The Black Bulls' Hideout
Sometime After Dinner
Asta would do anything for his friends, including but not limited to: training, protecting, murder, matchmaking, breaking into hell to rescue their immortal soul, listening to them rant, lug heavy things for them, be their fashion guru, suffer through awkward family dinners, and be there for them whenever they needed.
"Do I look fine, Asta? Is doesn't make me look stupid, does it," asked Noelle, who nervously fiddled with the seventh outfit. This outfit was a beautiful long-sleeved black and silver loose dress. It was simple and clean and Noelle looked beautiful and comfortable in it. Well, in Asta's opinion, Noelle always looked beautiful. While everyone in the Black Bulls were out already at the Autumn Festival in the Capital, Asta was still in the Black Bulls' Hideout attempting to get Noelle to pick an outfit.
"Noelle, everything looks amazing on you. Kiato will be floored when he sees you," said Asta, assuredly. He was glad that Noelle was finding happiness with Kiato. Asta thanked the heavens that Noelle got over her crush on him (he knew but he didn't want to hurt her feelings, so he pretended to be oblivious, but everything worked out). "We are going to be late picking up Leo from the Crimson Lions at this rate."
Noelle bit her lip. "Are you sure I look alright?"
Asta leveled a look at her. "Yes. I'll get Henry down here if you don't believe me."
Pouting, Noelle said, "You guys always tell me I look cute or pretty or whatever. This is important. This is my first date with Kiato!"
"I know! And I'm so happy for you, but you're going to be late for that very important first date, if we don't get a move on," said Asta. He led her outside to where Noelle's broom was waiting for her. Noelle had mastered flying last year after much training and Asta falling off it. At 17, Noelle was a heck of a wizard and Magic Knight, even if she was nervous about a date. "Let's go!"
Crimson Lions' Headquarters
Sometime After Dinner
Leopold tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for Noelle and Asta to show up. He knew that he should have went to them and picked them up—Noelle was basically impossible to get out of the house when she was nervous. Mostly everyone in the Crimson Lions were out at the Autumn Festival, either with their families, on dates, or patrolling. Even his brother and sister were out and about already.
"Oh my Goodness, you look so handsome, Leo," said his tiny mother, Solace Vermillion, jumping off her broom to the ground to tackle Leo in a hug. Solace was a short woman. Her blond hair was tied in a ponytail and her grey eyes were alight with mischief and love.
"Mother! Why are you here?"
"To see my baby boy off on his first date, of course! Mereoleona told me," said Solace, tears in her eyes. "Tell me about her! What's she like? I'm sure she's sweet, and smart and pretty, isn't she, Leo?"
Leopold, embarrassed, said, "Uh, Mother, please, it's not a big deal." He was trying to not be suffocated by his mother's hug.
Thankfully, he heard Asta before he saw him and Noelle. Noelle landed her broom, expertly, down on the ground. She looked as cute as ever, that second cousin of his, Leopold thought. Kiato was going to have a heart-attack.
"Hey, Leo! We're here," said Asta. "Ah, hi, Lady Solace!"
"Asta! And Noelle, don't you look darling! Hello, dears," said Solace, letting Leopold out of her grasp. The only reason she let Leopold go was to hug Noelle and Asta. His mother was a hugger. "I hope you all have fun on your dates. Ah, to be young again! Leo, be a gentlemen to Miss Kahono!"
"Of course, Mother," said Leopold, grabbing Asta's arm and Noelle's arm to lead them away. He whispered. "Let's hurry before she decides she wants to come with us."
Noelle rolled her eyes, but Asta grinned. "Your mom is the best."
Capital City of the Clover Kingdom
Autumn Festival evening
Yuno couldn't say no to Asta and it was a problem.
"Stop moping, Yuno," said Mimosa, giggling. "At least, you get to see Asta today. I know chaperoning Noelle and Leopold's dates doesn't sound appealing to you, but they both are really nervous."
"I still don't see why you can't do it," said Yuno, annoyed.
"Because I have a date with Wainsley AND both of my cousins didn't ask me, they asked Asta," said Mimosa, matter-of-factly. Yuno almost missed when Mimosa was more reserved and hesitant, well almost missed it. He preferred her company now that she had more of a backbone.
"There you are, sweetie," said Wainsley, a Magic Knight from the Blue Rose squad that Mimosa had started dating recently. "Hello, Yuno."
Yuno nodded at her in greeting. He looked at Mimosa. "Make sure you're home by midnight."
"Yes, ifather/i," replied Mimosa, sarcastically. "Let's go before Yuno decides to give you the shovel talk again, babe." Mimosa took her girlfriend's hand and the two walked off to enjoy the sights and sounds and food of the Autumn Festival in the Capital.
It was far different than the Autumn Festivals he and Asta experienced in Hage as children. In Hage, there was never much, mostly it was tatoes and collecting the leaves as they fell from the trees to make art. He wondered if there would be a place making anything with tatoes that he get for Asta.
"There you are," said Asta, walking towards Yuno. Noelle and Leopold were right behind Asta. They were nervously chatting with each other, while Asta finally reached Yuno. Asta took Yuno's hand. "Now we're just waiting for Kahono and Kiato. Did you see Mimosa off on her date, Yuno?"
