Work Text:
Good Boy
by nancy
A friendship between a Blutbad and a Grimm would never have worked in any other century, Eddie mused. He watched the model train chug along the tiny track, cradling his eggnog mug in his hands. The music settled into his good mood like so much cotton candy; the accent to top off a great day. He couldn't help smiling as he thought, Nah. It's just Nick.
Because Nick's aunt, that deadly old bat he'd guarded in the hospital, would've killed him without thinking twice and she was from this century.
His life was inside out with Nick in it, going contrary to everything he'd ever been taught. Now, he helped a Grimm on a regular basis. Now, he even went against his own kind to do so if Nick asked. Now...now he had a reason to get up in the morning that didn't involve clocks or self-denial. Now there was a purpose to his life that he hadn't even realized was missing. He hadn't even known that he'd needed one. Saving people filled all those empty, structured hours with a warmth that Eddie hadn't thought he'd needed.
A knock at the door startled Eddie out of his thoughts. He set aside the mug and then hopped lightly to his feet, heading to the door. He didn't even need to smell Nick to know it was him; he knew the man's knock. Eddie hadn't decided yet if that was pathetic or just simple self-defense. Only time would tell.
Sure enough, Nick stood on the other side of the door with an awkward smile on his face and a package in hand. They hadn't spoken since he'd dropped Eddie home the night before and then gone on to bring Holly to her mother.
Eddie stepped back to let him in and asked, "How's Holly?"
Nick's smile smoothed out at the safe topic and he said, "Safe and sound with her mom."
"Good," Eddie said, smiling back. "She's one tough kid."
Nodding, Nick thrust out the smallish box at him and blurted, "Merry Christmas!"
Eddie's eyebrows lifted in surprise.
Nick hurriedly continued, "I just wanted to say thanks, you know? You help me a lot. And I know, now, that this is a big holiday for you so...yeah. Merry Christmas."
Eddie half-grinned at the rapid explanation, but was even more pleased by Nick's nervous scent. It meant that he was invested in their friendship, which was great because so was Eddie. He opened the box to find a wooden box and snorted. He deadpanned, "A box. Just what I always wanted."
Nick rolled his eyes. "Just open it already."
Eddie did and his breath caught. It was a 1920's era hand-carved boxcar in pristine condition. He couldn't think of anything to say. For Nick to have tracked down something like this in less than twenty-four hours told him that favors had definitely been called in. The other man had put in serious effort to get this boxcar.
"I screwed it up, right? I knew it was too good to be true. I'll arrest the guy on fraud and umph!"
Eddie couldn't help it. He grabbed Nick by the back of the neck and hauled him in for a kiss. It was a surprise even to him, but maybe it shouldn't have been. Nick filled a hole in his life, of that he had no doubt, and he'd become...protective...of the human, even if he was a Grimm. The kiss itself lingered, soft and sweet. Nick's hands gripped Eddie's forearms, but lightly, not protesting but holding on. At least until Nick seemed to remember he had a girlfriend and jerked away, eyes wide.
Eddie stared back for a second, lips still tingling from the contact and tasting Nick's breath on his tongue even though their mouths had remained closed. The taste burned through him as though they'd been mates for years instead of just friends. It had been completely different than kissing Angelina. But then, she and Nick were pretty much polar opposites not even counting the obvious male and female part of the equation.
Forcing a laugh, Eddie lied off his ass. "Sorry about that. Blutbaden response. We kiss when we're really happy about something. No big."
Eddie held his breath, wondering if Nick would buy that.
Nick eyed him crosswise for a few seconds and then seemed to shake it off with his own, weak chuckle. "Sure, no problem. So, ah, I should go. Glad you liked it."
Eddie walked him to the door and said, "Merry Christmas, Nick."
"Thanks, Monroe. I'll see you around."
Nick waved as he walked down the path to the curb where his jeep waited. He was gone only a minute later and Eddie watched him drive away. A slow smile crossed his face as he shut the door. It looked like being a good boy this year was about to pay off.
end