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esp_dragonv2Fandom: Noblesse
Summary: Kentas has a question.
Contains: M-21/Kentas
Rating: PG-13
Genre: General
Word count: 1,774
Status: Complete
M-21 rolled his shoulders as he left his room, his hair still damp from his shower. His training had went all right, but after having regular spars with Kentas, training by himself felt...empty. He didn't get as much out of only practicing his transformation over and over again. But Kentas had left to do something, so M-21 had trained in the meantime.
He sighed as he leaned his arms on the balcony, the night breeze cooling him down a little. He turned his head towards the sound of footsteps approaching him. It wasn't Tao, who would have called out already, and moved faster. Takeo was quieter, and avoided the creaky floorboards. He knew everyone else's footsteps well enough to recognise them, which left one person who would be striding towards him now.
"Hey, Kentas," M-21 greeted, turning his attention back to the street below them.
"You sensed me?" Kentas asked as he joined M-21.
It would figure Kentas thought that. "No - I heard you."
"You did?" Kentas' eyebrows were raised, like he was impressed that M-21 could use his ears. His gaze drifted higher, going towards M-21's damp hair. His breathing deepened, like he was trying to place a smell.
"Tch, do I still stink?" M-21 said, running a hand through his hair. How strong were werewolf noses? Kentas didn't seem bothered by scents around the house, but he could be hiding it. ...Though Kentas couldn't hide his true feelings very well.
"No," Kentas said, a small crease forming between his brows. "I thought you'd finished training?"
Was that it? "It's from my shower," M-21 said, shrugging. "I'd finished training a while ago."
Kentas' shoulders dropped. "Oh."
He was disappointed? Because they didn't train together, or he'd missed the time before M-21 cleaned himself up?
M-21 glanced away when his phone vibrated. He checked the screen and then pushed himself away from the balcony. "Dinner's almost ready." He'd set his alarm for a few minutes before dinner, to give him time to help set the table.
He would need it now, even if he hadn't trained as he normally did.
*
Kentas had been acting a little weird; M-21 couldn't place what it was though. He would catch Kentas looking at him, but Kentas did that a lot. Kentas complimented him, but Kentas had done that since they'd met.
As the days passed, Kentas withdrew into himself. Not completely - he still talked with M-21 and the others, but he was quieter than he usually was.
What had changed? M-21 couldn't tell.
But M-21 knew one thing that always perked Kentas' mood up.
"Hey," he said as he walked over to Kentas as he stood at the balcony.
Kentas turned his head to look at him. "Yeah?"
"Do you want to spar?"
M-21 hadn't finished asking when Kentas' eyes went wide, like... M-21 wasn't sure. He couldn't place it. It wasn't that surprising to ask for a spar, was it? Kentas had asked him a few times already.
"Yeah!"
Kentas all but ran down the stairs.
An amused smile grew on M-21's face as he followed him out. It seemed like that had helped already.
*
M-21 grunted as his back slammed against the tree, hearing it crack, a shower of leaves drifting down after the impact.
He tried to move, but he was too slow, Kentas upon him already. M-21 was able to lock his fingers with Kentas' hands as he swung down, and they struggled against each other, their auras trying to force the other to his knees.
With a hiss, M-21's muscles shook before giving up, and he was pinned back onto the tree.
He panted, trying to struggle for a second longer, but he had no energy left to maintain his transformation, and he let go of it with a groan. Damn. Another loss for him, but... He hadn't managed to push Kentas like that before. Not for that long either.
He was getting better.
The forest rang with M-21's blood pounding in his ears, and he didn't move when Kentas leaned against him, moving just enough it seemed like he was nuzzling the side of M-21's head.
Kentas was growling too, low and deep in his chest, and M-21 was starting to recognise it was something like a cat's purr. It was a sound he normally heard after their spars together.
"Finally," M-21 said, and maybe he should just slide down the tree to sit. Otherwise he might just tip over, if Kentas didn't catch him first.
"Nnn?"
"You were bothered by something," M-21 said, catching his breath, his limbs aching, but he felt he felt tired in a good way. Like he did after he'd pushed his limits again. "You're not now." Kentas seemed better when he wasn't worrying at something. Happier.
Kentas pulled his head back to look at him. "You noticed?"
M-21 blinked. "It wasn't that hard?" Kentas projected every single one of his emotions, and could be read across the room, even if he didn't say anything.
Kentas stared at him.
M-21 took that moment to just slide down the tree, grimacing as his skin caught on splinters. He could take punches that should shatter bone, but splinters? That was different, apparently.
