yuno does. So now it’s a bet: Whoever can impress everyone the most with his gifts is the winner.

Asta checks the time. It’s not yet time to meet up with Yuno, but he’s pretty much done. Maybe he should get himself a snack with the leftover cash—

Wait a second. He has time left. He has money left.

And there’s one person who he still hasn’t bought a gift for.

Grinning to himself, he continues on his way. Oh, if he finds something, he is definitely going to win this battle. He is so going to win this.

—

Later that day, when they’re gathered back at the church with Father and Sister Lily and the kids, Asta still pretends to be as innocent as ever.

A great many hugs are exchanged, and a great many words and greetings and pleas for stories of their adventures. So, just to up the suspense, Asta and Yuno oblige, sitting down with the youngest ones and talking at length. Well, really, Asta does most of the talking, and Yuno just sits next to him and corrects him every so often, usually incorrectly; he lies that he wasn’t tired or injured, or that he didn’t need help, and other stupid stuff that Asta debunks on the spot. Just because that guy is a sore loser doesn’t mean the kids should hear the wrong version of the story, right?

But at length they run out of stories, and Sister Lily calls them all together to eat. That sounds like an opportune moment to present the fancy food he brought from the capital, Asta thinks, and so he decides to start the gift-giving.

Asta presents his gifts first, and the kids and adults are all equally delighted. The little ones love the toys; Father and Sister Lily love the flowers and warm scarves and gloves; and everyone loves the snacks, instantly trying to eat the all until Sister Lily scolds them to save them up for dessert. But one single gift he doesn’t present just yet. One single gift he saves up for last.

Then it’s Yuno’s turn, and his gifts inspire just as much awe. They’re less cool than Asta’s (or so Asta insists) but definitely more expensive, and that ultra-fluffy, beautifully decorated blanket is definitely to die for. But still Asta’s gifts got a stronger reaction, Asta insists. Yuno claims the opposite. Everyone else is too busy being excited to care.

So Asta reaches into his pocket and takes out the ace he still had up his sleeve.

“Actually,” he says smugly, “I got one more thing.”

Everyone blinks in surprise. Savoring the moment, he very slowly pulls out the little box, holds it in front of Yuno and opens it.

“Surprise!” he says. “I got something for you too! How’s that, Yuno?”

Yuno stands silent. Everyone else has fallen silent too. They all stare at the object in the box: a ring, adorned with a set of green stones fashioned into the shape of a four-leaf clover.

“How’s that?” Asta says again. “I bet you didn’t even think of that! So that means it’s my win this time—Yuno?”

Without a word Yuno reaches into his own pocket, pulls out a similar box and opens it.

Asta’s jaw hangs open.

Inside the box is a ring suspiciously similar to the one Asta bought, except the clover on it is black and has five leaves instead of four.

Dumbfounded, Asta stares at his ring, then at Yuno’s. Then back at his. Then back at Yuno’s.

Then he abruptly regains his speech.

“What!” he bursts out. “Yuno! What the hell is that? You just copied me, you handsome cheating jerk!”

“I didn’t copy you,” Yuno replies. “You copied me.”

“Like hell I did! I bought this on my own!”

“And I did too.”

“Liar, liar, pants on fire!”

“I’m not lying. You’re lying.”

“The liar’s always the one who calls other people liars, you liar!”

“You called me liar first. So you’re the liar.”

“You—”

“Boys, boys, don’t fight!”

They pause. Their eyes both rest on Sister Lily, who watches them in a mixture of affection and amusement.

“Think of it like this,” she says. “You’re so much alike that you had the same idea! And now you surprised each other with the same thing, isn’t that wonderful?”

Asta and Yuno blink at her. Then at the rings. Then at each other.

Then they start grinning.

“So we both had the same idea, huh?” Asta says. “That’s funny!”

Yuno smiles. “We really thought the same thing.”

