Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Nozel shifted nervously in his chair, he wasn’t one who usually shifted or moved around when he was nervous, but this time he felt like he just had to in order to get his nerves to calm down.

His wife, Vanessa, suddenly reached over and grabbed his hand. She gave it a firm, comforting squeeze and when he looked up at her he saw a reassuring smile on her face.

“ Calm down, you look like you’re the one who’s going to have a baby in 9 and a half months.” Vanessa joked light heartedly, and Nozel couldn’t help but smile a bit. She was always making jokes to try and help him feel better in stressful situations.

Right now the couple was sitting in the living area of House Silva waiting for Nozel’s siblings to appear. Noelle had told Vanessa that she would be a little late due to a mission, but Nebra and Solid were just taking their dear sweet time.

Nozel silently hoped the three would hurry up and put him out of his misery.

“ I’m sorry. It’s just that this is really big news.” Nozel muttered as he gave Vanessa’s hand a squeeze and he watched her nod in agreement out of the corner of his eye.

“ I know and I understand, but being nervous about it isn’t going to help anyone. All it’s going to do is make you sick and then I’m going to get sick worrying about you, which in turn, will make our baby sick.” Vanessa told him and she watched his eyes widen and she couldn’t help but laugh as he instantly calmed down.

If there was anything in this world he didn’t want to happen, it’s his wife and unborn child getting sick because of him.

Shortly after the couple’s conversation had ended all three of Nozel’s siblings appeared. First it was Nebra, then Noelle, and finally Solid. Of course Solid would be the last one to show up. He wouldn’t know what ‘being on time’ was even if it bit him on the ass.

“ So what’s going on? Are you already getting divorced?” Solid asked as he plopped down onto the couch beside Nebra. Everyone in the room turned to him and glared. “ What? When someone tells you that they have something important to say it’s a bad thing isn’t it?”

“ No, that's just what your ex-girlfriend did before she dumped you.” Noelle said with a roll of her eyes as Nebra couldn’t suppress a chuckle and Solid growled angrily at his sisters.

“ Hey you take that back! She didn’t break up with me, I broke up with her!” He shot back, but Noelle cut him a look.

“ Solid we all watched her break up with you. It  wasn’t only brutal on her part, but you crawling around, begging for her not to do it made you and House Silva look completely pathetic in front of everyone.” Nebra said with a chuckle and Solid jumped up.

“ Says the woman who’s dating a commoner!” Solid shouted and pointed a finger at his older sister, before moving his finger towards Noelle. “ And the woman who’s dating a guy with zero mana!”

As the words left his lips both Noelle and Nebra jumped up and a full blown argument ensued between the three. All of them going back and forth about their love lives. Nozel sighed dramatically and pinched the bridge of his nose, this wasn’t how their announcement was supposed to go!

“ I’m pregnant!” Vanessa suddenly shouted very loudly. All the Silva’s turned to look at her with surprised looks on their faces.

“ You’re…what?” They all asked in unison, Vanessa sighed before placing her hands on her hips and grinning a bit. That certainly got their attention.

“ I said I’m pregnant. Nozel and I are going to be parents, and you’ll all be Aunts and an Uncle.” Vanessa said happily, and the siblings looked at Nozel for confirmation.

“ It’s true. Vanessa is expecting.” He confirmed as he crossed his arms and a content smile appeared on his face.

Noelle was the first to snap out of her daze. She quickly ran over to Vanessa and Nozel, who had both stood at this point, and wrapped them into a big hug. She congratulated them genuinely and told them she couldn’t wait to be an aunt and that they would both make great parents.

Nebra was the second to snap out of her daze, she smiled warmly and congratulated them. She immediately declared that she would be the one to plan Vanessa’s baby shower and that it would be the second biggest celebration of the year, at least until their child was born, and then she’d throw the biggest celebration. Vanessa had tried to calm her sister-in-law down but Nebra couldn’t be contained, she couldn’t recall the last time she had seen the Mist mage so excited about something.

Meanwhile Solid took a little longer to snap out of it.

“ You’re…having a baby? Together?” He asked confusedly, and Nozel sighed.

“ Yes we are. Who else would Vanessa be having a baby with?”

“ Are you sure that’s wise Sis?” Solid asked as he looked at Vanessa. “ I mean, what if the baby comes out and it inherits Nozel’s bad attitude and stupid braid?”

