Nick stepped carefully through the woods. He hadn't brought any weapons with him, and the hairs standing up on the back of his neck were beginning to tell him that might have been a mistake. Every rustling of the trees put him on edge. The excitement and fear that always preceded a training session with Monroe were heightened by the fact that it wasn't just the two of them this time. Nick knew that Monroe trusted Eliot, but that didn't stop the apprehension knotting in Nick's stomach. Eliot was much more experienced with fighting. Nick wasn't sure he was prepared to deal with a Blutbad of that calibre. Nick turned sharply at a crunching sound behind him. Taking a deep breath, Nick tried to block out all unnecessary sounds. He needed to focus. He'd just managed to put himself in the right frame of mind when Monroe and Eliot stepped out of the trees in front of him. Nick took a moment to assess the Blutbaden. Both Eliot and Monroe looked amused, and it settled something inside Nick to see that this was just for fun. Nick took an experimental step to the left, which Monroe quickly countered. With a smirk, Nick darted to the right. This time it was Eliot who blocked his path. They regarded each other silently for a moment, before each man's eye line was blocked by Monroe. Nick couldn't help smiling at the way Monroe was shielding him from Eliot. He scooted to the side; enough to see Eliot give a genuine smile to his friend.

"Oh, so it's like that?" There was laughter in Eliot's voice, and Nick could tell from Monroe's stance that he was at ease.

"Winner gets the Grimm," Monroe replied, causing Nick to laugh aloud.

"And here I thought you were protecting me!"

"Easy, kleinen Jäger," Eliot spoke to Nick, but kept his eyes on Monroe. "You'll get your turn."

Nick laughed and put his hands up in surrender. He stepped away from Monroe. "Do you guys need a bell or something?"

Neither man answered. Instead they began circling each other. Their eyes still danced with amusement, but each step was measured. Nick watched them size each other up, being careful to stay out of the way. The woge was gradual this time, and Nick took a moment to note that their claws remained retracted. This settled any residual nerves Nick had. When Eliot and Monroe finally crashed together, Nick found himself fascinated by the scene. He'd never had time just to observe Wesen fighting before. Usually he was either trying to stop it, or on the receiving end of it. Monroe and Eliot ducked and dove around each other, occasionally throwing punches that were easily blocked. Nick was so caught up in the play fighting, he didn't notice when Eliot broke free and headed for him. A surprised 'oof' was all he managed as Eliot grabbed him tight and darted behind a tree with him.

Nick turned shocked and confused eyes on Eliot, who was still in woge. Pressing Nick against the tree, Eliot leaned into the Grimm's ear. "You'll thank me later." Before Nick could recover enough to ask what that meant, Eliot nipped sharply under his ear and pushed away from the tree. Nick pulled himself up and looked around, but Eliot was nowhere to be seen. Nick was put on guard again when he heard another growl. This one was different. There was no hint of playfulness. Nick looked warily to the right and saw Monroe, still in woge, staring at him.

"Monroe?" Nick sounded unsure. Monroe took a step forward, and Nick fleetingly thought of running away. Squaring his shoulders, Nick tried again. "Monroe. What are you doing?"

Monroe took a deep breath through his nose; scenting Nick from his position only feet away. Nick didn't know what to do when Monroe moved forward at a rapid pace, and soon found himself pinned to the forest floor, underneath the larger man. Monroe immediately zoned in on the spot where Eliot had nipped him. He scented the area and growled. Nick's body reacted without his permission as Monroe's coarse fur scratched against the side of his face, and a rough tongue lapped at the red spot Eliot left. Nick groaned, and Monroe stopped dead. Nick was once again confused, as Monroe retracted his woge and began to pull away, muttering something that sounded like an apology.

Nick had to gather his wits quickly, and reached out before Monroe could fully pull away. "Wait."

Monroe turned back towards Nick, but wouldn't meet his eyes. With a soft sigh, Nick touched Monroe's face; turning it towards himself. "M'sorry," Monroe mumbled.

"Don't be," Nick smiled reassuringly. "Eliot grabbed me because he knew something like this would happen. I'm betting he wanted to force you to face something." Monroe didn't reply, but Nick could tell he'd hit the mark. "Wanna talk about it?" Again, Monroe stayed silent. "Monroe, I'm not mad, ok? Something's going on here, and we need to talk about it."

"Not right now," Monroe managed to bite out, pulling himself out of Nick's grasp. "I'm not… My head isn't in the right place."

"What're you thinking?" Nick asked with genuine curiosity. He didn't try to reach out to Monroe again, understanding the man needed space.

"That you're mine." Monroe's voice was almost a growl as he said it, and Nick thought he saw the other man's eyes flash. Nick swallowed convulsively; not sure what to say. Monroe stood up and hurried away.

Nick sat there for a few moments; stunned.

kleinen Jäger = little hunter.