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esp_dragonv2) wrote2024-02-24 04:34 pm
esp_dragonv2) wrote2024-02-24 04:34 pm
Entry tags:
Perks [Encouragement]
Fandom: Noblesse
Summary: Muzaka tries to encourage Frankenstein to exercise.
Notes: Night Shift AU where Frankenstein is a scientist and Muzaka is an Alpha assigned to him.
Rating: G
Genre: General
Word count: 2,298
Total word count: 11,841
Status: Work in progress
Frankenstein stared at Muzaka. "What did you say?"
Muzaka exhaled, still leaning a hand on Frankenstein's desk. "I said, do you wanna learn how to fight?"
Exactly what Frankenstein thought he heard. He frowned. "Why would I need to?"
"In case you need to."
"For...?" Muzaka really wasn't making sense right now.
Muzaka shrugged. "I might not always be around."
"Why not?" Muzaka was always there when Frankenstein needed him - sometimes when he didn't, asking questions such as these and trying to pull Frankenstein away from his work.
"Hey, I gotta sleep sometimes!"
Frankenstein grimaced. True. Muzaka did tend to leave for home before Frankenstein did, and arrive later in the morning.
"Or I could be busy."
At that, Frankenstein arched an eyebrow. Muzaka was rarely busy, which was exactly why they had started having their moments together so often.
"I'm not always next to you - or I could be fighting something else!"
"Hmph." That could be a possibility as well. "Then use your speed or beat them quickly; that's what you were enhanced for."
Muzaka sighed. "Yeah, okay, Boss."
* * *
Frankenstein stood up with a groan and when he stretched, his back cracked in several places. Had he sat for too long? No, he'd done longer stints before and not been affected.
"You know, Boss," Muzaka said, still tossing that balled up piece of paper that Frankenstein had thrown out while he was sprawled out on the chair across from Frankenstein, "there's a couple of exercises you could try to help with that."
"You seem determined to keep me away from my desk," Frankenstein said wryly, though his back twinged and he dug his fingers where it hurt the most.
Muzaka finally caught the paper and looked over to leer at Frankenstein. "I could do somethin' else if that was all I wanted to do." He waggled his eyebrows.
Frankenstein snorted. "I'll be fine." He couldn't waste time today, and he certainly wasn't interested in either kind of Muzaka's 'exercises' with how his body was feeling right then.
* * *
Frankenstein glared at the machine, gleaming surface mocking him. No, that was impossible for him. He'd tried but it hadn't even moved when he'd put his entire weight behind it. There was no way for him to move it to where he wanted it to be.
He heard the lab door hiss open behind him.
"Hey, Boss."
"You're finally here." Frankenstein kept glaring at the stubborn machinery. "Move this for me."
"Move - how long you been waiting for me to get in?"
"I haven't looked at the time recently," Frankenstein said, stepping out the way as Muzaka lifted it up as if it were made of paper.
"Y'know-"
"Before you suggest exercise again," Frankenstein said, rolling his eyes, "I clearly have your help if I'm unable to carry something." He directed Muzaka to where he wanted it placed by tapping the countertop.
"You wouldn't need to wait for me to show up though." Muzaka set it down, not looking winded in the slightest.
"I don't think I would be able to move that even if I did exercise." Muzaka had a skewed idea of what was achievable by non-enhanced people.
"Hm." Muzaka tilted the machinery with a finger before Frankenstein waved his hand away. "Okay, sure, I'll give ya that one."
Of course he would. Frankenstein was right.
* * *
"Boss, what're you working on?"
Frankenstein looked up from his vials to see Muzaka grimacing. "Splicing some proteins. Why?" It wouldn't be done for another hour or so.
Muzaka's grimace deepened as he approached Frankenstein. "You can't hear the rattling?"
"Apparently not," Frankenstein said dryly, moving away from his current project. Everything sounded like it should be: quiet. Muzaka had only started coming to the lab more regularly, so it was probably just something he hadn't heard before.
Muzaka settled down into his usual chair for check-ups, although he kept narrowing his eyes briefly in the direction of the splicer.
It didn't take long to collect Muzaka's observations, and Frankenstein hummed over them. It had only been a few times since Muzaka started coming for check-ups but his numbers were already coming down in comparison to Frankenstein's first readings.
