Title: Giving You All My Love
Chapter Title: 1/1
Author: Desperate For Attention
Beta Reader: N.A
For: My lovely partner in crime.
Fandom: Grimm
Pairing: Nick Burckhardt and Monroe
Warning: Really bad spelling and poor Grammar
Title song: Jason Mraz – I won't give up
Disclaimer: I have absolutely no claim on Grimm or any of the characters who are associated with the show, I am merely a skint student writing crappy fics because there isn't anything else to do, so don't sue. Nor do I own any of the songs used within the title of the content of this fic.
Summary: "That thing is not staying here Nick." Monroe counters kicking off his shoes. "I'm putting my foot down and telling you no this time, absolutely no way, not for anything, no."
Giving You All My Love
Monroe knew that Nick had a soft spot for anything that was in need of his help, it was endearing in a totally frustrating kind of way. It was the reason he'd spent an hour last Friday night talking to Roddy about music on the phone and the reason he'd scheduled regular visits with Holly on his days off.
It was the reason he was stood now in the door way of his own home, sopping wet and freezing cold staring at the ball of black and white fur that had leaped off the couch to greet him.
"Nick?" He calls closing the door slowly, "Nick, why is there a cat in my house?"
"What?" Nick mumbles turning away from his phone to greet Monroe with a slow smile. "Oh, I found him outside when I came home."
"So what? You just decided to let it come in?" Monroe asks turning his nose up when it meows happily and winds its way between his legs, sniffing at his pants leg and purring happily despite Monroe's obvious discomfort.
"It was raining Monroe; I couldn't just leave it out on the door step."
"It's a cat Nick! They like the rain, they live outside. It's part of being a cat." Monroe grumbles shooing it away with the toe of his shoe. "It could have fleas or rabies; it could be aggressive, feral even!" he adds glaring down at the cat again when it sits in front of him expectantly.
"I've already checked him for fleas." Nick sighs turning back to his phone, clicking his tongue as he turns to grasp the cat's attention. "It's just until it stops raining."
"That thing is not staying here Nick." Monroe counters kicking off his shoes. "I'm putting my foot down and telling you no this time, absolutely no way, not for anything, no."
"You said no when I asked you to go and see Roddy—"
"That's different he—" Monroe tries.
"And when I said that it would be good for you to spend more time with Holly."
"Again that's different—" Monroe glares at Nick.
"And whenever I ask you to help me with a case," Nick smirks running his fingers through the soft black strands of the cats fur.
"I'm serious this time Nick, I don't like Cats. Throw it out; let it find somewhere else to keep out of the rain." Monroe mumbles turning to glare at the cat as it curls up on Nick's knee, purring away happily to itself as the Grimm continue to run his fingers along the top of its head. "This is a cat free zone."
"For tonight it's a cat friendly zone." Nick counters still tapping away at the keys of his phone. "It won't hurt for just a few hours and I promise to put it out as soon as it stops raining." He promises, setting the phone aside on the table to smile at Monroe.
"As soon as it stops." Monroe presses. Rolling his eyes when Nick beams down at the cat and ruffles it's fur affectionately.
# # #
By the time it had stopped raining, Nicks cat has been fed, watered and has worked out that Monroe's clock table was the perfect place to set up a den for the night, or possibly the foreseeable future.
It had dragged the throw from the back of the couch and clawed and chewed the fabric to a make makeshift nest, along with one of the cushions Nick had thrown on the floor earlier. Which Monroe is now beginning to think was initially intended for the cats comfort.
When he had tried to drag the cat out from under the table, the demon had hissed and cried until Nick had stepped in and kissed Monroe on the cheek and told him to just forget about it, that they could move it once they had cleaned up in the kitchen.
It ends up spending the night under Monroe's desk.
# # #
When Monroe woke up the next day it's to find Nick sat beside him on the bed, reading through some case reports and the cat happily curled up in his lap, it's large bottle green eyes staring smugly at Monroe.
"It's not raining, Nick." Monroe points out tiredly.
"I know." Nick answers lifting the cat from his lap and setting it down on the floor with his files before shifting to lay back down beside Monroe. "I'll put him out as soon as he's had something to eat."
"You're encouraging it to come back if you keep feeding it." Monroe sighs, grumbling when Nick kisses him. "It's not staying here Nick. I told you. No."
"I know," Nick smiles lifting his hand to the back of Monroe's neck to kiss him again. "As soon as I've fed him, I promise." He adds, smiling in a way that told Monroe that he was going to be seeing the cat long after breakfast.
# # #
Somehow, Monroe isn't quite sure how, but somehow Nick manages to talk Monroe into letting the cat stay for three more days. In this time, Nick has managed to successfully incorporate cat food onto their shopping list without Monroe batting an eyelid at it.
It's half way through his morning coffee, on day four of Nick finding his new best friend that Monroe watches it bound happily into the kitchen and noisily crunch at the dry cat food, that he realises that the cat is probably never getting thrown out.
Especially when Nick trails after it with that adorable grin on his face and instantly scratches behind its' ear before kissing Monroe and leaving for work.
# # #
"I hate you." Monroe grumbles poking the tip of his finger to the cat's nose.
