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It was raining heavily, had done so all day. After wrapping up a case in the afternoon, Murray, Cody and Nick came home soaked, tired and chilled to the bone.“Murray, do you want the shower first?” Cody asked, because Boz easily caught a chill, but he shook his head: “I need to make sure the Roboz hasn't gotten wet on the inside. You know how his circuits get when that happens...”The little robot had once more been an invaluable asset, but it meant that he had also been exposed to the elements.After exchanging a look with Cody, Nick wordlessly wrapped a blanket around Murray: “We'll be quick.”Distractedly, Murray nodded, his focus on the Roboz already.Cody and Nick quickly discarded their drenched clothes; both of them were shivering when they stepped into the stall, and the hot water hurt their cold toes and fingers at first, but then it was glorious. The space was small, but Nick leaned back against Cody with a sigh: “I thought I'd never thaw again.”Cody pressed a kiss on the side of his head and wrapped both arms around Nick: “Me too.”“If I weren't so tired...” Nick muttered, eliciting a chuckle from his partner: “We've got to save poor Murray some hot water anyway.”“Yeah...” Nick turned around in Cody's embrace and kissed him: “Mr. Voice-of-Reason.”“Hey, I'm just trying to keep the peace. Do you remember the last time he ran out of hot water?”“Oh boy. Yes, I do. I think every dog in the vicinity ran away that day because their ears hurt.”Grinning, Cody nuzzled Nick's nose with his own: “I love you,” he murmured.“Love you more,” Nick replied softly, stealing another kiss before they turned the water off.Later, they all just lay around on the bench seats in the salon and one of the comfy chairs respectively, watching TV. It was still bucketing down and had gotten dark rather early.Murray sat up first when the movie was over: “Any ideas for dinner?”They exchanged glances, then Cody said: “None whatsoever.”Nick sat up as well: “Spaghetti?”Murray's face lit up: “Oh yes, that's a boss idea!”“Cody?”“Depends. Do I have to go out and buy something for the sauce?”“No, I think I can cobble something together with the stuff we've got.”“Then I'm all for it.” Cody beamed at them and turned onto his side, snuggling into the pillow.Nick rolled his eyes and disappeared in the galley.“Do you need any help?” Murray called, but Nick waved it aside: “I've got this.”Twenty minutes later, heavenly scents began to waft through the salon. Cody, who was close to dozing off, sighed: “I don't tell Nick this too often because I don't want it to get to his head, but he's got a real talent there.”Murray giggled: “You mean for whipping something up?”“Yeah.”“You're right. I didn't even know it was possible to make tomato sauce without actual tomatoes in it.”“Hm.”“Dinner's ready!” Nick yelled just then.“You know,” Murray murmured, shaking his head, “it's days like this that make me appreciate our home even more than usual.” With that cryptic remark, he went to wash his hands, since they were sticky from popcorn.Nick was straining the pasta when Cody entered the galley. The latter looked over his shoulder: “What did you make?”“Spaghetti al sugo di pomodoro e tonno.”“Tomato sauce with tuna?”“Si.”“Smells fantastic.”“You better not take that back once you've tasted it.”Cody quickly but nevertheless tenderly kissed his neck: “I wouldn't dare.”Murray came in and slid onto one of the benches as Nick had already set the table: “This is lovely,” he said thoughtfully. “It's a veritable deluge out there, but in here it's cozy and we've got great food and company...”Nick turned around: “You okay, Boz?”Murray looked from him to Cody and back: “Oh yes,” he replied, a smile slowly spreading on his face. “I definitely am.”
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Nick came into the galley with his eyes still mostly closed and his hair on end. “Morning,” he murmured, putting his arms around Cody, who was making scrambled eggs, and pressing his cheek against his partner's shoulder blade. Cody craned his neck to look at him: “Morning, Baby,” he said, barely able to subdue a laugh. “Hey, are you falling asleep again? Like this?”“Uh huh. 's nice.”“It is,” he conceded, because Nick's warm weight against his back was something else, after all. “But I'm not going to eat breakfast like this.”“Don't care.”Cody reached between them and tickled Nick's belly, at which he squawked and automatically pulled away: “That's mean.”“Sorry.” With a grin, Cody turned around to him and kissed him: "All's fair in love... and breakfast."Nick squinted at him, still not looking entirely awake, which was making Cody's heart melt. He turned off the gas, put down the spatula and pulled Nick into his arms: “I love you.”“Love you too," Nick murmured contentedly, tucking his head under Cody's chin."Hey, are you falling asleep again again?""Uh huh?"Cody sighed; he could always reheat the eggs. "Okay," he said gently, pressing a kiss on top of Nick's head. "Come on, I'm taking you back to bed.""Now we're talking.""Only to tuck you in, Mister.""We'll see..."
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That night, Cody, Nick and Murray sat in the salon together until late, if unusually silently. The case had been different from what they usually dealt with, and they were all pondering the fact that no matter where one looked, hatred and bigotry easily found company.Murray was the first to turn in; as he was getting to his feet and stretching his arms over his head with a yawn, his thin wrists emphasized by the slightly too short pyjama sleeves, Cody suddenly felt a wild surge of affection not only for him but for their little family of three in general.“Sleep well, Buddy,” he said, patting Murray's back as he walked past him.“You too, guys,” Murray muttered and disappeared down the stairs.Cody inched closer to Nick, who was sitting in the corner of the bench seat with a pillow in his arm, lost in thoughts. He'd been rather serious ever since they had taken on the case.“Hey, Nick?” Cody put his hand on Nick's foot. “Can I ask you something?”“'Course.”“You don't have a cousin Stevie.”Nick remained silent for a long moment. When he finally spoke, it sounded as though it was quite an effort to do so: “That wasn't a question.”Cody regarded him sympathetically: “I know. Sorry. It's just... I thought you were talking about yourself back there, and I... I want you to know that you can to talk to me about it, if you want.”Nick didn't meet his eyes: “Thanks, man.”Realizing that Nick didn't intend to say anything else, Cody leaned back and took another swig of his beer. He knew that there was no point in pressing his partner; if anything, he'd get angry and defensive.After another few minutes, Nick muttered something about going to bed and got to his feet. Cody sighed, wondering if he should have brought it up at all.He finished his beer while trying to concentrate on an article about antique yachts, but when he realized that he was reading the same page for the second time without really registering anything, he went to bed as well.It had become a habit to try and avoid making noise whenever the other was already in his bunk, therefore Cody slipped into the stateroom quietly and without turning on any lights. He slid out of his clothes, crawled under the covers and closed his eyes, but it was no use; he was wide awake. Sighing softly, he listened into the darkness; it felt as though Nick wasn't sleeping either.“I'm sorry,” Cody murmured tentatively.There was a moment of silence. “For what?” Nick then asked.“I didn't mean to pry. Or make you feel bad.”“It's alright.” Nick's voice was soft and gravelly. “I just... the case brought up too many miserable memories is all.”“About your parents' divorce?”“Yeah.” His tone was different now, bitter, but he continued: “It's one thing to be in a bad relationship, but when there are kids involved... You gotta pull yourself together, man. My parents didn't. They never even tried to be discreet about their fights, you know? I heard everything, I was there. It sometimes felt as though I was invisible. And what was worse... they reached a point where everything I said was turned into an argument. I got a D in math, my mom yelled at my dad for not helping me with my homework. I came home with a bloody nose, my dad yelled at my mom for raising a wimp. I asked why we never went on a holiday, they yelled at each other about money.” He was silent for a moment.“As a kid I didn't understand that they were using me because of their own helplessness, both of them. It just made me feel guilty because it felt as if I was starting the fights. And when they finally got divorced, I lay awake at night and worried that neither of them would want me, because somehow, everything I did was wrong.”Cody didn't know what to say; it certainly explained a lot, but he hadn't expected it to be this bad.His heart clenched at the notion of how awful Nick must have felt about it. Still was.“I'm so sorry,” he eventually muttered, getting up and padding over to his partner's bunk. “It sounds as though they just didn't deserve you.”Nick gave a half-hearted snort: “Stop apologizing, will you? You weren't there. And if you were- you'd never treat anyone like that. You'd probably have stood up for me.”Cody smiled even though Nick couldn't see it: “I'll still say this: I'm sorry about all those things, Nicky, I wish I could change what happened. I wish there was a way of making it better.”In the darkness, Nick found Cody's hand, folded his own around it and pulled it to his chest, where his heart was: “You already are,” he murmured. "Thank you, Cody."They stayed like that for a long time.
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Unless the days were so hot that the nights barely brought any relief and all kind of bodily contact was intolerable, Cody and Nick invariably slept in the same bed ever since their relationship had fully evolved. Neither of them liked to be apart unnecessarily, therefore they did some renovation, taking out Nick's bunk and rebuilding Cody's so that it was twice as wide; they were almost ridiculously proud when they went shopping for new sheets and a larger comforter once they were done.They usually fell asleep wrapped around one another and sought each other's closeness even in their sleep after one of them or both had rolled away at one point, because Nick habitually slept on his belly and Cody on his right side. There was always some kind of touch, however, a knee against a thigh, an arm against a back. When Nick woke up early, he usually shimmied over and sleepily nudged Cody until he turned around and wound his arm around his partner, pulling him close without even waking up, and Nick would press his face against Cody's sternum and close his eyes again; when Cody woke early, he often simply inched towards Nick until he was lying half on top of him and dozed off once more with one hand on his back.Cody loved how Nick sometimes fell asleep while they were reading before turning off the lights, his head on his partner's shoulder; Cody would then put down his own book, tighten his hold and just listen to Nick's quiet breathing and enjoy his warm weight against his body. Part of him felt protective whenever that happened, because Nick appeared more vulnerable to him in his sleep, and there were times when Cody barely knew how to bear it and his heart was so full of love for the guy that it felt near to bursting.Sometimes, Nick startled awake in the middle of the night, and Cody inevitably woke up as well; he prided himself of having developed a sixth sense when it came to these matters, and maybe he did, because Nick rarely made a sound. Most of the time, he just sat panting and staring into the darkness, trying to discern what was real and what had been a dream. Cody just pulled him into his arms on those occasions and coaxed him to lie down again, but he didn't go back to sleep either until Nick's heart had stopped racing, and sometimes not even then. Cody never made him talk about it but he listened when Nick did out of his own volition; most of the time though, he couldn't even remember what had triggered it. Sometimes it had to do with falling, but he wasn't always sure.When Cody had the occasional nightmare, it was more vivid, though the colours were odd and the faces contorted. Sometimes it was the war that haunted him, even after all these years; sometimes it didn't make any sense at all. But he tended to flail around whenever he did have a bad dream, and more than once, Nick had woken up because of getting hit by an arm or a leg. Cody usually didn't remember any of that; most of the time, he only truly awoke once Nick had wrapped himself around him, gently murmuring something soothing until the change in the situation registered with his partner's subconscious.“Nick?” Cody then invariably asked, his voice small, and Nick would tighten his embrace and kiss Cody's face and tell him he was home and safe and nothing was going to happen to him because Nick wasn't gonna let it and if anyone tried he'd clock them on the nose and throw them into the port basin. For some reason, this always calmed Cody down at once, because Nick wouldn't be joking about it if something was amiss. Which made total sense to his still sleep-addled brain, therefore he was always able to go back to sleep quickly, often not even remembering the episode in the morning. It amused Nick to no end how Cody, after he had stopped fighting Nick and actually heard what he told him, simply said “Okay,” and dozed off again. He was also proud that he could provide his partner with such a sense of security. But it was mutual, really; whenever his own subconscious haunted his sleep or he wasn't feeling well, all he wanted was Cody, after all.Once, when the entire Riptide Detective Agency was incapacitated by a severe cold, Murray padded into the room to see if they had some Tylenol left and found Cody, who was suffering from bouts of vertigo due to an advanced ear infection, leaning almost upright against Nick, who in turn was leaning against a mound of pillows and held Cody in his arms, both of them fast asleep. How they did sleep like that was beyond Murray, but Cody had told him that the dizziness got worse when he lay down, so maybe this was the lesser of two evils. And Nick- well, Murray had eyes, he knew how protective he was of Cody. He sometimes wished he had something like that- a partner who put him before everything else. Of course, he knew that Cody and Nick valued him and that their friendship exceeded the usual limits; these two were brothers to him, they loved him and were loyal no matter what. But he also knew that all of that didn't even come close to what they had, and while he didn't envy them their relationship, he wished he had something similar with someone.With a sigh, he grabbed the bottle of Tylenol and left the room again.Cody and Nick were always discreet about showing their affection, or so they thought. They never kissed in public, or held hands. They weren't aware how much else there was going on though, how frequent they usually sought physical contact, however brief. It was a luxury, almost a relief to be on their own in the privacy of their bedroom at the end of the day. Sometimes, they had barely closed the door before impatiently tugging at each other's clothes; on other occasions, they were just happy to curl up on the bed together and unwind.“Rebuilding this was the best idea we ever had,” Cody said contentedly one night just as Nick snuggled up with him, tucking himself under Cody's arm.“Hm,” he just hummed in agreement, already too tired to talk; he wasn't going to last two pages before he'd doze off, that much was clear. And Cody was already looking forward to it.
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Gloomily, Cody stared at the headrest of the seat in front of him. He was on his way to visit his mom because she was turning 70, meaning the whole clan was going to be there. 27 or so people, half of whom were going to ask when he'd get a proper job and if he'd already met a nice girl to settle down with. He could already see his mom's expression at that, wordlessly reminding him that he was the only one of her children who didn't have any offspring yet. He couldn't tell her or any of them that there wasn't going to be a nice girl in his future, now or ever, because the only person he could imagine sharing his life and growing old with happened to be his best friend and partner, who was male. So no offspring either. She'd have a heart attack right then and there, between his uncle's toast and his niece's recital of a poem about grandma she had written herself.Cody sighed; one day, he'd have to talk to his mom, but not now. He was going to smile and find evasive yet charming answers as usual, duck into the bathroom every so often for a break and get as drunk as possible without alarming anyone.What was weighing even heavier on his mind than the imminent party however was the fact that Nick wasn't going to be there when he was going to come home in five days' time, because he was leaving for reserve duty one day before Cody was due back. Two weeks without Nick seemed impossibly long and bleak prospect, and he wished, for the hundredth time, that he at least could have stayed at home himself, even if that only meant a rather meagre additional four days. At the end of the two weeks, Cody had to admit that it hadn't been too bad while he had been busy- Murray and he had taken on light jobs once he had returned from Minnesota, which meant some easily earned money and sufficient distraction during the days. It were the nights and the time during which he didn't have much to do however that made the world feel off kilter in Nick's absence.Nick tried to call every other day, but since he was deployed in aerial firefighting again, he didn't always get the chance, either because he was still working or because the electricity in the affected area was out. So Murray and Cody only heard from him thrice, and he sounded exhausted every time.Cody didn't sleep well either; he worried about Nick and he wasn't used to sleeping alone anymore. It was too silent and too spacious, plus, he missed Nick's quiet breathing and his scent and the way his body felt against his own. It didn't help to put on one of Nick's shirts, but Cody did it nevertheless just to feel somewhat closer to his partner.He was relieved when he finally woke up at the end of the two weeks and knew that Nick was finally going to come home on that very day.Whistling, he got up and showered, then went shopping; he was going to cook lasagne al forno after the recipe of Nick's grandma tonight.He also made up the bed with fresh sheets and tidied up the salon a bit. Murray, who of course noticed the change in his friend, subdued a grin: “When is Nick going to be here again?”“Around five, I think,” Cody said, smiling.Yet five o'clock came and went and there was no sign of Nick. Cody began pottering around the galley at six and the lasagne was done around eight, but still no Nick. At one point, Murray and he ate, though Cody barely tasted anything, as his stomach was in knots. Why didn't Nick call if he was going to be delayed?“I'm sure he's alright,” Murray said soothingly when they were doing the dishes, but Cody wasn't so sure. He waited by the phone until late, but it didn't ring. At one point, he stretched out on the bench sofa, Murray having gone to bed already; he was tired but determined to keep waiting up. “Cody.”“It's green,” Cody said with the remnants of an already obscure dream still around him, then he blinked: “Nick!”Nick, who was crouching next to the bench, regarded him with a tired but fond smile: “What's green?”“Beats me...” Cody sat up. “What time is it?”“Almost two.”“I was worried, big guy. Why didn't you call?”“It was chaos back there. The road to the airfield was blocked by fallen trees, and because of the fire, there was no way to circle round. It took forever to clear a path because they couldn't spare any vehicles and had to reassign an additional truck first, and by the time we reached the airfield, I didn't get a chance to call you.”Cody looked at him attentively, wide awake again now, and saw the fatigue in Nick's expression, the way he blinked as though it was difficult to keep his eyes open and how he held himself. He was a little hoarse as well because even in the air, there was no escaping from inhaling the smoke and dust, if in smaller quantities than nearer to the ground.“You hungry?” he asked, running his hand up and down Nick's arm. Nick shook his head: “Something smells fantastic here, but I just wanna sleep.”“Lasagne tomorrow, then.”“You made lasagne?”“Al forno,” Cody said proudly. “After your nonna's recipe.”Nick regarded him for a moment, then he came closer and kissed him: “You're the best.”Gently, Cody cupped his partner's neck with his hand, caressing his skin with his thumb: “I'm so glad you're back,” he said against Nick's lips. They lingered, taking their time to cherish the knowledge that the separation and the wait finally had come to an end.Eventually, Cody nuzzled Nick's skin with his nose: “I missed you so much,” he said softly, wrapping his arms around the other and holding on to him tightly.Nick leaned into him: “Ditto,” he replied, and Cody could hear the weariness in his voice now.“Come on,” he said, “let's go to bed.” In their stateroom, Nick unceremoniously dropped his duffle bag on the floor: “I'll unpack tomorrow,” he murmured, pulling open the zipper. “Just need my toothbrush.”Once he found it, he padded to the head, where Cody joined him a moment later. They brushed their teeth, then Nick quickly washed himself in lieu of a shower. Cody thought there was a faint aroma of smoke noticeable in his hair, but he didn't mind, and Nick was far too tired for a shower. Besides, the hot water didn't work properly after eleven p.m.With palpable relief, Nick crawled into their bed once he was done; Cody was already under the covers, wrapping his arms around his partner as Nick burrowed into him, his warm, familiar weight welcome and lovely and making the world alright again. Nick was tense, however, and Cody could imagine why.“You okay?” he therefore asked; he knew that the wildfires were the stuff Nick's nightmares sometimes were made of.“Yeah,” Nick replied after a moment. “Though I gotta admit that I was glad to get away. It's so much destruction, Cody... and the animals...”“I know,” Cody murmured unhappily. “It's horrible. But if you hadn't been there...”Nick's fingers scrabbled over Cody's shirt, kneading the fabric: “It's just not enough, man.”Cody's hand found Nick's face, gently caressing his cheek, his temple, the soft skin around his eyes: “It is something.”Nick hummed, pressing himself more closely against Cody, who gladly reinforced his hold around him, wishing he could ease the helplessness his partner was feeling. “Try to think of something else for now, Baby,” he all but whispered. “Else you'll keep yourself awake.”“I love you,” Nick said softly after a moment of silence.Cody smiled:“I love you more.”He kept caressing Nick, gently carding his fingers through his hair, down his neck, rubbing circles on his back, until he could feel the other unwind.“G'night,” Nick eventually muttered drowsily, pressing a kiss on Cody's shirt. Cody smiled once more, tenderly nuzzling Nick's forehead: “Sleep well, Baby.”“You too...”And Cody did, better by far than he had while Nick was away. He briefly woke in the morning when Nick got up to go to the bathroom, but since they didn't have any assignments, he just turned around and, when his partner got back into bed, pulled him into his arms, additionally wrapped one leg around Nick's and closed his eyes again.When he woke up the next time, it was past ten already, and Nick was still fast asleep, huddled against Cody's side. He looked worn, which was no surprise, considering, and a little pale. Knowing Nick, he'd be preoccupied with what he'd seen for a while, but at least he wasn't alone. This guy and his big heart.Cody pulled the covers up around them, put his arm around Nick and just listened to the other's quiet breathing, utterly grateful to have him back.
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Cody's birthday was supposed to be a special day. Nick had begun planning weeks in advance, starting with how to wake his partner up and ending with falling into one of their bunks very late and very drunk, if not too drunk to fool around. None of what he had come up with had included spending the night before the big day and most of the day itself in jail because of a case gone wrong, or Cody sporting a broken nose. Which brought him and Nick to an even tally in that regard, but that fact didn't lift Cody's mood as it normally would have done.When they finally made it home early in the evening, Cody dropped down on the bench seat in the salon: “That is it, I've had it with Myron and his stupid jobs.”Nick handed him a bag of frozen peas and a towel: “Glad to hear that you've finally come to your senses.”Cody groaned as he gingerly put the peas on his nose: “Yeah, yeah, I know.”Murray looked from one to the other: “So... are we still going to Straightaways for dinner?”“I don't feel like going out,” Cody muttered. “Sorry, guys.”Nick regarded him: “I hear you,” he said. “But that doesn't mean we're giving up on your birthday, big guy.”“You didn't invite the girls of the Contessa over, did you?” Cody looked downright pitiful.“No,” Nick replied, “but while you had it out with Quinlan about letting us wait so long, and I'm all the way with you on that one, Buddy, because he's a sadistic bastard, I've come up with a contingency plan.”“Oh, that's so boss!” Murray said cheerfully. “Isn't that boss, Cody?”Cody's expression was somewhat resigned: “Does it include any kind of physical activity?”Nick's grin was inscrutable: “Nothing your nose can't handle.”“Fine,” Cody leaned back. “Bring it on.”“Yes, milord,” Nick replied. “Though I need to go shopping first.”“What, are you going to buy a present for me now?”“No, you moron, I'm going to buy the ingredients for dinner.”“Oh. Okay. Go on, then.”Shaking his head, Nick left. Cody closed his eyes: a shower would have been nice, but he couldn't make himself get up again, and the coldness on his nose was wonderful.He must have drifted a bit, because the next thing he knew was a gentle hand on his shoulder: “Cody?”He blinked; Nick was smiling at him: “Happy Birthday, Sleepyhead,” he said gently.Cody couldn't but smile back, even though his nose immediately began to throb. He subdued a groan and sat up: “Thank you, Nicky,” he replied softly.Nick reached for his hand: “Come on.” He pulled Cody to his feet and pressed a kiss on his temple, then he led him down into the galley, where Murray was waiting: something smelled fantastic already, and on the table, there was a chocolate cake with 37 candles on it. Cody ignored his nose and blew them out while his partners were singing “Happy Birthday”, managing to get all 37 in one go.Murray and Nick cheered: “Not bad, considering your age,” Nick quipped. Cody grinned: “Shut up and give me my present.”Giggling, Murray pulled a sizable cardboard box from under the table and handed it to him; it had a large, red bow on top.Cody opened it and peered inside: “Is that- oh wow, you guys!” He got to his feet and reached into the box with both hands, pulling out a brand-new Stetson. “It's just like the one I lost!” He put it on, grinning goofily: “Fits perfectly too!”Nick grinned: “Since you didn't stop whining for three weeks straight...”Cody had bought a Stetson at a rummage sale and worn it all the time- until he had lost it during a chase involving the Ebb Tide and another speed boat when someone had been shooting at them.“Well, your track record with hats admittedly is abominable,” Murray now said. “Let's hope you'll have better luck with this one.”Cody took the hat off and turned it in hands reverently: “I'll be careful, Boz.”Nick patted his shoulder: “It suits you,” he said softly, winking when Cody looked at him. The latter actually blushed.Murray rubbed his hands: “Should I lay the table?”“Yeah,” Nick looked at Cody a moment longer, giving him a fond smile. Later, once they'd eaten the saltimbocca alla romana, they took the rest of the wine out on the fantail and enjoyed the balmy evening breeze.“Thanks, guys,” Cody said once more, “you really saved the day.”Murray held up his glass: “To the Riptide Detective Agency- we're unbeatable and indefatigable!”“Yes, that,” Nick muttered good-naturedly, and they clinked glasses. “Happy Birthday!” Later, after they had gone to bed, Nick and Cody did some more celebrating on their own, and according to the birthday boy, the reawakened throbbing in his nose was totally worth it this time.
