Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Fuck!”

“That’s it, sweetheart. Feel good?” 

Nick moaned something unintelligible - not even he was sure what he was trying to say - and squeezed the cheap plastic of the burner phone closer to his ear, his other hand tugging hard and fast on his cock.

“Love to listen to you falling apart for me. The sounds you make-” Sean’s breath hitched, and Nick could make out the sound of skin moving on skin. 

He pictured it: Sean, barely undressed as he lay back on his bed, chest flushed under his unbuttoned shirt, his cock long and thick in his hand, precome weeping from the tip and slicking the way. Fuck. He should’ve got out a dildo before their call. 

“Sean, need you, wanna ride you. Need to come on your cock.”

Increasingly thankful for his enhanced senses, he heard a low growl from Sean, and the sound of skin on skin stopped. That sound often meant Sean felt he was getting too close. 

“Mon cœur, please. Doucement.” Sean seemed to take a moment to catch his breath. “It’s been a week, love. Let’s go slowly. Want to make the most of it.”

Nick smiled into the phone as his stomach flip-flopped wildly. This man. The sneaking around and having to be so. Damn. Careful, not to mention the pretence, and barely getting to see each other. It was worth it. Sean; their relationship. Entirely worth it. Sean made it so. 

Nick slowed his hand, then let go of his cock entirely. He trailed his fingers slowly back, over his balls, then further still until he could trace around his rim, the touch setting his skin alight. 

“Slowing down, Sean. Touching my ass- wish it was you.”

“Yeah? Playing with your ass, Nick?” Nick heard again a desperate hitch in Sean’s breath. He ached with the need to see Sean, to kiss him. Meanwhile , Sean kept talking. “The way I would? You know I like to tease until you’re crying out. Can you do that for me?”

Nick whined. “Lube?”

“Of course, sweetheart. Want it to feel so good for you.” Nick could hear the click of a bottle opening over the line as he reached for his own lube, thrown hurriedly on the bed before he’d called Sean. Cold slick dripped over his fingers, on his thigh, onto the sheets, but he was too turned on to care. He moaned and arched into his own touch.

“Putain, Nick. The way you open up for my cock!”

Fuck. How was Nick supposed to take it slow when Sean’s voice was pure sex?

“You like it?”

“Shit. Did I say that out loud?”

Sean chuckled softly over the phone. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I like listening to you, too. The breathy moans, the-”

Sean cut off abruptly. Nick could feel tension in the sudden stillness, and not the good kind. He waited for a moment, then, 

“Later.” It was reluctant, frustrated. A code they’d come up with for interruptions just such as this, probably someone at Sean’s door, or a call he couldn’t leave to voicemail. Nick took a breath. At least Sean hadn’t said “bye”; that was code for danger. 

“Later,” he confirmed, before ending the call. He sighed and looked down at his groin. Sure, he was still hard, but now he was sad, too. Did he really want to finish without Sean? It was the third time this week that their calls had been interrupted. They hadn’t been together in person for almost a month, with the way both their houses were watched. They were supposedly wary of each other at work, so lately they hadn’t even been able to make small talk over coffee in the break room. 

When Nick saw Sean at a particularly messy crime scene by the docks an hour later, he knew they needed a solution. On the surface, Sean was as composed as ever, but Nick could find the cracks in the façade: the darkness under his eyes, the slower pace of his walk, the way his gaze tracked Nick more than it should. 

Impulsively, Nick scrawled a note and ripped it out of his notebook. He scrunched it into his hand before calling out. 

“Captain, come and take a look at something for me?” 

Sean looked up, curious, and made his way over. He was close enough that Nick could smell his fancy cologne; something he liked to tease Sean about (who would spend that much on a cologne?) but that he not so secretly adored. Trusting in the cover of the evening light, he slipped the note into the pocket of Sean’s coat as he pretended to point out something in front of them. “Probably nothing, but…”

“Hmm. Good eye, detective, but I don’t know how you think that lighthouse might be relevant.”

Nick had to stifle a breathless laugh. And a flash of want. “Probably right, sir. Sorry, my brain is somewhere else.” And didn’t it feel good to see Sean’s cheeks heat slightly at that implication. “Focusing now, sir.”

Sean nodded. “See that you do.” 

Nick pretended to listen to Hank and Wu share increasingly wild theories as he watched Sean walk away, surreptitiously slipping the note out of his pocket. He watched the surprise and the slow curl of Sean’s smile as he read it. Met Sean’s gaze, delighted in the subtle nod. 

Nick’s answering grin was entirely inappropriate for a crime scene. But he couldn’t help it; he and Sean were moving in together. 

Chapter Text

Nick should’ve known. Of course he should have. But naively, he’d thought the process would be simple. He’d assumed that because Sean could hold a conversation with him entirely through shrugs and raised eyebrows, and knew exactly what to do to take him apart in their rare moments in bed together, that understanding would also somehow magically transfer to an innate understanding of what he’d want in a house. 

Nick looked again at the glossy listings spread across his kitchen table. They’d been in a plain envelope on his desk when he’d arrived at work that morning, and he’d been so excited to rip open the envelope and check out the places where Sean could imagine them, together. He’d thought about it all day, almost letting a suspect escape because of his distraction. (He hadn’t; the perp was in custody awaiting a transfer. He could rest easy knowing he was still a decent cop). But then, to get home, and finally get to open up the envelope. The result had been a little… underwhelming. 

He tried to find some positives for each place before he called Sean. Maybe a fresh look? He flipped over a page and suppressed a shudder at the flocked gold wallpaper, alongside the gold wood paneling. Nope. Did houses like this even exist in Portland? Nick ran a hand over his face, but when he looked back at the page, it still might as well have been a guide to Versailles. It wasn’t as though Sean’s current, admittedly fancy, apartment was anything like this. It was more clean lines and modern architecture. Did he really imagine them living in a place like this? Inconspicuously?

He picked up his phone - the one only Sean had the number for. 

“You know I love you, right?”

“Not at all an ominous way to start a call.”

“Shut up,” Nick huffed. 

“It gets better and better.”

Nick could hear the smile in Sean’s voice, and couldn’t help but smile back, even if Sean couldn’t see it. 

“What’s bothering you, love?”

“I looked at the houses you suggested.”

“Oh?”

“Mhm. They’re very… opulent.”

“Your secret soon to be cohabiting lover is a prince.”

There was a hint of a tease in Sean’s voice, and… oh. 

“You’re a bastard,” Nick laughed. 

“I am. As well as a prince. Which is why I need to make up for my insecurities by living in gaudy mansions.”

“It’s a necessity.” Nick confirmed, still laughing. His heart flip-flopped in his chest. Had he ever known Sean had a sense of humour when they were just detective and captain? Sean kept himself so tightly contained, and Nick counted himself lucky every day to see all the things Sean usually kept hidden. He was hit with a sudden pang of longing to feel Sean’s arms around him and breathe him in. 

“Where are you right now?”

“My apartment, by the window. Looking out over the city.”

Nick had found him there more than once, watching over his territory. Thinking. Brooding. Sometimes he’d just stand silently beside Sean, both of them holding vigil together. Sometimes he’d persuade Sean to go to bed, when he’d gone too long without sleep. Once, they’d fucked against those windows. Nick felt a rush of heat at the memory of Sean moving inside him, Sean’s body hot against his back and the glass cold against his front, his come smeared white against the window. 

“Looking out towards you.” 

“Holy shit, Sean,” Nick whined. “You can’t just say shit like that. I’m thinking about you fucking me and then you turn it all romantic.”

There was a deep chuckle. “You were thinking about me fucking you?”

“Always am. Unless I’m thinking about me fucking you.”

“Mmm. I’d like that. Want to feel you.”

“Sean-” Suddenly, Nick was breathless. His cock twitched in his pants. 

“You like the thought of that, love? Me standing here at my window, unbuttoning my trousers and stroking my cock while I imagine how you’d fuck me?”

Oh, fuck yes. They were doing this. Nick traced his hand over his hardening cock, still covered by his jeans. They’d be uncomfortably tight soon, and there were probably more sanitary places to do this than sitting at his kitchen table, but he wasn’t risking any more interruptions. 

“I’d make you feel so good, Sean. Undress you slowly, teasing each delicious bit of skin as I uncover it.” 

“Love when you take your time with me.”

“Mhm, me too. Love the way you let me take control. Touch your skin until it gives you goosebumps, the way you let me worship you until you’re aching.”

Nick could hear Sean’s breath coming faster now.

“Would you do that?”

“You know I would, Sean. I’d lick and kiss my way down your body, leave marks on you, touch every part of you except where you’re most desperate for it.”

Sean made a choked-off moan that had Nick unzipping his fly. “Fuck, you sound so good. Are you touching yourself for me yet?”

“Do you want me to?” Sean’s voice was already raspy, the usual velvet stripped away by need.

Nick groaned. “Soon…” he breathed. “Undo your trousers for me. Nice and slow. Tease that zipper down.”

“Sweetheart…” It was more whined than spoken. 

“That’s it, love. You’re doing so well for me.” Nick was teasing his own cock through his boxers, now, not wanting to rush but desperate for the touch.  

“Can I touch yet?” 

“Hmm…” Nick paused. “Not yet. Put your hand on the glass.” 

Sean made a sound that from anyone else would be considered a whimper. 

“I know, love. Soon. But first, focus on what I’m saying. Can you do that?” 

Nick chose to take Sean’s bitten-back moan for agreement. “That’s it. So good for me. I just want you to imagine with me a little longer. I can see you there, standing at the window, palm flat on the glass. Your trousers are undone, aren’t they, and your gorgeous cock is pressing out through your boxers. Fuck, so hot for me.” 

Nick paused to press his hand against his own cock at the idea of Sean like that, flushed, panting, entirely at Nick’s mercy. “Love you like this, Sean. Trusting me to take care of you. Letting me make you feel good.”

“Feel so good,” Sean echoed, his voice rough in a way that had want burning through Nick. 

“Fuck, want to open you up, baby. I’d go so slowly. I know you want my hands on your cock, too, but I want my fingers in your ass to be all you’re thinking about.”

“Please,”

And fuck, didn’t Nick love it when Sean begged. His cock throbbed. There was just something about Sean letting himself go this much, letting himself be vulnerable enough to trust Nick fully and finally allow someone else to be in charge. 

“I’ve got you, baby. I’d start with one, tease you with it, until you’re ready for more. Work you up to two, going gradually deeper and deeper, not quite brushing where it feels best so you’re always on edge, waiting for me to hit it.”

“More - I can take it”

“I know you can,” Nick soothed. “You take it so well, your ass is greedy for my fingers. Feels so hot and tight around them, and I can’t wait to open you up enough to sink my cock inside.”

“Putain!”

“But you’re not ready yet. I’ll add another finger, start pushing harder, opening you up more.”

