Chapter Text
“You’ll never find her.”
“But you could.”
“Don’t push it,” he says teary eyed and hangs up.
Don’t push it. Those three words stuck with them both.
Nick stops calling over every little incident. There are no more calls with question upon question. There are no more chances for Monroe to interrupt Nick to remind him to breathe and sneak in a sarcastic comment. Although they haven’t talked in weeks, the tension between them is very palpable. Had it not been for the two campers’ statements, Nick may have decided to part with him entirely.
Nick can’t jeopardize anyone’s life if this girl is a Blutbad. He has to go to Monroe with this as much as he doesn’t want to. He sticks to business and Monroe is more than pleased with that.
They find her in that treehouse wounded. They remind her of who she is. They save her. They make a hell of a team. Nick takes her home to her mother.
When he puts the car in park, he realizes that he ended up at Monroe’s house without meaning to. It must be ingrained in his memory. He should thank him. On any other day, on any other case, he wouldn’t hesitate. Against reason, he knocks on the door.
Monroe knew he was there. He can recognize Nick’s scent from miles away. He was curious as to why Nick was just sitting in his car; he knew the obvious answer. He ignored it.
“Hey. I know it’s late, but I just wanted to say thanks for helping out.”
“You look exhausted. Come in. Have some coffee,” Monroe says, almost whispering.
Nick reluctantly agrees. They sit at the table, drinking in silence for a solid ten minutes. Nick pushes his chair back.
“I should go. It’s getting late.”
This isn’t how it goes. Nick is always the one that wants to talk and question; it’s that annoying trait that makes him a good detective. Nick always talks. Not this time. This time Monroe feels the need to say something. This time Monroe stands and gently grabs Nick’s arm when he walks past him toward the door.
“Or you could stay?” It’s a tentatively asked question, but the implication is there. The sweet promise of something more.
Monroe is trying to search Nick’s eyes, but Nick is purposely keeping his eyes glued to the floor. He feels his heart racing and knows Monroe must be able to hear it.
“I should go,” he repeats, eyes coming up to meet Monroe’s only to quickly become entranced with the floor again. It’s all he can say without breaking down.
He feels foolish and naive. He silently curses himself for letting this get complicated in his mind, with his feelings. He starts turns and starts walking toward the door again.
“Please.”
Against all odds, Nick hears it and his tone makes him turn around and look at Monroe directly for the first time since that day. Monroe looks desperate. Nick looks like a lost dog.
Monroe walks to him in three strides, kisses him soft and unsure but with intense need. Nick responds in kind. They make their way to the bedroom . It’s slow and sweet. It’s distant. Nick keeps his face hidden from Monroe’s gaze. Nick is quieter than usual; there are merely soft grunts and cut off moans coming from his mouth. It takes everything in him not to completely lose himself, not to scream Monroe’s name.
It’s over. Nick goes to get up from the bed.
“Stay,” begs the voice from behind him as the man puts an arm around his waist gently tugging him back. Nick doesn’t argue, doesn’t say a word. He just lies back down, back pressed against Monroe’s chest and Monroe’s arm holding him tightly.
Eventually, that grip loosens. Nick is exhausted, but wide awake. He doesn’t know how he’s feeling about anything having to do with Monroe at the moment. He feels the soft, even breaths against his neck.
“Angie,” Monroe whispers.
Nick’s blood turns cold. He had forgotten that Monroe tends to murmur in his sleep when he’s extremely tired. Nick gets up ever so carefully as to not awaken the Blutbad. He gets dressed and leaves. Monroe tends to sleep like the dead when he’s had an extremely long day. Nick gets into his car and starts driving; he doesn’t have a destination. He can’t go home because it would be much harder to contain his emotions and lie to Juliette at the same time. He ends up parked outside the trailer. He turns off the car, but he never gets out. He feels paralyzed, numb even. Then the tears come. He starts sobbing uncontrollably and eventually cries himself to sleep in his car.