A/N: Hey ok this took me awhile to update because I'm editing what I have already. I was going to wait to update until my beta took a look at it but since I already had this one written I thought I might as well post it. Fingers crossed all my previous and next chapters will be edited.
Thank you to all who have reviewed and added this to their favourite lists. I really appreciate it!=D
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
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Chapter Five: The Breaking Point
"Hey Nick? Nick? Hellooooo in there?" said Hank waving his hand in front of his partner as he tried to get his attention. Nick glanced up from his computer from where he was very studiously not doing his paper work to look at his partner.
"Hey man, are you ok? I mean you've been kind of out of it the last few weeks" asked Hank looking concerned.
"I'm fine Hank" said Nick frowning slightly. He hated lying to his friend but what was he suppose to say?
He couldn't even really explain it himself except that he missed Monroe. He knew they were close but this was ridiculous. It felt like he had lost a limb.
Nearly every night last week he had to make a supreme effort to drive to his own apartment and not turn left instead where he knew the road would lead him straight to Monroe's cosy house that felt more like home then anything ever had.
He knew his work wasn't suffering. He usually was one of the best at what he did, but lately he was flying through cases. At least when he was working on cases big or small he didn't have time to think. Plus he did not have to suffer the boredom of being alone in his apartment that now felt empty and cold.
However he had lost the enthusiasm for it and he could really feel all the sleepless nights finally beginning to take their toll.
He didn't even have the proper energy to lie to Hank.
"I'm just going through something right now but I'll be fine" said Nick when Hank wouldn't stop giving him the "you're crazy" look.
"Ok but you know you can talk to me about anything right? I mean that. We can even discuss your tall dark and wolfy friend" said Hank lowering his voice slightly in case anyone else overheard their conversation.
A few months ago Nick would have denied what Hank was suggesting. Monroe was his friend, his best friend.
But now he didn't think it was as simple as that. Not after the fact that the reason he was so tired was because of his very inappropriate dreams about said "friend".
He was now willing to admit that there has been something else there for awhile, hell the beginning really.
But if Monroe didn't feel the same way and Nick suddenly spills out that he is falling for him, well...it could all go horribly wrong.
It would get awkward and he would obviously have to move out because poor Monroe would feel uncomfortable and Nick would feel embarrassed. Nick knew that he risked ruining their friendship forever.
"Is it that obvious?" asked Nick finally looking back to his computer.
"Dude, hello detective?" said Hank incredulously.
Nick raised his eyebrow in suspicion and Hank relented.
"OK Kid, don't get me wrong. I knew something was up but it was our dear Sergeant who pointed me in the direction of relationship issues and then the pieces fell into place." Hank said smiling.
"Well I'm glad I make such good pillow talk" said Nick giving a half smile in return.
"Ok but seriously I know you have a thing for him so what's the big deal? Is it because he's a guy?" asked Hank sympathetically.
Nick knew that that had been a huge issue for Hank when he had first started going out with Wu.
Hank had nothing against it just that he didn't know how to go about it really.
"No nothing like that" said Nick honestly. He had never been with a guy but only because he had never really met anyone that sparked an interest in him until Monroe.
Besides since college he had always had girlfriends.
"Believe me no problem there" said Nick blushing slightly as memories of some of his recent fantasies came to mind.
"Oh ok!" said Hank winking at him.
"Then what's the problem?" he asked confused.
"We're friends. I don't want to mess that up, and besides Monroe has never mentioned being interested in guys or me for that matter" said Nick dejectedly.
"Um have you ever let him know that you like him? No.
So it just shows that when it comes to your personal life you make a poor show of your profession.
Besides not to get all mushy Nick but I've seen you guys together. Trust me he likes you back" finished Hank smiling smugly.
Nick still wasn't convinced but throughout the day he really started to consider it.
Even with his good intentions of trying to allow Monroe a break from all the Grimm stuff he was still being slightly selfish. He continued to text him whenever he thought it could pass as casual.
He had never been much for texting. In the past (especially when on a case) he could go days without talking to anyone and simply living and breathing the investigation. It had always been a sore point with Juliette.
However he had never had that problem with Monroe. He liked keeping him updated and receiving news in return. Simple things like hearing about one of Monroe's latest clocks or knowing that Monroe was always on hand to make him a quick bite to eat, always fussing that no matter how horrific the case Nick still had to eat.
Thinking about that Nick realised how miserable he has been the last two weeks and he knows that he can't live like this anymore.
He has to tell him.
Nick suddenly jumped up and grabbed his leather jacket from the back of his chair. Before he could say anything to Hank his partner interrupted.
"Yeah yeah go on I'm glad you're finally seeing sense. I'll cover for you with the Captain" said Hank waving Nick away.
"Thanks man I owe you one" said Nick smiling as he left.
Hanks chuckle drew Wu over from across the room.
"What's up? Where's our poster boy off to?" he asked curiously.
"I think he's finally going to bite the bullet" laughed Hank looking up at his boyfriend happily.
"Thank god, one more day of moping and I was going to start hiding the guns" said Wu rolling his eyes and making Hank laugh harder.
OOOO
Monroe stepped through the door to the little shop and was instantly hit by the usual overwhelming smells and aromas of all the various herbs and ingredients that were housed here.
Rosalie greeted him with a warm smile that slowly started to dissolve when she took in Monroe's appearance.
Monroe grimaced at her worried expression and tried to wave off her concern.
"Hey Rose, I just came by to see if you could use any help?" asked Monroe regretting his decision a little at the scrutiny he was receiving.
