Work Text:
“Monroe?”
Pausing in the supermarket aisle when she heard someone call upon her husband, Rosalee turned with her hand still buried in the nook of his elbow, very conscious of a tenseness suddenly present in Monroe’s body - Whoever this was, she wasn’t certain the mystery man and her husband had ended their last interaction on the best of terms
“It is you!…I wasn’t sure with such a beautiful woman on your arm”
Bristling at the assumption that her husband was somehow unworthy of her affection and attention, Rosalee tightened her grip in a way she hoped was reassuring, deliberately tilting her hand so that her wedding band became visible to the man who’s eyes were leering on her in a way that she did not appreciate in the slightest
“Hi, Marty”
“You aren’t going to introduce me to your lady friend?”
“I’m Monroe’s wife, Rosalee”
Extending her hand before Monroe had the opportunity to, Rosalee introduced herself, careful to use a title that when paired with her ring would hopefully send a very clear message
“Wife?…Wow, has it really been that long since we’ve last seen each other?”
“It’s been almost a decade…I’m not the same man I was then”
Reading between the lines, Rosalee deduced that her husband was subtly informing her that this was a friend from his hunting days, something that didn’t clarify why Marty was so surprised Monroe could be with someone beautiful - If this man had known Monroe during his hunting days, then he’d likely known him when he’d been with Angelina
“How long have you been married?”
“Oh, how long is it now, Honey?…With how little sleep we get these days with the kids, I’ve lost track”
Pretending not to know the exact number of years in order to manufacture an opportunity to reveal more of Monroe’s personal life now, Rosalee plastered on a fake smile, her thumb subtly rubbing the inside of Monroe’s arm
“You have children?…Never saw you as the fatherly type, Monroe”
“He’s an amazing Dad. Our three adore him”
Turning her eyes on her husband, Rosalee let genuine affection shine in her eyes, feeling some of the tension in Monroe’s frame ease as he met her gaze before turning his attention back to Marty with a small nod
“I do. We’ve got two boys and one girl…The kids and Rosalee are the best things that’ve ever happened to me”
“Wow, Blutbad cubs…I hope you’re teaching them the right ways. I know you had your reservations with hunting last time we spoke…You’ll never believe this, Rosalee, but he was towing with the idea of going vegan”
Tilting her head to share a silent conversation with her husband, Rosalee wordlessly invited Monroe to decide whether to share her and their children’s wesen type with this man, aware that revealing the truth to their little family was sometimes dangerous - They both still held the scars from the wesenrein ordeal
Scars that ran so deep that they’d never not be hesitant
“Actually, I did go vegan shortly after we last spoke. It helps me be the man that I want to be for my family, the husband and Dad they deserve”
“Wow, I never thought I’d see the day…I better go. It was nice to meet you, Rosalee”
Hesitating before responding just long enough that she didn’t need to return the sentiment, Rosalee released her grip on her husband once they were alone in the aisle again, rising up on her toes and tilting his face down with a hand on each cheek
“I’m proud of you”
“Marty’s not the kind of man I want to be…He’s the kind of man I used to be, the kind I probably would have become eventually again had I not met Nick, had he not brought you into my life…”
“You’re wrong. You’re a better man than him, Monroe…That’s why he’s shopping for one, and we’re shopping for five”
Recalling the contents of the basket Marty had had held in one hand, Rosalee rose once more to kiss her husband, returning to his side afterwards to reclaim his hand and continue their shopping errand
“You changed my life, Rosalee”
“No more than you changed mine…I love you”
Saying the magic words that brought his smile back, Rosalee revisited the list in her hand, suddenly eager to finish this task so that they could get home, a sentiment she knew her husband shared and understood when he recited off the direction they needed to go to locate the next essential on their list - They both wanted to get home in time for the kids to get home from school
A return to the family life they’d built together