Chapter Text
Booker looked up to meet Niles confused eyes, as a car door slammed closed, followed by two softer doors closing. Andy, Joe and Nicky had gone of on a mission, an easy one where Andy was meeting with an informant, Joe was Nicky was her backup, Nicky with his sniper rifle and Joe by her side.
The front door opened and Andy quickly walked in, not looking at anyone, before throwing herself into an
empty armchair, the blood on her clothes and face said the mission didn't go well.
Not long after Nicky stormed in, all but slamming the door in Joes face.
"Nicolò, please" Joe begged, as Nicky marched away from him, but in the small one bedroom safe house, he couldn't get far.
Booker took them all in, the blood on everyone, the massive hole in Joes shirt, with so much damp or dried blood on it and his pants, it was clear he'd somehow died.
Andy moved forwards and grabbed at the bottle on the table, before taking a drink, pulling a face as she really looked at it. "Of course it'll be water" she grumbled, putting it back on the table, bloody handprint on it and all.
There was no alcohol in any safe houses no more, not since Booker had came back, the day he'd rejoined them and said he had been clean for three month was the day all alcohol had been disposed of.
"Nico, please, habibi" Joes face was one of pain, to have Nicky so angry at him, that all his beloved was doing was pacing the small joined kitchen, hands in his hair, refusing to even look at his husband.
Booker could count on one hand the amount of times he'd seen this, because it had only been one other time.
Joe had put himself in harms way to save a monkey from drowning, and in doing so had drowned himself, going over a waterfall, it took over three hours to find him, and another two for Nicky to speak to him again.
"Do we want to know?" Nile asked, looking between everyone, confusion and fear in her eyes, she was so
young, so innocent. Looking at Joe and Nicky like one would any father, to see them like this would scare her.
"I crossed rocket launcher of ways to die" Joe informed, leaning on the back of the sofa Booker sat on, his whole body tense, but voice light, mostly for Niles sake.
"It's not funny Yusuf!" Nicky all but screamed, spinning to face the man in question "ten minutes it took you!" Booker subconsciously moved over, so it didn't feel like the icy glare from Nicky wasn't aimed at him.
"Habib Albi, Ya Hayati, Ya Amar, please" Joes tried again, but smart enough to not yet move towards his husband.
If that was bookers wife, he would of been over there trying to offer her love and comfort, it didn't always help. He refused to stand back like Joe is now, but then again, Joe and Nicky had been together for 900 years, Joe knew what he was doing right now, so maybe him hanging back was for the best.
"Ten minutes Yusuf!" Nicky screamed again, before his breath hitched "ten minutes" it was nothing but a mumble, and that was when Joe moved, so fast Booker would of missed it if he had blinked.
"I'm sorry, my love" Joe whispered, wrapping Nicky in his arms, pulling his face down so it rested against Joe's left shoulder. One arm going round Nickys shoulders, holding tight, the other holding the back of his head, covering Nickys face from veiw, protecting him from even his own family when he broke down.
"We had to leave, we was debating over leaving you" Booker felt sick, his wide eyes going to Andy, she would never leave anyone behind, unless they couldn't get out and that person was dead. "we thought you wasn't coming back, I thought you wasn't coming back"
Nicky cried, that was all it took for Nile to let out her own sob, for Andy to walk away, and for Booker to cover his face in his hands. They may not of been there, but they was all feeling Nickys fear and grief, they could of lost Joe.
"I'm here, habibi, I'm here, I've got you" Joe whispered his promises, over and over again into Nickys hair, it took hours for Nicky to calm down enough to even think about food.
Sticking uncharacteristically to Joes side, no one said a word when they went to bed early, given them both plenty of time to comfort each other and to conform Joe was indeed there and safe.