You busy tonight?
Nicor grinned as soon as he saw the message from his mate. Things had been going well between them, at least Nicor thought they had. It was a nice change of pace, to take things slow, get to know someone without jumping straight into bed. Nicor had never been the type of person who enjoyed one night stands all that much, but this time he was spending with Jordan, he was so grateful Adze had given it to him.
That wasn't to say that Nicor didn't feel guilty as hell for letting his team down and staying behind, because he did. It had only been a couple of weeks, and every night Nicor stressed that his team would come across something they couldn't handle and it'd be his fault one of them would be injured.
Adze had told him that he'd call Nicor in if they got anything too bad on the docket, and he could come right back to Sydney afterwards, but it didn't stop Nicor worrying.
Wanting to get his thoughts back on happier things Nicor typed out a quick reply.
That depends. What did you have in mind?
Nicor practically held his breath as those three little dots appeared on his screen.
Dinner, my place? That enough to drag you away from your other plans?
Nicor stared at his new gaming system that he'd set up in the living room. Figuring if he was going to be here a while he may as well have some creature comforts. He had a lot of spare time on his hands these days, with not hunting every night.
Dinner at your place sounds wonderful. What time?
How about 5?
Nicor glanced at his watch and realised it was already nearly four. That would give him enough time to finish this level, have a shower, and make it to Jordan's on time.
Great. See you soon.
Nicor placed his phone back on the coffee table where it had been and picked up the controller he'd put down when he saw Jordan's initial message pop up. If he thought too much about getting to see his mate and spend time with him in his own space, Nicor would be too keyed up to concentrate on anything.
The picture on the television un-paused and Nicor once more tried to lose himself in this world before him. Unlike other days though where Nicor could just play for hours and not realise the passage of time, today, he was very conscious of the passing minutes.
At five o'clock Nicor found himself on the front porch step ready to knock on Jordan's door, when it swung open in front of him.
His mate looked relaxed in a worn shirt and paint-stained pair of shorts. Nicor smiled when he spotted flecks of paint in his mate's hair as well. He hoped he'd be seeing his mate this way for years to come.
"You look wonderful," Nicor said, thankful that he'd decided not to dress up.
"Seriously?" Jordan arched an eyebrow. "I look like a mess. I was hoping to shower before you got here, but lost track of time."
His mate stepped back and waved Nicor in.
Accepting the invitation, he crossed the threshold and walked into Jordan's home. The place was warm and inviting, red brick walls and comfortable looking furniture. The living area was separated from the kitchen by a large island bench that had a pot rack dangling from the ceiling.
Nicor loved it immediately. The entire area just screamed Jordan. A tight knot formed in his belly. Why would Jordan ever want to leave this place?
"Hey, you all right?" Jordan asked as he stepped up beside him and placed a gentle hand to Nicor's arm.
No… Not at all, I've seen two rooms of your house and I don't know if I could ever compete. "Yeah, sure. Why?"
Jordan stared at him quizzically for a moment. "You just had this look on your face like you'd lost something."
Nicor swallowed the lump in his throat. "I'm fine."
He tried smiling, but even to him it seemed half hearted. Nicor's gaze danced around the room again, taking in even more this time, trying to find something to talk about that would break that sudden awkward silence that had just fallen around them. Then he spotted it.
"Oh my god, are you cooking rack of lamb for dinner?" His mouth started watering just looking at the uncooked cut of meat sitting on the kitchen bench.
"I take it my choice is okay with you?"
"Oh hell yeah, I just have one question."
"And that is?"
"Do you have mint sauce to go with it?"
Jordan walked over to his fridge and pulled out a mug with a teaspoon still in it. Nicor had followed behind him, curious about the silence. Jordan held the mug out to him and the smell of mint and the vinegar pungent. He moaned.
"Homemade too. Jesus. Where have you been hiding all my life?"
Jordan chuckled then placed the mug back in the fridge. "Let me just finish wrapping the bones and then I'll show you around."
"Sounds great. Anything I can do to help?"
"Nope. Potatoes are already on the stove parboiling. Sauce is made. Carrots and broccoli are cut and ready to be cooked. Just need to roast the lamb, and make the gravy when it's all done."
