Hiding - Yuno x Asta (Black Clover)

Run Asta Run!

Squelches of grass against feet swished silently in the dark as Asta moved himself across the dark, plain earth, craning his neck up slightly, aware of Yuno's figure above.

Muscles groaning from the surprise change of stress after a heavy workout didn't do him good as he weaved his way through the dark.

"Asta, are you there?"

Asta froze, immediately stuck in place. Boots dipped into the soil, his sweat traced down his neck, tensing every muscle from the slight touch.

Yuno's voice didn't sound like any's of a simple question for a person's whereabouts. No one would say any different with the tone. No one would decipher it as something else, but someone as close as Asta knows full well and it was worse than any tone he's heard before. His voice was deep with hidden anger.

Swallowing hard, Asta crouched low behind the shrubs, being as quiet as possible not to make any obvious noise. He wants to head back to the base. The Ki senses of Yuno shows infuriation. Something he didn't want to deal with. Didn't want to see. Didn't want to hear. He didn't want to feel anger and resentment splashed at him in bright red colours. From all that's happening, Asta could predict all the rage were pointed at him.

Why is Yuno searching for me?

Surely, it can't be from avoiding him. Asta thought he was doing Yuno a favour, but here is a large figure streaming above, casting a huge shadow to the ground below. Asta nearly shrieked when Yuno's shadow went over him. He snapped his head up, knowing full well that he's doomed, feeling the huge shadow above cover him up the closer the body approached. As the shadow grew, the more he couldn't breathe, holding his breath tighter, like pressure pushing against him. His heart hammered painfully, coming with fantastical ideas an enraged Yuno can do. His eyes tight shut, preparing for the worst until a change from darkness to moonlight brightened his eyelids. Blinking a few times, Asta squinted looking around for Yuno.

He wasn't there.

Blowing air out from the air stored in his lungs, Asta sighed in relief. That was a close one. He continued on his way, half crawling, half crouching.

He had reached the opening of a cave where a long, bare dirt path headed towards a clump of trees.

His eyes automatically; without command, snapped up to the sky where he managed to catch the dark figure from the corner. He gasped, crouching low into the bush of the cave entrance as Yuno flew close above.

"Asta! Where are you? Are you hiding from me?"

Through the darkness, Asta can clearly see a glare through the intense amber eyes under the moonlight. His own green eyes glistened, shiny with unshed tears as fear coursed through him.

Does Yuno hate me that much?

He watched Yuno move further up into the dark sky for a better view of the ground. This was his chance. Asta dashed, grimoire pouch bouncing against his thigh as his boots pounded on the soil, moving across the dirt path. He thought Yuno weren't able to see him however, horror flooded him when he noticed a peculiar shadow tailing behind.

"I see you, Asta."

Asta inwardly yelped, choking sounds of fear forcing itself out of his throat in way of crying. He didn't know what to do but trudge on forward. He leapt away from the path, into the dense forest. His shirt caught onto a branch that tore off his fabric and bit of his skin.

He's denying everything.

He didn't see me. Yuno didn't see me.

Trampling across the mess of roots entangled in dirt, his foot tripped once more, mind foggy on the blood smeared on his white shirt from the branch. He lost his balance, stopping in the dark, allowing himself to spring his arms out to hold him in place as he bent over. Palm tinted in brown moist from contact with the fertile earth and sticky sweat. Pushing himself back up to continue on, he made to an opening where the trees cleared, less dense. The ground grew hard and rocky as he made his way to a different terrain. Basking in the mythical gaze of the night sky ahead, where the ridge was close in view, Asta moved his foot towards the direction, thinking of climbing down it until a paralyzing force shocked him to the bone as his body slammed hard on to the rocky ground.