Black Bulls' Hideout

Midwinter

Early Morning

16-year-old Noelle woke up with a pounding headache. The thrum-thrum in her head was surprising loud and it hurt to open her eyes. She groaned in pain, as she attempted to turn her body to get up to find the bathroom. She swore that she'd ring Henry's neck if the bathroom was moved again, as her limbs decided not to comply with her today. The thought of leaving bed to trek through the halls of the Black Bulls' Hideout to find the bathroom made her want to cry.

She shook her head. Noelle felt she was being ridiculous. With much struggled effort, she got herself out of bed, disorientated, got her slippers on, and left her room to trudge the halls to find the bathroom.

The hideout was quiet for once, there were no sounds of morning breakfast chaos. It was strange, but not surprising. Only she, Asta, and Henry were at the hideout. Everyone else was out on missions, or in poor Finral's case, at a family function to discuss Langris' marriage to Finesse Calmreich.

Henry still stayed in his room, as he absorbed so much mana from everyone but Asta. He was getting better. Sometimes he was able to have meals with them while sitting on the other side of the room. Progress was better than nothing.

Asta was probably outside, training or doing some ridiculous chores that Captain Yami assigned him, thankfully. The las thing she needed was Asta seeing her with a cold. Noelle normally never got sick, she was a Silva, after all, but this winter was brutal. Colds and flus hitting everywhere in the kingdom.

Eventually, she found the bathroom. Despite struggling with her daily needs, she managed and exited the bathroom, only to run straight into Asta, who was cleaning the floors. After a year of living in close quarters and getting over her embarrassing puppy love crush on him, she had gotten used to Asta tripping her up by accident and she normally could catch herself.

As it was were, she actually tripped over him and face-planted on the ground, toppling Asta with her.

"Oh, damn, Noelle, are you alright," screeched Asta, as he moved to help her up. He had an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry, I thought you were still sleeping. It's early for you."

"S'okay," mumbled Noelle, as she let Asta help her shakily stand up. She really wanted to go melt into her bed and sleep.

Once steadied, Asta glared up at her face, being shorter than her. "You're sick."

"What?" How could Asta possibly tell that she was sick?

Asta grimaced, frowning. Was he worried? "Why didn't you tell me you were sick!? Geez, you should be in bed, let's go!"

"Asta, it's no problem I can't get back on my own."

Noelle was ignored. Asta picked her up! Carrying her like an infant, Asta trekked back to Noelle's room, while scolding her. If she hadn't known he was a big brother to a bunch of unruly kids, she would have now. "Honestly, Noelle, what if you fell and hurt yourself? I need to go to the nearest town and get you a doctor and medicine, hopefully. Did you eat yet?"

Completely dumbfounded without anything to say for the first time in their friendship, Noelle just listened to Asta rant.

Once back at Noelle's room, she squirmed out of his arms and opened her door. "No doctor, it's just a cold."

"No. I'm going to get you a doctor," said Asta, with no room for any argument. "And you are going to get back in bed and rest. I'm gonna drop off water and juice before I head out. I'll let Henry know to check up on you until I get back."

Noelle entered her room, as Asta ran off to the stairs to get downstairs. Noelle stood in her room and saw her bed. Asta was probably right. She went to her bed and collapsed on it.

The next time she opened her eyes, she felt a cool washcloth on her forehead and smelling something like chicken broth nearby. Her head was slightly better after sleeping more, but her nose was now clogged, her throat her, and she was very hot. She moved to remove the blanket and duvet, which also had a quilt and another blanket on top of it. Noelle hadn't remembered putting extra blankets on herself.

"Oh good, you're awake. Hey, keep those on," said Asta, who was sitting on her desk chair that he moved to sit next to her bed. Asta easily pushed her back under the heaping pile of covers. "Here, drink this." He handed her some water. "I'm sorry I let myself in your room, Noelle. Please forgive me."

"Asta, I'm warm," said Noelle, slightly whining.

"Well, you're gonna have to suffer the instructions the doctor's assistant gave me, because he's already four towns over dealing with a flu outbreak," said Asta, scrunching his face into a scowl. "Don't worry. I heated up some chicken soup from Charmy's stash of canned goods. How are you feeling now?"

"Like I just went toe-to-toe with Vetto," Noelle scoffed.

