The Friends You Make Here… by BymagaJones 9/?
Chapter 8b
Chapter 9
Hank pulled up in front of the airport just as Nick was walking out, dufflebag in hand.
“Hey,” Hank bragged. “I have this whole airport shuttle thing down to a science!”
Nick smiled. “Thanks for picking me up.”
“No problem. I got in last night, so I’ve already unpacked and caught up with everyone except you. You’re the last one to get back.”
“Happy to be able to wear jeans and sweats all day again?” Nick had exchanged texts with his roommates - and a few from Hap - over the month, so while he didn’t know specifics, he had an idea of how everyone was doing.
“You better believe it! The job was great, but I’m not really much of a suit guy.” Hank shot Nick a look from the corner of his eye. “So, listen. We’re all getting together tonight at Monroe’s. I know it’ll be awkward for you two, but the rest of us agreed that it was best to just get that first meeting out of the way.”
Nick felt his heart beating faster and couldn’t tell if he felt dread or anticipation.
“I know you probably don’t want to see him, but look - with the one exception of Crazy, you’ve remained friends with your ex’s. There’s no reason why you and Monroe can’t work through it and come out the other end good, right?”
Nick wasn’t sure if he could just be friends with Monroe, not when he still felt so much, but he didn’t want to have that conversation with Hank, at least not right now. Instead, he deflected. “You’re just worried that you won’t have Monroe’s food to get you through the rest of the semester.”
“There is that,” Hank agreed, laughing. “Hap promised to get him to do a spread tonight.”
“So he’s all healed then?”
“Yeah, about that whole thing. I can’t seem to get an explanation from him about what happened.”
“I’m sure it was pretty traumatic,” Nick said, trying to keep his voice even.
“Oh, absolutely,” Hank agreed. “But there’re so many things that don’t add up. Wu said that it looked like someone kicked in the front door and then brawled their way through the living room and kitchen and busted down the back door. Wu’s friends on the football team managed to salvage a few things, but the old sofa in the living room, the microwave, tons of Monroe’s dishes and a lot of his Christmas decorations were trashed. ”
Nick thought back to how the place looked the last time he was there but only hummed in agreement.
Hank pulled up to a light and turned slightly, facing Nick. “Here’s what I don’t get. You’ve practically been in love with the guy since he gave you a ride home, but you don’t visit him in the hospital or stay with him while he’s recuperating? That’s not you. And you were supposed to stay here for Winter term, but out of the blue you decide to spend quality time with your aunt?”
How had Nick forgotten about Hank’s deductive reasoning? It was going to come in handy when he became a cop, but Nick really didn’t like it when it was aimed at him. “Hank - ”
“Just tell me this: did you do that to Monroe?”
Horrified, Nick shouted, “What? No!”
Hank continued to stare at Nick as if he were trying to find the truth in his eyes, but eventually he nodded and turned back to the light, which turned green after Hank had asked the question. “I just needed to see your face when I asked you.”
“I’d never hurt Monroe like that!” Nick was insulted and hurt that Hank would’ve even considered the idea, but he was glad that Monroe still had friends around him, ready to protect him if need be, especially since Nick couldn’t do it himself.
“Maybe not physically, but…” Hank let his words drop off, but his meaning was clear.
“Look, I - “
“Here’s the thing,” Hank said, cutting Nick off. “You’re my best friend. But I also consider Monroe a friend. What happened between you two is none of my business, but I’m here if you ever want to talk about it. I may not agree with the decisions you made and why you made them, but I’ll listen. I’ll still be your friend. And whatever you say will stay right here with me. Okay?”
Nick swallowed the lump in his throat. He really did have fantastic friends. “Okay.” He paused a second, then added, “Thanks.”
“Anytime,” Hank said, smiling. “Now let me tell you about this woman I met. She’s pretty strange; I thought maybe I should introduce her to Wu…”
G R I M M G R I M M G R I M M G R I M M G R I M M
Monroe rushed around the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on the dishes he’d made for the welcome dinner. It was a lot tougher since he’d lost a lot of his dishes during The Brawl, as Wu now called it. He’d bought a couple of plates and bowls at Goodwill, but many of his serving dishes had been gifts or purchased during sales when Monroe could afford them, and most of them had matched. To a certain degree.