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Nick woke up with a start in the middle of the night, blinking into the darkness unseeingly and for a moment uncomprehending that he was awake now, because only moments ago, he had been in the water, a vast, bottomless expanse of black and blue, and he had realized that he had let go of Cody at some point. Which was when he had found himself bolt upright and with his eyes open all of a sudden, his heart beating wildly.He was vaguely aware that he had shouted something as well, but his mind was still too busy with the fact that it had only been a dream when the mattress shook, followed by a hand on his arm: “Nick?”Nick flinched before he realized that it was Cody, who had sat up as well.“I'm okay,” he said automatically, unaware how hollow his voice sounded. A moment later, Cody turned on the small lamp above the bed: he looked rumpled, but his expression was anything but sleepy: “Didn't sound okay,” he said quietly.Nick stared at him: “You were gone,” he said, his voice barely audible now. “Just... gone.” He looked as forlorn as he sounded.Cody shook his head: “It was just a dream,” he replied gently, though he had an inkling where it was coming from: their latest case had ended with their suspect almost drowning; afterwards, Nick and even Cody didn't want to see the ocean again for at least a week. It could have been much worse, for all of them, but ever since then, the water was haunting Nick. For a moment there, he did think Cody was gone because he had dived deep in order to find their guy, who had been sinking like a stone.Yes, it had been close, but Cody had always considered water his natural element, and he wasn't daunted by it. Unlike Nick, for whom the experience had left an imprint on his soul. He was shivering now, probably not even entirely awake yet, and Cody's heart filled. Winding both arms around him, he pulled him close and held him tightly, only easing him back onto the pillow when the tremors and the tension in his partner's body abated.Nick made a small sound that went straight into Cody's heart: “I'm not leaving you,” he said softly but urgently. “I'm right here, Baby.”He shifted around until he was comfortable, never letting go of Nick, who immediately inched as close to him as possible, burrowing his face into his partner's chest, and Cody quickly tightened his hold around him again, pulling the blanket up around the the two of them in order to create a cocoon of warmth and safety.Cody however kept pondering the matter, only closing his eyes when Nick's breathing began to even out. On the following day, they went out to one of the islands; Cody wanted to fish, and since they didn't have a case, Murray and Nick agreed to make a weekend out of it. Which was just as well, since they were all tired.That night, Cody woke up around two a.m.; for a moment, he was confused. But then Nick moved again, pushing at Cody's chest, his breath coming in small gasps as though he had trouble breathing.“It's me, Nick, I'm here,” Cody said, trying to keep his voice even. “Everything's all right, we're on the Riptide, home and safe!”It took much longer to calm Nick down than usual, but suddenly, all the fight left him, and he sagged.“Cody?” His voice was thin.“Yeah, Baby, I'm here.” Cody stroked up and down Nick's back with one hand: “You awake now?”“Think so...” Nick still didn't sound like himself. He sat up, blinking: “It was just a dream,” he said as though he had to make sure.“Yeah.” Cody sat up as well, for the second time that night. “Was it the same as before?”Nick nodded, avoiding Cody's gaze: “I'm sorry, man. I don't know why it keeps coming back to me...”“It's okay,” Cody soothed. Nick leaned against him and Cody could feel the other's eye lashes against his skin as he blinked.“Nick?” he asked. “I've... well, I've had an idea. Think we could try something?”“What?”“You'll see. You trust me, don't you?”“Course I trust you.”“Okay. Come on.” Cody made to get up.Nick hesitated: “You don't want us to go swimming right now, do you?”Cody turned around and took Nick's hand: “It'll be alright,” he said calmly.Though reluctant, Nick let Cody pull him to his feet and out onto the deck. It was quiet, apart from the distant sound of the surf, and the air was balmy; the ocean was illuminated by the almost full moon. A perfect night.“I don't know if this is such a good idea,” Nick nevertheless tried again, but Cody was already taking off his shirt and his briefs: “I think it's a very good idea,” he countered.Nick stood there looking helpless, making Cody's heart clench; he stepped closer until he could wrap his arms around his partner: “Please,” he said softly.For a moment, Nick just looked at him, his eyes huge in his pale face, then he yielded: “Fine.”“Thank you.” Cody kissed him, then he took the hem of Nick's shirt and pulled it over his head. Once they were both naked, they eased themselves down into the water, Cody going first. It was cool but not unpleasant.At first, Nick couldn't seem to let go of the narrow ladder, but then Cody's hands were there, guiding him, and once they were a few feet from the Riptide, Cody began to swim; Nick followed him closely. After a minute or so, Cody slowed down and eventually stopped, turning towards his partner: “How're you doing?”Nick looked around: the Riptide was still reassuringly close, and he had to admit that it was beautiful. But he also knew that they were in very deep water, and he didn't even want to think about sharks.“I'd rather go back,” he said, unable to keep his voice from quivering. “I'm sorry...”“Hey,” Cody came closer and wrapped his arms around him, keeping himself afloat by treading water: “This is more than I'd have expected, big guy,” he said tenderly.“Stop talking to me as though I was a wuss,” Nick muttered, but it was half-hearted. With Cody, who knew him better than he did himself, there was no point in pretending, after all.Cody only laughed. “Lean against me,” he then said. Nick did, resting his head against Cody's shoulder and allowing himself to float while Cody slowly swam backwards at a leisurely pace, towards the boat, pulling Nick along. It was strange and peaceful at the same time, and he realized that he was okay with the fact that he didn't have to do anything because Cody was in charge, entirely at ease and apparently not at all intimidated by the dark and seemingly fathomless abyss beneath them.“See?” Cody said once they were back on board again.Nick ducked his head and gave him a small smile: “Yeah. Wasn't too bad.” But afterwards in the shower, he held on to Cody with all that he had.“You okay?” Cody asked him softly once he had turned off the water and wrapped a large towel around the both of them.“Yeah,” Nick muttered against his chest, his breath ghosting over Cody's skin. “Getting there.” They slept late that day. When Cody opened his eyes, he was surprised to see that Nick had already gotten up, but just as he was debating whether to get up as well or not, his partner came back in with two mugs of coffee. His face lit up when he saw that Cody was awake, and he handed him one of the mugs: “Good morning.”“Morning,” Cody said, sitting up.Nick smiled at him as he sat down next to him, and he looked much better in Cody's opinion. “Thanks,” he said after a moment. “For sorting me out.”Cody reached for his free hand: “Wasn't very difficult,” he said fondly.Nick nodded: “'Cause it's you,” he replied. “You know me... and which buttons to push.”Cody regarded him: “My pleasure,” he eventually said. “Do you have any idea how much I love you, Nick?”Nick actually blushed and muttered something into his coffee.“Just to be clear,” he then said, clearing his throat. “I meant it when I said I'm not a wuss.”“I know.” The mug couldn't quite hide Cody's grin.“What was that?”“Nothing. I agree. You're not a wuss.”“I can see you.”“Yeah, so?”“Your moustache is giving it away, Allen.”Cody just shrugged, still grinning.Nick looked at him for a moment longer: “I love you too,” he then said softly.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Everything was pink. Cody's dress shirt, their socks, a number of t-shirts, Murray's pyjamas, Nick's beach shorts and one of his grey and white plaid shirts.Cody put the laundry basket down and eyed its contents unhappily: one measly, red pocket square had somehow found its way into this load and coloured everything a pale, washed out shade of pink. Nick and Murray were going to kill him.Nervously, Cody began to put away the groceries he had picked up on the way back from the laundromat; he was almost done when the Riptide moved ever so slightly, then he heard Murray and Nick coming down into the salon.“Hey,” he said, “how'd it go?”Murray, who had a root canal treated, held his cheek: “It's all numb,” he said, a little slurred, “but the doc said it's gonna be fine.”Nick smirked: “Good thing it's done,” he said. “I heard the drilling through the door. Noise goes right into your brain.”Cody winced in sympathy:”Ouch.”“Yeah,” Nick said, patting Murray's shoulder. “You're a brave man, Boz.”“Thank you for taking me,” Murray replied, blushing. “I think I'm gonna lie d-” He paused, as his gaze landed on the laundry basket. “What happened here?”Cody grimaced: “About that... I had a little mishap...”Nick pulled his formerly grey and white shirt out from the heap: “A little mishap?” he echoed.“Are those my pyjamas?” Murray examined them with a distraught expression that had nothing to do with his tooth. “I can't possibly wear them like this! What if there's a fire in the middle of the night and we'll have to evacuate-”“I'm sorry, guys,” Cody tried. “It was an accident!”Nick tipped the basked over so that its contents landed on the table.“That's half my wardrobe,” he all but yelped.“Oh, come on now, don't exaggerate,” Cody countered. “I'll buy you some new shirts-”Nick shook his head: “With what? We're broke, remember?”Cody put his hands in his pockets and pulled up his shoulders contritely: “Yeah. Well... I'm sorry.”Nick regarded his unhappy face and immediately found his anger melting away: “It's okay,” he said slowly, waving it aside. “This kinda shit happens.”Relieved, Cody nodded.Murray sighed: “It's not actually so bad, is it? I'll give my pyjamas to Baba. Maybe she'd like Nick's shirt as well. But do you know what the best part is, guys?”“No, what is it?”Murray beamed at them: “Now we've all got t-shirts which are matching the Mimi's colour. Like a company uniform or something.”Cody and Nick only groaned in unison.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Things rarely went so spectacularly wrong, Murray mused in hindsight. Usually, even if something did go wrong, the Riptide Detective Agency somehow managed to succeed nevertheless. Murray liked to put this down to the combination of wit, courage and commitment- well, and a certain amount of pigheadedness. In this case however, all of it had clearly failed. Murray still couldn't put his finger on it- maybe the information they'd gotten had been faulty, or maybe it was simply down to bad luck- either way, the outcome of three days' worth of their best efforts had resulted in a night at the hospital for all three of them.It was by no means the first time that any of them fell into the port basin, and considering how quickly things went pear-shaped sometimes, probably wasn't the last either.It was the first time however that Nick and Cody both fell in and then had something falling on top of them, or rather, someone- namely, Murray. To be fair, he was thrown at them. In the resulting confusion, Nick found himself trying to keep both Cody and Murray afloat once everybody had resurfaced, since they were both more than a little woozy, but then the people who were responsible for their current predicament began shooting at them. So it was sheer and utter luck that reinforcements in the shape of Joanna Parisi and a few officers arrived just then while the Riptide Detective Agency did its best to try not to drown and scramble for cover at the same time. When Joanna made it to the hospital after booking the shooters, she found the three guys in the emergency room, where Cody was just arguing with an elderly nurse: “-don't have a concussion, see?”“Honey, I've already had the same discussion with your pal over there, and he didn't win either.”“But-”“Doc said you're staying put, you're staying put, for observation.”“But-”“And the scrawny guy just threw up, so he isn't going home either.”Cody was about to say something else when Joanna stepped closer, barely able to hide her amusement. But Cody did look pale and was sporting an impressive goose egg above his right temple, and while she had had to accept that his heart was always going to belong to someone else, she still cared about him, enough to be worried.“I came to take your statements and see how you were,” she said by way of a greeting.“Thank you,” Cody said, giving her an unconvincing smile, “I'm fine. Just need some painkillers.” But he was trembling a little, and the nurse was just done bandaging his arm where one of the bullets had grazed him.Joanna shook her head, trying not to think of how much worse it could have ended: “Clearly, you're not. I strongly advise you to listen to the lady here.”Cody sighed: “But I'm telling you, I don't have a concussion.”“How are Murray and Nick doing?” Joanna said, ignoring his last remark.“Nick is fine and wants to go home,” came a grumpy voice from the next cubicle. Joanna went over there: “You too?”Nick obviously wasn't doing much better than Cody; he was leaning back against the small pillow and did look as pale and shaky as his partner. A large piece of gauze was covering his neck down to his shoulder blade and vanished under the hospital gown; right, Joanna recalled, one of the bullets had grazed him as well.“I'm fine,” Nick repeated as stubbornly as Cody. “It's just a flesh wound, they did refresh my tetanus shot and I don't see why I can't go home.”The nurse peeked around the curtain: “According to the EMTs, you were barely lucid for more than three minutes once they fished you out of the water, young man,” she said pointedly. “Plus, you've lost quite some blood.”“I had to dive-”“Be that as it may, you're staying here, together with your friends. We're gonna start you on some fluids soon.”Nick looked mutinous, but remained silent. Smiling in sympathy, Joanna patted his leg, then went on to look for Murray. He was wearing a large bandage around his head and did look worst of all.“Tell me you don't want to leave here as well,” Joanna said.“No,” Murray replied, a little quavery and clutching a bowl, “I'm quite happy where I am right now, thanks.” With two thirds of the team a veritable flight risk, Joanna stayed until they were all settled in a room together and only then took their statements. By the time they were done, Murray had dozed off and Nick and Cody did look rather worn out as well.“Do you want me to come pick you up tomorrow morning?” she asked before she left.“If they let us go,” Cody mumbled, grinning a little loopily. Apparently, the painkillers were doing their job. When she was gone, he looked over at Nick, who had closed his eyes. Cody didn't remember the events that clearly because Murray's head against his had been quite a blow in the literal sense, but he recalled the sudden confusion turning into panic when Nick, who had tried to keep him above the surface with one hand, had suddenly pushed him under again, and then there were the pain on his arm and the frantic realization, despite his muzzy head, that they weren't safe and had to get away. The relief once the shooting stopped and they were being pulled out, and the fresh panic when he saw the blood on Nick's shirt, so much of it... he shuddered. Not a day he wanted to repeat.“You asleep?” he asked softly because it was hard to bear seeing Nick so still. His partner blinked groggily however and turned his own head towards Cody as far as he could manage with the bandage: “Almost,” he muttered, the corners of his mouth quirking up a little. “You okay?”“Yeah,” Cody muttered. “But I miss you.”Nick's sleepy smile deepened: “Love you,” he said very softly and gravelly. “Gonna sleep now, okay? You sleep too.”“'kay.” But Cody looked at him until his eyes closed of their own account.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
On the following day, only Cody and Nick were released. Murray had thrown up once more during the night; despite his protests that it was probably only a reaction to the medication, the doctor didn't want to take any risks and keep him in for observation a little longer. Which was why Joanna had a profound sense of déjà-vu when she arrived because she walked right into Nick and Cody arguing with the doc, feeling that they could observe Murray just as well.
“Gentlemen,” Joanna said emphatically. “Did it ever occur to you to just accept what you're being advised to do for once?”
Since that effectively shut them up, she held up the large bag she'd brought, ignoring their glowering looks: “I've taken the liberty to bring you some clothes.” She smiled sweetly: “Why don't you get dressed while I see about your release papers?”
Nick and Cody exchanged a look, then nodded, obviously still disgruntled, and murmured their thanks before taking the bag and disappearing in the bathroom.
Joanna turned to the doctor: “I'd have brought you some coffee if I had known.”Once his friends were dressed, they came to stand by Murray's bed: “Will you be alright?” Cody asked. Murray sighed: “Yeah. I'll probably just sleep.”
“Give us a call if you need anything,” Nick said. “Or if you need us to bust you out. Otherwise we'll come pick you up tomorrow.”
“Thanks,” Murray muttered, giving them a tired smile. “Take care of yourselves, guys.” In the car, Joanna shook her head: “Sometimes you act like some petulant six-year-olds,” she said, which both of them studiously ignored. Joanna inclined her head: “You don't have to like it, but I know you heard me.”
“Yes, Mom,” Nick muttered, eliciting a crooked grin from Cody.
“I do feel like your mom sometimes,” Joanna said pensively. “Considering how often I'm saving your sorry butts.”
“Excuse me?” Nick and Cody said in unison.
Joanna subdued a grin: “Well, don't tell me it isn't true. And if it wasn't for me, you'd be wearing the things you yesterday went swimming in right now. Or have a half-empty fridge.”
“You went shopping for us?” Cody asked, touched. "Thank you, Jo."
“Well, yes, I thought you'd forget your grudge about having been forced to stay at the hospital if you'd get a sumptuous breakfast for consolation.”
“Including bearclaws?” Cody sounded hopeful.
“Among other things. Had I known about the fresh drama that was about to unfold today, I'd even have thrown in a cantaloupe.”
Now she was definitely grinning, despite the dark looks Nick was giving her. It was good to be home. Neither Cody nor Nick were going to admit it, but they did feel a bit banged up by then. They had some breakfast with Joanna, who then went to work, and made their way down to their stateroom, where they helped one another out of their sweaters; Cody couldn't move his arm too much after all and Nick's range of motion was rather limited as well because his neck felt stiff and bruised. Both of them were relieved to be lying down again, together at that. Very gingerly, Nick turned onto his side so that he could tuck himself under Cody's good arm and rest his head on his partner's shoulder. Cody leaned his cheek against Nick's hair and sighed: “Much better,” he murmured.
“Think Murray'll be okay?” Nick asked softly.
“I hope so,” Cody sounded drowsy already. “Got a hard head.”
“Yeah.” Nick turned his face into Cody's chest a bit further. “Glad you do too.”
Cody chuckled, pressing a kiss on Nick's hair: “Love you.”
“Love you more.”They slept for a few hours, then got up and made some sandwiches, which they ate out on the fantail. Both tried to read for a bit, but in the end, they went back to bed and slept or dozed for most of the remaining day.
In the evening, they called the hospital to ask about Murray, and the nurse told him that he was improving and very likely was going to be released on the following morning.
“Good,” Cody said. “It's too quiet without him.”
Nick sighed: “I never thought I'd say it, but you're right.”
They smiled at one another.
“Should we order a pizza?” Cody then asked.
“We don't have any cash.”
“Right...”
“We could just make some pasta. But I'll need your help.”
“I've only got one arm.”
“And I can't look down so I won't be able to see what I'm doing.”
“Fine.”
Ten minutes later found them both at the stove: Nick was giving instructions and held the pot in place while Cody put in the ingredients and stirred with his good hand. Both pronounced the sauce as surprisingly tasty once it was done, and since they had opted for spirelli noodles instead of spaghetti, neither of them had trouble eating.
They ate in the salon, watching 'The Flight of the Phoenix' on TV and, against doctor's orders because they were both still taking meds, having a beer each.
Once their meal was finished, Cody inched into the corner of the bench seat: “Come here, lean back against me,” he said. With a pillow as additional support for Nick's neck, it was very comfy. Cody put his good arm around his partner and held him close, marveling in the sensation of Nick's strong, steady heartbeat underneath his hand.On the following morning, they drove to the hospital to pick up Murray, who was indeed looking better and happy to be released. He didn't want to go to bed once they were back on the Riptide and had had breakfast together, but booted up his computers: “I've had a great idea for a new game,” he said, “I'll need to get started on it right away! Maybe it'll sell and bring in some extra cash. Ooh, this is so boss!”
"I really don't want to spoil your fun, but didn't the doctor say something about cognitive rest?" Cody asked.
Murray waved his concern aside: "Oh, pish posh, I've been resting enough. I'll be fine, Cody, really, and this is only some basic programming."
"Well, if you're sure..."
"Leave him be, Lieutenant Parisi," Nick said, earning himself a scowl.Nick and Cody took it easy that day, puttering around for a bit and enjoying the sunshine; from time to time, they heard the printer in Murray's room, or Murray himself talking excitedly to the Roboz. Once, he actually shouted something that sounded like “Eureka!”
Cody, who was leafing through a magazine, looked at Nick: “Yeah," he said with a smile. "Gotta admit it."
"Admit what?"
"That this is how it should be."
"Boz and bodacious?"
"Exactly."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Cody was lying on the bed when Nick came home. He had taken a group of tourists over to Catalina, and since they wanted to end their trip with a dinner and said dinner took longer than anticipated, it had already been dark when he finally got back. But the job paid well, therefore he didn't complain.Cody, who had been reading, put down his magazine: “Hey you.”Nick kicked off his shoes and crawled on the bed to kiss him: “Hey,” he muttered fondly. “Have you been waiting up?”Cody put his arm around him and pulled him close: “What do you think?” he said softly. “With you out there on your own, toiling for our upkeep, it's the least I can do.”Nick rolled his eyes, but his expression was fond. “It wasn't too bad,” he said.“You look beat though.”“Nah, I'm good. How was your day?”“Full of spackle. But the fantail is as good as new, just needs some fresh paint. Murray helped me.”“'s nice of him.”“Yeah. Did a good job too.”“Hm.”Cody regarded him with a smile: “Why don't you lie down?”“Right...” With a sigh, Nick tucked himself under Cody's arm and closed his eyes: “I'm not sleepy,” he murmured. “Just resting my eyes.”Tenderly, Cody caressed his face: “Okay...”As usual, it didn't take more than two minutes for Nick to doze off. When Cody had finished his magazine, he gently pressed a kiss on Nick's hair: “Wake up, Baby,” he said in a low voice. “It's bedtime.”“Are in bed,” Nick slurred after a moment.“On the bed,” Cody corrected him. “Come on, it'll only take a minute.”With an effort, Nick opened his eyes and got to his feet, subsequently standing next to the bunk squinting and not really looking awake.It made Cody's heart swell with love, and he felt a little guilty for not just letting Nick sleep and finding another blanket instead.“Let me give you a hand,” he therefore said, and reached for the hem of Nick's shirt, half expecting some kind of protest. Nick however just complied with Cody's directions as he helped him out of his shirt and jeans and into his sleep things, his eyes mostly closed.“Do you want to brush your teeth?” Cody asked.Nick blearily shook his head, then he unexpectedly moved forward and into Cody's arms, pressing his face against Cody's neck for a moment: “Love you,” he muttered drowsily, his breath warm against the other's skin. Cody smiled, resting his cheek against Nick's hair and stroking gentle circles on his back with one hand.“Love you too,” he said softly. “So much.” When Cody came back from the bathroom a while later, Nick appeared to already have dozed off again. Cody tried not to jostle the mattress too much as he slid under the blanket; unexpectedly though, Nick turned towards him without opening his eyes again and burrowed into him as closely as possible. It made Cody incredibly happy; had someone told him, back before he had known Nick, that even a day apart from his partner could be too much sometimes, he'd have laughed at them. And it wasn't that he had actively missed Nick during the day; he had been busy, after all. But in hindsight, he was glad that the day was over and Nick was back home. And he marvelled at it whenever Nick sought his physical proximity like this, that he was able to give his partner this simplest of things and see how it was being turned into something precious.Yeah, he'd never say any of those things aloud, but in the privacy of his mind he could get as cheesy as he wanted to, couldn't he?Except that it didn't even feel cheesy, just as all the awful, kitschy love songs on the radio actually were about them all of a sudden. During all the spackling, he had caught himself singing along a few times despite not even liking the respective song. Apart from that, the radio stations apparently knew what was going on, because they kept playing stuff like “Everytime You Go Away”, “If Ever You're In My Arms Again” or “I Can Dream About You”.He sighed as he tightened his hold around his sleeping partner: “Can't fight this feeling, Nicky,” he said softly. “After all, I'm high on you. And this doesn't count as having been said out loud since you're pretty much dead to the world right now. Also, you'd probably have kicked me if you had heard it."Grinning, he closed his eyes; he was so going to turn on the radio during breakfast.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Nick blinked, looking around the Riptide: it hadn't been this tidy when he had left early in the morning for a cargo flight with the Mimi. It hadn't exactly been a pigsty either, but things had been lying around and it had looked- normal. Now, all the surfaces appeared to be gleaming, everything was where it should be and it even smelled clean.Which could only mean one thing.“Cody?” he called. It was Murray's head which emerged from down below instead: “Oh, hi Nick! Cody's not here, he's gone to the airport to pick up-”“-his mom.” Nick finished the sentence for him.“How did you know?”Nick grinned: “Cody only ever uses air freshener when she drops in on him unexpectedly.”“You know, I have never understood the need for air freshener in the first place, not when one can simply open a window or a door.” Murray mused.Nick shook his head: “So did she say why she's in town this time?”“Some reunion or other. I didn't really catch what Cody said because he was in quite a hurry all of a sudden. Have you seen my notebook, incidentally? I left it here on the table...”“Yeah, that's probably a write-off,” Nick replied. “He won't remember where he put things. Always been like that when he's panic-tidying. It's possible you'll find it in the fridge.”Murray, who had been frowning at the prospect of losing his notebook, giggled: “Is it that bad?”“Once, Mrs Allen surprised him shortly after he had ended his last tour in 'Nam and was living in a one bedroom apartment above a Chinese restaurant for a while. I don't know what exactly she said, but it definitely made an impact.”“Huh. Yes, that makes sense. Well, to this day my mother tells me to always wear clean underwear in case of an emergency.”Nick grinned.Murray however hesitated: “Nick... can I ask... I assume she doesn't know about you two?” He was blushing even as he said it.“No,” Nick replied softly after a moment of comprehension. “No, she doesn't. And from the sound of it, she wouldn't approve. She keeps asking Cody about girls and grandkids, so he didn't tell her. He doesn't want to hurt her feelings.”“I'm sorry,” Murray muttered.Nick rubbed his neck: “It is what it is.” And they had learned, all too painfully, that it could even be worse: his own mom was barely talking to him anymore because he had told her.“So... the 'panic-tidying'?”“Probably has got a lot to do with that as well, yeah.”“Huh. Well. I'm sure my notebook will turn up somewhere.”Nick gave Murray a tight smile: “You're a good guy, Boz.” Murray, who hadn't met Mrs Allen yet, was pleasantly surprised when she and Cody arrived. He had expected a matron, someone who turned up her nose at the 'bachelor pad' her son and his friends lived in, but she was nothing like that. It seemed that Cody had gotten his good looks and his inherent kindness from her, and she didn't at all seem to be judging her surroundings.“Hello, Nick,” she said warmly and hugged him with obvious affection. “How are you, Sweetheart?”“I'm good, thanks, Mrs A.,” he said, smiling at her.“Mom, this is Murray.”She shook his hand: “Nice to meet you, I've heard so much about you, my dear! I absolutely need to see that robot of yours!”“Oh, of course,” Murray was delighted. “He's in my room, would you like to go and say hello?”“Lead the way.”Once they had disappeared down the stairs, Cody turned towards Nick: “Surprise,” he said in an undertone.“How long's she staying?”“For two nights. She's got a room at Straightaway's motel.”“And to what do we owe this spontaneous visit?”“She's meeting up with a few fellow classmates. Apparently, one of them is a designer now and got them all tickets to a fashion show.”“And she only told you today?”“She says she forgot.”Nick shook his head: “Sounds more like a spot check to me.”“Yeah.” Cody sounded pensive. “Though she didn't ask about any nice girls on the way here.”“Good luck,” Nick said softly, and for a moment, they looked at one another, thinking the same: at least Mrs Allen had already been on the Riptide before so she'd already gotten a tour- back then, they still had the twin bunk beds. “You look happy, my darling,” Mrs Allen told Cody late that evening after dinner; while Nick and Murray were heading back to the boat, Cody accompanied his mother to her room.“I am,” he said, bracing himself. She hadn't brought up the topic until now, but he had seen her attentive looks when a few of the Contessa girls had stopped by their table to say hello.“I'm glad,” his mom however only said, stopping in front of one of the doors. “Well, this is me. I'd ask you in but I've got an early start tomorrow.”“That's okay,” Cody said, confused. “I'll see you tomorrow evening, right? Nick's gonna cook.”“Right.” She kissed him: “Goodnight, Honey.”“G'night, Mom.” Cody couldn't sleep that night. The appraisal of his emotional state usually led to questions about whom he was dating, if he was dating at all and why not if he wasn't. It seemed strange, almost unsettling, that she didn't try to poke this time. Oh God, what if his mom had arranged some sort of blind date for him? What if she brought someone to dinner? He abruptly turned onto his other side at that thought as if he could shake if off. Maybe it was the daughter of one of her classmates. Maybe they had exchanged photos and decided to make a match... he turned back.“Knock it off,” Nick slurred drowsily, throwing an arm around Cody and pulling him close. “You're thinking too loud. 's like an earthquake.”“Sorry,” Cody whispered.“'s alright.” Nick pushed himself against his partner with his whole body, providing a warm, welcome weight, and Cody gratefully burrowed into it, trying to concentrate on Nick's breathing, his heartbeat and his scent around him. Gradually, he felt himself getting calmer and was finally able to close his eyes. Why would he ever want anything else. “Why are you so squirrelly all of a sudden?” Nick asked Cody on the following morning in between brushing his teeth.Cody, who was shaving, shrugged: “I'm not.”“Felix.”“Oscar-”“Come on. Something's bugging you. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it started after you took your mom to her room last night.”Cody stared at Nick in the mirror: “What do you think it is? The usual.”“Which you usually just shrug off.”“Yeah. Sorry. It's just... it was different this time. She didn't pester me at all. Just asked if I was happy and left it at that.”“Oh.” Nick frowned. “Do you think she's planning something?”“See? It's not just me who's being paranoid about it, right?”“I dunno, man, she's your mom, not mine. But if she starts talking about goats and camels at dinner, you better get out of here.”“Huh?”“For the dowry.”“Har har.”“No, seriously, you don't need to worry- Murray and I've got your back. We'll distract her so you can get in the Ebb Tide and vamoose.”“Love you too.” Cody regarded Nick: "You okay?" he then asked, because despite all the teasing, Nick hadn't been able to hide a bit of wistfulness just now. It happened when he saw how much Cody's mom cared while his own mainly appeared disgusted by his "life choices", as she called it."Yeah." Nick's voice was soft, but the corners of his mouth quirked up a little: "I've accepted it. And I've got you and Murray and Mimi. Nothing else I need."Cody's answering smile was so radiant it could have powered a whole city. The relief Cody felt that evening upon seeing his mom arriving without anyone else in her wake was so tremendous that he got weak knees for a moment.“Hi, Honey. Something smells delicious,” she said when she entered the salon.“Nick's making Brasato al Barolo.”“I have no idea what that is.”“It's braised beef which has been marinaded in red wine.”“That sounds absolutely fantastic. When you told me that Nick could cook I thought we're talking scrambled eggs.”“He actually knows all these family recipes. But he's also very good at improvising. And he makes some amazing scrambled eggs, too.”His mom smiled at him rather inscrutably: “Nice,” she just said. On the following morning, when Cody took her back to the airport, he couldn't stand it any longer.“Mom,” he said once he'd pulled into a parking spot and turned off the engine. “Can I ask you something?”“Of course.”“You didn't once ask me about girls this time.”“So?”“You always do.”His mother kept silent for a moment. “You said you're happy,” she eventually replied. “And I can see that it's true.”“But... that didn't use to be enough before.”Once more, she smiled that inscrutable little smile from the night before: “Do you know that saying about old dogs not learning new tricks?”“Yeah?”“Well. I've learned that it's wrong. I am such an old dog who's just learned a few new tricks.”“Can you maybe not speak in riddles?”“Fine. Sorry. You know that my cousin Richard died last year.”“Yes. I'm sorry I couldn't come to the funeral-”“That's okay, darling. I'm sure he won't hold it against you.” It was said in an attempt to jest, but Cody knew that she had loved Richard, and that his death hadn't been easy on her.“Anyway,” she continued. “Your aunt Ruth and I went to clear out his apartment, and it made me realize...” Her voice gave out for a moment, and she had to clear her throat repeatedly before she could talk again: “It made me realize just how lonely he must have been.” She had tears in her eyes now. “People called him an 'eternal bachelor' because he didn't have a wife. He was such a kind soul, and he never bothered anyone. And yet he was... forced to be alone because he was different.” Briefly, she closed her eyes, her voice quavering: “It is haunting me that he may have been unhappy, and I'm so sorry that I never told him it was okay. I don't want to make the same mistake with you.”Cody felt a jolt going through him. But his mother wasn't done yet: “I know I've been pressuring you about finding a wife and having kids, and I'm sorry about that as well. I thought it's what you deserved, what you needed to be happy... but I was wrong, Honey. I know that now. You are happy with the way things are, and I'm happy that you're happy.”Aghast, Cody stared at her. He tried to speak, but he couldn't get any words out. Had she really just given him her blessing for what he thought she had?”“Mom,” he eventually croaked. “What are you saying?”She wiped the wetness from underneath her eyes: “I'll miss my plane if I don't get going now,” she quipped, but when she saw her son's thunderstruck face, her own expression softened: “I'm not blind,” she said softly, tenderly. “You practically light up whenever Nick is around you. I've noticed it much earlier, but I didn't want to see it. But now I've had the chance to do so, and really look at it. You, and him. I actually like what I saw, he's a lovely young man, after all. I've always thought so, in spite of everything. And not only because he saved your life in Vietnam.”Cody blinked, feeling his own eyes welling up as well: “Mom,” he said, barely audible. “I was going to tell you...”“It's okay, Darling,” she said softly, reaching for him and pulling him into her arms. “I didn't give you a chance, did I.”They held on to one another for a long time. When his mother was gone, Cody sat in the Jimmy for a few minutes, trying to regain his composure. This was not in the least what he expected, and he felt so jittery that he was shaking all over. His mom knew about him and Nick and wasn't only okay with it but had said a lot of nice and understanding things. Well, he had known that she liked Nick, had done so from the first time they had been nothing but kids and had visited his family during Christmas, but this... this was something akin to a marvel.“Thank you, Richard,” he whispered before he finally turned on the ignition. He couldn't wait to get home.
