I do not own Grimm.

It was spring when Monroe and Nick first met. And really met, not the tackling and subsequent help with the other Blutbad. And it was weird.

Monroe had grown up with stories about Grimms and how they would kill any Wesen on sight, how they were ruthless expert assassins, how he should really be wary of any Grimm he encountered, and just try to outrun them unless they were more than sure that he could defend himself and pretty much stay alive to tell the tale.

Nick? Well, he couldn't exactly say he grew up with any ideas on Wesen. For starters, he didn't know they existed until he was well into his adult life. Of course, he dealt with it better at that age than he would have when he was eighteen, but it was kind of weird to think the strange bedtime stories his parents used to tell him were true. With a bit more gore to it, but true.

It was too weird for Monroe to help Nick catch another Blutbad. After the first six, ten or hundred times the Grimm went for him to help, he considered himself used to it. Maybe after time number hundred and sixteen? After that, however, he felt as if he had entered some kind of weird relationship thing with the Grimm. It wasn't exactly a friendship, at least not at first, but he still answered every call Nick made, and practically left his work or his routine to go help him. So it was pretty much like having a boyfriend, but not. Nick had Juliette. So maybe they were having an affair?

Then the cat with Juliette, Rosalee and him almost getting together and never actually doing it and just staying as friends, Adalind impersonating Juliette, Nick feeling lost without his Grimm abilities, then him getting them back and basically crying with joy after the first Wesen ass-kicking he did when he could see them again, Diana Renard, Sean Renard being fatherly, Adalind pregnant with Nick's baby after the impersonation, and now…

Now Nick was a father, no girlfriend, fiancé or wife, with Adalind having left nearly as soon as she had the baby. The first idea was naming him Kelly, but Monroe had wondered why he would name his son Kelly if his mother had only appeared out of nowhere from time to time, and it wasn't exactly for motherly visits. Like, Monroe understood the need to somehow have his mother close, but naming his kid after her wasn't the best way.

Besides, his mother didn't smell exactly thrilled at her grandson being also son of Adalind, a Hexenbiest. This baby wouldn't make her stick around more, at any rate. She took care of Diana mostly as a mission, and any warmth she held for that baby was quickly crushed down when she wasn't in charge of her anymore.

And after Nick had said he was done with being played around like some sort of puppy toy by both Juliette and Adalind, and then expressing his mild attraction to another guy, Kelly Burkhardt realized she probably would not get another grandchild, or one she approved off, most likely, since the guy in question had been Wesen. Nick truly was not a conventional Grimm.

Monroe really hoped that the still unnamed baby would grow up to be a Grimm like Nick, and maybe start a new way of relationship between Wesen and Grimms.

For now, though…

"Thank you, Monroe. I know this really disrupts your routine" Nick smiled. Monroe chuckled.

"I'm used to it by now. How long have we done this? Three years?"

"Almost four. I mean, like… I count it since the spring we started to really talk, not me only coming every time I needed help. Still, this goes above and beyond what you usually help me with" the Grimm looked down at the shock of light brown hair that was currently in the carrier strapped to his chest.

"Have you decided on a name yet?"

"Not really. It kind of hurt when you explained about the thing with my mom… but you're right. I may love her as my mother, but she hasn't been the constant I needed, even when I became a Grimm"

"May I suggest one?"

"Sure?"

"Mikhail? I mean, considering your roots are German and all, it could fit. Only a suggestion, though. He is your son, after all"

"Mikhail Burkhardt" Nick muttered, tasting the name in his mouth. It didn't quite roll off the tongue as easy as Michael, of course, but he thought it still sounded really nice.

"And Micah can be for short" Monroe added as an afterthought. He sighed as he saw the fruits of his day-long labor, "Want to see it work now?" Monroe would deny that he loved how Nick's eyes lit up as he saw the Christmas train Monroe put up for the holidays, but, really, he was happy that the Grimm seemed to be happy with so little.

"Micah. Yeah, I like it. I will go to the registry tomorrow morning" Nick smiled, and approached the train set-up, "You added more trees, right?"

"Yes" Monroe's voice was weird, because, honestly, he was moved that Nick noticed all the little details he changed (or, more often than not, didn't change). He didn't say anything else, but started the train, and Nick chuckled, and watched in quiet fascination. The Blutbad didn't have the heart to stop the little train until Nick had put Micah in the crib, and just had fallen asleep on the couch himself.

He looked at the baby, and was happy to see he pretty much seemed to have taken a lot of Nick's appearance. Maybe little Mikhail wouldn't be a reminder of Adalind for the Grimm, which would really suck at this point. Nick had been through a lot, and neither Juliette nor Adalind had been any help for his problems.

"Goodnight, baby Grimm", and wasn't it weird that he truly hoped Mikhail would be a Grimm through and through? Instead of possibly having Zauberbiest traits, "And goodnight, adult Grimm", his smile was fond as he placed three blankets over Nick, and made sure his position was comfortable for sleeping.

He didn't notice that Nick had stared at him going up to his room, a thoughtful but content expression on his face, and then had fallen asleep, for real.

So, things had changed since they met, sure. But they changed even more when that first spring happened. And now, almost four years later, Monroe found himself observing Nick more than he probably should as a friend. Somehow, the routine he followed had been really similar to what he did before Nick and Micah started living with him. And, somehow, it was now better. Or at least he found himself feeling content… maybe too content. Nick would leave Micah in his care as he went to work, but tried to be early. After the first two months and a half of asking Monroe if it really was okay for him to leave Micah all day with him, and that he could get a daycare if needed, and the subsequent reassuring from Monroe that yes, he could leave Micah with him, and no, don't bother getting a daycare, stop worrying, it's not a bother… Nick had grown more comfortable with living with Monroe.

The reason he was there in the first place was that the rental contract for the house he had shared with Juliette had come to an end. Three months before that happened, of course, he had told their landlord he would not be renovating the contract, in order for the landlord to be able to find new tenants. Monroe was really understanding about Nick being so accommodating for his previous landlord and actually leaving before the contract ran out so the new tenants could move in as soon as possible. Really. The house held good but painful memories for Nick, and some really bad ones, and Nick had been taking extra hours (before Micah, of course) just to not be there.

On the side, though, Nick had considered it to be temporal, just while he could find a house to buy and, plainly, to settle down. He didn't want to bother Monroe too much, even if the Blutbad insisted that he wasn't a bother. But Micah woke up crying to be fed, or because he was teething, and he was sure Monroe wasn't the heaviest sleeper in the world. That was just confirmed when he didn't hear any crying that woke him up, but his body still woke up, and he found Monroe feeing Micah with a bottle.

"Sorry if I just came in, but you've been too tired lately, and it won't do you or Micah any good if you're constantly tired" Monroe had said, not even shifting when Nick just watched curiously.

"I didn't say anything"

"I was getting ahead, just, you know, because you just woke up. Oh, and he was barely starting to whimper when I was coming up from the kitchen, so I thought of helping instead of letting you do everything" Monroe said softly, making a silly face for Micah, even though it was dark.

"You're amazing, Monroe" Nick stood to take a look at Micah in Monroe's arms. The baby looked up with pale blue-green eyes that were just like his own, and smiled before going back to his halfway empty bottle.

"You really should go back to sleep, though" Monroe replied, "I'll even try to be silent so you don't wake up again"

"Oh, you didn't wake me. I think I'm so used to Micah waking up every night around the same time for feeding that now he doesn't even have to cry anymore" Nick chuckled, and then yawned, "Goodnight, Monroe. And thank you so much for everything you've done" the Grimm was barely aware that he pecked Monroe's cheek before going back to bed. The Blutbad blinked, stared at him, felt when Nick's breathing slowed down to sleeping, and then, just then, he realized he was blushing. Or at least his face felt warmer. Micah's light gurgles stopped him from thinking about it, though, because he needed to be burped.

Nick was, and would be, eternally grateful for Monroe's help with everything: from the Grimm 'consultations' to even changing Micah's diapers. His house hunting was really slow, because cases kept piling up, and he didn't want to interrupt the few hours he had with Micah at the end of the day. He knew being a detective was taxing, of course, and that crazy hours came with the job description, but while a partner could understand, a baby couldn't, and he didn't want to possibly make his son feel abandoned or neglected. Even if Monroe was there. His childhood, while not terrible, wasn't something he would want his son to grow up with. Moving a lot, having a hard time making new friends and keeping them, and not having his parents, even if his aunt somewhat tried to stand in their place.

