#polyam!verse

The dampness of the fabric under his hand didn’t seem to phase him and he didn’t so much as flinch or wrinkle up his nose at your appearance.

“You’re home late. Everything okay?”

There was something about the careful look he was giving you that made you pull out of his grip with a barely suppressed clicking of your tongue in annoyance. They’d both been hovering ever since the pregnancy test and negative results. It was a relief, for all of you. Children hadn’t been discussed with any sort of seriousness beyond silly hypothetical situations when you were all in bed and loopy some nights. Who was going to make the best school lunches? Who would think they’re going to be the tough parent, but will actually be a pushover? The fun kind of stuff that was nice to theorize late at night in the darkness, but lacked the impermanence of being held up and examined thoroughly in the sunlight of the day.

“I’m fine,” you answered as you turned your back and started shoving your exercise leggings over your hips.

“Long day. Then went to kickboxing.”

You paused to pick up the leggings and continued in the direction of the bathroom. Even though you didn’t turn, you could feel him shadowing you.

“Then decided to take back to back classes.”

Your sports bra was next and it took a few seconds of wrestling with it in frustration before steady hands came to your aid. He brushed your hands aside gently and rolled it over your shoulders and head. You didn’t turn to face him, choosing instead to stride over to the shower and turn it on so that the water could warm up. Nick stayed where he was and when you were done pretending to fiddle with the water temperature you finally turned back around. He tugged the leggings out of your hand gently and although he gave your body an appreciative sweep, there was still a seriousness in his eyes that had you actually groaning aloud this time.

“I know that look.” You sent him a warning look of your own and wound around him to nick your towel. “I’m fine. I’m okay.”

“People who are okay don’t act like this.”

He spoke the words evenly, but you still felt as hurt as if they were yelled. You stiffened all over and gave him a short look before climbing into the tub. The shower curtain was hardly any kind of armor, thin as it was, but it felt good to have some kind of barrier between you.

“Leave it, Nick.”

You let the water run over your body and closed your eyes. As you ran your hands over your body to begin rinsing off you flexed your hands. Water ran over them in hot streams and you balled them up and opened them before shaking them out. They’d been shaking for what felt like days, but at least now it was from hitting a punching bag instead of the cocktail of anxiety and something else you didn’t care to examine.

The bathroom was quiet, but you could tell that Nick hadn’t left. There was a fifty percent chance he’d press the point and a fifty percent chance he’d leave it. You weren’t sure which you were actually hoping for. At this point, even as hungry as you were, all you wanted to do was shower and sleep for about a hundred years. You closed your eyes and bit your bottom lip as you waited.

“I’ll leave it,” he said finally. Quietly.

You heard the soft patter of his feet, but no sound of the bathroom door opening and closing. Instead, you heard a creaking and a barely there sigh. He was sitting. Waiting, most likely.

“But I’m not leaving.”

Nick glanced up, expression on his face morphing from annoyance to surprise, but Sonny was the first to hop to his feet. You waved at Amanda and Fin before dropping the bag of food on Nick’s desk and folding yourself into Sonny’s embrace. He hugged you tightly and you threaded your arms around him to rest your head on his chest for a short moment before untangling yourself. Nick made to stand, but you waved him off and gestured at the bag.

“Stay sitting.” You leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. “Hello. I come bearing gifts in the form of lunch.”

“You got enough for all of us?” Fin called over with a raised eyebrow and lazy circle of his hands at the room at large.

You pretended to bite your lip in apology before shrugging.

“You know what? Imma hit you next time,” you replied with a point and smile before sinking into the seat next to Nick’s desk.

Fin laughed and you grinned back at him before turning to the containers of food that Sonny and Nick had finished spreading out over their desks. Nick handed you chopsticks and took them with a grateful sigh before peeling up the lid of your food.

“Everyone has their usual,” you told them before scooping up a bite of noodles and shoving them in your mouth. You pulled your Thai iced tea over towards you and ripped off the paper from a straw to shove in the top. “Plus dessert,” you added after you swallowed.

“You’re too good to us,” Sonny crooned.

He palmed his container and leaned back in his desk chair with a content grin on his face. When you glanced at Nick he shot you a grateful smile, but was otherwise quiet as he tucked into his food. You shifted around a little to turn your back slightly to him and sent Sonny a questioning look and shift of your eyes to where Nick was now pouring back over a file on his desk. Sonny just shook his head in response with a little pulling down the corners of his mouth in an expression that said not to worry.

