Adapt [Part 2]

[esp_dragon]

Fandom: Noblesse
Summary: Kentas finds out M-21's age and needs to ask a question.
Contains: Kentas/M-21
Notes: AAAAAAAALL THE WORLDBUILDIIIIING.
Rating: G
Genre: Romance
Word count: 1,255
Total word count: 1,667
Status: Work in Progress



Kentas peered at M-21 after the human children left. "What's wrong?" He'd seen M-21's pained expression a few times during the afternoon.

It had been fun playing with the children and finding out what kind of games they'd played. And he'd been warned about not using his full strength in the 'punishment games', not that he'd won anything.

M-21 gave him a blank look. "You didn't notice?"

Kentas helped sweep some of the rubbish into the bin, frowning. There were a lot of things to keep track of with the human children, but with his knowledge, there wasn't anything out of the ordinary. "No."

"He's still miffed they call him Ahjussi," Tao cackled as he packed the games away. The Noblesse watched him do that, handing Tao a playing piece that had found its way to the floor. Frankenstein was in the kitchen, clearing away the plates Takeo had washed.

"Ahjussi?" Kentas repeated, blinking. Why...?

"It's a term used by younger people towards older people," M-21 explained with a sigh.

"Yeah, I know," Kentas said, shaking his head. "But it's true? What's wrong with that?"

This time M-21 frowned at him. "I'm not that much older than them."

He wasn't? Kentas looked at M-21, studying him. "How old are you?" The human children were still pups — if M-21 wasn't that much older than them...

M-21 hesitated at the question before answering. "I'm not really sure," he admitted, "but my best guess is...twenty-eight."

Kentas stared at him, his jaw on the verge of dropping.

"He's the 'middle child' between me an' Takeo," Tao said, continuing to snicker, "so the children thinking he's older than us is what's so funny."

"Kentas?" M-21 looked at him when he backed up a step.

"You're still a child," Kentas said, his voice faint. He'd assumed with how M-21 looked and the fact he had his claws-! He had almost- Kentas' stomach churned.

"What?" M-21 frowned. "Where did you-" His eyes widened and then he groaned. "You're not going to listen to what I say, are you," he muttered.

Of course he wasn't. M-21 was a child, and him insisting he wasn't made him look even more like one.

With a harsh sigh, M-21 looked over at the Noblesse and Frankenstein.

...He was dead. He should have been killed for what he'd almost done already.

"It's all right, Kentas," Frankenstein said, putting away a plate with a soft 'clack'. When he was done, he set the cloth down on the counter. "You've done no wrong. Humans age at a rate far faster than nobles or werewolves — M-21 would be, hm, coming up for three-hundred years old."

He was? So he hadn't - Kentas relaxed, his stomach easing. "Good," he murmured.

"Mm," M-21 said, going back to clearing the table. "So you don't have to worry about almost having sex with a toddler."

Kentas grimaced. He was glad to know now, but the very thought...

"Huh?" Tao was looking between M-21 and Kentas. "You two nearly-?" He pointed a finger at both of them.

"I'd collapsed just after he stopped," M-21 said with a snort.

For some reason that made Tao grin. "You were sparring?" Then he hummed, looking up to the ceiling and tapping a cheek with a finger. "What's with werewolves and getting attracted during a fight? Is that an actual thing?" He looked at Kentas.

"Yeah?" Kentas said, blinking. "We get interested to those who're equal strength to us." He looked back at Tao, puzzled. "How does it work with humans?"

"Oh!" Tao laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. "We're not the best ones to ask," he said, M-21 nodding. "We're not sure if the experiments shook something loose or if we were like this before the Union nabbed us, but the three of us don't experience attraction."

When Kentas looked at Frankenstein, he got a small nod in return.

"I can make you a booklet if you want to know more," Frankenstein said.

So he didn't experience it either.

Kentas shook his head. "I'm not that curious."

But the conversation reminded him of something he should have done by now.

* * *
When the living room was clean, it was vacated except for the Noblesse (who was reading one of the books Frankenstein had created) and Frankenstein (who was drinking tea by his side).

Kentas wanted to go up to them and kneel to the Noblesse. Even though the Noblesse was a noble, he was as powerful as the werewolf Lord (and if the rumours were true, Muzaka and the Noblesse had been friends) and it was only right he should show them respect. Especially since...

"Kentas?" Frankenstein peered at him, setting his cup down. "Is there something wrong?"

He exhaled, then shook his head. He approached them and dipped his head. The others in the household didn't kneel to the Noblesse so it didn't seem like it was mandatory; that was the closest to a kneel he would do.

"I wanted to ask your permission if I could court M-21," he said, keeping his gaze lowered.

He heard one of them shift but neither of them answered straight away. Kentas held his breath, but as the seconds dragged out, it seemed obvious what their answer would be.

"If this is tied to the conversation earlier," Frankenstein said, "I already explained that M-21 is an adult in werewolf years. You don't need our permission to court him."

Kentas blinked, frowning a little. "That's...not why I'm asking," he said, not raising his head. If Frankenstein had misunderstood something that was universally understood in werewolf culture... He closed his eyes and exhaled. It would have to be something he would need to get used to, since he wasn't living amongst werewolves anymore.

"I'm living under your roof," Kentas said, picking his words, trying to make himself as clear as possible, "and you're the dominant pair. In werewolf families, there's only one mated pair, the parents."

Frankenstein made a soft sound of acknowledgement.

"When the children are old enough, one might leave to make a family of their own. So it's only right I ask your permission to court M-21 — he's your child living under your roof and I don't see him leaving here if he did accept my advances." And especially not when splitting the family up would leave M-21 more vulnerable with less people around him and the Union was trying to hunt them down. "I...am asking to make sure the harmony in the family is kept in balance." Having two pairs could say the second pair didn't believe the original pair could care for the rest of the family.

There was another pause. "My apologies for the assumption."

Kentas shook his head. Frankenstein was a human who didn't know how werewolves did things; it was understandable.

"Kentas," the Noblesse said, and he tensed, listening. "We are not werewolves and we do not have the same customs as you."

It hurt to hear, even though it was true. Only Lunark and Garda would understand why he did things here.

"You are free to pursue him, so long as he wants it."

The breath in Kentas' lungs came out in a explosive breath. "Thank you," he said, lifting his head.

Frankenstein smiled at him, amusement in his eyes. "I suppose I'm supposed to tell you I will kill you if you were to hurt M-21, but he can handle himself."

Kentas grinned at that. "I know." That was why he was interested in him in the first place.

_____________________________
Tao grinned when M-21 said he collapsed because M-21 admitted he collapsed without being self-deprecating.

I know the wiki says M-21's over a hundred years old, but I'm not sure where that came from so for the moment, I'll stick with 28 years for him.