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Cody shook himself, blinking: the guy he had just taken down had a mean right hook, he had to give him that. He looked around to see how the others were faring: Murray was sprawled on his back but had managed to trip the guy he had been pursuing, and Nick was just getting to his feet. Approaching sirens told him that someone apparently had heard his shouted request to call the police when their suspects suddenly ran, firing off shots in between. Murray's guy was scrambling to get up again, but Nick was there in time to make sure he was incapacitated.The three of them gave their statements while the suspects were booked, and Cody was relieved when they could finally leave. He craved a hot shower and some sleep after too many dead leads and an endless stakeout.“I still don't get why they didn't simply make a deal with Morretti,” Murray said tiredly as they walked back to their car. “Would've saved them a lot of trouble.”“Yeah,” Cody agreed, “but they probably got greedy.”“Hm. Or they're stupid.” Murray grinned.Cody glanced at Nick, who had been quiet so far: he was pale and favouring his right leg.“What's wrong?” he asked.“Guy kicked my knee,” Nick said offhandedly, trying to make light of it. “I'll be fine, just need some ice.”Cody however saw the tension in his posture and the way he set his jaw and casually put his arm around Nick's midriff to take his weight. The very fact that Nick let him, without protest at that, betrayed Nick's airy dismissal of the matter.In fact, he was trembling by the time Cody had helped him into the Jimmy.“I'm thinking hospital,” Cody said once he had gotten in as well. “To get it checked out.”Nick grimaced: “I don't need to get it checked out. I just need to lie down and put some ice on it.” Some twenty minutes later, Cody pulled into the hospital car park, skillfully ignoring Nick's scowl. He got out, walked around the Jimmy and opened the passenger door: “Come on, Nick. It's for the best.”“I'm not going,” Nick said, folding his arms in front of his chest.“Stop being so stubborn! You're white as a sheet and clearly in pain! You are going!”“He's right, Nick,” Murray now chimed in. “It's always better to get it checked out by the professionals.”Nick turned to give him a dark look, but winced when the movement jostled his knee.“Fine,” he said resignedly. “But don't blame me when we spend the rest of the day in a waiting room.”They had to wait for roughly two hours, but in hindsight, Nick had to admit that Cody had been right, since it turned out that his knee had been dislocated. Fortunately for him, the surgeon was able to reduce it using procedural sedation, meaning it didn't require surgery. He still wasn't happy about it all: it meant that his knee had to stay immobilized for a long time, and he was going to need physical therapy as well. Apart from that, anesthesia always left him rather queasy, and his pants were a write-off as they had had to cut them open due to how badly the joint had been swollen. So all in all, Nick could have done without all of that. He was glad when they finally got home in the early evening, and he probably wouldn't have made it onto the boat on his own without Cody and Murray, because the companionway was definitely not made for crutches; neither was the Riptide. He was panting by the time they had reached the salon: “I'll just sleep here, on the bench,” he said, looking around with obvious resignation.“You can't sleep on the bench,” Murray objected. “It's too narrow, you'll fall off.”“He's got a point,” Cody said and, a little more softly: “Besides, I'll miss you down there.”Nick gently squeezed his arm in reply.In the end, Cody half-carried Nick down the narrow stairs at snail pace. Gently, he eased Nick on the bed, then he went to retrieve Nick's medication and the crutches.“Thanks,” Nick muttered. “Didn't see this coming.”“It could've been worse.” Cody smiled at him sympathetically. "You still queasy?""Just a little. It's fading."“Okay, good, because here's my plan of action: first, we'll get you out of those and into something more comfy.”Nick grinned wearily: “Sounds promising.”Cody rolled his eyes: “Secondly, we'll prop up your knee and cool it as ordered. Thirdly, I'll have to get creative about dinner. And then I'll take a shower.”Nick sighed: “I only heard action, getting me out of these, getting creative and shower.”“You wish.” Cody bent down to kiss him: “Sorry, but your drug-induced fantasies will have to wait.”“Even the shower? And I'll have you know that the meds have nothing to do with it, Babe.”Grinning, Cody shook his head:“I'm afraid so. You gotta stay off your feet as much as possible, after all.”“How about a shave, at least?”“Oh God, is this how the next four to six weeks are going to look like?”“Did he really say four to six weeks?”“I'm afraid so.”“Cody, I can't stay in here for six weeks. I'll go mad.”“Don't worry, we'll manage. I'll gladly carry you around if that means neither of us is going mad.”“But I can't work either. I can't fly like this!”“We are rather well off at the moment. Consider it our vacation.”“Great vacation,” Nick grumbled, but he reached for Cody's hand: “Thank you,” he said softly. “And I apologize in advance if I'm being grumpy.” Even without a shower, it was good to get out of his worn clothes. It took a lot of cautious shimmying to get out of the pants and his briefs and into fresh ones; they didn't bother with pants since it was warm enough.Cody then brought Nick a washcloth and a bowl of water so he could freshen up, and even though Nick muttered something about the quaint charm of the situation, he felt better afterwards. Especially when Cody brought him a mirror and his shaving kit as well: “Please try not to get shaving cream all over the comforter,” he said.“Have some compassion for the invalid, will you?” Nick said indignantly and managed to only get a little bit of shaving cream on the comforter. And on the floor.He could have wept with relief when he was finally lying down with a pillow underneath his knee and an ice pack on top of it.“You need anything else for now?” Cody asked, gently running a hand through Nick's hair.“Nah, I'm good,” Nick muttered. “Thanks to you.” He gave Cody a tired smile.“Everything for my poor invalid. I'll see if we've got anything edible, okay?”“'kay.” With that, Nick closed his eyes. When Cody came into the salon, Murray was just getting ready to go to the market: “I thought we could do with something other than pizza tonight.”“I love you,” Cody said, heartfelt.Murray grinned: “How's Nick?”“A little loopy and not yet grumpy. Tired, mainly.”“Poor guy. Do you think it'd cheer him up if I brought him some chocolate chip cookies?”“Definitely. So what are we having for dinner?”“I thought maybe some minute steaks, potatoes and broccoli.”“Good idea. But Murray- we won't be taking on any big jobs in the next few weeks. Maybe we should make a plan on how much we can afford to spend every week.”“Yeah, no problem,” Murray pushed his glasses up his nose. “I'll use my new program to do it.”“Oh. I thought we'd just write it down, but... okay. Thanks.” When Murray had left, Cody went to take a shower. Nick had dozed off in the meantime and didn't wake up when Cody came in a while later. Quietly, he got dressed, then he sat on the edge of the mattress, tempted to caress his partner, who looked so much younger in his sleep. But he'd wake from the touch, and Cody didn't want to interrupt his nap. He was tired himself; if he hadn't been so hungry, he'd have lain down as well. As it was, he just kept Nick company until he heard Murray coming back. That night, Cody woke from a hand on his shoulder. He blinked into the darkness around him: “What- Nick?”“Sorry to wake you.” Nick's voice was tight.“You in pain?”“Yeah... I found the pills but I dropped them.”“Wait...” Cody sat up and reached up to turn on the light. There were some hard lines around Nick's mouth, making him look drawn. Quickly, Cody slipped off the bed at the far end, picked up the pills and handed them to Nick, along with the glass of water he had left on the nightstand earlier.“Thanks,” he muttered. “Need to pee too...” He didn't want to wait until the painkillers kicked in but insisted on making his way to the head on his crutches. Cody hovered behind him just in case.“I'll manage,” Nick assured him when Cody wanted to come into the bathroom with him.“Fine,” Cody conceded. “Don't lock the door though.”He could practically hear how Nick was rolling his eyes at that.With a shrug, Cody went to the galley and got some more ice. Once they were back in bed, Nick hissed a little as Cody put the cold pack on his knee.“Too cold?”“No, it's fine.” Nick sagged into the pillow.Cody turned off the light, then scooted as close to him as possible, careful not to jostle him, and leaned his cheek against Nick's shoulder. “This okay?”Nick put his arm around him: “Perfect,” he murmured.After a while, the tension slowly seeped out of him, telling Cody that the medication was doing its work.“Did I apologize for being grumpy?” Nick eventually asked groggily.“Yes, you did.” Cody smiled, which Nick could feel against his arm. “And I apologize in advance if I'm being a mother hen.”"If?""Fine. When."“Don't have to. You're sweet.”“'kay. See what you've got to say about it in six weeks' time.”Nick gave a sleepy chuckle: “Fair enough. You too though.”“I can always just throw you overboard.”Nick snorted, amused.“No, seriously, it's so easy- just need to pull away your crutch.” Cody grinned, which Nick could feel as well.“Cody Allen,” he murmured, the corners of his mouth quirking upwards, “who knew that you, my personal ray of sunshine, had such a mean streak in you.”“Aw, I'm your sunshine?”“Not the point.”“But I am?”Nick was silent for a moment, then he pressed a kiss in Cody's hair: “You,” he said softly, “are the sun itself.”“Okay,” Cody said after a moment, “maybe I won't throw you in, then.”They laughed softly.“I love you,” Nick then said gently.Cody found his hand in the dark and entwined his fingers with Nick's: “I love you more.”It didn't take long for them to fall asleep again.
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“Cody?” Nick came into the stateroom and found Cody sitting on the bed, an open cardboard box next to him.“Oh, hey,” Cody looked up from the photo album he was leafing through. “You're back early.”“Yeah. I need to order a few parts before I can fix it.”“Ah.”“What's with the face?”“What face?”“That one right there.”“I didn't make a face.”“Yes, you did. It was your 'Damn It Nick Why Don't You Just Sell That Stupid Piece Of Junk' face.”“I don't have such a face.”“Yes, you do.”“I don't. I have a 'Uh Oh, That Stupid Piece Of Junk Is Simply Going To Fall Apart One Day And Then I'm Gonna Tell Nick I Told You So' face.”Nick shook his head: “Not gonna happen, Buddy. What are you doing?”“I was looking for some pictures. My aunt Betty's birthday is coming up and my mom and uncle Matt want to make a collage for her.”“That's nice,” Nick said softly, his eyes on the photo album. “Okay, I'm gonna take a shower.” That night as they crawled into bed, Nick didn't take up his book as usual but just tucked himself under Cody's arm, as he did when he was very tired. Twenty minutes later however, Cody could still feel him blinking occasionally, so he put down his own novel: “You okay, Baby?” he asked softly with his lips against Nick's forehead.“Yeah.”“Then why do you have Bambi voice?”Nick snorted: “I don't have Bambi voice.”“You did just now. And you've been quiet all evening.”“You should be a detective.”Cody slowly ran his hand up and down Nick's arm: “At your service.”Sighing, Nick shook his head: “It's nothing. I just kept thinking about that photo album of yours. And how I don't have anything like that.”“Oh.” Cody understood. He had shown Nick his album once, and Nick had told him that he didn't have any pictures of himself as a kid, or of his parents or the rest of his family.“Not even a baby photo?” Cody had asked, at which Nick had only shaken his head, and they hadn't talked about it anymore. Cody knew about the kind of childhood Nick had had, after all.“It'd be nice,” Nick now muttered. “To have a picture of my grandma, at least.”“Sorry,” Cody said, pressing a kiss on his partner's forehead. “You sure your mom doesn't have any?”“Yeah. Apparently, she threw them all out after she broke with grandma.”Cody tightened his hold around Nick: “That's rough,” he said.“Can't change it now,” Nick murmured. “But it's such a long time ago... my grandma was the only good thing in my life, and my memories of her are fading, Cody. What if I forget what she looked like? What her voice sounded like?”“I don't think it's gonna happen,” Cody said softly. “There'll always be things that will remind you of her.”“I hope so.” Nick's voice was barely audible.They fell silent, and Cody eventually took up his book again. But he could still feel Nick blinking long after he had turned off the light. A few days later, Nick was just cursing at Mimi's carburetor when he heard the Jimmy pull up; right, Cody had said something about lunch.“Nicky!” This was a voice he hadn't expected to hear though. He turned around: “Helen! What are you doing here?”The small old lady beamed at him as he bent down to hug her: “It's been such a long time, I wanted to see how you're doing!”“It's great to see you,” Nick said, heartfelt, once she had let go of him.“You too, but you're too thin, kid! How about I take you to lunch?”Nick glanced at Cody, who didn't even try to hide his grin. Helen Howell wasn't his grandma, but one reason why he had taken to her so easily had been that she reminded him of her.“That'd be great,” he said, and for the first time in days, he actually smiled. Cody was already in bed when Nick joined him that particular night. He didn't tuck himself under Cody's arm however but crawled on top of him and rested his head on his partner's chest: “Better,” he breathed.Cody wrapped his arms around him: “Full body hug? Something wrong?”“No,” Nick sounded tired. “I'm okay. Just...” It still hurt, as it did from time to time whenever something triggered his emotions to flare up, but being with Helen had done him some good.“Chosen family,” he muttered. “Right?”“Right,” Cody said, feeling something warm pooling in his belly. “Maybe we should make an album. With pictures of you and me and Murray, and Helen.”“And the Roboz.”“And my beautiful boat.”“And the Mimi.”“... if you insist.”“Did you just make that face again?”“No,” Cody said, pressing a kiss in Nick's hair. “This time, I really didn't.”“Because she's family too.”“No, but you love her.”“Yes. Almost as much as I love you.”Gently, Cody stroked Nick's back with both hands: “Love you more.”“Love you most.”“Love you infinitely.”"Love you infinitely and always one more."“I'll need a moment to think of a good comeback for that.”At that, Nick chuckled a little and lifted his head to look at Cody: “Thank you for calling Helen,” he said, regarding the other.“I can't bear to see you hurting,” Cody said softly, caressing Nick's face with the back of his fingers.Wordlessly, Nick leaned in for a kiss, then he put his head down again, and they stayed like that for a long time.Cody only turned off the lights when Nick had finally fallen asleep.
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When Nick opens his eyes on the morning of October the tenth, Cody has already gotten up. The day is overcast and grey, which seems fitting, and Nick grabs a sweater for Cody as he makes his way out to the fantail. The wind is tugging at Cody's hair, but he doesn't seem to notice it. He sits with one leg pulled up and stares into the water.Nick sits down next to him and wordlessly holds out the sweater with one hand and a mug of coffee with the other.“Thanks,” Cody says softly, taking both, but he doesn't put the sweater on, and he doesn't drink the coffee, just holds the mug between both hands. Nick knows not to push him, so he puts his hand on Cody's shoulder for a moment, squeezes it gently, and leaves his partner alone again. It's the anniversary of Cody's father's death, and each year, it breaks his heart anew.There's nothing Nick can do about it, but that doesn't make it easier. He vividly remembers the day Cody got the phone call; it was in 1976 and they were with the military police, two best friends whose bond had been forged by the Vietnam war. It was a Sunday, and Nick had just let himself into Cody's one bedroom apartment: “You ready to go?” They had planned to play a round of volleyball, maybe have some pizza and a few beers later.“Yeah,” Cody said, and just then, the phone rang. Nick watched Cody take the call, watched how the smile and the colour drained from his face and the receiver slid out of his hand. Saw how Cody's knees buckled and was by his side in a heartbeat, catching him, easing him down on the sofa. Cody sagged against Nick, who for a moment thought his friend was going to pass out. He didn't, though, but suddenly wrapped his arms around Nick and held on to him tightly: “My dad,” he eventually said so softly it was barely audible. “My dad is dead, Nick.”At that, his voice broke, but he didn't cry. He just held on to Nick for dear life, breathing harshly, and Nick held him back, stunned into silence by the news. He had spent one Christmas with Cody's family in Minnesota; Cody's father was nothing like his own but a kind man, a man who immediately inspired trust and the wish to get to know him better. He hadn't been well lately, but this was still unexpected.“I'm so sorry,” Nick whispered against Cody's neck, at which his friend only tightened his grip, nodding but remaining silent. Somewhere in the background, they could hear the faint sound of the telephone signal because the receiver hadn't been hung up. Outside, there were cars driving by. None of it mattered. “I need to go home,” Cody said, once they had let go of one another. “I need to... my black suit, I need my black suit.” He looked around the room: “I need to call the airport and see if there are any flights tonight.”“Why don't you go and look for your suit,” Nick said, “and I'll call the airport.”Cody nodded shakily, but it took a moment until he got to his feet. And then he stood there, swaying, until Nick gently pushed him into the direction of the bedroom.Half an hour later, Cody was booked for a flight, and Nick had applied for leave in his name as well. Cody was sitting on his bed when Nick went to tell him that, his old football in his hands, and from the looks of it, he hadn't even opened his closet yet.“We have to be at the airport at six,” Nick said, feeling helpless. “Do you want to call your mom and tell her when you'll arrive? Here, I've written it all down.”Slowly, Cody nodded and took the slip of paper. “Thanks."“Where's your suitcase?” Nick asked just because he felt he had to do more, that it wasn't sufficient to make a few phone calls.“It's in the closet,” Cody muttered before he left the room.Nick found the suitcase and put it on the bed, then he began to gather a few things like socks, underwear, a dark blue sweater he knew Cody liked, a pair of slacks. He could hear his friend talking quietly on the phone in the other room, and the flatness of his voice made his heart clench.When Cody came back after a few minutes, he looked at all that Nick had laid out for him and smiled painedly. They didn't talk much while he packed the rest of his things and Nick made sure he didn't forget his toothbrush and his dress shoes, nor on the way to the airport. Nothing they could have said would have made it better, and every word had a hollow ring to it, as if it was wrong to speak anyway.At the gate, Cody turned towards his friend: “I'll call you,” he said softly. Nick nodded: “Tell your mom...” He hesitated.“I know.” Cody very briefly put his hand on Nick's shoulder: “Bye,” he muttered, then he left. Nick thought that he looked terribly defeated, and he kept his eyes on him until he was out of sight. During the next few days, Nick barely registered what he was doing while he was at work; his thoughts were with Cody. Who called him, as promised. On the first day, Nick had just come in after his shift: “Hello?”“It's me.” Cody's voice was small, but Nick was still relieved to hear from him.“Hey, Buddy.” Nick fell silent, unsure what to say next. It seemed inappropriate to ask how Cody was holding up, or how Cody's mom was doing, when there was only one obvious answer.“I thought of you all day,” he therefore said.Cody exhaled audibly: “And I wish you were here.”Something in Nick stirred. He suddenly felt even closer to Cody, if that was at all possible. “Me too, Babe,” he replied softly. “I'm so sorry I can't help more.”“It's good to hear your voice.”“Yeah?”“Yeah.”Despite everything, Nick found himself smiling at that. On the second evening, Cody sounded a bit more like himself, but he was dreading the funeral which was going to be held on the following day.“I keep forgetting he's gone,” he told Nick. “I walk into the living room and half expect him to be there, sitting in his favourite chair with the paper.”Nick remembered that, and how homely it felt back then. And how Cody's dad would look up, smile at him and offer him the sports section. It made him wish that he had a dad like that, and it was the best Christmas he ever had.“How's your mom?” he couldn't but ask.“She's trying to be practical and composed. But I can hear her crying at night. And I don't know what's worse, the crying or her trying to be brave.”Nick was silent for a moment. “Your sisters and your brother there?”“The girls are. Brian and Theresa are flying in tonight, and they'll stay for the rest of the week. Took the kids out of school too, so that's good. It'll cheer Mom up.”“Fingers crossed.”“Yeah.” Cody took a deep breath: “I wish tomorrow was over already, Nick.”“I know.” Nick closed his eyes. “No way but through though, right?”“Right.”“And... I know it's hard, but you need to say goodbye.”“Yeah. You're right. It's just too early, you know?”“I know,” Nick repeated with a heavy heart. “I'm so sorry, Buddy.” Cody didn't call on the day of the funeral. Nick waited up for a while, but eventually went to bed since he had to get up early again on the following morning.The day after that dragged on endlessly. When Nick finally got home, he was tired because he didn't get much sleep after all, and he was worrying about Cody. When he walked up the stairs to his small apartment however, he stopped in surprise as he reached the landing: Cody was there, sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall, his suitcase next to him.“Hey,” Nick said, surprised. “I didn't expect you back before the weekend.” He extended one hand to pull Cody up. His friend was pale: “I had to get out of there,” he said, his voice thin, and Nick understood.“Come on in, then,” he said, unlocking the door.In his small living room, Nick shrugged out of his uniform jacket and took off his tie while Cody put his suitcase down and then just stood there, looking lost.Nick regarded him, took in the bruise-like shadows underneath his eyes and the way his shoulders were hunched ever so slightly, and felt his throat constrict. They had been through some tough shit together during their time in Vietnam, but this was worse in a different way and he felt awfully sorry but didn't know what to do or what to say- everything that came to mind seemed meaningless.“I missed you,” he finally said because it was the only thing he could think of that didn't seem wrong, and Cody's drawn face suddenly contorted before he took a step towards Nick and wrapped his arms around him, clinging to him as desperately as he did on the day he got the news. Nick quickly brought up his own arms and returned the embrace, feeling how Cody was shaking, that he was actually crying. So he let him, muttering a few soothing words now and again and rocking him ever so gently, until Cody calmed down. Nick's own eyes were swimming as well when Cody eventually pulled back just enough so he could look at him.“I'm sorry to put this on you,” he muttered, at which Nick raised his hand and cupped Cody's cheek: “Hey, no. No apologies. It's what you got me for, big guy.”This elicited a tiny smile: “Thanks,” Cody said so softly it was barely audible. “I'm glad.”Nick felt his heart pounding in his chest as he regarded Cody now, as Cody leaned in and very gently pressed his lips on his own. He closed his eyes, trembling all of a sudden, and lost himself in a kiss he had been hoping for for a long time. It was tender and overwhelming and as sweet as Cody himself.Nick opened his eyes again when they pulled back a little after an unaccounted amount of time, thunderstruck and giddy by what was happening. But Cody's tired eyes were smiling at him, and his hand was on Nick's neck, warm and marvelous, and with a jolt of fresh adrenaline he understood that this really wasn't a dream.“I love you,” Cody murmured, his thumb caressing Nick's skin. “I just didn't realize how damn much, until now. You were there with me every second, Nicky.”Nick nuzzled Cody's nose with his own: “Thought of you all the time,” he replied in an equally low voice. “Because as it happens, I love you too.”They laughed softly, still a bit dazed by the enormity of the situation.“Just so you know,” Cody said after a moment, sobering up a little. “This is not me taking advantage of an unexpected situation.” He broke off, searching for words: “I want to be with you, Nick. I think it was there for a long time.”His words made Nick so happy that he was trembling again. “I know,” he said. “Same here. But... we're both tired, and maybe we should take things slow.”“I'd like that,” Cody said, taking Nick's hand and pressing a kiss on it.“Great.” Nick couldn't help it that he was blushing a little, though Cody wisely didn't mention it.“You look knackered,” Nick then said. “My shower head is still broken, but how about I run you a bath? And then I'll find us something to eat. I'm starving.”“Sounds good.” Cody sighed; he couldn't even remember when he last ate. Twenty minutes later, Cody eased himself into the small tub and closed his eyes; the hot water felt wonderful, and he slowly felt some of the tension in his body seep away.He had almost dozed off when there was a knock and Nick came in: “Here.” He put a pair of sweatpants and a jersey on the clothes hamper. “You doing okay?”Cody peered at him: “Yeah,” he murmured. “This was the best idea you ever had.”Nick grinned: “I might come up with a few more...”"Thank you," Cody then said. "For everything.""No big deal," Nick replied."Oh yes, it is," Cody objected. "Without you, I'd... not have been able to get through this week."Nick rubbed his neck: "You'd have done the same for me.""Yes. Still.""I'll always have your back, big guy," Nick muttered, looking anywhere but at Cody, and he was blushing once more."And I'll have yours." Cody gave him a small smile. "Always." That night, they slept together in Nick's bed. Since they had agreed to take it slow, nothing happened, but it was amazing nevertheless. Cody crawled into Nick's arms as though they'd always done that, and they slept wrapped one another for most of the night. Nick didn't think he'd get any sleep at all with the marvel of having Cody so close, but he was wrong about that, on the contrary: he hadn't slept this well in a long time.When Nick's alarm went off early, Cody tightened his grip around him and held on to him for a few minutes longer.“Really need to get going, Babe,” Nick muttered at one point.Cody sighed: “I'll come with you. No point staying at home.”“Are you sure you don't want to rest up for a bit?”“Nah. Besides, I missed you too. Rather be with you today.”Nick beamed at that.Cody propped himself up on one elbow: “Hey, Nicky?”“Yeah?”“Can we wake up together every day?”Instead of a verbal answer, Nick pulled him closer for a kiss. A month later, they moved in together. Life went on, and Cody slowly got used to the knowledge that his father wasn't there anymore. He was certain that it would have been even more difficult without Nick, and he was grateful to have this amazing partner in his life.Every year on October the tenth however and also on his dad's birthday, he couldn't help but let himself be overcome by the grief he still felt. And Nick told him it was okay, and let him be on those days. Sometimes, Cody flew home to Minnesota to visit the grave, sometimes he stayed home, like this year. “Do you think he'll be okay?” Murray asks, motioning his head towards the fantail.“Yeah,” Nick nods. “He needs to be sad right now; it helps him deal with it for the rest of the year.”“I understand,” Murray says softly. “It's healthy to let it out once in a while.” That afternoon, Cody takes the Ebb Tide out and only returns just before sunset.Murray and Nick are in the salon, playing Scrabble.“Hey,” Cody says as he comes in, his voice tight.“Hey, Cody.”“Hi,” Nick surreptitiously looks him over. “You hungry? There's some leftovers in the fridge.”“Thanks.” Cody gives him a small, unhappy smile. “I'm going to bed. Night, guys.” When Nick follows him some two hours later, Cody is still wide awake. Nick doesn't turn on the lights, just changes into his sleep things and crawls under the covers, shimmies over and puts one arm around Cody's midriff. He presses a kiss on his partner's neck and breathes a quiet “Good night,” before he closes his eyes, pushing one leg between Cody's in the process. Gradually, he feels Cody slowly relax against him and is glad that the day is nearly over.He is just about to drift off when he feels Cody stroking his arm: “Thank you,” he whispers.Sleepily, Nick presses another kiss on Cody's warm skin: “Always,” he whispers back.Soon, they are both asleep.
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Cody crawled backwards out of his closet and sat on his haunches; he was looking for his spare life vest, since his other one hadn't survived the Ebb Tide's latest encounter with a round of bullets. He couldn't remember where he put it at all, but he thought he'd seen it recently. With a frown, he opened Nick's closet and began to sift through the stuff in there, pulling out shoes, a volleyball, a suitcase, a cardboard box and indeed, the life vest.“Ha!” he shouted, jumping up and knocking over the cardboard box in the process, causing the lid to open and its contents to spill out.Cody heaved a sigh: “Of course.” He put the life vest down and moved to turn the box over but paused when he saw a pair of eyes looking at him- a small teddy bear.“Hey there,” he said, taking it up. It was severely loved off and battered looking. Cody put it on the bed and began to pick up the other things that had been catapulted out of the box- a worn baseball glove, something that looked like a shawl, made of dark cloth, a few battered toy cars, a cigar box the lid of which had fallen open as well; in and around it, there were what looked like ticket stubs. Cody bent down to pick them up, then he paused: there was something written on each of them, in what he immediately recognized as Nick's unmistakable scrawl.He read those he was holding:“Raiders of the Lost Ark, 6/27/81”, “Hooper, 8/14/78”, “The Poseidon Adventure, 12/26/72”, “Splash, 3/17/84”, “Papillon, 12/26/73”. All of which were movies Nick and he had watched together. He looked at the rest: same there. With a smile, Cody put all the stubs back into the cigar box, then put all the stuff except for the life vest back and closed the closet. He knew that Nick was a secret romantic, but this was so unexpectedly sweet that it was giving him goosebumps.He all but sprinted up the stairs, gave Murray a heads up that he was going to run an errand and headed over to the helipad.Nick was balancing on the top of a ladder, unbolting some screws on Mimi's rotor head.“Nick,” Cody said, at which his partner turned to look at him: “Oh, hi!”Cody's heart was beating wildly as Nick gave him a crooked smile, and he felt like a love-sick teenager: “Can you come down for a moment?”“Right now?”“Yes!”“What's the matter?”“It'd take too long to explain. Just come down, please?”“Okay.” With a frown, Nick did what Cody was asking. The moment he was on solid ground, Cody took him by his shoulders: “I love you,” he said, “and I wasn't sure I had already told you so today.” With that, he kissed him, not even caring if anyone saw them.After a moment of comprehension, Nick kissed him back, but he still looked at Cody rather bewildered when they came up for air: “What's brought this on?” he asked.“Nothing,” Cody said, beaming. “Just thought I'd tell you.”“Huh,” Nick said, regarding him. “I mean, this is nice. Really nice.”“I hope so.”“But... you sure you're alright?”“Absolutely.”“'kay... Well, I love you too, okay? Can I get on with the rotor now?”“Course.”Cody couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the day. “So, wanna tell me what's going on?” Nick asked him that night as they were reading before lights out.Cody put down his novel: “I just realized once more how much I love you.”“Out of the blue?”Cody didn't want to make Nick sad, and he had a feeling that the memory box wasn't necessarily conducive to that, therefore he didn't mention it. One day, when Nick was ready, he was probably going to show it to Cody. “Yes,” he therefore said.“And you didn't... say, break something of mine or scratch the Vette or something?”“What kind of idiot do you think I am?”“The kind that likes to avoid a fight. Except that you're not an idiot.”“Come here,” Cody said, tugging at Nick until he was lying on top of him. “For how long have we known each other now?”Nick regarded him with the corners of his mouth quirked up: “A lifetime,” he said quietly.“And for how long have we been together?”“About ten years, why?”Cody smiled at him, his gaze roaming over Nick's face: “It feels longer,” he said softly. “I can't imagine a life without you in it anymore, not at all. You're my whole world, Nicky. And sometimes, I forget how lucky I am. Take you for granted. But I don't want that. I want you to know how much you mean to me, every day.”Nick blinked because of all the sudden moisture in his eyes: “Damn it, you're worse than those old movies Murray made us watch,” he muttered hoarsely, clearing his throat.“I do know that, Baby,” he said once he had his voice under control again. “There are... a hundred little ways in which you're telling me. Like yesterday- you made me coffee because I had to get up early, even though you were tired and barely awake.”Cody ran a gentle hand through Nick's hair: “You'd do the same for me.”“Yes, I would. But that's not my point.”“I know.” Cody's smile deepened. “You know how much you mean to me.”“Yeah. And vice versa, right?”“Right.”“Hm. It is nice to hear it once in a while,” Nick conceded.Cody chuckled, then he gave a contented sigh: “We've got a good thing going here, huh?”Back in 1972, in the relative darkness of the cinema, he had felt similarly elated just because Nick was with him and they had gone to the movies together for the first time. He hadn't known what was going to happen, hadn't dared to take Nick's hand or even dream of a relationship such as they had now, but it had felt right to be with Nick even then, while they were watching “The Poseidon Adventure” during their short leave, choosing to be spending time with each other.“We do.” Nick scooted closer to kiss him: “You're making me incredibly happy, Cody Allen,” he all but breathed against Cody's lips. “I don't think I already told you so today.”Cody rolled his eyes, but he really couldn't stop the grin that was spreading on his face.
