Disclaimer: I do NOT own Noblesse

Pairing: Tao x Rai

Word Count: 781

Note: I am currently addicted to Noblesse. I was hesitant to read it at first because its style is so different from the manga style that I'm used to. But I was curious and I had to read it. So, I did. I finished reading the latest chapter 4 days later (from when I started with the first chapter) and despite reading almost nonstop, I still couldn't get enough because the story's so good and the characters are all so gorgeous and Rai is so dreamy and Tao is so funny and these two are my favorite characters so, of course, I had to write something about them. And this, right here, is what I came up with.

Warning: Excessive usage of the word 'and'. I don't even know.

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offbeat (ôf′bēt′, ŏf′-)

[n. Music] An unaccented beat in a measure; [adj. Slang] Not conforming to an ordinary type or pattern; unconventional

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Chapter 1

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Tao is a very curious person. Always has been for as long as he's known himself. When he's curious about something, he doesn't hesitate to ask. When there's no one to ask, he finds out the answers himself. He's not obsessive or anything. But he does hate it when there're things, questions that he can't find the answers to. It annoys him - the questions keep nagging at the back of his mind and doesn't leave him alone until he's fed up and doing anything he can to satisfy the curiousity.

More than enough times, he's used questionable methods just so he could answer the incessant buzz of whats and whys and hows inside his head. But that wasn't the problem. No. Tao's never been worried nor felt guilty over these questionable methods that he's used. If anything, he's actually quite proud, giddy that he's done these things so sneakily that by the time the relevant party's find out, it's already too late. The cat's already out of the bag.

So, yeah, he's got no problem with finding out things, searching for answers, satisfying his curiousity. What gets under his skin are the questions themselves. Because they're totally random (they just pop out of nowhere). And useless (he doesn't get anything by answering them. If anything, they're a complete waste of time). And they're very incessant, like really. Which is the biggest problem of all.

Tao's always been good at focusing on things, so thankfully, he doesn't get distracted when he's doing his job. But when he's no longer doing important things, when his mind is no longer preoccupied with work or training, the questions would rear their ugly heads on the forefront of his mind and he's got no choice but to think about them and be curious.

He could always distract himself, of course. He can divert his attention elsewhere, focus on doing other stuff like reading a book, watching a movie, playing video games, talking and laughing with his friends. But overtime, he gets antsy because he knew that the questions are there, hovering just on the edge of his mind, unobtrusive but present all the same. It's annoying him to no end.

Thankfully, as random as these questions are, they are rare. Tao's an intelligent person. He knows things. So, there aren't really many things out there that he hasn't heard or saw or experience for himself before. And when there're new things, they're easy to figure out because in some way or another, they are similar to the previous things, situations that Tao's been in before. So, actually, if you look at it that way, they can't even be considered as something new - they're just versions and upgrades. Some details are different but when you look at each of them in their entirety, they're all the same.

So, needless to say, Tao spent very little time and effort on these questions when they appear. They're easy to answer, easy to satisfy, easy to deal with. Thus, there's no incessant buzz inside his head and he doesn't get annoyed.

Tao's happy.

But the world is a far bigger place than anyone has ever thought of. And it has its secrets. So, no matter how worldly Tao is, no matter how much he knew, there will always be one or one hundred mysteries out there that he knows nothing about.

And it was just his luck (or bad luck, depending on how he wants to see it) that Tao realizes that one of those mysteries is sitting right there, with his eyes closed, sipping tea and looking calm and unobtrusive and totally unaware of the havoc happening inside Tao's head. A havoc made by questions that are suddenly flooding his mind and making him dizzy and confused because he's met Rai months ago but these questions are only appearing now and Tao doesn't need this (what's with everything going on), but what can he do? He just had to look and watch as the Noblesse slowly, gracefully pick up his cup of tea with his long, elegant fingers and raised pinky - a cup of tea that not two minutes ago, Frankenstein had efficiently poured and stirred, after adding at least seven teaspoons of sugar and Tao, instead of wincing at how disgustingly sweet it must taste, just had to be curious and wonder:

What kind of face will Rai make if he were to taste Tao's mean chocolate crème brûlée?

That. That stupid, flitting question right there, is what triggered the many other questions whirring inside Tao's head and really. That is just the start of his problem.