mmorgan317 | Vindictam de Tenebris (6/8) (Reply)

Part V

Part VI – A Prelude to a Talk

The next few days were passed like the first; Sean went to the precinct and Nick slept. The routine was monotonous to say the least but it couldn’t be helped. Nick needed the rest in order to heal and Sean couldn’t very well stay home and watch over him no matter how much he wished he could. Though it seemed that everyone at the precinct knew that Sean and Nick were together, the Captain still wasn’t willing to outwardly admit it.

The silence that always accompanied him when he came home was starting to grow on Sean’s patience. He knew that he and Nick needed to talk but it was so abundantly clear that not only was Nick not ready, he was also unable. This morning, the Grimm had actually been awake the entire time Sean had been there, all of an hour, but he was very loopy from the medication Aubrey was keeping him on. The Hexenbiest assured him that she would be lowering his dose to a weaker medication soon; today the plan was to move Nick back to his own two-story home after which, she would give him his final dose of hydrocodone.

While at work, Sean fielded concerned questions about Nick’s health and recovery, mainly from Hank and occasionally Wu, and made sure that the station ran as smoothly as the surface of a lake. Every once in a while he would receive questioning looks from the others in the police force but none ever managed to make it to his office to ask.

Hank was obviously distracted by the news and lack of communication from his partner so Sean made sure to keep him busy with backed up paperwork until he could allow the detective to visit his partner. He decided he would give Nick another couple of days to adjust and recover from the move before he unleashed his partner on him. Hank meant well but his previous concern had now had time to grow into an annoyed sort of over-protectiveness.

A knock on his door drew his attention from the list on his computer.

“Come in,” he granted majestically albeit distractedly.

None other than Hank Griffin entered the office and Sean had to withhold a sigh of impatience. It seemed that he’d been seeing much more of the detective since Nick had gotten injured and to own to the truth, he was getting a little tired of it.

He wanted to immediately say that it would still be a few days before he could go and see Nick but the confidence with which Hank was standing told him that this was about something else so he remained silent and waited.

“There’s been a homicide,” Hank stated holding up the file in his hands for added emphasis. “Did you want me to take Wu or have you found someone to assign as my temporary partner?”

Ah yes, Sean had forgotten that he hadn’t yet assigned Hank a new partner. He was still weeding through the names that had been thrown at him, waiting for the perfect fit. He knew the assignment would only be temporary but still, he usually sent most of the Wesen cases Hank and Nick’s way so he was hoping to find someone who could handle them without giving anything away. He knew another Grimm would be a perfect choice but given the way the Reapers had reacted to Nick still being alive, they wouldn’t tolerate another, less known, Grimm in the area.

Although the Reapers in Sean’s canton had taken things too far, he understood where their desire to thin the heard came from.

Even in the very beginning the Reapers had been a violent race. Much like the Germans of old, they reveled in death, destruction and pain. Whenever a war was being fought, the Reapers were there to spur things on, create tension and drink the blood on the battlefield. Back then no one noticed if a body went missing here or there as they were often left to decay among some races; those were the ones that kept the Reapers full and from killing not only one another but other Wesen.

On the other side of the coin were the Grimms. They preferred to be thought of as peace keepers but they were in fact more like the police of current times. They dealt out vengeance when they thought it was needed, no matter what the circumstances. Marie Kessler was a lot like the Grimms of old; she considered herself judge, jury and executor and felt that every wrong doing done by a Wesen was a capital offence and should be fixed by killing the accused Wesen.

Protective though they were not of the others of their kind, the Reapers noticed what the Grimms were doing and so felt that someone should govern the governors. They knew that if the Grimms had their way, no Wesen would survive long enough to produce offspring and they very much wanted to see their line survive through the ages.

It was from here on that they became to be known as Reapers of the Grimms. Over time their name began to represent a figure for death, referred to as Grim Reaper, and they allowed it to be so, more than okay with that representation. Most weren’t aware that they not only existed but the reason they existed were because the Brothers Grimm had discovered who they truly were and had wrote about them.

Today, the feud between the Grimms and the Reapers was as old as the feud between the Blutbadden and Bauerschweins. One day some hoped to change that; some had already taken it upon themselves to start by weeding out the bad Grimms and trying to talk some sense into the Reapers but it was to no avail, yet.

“Captain?”

Sean looked up to find Hank still in his office, waiting rather impatiently for his reply. He leaned forward in his chair and returned to reading through applications.

“Go ahead and take Wu,” Sean answered at last.

Hank didn’t offer anything before he swiftly exited the office, grabbing Sgt Wu on his way out of the precinct. Sean waited until the detective had left then he breathed out a heavy sigh of relief. Hopefully this new case would keep Hank busy until Nick could receive visitors because the police Captain didn’t think he could take much more of his constant concerned presence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Sean returned home it was to the same old silence but this time it was because there wasn’t anyone there. Relief he didn’t know he could feel swept through him as he realized the he finally had his apartment back to himself. He didn’t mind Nick being there but the near constant presence of the Blutbad with the ever present presence of Aubrey had begun to grate on his hospitality a little more each day.