Asta snorted. "That bad huh? Well, I'll take care of you until you're better."

Noelle was far too fond of this simple guy sometimes. "Asta, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me." She was trying to be reassuring—it's not like she had someone to warmly and lovingly take care of her when she was sick as a child. The nannies were paid to take care of her. She learned to take care of herself and not be a burden a long time ago, despite being a Black Bull for more than a year now, she felt that same way about it.

"Of course, I'm gonna worry about you, Noelle," said Asta, incredulously. "You're not feeling well and I'm your friend, so I'm gonna take care of ya until you're better." Asta was getting worked up. When Asta got worked up, his inner hick-kid came out in his speech.

Noelle smiled and softly huffed. She knew when it came to a battle of wills against Asta, she normally could hold her own but she was too sick and muddled at the moment to want to win. "Alright, thank you, Asta."

Asta's smile was blinding.

True to his word, Asta took care of her. Having Asta's undivided attention was something that Noelle would have drawn blood over four months ago, but now all it did was put things in perspective. This caretaker side of Asta was a side which manifested differently at any other time. Asta was a person that naturally wanted to take care of other people, to help them. It was admirable.

Asta was completely focused on caring for Noelle. He let her sleep but was always there when she woke up, making her drink water or juice or tea and getting her to eat some soup and crackers for something in her stomach. He was able to buy a simple pain reliever from the pharmacist to help with the aches and pains she was feeling.

She was a little worried because he was acting like she was going to die when she knew that she was going to be just fine in a few days. Then again, what she knew about Asta extended to knowing that he and Yuno were childhood friends/rivals. Asta's hometown was Hage Village and grew up in a church orphanage with Sister Lily and Father Orgi as his caretakers and four younger kids that he viewed as his little siblings. He grew up poor. Noelle did not know what that was like but she knew that it was far different from the wealthy life of royals and nobles.

"Asta," said Noelle, as she laid on her bed, as Asta soaked a new washcloth in the basin of cool water, "You know I'm going to be fine, right?"

"Hmm, of course! You're super strong, Noelle," said Asta, grinning reassuringly to her.

"Asta…"

"What?"

"Can I ask you a question about living in Hage?"

Asta nodded. "It's pretty boring there, but sure, what do you want to know?"

"Was there a town doctor?"

"Nope," said Asta, thoughtfully. "We had to go to the next town over for the one there and that was super expensive. Well, not anymore, now that I send Sister Lily and them my pay, but back then, when Yuno and I were little, before the other kids, Yuno would get sick a lot and Father would fret about medicine and stuff."

"You must have been awfully young for you to remember that," replied Noelle, starting to understand why Asta was so worried.

Asta shrugged. "I always took care of Yuno, so you're in good hands, Noelle!"

With that the topic was dropped and Noelle was drifting off to another nap.

"The kids in Hage are lucky to have you been there for them," said Noelle, sometime that evening while Asta made her a peach preserve sandwich. She and Asta were going to owe Charmy so much food when this was all over. "I don't think my siblings ever cared if I got sick when I was little."

Scowling Asta replied, "Now they do, or at least, they are getting better about not being assholes to you."

"Yeah, I guess, but even now they'd never take care of me like this." She averted her eyes not wanting to see the righteous fury in Asta's eyes.

Asta fell silent for a moment. "You were lonely, but you're not anymore. You'll never be alone again, as long as I'm here. You're my important first friend outside of Hage!"

Noelle thought the pain medicine was messing with her, because she laughed, clear as day said, "You're my best very first friend, Dorksta."

"Really?"

He sounded like he was trying not to cry and Noelle risked looking over at him.

"Yeah, really."

Two days later, the rest of the Black Bulls came crashing through the door of their hideout while Asta and Noelle were in the middle of arguing about Noelle doing her share of the chores, while Asta demanded that she rest, she was just sick, does she want to get sick again.

"What's this, what this, our two little ones are bickering," said Magna, bounding over to bring both Noelle and Asta into a big bear hug. "What's this about Noelle being sick?"

"I'm fine. Dorksta took care of me," said Noelle, grinning at Asta.

"Aww, our little Rasta, what a good boy taking care of our Valkyrie."

Noelle flushed under the praise, when both she and Asta froze in Magna's warm welcoming embrace.

"WHERE DID MY PEACH PRESERVES GO?!"

Oops.