Nick's followers give him space. He does not seem them around as leaves or comes home from work, and he suspects that he got his message across, leave him alone. Though, before the week was over again, his stalkers are back sitting in front of his house in the repairman's car. Nick simply makes it his goal to ignore them, short of harming them he sees no other way of getting them to leave him alone. Eventually, he hopes that they will get bored and find a new creature to bother.
Along with the creatures staking out his house, Nick is starting to get used to the idea of not talking to Renard. Of course, just when Nick is starting to settle into a routine, something comes along to cause things to go to hell in a hand basket.
The something takes the form of a drug dealer one of the other detectives brings in for some routine questioning. Nick glances at him while the dealer is lead past, but quickly pushes it to the back of his mind. Drug dealers are not all that uncommon suspects for homicides, and the man does not appear to be a creature. Nick has several leads for other cases that he needs to follow up on instead of paying attention to other people's cases.
Nick regrets that he did not pay more attention more than five minutes later when there is the sound of a gun shot from the interrogation rooms. Very few detectives are on the floor at the time, but all of them look up at the sound. Nick is the closest to interrogation, and the first on his feet when the dealer comes sprinting out into the main room. He is waving the detective's handgun which he realizes is a bad idea when he sees the other detectives with weapons drawn.
The dealer grabs Nick. "Don't move. Don't fuckin' move unless I move you." The man growls out.
Nick can feel the warm metal of the recently fired gun press against his temple. His brain is working in overdrive as the dealer's other arm comes around to hold Nick in a choke hold. Things drag to a tense standstill because not one of the detectives is going to take a shot while their own is being threatened, but it is also clear that this druggie is not going down without a serious fight. The Grimm smells the other's clothes and breath and knows the man has not showered or brushed his teeth in weeks. He tries not to gag.
"Come with me." The man yells. He half-drags Nick along with him as he moves through the desks towards the doors at the end of the floor. The man trips a couple of times, but never drops the gun from Nick's temple.
The dealer is obviously trying, without luck, to keep all the detectives in the room in his sight so he has his back to the doors. Nick hears the almost silent whoosh as they open and the smooth sound of a gun being drawn from a holster, but he cannot see who it is.
"What's going on here?" Renard demands. Nick winces at its sharp ringing quality.
The dealer lets out a surprised sound. He rapidly twists to look at Renard dragging the detective into an awkward position with him. He takes the gun away from Nick's temple. The sound of a shot leaves a ringing noise in Nick's ear as he struggles to hold onto the sudden dead weight of the drug dealer.
The other detectives spring into action pushing Nick away from the body and into a chair. The room is a flurry of activity as others go to check on the detective in the interrogation room. Nick is left staring at the body and his captain from across the room, a captain who has just saved his life for a second time. He shudders when he catches the murderous look in Renard's eyes. Renard looks up to see who is staring at him and easily meets Nick's eyes. Nick can only hold his gaze for a couple seconds before he has to look away. The murderous intent in the older man's eyes had not been there leaving Nick to wonder if he had imagined the previous expression. The Grimm finds himself really wanting to talk to Renard.
As if sensing his intention, Renard turns to one of the uniformed officers swarming onto the scene and orders him to drive Nick home.
"I still need to give my statement." Nick protests.
His boss shakes his head. "You can give your statement in the morning, Detective Burkhardt. Go home and get some rest."
Nick tries to protest again, but is shooed out by the uniform and her partner. The last thing Nick notices in the room is the way Renard's gaze had once again slipped into a darker emotion as he examined the body of the drug dealer.
The first thing he does when he gets home is to grab a couple of beers from the fridge and sit on his couch to drink them. He polishes off the first one with a couple of deep gulps and begins the second one more slowly. Nick is all alone with his thoughts and he hates it. He zones out staring at his blank TV screen.
Nick has no idea how much time has passed when he is roused from his daze by a knock on the door. The second bottle of beer is empty. Nick throws it in the recycling bin on the way to answer the door.
The door swings in reveal Renard standing on his doorstep. The faint dark expression is still in place on his face as Nick stares at him. The Grimm is trying to think if he has done anything besides threaten the repairman that might cause the king to come after him. Nothing comes to mind.
"You almost got shot tonight." Renard mummers, his voice is deeper and gravellier than usual.
Nick nods and shifts his weight nervously. "Yeah. Thanks for saving my life. Again."
"How long is it going to take you to realize that you cannot get out of marrying me? How long is it going to take you to realize that I want to marry you, and you, at least on some level want to marry me?"