He truly didn't want to overstay his welcome at Monroe's, but it began to feel too much like home, and even if he had free time left, he started justifying his not-house-hunting as if they were things that required his attention more.

Monroe, on his part, had noticed Nick's stack of real state magazines was less and less used the more time Nick spent living with him. The thought of Nick staying indefinitely brought him some peaceful feeling, if he was being honest with himself. They truly had come a long way since the tackle, or the subsequent spring Nick talked about. The past years had been too wild in comparison to his life before The Tackle, but, in hindsight, he truly could not imagine his life without Nick, and now, little Micah.

At the same time, though, the thought that Nick had not expressed his desire to stay forever gave him the slight worry for the day the Grimm considered he just had to move out. It gave him a somewhat heavy heart, something he never thought would happen. Because a Blutbad, or any Wesen, falling in love with a Grimm? It just didn't happen.

But it did.

The sheer domesticity they had by now was a nice feeling. It was like having a more solid rock to lean on, rather than a strict routine and diet. And Micah… now he thought of Micah. He couldn't go back to the violence and recklessness he used to have with a baby he routinely cared for (and consistently insisted that he would care for).

The now six-month old stared at him from the floor of his little working room. He was trying to get closer to a clock plush toy he had acquired three days ago. It wasn't too cartoonish, and it held some resemblance to the clocks Monroe worked with, which in the Blutbad's opinion was the thing that made Micah so pleased with the toy, since the baby had made quite the fuss for a couple of days for Monroe to pick him up while working, and proceeded to try and touch all the clocks and tools he could reach for.

He had read that babies pretty much preferred to play with the real thing rather than the baby toy version of it, but he couldn't just give Micah a clock, so he had to get into some sort of middle ground. Nick had apologized for Micah interrupting him, but he blushed intensely at how Monroe had been so adamant that he did not mind one bit, because it was family. Monroe had discovered his new favorite shade of red.

"Rosalee, I need help" Monroe had Micah in the carrier strapped to his chest, his head resting on Monroe's shoulder, as he went into the shop, careful to not let anything even brush Micah's clothes.

"Is Micah okay?" Rosalee instantly stood and started looking at the baby. Monroe pouted, and she laughed, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, he's okay"

"And you?"

"I'm healthy" Monroe muttered, "Just don't tell Nick I came"

"God, Monroe, what have you done?" Rosalee's eyes widened, and locked the shop, putting the 'Closed' sign facing the street.

"What? I haven't done anything! You're acting as if I'm some sort of criminal" the Blutbad gave her a slightly pouty glare, and Rosalee breathed out.

"So, what is it?"

"I… I might have fallen for Nick"

"You 'might' have fallen for Nick, or you have?" Rosalee narrowed her eyes. Truly, with how Monroe had actually come to her for this, it had to be pretty serious, "Okay, what makes you think that?"

"Well, you know he moved in with me because his rent contract went out and he didn't want to keep living there…" it was like a cursed place for him, to be honest, ", and he also did not have another place ready for him to go"

"Yes?"

"Well, he's been there since before this spring, we're approaching Thanksgiving, and I honestly like the fact he hasn't moved out, and that his house-hunting isn't giving off much results. We're pretty much acting like a couple, except for, well, the fact that we are not one. Like, everything, just without the kisses, and the cuddles, and the… you know…"

"Sex?" Rosalee laughed, but at Monroe's checking of Micah's sleep, she quietened down a bit. Monroe blushed, but nodded, "Have you actually told any of this to Nick, though?"

"I do not want to pressure him"

"Right, so you're keeping it all to yourself instead of taking the risk and have the possibility of him loving you back and then both of you having a proper and loving family" Rosalee summed up, and Monroe actually thought it did sound ridiculous and stupid when it was put that way… but it still summed up what he was doing, "Nick is a Grimm, Monroe, no matter how friendly he is. It is weird enough that he already has a son with a Hexenbiest, of all Wesen, and then also the fact that he doesn't kill all the Wesen he encounters. I know you give a lot of thought to everything, and if you feel that way for him… have you thought about all the implications?"

"Yes. And I truly could not care any less. I do love him, Rosalee, and Micah… Micah is like my baby too, you know? I love him as if he was mine"

"Interesting, but you're still not doing anything about it" Rosalee sighed again, "At any rate, if Nick truly doesn't want your advances, he can actually rip your head off"

"Wow, thanks"

"I'm just stating a fact. That aside, I do have this entire shop to deal with you if you hurt him. And I'm pretty sure even Renard will intervene if that does happen. But, dear Monroe, you could also be hurting him by not doing anything. He might feel the same and have the same doubts you do. You know how his mother is, and he still cares for her, so maybe that's the reason he hasn't done anything"

"But he also has you, and he could talk to you about it"

"He has Hank. Like it or not, he could be having this exact conversation with him right now" the Fuchsbau replied. Monroe had to admit she was right.

Unknown to them, however, that conversation was happening between Renard and Nick. While Nick could feel closer to Hank to talk about romantic interests, the police captain could understand better his doubts about loving a Wesen… a male Blutbad, at that, especially with all the Grimm business.

"You are telling me you love Monroe, the Blutbad you're living with, along with your son… and you are asking me if that is okay?"

"I know it's not okay, Sean" Nick sighed, "I mean, with me being a Grimm and him being Wesen. If you're talking about both being men…" he narrowed his eyes. Renard rolled his eyes.

"Trust me, it has nothing to do with both of you being men. Even if you wanted more children, which would not be an issue, but that is another thing entirely. If I am to be honest, it is a quite problematic thing, a Blutbad-Grimm romance, because it just does not happen. You, however, are not a conventional Grimm, and Monroe is a reformed Blutbad. I think you would not do anything to endanger Micah, and you would not fall in love with someone that would be a threat to him, or you. You have good instincts. If you were expecting me to say it is wrong, though, I might have to remind you that I'm not exactly in the position to do so. I'm a bastard, quite literally" Renard sighed, and waited for Nick's response.

"So, you're saying this is okay?"

"Not outright, but, essentially, yes. The Wesen community here is completely unorthodox, thanks to having a nice Grimm like you, for a change. I think you should say something about it, see if he feels the same, and try and work it out. Just warn me when you two decide to have more children" outside, the captain was serious, but inside he was almost cackling at Nick choking with his last remark.

"You told me I could get pregnant barely a month ago!"

"It was out of concern for your workload and you living with Monroe" Sean replied easily. Partly, he actually thought Nick already knew he could get pregnant, because he was teasing him with living with the Blutbad and maybe they would have a new little miracle like Micah. At Nick's utter confusion, though, he had to explain it to him. It was like being a father and giving the infamous Talk, only with a grown man and his best detective, and he would've had to be a rather young father in that case.

When Nick went back home that night, he was exhausted. The case they had worked with Hank made them go to a lot of places out of the station: houses, restaurants (unfortunately, no eating was involved there), clubs, sport centers, and so on. He hadn't been able to eat or rest, and he had to stay finishing up the report because Hank had a small concussion. Not enough to go to the hospital, but enough that he had to go home earlier.

Dinner was waiting for him, which was already a usual occurrence by now. Monroe was speaking and replying to Micah's baby babbling in the living room. He turned to greet the detective as soon as he heard the door clicking. Nick looked dead on his feet, and he was arriving an hour and a half later… to put it plainly, it was obvious his day had been rough.

"Nick?"

"Monroe…" Nick stared at the Blutbad quietly for a while, and Monroe wasn't sure what he was supposed to do about it. There was silence for a while. Before the Blutbad knew it, Nick was hugging him, "God, thank you for everything"

"Nick? Is everything okay?" Monroe grew concerned. Yes, Nick was thanking him for a lot of things a lot of time, but never like this. Just what had happened to him at work?

