Something of a companion fic to The Proposal, but it can be read alone. This is that first time M-21 mentioned ever so briefly.

Warnings: Slash, sex, and I don't own Noblesse.

As M-21 looked around the club that was decidedly lacking in any women, he ruefully thought back to the conversation that had triggered this trip.

"It's always quiet when we return to the base now." M-24 commented as he settled down for the night in the small, sparse room mostly reserved for the pair.

"We'll be leaving again soon; they haven't bothered trying any more experiments for a while." M-21 added as he settled onto his bunk and closed his eyes.

"Hmm." And that could have been the end of it, but M-24 seemed to be in a chatty mood. "You know, the secretaries at that meeting kept looking at you."

Grey eyes opened again and he turned to look at his partner with confusion. "So?"

"So, a few of them were really attractive; we could've put off getting back to base long enough for you to test your luck if you wanted."

He let his eyes slide closed again, "You're imagining things."

M-24 laughed and seated himself on his own bunk, leaning forward as though proximity would make his partner believe him, "Nope, it looks like you're a—what is that word—stud."

A snort, "I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"Well," M-21 was quiet for a moment as he tried to find a suitable explanation for why he wasn't attractive aside from how anyone but M-24 had the eyes to see it. "My scar."

That prompted an answering snort from M-24, "Didn't work that way for M-60 and he had more, too." A laugh, "Not that he enjoyed it."

"It doesn't matter anyway; we have to listen to the Union for now until we can find all of our names."

"That doesn't mean we can't enjoy ourselves a bit; it's not like they pay attention to us anymore." M-24 protested.

"Is there anything you want to do, then?"

"Of course, but that's not what we're talking about—our comrades wanted to live, and we should do the same even though they're gone, that includes you."

"Or," M-24 leaned closer, and I wondered when he would finally drop it, "maybe you're not interested in women?"

Well, that was different.

Sighing, M-21 turned away from him, closing his eyes once more, "I don't know, and I don't care. Next time we'll go out and do something before coming back, alright?"

He swore he could feel the weight of M-24's stare, but he ignored it.

That hadn't been the end of it, and after their next mission the two had a little money to spend, so M-24 had, for some strange reason, decided that M-21 should go watch people and see what appealed.

Why his partner was so invested in M-21's sex life, the grey man had no idea.

So, they had wandered around the crowds and M-21 had looked.

Occasionally, he would see someone who was appealing, and he would dutifully point them out to M-24. He had thought that would be the end of it.

Now, the mission was utterly finished and M-24 had pushed M-21 downtown and into a gay bar. To M-24's credit, it seemed to be clean with a dance floor—from what M-21 gleaned from others as he stood outside—that would attract more than just the desperate, but it was still a place he would never have gone voluntarily.

"What? I know some of the ones I pointed out were guys, but why this first?"

M-24 just grinned, "Yeah, there were some girls, but there were more guys. Plus, the girls seemed like—what is that called, uh—tomboys."

"…"

So, now he stood at the door to a gay bar, and, while looking behind him, he sent a pleading gaze at M-24. Grinning, the taller gave him a thumbs-up that sent M-21 into the building with a scowl.

Upon walking in, he immediately noticed a few faces—a dark-complexioned man with a lean, athletic form casually sprawled in a booth with a few others; a light brunette, who obviously worked out a lot to have that type of musculature, was coming off the dance floor; and a tall, broad man with a crew cut and firm jaw who had a slim, coy-looking man settled in his lap. That last sight caused him to do a double-take and quickly head for the bar so he didn't do something stupid like stare at the duo. They looked like the only thing preventing them from having sex right there was the clothing they had on.

'Actually, that one is sliding down below the table and—,' he abruptly turned his treacherous gaze back to the empty bar stool he was headed for, 'is it legal to do that in a club?'

Apparently not by the way the man on the receiving end was so careful to limit his reactions and slouch in his seat. The others at the booth watched as though waiting for him to break.

'Wait, is that some kind of contest?' M-21 thought incredulously as he secretly watched them. 'The tablecloth reaches the floor, so you can't see the guy, but maybe they watch the big guy's reactions? So, is it exhibitionism or voyeurism that's happening? Weird.'

