A/N: Just a one-shot that popped into my head and needed to be written down. It's mostly silly, but with some serious notes. Set in season one, somewhere between episodes 10 and 16, and there are references to a few of the episodes. Hope you enjoy.
It took Monroe a few moments of wondering how he'd always missed the strong percussion element in Tchaikovsky's Pathétique to realise there was a knock on the door. He shook his head, turning down the radio just as his favourite third movement was about to begin. Somehow, he was getting a little scatterbrained these days, and he was blaming Nick entirely. Being dragged along on all these off-the-books investigations was inevitably drawing him out of his shell – and into a lot of peculiar situations that gave him ample food for thought.
"Oh hey, I started thinking you weren't in.. nice underwear by the way."
"Eh?"
Monroe stared at the Grimm on his doorstep, until Nick grinned, pointing, and then the clockmaker remembered he was still holding a pair of boxers in his hand.
"Didn't know you can get ones with trains on them."
"Locomotives, Nick", Monroe lectured him, "They're locomotives. A 'train' is the whole thing. – And it's not like I'm expecting anyone to wanna see my pants anytime this decade", he muttered under his breath – "What'd you want?"
"Can I come in?"
"Look man", Monroe leaned his hand against the door frame, "it's a bit late and I'm in the middle of doing my laundry.."
".. you can't possibly have that much laundry to do", Nick skillfully dived under his arm and went inside.
"Well, in that case, just make yourself at home, won't you?", Monroe spread his arms in disbelief, but him and Nick both knew it was tongue-in-cheek indignation and the clockmaker was not in fact all that displeased. By now, this was just a little game they were playing.
"I need you to do something for me."
"Yeah, I guessed you didn't come here to help me hang up my underwear."
Nick chuckled, sticking both hands into his pockets, while Monroe walked over to the drying rack and picked up a peg.
"Don't you have a dryer for that or something?"
"Are you crazy? They kill the fabric, man, evil things.."
This time he earned a full-on laughter from his friend.
"With all we've encountered so far, you think dryers are evil!"
It felt good to be able to make Nick laugh with nothing more than just being himself.
"So what, you've come to discuss household chores?"
"No, of course not. I wanted to tell you about this idea I had."
"Uh-huh", Monroe encouraged, his teeth busy holding pegs as he was hanging up the rest of his washing.
"I've been wondering for a while, shouldn't I be starting my own Grimm journal? You know, note down everything I learn about all the Wesen we encounter, draw them, that kind of stuff."
"Excellent idea", Monroe agreed as soon as his mouth was free, "it's in your genes to want to catalogue us."
"Hey, it's not like that!" Nick protested. "I was just thinking, if I have children, and they're Grimms too, I'd want to -"
"You and Juliette are talking about kids?" Monroe threw him a quick glance, spreading out the fabric. The thought made his chest tighten a little, and he couldn't explain why. Nick was thirty and in a long-term relationship with his charming almost-fiancée. Of course he was bound to have children in a not too distant future. "And by the way, shouldn't you be with her at this time of day – or, should I say, night?"
"You gotta be joking!" Nick gave a wave of his hand, ignoring the second part of his question. "I haven't even managed to propose yet."
Monroe could not quite pinpoint the emotion in Nick's voice. Even though they seemed to be slowly developing a kind of unusual friendship, it was difficult to know exactly what Nick was thinking or feeling at any given point.
"I'm just talking theoretically. I'd like to leave something behind that's different, you know, I'd note down all the good qualities of Wesen too, not just how best to kill'em."
"I see", Monroe rubbed his chin, "I guess it only makes sense that you're asking me to write a little guest article for your journal. I could provide some really interesting inside perspective on -"
"That's not what I'm asking you to do."
"Oh. Okay", Monroe pouted, "what do you need from me then?"
"Well, before I start the journal I need to work on my drawing skills."
"Dude, what are you talking about? Your drawings are awesome! Especially considering you've never had formal tuition. Guess it comes with the whole Grimm thing."