"Yes… I just… really, I'm really thankful for everything you've done for both Micah and I, and you're way too amazing, but I love you so much, I don't know how or when it happened, but I will be damned if I let another day go by without telling you, even if you kick us out because you don't like me like that, I just wanted you to know that, and today was a shitty day, I'm really hungry, but I really needed to tell you that because…"

"Because…"

"Because I'm constantly at risk both on my job as a detective and as a Grimm, and I was reminded today that people really have no guarantee they will get another day, and… well… I love you… Monroe? Are you actually listening?"

His only answer was a kiss on his lips, and Monroe pulling him closer. They pulled apart to get some air.

"Dinner's ready if you're hungry"

"Starving"

"Can't have a starving mate" Monroe muttered. He picked up Micah, and went with Nick to the kitchen, where he warmed up Nick's dinner, and they sat down, "Micah already ate, I waited for you"

"Thank you. How was your day, Micah? Did you have fun with Monroe?" Nick kissed his son's forehead. His reply was a giggle and a gurgle.

"I took him to the teashop in the morning, had a chat with Rosalee. She sent… uh… she sent me a book that, according to her, it's imperative we read"

"Oh, really? What book?"

"Wesen and Grimm Genetics" Monroe blushed. Nick choked on his water.

"Have you read it yet?"

"Just a bit. It explains the, uh, dominant strains of Wesen and all. It says a bit of more women having the Grimm ability rather than men, of course, but I don't know how much of it is actually true because I think it was written by Wesen" Monroe explained.

"So… Rosalee knows?"

"Yes. I asked her about what I should do… granted, her words were encouraging, but she didn't say anything about kisses. Sorry about that, I got carried away" Monroe scratched the back of his head. Nick blushed, but he kept eating.

"I didn't mind, to be honest" was his reply, "And Sean gave me a talk about doing something about it and being happy, no matter if we were Wesen and Grimm"

"Oh, it wasn't Hank?"

"I thought about going to Hank, but even with him knowing, it isn't the same as getting the point of view of someone who is a Wesen. And I imagined you would go to Rosalee, so going to her wasn't really an option" Nick shrugged, and took another bite from his food.

"I… I was meaning to ask this… if you would consider moving in together definitely. We can turn your current room into Micah's room, and, you know, you moving into mine… if you want! I don't want to pressure you"

"Hardly pressuring me when I could kill you if you did… and when I wanted to really stay with you" Nick hummed nonchalantly as he finished his food, "Thank you for dinner, Monroe, it was delicious…" he pecked the Blutbad's lips, and took Micah into his arms, "I'm afraid Micah will have to sleep in our room for the time being, though"

"I don't mind that"

So maybe he did mind a little when Micah cried in the middle of the night for his feeding, or, sometimes, a diaper change. Mainly because Nick really got tired with everything, but he also needed his sleep. Somehow, though, they managed to take turns at night, and Nick had managed to get home earlier, and spend more time with them, which, in turn made him rest better.

Rosalee agreed to babysit at the teashop when Monroe went to help Nick with a case, though she had to keep a close eye on Micah, because he was a really curious baby, and a lot of thing in there… well, he shouldn't take them to his mouth.

Their lives changed again when another addition was made to their little pack (that's what Monroe and Rosalee called their little group of friends). His name was Dorian Callahan, according to his sweater's stitched name at the back, a man in his late twenties or early thirties. They weren't sure, though, because they had found him Woged in the middle of a forest, beaten up and with blood in his clothes. They weren't sure if the blood was his, but, due to his state, they assumed it was. Since he had been Woged, they took him to the teashop in the back of Nick's car, Monroe checking if the guy was even alive. The breathing was slipping away, getting weaker, but it was there.

"Daddy!" Micah called out when he saw Nick entering, "Papa!" Monroe had been surprised but pleased when the fourteen-month-old had started calling him that. And was happier when Nick had encouraged Micah to call him that.

"Hey there, champ" they couldn't pick him up, because they were busy taking Dorian to the bed Rosalee had in the shop. She closed behind them, and then the door to the backroom.

"Who is he?"

"Dorian Callahan. That's what his sweater says. He has no ID, no wallet, just a big wad of cash and there was a duffel bag close to him, hidden. It's in the back of the car" Nick explained quickly. Monroe went to get the duffel bag, and joined them again shortly, along with Captain Renard.

"What happened?"

"How did you…?" Rosalee blinked.

"They texted me about a Pflichttreue almost dead in a forest" Renard gave as an explanation. The Pflichttreue in question was still Woged, but it seemed to be faltering. Aside from that, he had lean muscles, seemed to be the same height as Nick, but more… delicate, in a way. Smaller. Interesting, "What is wrong with him?"

"I think he has two broken ribs, and has several… cuts, apparently. We haven't had time to actually see the damage" Rosalee replied, and she started undressing the Wesen, who huffed, and his eyes shot open. He seemed to be lost as to where he was, but then he made eye contact with Nick, and let out a growl, trying, and miserably failing, to get away. He ended up coughing up blood.

"Hey, hey, relax! Relax, we won't hurt you" Nick tried to relax.

"Y-you're a… Grimm…" he rasped out, and some more blood came out. He was not calming down whatsoever, so Rosalee gave Nick a look. The Grimm sighed, and stood back, seeing as Monroe and Rosalee both went Woge, and the guy seemed too confused to do anything else than stare at them, and then at Nick.

"Nick is not a normal Grimm. He does not kill unnecessarily" Renard piped in, and the guy opened his mouth, and then closed it.

"Sean?" he whispered. Renard seemed confused for a while, until the guy went back to human looks.

"Dorian?" the captain choked, and seemed lost at the amount of wounds and blood that were on the newcomer's body.

"You two know each other?"

"You… could call it that" Dorian mumbled, still giving Nick an uncertain glance before staring back at the half-Zauberbiest.

"I'm confused. You two know each other, how the hell did you end up like this in the middle of nowhere?" Monroe frowned.

"I… I have a friend… he s-said something… Portland… safe…" his breathing got heavier, and he closed his eyes.

"Okay, no more questions until he's better!" Rosalee growled, seeing how Dorian seemed to be about to throw up again, and was barely able to breathe by now. Nick and Renard tried to ask something else, but Monroe held Nick back, and Renard stopped at Rosalee's and Monroe's glares.

It wasn't until three weeks later that Rosalee gave them permission to have a small interrogation with Dorian at the teashop. He looked much better. He was still really pale, and he couldn't move much, and he barely had any energy to Woge from time to time, but he still was in much better shape than the one he had come in. Renard had been the first to arrive for that, but, to Rosalee's surprise, he didn't start by asking anything and everything.

It made her look at Renard differently, not as the cold and composed half-royal, but as a caring one. Sort of. He had yet to show that warmth to everyone. True, he tried to protect all of them, but it wasn't in the warm way he was giving water to Dorian, or the questions on how he was feeling and if he needed anything.

"God, Sean… you haven't changed" Dorian smiled softly, fondly, at the half-royal.

"That is not true"

"Whatever you say" Dorian sighed, "How long has it been?"

"Sixteen years… and a few months" Renard gave him another sip of water. It must have had something akin to medicine, because he made a face at the taste.

"Do you have any normal medicine? This is nasty" Dorian asked Rosalee, who rolled her eyes.

"Trust me, this is better than human medicine"

"Yes, but human medicine has a better taste" Dorian pouted. Sean chuckled.

"You have not changed"

"Ah… not in that aspect, maybe" the newer Wesen replied easily, and, with Sean's help, sat up in the bed, "Thank you for your help, Miss Calvert. Sorry. Rosalee"

"You're welcome. Oh, Monroe and Nick are here. They brought Micah"

"Who is Micah?" Dorian asked, and tensed up. Maybe it was a Grimm friend of Nick? While he trusted Rosalee and Sean enough to not distrust Nick too much, another Grimm was not really in his plans. Well, none of this had been in his plans, he snorted in his mind with bitterness.

Instead of an answer, the door opened to let in the Blutbad, the Grimm, and… a baby? Dorian narrowed his eyes, and looked at Renard for an explanation.

"We had no one to babysit him. This is Mikhail, or Micah, our son" Nick introduced. Dorian stared.

"Yours… and who else's?" he asked.

"Monroe's. Long story" Nick replied.

"You had a baby with a Blutbad. Okay…"

"It is more complicated than that, Dorian" Sean replied.

