Pace the Night [Part 7]
May. 16th, 2014 12:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
esp_dragonFandom: Noblesse
Summary: <
Rating: G
Notes: Post season 3.
This is ignoring Noblesse S.
Genre: General
Word count: 1,343
Total word count: 8,050
Status: Complete
"Argh, Pedro gave us so much homework! And I'd wanted to beat my high score tonight."
Tao nodded in sympathy as Shinwoo complained, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He and Takeo had made M-21 go home a few hours earlier since he'd been looking terrible (and M-21 had made Takeo go back to the school once they'd arrived). They'd kept in contact over text, but still, Tao was worried. The day was over, at least, so he could check on him now.
His phone buzzed and Tao brought it out, looking at the ID out of habit, even though he knew – wait. That wasn't M-21. Tao heard three other phones buzzing around him.
Why was he texting him when he was only a foot away?
<
Huh? No they – oh… Oh boy.
And if he had warned him, that had to mean M-21 wasn't in his room anymore, or thinking properly. And if that was all he had said, then… Had M-21 transformed as well? How much?
…They'd shut the second door, hadn't they?
As soon as Tao slid the key into the lock, he heard something scrabbling on the other side of it, but not the front door. Okay, good, the second door was shut.
"Ah," he said, turning to the children, "we're looking after a friend's dog and he's not used to strangers." Probably. The children weren't strangers but they weren't as close either.
The children's eyes went wide. "You've got a dog!"
"Why didn't you tell us?"
"Has it been alone all this time?"
"Of course not – where do you think the other guard is?"
Hah... Who needed to lie when the children made a cover story themselves?
Tao opened the door and right up against the second door was definitely a silver canine, paws going up against the frosted glass.
It was surprising M-21's claws hadn't gone through the door yet, but that also meant no awkward conversations with the Boss, so Tao would take it.
He hurried over, hoping –M-21 snarled, his teeth visible- his voice would be enough and that M-21 would still listen to him.
"Sit!" And that M-21 would forgive him for treating him like a dog.
M-21 paused, his nose pressed up against the glass, his breath fogging it up.
Two… Three seconds…
M-21 stepped back and sat down.
Whew.
"Here."
Tao turned around and smiled at Takeo, who was holding out a pair of slippers. "Thanks." He switched his outdoor shoes for them and then opened the door a crack, slipping in and closing it behind him.
Now that there wasn't something between them, Tao could see the 'dog' (there was no way the children would think he was one, unless they thought he was a husky mix) was M-21. He had the same coloured fur as M-21's hair and the scar going down the right side of his lip helped too.
M-21 hadn't gotten up, only leaning a bit forward, the tip of his tail moving.
"Come on," he said, gesturing towards the living room door (and it seemed like M-21 had left the living room alone). "Upstairs." If the children started playing with M-21 and he started turning back…
M-21 got to his feet and trotted after him. He was bigger than Tao expected, his shoulder at Tao's hip.
Tao wasn't surprised M-21's door was open, or that there were clothes strewn across the floor. He picked them up and checked them – no rips or tears.
He collected the rest of them and then headed towards M-21's bed. He set the clothes on top of it and then sat down, patting bedside him.
M-21 hopped onto it and curled up next to him, his head on Tao's lap. Tao smiled and lay his hand on top of his head.
He got a huff in response, M-21 wriggling before settling down.
It wasn't night, and –Tao checked his phone- it was a new moon that night anyway. He sent a text to the others saying where he and M-21 were. He got a reply from Takeo straight away and the others answered at different points a minute or so after.
M-21's body froze, every muscle tensing. Ah, there it was…
"Hey, M, it's me," he said, taking his hand away from M-21's head.
M-21's nose twitched, discretely sniffing, his ears pricked towards him. Tao could see M-21's body moving, probably checking out his new limbs. M-21's ears flattened and M-21 groaned, covering his snout with a paw.
Which was kinda cute but Tao wasn't going to say anything.
M-21 sat up, making a garbled sound, ending in what seemed to be a frustrated growl.
"I'm not sure how long you've been like this – we just got home."
"Hng." M-21 nodded and then his ears flicked towards the door; even with the distance between them, the children could still be heard.
"Yeeeah, the children are here too-" M-21's ears flattened again. "-but I got out you before they 'met' you."
M-21 sighed, nodding.
"So how are you feeling?" Tao asked him. "Apart from being a wolf, heh."
M-21 lifted his lip, growling for a second.
"Better, then."
He got pushed in the shoulder by a paw for that. Tao chuckled.
M-21 then waved his paw in front of his own face inspecting it. He set it down and then turned his neck to try and look at himself. There was no way he would be able to see all of himself that way.
