A/N: This is set in a partial AU following 1.05 Danse Macabre, at least when it comes to Adalind and Renard
Being the person that he was, in the position that he was in meant that he had choices, choices that weren't Adalind Schade. Better choices, no doubt. Women who would make things go a lot faster.
But in the end, it was Adalind he picked. Because he also had a reputation to protect in order to bring his family down, and using a hexenbiest meant that if push came to shove, he could twist things around in order to make sure that he was the one with the advantage.
"You want me to what?" the blonde in front of him asked in shock.
"Go out on a date with one of my detectives," Sean answered calmly. "I think it will do you good, the both of you."
"Wait, wait, wait. I don't believe this. My employer – a member of one of the Royal families – is setting me up with a human?"
Sean flinched at the decibel that her voice had hit. That was one of the main reasons he hadn't been looking forward to the conversation – an indignant Adalind always left him feeling like he should book an appointment with an otolaryngologist.
"I'm just looking out for you," he said in what he hoped was a calming voice. "I've been worried about you ever since that mess with the mellifers, and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to give you a chance to unwind. Besides, I really think that you'll like this guy."
From the suspicious look on Adalind's face, it was obvious that she hadn't bought his reasoning. Of course, he hadn't expected anything else – he had grown up with the woman, and she knew him too well to accept such an innocent reason from him.
But the good thing about having Adalind in his service was her loyalty. He had no doubt that she would spend the next few months trying to guess his true reasons, but at the same time, she would also go on the date.
"Please don't tell me you're setting me up with the Grimm," she said with a sigh, confirming Sean's belief in her.
He scoffed. "Not even I'm that insane, Adalind," he said. "No, it's Hank – Hank Griffin, Nick's partner, I'm certain you met him too during that case – who I'm talking about."
"Fine," she grumbled. "Send me his number, I'll come up with some way to ask him out. Just don't blame me when this all goes horribly wrong – and don't bother saying anything, I just know that this is going to be a disaster."
As Adalind walked out of the room, Sean sighed in relief. It was easier for everyone involved if she didn't know why he was asking her to do what he was – if she had even an inkling of a suspicion, she would never leave him alone in a concerted effort to make him give up the idea.
To be fair, it was a rather risky plan, even for someone like him, who didn't know how to not take risks. There was every chance that it wouldn't work out – but if he wanted to have at least a slight glimmer of hope, he needed to make sure that Hank was out of the way. And making sure that he had Adalind to focus on was the only way that he could think of – at least, the only one that didn't involve his death, and that really wasn't something he was going to arrange. He liked the detective, even though he didn't really know him well.
With another sigh, he switched off the lights in his study and walked out. No one would easily believe that he was relatively unhappy, especially not if they saw his home even. Even a bastard Royal like him had resources that ordinary people could only dream of at his disposal, and the cavernous, opulent house he had purchased for himself when he first came to Portland was only one of the ways in which he had used them.
But then, the house was necessary to maintain his image as a powerful Royal, even if he would personally prefer to live some place smaller.
But the fact remained that he was lonely, and unhappy, and it had all been brought to a head by the reappearance of Marie Kessler in Portland. Before that, Nick Burkhardt had been nothing more than another detective under his command, not someone that he paid too much attention to. But then he had grown into his powers, and it was like they had switched on something in him too – all of a sudden, he could appreciate just how special the man truly was, just how handsome he was.
And then he had broken up with his girlfriend – on his aunt's advice, no doubt – and that had theoretically left the field open for him.
However, talking to him in private – or even spending any sort of time alone with him – was nearly impossible. They weren't partners at the precinct, they were supervisor and subordinate. And while he could hypothetically go out on a case with him, that would only be possible if Hank were unavailable – which was where Adalind came in.
He happened to know that the detective had a frankly astounding number of paid leave days in store, and if he was convinced that Adalind was interested in him, he might use one of them, which in turn would give Sean some time with Nick. And if they actually started to date despite his meddling, it would just be that much better for him.
Adalind would be upset when she found out, but Sean found that he didn't really care. He hadn't been joking when he said that he thought that they would make a good match, after all.
"Burkhardt, you're with me."
His chance came soon, only about a week after he had sent Adalind on her assignment. It had all worked just as he had predicted it would – and to make things better for him, a murder at the river meant that he had a reason to be by Nick's side for the day.
"Captain?"
"Hank's decided to finally take a day off," he explained, catching the Grimm's confused expression, "And there's no one else I can put on this case. So you're with me."
"Of course!"
And just like that, what would undoubtedly turn out to be one of the best days in his life began.
"You could have told me, you know."
The day definitely hadn't turned out the way he had expected it to. For starters, the killer hadn't been a regular human like he had originally assumed it was – it had been geier who had lost control. And when the wesen in question had noticed Sean, he'd all but begged to be arrested, constantly apologising, and essentially letting Nick know most of the details about his heritage.
After they had deposited the man in the precinct, Nick had practically dragged him out of there, his silence enough to let Sean know just how upset he was.
"I apologise," he murmured in reply. "It was safer for you if didn't know the details – it kept you from getting involved in wesen politics, which are a lot more deadly that the human kind."
"Captain-"
"I think you can call me Sean now," he said gently.
"Sean," Nick said after a moment. "It's just – you know, let's start this simply. Why weren't you afraid of me like every other wesen I've encountered?"
"I helped train you, Burkhardt. I'd like to think I know you better than that."
The hesitant smile that Nick shot him at his words made him reconsider things. It seemed like his first impression could still be right – there were still ways to salvage the day.
