Title: Mr. Monk and the Hangover from Hell
Pairing: Monk/Stottlemeyer
Note: Still not mine; this continues where Mr. Monk Gets Drunk left off.
The low groan next to him alerts him to Adrian waking up. He had decided to stay at the inn with Monk, sending Randy home with Natalie. He looks over, watches as Adrian struggles to sit up, clutching at his dark curls. He chuckles and those dark eyes dart to meet his gaze. "Water," that soft voice rasps in his ear, and he pushes a glass of water and bottle of aspirin closer to Monk.
"You'll feel better if you take a coupla aspirin, trust me." Adrian gives him a scared look before nearly tearing the top off the bottle and shaking two of the small white pills into his hand. Once the detective swallows the pills with the majority of the water, those meek dark eyes lift to his again. And he's aware that he's been staring. "What happened last night," Adrian finally manages to choke out, his hand coming up to press against his temple. He chuckles again. "I take it you don't remember much."
Once again, a horrified look. "I don't remember anything!" Adrian drops back onto the pillow with a groan, covering his face. "I bet I made a fool of myself." Slowly, he gets to his feet and moves to the edge of the bed. Those dark eyes peek curiously at him from under Adrian's hand. "Nah, I wouldn't say you made a fool of yourself."
Adrian sits up again, that dark gaze locked on his. "What…what happened." He smiles broadly, trying to put his friend at ease. "Oh you know the usual. You solved the case…you know, you never cease to amaze me." He gives Adrian a sidelong glance, notices the way the other perks up intrigued. "Why's that?" He turns to look into those dark, brilliant eyes. "It's just…it's been a really long time since I saw you look that happy. You just surprised me."
He can see Adrian start to scowl, getting defensive like a small child. "I can be happy." Shaking his head, he chuckles again. "Alright, let me rephrase that. I never thought I'd hear you say something like that." And the defensiveness is gone, replaced by curiosity, "Tell me what I said?" He leans back just barely, letting his body press lightly against Adrian's covered legs. He folds his hands together, places them in his lap. "Oh nothing…just that you love me."
Out of the corner of his eye, he can see the blush run rampant across Adrian's cheeks, the devastation in his dark eyes. And then Monk is hiding his face in his hands, a low wounded sound coming from what sounds like the pit of his chest. "Oh God no…" And he can't bear to see Adrian struggle with this. He wraps a hand around the other's wrist, tugging lightly at his arm, trying to pull Monk's hands away from his face.
"C'mon Adrian, it's no big deal." But Adrian just shakes his head, presses his face tighter against his palms, and begins to rock. Finally, he gives it up, letting his hand rest beside Adrian on the bed covers. "Don't you wanna hear what I said?" Those dark eyes peer out from slightly spread fingers, curious and slightly afraid. "Yes," the reply is muffled but he hears it. "Then pull your damn hands away from your face," he growls out, and Adrian slowly returns his hands to the bed covers, dangerously close to his own.
That gaze is open, and in those dark, endless eyes he can see so much. He can see the pain from losing Trudy, from afraid of losing him too perhaps, but also the painfully sincere adoration and trust and love for him in those dark eyes. And it all makes his heart clench just a little in his chest, and he's afraid that none of this will change.
That in the end, Adrian Monk will still be neurotic, afraid, lonely, lost…in love with a dead woman, and he will still be an aging police captain who is madly, desperately in love with someone who maybe can't love him back. And they'll still be parallel to one another, always in the same direction but never on the same path.
But that can't stop him, he knows that as he looks into those dark trusting eyes.
"I said it back," he finally manages out. And in a brash moment of wanting to change what they have, he leans forward and brushes his lips against Adrian's. He does it lightly enough that they could both ignore it if they want, pretend it never happened…go back to the way they were.
When he pulls back, those dark eyes are closed, but they open in a heartbeat. And for a second, he steels himself. "I meant it Adrian. I really do love you." And he can see the love in those eyes, so much it nearly hurts, and his heart beats rapidly in his chest. That soft mouth curves lightly at the corners, and he feels the tentative brush of fingers against his.
"I meant it too." And those words completely dismantle him in every way. And hope flutters in his chest like butterflies as he pushes his fingers between Adrian's. Maybe…just maybe things can change.