"Excuse me while I sit here and drool," Nicor said as he pulled out one of the bar stools sitting under the island bench overhang.
Jordan laughed then pointed. "Tissues are there."
Nicor snorted as he watched Jordan rip off smaller pieces of alfoil and wrap the exposed bones like a pro. "Done that a time or two, yeah?"
"Just once or twice." Jordan winked.
He placed the rack of meat on a tray ready to go in the oven and let it rest to bring it up to room temp.
Jordan washed his hands. "Wanna see the rest of the place?"
No! Not if it's anything like this. "Sure," he said even though his heart was hurting at the thought. Jordan belonged here. He could practically feel his mate's presence soaked into the brickwork.
The artwork on the walls was incredible and Nicor wondered if it was all his mate's own. He'd have to ask later, or investigate for himself.
"It's not much, but it's home."
Nicor nodded, even though he wanted to cry with those words.
"It was a three-bedroom, two bath, but as it's just me, I knocked down the wall between the two largest bedrooms to make my studio. I spend more time in there than in my bedroom anyway, so as long as there was enough room for my bed and somewhere to store my clothes, that's all I needed."
"That makes sense. Living with five brothers, our rooms need to be a little bigger than normal as they're our sanctuaries." Nicor wondered if their place in Melbourne even had room for Jordan. There were so many of them now. Where would he create his art? "Places for us to get away from everything and everyone and just decompress. My room has an entire gaming set up in it, including a standing desk with PC and couch with TV for the console systems…"
Nicor stopped talking as soon as they stepped foot through the door to Jordan's studio. Two large windows allowed the light to stream into the room, lighting it well, on the ceiling, light tracks hung to make sure Jordan would have sufficient light to work by when the sun wasn't up.
Three easels sat in the middle of the room, two of them with half-finished canvases resting on them. A bench ran along one wall, with all the paintbrushes lined up in paint-splattered glasses along the top. Nicor figured all the paints were stored in the cupboards.
What really caught his eye though, was the number of paintings of his hound staring back at him from every wall. Some of the paintings had been hung on the walls. Others were just stacked on the floor leaning against the wall.
Jordan cleared his throat. "I thought about trying to hide them, but there's just so damn many, that I didn't have anywhere to put them."
"I'm flattered?" Nicor kinda asked as much as said at the same time.
Jordan laughed. "You should be. Your bloody image has been haunting me for months. Even before that fateful night, I couldn't get you out of my head, and I couldn't understand why I was so obsessed with drawing a damn dog,"
Nicor growled.
Jordan laughed. "Hound. Sorry. It got so bad that you nearly ended up on the side of a six-story building in downtown Sydney."
Nicor coughed. "I what now!"
"I told you how the council commissioned me to paint the side of a building, that's what I was doing the night we met."
Nicor nodded.
"Anyway, all I'd been able to concentrate on for the couple of weeks leading up to that project was you. You were one of the sample ideas that was submitted to the council for consideration. They thankfully chose one of my other submissions."
"I'm not quite sure what to say to that." Nicor thought about everything Jordan had just told him. "I wonder…"
"What?"
"I wonder if your obsession with me started when we arrived in town. I wonder if we investigated if they would line up."
"Huh," Jordan thought about it for a moment and then shook his head. "I think the times are close, but still out by more than a month or so, from what you've told me. I think it may have been my incubus nature wanting to get me used to the idea of a mate and I just didn't realise what it was trying to tell me." He shrugged.
"These are really very good," Nicor said as he walked around the large room and looked at the paintings his mate had done. Not all of them were of him. There were others scattered in amongst the hounds.
"Would you…" Nicor trailed off, not sure he actually wanted to know the answer.
"Would I what?"
Nicor bit the bullet and asked his question anyway. "Would you consider painting the human me as well?"
His mate smiled shyly at him. "I have tried. I just can't seem to get them quite right." He waved around. "The hounds are easy. You're proving just a little more difficult."
Nicor nodded, uncertain whether he was glad he'd asked or not.
Jordan showed him the rest of the home before they ended back up in the living room. His mate moved into the kitchen and placed the potatoes into a pan of hot oil and put them in the oven alongside the rack of lamb.