“C’mon, let’s put them on!” Asta is already reaching for the box in Yuno’s hand. “Let’s see if they—Whoa, they fit super well!” He triumphantly swings his hand around to show off his ring. “I’m never taking mine off again!”

Yuno smiles down at his own hand. “Me neither.”

“So they’re like promise rings now! Or best friend rings! Love rings? Hmm, is there something like a rival ring—”

“You’re engaged,” says the youngest girl—Annie, Asta believes her name is.

They both spin around. Sister Lily hurries to shush her and gives a sheepish laugh, muttering something about her having just learned that word. The boys ignore her and look at each other instead.

“Are we?” Asta asks.

Yuno offers a smile. “I don’t mind.”

“I don’t either! But only if I can marry you first!”

“That’s not how it works.”

“I’m gonna make it work! And I’m gonna make it the best wedding ever! Just you watch me!”

Father Orsi sighs at them from behind the kitchen table. “Will these two ever change?”

“I hope not,” Sister Lily laughs. “I really hope not.”

YunoAsu Week Day 5- Family

Day 5 is here!  I really liked this day’s @yunoasuweek prompt.

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#YunoAsuWeek Day 4: Magical Mundane

There’s something magical about Yuno.

Not in the wind magic and Grimoire way. Well, obviously, that too. But that’s not really anything special. Pretty much everyone has magic, except for Asta himself. He may have more of it than others, but that’s not really it.

Yuno’s real magic, Asta thinks, has nothing to do with mana or Grimoires.

It shows up in everyday life, in flashes and glimpses, unexplained and unprompted. Asta doesn’t think most people notice much. You have to pay close attention to him, and only then does Yuno’s magic reveal itself.

He’s magical, Asta thinks, when he lies asleep amid the blankets in the morning, his hair falling all over the pillow and into his face, messy but soft and wavy, when the morning sun kisses his face and tangles between his lashes and kisses his skin to make it glow.

He’s magical when he helps prepare food for the orphanage kids with Sister Lily, his gold eyes highly focused on the task, his long, slender hands going through their work with careful precision and effortless speed.

He’s magical when he curls up with a book in the evening, in the light of the single candle on the windowsill, immediately relaxing as his eyes flit over the pages, soaking in the knowledge or letting himself be carried into a story, his smooth features softening as he gets lost in his own world.

He’s magical when he lies on the grass and gazes up at the sky, watching the clouds, his eyes glazed over as he fades into his own daydream.

He’s magical when he laughs, a rare, clear, warm sound, so soft it’s often hard to catch but all the more beautiful when Asta does hear it. He’s magical when his eyes crinkle in mirth and he moves a hand in front of his mouth, as if to stop the laugh that escaped from him against his will.

He’s magical when his hand brushes against Asta’s, as if by coincidence.

He’s magical when he leans into him, his gaze full of adoration, before closing the distance and pressing his lips against Asta’s own.

He’s magical when he looks at Asta as if he’s the most beautiful thing in the world. He’s magical when he looks at him as if he can see all the magic within him that Asta doesn’t have, as if he, too, sees magic in the perfectly mundane things Asta does, like Asta does with Yuno.

Sometimes Asta tries to explain it to others, but they never get it. Maybe it’s because they all can use magic, and Asta can’t. Maybe it’s becaue magic feels different from how he imagines it to feel, but to him it always feels like that tingle of energy, that spark of something he can’t quite explain.

Or maybe, he thinks, they just don’t know Yuno like he does. They’ve never seen him sleeping at home or making meals with Sister Lily or reading in front of the candle or spacing out under the clouds. So they don’t really get it. But Asta has seen him like that. Asta knows.

And he’s kind of glad that they haven’t. That way it feels like a secret between him and Yuno, something unspoken that they both share whenever they’re here, home, together. That way it’s all the more precious, and Asta wouldn’t give it up for the world.

There’s something magical about Yuno.

But only Asta can see it.

YunoAsu Week Day 4- Special

Well, we’re at hump day!  Day 4 of @yunoasuweek’s prompts!

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