Title: Chapter VIII: Carrots

Writer: Madame aZure

Fandom: Noblesse;

Pairing: None

Genre: Family;

Rating: K;

Warnings: there are no warnings for this chapter. Read at your own risk.

Disclaimer: I do not own Noblesse or any of the characters. No trademark infringement or profit is meant from the writing of this fanfiction.

M-21 eyed the vegetable with a wary and slightly disgusted look. His brows were furrowed, eyes narrowed into a glare, lips twisted into a grimace while he poked it with his fork, trying to decide what to do. He wasn't a picky eater, only because Seira and Frankenstein were great cooks, but this? He didn't like this. Carrots were evil. And he had to eat five pieces. Outrageous!

The werewolf's eyes shifted to Frankenstein, who was enjoying his meal in silence, apparently unaware of the child's struggle. Should he tell the scientist that he didn't like carrots? No, he should probably not; he wouldn't want to upset him. But what should he do? He could try to eat them and get it over with, but he just couldn't muster the willpower to do it. He didn't like those squishy, orange thingies which tasted really, really bad. How could the others eat them with such ease? Frankenstein told him that vegetables could help one grow big and strong – maybe they ate so many carrots in order to become adults that they got used to the taste and it wasn't affecting them anymore. If eating carrots was some kind of challenge to prove he was worthy of growing up, he would rather remain small.

It just had to be carrots, hadn't it? Couldn't it be something else? He was fine with spinach and with enough willpower, he could handle broccoli too, but carrots were a completely different story. He couldn't even stomach the smell, let alone that horrible taste and mushy texture.

Takeo smiled sympathetically at the child who kept poking the carrots with his fork, clearly not having any intention of eating them, but not daring to say he didn't like them. Was it because of his stubbornness or because he didn't wanted to upset Frankenstein, the sniper didn't know. Every time the werewolf picked a piece of vegetable and tried to bring it to his lips in an attempt at eating it, he would stop mid-way, his mouth twisting into a grimace, his little pink tongue sticking out in disgust, glaring at the carrot as if it had offended him somehow. He would then put it back on the plate, continue glaring at it for a few moments, then try to pick it up again. The cycle went on and on, until all the carrot pieces were full of holes from being poked repeatedly with the fork, yet still left uneaten.

Apparently, the sniper wasn't the only one amused by the child's antics, as the rest of the household members were trying not to chuckle or snicker, watching M-21 out the corner of their eyes as he was battling the evil carrots, determined not to give in no matter what.

At the fifteenth attempt, Takeo was about to ask the werewolf if he wouldn't want to trade the carrots, when Frankenstein let out a long, suffering sigh, putting down his own cutlery, before looking at the M-21 with a gentle smile.

"Little one," the werewolf glanced at him with a guilty expression, expecting to have gotten into trouble for not eating the vegetables, "it's alright not to eat the carrots if you don't like them."

"But you said I have to eat them because they're healthy," the werewolf mumbled unsure.

"You have to eat vegetables because they help you grow big and strong, but it's no crime not to like a certain type," there was really no need to force the child to accept them as he could unknowingly eat them if they were cooked into another type of dish, such as a stew or a soup.

"Okay," M-21 looked relieved that he didn't have to eat the carrots anymore. "Do you have a vegetable you don't like?" he tilted his head inquiringly.

"I'm not particularly fond of broccoli," Frankenstein huffed in amusement and shrugged, wondering what was the little werewolf up to now.

"Wanna trade?"

TO BE CONTINUED… :)