Work Text:
Saying goodbye was something that Nile wasn’t prepared for. Not now, not like this.
Finding Booker in the aftermath of his sacrifice to save Andy was horrific. The man’s body was covered with stab wounds and bullet scars, showing the moment he stopped healing and became mortal… for the very fast few minutes of his life.
One by one, the rest of the team assembled around their fallen friend, their ally, their brother. They closed his eyes, covered his wounds to hide them from the world, and prepared to bring him back to their latest hideout.
Once back at the safe house, the husbands quietly took their fallen brother into their room, carefully removing the man’s tactical gear and replacing it with some of his softest and most beloved clothing from years past. They wiped the blood away, replacing it with pale skin and their own tears, falling almost without their notice.
Task completed, they joined Nile in the yard, picking a place where their brother would rest in peace. The chosen spot was under a well established tree, just off of the path.
One by one, they paid their respects. They thanked him, they forgave him.
Nile was the last one left. She’d been quietly in contact with Booker for the past few years, building a friendship that was surviving the banishment, if also keeping Booker sane.
She rested the hatchet against the temporary headstone, next to the carefully wrapped first edition of Don Quixote, left by Andy.
“Bye Book, miss you.”