"More complicated than a Grimm having a baby with a Wesen?"

"Long story short, a Hexenbiest impersonated his ex-girlfriend, got pregnant in the process, left the baby to Nick, and Monroe and Nick have been dating for a couple of months now, and Micah calls Monroe 'papa' and Nick 'daddy'. They're finishing the papers for Monroe to officially adopt him" Rosalee explained. Dorian seemed dizzy for a moment at the information, and then waited for the punchline. This had to be a joke, right? But it never came.

"Fuck" he breathed out, "What was Ian thinking?"

"Ian? Ian Harmon?" Rosalee asked immediately. Dorian nodded, eyeing her strangely.

"Oh. You're that ex I never met. Oh…" he blinked, "But, yes, Ian Harmon told me Portland was safe. He didn't say anything else, that message was encrypted enough as it was. We barely keep contact anymore, last I heard of him was with that, and it was almost six months ago. It's hard to keep friendships these days"

"How did you meet him?"

"Ah. I was being neutral" Dorian scratched the back of his head, "I pissed Eric off when I refused to join their workforce, basically, when I reached my sixteenth birthday. Spent several years wandering around, a Hundjäger and his buddies found me and decided to play a bit, but I was able to run away from them. Then I negotiated my freedom with the Royals and the Wesen Council. Basically, I wouldn't join them, but I also would not befriend anyone in the resistance, you know how it works. Anyway. I met Ian. Thing is, I didn't know who the fuck he was, and then the Royals got pissed again. Had to negotiate again, and it did not go well. So, went on to live in Eric's castle, in the oh-so-comfortable dungeons, for a couple of years. Here I am. I ran away, Eric gave instructions that if I managed to escape alive, and leave the continent, that no one chase me. I think he didn't expect for me to try it, or actually succeed. I mean, I'm not really much for fighting material"

"You do have muscles" Rosalee mentioned.

"Yes, but that's really nothing when your guards are Verrat… or, specifically, Hundjäger" Dorian replied easily, "Ian sent someone to help. Like, one of his friends, uh, Lucien, was it? The thing was, he was the one to infiltrate and basically hand me the keys, and then left. So I did what I could to run"

"How did you manage to get to Portland? And in the middle of nowhere?" Nick asked. Dorian gave him a look.

"Barely. The guards were not amused. My blood was rather easy to track for them, to be honest, and I did not expect to make it out of Vienna, much less out of Europe. I managed to pay cash for a ticket. I cleaned up a bit of blood and stayed really still as to not bleed out there. I landed in Atlanta, though, and I wanted to keep a low-profile. Most of my trip here was either hitchhiking or by foot. Local pharmacies kind of helped…"

"How did you make it here? You were terrible"

"Oh, I wasn't bleeding as much. I stumbled upon some Weten Ogen, though, in the middle of one of the rituals. Uh, well, they did seem to smell my blood, and just said they could finish me off and go on with their lives" Dorian sighed, and took a deep breath.

"Do you need water?" Renard asked.

"Please…" he drank eagerly, "Thank you, Sean"

"How did you two meet, though?"

"Our mothers" Sean explained, "Before my mother and I left, we lived in a… posh place, and our houses were facing each other's. Our mothers, upon knowing the other also had a son, decided to meet up, and then we met. He was still a baby, barely a year old, and I was nine. It was… odd, but I felt like a big brother. So I liked being there, taking care of him. I was even there for his first steps"

"You sound as if you were our mothers' age" Dorian chuckled, "But that was pretty much what happened. Then Sean and his mother had to leave for their safety, and we didn't see each other until he was twenty, sixteen years ago. We met briefly, not quite recognizing each other, but knowing each other's name and that we used to be close. Then, well, he left again, and I got fucked up, so…"

Sean seemed to be struggling to digest everything. True, sixteen years ago they had barely recognized each other, but, even then, he had felt the same protectiveness he felt when they were younger (Dorian much younger). It was something he had not been able to explain, but, after they parted ways for a second time, that same protectiveness drove him to not even look for him, as if to protect him from everything that could endanger him if he was seen or associated with Sean. It was a gut-wrenching thought, though, that even with that intention, Dorian had been hurt… so hurt.

"I'm sorry, Dorian" he muttered after a stretch of silence. Dorian seemed to understand his inner struggles enough to just smile.

"It wasn't your fault, Sean. You couldn't predict how our lives would be, with or without each other"

"If I had thought of bringing you here in the first place, though…"

"Sean. I'm serious. It was not your fault. Unless you're a prophet, and you had seen this. I'm here… that's what matters now" Dorian's face had softened from the tenseness he had while telling them what had happened to him, "At any rate, I should've been less cowardly to seek you out"

"Are you planning on staying in Portland?" Nick asked. Dorian's shoulder tensed, and his face was suddenly closed off. As if he had forgotten he wasn't alone with Renard. Monroe and Rosalee exchanged glances. Sean seemed to notice, because he sighed.

"For the time being, yes" Dorian replied, and stared at Monroe, and no one could make out what he was thinking. Then he looked at Nick, "If you will not kill me when I get out of the teashop, that is"

Nick sighed.

"I won't bother you if you are a law-abiding citizen. Really" were the Grimm's words. Sometimes it became tiresome to be reassuring new Wesen, because he was so used to most of the Wesen in Portland not minding him and actually helping him since they understood how he worked… and sometimes he forgot the rest of the Grimms weren't like him and that anyone outside of this territory would be wary of him.

"Then I will stay" Dorian released a breath, and gave a yawn, so strong that some of his fur appeared and disappeared, almost as if he was a cat that had stretched and his hair had spiked momentarily.

"Well, we'll leave you alone for now. When will he be able to leave, Rosalee?" Monroe asked.

"If he goes on like this, next week. The few times he has Woged, he was able to quicken his healing quite a lot" the Fuchsbau smiled softly, "Keep visiting! And you can still send Micah for me to babysit! I've missed him"

The baby, now awake, gurgled happily. Dorian smiled softly, a small burst of fondness growing as he stared at the cute baby.

"Yes, we'll drop him off from time to time" Nick sighed.

"What do you think of Dorian?" Monroe asked his almost-husband as they went back into their home.

"Well, he was nearly dead for running from Eric Renard. The captain seemed to trust him quite a lot"

"There's more to that, in my opinion"

"What do you mean?"

"He has a bit of history with Sean, however little, and however young they were. Have you ever heard Renard apologizing, even for things that were his fault?"

"Rarely. I mean, the closest I got with the entire Juliette-Renard thing was his assurance that he only wanted to help but perhaps a different approach would have been better" Nick shrugged, "So?"

"And Dorian seemed really fond of him, too. I think they might have hidden feelings for each other… you know, a bit like we were before we started dating" Monroe mentioned. Nick seemed thoughtful for a second.

"True. I think it's easier to notice romance if one isn't involved" he said, "So, what do we do about it?"

"Help them get together, of course" Monroe had a little evil smile, and Nick wasn't sure if his intention of playing matchmaker was completely innocent.

"Dorian, you and Sean… did you have a romance together? I mean…"

"Oh, you mean how I'm so open with him?" Dorian completed for Rosalee, and she nodded, "Well… I chose him as my mate long ago. I think it was back when I was three. I barely had a choice with that, but it felt the same when I met him again sixteen years ago. The same feeling of safety and that I could trust him. I considered looking for him, when I turned twelve, but… I was perhaps too cowardly to do so"

"How come?"

"When Sean left with his mother… a lot of things happened" Dorian sighed, "I told you our houses were facing each other… and that we played together. Or more like he helped start walking, first words, all that. Anyway, when they left, his mother left a note explaining why they had to leave. However, since we spent a lot of time together, when Eric's mother and Eric himself were hunting them down, they stumbled upon us"

"Did they…?"

"They killed my parents when I was eight" Dorian said softly, "Pflichttreues, as you know, are quite loyal. We all refused to help them find Sean and his mother. I managed to run away before they went up to my room to finish it off. But I was angry at Sean. That he had left without saying goodbye, and for bringing all that pain, that our association with them had brought my parents' deaths. So I took the coward's way, and didn't bother to look for him. I considered doing it when I was twelve, but… well, I still got angry when I thought about that, and then everything with Ian and then the Royals happened.

