Title: Getting to Know You

Author: nend0roidgal

Series: Grimm (NBC)

Genre: Friendship/Romance

Rating: T (because I am paranoid)

Warnings: Swearing, not much else. Not much in the way of spoilers either.

Summary: An unnecessary comment brings up unconscious feelings. Pre-slash Monroe/Nick. Takes place during Organ Grinder episode.

Disclaimer: Don't own; no profit gained (other than artistic and creative fulfillment)

The night started in quite the normal fashion as once again Monroe found himself sitting down to dinner with his (quickly becoming) best friend. Nick was younger than him, came from and lived a very different life, and was most noticeably a Grimm, but for some reason none of that mattered. They liked each other, plain as that. Monroe really couldn't imagine a life now without Nick somewhere in it; well, he could, it was just rather dull and monotonous. Safe, but boring. If he was honest with himself, which he had been of late, he knew he preferred the danger slowly creeping into his life and the risk involved by the simple act of associating with Nick, not to mention befriending him. Perhaps it wasn't the wisest decision in his life, but it was by far one of the more fulfilling.

As he spooned food onto the younger man's plate, he wondered briefly why Nick wasn't at home having dinner with his girlfriend instead. Not that it really mattered; he was glad for the company though he liked to complain more often than not. Of course he knew logically why Nick was in his home; it was related to a case as usual. Sometimes Monroe felt like Nick didn't care, that he didn't want to get to know the blutbad sitting across from him. He reasoned their relationship was unnatural enough so they might as well make their friendship substantial and strong if they were going to continue this queer battle against nature.

He teased Nick about it; "it" being Nick's reluctance to engage in real conversation. As per usual, Nick being Nick took it with stride and dished back what he got, all the while wearing that infuriating little grin of his Monroe both hated and adored. It was hard not to, not when it stretched Nick's already attractive face into an even prettier one. Monroe, defeated, quickly redirected the conversation back to Nick's latest run-in with an organ-dealing creature. Somehow, not thinking, Monroe took a perfectly normal conversation (well, as normal as a conversation about human organ trafficking and creature enhancement could be) to a very uncomfortable, if not painfully awkward, place involving male genitalia of the human variety.

Monroe, drowning in his own words, couldn't begin to staunch the flow.

"Not that I ever had need to… I mean, everything works great."

"Oh no, that wasn't awkward at all," Nick said in a stiff voice. He slid his hardly touched plate forward and leaned his elbows against the table, perhaps hoping Monroe would get the hint.

Monroe, his spirit sinking, mentally chastised himself for saying such ridiculous things in front of the younger man. It was one thing to speak to a fellow creature that way, but to a human? A Grimm especially? Though Nick valued his information and insight into the creature world, he probably thought Monroe was some sort of weirdo who went down to the "local witch doctor's" to buy himself some ground up human parts. A part of him screamed to just let it go, but his mouth wouldn't be quieted, not when he felt he should explain himself.

"Well, I just want you to know I would never use that sort of thing, I mean, not that I ever had a need. I work just fine down there, thank-you-very-much."

"Monroe, Monroe," Nick said, his hands thrust up in front of him. "Trust me, I believe you." A moment of silence spanned between them, just as awkward as before. Monroe's fork scraped against his plate as he stirred his vegetables around listlessly, searching his brain fervently for anything to say to diffuse the situation. Finally coming up with something that wouldn't absolutely horrify the younger man, Monroe opened his mouth, but was quickly beat to the punch. However, what came out of the mouth sitting across from him was something Monroe never would have expected.

"Do you want to prove it to me or something?" the Grimm asked, his voice light with a teasing little grin tucked back on his lips. Monroe blinked rapidly, his fork stilling for just a moment. Staring directly at the Grimm, he couldn't tell how serious his comment was as Nick's eyes were once more focused on his food.