He sighed as he leaned back, closing his eyes. He wouldn't fall asleep, but the world was tilting, so that would keep the nausea away. "What was bothering you?" If Kentas wanted to tell him, anyway.
Kentas didn't reply immediately as he sat down next to M-21, which was weird. In some ways, Kentas' brain-to-mouth filter was pretty loose; not as bad as Tao's, but no-one could make Tao stop talking as soon as he latched onto an idea.
"How...do humans show they like another human?"
All right, Kentas didn't want to tell him. M-21 shrugged, feeling the pull of his muscles. Or part of them regrowing. "I don't know much about it, so you're better off asking Frankenstein." Frankenstein was a lot older and had more experience - he would have a clearer idea of how to answer Kentas' question.
"Oh."
It was good Kentas was getting more interested in learning more about humans though.
"Yeah. I'll go ask him."
"Sure." M-21 exhaled, just listening to the forest around them as he got his breath back.
*
While M-21 was finding something to snack on in the kitchen, the skin at the back of his neck prickled. When he turned, he caught Kentas' gaze as he stood at the kitchen door. "Did you ask Frankenstein?" he said as he walked over. It had been a day since they'd had their spar, and Kentas was back to acting a little weird.
Kentas shrugged, his gaze drifting. "He made me a booklet."
M-21 smirked at that. "Sounds like what Frankenstein would do." Frankenstein had made them all a few booklets about whatever topic they couldn't understand. "Did it help?"
"Not really," Kentas said, shaking his head, "but Frankenstein said that would happen."
"He did?" That was weird. Frankenstein tried to make his booklets as clear as possible - was it because Kentas was a werewolf and thought differently from humans?
Kentas exhaled, crossing his arms, before he focused on M-21. "How do you show someone you're interested in them?"
M-21 frowned, just blinking at him. Why was Kentas asking him again when he had already answered? Did he really want to know? "I...don't know," M-21 said, his frown deepening. If Kentas really wanted an answer from him, he'd give it, but he didn't have an answer.
Kentas' face fell.
"Why are you so interested?" He thought Kentas would be too busy with training to care about humans fucking each other.
Kentas studied him, his mouth opening like he was going to say something. He hesitated, and then shook his head. "I realised werewolves and humans are different--"
Obviously?
"--and would show their interest to each other differently, so." He paused, before exhaling, squaring his shoulders. "I wanted to make sure there was mutual interest before continuing."
M-21 stared. "Then why are you asking m--" Oh.
...Shit.
Oh, he was a fucking idiot. That was why Kentas kept asking him, and why Frankenstein couldn't help.
"I..." M-21 trailed off, his mind spinning. Kentas liked him? Why? "How do werewol - fuck. How do you show interest?" If they were being specific now.
Which they needed to be, because what the fuck? Had he missed all the signs of Kentas' interest? As far as M-21 could tell, Kentas had been the same as he usually was.
Except he knew Kentas had been acting differently recently.
"We usually show interest by sparring with each other," Kentas said.
Which Kentas had asked to do a number of times. ...And M-21 had seen Kentas' reaction when he'd asked Kentas if he wanted to spar.
"And I compliment the person I like," Kentas continued.
M-21 covered his face with a hand as he groaned. He was the biggest idiot. It was all there. In front of him. He'd seen it and hadn't realised what it meant. Kentas had been showing interest from almost as soon as they'd met.
Kentas didn't say anything, waiting patiently.
And.
Right.
M-21 had just...never had a chance to actually do something like this. Not in a way that was acknowledged. He'd been close to M-24, but they'd been too busy trying to survive that they couldn't think about anything else. They'd had no time to relax, let alone spend time thinking about if they were interested in each other.
"I...don't know what I do to show I'm interested in someone," M-21 said, picking his words with care. "I've never done this before - not something I remember doing, anyway." Uh. Shit. He knew how to think on his feet in a fight or when his life was in danger, but right now his mind was drawing a blank on what to do. "But...we could find out? Together."
Kentas beamed at him.
Was that the right thing to do? Would this work? Or would he fuck it up instead, because he couldn't even tell when Kentas was interested in him, so what else would he--
M-21's thoughts halted when Kentas pulled him into a hug, Kentas nuzzling the side of his head as he rumbled deep in his chest. M-21 recognised that sound - he heard it a lot after their spars. It meant Kentas was happy.
M-21 relaxed into the hug, returning it.
All right.
This...
This could go okay.
And if he was confused about something, he could ask.
Just like Kentas had.
Inspired by givethispromptatry's prompt, '“What do humans find attractive in a mate?”
“It varies. Like, wildly. You’re better off asking the human you like what their type is than asking a different human about it.”