Vanessa, Noelle, and Nebra laughed as Nozel fumed and began to berate his younger brother.

“ That’s not how it works Solid! And what do you mean ‘bad attitude’? I don’t have a bad attitude.” Nozel said icily as Solid began to back up with his hands up in surrender.

“ Y’know,” Noelle muttered as she watched Nozel and Solid’s antics. “ I have a feeling Captain Yami is going to ask the same thing.” She added with a shake of her head, and Vanessa laughed before nodding in agreement.

“ He probably will, and Asta too I’m sure.” Vanessa said and Noelle couldn’t help but snort.

“ Along with Magna, Zora, and Luck. Geez do all the men in our lives share the same brain cell?”

The girls laughed as they imagined the Black Bulls reaction. It was going to be a very crazy, yet very fun, next few days.

Chapter Text

“ Now no peeking okay? We’re almost there.” Vanessa said as she led her blindfolded boyfriend Nozel Silva through the woods. She had a very good surprise for him and silently hoped that he would like it.

“ We’ve been walking for a while now, how much farther?” Nozel asked, his tone almost sounded annoyed but Vanessa knew better. She could hear a bit of anxiousness in it too, and maybe even a small hint of excitement?

“ I told you were almost there, so just calm down.” Vanessa said with a small chuckle.

The two walked a little longer before she finally stopped and took the blindfold off. Nozel blinked a bit to try and get his eyes to adjust to the area. He looked around and noticed a picnic blanket with a couple of pillows on it, when he frowned in confusion Vanessa grabbed his hand and led him to it.

“ There’s a special event happening tonight that I thought you wouldn’t want to miss.” She told him vaguely which only made Nozel’s frown deepen.

“ What kind of ‘Special event’?” Nozel asked with a raised brow, and Vanessa just turned to look at him.

“ You’ll see in a minute.” Vanessa told him with a mischievous wink. She sat down on the blanket and pulled Nozel down beside her before she laid back with her head against the pillow. Nozel gave her a skeptical look before doing the same.

After a minute or two Nozel discovered why Vanessa had brought him out into the middle of the woods.

It was a meteor shower.

Nozel watched with wide eyes and his mouth slightly agape as it looked like hundreds of stars falling from the sky in rapid succession. It was so bright and so beautiful, he couldn’t recall the last time he had seen something so magnificent. Nozel noticed out of the corner of his eye that Vanessa was looking at him instead of the sky.

“ Happy Birthday Nozel,” Vanessa said softly and Nozel turned to fully face her. She…remembered?

“ You…remembered it was my birthday?”

“ Of course I did. Did you really think that was something I would forget?” She asked with a raised brow and he couldn’t help but chuckle, of course it wasn’t something she would forget. She wasn’t like his father, Nebra, or Solid. She was very different from them, and he was so thankful for that.

Nozel moved closer to her, placed a hand on her cheek, and gave her a sweet and romantic kiss. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer as she deepened the kiss.

The couple completely forgot about the shooting stars in the night sky.

Chapter Text

Asta and Noelle walked along the stone paths with their three daughters, Brielle, Mizuki, and Kaiyo. Today it was so beautiful and comfortable outside, the sky was a bright blue with a few white puffy clouds floating along. It was the perfect day to go visit Acier Silva’s grave, Noelle’s mother and the girl's grandmother.

“ Hi mom,” Noelle said softly as she walked up to the headstone and placed beautiful flowers on it. The girls and Asta came up behind her and also put flowers down.

“ Hi granny!” Brielle said cheerfully and Mizuki glared at her.

“ It’s ‘grandmother’ not granny! Don’t disrespect her like that!” Mizuki said angrily, and Brielle glared back.

“ It’s not disrespectful! It’s endearing!” Brielle shouted back, and both girls went back and forth bickering.

“ Hi granny-grandmother!” Little Kaiyo said cheerfully as she moved past her older sisters and the two glared at her.

“ Don’t call her granny-grandmother!” They shouted, causing Kaiyo to jump. Now all three girls were bickering, and Asta had enough.

He scooped up all three girls into his arms and hugged them close, causing them all to become quiet.

