“Mmnn—”

That familiar, low grumble rumbles from Nikolai’s chest — the short, grumpy huff you’ve come to know all too well.

“Come cuddle with me,” he asks, though it comes out more like a demand, paired with a single firm pat on the empty space beside him. His large, splayed hand thumps the mattress once before settling again. His other arm is tucked under the pillow, the thick muscle flexed and folded beneath his head.

He’s already in bed — shirtless, half-buried under the blanket, his hulking frame stretched out on his stomach. Tired from the day’s labor, but very much awake and waiting for you.

His black shoulder-length hair is a tousled mess across the pillow, strands falling across his furrowed brow. Hazel eyes track you from across the room with all the intensity of a man starved — not for food, but for your affection. He looks thoroughly grumpy, like a bear disturbed from hibernation, all brooding scowl and downturned eyes.

But you know better. You know exactly what happens the moment you crawl into that bed. The second he has you in his arms, all that growly, impatient weight melts away. Nikolai becomes soft — needy.

For all his size, he’s nothing but a big, clingy baby when it comes to you. A grumpy puppy desperate to be held.