In the end, Nick's knowledge of him only helped him out. Not that he knew someone apart from the blutbad – and Sean knew all about that – in the creature world, he spent as much time picking his head over wesen related cases as he did the wolf. In exchange, Sean had begun to slip in other lessons when they spoke – things about the politics of the Seven Houses, the Verrat and the Laufer. Nick might not have been able to see it, but he was training him to fulfil a role he knew the Grimm would be needed in – a new leader of the wesen world.
The only flaw in the plan came with Adalind.
Considering who he had sent her after, it was inevitable that she would find out why he had asked her to start dating Hank. And he wasn't disappointed.
The night after the completion of the third case he had worked on with Nick, she stormed into his home, obviously extremely angry. The fact that she couldn't control her woge, shifting from human to hexenbiest and back again in the blink of an eye, told Sean just how upset she truly was.
"THE GRIMM?" she screamed. "Have you lost your mind, Sean Renard? You're after THE GRIMM? Do you have a death wish?"
Had her anger been directed at anyone apart from him, Sean had no doubt that he would have supremely amused by her. Unfortunately, since he was her victim, it was all he could do to stop himself from cowering in fear.
After what seemed like an eternity, she finally stopped her rant, giving him her best glare. "What," she panted, "Do you have to say for yourself?"
"I know him," he said finally. "Don't worry, Adalind, he's not about to chop off my head any time soon. Besides, at least he's interesting, unlike the rest of the Royals."
At that, she laughed, a short, bitter sound. "Yes, I suppose that's true," she murmured in agreement. "But honestly Sean, have you lost your mind? Does he even know? About you?"
"A little," he replied. "As much as he can, I think. He's too clueless about the intricacies about wesen politics to tell him more at the moment."
"But once you can, you plan on telling him everything." It wasn't a question.
Sean simply hummed in agreement. At that, a defeated look settled over Adalind's face.
"If it weren't for the fact that you were right about the two of us – and wipe that smug smirk off your face, it doesn't suit you – I'd stop seeing Hank just to make sure you stayed away from the Grimm. But I can't, so I'm just going to say this once. You're one of my oldest acquaintances, Sean Renard," she murmured. "So I'd appreciate it if you made sure that I won't have to identify your beheaded body anytime soon."
Sean simply smiled. He wasn't used to losing when he wanted something, and he couldn't remember wanting anything as much as he wanted Nicholas Burkhardt. Adalind was free to worry as much as she wanted – he wasn't going to lose this game.
He'd lost track of how long it had taken for them to get to this point. Working with Nick once in a while when Adalind convinced Hank to stay home was all well and good, but they hadn't truly started to talk until the aforementioned couple had decided to take a month long holiday, and Sean found himself working alongside Nick nearly every day.
He would be the first to admit that he had stretched himself thin to ensure that – he's had more sleepless nights than ever, considering how long he stayed awake in order to complete paperwork – but it had all been worth it as far as he was concerned.
After all, it had got him here, with Nick at his house.
"Sean?" Nick's soft voice broke through his ecstatic thoughts. In that moment, he wanted to hit himself on the head – he could go over the wonder of having Nick here later, not when Nick was actually present in the house.
"Sorry, Nick just lost in thought," he said. "Why don't you follow me? I have all the information you'll need in the study."
Nick threw him a grateful. "Thank you for doing this," he said. "I couldn't find information about the Council anywhere else, and I didn't feel right asking Rosalee – it would have felt too much like forcing her to choose between the Council and me."
"No problem," he replied. "I did promise to help you if you needed it."
After a few hours' worth of reading later, Nick finally put down the book he was holding, and let himself sink into the couch. "Why couldn't this all be easier?" he groaned. "I mean, I'm perfectly fine being a detective in Portland – why do I need to get involved with wesen politics? And don't answer that," he said, catching the look on Sean's face, the one that said he was ready to start a lecture on the importance of him being a new kind of Grimm, "I know why, I just need to complain sometimes."
Sean grinned. The fact that Nick was starting to read his expressions – a task he had been continuously assured was almost impossible – said volumes for how comfortable he had become around Sean, and just how well he knew him. The thought made some part of him shiver in happiness.
At the same time, his stomach clenched in nervousness, because he knew himself. If he didn't say anything at that moment, he doubted he would ever have the courage to tell him.
"Nick?" he asked, forcing himself not to sound as tentative and worried as he was feeling.
"Yeah?" he replied, voice muffled by the couch.
"I was wondering if you'd like to go out for lunch tomorrow?"
At that, Nick raised his face from where it was buried, looking at Sean cautiously. "I thought we always went out for lunch when Hank isn't around," he said carefully. Even though it was phrased as a statement, somehow Sean could just hear the question it was hiding.
Without knowing it, Nick had given him a perfect opportunity to back out and agree with him about it just being part of their ritual. But his earlier observation still held true – if he didn't say anything at that moment, he almost certainly never would.
He braced himself for shock and possible rejection. "Actually, I was wondering if it could something a bit more social. A date, perhaps?" he asked, his voice as close to mutter as it would ever get.
"Oh," Nick breathed.
For a moment, he was terrified, even though he didn't let it show on his face. He was certain that he had crossed a line that Nick wasn't yet ready to cross- and then he noticed Nick's face.
"Oh," Nick whispered again, a soft, luminous smile starting to spread across his face. "I think I'd like that, to be honest."
He was going to enjoy letting Adalind know just how wrong she had been.
A/N: This is based on a kink meme prompt: When Renard tells Adalind to seduce Hank, it's not actually any kind of evil plan.
It's just if Adalind is busy with Hank, she'll leave Renard alone so he can pursue Nick without bother.
And if her and Hank actually fall in love, all the better.
I hope you guys liked it! I know Renard and Adalind are a bit OOC, but since I've created a complete divergence in their character dynamics and motivations, it was necessary. As always, please don't forget to drop a review on your way out! :)