Summary: Kentas has a question.
Contains: M-21/Kentas
Rating: PG-13
Genre: General
Word count: 1,774
Status: Complete
M-21 rolled his shoulders as he left his room, his hair still damp from his shower. His training had went all right, but after having regular spars with Kentas, training by himself felt...empty. He didn't get as much out of only practicing his transformation over and over again. But Kentas had left to do something, so M-21 had trained in the meantime.
He sighed as he leaned his arms on the balcony, the night breeze cooling him down a little. He turned his head towards the sound of footsteps approaching him. It wasn't Tao, who would have called out already, and moved faster. Takeo was quieter, and avoided the creaky floorboards. He knew everyone else's footsteps well enough to recognise them, which left one person who would be striding towards him now.
"Hey, Kentas," M-21 greeted, turning his attention back to the street below them.
"You sensed me?" Kentas asked as he joined M-21.
It would figure Kentas thought that. "No - I heard you."
"You did?" Kentas' eyebrows were raised, like he was impressed that M-21 could use his ears. His gaze drifted higher, going towards M-21's damp hair. His breathing deepened, like he was trying to place a smell.
"Tch, do I still stink?" M-21 said, running a hand through his hair. How strong were werewolf noses? Kentas didn't seem bothered by scents around the house, but he could be hiding it. ...Though Kentas couldn't hide his true feelings very well.
"No," Kentas said, a small crease forming between his brows. "I thought you'd finished training?"
Was that it? "It's from my shower," M-21 said, shrugging. "I'd finished training a while ago."
Kentas' shoulders dropped. "Oh."
He was disappointed? Because they didn't train together, or he'd missed the time before M-21 cleaned himself up?
M-21 glanced away when his phone vibrated. He checked the screen and then pushed himself away from the balcony. "Dinner's almost ready." He'd set his alarm for a few minutes before dinner, to give him time to help set the table.
He would need it now, even if he hadn't trained as he normally did.
Kentas had been acting a little weird; M-21 couldn't place what it was though. He would catch Kentas looking at him, but Kentas did that a lot. Kentas complimented him, but Kentas had done that since they'd met.
As the days passed, Kentas withdrew into himself. Not completely - he still talked with M-21 and the others, but he was quieter than he usually was.
What had changed? M-21 couldn't tell.
But M-21 knew one thing that always perked Kentas' mood up.
"Hey," he said as he walked over to Kentas as he stood at the balcony.
Kentas turned his head to look at him. "Yeah?"
"Do you want to spar?"
M-21 hadn't finished asking when Kentas' eyes went wide, like... M-21 wasn't sure. He couldn't place it. It wasn't that surprising to ask for a spar, was it? Kentas had asked him a few times already.
"Yeah!"
Kentas all but ran down the stairs.
An amused smile grew on M-21's face as he followed him out. It seemed like that had helped already.
M-21 grunted as his back slammed against the tree, hearing it crack, a shower of leaves drifting down after the impact.
He tried to move, but he was too slow, Kentas upon him already. M-21 was able to lock his fingers with Kentas' hands as he swung down, and they struggled against each other, their auras trying to force the other to his knees.
With a hiss, M-21's muscles shook before giving up, and he was pinned back onto the tree.
He panted, trying to struggle for a second longer, but he had no energy left to maintain his transformation, and he let go of it with a groan. Damn. Another loss for him, but... He hadn't managed to push Kentas like that before. Not for that long either.
He was getting better.
The forest rang with M-21's blood pounding in his ears, and he didn't move when Kentas leaned against him, moving just enough it seemed like he was nuzzling the side of M-21's head.
Kentas was growling too, low and deep in his chest, and M-21 was starting to recognise it was something like a cat's purr. It was a sound he normally heard after their spars together.
"Finally," M-21 said, and maybe he should just slide down the tree to sit. Otherwise he might just tip over, if Kentas didn't catch him first.
"Nnn?"
"You were bothered by something," M-21 said, catching his breath, his limbs aching, but he felt he felt tired in a good way. Like he did after he'd pushed his limits again. "You're not now." Kentas seemed better when he wasn't worrying at something. Happier.
Kentas pulled his head back to look at him. "You noticed?"
M-21 blinked. "It wasn't that hard?" Kentas projected every single one of his emotions, and could be read across the room, even if he didn't say anything.
Kentas stared at him.
M-21 took that moment to just slide down the tree, grimacing as his skin caught on splinters. He could take punches that should shatter bone, but splinters? That was different, apparently.
