"Monroe?"
Nick calls out the blutbad's name as he walks in the door, hanging up his jacket and turning toward the kitchen – where he usually finds his boyfriend when he comes home from work. He takes a deep breath, smiling at the warm, spicy scent he's come to love, of Monroe's specialty vegetarian chili. But the kitchen is empty, the only sound a soft bubbling from the stove, left to warm Nick's dinner until he got home.
Nick's mouth is watering already, but he can wait. The kitchen is sparkling despite the fact that Monroe's clearly been cooking for hours, and there are candles lit on the table, which is laid out perfectly. Warmth and affection flood through Nick as he takes in all the effort Monroe has gone to, and all he wants to taste in this moment is his lover's kiss.
If he can find him, that is.
Nick stops short in the doorway to the living room, melting a little at the sight of Monroe, sitting up on the sofa, but slumped down against its arm, where the notepad with his to-do list rests, forgotten, a pencil still barely caught in his fingers where his hand falls over the edge. Nick quietly closes the distance between them, reaching out to take the pencil and set it aside.
As he climbs onto the sofa beside Monroe, the blutbad shifts and draws in a breath, sleepy eyes blinking up, startled, at Nick's face. Nick leans in and kisses him softly, fingers stroking through his hair, and Monroe lets out a happy, sleepy moan, his large hands sliding around Nick's waist to pull him closer. Nick gets up on one knee on the sofa, repositioning so that he's straddling his boyfriend's legs, giving him better leverage and a slight height advantage.
His fingers tighten in Monroe's hair, tugging sharply, and he's rewarded with a slight growl that sends shivers down his spine. He smiles against Monroe's lips, his other hand trailing down and around until it can brush against the sensitive spot at the base of Monroe's spine. The growl fades into a startled, breathless whimper, but Monroe's hands clutch at him more tightly, and the slight twitch Nick feels through the front of Monroe's jeans is evidence enough that the contact is welcome.
It's several minutes before they fully break the kiss, and Nick can't help but smile at the warm adoration in Monroe's eyes as he looks up at him.
"You're amazing, you know that?" Nick says, his voice hushed and affectionate.
Monroe doesn't answer – just pulls him down for another kiss. And Nick's hands slide up under Monroe's shirt, desire stirring low in his gut, and he knows, as delicious as it smells and as hungry as he is…
… dinner's just going to have to wait.