Summary:

A story exploring the unlikely frienship between Mimosa Vermillion and Yuno.

Notes:

Yuno and Mimosa friendship
canon compliant, spoilers for up through the Reincarnation Arc
The first and second chapters take places after the Reincarnation Arc and just before Mimosa goes to the Heart Kingdom with Asta, Nero, Finral and Noelle

I've been obsessing over this for a while. As you all know, I enjoy my many ships in Black Clover, but I also love platonic and familial relationships.

Maybe many won't read this, because it's not a romantic ship, but who cares?

Yuno & Mimosa BrOTP Supremacy

This story was completely unplanned.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Lean on Me

Chapter 1

Cue "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers playing

Yuno slipped out of his bedroom. Bell slept peacefully on his pillow with a little blanket Sister Lily had made for her on his last trip out to Hage. The middle of the night at the Golden Dawn Headquarters was quiet. Everyone always retired to their rooms—unless they were on patrol duty. After all, they all had hobbies outside of being a Magic Knight.

Yuno had woken up that night famished. He intended to go to the kitchens and get something to eat. Ever since the possession by the half-elf son of Licht and Tetia, Yuno needed more food to sustain his mana use. He walked quietly as possible so as not to disturb anyone or get bothered by the patrol that evening. If it was David or Letoile, it'd be fine but Yuno didn't feel like a lecture from Klaus. He also didn't want to deal with his annoying Vice-Captain or anyone else that still looked at him like he was scum on their boots.

He quickened his pace when he remembered that it was, in fact, Siren and Hamon on duty and while they were okay, Yuno still felt awkward around them. He turned the corner and he had sight of the courtyard, meaning that he was nearly at the kitchens.

Yuno spotted the head of vermillion hair instantly—eyes were always drawn to the brightest color. Yuno stopped walking and observed Mimosa. In her nightgown and no shoes, she sat on the bench near the fountain, her knees were pulled to her chest and her head leaned on her knees.

Grimacing, Yuno momentarily thought to run straight to the kitchen and not look back, but the way her shoulders shook, though there was no sound of crying, made him choose instead to walk out to the courtyard.

He approached Mimosa cautiously so as not to startle her.

"Mimosa," said Yuno.

Mimosa untangled herself from her fetal position and furiously wiped her face, as if he wouldn't notice that she had been in tears. "Hi, Yuno," said Mimosa, softly, looking at him.

Her eyes were red from crying, her cheeks were blotchy and pale, and there were dark circles under Mimosa's eyes. And dark circles didn't just appear after one bad night of sleep, Yuno knew from his experience with Asta.

Yuno had never been one to beat around the bush, but also someone who was bad at comforting others. He asked, "What's wrong?"

Mimosa shook her head, smiling wobbly. She said, "Nothing. I'm okay."

Yuno narrowed his eyes. Worry etched itself in his heart. He held out his hand, reminded of the times when Asta had comforted Yuno and the other kids at the orphanage. "Let's get some tea."

Mimosa looked at him for a moment, before grabbing his hand. They didn't say anything as Yuno led Mimosa to the kitchens. Asta had made comforting someone look easy, Yuno thought to himself. Yuno led Mimosa to one of the stools at the counter, where many ate breakfast. The kitchen was a communal area—those who had culinary skills had been in charge of the cooking for the squad.

He quickly busied himself by heating up some water for tea and finding the tin of ginger-snap cookies that Asta's squad-mate Charmy sent him. The pint-sized chef was very kind, sending sweets to Yuno regularly. He wondered what the heck Asta told her that made her want to do that for him. Mimosa sat quietly, watching him as he fetched to mugs.

The kettle whistled and Yuno poured two cups. He placed them on the counter, sliding on towards Mimosa. He placed the tin of ginger-snap cookies in front of her too. He sat on the stool.

Mimosa smiled gratefully and took a sip of the tea.

"Did you have a nightmare," Yuno asked.