"I could take pictures and show you them, you know," Tao said, his lips twitching. "It would be much easier than what you're doing."
M-21 straightened and stared at him.
"And I'll delete them straight away," Tao promised.
A nod, and M-21 backed up a bit more to give him room.
Tao snapped a few pictures from different angles. "Mmhm, can you turn your head around – perfect!" He took a couple more just because.
Once he was done, Tao flipped the phone around for M-21 to see. "Tada!"
"Hnn."
Tao swiped through the pictures, making sure he saw them all. When M-21 nodded, he deleted the pictures.
"So…how long do you think this transformation lasts for?" Tao asked as he put his phone away again. M-21 could transform for about twenty minutes before getting exhausted and this one covered way more of M-21's body.
M-21 stilled, and then lifted a paw up again, staring at it. He stretched it, and Tao blinked when the digits extended, turning back into fingers. The fur receded, but the black claws remained.
"That…looks weird when the rest of you is still a wolf."
A snort and more of M-21's arm turned back human, spreading out, the claws taking longer to change back. Tao could hear the shift and grind of bones against each other but M-21 didn't seem to be in pain.
It didn't take long until M-21 was crouched naked on the bed.
"How are you feeling?" Tao asked again as M-21 stretched, his joints cracking.
"Better, now I can talk." M-21 slipped off the bed and started to pull his clothes on.
"Heh." Tao stood up, straightening his own clothes. "Are you coming down or are you going to rest?" After that, Tao would be surprised if he wasn't tired.
M-21 ran a hand through his hair and then scratched his head (right where one of his wolf ears used to be). "Hmm. I'll stay here," he said, yawning, and Tao nodded.
"I'll tell the children you're looking after the dog."
"I'll make sure I do," M-21 said, one corner of his mouth curling up.
Tao chuckled. "Do you want me to bring up food?"
"No." M-21 shook his head. "I just want to sleep; I'll eat later." He was already climbing into bed, yawning again.
"Sleep well – and no turning-"
"Out."
Tao laughed. "Yeah, yeah." He shut the door and started walking downstairs. He shot the others another text to say M-21 was all right and then got ready for another couple hours of playing with the children.
_______________________________
Written for Mugiwara Otome's prompt, 'guard-dog M-21 fic, where M-21 is feeling threatened and wants to protect is family... Like stand guard at the door or something...'
Summary: <
We have a dog~> Huh? No they – oh…Rating: G
Notes: Post season 3.
This is ignoring Noblesse S.
Genre: General
Word count: 1,343
Total word count: 8,050
Status: Complete
"Argh, Pedro gave us so much homework! And I'd wanted to beat my high score tonight."
Tao nodded in sympathy as Shinwoo complained, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He and Takeo had made M-21 go home a few hours earlier since he'd been looking terrible (and M-21 had made Takeo go back to the school once they'd arrived). They'd kept in contact over text, but still, Tao was worried. The day was over, at least, so he could check on him now.
His phone buzzed and Tao brought it out, looking at the ID out of habit, even though he knew – wait. That wasn't M-21. Tao heard three other phones buzzing around him.
Why was he texting him when he was only a foot away?
<
We have a dog~>Huh? No they – oh… Oh boy.
And if he had warned him, that had to mean M-21 wasn't in his room anymore, or thinking properly. And if that was all he had said, then… Had M-21 transformed as well? How much?
…They'd shut the second door, hadn't they?
As soon as Tao slid the key into the lock, he heard something scrabbling on the other side of it, but not the front door. Okay, good, the second door was shut.
"Ah," he said, turning to the children, "we're looking after a friend's dog and he's not used to strangers." Probably. The children weren't strangers but they weren't as close either.
The children's eyes went wide. "You've got a dog!"
"Why didn't you tell us?"
"Has it been alone all this time?"
"Of course not – where do you think the other guard is?"
Hah... Who needed to lie when the children made a cover story themselves?
Tao opened the door and right up against the second door was definitely a silver canine, paws going up against the frosted glass.
It was surprising M-21's claws hadn't gone through the door yet, but that also meant no awkward conversations with the Boss, so Tao would take it.
He hurried over, hoping –M-21 snarled, his teeth visible- his voice would be enough and that M-21 would still listen to him.
"Sit!" And that M-21 would forgive him for treating him like a dog.
M-21 paused, his nose pressed up against the glass, his breath fogging it up.
Two… Three seconds…
M-21 stepped back and sat down.
Whew.
"Here."
Tao turned around and smiled at Takeo, who was holding out a pair of slippers. "Thanks." He switched his outdoor shoes for them and then opened the door a crack, slipping in and closing it behind him.