"What? No! Of course not!" he squawked. He stabbed uselessly at his dinner, failing to pick up anything in the process. A thought suddenly occurred to him (and his mouth being just as ridiculously unmannered as before), he couldn't help but add as though an afterthought, "Unless that's something you'd be interested in…"

The beans Nick had begun to scoop into his mouth fell off of his fork as he stared at Monroe with a look of utter disbelief. "Ex-excuse me?"

"Oka-ay, I totally misread that one," Monroe said as he let his fork clatter onto his plate. The chair screeched as he stood up suddenly. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go drown myself in the sink now."

Before Monroe could go very far though, a firm hand on his arm stopped him.

"I never said I wasn't," Nick quickly explained, almost hastily. "That is…" Mortification blanketed Nick's face almost as quickly, his eyes dropping to the floor. Monroe could almost taste the other's embarrassment in the air; the beautiful red flush of his skin and the way his eyes couldn't quite meet the other's made the feelings of shame almost physical. When Monroe failed to reply, Nick felt the need to further explain himself. "You know I'm with Juliette, so it's not like we could, even if… You know what," Nick said as he pulled away to stand, "save room for me in the sink, 'cause I think I might join you."

An awkward pause swallowed the room into silence; they stood nervously across the table from each other before their eyes happened to meet and stick. Before either of them could say another word, they were both laughing uncontrollably; the dour mood dissipated rather quickly from the room after that.

A few minutes of hearty laughter passed before they returned to their seats and finished their dinners; they even managed to work through the last details of the case without any more awkward references to genitals of any kind. Even still, every time their eyes happened to meet for longer than a few seconds, they couldn't help but grace each other with a teasing smile and a soft chuckle.

Plates cleared away, they sat at the table enjoying a second glass of wine together. After a few minutes of companionable silence, Monroe sat back in his chair and stared at Nick with a thoughtful look on his face. Nick quirked a brow as he took another sip of his wine. He twiddled the stem between his fingers, his lips sliding across the lip of the glass as he regarded his blutbad friend his return.

"Sorry, I just don't get it," Monroe finally said as though it was perfectly clear to the other man what he was referring to. Nick sat forward with his elbows on the table, curious as to what Monroe was on about. The case? Nick thought Monroe had a perfectly sound solution to the wesen found with the organs.

"What?" Nick asked; he leaned further onto the table, his chin on his palm and his head tilted to the side in genuine curiosity.

"I mean, it makes sense for me from my perspective, but… well… you! Look at you!"

"What are you talking about?"

"About before. You're young, attractive… and your clothes make you look even better. You even smell nice. Of course it makes sense for me to be interested in you, even just aesthetically. What could you possibly see in me that would make you even consider it for a second?"

Nick sat back in stunned silence.

"Are you being serious right now?" Monroe's look of mild irritation meant that he was indeed serious and about to say something to that effect. Nick quickly began to speak before the blutbad had the chance to be snide.

"Well," he began slowly as he thought through his words, "I think you're pretty funny, and rather witty, and incredibly talented. Fixing clocks and playing the cello. Not to mention your cooking. The food was fantastic by the way."

"Oh, thanks."

Nick twirled the wine glass around in his fingers once more, his gaze cast downwards this time as though he were too embarrassed to look directly into Monroe's eyes. His voice was a touch softer, a smile biting at the corners of his mouth. "You're always willing to help me out, even when I probably don't deserve it. And you're kind, though a bit sarcastic, even when I bother you in the middle of the night or really early in the morning.

"And… I don't know what you're so hung up on, but I think you're good looking. You're masculine and have a nice face. I find you attractive."

Monroe felt heat creeping up the back of his neck and goose bumps prickling his arms at the compliments fluttering off of Nick's lips towards him. He rubbed a hand over the side of his face, suddenly ultra-conscious of the space he occupied in the room. Uncomfortable, and a little unwilling to believe the Grimm's words, he argued back:

"Nick, I'm not even considered that attractive in the blutbaden community, and you're not even a blutbad."

"What about Angelina," Nick challenged in return. "She's quite the catch, save her personality." Ouch, thought Monroe; Nick's feelings towards his ex-girlfriend were as frosty as ever. "She must have thought you were attractive if she dated you."