“How’s it goin’?” Ever since he’d gotten back, Hap had stayed close. He’d suddenly adopted a protective stance that Monroe found alternately endearing and exasperating.
He hadn’t told Hap about Nick’s aunt. He’d debated about it but finally decided that if she’d wanted to kill him, she would’ve returned by now and finished the job. She knew where he was - and knew that Nick didn’t want him killed - so he might have a chance. If Hap knew, he’d be terrified and might end up doing something stupid. He’d definitely run, and what if Marie Kessler found him and didn’t know that he was also a friend of Nick’s? As much as Hap thought he was protecting Monroe by staying close, he was much safer himself by staying close to his fellow Blutbad.
Monroe’d taken Rosalee aside and told her. He stressed that Nick and his aunt had no idea that she was a Fuchsbau, and they’d never hear it from him, but he thought he had an obligation to tell her. He said he understood if she felt uncomfortable being around Nick now.
She’d immediately hugged him, making him realize that she was the only person he’d been able to talk to about everything, and suddenly the whole story flew out of his mouth. He finally slowed down twenty minutes later, a complete mess.
Rosalee’d silently gone into the bathroom and wet a washcloth, tenderly wiping his face. She’d leaned against his side, sharing her warmth and support as she promised to be there for him for whatever he needed.
Turned out, what he’d needed turned out to be exactly what she’d done.
After his talk with Rosalee, Monroe’d felt a little more balanced. He started to engage with the others more like he did before, and found that he was glad that the house was filling up again.
He wasn’t sure how it’d happened, but he learned that his friends had decided they needed to throw themselves a welcome back party. And he’d been enlisted to make the food. He wasn’t upset about it; in fact, he’d privately felt pleased that he had something to contribute and had thrown himself into the plans.
No one told him about Nick until he’d started cooking. He supposed he should’ve asked - should’ve realized that he would’ve already heard if Nick hadn’t planned on returning - but he’d spent so much time actively trying not to think about Nick that it hadn’t occurred to him to ask if or when Nick was coming back.
So here he stood, frantically trying to finish everything so he could make an excuse and be gone before Hank returned from the airport.
“Almost finished,” he muttered, taking a pie out of the oven just as he heard Hank say, “The final traveler has returned, so let’s get this party started!”
Monroe snatched his jacket from the hook by the back door and slipped out, walking around the house to hop in his bug, which he’d made sure to park out in the street so he wouldn’t be trapped.
He knew he’d eventually meet up with Nick, but he preferred that it happened later. Much later.
G R I M M G R I M M G R I M M G R I M M G R I M M
Although he dreaded the inevitable meeting with Monroe, Nick found his eyes roaming around the room, looking for the tall bearded man. Frowning when he didn’t see Monroe, he tried to focus on his friends in the room.
There were more people at the house than he’d expected. He hugged Juliette and Rosalee, greeted the members of the football team and tried to breathe through Hap’s tight hug. Wu slapped his back and shoved a beer in his hand, and Nick nodded to a couple of the neighbors he’d met since he’d all but moved in with Monroe.
“He slipped out the back,” Hank muttered after conferring with Rosalee and Juliette, “so you can stop looking for him.”
Nick opened his mouth for a token protest but quickly closed it with a resigned sigh. “Was I that obvious?”
“Only to those of us who really know you,” Hank said with a small smile. Then he grew thoughtful. “Of course, the football team helped with cleanup, so I’m sure they know that you and Monroe have broken up. So other than that… oh, and the neighbors’ve probably noticed that you haven’t been around, so they might have an idea that something’s going on too.”
“So, everyone probably knows,” Nick said, resigned.
“Not the specifics, though. Monroe’s been pretty closed-mouthed about it.”
