Blankets And Their Pack Building Properties:

It is late on a Saturday morning when Monroe and Nick go about inspecting different sets of duvets at a furniture store.

"Tell me again, love, why do we need an 80x80 inch blanket and matching covers for our 80x70 inch bed?"

Nick cocks his head in true curiosity but cannot hide the teasing grin... not for long at least. His blutbad mate heaves a more than put upon sigh, does the epic eye roll and finally deigns to explain... again.

"We need an obscenely huge blanket because huge blankets are good for pack building."

"Okay. But why? I mean we have a perfectly serviceable, if smaller blanket and, honestly, when we are sleeping together in bed it only gets in the way, anyway."

He wags his eyebrows in a suggestive manner that gets himself instantly swatted and scolded.

"Quit your dirty thoughts, Grimmlet brat, we are in polite company."

"Polite company is at least 4 feet away, so your point being?"

A frustrated yet fond growl (yes, that's a possible combination where growls are concerned) that Nick absolutely loves.

"First of all, for a well functioning pack life you need a minimum amount of restful sleep – and here I mean restful sleep for both parties – and, secondly, you are a blanket robber of the worst kind (This is acquitted with a mock shocked expression by the infuriating Grimm.) and getting robbed of my part of our blanket on regular basis does not make me a happy blutbad at all!"

"So you think getting a huge blanket for us to sleep under will make it less likely for me to steal your part of it at night? And two blankets are no option?"

"Yes. And no, two blankets are not productive to pack building!" Monroe looks ready to argue his point with another tirade.

"Okay. Let's get one then."

"Okay? No mocking me for bringing up funny matters and elaborating on weird reasons?"

The Grimm steps up to him (polite company present in the store be damned) and bumps his nose against his neck in an affectionate nuzzle.

"Nope. No mocking, no further arguing. I know when I am guilty of a verdict and I can't have my mate have a disrupted sleep, if I am not the one disrupting it on purpose with... other things."

Warmth spreads through Monroe's chest at those words and for a fleeting moment he rests his own forehead against Nick's.

"…And I am always up to a new challenge."

"Do I want to know what challenge you have set yourself."

"No, I don't think so. You'll see when I've managed to crack it. Now lets buy an obscenely huge blanket and matching covers... I want dark green, by the way. For the covers and pillows."

"Oh well, why not. Red wouldn't have been productive to a restful sleep either, so I am with you on that one."

GRIMM GRIMM GRIMM

A few days later:

Monroe returns to their home from a meeting with a customer and silently makes his way upstairs. It is quite late and he doesn't want wake his mate for Nick has been part of a big take down mission today, lounged with half of the station participating, to arrest the members of some trafficking ring.

It's always with a streak of worry that Monroe watches him go about doing Police or Grimm work but he's known what he's gotten himself into from the very beginning, so he tries not to be too much of a mother hen about it – although Nick begs to differ on that point on occasion. Well, he cannot help that he gets a bit clingy (or bossy) when he's worried about his mate.

He's relieved to smell Nick's scent coming from upstairs, though, which settles him in a way nothing else can.

After shedding most of his clothes in the bathroom he pushes open their bedroom door, only to stop dead in his tracks at the sight that awaits him!

"Oh, that impossible... How did he...? How did he manage to do it this time?!"

His words are a fierce whisper that do not disturb Nick's zombie like sleep at all.

His infuriating and also absolutely adorable Grimmlet brat has managed – and he knows this isn't about ill intent but sleepily rolling around in bed without pattern or purpose – to entangle himself completely in their monster sized blanket without leaving a single inch for Monroe to sleep under. He wants to be angry or frustrated but, honestly, seeing Nick bundled up and looking like a giant sushi roll (with all that dark green and so on) makes a chuckle rise within his chest.

He steps up to the bed, lies down beside his brat and proceeds to enclose the whole huge bundle with his arms and draw him near enough to bury his nose in Nick's unruly locks (which is something of a challenge all on it's own considering the layers upon layers of blanket wrapped around Nick's body).

The Grimm does not stir in any way other than rolling around enough so that he lands half on top of him. A last content sigh and he has returned to dreamland.

Oh, well. It is a rather warm night. And buried as I am under Nick right now I can nearly count this as being covered by a blanket.

GRIMM GRIMM GRIMM

Nick's phone rings early the next morning. Monroe is in the bathroom getting ready for the day, but picturing the disastrous scenario that would entail his brat trying to unwrap himself in a hurry, he steps into their bedroom to get the cell. Nick only gives a sleepy mumble and tries to reach for his phone, a movement that is entirely swallowed up and hindered by their monster blanket. He frowns in sleep, no doubt trying and not managing to coordinate his limbs while still muzzy headed and duvet wrapped.