Nick glares. Renard gives an exasperated sigh when Nick declines to answer his questions. He reaches forward to grab Nick by the front of his shirt and haul the detective out onto the porch without warning. Nick cringes expecting a blow, but Renard smashes their lips together instead. Nick is more than a little shocked so he pulls back from the kiss. He does not try to escape from Renard's grip on his shirt front, though, as he looks up at Renard. His captain is looking back down at him with an unreadable expression.
He waits for Renard to say something, but the other just pulls him back into another kiss. Nick allows for it and kisses back. Renard takes the opportunity to pour out everything he has been feeling for the past couple of months. He puts his frustration, protectiveness, longing, and a million other emotions into it.
Nick starts to think that maybe this, the kissing, is not such a bad idea after all, but he is not sure if that is his brain or the lack of air talking. Then, Renard lets go completely. He takes a step back. He seems entirely composed, but the effect is ruined as his shoulders heave while he tries to catch his breath.
"Wow." Nick mummers. It looks about how Renard feels.
The porch is silent for a long minute.
"We should talk." Renard finally says.
"Definitely."
Nick pushes his door open wider leaving space for Renard to enter behind him. Since they have established the need to talk, Nick does not want to have their discussion outside. He gestures Renard towards the living, but heads for the kitchen himself.
"Beer?" Nick offers over his shoulder.
Renard shakes his head as he settles in one of the armchairs. Nick is well aware that he should not be having this conversation on three beers, but then, this is the exact kind of conversation he needs three beers to have. He sits on the couch across the low coffee table from Renard.
"You protected me again." Nick states.
"I know."
"Thanks, you know, again."
"It was no problem really." Renard assures.
Silence stretches between them again, but it is not really awkward. Nick contemplates the idea that he really is trapped into marrying Renard. He does not find the idea quite as abhorrent as when it first came up. Vaguely the detective wonders whether the compulsion to marry is changing his mind about his desire or whether the idea truly is not as detestable as it was. Then there is the factor that apparently, Renard wants to go through with the whole thing. A factor which is really something that Nick should have seen coming…
"I'm sorry." Nick apologizes. "I didn't even consider the idea that you might want this. I should have after Monroe brought to my attention just how much you were offering me."
A flush creeps up Renard's neck and ears. "How much I was… I don't know how much the Blutbad implied that I was giving up—"
"He didn't say you were giving up anything. He said you were offering me a lot from a person who doesn't give out favors all that often."
Renard lets out an uncharacteristic snort. "Because I don't. Giving out favors and services without expecting people to return them is no way to run a kingdom. People will start walking all over you, and you can't control them when you need to."
"You offered me what was essentially a freebie by saying that we could get married and never speak of it again."
"There were going to be conditions I intended to tell you upon your agreement."
"Were you going to demand my allegiance? My faithfulness? My obedience? Ask for a collar around my neck?"
"None of the above." Renard answers with face that says he regrets not taking the offered beer. "There are certain matters that would require your approval, and I would have required you to attend a few peace meetings to ensure that subjects remained peaceful."
"But that's still a lot more free protection and resources that you offer me than other creatures for less asked in return." Nick points out. He leaves Renard to infer the rest from what he leaves unsaid.
Renard smirks. "I never denied that I wanted to get married. I only intended to imply, before you interrupted, that what you understood from the Blutbad might have stirred your own desires on the matter. You obviously at least want it at least a little or the compulsion wouldn't have worked quite so fast or as well."
"Don't confuse my romantic desire and my friendship."
"You realize that the compulsion doesn't work on feelings of friendship, right?"
Renard just shrugs as Nick expresses his disbelief in wordless spluttering. The Grimm's jaw completely slams shut a few seconds later when he realizes that their discussion is heading down the road towards friendly banter and teasing.
"Besides you can't deny that you are at least slightly attracted to me. No one kisses like that if they don't mean it," Renard adds.
Nick's cheeks heat up at the mere thought of their kiss on the porch. His heart rate increases and his breath catch at the suddenly hungry look on his captain's face. Nick sees no point in denying that he liked kissing Renard, but he is still not sure what exactly he wants from the other man. Marriage? Probably, especially with what Renard is offering. He is not going to make that decision tonight.
He glances over at Renard again. Renard looks more relaxed than he had when he first appeared on Nick's doorstep. The dark look is completely gone from his face. He looks like he knows what Nick plans to say before the Grimm can say it.
"I like you, but I don't know if I want to get married to you yet."
"Think it over." Renard agrees. "See you tomorrow then? You still need to give your statement about what happened earlier."
Renard stands up from his chair and straightens his suit. He gives the appearance of being calm and accepting, but, as Nick looks more closely, he can see the little crack in Renard's expression that let Nick know he is disappointed. The detective is touched by his continued willingness to back-off for Nick's sake. He follows Renard to the door to say goodbye.