Placing the mug back down, Mimosa averted her eyes. And since she was a bad liar, she mumbled, "Yes."

Yuno took a cookie from the tin and ate it. Then he sipped his tea. "There's no shame in having a nightmare."

"I know," said Mimosa, nodding. "I just wish that it'd stop."

As suspected, Mimosa must have had trouble sleeping lately. And considering everything that the Magic Knights went through recently with the Eye of the Midnight Sun, the Elves' Reincarnation and Zagred the Word-Devil, it made sense. Yuno, too, had been bothered by recent events. He had been very close to his body being hijacked.

"Talking about it helps," said Yuno, remembering the late nights back in Hage when Yuno would whisper his nightmares to Asta, who held his hand and told him that he'd beat up any nasty nightmare.

Mimosa bobbed her head left to right and hesitantly said, "It's usually one of two nightmares. The first one is Licht killing you and Asta in that cave."

"It was a close call," Yuno admitted. Licht nearly killed them all before his consciousness woke up properly. "But Asta and I aren't so weak that we die that easily."

"Yeah," said Mimosa, agreeing. "I know, but that doesn't mean I don't worry about you."

Yuno took another sip of his tea, while Mimosa ate a ginger-snap cookie. He studied Mimosa's face. The color was slowly coming back to her face. Yuno asked, "What's the other nightmare?

Mimosa hummed non-committedly. "That I died on that cross before you woke up and Asta arrived."

"Oh."

He remembered the day, as it only had been barely two weeks ago when some other soul attempted to take over his body, while he had watched in horror as his possessed team defeated Mimosa and tied her to a steel cross. The half-elf son of Licht and Tetia's soul had been very stubborn, but Yuno managed to push him down with his own willpower just as Asta arrived, but if Asta hadn't showed up when he did, Mimosa would have died.

And if she had, it would have eaten him alive from the inside. And if she had died, Klaus and Hamon would have never forgiven themselves either.

Mimosa gripped her tea mug. "It makes me feel like Captain Vangeance hadn't really wanted me in the squad and that I was just supposed to be the sacrifice for Patri's revenge."

What did one say to that? Yuno said, in all seriousness. "You belong here. You're the best Healing Magic user in a generation, Mimosa. I don't think Patri influenced Captain Vangeance that much."

After all, what would Yuno have done without Mimosa here in the Golden Dawn? She had been the only one that hadn't shunned him. Her awkward, bumbling initial attempts to be friends with him hadn't originally been appreciated as he had been wary of anyone new, but she never failed to try to include him in non-mission activities, like her trips into the city for sweet shop runs and shopping for clothes. She always offered to train with him. She healed him all the time. Mimosa had been his mission partner from the start.

She had been shy and clumsy at first, but as her confidence grew as she grew stronger as a Magic Knight, Mimosa had become the truest friend he had made on his own without Asta's help.

"I don't know. I just didn't want to use my family name to help me succeed," Mimosa admitted. "It's why I didn't join the Crimson Lions, though my spot there would have been secured. I had really thought that Captain Vangeance thought that I had value beyond my last name."

"I know," said Yuno. She had told him that after the Dungeon Exploration mission. Mimosa ate another cookie. "We should talk to Captain Vangeance."

Mimosa shook her head, swallowing the bit of cookie she ate. "I wouldn't want to bother him."

"His actions of enabling Patri led to you nearly getting sacrificed and the Kingdom destroyed," said Yuno. He took a long sip of his tea. "He owes you an explanation for your worries."

"I…don't want to upset him. He feels very guilty already," said Mimosa, gently.

Yuno gave her a stern look. "And we all would have died in that other realm if you weren't there. So, yeah, he owes you. I'll come with you."

Mimosa smiled, bottom lip trembling as she sniffled. "Yeah, okay. Thanks."

"Anytime," said Yuno. And he meant it.

~to be continued

Notes:

Please let me know what you think.

I don't know when the next chapter will be out.