"Well," Monroe said as he thumbed his wineglass. "we blutbaden aren't that populous around here, so you take what you can get, really." Nick shook his head in slight irritation and disbelief that Monroe was arguing with him over this. Monroe just smiled back at his friend's frustration. A thought crossed his mind and before he could stop himself, he added, "Though I will say, I make up for it with my skill and big -" He stopped talking abruptly and coughed. Nick blinked slowly at the other man before he snorted, a poorly concealed chuckle just circling underneath. Monroe wanted to growl at him, but instead he continued to harp on the point.

"But still, really? Me?"

Maybe he just wanted Nick to bathe him in more sweet compliments, but apparently Nick wasn't having it. His nerves were beginning to fray at the consistent assault on his personal, not to mention private, thoughts on the other man. He was alright with flattering his friend and stroking his ego when it suited him or when the other really needed it, but Monroe's persistent digging was a bit much.

"Well, according to you, all I am is a pretty face. Not much for substance underneath."

"That's not true!" Monroe immediately snapped back. "You're… nice, and funny… overall a good guy…" Monroe felt himself trail off awkwardly. He was overwhelmed with the dawning realization that he knew nothing substantial about Nick. And just earlier he'd complained to Nick about the very same thing!

Nick raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not done," Monroe ground out. "You're… nice…"

"Said that one."

"Um, you have a nice smile?"

A look of frustration and hurt passed behind Nick's eyes before he said, "And… What? Nosy, self-righteous? A bit naïve, stupid even? And let's not forget, more than a little selfish. You know what, I'm probably a little manipulative too."

"Hey, I never said any of that."

"Like you haven't thought it at one point. When have I ever thanked you properly for helping me out?"

"Um, wine?" Monroe said as he tipped his glass in Nick's direction.

"It's wine, Monroe."

"Yeah, but it's the good stuff."

"It's just money. I might as well just hand you money every time I walk through the door."

"What are you, my "sugar daddy?" Where's this coming from anyway?"

"That sounds really weird coming out of your mouth." Nick crossed his arms and turned his face away, a heavy sigh passing through his tightly clenched teeth. "Look," he said, "I'm going to head out." He began to stand, his look even more sullen than before. "But just so you know," he said, his eyes on the door, "I'm well aware that I'm not the most interesting person in the world… Hell, I probably don't have much for personality either, but there's more to me than just my looks."

"Nick…? Hey, wait!" Before Nick could leave, Monroe scrambled to make a grab for his arm. Nick tried to yank his arm out of Monroe's grasp and somehow managed to lose his footing in the process. He fell backwards almost comically. On his way down though, his arm knocked his wine glass from the edge of the table. Monroe cringed as the glass fell, shattering onto the floor.

Before Monroe could even stand to look over the table, he smelled blood and distress pouring off of the Grimm. The blood made Monroe wince and fight within himself for a moment before concern for his friend won over, surprising even himself in the process.

"Nick, you okay?"

"Shit," the other man bit out in a tight voice. "I broke your wineglass. I'm sorry, man… but don't come over here, alright? I can clean it up."

Monroe rose from his seat and was at Nick's side almost instantly. The shattered wine glass lay in several pieces on the dining room floor; Nick clutched his right hand to his chest as rivulets of blood trickled down his wrist, several droplets collecting on his jeans. At the blutbad's sudden appearance, a sliver of fear slipped in with the anxiety, floating just above an undercurrent of sadness and anger. Nick's souring scent sobered Monroe even further as Nick's burgeoning distrust left him utterly sick to his stomach.

"Here, let me see," Monroe said softly as he held out a hand. Nick recoiled and held his injured appendage even closer.

"It's alright, I can take care of it."