Not that being sucked off didn't sound interesting—he wasn't sure he liked the idea of someone's teeth being so close to such an important part of his anatomy though—but the embarrassment of being so bared in front of other people… M-21 shuddered at the thought and then settled onto the bar stool.

Glancing down the counter toward where the bartender was, he found the man rapidly approaching him since this place seemed to attract people for the dancing—grinding and panting, more like—instead of booze.

"What would you like?"

M-21 didn't really want anything except for this night to be over, but he quickly scanned the taps and asked for a beer—he probably couldn't go wrong with that from what he could tell.

The bartender didn't seem to think it odd, and when he returned with a glass of golden liquid, he hurried over to another customer.

The experiment casually scanned the room for observers before taking a sip of the liquid, and couldn't decide if he liked it or not. On one hand, it wasn't bad and had an interesting flavor, but he wasn't sure if the taste was that great. Maybe this beer was just so you could get drunk? If so, there was no point in him drinking it—he wasn't sure if he could get drunk, and it would be a bad idea to try.

'M-24 gave me way too much credit.' He grouched to himself before downing the rest of his drink and pushing it away. 'I'm not attractive, and what am I supposed to do, go up to some stranger and ask if they want to go have sex?'

Snickering internally at that thought, he cynically continued, 'Not like I can tell them who I really am or date or any of that crap.' Another thought suddenly occurred to him, 'I don't even have a name to give anyone I talk to! At least I actually know the language here, but...'

Scowling, M-21 stared intently at his now empty glass as though it would magically solve his problems, but it remained empty and silent. When the bartender returned and asked if he wanted a refill, the grey considered it—it would be something to do—before declining and continuing to stare miserably into his glass.

Of course, in his boredom his treacherous eyes did occasionally stray back to the table with the…game. Eventually, the man who had gone below the table came back up with a pout, and M-21 saw him hand over money to another of the men at the table—a bet? One of them suddenly looked his way, and M-21 found himself incredibly grateful for his training in subterfuge.

The man seemed to say a few words to his companions before abruptly standing up with an unknown, red drink in hand and sauntering towards M-21. The stranger's move was observed not only by M-21 but also, far less covertly, by the companions he had left behind. When the stranger chose to sit next to M-21 despite the variety of other seats, the grey deliberately turned his attention back to his glass.

"So," the man suddenly began, and M-21 forced his body to relax even as he began nervously wondering what he would say. "You've been sitting here on your own looking pretty uncomfortable. Thought I'd come keep you from being lonely," he added with a casual grin.

M-21 turned to look at the newcomer and took a moment to really take him in—he really was good looking, and the light stubble he bore made him look even more appealing. He had dark, intense eyes, a face that was ruggedly handsome with a slight tan and dark brown hair that was shorter than M-21's but still longer than most men and tousled as though he had just finished having really great sex.

Not that M-21 was probably the best judge on that last bit, but it's what he thought of.

The grey considered bringing his sharp tongue into the picture and scathingly telling the other he didn't need company, but that would leave him alone with his empty glass. "I don't usually come to places like this," he finally stated.

"Mmm, why not?" The man asked with a calculating curiosity.

"I travel a lot," M-21 stated somewhat truthfully. Deciding that wasn't quite the full answer he could give, he added after a moment, "Really, a…friend made me come."

"He thought it would be good for me," he added with a huff.

"I could certainly make it good for you," the man smirked.

If M-21 had been drinking something, he might well have spit it out—as it was, he lost his composure to shock for a moment.

The man watched him with an appreciative smirk as he tried to regain his composure, "You really don't come to places like this very often—being forward with what you want is practically a rule."

"With what you want?" M-21 repeated with a hint of confusion.

He grinned slyly and moved in closer, "Like how the reason I came over is because I didn't want to wait for one of these other guys to screw up the balls to talk to you; it's not often someone as hot as you comes in here alone."

The stranger was so close that they were touching at the shoulder now, and M-21 could feel the heat of him far too easily and he resisted the urge to pull away and reveal his uncertainty more than he already had.