It isn't a lie, he does hate it. He hates the way it curls up all over Nick and purrs like an old fashion car engine for hours on end, he hates the cute little sounds Nick makes when he's pulling bits of string along the carpet and the cats trying desperately to catch it between its paws. He hates the big smiles Nick gets when it ruts its head up against Nick's palm begging for attention.
"You're too cute for your own good." He adds prodding the cat's nose again with a sigh. "You're only here because Nick likes you. So am I though if we're being honest, but you. He just happened to find you out in the yard and suddenly you're his new best friend. Let's see you help him with a case."
The cat stares at him for a second before meowing softly and licking the tip of his outstretched finger with a happy purr.
"I know, you hate me too."
# # #
"He needs a name," Nicks starts, casually scratching his fingers under the cats chin.
"No, if you give it a name it's never going to leave. You'll get too attached." Monroe grumbles turning the watch over in his hand and re adjusting his glasses. "I told you Nick, we aren't keeping it. It's been here long enough already."
"Razzles?" Nick suggests ignoring Monroe's sound of protest. "What was the name of that Klaustreich you knew in high school?"
"Funny." Monroe growls turning only to glare at Nick's smug smile. "Just put it back in the yard and close the door, then you won't have to hurt yourself thinking of a name for it." He adds turning back to the broken watch when Nick hum's in thought.
"What about Apollo?"
# # #
Apollo turns out to be the worst name Nick could come up with, because when Nick isn't around, the thing is a definite Loki.
The cute and fluffy persona walks out of the door with Nick and Monroe is left with a cat that's sole purpose is to wreck whatever plans Monroe's made for the day. Failing that his house.
Not that Nick agrees.
Because Nick doesn't see it curling in out of Monroe's arms, swirling its tail in a plea for Monroe's affections while he's trying to work, he doesn't see it sniffing at the clocks on his fireplace and brushing up against them until they fall to the floor and break.
Nick doesn't have to listen to the meowing or the constant purring, because Nick's cat doesn't stop purring even when it's asleep or when Monroe is growling at it. He gets to just enjoy having it fawn all over him and lick his fingers because it's missed Nick all day.
Which is starting to become adorable, not that Monroe would ever admit that to Nick.
Monroe cringes when again he hears the thundering crash from the other room followed by a shy black and white head peering around the door frame at him, its ears down low and a slow almost silent cry ringing in Monroe's ears.
"What have you broken this time?"
# # #
Nick's called away on a case in the middle of the night. Which isn't irregular and Monroe is use to getting up with Nick and sticking the kettle on while Nick showers and dress' as quick as he can in the dark.
The cat sleeping on the kitchen counter beside the kettle however is irregular, and surprising. Not to mention frightening when Monroe's body is working on auto-pilot. Padding around his kitchen in just his pyjama's and sleep still in his eyes.
The soft meow and the curl of a warm fluffy tail is enough to wake Monroe's animalistic instincts and before he can fully registered just what it is that's touching and talking at him so early in the morning, his eyes have turned red and he's changed.
Apollo doesn't flinch, which Monroe later gives the cat credit for. Instead the cat leans forward to sniff at the Blutbad's nose and decides that he likes Monroe just as much like this as he did before.
Which Monroe has come to realise with the help of Nick is quite a lot.
Monroe can see him clearly in the dark now, the cats soft bottle coloured eyes reflected in Monroe's crazed red pupils and Monroe has to fight with myself not to snarl and snap at the cat, especially when it lifts it's paw to Monroe's cheek and purrs happily before licking the tip of his nose.
# # #
Nick, heaven forbid, buys the thing a collar with a tiny bell attached to the centre.
Monroe's realised at this point that the cat is definitely staying with them for the rest of its life. Despite him putting his foot down several times and telling Nick no. He'd complain but Nick's cat is starting to grow on him a little, especially after the incident in the kitchen a few days ago.
The bell however, is driving him mad. Every jerk of the cat's neck follows with a loud chiming noise that makes Monroe's ears ring.
Monroe swears that the damn thing scratches itself and wonders around the house a lot more since the bell was fastened at its neck almost two days ago.
# # #
After two months Monroe agrees that he can no longer call Apollo Nicks' cat, he's their cat.
Which he won't lie sort of brings a warm feeling to his chest when Nick wipes out the photograph he took of Monroe curled up around Apollo while Nick was working a case that kept him out for almost three nights in a row.
Monroe complains that the cat had snuck up on him while he was asleep and mistaken him for Nick. And that was the only reason he had not thrown it out of the room the minute it had come in.
Where in actual fact Monroe had plucked Apollo up from the couch and carried him up with him, running his hand along the purring cat's head as it burrowed into his shoulder, them both complaining about Nick's absence.
Monroe started to show a little more attention to the cat after that, running his fingers through the shaggy fur when it sat beside him on the couch and extending his fingers when it leaped up on to his desk and listened quietly as Monroe talked about his clocks.
"You know." Nick whispers kissing Monroe's shoulder when the Blutbad hum's and rubs at Apollo's ear. "I think it's about time I put him back out into the yard."
"No," Monroe sighs softly. "No, he'll only come back in. I suppose he mines well stay."
"I knew you'd give in." Nick grins.
"Shut up." Monroe smiles kissing Nicks' forehead.