Frankenstein reached for a vial and whilst he was searching for a vein, he saw Muzaka tense. Had he moved too quickly? Should be try distra-
"Frank-!"
His stomach dropped. Muzaka never called him by name. Even when they first met.
Frankenstein didn't see Muzaka move, just felt Muzaka's arms wrap around his head and his torso, Muzaka's body pressed up against Frankenstein's right before Frankenstein felt the explosion rip through the lab.
Frankenstein hit the floor hard with the wind knocked out of him, his ears ringing.
He coughed, wheezing as the smell of burnt rubber and metal clawed at his nose.
What had happened? An attack? A machine malfunction and breakdown? Didn't matter right now.
Muzaka hadn't moved yet. He couldn't be dead.
Could he-?
It was only a small explosion. As far as Frankenstein could tell. But it was hard to know when Muzaka's face blocked most of his view of the lab.
But Frankenstein knew how one small disruption could affect the entire body.
Could he move Muzaka to get help? Should he if Muzaka was injured? Muzaka was pure muscle and while Frankenstein had known that, it was entirely something else to have it as a dead weight on top of him.
Muzaka exhaled, lifting his head up to glance over his shoulder. There was an alarm going on that wouldn't shut up, blaring in Frankenstein's ears.
Muzaka was okay. Conscious and moving and-
Something hot dripped down onto Frankenstein's chest.
Muzaka looked back at him. "You okay, Boss?"
"Am I-? What about yourself?" Frankenstein hissed, far too aware of the constant drip of blood onto him. It wasn't a constant flow. Muzaka wasn't bleeding out.
But he was still hurt. Because of Frankenstein.
"You two all right?"
Frankenstein hadn't heard the lab door open.
"We're good," Muzaka called out, sliding his arm free from behind Frankenstein's head as he got up and Frankenstein glared at him. He was not all right. "I think it was just the one reaction."
Muzaka's top was stained bright red at his sides.
The other person must have seen it at the same time by her shout and then Frankenstein and Muzaka were surrounded by medics.
Fine. Frankenstein would let them do their work.
* * *
"As you have already assessed," Frankenstein snarled at Dr Hugh, "I'm fine. I have no injuries." Muzaka had made sure of that.
Dr Hugh let out a small exhale, of quite a few he'd already done in their brief conversation. "In an incident that you've been in, we would want to keep you in for a bit longer, just in case you develop worrying symptoms later."
Frankenstein scowled, but as he was opening his mouth to retort, another voice spoke up first.
"Not giving the docs too much trouble, are ya, Boss?"
Frankenstein turned his scowl onto Muzaka, even as relief eased his stomach. "Shouldn't you be resting?" Muzaka was in clean change of clothes, unlike Frankenstein, not a trace of blood in sight.
"Shouldn't you?" Muzaka shot but, still with an easy grin. He moved like he normally did, not looking like he was in pain. Though Frankenstein had thought that before.
Muzaka turned his attention to Dr Hugh. "How is he, doc?"
"I'm fine," Frankenstein repeated.
Dr Hugh took a second to respond, which was a second too long when the answer had been clear from the first test results. "I currently can't see any reason to keep him here if he wants to go."
Finally. Frankenstein got to his feet and headed for the door, Muzaka falling in step behind him.
"Just get in touch if you develop any new symptoms sud-"
The door cut him off as it closed behind them.
Frankenstein snorted. It was unlikely he would develop any other symptoms in the first place, let alone anything life-threatening.
Muzaka stepped closer, so he was by Frankenstein's side. Frankenstein glanced up at him, eyes narrowed. Muzaka never did that, and Muzaka didn't do anything without a reason.
"I'm not going to fall over," Frankenstein said. He'd felt a bit lightheaded when he'd first stood up, but the moment had passed.
"What if I fall over then?" Muzaka said, his voice light.
That cooled Frankenstein's temper. He wouldn't be able to do anything if Muzaka did collapse. Certainly not catch him.
Muzaka patted his shoulder with a low laugh. "I'm good, Boss. They wouldn't have let me out otherwise."