After making a call to Aubrey to check on Nick, Sean wearily disrobed and climbed into the shower. He was grateful that he had the next couple of days off. Not only would he be able to sleep in, something he rarely did but felt it was justified after the last week, but it meant that he would have the entire weekend to spend with Nick, hopefully alone.

Hot water poured out of the showerhead, landing almost gently on top of his lightly tanned skin. Each drop felt more glorious than the last and for a moment he just stood and watched as the water slowly cascaded from his shoulders down his arms, off his hands and another set dripped over his chest down to his stomach, past his hips and eventually ending on the shower floor.

As he showered on autopilot, Sean thought of what the time alone with Nick would most likely mean. Talking; mostly from Sean himself. Part of him just wanted to get the conversation over and done with but a part of him feared the conversation for the same reason he’d originally feared showing Nick his true form.

With resignation born of acceptance, Sean shut the shower off and stepped out to dry himself off. Steam rolled around in the bathroom, looking more like smoke than condensation from heat.

Dressing happened just as quickly as undressing and before long Sean had climbed into his bed, briefly frowning as he realized that Aubrey had cleaned them before they’d left so they no longer smelled like Nick. He turned off his alarm to make sure that he wouldn’t be woken early then fell asleep. Tomorrow would be a long day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Early morning October sun had just begun to brighten the heavy shadows of the room by the time Nick woke on the sixth day. He felt marginally better but his senses still felt sluggish and he still felt as though he could sleep the entire day away. His muscles, however, were beginning to cramp from all the time sitting still. Nick didn’t think his body was up for any movement but apparently his muscles didn’t know that.

A crow cawed outside his window, drawing his attention from how he felt to the world going on outside. Pumpkins lined the doorsteps and walkways of his neighbors’ houses. Some were real, some fake, and some were simple pumpkin decorated yard bags filled with fallen leaves. Autumn was such a beautiful time in Portland; the leaves of trees were not only falling but had slowly changed from their nutrient-rich green to colorful orange, burning red, and dull brown.

The trees swayed in what appeared to be a very strong wind; the tree outside Nick’s bedroom window’s branches tapped on the glass like a banished lover wanting admittance.

A knock on the door echoed through the house, drawing him from his calmly contemplative mood to the visitor. The bond hummed weakly in the back of his mind and Nick knew exactly who it was at the door.

Speaking of banished lovers, he thought wryly.

Sean would never be banished from his home but from his mind, yes. Nick refused to connect with Sean whenever he asked, which had been often lately, wanting to show how unhappy he was with the older man. He felt a little bit like a woman, behaving so emotionally, but he couldn’t help it. The fact of the matter was he was hurt by Sean’s mistrust of him. The man, the Captain, the Regnant had to know that he could trust Nick and yet, he hadn’t, ever.

Nick knew there had been plenty of opportunities for Sean to tell him what he truly was; having guessed that Sean was hiding something, Nick had been the one to create them. Yet, Sean had remained silent, pretending ignorance when he could. He’d admitted to knowing that Nick was a Grimm and had therefore purposely sent Wesen cases his and Hank’s way but when Nick had asked how he knew and who he really was, Sean had just smirked and changed the subject.

It drove Nick crazy that Sean expected Nick to be honest with him yet he was practically outright lying to his face. It was insulting and pretentious to say the least.

Maybe the Reapers weren’t far off in their description of him, Nick thought before instantly banishing the thought from his mind. There was no way he was ever going to agree with what the Reapers said or did.

“Nick?” Aubrey called softly in case he was asleep. She gave a light knock on the door then carefully opened it to peek inside. “Oh, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”

“Better,” Nick answered honestly. He moved to sit up more, wincing when his side and stitched shoulder grumbled at him.

“Better enough to get out of bed maybe?” Aubrey suggested with a twinkle in her eyes.

Nick chuckled. After spending so much time with the Hexenbiest, the Grimm was slowly beginning to understand the doctor’s teasing nature and he appreciated it. It almost felt like flirting but they both knew she wasn’t interested.

“Maybe not?”

“Hm, I think we can work with that. How about you just stay on the bed while I stretch some of your muscles?”

Honestly that idea made him uncomfortable but it felt rude saying it so he merely nodded, keeping his eyes downcast so that she couldn’t see his discomfort.

Aubrey wouldn’t be as good as she is if she didn’t pick up on the little things though. “If you want I can have Sean do it.”

“No, it’s okay. Did you want to do it now or later or,” Nick let the end of his sentence trail off since he didn’t know what other time frame to suggest and just stared at her waiting for her decision.

The doctor looked out the bedroom doorway to where, Nick assumed, Sean waited, probably impatiently at that, to be allowed to visit. She stayed absolutely still, her gaze never wavering from the fixed point she seemed to be focusing on, and simply stared. Where at first her gaze was sharp as an eagle’s it was now as blank as Nick’s when he’s on strong painkillers. She seemed to be allowing her mind to wander while she thought but Nick hadn’t the slightest clue as to where.