“Nick!”

It was the desperate tone that pulled Nick from the fantasy. “Fuck, Sean. You sound so good. Are you close already, love?”

“Need… please”

“You are, aren’t you, love. Need hands on your cock now, hm? Just from the thought of my fingers.” Nick had to pause to palm his own cock again. “Fuck, Sean. So perfect. Lick your palm for me, sweetheart. The one that’s cold from being pressed against the glass - get it nice and wet.” Nick listened as Sean moaned, followed by a wet sound that must’ve been Sean following his instructions. “That’s it, baby. So good for me. Now, wrap that hand around your cock.”

The noise of relief Sean made almost had Nick coming in his pants untouched, like a teenager. He reached into his own boxers and gripped his cock tightly, just this side of painful. 

“Perfect.” He breathed. “Take it slow. Look out over our city as you stroke yourself. Imagine, somewhere out there is the home we’re gonna make together. And in that home, I’m gonna take you to bed - our bed - and I’m gonna lay you down on your back, so I can look in your eyes as I press into you, kiss your calves that are thrown over my shoulders, hold your hand, show you how much I love you-”

“Oh fuck, Nick!”

“Yeah? You close, sweetheart? You gonna come for me?” Nick couldn’t help it; he sped up his hand at Sean’s wrecked voice. “Wanna see you come, wanna feel you coming on my cock, in our bed, in our home. Fuck, you feel so good. You’re so perfect, baby.”

Sean moaned, low and dirty, and Nick knew this was it. “You coming for me, sweetheart? Want you to tell me.”

“Nick! Fuck, yes-” Sean’s voice was rough, interspersed with hitching breaths and groans.“Making such a mess for you.”

Nick lost himself fully, then - imagining Sean writhing beneath him in their bed, his stomach covered in come, his cock still twitching valiantly and his ass clenching around Nick’s own cock. “Fuck, baby, want to come in your ass.” He was thrusting hard and fast into his fist, now. With Sean, neither of them had to hold back their strength, and the thought of pounding into Sean with his full strength was intoxicating. 

“Please, yeah. Want that. Want you to come in me, Nick.”

And that was enough, in Sean’s rough, fucked out voice, to have white-hot pleasure crashing through Nick as he spilled into his fist under the kitchen table. 

He became aware of a soft chuckle as he came back from his high. 

“You still with me, love?”

“Mhm.” Nick paused, looking at the mess in his hands. “Probably should’ve been prepared with some kleenex.”

Sean laughed again. “I’ve got a mess on the floor and the window. Need to get that sorted before the cleaner comes in tomorrow.” 

“He’s not wesen, is he?”

“Wouldn’t need to be, to see the mess you’ve made of me, sweetheart.”

Nick whined. “Sean, didn’t we already have this conversation? You saying shit like that, it’s too much.”

“Nothing’s too much for you.”

“I love you.” It fell from Nick’s lips as easy as breathing. Fuck, he ached to be in Sean’s arms right now, to feel the strength of him, feel the beating of his heart. 

“And I, you,” Sean replied. Nick listened to the clink of his belt buckle and the rustle of cloth. “But my dry cleaner is going to be very unhappy with this mess on my trousers.”

Nick choked out a laugh. “You have to strip to clean up, baby?” 

Sean hummed in agreement, and there was a pause. Nick listened to the sounds of Sean wiping up the mess, knowing he should do the same. Eventually he tucked himself away and got up to wash his hands. He was just returning to the table with some wipes when Sean spoke again. 

“Did you look at the back of each of the listings I gave you?”

Nick dropped the wipes on the floor under the table - he could clean up later. “What do you mean?”

Sean chuckled. “Aren’t you supposed to be the detective?”

Nick sat back down at the table, pulling the house options towards him and flipping them over as he did so. He looked at the pages for a few moments, before noticing that certain words had been discreetly highlighted. He shuffled the pages to make sure he had the words in the right order to make sense, and then, oh.

“Sean Renard, did you write me a secret love note on these listings?” Nick knew he sounded choked up, but he couldn’t help it. Highlighted in front of him were the words “I cannot wait to share a home with you.” 

“There’s a map, too. If you put the locations together, they align in certain places-”

Nick shuffled the pages again, so that the various maps lined up. Now that he could see them all together, he could see a faint red line drawn around parts of the map. 

“Is this where you think we should look for a home?”

“Yes. The area is close enough to our current houses that we could get to our new home from them easily, but not a neighbourhood where we’d be recognised. It’s also close enough to the forest that you can get there for training, and it’s far enough from the precinct that we won’t be noticed. I’m not aware of any wesen living in the area, so nobody should be finding out about us until it’s safe for us to go public.”

“Sean, I really need to kiss you right now.”

Sean made a questioning hum, and Nick nodded fervently, even though Sean couldn’t see him. “Do you have any idea how romantic this is? I can’t believe you’re real.”

“There’s nobody else I’d do this for, Nick. I’m only what you call romantic because you inspire it in me.”

“Can’t wait to live with you, Sean. To be able to kiss you stupid whenever you say shit like that.”

Sean chuckled. “As if I needed any more incentive. Take a look at the map, Nick, and let me know if you can think of any issues in that area. If nothing, let’s start contacting real estate agents to find out what might be available.”

Nick grinned with excitement. “Let’s do it, love.”

Chapter Text

The first three houses they’d dismissed without actually seeing them in person. It had taken the real estate agent a little while to get the not-a-condo memo. Perhaps because of Sean’s preferences, but Nick wasn’t going to make a big deal about it. 

He’d caught Sean gazing longingly at a photo of the view from one of the places when they’d looked at the listing online and had gently reminded him that condos meant security staff, which meant visibility and the risk of going public too soon. He’d then privately resolved to find a house with the most amazing view ever. 

Nick had no qualms about leaving the place he’d shared with Juliet. Or, at least, keeping it as a cover. It had been a long time since it had felt like home, with all the break-ins and bad memories. Particularly Sean taking a bullet on his doorstep. But Sean, he knew, had created more of a sanctuary for himself in his current home.

Nick knew Sean’s apartment seemed sparse when you first entered it, but he also knew that everything in that home was carefully considered. Once you left the more public rooms, more of Sean’s personality was revealed. The few trinkets he’d managed to keep from his childhood sat on the desk in his study; a reminder of where he’d come from. His books, particularly the favourites he kept on the shelf in his bedroom, that spoke to his hopes, fears and comforts. There were several well-thumbed cookbooks that Nick had been surprised and delighted to discover: Sean’s cassoulet was a revelation.

There weren’t many photographs; it was too risky, should anyone break into his house. But Sean had art on the walls; pieces he’d commissioned to honour particular people or memories: an abstract take on the weave of a pale pink blanket, for Diana; a landscape mostly composed of trees which were common in the area where Sean had lived as a young child, before he’d had to start running; the score for the first song he and Nick had danced to. 

Yeah, Nick had spent enough time with Sean to know that he’d made this apartment very much his home, even while trying not to show it. He knew it would be harder for Sean to find somewhere new. 

So when the next place the real estate agent suggested looked good enough to actually visit, Nick paid attention. It was a comfortable two storey, similar to the one Nick had shared with Juliet, in a quiet neighbourhood. It was nice in that inoffensive sort of way, and the view from the bedroom window wasn’t bad. But as Nick watched Sean testing the water pressure and checking the cupboards, he realised that something was off.

Yeah, Sean was saying all the right things, but line of his back was a little too straight under his jacket, and his smile closer to the one he gave to the press than the one he shared with Nick. 

“What is it?” Nick asked quietly, the moment the real estate agent had left them alone in the second upstairs bedroom. The guest bed from his place would fit in here nicely, Nick thought idly as he waited for Sean’s reply. 

Sean turned from where he was inspecting the closet - slightly smaller than the one in the second bedroom at Nick’s, but still enough space for a first aid kit and some weapons - and raised an eyebrow. 

“Come on, there’s something bugging you. Tell me.”

Sean turned away from where Nick was leaning against the doorframe. “There’s nothing bothering me.” He paced across to the window and turned back to Nick. “Do you like it here?” 

Nick knew Sean was deliberately changing the subject, but he let it be. He shrugged. “It’s okay. I really want to live with you, but I feel like we should check out a few other places before we decide.”

Sean smiled slightly. “I guess we should.”

The next house, Nick still wasn’t particularly fussed about. It had a green bathtub and was close to the forest, but there wasn’t anything notable to love or hate. And really, he didn’t mind that. All he wanted was somewhere that he and Sean could be together, safe and happy. Sean, predictably, was much more intense in the way he approached the inspection.

“We’d need to change the handles on this cabinetry,” he murmured to Nick as they walked through the kitchen. “Could be dangerous in a fight. But if we painted the walls a nice yellow…” 

Nick wandered out into the den as Sean tested the hot water in the kitchen sink. There was a nice view from this room, at least. The real estate agent was talking on her mobile, facing away from Nick. From the way she was almost hissing, Nick assumed the call might take a little while. He went back into the kitchen to find Sean eyeing the kitchen island. 

“D’you think this is big enough to host brunch for all your friends?” 

“They’ll be your friends, too. Hank and Wu already are.” 

Sean hummed noncommittally. “Maybe, when we can be public, they will be. If they can forgive me. And if I can make a good enough brunch, that might go some way towards it.” He smiled as if he were joking, but Nick could see the real fear behind the words.

“Sean,” he said firmly, insinuating himself between Sean and the bench, “They’ll need to forgive both of us for keeping this from them. But they will, because they’ll understand why we had to. And they’ll know how good you are, because I’ll tell them.” 

Sean smiled faintly. “I guess we can’t manage any of that until we’ve found a place and it’s actually safe to go public.” 

“Exactly.” Nick looped his arms around Sean’s neck and pulled him closer, moving almost to kiss so that his lips just barely brushed against Sean’s as he spoke. “And right now all I’m thinking about this bench is whether or not it’s the right height for you to bend me over it and fuck me. Think it could take it if you don’t hold back? Don’t wanna break anything.” 

“Nick,” Sean’s growl had Nick instantly hard in his jeans. He thrust up, grinding himself against Sean as he pulled him into a kiss, deep and dirty. Nick tried not to moan into the kiss when he felt Sean’s answering hardness against his own. 

“You want me to fuck you hard over this bench? Now?” He said between kisses, his voice silky. 

Nick hadn’t meant now, he’d just meant to distract Sean enough to ease the crease between his eyebrows. But now, all he could think about was Sean fucking him here and now, minimal time for prep, no time at all for getting undressed any further than Nick’s jeans being shoved down his thighs and Sean’s trousers undone, his belt buckle pressing against Nick’s ass as Sean fucked into him, hard and fast. 

He pressed himself closer to Sean, trying not to whimper. “Now, please. All the times.” Shit, he was barely even coherent. 