"Want to watch a movie or something?" Jordan asked as he motioned Nicor over to the large sectional couch.
They settled down, getting comfy, and searched through the various streaming services until they found a movie they wanted to watch. His mate had curled up in the corner of the couch, his feet stretched out on the cushions in front of him. He was a picture of contentment.
Nicor pulled his gaze away from his mate and towards the movie. They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they sat there and watched the movie. At some point their fingers ended up entwined again, making Nicor content.
Jordan got up to attend to dinner halfway through. The scent of the roasting lamb permeated the entire living area and Nicor's stomach growled at the delicious smell and the thought he'd soon get to eat it.
Dinner was just as amazing as it had smelled. The lamb was perfectly cooked, juicy and tender. The mint sauce added that little bit extra to the meal. Jordan had opened a bottle of red to go with dinner and Nicor enjoyed the wine. The bold fruity flavour complimented the meal well.
Plates cleared, they settled back on the couch again, both their glasses refilled with the remainder of the bottle.
Another movie went on the TV and they both settled in to watch. After a while, Jordan placed his glass on the small side table next to his end of the couch.
"Would you mind if I sketched you?" Jordan asked out of the blue.
Nicor smiled. "You can draw me anytime. No need to ask."
"Thanks." Jordan disappeared down the passage then returned a couple of minutes later. He had a large notepad and a small metal tin.
Jordan resumed his seat, once again in the corner of the sectional, this time his feet were flat on the cushion in front of him, his knees up, the now open pad resting against his legs. He placed the small metal box on the side table next to his glass of wine and opened it.
Inside the tin housed all sorts of different shapes, shades, and sizes of charcoal.
"Not pencils?" he asked, curious.
"Pardon?" Jordan asked him.
Nicor nodded to the little box on the side table.
"Oh. No, I love charcoal. There's just something about it. Reminds me of a much simpler time. It was the first medium I ever used to draw with, and I've just stuck with it over time. That's not to say that I haven't used pencils, and I do love paint and all the various colours. But charcoal just resonates with me."
Nicor nodded. He hadn't expected that, but it made a kind of beautiful sense to him. He loved learning all these little pieces about the man who was fated to be his.
"Doesn't your hand get dirty?" Nicor asked, still curious.
Jordan laughed. "You have no idea. I have to be very careful what I touch when I'm using it. I've found charcoal handprints in the weirdest places before. And don't even get me started on having to go to the toilet!"
Nicor burst out laughing, glad he hadn't had a mouthful of wine, or he'd have sprayed it everywhere. "Now that's one hell of an image."
"Sorry." Jordan blushed slightly, which Nicor found the burnt umber adorable on his dark skin. "Just relax and watch the movie."
"But you'll miss it?" Nicor questioned.
"It's okay, I can always watch it again later."
Nicor didn't want to take his eyes off his mate. He wanted to watch him get lost in his art. But that wasn't what Jordan wanted, so Nicor turned his attention back to the television and tried to concentrate on the movie. Tried. He sipped his wine slowly, still enjoying the fruity bouquet, but ended up watching his mate out of the corner of his eye.
"I can see you watching me." Jordan broke the silence that had fallen between them.
"Sorry," Nicor said, even though he really wasn't. That famous scene in Titanic, between Rose and Jack, where he drew her completely naked on the couch sprung to mind and Nicor wondered if Jordan would ever consider drawing him that way.
It was something for him to look forward to, in the future.
The scratch of the charcoal against the thick sheet of paper soon lulled Nicor into a relaxed state as he settled back into the couch and got comfortable, drinking his wine and watching the TV, just hanging out with Jordan.
Life really couldn't get much better than this.
"Thank you for choosing to fly with Qantas, we hope you have a pleasant day."
Nicor stood the second that damn seatbelt sign disappeared. He groaned as he stretched and straightened. The flight from Adelaide had only been a few hours, but it felt like forever. Flying commercial was certainly something he was glad he didn't have to do very often.
