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esp_dragonv2) wrote2023-12-02 05:45 pm
esp_dragonv2) wrote2023-12-02 05:45 pm
Adapt [Breathe]
Fandom: Noblesse
Summary: M-21 woke up to Kentas not breathing.
Notes: Set earlier in the verse.
Rating: G
Genre: General
Word count: 568
Total word count: 31,928
Status: Work in progress
M-21 woke up with a jolt. Something was wrong. The bedroom was quiet, no-one else in the room but...
The bedroom was too quiet.
Kentas wasn't breathing.
M-21's hand scrabbled over Kentas' skin. Still warm. It hadn't been long. No blue lips either.
What the hell? Werewolves didn't just die. Especially not warrior werewolves in their sleep.
His slick hands finally found Kentas' shoulders and he shook them. "Hey! Kentas!"
Kentas' eyes snapped open, focusing on M-21. "Yeah? What's wrong?" His hands curling around M-21's wrists and he could see Kentas' chest rise and fall again.
M-21 sank down again, resting his forehead on Kentas' chest. A strong steady heartbeat. Still warm. Breathing easily.
Kentas was okay.
He exhaled when Kentas wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Nightmare?" Kentas murmured into M-21's hair.
That's what Kentas thought had woken him up? "You weren't breathing."
"Oh. Yeah, we don't when we sleep." Kentas paused. "Or we don't breathe as much?"
M-21 lifted his head to stare at him, who didn't look concerned at all. "Is that normal for a werewolf?"
"Yeah. I thought you were breathing a lot when you slept." Kentas yawned, his eyes drooping.
M-21 listened as Kentas' breathing slowed, felt his heart slow as well, but not as much.
Slower and slower until M-21 was counting one breath a minute. It stayed like that but M-21 continued listening, in case it stopped altogether.
* * *
Birdsong and the sun lighting the sky drew M-21's attention outside. Had he been counting Kentas' breathing for the entire night?
He wasn't going to go back to sleep like that, so M-21 got up, already smelling the beginning of breakfast. There was someone else here who might know more.
Frankenstein was in full swing in the kitchen, the cooker full of laden sizzling pans.
Frankenstein turned to him as soon as M-21 opened the door. "Morn-" He stilled, studying M-21's face. "A bad night?"
"Why does everyone assume I had a nightmare?" M-21 grumbled. He did have nightmares, but they'd trickled off recently.
"Because that's usually the reason why you don't sleep well, if not because you're running certain scenarios through your head often enough they may as well count as nightmares," Frankenstein said dryly.
...Fine. "Do werewolves need less air when sleeping?" M-21 said instead.
At that, Frankenstein's eyebrows shot up before he frowned in thought. "I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. Master doesn't need to breathe oxygen to survive and werewolves are rather similar in physiology to nobles."
So it sounded like Kentas should be fine.
M-21 looked around the kitchen at the work Frankenstein had started, and waded in to help.
He wasn't going to be doing anything else anyway.
* * *
The next night, M-21 listened to Kentas sleep. His breathing stayed steady and regular, but it didn't slow down.
"It's hard to sleep when someone's staring at me," Kentas mumbled as he turned towards M-21.
Ah, shit. M-21 exhaled, running a hand down his face. "Sorry. I just...wanted to make sure." It was fine if it was something he hadn't noticed before, but he wanted to double-check first. Then he could relax.
"Hnnng." Kentas threw an arm around M-21's waist and drew him close. Close enough that M-21 could feel his heartbeat. Close enough to feel his breathing.
Yeah. Okay. He knew it now.
He just had to remember it.
Summary: M-21 woke up to Kentas not breathing.
Notes: Set earlier in the verse.
Rating: G
Genre: General
Word count: 568
Total word count: 31,928
Status: Work in progress
M-21 woke up with a jolt. Something was wrong. The bedroom was quiet, no-one else in the room but...
The bedroom was too quiet.
Kentas wasn't breathing.
M-21's hand scrabbled over Kentas' skin. Still warm. It hadn't been long. No blue lips either.
What the hell? Werewolves didn't just die. Especially not warrior werewolves in their sleep.
His slick hands finally found Kentas' shoulders and he shook them. "Hey! Kentas!"
Kentas' eyes snapped open, focusing on M-21. "Yeah? What's wrong?" His hands curling around M-21's wrists and he could see Kentas' chest rise and fall again.
M-21 sank down again, resting his forehead on Kentas' chest. A strong steady heartbeat. Still warm. Breathing easily.
Kentas was okay.
He exhaled when Kentas wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Nightmare?" Kentas murmured into M-21's hair.
That's what Kentas thought had woken him up? "You weren't breathing."
"Oh. Yeah, we don't when we sleep." Kentas paused. "Or we don't breathe as much?"
M-21 lifted his head to stare at him, who didn't look concerned at all. "Is that normal for a werewolf?"
"Yeah. I thought you were breathing a lot when you slept." Kentas yawned, his eyes drooping.
M-21 listened as Kentas' breathing slowed, felt his heart slow as well, but not as much.
Slower and slower until M-21 was counting one breath a minute. It stayed like that but M-21 continued listening, in case it stopped altogether.
Birdsong and the sun lighting the sky drew M-21's attention outside. Had he been counting Kentas' breathing for the entire night?
He wasn't going to go back to sleep like that, so M-21 got up, already smelling the beginning of breakfast. There was someone else here who might know more.
Frankenstein was in full swing in the kitchen, the cooker full of laden sizzling pans.
Frankenstein turned to him as soon as M-21 opened the door. "Morn-" He stilled, studying M-21's face. "A bad night?"
"Why does everyone assume I had a nightmare?" M-21 grumbled. He did have nightmares, but they'd trickled off recently.
"Because that's usually the reason why you don't sleep well, if not because you're running certain scenarios through your head often enough they may as well count as nightmares," Frankenstein said dryly.
...Fine. "Do werewolves need less air when sleeping?" M-21 said instead.
At that, Frankenstein's eyebrows shot up before he frowned in thought. "I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. Master doesn't need to breathe oxygen to survive and werewolves are rather similar in physiology to nobles."
So it sounded like Kentas should be fine.
M-21 looked around the kitchen at the work Frankenstein had started, and waded in to help.
He wasn't going to be doing anything else anyway.
The next night, M-21 listened to Kentas sleep. His breathing stayed steady and regular, but it didn't slow down.
"It's hard to sleep when someone's staring at me," Kentas mumbled as he turned towards M-21.
Ah, shit. M-21 exhaled, running a hand down his face. "Sorry. I just...wanted to make sure." It was fine if it was something he hadn't noticed before, but he wanted to double-check first. Then he could relax.
"Hnnng." Kentas threw an arm around M-21's waist and drew him close. Close enough that M-21 could feel his heartbeat. Close enough to feel his breathing.
Yeah. Okay. He knew it now.
He just had to remember it.