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Nick couldn't sleep. One reason for that was the absence of his partner: Cody was in Minnesota, helping his mother and his sisters to sort through his dad's stuff.The other reason was six feet two tall and coughing through the night: Murray had come down with a really bad head cold.At around two in the morning, Nick got up and padded over to his friend's room, gently knocking on the door frame to see if Murray was awake.“Come in,” Murray's voice was raspy, and he promptly began to cough. As Nick opened the door, Murray turned on the small lamp on his nightstand and fished for his glasses; he was white-faced and bleary-eyed and simply looked awful.“Hey, Buddy,” Nick said. “You're not doing so great, huh?”“I'm so sorry if I kept you awake-” Murray began hoarsely, but Nick interrupted him: “No, Boz, it's okay. I didn't come here to complain but to see if you needed anything. Some tea, maybe?”“Thanks,” Murray croaked. “Can I have warm milk with honey instead of the tea?”“Yeah, sure. Do you need anything else?”“Nah, I'm good...”“Okay. I'll be right back.”Nick picked up Murray's empty water glass and went into the galley. While he waited for the milk to heat up, he thought about Cody, wondering if he was asleep. He could picture him in his old bed in his childhood room, and the thought of him sleeping there made him smile.Murray was coughing violently when Nick returned to his room, his eyes streaming and his face red; quickly, Nick put down the tray he was carrying and supported Murray. He felt way too thin; when the bout was over, he sagged against Nick, and his friend couldn't but think of a bird, all frail bones and no weight to speak of.“Okay?” Nick asked.Murray nodded exhaustedly.“Good. Come on, we'll prop you up a bit.” Once Murray was leaning against the small mound of pillows Nick had made, the latter handed him the glass: “Drink some water first,” he said. Murray took it and sipped from it before accepting the mug of milk.Nick regarded him with concern: Murray's eyes were glassy, his cheeks flushed. “You running a fever?” he asked.“Possibly,” Murray croaked. “My head's all hot.”The thermometer confirmed it: Murray's temperature was at 103.His eyelids began to droop even before he had finished the milk.“Try to get some sleep,” Nick said. “I'll take you to the doc in the morning.”“'kay,” Murray muttered, sliding down the pillows. Nick tucked him in, then took the tray and left the room. On the following morning, both of them were tired, though Murray had slept for most of what had been left of the night. He kept coughing in his sleep; Nick, concentrating on thinking of Cody, had eventually slept as well.Murray's temperature was still high and he had sweated through his pyjamas; he took a brief shower and changed, with Nick hovering nearby because his friend had seemed too shaky and was staggering about like a newborn foal, then they drove to Doc Harris' office.By the time they were back on the Riptide, it was almost noon and Murray was flagging visibly, dragging his feet as he unsteadily made his way down to his room. Nick took his elbow on the stairs just in case.While Murray changed into a fresh pair of pyjamas, Nick quickly made up his bed for him, putting on fresh sheets and plumping up his pillows once he was done.The relief Murray felt upon lying down was visible. “Thanks, Nick,” he croaked. “You're such a good friend.”Nick blushed and simultaneously rubbed his neck because he didn't feel as though he had done much: “That's alright,” he said. “I've put your meds here on the nightstand, okay? I'll go and get you some fresh water, and then I've got to get some groceries. Will you be okay on your own for a while?”“Yeah, 'course,” Murray muttered, giving Nick a weary smile. “I'll probably just sleep.” That night, Cody called. He sounded tired and down: “We've packed up his clothes today,” he said softly. “I know now why Mom didn't do it sooner, Nick. It was like a punch in the gut.”“I'm so sorry, Baby,” Nick replied in an equally low voice. “Anything I can do?”“You're doing it already,” Cody sighed. “I just needed to talk to you.”Right then, Nick missed him with an intensity that was almost physical. “You know what's funny?” he asked.“What?”“I couldn't find my t-shirt when I went to bed on Monday. Which, incidentally, is the day on which you left.”“I took it with me,” Cody admitted.Nick couldn't help the goofy grin which spread on his face: “Yeah?”“Yeah. I can't sleep otherwise.”For a moment, they were silent. “Love you too,” Nick then said tenderly. He didn't tell Cody about Murray; he had enough on his plate right then, he didn't need the additional worry. And Cody was a worrier because he was very protective of the people he loved. The fever abated some time during the night, but Murray had still coughed a lot, therefore he slept for most of the following day.Nick made mashed potatoes and chicken soup for him, cut up fruit and made him tea or warm milk, whichever he wanted. Doc Harris had taken Nick aside while Murray was getting dressed after he had examined him, telling him that his friend was very thin for his height and that it was vital for him not to lose any weight. Nick had felt a little guilty at that; sometimes, when Murray worked through the night either because he was doing something privately or because he was investigating, he forgot to eat altogether, and Cody and Nick didn't always think of reminding him when they were busy. So he had bought a lot of fruit and other stuff Murray liked, vegetables and the ingredients for his grandma's chicken soup. He also wrote up a meal plan for the next few days, hoping that his friend was going to be up for it. On the day after that, Murray felt a little better already. Nick remade his bed once more and carried the TV and the video player down to his room for him: “It'll be more comfortable than the bench sofa,” he said, to which Murray agreed.“Thank you, Nick,” he said, his voice still hoarse. “That's really boss of you.”“No trouble at all, big guy,” Nick said, giving him a smile. “Listen, I've got a cargo run tomorrow. I've asked Mama Jo to look in on you from time to time, since I couldn't reach Dooley, and Cody will be back late.”“Oh, right, Cody's coming back tomorrow night!,” Murray said. “But I'll be fine, Nick, you really don't need to bother anyone because of me.”“Yes, I do,” Nick said. “What if you get up and get dizzy?”Murray opened his mouth to protest, but then he stopped himself. Knowing Nick, he'd probably worry the entire time and be distracted. Which just wasn't advisable while flying a helicopter. So he didn't object any further, just sighed: “Fine.”“Okay.” Nick actually looked relieved. When Murray woke up the next morning, Nick was already gone. He had left a thermos full of tea, some juice and a covered plate for his friend on the nightstand, along with a hastily scribbled note: “See you later, hope you're feeling better!”Murray got up to use the head, then he sat on his bed: it was the first time he was actually hungry upon waking up, which he counted as a victory. Curiosly, he looked what was on the plate and found pancakes, which Nick must have made for him before he had left.“That's so sweet,” Murray muttered, touched; Nick was making such an effort for him, he highly appreciated all that he had done for him during the past few days. Murray was watching TV when Cody arrived around 4 p.m. He had called again on the previous night; since he was going to come home, Nick had deemed it safe to tell him their friend was sick, but stressed that he was on the mend already.“Murray?” Cody peeked through the door: “You awake?”“Yes, come on in!” Murray turned off the sound. “Hi, Cody, you're back early!”“Hey, Boz! Yeah, the airline called that they were overbooked and offered to upgrade me if I was willing to take an earlier flight.”“Oh, boss! Did you fly in first class?”“Yes! I'll probably never want to fly in cattle class again now.”Murray giggled.“And how are you doing?”“I'm much better already,” Murray said. To Cody, he still looked way too pale, and his voice was still hoarse, if cheerful. “The fever was nasty, but Nick took such good care of me! You wouldn't believe everything he did for me, Cody!”“Oh, I would,” Cody said with an absent smile. He knew that Nick was a very caring guy, even if he'd never admit it.“He made soup for me, he put fresh linen on my bed, he took me to see Doc Harris...,” Murray said. “He had to get up very early today and he still made me pancakes!”Cody nodded: “The Mimi's on the helipad, is Nick back already?”“Yes, he came back about an hour ago. I think he went to take a nap.”Cody's heart leapt. “Okay. I'll go unpack, do you need anything?”“No thanks, I'm fine.” Murray gave him a smile, which Cody returned before he left the room. Nick was asleep on their bed, lying on his right side. Cody put his suitcase down and very slowly and carefully crawled onto the bed, where he lay down behind Nick and snuggled up with him, snaking one arm around his chest to hold him tight. His partner didn't wake up, but he relaxed against Cody in his sleep, making him smile. Cody closed his eyes and dozed for a bit as well; they were woken by Nick's alarm clock which went off at 5:30 p.m.Nick groggily turned it off, then he paused, only now realizing what was what: “Oh, hi!”“Surprise,” Cody murmured, pulling Nick closer for a kiss. “Took an earlier flight.”Nick sighed against him: “I'm glad. I missed you.”“Missed you too.” Cody ran his fingers through Nick's hair. “What's the alarm for?”“Making dinner for Murray, then drive to the airport to pick you up.”“Yeah, sorry to ruin your plans.”The corners of Nick's mouth quirked upwards: “Happens. How did you get back, by the way?”“Took a cab.”“Ouch.”“Nah, it's okay.”“Your mom give you money again?”“She did. She can't help it, it's a compulsion.”“Well, it could be worse.”“Yeah.”Nick's eyes wandered over Cody's face: “So how're you doing?”“I'm okay,” Cody said, but his tone was so carefully light and his eyes were so different that Nick immediately saw through it.“No, you're not.”Cody almost smiled at that: “No, I'm not,” he then conceded. “But this, here with you... it helps.”“Did I tell you I missed you?”“Rings a bell.” Cody regarded him affectionately: “You look knackered, Baby. Why don't I see about dinner for a change and you just take a break?”Nick sighed: “Sounds good. I was gonna make Risotto bianco tonight.”“'kay.” With another kiss, Cody disentangled himself from Nick: “I'll wake you when dinner's ready. It might take a while.”Nick reached for his hand and squeezed it with a weary smile: “Love you.”Cody squeezed back: “Love you more.” For the next few days, they took it easy. By and by, Murray got up again, sometimes lounging on the bench sofa in the salon, sometimes in a deck chair in the sun. He was getting bored, but the cough let up considerably and he was regaining some colour.Nick had told Cody what Doc Harris had said, and they took it in turns to cook and run errands. Cody was quieter and more subdued than usual, but he slowly lost the harried look around his eyes he had brought home from Minnesota.On the whole, things seemed to be looking up. Murray kept thanking his friends, Nick in particular, until the latter was beet-red and told him to stop it or he'd throw him overboard, at which Murray laughed so hard that he promptly began to cough again. Which didn't diminish his good mood, however.“Should we take the Riptide out for some fishing this weekend?” Cody asked, once Murray had his breath back.“Yeah,” Nick said, “good idea.”“Oh, I've developed some bodacious new bait,” Murray said, beaming, “we can try it out.”Nick, who vividly remembered the last time Murray had been fishing, looked at Cody with resignation, but he just grinned. It was the first time since he had come back that he didn't seem weighed down by an invisible burden, and it was lovely to see him like that. Cody was sunshine and light, after all, it was hard to bear to see his usual glow so dulled. Therefore Nick only shrugged, sighing theatrically: “Poor fish...”Life was good again.
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“Happy Birthday.”The voice was directly in his ear, accompanied by warm breath on his skin and a series of whiskery kisses along his jaw.Nick smiled, eyes still closed because he was barely awake: “Hm? Time's it?”Cody gently pressed his lips against Nick's: “Midnight,” he said, grinning, his mustache tickling Nick. “Sorry to wake you.”“You're not,” Nick muttered, but he didn't find it in him to mind: Cody's body was warm and solid and marvelous against his own, and there were worse ways to be woken. He wound his arms around his partner and pulled him even closer: “So what was it you said?”Cody chuckled, kissing him: “Happy Birthday,” he repeatedly tenderly, stroking Nick's cheek with one hand. “I love you.”“Thank you, big guy. Love you too.” Nick was still drowsy, his speech slurred, so Cody decided to postpone his initial plan to get naked and creative and just burrowed further into Nick's embrace, pushing his nose against the other's skin. “Go back to sleep,” he whispered, at which Nick mumbled something unintelligible, the sound reverberating through his chest, and tightened his hold.Cody felt his heart swell with affection, and he smiled as he closed his eyes.
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The Riptide was rolling in her berth as strong winds were churning the water and rocking the boats which were docked in the marina. Heavy rain was pelting down on all the surfaces and the sky was reverberating with the continuous rumbling of thunder. It was only four in the afternoon but almost dark.On the Riptide, it was dark as well, because the power had been out since after the first half hour of the deluge, as Cody called it. He kept peering out of the window, but the torrential downpour didn't lessen. Neither did Murray's and Nick's seasickness. Usually, they both were okay with the Riptide's motions, but this here- Cody could see why it was affecting them so badly. The boat was shimmying sideways, for want of a better word, while riding the considerable waves up and down at the same time. He had tied her up as tightly as possible, but the storm was still toying with her. He had also had to store away all the movable objects, such as the coffee machine and the TV; it didn't really matter, since they didn't have any electricity anyway. But he was concerned about his partners, who kept throwing up. He just hoped that their upset stomachs were going to calm down soon; maybe if they slept some, it'd help.An hour later however, nothing had changed. Cody had braved the elements to check the lines; when he came back in, he found Nick on the floor of their stateroom, white-faced and shaking and unsuccessfully trying to get up. Quickly, Cody perched down next to him and helped him into a sitting position so that he could lean against him: “What happened?”“Kill me,” Nick groaned instead of an answer. “We had a good run, but this is it.”“I'm so sorry,” Cody replied softly, pressing a kiss on Nick's temple; his skin was clammy. “You know what? I'll go and see if Straightaways has got rooms for us.”“You sure?”“Yeah. We can afford it after the last job, and since the storm is supposed to last until tomorrow...”“'kay,” Nick croaked, sounding relieved. “Thanks.” Half an hour later, the Riptide Detective Agency had temporarily moved into what Straightaways called a “suite”- two rooms with a shared bath. Well, it was dry, warm and splendidly stationary, and the power outage hadn't affected it either, therefore it equaled a five star hotel where Murray and Nick were concerned.Murray dropped his duffel bag: “I'll go to bed,” he mumbled, still looking green around the gills. “I haven't slept at all last night.”“Do you want me to wake you for dinner?” Cody asked.Murray shook his head: “No, thanks,” he said, blanching at the thought of food. “I'll be fine.” Cody turned towards Nick once Murray had closed the door behind him: “You feeling better?”Nick had sat down heavily on the bed: “Getting there,” he muttered. “Just gimme a few minutes.”Cody regarded him sympathetically: they were rather drenched from the short way over, since umbrellas were useless in the storm, and Nick was looking wretched. He was still trembling, though Cody couldn't say whether it was from earlier or because he was cold.“How about I run us a bath?” he asked gently.Nick looked at his wet clothes: “Yeah,” he murmured. “Probably a good idea.” They hadn't shared a bath since they had moved onto the Riptide.Cody got in first so that Nick could lean against him once more, and to steady him as he got in. Gingerly, he eased himself into the tub; his queasiness was abating slowly, and it was a relief to finally be able to relax, as the muscles in his torso were rather sore from all the throwing up. The hot water felt wonderful though, as did Cody's strong arms around him, pulling him close.“Thanks,” he muttered, leaning back against his partner's firm chest. “This is amazing.”The reply was a whiskery kiss on his temple: “Totally.”For a while, they just lay in the steaming water, then Cody began to run his hand over Nick's chest, his belly, his arm: “Feeling better?” he asked again.“Mhmm,” Nick said drowsily. “Can we get a tub for the Riptide?”Cody grinned: “Where'd we put it?”“Dunno. In the galley, maybe.”“Okay.”“What're you doing?”“Want me to stop?”“Nah...”“Thought so.” Tenderly, Cody nipped Nick's ear with his teeth.Nick shuddered delicately: “Don't make me wake Murray.”Cody tightened his arms around him again, nuzzling his cheek against Nick's: “I'll try,” he said softly. Nick craned his head to kiss him: “Love you,” he murmured.“Love you more,” Cody replied against his lips, kissing him back. On the following morning, Cody woke up and found that Nick was watching him. He was propped up on one elbow and regarding him with an absent smile, just so in the corners of his mouth.“Huh?” Cody asked blearily, not entirely awake yet.“Nothing,” Nick said softly. “Go back to sleep if you like.”Yawning, Cody listened: it had stopped raining, but the wind hadn't lessened much.“Nah, 'm awake,” he said. “What're y'doin'?”“Counting my blessings, I guess.” Nick rubbed his neck.Cody blinked: “Yeah? What number am I?”“I dunno. One, probably. Through a million.”At that, Cody snorted, reaching for his partner to pull him close: “I'll remind you of this the next time you call me a sappy old romantic.”Nick had the decency to blush.“So, about that tub...” he then said, his eyes gleaming.“Yeah?”“Can I have one for Christmas?”Cody sighed: “We still don't have any room.”“Huh. So can I have another night at a hotel for Christmas?”“A hotel with a tub?”“Yeah.”“I'll keep it in mind. ... You know that my birthday is coming up way before Christmas, right?”Nick regarded Cody with an amused expression: “I know.”“Good.” Cody smiled. “Because the next storm might take a while.”“Well, we're here now.”“Right... You think Murray's still asleep?”“Probably.”“Well,” Cody said, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “In that case, I'll better try not to make you wake him.”
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“Nick! Cody!”Murray was waving as he walked down the companionway.His friends, who were sitting on the stern bench with their coffees, waved back and got to their feet as Murray climbed aboard: “Boz! It's so great to see you!”They hugged, clapping each other's backs: “You're looking good,” Cody then said while Nick poured Murray some coffee. “How've you been?”“Can't complain,” Murray beamed. “The gang says hello. And I've got some news- Caitlin's pregnant! I'm gonna be a grandfather!”“Wow, that's great! Congratulations, Boz!” Laughing, they hugged once more: “You don't look old enough to be a grandpa, Boz!”“Thanks!” Murray giggled, sitting down. “She's only in the second trimester, so it'll be a while, but I can't wait! And how're you guys doing?”Though they occasionally talked on the phone or exchanged emails, they hadn't met for two whole years, which seemed impossible because Murray hadn't changed at all since they'd gotten together the last time.“All's well right now,” Cody said. “I make sure Nick takes his pills in the morning and he makes sure I take mine.”Murray laughed: “When have we become so old?”Nick shook his head: “Beats me,” he said. “But the girls who hire out those newfangled paddle boards keep flirting with Cody, so it can't be too bad yet.”Cody grinned: “Says you. I saw Emma wink at you just yesterday.”“See, he even knows their names.”Murray giggled again: “Nothing's changed around here then.”“Not in that regard,” Nick said. “But Cody finally managed to talk me into buying a cell phone.”“It was long overdue,” Cody interjected. “I just feel better when I know I can reach you in an emergency.”He turned to Murray: “He keeps forgetting to charge it, though, or he forgets where he put his reading glasses and sends me weird messages.”“That was one time, while I was testing it out!”“It still said Help instead of Hello. I thought you were having a stroke!”Nick grinned: “No, you didn't. You sat right next to me.”Cody shrugged: “It's about the principle of the thing.”“And how's the Mimi doing?”“She's got a fresh coat of paint, looks like new.” Nick sounded proud.Murray got the impression that Cody wanted to say something at that, but he kept quiet.“Are you still flying a lot, then?” Murray asked.“The odd job. Not as much as I'd like, but she's running smoothly. Still gets the annual check up at Baxter Aviation.”"Oh, that's boss! Poor old Bax... I miss him."They were silent for a moment; there were so many mutual friends or acquaintances which had passed away already.“We've been taking out the Riptide to the Channel Islands rather frequently this summer,” Cody eventually said. “She was dry-docked for two weeks last winter for a thorough overhaul.”“Where did you stay in the meantime?”“Straightaways. Gave us a good deal.”“Wow, he's not that young anymore either, is he?”“Turning 78 this year. But he says the salty air and the nice view are keeping him fit.” Cody grinned.Murray tapped his nose: “Nice view, huh?”They laughed, and it felt as though no time at all had passed since they'd last been together.Cody thought about this, hours later, after they'd gone to bed; Murray was staying in his old room, which had been converted into something like a guest room (though Nick and Cody also liked to stretch out on the bed occasionally and watch TV in there, as it was much more comfortable than the bench sofa in the salon). It was nice to have their friend close by, just like the old days.Most of the time, Cody didn't feel old; there were some undeniable changes, such as his hair having turned grey or having to use reading glasses, but as long as he didn't look in the mirror, he still felt like he always had. He got tired more quickly than he did twenty years ago, and yes, he was taking pills every morning because of his blood pressure, but still.When he was young, he thought people were old at 71. Now that he actually was 71 however, he couldn't relate to that earlier assessment anymore, and it was a strange and unsettling notion that most of his life was behind him, no matter how he felt. One had to be realistic though, therefore he and Nick had sat down a few years ago and talked about eventualities. Which had been hard, just as writing their wills had been, but it had to be done nevertheless. Afterwards, they had retreated to their stateroom, had lain down on the bed and held each other tightly, wordlessly. Losing the other just didn't bear thinking about.On the following morning, Nick had proposed to Cody.Who took a deep breath now: Nick had fallen asleep already, tucked under Cody's arm as always. This was another thing that hadn't changed, and when Nick wasn't there, Cody found it difficult to find any rest. Gently, he nosed at his partner's skin, smiling as Nick grumbled something unintelligible; there had been a time when he, Cody, thought he wanted more than this, a house and an ordinary job with regular hours. What a fool he had been. All the things he had craved back then paled in comparison to what he had now, what he had had from the moment he and Nick had met. How he ever thought it might not be enough was beyond him now. He was still a little ashamed when he recalled the whole Tricor disaster, and eternally grateful that the whole matter had gone pear-shaped, otherwise who knew what would have happened. Without noticing it, he reinforced his grip around Nick at the notion that he might have moved out and disappeared from Cody's life because Cody had almost thrown away what they had for Argyle socks and a professional look.He subdued a shudder: he sometimes thought of this, usually when something bad had happened or was happening. In the previous year, for example, Nick had been in the hospital because the flu he had originally contracted had developed into pneumonia. For two days, the fever had been so high that everybody was seriously concerned, and Cody thought he'd go mad. He'd stayed with Nick whenever they'd let him, wearing a surgical mask and barely daring to touch his partner because he seemed so frail, his breathing audibly laboured. It had scared Cody beyond measure, and it were incidents like those which made him want to dial back the years and gather every wasted second, prevent every silly argument, save precious time for later. Since that wasn't possible, he was determined to make every moment count.He sighed, pressing a kiss on Nick's forehead: for now, they were well, just as he had told Murray. And he didn't usually ponder these matters so often; it didn't do to live in the past or be constantly scared of the future. Marlene Lewis, the ill-fated reporter who had died shortly after they had helped her solve her own murder, had put it like this, back in 1986: “Every day we're getting closer to our destiny, our number of sunsets are limited.” So yeah, it was something they had lived with even then.Unaware that he was doing so, Cody sighed again. Nick stirred: “'s the matter?”“Nothing. I didn't wanna wake you.” Cody nosed the other's forehead.Nick hummed drowsily: “Why're you still 'wake?”“Dunno. Just ruminating, I guess.”“You 'kay?”“Yes. Go back to sleep, Baby. I'm fine.”Nick hummed again, but he lifted his head and scrambled closer for a kiss: “Love you.”“Love you more,” Cody said, wrapping his other arm around him as well as Nick settled down on his chest.Suddenly, Cody was glad that Murray had someone as well; in that regard, things had definitely taken a good turn even though it had meant the end of an era when their resident computer genius had moved out, and it had taken a few months until they had gotten used to it. Murray's kids, Caitlin and Julia, had come to stay with them a few times once they were old enough, and Cody and Nick thoroughly enjoyed being uncles. They took the girls swimming, taught them how to fish and played endless rounds of card games with them. Well, when Caitlin brought her Barbie dolls and a suitcase full of accessories, they also played Barbie with her. It seemed like yesterday and utterly impossible that the same little girl was all grown up and going to have a baby soon.On the whole, Cody didn't regret not having kids of his own, but he was wistful sometimes when he saw how great Nick was with them. Well, that was one thing they were about twenty years too late for. At least they didn't have to hide their relationship nowadays; for one, they had lived in King Harbor so long that they counted as indigenous by now, and secondly, people were relaxed around here. Not that they were flaunting their being together, but they were married, after all. The decision may admittedly have been expedited by all the talk about eventualities and wills, though Cody thought they'd have done it anyway, one day. If Nick hadn't proposed (with a makeshift ring he had fashioned from a wire strap- Cody still had it), Cody would have. It wasn't only about legal rights, after all, but about belonging together in every way possible. He was proud to call Nick his husband, and vice versa.Said husband now made endearing little snuffling sounds before he slowly disentangled himself from Cody and padded to the head. When he came back, he squinted at his partner in the semi-darkness: “You still awake?”“Yeah.”“Okay, come on.” Nick, who knew that Cody preferred to sleep on his right side, gently nudged him until he turned onto his side, then snuggled up to him and wrapped his arm and a leg around him. With his nose burrowed against Cody's neck, he exhaled contentedly: “Good?”“Perfect,” Cody muttered, relaxing into Nick's solid warmth; all was well indeed.“Sleep tight,” Nick murmured, pressing a kiss on the other's skin.“You too.” With that, Cody closed his eyes; he fell asleep listening to Nick's soft breathing.
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It was long after midnight in King Harbor. Staggering, Nick and Cody made their way down pier 56 to slip number seven, arms around one another for support.“There'ssa gate,” Cody said.“Issa lovely gate,” Nick said, causing both of them to giggle. A moment later, they crashed into said gate.“Whoops,” Cody giggled again. “It moved.”“Less turn sideways.”They tried that and collided with the other side.“Aw, man, it moved again!”After they had eventually negotiated the perpetually moving gate, they stopped, looking at the companionway with identical frowns.“The... brish is moving too,” Nick muttered.“Is not a brish. Is a... a...”“A plank?”Cody's frown deepened: “Only if there're sharks. I think.”“So how do we get to the other side.”“We could swim.”“But what if there are sharks.”“Oh.” They swayed on the spot.“We could call Murray.”“Oh, yeah!... Do you have a phone.”“I don' have a phone.”For a moment, they were silent.“We could throw somethin' to wake 'im. Like a stone.”“We're not throwin' stones at my boat.”“Huh. So gimme your shoe.”“'kay.” Cody tried to take off his shoe, lost his balance and ended up on his butt. Nick laughed so hard that he landed right beside him just a moment later.“Imma throw my shoe now.” Cody informed him. With a splash, the shoe landed in the water.“Aww,” Nick said, taking off one of his own shoes, “here, lemme try.” On the following morning, Murray found Nick and Cody passed out on the stern bench, sans shoes. Cody was lying half on top of Nick, they were both snoring and rumpled-looking, and there was a noticeable smell of alcohol in the air. Murray scratched his head; they had been at a party and from the looks of it, had enjoyed it. He'd better make some coffee, then.On his way back in, he almost tripped over one of Cody's deck shoes that was lying by the door. An hour later, Cody and Nick sat next to one another on the bench in the salon, squinting and dishevelled, both holding a mug of coffee and trying not to move.“What were we thinking?” Cody muttered.“I dunno.” Nick closed his eyes for a second. “Probably nothing at all.”Murray looked at them with a sympathy: “It sounds as though you had a swell time, guys.”“Yeah, swell,” Cody repeated dully. “I can't even remember how we got home.”Nick only groaned. Another hour later, things were looking up slightly, meaning Cody and Nick had managed to shower and didn't look quite as bleary-eyed as before. They were still rather pale and moving around cautiously though.“The next time someone says 'Hey, let's have some whiskey shooters', we'll just leave,” Cody muttered as he eased himself down on the bench again, slowly leaning back against a pillow and closing his eyes.“I hear you,” Nick replied. He had slid down in one of the chairs and intended to stay there, motionless, for the foreseeable future; he was just glad he hadn't thrown up.For a while, it was silent.“Hey, Cody?” Nick then asked.“Hm?”“Have you by any chance seen my shoes?”