“ Hi Ms. Acier! I hope you’re doing well, I’m sorry about the girls, they’re all in rare form today!” Asta stated cheerfully but with a sheepish laugh, the girls began to grumble about how loud their dad was, but stayed quiet as he looked down at them with a serious look. “ You guys need to apologize to her right now.” He told them seriously.

“ We’re sorry.” The three said in unison as their heads hung in defeat, Noelle suddenly began to giggle which made everyone look at her.

“ I don’t think my mother would mind, I think she would be happy to see her granddaughters look all excited and happy. Especially since today is a joyous day.” Noelle said with a warm smile. “ Guess what mom? Asta’s becoming the Wizard King today.” She announced and the girls suddenly cheered and hugged their father.

“ H-Hey c’mon, it’s not that big of a deal.” Asta tried to downplay as he scratched his head nervously, but the girls, including Noelle, told him otherwise.

“ Also,” Noelle started again. “ I was offered the position of Vice-Captain for the Silver Eagles. But I turned it down. I was genuinely tempted to join them, since it’s the opportunity of a lifetime but I think I’m happy where I am now. Being a mom, being a member of the Black Bulls, and being the Wizard King's wife and confidant. I think this is where I’m meant to be. Maybe if the jobs open when the girls are older and Asta becomes more confident then I’ll consider a different path, but right now, I’m happy where I am.”

Noelle smiled as a gust of wind swept through, it was as though her mother was telling her that she was so very proud of her.

“ Momma! We gotta hurry, the ceremony’s about to start!” Brielle suddenly shouted as she held her fathers hand and began to drag him and her sisters.

“ Alright alright, it’s not like they’re going to start the ceremony without us.” Noelle muttered with a shake of her head, as she caught up with her family Asta wrapped his arm around her waist and Kaiyo grabbed her hand.

The family of five walked back up the stone path and towards the Castle, as the ghost of Acier Silva watched them with a warm, proud smile on her face.

———

Later that same day Nozel, Vanessa, and their four children walked towards Acier Silva’s grave with more flowers in hand. They looked in surprise as there were already five flowers on her grave, and Nozel smiled. Noelle and her family must’ve been here already.

“ Hello mother, it looks like you’ve already been visited today.” Nozel said kindly as he set his flowers down, and Vanessa set hers down next.

“ Hello Ms. Silva, you look extra beautiful this morning.” Vanessa complimented as she watched their four children set theirs down as well.

“ Hello grandmother!” They said happily as they stood back up and Vanessa wrapped her arms around her kids shoulders.

“ Your manaless son-in-law became Wizard King today,” Nozel said with a chuckle. “ To be honest, I think everyone was a little surprised that it wasn’t me after Fuegoleon. But as much as I want to become the next Wizard King, I think I still have a lot to do in the Silver Eagles.” Nozel admitted softly.

“ I offered Noelle the position of being my Vice-Captain, but she turned it down. When I asked her why, she said she was happy and content right now, but in a few years I could ask her again and see if she’d like the job.” He told her with a chuckle and shake of his head. “ I’m happy for her, and I’m happy for Nebra and Solid too. They’re all doing well and are thriving, just like you wanted.” He suddenly grew serious.

“ I’m sorry you couldn’t live to see it mother,” He began sadly, and he quickly cleared his throat. “ As Vanessa has told me many times today you are here to see it, but I wish…I wish you were physically here…” Nozel added as he suddenly felt his family wrap their arms around him in a hug.

“ Don’t worry Ms. Silva, I’ll take good care of your son and grandchildren and I’ll make sure Nozel doesn’t drag the celebrations down too much.” Vanessa told her with a wink, and the children laughed while speaking and nodding in agreement.

Nozel felt a warm gust of wind suddenly sweep by and his smile returned. He knew without a doubt that it was his mother. She was telling him that it was okay to laugh and smile today, that she had witnessed everything that had happened and she was so proud of everyone. Including him.

“ Come on dear, or we’re going to miss Asta’s party.” Vanessa said as she leaned up to place a kiss on Nozel’s cheek. The silver haired man smiled as his cheeks began to turn pink. He took his wife’s hand and followed his children back to the castle for the celebrations.

Acier Silva sat on her headstone and watched happily as the family of six laughed and talked. She was so happy to see her eldest son’s warm and gentle smile on his face again. She had missed it so much.