He sucked Sean’s bottom lip into his mouth, relishing the quick indrawn breath, before he suddenly noticed an absence of background noise. Fuck. 

Before Sean could process it, Nick pulled away and slithered out from between Sean and the bench. “Agent’s finished her phone call,” he breathed against Sean’s ear as he walked towards the door to the garage. 

“Brat,” he heard Sean chuckle. “We’re going straight back to my apartment after this, and I’m going to show you what happens to naughty Grimms.” 

Nick shuddered at Sean’s words, pitched low and dangerous, just enough for his Grimm hearing to pick up. A moment later, he heard Sean speaking to the estate agent in his usual tone, all traces of what had been happening just a few minutes before gone. “Thank you. We’ll get back to you.” 

And then, Sean brushed by him as they walked out through the open garage. “Think you’ll be able to drive home, little Grimm, knowing what I have planned for you?” And fuck, Nick had only just managed to calm down his cock enough that it wouldn’t look obscene should someone glance at the front of his jeans, but now, well, shit. He took off his jacket and folded it in front of him, despite the threatening rain. 

Sean made good on his promises, so Nick wasn’t surprised to find himself not even an hour later naked his stomach on Sean’s bed, hands tied above his head in Sean’s belt. 

“You look so good like this, Nick. All perfectly laid out for me, ready for me to do as I please with you.”

He whimpered into the pillow, breathing in a trace of Sean’s cologne. 

A gentle hand traced up his calf. 

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’m going to take such good care of you.” 

Nick turned his head to watch as Sean slowly made his way up the bed. He was still fully dressed, except for his belt - Nick flexed his wrists and delighted in the rub of leather - and with his trousers partly undone. Sean caught Nick watching and stroked a hand slowly over his hard, cloth-covered cock. “See what you do to me. Make me so hard for you. And when we’re in public, and I can’t do anything about it.” 

Nick whimpered again. “Please.”

“I’ve got you, Nick. But I’m not fucking you yet, sweetheart. This is what you wanted, isn’t it? Getting me all riled up but powerless to do anything? Let’s see how you like it the other way around.” 

Nick watched as much as the angle of his head would allow as Sean climbed up onto the bed behind him. 

“Spread your legs for me.” 

The command had Nick’s cock throbbing against the mattress. Sean settled between Nick’s legs and ran his hands in sweeping motions along the inside of Nick’s thighs. He felt his precome soaking into the sheet below him. 

“Such a perfect little ass. I want to make it all pretty and red with my handprints before I fuck you, Nick.” Sean’s voice was rough and Nick couldn’t hold in his moan. “Color?”

“Green! Fuck, please, green.”

It wasn’t something they got to indulge in often, especially given how little time they could spend together, but Nick loved being able to play like this with Sean; he loved the surrender, loved the certainty of Sean’s strength and care, loved being pushed to his limits and having them tested. It wasn’t something he’d had the chance to explore much with previous partners, but Sean knew exactly what he was doing. 

“That’s it, darling.” He trailed his hands over Nick’s ass, gently pulling his cheeks apart. “Gorgeous.” Sean’s tone was soft, reverent, and it made Nick’s heart thud in his chest. Had he ever had a partner who had cherished him like this? He shuddered as he felt Sean’s mouth following the path his hands had taken.

“So tempting, little Grimm,” he murmured, breath warm against the damp trails on Nick’s skin where Sean’s mouth had been. Nick cried out as Sean bit down hard on the tender flesh of his ass. 

“Mhm, that’s it. Want to hear you. Think you can count for me?” Sean brushed his still clothed cock against Nick’s thigh, a deliberate tease. 

“I - yeah, yes. Please.” 

Without any further warning, Sean’s palm came down hard on Nick’s ass. He cried out, the sting quickly fading to warmth. He could never get over how good it felt, the sharp burn, the echoing pleasure, leaving him craving more. 

But nothing came. 

“Nick?” Sean prompted. 

“So, so green. Fuck, please more. Green green green.” He was greedy for it, aching for Sean’s hand on him again. He wriggled his ass for good measure. 

Sean chucked behind him. “Have you lost count already, sweetheart?” 

Nick flushed. Counting was meant to keep him grounded, stop him from floating away too quickly. Apparently he couldn’t even make it to the second one today. He hadn’t realised how much he’d needed this. “One,” he mumbled at last. “Sorry.”

Sean’s hand came down fast, before Nick had prepared for it, jolting his body and pushing his aching cock hard against the mattress. “Fuck! Two!” 

“That’s it, love. Doing so well for me.” 

The slap of Sean’s palm on Nick’s ass sounded again, the other cheek this time. Nick could feel the ache lasting longer now after each smack. “Three,” he moaned, just barely remembering, so overwhelmed by pleasure-pain.

“Think we can make it to ten?” Sean asked, his hand coming down again, hard. 

“Please - four - yes”

“That might be all I can take, sweetheart-” smack “-before I can’t wait any longer to fuck you.”

Tears stung the corners of Nick’s eyes. “Five.”

“You should see yourself, Nick. So pretty and red. So obviously mine, marked by my hands.” 

Smack. 

“Fuck! Six,” Nick’s body was trembling with the effort of keeping still, the leather around his wrists rubbing every time he tried to grip the headboard for support. He braced for the next smack, but it didn’t come. Instead, Nick felt Sean’s warm breath against his ass.

“Fuck, you look good like this, sweetheart.”

Nick moaned as Sean pressed open-mouthed kisses to his sensitised skin, lavishing attention on one cheek, then the other. 

Smack. It came out of nowhere, hard against his left cheek while Sean was still kissing his right. 

Nick cried out, clenching his hands against the headboard as much as Sean’s belt would allow. The shock of it, the awareness of being so completely at Sean’s mercy, felt almost too good. 

“Nick,” Sean murmured between kisses to his ass. 

Nick was floating, lost to sensation. His skin was buzzing, his blood fizzing. Everything was pleasure. 

“Nick,” Sean spoke again, sharper this time. 

Nick mumbled something incoherent.

A sting of pain as Sean pinched the skin on his side. 

“Nick!”

“Yeah,” he breathed, voice cracking. “Yes.”

“You okay, Nick?” Sean asked, leaning down so he could meet Nick’s eyes. “You with me?” 

“Yeah,” he replied, stretching awkwardly to try and meet Sean’s lips with his own. “Feels so good.”

Sean chuckled. “I don’t think we can make it to ten today, sweetheart.” He moved them around on the bed so that he sat against the headboard and Nick could rest curled against his chest, undoing the belt and gently rubbing feeling back into Nick’s hands. 

“Let’s get you some water, love,” he murmured, helping Nick to hold the water bottle to his lips as he drank deeply. 

Nick relished the feeling of being so loved and cared for as Sean gently stroked his back. He gradually came back to himself, snuggling into Sean’s chest. 

“Hi,” he mumbled. 

Sean chuckled, bringing his hand from where it had been stroking Nick’s back to scratch gently at his scalp. “Hi,” he replied. “How are you feeling?” 

Nick took a moment to take stock, knowing Sean wanted a real response. He was warm, comfortable, safe. Loved. His ass felt tender in the most delicious way. He was conscious of Sean beside him, solid and sure. 

“Green,” he smiled, knowing it would make Sean huff. “I feel great. So close to you, so loved.” He shuffled a bit on the bed so that he could look directly into Sean’s eyes as he spoke. “Want to ride you. Slow.” He bit his lip. “That be okay?”

“You’ll be sore,” Sean breathed, but already he was helping Nick climb into his lap. 

“Not too sore, just the good ache.” Nick replied against Sean’s lips, lowering his bare ass to brush against Sean’s clothed cock, still hard. 

Sean kissed him, slowly, savouring. “You’ll tell me to stop the moment it’s too much.” 

Nick ground down a little harder, setting his skin alight. “Yes. Can you - can you open me up, please?” 

Sean pulled the bottle of lube from his side table. “I‘ve got you, sweetheart.” 

He watched Nick’s face carefully as he slowly slipped the first finger inside, but Nick couldn’t help but close his eyes at the feeling. “So good,” he breathed, as Sean set up a torturously slow pace. 

Soon Nick was pushing back on Sean’s fingers, begging for more, his cock weeping precome that dripped down onto Sean’s clothes. “Please, Sean. Need you now. How are you still dressed?”

“Okay, love. Lift up for me,” Sean instructed, sliding his fingers from Nick’s body. They shuffled enough for Sean to pull his trousers down to his knees and get the condom on, kissing and breathing against each other’s lips as they did. 

Nick bit his lip as he finally sank down onto Sean’s cock, his eyes fluttering shut. It felt so good, the warm ache of his ass, tender as he rolled his body against Sean’s. The delicious stretch and fullness of Sean’s cock a sharp relief to the ache. 

Sean’s hands settled on Nick’s hips. “You’re so gorgeous like this, sweetheart.”

Nick, continuing the slow roll of his hips, looked down at Sean, taking in the hard planes of his chest beneath his unbuttoned shirt, the bead of sweat on his collarbone, his flushed cheeks, his mussed curls, his intense green eyes. He breathed out a laugh. “Me? Have you seen yourself, Sean? You’re so fucking beautiful.”

Sean’s lips parted in a silent gasp as Nick ground down harder, meeting his gentle thrust. 

“Sweetheart, don’t - you’ll hurt yourself.”

Nick ground down hard again. “Doesn’t hurt, Sean. Feels so fucking good.”

He bent forward to capture Sean’s lips again, relishing the familiar taste. Sean moaned into the kiss as he thrust up, harder, hitting Nick just right and making him cry out. 

“Thought we were going to go slow,” Sean teased. 

“Trying,” Nick panted. “Been on edge too long.” He punctuated his words by slamming himself down hard on Sean’s cock, pulling a groan from the other man. “Need you. Need to come.” 

“Alright, love. Whatever you need.” Sean replied, reaching to stroke Nick’s flushed and straining cock. 

Nick shook his head furiously. “Just - wanna come on your cock, just your cock.”

“Yes,” Sean breathed, returning his hand to Nick’s hip and pulling him down harder on his cock. “So hot, Nick. Make me so hard for you.”

“Fuck! Sean, gonna come!”

“Yes, that’s it, mon cœur. Come for me.”

Nick moaned, his body clenching around Sean as he spilled on Sean’s chest. Sean knew he’d need to wash very carefully later, but right now, the feel of Nick’s ass hot and tight around his cock, and the warmth of Nick’s come on his chest, had him moaning in reply and spilling into the condom. 

Long minutes later, after they’d both come back to themselves, Nick breathed “needed that.” He was still slumped over Sean’s chest, Sean’s softening cock still buried inside him. 

“Me too, sweetheart.”

Nick paused, the kind of silence where Sean knew he was figuring out how to say something.