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Nick's face is like a kaleidoscope. Well, most people's faces probably are one way or other, but it's Nick's I can read best. He's never been good at hiding his emotions, and even when he doesn't talk, I know what's going on in his mind because his expression usually tells me. And I could watch him all day, truth be told, because he is just beautiful. His beauty isn't only physical though; he's a good guy with such a big heart that it's making him vulnerable. He can be tough, yes, and I'm grateful for that even though he might appear insensitive at times, but I know that his soul is bearing scars that are still hurting occasionally, just like mine.Maybe it's one of the reasons why we are so close and have been pretty much from the start: after we met, back in 'Nam, I soon noticed that Nick's sheer presence was making me feel better, and vice versa. We shouldered our fear and our terror together, and he never made me feel ashamed about it. On the contrary, it gave me courage, as incredible as it sounds: I knew that he was looking out for me just as I was looking out for him, and because of that, the heat and the fighting and the insanity of war in its entirety was bearable somehow. And if we cried at times, it was just another part of it, such as the sweat and the smells and the mosquitos. I can't say what it is exactly that was and is making Nick so unique to me. Funnily enough, I'd say his smile is what comes to mind first, the way it quirks up the corners of his mouth and illuminates his eyes. There's no one who can smile like Nick, and I like to think that there's no one he smiles at the way he smiles at me. He can be at the other end of a room, but when he looks at me and gives me that smile, it's as though we're alone in the world, and I can't but smile back, basking in his warmth and affection. But that's not all of it, of course, not by a long shot. He's smart and funny, tender-hearted and compassionate, sarcastic at times but very caring as well... the list goes on. Now, after fourteen years, his voice, his touch and his scent are something so ingrained in my memory that I'd recognize him among thousands, blindfolded at that.His touch is always gentle, and I love how his hands feel on my skin, how his body feels under my own hands.Sometimes when he's not feeling well because of something bad that's happened and there are no words that can console him, all he needs is physical contact. He burrows into me then, wants my warmth and to feel that I'm there, and I happily give it to him, glad that it's sufficient. It's mutual, really. Nick is my rock, and when the world has been spinning on its axis twice as fast and thrown me off kilter, like the time when my dad died, it's Nick I need. He doesn't lie to me and tell me that everything will be fine again in a blink, but he stays with me and is still there on the next day and the days after that while I'm clawing my way out of whatever void I've fallen into, just as I'm doing for him.And it happens, to both of us, especially in our line of work. Still, it's what we want to do. When we came back from our last tour, we found that life wasn't quite the same anymore. It was like a picture the edges of which had been peeled back and revealed something less pretty underneath. Initially, we worked different jobs just to get through the days, but it was the agency that gave us a true purpose, the notion that we were giving something back, were making amends. Hell, we were only kids when we went to war, after all.The Riptide has become our home, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I love the soft motion and the sounds of the water against her hull, particularly at night before we go to sleep. I listen to the sounds of the sea and Nick's breathing and his heartbeat, which is the best lullaby, and it makes me feel safe.Nick, Murray, and me, we've become something like a family, and that's the best thing in the world. After living with us for more than four years, Murray knows about the true nature of Nick's and my relationship, and luckily for us, he's okay with it. Well, we don't kiss in public or anything, but still- it's a small boat, he's bound to hear things even though we try to be discreet. And yes, we do touch a lot, if not deliberately: it just kinda happens. I've been looking at photos of us recently because Murray said we should advertise more and use a picture of the three of us together instead of individual head shots, and he usually is right about those things.Anyway, after perusing the lot, it occurred to me how Nick and I often stand rather close together, and there's a lot of unintentional touching going on. Not that I mind, on the contrary. I just wondered if other people noticed it too. Nick for his part didn't either; when I pointed it out to him, showing him a few choice photos for proof, he looked at them and then grinned: “Oh, yeah, you're right.” And then he kissed me, still grinning, and I realized that I couldn't care less if people noticed or not.Whenever Nick is away for Reserves, it feels like a vital part of me is missing. I feel unsettled, bereft of the one person who's able to recalibrate me. Murray tries, bless him, but it's just impossible.I can close my eyes and recall how it feels to rest my head on Nick's chest just below his throat, how he closes his arms around me and puts his chin on my head. His voice reverberates through his chest when he speaks, soft and deep. Whenever I do this, I'm missing him even worse, but that doesn't stop me from putting on one of his shirts when I go to sleep, just to have his scent around me and feel closer to him.Some might say it's unhealthy to be so dependent on another person, and I myself, twenty years ago when I didn't know any better, would have agreed. But isn't it what always happens when one falls in love, and I'm speaking of true love that means one is besotted with the other? Well, all I can say is that this love gives me a sense of security I only knew as a child, before I learned about the trials and tribulations of life and adulthood. It makes me know where I'm standing in the world, therefore I'm happy about it, just as I'm happy with Nick. And I know that this goes both ways.Of course, we argue on occasion, and we've been fighting sometimes just like every other couple. We're both stubborn, after all, and when you know someone so well, you know how to rile them up. I hate when it happens, and I hate it most if I'm the one who's hurting Nick when I actually can't bear to see him hurt. But that's how it goes, you lash out in the heat of an argument, and no matter how much you regret it later, you can't take it back.There's one particular fight I still feel bad about, even though it happened more than two years ago: it started as an argument about the Mimi, and I'm not proud to admit that I may have exaggerated a bit. Nick had been working on her for a few days, and then we got a case. While we were following the GPS signal of our suspect's boat, Mimi's alarms suddenly went off and we started to lose altitude. It was scary and I already saw us falling into the ocean, but Nick, amazing pilot that he is, managed to bring us down on the nearest beach. We lost the suspect however and subsequently, the case, and the resulting fight was rather ugly.“Admit it, Nick,” I finally said, or rather, yelled, “no matter how much work or money you put into her, she just isn't reliable, and she'll be our death one day!”At that, all the fight went out of Nick. It was horrible, seeing his wounded expression before he turned away and stormed out. I sagged, my knees suddenly like jelly; even then, I knew that I hadn't meant it, but by the time I had gotten a grip on myself and hurried after him, he was gone. Murray just looked at me wide-eyed as I came back in, but apparently didn't know what to say.When Nick hadn't come back after five hours and the sun was beginning to set, I went to look for him. He wasn't with the Mimi, and I drove around with increasing concern, stopping at all the places I could think of where he might be. In the end, I found him at Flat Rock Point, where he was sitting and staring into the darkness that was engulfing Bluff Cove, huddled in on himself. He didn't react when I sat down next to him, so I just talked, telling him that I was sorry and hadn't meant it.Nick exhaled somewhat shakily: “Of course you meant it,” he said, and his tone was unusually flat. “You're always going on about Mimi and how she isn't safe.”There was no denying it, so I took a deep breath: “I know. But I also know that you know what you're doing. And I trust you.”At that, he gave a bitter little laugh: “As long as nothing goes wrong.”“That's not what I said. And I know I was being mean and unreasonable earlier, it was just... for a few minutes, I really thought we were going to die out there.”“For a few minutes? Judging from what you said, you're expecting to die every time you fly with me! And you know what? Maybe you're right. Maybe you shouldn't trust me. When we took off this morning, I thought Mimi was in top shape, seeing as I've been working on her for the past five days. But hey, what do I know. Apparently, I'm as unreliable as she is!”I closed my eyes. Nick's voice was brittle, telling me how badly I had hurt him.“I'm sorry,” I repeated, feeling helpless and a little scared. “I was an idiot, I really, really didn't mean it. Please, Nick. I shouldn't have said all those things and I really wish I could take them back. I trust you with my life, you know that.” Tentatively, I put my hand on his arm, feeling how tense he was. After a few seconds, he nodded, then he finally turned to look at me. Even in the darkness, I could see how miserable he was, and I felt like an absolute bastard.“I'm so sorry,” I said once more, squeezing his arm. “Can you forgive me my stupidity?”Nick didn't say anything, just scooted closer, and I put my arms around him. I could feel that he was trembling, and that was no surprise: I had all but pulled out the rug from under him. The Mimi was his pride and joy much as the Riptide was mine, after all.“I'm sorry,” I whispered, pressing a kiss into his hair, then another one onto his neck, tightening my hold around him.“I'm sorry too,” Nick eventually muttered, barely audible because it was muffled by my sweater.We bounced back from that one as we always did, though Nick was much quieter than usual during the following few days, and it took him a while to recover. I just didn't know what to do because it was obvious to me that Nick was different, a little guarded maybe, so I talked to Murray and told him the gist of what had happened, and as he often did, he came up with a solution: “Ask him to explain the Mimi to you.”“What?”“Well... I find that it often helps if people understand how something works or why something doesn't work, respectively. For example, if we try to find some relevant data but the computer can't access it, I always explain the reason to you and Nick, don't I?”“Yes, but... I know how the Mimi works. Roughly. Do you have any idea how often I've helped Nick to take her apart and put her back together?”Murray nodded: “You're right. And admittedly, you always complain a lot, I've heard it with my own ears.”“Well, yeah...”“So... maybe you should try a different approach then. Ask him to take over the controls when you're in the air, so you can get a feel for her.”“But I can't fly her!”“With Nick right next to you, you can. Trying something out is always a huge difference than just looking on, if you ask me. And I'm not even talking about New Orleans here.” At that, he grinned, and when I began to laugh, he giggled. He really is something else, this Murray Bozinsky.“Okay, I'll give it a shot,” I conceded. “Thank you, Boz.”“Anytime.”Nick was surprised when I asked him, the next time we were in the air, but since we weren't on a job, he let me take over the cyclic for a while. It was even more difficult than I imagined, but it was also amazing. Suddenly, Mimi felt much lighter beneath me, which was possibly due to how quickly she reacted to the slightest movement. The big, heavy old chopper suddenly seemed like a graceful bird to me. Murray had been right, it was different from just looking on. That night, I couldn't stop myself from gushing about how great it had felt, which in hindsight must have done Nick very good, even though he kept exchanging amused glances with Murray. But I meant it, and he was aware of that.“Thank you,” he softly said later, when we were lying in bed reading. “I know what you were doing there.”I put my book down and looked at him: “It's never too late to learn, is it?”“I guess not.” A small smile was playing around his mouth now. I lifted my arm in a silent invitation, and he tucked himself under it, as we were wont to do. This time though was the first night in weeks that Nick wasn't tense, and I felt so relieved I could have wept. “I love you,” I murmured, nuzzling his forehead. “So much.”He reached for my hand, pulled it close and kissed it: “Love you too.”From that moment on, I tried to hold back with my comments whenever the Mimi was concerned, at least when it couldn't be counted as a joke. And Nick finally swallowed his pride and accepted Baxter Bernard's offer to have Mimi checked out at Baxter Aviation once a year. We have both learned to make compromises for the sake of our relationship over the years, and I'm actually proud of that.There are a few things though that remain difficult, if not necessarily for lack of trying. Such as Christmas, for example. Nick doesn't like to talk about it, but when he was a child, Christmas was a difficult time. While he was younger, his parents apparently fought most of the time, one reason being money. Understandably, that made occasions such as birthdays or holidays even worse. Later, once his father had left the family when Nick was nine, his mom was mainly miserable from then on. From what he told me, she dithered between trying to coddle him in order to make up for his father's absence and treating him like an adult, subsequently also picking fights with him he didn't know how to handle at that age.I'm sorry for him even now, and I can understand why he doesn't care for Christmas very much. It was an emotional ordeal for him, after all. I love Christmas, however, and I'm trying to make it bearable for him. I'm ultimately aiming for enjoyable, but even though Nick does his best to indulge me, that's still a long way off. Last year, we were in Aspen, courtesy of our former client Andrew Fitzsimmons Carlton III, who had kept in touch with us ever since his wedding, saying without us, there wouldn't have been a wedding. He had just had his first child with his wife Danielle, and because he was so over the moon, he gave us two weeks vacation at his chalet for the holidays, including flying there and back in his private jet. It was all we could do to stop him from hiring a chef and other household staff for that time.Well, the chalet was luxurious nevertheless, though we agreed that we could have done without golden faucets and fine bone china. The best thing was that there was a lot of snow. Which, if I'm honest, is the only thing I'm missing in California, especially for Christmas. And it did work its magic even on Nick, who had been reluctant about the whole trip at first.In the end, we went skiing or sledding every day and had a good time, even Murray (though this was the reason he finally got new glasses when we were back home). In the evenings, we sat in front of the huge fireplace, reading or playing Scrabble. I insisted on putting up a Christmas tree, and we cooked a lovely dinner together on Christmas Day, all three of us. It was peaceful and unhurried, we listened to old classics instead of the Chipmunks, and Nick, while he was quiet, wasn't as on edge as in the years before. Which I counted as a victory, and I'm seriously thinking about talking to Andy concerning next Christmas.But right now, Valentine's Day is coming up, and I guess that's what got me into ruminating in the first place. I want to do something nice, even though Nick likes to shake his head about people who're making a big deal about the day, saying it's nothing but a nuisance and too commercial with hearts and flowers everywhere. It so happens however that he usually does something nice for me on February 14th, pretending he didn't even notice the date, like having my car washed or bringing me my favourite boating magazine from the newsstand. He'd rather shave his head than admit that it's his way of acknowledging the meaning of the day, but that's alright; I think this roundabout way of his is very sweet. I'm also trying to keep things casual, since I don't want to make Nick uncomfortable.So this year, I'm planning on taking him to Leeward Cove for a picnic and some swimming (and if we should happen to get naked at one point, it'll be entirely in accordance with the occasion, after all). Since Murray is going to be out with his latest girlfriend, we're having the boat to ourselves.If someone had asked me, back when I was starting college, how I imagined my life to turn out, I'd probably have given the standard answer including having a well-paying job, a house, a wife and kids, the whole shebang. There are times when I worry about financial security, I gotta admit that, but still- this quiet happiness we have is all I want, and it's the little everyday things which make it special. Truth be told, those are worth more than any romantic holiday or grand gestures, though Nick mustn't know I said that. And I still like to celebrate Valentine's Day, so. But yes, it's things like Nick and I snuggling up while we're reading before lights out, or reading the paper in the morning still in our sleep things and with a steaming mug of coffee each, or Nick meeting me somewhere and his whole expression lighting up as he spots me. Things money can't buy, like a smile.He's my guy, this Nick Ryder. There, I'm grinning like a lovesick teenager again, but that's what he's doing to me. I think I'll just go and see where he is; I could really do with some smooching right now.
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Cody was sitting on the bench seat in the salon with a coffee, sorting through the mail. When Nick came in, covered in grease because he had been working on the Mimi, he glanced up: “Hey. We finally got Waterston's check.”“About time.” Nick sounded weary.“You want some coffee?”“No, thanks. I'm gonna take a shower.” With that, he turned towards the stairs.When he reappeared ten minutes later in his bathrobe, he slid onto the bench next to Cody, leaned against him so that he could rest his head on his partner's shoulder and gave a deep sigh.“Your hair's still damp, buddy.”“Wuss.”“Excuse me? I'm not a wuss just because I'd like for my sweater to stay nice and dry.” He shook his head: “My mom says hello.”“How is she?”“She's busy with her charity work, they're organizing a rummage sale.”“Hm.”Cody craned his head to look at Nick: “Hey, you okay?”“Just tired,” Nick muttered. “And a bit of a headache.” He huddled even closer: “And a bit cold.”Cody extricated his arm, put it around Nick and pressed a kiss into his damp hair: “Wanna lie down?”“Nah, it's fine.”“Okay.” Cody kissed him once more, knowing that there was no point in trying to push Nick, then he turned his attention back to his mom's letter.When he was done with the mail a few minutes later, Nick had dozed off. Gently, Cody felt his temple and forehead with his free hand and found his initial assumption confirmed, since the other's skin felt overly warm.“Baby,” he said softly, caressing Nick's cheek. “Sure you don't wanna go to bed?”Nick stirred: “It's too far away,” he muttered.“I'll take you,” Cody said patiently. “Come on.” He nudged Nick until he sat up and allowed himself to be manoevered off the bench and to his feet. Now that Cody got a better look at him, he saw that Nick was pale and his eyes were red-rimmed, and he wondered why he hadn't noticed anything earlier.Slowly, they made their way down to the stateroom; while Nick changed into his sleep things, Cody went to find some Tylenol in case Nick needed it. He was crawling into bed when Cody came back in, and he was visibly shivering now.Cody slipped out of his shoes and under the covers as well, and Nick gratefully burrowed into him as he wrapped his arms around him and pulled the blanket up.“When did this start?” Cody asked softly once they were ensconced in a cocoon of warmth.“Had a headache all morning,” Nick replied.“And you still went and tinkered with Mimi's carburetor?”“I didn't tinker.” Nick managed to sound indignant even though his voice was muffled by Cody's sweater. “It's as good as new now.”“Unlike you.”Nick groaned: “Shut up.”“Would you like some tea?”Nick immediately tightened his grip on Cody, clearly unwilling let him get up again for the time being: “No.”“Okay. See how I'm not even complaining that your hair's still damp?”“My champion.”“I thought I was a wuss.”“Don't push it.”“Grump,” Cody said sympathetically. “Feel warmer already?”“A little.” The tremors were indeed lessening bit by bit.“Good. Think you can sleep?”Again, Nick tightened his grip: “You're not planning on sneaking off, are you?” He sounded exhausted now.The corners of Cody's mouth quirked up: “I wouldn't dare.” Gently, he ran his hand over Nick's back: “Love you, big guy.”Nick gave a small sigh: “Love you too.”
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Cody's eyes were gleaming as he beheld his newly acquired boat, which hadn't seen any water in six years. Now that she was out of dry-dock, the overall neglect showed, but her hull was intact and had gotten a fresh coat of paint recently, once Cody's check had been validated. She looked... well, not exactly majestic as she lay there in her new slip, but she was a lovely sight nevertheless. A bit of work was going to restore her to her old glory, and Cody couldn't wait to take her out.“Did you come up with a name yet?” Nick asked, putting down the boxes he had been carrying over from the car.Cody shook his head: “No... I almost got it though.”“Almost?”“Yeah. It's like she's trying to tell me what it should be and I can't quite hear it, you know?”Nick wrinkled his nose: “I really don't. You saying the boat's talking to you?”Cody snorted: “So what if it were? You talk to the Mimi all the time.”“Yeah, man... but she doesn't talk back.”“The boat's not actually talking to me,” Cody said patiently. Nothing could ruin his good mood today. “I'm just saying... I need to get the feeling of her.”“Oh, okay.” Nick took up the boxes again: “So where should I put these?” They were happy to get out of the rather shabby apartment they had been living in for the past few years. It had been okay while they didn't have an alternative, but the decision to move onto the boat as soon as it was back in the water had still been an easy one, even though there was a lot of work to do before it was ready to be called home and they didn't even have a proper bed yet, or a usable shower.They put the boxes into the second stateroom for the time being, cleaned the aft stateroom, the wheelhouse, the salon, the head and the galley and made up a make-shift bed on the floor, using one of the mattresses from the old bunks they had already torn out while the boat was still at Tiny Tommy's. When they were done, the sun was low on the horizon.Cody took two beers out of the fridge and handed Nick one, then he tugged at his partner's shirt: “Come on.”Nick, who understood Cody's absolute bliss about finally having made his dream come true because he had felt similar when he had bought the Mimi, followed him out to the fantail, where they sat down on the stern bench.“To your boat,” Nick said, and Cody clinked his own bottle against his: “To my boat,” he echoed, grinning happily. “It's a great boat, isn't it?”“Yeah,” Nick looked around. “Nice spot too.”They were silent for a while, watching the sunset.“Thank you,” Cody then said. “For going along with all this.”Nick looked at him with the corners of his mouth quirking up: it's not like I had to think about it, his fond expression said. He remained silent though, just inched closer to Cody until they were leaning against one another, awed by the realization that this was the beginning of something new and exciting. On the following morning, which was a Sunday, Cody woke up first; Nick, who was lying on Cody's chest, was still fast asleep. Cody subdued a contented sigh: he could hear seagulls, and the boat was moving ever so slightly. Sunlight was creeping through the slats of the wooden blinds, urging him to get up and get started, but he resisted it, choosing to savour the moment instead, the first morning on the Riptide. He let the name roll over his tongue silently: it had been on his mind when he had woken up, and yes, he liked it. The speedboat he had bought years ago, before he had dared to dream even bigger, was named Ebb Tide, so it was a nice association. Plus, it seemed fitting somehow, with a bit of an edge but not pretentious.He closed his eyes again, listening to Nick's quiet breathing for a while and continuing the to-do list he had started days ago: caulk the joints in the head, repair the port stanchion and the mast, paint... well, just about everything, buy engine oil, install a phone... He was pulled out of these thoughts when Nick stirred.“Good morning,” he muttered into Cody's skin.“Morning.” Cody refrained from asking how Nick knew he was awake, because Nick always did. He now propped himself up to kiss Cody, still drowsy: “Did you sleep well? First night in a new home an' all?”“Like a baby,” Cody admitted. “And I've come up with a name.”“In your sleep?”“Yeah.”“Okay, let's hear it.”Cody smiled proudly: “Riptide.”Nick considered this: “'s good. I like it.”“Yeah?”“Yeah, 's got a nice ring to it. And you've already got the Ebb Tide, so...”“Exactly. You sleep well too?”“Yeah.” He smiled: “I like it here.”“Despite having to sleep on the floor?”“We've slept in worse conditions.”“True.” Cody regarded him for a moment, then he pulled him closer to kiss him again: “I love you,” he breathed in between. “So much.” The following month was rather taxing. They couldn't solely focus on the boat but also had to earn some money, after all, so Nick kept taking tourists on tours around the harbour in the Mimi, and Cody offered fishing trips or water-skiing. It wasn't exactly profitable, but it was enough to keep them afloat, literally, as long as they were renovating the Riptide. It meant they were mainly living on sandwiches, pasta and coffee, but it was far from being the first time they did this. As long as they were able to pay for utilities as well as fuel for their various vehicles, they were fine.For the material they needed, Cody was using what was left of the money his grandpa had put into a trust fund for him once. Since he had broken off college, there had been a substantial sum left. Cody never touched it, as he preferred to earn his own living, and he had stubbornly saved up six years for the Ebb Tide, thinking that maybe one day, the trust fund was going to be the down payment for a house, an idea he liked. But, after Nick and he had left the military police, they soon realized that even with the Mimi, they had to come up with some kind of plan or find regular jobs. Which seemed unfeasible. So they had bought a sixpack one night, had gone down to the beach and started some brainstorming as to what to do with their lives.After a lot of rejected ideas, they had finally come up with an idea they both liked and which seemed suitable for them: a detective agency.On the next morning, Cody perused the classifieds in order to see how many detective agencies there were in the area, but instead, his gaze fell on an ad from a local used boat seller. And suddenly, things seemed to click into place. The money he still had was going to buy him a boat, something he had been fantasizing about for some time now: it was going to be their home, and they could operate their agency from there.Now however the money was dwindling, and Cody was just glad that he and Nick could do most of the repairs themselves. And that Nick was willing to do so. They worked on the boat in between their other jobs and in the evenings; slowly and steadily, the Riptide was beginning to look like the handsome yacht she was, and even though Nick and Cody were exhausted on most days, they were proud of the results. The last thing on the list was to paint the name onto the stern. That night, they stepped into the shower together, not at all minding the cramped space, and just leaned against one another for a long time, arms around each other, letting the hot water run over them.“We did it,” Cody muttered. Nick gave a tired little laugh: “Can you believe it?”Cody sighed: “Not yet.” Then he straightened up and pulled Nick closer: “Thank you.” He regarded him with a smile: “You're amazing, did I ever tell you that? I couldn't have done it without you.”Nick actually blushed: “Aw, come on, now you're exaggerating. It'd have taken longer, but-”Cody shut him up with a kiss.“I'm not exaggerating,” he said afterwards. “I'd probably not even have gotten this boat.”“What?”“Well, it's a big step I'd probably have kept postponing because I wouldn't have had a reason to actually buy one.”“Maybe you'd have found another reason.”Cody sighed: “Who knows. Fact is we're here now and that's as much your doing as it is mine.”Nick still looked doubtful. Cody ran his hand up and down his back: “I really appreciate all the hard work you put in, Baby.”At that, Nick shrugged, a small grin quirking up the corners of his mouth: “You planning on paying me in kind?”Cody chuckled: “First installment's underway.”The hot water didn't nearly last long enough.
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1980 Wearily, Cody closed the door to their small apartment. He had been to his annual physical; there had been a lot of waiting in between, and now it was much later than he'd anticipated. The sun was beginning to set, and he was hungry.“Nick?” He paused, listening, and realized that he could hear the water in the bathroom running, so Nick was taking a shower. Whistling, he made his way through the living room and poked his head around the door: “Nick? I'm back, and I haven't eaten all day. How about some pasta for dinner?”Nick didn't answer. Cody pushed the door open a little more, then frowned. The air in the small room should be warm and humid, but it wasn't: there was no steam at all. He peered through the frosted glass door of the shower: “Nick?” He couldn't make out his shape, which was even more worrisome.“Nick!” Feeling nervous now, Cody pulled the door open: Nick was there, crouched in the corner of the shower. He was shaking and staring ahead unseeingly, and Cody's first instinct was to reach for him. He refrained from doing so, however, and turned off the water first; it was cold, just as he had assumed, but it hardly mattered now.He sat on his haunches next to the stall: “Nick?” he said gently, putting his hand on Nick's shoulder. Nick's skin was icy, and he flinched, but at least the touch seemed to have pulled him out of his stupor, since he turned his head and looked at Cody. His eyes were red-rimmed, his expression so wounded that it made Cody's heart clench.“What happened?” he asked in a soft voice. Nick stared at him for a moment longer, then he blinked, slowly, numbly, and tried to say something, but his voice gave out. Cody blindly reached for a towel, then he scooted closer, not heeding the fact that his shoes and pants got got wet, and wrapped it around Nick: “Come on,” he said, “let's get you out of here, you're freezing.” Nick however pitched towards him, and Cody quickly closed his arms around him, holding him tightly: “It's alright, I've got you,” he soothed, pressing gentle kisses on Nick's cold skin. “I've got you. Come on, let's get up.”Nick was shaking so badly that Cody had a hard time getting him to him feet, but somehow, they managed. Using whatever momentum they had, Cody steered him out of the bathroom and into their bedroom, where he turned on a lamp and pulled the comforter aside with one hand, then eased Nick onto the mattress, taking his hands and rubbing them between his own until they weren't so icy anymore. Nick just looked at him exhaustedly and still somewhat blankly, therefore Cody kept up a steady stream of comforting words just to keep Nick in the present.Once he was done with Nick's hands, he pulled his feet into his lap and rubbed them as well. When he thought they were warm enough, he got up and quickly shed his clothes, because nothing but his own body heat was going to be sufficient to get some warmth back into his partner, that much was clear. He took the now wet towel off Nick and crawled onto the bed with him, one arm firmly around him, pulling the covers up over their heads and enveloping Nick in a tight embrace, rubbing his back with one hand.Nick was still shivering at first, but eventually, the tremors lessened and his skin felt less cold. Cody was appalled because this wasn't like Nick at all. He had seen him in severe distress before, but he had never drawn back into himself to a point that was bordering on self-harm, and it was difficult to see him so vulnerable.They stayed like that for a long time, and very slowly, Nick's body warmed up. Cody knew, somewhere in the back of his mind, that he should probably make him drink something and find some hot water bottles or heating pads as well, but the thought of leaving Nick alone was unfeasible, and not only because of how he had found him earlier: Nick was tense, and his hands were balled up into fists, and he seemed utterly fragile.When the shivering had stopped entirely, Cody shifted them a little so that he could look at Nick in the dim light under the blankets: “Tell me what happened?” he said softly.Nick took a deep breath: “My mom called,” he said, his voice brittle and equally soft. “She's getting married again.” He paused, obviously struggling to get out the next few words: “And... she doesn't want me there.”Cody frowned: “Why?”Nick looked pained: “Because of 'what I've become'. Her words.”It took a moment for Cody to understand what he had just heard. “She doesn't want you there because you're with a man?”“Yeah.” Nick blinked. He had told his mother about his relationship a few months ago, and apparently, it had not gone down well.“What does it matter?” Cody asked heatedly.Nick's eyes were swimming: “She said she's thought about it but she can't live with something like that. It's 'abnormal' and going against her moral standards. So she'd prefer it if I didn't visit her in the future."Cody felt his anger sweep through him like a tidal wave: “You're her only son! You're a decorated Vietnam veteran, for heaven's sake! You-” he broke off when he saw Nick's crestfallen expression: there was no point in telling him all the things he already knew, after all. “I'm sorry, man,” he said with forced calmness, raising his hand to stroke Nick's pale face.Nick nodded: "She's also worried about what the neighbours might think if they found out.” He wiped his eyes with a shaky hand.“I'm so sorry,” Cody repeated almost in a whisper because right then, Nick looked as if a loud word might shatter him. He and his mom had never been particularly close, especially after she had cut off his beloved grandma. But this was a veritable blow nevertheless, and Cody didn't know how he could help. So he just tightened his embrace, feeling to his relief how Nick huddled against him this time, and told him how much he loved him. Nick was trembling again, but not from cold this time.“It's not a choice,” Nick eventually muttered. Cody pulled back a little: “What isn't?”“Who you love.” Nick blinked: “I didn't choose this, it just happened.”Cody felt a small twinge of anxiety: “Of course it's not a choice. And it's nothing to be ashamed of either. And even if it were a choice, it's still nothing to be ashamed of.”“I know.” Nick moved, shimmying even closer until they were pressed firmly against one another: “I can't apologize for what I am. Or who I'm with.”Cody nuzzled his nose: “You don't have to.”Nick nuzzled back: “I love you so much,” he said, barely audible. “You and me- we're much more like a family than my mom ever was. I... don't know why it hit me so hard.”Cody kissed him: “I love you too, Baby,” he murmured. “You wanna know what I think?”“Hm?”“It's still the end of something, that's why. Even if you're not very close, she's still your mom. But it's also something new. A beginning of sorts. Or a... a continuation, to be precise.”“Yeah?”“Yeah. The Allen-Ryder Unlimited Possibilities Squad.”Nick scrunched up his nose at that, but he didn't look so forlorn anymore, which Cody counted as a win. His fingers trailed the curve of Nick's ear, his jaw, his mouth: “I'm glad we're family,” he murmured, giving Nick a small smile.Instead of a verbal answer, Nick caught his hand and kissed it.“You scared me, earlier,” Cody then said tentatively. “What were you doing there, Baby?”Nick looked abashed: “I had just come home when I got the call, I didn't get to shower before. But then I kept replaying our conversation in my head, and I... I don't know, man. I kinda zoned out.”Cody cupped his cheek with his hand: “Sorry,” he breathed again. “I should have been here sooner.”“Not your fault.” Nick's eyes wandered over his partner's face. “I'm sorry I scared you.”“That ever happen before?”“No.” Nick closed his eyes: “And I won't let it happen again.”“In any case, I'll be there for you,” Cody regarded him fondly.“Thank you,” Nick murmured. “Also for today.”Cody's hand wandered down to Nick's neck: “Are you feeling better now?”Nick knew what he meant: “Yeah. I'm all warmed up.” The issue with his mom wasn't something that could be mended so easily, if at all. But with Cody around, it seemed less dire than before.“I'm starving,” Cody now said. Funnily enough, he had all but forgotten his empty stomach until now. “How about I rustle us something up?”“Yeah.” Nick wasn't particularly hungry, but he wanted to be close to Cody, and doing something ordinary right now was probably wise; it'd help to sort him out. He wished his mom would have given him a chance, just one visit, to see that they didn't live differently from other people, that they took it in turns to cook in the evenings and did the dishes together afterwards, that they were as “normal” as it got. That he was the same person she had known all her life, only older and a bit more experienced. And how very, very lucky he was to have found a partner as amazing and beautiful and incomparable as Cody Allen.“Cody,” he heard himself say, effectively stopping Cody from getting up.“Yes?”“I'm glad my heart chose you.” He was aware how cheesy that sounded, but he still felt so bruised, and even though it was the absolute truth, he knew he wasn't going to get it out later. And Cody didn't seem to think it silly either, because he neither scoffed nor pulled a face, but smiled and took Nick's face between his hands to kiss him, deeply and tenderly, and afterwards, when he answered, his voice was soft and gravelly: “Me too, Baby.”
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“Oh no!”“Murray! What did you do?”“I didn't do anything, Cody, I was just processing my notes about my alterations of the conversion console when the power suddenly went out.”“You sure it wasn't one of your devices?”“Yes, absolutely.”“Great. Where's my torch...” It turned out that the blackout concerned the entire marina.Cody put a few candles on the table in the salon: “Maybe it won't last long.”Murray sighed: “I just hope my data isn't lost. I haven't made a backup copy yet.”“Sorry,” Cody said, sitting down. “You want a beer, as long as it's still cold?”“Yes, why not. I've got nothing else to do now... If I had saved backup copies, I could use the Roboz now, but I was so caught up in my thoughts... Well, I suppose that there's no point in complaining.”Cody peered out of the window: “I wonder where Nick is.”Just then, the door slid open and Nick came in: “Hey, guys. Did we forget to pay the electricity bill?”Murray frowned: “No, Nick, I don't think I've overlooked any- oh, you're joking!” He giggled: “Good one!”Nick sat down next to Cody with a tired sigh. His partner nudged his shoulder with his own: “Hey. How was the trip?”“Piston broke. Thank God it was on the way back.” Even though his tone was rather off-handedly, it still had a shudder run down Cody's spine.“You got back okay?”“Yeah. Had to improvise a little.” Nick yawned and rubbed his eyes: “If we ever win the lottery, I'll buy a whole new engine.”“If we ever win the lottery, I'll buy you a whole new helicopter.”Nick paused in his movements: “She's a classic, how many times do I have to tell you that money can't buy that kind of charisma?”“I seem to recall that you did have a lot of fun in the Baxtercraft,” Cody said plaintively.Nick sighed: “Fine. You can buy me a second chopper for the occasional outing.”Cody patted his leg: “Done.”Nick grinned, then he looked pointedly at Cody's beer. Cody handed it to him: “You could just get your own.”“I'd have to get up.”“True.”“I don't wanna get up.” Nick took a swig from the beer and handed it back: “I'mma close my eyes for a bit. Since there's nothing on TV.”Cody put his arm around him and pulled him close; Nick had been away for most of the day, and he had missed him. Hearing about the broken piston only intensified his relief to have him back. “Do you need me to help you fix Mimi tomorrow?” he asked more softly.Nick sighed once more, rubbing his cheek against Cody's shoulder: “You always know exactly what to say,” he muttered.Murray now slid down in the chair he was sitting in and put up his feet: “Does anyone know a good campfire story?”Cody grinned: “I do, but I don't want to compromise your sleep...”Nick snorted: “Are you talking about the one with the headless biker? I gotta tell you, man, it's not that scary...”Shaking his head, Cody tickled him: “Spoilsport,” he said good-naturedly.“I know that story anyway,” Murray yawned. “It's the one where the guy on the motorbike overtakes a truck and beheads himself, right?”“Yeah.”“Baba told me that one.”“'Course,” Nick muttered under his breath.“She also told me this story about a man whose car breaks down in the middle of the night. He's gotten lost in the woods, and it's freezing-”“If we're actually gonna tell campfire stories,” Cody interrupted him, “we need some marshmallows too.”“Oh yes, that's boss! Do we have any?”“In the cupboard on the far left,” Nick muttered without opening his eyes.“I'm going to get them.” Cody slid out of the bench, much to Nick's chagrin. With a resigned groan, he opened his eyes again and got up as well: “Be right back.”Murray watched him disappear down the stairs to the stateroom he and Cody shared. The latter soon came back with a bowl of marshmallows and three forks: “I think these'll have to do. Since we're using candles, it should be okay. Where's Nick?”Murray motioned towards the vague direction: “He went to the head, I think.”When Nick came back, he had changed into a pair of sweats and the shirt he was sleeping in and was carrying a blanket, making Cody, who was spearing marshmallows on the forks, grin broadly.“What?” Nick slid onto the seat and stared at him. “You got something to say?”Cody shrugged: “No,” he said lightly, “just that Murray probably shouldn't make that story too frightening...”He yelped when Nick pinched him: “Go back to your marshmallows,” he said gruffly, wrapping himself into the blanket and leaning back into the corner of the bench, his feet in Cody's lap.Cody squeezed his ankle through the fabric: “Would you like me to roast one for you?” he said.“Yeah, okay,” Nick said graciously. Cody exchanged a glance with Murray, unable to quite hide his mirth: he was loving this. Halfway through Murray's story, Nick dozed off, but they didn't wake him. Cody ate both their marshmallows, then he licked his sticky fingers and wiped them off on a dishcloth, leaning back with a contented smile. The power came back on soon afterwards, but they turned off the lights because it was Cody's turn to tell a story, and it was cosier that way.When Murray and Cody decided to go to bed as well some time later, the candles had burned down considerably. Murray took the forks, bowl and empty bottles down to the galley while Cody crouched down next to Nick and put a hand on his shoulder: “Wake up, big guy,” he said gently, “time to go to bed.”Nick groaned and turned his head away, but Cody persisted until he opened his eyes.“Come on,” Cody said, “your back and your neck won't thank you if you sleep here. Besides, the bed's too empty without you.”Drowsily, Nick let his partner pull him to his feet: “Murray scare you?” he muttered, winding his arms around Cody to keep himself upright.Cody laughed quietly, squeezing Nick for a moment: “No story could be as scary as the prospect of missing out on this.”Nick squinted: “You making fun of me again, Allen?”“I wouldn't dare. Oh, wait, we forgot your blankie.”"So Murray did scare you."Cody shook his head, but he just couldn't subdue another grin as they slowly made their way down the stairs.