Frankenstein's opinion of his coworkers' abilities were not as optimistic, given their previous track record.
Muzaka looked around. "You're going in the wrong way, Boss."
"And where do you think I'm going?"
"...I'd assumed the office but-" Muzaka cut himself off with a sigh. "Security won't let you into the lab until they've cleared the area."
Frankenstein drew himself up, even if that still didn't let him close to Muzaka's eye-sight level. "I need to see the damage!"
Muzaka didn't back down, too used to him unlike the other scientists. "After they've made sure it won't explode again."
"They'll be finished by now," Frankenstein said, still striding towards the lab. They'd had more than enough time to sort through everything.
* * *
"Told ya, Boss."
Frankenstein glared as he walked away from his lab, the security officers barring him from entering. If nothing else had reacted by now, then it was safe to enter again. Nothing else would explode.
"You're meant to rest after a major incident anyway, not head straight back."
"They'll want a report about what happened," Frankenstein answered. That was part of the reason. He glanced at Muzaka from the corner of his eyes. "You're not resting either." This was the second incident as well.
Muzaka shrugged. "I'm walkin', not working."
Urgh, their definition of work and what they had to do for it was different.
And Muzaka had already done enough work for the day.
* * *
Frankenstein couldn't sleep. His thoughts wouldn't quieten, but he was used to that. New ideas and hypotheses were always running around in Frankenstein's head, but he wasn't used to replaying a moment over and over.
He'd been helpless. He couldn't do anything to help Muzaka after he'd been protected.
Muzaka had been there to protect him, but he hadn't been able to help Muzaka in return.
He should do something about that.
* * *
"Boss, you shouldn't be in right now."
"And yet," Frankenstein said, not looking up from his report, "you still came to check." Security had finally finished in the lab and he could enter it again.
As far as he could tell, no-one had been through the journals he'd kept there.
"Yeah, 'cause I know you," Muzaka said with a snort as he walked into the office. He didn't move like his skin had been shredded the day before. Alpha healing at its finest.
"And how are you feeling?" Frankenstein said, sitting back in his chair.
Muzaka shot him a grin as he dropped into the chair opposite Frankenstein's. "No different from last week. The medics checked everything, though they didn't have your winnin' personality."
Frankenstein snorted. "I'm sure." That reminded him... "We didn't finish your check-up."
Muzaka grimaced. "We didn't, but would that even be useful right now?"
Frankenstein arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Wouldn't me being injured yesterday mess with your results?"
It was surprising Muzaka would consider that, or had that been from listening to the other scientists? "In unmodified humans, yes," Frankenstein acknowledged, "but you're clearly not. Though if you hadn't stabilised by now, that would be a sign of something else I would need to investigate." Frankenstein paused, thinking it over. "It would simply be another way to track your modifications."
Muzaka shook his head. "Science is all you've got on the brain, Boss."
"You did ask." Frankenstein huffed. "And of course I do." That was the reason he had come to the position he was in now.
"I have some instruments here," Frankenstein continued, leaning over to open one of his desk drawers. He had taken a few spares when he had gone to his lab.
"Fiiine," Muzaka said, straightening in his chair while Frankenstein got everything prepared.
* * *
"You okay, Boss?" Muzaka asked while Frankenstein poked around his elbow, double-checking the vein. "You seem a little distracted."
Frankenstein frowned at the vein. He hadn't felt like he had been doing anything different, but if Muzaka had picked up on it... He leaned back with a sigh. "About your offer for..." He grimaced. Even the thought of it made him balk. "Exercise. I would like to take you up on it."
A grin flashed across Muzaka's face as he perked up. "Really? What made you-" He stilled, his grin freezing. "Is it because of the accident?"
Frankenstein nodded, undoing the tourniquet around Muzaka's biceps since he clearly wasn't taking any blood any time soon. "I realised... I couldn't do much to help you."
Muzaka snorted before Frankenstein could continue. "That's different. It's my job to protect you; it's your job to do your science."
Hm. Which Frankenstein had done when he took over the care of Muzaka's series.
"But since your lab is wrecked right now," Muzaka said, rolling his shoulders as he stood up, "we could start now. You got a comfortable change of clothes?"
Regret was already building in Frankenstein's stomach but he nodded.
