What It Takes

It Takes a Village

He somehow found a shirt in Yami's bulky size that read 'Proud Grandpa of One Dumbass Kid.'

She still remembers the excited cry of her name as he ran through the store, shirt in hand and wearing large pleading eyes. She couldn't even deny that it was perfect, and it hadn't taken too much for her to agree to the idea of them gifting it to Yami over dinner the night they make their announcement.

Now that night is here and she is still so nervous.

"It'll be fine Noelle," Asta says, placing the shirt in a gift bag "I'll be right beside you the entire time."

She doesn't answer him, she's too busy chewing at her nails.

"Hey," His calloused hand takes her soft one "Stop that."

"How are you so calm?"

"I'm nervous," he offers a small smile "But I know everything is going to be okay."

"I know that too, so why do I have so many doubts?"

He leans over and places a quick kiss to her cheek "It's just anxiety and hormones dear, it's normal."

"Well I hate hormones."

Asta huffs a laugh and gives her a sympathetic smile "We're gonna be in for a rough couple of months then."

"Yeah, I guess so."

...

Her boyfriend comes to stand in front of her and he carefully takes both her hands. He gives a gentle tug and pulls her against him.

"We're gonna be okay," he whispers softly into her ear "I'm going to be with you the entire way, I promise... you will be okay."

There's a warm feeling blooming in her chest and she cannot stop herself from smiling.

She returns his embrace and rests her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah, you're right."

xXx

The time arrives for them to make their announcement, Asta hands off the gift bag to Yami; she is so scared she cannot move. She can only wait with bated breath as their captain looks at the gift in confusion before he casts Asta a quizzical expression.

"Well, open it." her boyfriend encourages as he sits back beside her, gently pulling her into his side.

"This better not be some kind of prank kid," Yami squints suspiciously at him before opening the bag and inspecting its contents.

He raises an eyebrow as he pulls out the shirt, it's folded so he isn't able to read it at first, and as it unfurls Noelle clutches onto Asta's hand and feels as though she cannot breathe.

And then Yami barks a shrill laugh.

"Really?"

He turns the shirt around for the others to read and looks at Asta with an amused yet mildly annoyed expression.

"I ain't that old kid!"

As soon as Vanessa reads the shirt her head whips around to look at Noelle and her jaw drops, Finral is looking at the shirt with big eyes and rereading it over and over again, well the others don't seem to notice much of anything.

"Hate to break it to you pops but you are that old," Asta laughs while squeezing Noelle's hand back.

Yami continues to look confused, inspecting the shirt once more as if it'll clarify something.

He reads it a second time.

Then a third time.

And then something clicks.