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The old boat is moving ever so gently as a slight breeze stirs the sea, the water feeling like satin. It's a classic yacht that has had several different names during her almost 50 years of being. It hasn't always been easy, bearing her respective owners; there has been heartbreak and betrayal and even death. A wealth of emotions has seeped into the wood of her planks, filling her with love and pain, happiness and sorrow, jealousy and joy: you name it, she's seen it all.She's been out in deep water and moored in small secluded bays, has been taken far along the coast and sometimes not seen any water at all. The last time she was dry-docked was the last time she got a new name and new faces. It soon became clear that there was something different about them: they had chosen each other just as they had chosen her. They hadn't been forced together by family commitments but because fate had made their paths cross just as her path had later crossed theirs. She was glad to be back in the water, glad to have a name again.The new life on board chased away the old ghosts, the invisible passengers she hadn't been able to shake off because they were haunting her, faces she barely remembered: now, in the light of another beginning, they finally faded away, leaving room for what was to come. Her new name was a promise, as was all the work that her new owners put into her. They were the first ones who did it all by themselves instead of hiring an armada of specialists. Soon, she knew their respective touch and how much she was appreciated even when she wasn't fully restored yet. She basked in the awe she inspired and swelled with pride the day she was declared seaworthy again.She had never been lived on like that. It was palpable how much the guys enjoyed their life aboard, how much she was loved. She was special, after all, and they made her feel it.Even though there was none of the unnecessary domestic drama she had gotten accustomed to before, it wasn't always easy, being the home of a detective agency: sometimes, she got shot at, making her quiver. It still was different from the various kinds of catastrophes she had experienced in her earlier incarnations, and every time it happened, the guys immediately set to repair the damage. Cody usually talked to her while doing so, just as he had done while he had renovated her after she had become his, telling her that he was sorry and that she was going to be good as new in no time at all. And she was, because despite the occasional commotion, the guys were treating her well.Well- there was one incident which had her ending up on a jetty, something she could have done without. But Nick promised Cody never to take her out on his own again, and in the end, he even apologized to her, in secret, while he was in the shower. Graciously, she accepted- Nick had always helped if any repairs were required, after all, and he was as much a part of her family as the other ones. Only the funny orange machine which kept bumping against her fittings remained strange to her. Its owner Murray, who had joined the team later and who still hadn't learned how to climb aboard properly after almost three years, always made sure that her electrical equipment was up to date, which she appreciated: she had seen one fire on board, decades ago, and was not keen at all to see another.All of her guys were taking good take of her, really, just as they took care of one another, and she found herself wishing that they, other than their predecessors, were going to keep her. She has never felt so close to her humans before. This is where her thoughts are straying once more right now, in the middle of the night; the air is balmy and the marina is dark and still. It's also quiet on the boat, though her inhabitants are still awake, more or less. There is an overwhelming sense of peace to be had if Murray is typing away on his keyboard excitedly, so happily lost in his thoughts that he forgets how late it is, or Nick and Cody dozing in each other's arms, not quite asleep yet.The occasional sounds that the Riptide's making- a fender against the jetty, a line straining as the boat moves, the wooden hull creaking mutedly- all these are her way of reassuring the guys that they've made the right choice, that she's theirs, a home to feel safe in.She knows that this state of contentment won't last forever; she's 47 years old, time has gone by in a blink, and she will probably still be here in another 47 years. Who knows where the guys will be then. Of course, she hopes. Maybe they'll be the first ones to last, to not give up on her after a while.Still, it's moments like these she'll treasure, store away in her memory in order to prevent them from becoming spectres: she's always preferred the living to the dead. And that's where her hope derives from: it's nurtured from the very fact that Nick, Cody and Murray have shown her how life on board should truly look like. And despite the clumsy orange machine, she can't imagine that it has ever been different.In the quiet of the night, the old boat keeps moving ever so gently on the velvety sea.
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Murray was sitting at the table in the salon with his glasses in his hands, squinting at them when his partners came in.“Hey, Boz, what're you doing?”“Hey guys. The tape got loose,” Murray replied. “I've tried to fix it, but I ran out. Of tape, I mean.”Cody and Nick exchanged a glance, then Nick cleared his throat: “Murray- don't you think it might be time to just get new frames?”Murray looked up at him, though he could only see a blurry shape: “I've thought about it,” he admitted, “but it took me very long to find these, Nick. You see, the bridge of my nose is very delicate, and these just fit perfectly. Before I got them, I've had to go back to the optician every other week to have my old glasses adjusted, and I was prone to headaches as well, so... I'd rather not get new ones.”“For how long have you had them?” Cody asked gently.Murray blinked: “Oh, about... eleven years.”“But that's a long time,” Cody replied. “Maybe there's been a general improvement in the meantime. You could at least go and take a look...”Murray sighed: “Okay, fine. I'll need you to take me to buy some new tape anyway, so we can stop at an optician on the way.” At Murray's request, Larry, the sales assistant in the store, checked if the broken temple could be replaced, but the answer was negative as the specific model of Murray's frames wasn't being produced anymore.An hour later, after having tried on what felt like every single pair of frames there was and a lot of pondering, Murray hesitantly eyed the ones he had chosen: “I guess... I guess I'll take these, then,” he said, sounding so unconfident that even Larry hesitated.Cody put his arm around him: “Murray?” he asked gently.“Yes?”“Would you like us to leave and just go to buy some new tape?”Murray looked at him with so much relief that Nick had a hard time not to roll his eyes: “Well, if I'm honest... yes, please.”“Okay.” Cody looked from him to Nick, who smirked and shook his head: “Sorry,” he said to Larry.“Oh God, yes, I'm very sorry,” Murray chimed in, but he couldn't subdue the grin that was spreading on his face.“That's alright,” Larry said with as much dignity as he could muster. “Good as new,” Murray said that evening in the galley, contentedly putting on his freshly mended glasses. “Thank you, guys. It's really boss of you to try and help. I know I can be a bit of a fusspot, but buying new glasses is a real challenge for me.”“You don't say,” Nick, who was cooking, teased him, but his tone was fond.“Hey, Nick,” Cody grinned. “Next time you break your shades, do Larry a favour and buy your new ones from him, okay? In case Murray ever does want new frames.”“Oh no,” Nick rubbed his neck. “Next time, we'll go to the mall. Or, I don't know... San Diego, maybe?”“Yeah, good idea!”Murray frowned: “Why would we go to San Diego to buy some new glasses- oh, I see. Ha ha, very funny, Nick.”Grinning, Nick shrugged and turned back to the stove while Cody began to lay the table.Watching them, Murray leaned back with a pleased expression, glad that things had been resolved for the time being. 2027"What's that on Grandpa's glasses?" Halley asked her mom. Caitlin smiled: "It's tape.""Like on Harry Potter's glasses?"Laughing, Caitlin stroked her daughter's hair: "Yes. The temple broke at one point, and he patched it up.""Why didn't Grandpa just buy new ones?""He liked these very much," Caitlin said. "Look, this was in 1984... and this was two years later. Still the same old glasses with the tape.""How did they break?" Halley wanted to know, obviously awed.Caitlin considered this: "Now that you mention it, I don't think he ever told me.""I'm going to ask him," Halley said lightly. "Grandpa Potter.""Don't call him that, Honey."Halley knew that her grandpa had a great sense of humour and a soft spot for his granddaughter. So she just grinned; her mom didn't need to know everything, after all: "Okay."It was worth a shot.
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It was a Saturday night, and Straightaway's was packed. Cody and Murray were sitting at their favourite table together with Tammy and Kelly, the latest crew member of the Contessa. Cody had been bummed out all week because Nick was away at Reserves, and Murray thought an evening among friends and a good meal were a foolproof way to cheer him up. He hadn't expected Cody to knock back one drink after the other; usually, Cody was a moderate drinker, but he had downed three beers already and they weren't even on the main course yet.The girls didn't seem to mind however, and Kelly kept flirting with him. Murray wasn't sure if the Contessa crew knew about Nick and Cody, but if they did, no one had told their new addition yet.Well, at least Cody didn't look as downcast anymore. He was worrying about Nick, who was with the aerial firefighters again; Cody hadn't been able to reach the helibase all week, and Nick hadn't called either, therefore he was restless and jumpy, watching the news obsessively and having trouble sleeping as well. He didn't want to go to Straightaway's either, but Murray had cleverly invited the girls over to the Riptide first, having told Tammy to make it look like they were dropping in spontaneously, so in the end, Cody hadn't had much a of choice- Murray had been right in banking on the gentleman in his friend.Initially, Cody was tense once they had sat down, but after the first beer, he started to relax a little.And now he and Tammy were telling Kelly the story of how the entire crew of the Contessa had been held hostage by Dex Dexter.“Mama Jo wanted to keelhaul him,” Tammy said, grinning. “It's bugging her to this day that Lieutenant Quinlan got his hands on him first.”They laughed, then Kelly put one hand on Cody's arm: “You're so brave,” she said admiringly.He shook his head: “We're just doing what needs to be done.”“Tammy told me you were in Vietnam.”“Yeah. Murray here as well.”“That's true,” Murray said, “but I only met Cody and Nick later.”“Nick?”“He's our partner in the agency,” Murray replied. “He's away on reserve duty right now.”“Oh.” Kelly smiled widely. “Yeah, Bambi mentioned him. He's a pilot, right?”Cody emptied his glass: “The best damn pilot under the sun,” he said, at which Kelly giggled.“Really, he is.” Cody felt the need to drive his point home: “He's flying this horrible old chopper everyone else would have given up on long ago, and truth be told, if anyone but Nick were flying her, I'd not set foot into that thing. But he's kept her in the air all this time, and he'll keep doing so. I'll probably still have to fly in that pink piece of junk with him when we're old and grey.”While Murray laughed, Kelly glanced at Tammy with an air of vague bewilderment; the latter only shrugged.“So... the Riptide's your boat?” she then asked.“Yep.”“How long have you had her?”“Almost five years.”Right then, their food came, and they ordered another round of drinks.By the time they were digging into dessert, none of them were sober anymore.“You should really give me the grand tour of the Riptide later,” Kelly said, her hand on Cody's arm again. “It must be so different from the Contessa!”“Oh, I dunno about that,” Cody replied, “you've seen the salon, then there's the galley and the head, and Murray's room with all the computers, and Nick's and my room.” He smiled.“You and Nick share a room?”“Yeah,” his smile faltered a little. “And it's far too empty now that he's gone.”Kelly's eyes widened: “It is?”Cody sighed: “He's something else, that Nick Ryder. I really hope he's okay.”“I'm sure he is,” Murray chimed in. “They turn off the power in certain areas when there's fires, as a safety precaution. So that's probably the reason why he didn't call.”“Yeah.” Cody looked gloomily into his glass: “He better be.”Kelly squeezed his arm: “It's very sweet of you to be worrying about your friend.”“Y'know what's sweet?” Cody suddenly grinned. “Nick's sweet. Don't tell him I said that though.”“It's true,” Murray muttered. “He's very sweet. Well, he can be.”Cody ignored him: “Back in 'Nam, I was terrified all the time, until I met Nick, that is. It was still scary, and sometimes... sometimes I lay awake asking myself what the hell I was doing there. But with Nick, it was bearable. He made me feel safer, y'know?” He blinked: “Still does.”Kelly just stared at him, obviously at a loss of what to say, while Tammy had been watching Cody with a soft smile for some time.“It must be lovely, having a partner like that,” she now said gently. “I hope Nick will be back soon, Cody.”Cody sighed again: “Thank you,” he murmured. “Me too.” When Murray and Cody accompanied the girls back to the Contessa a while later, Kelly didn't make any further advances towards Cody.“Thank you, guys,” Tammy said, kissing both of them on their cheeks. “It was a lovely evening.”Cody, who was leaning on Murray, smiled: “Thank you for asking us. G'night.”Murray only beamed. “Kelly really came on to you, huh?” Murray asked on their way over to slip seven.“She did?”“Oh, yeah! She kept flirting with you all night!”“Huh. Don't you think I'd have noticed that?”Murray grinned: “Nah... not with the way you kept rhapsodizing about Nick.”“I didn't,” Cody said with indignation.Murray shrugged, which nearly overbalanced them: “Fine. Maybe not so much at first. But I heard what I heard. And I guess the girls heard it too.”Cody stopped abruptly, making them sway precariously for a moment: “It's all true,” he said. “Do you think they mind? I know you don't mind.”“I don't mind,” Murray confirmed. “I love you guys. And I don't think Tammy minds. Kelly though... I think she's very disappointed that she didn't get the 'grand tour'.”“Oh, that's what she meant!”“I tried to warn you, but you didn't see my wink. And then I figured it didn't matter anyway. Poor Kelly.” Murray giggled at Cody's frown. They had just made their way back onto the Riptide when the phone rang. Cody all but lunged at it: “Hello?”“Hey, big guy.”“Nick! Oh God, Nick, I'm so glad to hear from you!”“Are you drunk?”“Lil' tipsy maybe.”It sounded as though Nick was grinning: “Sorry I didn't call sooner. The power was out.”“Murray said it might be. How're you doin', Baby?” Cody lowered himself onto the bench.“Tired. Ready to come home. It's another five days though.”“Miss you.”“Miss you too. Did you go out tonight?”“Yeah... Tammy and Kelly took us to Straightaway's.”“Kelly the new girl?”“Yeah. She probably doesn't like you.”“What? I've never even met her!”“Yeah... Murray said she kept flirting with me. Only I didn't notice it.”“Oh, well, in that case... She's got my sympathies.” Nick sounded fond. “Love you.”“Love you more.”“Listen, I gotta go. I'll try to call again soon, okay?”“'kay. And Nick?”“Yeah?”“I'm thinking of you. All the time.”“I know, Baby. I'm thinking of you too.”For a moment, they were silent, then Nick cleared his throat: “Say hello to Murray for me, okay?”“Okay. Sleep well.”“You too.”“I'll sleep much better now that I've heard from you,” Cody said, smiling. “G'night.” With a surreptitious little kissing sound, he rang off, feeling Nick's absence like a weight on his back, but he also was immensely relieved.Murray came up the stairs from the galley: “Is he okay?”“Yes. You were right, the power was off.”“See.” Murray patted Cody's shoulder: “I'm going to bed. Good night.”“Good night.” Cody turned off the lights, went downstairs and got ready for bed, pulling Nick's shirt out from under his pillow and burrowing his nose into it. With Nick's reassuring scent all around him, he closed his eyes.
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Cody was slouching on the bunk in the stateroom with a notepad on his lap; he had dozed off while he had been writing a shopping list. After closing a lengthy case, they had come home tired and worn out late the previous night, ready to drop where they stood. When they entered the salon however, they looked around guiltily: the Riptide admittedly was a pigsty, attesting of the past few days during which they had barely been home.They had therefore been tidying up and cleaning all morning, then Nick had gone to pick up Murray, the Roboz and their laundry from the laundromat while Cody had checked what was left in the fridge and the pantry and begun a shopping list. Apparently, he hadn't gotten very far, and Nick could fully relate to that; he was still tired as well, despite catching up on some sleep.Grinning at the sight of his partner, Nick opened the door to the wardrobe as quietly as possible and began to put their freshly laundered clothes away. Once the basket was empty, he stowed it away as well, then he crawled onto the bed and nuzzled Cody's face with his own. As he became aware, Cody smiled, nuzzling back even before he opened his eyes: “Hey...”“Hey.” Nick kissed him gently: “I need a break. Got room for one more?”Laughing quietly, Cody hummed his agreement, tugging at Nick. They moved further up the bed and lay down; limbs entangled, they shared some more rather sleepy kisses before both of them dozed off, arms firmly around one another.Cody woke up a few hours later, for a moment confused as to what time it was, since it was rather dark in the room. A look at the alarm clock told him it was only four in the afternoon, so maybe the weather had changed; he had no idea what the forecast said. Anyway, they were in no hurry, and Nick was still sleeping soundly, lying on his belly. Cody shimmied closer to snuggle up with him again, his nose against Nick's skin.In the early evening, he opened his eyes once more and found that Nick was awake, his fingers slowly wandering over Cody's back and up to his neck. The latter couldn't subdue a delicate shiver. Smiling, Nick gently reinforced the pressure and began kneading his partner's shoulders until Cody hummed languorously, reached out and pulled Nick closer for a kiss: “How about we take this to the shower?” he murmured, nipping at Nick's lip. Nick sighed: “I was hoping you'd say something like that.” When they emerged in the salon some significant time later, Murray was lounging on the bench seat watching TV.“Hey, guys,” he said, yawning. “I just ordered a pizza, I hope that's okay.”“That's a boss idea,” Cody said, sitting down on the other bench. “I'm starving.”“Did you get some sleep?”“Yeah.”“Me too. I was really beat.”Nick went down to the galley: “A beer, anyone?”“Yes,” Cody and Murray answered in unison.“Beer's about the only thing we got,” Nick said when he came back. “We really need to go shopping.”“Wait!” Murray said, sitting up. “I've also got Oreos! We can eat those for dessert!” He scrambled to his feet and disappeared in his stateroom.Nick put Murray's beer on the table, then he sat down next to Cody, who put one arm around him and pulled him close to press a brief kiss on his cheek. When Nick turned his head to look at him, a small smile quirking up the corners of his mouth, Cody just shrugged, smirking.“Goof,” Nick muttered, managing to return the kiss just before Murray returned with the cookies: “See?”“Perfect,” Cody said. “The day keeps getting better.” He grinned at Nick and lowered his voice to a gravelly whisper: “Promise.”Murray never found out why Nick almost choked on his beer.
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The Riptide Detective Agency was lying around in the salon watching TV, though all three of them were on the point of dozing off despite the fact that is was only 8:30. They had closed a case that afternoon, and since it had involved two all-night stakeouts, they were more than weary.The telephone startled them out of their drowsy state. At first, no one moved, then Nick got to his feet and picked it up while Murray turned off the TV's sound: “Riptide Detective Agency.” As he listened, Nick's tired face was taking on a harried expression all of a sudden, causing Cody to sit up.“Hi, Mom,” Nick said, pinching the bridge of his nose with two fingers.Cody exchanged a look with Murray, then both of them got up and went down to the galley to give Nick some privacy.“I've never met Mrs. Ryder,” Murray said pensively once they had sat down at the small table. “What's she like?”Cody sighed: “She's... not an easy person to be around.”“What do you mean?”“Well... I never know what to say, for example. Everything that comes to mind seems silly or I just know she'll disapprove of it anyway.”“Huh. That does sound difficult.”“It's worse for Nick. I'm surprised she's still talking to him at all, and vice versa.”Murray considered this: “Well,” he said softly. “It's the hardest thing I can imagine, having your mother push you away like that. I wonder why she keeps calling him though.”Cody nodded: “I don't think we can even begin to understand that woman's mind.”They could hear Nick's voice from time to time, sounding flat and very unlike himself; Cody's heart ached at that. When Nick became this quiet, almost subdued, instead of flaring up, it was bad indeed.He got to his feet: “I'm gonna make some hot chocolate,” he said.Murray nodded: “Good idea, Cody.” Ten minutes later, Nick joined them in the galley, sliding onto the bench next to Cody and getting as close as possible. Cody, who could feel how tense he was, put his arm around his partner wordlessly. Nick folded his arms in front of his chest and stared straight ahead unseeingly, his eyes swimming; it took a while until he was able to speak.“I told her not to call me anymore,” he said, his voice tight. “It's just too much. If she doesn't want to see me, she doesn't need to talk to me at all.”Cody gently reinforced his grip around him because Nick was trembling now, and there was little else he could do. “What did she say to that?” he asked softly.Nick cleared his throat: “Nothing. She hung up.”Murray reached over the table and squeezed Nick's arm: “I'm so sorry, Nick,” he said, his voice full of sympathy.“Yeah, well,” Nick wiped his eyes, “it is what it is.” He tried a smile, though it didn't look convincing: “Thank you, Boz.”“Sure.” Murray looked a little flustered: “You know that I consider you my brothers, right? While I'm aware that this doesn't hold the same significance a parent represents-”He broke off when Nick put his hand over Murray's: “But it does,” he said softly, his voice quivering. “You have no idea how much it means to me, Murray.”“Oh,” Murray's expression lit up at that. “Well... I'm glad.” He smiled.Cody pulled Nick a little closer: “See how our little family keeps growing?” he murmured, pressing a kiss on Nick's temple. “The Allen-Ryder-Bozinsky Unlimited Possibilities Squad.“At that, Nick laughed a little. He leaned into Cody: “Thank you, guys. I love you.”It still took him a long time to fall asleep that night. Two weeks later, Cody was tidying up in the wheelhouse, putting away charts, when a voice called out for Nick. He turned to look and immediately froze: it was Mrs. Ryder. She stood on the jetty with her handbag dangling from the crook of her elbow and a frown on her face. Cody went down to the fantail: “Nick isn't here.”Mrs. Ryder pursed her lips: “Hello, Mr. Allen.”Cody shook his head: “I'll tell him you came by.”“Where is he, then?”“Does that matter?” Cody put his hands on his hips and regarded her. “You made it very clear what you think of him, so he made a choice too. The way I see it, it's not your concern anymore.”Mrs. Ryder took a deep breath: “Not that it's any of your business, but I'd like to speak to him.”“He probably doesn't want to speak to you.”At that, Mrs. Ryder's expression looked pained all of a sudden, and it took her a moment to get herself back under control. “I'd still very much like to speak to him,” she said coolly.Cody sighed: “Fine. Come aboard. He should be back soon.”“Thank you.” Mrs. Ryder climbed aboard, pointedly not taking Cody's offered hand. “Have a seat,” he said, indicating the bench on the stern; in case things went awry once Nick and Murray were back, it was probably best not to invite her in. Well, at least the weather was nice.Cody went back into the wheelhouse; it was awkward, having Mrs. Ryder sitting outside on her own, but he really didn't want to talk to her. He found it hard to keep his temper around her after what she had done, and it probably wasn't his place to defend her own son to her: this time though, he knew exactly what he would have said. When Murray and Nick returned half an hour later, Cody was scrubbing the foredeck; he paused when he saw the Vette pull up. Murray and Nick were talking as they walked down the companionway, but as soon as he saw the visitor, Nick stopped, his face visibly draining of its colour. Murray didn't notice it at first, but Cody had already begun to move, jumping onto the jetty: “Hey, guys. Murray, why don't you come with me.”“Cody? Did something happen?” Murray was confused but let Cody pull him along.“I'll explain it to you in the salon.” Cody helped Murray to climb on board and all but pushed him through the door.Nick slowly made his way over to the Riptide now, his eyes on his mother, who had gotten up.“Hello, Nicholas,” she said.“What are you doing here?”“Not even a greeting? That really seems to be the fashion around here.”Nick shook his head: “What are you doing here?” he repeated, his voice very low.His mother regarded him: “I wanted to talk to you.”“Yeah, well, I don't want to talk to you.”“Your... friend said as much. I waited for you nevertheless.”“You shouldn't have wasted your time.”“Nick. Please.” Her voice softened.Nick however didn't budge: “Please what? Why do you want to talk me at all? I'm the guy who disappointed you, if I recall correctly. The abomination, the black sheep of the family. I'm a disgrace to you and you're ashamed of me. So unless I forgot something, there is nothing left to talk about.”Mrs. Ryder's eyes were swimming now: “Can't you understand the dilemma I'm in? I'm your mother, but you're making it very difficult for me.”Nick closed his eyes; he was shaking by now, and he felt as though someone had hit him with a truck.“The only one this is difficult for is Nick,” Cody's voice suddenly said, right next to him, and then Cody's arm was around him. Gratefully, Nick leaned into his support because his knees felt like jelly.He had rarely seen Cody so angry, but his eyes were blazing with fury now: “Are you seriously asking him to cut you some slack for what you did?”“You keep out of this!” Mrs. Ryder hissed.“I won't, because contrary to what you believe, this is very much my business as well!” Cody glared at her. “You've been nothing but atrocious towards him, and after all the hurt you caused, you're asking him to be lenient with you? You gotta be kidding me!”Mrs. Ryder's mouth was a thin line. She looked from Nick to Cody and back: “You're letting him speak to me like that?”Nick took a deep breath; with an obvious effort, he straightened up and looked at his mother: “Of course I do. He's my partner, and other than you, he cares deeply for me. And I really couldn't have said it better.”“I see.” His mother took up her handbag: “Well, then. I really seem to have wasted my time.”She climbed down onto the jetty and left without another word.“Not even a goodbye,” Nick murmured. Cody just put his other arm around him as well and held him tightly until the awful shaking subsided. Murray had made some coffee in the meantime; when Cody and Nick entered the salon, he was waiting for them. Quietly, they sat down at the table, and for a while, nobody spoke.“I'm sorry for this soap opera,” Nick eventually said. He sounded weary.“It's not your fault,” Murray and Cody replied in unison, then, looking at one another, they couldn't stop themselves from smiling.Nick nodded: “Thanks, guys. I think I'm going to take a walk.”“Want us to come with you?” Cody asked.“Nah, I'm good. Just need to clear my head.” Nick patted his shoulder, then he left. Cody finished his work on the foredeck, then sat down with a magazine. His thoughts were with Nick though, and he couldn't concentrate.When Nick wasn't back by the time it got dark, both Cody and Murray were worried. They went to look for him at the helipad, the beach and Straightaway's; in the end, they found him in a bar just a block from the marina.“Hi, Buddy,” Cody put his hand on Nick's arm. “We've been waiting for you.”“Sorry,” Nick slurred. “Needed to clear my head.”“I can see that,” Cody said gently. “But I think you've had enough for now. Why don't you let us take you home?”“'kay.” Nick slipped off the stool and promptly lost his balance; Cody quickly caught him.Back on the Riptide, Murray helped Cody to get Nick down the stairs to their stateroom; he was too inebriated to walk but he kept trying, making it impossible for Cody to support him on his own.When he was finally in bed, Cody carefully tucked him in.Nick looked at him from under half closed lids: “You're my white knight,” he muttered.“I am?” Cody smiled, caressing Nick's cheek: “I don't even have a horse.”“Saved me today.” With that, Nick exhaustedly closed his eyes. “Always savin' me.”Cody stayed with him until he was certain Nick was asleep. On the following day, Nick stayed in bed; he had a monster of a hangover, but Cody suspected that it wasn't the only reason.In the late afternoon, Cody went to look in on him and found that Nick was awake, lying on his side and staring at the wall. For a moment, he was afraid that Nick had zoned out again, but he moved when he heard Cody coming in, turning onto his back.“Hey, big guy,” Cody said, sitting down on the mattress. “How're you feeling?”“Better,” Nick replied, though he didn't look like it.“So, did it work?” Cody asked. “Drowning your sorrows, I mean?”“I dunno.” Nick wiped a hand over his face. “Tequila isn't what it used to be.”Cody regarded him: “Anything I can do?”The ghost of a smile flitted over Nick's tired face: “You're already doing it, Baby.”"Good." Cody smiled as well. Nick reached for him, and Cody took his hand: “Love you,” Nick said, his voice gravelly. “I'm lucky to have you.”Cody stroked his hand with his thumb: “Right back at you.” Nick was quiet in the following days. Since they didn't have a case, he went to work on the Mimi for a lot of the time, though Cody more than once saw him just sitting in the cargo bay, lost in thoughts.On the fifth day, he came home with a letter he had written. He showed it to Cody: “Here. What do you think?”Cody took it and read:
Mother,
this isn't a means to justify myself. You can't accept me and the way I live, but I can't help who I am, and I don't feel I have to apologize for it, or for my feelings.
This letter is first and foremost supposed to free you from your burden. I am hereby telling you that it's not your fault that I'm in a relationship with another man. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but since you seem to think so, rest assured it wasn't your doing. Nor was it anyone else's, for that matter- it just happened. You can't choose who you love.
Anyway, if people ask about me, tell them whatever you like. You can even tell them I died- that way, you don't need to admit to any shame.
And I want to thank you for being honest with me because it means I can be honest with you. I wish you were different, and I wish you hadn't cut grandma off. I wish you and Dad hadn't been fighting all the time when I was a kid. And I wish, above all else, that you knew what true love really is. I hope you'll be happy regardless; I know I am.