Despite all his intentions to appear strong and confident, M-21 couldn't meet the stranger's eyes as he snorted in disbelief, "I'm sure there are much better-looking people who come in here all the time."

"Nah," the other denied with a winsome air, "You're pretty unique. You've got the whole package, you know, with those looks and body." He noticeably appraised M-21's body as he spoke, and once he met the grey's eyes he grinned and added, "Plus, you're even sexier now that I've gotten to talk to you."

M-21 couldn't think of any way to respond, but the stranger seemed to understand and instead backed off to speak with the bartender. A moment later, the man had returned with a red drink identical to what the stranger had arrived with.

Grinning, the darker man passed the new drink to M-21. "Figure I might as well get you a drink since I seem to keep embarrassing you."

M-21 ignored the last part of that remark and instead looked at the drink, "What is it?"

The stranger placed a hand on his shoulder and grinned at him, "It's called a Royal Fuck."

"Really?" M-21 asked with surprise, "They give drinks names like that?"

"Yep, thought you might like one," the man grinned as he raised his own glasses for a sip. "I always enjoy a good fuck."

M-21 rolled his eyes and took a tentative sip before saying with notable surprise, "It's good."

"Of course," the man smirked, "any fuck I'm involved with is a good one. It's not worth it otherwise."

"You really are forward."

"I prefer it to talking in circles; I get enough of that out there." He made an expansive gesture towards the club's door. "Besides, I have a good sense about people, and I doubt you would have preferred having me pour on the charm. Was I right?"

"Maybe." M-21 responded with a smirk and a swallow of his drink. The man was growing on him.

Slowly, the darker man draped an arm over M-21's shoulders.

His face broke into a satisfied grin when M-21 allowed it.

"What do you do?" M-21 asked out of the blue as he continued to work on his drink.

The other finished the last of his drink before answering, "I'm a firefighter."

Genuinely surprised, M-21 paid more attention and absently took another drink, "That's pretty impressive. I didn't expect that."

"It's a tough job, but it's worth it," the man said with a sincere smile that made M-21's throat go dry. "Plus, firefighters are sexy," he teased with a wink.

Making a decision, M-21 downed the rest of his drink, ignoring the slight burn and the low whistle his partner made in admiration, the asked, "So, what's your name?"

"It's Zack," the stranger, now Zack, responded as he lowered his arm to M-21's waist. "And you?"

"Mike."

Zack leaned in close until the experiment could feel hot breath against his cheek. "Your place or mine?"

It was a short walk to Zack's loft, and as soon as they were through the door, Zack was on him. Their mouths met, and it was by chance that M-21 opened his mouth to Zack's tongue and didn't bite down in surprise at the unexpected intrusion.

He had never kissed someone before, but it was quickly gaining favor with him. The grey copied what Zack did and what felt good, but eventually let the other have his way—something he seemed more than happy with.

The experiment panted and writhed as Zack nipped and sucked at his neck, one hand clutching M-21's ass and the other entangled in his hair and pulling his head back.

M-21 didn't know how long it was before Zack pulled back, but when the man did it was after reducing M-21 to a quivering mass of heat and want. The fireman pulled back and groaned as he looked at M-21, "God you are so sexy."

That said, he tugged the wolf forward and onto the bed. As M-21 watched, the brunette kicked off his shoes and socks then drew his shirt up and over his head, revealing a well-muscle torso.

M-21 had the strange urge to lick an outline of each muscle, but then found his eyes drawn to the man's waist as Zack slowly, teasingly pulled them off until he stood in only a pair of black boxers. Smirking, he kept the boxers on and climbed over M-21.

The grey's vest came off quickly, but once his white button-up was un-buttoned, the human didn't remove it. Instead, he spread it apart and used his hands to caress the revealed chest as though he would memorize it by touch alone. Groaning, M-21 closed his eyes and thrust up desperately, his length aching with the need to be released from its confines.

Zack chuckled. "Soon, but if we've got all night, I'm going to savor this. I'm always being told that I should take more time to just appreciate things."

"My chest feels appreciated," M-21 growled, "so how about touching somewhere else?"