It shouldn't be too difficult. Just using a different set of muscles.
So long as Muzaka remembered Frankenstein wasn't an Alpha.
Summary: Muzaka tries to encourage Frankenstein to exercise.
Notes: Night Shift AU where Frankenstein is a scientist and Muzaka is an Alpha assigned to him.
Rating: G
Genre: General
Word count: 2,298
Total word count: 11,841
Status: Work in progress
Frankenstein stared at Muzaka. "What did you say?"
Muzaka exhaled, still leaning a hand on Frankenstein's desk. "I said, do you wanna learn how to fight?"
Exactly what Frankenstein thought he heard. He frowned. "Why would I need to?"
"In case you need to."
"For...?" Muzaka really wasn't making sense right now.
Muzaka shrugged. "I might not always be around."
"Why not?" Muzaka was always there when Frankenstein needed him - sometimes when he didn't, asking questions such as these and trying to pull Frankenstein away from his work.
"Hey, I gotta sleep sometimes!"
Frankenstein grimaced. True. Muzaka did tend to leave for home before Frankenstein did, and arrive later in the morning.
"Or I could be busy."
At that, Frankenstein arched an eyebrow. Muzaka was rarely busy, which was exactly why they had started having their moments together so often.
"I'm not always next to you - or I could be fighting something else!"
"Hmph." That could be a possibility as well. "Then use your speed or beat them quickly; that's what you were enhanced for."
Muzaka sighed. "Yeah, okay, Boss."
Frankenstein stood up with a groan and when he stretched, his back cracked in several places. Had he sat for too long? No, he'd done longer stints before and not been affected.
"You know, Boss," Muzaka said, still tossing that balled up piece of paper that Frankenstein had thrown out while he was sprawled out on the chair across from Frankenstein, "there's a couple of exercises you could try to help with that."
"You seem determined to keep me away from my desk," Frankenstein said wryly, though his back twinged and he dug his fingers where it hurt the most.
Muzaka finally caught the paper and looked over to leer at Frankenstein. "I could do somethin' else if that was all I wanted to do." He waggled his eyebrows.
Frankenstein snorted. "I'll be fine." He couldn't waste time today, and he certainly wasn't interested in either kind of Muzaka's 'exercises' with how his body was feeling right then.
Frankenstein glared at the machine, gleaming surface mocking him. No, that was impossible for him. He'd tried but it hadn't even moved when he'd put his entire weight behind it. There was no way for him to move it to where he wanted it to be.
He heard the lab door hiss open behind him.
"Hey, Boss."
"You're finally here." Frankenstein kept glaring at the stubborn machinery. "Move this for me."
"Move - how long you been waiting for me to get in?"
"I haven't looked at the time recently," Frankenstein said, stepping out the way as Muzaka lifted it up as if it were made of paper.
"Y'know-"
"Before you suggest exercise again," Frankenstein said, rolling his eyes, "I clearly have your help if I'm unable to carry something." He directed Muzaka to where he wanted it placed by tapping the countertop.
"You wouldn't need to wait for me to show up though." Muzaka set it down, not looking winded in the slightest.
"I don't think I would be able to move that even if I did exercise." Muzaka had a skewed idea of what was achievable by non-enhanced people.
"Hm." Muzaka tilted the machinery with a finger before Frankenstein waved his hand away. "Okay, sure, I'll give ya that one."
Of course he would. Frankenstein was right.
"Boss, what're you working on?"
Frankenstein looked up from his vials to see Muzaka grimacing. "Splicing some proteins. Why?" It wouldn't be done for another hour or so.
Muzaka's grimace deepened as he approached Frankenstein. "You can't hear the rattling?"
"Apparently not," Frankenstein said dryly, moving away from his current project. Everything sounded like it should be: quiet. Muzaka had only started coming to the lab more regularly, so it was probably just something he hadn't heard before.
Muzaka settled down into his usual chair for check-ups, although he kept narrowing his eyes briefly in the direction of the splicer.
It didn't take long to collect Muzaka's observations, and Frankenstein hummed over them. It had only been a few times since Muzaka started coming for check-ups but his numbers were already coming down in comparison to Frankenstein's first readings.