Nick wasn’t surprised that Monroe hadn’t said anything; that’s just who Monroe was. The thought had occurred to him that he might return to find that Monroe’d just disappeared, run away so he wouldn’t have to worry about Aunt Marie trying to kill him again. The idea of not seeing Monroe ever again had almost made him hyperventilate right there in his motel room.
As the party went on, Nick watched everyone behind a different lens. He wondered how many, if any, were Wesen as well. He hadn’t realized that he’d been so focused until Hap walked up to him and handed him a Solo cup filled with beer. “Dude, why’re you staring at everybody? You’re going to be a cop, right? Did you hear that they’re going to raid the house? As your host and your friend, I think I deserve a little warning.”
Nick smiled. “As far as I know, no one’s coming to confiscate the pot plants you have in your closet.”
Shocked, Hap leaned in and whispered, “How’d you know about those?”
“You asked us to water them and put on their grow lights for eight hours a day while you were away.”
“Right,” Hap said, laughing. “I totally forgot about that.” After a few seconds, he bumped Nick with his shoulder. “You look just as miserable as Monroe! I don’t know what happened, but if you’re sadder apart, doesn’t it just make sense to get back together? Think about it.”
With that sage advice, Hap ambled over to a group of football players trying to build a tower out of their empty beer cans right where the coffee table used to stand.
“He’s right you know,” Rosalee said walking in from the kitchen. “He’s miserable without you, and you look just as bad.”
Nick shook his head. “It’s complicated.”
She paused for a moment before looking directly into his eyes and saying, “I know.”
“No, you don’t - ”
“Yes. I do.”
It took him a second to realize her meaning. Then he noticed the way her hands were clinging to her cup and realized that she was scared of him.
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
She nodded. “I hoped you wouldn’t, but there’s always a chance, no matter how small.”
“So he told you about my aunt?”
“He did.” She reached out a hand for him but slid her hand back before she touched him. “He felt I had a right to know so I could make an informed decision about whether to stay or run.”
“Are you, you know, like him?” He looked around briefly to make sure no one was paying attention to them.
She shook her head. “No, I’m different.”
He wanted to ask her more questions, but he knew that it wasn’t the time. She bit her lip, and he wondered if she were waiting to see what he was going to do with her.
“Are you are scared of me now?”
“Should I be?” She countered.
“You know me,” Nick insisted.
She shook her head. “This whole thing was dumped on you with no preparation, and we know that you were raised by your aunt, who has no problems… doing what she does to us. So who’s to say that you wouldn’t just listen to her and handle things the same way she would?”
“Because I have my own mind and make my own decisions?” Nick said, feeling insulted.
“History is filled with stories about people who hurt others because they’re different or because that’s all they know. If you trust the wrong person with your life, you rarely get a do-over. Besides,” she leaned closer to him and whispered, “some of Monroe’s relatives have died very violent deaths.”
The “at your aunt’s hands” wasn’t spoken, but it was definitely implied.
“Shit,” Nick whispered, his head falling back against the wall with a thump. “He must hate me.”
Rosalee gave him a sweet smile. “No, he totally loves you. That’s what we’ve all been trying to tell you. If he can love you despite your past, can you love him despite his?”
“But he’s not even like me,” Nick said.
“He wasn’t before, and it didn’t matter.” Rosalee pointed out. “The only thing that’s changed is that you know him better - the real him. It could actually bring you closer if you let it.” She paused, as if debating something, before she added, “Even
though he doesn’t think he does, Monroe deserves someone who’ll love him for all that he is. You’re the first person,” she put a slight stress on the word, “who’s been given the chance to do that. But if you can’t love all of him, then maybe it’s best that you find that out now. It’s just a shame, because you two seemed really happy.”
“Rosie, if you’re finished flirting with my best friend, maybe you can come over here and settle something for us,” Hank called out from the stairs where he was talking to the man who lived in the house across the street.
Rosalee gave Nick a final smile before heading over toward her boyfriend.
Nick realized that he needed to figure out what he wanted. But first, he needed to talk to Monroe.
Now the trick was to get Monroe to stop running long enough for Nick to catch him.
