Title: The Card
Note: Just a short little fiction.
Pairing: Stottlemeyer/Monk

He stared at the word. Romance. He repressed the urge to glare at Natalie, but instead spat the word out at the Captain's feet, being sure to let Leland know that Natalie had picked out the card. He accidently zoned out of the conversation, feeling the word romance tumble around inside his head. Things slowly clicked. He lifted his head, making eye-contact with Leland. He breathed out, blinked rapidly, and then began to rattle off points about the case.

Still, he couldn't completely smother the small feeling of pride as he looked at his card, set out next to the cards other people Leland cared for deeply. He refused to even think the word that tended to accompany the word romance.

The pair left his office, and he dropped his head in his hands. That word was still resounding in his head. Romance. The undercover case had worried him, and Natalie had cornered him in the hotel bar after just one too many scotches. He vaguely remembered confessing his fear for Monk, his love. And Natalie had just rubbed his back and murmured words of understanding.

Sighing, he swiveled around in his chair and lifted Adrian's card off the sill where he had, just moments before, placed it. He opened it, ran his thumb along that word. Despite all his anger at the idea of that FBI prick changing his sweet, meek Adrian into some two-bit thug killer, hearing Adrian mutter the word had made his heart twitch.

Romance.

He was sitting in his chair, reading some book he had pulled off the shelf. If he were being honest with himself, he was still trying to distance himself from that stupid word in Natalie's card. With a sigh, he dropped his head back against the chair's headrest.

When Trudy had died, Leland had been the one there for him. He had been the ever-patient constant, while he had relearned the world. Pieced every shattered bit of himself back together as best he could. Leland had been his pillar, his rock, his anchor…the thing that kept him grounded. No one knew him like Leland. To him, Leland was second to none…save his beloved Trudy.

Slowly, he let out a deep breath…jumping at the loud knock at his door. He blinked, got to his feet and went to open the door.

He leaned against the doorjamb, listening to the approaching footsteps. His heart was lurching, and his free hand clenched tightly around the wine bottle's neck. He listened to the tumblers of the deadbolt slide apart. He lifted his head and looked at Adrian, gave him a slow, crooked grin, and lifted the icy bottle of wine.

"We wouldn't want the children to think that mommy and daddy are fighting, would we?" Adrian smiled slightly. He chuckled softly as he stepped into the neat apartment of Adrian Monk.

Patiently, he waited as Adrian relocked the door, and then followed his flawed friend into the tidy kitchen. He pulled the cork while Adrian fetched him a glass. Raising an eyebrow, he gave Adrian his no-nonsense look. "Get you a glass too Monk. We can't make up if I'm the only one drinking."

Against his better judgment, he got himself a wine glass as well. He glanced over his shoulder at his best friend, the only person he trusted himself fully with. Leland had popped the cork and was slowly pouring half a glass for himself before lifting the bottle at him. He placed his glass next to Leland's and watched his friend pour another half a glass of the blush wine.

He had never been a drinker. On occasion, he had shared a glass of wine with Trudy, but aside from that, he hadn't been one to partake in social drinking. And after his fiasco at the vineyard, he had avoided alcohol even more. But he knew, he could trust himself with Leland.

Caution to the wind, he sat down on the stool next to Leland, lifted the wine glass to his mouth, and took a hearty sip.

He, unintentionally, watched Adrian's lips form to the rim of the wine glass. When he caught himself, he gulped most of the contents of his own glass. With his free hand, he rubbed at his temple. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Adrian shift toward him. He turned his head and met that dark, brilliant stare head on.

"Captain…Leland, I really am sorry about this case. How I acted." He knew he could watch Adrian flounder with his words or soothe his friend. With an easy smile, he placed his hand on the crook of Adrian's arm, gave a gentle squeeze. "I know Adrian. It's fine." He turned back to his glass, downed the remaining contents, and began to pour himself another glass.

Finishing the rest of his own glass, he placed a timid hand on Leland's shoulder, forcing the slightly older man to look at him. "I know Natalie bought the card, but I meant it. I don't want to lose what…what we have." Those clear blue-green eyes met his gaze steadily, before Leland picked up the wine bottle and poured him another glass.

"Let's move this to the living room."

He followed Leland without a fuss, settling into the comfortable cushions of the couch, watching Leland place the bottle of wine on the coffee table, balancing the bottle on a coaster. He giggled and sipped his wine.

He settled back into the couch, toed off his shoes, and sipped at his wine. He turned his head and smiled at Adrian, who was clearly a little tipsy. "So the children apparently think we're fighting, but clearly…we're not." Adrian giggled, smiling broadly. He finished off the contents of his glass, leant forward, and poured himself another glass.

"So I guess you're the daddy, huh?" He glanced at Adrian as he settled back into the cushions and stared at his friend, probably his best and truest friend, who was currently smiling at him in a slightly goofy manner. He smiled back, "Yeah, I guess so. And that means you're the mommy, so I can do this…" he trailed off, leaning forward and pressing his mouth against Adrian's softly without another thought.

The first thought in his alcohol-addled brain is This is a kiss. Then, a little part of his brain begins to reel about the germs. Then the rest of his brain rapidly shut that little part up. He felt his body respond. His neck arched, pressing his mouth closer to Leland's.

He felt the soft tickle of his friend's mustache, the press of his nose, the warm spread of those broad hands on his back and neck. He felt alive.

Slowly, Leland pulled back. He felt his eyes flutter open, but he didn't really remember closing them. He could still feel the lingering heat of those hands, that mouth. He stared at his friend, confused. He watched Leland press his lips tightly together, finish his wine in one big gulp, place the glass on the coffee table, then slowly run his hands over his face.

The kiss set him on fire. The blood rushed in his head and down his body. He wanted to deepen the kiss, press Adrian down on the couch, touch him, but refrained. When he came to his senses, he pulled back. He was unable to look at Adrian, unable to witness the shock and disgust he was sure he'd find. He finished his wine and rubbed his face roughly.

"Leland?" Adrian's voice was hesitant, nervous, and it tugged at his heart. He lifted his head and looked at his best friend, who looked anything but disgusted. The shock was there sure, but no disgust; he took that for a good sign.

"Adrian…I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me." He watched Adrian cock his head to the side. "Don't be sorry. It was just…unexpected. It wasn't…bad." That last sentence made him smile and made his heart flutter.

He felt a tingling in his chest as he watched Leland smile, and it made him smile in return. "I just…I think next time I would like to be not under the influence of alcohol." Leland laughed and lifted a hand. The broad, rough palm pressed against his cheek as Leland grinned at him.

Sighing he slumped back into the couch cushions, finished the last of his wine, and put the glass down. He watched Leland follow suit. Then they just sat there, in alcohol-warmed silence, staring at one another. He thought about everything they'd been through together, thought of how blind he'd been.

Staring into that quiet, dark gaze, he was once again reminded of the type of person Adrian was. And he thought again what an amazingly strong woman Trudy had been, to love someone like Adrian, to be needed by this man with every fiber of his being. He wondered if he was strong enough.

Cautiously, he reached out and placed his fingers over Adrian's, silently promising to be everything the man needed, or as much as he could be. The little smile that touched his friend was bemused, but happy, and that was good enough for him.

"Thanks for the card." He felt his friend's hand move under his until Adrian's fingers had pushed between his own. "No, thank you."