Frankenstein reached for a vial and whilst he was searching for a vein, he saw Muzaka tense. Had he moved too quickly? Should be try distra-
"Frank-!"
His stomach dropped. Muzaka never called him by name. Even when they first met.
Frankenstein didn't see Muzaka move, just felt Muzaka's arms wrap around his head and his torso, Muzaka's body pressed up against Frankenstein's right before Frankenstein felt the explosion rip through the lab.
Frankenstein hit the floor hard with the wind knocked out of him, his ears ringing.
He coughed, wheezing as the smell of burnt rubber and metal clawed at his nose.
What had happened? An attack? A machine malfunction and breakdown? Didn't matter right now.
Muzaka hadn't moved yet. He couldn't be dead.
Could he-?
It was only a small explosion. As far as Frankenstein could tell. But it was hard to know when Muzaka's face blocked most of his view of the lab.
But Frankenstein knew how one small disruption could affect the entire body.
Could he move Muzaka to get help? Should he if Muzaka was injured? Muzaka was pure muscle and while Frankenstein had known that, it was entirely something else to have it as a dead weight on top of him.
Muzaka exhaled, lifting his head up to glance over his shoulder. There was an alarm going on that wouldn't shut up, blaring in Frankenstein's ears.
Muzaka was okay. Conscious and moving and-
Something hot dripped down onto Frankenstein's chest.
Muzaka looked back at him. "You okay, Boss?"
"Am I-? What about yourself?" Frankenstein hissed, far too aware of the constant drip of blood onto him. It wasn't a constant flow. Muzaka wasn't bleeding out.
But he was still hurt. Because of Frankenstein.
"You two all right?"
Frankenstein hadn't heard the lab door open.
"We're good," Muzaka called out, sliding his arm free from behind Frankenstein's head as he got up and Frankenstein glared at him. He was not all right. "I think it was just the one reaction."
Muzaka's top was stained bright red at his sides.
The other person must have seen it at the same time by her shout and then Frankenstein and Muzaka were surrounded by medics.
Fine. Frankenstein would let them do their work.
"As you have already assessed," Frankenstein snarled at Dr Hugh, "I'm fine. I have no injuries." Muzaka had made sure of that.
Dr Hugh let out a small exhale, of quite a few he'd already done in their brief conversation. "In an incident that you've been in, we would want to keep you in for a bit longer, just in case you develop worrying symptoms later."
Frankenstein scowled, but as he was opening his mouth to retort, another voice spoke up first.
"Not giving the docs too much trouble, are ya, Boss?"
Frankenstein turned his scowl onto Muzaka, even as relief eased his stomach. "Shouldn't you be resting?" Muzaka was in clean change of clothes, unlike Frankenstein, not a trace of blood in sight.
"Shouldn't you?" Muzaka shot but, still with an easy grin. He moved like he normally did, not looking like he was in pain. Though Frankenstein had thought that before.
Muzaka turned his attention to Dr Hugh. "How is he, doc?"
"I'm fine," Frankenstein repeated.
Dr Hugh took a second to respond, which was a second too long when the answer had been clear from the first test results. "I currently can't see any reason to keep him here if he wants to go."
Finally. Frankenstein got to his feet and headed for the door, Muzaka falling in step behind him.
"Just get in touch if you develop any new symptoms sud-"
The door cut him off as it closed behind them.
Frankenstein snorted. It was unlikely he would develop any other symptoms in the first place, let alone anything life-threatening.
Muzaka stepped closer, so he was by Frankenstein's side. Frankenstein glanced up at him, eyes narrowed. Muzaka never did that, and Muzaka didn't do anything without a reason.
"I'm not going to fall over," Frankenstein said. He'd felt a bit lightheaded when he'd first stood up, but the moment had passed.
"What if I fall over then?" Muzaka said, his voice light.
That cooled Frankenstein's temper. He wouldn't be able to do anything if Muzaka did collapse. Certainly not catch him.
Muzaka patted his shoulder with a low laugh. "I'm good, Boss. They wouldn't have let me out otherwise."
Frankenstein's opinion of his coworkers' abilities were not as optimistic, given their previous track record.
Muzaka looked around. "You're going in the wrong way, Boss."