———

Later that evening, Nebra, Zora, and their three children walked towards Acier’s headstone. Each of them held flowers and as they saw all of the 11 flowers already sitting there they began to laugh and shake their heads.

“ Damn, looks like your siblings already beat us to the punch huh.” Zora said with a laugh as he set his flowers down amongst the others, his children followed suit as did Nebra.

“ It looks that way, but if someone hadn’t decided to party with his squad we would have been here sooner.” Nebra quipped as Zora rubbed the back of his head.

“ Hey it’s not everyday your squadmate becomes the Wizard King y’know.” Zora said with a shrug as Nebra sighed and shook her head.

“ How are you mother? It looks like you’ve had as eventful a day as we have.” Nebra said with a chuckle as she looked at all the different colored flowers.

“ Noelle’s husband became Wizard King, and Nozel offered Noelle the position of Vice-Captain. While I am a bit hurt that he didn’t offer the position to me, I understand why.” Nebra said. “ I’m nowhere near ready for that kind of responsibility.” She added with a sigh.

“ Maybe one day I will be, but right now I still have a lot of work to do. I need to become a better squad mate to everyone, I need to get stronger with my magic, I just have a lot to do. That’s not to mention all the work I have to do with my family.” She said softly. “ One day I’ll be ready for it, but that’s not today.”

Nebra felt a gust of wind sweep through. It had to be her mother telling her that she understood, and that she was proud of Nebra’s growth as a person. That she would be supporting her and that she believed one day she could become Vice-Captain of the Silver Eagles. And most importantly, that she loved her.

“ C’mon momma, we need to hurry! Otherwise Brielle’s gonna eat all the food~!” Nebra and Zora’s youngest child whined as they began to pull on their parents' hands. They both chuckled before following behind their children back up to the castle.

Acier watched as the family disappeared into the distance and couldn’t help but look down at all the beautiful flowers that sat on and beside her headstone.

She had a really amazing, beautiful, and loving family.

Chapter Text

Nozel watched as the rain pitter pattered against the window. He was sitting on the couch with his girlfriend, Vaneesa Enoteca, laying with her head on his chest and a glass of wine in her hand. She had arrived earlier this evening, just before the storm hit, and had asked him if he had wanted to watch the rain with her. Nozel had been confused, so he asked her why she wanted to watch the rain, and she just shrugged before saying “ Just because.”.

“ It’s calming isn’t it?” She asked softly as she continued watching the rain hit the glass, a roar of thunder suddenly rang out as a flash of lightning lit up the dark room. Nozel made a humming noise as he tilted his head.

“ It is, but everytime a flash of lightning goes by and the thunder roars I can’t help but jump a bit.” He told her softly as he placed a hand on the side of her head, moved it closer to him, and kissed the top of it. Vanessa suddenly chuckled as she looked at him.

“ What? Are you that scared of storms?” She asked curiously and Nozel shook his head as a small smile appeared on his face.

“ I’m not scared of storms at all,” He quickly denied. “ I just have a healthy respect for them is all.” He added causing the witch to chuckle again before she rolled over to look at him.

“ Right, just like I have a healthy respect for spiders.” She said with a slightly quirked brow, and Nozel snorted. If there was one thing that Vanessa did not have a healthy respect for was a common house spider. She hated them with a fiery passion and there were many times Nozel had caught her sending Rouge to go and take care of one that got into the house.

“ That’s right.” Nozel said with a grin as he took her wine glass from her hand and took a sip, Vanessa laughed as a slight bit of pink appeared on his cheeks and grinned.

“ Uh-huh. See? I’m always right.” Vanessa told him with a wink as she took her glass back and took a sip from it before she placed it on the small table beside the couch.

“ I wish moments like this could last forever,” Vanessa muttered as she buried her face into his chest, Nozel nodded before he kissed the top of her head again.

“ So do I, so do I.” Nozel muttered softly as he rested his head against her and the two continued to watch the rain outside.

This one singular moment may not last forever, but they could have many more moments just like this one forever if they wanted.

Chapter Text

Nozel gently tapped his fingers against the wooden armrest of his chair as his mind replayed the events of the morning over, and over again…

Vanessa had decided to visit him in his office to try to convince him to go out on a date with her since they were both in town, but Nozel being Nozel had refused at first, saying that he was too busy doing paperwork to go out.

