They've answered. That should be enough. She got her answer and she should slip out of the room and get back to Andy. But she doesn't move. Her eyes trace along the slope of Joe's shoulders, across Nicky's skin, lingering on the grin that's teasing at the older man's lips. She realizes, rather suddenly, that she doesn't want to leave. She wants to see where this will lead, wants to chase the heat that's coiled tight in her stomach at the sight of them--
She swallows and shakes her head, eyes flicking between the soft brown of Joe's gaze and the tender blue of Nicky's.
They won't judge her. Of anyone in the world, she can trust them. It's making herself vulnerable, sure (and she's never been great at that, she'll be the first to admit), but they've seen her at her best and at her worst already. What's--what's a little bit more?
It's her curiosity, that's the thing. That's what she tells herself. If she can just sate her curiosity seeing the two of them together, maybe that'll be the end of it, and she can stop picturing what they must look like when she closes her eyes. She wets her lips again and swallows, eyes fluttering closed as she draws a breath to steel herself.
"Tesoro," Nicky's voice is soft, and she's not sure who he's speaking to, but the soft 'beloved' is enough to give her the courage she needs. The words slip out before she can stop them:
"What if I stayed? You offered. Before. And maybe you were joking, but maybe you weren't," Her eyes blink open again, and she finds Joe's gaze before she has to look away. She's definitely blushing now, she can feel the heat in her cheeks. "But if you weren't joking, would you--" she gestures, hoping this doesn't sound as weird to them as it does to her, that she doesn't sound like an overeager child asking to sit at the grown-ups table, "--mind? If I stayed, I mean. You can say no. I can just go--"
Joe has to smile at how soft Nicky's voice is, even in a situation like this. He doesn't know for whom the pet name is intended either -probably both of them, knowing Nicky- but Nicky's tone is so gentle he just has to lean in and kiss his hip bone, a silent display of love as they wait for Nile's answer.
He looks back to Nile when she speaks up, his eyes crinkling at the corners fondly. "I wasn't," Joe confirms, easily. Well, he'd made sure to keep his tone light and playful so it wouldn't be awkward for her to turn them down if she wanted, but it had been an earnest proposition. Joe wouldn't joke about something like this, not between them.
"Would we mind, Nicky?" Joe interrupts when Nile starts rambling, almost losing her nerve as soon as she found it. "Would we mind very much?"
Nicky beams to Nile in answer, a little toothier than his usual smiles. "I wouldn't," he states and Joe nods gravely, despite the grin on his own face.
"I don't think I would, either," he states, sitting up a little. "I think I would like it." They should talk about it first, though.
"But how would you like to stay, Nile?" he inquires, seriously this time. "Would you like to come here? Or sit over there, and see where this is going." He gestures at Nicky's naked body, making him huff a little in amusement.
She's glad for the interruption, and doubly so when it's in the affirmative. There's a breath she's been holding that she lets out, just for the relief of it--she's not making a fool of herself here, she's not dragging them into something and she's not inserting herself somewhere she doesn't belong. They all work so hard to make sure she feels like she's a part of the family, but it's hard not to feel impossibly young when she's just going on forty and they've been alive for nearly a millennia.
Their grins ease some of the tension in her shoulders and she nods as they both affirm they want her here and--would enjoy her potential participation.
Which, then, of course, brings up the question Joe's asking and she knows she's blushing again as she considers the options. Part of her? Part of her longs to join them, but for this first time--her courage isn't quite enough, and her nerves fail her. It seems safer to settle into the chair and watch. For now, that will sate her curiosity and the itch that always seems to be there, just under her skin these days.
"I--" She pauses once, swallows to remove the tension from her voice, the want tangled with the anticipation coupled with the nerves, and then continues: "I'll watch, if that's okay. Seeing where this is going sounds--nice."
It's a lame finish, but it's what she's got to offer, and she sinks down into the chair before her better judgment can make her change her mind.
It's good to see Nile relax a little and let out a breath, her shoulders coming down gradually. Joe understands that it can be daunting to be offered a temporary spot in an ongoing 900 year romance, he does. They've been told many times that their love, absolute and everlasting as it seems to be, is not always easy to look on from the outside.
But Joe loves Nile too; she's fully part of the team now, and she's grown so much in a few decades. If she wishes to see what happens between Nicking and him behind closed door, if she wishes to join in, even, Joe will be more than happy to welcome her.
Nile states that she merely wants to watch this time, hastily sinking down into a nearby chair as if worried she's going to change her mind if she stands there too long. "Anything, bella," Nicky approves gently, and Joe nods in agreement.