Chapter 10
Chapter 9
Hank pulled up in front of the airport just as Nick was walking out, dufflebag in hand.
“Hey,” Hank bragged. “I have this whole airport shuttle thing down to a science!”
Nick smiled. “Thanks for picking me up.”
“No problem. I got in last night, so I’ve already unpacked and caught up with everyone except you. You’re the last one to get back.”
“Happy to be able to wear jeans and sweats all day again?” Nick had exchanged texts with his roommates - and a few from Hap - over the month, so while he didn’t know specifics, he had an idea of how everyone was doing.
“You better believe it! The job was great, but I’m not really much of a suit guy.” Hank shot Nick a look from the corner of his eye. “So, listen. We’re all getting together tonight at Monroe’s. I know it’ll be awkward for you two, but the rest of us agreed that it was best to just get that first meeting out of the way.”
Nick felt his heart beating faster and couldn’t tell if he felt dread or anticipation.
“I know you probably don’t want to see him, but look - with the one exception of Crazy, you’ve remained friends with your ex’s. There’s no reason why you and Monroe can’t work through it and come out the other end good, right?”
Nick wasn’t sure if he could just be friends with Monroe, not when he still felt so much, but he didn’t want to have that conversation with Hank, at least not right now. Instead, he deflected. “You’re just worried that you won’t have Monroe’s food to get you through the rest of the semester.”
“There is that,” Hank agreed, laughing. “Hap promised to get him to do a spread tonight.”
“So he’s all healed then?”
“Yeah, about that whole thing. I can’t seem to get an explanation from him about what happened.”
“I’m sure it was pretty traumatic,” Nick said, trying to keep his voice even.
“Oh, absolutely,” Hank agreed. “But there’re so many things that don’t add up. Wu said that it looked like someone kicked in the front door and then brawled their way through the living room and kitchen and busted down the back door. Wu’s friends on the football team managed to salvage a few things, but the old sofa in the living room, the microwave, tons of Monroe’s dishes and a lot of his Christmas decorations were trashed. ”
Nick thought back to how the place looked the last time he was there but only hummed in agreement.
Hank pulled up to a light and turned slightly, facing Nick. “Here’s what I don’t get. You’ve practically been in love with the guy since he gave you a ride home, but you don’t visit him in the hospital or stay with him while he’s recuperating? That’s not you. And you were supposed to stay here for Winter term, but out of the blue you decide to spend quality time with your aunt?”
How had Nick forgotten about Hank’s deductive reasoning? It was going to come in handy when he became a cop, but Nick really didn’t like it when it was aimed at him. “Hank - ”
“Just tell me this: did you do that to Monroe?”
Horrified, Nick shouted, “What? No!”
Hank continued to stare at Nick as if he were trying to find the truth in his eyes, but eventually he nodded and turned back to the light, which turned green after Hank had asked the question. “I just needed to see your face when I asked you.”
“I’d never hurt Monroe like that!” Nick was insulted and hurt that Hank would’ve even considered the idea, but he was glad that Monroe still had friends around him, ready to protect him if need be, especially since Nick couldn’t do it himself.
“Maybe not physically, but…” Hank let his words drop off, but his meaning was clear.
“Look, I - “
“Here’s the thing,” Hank said, cutting Nick off. “You’re my best friend. But I also consider Monroe a friend. What happened between you two is none of my business, but I’m here if you ever want to talk about it. I may not agree with the decisions you made and why you made them, but I’ll listen. I’ll still be your friend. And whatever you say will stay right here with me. Okay?”
Nick swallowed the lump in his throat. He really did have fantastic friends. “Okay.” He paused a second, then added, “Thanks.”
“Anytime,” Hank said, smiling. “Now let me tell you about this woman I met. She’s pretty strange; I thought maybe I should introduce her to Wu…”
G R I M M G R I M M G R I M M G R I M M G R I M M
Monroe rushed around the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on the dishes he’d made for the welcome dinner. It was a lot tougher since he’d lost a lot of his dishes during The Brawl, as Wu now called it. He’d bought a couple of plates and bowls at Goodwill, but many of his serving dishes had been gifts or purchased during sales when Monroe could afford them, and most of them had matched. To a certain degree.