"Don't be ridiculous. Here, give it." His tone was firmer than usual, and the irritation he felt over Nick doubting his intentions bit through in his voice. He always complained that Nick had no self-preservation sensibilities about him, but the one time he showed any, he found he was utterly agitated by it. "Give it here," he demanded again, his eyes taking on the subtle tint of the blood running down the Grimm's arm.

Nick hastily pushed himself away from Monroe; his already injured hand pressed once more into the scattered shards, a smear of blood left behind in his haste to escape the predator. Wrinkles of pain formed around Nick's eyes, but Monroe didn't even need to see them to smell the distress the other man was under.

"I can take care of it. Why don't you start the dishes, alright?" Nick laughed, but there was no feeling behind it.

"Nick," Monroe said, his voice firm but much kinder this time, "I would never hurt you. Give me your hand."

Nick hesitated.

"You're pack. I take care of my own. Let me take care of you, okay?"

Nick stared into Monroe's eyes as something moved and flickered behind them; Nick seemed to work through something in his mind and Monroe was glad to note the stench of anxiety and fear subsiding as a gentle calm blossomed over Nick's shoulders.

"I trust you," Nick said softly, either to convince himself or Monroe of the validity, the blutbad wasn't sure. Nick held out his injured hand as Monroe slid over to his side, careful of the glass still present on the floor. He sucked in a sharp breath.

"Goddamn it, Nick," he chastised as he looked at the shredded hand. "Go in the bathroom, I'll be right there."

Nick did as he was told and sat down on the toilet besides the sink. He set his arm over the cool porcelain and let the slowing flow of blood drip into the sink. Moments later Monroe joined him with some of his work gear in his hands. He slipped on his glasses and his magnifying lens, set up his portable work lamp and pulled a pair of tweezers out of the medicine cabinet. He turned the water on low before he pulled Nick's hand under the faucet. Though he was largely unaffected by the smell of Nick's blood for the moment, he didn't want to take any chances for the time being, especially when Nick was so mentally scattered, thanks in part to Monroe's insensitivity. He hoped the water would drown out the stench as he worked. Picking through the gentle flow of warm water, he managed to get all of the miniscule shards of glass out of Nick's hand in a painful ten minutes. Flicking off the water, the blutbad stood up and stretched his tired back.

"Does it feel like I got it all?"

Nick smiled. He looked tired for not having done anything, most likely the pain and earlier distress sapping most of his energy. Nick stretched his hand slowly, little specks of blood collecting in the wounds.

"Yeah, I think you got it all."

Monroe helped him to bandage his hand, applying some of his own homemade ointment to the wound in the process before he said, "Would you like to change your clothes? I can lend you some of mine…"

Nick blinked up at him before he looked down at himself. The blood on his jeans was not that visibly noticeable, but his shirt was well spattered.

"Probably a good idea, huh?" Nick joked softly.

Monroe rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to attack you for smelling like blood, you know. But if you want any chance of saving that shirt, you're going to have to lose it now."

Nick nodded his head in agreement then set about the difficult task of unzipping his sweatshirt with a nearly useless hand. Monroe watched the pathetic display for a good fifteen seconds before he couldn't take it any longer.

"Here, let me…" Monroe said as he quickly unzipped the offending article and helped Nick out of it. "Seriously?" Monroe said as he examined Nick's backside when the other man turned.

"What?" Nick asked; he turned a little as he tried to crank his neck to see.

"How in the heck did you managed to get blood there?"

"Where?"

"On your shirt shirt."

"Shirt shirt?" Nick asked with a smile.

"You know what I mean," Monroe growled. "Okay, that's coming off too. And the pants as well. Come on, hurry up," he said as he held his hand out.

Nick looked chastised.

"Oh, right," Monroe sighed as he rolled his eyes. He dropped the sweatshirt onto the sink and helped Nick to unbutton his shirt, each one revealing another inch of pale, soft flesh. He helped Nick out of his shirt, his hands itching to rest briefly against the newly exposed skin. He fought back his burgeoning desires as he quickly undid the shorter man's jeans before stepping back. He let Nick struggle out of them by himself as there was no way he was going to go that far, especially after their fight earlier.