“Think it’ll work, us living together? In my head, we’ll be able to come home to each other so much more, have breakfast together before work,” he chucked, “fuck more, without it being over the phone…” 

Sean smiled, but there was something uncertain about it. “Not that I mind phone sex, but I do prefer to be present when you come.”

Nick laughed. “Fuck, me too. Your cock is a wonder. There should be odes written to it.”

Sean laughed, full and real. “Just my cock?”

Nick smiled. “The rest of you is pretty good, too.”

“Guess we’d better keep looking for this place, then.”

A particularly messy triple homicide meant that the house hunting had to be put on hold. They’d been working the case for ten days, on the clock for three days straight chasing a lead that turned out to be nothing, when Sean had sent Hank and Nick home from the precinct. Nick had given Sean a look to let him know that he was expected to leave and get some rest too, and it hadn’t taken much to get Sean to agree, so Nick knew he was exhausted. Perhaps even more so than when they’d had to get Diana to safety. 

“You doin’ okay?” Nick’s words were slurred against Sean’s chest, but he knew his ‘beist had heard and understood from the way Sean’s fingers stilled in his hair.

Instead of going to their respective houses that evening, they’d snuck away to the trailer for a few stolen hours on the couch. The need to be close had outweighed the need for the comfort of an actual bed.

“Because of the case, or are you asking more generally?” 

Nick would never not be impressed by how Sean seemed to function so well even at times like this, when he’d survived the past seventy two hours on nothing but caffeine and stale sandwiches. He couldn’t even summon the energy to shrug. “Both.”

He felt as much as heard Sean’s sigh. 

“This case…”

When Sean didn’t continue, Nick followed up. “They were barely out of college. Whole lives ahead of them.” 

Sean hummed an acknowledgment. Then, after a pause, “I feel like I failed them.”

It was said so quietly that even curled up against Sean’s chest as he was, Nick wasn’t sure he would’ve heard, if not for his Grimm hearing.

He propped himself up on his elbow and turned to face Sean, more awake now. “How?”

Sean rubbed a hand over his face and looked away, but he turned back to Nick before he answered. “It’s my city; it’s my job to keep everyone safe.”

“You do. Crime is down. It’s one of the few places in America that wesen come to for protection instead of hiding. Your people at the station trust you with their lives.”

Sean turned to stare at the wall. “Not these kids. And I can’t even find their killer. There could be more kids dying as we speak.”

“Hey,” Nick cupped Sean’s jaw and gently turned him back so they were face to face. “First, no indications of a serial killer. Second, we’ll find the killer. It’s just taking a little longer this time. But we’ll do it. And third,” Nick paused, stroking his thumb against Sean’s cheek. “Third, it sucks, but we can’t prevent every death before it happens. That’s not how this works and you know it.” 

Sean gave Nick a hesitant smile. “I know, I just…”

“It’s not just the case, is it?” Nick asked. “There’s something else going on.” 

Sean sighed and looked away again. “Are you sure you want to live with me, Nick?” 

“What? Yeah, of course I do!” 

“Or is it just that you like the idea of it?” Sean turned back to face him, eyes flicking between hazel green and his creature gold. “Because I’d understand if you didn’t, if it was just a spur of the moment idea that got out of hand. Only, none of the houses have seemed right to you, and I can’t offer you the things you deserve, the things I’d want to give you-”

“Sean! Stop! What are you even? What are you talking about?”

“I’m not Juliet, can’t give you kids like she would, can’t make that same home with you. My family tried to kill you. I don’t know if or when you’d ever be able to even tell your friends about me. I’m not a good man; I’ve done things-”

Nick put a strong hand on Sean’s chest. “You need to stop, right there. You’re talking about the man I love. I know you’ve had to do things you regret. End lives. Hurt people. But guess what, so’ve I. It doesn’t make us bad people, Sean. Life is more complicated - we’ve always done what we’ve had to so that we could protect and care for others, and make the best out of whatever situation we were in. You’re a good man, a great man. You know how I know? Because of your motivations, Sean. You’re always working - so damn hard - for the best outcome. You’re beating yourself up over this case; over something that someone else has done that you couldn’t prevent. You have the best heart, and I love you for it, so much.”

“Nick-” Sean blinked rapidly.

“No, I haven’t finished yet. I love you, remember. I know you, know your secrets, know your heart. And I fell in love with you. You. Exactly as you are. As for the other stuff, I don’t care about it. The place I shared with Juliet hasn’t been home in years, if it ever was. And she wasn’t what made it home. I don’t need a fancy place, yellow walls, a picket fence and a swing for the kids. I just need you, and a space we can be together. Even if we never get to go public, I want you. Need you. Love you.”

Nick found himself being pulled tight against Sean, felt the trembling of the man beneath him. Suddenly, the pieces clicked. 

“You were trying to find us a place just like the house I’m living in now, weren’t you?”

“… Maybe.”

“Because you thought that was my idea of home?” 

“Isn’t it?”

“No, Sean. You are. If we just found a patch of land where we could pitch a tent, but it was where we could be together, that would be home for me.”

Sean huffed a wet laugh. “I might not be able to offer you a castle, Nick, but I’m still a prince and a police captain. I can assure you that our home wouldn’t be a tent.”

“Probably for the best,” Nick replied. “It rains too much here for camping out.”

He snuggled in close, nuzzling at Sean’s neck and pressing soft kisses there. “Love you.” 

“Love you, too.”

“Good. Now, that’s settled. Can we please get some sleep before we have to get up and go back to work?” 

“Anything you say, love.”

Chapter Text

T 22 x

Sean looked down at the text on the phone that he always kept on him; the one that only Nick had the number to. He knew what it meant - Nick wanted to meet at the trailer at 10pm that night. He looked out into the bullpen, let his gaze linger on Nick for a moment. From this distance, he looked relaxed, laughing about something with Hank. 

But Sean had noticed his tells earlier in the day: the deep frown as he’d looked at his phone, the way he’d brushed Hank off when he went to the break room not long after, surreptitiously looking out the window onto the park by the precinct multiple times. 

It could’ve been simple Grimm business, but Sean suspected something else was afoot. 

He looked back at his phone, knowing he’d have to reply. He grimaced as he typed; he loathed emojis. But Nick’s laugh as he’d come up with the ridiculous code (yams meant yes, noodles meant no) had been too beautiful to refuse. At least Nick hadn’t ever followed through on the threatened eggplant emoji use. Sean checked himself; Nick hadn’t followed through yet. Better not to tempt fate.

Sean made it to the trailer a few minutes before 10pm, but even so Nick was already there, warm light spilling out from under the curtains onto the forest floor.

He knocked on the door and Nick opened it immediately; he must’ve heard Sean’s approach. 

Once inside, Sean gave himself a moment to take Nick into his arms and breathe him in. He couldn’t imagine life without Nick, but there were times when the need for subterfuge, and being so close and yet so far apart, wore him down almost more than he could take. 

“Sweetheart,” he murmured, feeling some of the tension that had been his constant companion these past few months ease. 

Nick cupped his cheek, rubbing his palm across Sean’s end of day stubble. “Missed you.”

Sean kissed him, slow and sweet, revelling in the taste and feel of the man he loved, in his arms at last. 

When they finally broke apart, Sean couldn’t help the pride that swelled in his chest at Nick’s kiss-swollen lips and lust-drunk expression. He knew it wasn’t wholly appropriate, but being able to make Nick look like that, well. It made his heart beat double time, made him forget all his worries and plans for a moment. 

“Much as I’d like to continue, I get the feeling this isn’t a booty call,” he smiled at Nick, who blinked as if to clear his head. 

“Yeah, no,” he grimaced. “Nothing as fun as that.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone - not his burner - and tapped the screen a few times before turning it so that Sean could see. 

Sean’s gut twisted. A string of text messages from Adalind. 

He tried to keep his face neutral as he looked back at Nick. 

“She wants to meet,” Nick told him, scrubbing a palm across his face. Sean had gathered as much from the texts.

Can we talk? 

I know more than you think I do. 

We need to meet up, Nick. 

You need me as much as I need you - don’t lie to yourself. 

I’ll be waiting outside the station, on the bench under the tree. 

Please, Nick.

Sean stepped away, and forced down the bile that was trying to force its way out of his throat. “She was outside the precinct today, wasn’t she? We could arrest her for stalking.”

Nick rolled his eyes and smiled. “Much as I love it when you get all protective, I don’t think that’s going to help.”

Sean sighed. Nick was right; Adalind had already proven herself a liability, and who knew what vengeful stunt she might pull if she were to be arrested. 

“Do you want to meet up with her?” He asked, after a moment.

“No!” Nick stepped forward in the small space, took Sean’s hand. “But I think I might have to.”

Sean opened his mouth to deny it - he hated the thought of Adalind anywhere near Nick - but Nick spoke first. 

“Hear me out, okay? I know she’s probably got a million schemes going on and that we can’t trust her, but ever since…” he trailed off and swallowed hard, and Sean watched carefully as Nick gathered his strength to continue. “She’s suspicious. When I didn’t respond to Juliet - or her pretending to be Juliet - the way she expected,” he looked away and sighed. 

Sean squeezed Nick’s hand, still holding his own. An offer of strength, solidarity. Nick smiled back at him, tired and worn, but no less beautiful. 

“She’s been watching,” Sean finished for Nick, who nodded. 

“Not just me; she’s suspicious of you, too.” 

Nick turned and sat on the couch. 

“She’s always been suspicious of me.”

“Maybe. But I think she might know there’s more between us. After you were shot-” 

Nick blinked rapidly, and Sean pulled Nick’s hand to his chest. It had become a frequent gesture in the months following the shooting, to remind Nick that he was alive, that his heart was beating. 

That day had changed so much for them, and while it had solidified their relationship and given them the courage to say what they meant to each other, it hadn’t been without trauma. 

Sean regularly woke up in a sweat, terrified of what could’ve happened if Adalind had been successful; if she’d known about their relationship and pretended to be him instead of Juliet; if Nick had lost his Grimm powers; if Sean’s mother hadn’t made it to the hospital in time. So many unimaginable possibilities. 

“I’m here, love,” Sean murmured, bringing Nick back. 

“Thanks,” Nick looked up, his eyes shiny with tears. “I wasn’t exactly subtle, when you were in the hospital.” He laughed, something sad and half-choked. “Was so scared. Hated being apart from you even for a minute.” 

“I wish I’d been conscious to see you dressed as a nurse,” Sean teased, hoping to lighten the mood. 

Nick laughed again. “Not my finest moment.”

“Sweetheart,” Sean murmured, pulling him in for a kiss. “You were ready to burn buildings to the ground, for me.” Sean kissed him again, another gentle brush of lips. He didn’t think Nick would ever fully understand what that devotion meant to him. “We were both in the middle of a nightmare. But we made it through.”