“How’s it goin’?” Ever since he’d gotten back, Hap had stayed close. He’d suddenly adopted a protective stance that Monroe found alternately endearing and exasperating.
He hadn’t told Hap about Nick’s aunt. He’d debated about it but finally decided that if she’d wanted to kill him, she would’ve returned by now and finished the job. She knew where he was - and knew that Nick didn’t want him killed - so he might have a chance. If Hap knew, he’d be terrified and might end up doing something stupid. He’d definitely run, and what if Marie Kessler found him and didn’t know that he was also a friend of Nick’s? As much as Hap thought he was protecting Monroe by staying close, he was much safer himself by staying close to his fellow Blutbad.
Monroe’d taken Rosalee aside and told her. He stressed that Nick and his aunt had no idea that she was a Fuchsbau, and they’d never hear it from him, but he thought he had an obligation to tell her. He said he understood if she felt uncomfortable being around Nick now.
She’d immediately hugged him, making him realize that she was the only person he’d been able to talk to about everything, and suddenly the whole story flew out of his mouth. He finally slowed down twenty minutes later, a complete mess.
Rosalee’d silently gone into the bathroom and wet a washcloth, tenderly wiping his face. She’d leaned against his side, sharing her warmth and support as she promised to be there for him for whatever he needed.
Turned out, what he’d needed turned out to be exactly what she’d done.
After his talk with Rosalee, Monroe’d felt a little more balanced. He started to engage with the others more like he did before, and found that he was glad that the house was filling up again.
He wasn’t sure how it’d happened, but he learned that his friends had decided they needed to throw themselves a welcome back party. And he’d been enlisted to make the food. He wasn’t upset about it; in fact, he’d privately felt pleased that he had something to contribute and had thrown himself into the plans.
No one told him about Nick until he’d started cooking. He supposed he should’ve asked - should’ve realized that he would’ve already heard if Nick hadn’t planned on returning - but he’d spent so much time actively trying not to think about Nick that it hadn’t occurred to him to ask if or when Nick was coming back.
So here he stood, frantically trying to finish everything so he could make an excuse and be gone before Hank returned from the airport.
“Almost finished,” he muttered, taking a pie out of the oven just as he heard Hank say, “The final traveler has returned, so let’s get this party started!”
Monroe snatched his jacket from the hook by the back door and slipped out, walking around the house to hop in his bug, which he’d made sure to park out in the street so he wouldn’t be trapped.
He knew he’d eventually meet up with Nick, but he preferred that it happened later. Much later.
G R I M M G R I M M G R I M M G R I M M G R I M M
Although he dreaded the inevitable meeting with Monroe, Nick found his eyes roaming around the room, looking for the tall bearded man. Frowning when he didn’t see Monroe, he tried to focus on his friends in the room.
There were more people at the house than he’d expected. He hugged Juliette and Rosalee, greeted the members of the football team and tried to breathe through Hap’s tight hug. Wu slapped his back and shoved a beer in his hand, and Nick nodded to a couple of the neighbors he’d met since he’d all but moved in with Monroe.
“He slipped out the back,” Hank muttered after conferring with Rosalee and Juliette, “so you can stop looking for him.”
Nick opened his mouth for a token protest but quickly closed it with a resigned sigh. “Was I that obvious?”
“Only to those of us who really know you,” Hank said with a small smile. Then he grew thoughtful. “Of course, the football team helped with cleanup, so I’m sure they know that you and Monroe have broken up. So other than that… oh, and the neighbors’ve probably noticed that you haven’t been around, so they might have an idea that something’s going on too.”
“So, everyone probably knows,” Nick said, resigned.
“Not the specifics, though. Monroe’s been pretty closed-mouthed about it.”