"And where do you think I'm going?"
"...I'd assumed the office but-" Muzaka cut himself off with a sigh. "Security won't let you into the lab until they've cleared the area."
Frankenstein drew himself up, even if that still didn't let him close to Muzaka's eye-sight level. "I need to see the damage!"
Muzaka didn't back down, too used to him unlike the other scientists. "After they've made sure it won't explode again."
"They'll be finished by now," Frankenstein said, still striding towards the lab. They'd had more than enough time to sort through everything.
"Told ya, Boss."
Frankenstein glared as he walked away from his lab, the security officers barring him from entering. If nothing else had reacted by now, then it was safe to enter again. Nothing else would explode.
"You're meant to rest after a major incident anyway, not head straight back."
"They'll want a report about what happened," Frankenstein answered. That was part of the reason. He glanced at Muzaka from the corner of his eyes. "You're not resting either." This was the second incident as well.
Muzaka shrugged. "I'm walkin', not working."
Urgh, their definition of work and what they had to do for it was different.
And Muzaka had already done enough work for the day.
Frankenstein couldn't sleep. His thoughts wouldn't quieten, but he was used to that. New ideas and hypotheses were always running around in Frankenstein's head, but he wasn't used to replaying a moment over and over.
He'd been helpless. He couldn't do anything to help Muzaka after he'd been protected.
Muzaka had been there to protect him, but he hadn't been able to help Muzaka in return.
He should do something about that.
"Boss, you shouldn't be in right now."
"And yet," Frankenstein said, not looking up from his report, "you still came to check." Security had finally finished in the lab and he could enter it again.
As far as he could tell, no-one had been through the journals he'd kept there.
"Yeah, 'cause I know you," Muzaka said with a snort as he walked into the office. He didn't move like his skin had been shredded the day before. Alpha healing at its finest.
"And how are you feeling?" Frankenstein said, sitting back in his chair.
Muzaka shot him a grin as he dropped into the chair opposite Frankenstein's. "No different from last week. The medics checked everything, though they didn't have your winnin' personality."
Frankenstein snorted. "I'm sure." That reminded him... "We didn't finish your check-up."
Muzaka grimaced. "We didn't, but would that even be useful right now?"
Frankenstein arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Wouldn't me being injured yesterday mess with your results?"
It was surprising Muzaka would consider that, or had that been from listening to the other scientists? "In unmodified humans, yes," Frankenstein acknowledged, "but you're clearly not. Though if you hadn't stabilised by now, that would be a sign of something else I would need to investigate." Frankenstein paused, thinking it over. "It would simply be another way to track your modifications."
Muzaka shook his head. "Science is all you've got on the brain, Boss."
"You did ask." Frankenstein huffed. "And of course I do." That was the reason he had come to the position he was in now.
"I have some instruments here," Frankenstein continued, leaning over to open one of his desk drawers. He had taken a few spares when he had gone to his lab.
"Fiiine," Muzaka said, straightening in his chair while Frankenstein got everything prepared.
"You okay, Boss?" Muzaka asked while Frankenstein poked around his elbow, double-checking the vein. "You seem a little distracted."
Frankenstein frowned at the vein. He hadn't felt like he had been doing anything different, but if Muzaka had picked up on it... He leaned back with a sigh. "About your offer for..." He grimaced. Even the thought of it made him balk. "Exercise. I would like to take you up on it."
A grin flashed across Muzaka's face as he perked up. "Really? What made you-" He stilled, his grin freezing. "Is it because of the accident?"
Frankenstein nodded, undoing the tourniquet around Muzaka's biceps since he clearly wasn't taking any blood any time soon. "I realised... I couldn't do much to help you."
Muzaka snorted before Frankenstein could continue. "That's different. It's my job to protect you; it's your job to do your science."
Hm. Which Frankenstein had done when he took over the care of Muzaka's series.
"But since your lab is wrecked right now," Muzaka said, rolling his shoulders as he stood up, "we could start now. You got a comfortable change of clothes?"
Regret was already building in Frankenstein's stomach but he nodded.
It shouldn't be too difficult. Just using a different set of muscles.
So long as Muzaka remembered Frankenstein wasn't an Alpha.