So, she came up with an even better idea; if he wouldn’t leave his office to go out on a date, then she would bring the date to him!

She left Nozel for about an hour and then quickly returned with a basket full of food and a bottle of wine.

Instead of forcing Nozel to leave and abandon his work, she decided to meet him where he was at, and when she poured him a glass of wine, he decided to meet her where she was at and quietly accepted it.

That was how their relationship worked; they pushed each other to broaden their horizons, but not too much. They called each other out, well, it was mainly Vanessa calling Nozel out, but it was never with malicious intent.

Their relationship, which was still new and budding, was slowly being built on mutual respect…and maybe it was even starting to be built on love as well.

But that all came crashing down when his father came to visit his office after Vanessa had left.

“ How long are you planning on playing house with that witch?” His father asked with a disapproving scowl on his face.

Nozel had frowned and crossed his arms.

“ I’m not ‘playing house’ with her,” His frown only deepened as his father scoffed.

“ So you mean to tell me that you’re actually serious about that woman? That you’re considering marriage and having a family with her?”

Nozel opened his mouth to respond, but closed it in hesitation. He knew he liked Vanessa, and that he was developing some strong feelings for her…but he wasn’t sure if it was enough where he could say with certainty that he wanted to marry her.

His father smirked at him.

“ That’s what I thought,” His father said with a smug tone to his voice. “ Which is why, starting tomorrow, you’ll start meeting noble ladies who are more…suitable for you as the Heir of House Silva.”

And with that his father walked out of the room, leaving Nozel standing there stunned.

“ Oh, you’re still here,” His father’s voice said in surprise out the hallway, which caused Nozel’s confused frown to return to his face.

And when his father turned to walk down the hallway, the young man’s eyes widened as he saw Vanessa standing there with a surprised expression as well.

“ Vanessa…”

But she just shook her head as a small smile appeared on her face.

“ Don’t apologize, don’t say you can explain,” She began softly as she held up a hand to stop him. “ This was all just for fun right? I mean, when we first started…whatever this is, we said it wasn’t serious. So you don’t have to explain yourself.”

Nozel stared at her, his mind blank as he tried to figure out what to say or how to tell her that this wasn’t what he wanted.

And by the sadness in her smile, and the hurt in her eyes, he could see that this wasn’t what she wanted either.

“ It was fun while it lasted, right? But now…now it’s time that you and I both get back to reality, and go back to where we belong.”

Nozel slowly shook his head, this isn’t what he wanted! He needed to tell her that!

However, when he opened his mouth, something completely different came out of his mouth than what he wanted.

“ Okay…”

His eyes widened, why did he say that?!

He saw the hurt in her eyes become more pronounced, which caused a pain to form in his chest where his heart sat.

“ Okay,” Vanessa quietly agreed before grabbing the office door. “ I guess I’ll see you around.”

And with that she had quietly closed the door, leaving Nozel alone with his thoughts.

————

“ Why…why did I say that? And more importantly, why did I let her go without explaining anything?” Nozel thought as he suddenly leaned forward and put his head in his hands.

He always seemed to do this…he always seemed to want to do something, but what he actually did differed.

He wanted to protect Noelle, but instead he did the opposite.

He wanted to tell Solid and Nebra the real reason their mother died, but he couldn’t.

He wanted to tell Vanessa that he had no intention of going on the dates his father would set for him, but instead he kept quiet and simply agreed with her.

He never did what he wanted to do…he always just let things happen, or he would get in his own way…

Nozel slowly raised his head.

Maybe today was the day he would break that cycle and do what he wanted.

With that thought in mind, he stood up and immediately left his office to go to the Black Bulls Hideout and talk to Vanessa.

————

At The Black Bulls Hideout

“ Oh Nozel…what’re you doing here?” Vanessa asked when she opened the door to see the Captain of the Silver Eagles standing there.

He quickly opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again repeatedly before eventually placing his hand under his chin and clearing his throat.

“ Can…we talk for a moment? Privately?” He asked, his voice holding it’s usual serious tone, but with a hint of softness in it as well.

Vanessa hummed before looking over her shoulder.

“ I don’t think that’s a good idea,” She said with a bit of a laugh, and when she opened the door a little more he could see all of the Black Bulls standing there glaring at him, except for Noelle.