"Yeah, I can draw the head alright, but as soon as I try doing the whole body or movement it all falls apart."
"Hm. But how am I supposed to help you? I couldn't even draw a potato to save my life."
"I know, but I thought, maybe you could pose for me a couple of times?"
"?!" Monroe spit out the next round of pegs. "Excuse me?"
"Well, you've got long limbs."
"Eh?"
"Long limbs are great to practise drawing movement, and you're not too thin either."
"You're saying I'm fat!?"
"What? No!" Nick was quick to clarify. "You've got the perfect body shape.. uh", he tousled his hair, "I mean, for life drawing."
"Life drawing?!" Monroe gaped at him. "You want me naked?"
"That would be helpful.."
The Grimm blushed a little. Or, maybe, he was just hot. Monroe always kept his house nice and warm, just the way Blutbaden liked it.
".. because, you know, with the type of baggy clothes you're wearing I can't.."
"Oh, look, another compliment!" Monroe rolled his eyes. "I'm flattered, really! Still, why don't you just hire a professional model, or go to one of those slightly creepy evening classes?"
"Well, I'd have to pay.."
"Of course! I almost forgot how convenient I am", the clockmaker crossed his arms, "and, by the way, you still owe me three hundred bucks for the Gallenblase that I really had no use for. At. All", he gave Nick a meaningful look.
"I know, I know", Nick sighed, "Look, I'll make it up to you, I promise."
He gave Monroe a disarming smile.
"And you said yourself that Blutbaden don't mind nudity, unlike 'you repressed humans who seem to be stuck in Victorian times, and by the way, I can't believe you've never been to England, what kind of philistine are you' were your exact words if I recall."
"Yeah, well, that's true, but..", Monroe rubbed the back of his neck. For some reason, the thought of Nick's pretty face examining his naked shape made him feel a little queasy. ".. you could just ask Juliette, you know?"
"And how do I explain my sudden desire to draw her?"
"Do you really need an explanation in order to get your own girlfriend undressed?" Monroe grinned. "You'll find something.." He leaned across and patted Nick on the shoulder, a little awkwardly. "Besides, aren't you quite the expert on explanations these days? I wonder what you told her why you're here."
"Uh, I said I need advice on buying a watch from a friend.."
"Well, actually, I've been pondering over this already, I think the one that would suit you best is -"
"I'm not actually planning on buying a watch, Monroe."
"Of course not", the Blutbad scoffed, "it only took me years to become the reputable clockmaker that I am, and all you want to do is get me out of my clothes!"
"When you put it like that", Nick laughed, "it sounds all wrong."
"Yeah?"
"Look, I only need a couple of sessions and it won't be too much effort.."
"You said that when I had to spy on the Ziegevolk, and then I was having weird dreams for a whole week.."
"Oh.. really?"
"I'm not gonna share any details."
"That might be for the best", Nick smiled, walking up to the drying rack and picking up the pegs that Monroe had dropped on the floor. "So, what d'you say?"
"I don't know, Nick", they both busied themselves with hanging up the rest of Monroe's clothes, "when did you want to do this thing?"
"Actually, I brought some equipment along..", Nick pointed to his rucksack.
"What, now?!"
"Well", Nick shrugged, pegging the last of the socks, "your laundry is done, and do you have any better plans for the rest of your evening?"
"Fine", Monroe conceded, "I honestly don't know why I keep doing this. Let's go into the study".
He brought up his hands, undoing the top button of his shirt.
"Great", Nick was watching him closely, "and you can leave your boxers on, I don't think I need to.. um.. go into that much detail."
"Thanks for that", Monroe grumbled, and despite disliking this whole idea he suddenly felt just the tiniest bit disappointed.
"I wonder what's on the ones you're wearing."
"Funny, Nick. Very funny."
A/N 2: This is the first thing I've ever written that's not 'explicitly' slashy. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think of it :).