He wriggled as he waited to disembark. Nicor couldn't wait to see Jordan again. It had been nearly a month. A month of hunting one creature after another across Australia's vast plains. A month of dealing with a cranky Oriax who snarled at everyone, their normally easy-going packmate causing everyone to tiptoe around him as they got buried under sup case after case. First it was up to Broome in the Kimberly, then down to Launceston in Tassie, Newcastle in NSW, then Adelaide in South Aus. It had been one after the other, which was unusual. They weren't used to having so many sups to go after, and it seemed like it wasn't going to slow down any time soon. No rest for the wicked and Adze had had no choice but to call Nicor back for help.
He was exhausted. The whole team was. Unlike the others who all took the private jet back home to Melbourne, Nicor boarded a commercial flight and headed straight for Sydney. He had no idea how long he'd have before he was called up again, but any time he could squeeze in with Jordan was worth it.
FaceTime and Messenger chats had been his friend this last month.
Finally, the plane door opened and they were able to disembark, being in business class did come with a couple of advantages. Exiting first was definitely one of them.
Nicor slung his pack over his shoulder and made the long walk up the gangway. He hadn't taken much with him so he wouldn't have to wait around at the carousel for any luggage. Not expecting anyone to be waiting for him, Nicor ignored all the eager loved ones and looked around for the exit sign.
"Nicor!"
Stilling at the astonishing sound of his name being shouted over the noise of all the passengers milling in the area, Nicor looked around and grinned when he spotted Jordan. His mate was currently trying to squeeze his way through a densely packed group of people. His hand was raised and waived, and his eyes were locked directly on Nicor.
Nicor stopped and dropped his bag to the ground as Jordan made his way to him through the crowd. He held his arms out and Jordan didn't hesitate, stepping close and wrapping his arms around Nicor's back.
A relieved sigh escaped him as he breathed in the wonderful scent that was his mate.
"What are you doing here?" he asked softly, wishing this moment would never end.
"I missed you."
Nicor's heart beat a little faster at that confession. He'd missed Jordan like crazy while he'd been gone. To the point that he'd never thought it was possible to miss someone so much. He had a whole new appreciation for what Adze and Pyro went through.
They were bumped and jostled as people tried to move around them so Nicor loosened his hold and stepped back. His wide grin, however, he couldn't get rid of. He couldn't believe that Jordan had come to meet his flight.
"How did you even know what time my flight was getting in?" he asked as Jordan slipped his hand into his. Nicor grabbed his bag with his free hand and they headed off.
"I texted Adze. He was more than happy to give me all the details."
Nicor needed to thank his brother.
"Did you drive?" he asked as they made their way through the airport.
"No, caught an Uber. Figured you had a car in long-term parking, and if not, we could just catch another Uber."
The idea that Jordan had thought that much about it, and that he wanted to be with Nicor, however they travelled, made him happier than he could remember.
They left the terminal and headed towards the short-term parking.
"Not long term?" Jordan asked when he saw the direction Nicor headed in.
"No, the office we maintain here knew I was flying back in and dropped a car off, they come and pick it up when we fly out, too. Saves a fortune on parking fees. Do you have any idea how expensive it is to park at airports these days?" Nicor asked.
Jordan laughed. "I have a vague idea."
He stopped and looked around, trying to spot the car.
"I think it's this way." He led Jordan to the left, only to find nothing and for them to have to backtrack. Nicor ignored the little snicker beside him as they headed back the way they had come.
"There it is!" Nicor announced proudly.
Jordan patted his arm. "Very nice, dear."
"Smartass," Nicor muttered under his breath, but Jordan still heard him and burst into laughter. Nicor shook his head. This was not how he saw his day going when he woke up this morning. He was not mad at this turn of events though.
Nicor pressed his finger to the door and waited for the car to unlock, then threw his bag in the backseat and they climbed in. Nicor fished the keys out of the centre console and he started the engine.
"Where to?" he asked.
Jordan shrugged beside him as he buckled his seatbelt. "I figured you'd be exhausted after your time away and flights so we'd just head back to your place so you could shower and relax."
"That sounds wonderful." It really did. Nicor would love to shower and just veg on the couch. The fact that Jordan thought about what Nicor would want after so long away, had his heart racing.
