Work Text:
If you asked Nile, the entire house smelled so good of the food Nicky was cooking.
Nile: "Okay, I need to know what it is you're cooking, Nicky, because it smells so good."
Nicky chuckled.
Nicky: "It's just a curry."
Nile: "I love curries. What kind of curry is it?"
Nicky: "A vegetarian one."
Nile leaned a bit forward to take in the smell coming from the pot.
Nile: "I want to stick my head into the pot and eat it."
Nicky: "Bad idea because the lenses are still uncooked."
Nile: "Okay."
Nicky stirred around in the pot.
Nicky: "If you want the time to pass faster until dinner, you could help Joe with chopping the wood for the fire."
Nile nodded and left the kitchen. When Nile got outside, she found Joe behind the house.
Nile: "Are you trying to break some sort of record?"
Joe: "What do you mean?"
Nile: "Have you looked at the stack of wood you have chopped? It's almost bigger than me."
Joe swung the axe again.
Joe: "Oh, that. No, I'm not trying to break a record in most chopped wood. I'm just trying to fit in a daily workout now while doing a good deed."
Nile: "A good deed? I don't follow."
Joe: "Before you got here, we learned of a family nearby who needs some help. The husband is bedridden, and the wife is pregnant, so everyone around here is trying to help them in one way or another before the snow starts to fall, and I said I would chop the wood for them. Nicky helped the wife yesterday with painting the nursery."
Nile: "I love it whenever an entire community gets together and helps each other."
Joe: "So, do I. If you want to help, could I ask you to start loading the wood into the trailer so we can get it over to the family before dinner?"
Nile: "Of course."
After delivering the wood and taking a shower, Joe and Nile sat down at the table.
Joe: "I need a massage. Can you help me with that, Nicky?"
Joe cracked his neck.
Nicky: "Only if you stop doing that."
Joe: "I promise."
Joe poured water into the glass.
Joe: "If you need a massage, Nile, you should ask Nicky. His hands can do wonders for one's sore body."
Nile: "I will keep that in mind."
Nile looked at Nicky, who had just taken the pot off the stove.
Nicky: "Nile, do you want coriander on your curry?"
Nile: "Yes, please."
Nicky prepared three plates of food and, after handing them out, he sat down at the table.
Joe: "Something wrong, Nile?"
Nile: "I just thought you ate everything Nicky cooked."
Joe: "I do eat everything Nicky cooked, but since he didn't cook the coriander, I'm not eating that. Coriander has always tasted like soap to me."
Joe kissed Nicky on his cheek.
Joe: "It's a great curry, Nicky."
Nile: "I agree, so yummy."
Nicky: "Thanks."
Nile: "Could I ask you something, Joe?"
Joe nodded.
Nile: "What do you mean when you said that coriander has always tasted like soap to you?"
Joe: "You see, coriander can be found in many dishes from the Middle East, so one day, when someone served a dish with fresh coriander, I realised that I am not a fan of the herb. And when I discovered Nicky loved coriander, I told him that it wasn't the case with me."
Nile smiled.
Nicky: "Which demonstrates that we are just like any other couple in the world. There are things we enjoy doing together, and there are things we do on our own. And the same applies when it comes to food."
Joe winked at Nicky, who smiled.
Nile: "So, when was the last time you did something on your own?"
Joe: "Last week. While I was attending a sculpture course, Nicky went to a rave party. I have never been a fan of that kind of music. It is too loud for my taste."
Nicky: "Joe is still hopelessly stuck in the '60s when it comes to music."
Nile: "I kinda understand it, because there were some great artists who created great music in the '60s."
Nicky: "I meant 1860s. Back then, we bought tickets for a competition for young musicians."
Joe: "And if the judges had not been biased, Sophie would have won."
Nicky: "If history has shown us one thing, it is that women often don't get the recognition they deserve."
Nile: "I might not know much about history, but I do agree with you about what you just said."
Nicky smiled before he poured more water into their glasses.
Nile: "Joe? What about today's music? Don't you have any favourite artists or songs?"
Joe: "You do know that Nicky was just teasing you before?"
Nile nodded.
Joe: "And to answer your question. Yes, I love music, but I will never be a fan of the music Nicky loves the most. I prefer music I can dance to."
Nicky: "We did dance at the rave party."
Joe: "Yeah, I know, but the dancing you did at the rave party is not the dancing I like."
Nicky: "I know. And I do like your kind of dancing, too."
Joe kissed Nicky on his cheek.
Nicky: "Since Nile is also a music lover, why don't you show her your collection of records, Joe?"
Nile: "How many records do you have, Joe?"
Joe: "I don't know, but I do know I have been collecting records ever since they started making them."
Joe looked at Nicky.
Joe: "Since you cooked dinner, Nile and I will do the dishwashing. And when we are done with that, Nile, I will show you my records."
After doing the dishwashing, Joe showed Nile his record collection, while Nicky read a book or two.