»"I learned there are things that no one can control, so I stopped getting angry at Sean. I think I blamed him, to some extent, instead of his mother, but I had to stop. It wasn't his fault. Somewhere along the way, though, I realized I had chosen him as a mate. I had planned to look for him after getting better and dealing with all the shit I went through, but this… this is probably better. I've missed him. Isn't it pathetic? I haven't seen him in sixteen years, and I've missed him. He doesn't even know he's my chosen mate…

Rosalee was about to answer, but Dorian had already fallen asleep. She guessed it had been a tiring day for him.

After Dorian was 'discharged' from Rosalee's care, he didn't have anywhere to go. The duffel bag he had brought with him was full of wads of cash in different currencies, but mostly euros and dollars. When Nick had questioned him on the origin, Dorian had only said the castle was a maze and he thought the money could be useful. It had proven to be useful, at least for the plane ticket to Atlanta, and pharmacies.

"I guess I'll stay in a motel or something" Dorian had muttered. Motels usually didn't ask much questions, and he knew he would be left alone by other tenants.

"We have a spare room" Nick offered. Dorian hesitated. Nick wanted to groan. Almost two months at this, and Dorian was always reluctant around him! Monroe insisted he needed time to adjust.

"If it truly doesn't bother you…" the Pflichttreue replied softly, "I mean, you do have a baby and all, and I'm still technically a stranger… but if you're both okay with that… I would like it" Nick smiled. They had made progress, then!

"Of course we're okay. And we're helping a new friend, which also makes it doubly okay" Monroe chuckled, almost being able to read Nick's thoughts. He knew how affected Nick got whenever a friendly Wesen was wary of him just because of his Grimm status, and Dorian had taken longer than usual. Granted, they hadn't exactly met him on the best of circumstances, but they were willing to help him in whatever they could. Monroe had insisted that Dorian bunk with them instead of Renard, somewhat to help Dorian trust them, or, basically, others that were not the police captain. Something akin to broadening his horizons.

Dorian living with them was… different. They had noticed his habits of basically staying silent during most of his day, and he still insisted to shop for groceries with the money he had brought. He was good at budgeting, apparently. He also was a great babysitter. Whenever Monroe needed to go help Nick with a case, Dorian said he could babysit Micah, or take him to the teashop with Rosalee if they wanted. Sometimes he went to the teashop, but mostly he stayed at the house.

He had started looking for videos online on how to stimulate a baby, who was nearly two by now. There were a lot of methods, but his favorite so far had been an Italian one… uh, what was it called again? Anyway, he had started buying things to make the materials he needed, and placed a couple of orders, and Micah had started enjoying staying alone with Dorian so much that he even ran to meet him whenever he entered the room the baby was in and then demanded in his baby-talk that Dorian took him to the 'fun-room'. It was basically an empty room that Monroe hadn't used and the Pflichttreue took his chance to transform it into Micah's playroom of sorts.

Monroe and Nick had been surprised at how Dorian had warmed up to Micah, treating him as if he was his favorite nephew, almost his son, even after knowing he had no Zauberbiest traits, meaning he was most likely a future Grimm.

"If he's Nick's son, and he's also being raised by a Blutbad, with a half-Zauberbiest as an uncle, and a Fuchsbau as an aunt… I mean, he will turn out to be like Nick, and that's amazing" Dorian had said as an explanation.

"You're forgetting the Pflichttreue uncle" Monroe and Nick had replied, and Dorian had blushed.

"Thank you" he muttered.

"You're family now, too, Dorian" Nick said. Unknown to them, that was the final straw for him, and he had broken down, thanking them for everything, hugging both of them, and basically shocking them. Dorian was always calm, he often smiled but it tended to have a nostalgic and somewhat sad undertone, but he had never cried. Of course, when he had told them about him not having a family anymore, they understood how much it meant for him to have another family that also cared about him.

It started driving them crazy, however. By the time Dorian was spending his second Christmas with them, Micah was already three, and the attraction between Renard and their housemate was too much to bear. Dorian had started helping them with some cases. He wasn't especially strong, true, but he had picked up some tricks during his time on the run, and during his dungeon time. That, added to his negotiating skills, and his ability to appear so strong people pissed themselves with his threats, were great help to their cases. The scars he had gained over the years also gave him that dangerous effect.

Renard had been worried that Dorian would get hurt, so he checked on him constantly. When he reached the fourteen missed calls in less than an hour, though, Dorian would tell him to stop calling if he didn't want him dead. So, Renard had done what he could, and he had put an active GPS tracker on Dorian's phone. Dorian knew about it, and Renard knew that he knew, but the police captain was thankful that the younger Wesen didn't mention it, and never asked how Sean was able to track him down so accurately to take him home after a case, even when the Grimm and Monroe wondered about it out loud.

Rosalee babysat when Dorian went to a case, of course.

Monroe and Nick were ready to smash their faces together so they could kiss and start dating.

"So, mistletoe this Christmas?"

"I reckon we don't have many options left. Hanging them everywhere is our only hope by now" Monroe sighed.

"If we're having a pre-Christmas party elsewhere, we need to get mistletoe in there as well" Nick added. They had made a sketch of their house, and had now marked all the places that would have mistletoe. Doorways, corners, the middle of the room, "I think the entrance could work, we can tell Dorian to go pick Renard up so he doesn't have to drive… or when he drives him home…"

"Pre-Christmas party?"

"Sometimes we use Hank's house to, you know, have the office party out of the office. Not everyone goes, but Wu, Renard, and about ten deputies are always there. Of course, last year we couldn't have one because everyone had to work on the night it was planned, but this year Sean promised we would all have the night off. Anyway, this might work in our favor, you know? Bringing Dorian to the party"

"He isn't an officer, and he isn't officially dating Renard" Monroe narrowed his eyes.

"But, he has been to the precinct a couple of times. There are two Lowen, male, that have shown interest in him. Both have asked me if he is single. Apparently, home-cooked meals being brought in for Hank, Wu, Renard and I, and with Micah in tow… uh, do I need to go on?"

"What? What did they say?"

"That they would not mind if the food was for them, and there were some comments about kisses and sexual ravaging that I really didn't need to hear about" the Grimm rolled his eyes, "Also that they would gladly even go savage to prove their worth to him if it was necessary. I don't know if they think that Dorian being European means he likes a more traditional approach, but it sounds like it"

"Yeah… but Dorian bringing food for you, a Grimm, and two Kehrseite, and Renard, should probably tell them he has a different approach already" Monroe sighed, "Okay, so, the plan at that party would be…?"

"Put mistletoe at Hank's, not as much as here, but enough for a risk of Dorian kissing someone to exist"

"Not Renard?"

"Not necessarily. I mean if they do kiss there, we could save ourselves from overloading our home with mistletoe… but if Dorian ends up kissing someone else that could be the trigger of Sean actually doing something about his attraction to him" Nick explained.

"I didn't know you were such a matchmaker"

"Does it bother you?"

"Nope" Monroe laughed.

"What did I miss?" Dorian entered the house with the groceries for the week. Nick pretended he was reading closely the sketch of the house, as if it was a case file. Dorian narrowed his eyes, but he decided to just place the groceries in the kitchen instead of asking what was up and who did Nick think he was fooling. Micah, strapped in the carrier on his chest, was asleep.

"Did he behave?" Monroe asked, easing his son from the Pflichttreue, careful not to wake him.

"Of course. However… I think you two might want to prepare yourselves for when he's older, because he's enough of a heartbreaker right now. I lost count of the amount of ladies that came up to me and cooed at him. And they asked about his mother! The nerve! I just told them I was the babysitter, and they left me alone. Then a couple of guys, they smelled like Wesen but I'm not sure which kind, asked me out and promised they could provide for me and for Micah. Even after I said he wasn't my son" Dorian rolled his eyes as he went on with some rants about cheeky people and their assumptions, and why didn't they just mind their own business?

Monroe and Nick were more than amused at his predicament, but listened to him as he finished placing all the groceries in their place, be it the fridge, the freezer, or the cupboard.

"Have you thought of having someone, Dorian?" Nick finally asked when the younger Wesen was done, both speaking and organizing. The Pflichttreue blushed lightly.

