Work Text:
Late summer 1902: Somewhere In A Forest In Canada:
Booker woke and threw his boot in Joe's direction. When there wasn't a reaction, Booker threw his second boot, and he knew he had hit Joe when he heard a groan.
Joe: "Seriously, Booker. Why did you feel the need to throw your boot after me?"
Booker: "Do something about your stomach. It makes more noise than your snoring."
Joe looked down at his stomach, and a second later, it growled really loudly. Joe hadn't eaten for two days because he and Booker found it more important to leave town in a hurry when someone saw Booker heal up from a wound that should have killed him. That was why they hid in the forest without any food or other necessities. Joe just hoped that Nicky got his message.
Booker: "You always brag about how you can find food anywhere, so do that. And please remember me."
Booker rolled over at the spot he had slept on while Joe got up. Joe then started to search for some food. Because it was late summer, Joe hoped to find some berries.
Booker noticed Joe moving around and looking through the bushes, so he decided to get some more sleep on the hard ground. Booker had just closed his eyes when Joe screamed.
Booker: "What the hell is now wrong?"
Booker sat up and saw Joe sitting on the ground, rubbing his face while an animal ran away. Booker got up and walked over to Joe, but the second he reached Joe, Booker walked backwards while covering his face.
Booker: "I said you should find food, not a skunk. Jeez, you smell."
Joe: "Yeah, I know. Some help, please."
Booker: "Sorry mate, you're on your own, but I saw a stream of water over there."
Booker pointed behind Joe.
Joe: "I thought we were friends."
Booker: "Not that good friends. Maybe one day, but not now."
Joe: "If only Nico were here. He would..."
Booker: "Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all know the stories. Joe, water, now or else I'll leave you alone."
Joe got up and walked over to the stream of water, where he threw his clothes on the ground before getting in. When Joe sat down, the water only covered his legs and the lower part of his stomach. Seconds later, Joe felt something touching his hair. When Joe looked to his right, he saw it was Booker standing with a very long branch and a stupid smile on his face.
Joe: "And what do you think you're doing?"
Booker: "I decided to be a good friend and help you get clean from a distance, so head under the water."
Booker hit Joe on the head with the branch.
Joe: "You and I got very different ideas of what a good friend is and could you please stop hitting me? It hurts."
Booker: "Stop being such a child, you're immortal."
Booker hit Joe on the head again with the branch while grinning. To get away from that sight, Joe decided to lie down in the water, but the water didn't even cover his face.
Booker: "You still smell, which means you will be in trouble with Nicky."
Joe: "How did you figure that out?"
Booker: "Well, you smell of something else that isn't Nicky."
Joe shook his head just as Booker hit him again with the branch.
Joe: "No matter how hard you try, you will never be funny, Book. And could you not make a fire with that branch? I'm freezing."
When Joe made all the signs of wanting to get out of the water, Booker used the branch to push Joe down again.
Joe: "What's that about?"
Booker: "You still smell, mate, so stay in the water."
Joe: "I will catch a cold if I stay in the cold water much longer."
Booker: "You are still immortal, so a cold won't kill you, but the smell might kill me."
Joe: "I really don't see the difference since we're both immortal."
Booker: "Well, I do, so stay in the water until I say you can get up."
Booker hit Joe on the head again with the branch. This time, it was a double tab.
Joe: "Just wait until I get up from here, and I will show you how to use a branch."
Booker: "You should really be grateful for having a friend who is willing to risk his sense of smell by helping you wash up the smell of skunk."
This time, when Booker wanted to hit Joe with the branch, Joe got a hold of the branch, and with one powerful pull, he was able to pull Booker down into the water.
Booker: "Seriously, Joe? This is my only dry clothes until Nicky gets here."
Booker hit the water in frustration like a child.
Joe: "I also lost my clothes, so we are in the same boat."
Joe laughed.
Booker: "We are not in the same boat."
Booker splashed water on Joe, who did the same thing, and it resulted in a water fight. They both laughed for the first time in a long while.
Nicky: "Am I interrupting something important? And I can't wait to hear the story about how you two ended up half-naked in that stream of water."
Both Booker and Joe looked up at Nicky, who dropped four big backpacks on the ground together with their weapons.
Booker: "Your childish husband didn't appreciate my help after an encounter with a skunk."
Booker took one sniff at himself.
Booker: "Thanks, Joe. Now I also smell of skunk."
Joe: "It's better than the smell of you."
Booker splashed more water on Joe, who did the same thing. Nicky just smiled before he searched his own backpack for something.
Joe: "Don't get near us, Nico."
Nicky: "I hadn't planned to do that. Once you're done playing in the water, wash yourself with this."
Nicky threw a bottle to Joe, who caught it.
Nicky: "I will leave dry clothes to you near the fire. And then there is dinner."
When Joe and Booker heard the word "dinner, " they started to fight over who should use the bottle's contents first.
Nicky: "Oh, and remember to bury your clothes."
After placing dry towels on the ground, Nicky picked up the backpacks and weapons. Nicky walked a bit away before starting to set up camp.
Booker: "Thanks, Nicky. You are a lifesaver."
Booker took the dry clothes on.
Nicky: "Don't mention it. Where is Joe?"
Booker: "He said something, leaving the burying of the clothes to him and that he wanted to find some berries."
Nicky handed Booker a bowl of soup when they heard Joe scream.
Joe: "NOT AGAIN!! NICO, SOME HELP PLEASE!!"
Booker looked at Nicky.
Booker: "It must be your turn this time because I have already been a good friend today."
Booker started to eat.
Booker: "Oh, and Nicky. I can only recommend using the branch next to the water when helping Joe."
Booker laughed while Nicky walked over to help Joe.