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They’d built up to this for a while now. Becoming closer, getting accustomed to living together.
~~~
It started with dinner, what else with Monroe involved? Nick started trying more and more of the crazy concoctions Monroe came up with. Monroe tried harder and harder to make meals as appealing to Nick as possible. They almost always ate together, talking and laughing and enjoying the simple intimacy of sharing space and food.
~~~
Next it was household chores. Nick felt like he had to do something to repay Monroe's kindness in letting him stay here, in his house and his territory. But Monroe insisted that Nick shouldn't have to do anything, he worked all day as a cop, and all night as a Grimm if needed. Nick wouldn't hear any of it. He started by forcing his way between Monroe and the sink, to cut in on dish duty. Then he stole Monroe's laundry hamper the day before laundry day, so he could wash it.
Monroe would never admit it, but he enjoyed it immensely when Nick got fussy over the folding.
~~~
The first time they hugged - not a manly man-hug, but a full out bear hug, with feelings - was after Hank had gotten shot while he and Nick were chasing a man suspected of robbing a corner store. The bullet had hit Hank in the shoulder, but that wasn't why Monroe had come racing into the hospital and embraced Nick on sight. The reason for that was the bullet graze on Nick's temple, from the second shot the man had fired. And even though it was already scabbing over, Monroe was still shaking in fear.
~~~
Then there were the times Nick would come home absolutely exhausted, barely able to drag himself in the door. Monroe would always shove him down onto the sofa ("Ow! Dammit Monroe, why not just ask me to sit like a normal person?" "You wouldn't if I did. Shut up and sit.") and get him dinner and tea.
Nick quickly became addicted to the herbal brew. He was convinced it had magical healing properties, no matter that Monroe insisted it was just chamomile and mint with a dash of cinnamon.
~~~
They started going out and doing things, by themselves and with others. They would go and grab a beer and pizza with Hank. Visit the local organic market with Rosalie. Nick got Monroe to try bowling by offering him a few of his aunt's books ("I may have been hasty in my judgment." "So, you like bowling then." "Being smug is an extremely unattractive quality."). Monroe lured him into basic clockwork with offers of cookies in exchange for some help with some simple repairs. They grabbed Bud and cajoled him into going to a club, along with Rosalie and Hank.
When the local school held a bake sale, they went and bought as many sweets as they could carry, even though Monroe could probably make better, just because Nick was a softie and wanted to help them out. The cinnamon rolls were terrible.
~~~
After a while they stopped getting flustered when they would fall asleep next to each other on the couch and wake up curled together in the morning. One night, after a particularly tough evening of hunting down an insane Blutbad, they ended up at the trailer and just looked at each other and shrugged before settling down together to sleep on the bed in the corner.
When, after a nasty case with a sadistic child serial killer, Nick had nightmares, he didn't even think about it before heading down to Monroe's room and crawling into bed with him like a child seeking safety from the monsters under the bed. And all Monroe did was roll over and wrap his arms around his newfound bedmate.
~~~
The first time Monroe kissed Nick, it was raining. Not a gentle rain either, but pouring buckets of water that flooded roads and seeped in closed windows. And they weren't outside in it enacting some cheesy, romantic scene either. No, they were safe and dry inside, watching a movie where the entire plot was manly men blowing things up and popping one liners left and right.
It was coming on midnight, and Nick was starting to pass out. He leaned over onto Monroe's arm and snuggled in, curling his feet up under him, and Monroe sighed, shifting his arm to wrap it around Nick's shoulders. Nick made a sleepy mumble, and Monroe smiled before pressing a kiss to his forehead.
Nick passed out a second later, smiling.
~~~
The first time Nick kissed Monroe, it was almost sunrise and Monroe was lying in his bed, bandaged up like a mummy and unconscious thanks to one of Rosalie's potions.
They'd fought the big bad of the week. They'd made it back mostly whole. They'd won the battle and everyone was safe. But Nick was just trying not to cry, because his best friend, the man he trusted more than anyone else, that blutbad whose life he cared about more than his own, was nearly eviscerated by the blade meant for Nick. He sat there for hours, just holding his hand, unable and unwilling to leave his side.
Just after the sun rose, Monroe twitched, growled, and opened eyes that glowed red.
It was possibly the happiest moment of Nick's life, which he hoped he expressed well enough through the multitude of little kisses he littered across Monroe's hand. Knuckles, fingers, and palm, both sides.
He quickly realized there would be many even happier moments to come when Monroe turned his head to look at him, grinned, and said "So, nearly dying was enough of a declaration for you?"
~~~
And the first time either of them said 'I love you', no one actually said it.
"Admit it, Monroe! You love having my stuff all over the house, even if it does clash with your 'classy decor'." Nick grinned playfully, leaning back in the dining room chair he'd claimed as his.
Monroe turned away from the sauce simmering on the stove, raising his eyebrows.
"I suppose I've grown... accustomed... to having your mess all over. But you're still helping me clean the house tonight."