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He leans against the window and watches the rain outside, it’s the night before his fortieth birthday, and Nick Burkhardt is taking stock of his life. He’s been a Grimm for eight years now. Some days are still hard to get through, but he’s grown in strength, and he’s exceedingly rich in friends.
He studies his reflection, life as a Grimm and as a detective keeps him trim and fit, regular workouts with Monroe and Sean have honed his reflexes until they’re pure muscle memory.
The Verratt have almost given up trying, Nick likes to think it’s mostly because they’re running out of hundjagers, and the Reapers keep giving him a wide berth.
He smiles, okay, it’s a little funny.
A pair of arms slide around him, and Nick leans back against a broad chest.
“What are you thinking about?”
Nick savours the warmth of his lover’s body. “You, this, my life.”
“Your birthday…?”
“mmm hmmm, that too.” Sean’s lips brush Nick’s temple in a very gentle kiss, and Nick closes his eyes. Sean’s arms are folded around him, and Nick puts his hands over Sean’s.
“Love you.” He whispers.
They’ve been together four years now. There have been bumps in the road, but of one thing now, Nick has absolutely no doubt. Sean loves him, like forever.
They carry more scars, both of them, these days, but other than that nothing’s changed, Sean’s still the tall imposing figure he was when Nick first met him, more silver in his hair, but still the relatively youthful, charismatic Captain.
A thought occurs to Nick, “you know they’re all planning to throw you this big fiftieth birthday bash…”
Sean shrugs, but doesn’t loosen his hold. “Yeah.”
Nick looks up. “Sean, you’re forty-seven.”
Sean does have the grace to look a little sheepish at that. At the time, it was a necessity. Hiding his true age. Now, he’s not actually sure who will care, but there’s no sense inviting trouble. When he thinks back to the reasons why he faked his age, his smile fades a little.
Nick can feel the moment when Sean falters, it’s such a tiny movement, barely even a twitch, but Nick Burkhardt is fluent in Sean Renard these days, so he turns in his boyfriend’s arms. One arm sneaks around Sean’s waist, pulling him flush up against Nick, the other hand, Nick reaches up to cup Sean’s cheek. Green eyes meet blue.
“I love you.” Nick puts all the warmth and strength he has into reassuring his Sean that those times are gone forever.
This thing between them beats strong and true. Sean gathers his beloved Grimm as close as physically possible, and swoops in to claim his kiss. “I love you, too” it’s barely a whisper as their lips meet.
The kiss is long and slow, reaffirming the love between them; and a very tiny corner of Nick’s brain thinks that this is the best birthday present of all, the love of his zauberbiest, a prize so rare and beautiful.