"Maybe. I mean… I do like guys, you know? And I'm pretty much mentally prepared to be the one getting pregnant" a deeper blush appeared on his cheeks ", but, the thing is… I'm not sure if the guy I've had in mind could actually like me enough for the entire 'mate, marriage, babies' part that I do want. Like, all the commitment it implies, you know?"

Monroe and Nick exchanged glances, slightly worried about how it seemed that Dorian was too self-depreciating to think he was attractive. They knew he was confident with a lot of things, but, apparently, his looks weren't one of those… or his personality. Which was ridiculous! The guy was almost infuriatingly patient with everything and everyone, perhaps too forgiving, but he was loyal (textbook description of his kind), and had some calm strength to him that just made him be peace in whichever room he entered. Also, he was handsome too! They were committed to each other, true, but Monroe and Nick had eyes.

"Was I this dense when we weren't together, Monroe?" Nick asked softly.

"A bit" Monroe admitted.

"God, being an outsider really is an advantage" the Grimm mumbled, and Dorian eyed them suspiciously, but let it slide again.

"Why did you ask?" was his only response.

"Well… a couple of guys at the precinct have asked me if you were available for dating. We have a pre-Christmas party every year, usually at Hank's, and I thought that maybe you could come with us and see if someone could catch your eye" Nick explained. Dorian hesitated. Maybe dating someone that wasn't Sean could help him figure out if he could choose another mate?

"I guess it could work. It's not like I meet a lot of guys every day" he finally said.

"Great, the party is Friday, next week!" Nick grinned.

"You seem incredibly cheerful about this. Am I bothering you two by being here?"

"No! Of course not! But, we thought you getting a boyfriend would also help you know Portland better. Oh, before I forget, two of the guys that have asked are Lowen. In case you are looking for some… intensity in… parts of a relationship"

Dorian blushed, but was glaring hard at Nick, who smirked, and Monroe was laughing already.

"You're nearly as embarrassing as an older brother. Goodnight, though. And thank you"

The pre-Christmas party was a hit, if Nick could say so himself. Having Dorian was indeed like having a little brother, and he actually got to threaten the two Lowen, just in case. True, they were coworkers, but he was still a Grimm, and no Wesen in their right minds would dare to cross one, friendly or not.

"Have I told you how attractive you get when you're all threatening?" Monroe asked.

"Huh. Maybe Dorian will have to bunk here at Hank's tonight. Lucky Rosalee is taking care of Micah until tomorrow morning" was all Nick replied.

Renard arrived fashionably late. Okay, he arrived late, but he was fashionably dressed for the occasion, and Hank and Nick, the only detectives daring enough to tease him, gave a couple of catcalls. Monroe nearly burst a vein trying not to laugh at Sean's face, and Dorian mysteriously disappeared for a couple of minutes, much to the disappointment of a male Weten Ogen that had been invited by a normal human cop.

"You didn't tell me Sean attended this party" Monroe would deny he shrieked when Dorian was suddenly behind him, whispering furiously. Luckily for Monroe, only Nick and Hank noticed, and they seemed really amused, which probably meant Dorian would not be killing him.

"I think Nick might have mentioned it sometime. I guessed it was normal. He is the police captain, Dorian" Monroe was proud of himself for being able to have a normal, solid, completely unhesitant voice. Dorian gave a groan, and the Blutbad turned around, "Why is it important, though?"

"I just… ugh… never mind" Dorian darted to where Hank had placed the alcohol, and served himself a generous amount of tequila. He also downed two vodka shots, - nothing added! – Before leaving to keep talking to another guy, this time one of the Lowen, if Monroe was correct. Had this man no self-preservation?! Then again, he had spent the last years of his life imprisoned, so maybe he had lost sight of his alcohol limit.

The Lowen looked as if he had hit the jackpot when Dorian seemed to loosen up a bit.

One word.

Alcohol.

Monroe joined Nick in talking to other detectives or their partners. Nick had said only ten were constant, but it was evident there were at least thirty people in here that worked at the station, and each seemed to have a plus one, either a friend, a boyfriend or girlfriend, or a sibling or cousin.

And, Nick's idea worked. It went worse than expected, though.

Dorian and the Lowen (Richard, was it?) had ended up under one of the mistletoes in one corner. Hank had seen a soft kiss, Dorian blushing like crazy, and Richard looking as if he was about to pounce on prey. Which, considering his Wesen kind, wouldn't be far from his thoughts. He had shook his head and went to give Nick the news, but, before he could, there was a growl coming from another corner of the room.

Renard seemed… incensed. Furious. Livid. All those worked, to be honest, and maybe they could even be considered a bit of an understatement. Oh, shit.

"Nick!" he called. Nick arrived with Monroe, and they looked at Renard.

"Shit, he went Woge" Nick mumbled, "Monroe, help me get him outside"

Somehow, between the two of them, they managed to get Sean to the backyard. Hank, however, was worried about them coming back, because these new kisses weren't nearly as innocent as the first one. Hank was glad they were in a corner, because no one else had actually noticed them. Dorian wasn't even touching the ground, for heaven's sake!

Okay, time to interrupt.

"Guys, I know you two think the other is attractive, but let's try to keep this party under PG-13, okay?" he said with a smile. Dorian became redder, and Richard apologized, and assured him they would socialize more, meaning no more making out.

"I need another drink" Dorian darted to the drinks, and Richard smiled, and just went to the backyard. Hank wanted to smash his head against the wall. Repeatedly, "Sorry about that, uh, show, Hank. Please, don't tell Sean?"

"I think he saw the first innocent kiss, but I won't tell him about this. Why is it so important that he doesn't know, though?"

"I don't know how much you know about Wesen…?"

"A bit, but I can try and understand"

"Well… Pflichttreues have a chosen mate. They sort of choose them. We don't have much of a choice, but at the same time… we do. When I met Sean, when I was little, my Wesen side decided he was a worthy mate to commit to, and I really idolized him at the time, so I agreed. Both my sides agreed. So, I chose him. And he is still my chosen mate. But… he met me when I was a baby, practically helped me reach all my milestones, like walking, first words, and so I think it might be weird for him. I think he might see me as a little brother, not a potential mate" Dorian sighed, and rubbed his eyes. He was so tired even Hank could see his Wesen fur spike for a moment.

"So, pretty much you can meet someone and if your Wesen side and 'human' side both agree on it, that someone is the chosen mate"

"Yes. Wow, you're a pretty smart Kehrseite. I mean, most tend to have a hard time even dealing with the amount of different Wesen there are" Dorian smiled.

"Wait, maybe I might be getting this wrong, but… if one is with someone that isn't their mate, doesn't it…?" Hank didn't know how to phrase it.

"Hurt? Feel wrong?" Dorian chuckled bitterly.

"I guess"

"Yes, to both. Right now… when I was kissing Richard…" Dorian shuddered, "I kept hoping it was Sean, for starters. And thank you for interrupting, because I had started to feel dirty. Well, still kind of feel dirty" the younger man sighed, and took a sip from what looked like cola.

"Tell me that's not alcohol"

"It isn't. It's Coke. Only Coke" Dorian assured, "I wouldn't have kissed Richard for so long if alcohol hadn't blocked several of my base inhibitions"

"Hey, you can sleep it off, I have a spare room if you want"

"God, thank you, Hank" Dorian hugged him, "Please?"

Hank smiled, and led Dorian to the room. He gave him the key, and told him to lock it so no one would bother him. When the older detective went back down, he noticed Nick and Monroe were talking to Sean by the drinks.

"… not killing" Monroe replied.

"What would you know? Goldstein had his hands all over Dorian!" Sean snapped, "He had no right…"

"And why would that be?" Hank piped in.

"Hank! Where's Dorian? Richard said he had decided to stay here with you"

"He's in the spare room, sleeping the alcohol off" Hank replied, "There was something about chosen mates, alcohol removing inhibitions, and kissing Richard actually hurting. He just looked exhausted, and he accepted my offer. I will probably give him some clean clothes for tomorrow, but I think it best if he stayed here to rest peacefully"

"Thank you" Monroe replied, "We can come pick him up after we get Micah from Rosalee's tomorrow"

"Do not bother. I will come to pick him up, and check on him" Sean replied. He went Woge when Nick was about to protest. Even Hank was able to see the Zauberbiest part of his boss, and he had to admit that Renard was scary. Even with fully human looks, but with the Wesen parts… maybe terrifying would be the word?

