Chapter Text
Joe still kept the promise he gave Nicky on that night they decided to travel together: Together forever, no matter what destiny throws at us because I love you with my entire heart. Joe even showed up the morning after with that promise tattooed on his arm. As Joe put it that way he could show the entire world that not alone was he spoken for, but also that he was committed to their relationship. A year later, Nicky also got a tattoo, but it was a sun and a moon on his wrist. Nicky had found an old drawing Joe had drawn when he was 12. Joe absolutely loved it saying that his drawing even looked better on Nicky's wrist with the marble skin as a background.
They travelled together until after Joe's 24th birthday when he no longer could ignore the art scholarship. They moved into a small flat together with only one kitchen and one room but they didn't care. After all, they had lived in a cramped car where they sometimes slept in it, so the tiny space didn't bother them.
Nicky started on a creative writing course at the university. While Nicky thrived at university it became more and more clear that Joe didn't thrive at art school. Therefore April and Nicky joined forces to convince Joe that he didn't need art school and it was ok. They were also sure that Joe still would become a world-famous artist no matter what. It was first when Joe's parents said the same thing as April and Nicky, that Joe quit art school. It also left Joe without an income but thanks to Fabio it only lasted 4 minutes and 12 seconds, when Fabio hired Joe as his art consultant and asked Joe to decorate Fabio's new club.
During his last year at uni, Nicky got his big breakthrough as a murder mystery writer with the book "The Ghost Of The Coliseum". It was a story set in ancient Rome with a female detective named Lucia, who Joe, their families, and friends were sure was inspired by the women in Nicky's life. Nicky denied it but not even he could explain why Lucia was using an axe as her favourite weapon.
Joe's big breakthrough as an artist came when after many sleepless nights painted "The Blue Angel" which was heavily inspired by Nicky's eyes. It was a painting that Joe couldn't sell no matter how many Euros or Dollars collectors said they were willing to pay for it. Instead, Joe painted 9 other paintings with Angels as a motive in different colours and sold them, but there were still collectors who wanted to owe "The Blue Angel" to complete the collection of Angels. But Joe didn't budge at all. After the last collector offered 16 million Dollars for "The Blue Angel", Joe got so tired and after talking with Nicky if it was ok to make a deal with a museum, that they could have "The Blue Angel" once both Joe and Nicky were dead. It didn't make Joe popular amongst some art dealers that "The Blue Angel" now was owned by a museum, but as Joe put it "not my problem if they won't buy my art."
Joe and Nicky got married on Nicky's 25th birthday in Joe's parents' garden. It was a bit cramped with 28 people in the tiny space but it was how Joe and Nicky wanted it. Just their families, friends, and them celebrating their love. Fabio insisted on being in charge of the entertainment and promised to keep it PG-friendly by hiring Ed Sheahan to play a concert, which was a big success amongst all the guests. Joe and Nicky danced to "Perfect". Because Joe was so busy falling even more in love with his husband, he didn't pay much attention to April's date. It was first on day five of their honeymoon in New York, that Joe remembered his little sister's date. Joe woke at 4 AM and woke Nicky asking who it was that April had brought with her. Nicky told Joe that it was April's boyfriend. A nice young Norwegian man named Heinz. Joe got into his big brother mood, feeling the need to talk with both April and that Norwegian man right now. It was there Nicky reminded Joe of two things. 1:There were at least two oceans between Joe and April and 2: Joe was on his honeymoon right now. Joe agreed with Nicky about the last thing, but also that he was going to have that talk once he got home again.
Thanks to Nicky's warning both April and Heinz were prepared for the talk when Joe turned up. Joe forgot all about the talk when Heinz asked if they should play Fifa football because Heinz just like Joe only got sisters who weren't interested in football at all. Heinz and Joe became friends that night. Just like Heinz Joe couldn't understand how It was how a Norweigan ended up with a German name when there weren't any Germans in his family. It was something they often talked about. When Heinz wanted to ask April to marry him, Heinz both asked Joe and Finn at the same time. They both gave Heinz their blessing. April and Heinz also got married in the same garden as Joe and Nicky. Once again Fabio insisted on being in charge of the entertainment and promised to keep it PG-friendly by hiring Adele to play a concert, which was a big success amongst all the guests. Heinz and April danced to "To Make You Feel My Love". April and Heinz were living in Vienna at the moment.
Nicky lost his parents before he turned 27. His mother died of a heart infection. They were in the middle of planning her funeral when his father died of a broken heart. Nicky was sure he wouldn't have gotten through it all without Fabio, Joe, Joe's family, and their friends. They all let Nicky cry as much as he needed and whenever he needed to shout at the sky they let him. Fabio was just as heartbroken as Nicky was, so Joe and his family offered to tell them all the stories about Emilia and Arthur. It helped with the healing process for Fabio and Nicky, that they could talk with Joe and Joe's family when they needed it.