Please don't try to contact me again: this is also the last time you'll ever hear from me. We'll both be better off that way.
Nick
Cody looked up: Nick's eyes were red-rimmed and there were bruise-like shadows underneath. But he seemed calm, and maybe this letter was the reason for it: a means to an end, really. Knowing Nick, he had spent a lot of time on this, which probably was the best way to clear his head.“If you're sure about this,” Cody said, “you should send it.”“Yeah?”“Yeah.” Cody gave Nick an understanding smile. “It'll be painful, but it's all true, isn't it?”Nick nodded, his eyes on the letter. “She won't ever change,” he said softly. “And she won't lose everything... she'll still have her memories of the little boy I was. She once said she sometimes misses the child she had.”“I think every parent does once in a while,” Cody mused.“Probably.” Nick sounded tired now.“Come on,” Cody said. “I'll walk to the post office with you.” Much later, when they were lying in bed, Nick tucked under Cody's arm pondering, the latter put down his book and nosed at Nick's hair: “Hey, Nicky?”“Hm?”“Did you ever think you'd get married one day?”“What?”“You know... when you were thinking about the future.”“When I was fourteen, I had my first big crush on a guy. So what do you think?”“Fair enough.” Cody grinned a little. “I'm just saying... I know it's not possible, but... I sometimes think of you as my husband.”At that, Nick craned his head to look at him: “You do?”“Yeah.” Cody blushed. “Feels that way, anyway.”Nick regarded him: “It does,” he said softly after a moment's contemplation. “I've never been closer to anyone who isn't blood-related.”Cody reached up to caress his cheek: “I love you.”“Love you too.” Nick leaned in for a kiss: “I'd like that,” he said softly. “Being married to you.”“Me too.” Cody kissed him back. “But it's already perfect as it is, don't you think?”“Yeah. And we've even got a kid...”Cody shook his head: “Don't let Murray hear you.”“No, I was talking about the Roboz, of course.”“Oh, right. He's got your nose, by the way.”“And your eyes.” Grinning, Nick lay down again.“Cody?” he asked after a few minutes.“Hm?”“Thank you. For everything.”“'Course,” Cody muttered, pressing a kiss on Nick's forehead. “I've got you, big guy. No need to thank me.”“Not taking you for granted, though,” Nick replied softly. “Just so you know.”“I know.”The fell asleep with their arms tightly around one another.
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Guys- This is incredible! I've been watching an episode of a series called Boomtown (with Lana Parilla, love her!) because Joe Penny's in it. The episode is from 2002, he's playing a guy who once was an 80's TV star in a show called "Insured by Smith and Wesson", playing one of the title characters, and they're actually using footage from Riptide! Guess who his partner was! I nearly screamed (as proven by the excessive use of exclamation marks)!!!Here's the link to the episode on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tJBcFsBFCk And here are some extra treats:
Billy Michael Potts! I'll be laughing for the rest of the day...
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2019 Cody whistled as he made his way over to the Riptide. Nick and he rarely went out on their own these days, but he had been to the dentist for a cleaning; he was always glad when those were over.On the boat, he stopped in the salon: “Nick?”“Down here.”Cody followed his partner's voice to their stateroom and paused once he had entered it. The entire bed was full of clothes, and Nick was sitting in the midst of it all.“Hey,” he said. “You got your Hollywood Smile?”Cody bared his teeth for a moment: “Sure do. It'll be even prettier once it's stopped bleeding. What's all this?”Nick smiled a little sheepishly: “I'm throwing out stuff. Everything I haven't worn in the last two years has got to go. And then I found this. I didn't even know I still had it.” He held up a red t-shirt.Cody inclined his head: “Aw, your old Tourist Information shirt? You can't throw that out.”“It's tiny.”“It's a classic. Just like your chopper.”Nick snorted: “Yeah, right.”“I always loved you in this.” Cody sat down next to Nick after pushing a heap of clothes aside, and took the shirt from him, looking at it: “And so did the ladies. In fact, I bet a lot of them only dared to set foot into the Mimi because of this.”Nick rolled his eyes at him: “You actually think you're funny, don't you?”Shrugging, Cody grinned: “Yeah.”Nick shook his head, taking his shirt back: “Maybe I should keep it.”“Please.” Cody leaned in for a kiss: “You could put it on for special occasions.”“Such as?” Nick raised his eyebrows questioningly.Cody shrugged: “I dunno... My birthday, maybe...”“It doesn't fit anymore,” Nick reminded him.“Well,” Cody said, barely managing to keep a straight face, "you wouldn't be wearing it for very long." Nick folded his arms in front of his chest: “No? Why?”Cody shrugged again, looking around the room: “I'd probably have to, you know, rip it off of you. Carefully, of course. I wouldn't actually wanna rip it.”The moment their eyes met again, they both began to laugh.“Okay,” Nick eventually gasped. “I'll definitely keep the shirt. If only for ripping purposes.”Cody grinned broadly: “Thanks. It'll be a pleasure.”This only elicited another fit of laughter. By the time they had calmed down, both of them were holding their sides, so they just lay back on the heaps of clothes.“Nobody'd believe it if they had overheard us just now,” Nick muttered, wiping his eyes.“Well, you know what they say: there's no fox like an old fox,” Cody said wisely, at which Nick chuckled: “I suppose so.” He turned onto his side, regarding his partner: “Thanks,” he said. “You always manage to make me feel better.”Cody had seen the rather melancholy expression on Nick's face when he had come in earlier; he had quickly arranged his features when he had heard Cody, but the latter knew his partner well and was aware that the red t-shirt was still around for some reason. It had after all been part of a time in their lives they greatly cherished and, admittedly, sometimes greatly missed and thought of rather fondly.Cody now smiled at Nick: “It's my job, isn't it?”“No, but you're very good at it nevertheless.”They scooted closer until they were in kissing distance.“Love you,” Cody muttered, nuzzling Nick's face with his own.“You too, old fox,” Nick replied just as quietly, returning the smile.
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Cody couldn't sleep. Nick and he had gotten into a fist fight that afternoon, and his opponent had landed such a hard punch on him that Cody had seen stars for a moment. Well, at least they had closed the case afterwards, which had been nothing but a pain from the beginning, but he'd have preferred to do so without any actual damage. Cody touched the spot and winced; he thought his tooth might be loose.Sighing, he let go of Nick and sat up, hoping they still had some painkillers somewhere.Nick hummed sleepily: “You okay?”“Yeah. It's just my tooth.” Gingerly, Cody touched his jaw again, unable to subdue a small groan: “Walker really got me there.”“You still managed to take him down,” Nick muttered as he fumbled for the light switch. “Let me have a look.”“There's nothing you can do,” Cody said. “Do we have any ibuprofen left?”“Yeah.” Nick, who had meanwhile sat up as well, gently ran his fingers along Cody's jaw, frowning: “It's turning yellow, and it's a little swollen.”“Yeah, felt like it.”“I'll get you some ice.”“Thanks.”“'course. Pills are in the left drawer in the head. You should probably take both.” Nick padded up the stairs while Cody went into the small bathroom and looked for the ibuprofen. He found the packet and shook the two remaining pills into his palm, then he paused.“How did you know there were only two left?” he asked Nick when he came in with an ice pack.Nick looked a little sheepish: “'cause I took one earlier.”“Why?”Fidgeting a bit, Nick looked around the room before he answered: “Remember how you yelled at me yesterday because I jumped onto that moving car?”“Yes?”“Well... turns out you're right. It's stupid and the last time I did it, I promise.”Cody shook his head but quickly aborted the motion: “You said you were okay. Did you get hurt after all?”“Nah, not really. Just got some really bad bruises.”“Show me.”“It's nothing to worry about.”“Oscar.”“Felix-”“You know I'm going to see them anyway.”Nick looked as though he was going to retort something, but then he gave in: “Fine.” He lifted his shirt to reveal his ribcage, which was black and blue.Cody gasped: “Why didn't you tell me?”“I dunno... we were busy, and then it just slipped my mind,” Nick said evasively.Cody's appalled expression softened: “Goof,” he muttered. “You just hate to admit it when something's wrong.”Nick squinted at him: “Maybe... But it really isn't such a big deal.”“Big enough for you to take painkillers.”“Killer. One. Just to take the edge off.”“Whatever. Next time, don't hide it from me, okay?”“I didn't hide it.”Cody rolled his eyes good-naturedly: “If you say so.” “I need you to remember one thing,” Cody murmured once they were back in bed; he was holding the ice pack with his right hand while Nick was tucked under his left arm.“Which one's that?”“That I promise to throw you into the port basin if you ever break your promise.”“Really?”“Yes. Repeatedly, if need be.”“Huh. Okay. I'll try 'n remember that.”“You better, 'cause I'm almost having a heart attack every time you go and do something as stupid as that.”Nick grinned: “Awww, you are? That's so romantic...”“I'll show you romantic!”“Yeah?”“Oh yeah. Not now, though. I wouldn't wanna hurt you further. Or me.”“'s too bad.”“Remember that as well, next time you feel compelled to launch yourself at a car.”“You know, I think I'll only remember that.”“As long as you remember something.”Nick sighed: “Love you too.”“Idiot.”“Romeo.”“Shut up.”“'kay. Good night.”Cody pressed a kiss on Nick's hair; the painkillers were kicking in, which was a relief.He put the ice pack down and closed his eyes, feeling only seconds away from sleep now: “G'night.”
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“Murray- are you sure that's a word?”“Yes, Cody, of course I'm sure.” Murray pushed his glasses up his nose: “'Quurb' is an archaic term used by Benedictine monks in medieval times, that's why you probably won't find it in the dictionary.”“What does it mean?” Nick asked with a frown.“It's a combination of the words 'curb' and 'quell', referring to their fasting period during Lent, you see? As in 'quurb thy appetite'.”Cody and Nick looked at each other, but then Cody shrugged: “Fine.”“Great,” Murray rubbed his hands, giggling. “That's a triple word score with a Q in it!”“Your turn,” Cody nodded at Nick. Who pondered the board for a moment, then he put down 'rak'.“And what's that supposed to be?”“It's a specific kind of goat's cheese they've got in Bhutan.”“You just made this up.”Nick turned towards Cody: “Oh, really? How come Murray can get away with some fancy word but I'm a cheater just because you haven't heard of Himalayan goat's cheese?”“It's not in the dictionary,” Murray said.“Neither is quurb,” Nick retorted, at which Murray turned an interesting shade of red.Cody looked from him to Nick and back: “You're both impossible,” he exclaimed. “Murray, how could you! I've expected this from Nick, but not from you!”“Huh,” Nick crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Good to know!”“Oh, come on,” Cody countered, “you're doing it every time. I can't remember a single Scrabble game during which you didn't invent at least one new word and tried to pretend it existed.”Murray shrugged: “Which is why I thought I'd give it a shot...”“See what you did there?” Cody regarded Nick sternly. “You corrupted the kid.”“I'm older than Nick,” Murray reminded him. “But yes, Nick, you did.”“And it was fun, wasn't it?” Nick grinned.“It was,” Murray admitted, if somewhat hesitantly. “You should try it some time, Cody.”Cody snorted: “Incredible,” he muttered. “I've got half a mind to go to bed and read instead of putting up with you crooks.”“Or,” Nick said, peering at Cody's tiles, “you could lay 'kint'.”“What's kint,” Cody asked gruffly.“It's a knitted sweater you're wearing inside out.”Cody struggled to subdue a grin but didn't quite succeed: “How many points?”“Double word score makes it 16.”“Not bad. Okay,” he conceded. “I'll do that. Now stop looking at my tiles!”“Put the dictionary away, Murray,” Nick said, patting Cody's thigh. “I don't think we'll need it again tonight.”Cody only groaned.
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“That was fun. Wasn't it fun, guys? Whoops...” Murray giggled as he almost tripped over his own feet. Cody and Nick quickly held on to him from each side as they made their way down to the Riptide. They had been at Joanna's wedding- “Second time's a charm, right?” she had asked when she had given them their invitation- and it was nearing four o' clock in the morning.“It wasn't too bad as weddings go,” Cody said.“Did you see me dancing with Madeleine?” Murray sighed theatrically. “She said I was acute.”“Pretty sure she meant cute,” Cody replied.“Aww, thank you, Cody.” Murray beamed at him.“Pretty sure she also meant business,” Nick chimed in. “She slipped her number into your pocket, Boz.”“What!” Murray began to fumble for the piece of paper. “Oh, yeah, she said to call her. Now it makes sense.” He giggled again.Cody and Nick exchanged a look and took him straight down to his room.“Will you be okay?” Nick asked him once they had eased him onto his bed and helped him to take off his jacket and his shoes.“I'll be a-okay.” Murray sighed contentedly. “Because I'm a-cute, according to Madeleine. Now where's that number, I'm gonna call her.”“Not now!” Cody said. “You can call her tomorrow.”“Maybe she's still awake though!”“I doubt it. She'll be pretty knackered from all the dancing.”“So you think I shouldn't call her tonight?”“Right.”“'kay.” Murray yawned: “I'll call her tomorrow then.” Down in their stateroom, Cody and Nick, who were both loosening their ties, smiled at each other.“Joanna seems happy,” Nick said.Cody nodded: “I'm glad she found someone she can trust.”“Hm. Nice party, too.”"Yeah. Good music, lots of people dancing...""Who knew Murray had it in him!"“There was one thing missing tonight, though,” Cody said, tossing his tie on the bed and turning on the small radio on the shelf behind the bed, then reaching for Nick: “I really wanted to dance with you. Actually, I only wanted to dance with you.”Nick's smile deepened as Cody pulled him closer: “Yeah?”Cody nuzzled him, inhaling his scent: “Like this,” he murmured as he slowly began to move to the music, his arms firmly around his partner.“I'd have loved that,” Nick said softly, his cheek against Cody's. “Very much.” Lost to the world, they slowly danced in the small space of the dimly lit stateroom for an unaccounted amount of time, holding one another tightly; it didn't matter that they had been somewhat tired before, or that the night was eventually beginning to turn into dawn.All that mattered were the tenderness they both felt and how tremendously they enjoyed themselves right then, being so close that they could feel each other's heartbeat.
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On the morning of their wedding day, Cody woke up early. The stateroom was filled with twilight, and Nick was still fast asleep, his back to Cody. Who lay still for a while, enjoying the tranquil peace of the early morning; he could hear seagulls, and the Riptide was moving ever so gently now and then. Eventually, he turned towards Nick, who was breathing quietly, and snuggled up with him, his heart beating faster all of a sudden: it's today, he thought. Who'd have believed this day would ever come.Giddiness bubbled up in him, and he forced himself to stay put. He closed his eyes and concentrated on Nick's heartbeat instead, which he could feel through the cotton shirt, and his familiar scent. All of which usually calmed him down, but right then only served to increase his impatience.When he absolutely couldn't lie still any longer, he began to nuzzle Nick's skin. Moments later, his partner stirred, blinking: “Time's it?” he asked, his voice gravelly.“Still early,” Cody said, beaming as Nick turned his head towards him and opened one eye to peer at him. “Couldn't sleep anymore.”“Worse than at Christmas,” Nick grumbled, then he rolled over, pushing Cody onto his back in the process, and simply lay down half on top of him. “Go back to sleep. Now.”“I can't.”“It's an order.”“You're not my boss.”“'s only a matter of hours. Y'can call me 'Sir' from now on.”Cody grinned: “Not 'Master', perhaps?”“Nah, like the other one better. Now sleep.”“But-”“Shut it.”Theatrically, Cody sighed: “Fine. If I had known that you're running such a tight ship...”Nick groaned, but he sounded fond. Cody put his arms around him, closing his eyes again: “Sir,” he muttered, pressing a kiss on Nick's hair. The alarm clock woke them two hours later. For a moment, they just stayed where they were, then Nick pushed himself up on one elbow, smiling: “Today,” he said.Cody reached up to caress his cheek: “And it's only taken us 39 years to get here,” he said, the corners of his mouth quirking up as well. Nick turned his face into Cody's hand: “About time you made an honest man of me.”“Aye,” Cody said, his smile deepening. “Sir.” Unhurriedly, they got up and went over to the galley for some coffee. Neither of them wanted to admit it, but they were both too nervous too eat.“I'm keeping this,” Cody said once he was done with the paper. “To put in the album.”“Which album?”“Our wedding album.”“You're making an album?”Cody looked a little sheepish:“I know we said we didn't want any fuss and keep it simple. It's just... we're only doing this once.”Nick regarded him, then he reached for Cody's hand, pulling it close and kissing it: “You're right,” he said softly. “It's a special day, it deserves an album.”Squeezing his hand, Cody fidgeted a bit: “There's something else I did even though we agreed not to.”“Yeah? What is it?”“I'll... just come with me.” Cody got to his feet and pulled Nick along.Back in their stateroom, he made Nick sit on the bed, then he rummaged around in his closet and sat down next to Nick, holding a piece of folded paper.“I wrote some vows,” he said softly. “When we said we weren't gonna do any, it just kept bothering me. So this happened.” He held up the paper.Nick's eyes were moist all of a sudden: “Yeah, well,” he replied in a tight voice. “It kept bothering me too.” He reached for the book he was reading and took out a piece of paper as well. “So this happened.”Cody gave a little gasp: “Really?”“Yeah.” Nick wiped his eyes. “I know we said we didn't need to prove anything to anyone and that we both know why we're doing this. But I kept thinking about it too, so...” He broke off.Cody and he looked at each other for a moment, then they hugged each other.“Can I read it to you?” Cody asked softly once they pulled apart. “Now?”Nick looked at their bathrobes and laughed a little: “The moment couldn't be better.”“Okay.” Cody unfolded the paper, put on his reading glasses and cleared his throat.“Dearest Nick,” he read. “My Nick. My love. It sounds cheesy when I write it down like this, but it's what I feel, so I'll just plough on ahead. You can laugh at me later.”Nick however didn't laugh; he reached for Cody's hand once more and held it tightly, but otherwise sat very still.“You're my soulmate,” Cody continued, “there's no doubt about that. I've recently read this quote which goes 'When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew'. I have no idea where it's from, but that's how it was with us, wasn't it? I felt drawn to you from the very first moment we met, it's like you're the magnetic North to my inner compass. I feel off kilter when you're not there.You know all of this, of course, but I wanted to tell you nevertheless. I love you so much, Nicky. I'm ever so grateful that we found each other, and that we're both still here.You're completing me, and I hope you know how much I appreciate you. Everything about you, in fact, even your stubbornness or how you borrow my reading glasses and then forget where you left them. Or how you never close the wheelhouse door, haha (please note that this is not an excuse for doing it on purpose from now on!).”He looked up and at Nick now, not needing to read the last sentence: “I am very much looking forward to growing old with you.” Nick smiled at him teary-eyed. “Sorry,” he all but whispered. “Don't know why I keep leaking.” He took a deep breath: “That was beautiful. All of it.”Cody just squeezed his hand.When Nick had his voice back under control, he unfolded his own paper: “Give me your glasses, will you? I'll hand them right back afterwards.”Cody grinned, taking them off: “Here.”Nick put them on, then hesitated once more: “Just so you know... It's not... I'm not so good at writing things down.”“It'll be fine,” Cody said softly.“'kay.” Nick took another breath: “Here goes... Dear Cody, it seems like we're two halves of a whole. I can't even remember how life was without you in it, and I don't want to. You're all I need, and over time, it's been proven again and again that we can't be without each other.You're always here for me. Like oxygen, you're the most important constant in my life. You make me laugh, and you make sure I'm alright. We've seen each other at our best and our worst, and I sometimes think you know me better than I know myself. You're giving me love and a home and happiness. A life worth living. Thank you for wanting to be my husband."He blinked: "I'll always be yours.”Cody pulled him close, his eyes moist as well by now: “It's lovely,” he murmured. “You're lovely.”They scooted closer again and just sat silently for a while, arms around one another. “We should get going,” Nick eventually said. “Murray and Jean are gonna be here in half an hour.”Cody nodded and allowed Nick to pull him to his feet. “It'd be much easier if we could just wear these.”“Wanda Wise just turned over in her grave,” Nick said, grinning. “You know what she'd say, right?”“Yes,” Cody sounded long-suffering. “Cody Allen's checkered bathrobe sadly is doing nothing for his complexion,” he said in a high-pitched voice.“While his eyes still are the riveting pools of blue we all so fondly remember.” Nick added, “Oh, and his gorgeous groom on the other hand is looking simply stunning.”Snickering, they made their way into the head.“My groom,” Cody said while they were shaving, their eyes meeting in the mirror, smiling at Nick. “I think I've got goosebumps.”Nick snorted.“No, really,” Cody insisted. “I was getting used to saying fiancé, but this has got so much more weight. I feel like someone's hit me over the head, but in a good way.”“That isn't even possible,” Nick said. “Either you get hit or not. If no one hits you, it's good.”“I know what I mean.” Cody sounded a tad belligerent.Nick turned his head and kissed him on the cheek: “Yes, Dear.”“I rather also want to be called 'Sir'.”“Nah- we can't both be 'Sir', it'd be confusing. I'll call you 'Mr. Ryder'.”“And that's not gonna be confusing at all.”“Not when I do it.”“If I can't be 'Sir', you can't be either. I know- I'll call you 'Mr. Allen'.”“I dunno, man. Somehow, that does sound so grown up.”“Well- I could always call you 'Darling'.”“'Sir Darling', if you please. And not in public.”“You just wait.” “I think I forgot how to do my tie,” Nick said twenty minutes later, frowning down on the offending item.Cody looked up: “How did you- oh, just let me do it.”“Thank you.” Nick rubbed his hands. “Do you have the rings?”“Yes. And if you ask me a third time, I'll leave them here on purpose.”“Sorry. Nerves.”“Yeah, your tie already bore the brunt.” “Permission to come aboard!” Murray shouted from somewhere above right then.“Come on in! We'll be right there!” Cody finished with the tie: “There. Perfect.” He looked Nick over: "Just like the rest. You're gorgeous, Mr. Allen."“You too, Mr. Ryder.” Nick smiled, stealing another quick kiss.Cody took a deep breath: "This is it, then. No turning back, and I think I've just heard a champagne cork popping. Seems like Murray means business. You ready?""Yes, I am," Nick said, his smile deepening. “In fact, I have been for a long time now, Sir Darling.”"I thought that's what I was gonna call you.""I borrowed it.""Oh, I see. Just like my reading glasses.""Shut up.""If anything, it's 'Shut up, Sir Darling Mr. Ryder.""How am I supposed to remember all that when I can't even remember if you've got the rings.""I love you, you silly old bear. Oh- that's actually perfect.""It's gotta be 'I love you, Sir silly old bear ', though. " "Yes," Cody said. "That." They chuckled softly."I love you more." Nick then said quietly, reaching for Cody. Hand in hand, they went up to the salon.
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Cody went down to the galley and slowly sidled up to Nick, who was putting away groceries and obviously in a bad temper.“Hey, Babe,” Cody said, “there's something I need to talk to you about-” The force of Nick's glare stopped him in his tracks. He shook his head:“What's wrong?”“Christmas,” Nick replied tersely, slamming one of the cupboards shut. “It's not for another three weeks, but they're playing Jingle Bells everywhere!”Cody grimaced: great. The moment couldn't have been worse. “Sorry,” he offered lamely, putting a hand on Nick's back. After a moment, the other sagged: “No, I'm sorry,” he said softly. “It's not your fault. It's just... all that fake cheeriness is getting on my nerves.”Cody pulled him closer and into his arms, relieved when Nick didn't resist. “Come on,” he said against Nick's temple, realizing that he was going to have to postpone the matter. “Let's take the Ebb Tide out for a bit. Clear our heads. I promise I won't sing any carols.”Nick sighed almost inaudibly: “Yeah, alright. What is it you wanted to talk about?”“Nothing,” Cody lied. “It's not important, it can wait.”Nick regarded him, then he shrugged: “'kay.” “No luck,” Cody told Murray later. “It just wasn't the right moment.”“Maybe we should take him out for a beer tonight.”“You wanna make him drunk?”“No, of course not. I just thought... you know, we could lighten the mood a little before telling him.”“That's cheating, kinda.”“You think?”“Yeah.”“Hm. You're probably right.”Cody patted Murray's knee: “We'll just wait a little.”“I really hope he says yes. I'd love to test the durability of the Roboz' batteries in wintry weather conditions.”“Fingers crossed.” “Okay, Boz. There he is, be cool.”“Hehehe, that's a good o- oh, you're serious. Okay. I'm cool.”“What's that grimace for?”“I'm not grimacing. I'm trying to make a straight face, which, in light of what I previously perceived as a joke although it apparently wasn't, isn't so easy to achieve.”Cody rolled his eyes: “Just... try not to grin, okay, Boz?”Murray cleared his throat: “Okay, yeah. I got it.”Nick, who was tidying up the Mimi's cargo bay, paused when his partners approached the old chopper: “Hey, guys. About time, I was just-” At that, he interrupted himself and narrowed his eyes: “Why are you trying to look all innocent?”Exasperated, Cody threw his hands in the air: “I told you not to grin, Murray!”“Wha- I didn't!”“He didn't,” Nick confirmed. “But he looked all squirrelly, and you reminded me of my grandma's dog right after he had secretly been lying on the couch.”“I take it he wasn't allowed to do so,” Murray said.“No, 'course not. Nevertheless, he kept doing it whenever he got the chance.” Nick folded his arms in front of his chest and looked from Murray to Cody: “So, what're you up to?”Cody exchanged a look with Murray: “We, uh, we were going to tell you something-”“Suggest something,” Murray interjected.“Yeah, suggest.” Cody cleared his throat. “It's about Christmas.”“What about it?” Nick sounded wary.“We'd like to spend it in the snow.”Immediately, Nick visibly tensed, but Cody quickly continued: “There'd be no strings attached. Just us, lots of snow, good food... well, maybe a Christmas tree. But no Jingle Bells whatsover, I promise.”Murray nodded vigorously; he and Cody had already agreed on not mentioning the Chipmunks Christmas album.Nick frowned: “What are you talking about?”“Well,” Cody shrugged. “This is what I wanted to talk to you about earlier. Andy Fitzsimmons called. They've had a little boy, and he's absolutely over the moon.”Nick's expression softened: “I can imagine.”Cody grinned: “Yeah. So anyway, since he still thinks none of this would have happened without us-”“He's right.”“- he wants to do something nice for us.”Nick narrowed his eyes: “Define 'nice'.”“He's invited us to spend Christmas in his chalet in Aspen, for two whole weeks!”“With him and the family?”“No, silly, only the three of us. Well, and the Roboz, apparently.”Nick looked from Murray, who seemed barely able to keep himself from rubbings his hands in excitement, to Cody, who looked downright anxious, and suddenly felt like a jerk. If it was up to him, he'd just crawl into bed the day after Thanksgiving and sleep until Christmas was over, but he knew that Cody loved it, always had, and that for him, it hadn't lost any of its magic over the years. Murray was a similar case, judging by all that Nick had seen so far, so who was he to play Scrooge?“Fine,” he therefore said, doing his best to hide his reluctance.Cody and Murray exchanged a surprised look, then Murray whooped: “This is gonna be so much fun! You won't regret it, Nick!”Nick just nodded. “You really okay with it?” Cody asked Nick that night as they were getting ready for bed.Nick paused: “Christmas isn't only about me, is it?”Cody pulled his shirt over his head, then he shrugged:“No, but... Murray and I are fine with it. You're not, and... frankly, I don't want it to be harder on you than it already is.”Nick looked at him and suddenly found his eyes swimming. Wordlessly, he closed the short distance between them and wrapped his arms around his partner, holding on with all he had, overwhelmed by the love that came to him so easily and yet was the most puzzling and marvelous thing that ever happened to him; he hadn't experienced this kind of uncomplicated and genuine affection since his grandma had died.Cody closed his own arms around him and carefully held him tight until Nick had stopped trembling.When they pulled apart a while later, Nick kissed Cody, nuzzling his face: “For you, I can put up with it,” he said, his voice gravelly. “Since you're putting up with me too, despite everything.”Cody smiled, nuzzling him back: “You're worth it, Nicky.”At that, Nick pressed closer against him once more, making Cody's heart ache for him. “I love you, you know that?” he asked softly.“Rings a faint bell,” Nick replied, still a little watery.Cody ran his hands over his back in a gentle motion: “We'll have ourselves a merry little Christmas,” he said quietly. “It's a chance, you know? To start a few traditions of our own.”Nick gave him a small smile: “Gotta start somewhere, I suppose.”Cody reached up and caressed his cheek: “Maybe you'll even like it.” The tiniest bit of mischief flitted over his expression at that.Nick snorted: “Clown,” he said softly, but he was actually unable to stop his smile from widening.
