Work Text:
Nicky was baking a chocolate cake when Nile entered the kitchen.
Nicky: "Taste this, Topo."
Nicky handed Nile the spatula, who took it before licking it.
Nile: "Uhmm, yummy. What is your secret?"
Nicky: "You got plenty of time to figure it out."
Nile rolled her eyes, which made Nicky smile. Seconds later, Nicky had gotten the chocolate cake in the oven when he noticed Nile looking at the bedroom door, where Joe was sleeping.
Nicky: "Something wrong? You seemed worried."
Nile: "It's Joe. Maybe it is just me who is silly."
Nicky: "Tell me."
Nile: "Ok. Yesterday Joe said he was getting more paint, but when he returned, he didn't have any paint with him. Excuse my question because it isn't really my business what's going on between you two, but is Joe cheating on you?"
Nile looked really worried at Nicky.
Nicky: "Far from it. That much I can reassure you. It is just that Joe has a secret, he thinks no one has discovered it yet. That is why he is acting all weird and looking quite guilty when he gets back."
Nile: "Ok, that's good to know that the world record in a relationship isn't about to be broken."
They both laughed.
Nicky: "But if you want to know what Joe does when he leaves, you could shadow him. It would also give you some surveillance practice."
Nile: "Wouldn't that be...like intruding on his private life?"
Nicky: "Far from it. You see, we all do it more or less sometimes with each other."
Nile: "You do what? You shadow and surveil each other. Why?"
Nicky: "As I said before, it's great practice because if you can shadow and surveil an immortal with more secrets than a mortal, you can do it with almost everyone. You see, Nile, we see shadowing and surveillance as a sport."
Nile: "I don't get it."
Nicky: "Between missions, we got different exercises, and one of them is shadowing and surveillance. We pick one to shadow, and the rest has to surveil the person. We even keep score to motivate the rest."
Nile: "Ah ok. I understand now. So, who is number one at the moment in shadowing and surveillance?"
Nicky: "Andy is the current champ in both disciplines, while Joe, well, he is number last. That's why I suggest you start with Joe and work your way up, and one day, you can beat Andy."
Joe entered the kitchen, still half asleep. He walked over to Nicky and placed his head on Nicky's shoulder.
Joe: "I smelled chocolate cake. Or is my nose wrong?"
Nicky ruffled Joe's curl with a smile.
Nicky: "Not at all. Why don't you take a shower? The cake is first done in ten minutes."
Joe: "Ok, great idea. Remember to save the gooey centre of the cake for me."
Nicky: "I promise."
Nicky placed a kiss on Joe's curls before Joe left.
Nicky: "If Joe sticks to the plan, he'll leave tomorrow around 11 AM. Be ready there."
The following day, Joe wrapped his arms around Nicky's waist and kissed him on the cheek.
Joe: "I'm going for a run. Fancy having a look at my ass while I flex my muscles?"
Nicky: "Very tempting, but I'm making focaccia. But you can flex your muscles tonight when...."
Nile: "Please stop. There are young people in the kitchen."
Joe and Nicky laughed before Joe kissed Nicky.
Joe: "Be back in an hour or so. Love you."
Nicky: "Love you too. Oh, and bring back two cans of tomatoes. And remember whole tomatoes."
Joe: "Better bring you four cans. Just in case."
Joe put the AirPods in his ears before he left.
Nicky: "Better get going, Nile. Joe is fast."
Nile took her magazine before she left. She had expected that she needed to run fast to catch up with Joe, but when she turned the corner, Joe stopped running and got into a bus. She knew she couldn't catch up with the bus, so she did something she had only seen in movies. She got into a taxi.
Nile: "I'll pay you 500 Dollars if you follow that bus."
Taxi Driver: "For real?"
Nile held up 500 Dollars.
Taxi Driver: "Fair enough. Hold on, Miss."
The Taxi Driver got the taxi going while Nile stuck her head out of the window in an attempt to pinpoint Joe. She felt like a dog.
Taxi Driver: "Just out of curiosity. Why this bus?"
Nile: "My stupid ex. He stole my handbag, and I want it back. It's a Gucchi."
Taxi Driver: "I won't meddle with a woman and her handbag. Learned it from the wife."
Nile saw Joe get out of the bus.
Nile: "Stop the taxi."
The Taxi Driver stopped the taxi, and Nile got out before handing the Taxi Driver the money. Then Nile started to search for Joe in the crowd of people. After twenty minutes of searching, she was just about to give up when she saw Joe entering a store, and what happened next she couldn't believe. It was there she decided to go back to Nicky. She made it back minutes before Joe, and when Joe entered the kitchen, everything looked just as when he had left. Nicky baking and Nile reading her magazines.
Joe: "Smells good as always."
Nicky: "Thanks. How was the run?"
Joe: "More than fine. Boring without you looking while I flex my muscles."
Nile: "Guys..."
Joe: "Young people."
Joe gave Nile a wink.
Joe: "Fancy joining me in the shower?"
Nicky: "Maybe after you got me what I asked for."
Joe: "I knew I forgot something. I'll get the...."
Joe looked at Nicky for some help to remember what it was he should buy.
Nicky: "Two cans of tomatoes. Remember whole tomatoes."
Joe: "Got it. Love you."
Joe kissed Nicky before leaving but returned seconds later, where Nicky held up a note. Joe took the note with a smile before kissing Nicky again.
Nicky: "So what did you find out?"
Nile: "That Joe eats pizza with pineapples and chilli sauce. And why aren't you upset about it?"
Nicky: "Because I also got my own little food secret."
Nile: "What? You're kidding me. Signor Food Snob got a food secret."
Nicky: "Yeah, but if you give it a thought, all people got secrets, they prefer not to see the light of day."
Nile: "I'm going to figure out your food secret one day. As you said, we got time on our side."
Nicky: "Good luck. I'm better at hiding my secrets than Joe is."
Nicky smiled before taking out the focaccia.
Nile: "So why haven't you confronted Joe with the pizza thing?"
Nicky: "Just as Joe thinks I don't know his food secret, I'm pretty sure that Joe knows my food secret. It's what keeps a relationship interesting."
Nile groaned and rolled her eyes before disappearing behind her magazine. While reading, she was figuring out a plan to discover Nicky's food secret.