When Finn's back no longer could do the job as a builder, he and Amina moved to Vienna. Amina got a job as a nurse, while Finn went back to school and got an education as a teacher. It was one of the reasons Joe and Nicky started to consider if they also should move closer to Joe's family one day.
Andy and Quynh had settled in London, where they had opened a martial arts school. One of the things they taught was self-defence. They also fostered children and adopted four girls so far. They were currently waiting for the adoption papers for two brothers.
Nile and Booker were still together. They agreed on they would never marry or have children. Booker owned a string of clubs around the world including the one in Melbourne, while Nile worked with elephants and saving that species. That was why they lived half of their life in Kenya because of Nile's work and the other half in Europe so Booker could check in on his clubs. Sometimes they had to leave the other one behind because of their job but most of the time they were together.
Still, they all made sure to meet up a couple of times a year and they always made sure to celebrate Christmas together. Andy and Quynh's children still talked about that Christmas in Kenya with all the elephants. Joe's family often joined them whenever they weren't in Norway.
What made them move closer to Joe's family was that Nicky got an offer to teach at the university in Florence and that April was pregnant. They found a house on a hill, where they could see the entire Florence from the kitchen window. It was one of their favourite spots in the house. Nicky sat down on the bench, curled his legs up under him, and returned to the thought he had been thinking about for the last couple of days: Mr Joe Rabbit's future. After travelling the world with them, Joe Rabbit would usually sit in a chair in Nicky's office that had belonged to his mother but today for some reason Nicky took Mr Joe Rabbit with him.
"Nico?" Joe shouted as usual. "Are you home?"
It was a terrible habit of Joe's as April said that her big brother needed to announce to the entire world that he had arrived. Nicky still swore that he didn't agree with April, but called it endearing whenever Joe asked about it. April was sure Nicky was lying about it.
"In the kitchen," Nicky replied. "And please take your shoes off. Unless you want to wash the floor again."
"Still haven't forgiven me for the mud?" Joe asked as he came into the kitchen and Nicky shook his head. "Look here. Totally barefooted."
Joe held up one of his legs while trying to make a pirouette which made Nicky laugh.
"Hi love," Joe said with a smile as he bent down to kiss Nicky. "Just grabbing some water and I'm all yours."
Joe quickly took a bottle of water from the fridge before he sat down next to Nicky. Then Joe made a sign it was ok for Nicky to place his legs in Joe's lap, which Nicky did.
"Have Mr Joe Rabbit gotten a new spot?" Joe asked when he saw the toy rabbit and took it.
"No, I mean, no," Nicky replied. "I don't know to be honest. I've been thinking a lot about the past the last couple of days."
"Is something wrong?" Joe wanted to know. He looked worried at his husband. "Has something happened?"
"Everything is fine. I didn't mean to upset you," Nicky said in a reassuring tone before kissing Joe. "What I meant was I have been thinking about how a toy rabbit helped two scared children a long time ago."
"Oh, I understand, I think," Joe said. "Do you mind elaborating?"
"April is having a little one in December," Nicky said. "I was thinking that maybe it's about time to give Mr Joe Rabbit a new mission. Just in case the sock eating monster returns."
"Do you know what?" Joe said with a smile. "I think that is a brilliant idea because the sock eating monster is a scary thing."
Joe kissed Nicky.
"I know, love," Nicky said. "Now answer me this: have you been painting with the spray gun again?"
"Yes, I have," Joe replied. "Are you psychic?"
"I just followed the clues in front of me," Nicky replied with a smile. "You got paint in your curls."
"And that's why you write murder mysteries," Joe said laughing. "I'm taking a shower before dinner with April and Heinz. Can you believe my sister married someone named Heinz?"
Nicky smiled.
"I was there on their wedding day, so yes I can believe that," Nicky smirked. "Better hurry with the shower. I'm leaving in 10 minutes."
"10 minutes to shower in," Joe said on the way out of the kitchen. "My husband has started to sound like my mother."
Joe peeked his head around the corner.
"You do know that washing these curls takes at least 8 minutes," Joe teased. "If you want me to look good."
"Better hurry then," Nicky replied. "You only got under 9 minutes left."
Joe winked as he made his way to the bathroom. Nicky picked Mr Joe Rabbit.
"Please look after the next one as you looked after us," Nicky said and made the toy rabbit nod as he had done when he was a child. "And one day you'll be back home for Christmas again."