“Yeah,” Nick agreed, kissing him again. And fuck, Sean would never tire of the soft press of Nick’s lips against his own. 

Eventually, he pulled away. “We could just let her be suspicious,” he suggested, even as he said it knowing that Nick wouldn’t be comfortable with that kind of inaction. 

“No, Sean. We’ve got to find out what she knows. What if she knows about us, and outs us to the Council?” 

“Surely there’s got to be another way-”

“I’ve been thinking about it all afternoon. I snuck out through the underground parking garage today so she didn’t catch me on the way out, she’s already shown that she won’t leave us alone.”

“What if I meet her, instead?” Sean started pacing up and down the short length of the trailer. 

“Then she’ll know for sure that there’s something between us, if she didn’t already.” 

“I just- fuck.” Sean scrubbed his face with his hands, hard. The very idea of leaving Adalind alone with Nick, after she’d tried to rape him… He knew he was on the verge of a woge, protective instincts in overdrive, but they were fucking warranted. 

“Hey, don’t growl at me,” Nick chided gently. 

Shit. Sean hadn’t even realised he’d been growling. He shook himself, grasped desperately at the edges of his apparently shredded control. 

“At least, not unless we’re doing something fun,” Nick winked, damn him, his exquisitely teasing smile coming out to play. “You’ll distract me, and then we’ll never get this figured out.” 

Sean managed a chuckle in reply. What had he ever done to deserve the incredible privilege of Nick’s love? 

He took a deep breath. 

“There are spells, surely. I’ll find one for protection, or a disguise one like the one she-” but. No, Sean would not be doing that. Too many inherent triggers. “Something else. Something that allows me to be in the room with you, to bind her power if she tries anything, to protect you if needed, I don’t know. Surely in Rosalee’s books, or…”

Nick reached out a hand to still Sean’s anxious pacing, and Sean took it, slowly coming to sit beside Nick on the couch. 

“We can’t ask anyone to help us find the spell, or the ingredients. Let alone help us cast it,” he sighed, defeated. If they did, they risked people finding out about them, and that couldn’t happen yet. Fuck. Sometimes Sean wished that they could just run away together; escape all this madness and live on a little tropical island somewhere, or hidden in a cabin off-grid in the forest, far from here. He looked up to meet Nick’s eyes. “I’m so sorry, love. I’m failing you. I don’t-”

“Hey,” Nick cut him off, sharply. “Stop talking like that. You’re not failing me, and this isn’t hopeless.” Gently, he traced his fingers along Sean’s cheek, exactly where the skin changed when he woged. “If you’d let yourself take a breath, you’d remember that we’re police officers, and have legitimate access to all kinds of surveillance equipment.” He smiled, and it somehow managed to be both tender and cheeky. “She might consider the spells we could do, but I doubt it would even occur to her that we’d use anything like that.”

Sean took a moment to really look at Nick. He was strong. Determined. He’d seen through Adalind’s schemes already, hadn’t been tricked into anything (obviously, he was more aware and made better choices than Sean had). 

“I know you’re worried about Adalind being near me,” Nick said, resting his forehead against Sean’s, “but I don’t think she’ll try… anything like that… this time. She’s been in a weird place ever since DeeDee went to live with my mom. But she’s had some time, now, and I hope - maybe - she’ll come out of it.” 

Sean choked out a laugh. “You have the most incredible capacity for forgiveness, mon cœur.”

“Don’t get me wrong; I don’t trust her. And the thought of being near her again…” Nick shuddered, and Sean pulled him close, rubbing his back. “But, she’s still the mother of your daughter,” Nick’s voice was somewhat muffled against Sean’s chest. “I have to hope that one day, things will have settled. You and I will be free to be together, and DeeDee will be able to come home. I’m counting on being able to have a decent relationship with the mother of my stepdaughter, for your sake and DeeDee’s, if nothing else.”

“You’d want that?” Sean’s voice was rough with emotion.  

“Absolutely,” Nick said, pulling back enough to look Sean in the eye as he said it.

And Sean was helpless to that earnest blue gaze; what could he do but draw Nick closer, kiss him, murmur words of love. He swallowed hard. He could carry that hope, too; hold it steady for when Nick’s hope wavered. Together they would make it through. 

 
The sky had barely started to lighten to pre-dawn grey when Sean woke, curled around Nick in his boxer briefs and undershirt, the blanket from the couch in the trailer draped over them, but not big enough for two fully grown men. His muscles protested; there were reasons that they didn’t usually spend entire nights in the trailer, the lack of sleepwear, bathing and bedding supplies high on the list. Bring on the day they found a place of their own. 

But he had Nick in his arms, safe and warm, and for now that would be enough.

They’d planned, last night, after acknowledging that Nick meeting up with Adalind was unavoidable. They’d chosen the location, planned everything they’d need so that Sean could be there to watch over in case things turned sour. They only had to wait until that evening to find out what she wanted, what she knew. 

Soon, Nick and Sean would need to get up, sneak back into their respective houses and make it seem like they’d been there all night. But for now, they had a few more minutes, and Sean would relish the time with the man he loved. 

He brushed a gentle kiss against Nick’s temple, and Nick stirred, pushing back further into Sean’s embrace and baring his throat. Sean’s cock stirred, and he nuzzled further into Nick’s body, the hand he had around Nick’s waist tracing lower, towards the waistband of Nick’s underwear. 

“Mmh, good morning,” Nick murmured, his voice still sleep-rough and delicious.

“Good morning,” Sean returned the greeting. Even waking up this early, muscles sore from the cramped couch, it felt so good to wake up together, so right. Sean had never really had relationships like this before, where he’d wake up with his partner. He hadn’t really loved anyone else, or let them close enough that they could love him - the real him, not the idea of him.

Nick joined his hand with Sean’s that rested against Nick’s stomach. He drew their hands further down his body, until they brushed against his cock, through his underwear. 

Sean’s breath hitched - he hoped the feel of Nick’s beautiful cock would always stir him this way. 

“Do we have time?” Nick asked, voice still husky, whether from sleep or desire, Sean couldn’t be certain. 

Fuck, yes. He wanted Nick so badly - wanted to touch him, make him cry out in pleasure, fill his mind with only good things, worship his body in the way he deserved, keep him safe and sated in Sean’s arms forever. 

He looked out the crack between the curtains; it still wasn’t quite dawn. Briefly, he considered the trek back through the forest, the drive back to their houses, sneaking in, showering, preparing for the day: another day of hiding and pretending Nick meant nothing to him. 

Sean needed this, they both did. Needed the reassurance to strengthen them enough to get through what was to come. 

“Yeah, sweetheart.” He traced the length of Nick’s cock, teasing, as he pressed his own erection against Nick’s perfect ass. “We’ve got time.”

Chapter Text

Everything was in place: Sean was hidden away in a storage room at the diner, listening in and watching over. He was only a few steps from the booth where Nick sat, waiting for Adalind, should anything happen. But still, Nick felt anxiety prickle his skin.

He reminded himself that he was safe in a public place. That Sean was nearby. That they’d planned carefully - far more carefully than Nick usually would, on his own. 

Even so, meeting with Adalind had his gut churning. 

“I’m right here, sweetheart. Won’t let anything happen.” Sean’s voice, soft through Nick’s earpiece, was reassuring. He tried not to smile too obviously. 

“I know,” he murmured, rubbing a hand across his shoulder. He felt a jolt as his fingers brushed the bruise Sean had left at the juncture of his neck and shoulder that morning, remembered the heat of Sean’s release against his back that he’d felt in the same moment the bruise had been left. He pressed against it, suppressed a shudder. Sean’s mark on him was the very best kind of reassurance. 

“She’s here.”

From his vantage point in the booth, Nick watched as the car door opened and Adalind stepped out. She still wore heels, but with jeans and an oversized sweater. She looked softer, somehow. He braced himself - clearly a ploy to get him to underestimate her. He couldn’t forget that here was the woman who had tried to inject his aunt with poison, who had put Hank under a love spell, who had tricked Sean into conceiving Diana and betrayed him to his family, who had tried to force him to sleep with her to take away his Grimm powers. 

“Hello, Nick.” She slid into the booth opposite him.

Nick tried not to smile at the low rumble of a growl coming through his earpiece. She’d said two words and already Sean was readying to attack. 

“Hello, Adalind.” 

She gave him her best wide-eyed smile, but he could see it for what it was. Another ploy. He didn’t return it. 

“You have ten minutes,” he told her instead, holding firm. 

Her face fell. 

“Coffee?” Nick was thankful for the interruption: he knew they were only just beginning to talk, but he could do with every second to recalibrate. He nodded and thanked the waitress, Adalind following suit. 

“You must really hate me,” she said eventually, eyes glistening with the hint of tears. 

And, fuck. It was true, he didn’t have good feelings towards her - she hadn’t given him a lot of reasons to like her, and she’d given him plenty of reasons to feel the opposite. But she was still the mother of Sean’s daughter. 

“I don’t hate you,” he sighed. 

“Careful,” Sean’s voice was a low warning in his ear. 

Nick focused his gaze back on Adalind. She was toying with a packet of sweetener. She caught his gaze; stuffed it back in the jar. 

“I truly am sorry, Nick. I shouldn’t have…” her eyes filled with tears again. “I don’t have any excuses. But, after Sean kidnapped Diana…” 

Nick had to grind his teeth together hard to stop the words that wanted to come out. Sean had saved Diana’s life, even as it broke his own heart to lose the daughter he had never planned for, felt he couldn’t have, but loved deeply all the same. The plans that Adalind had had for them weren’t just reckless, they were impossible. And anyone who could behave that nonsensically was not somebody to be trusted, whatever their motivations. 

“Breathe, Nick.” Sean’s quietly measured tone calmed him. The Nick Adalind knew wasn’t supposed to care about Sean. He could keep playing his part. 

“I don’t know what you hoped to achieve.”

Well. He did. It would be a whole lot easier for her if there were one less Grimm in the picture, not to mention Sean’s family, who she’d spent a lot of time with. They’d been trying to take him out for years now. He had to stifle a sudden wild laugh; how would Sean’s family - what was left of them, at least - react if they knew he and Sean were together? 

“I think I wanted another baby,” Adalind said, voice low, soft. Hesitant. 

“What the fuck.” So unlike Sean’s usual expressions, but, yeah. Nick’s thoughts exactly. 

“So you thought you could trick me into being a sperm donor?” He exploded, thumping back from the table. 

“Um, I’ll just leave these here,” the waitress said, hurriedly placing down their coffees and backing away. 

Adalind passed one of the cups to Nick and took a sip from the other herself. 

Nick grabbed the cup she’d placed in front of him, downing half of it in one swallow. It was too hot and bitter and it burned all the way down his throat, but he needed the distraction. 