"Sure, then. Just tell us when you'll be dropping him off at home, because he will probably need rest. If he doesn't, though, we're still decorating for Christmas" Nick replied, "And do tell us if he needs something else, just to be ready"

Hank woke up to the smell of cinnamon, oatmeal, French toast, eggs, bacon, something cheesy, and something else. He went down, only to find a shirtless Dorian plating different foods.

"Good morning"

"Hank!" Dorian jumped slightly, having been deep in thought while cooking, "I didn't know what you had for breakfast, so I tried cooking a bit of everything" it looked more than just 'a bit of everything', considering there were four bacon-cheese-onion-bell pepper omelets on a dish, a bowl with cinnamon oatmeal that looked as a total of four big servings, and a plate with a tower of French toast with a side of maple syrup, freshly cut strawberries and whipped cream. Additionally, what looked like freshly squeezed orange juice, hot water for tea, and the entire pot of coffee, was also adding to what seemed a really nice gourmet breakfast.

The dishes, Hank noticed, were also already washed, save from the ones currently in use. Hank couldn't help but think Renard was one lucky bastard to be Dorian's chosen mate, especially with this sort of breakfast.

"Where did you find all this stuff?" he muttered.

"Well, you had bread, eggs, cheese, bacon, milk, and the strawberries, and the spices. I just went to get the onion, the bell peppers, and the oatmeal because your oatmeal thing was empty. Oh, and the oranges. And a new coffee thing" Dorian replied, and plated the fifth and last omelet.

"You… went shirtless into the store?"

"Of course not" Dorian looked at him as if he was crazy. The doorbell rang, and Hank went to get it. Renard was already there, a small backpack in his hand, and a serious face.

"Is Dorian awake?" he asked.

"Yes, he's…"

"Sean!" Dorian came out of the kitchen, still shirtless, "I didn't know you were coming. I made breakfast, have you eaten yet?"

"No"

"Do come in, Renard, Dorian made enough food for an army"

"Monroe and Nick eat a lot, you know" Dorian pouted, "Come on in, then"

"You look awfully chipper for a drunk night" Renard commented as he got served an omelet and a small bowl with oatmeal, a glass of orange juice, and a cup of coffee.

"Oh, well, I did wake up about three times, threw up a bit, felt awful about it, slept again, even with nausea, and today around six I woke up, threw up again, felt better, and couldn't sleep again. So I made breakfast because Hank was so nice last night I had to do something for him" Dorian explained.

"Any headaches?" Sean asked.

"Nothing I can't handle" Dorian assured, and also gave Hank a plate, "Tell me what you guys think. Bon appetite" he himself had only taken a small bowl of oatmeal, and was eating it with a soft smile. The two older males ate. Renard managed to say it was delicious without losing his composure, but his eyes were warm, and Dorian blushed. Hank had no qualms about moaning about the deliciousness of his food, and the younger man had thanked him.

"Here, I brought you a set of new clothes and some medicine that might help you with any headaches, and something to soothe your stomach" Renard said, pointing at the backpack he had brought. Dorian blushed intensely.

"Thank you, Sean" he had to stop himself from actually saying just how a perfect mate he was, but it was a really close call.

"You can go shower. Renard said he would be taking you home today" Hank said. Dorian smiled, thanked him for the food (which had Hank really confused), and went upstairs with the backpack Sean had brought for him. He started singing in the shower, ended up taking one pill for his slight headache, and dressed up in the new set of clothes. When he looked at himself in the mirror, he had to admit he looked really good. Perfectly aware that the clothes costed more than the ones he had owned after losing his parents, and more than the ones he had been wearing since he had arrived to Portland, he wondered if Sean had done it on purpose to prove he could perfectly provide for Dorian.

Wishful thinking on his part, perhaps, but he would really like it if it were like that.

He went back down with the care package now with his dirty clothes and the pills he didn't take, his hair still a mess, even if he did try to fix it on his way down the stairs.

"So… do I look good?"

"If I was into you, I would totally… respect your boundaries and treat you nicely" Hank had to correct himself at Renard's glare. Dorian smiled.

"Such a nice guy, Hank! I'm sure you have people throwing themselves at you all the time" he replied, "So, Sean, ready to go? I see you helped Hank get everything into the fridge, good thinking, he will have food for tomorrow!"

"More like for the rest of the week. Thank you, Dorian. Have a great day!"

"Thank you! And thanks for the clothes, Sean, they're really comfortable"

"My pleasure. I can take you to the store where I got them if you want more" Sean offered, and Dorian beamed at him. They bid Hank goodbye once again, and Sean opened the passenger door for the younger Wesen, who blushed, in Sean's not-so-humble opinion, cutely. As they started driving, Dorian's lack of decent sleep seemed to be catching up to him, "Are you feeling okay?"

"Just a bit tired, I guess. Thanks for picking me up"

"I must admit my intentions are not entirely innocent, Dorian"

"Uh?" the younger Wesen turned to stare at Sean, who still had his eyes on the road.

"I noticed you and Richard were… close to each other, last night" Sean felt more than saw Dorian cringing at his words, and he worried, "He… he did not force you to kiss, did he?"

"I… no. I was too drunk" Dorian admitted softly, "Sorry"

"Whatever for?"

"I haven't been completely honest with you, Sean. But I think this is a conversation to have a bit more face to face, in a private place… not exactly in your car, however nice it is" Dorian sighed, and closed his eyes, "Wake me up when we get there"

Sean did not wake him when he arrived at his building. He carried Dorian to his penthouse, and put him in his bed for him to rest properly.

When Dorian woke up, it was to a peaceful and safety feeling. He had never woken up like that since… oh. He sniffed the pillow, and he understood. Everything smelled of Sean. Sean's cologne, and something else that seemed to be his natural odor, which he couldn't quite place beyond something herbal.

"Dorian?" like clockwork, Sean entered the room to see if the younger Wesen was already awake. He was, "Did you sleep well?"

"Better than I have in years, Sean. Thank you" was the younger man's reply, "Sorry for falling asleep so quickly"

"I understand you were tired, Dorian, you have nothing to apologize for" Renard replied, "But now we can have that conversation you mentioned in the car"

"Right" Dorian was really not looking forward to this. What if Sean got mad and ended up rejecting him as a mate?

The conversation was not an easy one. Dorian told him Sean he was his chosen mate, explained how it had come to that, how kissing Richard had hurt and how he had started to feel dirty, and how during the past years he only felt constant guilt at not seeking him out. Sean listened, mostly in silence, sometimes reassuring Dorian that he was not mad at him. He could see how emotionally taxing had this been on the younger man, not only to have the conversation, but everything that had happened to him before getting to Portland.

It ended with Dorian being held by Sean's stronger arms, the half-Zauberbiest rubbing him soothingly as he processed everything.

"Marry me"

Dorian yelped.

"What?! You just saw me… kiss… another guy… and I told you…"

"I'm your chosen mate, aren't I?" Dorian nodded at Sean's words, "Ever since you came to Portland, Dorian, I… I have been yearning to be with you, not only as friends, but as something else. I was gathering up my courage, bidding my time, but last night, when you kissed Richard, I realized that taking my time would not work in my favor. You are too perfect for your own good, and you were bound to get someone else. I did not know about being your mate until now, so I didn't know any better. But now? I would be a fool to let you go. I have fallen in love with you, and I will not feel bad for being selfish in this matter"

"You're hardly selfish when I truly do want to be with you. I love you too, Sean" Dorian cuddled more into Sean's chest, "You're a perfect mate for me" he muttered.

The rest of their morning was spent lazing around Sean's penthouse. Dorian had removed the shirt at some point, and Sean was only a man, so a make-out session had ensued. Dorian was elated, and way more enthusiastic than when he had kissed Richard. That, and he truly felt… blissful, complete, when he was kissing Sean.