Now that there wasn't something between them, Tao could see the 'dog' (there was no way the children would think he was one, unless they thought he was a husky mix) was M-21. He had the same coloured fur as M-21's hair and the scar going down the right side of his lip helped too.
M-21 hadn't gotten up, only leaning a bit forward, the tip of his tail moving.
"Come on," he said, gesturing towards the living room door (and it seemed like M-21 had left the living room alone). "Upstairs." If the children started playing with M-21 and he started turning back…
M-21 got to his feet and trotted after him. He was bigger than Tao expected, his shoulder at Tao's hip.
Tao wasn't surprised M-21's door was open, or that there were clothes strewn across the floor. He picked them up and checked them – no rips or tears.
He collected the rest of them and then headed towards M-21's bed. He set the clothes on top of it and then sat down, patting bedside him.
M-21 hopped onto it and curled up next to him, his head on Tao's lap. Tao smiled and lay his hand on top of his head.
He got a huff in response, M-21 wriggling before settling down.
It wasn't night, and –Tao checked his phone- it was a new moon that night anyway. He sent a text to the others saying where he and M-21 were. He got a reply from Takeo straight away and the others answered at different points a minute or so after.
M-21's body froze, every muscle tensing. Ah, there it was…
"Hey, M, it's me," he said, taking his hand away from M-21's head.
M-21's nose twitched, discretely sniffing, his ears pricked towards him. Tao could see M-21's body moving, probably checking out his new limbs. M-21's ears flattened and M-21 groaned, covering his snout with a paw.
Which was kinda cute but Tao wasn't going to say anything.
M-21 sat up, making a garbled sound, ending in what seemed to be a frustrated growl.
"I'm not sure how long you've been like this – we just got home."
"Hng." M-21 nodded and then his ears flicked towards the door; even with the distance between them, the children could still be heard.
"Yeeeah, the children are here too-" M-21's ears flattened again. "-but I got out you before they 'met' you."
M-21 sighed, nodding.
"So how are you feeling?" Tao asked him. "Apart from being a wolf, heh."
M-21 lifted his lip, growling for a second.
"Better, then."
He got pushed in the shoulder by a paw for that. Tao chuckled.
M-21 then waved his paw in front of his own face inspecting it. He set it down and then turned his neck to try and look at himself. There was no way he would be able to see all of himself that way.
"I could take pictures and show you them, you know," Tao said, his lips twitching. "It would be much easier than what you're doing."
M-21 straightened and stared at him.
"And I'll delete them straight away," Tao promised.
A nod, and M-21 backed up a bit more to give him room.
Tao snapped a few pictures from different angles. "Mmhm, can you turn your head around – perfect!" He took a couple more just because.
Once he was done, Tao flipped the phone around for M-21 to see. "Tada!"
"Hnn."
Tao swiped through the pictures, making sure he saw them all. When M-21 nodded, he deleted the pictures.
"So…how long do you think this transformation lasts for?" Tao asked as he put his phone away again. M-21 could transform for about twenty minutes before getting exhausted and this one covered way more of M-21's body.
M-21 stilled, and then lifted a paw up again, staring at it. He stretched it, and Tao blinked when the digits extended, turning back into fingers. The fur receded, but the black claws remained.
"That…looks weird when the rest of you is still a wolf."
A snort and more of M-21's arm turned back human, spreading out, the claws taking longer to change back. Tao could hear the shift and grind of bones against each other but M-21 didn't seem to be in pain.
It didn't take long until M-21 was crouched naked on the bed.
"How are you feeling?" Tao asked again as M-21 stretched, his joints cracking.
"Better, now I can talk." M-21 slipped off the bed and started to pull his clothes on.
"Heh." Tao stood up, straightening his own clothes. "Are you coming down or are you going to rest?" After that, Tao would be surprised if he wasn't tired.
M-21 ran a hand through his hair and then scratched his head (right where one of his wolf ears used to be). "Hmm. I'll stay here," he said, yawning, and Tao nodded.
"I'll tell the children you're looking after the dog."
"I'll make sure I do," M-21 said, one corner of his mouth curling up.
Tao chuckled. "Do you want me to bring up food?"
"No." M-21 shook his head. "I just want to sleep; I'll eat later." He was already climbing into bed, yawning again.
"Sleep well – and no turning-"
"Out."
Tao laughed. "Yeah, yeah." He shut the door and started walking downstairs. He shot the others another text to say M-21 was all right and then got ready for another couple hours of playing with the children.
Written for Mugiwara Otome's prompt, 'guard-dog M-21 fic, where M-21 is feeling threatened and wants to protect is family... Like stand guard at the door or something...'