His head was swimming. Of all the people - why would Adalind choose him for that? They’d worked together - sort of - at times. But they weren’t allies. Even further from friends. Surely if Adalind wanted a baby, she could have her pick of willing participants. Had she thought he wouldn’t find out? 

He was so lost to his thoughts, it took him a moment to pick up on Sean’s anxious voice in his ear: “Nick, Nick! Are you okay? You need to focus.”

Nick drew strength from them. Whatever Adalind had wanted, it hadn’t worked. He took a breath and looked back across at Adalind and then took another sip from his coffee, deliberately slow, giving himself time to reset. 

When he set down his cup, he was surprised to notice that Adalind’s entire demeanour had changed - the sad, defeated look had gone. In its place was exasperation, strength. She rolled her eyes. 

“Come on, Nick. Surely you’re smarter than that. I’m not at all interested in-” she looked him up and down “-whatever you could offer, like that.”

Nick could hear Sean’s faint growl in his ear again, but he focused on Adalind. She laughed, then her expression turned fierce.

“I have a baby, and I want her home with me. Victor told me I could have her back if I took away your Grimm powers, and you messed that up.” She snarled at him, and Nick tried not to flinch away.

What was it that made her woge so much more unattractive than Sean’s? He knew, theoretically, that they were the same kind of woge. But when he saw it on Sean, it stole his breath in the best of ways. On one memorable occasion, seeing it rippling across Sean’s face when Nick had been buried deep inside him had been enough to make him come, sudden and intense. 

But right now, it was Adalind woging in front of him, bitter and angry, and he was repulsed. He gulped down the dregs of his coffee while he waited out her theatrics, giving himself a chance not to have to watch it all. 

“You stopped me getting my baby back. So, now, you’re going to find a way to bring her back to me.” 

Nick laughed, incredulous. “What makes you think I’ll do that?” 

“You will.” She nodded down at his empty coffee cup. “In about thirty seconds, you’re going to start having visions about what you want most in the world. You won’t be able to stop, lost in your deepest longings, things you maybe haven’t ever shared before. But the best part? I’m going to see them, too.” She looked down, swirling her mostly full cup of coffee. “There’s nothing you can do to stop me. And once I know what it is that your silly little Grimm heart most desires, I’ll be able to make it happen for you, just as soon as you get me Diana. But if you don’t…” she looked up, slowly, and met his gaze. She smiled, looked for all the world like a sweet, innocent woman who’d never hurt anyone. “I will take that life that you dream of, take every bit of it that means anything to you, and I will destroy it. I will burn your life to the ground, Nick. And you’re about to show me exactly how to do it.”

Fuck, Nick thought desperately. Sean! He’d been so stupid - agreeing to this meeting in the hopes of finding out what Adalind knew and making sure that their secret was safe, but now, now there was no way to do that. Because there was no way visions of his deepest desires wouldn’t include Sean. Sean, who had his heart, had his life. 

Nick could vaguely hear Sean’s voice through his earpiece, but everything was growing fuzzy. He couldn’t make out the words. 

“I’m sorry, love,” he breathed, feeling like he was swaying in his seat, or floating at sea, he couldn’t tell which, as the diner around him faded away.

In its place, something else was starting to appear.

Green grass beneath his feet. A garden shed. A swing set beside it. Laughter, high and sweet and child-like. Birdsong and forest sounds. The back of a house, red brick, with big windows - he couldn’t make out the rooms inside. A herb garden in a window box. He heard his own laughter, then. The sound of the swing; he focused back on it. His breath caught as he saw himself pushing a small blonde child on the swing: Diana. Even though he’d barely seen her, and she was older in his vision, he recognized her immediately. “Higher, Daddy!” Then, the cry of a baby from within the house. “Sorry, princess,” he watched this other version of himself say. “I need to get your brother.” Diana pouted, and his heart clenched as he saw Sean in that expression. “Can’t Pa-”

Everything went black. 

Chapter Text

“Nick!” Shit, fuck. 

Sean tried - again - to reach Nick, calling through the earpiece. Even as he did, he knew it was pointless: through the surveillance camera, Sean could see that Nick’s eyes were glassy and unfocused, his body slowly slumping forward onto the table. 

Adalind had him completely under her spell. 

He clenched his teeth. The ‘beist in him was rising to the surface, shouting at him to roar and fight and rip out Adalind’s throat with his bare hands. He wanted to see her blood spilled on the floor of the diner, her eyes empty and unseeing, her arms ripped from her body. Not the best way to think about a co-parent, he knew, but how fucking dare she try to threaten and hurt Nick.

But Sean held himself back; he knew how be careful, how to make his move at the right time. He considered the scene. Images were coalescing in Adalind’s coffee cup, too faint for him to see clearly over the security camera, but he thought he saw lines, perhaps… a swing set? He focused his gaze; there was indeed a swing set, a child, Nick… but. Hadn’t Nick said, not so long ago, that children weren’t important? Hadn’t he in fact referred to a swing set specifically, saying that he didn’t need one in the backyard of the home they were hoping to share? 

Pain lanced through him, sudden and fierce. So he wasn’t truly what Nick wanted, after all. As much as Nick might protest his love, still, deep down, a family that Sean could not provide was more important to him. Sean closed his eyes against the truth of it, there in a cup of cheap diner coffee. He’d been a fool to hope. For so many years he’d kept himself apart, closed off. He knew now that that had been the right choice for him, and that this… relationship, whatever it was… with Nick couldn’t continue. Even if Nick believed he loved Sean now, it couldn’t last. 

But that didn’t change how Sean felt, and in this moment, the man he loved - would always love, no matter their circumstances - needed him. He could mourn later.

In a breath, he channeled the fire in his breaking heart to the cookers in the kitchen of the diner; focused his energy there. He felt the pressure, the burn of it, as it rushed through and poured out of  him. He’d barely accessed this part of himself, this… energy… (he refused to call it magic) in a long time; chose to use the physical strength of his ‘beist over other attributes. But it sang and surged at his command, easy as thought. The force of it, the strength! He could feel it in the air around him, humming, purring. It built, built… there it was, so close… but he needed to ensure the connection was broken; Nick needed to be unconscious, or Adalind could continue to draw from the vision. 

“Sorry, love,” he murmured, unconsciously echoing Nick’s own words back at him, as he turned some of his focus to the salt shaker on the table behind Nick. 

In a crack, it happened. The cookers exploded, the diner windows shattered, and the salt shaker hit Nick hard on the back of his head, knocking him unconscious. 

Things went flying, but Sean could only watch over the security footage and wait for the dust to settle. Eventually, he knew, Adalind would flee the scene, and he’d be able to get Nick to safety. 

While he waited, he focused on Nick, still slumped unconscious on the table, Adalind’s coffee spilled beside him, probably making a mess in his hair. 

Sean couldn’t see anything in the coffee any longer; he’d succeeded in breaking the spell, at least. 

He held fast to his concentration, keeping Nick safe from all the random debris, until finally Adalind was gone and the coast was clear. 

He rushed into the diner and gently scooped Nick into his arms, bridal style, and then carried him out the back, through the destroyed kitchen. He really had made a mess: none of the cookers remained standing, and the floor was a minefield of broken ceramics and torn-up cookware. He raised his eyebrows at a particularly misshapen griddle as he passed; he hadn’t known he could achieve that. But he couldn’t feel bad about it; Nick was safe. He’d send a clean-up crew shortly - they could also pick up any surveillance equipment he’d abandoned in his hurry to get to Nick. 

Sean was thankful they’d chosen a diner on the outskirts of town. It had been deliberate, of course. The place got little custom, especially at this time of day, and being on the fringes of the forest as it was, it made it easier for him to walk the distance to his car - hidden well away from the diner parking lot - without anyone noticing that he was carrying an unconscious man.

Despite the situation, Sean took a moment to appreciate the feeling of Nick in his arms, drinking in his unfairly long lashes, his impossible cheekbones. He watched Nick’s chest rise and fall in even breaths, could sense that he’d be okay once he regained consciousness - probably another aspect to the Zauberbeist power he’d drawn on earlier.

In the rare moments he allowed himself to daydream, Sean had imagined, hoped, to carry Nick like this - under infinitely better circumstances - over the threshold of their home; wherever they found it. Had imagined Nick’s arms around his neck instead of hanging limp, his beautiful eyes alight with laughter rather than closed and unaware, his cheeks flushed with happiness rather than pale and clammy with the after-effects of Adalind’s potion. 

But it wasn’t to be. 

Gently, Sean shifted Nick in his arms to ensure his comfort as they at last approached the car.

“I’ll keep you safe, love. No matter what,” Sean promised, as he brushed a soft kiss across Nick’s forehead. 

Chapter Text

Pain. So much pain. Sharp. In the back of his head. Nick was used to it, all too familiar with all kinds of pain, some of it pleasant, some of it not. This was not the pleasant kind, and being used to it didn’t make it any easier. 

Slowly, he tried opening his eyes. 

“Hey, you’re back,” Sean spoke softly from beside him, and Nick winced as he turned to look. “You probably shouldn’t be moving around too much yet.”

“What happened?” 

“You got hit, hard.” Sean grimaced. “Salt shaker to the back of the head - it was the only way I could think to break the connection with Adalind.” 

“You what? Threw a salt shaker at my head?” Nick huffed a laugh, incredulous. Then realised pretty quickly that he shouldn’t. Ouch. 

Sean shook his head, his shoulders a tight line. “Had to use my ‘beist powers - couldn’t let her see me. May have gone a little overboard.”

Nick sat up, rubbing the back of his head. There were traces of blood, and something else - coffee, maybe? - on his fingers when he brought his hand away.

“Usually it’s really hot when you use your powers,” Nick smiled ruefully. “Not sure it’s doing it for me this time.”

Sean grimaced. “Not the time.” He paused, looked away. “You’ve got a head injury.” 

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Nick tried a smirk. Yeah, the pain was subsiding. Thank fuck for his Grimm healing. 

Sean didn’t smile, but he looked back and brushed his thumb against Nick’s cheek. “How’re you feeling?” 

“I’m okay.” He shuffled so he was sitting up. They were in the trailer. Nick was thankful they’d taken to keeping a first aid kid and spare clothes in one of the cupboards, but the two of them had spent quite a bit of time here recently. He made a mental note to air it out well before Monroe could stop by and catch Sean’s scent.

“What happened in the diner? How did you get us out?” 

“Adalind had dosed your coffee with something - I haven’t had time to check the books for what it might be, yet. She was trying to get all your secrets-”

Visions of a garden with a swing set rose unbidden. “Yeah, I remember that…”

“I needed to break the connection. Quickest way was to knock you out. Sorry.”

Nick laughed softly. “Wouldn’t be the first time you’ve left me with a bruise.” 

Sean raised a brow, jaw clenched. 