Abruptly, M-21 felt a hand rubbing against his groin through his clothing, "Is this what you want?" Zack asked as he continued to rub the bulge while his other hand lightly flicked and pinched the grey's nipples.

"Ahh!" M-21 keened and desperately fumbled with his pants, needing the other's help to undo the button and zip. It surprised him to see Zack move away, and he sat up abruptly only to realize that the brunette was removing his shoes and socks.

Looking up at him, Zack smirked, "Don't want those in the way."

Finished with his appointed task, the brunette crawled further onto the bed and bent his head, lips ghosting over M-21's bulge as he looked up into M-21's eyes mischievously. The grey groaned and thrashed his head in agitation before glaring down at his torturer.

"Do it, if you're going to," he growled.

Fortunately, Zack took the experiment's mood with good humor and instead of prolonging his teasing, M-21 quickly felt his pants—boxers going along for the ride—pulled down and off.

Naked except for his open shirt, M-21 felt his earlier confidence drift away as Zack stared down at his erect length with a strange look in his eyes.

Embarrassed, the grey squirmed, then abruptly keened as Zack sucked on the head then took him down entirely with the ease of a veteran.

Mind blown, the experiment was barely aware of the stream of babble pouring out of his mouth as he came closer and closer to release. As he felt his body tense in preparation, M-21 huffed out a warning just in time for the brunette to release his length with a pop and stroke him to completion.

M-21's back arched as he came, and it took him several long moments to come back to himself after his release was finished. He opened his eyes—when did he close them?—to see Zack staring down at him with undeniable lust.

A moment later the brunette had connected their mouths again, though he seemed to be rummaging around for something in the nightstand. When he pulled back from ravaging M-21's mouth again, he revealed a pair of items with a smug grin—a condom and a tube of lube.

Without further ado, he quickly opened the tube and squeezed a generous amount onto his hand. That done, M-21 was then surprised to feel a finger caressing his entrance then slowly slipping inside of him.

"Damn," Zack groaned, "You're so tight. When was your last time?"

"It's been a while." M-21 replied with a smirk. "Don't worry, I won't break."

"Unless you like a bit of pain with your pleasure, I'm going to have to go slow here," Zack replied with an answering smirk.

And go slow he did, but aside from that hand, the rest of his body was dedicated to distracting M-21 from the discomfort with open kisses and pets until the wolf found himself beginning to ache again. This time, though, his length was not the only thing aching, and he began thrusting back against the fingers to get more of that pleasurable, intrusive feeling.

Groaning, the brunette pulled back, and looked down at the experiment's twitching hole. Eyes dark, he added a fourth finger and licked his lips as the grey gasped and pushed against it despite any pain. "Do you like that, Mike?" He murmured as he thrust in with his fingers and M-21 gasped and spread his legs as wide as he could—pride forgotten in the desire to get those fingers deeper. "You've got to be the most responsive, gorgeous man I've ever topped. I am going to fuck you so well you'll be screaming my name."

M-21 watched as the condom was applied and extra lubricant was added, and then he panted as something bigger, better than the fingers nudged at his entrance. "Please," he begged, his whole body quivering.

Zack answered his plea by slowly pushing himself inside of the grey. Once the head was in, the brunette groaned, and M-21 could see him bite his lip. Fine tremors running through his frame, the man looked up at M-21, "Tell me if you need me to stop."

"Just keep going!"

Hissing, Zack pushed forward, and M-21 easily ignored the burn until his partner was buried to the hilt, and then he felt himself focusing on the feeling of fullness that was…

Comforting.

Maybe he had been gay before becoming an experiment—it would certainly explain why he was so accepting of this.

After that moment, all thought ceased as Zack pulled out then thrust in, brushing something inside of M-21 that made the experiment burn. Growling, the grey met each thrust with one of his own, and when they came for the first time that night it was with wordless cries.

Bonus points if you guess why I named this character Zack. :-D Hope you enjoyed! Please let me know what you liked and any ideas for future fics that you'd like to see. I was going to make this somewhat angsty, but that obviously didn't happen. Think it could have been better, so maybe someday I'll come back and edit it.