A/N:This remains unbeta'd so sorry for the choppy editing.
"How are we supposed to get married if we can't legally get married in the state of Oregon?" Nick yells at the top of his lungs.
The entire bullpen goes silent as every single person, even those on the phone, turn to look at Nick. His statement does not have the effect he was looking for because Renard does not appear. A quick glance in the direction of the captain's office reveals that Renard is not in, not that he is ignoring Nick.
Hank clearly thinks that his partner has gone off the deep end from the way he rapidly rises from his seat. However, Hank's desk faces the bullpen doors so Nick would not have been able to make it to Renard's office before he was physically removed by his partner anyway. With Nick's method, Renard will, at least, hear that Nick came by.
The younger detective is expecting to hear the opening words of Hank's "go home" lecture as his partner draws closer. Most people are obviously still watching and listening in for a big scene. Sometimes members of the Portland Police Department are worse gossips that 14 year old girls. Then, Hank stops in his tracks for no reason Nick can see.
"Detective Burkhardt, you should be at home." Renard says in a low voice.
Nick knows without having to look that Renard is in his personal space. He can feel the police captain's presence, and his only question is why he did not notice it sooner. Nick can see from Hank's expression th at is partner is understandably curious about whatever is going on in between the detective and his boss. Nick turns to look at Renard because it is better than staring at Hank's questioning look.
Renard occupies more of his personal space than Nick originally thought. If he had been any closer, they might have been touching. Nick has the desire to take one step back to put space between him and Renard's presence. He resists the urge though because he feels it would be showing weakness and backing down. Looking at Renard though, Nick is rapidly losing his desire to confront the man.
"Sir," Nick greets.
"You should be at home." Renard repeats. His face is carefully blank even though he must have heard Nick's exclamation.
"I wasn't planning on coming in tonight until someone told me that you claimed me," Nick hisses as he pokes his finger at Renard's chest. "And, apparently, now we're supposed to get married."
Renard looks at him with a curious expression as if he knows the Grimm did not figure out this on his own.
Most detectives dove into their work when Renard showed up. Most of the others saw the way Renard was handling the situation and decided that it was not worth it to keep watching, that there would not be anything more exciting happening. Renard stands there staring with a curious expression as if he perceives the Grimm did not figure out their engagement on his own.
"This is not the place to talk about it." Renard declares. "Dinner?"
Nick is thrown by the question so he just nods. Renard lets a pleased look flick over his face before he holds up his hand in a universal gesture of stop.
"Stay." Renard commands.
Nick is curious to learn what Renard has to say so he stays. While he is waiting, he twists to stare at Hank, who retreated back to his desk having clearly decided that Renard was just as concerned with Nick's well-being as he was and to leave it to the captain to strong arm Nick into going home for the night. Renard returns from his office with his coat.
They walk the couple of blocks from the station to a little French café that Nick has seen the sign for many times, but never stopped to eat at. The entrance is down a couple of steps from the sidewalk. The interior of the café is dimly lit by a couple of hanging lanterns and candles on all the tables. Everything is clean and organized.
Most of the tables are empty except for the two that have couples sharing dinner over them. The only visible waitress is serving another table when they walk in. Renard does not wait for her to seat them, he simply nods to the waitress who acknowledges him in return. Nick wonders just how regular Renard is to the café. They head to a table at the back of the restaurant about as far away from the other tables as possible to have an undisturbed conversation.
"I want to know how all of this works." Nick demands as soon as they sit down.
Renard avoids answering by turning to look at the waitress who comes over to them with a couple of menus. She takes their orders, including Renard's "the usual", and disappears. Nick waits for Renard to speak first because Renard has made it obvious he is not going to answer questions until he wants too.
Renard rests his chin on steepled fingers and leans forward, but does not rest his elbows on the table. He watches Nick watch him, but he does not speak. Nick wants to give in because he has to many questions to stay silent, but he manages to stay silent.
"How did you find out about my claim?" Renard returns. "The Blutbad you've been spending time with?"
Nick hesitates to answer because he is concerned for his friend's safety. Renard has already proved that he is possessive which makes it dangerous for Monroe if Renard decides he is competition. He opens his mouth to bullshit an answer, but Renard already seems to have taken his silence as a confirmation. He does not look all that upset at the idea of Nick being friends with Monroe.
"What did he tell you?" Renard asks.
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to explain things that you already know."
"He told me that I smelled like you." Nick answers. "Apparently, the smell gets stronger when you claimed me in the fight with Thomas Jones, and now we're engaged."