Nick paused. Usually Sean would’ve gone along with the flirty joke, but perhaps he didn’t feel comfortable joking about pain play when he’d recently had to deliberately hurt Nick. “Yeah, okay. Maybe I’m still a little concussed.” 

He shifted again, pulling the sleeves of his henley down over his hands. “How did you get us out of the diner, though?”

Sean turned and grabbed a water bottle, passing it to Nick. “I’m getting to that.” He nodded at the bottle in Nick’s hand. “Small sips.” 

Nick rolled his eyes. “Yes, sir.”

Sean’s eyes flashed gold. Nick took the hint: Sean was very much on edge. He handed Nick a couple of Tylenol and Nick swallowed them down obediently. 

Sean watched him take the tablets, then stood and paced to the window, his back ramrod straight and casting shadows in the evening light. “I thought we had it all planned,” he said, almost a growl. 

Nick swallowed. 

“She wasn’t supposed to be able to do anything to hurt you, but she dosed you with who knows what in a matter of moments. You got hurt. And who knows what she’s seen, what she knows now.”

“Sean-”

“I heard what she said in there, Nick. Heard every word she threatened you with.” Sean turned back from the window to face Nick. His eyes glowed, his skin rippled. “I watched your body slump under her control, tried to keep talking to you, but you couldn’t hear me.” He clenched his fists, and when he spoke again, his voice was low and dangerous. “We thought we had the upper hand, but I was powerless in there, Nick. Absolutely fucking powerless, watching the man I love being used, hurt, threatened by that bitch.” His face settled into its complete woge and Nick couldn’t look away - Sean’s control was normally so strong. “She cannot be allowed to continue.” 

“What-” Nick swallowed around his suddenly dry throat. “What did you have in mind?” 

Sean shook out of his woge and met Nick’s gaze, before walking back to the couch and sitting beside Nick. He scrubbed his face with one hand, then using the other, took Nick’s hand and held it in his lap. 

He sighed. When he spoke again, his voice was soft, measured. “I caused an explosion at the diner as a distraction to get us out.” 

“What?!”

“Limited casualties,” Sean was quick to reassure. “A few people with cuts from when the windows shattered, a few burns from the cookers. Nothing too serious - no more than second degree,” he winced. “I’m pretty sure, at least.” 

“You… you caused an explosion? How? What kind?” 

Sean shrugged and looked away. “Nothing out of the ordinary. Blew up the cookers, made sure it was enough to smash out the windows.”

“… With your…”

“With my powers, yes. It’s why I got you so hard with the salt shaker; my focus was off, doing all that at once.”

“Sean, you…” Nick couldn’t find the words. Sean so rarely used his ‘beist powers in such a way. Nick had assumed that it was because, as a half-Zauberbeist, he wasn’t as strong in his magic and instead relied more heavily on his physical strength. 

He swallowed, hard. He hadn’t been joking, earlier: seeing Sean access that ‘beist power (usually to open a bottle or levitate a blanket from across the room) was really fucking sexy. And now, to learn that those powers could do so much more… But Sean clearly wasn’t in a mood to hear that.

Nick shook his head to bring it back to the matter at hand, only grimacing slightly. “We are talking more about this, later. But right now, we probably need to figure out what Adalind hit me with and what we’re going to do about it.”

Sean let out a bitter laugh. “You should’ve seen her leave,” he said. “She couldn’t get out of that diner fast enough, even climbing over people to get to the door.”

Sean gazed at Nick for a moment, brushed some hair out of his face. “I had to wait before I got you out; to make sure she was gone.” His eyes traced carefully over Nick’s face before he nodded to himself. “Looks like I kept you shielded from everything but the salt shaker.”

An incredulous laugh bubbled up in Nick, irrepressible as his love for Sean. “Everything? What else was there?”

Sean shrugged in reply. “Broken glass from the windows. Cutlery and crockery flying around. Some pots and pans, maybe. General debris.” He paused. “I think I saw an industrial dishwasher flying out of the kitchen at one point.”

“I fucking love you, Sean,” Nick said, startling the other man as he launched himself into Sean’s lap and pulled him into a deep kiss. “Never change.” 

Sean met the kiss carefully, one hand firm around Nick’s waist, the other gentle against the back of his head. He kissed like he was scared that Nick would break, but he couldn’t resist all the same, gently teasing at his lips. All too soon, he pulled away. 

“No, come back, promise I’m good,” Nick whined, and Sean let out a soft chuckle. 

“I fucking love you, Nick,” he replied, echoing Nick’s words back to him and pressing one last gentle kiss to Nick’s lips. “But we need to figure out what potion Adalind used, as soon as possible.”

Nick sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. Okay, let’s get the books out.” 

Reluctantly, he climbed out of Sean’s laps and went to dig out the books he had on potions and zaubertranks. There weren’t many; Nick relied a lot on Rosalie’s collection, his Grimm ancestors hadn’t bothered much with this area of study. But he had a few. 

“Do we settle in to research here, or do you need to get back to your apartment?” Nick asked. 

Sean took a book and shook his head. “I can stay awhile.” His smile was soft, his gaze tender, and… sad? 

Nick knew that Sean carried a lot, too much, and that the secrecy of their relationship was wearing on him, not to mention the looming threat of Black Claw. Sean had said a little while back that he expected he’d need to go deep undercover to infiltrate and take down that organisation, and Nick was dreading it. So far, it was still just murmurings, but they both knew how quickly things could change. 

Even aside from a place to be together, they needed - Sean especially - an untraceable bolt hole where they could escape if needed, somewhere to hide away if the pressures became too much, or safety was an issue. Finding a home was becoming more important than ever, but again, the search had fallen by the wayside as Wesen and human cases alike piled up, and then Adalind had shown up again. 

Nick flipped open the book in front of him, settling back on the couch, and resolved to contact the real estate agent again tomorrow. 

Chapter Text

“So, we’re going to check again at the sister’s house. She says she hasn’t spoken to him in years, not since he went to prison the last time, but it’s the best we’ve got to go on.”

Sean took in every detail of Nick as he spoke: his bright eyes, alight with the thrill of the chase, the slightly open vee of his shirt, showing off his perfect throat; the determination to get the case solved; the strength of his forearms as he crossed them over his chest. 

Hank clearing his throat reminded Sean that he probably should’ve been paying more attention to what Nick had been saying. 

“Very well, detectives. I trust your judgment on this, but keep me informed.”

He nodded, letting them know they were dismissed. 

Nick shot him a quick grin and a wink as he shut the door behind him. 

Sean let his head fall into his hands. It had been five days since the diner, and Nick was back to his usual, irrepressible self. Adalind had stayed quiet, either licking her wounds or re-evaluating her strategy; Sean couldn’t bring himself to track her down and find out  which. 

He was too busy wrestling with his own conscience. 

Knowing what he did now, surely it was better for both Nick and him if they ended things before they went any further. He let out a hollow laugh. How much farther could he fall, though? Already, he knew that he’d fallen completely in love with Nick. Even though they could only see each other in secret, he’d never had a relationship before that even came close to this.

He scrubbed his face with his palms before pulling some files in front of him; he could at least pretend to be working while he ruminated on how he’d lose the love of his life. Because that’s what this was, with Nick. And not ‘love of his life’ in the way the expression was bandied about by pop singers. Sean had never been so fully seen by somebody else, and could not fathom even the possibility of sharing just a fraction of himself with anyone else in the way he’d shared himself with Nick. And Nick, beautiful, guileless and empathetic, had accepted him fully. Not just accepted, but embraced him. Loved him. Made him believe he was worthy. There would be no other love for Sean because he would never stop loving Nick. How could he? 

But he needed to let Nick go - to give him a chance at the life he truly wanted, deep down. 

He just needed to plan; Nick deserved the best ending to their relationship that Sean could manage. But would that be a heartfelt goodbye, or did he need to feign apathy and break Nick’s heart; make Nick thankful for the end of the relationship? 

Selfishly, he wanted the heartfelt goodbye. He wanted to smother Nick in all the adoration that he would’ve given him over a lifetime together; wanted to ruin Nick for all but the very best of possible partners. If he only had a little time left, he wanted to squeeze every drop out of it while he still could. Give himself something more to remember in all the cold years to come. 

Sean pinched the bridge of his nose. He was getting too maudlin. 

He checked his watch. Maybe he could leave the office, go for a walk to get a coffee and clear his head. 

Just as he stood, there was a vibration from his desk. He opened the drawer - shit. The phone that was ringing never lead to anything good. 

“Hallo,” he answered, falling easily into the language of the court where he’d spent his early years. 

He tried not to show on his face what he was feeling as he listened. Fuck. This was not good. 

He ended the call and looked back out over the bullpen. Nick had already gone to follow up on that lead. Sean deliberately pushed down on his rising fears: Nick was a powerful Grimm, and an excellent fighter, completely capable of taking care of himself. 

Still. 

He poked his head out of the office. “Wu,” he called, “can you get me the file for the case that Griffin and Burkhardt are working on?”

“Right away, boss.”

Sean scanned the pages that Wu handed him. There it was, the sister’s address. Not all that far from a coffee shop he’d been to once or twice. 

He handed the file back to Wu. 

“Thanks. I’m going out for coffee. I’ll have my mobile if there’s anything urgent.”

Sean knew he couldn’t protect Nick from everything, and that Nick could take care of himself. 

But his father had sent more royals to his city, and apparently they’d heard about Nick’s involvement in keeping Diana out of their clutches. 

He took out the phone only Nick knew about and paused. Somehow the code Nick had suggested didn’t seem adequate for the gravity of the situation. 

He stared down at the text he was about to send and sighed. 

💩💩 in P. Violent. Be safe. X

He shook his head and pulled on his coat, then pulled out his phone as he felt it vibrate with Nick’s response. 

Sean snorted a laugh, imagined Nick’s smile as he’d typed it. 

Flush? X

Chapter Text

Birdsong. It felt like a reminder of safety.

The freshness of a morning breeze, coming through big windows thrown open.

The smell of freshly brewing coffee.

Nick was in a kitchen he didn’t recognise but somehow felt like home.

Two cups in front of him on the counter, and a sippy cup. He was reaching to get another, smaller mug; one with a unicorn on it and a horn that poked out. 

A small, sweet voice was talking. “Papa, can we go to the park yet?” 

And then a voice he’d know anywhere. “After breakfast, DeDe. Come on, let’s see if Daddy’s got that hot cocoa ready for you.”

The reply was petulant. “You just want your coffee.”

Nick marveled at Sean’s answering laugh, full and real.

“You’re to smart for your own good, Princess.”

Nick looked up and the sensations rushed through him like the cascade of a waterfall: home. Family. Safety. Love. 