He sighed as he leaned back, closing his eyes. He wouldn't fall asleep, but the world was tilting, so that would keep the nausea away. "What was bothering you?" If Kentas wanted to tell him, anyway.
Kentas didn't reply immediately as he sat down next to M-21, which was weird. In some ways, Kentas' brain-to-mouth filter was pretty loose; not as bad as Tao's, but no-one could make Tao stop talking as soon as he latched onto an idea.
"How...do humans show they like another human?"
All right, Kentas didn't want to tell him. M-21 shrugged, feeling the pull of his muscles. Or part of them regrowing. "I don't know much about it, so you're better off asking Frankenstein." Frankenstein was a lot older and had more experience - he would have a clearer idea of how to answer Kentas' question.
"Oh."
It was good Kentas was getting more interested in learning more about humans though.
"Yeah. I'll go ask him."
"Sure." M-21 exhaled, just listening to the forest around them as he got his breath back.
While M-21 was finding something to snack on in the kitchen, the skin at the back of his neck prickled. When he turned, he caught Kentas' gaze as he stood at the kitchen door. "Did you ask Frankenstein?" he said as he walked over. It had been a day since they'd had their spar, and Kentas was back to acting a little weird.
Kentas shrugged, his gaze drifting. "He made me a booklet."
M-21 smirked at that. "Sounds like what Frankenstein would do." Frankenstein had made them all a few booklets about whatever topic they couldn't understand. "Did it help?"
"Not really," Kentas said, shaking his head, "but Frankenstein said that would happen."
"He did?" That was weird. Frankenstein tried to make his booklets as clear as possible - was it because Kentas was a werewolf and thought differently from humans?
Kentas exhaled, crossing his arms, before he focused on M-21. "How do you show someone you're interested in them?"
M-21 frowned, just blinking at him. Why was Kentas asking him again when he had already answered? Did he really want to know? "I...don't know," M-21 said, his frown deepening. If Kentas really wanted an answer from him, he'd give it, but he didn't have an answer.
Kentas' face fell.
"Why are you so interested?" He thought Kentas would be too busy with training to care about humans fucking each other.
Kentas studied him, his mouth opening like he was going to say something. He hesitated, and then shook his head. "I realised werewolves and humans are different--"
Obviously?
"--and would show their interest to each other differently, so." He paused, before exhaling, squaring his shoulders. "I wanted to make sure there was mutual interest before continuing."
M-21 stared. "Then why are you asking m--" Oh.
...Shit.
Oh, he was a fucking idiot. That was why Kentas kept asking him, and why Frankenstein couldn't help.
"I..." M-21 trailed off, his mind spinning. Kentas liked him? Why? "How do werewol - fuck. How do you show interest?" If they were being specific now.
Which they needed to be, because what the fuck? Had he missed all the signs of Kentas' interest? As far as M-21 could tell, Kentas had been the same as he usually was.
Except he knew Kentas had been acting differently recently.
"We usually show interest by sparring with each other," Kentas said.
Which Kentas had asked to do a number of times. ...And M-21 had seen Kentas' reaction when he'd asked Kentas if he wanted to spar.
"And I compliment the person I like," Kentas continued.
M-21 covered his face with a hand as he groaned. He was the biggest idiot. It was all there. In front of him. He'd seen it and hadn't realised what it meant. Kentas had been showing interest from almost as soon as they'd met.
Kentas didn't say anything, waiting patiently.
And.
Right.
M-21 had just...never had a chance to actually do something like this. Not in a way that was acknowledged. He'd been close to M-24, but they'd been too busy trying to survive that they couldn't think about anything else. They'd had no time to relax, let alone spend time thinking about if they were interested in each other.
"I...don't know what I do to show I'm interested in someone," M-21 said, picking his words with care. "I've never done this before - not something I remember doing, anyway." Uh. Shit. He knew how to think on his feet in a fight or when his life was in danger, but right now his mind was drawing a blank on what to do. "But...we could find out? Together."
Kentas beamed at him.
Was that the right thing to do? Would this work? Or would he fuck it up instead, because he couldn't even tell when Kentas was interested in him, so what else would he--
M-21's thoughts halted when Kentas pulled him into a hug, Kentas nuzzling the side of his head as he rumbled deep in his chest. M-21 recognised that sound - he heard it a lot after their spars. It meant Kentas was happy.
M-21 relaxed into the hug, returning it.
All right.
This...
This could go okay.
And if he was confused about something, he could ask.
Just like Kentas had.
Inspired by givethispromptatry's prompt, '“What do humans find attractive in a mate?”
“It varies. Like, wildly. You’re better off asking the human you like what their type is than asking a different human about it.”