Jordan checked the contents of the fridge and realised it was completely empty. He doubted Nicor had done that before he'd left, as the departure was so sudden. Jordan figured someone had organised for a cleaning crew to come through and tidy up.
He pulled out his phone and opened up the Uber Eats app. He changed his delivery address, then clicked through and ordered a couple of different things from one of his favourite restaurants. The food would take a little while to be delivered. Order made, Jordan tucked the phone back into his pocket. His eyes were drawn to a small pile of goodies on the table. He stepped closer to investigate.
Jordan couldn't believe it when he realised what he was looking at. There in the middle of the table were three different sized spiral bound artist pads, with tins of charcoal sticks of varying kinds on top, some of the charcoals were even colours.
His hand trembled slightly as he reached out to touch them.
"They're for you." Nicor's voice came from behind him, startling Jordan so he jumped and snatched his hand back.
He turned to look at his mate and his breath hitched.
Nicor stood there in nothing but a pair of sweats that hung low on his hips. Droplets of water still glistened on his chest as they dripped from his head. He had a towel in one hand, his head tilted to the side as he vigorously rubbed his hair, trying to dry it.
This wasn't the first time Jordan had seen his mate nearly naked, and it probably wouldn't be the last. He could definitely enjoy the view. His muscled abs were well defined, which didn't surprise Jordan considering what he did for a living. The little happy trail of dark hair that meandered its way from his bellybutton to below the waistband of his pants drew Jordan's attention.
He shook his head and lifted his gaze back to Nicor's face, his mate smiled shyly at him. "Sorry, I can go and put some more clothes on, if that would make you more comfortable."
Jordan loved that Nicor was always wanting to do what was right for him. Never pushing.
"It's fine. As long as you're comfortable."
Nicor smiled at him, then nodded again to the table as he draped the towel around his neck. "Those are for you."
Jordan turned back to glance at the table, almost having forgotten the pile on the table. "What? Why?"
"I got them for you just before I had to leave. Was going to invite you around, and didn't want you getting bored. Thought it might be nice if you could have something that you enjoy doing here. I hope they're the right sort. I can return them if they're not."
"No, they're perfect," Jordan said as he did reach out this time and ran a finger over the cool metal tin of the charcoal. "Thank you. That was very thoughtful of you."
"It's nothing." Nicor shrugged him off, but Jordan could see the happiness in his eyes that Jordan had liked the gift.
"Hungry?" Nicor asked as he headed to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and then swore. "Okay, so I forgot that the cleaners would have cleared the place out."
"It's okay. I've already ordered food. Hope that was okay. But I saw the fridge was empty and thought I'd get a jump on things."
"You're amazing," Nicor said.
Jordan stood there and chewed on his lip as Nicor settled on the couch and picked up the remote to the television. He had been surprised at just how much he'd missed Nicor while he'd been gone and wanted to be close to his mate, but he didn't know if Nicor would take his wanting to cuddle the wrong way and think he wanted more.
"Come here," Nicor said as he held his arm out to Jordan.
He didn't hesitate. Jordan climbed onto the couch and snuggled into Nicor's side. His arm rested around Nicor's waist and Nicor's large arm went around his back, his hand resting on his side. Jordan could swear he felt the heat of Nicor's hand through his clothes but dismissed it as silliness.
He sighed happily.
"How are you?" Nicor asked him quietly. "I missed you while I was gone."
"I missed you too." Jordan admitted. "And I'm good. Been keeping busy getting ready for the show."
"I hope you're looking after yourself, and by that I mean both of your natures," Nicor said.
Jordan stilled for a moment not sure how Nicor would take his answer, then decided to just bite the bullet. "Yeah, I went to a club not long after you were called away."
Below him Nicor tensed, only for a moment, but Jordan still felt it.
"I'm glad to hear it." Nicor said softly then leaned down and lightly kissed the top of Jordan's head as he turned on the television. They cuddled closer then settled in to watch some mindless TV as they waited for their delivery. It wasn't quite the perfect homecoming for his mate he'd been hoping for, but it would do. Except Sydney wasn't home for Nicor. Something Jordan had to think about.
He had missed his mate.