Sean was walking through the doorway, sleep-rumpled and soft and still in pyjamas, his beautiful eyes crinkling at the corners in a real smile. A girl - Diana, Nick knew, even though she looked years older than when he’d last seen her - was holding his hand, her expression serious. And on Sean’s shoulders sat a toddler: a little boy with dark hair and eyes like Nick’s own. Sean was holding him in place with the hand not holding Diana’s. 

Sean immediately crossed the room to kiss him, a soft brush against his cheek, not at all troubled by the toddler pulling on his hair. 

“Daddy, is my hot cocoa ready yet? Papa said we could go to the park after.” 

“Almost there, DeDe,” he heard himself saying. 

“Milk, milk” the toddler on Sean’s shoulders chanted. 

“I know, little prince. It’s time for milk.” Effortlessly, Sean swung the toddler off his shoulders and into his arms as Nick passed him the sippy cup. 

“Tankoo, Dada. Tankoo, Papa,” the boy said as he drank. 

“Come on!” Diana sounded exasperated. “We need to hurry! Aunty Rosalee and Uncle Monroe are meeting us at the park with Sammy, Jamie and Beth!” 

“They’ll still be having their breakfast too, DeDe,” Nick heard himself reply, turning to get a pot of hot cocoa - exactly the way his mother used to make it - off the stove.

Sean took a coffee after he settled the toddler into a high chair. He raised an eyebrow at Nick. “Easier than battling hundjagers?”

Nick felt himself smiling in reply, full and happy. 

Nick startled awake, several pages from his Grimm diaries stuck to his cheek. He’d fallen asleep doing research again. Discretely, he wiped the corners of his mouth. Nope, he hadn’t been drooling. Luckily. Fragments of a dream came back to him: a cosy kitchen filled with love and Sean and the chatter of kids. It wasn’t the first time he’d had a dream like that: ever since the diner, he’d woken up each morning with whispers of the same dream slipping away. Apparently that had extended to late night naps in the trailer now, too. 

It was probably connected to whatever Adalind had put in his coffee, Nick knew. But Sean was confident the connection had been broken, and they hadn’t heard anything from her since, so Nick wasn’t too worried about the dreams. He couldn’t be, when they were so good. They varied in the details, but the central ideas persisted: Sean, a safe home where they didn’t have to worry about the next threat, a family, love. He wanted that. 

He wanted life to be safe and stable enough that he and Sean could not only go public with their relationship, but enough that Sean got to bring Diana home and be a father. The way Sean looked in the dreams: untroubled, open. All of the cares that seemed permanently settled on his shoulders now, lifted. Nick wanted that so much that his very bones ached with it. The family Sean had never had the opportunity to experience, growing up. Nick wanted everything for him. 

He rolled his shoulders. He really needed to stop falling asleep in the trailer, head on the table, at the very least. He went to close the book he’d fallen asleep on when he noticed the spell under his fingers: Vide Somnia.

Could this be it? But, surely it wouldn’t be that easy. He read the description again, and certain phrases stuck out: visions, including dreams, of a deeply hoped for future, and, can be shared when used in a scrying dish. 

He pulled out his phone. After a moment, he heard the line connect.

“Can a coffee cup be used in place of a scrying dish, do you think?” 

He expected a thoughtful hum, or maybe a soft chuckle in response. Instead, he got silence. 

Quickly, he checked the phone in his hand. Yep, he’d called Sean’s secret number from his own. 

“Sean?” He asked, tentative. It was probably nothing, just a glitch or something, or Sean waiting for someone to leave the office… at midnight. But still, probably nothing. 

“It’s me,” Sean’s voice came at last, and Nick released the breath he’d been holding. But, the familiar softness wasn’t there. Nick could almost feel the furrows in Sean’s brow. 

He concentrated a moment, letting his Grimm hearing loose. First, all he heard was the stillness. The kind that was ripe with anticipation, that usually preceded something horrific. 

Sean’s breathing was deliberately even, hushed. He was watching, lying in wait. 

Nick strained his hearing to its limit, but he couldn’t yet hear anything more. So, nobody else was with Sean - yet. Probably why he’d been able to answer the call.

“The shits, right?” Nick breathed, quietly as he could, and took the slight, hurriedly suppressed, hitch in Sean’s breath as laughter. 

“Yes.”

“Backup?” Nick asked, but he knew even before he’d murmured it that of course Sean hadn’t told anyone where he was going or what he was doing, let alone organised support. He rolled his eyes. 

“Where are you?” 

He heard the hesitation in Sean’s silence. 

“Sean.” 

A sigh, relenting. “Warehouse off the hiking trail behind the 205.”

Great. Because that wasn’t exactly where they’d want to meet if they wanted to conveniently hide Sean’s body. 

Nick willed the anger down. 

“If you let them hurt you, Sean Renard, I will kill you. Just so you know.” 

Sean huffed, a soft almost-laugh. “I love you, Nick,” he murmured. And then Nick heard the rustle of fabric and the slam of a car door: Sean must’ve dropped the phone, call still active, into his pocket before getting out of the car. 

There was silence for a moment, and Nick pressed the phone to his ear with his shoulder as he grabbed his keys and wallet, barely giving himself time to lock up the trailer before he was racing down the trail to his truck. 

He’d just started the engine when he heard voices, muffled through the pocket of Sean’s coat. He put the phone on speaker and made sure his own microphone was muted before dropping the phone on the seat beside him and taking off down the track. 

“This is the great Sean Renard, then?” 

Nick bristled at the mocking tone, but Sean replied evenly.

“You must be Kenneth.”

“Indeed.” 

Nick listened intently during the pause, trying not to run off the road. He was way over the speed limit, but there weren’t many cars on the roads at this time of night, and if he kept to the road rules it would take him more than half an hour to get to Sean. Too long. 

“Apparently everyone’s going a little bit mad back home about a baby; you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

“I’ve already told you, I have no idea where she is.” 

To anyone else, Sean’s voice would’ve sounded emotionless, but Nick knew the strain and hurt that he hid so well.

“Thing is, I’m not inclined to believe you. Your father wants results, and Victor was getting nowhere, so-” a pause “-here I am.”

”Like I told Victor, I’ve been trying to find her. I-”

”She’s with the mother of the Grimm, isn’t she.”

”What?”

Nick slammed his foot down on the accelerator. His Grimm senses were going into overdrive, screaming danger at him. 

“Don’t bother to play coy with me, Sean. There’s a reason your father sent me to replace Victor. I’m not a patient man.” 

Nick could hear footsteps in the oppressive silence that followed. Not Sean’s. Nick imagined it; this unknown man approaching, threatening, Sean. 

He knew Sean could hold his own, that he was a fierce fighter and a powerful zauberbiest (who could apparently make cookers explode and send dishwashers and salt shakers hurtling with just his mind), but he hated that Sean was alone in this fight all the same. How many others did this Kenneth have with him? Nick had tried to pick out individuals from breathing or slight movements in the background, but his hearing wasn’t that good. 

And then suddenly, a sickening crunch of flesh and Sean’s quickly contained gasp. 

Nick cried out in sympathy. That had sounded like a very painful punch to the stomach. 

“Now, let’s try this again, shall we? Where. Is. The. Girl?”

Every word was punctuated with the sound of a fist connecting hard with flesh, and Nick couldn’t help but wonder why Sean wasn’t fighting back. Fear for Sean was gnawing at him, he needed to be there, needed to see Sean safe and whole, needed to crush the skull of whoever this Kenneth was under his foot. 

“I hired-” Sean’s voice quickly broke off into a coughing fit, and Nick’s fingers went white on the steering wheel. Those coughs sounded suspiciously wet; was he coughing up blood? 

”I hired an investigator,” Sean said finally, his voice raspy. 

“Yes, I know all about your investigator.” A pause, more footsteps. “Tell me, do you think the job was worth his life?” 

Nick shuddered at the sound of plastic and the quick catch in Sean’s breath.

“I thought that might prompt some reason from you.”

”I have nothing more to tell you than what he’d found.” 

The sudden surge of love and pride was fierce. “Hold on, love. I’m coming,” Nick murmured.

”What about the Grimm, hmm? He works for you. And he was seen with the baby, and recently with her mother.”

Sean’s reply was nonchalant. “Burkhardt? I don’t know what information you could hope to get from him. As far as I know, his mother is dead.”

“Oh, come now. We both know that’s not true.”

Nick heard pacing, checked the clock on his dash. He was probably still almost ten minutes away. Fuck, he hated this! Listening to everything that was happening to Sean and not being able to help him. He had a brief moment of sympathy; this must’ve been how Sean had felt at the diner, days earlier. 

“I’ve seen you with your Grimm.”

Nick froze. The way he’d emphasized ‘your’. Sean must’ve heard it, too. His silence was sharp.

“Victor may not have paid much attention, but I’m not him. You would do well to remember that.”

And then, suddenly, Nick heard Sean roar: something ear splitting and primal, that even over the speakers of the cheap phone felt like lava in his gut. The fight started now. 

Nick listened, powerless, to grunts and growls, the thud of bodies landing heavily on unforgiving ground, the crunch of bones as fists connected. Without being able to see anything, he couldn’t tell what was going on, who was winning, what damage Sean had done, and what he’d suffered. He bit his lip as he drove, running a red light and swerving dangerously around corners. 

“Is that all you’ve got?” 

Nick’s insides curdled at the panted taunt. 

“You’re hardly in any condition to protect your Grimm. Better you tell me what you know now so that he doesn’t have to get caught up in all this nastiness.”

”Don’t you fucking dare, Sean,” Nick muttered, as he pressed still harder on the accelerator, checking the clock again. He was maybe four minutes away. Sean just had to hold on a few minutes more. 

“Like I said-” Sean’s voice was raspy, and he broke into another coughing fit. 

“Come on, Sean, you can do this,” he murmured, hoping against hope that Sean could somehow sense him, knew he was coming, had the strength to hold on against whatever was being done to him.

There was a sudden hard stomp and a pained groan - Sean’s. 

“No, NOT like you said. You need to give me some new material, Sean. Something I can actually work with, or I go straight to your pet Grimm and destroy him until he tells me what I need to know.”

“Don’t listen, Sean, I’m coming!”

Sean made some unrecognisable sounds.

”What was that, hmm?” 

Nick swung into the parking lot at the head of the trail, leaping out of the truck with the engine still running. He barely had time to scoop up the phone, but he switched it off speaker as he ran - he didn’t want to alert anyone to his presence yet. 

“Still can’t hear you, you’ll need to speak up.” 

There was another stomp, another pained groan. Nick bit his lip so hard to stop himself from crying out that he tasted blood. Something feral took over - there’d be more of that before the night ended. 

“Come on, Sean. Nothing to say for yourself?”

And then, Nick heard it. Soft but distinct, in Sean’s beloved tone. Not an answer for Kenneth, but a message to Nick.

“Bye.”