Needless to say, Dorian was back a Monroe's and Nick's late in the evening. Nick had been worried, and had started firing questions as if he was okay, if anything happened to him (Sean looked insulted with that question in particular), and that there was food for him and Monroe was warming it up for him now. Micah just added to the worry by loudly calling for Dorian, nearly in tears, and running with his still slightly wobbly legs to hug Dorian's own legs. Dorian picked him up, and wiped the little tears that had started flowing between the 'I missed you' and 'meanie'. Sean couldn't help but wonder if he would be able to convince Dorian to live with him if Micah was like this whenever he wasn't with the baby.

"Uncle Sean!" Micah cried, but he was still firmly holding to Dorian, who, of course, wasn't going to let go anytime soon.

"Hello, little Mikhail" he replied softly with a small smile, trying to sound calm enough to calm Micah down.

"Will you take Uncle Dorian to your house and have your wicked way with him? That's what papa was ranting about! You can't have Uncle Dorian for yourself!" of course, his words were clumsier than that, but the idea was the same, and Dorian was blushing, and Sean glared at Nick.

"Just what are you telling my nephew?" he asked, in his angered calm voice.

"We were worried about Dorian, and Hank said you went for him quite early, so… that, and he didn't answer his phone, you didn't answer yours. Dorian is like a little brother to us, you know?" Nick replied easily, and he gave a slight warning look at the last part. Dorian for his part, smiled.

"You guys are amazing" he hugged Nick, "I will go reassure Monroe that I'm more than okay"

"No need, I can smell your hormones from the kitchen. I'm happy for you" Monroe was smiling as he came out of the kitchen with a full plate of whatever he and Nick had eaten for lunch, a glass of lemonade, and Dorian's big water bottle. Two liters of water. They had been impressed at the sheer amount of water Dorian drank through the day, hence, they had gotten him a huge water bottle he could refill, though not as many times as a small one. Dorian blushed once again, and thanked him for the food.

"Well, come in, Sean, we need to talk" Nick motioned for the police captain to actually go in and sit, right beside Dorian. He eased Micah from his mate's arms to let him eat normally, and, luckily, Micah agreed to the change, despite how against he had been against his Uncle Sean taking Uncle Dorian away.

Dorian was happily eating the gnocchi Monroe had cooked, having decided to ignore the conversation that was going to happen. For one, it felt nice to have someone defend him, or his honor, or whatever, since his parents died. Second, he really wanted to eat.

"So, what are your intentions towards Dorian? Because if you hurt him, I will turn all the Wesen in Portland against you" Nick started, "And Monroe will dispose of your body. I mean, we have become pretty good at that, to be honest" he casually looked at his husband, who was just having a small talk with their son, while Dorian was either deep in thought or was choosing to ignore the entire conversation by just eating.

"I intend to marry him. You know, mate with him, in his terms" Sean glanced briefly at how red Dorian's face was becoming while he pointedly looked at the food he was eating, "Am I going to have to wrestle him out of little Micah's grasp, though? Is he always like that when Dorian isn't here?"

"Sometimes, mainly when he knows he's out on a case with us. And today, well, Dorian usually tells him when he won't be here, and today he didn't know, and we didn't know, and he worried, of course" Nick replied easily, "I don't think he will take his two favorite uncles being together badly"

Sean smiled softly. Dorian stood and went to wash his dish. Renard stood, and, when Dorian was done, he held him.

"Do you agree?"

"On what?"

"On marrying me?"

"Of course, we already talked about that" Dorian pecked his lips. They turned to look at Nick, Monroe and Micah staring. Dorian blushed.

"So that means Uncle Sean will live with us too?" Micah asked. Of course he wanted to get his two coolest uncles together! Then they would all live together!

"No, honey that means uncle Dorian will go live with Uncle Sean" Nick

"And we go live with them too?" Micah blinked innocently at his fathers, and Nick sighed.

"No, dear. They will live in their house, and we live here"

"But… but… they're my uncles!" the toddler gave his almighty pout, and Dorian crouched to see him in the eye.

"Mikhail, what's wrong?"

"What if I don't see you anymore?" the pout had reduced, and he seemed worried.

"We will visit you often. The only difference is that Uncle Dorian will not be here every day. And maybe you will have cousins to play with" Sean added, a soft smile, trying to convince the boy. Dorian blushed at the last part, but didn't disagree with him, which, for the police captain, was a positive, and he made a mental note to talk about children with him as soon as possible.

"Okay. But you better give me a lot of cousins!"

Dorian yelped, and his face went even redder, but also didn't say no. Sean was pretty satisfied at the lack of negative response from his future husband.

Nick watched Richard approach him, six days before Christmas Eve.

"So, Nick, I was wondering… Dorian is your friend right?"

"Kind of a little brother, as I said before the party, Richard. Why are you asking now, though?" the Grimm gave him a knowing smirk. He could see the smirk didn't amuse the Lowen, but the Wesen was still smart enough to not try the Grimm's patience.

"I was wondering if you could put in a good word with Dorian for me. Please? I really like him, you see"

"And your family's opinion on inter-Wesen relationships? Because my husband already told me of the existence of a pesky little group that would've killed him and his ex" Nick narrowed his eyes.

"My mother is a Luison, and my father is a Lowen" Richard said, "It's not something we advertise"

"Understandable. And while that does put me at ease, I think you might be slightly late for wooing Dorian" Nick made a motion to the entrance of their office, where Sean was, with Dorian pecking his cheek, and leaving a container with what looked like food in the captain's hands before walking out. Richard groaned.

"Damn, the good ones are always taken" he pouted.

"If it's any consolation, they've only been together for a two weeks. Sure, I expected them to get together last year, but they're both incredibly oblivious"

"And I making out with Dorian at Hank's pretty much was the last straw?" Richard sighed. Nick sighed, "Don't worry about that. I understand. Anyway, I… if you have another friend, maybe? Your friends are awesome"

"Hank is a Kehrseite, he might be good for you. At least he understands. I'm pretty sure he's bi"

Richard ended up spending Christmas Eve with Hank at the Burkhardt's, along with Renard and Dorian. Blushing a lot and waiting on Hank hand and foot. Hank wasn't quite used to that, because he was really more used to being the one doing the pampering in all his relationships, but he wasn't exactly protesting.

"Okay, present time!" Micah had gone to sleep earlier, with his gifts already opened and neatly organized so he could play with them or use them first thing next morning. Richard was surprised when he got gifts as well, considering it had barely been days since he had asked Hank out. Dorian and Renard had given him one as a couple, which showed their relationship was pretty serious. And Dorian had explained the mate part, so it made sense. Monroe and Nick also gave him something as a couple, of course, but they were already married.

"Guys, you still have presents left" Monroe smiled as Nick grabbed the remaining presents. Dorian, pretty much as excitable as Micah about presents, gave a yelp.

"You… you're…!" he pointed at Nick's flat torso accusingly, a t-shirt that read 'Coolest uncle twice over' in his hands.

"Pregnant" Nick smiled, "I'm two months along. Micah already knows, of course" he added. Dorian hugged Monroe and Nick at the same time.

"Congratulations! Oh, God, a baby! A new baby Grimm!" at Dorian's last words, Richard gave a light laugh.

"I thought I'd never see the day where I would be glad there would be another Grimm. Or see another Wesen celebrating it. Congrats, Nick. And Monroe. Are you nervous?"

"A bit. The entire pregnancy thing is still new to both of us" Nick admitted, "You know, since I didn't carry Micah"

"Two months, you say? Why the hell are you going to work?" Renard scolded, "You should be on paternity leave! Or maternity, whatever! That's my nephew-niece in there!" the glare was as effective as always. Meaning, not much for Nick, and really intimidating for Monroe.

"I can't begin to imagine how fussing he will be when we have our own kids" Dorian muttered amusedly to Richard and Hank, and both laughed.

"I never imagined the captain to be so… mothering" Hank chuckled. Dorian giggled.

"Don't let him hear that"

"What are you three planning?" Sean eyed them suspiciously.

"Nothing!" Dorian replied with a chirp, and pecked his lips before plopping down on his lap, "You are really warm. Nice"

The rest of the night was filled with laughs, and when midnight struck, they watched a small firework show before leaving for their respective homes. Nick turned to Monroe when they left, and hugged him.

"Are you happy?"

"More than just happy, Nick" Monroe kissed the top of his husband's head, "I love you"

"I love you too, Monroe"