“True,” you added audibly. Nick didn’t even appear to notice that you’d responded a beat too late. “I can’t stay long. Just needed some fresh air.” You took another bite of noodles. “Figured I’d get some eye candy too while I was at it.”

Sonny barked out laughter, but Nick was still quietly shoveling food in his mouth. You knew how he could get when he was in the thick of it with a case and you didn’t begrudge him for it. You left your purse where it was, but pushed your drink across the desk to Sonny’s side and picked up your container of food to switch seats so you wouldn’t distract him. When you’d gotten to your feet he looked up curiously.

“Leaving already?”

“No.” You shook your head. “Just going to get out of your hair.” You nodded towards the seat next to Sonny’s desk.

“You’re not in my hair,” Nick contradicted.

You raised your eyebrows slightly and huffed out laughter.

“Babe, I’m just going to go sit next to Sonny. Do your work. I’m not offended,” you assured him. You went to take a step to round the corner, but he stopped you with a touch on your wrist.

“It’s nice to have you sitting here. Stay?” He looked up at you expectantly. You eyed him for a long moment and he tugged on your wrist. When you finally sat back down he gave you a small smile. “Maybe I want some eye candy, too,” he teased. The skin around his eyes crinkled and you laughed a little, then turning and seeing Sonny’s outraged expression, laughed some more.

“Uh—excuse me,” Sonny spluttered as he gestured to himself with his chopsticks.

Background | Misc Background

Loud in bed

Conversation with Nick

Conversation with Sonny

Moving in

Storage solutions

Nick’s first BJ ( NSFW)

Souvenirs

Making you feel good

In uniform

No heat in apartment

You have to share  

Phone sex

Pet names

Telling the squad

dom!Nick

Muffins

Sonny’s NDE | take what you need | part 2 | part 3

Don’t ask me that

Cuddle

Sonny meets up with an ex

Nick’s nightmares

Pumpkins

Finding out about Nick’s childhood | won’t trust you again

Baking pies

Washing dishes

Emergency

Watching scary movies

Couple’s costume

Failed shower sex

Comfort after a bad day

Nick & Sonny sub (NSFW) | for him, always

Lawyer + miracle | part 2

Hold his hand | morning after

Caramel balls

NYE

Game night

Best thing (NSFW) | blanket sharing

Flexible

Puppy duty

Favorite time of day

Come over

Cooking

His shoulders sagged and he brought up a hand to drag over his face before straightening. He leveled you with an exasperated look.

“I just ran up six flights of stairs and you’re telling me there isn’t a real emergency?”

You tried to smile, showing your teeth awkwardly.

“You ran to get here this quickly?! That was mighty fast.”

“Flattery will not help your case right now. I almost brained myself on the last few steps because I was convinced something was in here trying to get you.”

“Aww,” you cooed. “You care.”

Nick snorted. “Starting to rethink that strategy.”

You could tell he was teasing and he crossed the room to perch on the edge of the bed. His hand came up to your forehead and then on either side of your neck just under your chin as he eyed you critically. You tried to look pitiful to make up for the fact that your very much not an emergency text had worried him so much. You sometimes forgot how literal he could be with you.

“Nooo,” you objected in a whine.

“Alright. So what’s wrong, sweetheart?” His eyebrows knitted together in concern as his eyes swept over your face. “I don’t see any bugs, you’re not drowning, no one is in here that shouldn’t be.”

“I got lonely,” you muttered. “Tired of being all alone.”

“There’s three of us in this apartment. When are you ever alone?” He looked sincerely confused. “Hell, I’d love to be alone sometimes,” he joked.

You stuck out your bottom lip in an exaggerated pout. “Had to sleep in the guest room. Then you and Sonny are out doing chores and running errands and I’m stuck here getting pruney.”

“Oh, boy. I need Sonny back,” Nick muttered to himself. He stood and gestured for you to do the same. “Let me help you dry off.” He turned to grab the towel from the towel rack and then wrapped it around you, holding you firmly as you stepped out of the tub. “As soon as Sonny gets back you know he’ll cuddle you and wait on you hand and foot.”

You continued to pout and he sighed. Nick rubbed the towel over you and shook his head with a fond smile.

“But until then, I can take a little break from laundry and cleaning.”