"I'll get you some clothes and drop these in the wash."

Nick nodded his assent before he sat back down on the cold porcelain lid of the toilet. Monroe did his best to find the smallest clothes he could. He was embarrassed when he handed Nick a pair of sweat pants he reserved especially for Angelina when she would stay the night. They were his pair from his college days and were much, much smaller. They were well worn and the material was soft. There was no lingering scent of Angelina on them, but seeing Nick in them… It threw him off a little.

He gave Nick a normal t-shirt and forced him to go sit on the couch while he cleaned up the mess in the dining room.

"I should at least help…" Nick muttered as he tried to follow behind Monroe.

"Look, I just spent a good fifteen minutes fixing you up, I don't want to do another load of laundry when you inevitably hurt yourself again."

Nick frowned but did as he was told and settled onto the couch and flipped on the TV. Monroe joined him a little later wearing a different pair of clothes and smelling a little of bleach, but not unpleasantly so. Nick opened his mouth to apologize, but Monroe beat him to it.

"Look, I didn't mean to imply that you don't have any good qualities. I just happened to realize…" Monroe paused in the middle of his sentence as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, embarrassingly enough, I don't know you all that well."

Nick smiled softly, apparently forgiving Monroe for his earlier slight. "No, it's okay. I overreacted. I've been told in the past that I'm sort of a boring guy. Starting to wonder if I am."

Monroe snorted. "You're a lot of things, but you're not boring. Infuriating, maybe, but boring? No."

Nick laughed, completely genuine this time. "Good to know I can incite some passion, positive or otherwise."

Monroe wanted to say something more, but it wasn't very appropriate so he let it fade with the gloomy mood from earlier.

"Want to watch a movie?" Monroe asked as he grabbed for the remote. Nick scooped it up quickly and held it out of the blutbad's reach. There was a small trace of a flirty grin on Nick's face and Monroe knew he could easily wrestle the thin plastic out of the other's hand, but he didn't. It wasn't quite the right time for that, not with how things were. In the future maybe, but not for the moment.

"Maybe in a bit, but first we're watching Top Gear."

"Is that the car show…? I'm really not into cars…"

"I'm not really interested in them either, but I think you'll like it."

Monroe wasn't sure if he would or not, but he was determined to learn all he could about this friend of his, even if it meant suffering through a show he didn't like.

Three episodes later, Nick turned on the DVD player.

"What are you doing?" Monroe demanded in almost frantic confusion.

"I thought you wanted to watch a movie?" Nick asked slowly.

"There's still another episode! They're driving through the rainforest next, I have to see it!"

A knowing grin spread across the Grimm's face. "See, I told you, you'd like it."

"Oh, shut up and switch it back," Monroe ground out as he pried the remote out of Nick's hand. "I never said I liked it, I'm just keenly interested is all."

"Keenly interested sounds a lot like 'like' to me."

Monroe didn't say anything as he turned it back, he just pouted a little until he felt Nick curl up by his side, his head coming to rest lightly against the back of Monroe's arm. The blutbad smiled to himself as he reached over to stroke a hand through Nick's soft hair. Nick looked up at him, a sweet and almost affectionate smile tugging against his lips; he opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something, but decided against it before the words were born into the space between them.

There were things they needed to talk about, but not right now. Right now they were just two pals hanging out, getting to know each other a little better.

My first entry into the Grimm fandom, hopefully the rest of the fics trapped on my computer will make their way out. We'll see… (laughs) I tried to keep the mood light and tried to make them sound realistic for their characters. Please let me know what you thought. I apologize for any and all errors; I did my best at editing, several hours worth, but you know how that goes.

And Top Gear, if you haven't seen it, you should. One of the best shows around (the British Version, I haven't seen the American or Australian ones). Even if you abhor cars (perhaps that's a bit strong), you will probably find this show absolutely amazing. The episode where they travel through the Amazon Rainforest (referenced above) is absolutely hilarious. Check it out. : )