Chapter Text
Booker took advantage of having the bedroom to himself for once and opted for the bed with the best mattress - something his back was grateful for. Booker didn't know how long he had been sleeping when a boot hit him straight in the face, followed by a second boot.
Booker: "What the hell..."
Booker looked around the room, trying to figure out who had been throwing the boots, when he noticed a fuming Nile standing next to him, holding one of the swords they had in the safe house.
Booker: "Easy now, Nile."
Booker sat ud.
Booker: "Do you mind telling me what's wrong?"
Nile: "Oh, you decide to play innocent when you know very well what you did."
Booker thought like crazy about what Nile meant.
Booker: "Nile, I have no idea what you're talking about."
Nile swung the sword over Booker's head, who ducked before rolling out of bed onto the floor.
Nile: "You better run before I get my hands on you."
Booker quickly got up before he ran out of the bedroom and into the living room, where Joe and Nicky were kissing on the sofa.
Booker: "She has gotten cabin fever. Like Andy once had."
Joe: "Which time are we talking about?"
Nicky elbowed Joe's ribs.
Nicky: "What do you mean with cabin fever?"
Nicky got his answer when Nile, a second later, stood in the living room with the sword in her hands.
Joe: "What have you done now?"
Booker: "I have no idea. And it's the truth."
Nile chased Booker around the sofa a couple of times.
Nicky: "Enough, you two, stop..."
Joe kissed Nicky to prevent him from talking.
Joe: "Why should they stop? They are just having fun."
Booker looked at Joe.
Booker: "Fun? Is your idea of fun being chased around with a sword?"
Joe: "Well, Nicky once chased me with a sword and look where we're now."
Booker: "Forget, I ask."
Booker got a hold of the sword and threw it to the side, but seconds later, Nile threw Booker over her shoulders, so he landed on the floor. Quickly, Nile sat across Booker's chest and pinned him down.
Joe: "Impressive, Nile. Someone has been paying attention during training."
Nile: "Thanks."
Nile then looked at Booker.
Nile: "You clearly did not learn your lesson last year, so I better teach you it again"
Booker: "I have no idea what you're talking about, so tell me what it is I have done this time?"
Nile: "You ate those cookies I left for Santa."
Booker: "You do know that Santa is a construct made up by those who make advertisements?"
Joe: "You're not helping your case by ruining her belief in Christmas and Santa Claus, Booker."
This time, it was Nicky who pulled Joe in for a kiss to prevent him from talking.
Nile: "Joe is right for once."
Joe: "For once? I'm always right, right?"
Nicky shrugged his shoulders, something Joe saw.
Joe: "What do you mean with that?"
Nicky: "Nothing."
Joe: "Hmm, then I have to tickle the answer out of you. Remember, you brought this upon yourself."
Because the sofa was so small, the moment Joe tickled Nicky, it didn't take long before they ended up on the floor and started rolling around. When Nile looked at what Joe and Nicky were doing, Booker took advantage of the moment and was able to get Nile off him, so she landed on her ass. Before Nile could do anything, Booker got a hold of Nile's hands.
Booker: "I did not touch those cookies. I ate those you left in the kitchen as we agreed last year."
Nile: "If that is the case, who ate the cookies? I know very well it wasn't those two who had their tongues inside each other's mouths all night..."
Before Joe could give a cheeky reply, Nicky slapped Joe's ass, which made Joe forget all about the other two on the floor.
Nile and Booker at the same time: "JOE AND NICKY!!"
Joe and Nicky saw it as a sign to leave the living room and find a more private place. Booker let go of Nile, and they both sat up.
Booker: "Is that the punishment for something I didn't do? Giving Joe and Nicky the bedroom to themselves?"
Nile placed her head on her knees.
Booker: "Please don't cry, Nile. I'm willing to admit I did it even though I didn't do it if it means you won't cry."
Nile looked at Booker.
Nile: "If you didn't do it, then who did it?"
Booker: "I can only think of one other, and she is holding the evidence in her hands."
Nile looked over at Andy.
Andy: "I have to say that Nicky is getting better at baking Christmas cookies."
Andy stopped chewing.
Andy: "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Nile looked at Booker.
Nile: "Sorry for not believing in you. Hope you can forgive me."
Nile got up and left.
Andy: "What was that about?"
Booker: "You did what I did last year. You ate the cookies Nile left for Santa."
Andy: "You do know that Santa is a construct made up by those who make advertisements?"
Booker: "That is something we believe in, and I hate to say it, but Joe is right about that we can't make Nile believe in something she doesn't believe in by destroying..."
Andy: "Book, I got a hangover, so please don't use big, long words."
Booker: "We should let Nile have her happy memories about spending Christmas with her family instead of trying to ruin them by eating the Christmas cookies she leaves for Santa."
Booker got up.
Booker: "Don't we all deserve a bit of happiness in this long life we are living, Andromache? Or have you changed your mind about that?"
Booker left Andy to think about what he had said. When Booker checked on the bedroom, there was only Nile in it.
Nile: "Joe and Nicky opted to sleep somewhere else."
Booker sat down on the bed he had been sleeping in before.
Nile: "Sorry I overreacted before. I just got so angry for reasons I can't explain."
Booker: "You don't have to explain anything to me because I understand you better than you think."
It was the truth. Ever since their talk in the cave, Nile and Booker had shared a bond together they still didn't know the extent of it but they got the time to figure it out.
Booker: "I'm just glad you didn't decide to come after me with a sharp blade because if that had happened, I knew you were mad at me."
Booker lay down on the bed, but seconds later, Nile threw a pillow after him.
Booker: "Still not mad at me. And thanks for the extra pillow."
They exchanged a smile before they went to sleep.