"We were always engaged." Renard corrects like it should be obvious. "It's only now that I've claimed you as mine that we're supposed to get married."
"What would have happened if you never claimed me?"
"I planned to tell you when you got more accustomed to the supernatural elements in the world."
"Really? We would still have to married? How are we even supposed to do that?
"Yes. We would still have to get married. It's tradition." Renard explains. Nick is pretty sure that he imagines the hurt that slides through Renard's eyes at Nick's mention of not getting married. "It would be done through a ritual. You should know that getting married legally and getting married religiously, for lack of a better word, are two different things."
The table falls into a slightly awkward silence as the waitress approaches their table with the food. She looks between the two of them as if she thinks they might be something more than just two people talking. Renard does not attempt to dissuade her one way or the other. As she leaves, she smiles and winks at Renard. Nick doesn't know how to respond.
"Why were we even engaged in the first place?" Nick continues after the first couple bites of his food.
"Your father made an arrangement with my parents after your mother died and her powers passed over you. I believe he was concerned what might happen if Marie Kessler was killed while you were still a child, and you inherited her Grimm powers before you were old enough to understand what was going on."
"I still don't understand what's going on to begin with." Nick argues to cover the fact that he starts at the mention of his aunt. He knew Renard knew about her, but had not been aware that Renard knew she was Grimm.
"But it would have been worse if you received them when you were 18 or younger." Renard points out.
"Why did my father come to your family out of all the other Grimm creatures out there?"
"Because he believed that my family, I, could protect you from the worst of the creatures out there."
"Protect me? What does that make you?" Nick snorts. He is a police detective, more information about creatures would be useful, but he doesn't need protection from them.
"Human." Renard snarks back even though he is aware that that is not what Nick meant.
"Who does that make you then?" Nick specifies.
"Captain Sean Renard, ruler of the city of Portland and its surrounding areas."
"So like prince?"
"More like king." Renard states matter-of-factly.
Half-way through the meal Nick thinks of another question, one that should have been one of the first questions he asked.
"What if I refuse?"
Renard looks up, clearly startled. "Pardon?"
"What if I refuse to marry you?"
Renard's expression darkens. Nick leans back a little uneasily. He does not have a hard time remembering Renard's dark expression from his confrontation with Thomas. The police captain clearly takes a calming breath because his countenance clears to something unreadable.
"You can't. Once the contract is acknowledged it has to be fulfilled. It's just a fact." Renard mentions. "You can look through Marie Kessler's books all you want, but you will find that I'm telling the truth. Your aunt already tried to get you out of the contract."
The conversation has cleared up quite a few points for Nick, but it has also left him with more questions. Like, he really wants to know how Renard knows about the trailer and the books. His mind keeps focusing on the sudden idea that he is essentially being forced into a shady supernatural marriage with his boss.
"We could have resolved the situation with Jones another way without starting this whole marriage contract thing." Nick states. He thinks that Renard cannot possibly want this too.
"It would have happened eventually." Renard mutters. He says it, and Nick is not sure that he was supposed to hear it. "Besides, the situation couldn't have been easily resolved without one of us getting hurt. Would have you preferred that I not interfered and that your brains be spread all over the floor of that alley?" He takes a vicious stab at his plate with his last words. Nick feels the same way.
"Right now, yes." Nick answers under his breath.
Renard does not respond, but from the stormy look in his eyes, Nick knows that he was heard.
"What are you so concerned about?" Renard demands.
"My freedom." Nick spits out because he cannot think of anything else. This whole situation is confusing him. It is making him think of emotions he never planned to confront, even in his darkest dreams
Renard's eyes flash. "We do this and we never have to talk about it again. You won't be trapped."
"It doesn't matter. I'll still know that I'm not completely free, and you'll know it."
"You don't have a choice. You'll have to do it at some point."
"How soon is some point?"
Renard shrugs. "There's little research on how long because most people acknowledge its usefulness and stop resisting. Sometime within the year."
"Then I have a year to figure out how to break this contract. I don't want to speak with you about anything other than work." Nick stands up.
He storms towards the door, aware, but uncaring about the attention that their conversation has attracted. He does not look back to see what Renard's face might give away about how he feels about this entire thing, but the older man's earlier actions have already made his intentions clear. Nick is the only one unsure about what he, himself, is thinking.
"Sorry for saving your life," he hears Renard say. Nick wants to think he imagined the disappointment ringing through Renard's voice as if he had been expecting things to turn out differently.
As the door to the café shuts behind him, Nick resolutely decides not to think about the idea of his feelings, Renard's feelings, or any sort of interaction that might happen in between them because of those feelings.