"Sure, I was just switching over some ingredients to new jars. Take a seat" she said with a bright smile but Monroe could still smell the worry that was emanating off her in waves.
This meant she could probably smell the misery that was pouring off of him at the moment a little voice said inside his head.
Sighing he sat down near the edge of the counter and listened to Rosalie's instructions.
He nodded his head after she had finished so she left him to it while she alphabetised some books.
Monroe started to poor the first jar into its nice new clean one examining the little green leafy things as he did.
He wasn't sure what they did exactly but they definitely did not smell like anything you'd put into a salad.
They worked quietly for awhile; Monroe surprised that he had the patience's to attempt this task. In the last few days he had been getting increasingly more and more frustrated when tinkering with his clocks.
However for now the wolf and he seemed calm enough to engage in the activity knowing that he might soon hear a little bit of information about a certain detective.
Unlike Nick however Rosalie could stick out a silence just as long as he could. He found himself once again missing Nick's constant energy.
Even when he was looking through files, flicking around on the television or even when he was bone tired Monroe was used to him chattering about one thing or another.
Even if it was to comment that Monroe shouldn't have let him eat so much of his homemade chocolate cake and that he was probably going to die of a sugar overdose.
The man's voice had become a constant presence in Monroe's head, so much so that he now resented the quiet of the shop.
"So how's business?" asked Monroe striving for casual.
"Not bad actually, of course now that human parts aren't on the order lists anymore some of the clients have gone elsewhere.
But I'm starting to bring in some new patrons who are more interested in the healing medicinal value of the store" said Rosalie as she walked over to check on how Monroe was getting on.
"Oh...well that's good" said Monroe.
She seemed to take pity on the deflated blutbad.
"Nick hasn't been in to see me Monroe" she said not unkindly.
"Oh" was all Monroe said.
"But that's good in a way. It means that he hasn't had any life threatening cases or Grimm related problems that have gone wrong" she said trying to comfort him.
"Oh yeah exactly, don't worry I'm enjoying the slight respite from all that stuff" said Monroe gruffly as he poured the last remaining contents into its new jar.
"Monroe I know what Nick is to you. I can smell it off him. Why don't you just tell him?" she asked.
"Come on Rose. You know as well as I do that human and wesen relationships almost never work out well" he said as he began to stand.
"But Nick is a Grimm..." she begun but Monroe cut her off.
"Yeah which makes it all the more a bad bad idea!" he said laughing slightly at the ridiculousness of the situation.
A fuchsbau trying to convince a blutbad to court a Grimm, if only his family could see him now he thought to himself.
"So? It's Nick! You of all people know that he doesn't buy into all that "he is our enemy" drivel that we learnt as kids" said Rosalie.
Monroe started down at his feat trying not to woge out. Of course he knew that Nick wasn't like that.
He tried to focus on the fact that Rosalie was just trying to help.
"Look I know. But it just won't work out. There is no way I am going to destroy our friendship because if that's all I can get then I'm happy to take it since it's better than nothing.
Yeah, I haven't seen him a lot lately and I know something's going on but it'll blow over and we'll sort it out. This can be fixed.
Telling him something like that... well that just can't be taken back Rose" said Monroe running out of air and feeling a little deflated.
"Look just leave me deal with this ok? I appreciate your help but I can take care of myself" finished Monroe as he began preparing to leave.
There were a couple of minutes of silence while Rosalie watched him until finally she took a step forward and hugged him tightly.
Shocked Monroe at first stood there awkwardly not really knowing what to do. He slowly put his arms around her and hugged her back.
Accepting it for what it was; a promise to let him handle it his way but he knew she would help him if he asked.
The door banged open and before Monroe could look up his senses were suddenly filled with that familiar scent that had been absent for the past couple of days.
He felt his vision bleed red as the wolf inside him howled for him to spring into action.
However after two weeks of repressing the wolf, his body instantly tried to shut down his baser instincts before it could take over.
He slowly raised his head to catch sight of a much welcomed image.
Nick was standing in the doorway staring at them in his leather jacket and his badge just visible in his jeans pocket.
But something was off.
His big grey eyes were open a little wider than normal, in the same way that they were whenever he was in shock or pain.
There was also a beautiful blush starting to colour his cheeks that seemed a little out of place at this moment in time.
What could he be embarrassed about? Was it that he wasn't expecting to see Monroe at the store?
That could not be it because Nick was mumbling something.
Something about how he had seen Monroe's car outside the shop as he was driving over to Monroe's place to speak with him and had decided to catch him before he left.
Suddenly he was walking back out saying that it wasn't important and that he was sorry for interrupting.
He felt Rosalie stiffen at his side as she had drawn away from him at Nick's arrival.
He didn't even bother to ask her if she knew what was up since he was already heading out the door to try and catch Nick before he left.
Unfortunately he was just in time to see the car speeding off.
Cursing he jumped into his own one and tried to follow. Luckily after the first turn he knew where he was heading and just prayed to god that his sense of direction and instincts were right.
He slowed down slightly(even blutbaden could get tickets) but couldn't stop tapping his fingers restlessly against the steering wheel as he frantically phoned Nicks phone again and again.
Monroe finally pulled up to his house.
Thankfully Nick's truck was parked where he usually left it.
Ok, he thought to himself, it can't be too serious if he still came back here.
Running up the pathway he quickly got his keys out, nearly dropping them in his haste.
One way or another he was going to get to the bottom of his friends strange behaviour.
A/N: Ok I really hope people are still enjoying it! If you get time I'd love to hear any and all comments so please review!=)
More updates soon!