Noelle’s gaze was stern, but wasn’t quite as…intimidating as the others.

“ I see your point,” Nozel said as Vanessa closed the door slightly. “ Then, would it be alright if I talked and all you have to do is listen?”

She stared at him for a moment before giving a bit of a nod.

“ Alright, but it better be good, or I’m closing the door.” She told him seriously, her tone causing him to wince slightly.

It was a bit harsh, but it was also very much deserved.

Nozel cleared his throat again before taking a deep breath and began to speak.

“ I…I messed up earlier, I should have explained what happened, instead of saying ‘okay’ and letting you go-.” He began softly.

“ You didn’t need to,” Vanessa interjected. “ I heard everything your father said and everything you…didn’t say.”

Nozel winced again, but knew he deserved that remark too.

“ I know, and I’m sorry, I should have told my father what I wanted to tell him instead of freezing like I did.” He continued, and his words made her frown.

“ What did you want to tell him?”

He took another quiet breath before speaking.

“ I wanted to tell him that you and I weren’t just playing around, that I’m serious about you, and that even though I’m not sure what the future holds for us, I’m not afraid, because something in me is telling me that what we have together is something…exceptional that I just can’t explain.”

“ I wanted to tell him that for the first time in my life I was going to be selfish and be with the person I want to be with, instead of someone he chooses for me.”

“ And that person, the one I want to be with, is you.” He concluded softly, his eyes warm and serious as he told her his true feelings.

But Vanessa just stared at him, her expression unreadable. She didn’t nod, she didn’t smile, she didn’t say a word, and it began to concern Nozel a bit.

“ Are you going to tell your father that? Or-?” Before she could finish her question, he immediately interjected.

“ I will. As soon as I leave here I plan on telling my father everything I just told you.” He confirmed with a firm nod.

Vanessa slowly nodded as her gaze drifted away in thought.

But after a few moments, a small smile appeared on her face; her true smile that made Nozel’s heart skip a beat.

“ Then, I guess you’ll need a drink first, huh?”

Chapter Text

“ Okay, you can open your eyes now!”

Nozel quietly sighed before slowly opening his eyes, he already knew where they were without even looking:

“ The beach, you brought me to the beach?” He asked with a slightly confused frown.

He watched as Vanessa smiled playfully and nodded.

“ I did,” She confirmed before stretching her arms above her head. “ I thought you could use some beachside R&R after the last few weeks.”

He wouldn’t deny that he had been a lot busier lately due to Julius being missing and being a top contender to be the next Wizard King, but he hadn’t realized that it had gotten so hectic that his girlfriend felt the need to ‘kidnap’ him for some ‘beachside R&R’.

However, he didn’t say anything in response, he just kind of stood there with a pout.

“ What’s wrong? I thought you liked the beach.” Vanessa said with a bit of a confused frown.

Nozel turned to her with an even more confused look.

“ Who told you that?”

“ Noelle. She told me to bring you to Raque because you love the beach.”

He blinked at her for a moment, of course his youngest sister would be the one to suggest it…

“ I…don’t like the beach.” Nozel admitted as he looked away from her.

Vanessa stared at him with wide eyes.

“ You don’t?” She asked, and when he shook his head she frowned again. “ Why not?”

“ Because it’s hot, the sand is gritty and annoying, and all of the…nudity.”

“ The nudity?”

Nozel nodded, and his head suddenly snapped in her direction when he began to hear her stifle her giggles.

“ What, have you only ever been to a nude beach or something?” She asked after having regained her composure.

He stared at her, his confusion bubbling to the surface again.

“ A nude beach?” He asked, and she nodded.

“ Yeah, it’s a specific beach where swimsuits aren’t required, I’ve even been to a few before.” Vanessa replied as she crossed her arms lazily.

Nozel blinked a few times as his facial expression went from confused to surprised.

“ You mean not all beaches are like that?!”

It was Vanessa’s turn to be surprised and slightly confused.

“ Um, no?”

“ Oh…” And with that, Nozel’s face turned bright red from embarrassment, and that was when Vanessa lost her entire composure.

Just the thought of Nozel being at a nude beach amused her, but him thinking that all beaches were like that tickled her even more!

No wonder he didn’t like the nudity at beaches!

