Chapter 5
"Holy shit, Monroe, what was that?" Hap asked.
"Seatbelt," Monroe reminded Hap as he tried to keep his claws from tearing the steering wheel cover.
"That right there was totally hot," Hap said, struggling with his seatbelt, "and I'm not even into guys."
His blood still felt on fire, and while his mind kept telling him this whole thing was a bad idea, the rest of him was singing a resounding "YES!"
He'd been a little pissed off when Hap had told him about heading over to Nick's, his first thought being that Nick was going to try to either pump Hap for information or use it as another way to get to Monroe. The more he thought about it, though, the more he realized that he was jealous that Hap was going to be the one spending time with Nick.
Indecisiveness wasn't a trait Monroe had ever associated with himself, and he wasn't about to start now. So while he and Bud had worked on winterizing the garden and taking care of the plants they were going to keep inside for the winter, he'd made some decisions.
Sure, this potential thing with Nick was probably going to explode in his face eventually, but was that a good reason for not getting involved at all? He and Rosalee didn't work out, but they were still good friends, and he didn't regret the good times. Angelina was a totally different story, but Angelina was a special case in every way. Still, even with her and some of their more questionable actions, he had some good memories.
So the question was, was trying for something with Nick worth the potential fallout?
He pictured Nick, those large earnest eyes, the full bottom lip, that adorable smile and the hair that fell over his forehead. He remembered how much fun Nick had been with his friends, what a good time he'd had when he and Nick had cooked together.
A surge of wantneed swept over him, and all he could think of was plastering himself over the other man, marking Nick as his, shoving himself so deep inside that he could no longer tell where he stopped and Nick began.
It'd taken all of his newfound discipline to keep from tearing Nick's clothes off and having him right there on the sidewalk.
It took him a few minutes before he realized that Hap was staring at him, mouth open. "What?"
"I knew you liked him, but I didn't know you liked him that much."
As he drove through JT's strip of bars and clubs, Monroe had to focus on not hitting any of the students so he couldn't look at Hap. "I'm still in control."
Hap snorted. "You looked at him like he was a porterhouse steak on a plate." Hap laughed. "A raw porterhouse steak. And you're a vegetarian. I'm scandalized!"
Monroe sighed, his brain reminding him of all of the reasons why this was a bad idea. "Yeah, I have no idea what I'm doing."
"But that's why we're here, right? What's the point of trying to be better if we're not allowed to be happy?"
Surprised, Monroe almost hit the drunken coed who fell off the curb and right in front of the car. Waiting for her friends to pull her back to her feet and to safety, he turned to Hap. "That's pretty smart."
Hap smiled smugly before nodding to a couple of guys on the sidewalk. "I didn't get into college by accident, you know."
Monroe laughed. "I guess not."
Monroe called Nick the next day, and they started spending most of their free time together. Nick quickly realized that Monroe's living arrangements were more of an indication of his financial restrictions rather than the choice of an upperclassman to live in a small house, so instead of going out to restaurants and bars, they spent a lot of time doing free things like hiking and or just hanging out at Nick's. Monroe still felt uncomfortable about having visitors at his place, so Nick happily let his apartment be where they all hung out.
Monroe found that he enjoyed spending time with Hank and Wu and that he and Hap somehow managed to fit in with them pretty easily.
Monroe's lack of a cell phone caused Nick no small amount of frustration, but he soon had the numbers for Monroe's house, the nursery, and the various people Monroe spent time with throughout the day programmed into his own. He'd also had to become very familiar with Monroe's schedule, which wasn't difficult, because it turned out that Monroe was very much a creature of habit.
They'd agreed to go slow – more Monroe's idea than Nick's – so they each found themselves taking longer, and sometimes colder, showers than ever before. Hank and Wu had taken to slipping into the bathroom right before Nick so they wouldn't have to wait for him. Hap just shrugged and peed in the backyard, which is what he preferred anyway.
Time passed quickly, and one night a week before Thanksgiving break, Monroe made pizza for Nick and Hank while the three of them pretended to study in the apartment living room with the television playing in the background. Because he spent so much time there, Monroe had taken over the kitchen, and while he'd never admit it, sometimes Nick would walk in there just to feel Monroe's presence.
"Pizza's up!" Monroe called. "Who wants what?"
"Meat lovers!" Hank and Nick called.
"Why'd I even ask?" Monroe muttered.
"We heard that," Hank shouted.
"And?" Monroe challenged, carrying three plates in his arms like a waiter.
"And… that pizza smells awesome! Let me help you." Hank took two plates and gave one to Nick.
They settled on the sofa, Nick more against Monroe's side than in the middle, which seemed to work for all three of them.
A commercial aired with a talking turkey, and Monroe tilted his head. "That's just disturbing."
"Which reminds me. When do you need to be at the airport?" Hank asked his roommate.
Nick swallowed before saying, "I need to be there about six on Tuesday."
Hank choked. "AM?"
"Yeah. When are you leaving?"
"Same day. My flight takes off at four. PM."
"I'll take you," Monroe said offhandedly.
Nick and Hank looked at him.
"Which one of us?" Nick asked, finally.
Monroe shrugged. "Both."
"When are you leaving?" Nick asked.
"I'm not. Hap and I stay in town."
"For Thanksgiving?" Nick was a little horrified. It was only him and his Aunt Marie, but they always made time for each other for Thanksgiving and Christmas. He hated the thought of Monroe being alone.
"It's no big deal. We'll volunteer somewhere, and some of his local friends play football in the afternoon. The place is actually quite nice when no one's around."
"What about your family?" Hank asked.