Well, Mister I-have-cracked-the challenge, I should get that one before you kill yourself by trying do so.

Monroe grabs the cell, makes his way downstairs into the kitchen and takes up after checking the caller-id.

"Good morning, Renard. It's I, Monroe, and I am answering Nick's phone. In case you were wondering, Nick is doing a veritable impression of a giant sushi roll right now, because he's managed to completely wrap himself up in our obscenely huge blanket, which we have bought exactly for the purpose of that not happening... Aaand to make a long sentence short (politely disbelieving scoffing sound at the other end of the line), I thought I would take the call because Nick would sooner smother himself than being able to untangle enough to actually reach his phone. What can I do for you?"

"You mean other than getting to the point instead of putting an amount of information into one sentence that would have otherwise needed three?"

Definitely evilly amused now! Monroe wants to growl and scowl but Renard beats him to it by stating his concern:

"You can tell Nick, that he may continue doing... whatever it is he does – and no, there is no further elaboration needed – because the Commissioner has given us all a day off after our successful operation yesterday. That in turn translates into half a day off, for – no matter what the Commissioner thinks – a Police station doesn't simply run itself."

"Oh, that's certainly nice to hear. I'll pass on your message and regards."

"And Monroe, I expect to see my Detective returning to the station today with his mental and bodily facilities all intact."

The innuendo is more than clear!

"I wasn't going to...! I wouldn't...! Arrgh, that's weird and not what I've ever wanted to discuss with my mate's Captain... Hmpf."

A pregnant pause, then:

"By the way, there's dinner on Sunday. Hank and Rosalee will also come. You'd better be punctual. No matter what a good-hearted man Nick is, he can be a bit touchy about his favorite food getting cold!"

GRIMM GRIMM GRIMM

Renard shakes his head at the conversation with Monroe. He cannot believe that he has just been roped into dinner without so much as being able to protest.

I must be losing my touch, if nowadays I take orders from a wieder-blutbad clockmaker.

GRIMM GRIMM GRIMM

Monroe stares bemusedly at the cell phone screen after he's ended the call. There are things he just doesn't want to discuss with Renard... ever, no matter how positive a turn their relationship has taken these days. A smile spreads over his face then, almost against his will. Thinking about that conversation – as embarrassing as it has been – has brought a few interesting matters back to mind. With that grin still firmly in place he returns to their bedroom where Nick is still sleeping.

He has a giant sushi roll to devour, after all, and needs to do so before afternoon rolls around.

GRIMM GRIMM GRIMM

Nick returns to the station that day thoroughly satisfied and just a bit sore around his rear end. Well, sometimes making a few sacrifices results in the sweetest of rewards. He walks over to his desk with a content smile and cannot for the life of him understand why Renard shakes his head in exasperation when he spots him. Some time later the Captain comes over, saying quietly:

"Nick, tell your mate that dinner is on and that he is in for it now."

Nick frowns in confusion.

"Okay. Umm, and that's it? No further explanation?"

"Just that. He'll understand."

Hank and Nick exchange a glance before putting it out of their mind with a shrug.

I'll definitely need to ask Monroe about that one later.

GRIMM GRIMM GRIMM

When he does so over dinner that night his wolverine mate spits his drink cleanly across the table and when he finally tells Nick about the conversation they've had in the morning the Grimm wants to sink into the ground and die.

"You didn't discuss our sex life with my Captain. Please, tell me you didn't."

His dismayed expression is almost comical in its desperation.

"He started it!"

At this point Nick plonks his head onto the tabletop.

"I'll stop being a blanket robber, if it gets me out of being object of such a conversation ever again." He mumbles into the table.

"Oh well, if that's the case then all this did have a positive outcome, after all."

Monroe's smug grin dies on his lips when Nick slowly looks up with an evil stare. Sometimes his Grimmlet brat can be damn scary!

"You certainly seemed to like what I did when we were in bed earlier today."

The glare melts faster than a snowman in summer, replaced by a decidedly sultry half-smile.

"You might be right about that one..."

Abandoning his food Nick rounds the table, slips onto his mate's lap and takes great pleasure in taking a taste of a very different kind of snack.

Maybe Monroe was right. Blankets do have pack building properties.

GRIMM GRIMM GRIMM

This is the first part of my 'Pack' series, next will be 'To Belong'.