"Yes, anything you like. Don't push yourself too hard, there is no-one to impress here." He grins, waggling his eyebrows a little as he pats Nicky's thigh. "Nicky'll do all the impressing, this time."
Nicky snorts and it turns into a little groan when Joe touches him again, palming his cock. "You like this, don't you?" Joe prompts, his voice a little lower. He pushes Nicky gently, making him shift on the sheets so Nile can get a good look at him. "You like that she's watching you."
Nicky nods, a little flush appearing on his otherwise stoic face. It makes Joe grin, his eyes flicking back to Nile. "So. Any requests?" he asks, playfully.
"I have requests," Nicky grumbles, his hips jerking a little, and Joe shushes him.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
I am so, so sorry for the delay :(
She swallows and shakes her head, eyes flicking between the soft brown of Joe's gaze and the tender blue of Nicky's.
They won't judge her. Of anyone in the world, she can trust them. It's making herself vulnerable, sure (and she's never been great at that, she'll be the first to admit), but they've seen her at her best and at her worst already. What's--what's a little bit more?
It's her curiosity, that's the thing. That's what she tells herself. If she can just sate her curiosity seeing the two of them together, maybe that'll be the end of it, and she can stop picturing what they must look like when she closes her eyes. She wets her lips again and swallows, eyes fluttering closed as she draws a breath to steel herself.
"Tesoro," Nicky's voice is soft, and she's not sure who he's speaking to, but the soft 'beloved' is enough to give her the courage she needs. The words slip out before she can stop them:
"What if I stayed? You offered. Before. And maybe you were joking, but maybe you weren't," Her eyes blink open again, and she finds Joe's gaze before she has to look away. She's definitely blushing now, she can feel the heat in her cheeks. "But if you weren't joking, would you--" she gestures, hoping this doesn't sound as weird to them as it does to her, that she doesn't sound like an overeager child asking to sit at the grown-ups table, "--mind? If I stayed, I mean. You can say no. I can just go--"
no worries, it's been a slow week for me too!
He looks back to Nile when she speaks up, his eyes crinkling at the corners fondly. "I wasn't," Joe confirms, easily. Well, he'd made sure to keep his tone light and playful so it wouldn't be awkward for her to turn them down if she wanted, but it had been an earnest proposition. Joe wouldn't joke about something like this, not between them.
"Would we mind, Nicky?" Joe interrupts when Nile starts rambling, almost losing her nerve as soon as she found it. "Would we mind very much?"
Nicky beams to Nile in answer, a little toothier than his usual smiles. "I wouldn't," he states and Joe nods gravely, despite the grin on his own face.
"I don't think I would, either," he states, sitting up a little. "I think I would like it." They should talk about it first, though.
"But how would you like to stay, Nile?" he inquires, seriously this time. "Would you like to come here? Or sit over there, and see where this is going." He gestures at Nicky's naked body, making him huff a little in amusement.
no subject
Their grins ease some of the tension in her shoulders and she nods as they both affirm they want her here and--would enjoy her potential participation.
Which, then, of course, brings up the question Joe's asking and she knows she's blushing again as she considers the options. Part of her? Part of her longs to join them, but for this first time--her courage isn't quite enough, and her nerves fail her. It seems safer to settle into the chair and watch. For now, that will sate her curiosity and the itch that always seems to be there, just under her skin these days.
"I--" She pauses once, swallows to remove the tension from her voice, the want tangled with the anticipation coupled with the nerves, and then continues: "I'll watch, if that's okay. Seeing where this is going sounds--nice."
It's a lame finish, but it's what she's got to offer, and she sinks down into the chair before her better judgment can make her change her mind.
no subject
But Joe loves Nile too; she's fully part of the team now, and she's grown so much in a few decades. If she wishes to see what happens between Nicking and him behind closed door, if she wishes to join in, even, Joe will be more than happy to welcome her.
Nile states that she merely wants to watch this time, hastily sinking down into a nearby chair as if worried she's going to change her mind if she stands there too long. "Anything, bella," Nicky approves gently, and Joe nods in agreement.
"Yes, anything you like. Don't push yourself too hard, there is no-one to impress here." He grins, waggling his eyebrows a little as he pats Nicky's thigh. "Nicky'll do all the impressing, this time."
Nicky snorts and it turns into a little groan when Joe touches him again, palming his cock. "You like this, don't you?" Joe prompts, his voice a little lower. He pushes Nicky gently, making him shift on the sheets so Nile can get a good look at him. "You like that she's watching you."
Nicky nods, a little flush appearing on his otherwise stoic face. It makes Joe grin, his eyes flicking back to Nile. "So. Any requests?" he asks, playfully.
"I have requests," Nicky grumbles, his hips jerking a little, and Joe shushes him.