Suddenly Monroe was fascinated with his pizza. "Hap and I don't really go home."
The silence was a little uncomfortable until Hank said, "you really don't mind getting Nick to the airport? Because that is way too damn early for me."
"I'm up around that time anyway." Monroe said.
"He gets up at five to do his Pilates," Nick said, wondering how he even knew that. It was his turn to focus on his pizza so he could ignore Hank's amused gaze.
"It's a great way to begin the morning," Monroe said, warming to the topic. "Not only is it good physical exercise, but it helps me start my day with a clear focus."
"But it's five. In the morning," Hank protested. "I don't even usually get to bed until after one."
"If you ever change your mind and want to work out with me, let me know," Monroe said.
"Don't hold your breath," Hank muttered, making Nick laugh.
M
Monroe enjoyed playing chauffeur for Nick and Hank. He'd thought it was going to be tough saying goodbye to Nick, but he'd known for a fact that Nick had only gotten an hour of sleep, so Monroe wasn't surprised that the younger man could barely string three words together when he'd slid into the car.
"Where's your bag?"
Nick muttered something, opening up the door and grabbing the black duffle he'd forgotten on the sidewalk. He'd looked so pathetic, head resting against the bag, eyes closed, that Monroe just wanted to hug him. Instead, he shoved Nick's bag in the backseat and reached over to put on Nick's seatbelt.
He grabbed the coffee he'd made before he left his house and held it out. "Drink this."
"Good coffee?" Nick reached out with both hands, grabbing it and taking a large swallow.
Because he was responsible for his own tuition and pretty much paid for renting the house all by himself, Monroe had to be careful about his money, choosing to spend it on things like good coffee and organic food that he couldn't grow. Nowhere did Nick appreciate that more than with Monroe's coffee, and it had become a running joke with them that Monroe was required to share his 'good coffee' anytime they met before two pm.
The drop-off was also anticlimactic, with Nick fairly rolling out of the car once they'd arrived. He'd almost forgotten his bag a second time, and Monroe quickly gave it to one of the skycaps. He refused to leave until he was sure that Nick was checked in and had everything he needed. And if he had to woge at a Mellifer working at the ticket counter, it was all for a good cause, he told himself.
Hank was easier, but he was also awake. He cracked jokes, thanked Monroe for the ride so that Wu could be with his family. Then things became a little more serious.
"So, how're things with Nick?"
Surprised at the direction of the conversation, Monroe said, "Good – unless there is something I don't know about?"
"He seems happy, so I'm happy for him."
"Okay?" Monroe got the feeling that Hank had a specific purpose in steering the conversation this direction, but he wasn't sure if Hank wanted to warn him away or express his support of the relationship.
"But here's the thing. Nick's like a kid with his feelings. He'll get burned by a stove but can't help reaching out again just to see if it's still hot."
Monroe was getting more confused, so he remained silent.
"He doesn't have much of a filter, so his emotions just flow out of him. It's a brave way to live, but it also sets him up for a lot of hurt."
"You think I'm going to hurt him?"
"I think he's all in with you, but I get the feeling that you're standing there with your hand on the doorknob."
Monroe opened his mouth to tell Hank that he was wrong, but he suddenly realized that it was the truth. "I'm not used to, um – "
"Sharing your feelings? I get it, I really do. But you gotta open that door sometime, and frankly, if you have Nick standing on the other side, you're a lucky man."
And just like that, Hank started talking about his plans for the holiday.
Monroe's last duty as a shuttle driver was with Rosalee, whom he'd been driving to the bus station for every holiday since they started dating. Hers was the simplest trip; she only lived a few hours away, and she didn't have to make her travel arrangements months in advance.
Besides, it gave them a chance to catch up, which Monroe enjoyed. Usually.
"So, how are things going with Nick?"
"Good, they're good." He cleared his throat.
"Uh huh. What's wrong?"
Monroe sputtered for a moment. "Nothing's wrong. Didn't I just say things were good?"
"Yeah, and then you cleared your throat, which means that something's going on."
Monroe had no idea he did that. He flashed her a look before returning his attention to the road. "I do that?"
She laughed. "What is going on?"
"Nick's this great guy, but maybe I'm leading him on."
He felt her shift until she faced him. "How do you mean?"
"It's not like it's ever going to work. "
"Why not?"
He snorted. "You know what Nick is, and you know what I am."
"Yeah," Rosalee said slowly. "So what?"
"A Blutbad and a human?"
"I've heard many cases of Wesen marrying and leading happy lives with humans."
"Do you know of any firsthand?" He allowed the silence for a few seconds before snorting. "Old wives' tales. It is always someone's cousin who knows of this happy couple, isn't it? No one has ever seen it with their own eyes."
"That doesn't mean it can't happen," Rosalee insisted.
"What do you know about Blutbad mating rituals?"
"I've read a lot…"
"We're rough, Rosalee. We destroy furniture! We draw blood! I'd tear Nick apart!"
"So you two haven't…"
Monroe shook his head. "We're taking it slow."
"Wow. In college terms, you're positively glacial."
Monroe threw her a look, one that'd once frightened a Schakal so badly, he'd peed a little. Rosalee only laughed.
He was obviously losing his touch.
"If you don't think that you and Nick should be together, then why are you and Nick together?"
Monroe asked himself that pretty much everyday. "I guess… somewhere in the back of my head…"
"… you hope that maybe you and Nick are the exception to the rule?"
Monroe shrugged.
Rosalee leaned toward him. "You already are."
End note: I know Monroe's vegan on the show, but I've mentioned earlier that I'm not a cook. I'd already written him as a vegetarian, so darn it, he's going to eat cheese pizza in this story!