"Yeah," said Yuno. He greeted the other two. "Noelle, Leopold."
"Dapper as always, Yuno," said Noelle, haughtily. While he and Noelle liked each other well enough because they both loved Asta and Mimosa, they were not each other's favorite person, probably because they both were too prideful.
"Yuno, man, thanks for taking along with Asta for this," said Leopold, smiling apologetically, at least.
"HEY! There you all are," said Kahono. She was dragging her brother towards the group. "This festival looks amazing! I love this Capital festivals. Oh my Goodness, look at you Noelle, so pretty. Doesn't she look pretty, Kiato?"
Apparently, Kiato lost the ability to speak, blushing head-to-toe at the sight of Noelle.
And Leopold was also dumbstruck by Kahono, in her flowing pretty festival dress.
Yuno sighed and gave Asta a slight glare for getting them into this situation of awkward first dates.
This was going to be a long night.
Capital City of the Clover Kingdom
Autumn Festival evening
Kahono wasn't going to lie to herself. She was nervous as hooked her arm through Leo's arm. Goodness, was Leo so handsome, she thought to herself, not for the first time. While she teased Noelle mercilessly about her crush on Asta and then later, Kiato, Kahono was wholly unprepared to have her own fat crush on Leopold Vermillion.
He was so cool. And he was such a gentleman.
They had met through Asta, of course. Last year, Asta threw Noelle a big birthday party at the beach near the Underwater Sea Temple and he invited Kahono and Kiato as guests and do some music and dancing. There, she met Leopold. He was fun, charming and earnest and he told her that she had a beautiful voice and believed that everyone should hear it.
They traded addresses and began writing letters back and forth to each other.
Kahono surprised herself by not being the one to ask him out on a date first, because he got to it first. He even sent her a hairpin as a gift in the letter, which she was wearing.
"Don't be nervous, it's my first date too," said Leo, whispering softly so that only she could hear him. They walked together, side-by-side.
(They didn't even realize that they wandered off on their own because they were in their own little world).
Kahono flushed and nodded. "You're so sweet."
Leo turned red. "Uh, do you want get something to eat first?"
She smiled. "Yeah, sounds good."
Capital City of the Clover Kingdom
Autumn Festival evening
Asta knew that Leo and Kahono would be fine. They both had strong self-confidence, despite the nerves. He was glad they went off on their own.
It was just Asta was more concerned about Noelle and Kiato. Kiato had yet to form a coherent sentence and Noelle was nervously giggling. They both were such big messes. Asta could also feel that Yuno was massively annoyed, as they didn't get to see each other much with their conflicting and busy schedules.
He needed something to break the ice between Noelle and Kiato, to get them to be okay to be on their own.
"You can't force it," said Yuno, reprimanding Asta. "They'll get there. I mean, Noelle did ask Kiato out, so it'll be fine."
"Yeah, I just want them to be happy."
"I know, but you don't have to butt your nose in everyone's business all the time," replied Yuno, squeezing Asta's hand.
Asta grinned. "Alright, should we ditch them?"
"Yep."
Capital City of the Clover Kingdom
Autumn Festival evening
Noelle knew that Asta did the right thing, even if she was a bit annoyed that he ditched her and Kiato. But she also knew that Asta would be there if she called for him. Kiato was a good man and she liked him a lot. They had gotten closer since her last birthday when she finally noticed that he was looking at her like she was everything.
Channeling her inner Valkyrie, Noelle smiled brightly at Kiato, who was sweet, kind and cute and who liked her for her. She was the one that asked him out, so she needed to take charge. She said, "What do you want to do first? There's some really good bakeries nearby."
Kiato grinned, blushing softly under the night sky. "Yeah, that's sounds great. Led the way, princess."
Hand-in-hand, they walked.
Capital City of the Clover Kingdom
Autumn Festival evening
Finally alone with Asta, Yuno felt more comfortable. They weren't really planning on doing anything, except checking out the food stands and shops. It was nice just to walk with Asta like this without anything unexpected occurring. Asta was munching happily on some fried tatoes, and babbling a mile-a-minute about his past week.
Suddenly the conversation turned, Asta asked, "Uhh, is that Captain Yami, Captain Charlotte, Captain Nozel and Vanessa in there?"
Yuno looked over to where Asta was pointing and immediately tugged Asta away. Yami was pulling Charlotte away from drinking any more booze, while Asta's teammate Vanessa was challenging Noelle's older brother Nozel to a drinking contest. "Let's not worry about them. They are the adults, after all."
Asta nodded. "Hey, did I tell you that Finral and Gauche are dating?"
Yuno snorted. "Finral and Gauche? That's like when I caught Klaus and Langris making out the other day."
"Glasses and Finral's brother?! No way," said Asta, grinning. "I'm so teasing Glasses about it."
Yuno snickered. "Yeah, by the way, Mimosa might murder Zora, you know that right?"
Asta grinned. "And here I thought Mimosa didn't care for her big brother, but yeah, there is some sort of silent war between stink bugs and stinky flowers going on that I want no part of…" Both Yuno and Asta shuddered at the thought.
"Hey, look, there's mashed tatoes and stew, let's get some," said Yuno, pulling Asta away. "I'm glad that I get to spend time with you, today, Asta."
Asta smiled and replied, "Me too."