Black Clover - By My Side (Asta X Noelle)

Chapter 35: Date

[It appeared as though humanity would be destroyed by demons. But a single mage saved them all. He was called the wizard king, and he became a legend.]

Asta POV:

Noelle is on my back as I walk back to the base. She has her eyes closed and hasn't said a word since I picked her up. Incidentally, we ended up rather far from the base while we were flying on her broom, so walking may take a while. Not that it matters. I've been walking rather slowly in an attempt to spend more time with her. 

I peek over my shoulder to get a good look at Noelle, who looks at peace. Seeing her like this makes my heart stir. Not only that, but it makes me recall what happened under the tree. My body starts to heat up. What if I was too assertive? Hopefully, she didn't find it weird. Now I find myself questioning what I did to her. Why did I even do that? What came over me? As I walk, I begin shaking my head, almost as if I'm disappointed in myself. 

Probably due to my sudden movements, Noelle begins to squirm around on my back. Her chest begins to brush around my back, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it. In the corner of my eye, I can see that she's opened her eyes. 

"Wow, we aren't back yet?" She questions as she rubs her eye. 

"Huh, yeah. Don't worry. We aren't lost or anything! I just felt like going slow." I pause. Likely due to embarrassment from earlier. Not to mention the fact that her face is so close to mine. I don't know why, but suddenly, I find myself easily flustered around Noelle. Or maybe it's just because of earlier. 

"How long do you think until we're back then?"

"I don't know. Maybe 15 more minutes?" I continue to walk straight ahead. "Did you need to be somewhere?"

"No, not at all. I was just curious, is all." Noelle rests her chin on my shoulder and wraps her arms around me. "I'm not in a rush at all. So take as much time as you want." 

Hearing her say those words makes me happy. So much so that my heart skips a beat. In return, I give her a big smile. "Does that mean I can take all day?" I say cheerfully. 

Noelle's face turns red. "I mean, I don't mind if you want to," as she talks, the tone in her voice gets gentler, "but I'm not heavy... am I?"

Shocked at her sudden question, I fumble around for the right words, and they finally come out, "o-of course not, Noelle! You're extremely light! Plus, I'm pretty strong myself anyways. So don't worry about it! I could probably lift you with just one arm."

Noelle chuckles, finding enjoyment in my reaction. "You don't have to get all flustered about it. I was only half-kidding." 

"What does that even mean?" I ask. Now I'm really confused. However, I don't worry about it anymore. Instead, I decide to change the subject. "Is there anything, in particular, you would like to do before we get back? Oh, and are you sure you don't want to go back? Didn't you want to lay down?"

"It's okay. Your back was comfortable enough. I want to stay out longer with you," Noelle blushes, "if that's okay with you." 

"Of course!" I respond enthusiastically, "of course. It's okay with me."

"Alright then, let's go back to the lake then." Noelle lifts her head up and smiles, "it's one of my favorite spots to hang out." 

"It's a date then, right?"

Surprised by my question Noelle gets flustered and struggles to find a response. "I-I-I guess," is what she finally is able to mutter. Her words give me strength. 

All right then," I say as I grip Noelle tighter, "hold on tight!" 

When I say that, her grip around me tightens. Just like that, I take off running towards the lake. With Noelle clinging to my back.

[Chapter 35 end]