Work Text:
Nile dumped down on the sofa with a deep sigh. She hadn't been able to find rest after her latest mission, where she got shot and then hit by a car seconds later. Nicky saw it all from the kitchen and decided that it was ok to eat sandwiches instead of fish tonight because Nile's well-being was more important.
"Nile," Nicky said when he sat down on the coffee table and took her hand in his, which he caressed gently. "What will it take for you to get some rest and sleep?"
"A week on a beach in Bali?" Nile suggested. "Know it can't be done given I'm broke at the moment."
"Hmmm," Nicky said while thinking about how to help Nile. "You do know you did the right thing by standing between the child and the car? If you hadn't acted so quickly a mother would have lost her son."
"I know, Nicky," Nile replied. "And I'm glad I did it."
Joe came into the living room yawning. He had been working on a new painting of Nicky.
"If you are looking for dinner we're having sandwiches tonight," Nicky said. "Nile is more important at the moment."
"You haven't slept yet?" Joe asked and Nile shook her head. "Happens to us all sometimes. The trick is to distract yourself from your thoughts..."
"I got it," Nicky cut in. "Sorry, Joe that I interrupted you but I have an idea how we can help Nile so she can get to Bali. Last week, Joe said he needed a new art challenge and why not use Nile? You have only drawn her once when we dreamt of her. Make a trade: a painting for two weeks in Bali with everything paid."
Joe walked over to the sofa and took Nile's arm to study it.
"It has been a long while since I painted an African woman," Joe said. "What do you say Nile? Up for it?"
"Under one condition," Nile replied. "No nude paintings. You can do that with Nicky, not me."
"Fair enough," Joe replied with a big smile. "Come a long, Nile. We got work ahead of us."
Joe pulled Nile up from the sofa and with him.
"Ok, now let me see," Joe said when they stood in the bedroom he shared with Nicky. "I just need to find some old sketches. Your hair. Can it be turned into an afro?"
Joe grabbed one of his boxes and started to search through it.
"Yeah, give me until tomorrow," Nile replied. "Uhm, Joe. Could we do the painting in another room? It smells so much of what I don't want to know in here."
"Don't worry," Joe replied. "The light isn't right in here for what I got planned. While I search for the old sketches, could you ask Nicky if he has the measuring tape?"
Nile asked Nicky and when she returned, Joe had found five sketches. They all were of African tribal women and were drawn over 300 years ago.
"Thanks," Joe said when Nile handed him the measuring tape. "Could I ask you to step up on that chair behind you?"
Nile did what Joe asked her to do. When she stood on the chair, Joe started to measure Nile's body.
"These women," Nile asked. "Did you know them?"
"We saved them and their families from being sold as slaves," Joe replied. "When we got them to safety I drew paintings of them all because I loved the colours on their clothes."
"Glad you could help them," Nile said. "Have you done that a lot? Drawn picture of families."
"Yes, it was and still is a good way of earning some money between missions, and thanks to the rich people, the poor people didn't have to pay for their drawings," Joe replied. "We're done."
"That's nice," Nile replied as Joe helped her down from the chair. "Thanks for the hand. What's next?"
"If you do the afro, then I'll deal with the rest so we can start tomorrow after dawn," Joe replied. "And now it's time for dinner."
Doing her hair, helped Nile not to think about her insomnia. When she came into the living room, Joe was busy making a small platform. On the sofa lay a big box.
"Your hair is perfect," Joe said. "Could I ask you to put on the clothes in the box? Just be careful with it. It's very old."
"I promise," Nile replied. "Why do you still have it?"
"It's thanks to Nicky. He has always collected things and clothes," Joe replied. "He was the first one who realized, that if we saved certain things and clothes we can sell them when there isn't any mission in sight with profit."
"I might want to do that too," Nile replied. "Let me get dressed. Is it ok that I keep on my bra and underwear?"
"More than fine," Joe replied. "We got an agreement about you not being nude and I respect that."
Nile smiled at Joe before she got changed. The clothes were just as colourful as the ones she had seen in pictures. When Nile returned to the living room Joe had finished with the platform.
"Beautiful," Joe said. "Are you ready?"
"Think so," Nile replied. "What am I to do?"
"Just stand on the platform in the position I put you in while I draw," Joe replied. "And I will correct you if needed."
Nicky came into the living room with a book.
"You look beautiful, Nile," Nicky said with a smile.
"Thanks, Nicky," Nile replied as Joe corrected her head.
"Joe, my love?" Nicky asked. It made Joe look at Nicky. "Make sure Nile gets a break after 15 minutes. She is new at being your muse and you don't want to scare her away."
"That's only fair," Joe replied. "Please remind me if I forget."
Nicky gave Joe a kiss before promising it. Then Nicky sat down in the big armchair to read, while Joe started to paint Nile.
A month later in Bali:
Nile looked over at Joe, who was still working on the last bit of her sketch. Joe had told Nile that he planned on drawing the sketch onto a big canvas or on one of the safe houses' walls. Nile knew Joe was a great artist, but when she saw the sketch of her she knew that Joe was maybe the greatest artist that had ever lived.
Nile returned to look out over the ocean and thought about the drinks and ice creams, Nicky was getting. It was Nile's first time in Bali, so she asked if the boys wanted to go with her, something they said yes to. Joe did more than pay for the Bali trip, he made sure that Nile got the first-class treatment with a suite, room service, access to the spa, tables at the best restaurants, a shopping trip and with more spending money than she could use. Joe and Nicky said that they would stay somewhere else in the jungle but that they would meet every day for lunch at the beach or a night out. And it was great fun being on vacation with them.
"Joe," Nicky said. "Do you mind putting a blanket over Nile? It looks like she finally is sleeping."
"Sure thing," Joe replied as he got up to do what Nicky asked him to do. "I think she will be sleeping for the next many hours."
Joe sat down next to Nicky in the sand and took one of the ice creams.
"Mhhh, mango," Joe said with a smile. "Love mangos."
Nicky placed his head on Joe's shoulder and interlocked their fingers.
"Your sketch," Nicky said. "It's one of your best ever."
"Thanks," Joe replied. "It means a lot when you say that because I know that you speak the truth."
Joe placed a kiss on Nicky's head before leaning his head against Nicky's.
"Don't mention it," Nicky replied. "Let's just sit here until Nile wakes up."
"I like that idea," Joe replied. "Very much indeed."
They didn't move before Nile woke many hours later where they decided to have noodles at a small restaurant.