“Why don’t we do it later if you’re up for it,” she suggested after about five minutes of spacing out. “I think there’s someone who is quite eager to see you. Would you like some breakfast while you visit?”

Nick smiled in appreciation of her understanding. Though he hadn’t spoken a word to her about what was going on between Sean and himself, it seemed as if she could tell that he was angry with the Regnant and may not want to be in his presence long.

Still, Nick was never a man to run away from his problems and he sure as hell wasn’t going to start now.

“You know, why don’t you take a break?” he suggested kindly but with several layers of hints. “I’m sure you have your own life that you miss and you don’t need to be stuck here twenty-four-seven any longer. Sean and I can handle things for the weekend.”

“Are you sure?” she asked with a mixture of excitement and concern in her tone. It was obvious that she didn’t like the idea of leaving her patient alone, even if there was going to be a very competent person with him but Nick could tell that the possibility of getting time to herself for a couple of days was very appealing as well.

“Yeah,” Nick guaranteed. “We’ll be fine. And if I’m not, I’m sure Sean will call you to come back.”

“I didn’t realize I was such a mother hen,” Sean’s calm voice interjected from the doorway.

Nick jumped at the sound of his lover’s voice, grimacing when his body reminded him not to do that. Though he knew Sean was in the house, he hadn’t expected him to come upstairs yet, let alone stand in the doorway and listen to their conversation. He turned to glare at his friend for not announcing himself earlier but only managed a partial one before the small quirk of a smile on the lips he loved to kiss and the humor in the beautiful green eyes wore him down and he smiled in return.

“Well,” Aubrey said, practically announcing her presence though the two men knew she was there. “I think I’m going to take your advice, Nick, and get out for a couple of days. Do you need me to get you anything while I’m out?”

“A new body would be great.”

Aubrey laughed the warm laugh he’d become accustomed to. “Sorry, I think they’re fresh out.”

“Then no, I’m good for now.”

She fidgeted for a bit, looking around the room, not only making sure that she had everything but that they had everything they needed as well. Nick smiled at her nervous behavior, appreciating the sentiment behind it more than he thought he would. He shared a small eye roll with Sean as she continued to bustle around then the two men chuckled. Aubrey quickly told Sean about Nick’s medication schedule and told him to make sure that not only did Nick sleep but eat as well. Only after receiving Sean’s vow under pain of medical leave (from Nick) that he would do as she had instructed did she leave.

The two men listened as the front door closed, each relaxing slightly when they realized that Aubrey had left.

“She’s not what I expected,” Nick commented offhandedly as Sean walked further into the room. He kept his gaze on the bedroom doorway but managed to keep Sean in his peripheral vision as he hesitated by the open side of the bed then sat down in the chair to Nick’s left.

“Not every Hexenbiest is like Adalind,” Sean replied, leaning into the chair in what would appear to be a relaxed position.

“And thank God for that,” Nick quipped meaning every word. He didn’t think he could handle it if every Wesen in the Hexenbiest race was like Adalind Schade. He had had a hard enough time not letting the woman get killed when he was forced to protect her, let alone protecting or governing an entire group of Adalinds.

Sean glared at him for his comment but he didn’t care. He knew that Adalind and Sean had a history. One-sided though he pretended it was, Nick knew that Sean cared about the blond and was very protective of her. If Nick had been a woman, he would more than likely have thought of Adalind as his competition but as it was, Nick was very confident in his relationship with Sean, or at least he had been up until six days ago, and he knew Adalind couldn’t touch him in that respect.

“Have you eaten?” Sean asked, looking around the room for signs that he had.

“Not yet,” Nick answered with a sigh, conveniently forgetting to mention that the tension between he and Sean had scared Aubrey off before she had gotten it for him. He actually wanted to go down and get his own meal but that just wasn’t plausible.

“I’ll go get us some breakfast then.”

As Sean stood up, Nick grabbed his wrist and his attention.

“Avoiding the issue isn’t going to make it go away,” he warned, knowing that Sean was stalling. Hell, he was tempted to stall himself and he was the one that demanded they talk.

“I know,” Sean answered with a loving smile. “But I did just promise Aubrey that I would make you eat and I would hate for her to find out that I did not keep my promise.”

Fair enough, Nick’s mind conceded though he refused to show it. Instead, he gave a nod and released his hold of Sean’s wrist, painfully leaning into the pillows behind him.

“Besides,” his friend continued as he walked out of the room, “I was only going to go downstairs.”

Of course he was, Nick’s mind grumbled in annoyance. Like Sean would even think to leave him alone like this, come on!

With a frustrated sigh, the Grimm allowed the pillows and headboard to support him. For once he was actually grateful for the sustenance coming his way; he and Sean were going to need it for the conversation they were going to have afterwards.

TBC

Part VII