Vanessa reached out, linked their arms together, and began to drag him down the street towards a swimsuit shop.

“ C’mon, let’s get you a swimsuit and take you to a… less nude beach.” She told him with a chuckle.

She heard Nozel grumble behind her, but ignored it and led him into the shop.

For the next hour and a half Vanessa made him try on multiple different types of swim trunks, until he finally settled on a pair of silver and white shorts that reached his knees and a white, long sleeved rash-guard.

“ Do you want some socks to wear with your sandals so you don’t get sand on your feet?” She asked, her tone partially teasing but also partially genuine because he had mentioned not liking the grittiness of sand.

Nozel quickly shook his head.

“ I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” He replied before clearing his throat as he subtly gestured towards his outfit. “ But what do you think?”

He watched her place a hand under her chin as she hummed.

“ I think…you look really cute!” She finally said with a warm smile, her gaze approving as she looked her boyfriend up and down.

Nozel smiled a bit at her words, happy to hear that she liked his outfit and that she thought he was cute.

“ What about mine? Do you like it?” Vanessa asked as she removed her swimsuit cover.

He felt his heart start to race as his face heated up as he stared at her; she was wearing a wine red, two piece swimsuit that left little to the imagination, but it was totally her style. She looked beautiful in it, and apparently he wasn’t the only one who thought so, given how the other men in the store stared at her.

He was tempted to wrap her up in his arms and use his body to obscure her from the other mens view, but he stopped himself since he didn’t want to embarrass her.

“ I…like it. You look really good in it.” Nozel told her as his gaze shifted away slightly.

Vanessa smirked, knowing full well that what he meant was that she looked really, really good in her swimsuit.

She walked over to him, ripped off the price tags, and proceeded to walk over to the cashier to pay for their swimsuits.

As she stood at the counter her smirk widened; Nozel had secretly moved to stand behind her, using his body to try and hide her’s from the other men in the store.

“ Aw, he’s so cute when he’s jealous and protective.”

After the couple left the store they immediately headed for the beach, where the two walked along the shore and talked about the latest missions they had been on, how their squads were doing, and other such things.

As they walked, Vanessa noticed that Nozel kept staring at the sand when she wasn’t speaking, and at first she was a bit confused, but then it dawned on her: he was looking for seashells!

“ Want some help?” She suddenly asked, making his head snap up and turn in her direction.

“ What?”

“ Looking for seashells, do you want some help?” She repeated, a warm smile appearing on her face as she looked at him.

Nozel blinked in surprise before nodding, and they began to look for seashells together.

However, every time Vanessa picked one up and showed it to him he would just shake his head; it happened over and over again, until eventually she began to grow annoyed with him.

He’s even picky with seashells!

“ Is there a particular one you’re looking for, or…?” She trailed off as she turned around to face him, and when she did she saw him crouched down on the ground.

“ I was looking for a matching set.” He explained as he began to dig something up out of the sand.

“ A matching set? Why?” Vanessa repeated with a frown as he stood back up and began to walk over to her with something in his hands.

“ Because…there was an old tale my mother used to tell me when I was young; it said that if you find a matching set of seashells, and you give one to your lover while keeping one for yourself then you’ll be together forever and you’ll be able to weather any storm that comes your way.” He explained as he opened his hand to reveal a pair of matching seashells.

Vanessa felt her heart fill with warmth at his story and at seeing the shells in his hand; it meant so much to her that he would tell her this story, and it meant even more that he wanted to give her the other shell.

“ Nozel…” She trailed off as he placed it into the palm over her hand, her words failing her as she stared down at the precious item.

“ It’s just a story, but I thought since we’re at the beach…it couldn’t hurt to look.” He muttered, his eyes shifting away from her in embarrassment.

It was silly, very silly, but he just…couldn’t help himself.

Vanessa walked up to him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him into a sweet and tender kiss, which Nozel gladly reciprocated.

When she pulled away, she rested her forehead against his and smiled.

“ Thank you, Nozel, I love it.”

Nozel smiled softly, and wrapped his arms gently around her waist.

“ I should be the one thanking you,” He told her. “ For choosing me, for being with me, for loving me and all of my flaws.”

Vanessa’s smile widened slightly before she leaned forward and kissed him again.

“ Likewise.”