Nick wasn’t surprised that Monroe hadn’t said anything; that’s just who Monroe was. The thought had occurred to him that he might return to find that Monroe’d just disappeared, run away so he wouldn’t have to worry about Aunt Marie trying to kill him again. The idea of not seeing Monroe ever again had almost made him hyperventilate right there in his motel room.
As the party went on, Nick watched everyone behind a different lens. He wondered how many, if any, were Wesen as well. He hadn’t realized that he’d been so focused until Hap walked up to him and handed him a Solo cup filled with beer. “Dude, why’re you staring at everybody? You’re going to be a cop, right? Did you hear that they’re going to raid the house? As your host and your friend, I think I deserve a little warning.”
Nick smiled. “As far as I know, no one’s coming to confiscate the pot plants you have in your closet.”
Shocked, Hap leaned in and whispered, “How’d you know about those?”
“You asked us to water them and put on their grow lights for eight hours a day while you were away.”
“Right,” Hap said, laughing. “I totally forgot about that.” After a few seconds, he bumped Nick with his shoulder. “You look just as miserable as Monroe! I don’t know what happened, but if you’re sadder apart, doesn’t it just make sense to get back together? Think about it.”
With that sage advice, Hap ambled over to a group of football players trying to build a tower out of their empty beer cans right where the coffee table used to stand.
“He’s right you know,” Rosalee said walking in from the kitchen. “He’s miserable without you, and you look just as bad.”
Nick shook his head. “It’s complicated.”
She paused for a moment before looking directly into his eyes and saying, “I know.”
“No, you don’t - ”
“Yes. I do.”
It took him a second to realize her meaning. Then he noticed the way her hands were clinging to her cup and realized that she was scared of him.
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
She nodded. “I hoped you wouldn’t, but there’s always a chance, no matter how small.”
“So he told you about my aunt?”
“He did.” She reached out a hand for him but slid her hand back before she touched him. “He felt I had a right to know so I could make an informed decision about whether to stay or run.”
“Are you, you know, like him?” He looked around briefly to make sure no one was paying attention to them.
She shook her head. “No, I’m different.”
He wanted to ask her more questions, but he knew that it wasn’t the time. She bit her lip, and he wondered if she were waiting to see what he was going to do with her.
“Are you are scared of me now?”
“Should I be?” She countered.
“You know me,” Nick insisted.
She shook her head. “This whole thing was dumped on you with no preparation, and we know that you were raised by your aunt, who has no problems… doing what she does to us. So who’s to say that you wouldn’t just listen to her and handle things the same way she would?”
“Because I have my own mind and make my own decisions?” Nick said, feeling insulted.
“History is filled with stories about people who hurt others because they’re different or because that’s all they know. If you trust the wrong person with your life, you rarely get a do-over. Besides,” she leaned closer to him and whispered, “some of Monroe’s relatives have died very violent deaths.”
The “at your aunt’s hands” wasn’t spoken, but it was definitely implied.
“Shit,” Nick whispered, his head falling back against the wall with a thump. “He must hate me.”
Rosalee gave him a sweet smile. “No, he totally loves you. That’s what we’ve all been trying to tell you. If he can love you despite your past, can you love him despite his?”
“But he’s not even like me,” Nick said.
“He wasn’t before, and it didn’t matter.” Rosalee pointed out. “The only thing that’s changed is that you know him better - the real him. It could actually bring you closer if you let it.” She paused, as if debating something, before she added, “Even
though he doesn’t think he does, Monroe deserves someone who’ll love him for all that he is. You’re the first person,” she put a slight stress on the word, “who’s been given the chance to do that. But if you can’t love all of him, then maybe it’s best that you find that out now. It’s just a shame, because you two seemed really happy.”
“Rosie, if you’re finished flirting with my best friend, maybe you can come over here and settle something for us,” Hank called out from the stairs where he was talking to the man who lived in the house across the street.
Rosalee gave Nick a final smile before heading over toward her boyfriend.
Nick realized that he needed to figure out what he wanted. But first, he needed to talk to Monroe.
Now the trick was to get Monroe to stop running long enough for Nick to catch him.
Chapter 10