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“I can't be held responsible for my actions if you pour any more of that champagne into me.” Nick leaned back against the couch.“It's the last few drops anyway,” Cody said, shaking the bottle.Murray sighed: “'s so nice of Andy to be doing all this. Letting us stay here for free, sending a surprise gift basket with all this great stuff...”“He's a nice guy,” Cody agreed.Nick smiled: “Bit crazy maybe, but generous.”“Hear hear. To Andy.”They clinked their glasses in a toast to their friend: “To Andy.”“'kay,” Cody then said, scrambling to his feet. He swayed a little on the spot: “Who wants to go sledding?”“Now?”“Yes?”“But it's the middle of the night!”“Exactly. Who says Santa's the only one who's allowed to go on a sleigh ride the night before Christmas?”Murray giggled: “Going on a sleigh ride is not the same as going sledding, Cody. Sledding is more... downhill.”“And faster,” Nick added solemnly. “It's very fast.”“Yeah, so?”They looked at each other.“Sounds like fun,” Nick then admitted, struggling to his feet as well. “We never get to go sledding at home.”“That's right.”“We do have water-skiing, though.”“Yeah. 's fast too.”“Murray, you coming?”“If you insist.” Murray held out his hands: “Help me up, will you?”Nick and Cody pulled him to his feet, which nearly had all three of them toppling over.“It's maybe not the best of ideas to do it after drinking so much champagne,” Murray said.Cody waved these qualms aside: “Nonsense. We're not going ski-jumping, right?”“Right.” Nick patted his shoulder. Ten minutes later, the Riptide Detective Agency was trudging through the snow-covered forest, pulling along a large sled.Cody was leading the way with a big flashlight: “See? There's that slope I told you about.”“Oh, yeah.” Murray and Nick looked at it. “It's perfect.”“It's a bit steep though.”“It only looks steep. It's like standing on a diving board, always seems to be much higher up.”“That's true.” Murray pushed his glasses up his nose. “So who's gonna sit in front?”“I wanna sit in the back so I can steer.”"Why do you wanna steer?""Because of all those trees down there. See?"“Can I please not sit in front?”“Shouldn't the lightest person sit in front?”“Huh. I dunno. Maybe the heaviest person should.”“Then you can't sit in the back and steer.”“What? Are you sayin' I'm the heaviest of us?”“Well-”“Unbelievable. I'll have you know that muscle mass makes up for a lot of body weight-”“Guys-”“-so we're both heavy, even if you probably don't wanna hear it.”“Guys-”“I didn't say you're fat, did I? I just pointed out-”“Guys!”“What!?”“The sled's gone!”“What??”“The sled's gone sledding without us, look!” Murray pointed down the slope.Just as Cody trained his flashlight at it, the sled, with a thunk, hit a large pine and spun out of sight.“Huh.”"Yeah.""Probably a good thing someone would have steered."“Should we go down there and get it back?”For a moment, they were silent.“Nah,” Cody and Nick then said simultaneously.“We can get it tomorrow.”“Right. It's much less fun if you walk downhill anyway.”“Yeah.” Slowly, they made their way back to the chalet.“It's too bad that we didn't get to try it,” Murray said.“Yeah.”“Now Santa's still the only one who gets to go on a sleigh ride tonight.”As if on cue, they stopped and looked up into the clear night sky.“So many stars,” Cody muttered, smiling.“It's amazing, isn't it.”“Kinda makes you feel small.”Silently, they moved closer together and put their arms around each other, looking up at the stars for a bit longer.After a while, Murray sighed contentedly: "What a fine night to go sledding."Cody and Nick wholeheartedly agreed.
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Cody woke up lying on his back, his mouth open, his limbs and his whole body feeling heavy, most prominently so his eyelids, which for some reason he couldn't seem to pry open.While he was still trying, the mattress shook a little.Cody hummed in protest, but it took him another minute until he finally managed to regain some control of his motor function, opening his eyes and closing his mouth in the process. Urgh. It felt like some kind of fur-bearing animal had taken up residence in there. Moving his head too much wasn't advisable either, because it evoked an unpleasant spinning sensation and made him queasy.He grimaced, blinking: “Nick?” he said hoarsely.A moment later, the bathroom door opened and Nick shuffled in, squinting and white-faced. With a groan, he crawled onto the bed and directly into Cody's embrace. “Careful,” Cody muttered. “Tiger breath.”“Welcome to the club,” Nick replied, sounding as hung-over as Cody felt, but burrowed into him more tightly nevertheless, and Cody wrapped his arms around him just as firmly.Limbs entwined, they dozed some more. At one point, they were both awake again, slowly and not entirely sure if that was a good thing. Experimentally, Cody turned his head ever so minutely and found that it worked better than before. Sleepily, he nuzzled Nick's hair: “Morning,” he murmured.“Mnn,” Nick mumbled. Cody nuzzled him again: “Think I need some coffee. Wanna get up?”Nick sighed: “No. But coffee sounds good. And we should check if Murray's still alive.”Slowly, they sat up. For a moment, Nick leaned his forehead against Cody's shoulder: “Let's not do this on a weekly basis from now on,” he said gravelly.Cody smiled meekly: “We can't afford such expensive stuff anyway.”“I hear the cheap stuff is even worse.”“I promise you, for the foreseeable future I'll stay well away from anything that comes in a fancy bottle. Consider it my New Year's resolution.”“What about beer?”Cody considered it for a moment, frowning, then he nodded: “Those bottles aren't that fancy.”Nick grinned: “Good save.” He made to get up, but Cody held him back: “Wait.”“Hm?”“Happy New Year, Baby.”Nick's amused expression softened into a smile as he regarded Cody now: “Happy New Year, big guy,” he replied gently, leaning in for a kiss. Cody gladly complied.
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Standing at the top of the companionway, Cody took a moment to look at his boat. The Riptide was gleaming in the morning sun and looking beautiful, making his heart swell with his pride. Beaming, Cody made his way over to her. He'd been to the barber and had stopped for some pastries on the way back, looking forward to a nice breakfast.He found his partners in the salon; the table had been folded out to its maximum size, and Murray was busy with a large jigsaw puzzle that was taking up all the space. It was mostly blue, and while Murray seemed excited, Nick, who was sitting next to him, looked less than thrilled.“Hey, guys,” Cody said. “What's this?”“Oh, it's for charity,” Murray said distractedly. “It's a challenge High Q has created a few years ago and which is being sponsored by our more well-to-do members. You try to complete the puzzle as fast as you can, then you note your time and log it on our joint site. The time is later converted into money. If you can do it in under sixty minutes, every second equals a dollar, and you get three additional dollars for every unused minute till the full hour. If your time is less than two hours, it's 50 cents per second and so on. The proceeds are going to be donated to UNICEF.”Cody frowned: “That's great, Boz, but why doesn't High Q just donate the money? It'd be much less time and effort.”“Oh, but this is fun,” Murray replied, “it's a different puzzle each year, and it's very popular.”“Yeah,” Nick said drily. “So much fun. Even for us dummies.”“Oh, come now,” Murray chided without taking his eyes off the pieces he was trying to fit, “you helped me a lot by finding all the edges.”Nick raised his eyebrows: “Oh? Do I get a gold star now?”Cody grinned: “So... the picture basically is a photo of the sky.”“Yes, that's what makes it so difficult.”“Huh.” He exchanged a glance with Nick, who still looked annoyed. “When did you start?”“Last year,” Nick said while Murray shook his head: “Exactly nine o'clock.”Cody glanced at his watch: “17 minutes in. Think you can do it in less than an hour?”“If you stop distracting me,” Murray said. “Maybe. No offense.”“Okay. Sorry. No Danish for you though until you're done.” Cody motioned for Nick to follow him down to the galley, where he put the box of pastries on the table: “What's brought this on before coffee?”Nick shrugged: “When I came out of the shower, he was already at it. Apparently, the High Q members don't know in advance when the challenge will start, to make it more difficult. The jigsaw was delivered today and he immediately became all excited and made me find all the edges. If I had known, I'd have stayed in the shower until the water would've run cold.”“I'll go and make coffee,” Cody said consolingly. During breakfast, they looked at the pictures they'd shot in Aspen, which Cody had just picked up.“Here's another Snowboz,” Nick said. “Exactly how many did he build?”“Beats me, they were all over the place. But these are cute, look- it's an entire Snowboz family.”“Yeah.”“Here's a good one of the chalet.”“What the-” Nick nearly dropped all the photos when Murray's victorious shout from above almost made the boat shake.“I did it!” Murray whooped. “49 minutes! I need to go and log the result...”They heard him running down the other flight of stairs.With a broad smile, Cody looked at Nick and shrugged: “Our own personal Puzzleboz. Next time we're in the snow somewhere, we should build him a statue.”“I'll remind you.”Right then, Murray came bounding in with his calculator in his hand: “Guys, that's 2,973 Dollars!”“Well done, Boz,” Nick and Cody said in unison.“You really earned your Danish today,” Cody then said, while Nick got to his feet and gently but firmly pushed Murray onto the bench seat.“At first I kept guessing, and that was very ineffective,” he said excitedly, “but then I noticed that there was a system to the layout of the puzzle pieces. And then it was just a piece of cake, ha!”Nick put a mug of coffee and a plate down in front of their resident genius and exchanged a long look with Cody, who put his arm around Murray: “So, what do you say, Boz- should we spend next Christmas in the snow as well?”
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Careful not to make any noise, Cody made his way down to the stateroom and found Nick still asleep in bed, huddled under the covers. He had come back from reserve duty that morning, and as usual, had been completely knackered. He had taken a quick shower and had gone straight to bed afterwards, barely able to keep his eyes open long enough to say hello to Cody, who had been out grocery shopping since he hadn't expected Nick that early. It was okay though; he tucked Nick in and stayed with him for a while, glad to have him back and in one piece at that.Now it was late afternoon and Nick was still dead to the world, only a few strands of hair visible. The water Cody had put on the nightstand earlier was half empty though, so he had been awake at one point.Cody sat down on the mattress; when Nick didn't react, he got up again and took off his shirt and pants.Then he carefully lifted the covers and slid under them, doing his best to shimmy closer to his partner without jostling the mattress too much.When he turned sideways, however, Nick was staring at him blearily.“Sorry,” Cody whispered. “Go back to sleep.”Nick hummed, moving just enough to accommodate Cody and wind his own arm around him too until they were pressed closely together, legs entangled. Cody pushed his nose against Nick's skin, inhaled deeply and closed his eyes with a relieved sigh; he had missed Nick, as always. Or maybe it was getting worse every time he was away, Cody wasn't sure; this though, Nick's body against his own, his scent, his heartbeat, was something he just didn't sleep well without anymore.“Missed you too,” Nick slurred unexpectedly. Without opening his eyes, Cody smiled: “Heard me thinking, big guy?”“Guess.” Nick's breath was warm on Cody's chest.Cody nuzzled him: “Love you so much.”“Love you more.” Nick pressed a kiss on Cody's sternum. “What time's it?”“Five thirty. I didn't want to wake you, I just couldn't wait any longer.”Cody couldn't see it, but he felt Nick's smile. “You,” he muttered.Wordlessly, Cody reinforced his grip around him. If he could have stopped time, this would be one of the moments to do so, he thought.They dozed for a while until Nick's bladder made itself known.He tried to get up without rousing Cody, but that didn't work. Cody blinked, unwilling to relinquish his hold: “What're you doing?”“Gotta pee,” Nick muttered, climbing over him.Cody rolled onto his back, stretching: he was glad that they had managed to keep this day free.When Nick came back, he crawled on top of Cody, who yelped: “Your hands are cold!”“Happens when you don't wait long enough for the water to heat up,” Nick grumbled. “My lips are warm, though.” He grinned.Cody pulled him closer: “Lemme see...” Later, they went to shower together. Nick winced as he reached up to wash his hair, and Cody immediately caught his hand: “Shoulder?”“Yeah,” Nick grimaced. “Should probably take it easy for a few days.” His left shoulder often bothered him after he'd flown long hours; two weeks of reserve duty thus usually left their mark, meaning restricted mobility, heating pads and sometimes painkillers for a few days. Cody took the shampoo off him: “I'll do that,” he said. “You should really get that shoulder looked at, Baby.”Nick sighed: “Maybe,” he conceded.Cody kissed his neck; if Nick didn't even rant a little at this suggestion, especially since Cody had repeatedly brought it up before, it must be really bad this time.“I'll gladly soap you up in the shower as long as you need,” he offered, to lighten the mood. Nick snickered: “You don't say.”Once they were done and dry, Nick wanted to shave while Cody went to order some pizza. Two seconds later however, he came back in. Nick put down the shaving cream but didn't even get to ask anything before Cody grabbed him, drew him close and wrapped his arms around him tightly once more.After a moment of comprehension, Nick eased into the embrace: “You okay?” he said softly.“Yeah,” Cody muttered into Nick's neck. “Just... needed more.”Nick was overcome by a fresh wave of affection at that, suddenly trembling with love: “Wanna stay here until I'm done?” he asked, his voice unsteady.Cody blinked when he slowly let go of him: “You don't think I'm being silly?”“Oh, I do,” Nick kissed him. “But you're the right kind of silly.”Cody laughed a little: “It's not... I mean, you're back now. I just...” His voice petered out, and he sounded very young and very vulnerable right then.Nick put a hand on his cheek: “Look at me,” he said, so tenderly that Cody began to feel a lot less silly already. “You're allowed to have a soft side, y'know?” He smiled, just so with corners of his mouth. “Hell, if I hadn't bunked up with five other guys these past two weeks, I'd probably have cried myself to sleep every time we got a break because I missed you so much.”“Naw,” Cody said disbelievingly. “Really?”Nick held his gaze, grinning a little: “The first night at least,” he said. “Doesn't matter, does it? I just meant... It's tough without you, I barely know how to function. Coming home is like... getting to breathe again after holding my breath forever.”Cody couldn't but smile: “Thanks,” he said, barely audible.Nick smiled back: “Kinda makes me proud,” he said, his voice equally low. “To be that important to someone.”Cody's expression softened, and he nodded. “Yeah,” he replied gravelly. “Me too.” They regarded one another for a long moment.“You don't think we're too dependent on one another?” Cody then asked hesitantly.Nick considered this: “All I know is that you're there for me when I need you.” Which is all the time, was what he didn't say.“And you for me.” Cody smiled softly.“Doesn't sound wrong to me.”“No. You're right.”They were silent again.“I think I'm gonna quit reserves,” Nick then said.At that, Cody's face lit up. He shook his head, however: “Don't do it because of me,” he said.“I'm doing it for the both of us, big guy.” Nick shrugged: “It's getting harder and harder to leave, and much as it pains me to say it, I'm not getting any younger either. These days, I really prefer not to be sleeping in the same room with at least five other guys.”Cody inclined his head: “And there's your shoulder.”“Yeah, that too.” Gently, Nick kissed him: “Now let me shave, 'kay?”“'kay.” Cody turned towards the door: “I'll go order those pizzas now.”Nick paused: “Sure you're alright?”“Yeah.” Cody gave him a smile. “I'll be just fine.”
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2019 Nick had been standing in line at the bank for ten minutes now. He was bored, and the queue hadn't moved for at least six minutes. Another two minutes later, his phone pinged. He usually tried to ignore it in public, but now he was glad about the distraction, therefore he pulled it out, fished his reading glasses out of his front pocket and unlocked it to read the new message, which was from Cody. Since the Labor day weekend was coming up, they had decided to divide and conquer.
Got everything on the list, am now headed to the drug store. Meet you back at the car. See you there, boo thang.
Frowning, Nick texted back: >Did you just call me a boomerang? In that case, you misspelled 'boomerang'.<
Why would I call you a boomerang?
>Hell if I know.<
I'll explain it to you later.
>Can't wait.<Shaking his head, Nick pocketed his phone.The line still didn't move.Cursing under his breath, Nick took the phone out again and opened his web browser. Half an hour later, Nick got into the car.“Hi, boo thang,” Cody greeted him cheerfully, starting the motor.Nick regarded him sternly: “Stop the cute-cutesy, I'm not your 'boo thang'.”“What?” Cody grinned. “I've got a ring on my finger that says otherwise.”“Ha,” Nick said. “Where did you get that from anyway?”“TV.”“So they used it wrong.” Nick pulled out his phone again: “I've looked it up. There's this very useful website called Urban Dictionary, and they define it as follows: 'Someone that is more than your booty call, that you spend time with but not 100% committed. They know they're not your bf or gf.”“Oh.” Cody frowned: “You mean- TV lied to me?”“Sure looks like it.”“Huh.” Cody pondered this. “What's this website called again?”“Urban Dictionary.”“And you're sure it's not them who're lying?”“They do have the occasional typo, but no, they seem to know their stuff.”“Just saying, the internet can be lying too.”“I know.”“So... when did you learn about this website?”“After I talked to Phil over at the paddle board booth the other day. I swear to you, I had no idea what he was saying most of the time.”“Oh, I remember that day. You came home all grumpy.”“Yes, well, why can't people just talk normal nowadays?”Cody shrugged: “I dunno, babe.” He looked very much as though he was trying to not laugh, though.Nick folded his arms in front of his chest: “You like it, admit it!”“Let's say I'm open to new stuff.” Now Cody was grinning broadly.“New stuff or not- you call me something weird again, you sleep in Murray's room tonight,” Nick grumbled.Cody just laughed, putting his hand on Nick's thigh and squeezing it gently, and Nick, without saying anything else, put his hand on Cody's and squeezed back. On the Riptide, Cody stowed away the groceries while Nick went to their stateroom to change the sheets. He had just bundled up the laundry when his phone pinged again because of another message from Cody:
I just went to have a look at that website. They wrote something about you.
>This better be good.<
Well, here goes:
'Boo: Someone you love. Someone you care about. Someone who is a lifetime best friend. Someone who is always there for you. Someone who is extremely pretty. Someone who is very important in your life. Someone who can make you laugh. Someone who you can never replace.'
How's that?
>Fine,< Nick replied.> You don't have to sleep in Murray's room tonight.<The answer was a grinning emoji followed by several hearts.Shaking his head, Nick went to get fresh sheets, but he was smiling nonetheless.
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“Swimming with sharks.”“Being locked in somewhere with Mean Mick Matthews.”“Oh, good one. Hm... having a tarantula on my head.”“Eww... Eating soup with a fork.”“What?”“For breakfast. And no coffee.”“Okay. Hm... going on a holiday with Quinlan.”“Ouch.”“Yeah.”“Going to the dentist for a root canal treatment.”“Hey guys!” Murray came into the salon. “What are you doing?”Nick and Cody exchanged a look: “Thinking of things we'd rather do than go to that dinner tonight.”“Oh, but it's for a good cause! That charity really makes a difference, and we can contribute to that!”“Being auctioned off for money like a piece of meat isn't my idea of a good time, no matter the cause,” Cody muttered.“Yeah, Murray,” Nick said, “next time, maybe ask us first before you volunteer us for something like that?”Murray looked sheepish: “Sorry,” he said. “It's just that I couldn't very well volunteer myself, right?”“What? Oh, come on...”“Of course you could have!”“Guys, guys- really, look at me! I'm not exactly what the ladies would call a hunk, now am I?”“What are you even talking about?” Nick said. “The ladies love you, Boz!”“Well, yeah, maybe after they've gotten to know me, but it's not so much... attraction at first sight.”“Says the guy who landed half the girls on the Contessa right after he moved in here,” Cody countered drily.Murray grinned: “That's a bit of an exaggeration...”“Hi, Boz,” Cody and Nick sing-songed in falsetto voices, “how are you doing? Can we see that cute little robot of yours?”Giggling, Murray shook his head: “Okay, okay. You made your point. Anyway, it's too late now to sign up, and I'm afraid that you'll have to go through with it. The event is completely sold out, by the way.”Sighing, Cody and Nick exchanged a look.“Well,” Cody then said. “Maybe we can even go on a double date.”Nick folded his arms in front of his chest: “I wouldn't count on it, man.” Later, once they had gotten ready and into the tuxes they had rented for the occasion, Cody reached up to adjust Nick's bow tie: “You look great,” he said with a smile, leaning in for a kiss.“You too.” Nick sighed: “I still wish the evening was over already.”“Oh, yes,” Cody nuzzled him: “So we could get out of these.” He grinned. “Look at it this way: a few hours, and then I'll undress you.”Nick snorted, against his will amused: “Or I'll undress you.”Cody snickered: “'s good too.”They took the time for one more kiss, then they pulled apart, if somewhat reluctantly.“Is it allowed to bid on each other?” Nick asked on their way up the stairs.“I don't think so.”“Too bad...”
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The Riptide Detective Agency wearily made its way back onto the boat just as it was getting dark. In the salon, they all just dropped on the nearest available seats.“Ow,” Murray muttered, wincing and holding his head; their latest case had ended with a veritable brawl which had left them a little worse for wear.Cody, who had leaned back with a groan and closed his eyes, now peered at his friend with concern: “You okay, Murray?”“Yeah, I think I just moved too fast.”Nick slowly got up again: “I'll get you some ice,” he said. “Anyone need anything from the galley?”“The first aid kit might come in handy,” Cody gave him a feeble grin. “But that's in the head.”“You're lucky you're cute,” Nick muttered, but he turned to go down to the head first. Once he'd gotten the first aid kit and an ice pack wrapped in a kitchen towel which he handed Murray, he sat down next to Cody on the bench seat: “Lemme see that?”Cody held out his left hand, on which he had sustained some rather deep scratches, wincing when Nick manipulated his fingers.“I'll put some iodine on it,” Nick said. Cody nodded, hissing because of the momentary pain.“Sorry.” Nick gently rubbed his thumb over Cody's palm: “Want me to wrap it?”“Yeah, it's probably better, otherwise I'll get Povidone on everything.”Nick put a non-stick gauze pad on it and bandaged the hand: “What about your ribs?”“They'll be fine,” Cody said. “Probably just bruised. I'll keep it easy for a few days.”“Sure?”“Yes,” Cody sounded impatient now. “I'll probably be black and blue anyway, so my ribs won't even stand out.”“Fair enough.” Nick turned to Murray and held up the iodine bottle: “You need anything painted rust colored, Boz?”Murray, who had lain down on the other bench with the ice pack against his head, grinned: “No, thanks, I'm good. It didn't even bleed.”“You're not seeing double or anything, right?”“No. I think my hair actually cushioned the blow.”Cody tugged at Nick's shirt with his good hand: “Now you.”“I just need to put some ice on my shoulder.”“You've also been bleeding-.”“That's just a tiny scratch.”“There was blood running down the side of your face,” Cody corrected him sternly. “Which is also why you need to change your shirt, incidentally.”“Really?” Nick craned his neck to see it, but quickly aborted the motion because it hurt. “I didn't notice,” he said sheepishly.“You probably thought it was sweat,” Murray provided. “I know I was drenched from running after those guys, and then the fight... and it was a rather warm day too...”Cody exchanged a long look with Nick, then he took the bottle of Povidone from him: “That's true, Boz.”Nick flinched away when Cody first dabbed at the wound underneath his hairline with a bit of cotton wool, so Cody reached up and held his head with his free hand: “Keep still, will you?” He narrowed his eyes in concentration: “You're lucky, I don't think this needs stitches.”“Thanks, doctor,” Nick said. “That's a relief.”Cody scrunched up his nose at him: “Jerk,” he muttered affectionately.Once he was done, Nick got up again: “I'm gonna change into something clean.”Cody got up too: “Me too.”Murray also sat up: “I'll go take a shower.”“Call us if you feel dizzy,” Cody told him as he followed Nick down the stairs.“Okay.” Murray yawned as he got to his feet: “At least I didn't break my glasses...” Down in their stateroom, Cody wordlessly helped Nick out of his soiled shirt, and the latter didn't even protest. In return, he helped Cody with his, since his ribs were making themselves known by now.Pausing, they looked at each other for a moment, beginning to laugh at the same time.Cody held his ribs: “I'm just glad we got them in the end,” he said, gasping a little. “Otherwise this'd really smart.”Nick sighed: “Yeah. Getting messed up's only worth it when you get paid for it.” He regarded Cody with fresh concern now: “You sure you don't wanna take some Advil?”Cody pulled him close: “I'm sure,” he said softly. “It's not so bad, but laughing wasn't the best of ideas.”“'kay.” Nick leaned into him, and for a moment, they just stayed like that, warm skin to warm skin, their breaths mingling. They'd had worse, of course, on a scale of one to ten this wouldn't even be more than a three, probably, and yet- it was tremendously comforting to feel the other's strength and heartbeat. An hour later found them watching an old movie in the salon; the air smelled of pizza and victory cigars. Murray was lounging in one of the comfy chairs with his feet up on the other one while Nick and Cody were lying on the bench seat, Cody leaning back against his partner with a thick pillow between them; Nick was also leaning against a pillow and had an ice pack on his shoulder. “As long as nobody moves, we're fine,” he said, making Murray giggle: “Our next boat should have a bigger salon with a proper couch,” he said.Cody bristled: “Our next boat? She can hear you!”Nick rolled his eyes: “He does have a point though,” he murmured.“Don't worry, baby,” Cody said loudly, “You're the only boat for me! Don't listen to these traitors...”“Murray, can you get some more ice? Seems he got hit on the head after all...”“Phhh...” Cody said. “I think you got hit on the head!”Still giggling, Murray took the remote: “I'm gonna start the movie now.”“I just hope the TV is big enough for you.”“Oh boy...”
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Nick squinted at the screen of his phone: “This can't be right.” He frowned: “Cody?”A moment later, his partner came up the stairs from the galley: “What is it?”“I tried to take a picture with my phone, but it's not working properly.”Cody slid onto the bench seat next to him: “Why, what's wrong?”“I tried to take a picture of this article, like so,” he held the phone up. “But it keeps taking pictures of me. It's the wrong way around!”Cody looked like he very much wanted to laugh but didn't dare: “That's for selfies, babe. You can turn it back.” He pointed at the screen. “If you press this, it'll be back to normal.”Nick squinted at the screen: “I didn't see that.”“Where are your glasses?”“I dunno, somewhere.” Nick waved his hand absent-mindedly. “Those are called selfies nowadays, huh?”“Yes. Wanna try it?”“I dunno, man... sounds stupid.”“We could send it to Murray. Show him how tech-savvy we are.” Now Cody was grinning.Nick stared at him pointedly: “I know how to use my phone. I just couldn't see it properly.”“I know. I saw you reading the paper at arm's length earlier. You should really go and find your glasses.”Nick grumbled something under his breath: “Let's get this over with,” he then said. “I got work to do.”“Okay. Press this-”“I know.”“Yeah, now you do.”“Shut up.”They took a selfie and looked at it: “Not bad,” Cody said. “Don't you think?”“It's alright,” Nick conceded.Cody pressed a kiss on his cheek: “Give Murray my love.” Half an hour later, Cody's cell phone pinged. It was message from Nick that included a picture of him wearing his glasses, the Mimi in the background: Found them, the caption read.For a reply, Cody took a picture of himself with a thumb up. He was still laughing quietly ten minutes later.
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Cody ducked into the salon of the Riptide just as it started to rain. He took off his coat: “Do I smell coffee?”“Sì ,” came Nick's voice from the galley. “Caffè macinato.”“What's that mean again?”“Freshly ground,” Nick translated as Cody came down the stairs. He took the caffettiera off the stove and poured the espresso into two small cups. Ever since their trip to Italy for Nick's 60th birthday, they had made it their habit to have a coffee break around eleven every morning, if their schedule allowed it.“Gives you a whole new appreciation of the stuff,” Cody said, taking in the scent.Nick hummed in agreement, thinking back to their journey: they had travelled from Venice to San Gimignano in Tuscany to Rome, Pompeii and Gallipoli in Puglia. It had been amazing, the country being very different from what he had expected in many regards. Apart from the wealth of sights and the surprisingly diverse scenery, the incredibly beautiful beaches especially in the south, it had been an unexpected culinary experience in every way. It was one thing to only read about something, after all, and a completely different kettle of fish to see and savour and smell it.“This seems so much more cultured,” Cody had said on the fourth day, a little dazed, after they had learned that ordering coffee indeed meant getting small cups of espresso, or that pizza was far from being the staple food in Italy, as the rest of the world believed, or how the small curds of ricotta cheese may not look like much but all but melted on your tongue in creamy delight, and how wonderfully sweet a freshly peeled fig could taste. Every meal, even when it was something simple, felt like a special occasion, which was further accentuated by their surroundings.On their second to last day, they had visited the beautiful town of Otranto, where they had bought the caffettiera to take home.“I realise it's probably gonna taste different than here,” Nick had said a little later, as they were leaning against an old stone wall and looking out at the impossibly turquoise sea, neither of them able to imagine they were going home soon. Cody had bumped his shoulder with his own: “You can just close your eyes and think of this,” he said. “That might help.”Nodding, Nick sighed, leaning against him despite the heat. He was grateful to have finally seen all the places his grandma had talked about, and it had felt as if she had been there with him. “Think we could go again?” Cody now asked.Jolted out of his reverie, Nick blinked: “To Italy?”“Yeah. Lots of places we haven't been yet. And some I'd like to see again. Don't you?”“Yes, absolutely.” Nick looked pleasantly surprised. “But you said next time, it should be Scandinavia.”“Well, yeah,” Cody squared his shoulders. “The more I think about it now, the more I'm convinced I've got some Viking blood in me.”“Sure.” Nick grinned.Cody gave him a stern look: “It'd also explain my love of boats, so there.”“Huh. Yeah, now that you mention it...” Nick was still grinning. "I can actually see you striking a pose at the bow of a longship."Putting his chin up, Cody huffed: "So can I, as a matter of fact.""Though to be fair, you'd still have blond hair.""Probably." Cody sighed.“Anyway... maybe we can combine both.”“Great idea! First, we'll look at boats, and then, we'll have la dolce vita.”“Do you only want to look at boats while we're there?”“Well, no, but there are several great ones on display in Oslo, like the Fram-”“Which one's that again?” Nick asked, not only because he couldn't remember but also to indulge Cody a bit.“Amundsen sailed her to Antarctica. He was the first person to reach the South Pole. In 1912, I think.”“Ah. And she's in Oslo?”“Yeah, and then there's Thor Heyerdal's Kon-Tiki, and of course, the Viking ships.” Cody's eyes were gleaming. He'd been reading up on the matter a lot lately; travelling to Italy had sparked his wanderlust.“Sounds good,” Nick said, amused. “So we're only gonna look at boats while we're there.”Cody put his chin up: “There may be one or two other things I'd like to see.”“Ah.” Nick was smiling once more. “Wanna go and buy a guidebook?”“Now? It's raining.”“So? Since when do Vikings mind getting wet?”Cody sighed: “Right. We don't. I'll still put on my rain coat, since I'm not the youngest Viking anymore.”“As long as you leave your axe at home,” Nick said as he got up.Grinning, Cody got to his feet as well: “You know,” he said while he followed his partner up the stairs. “I don't think that'd have been my weapon of choice...”"That's a relief. I've seen you chopping wood, after all...""I still got all my limbs, don't I ?""Just.""Ha!""So what is your weapon of choice?""A sword, of course. It's more distinguished, don't you think?""Yes, Lord Grantham.""He's not a Viking," Cody said indignantly. "Unlike me.""You're right. He'd look downright silly at the bow of a longship...""Glad we're clear on that. Now where's my wallet...”"Here.""Grazie!""Però, lo parli la lingua!""I love when you speak Italian...""Ci credo. Allora, andiamo!""Stop it, Nick, I'm getting goosebumps..." As the door closed behind them, a faint aroma of caffè macinato was still lingering in the galley.
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The news aren't good, and every day, sometimes hourly, they get worse. When the stay-at-home-order is announced, the marina seems eerily silent, as if everyone is holding their breaths, even the birds.At night, Cody and Nick lie awake, listening into the darkness, grateful that they, at least, have each other.“Well, one thing's for sure: you're the one person I wouldn't be able keep my distance from if I tried,” Cody says in the early morning, as they sit in the galley with a pot of coffee and their phones nearby. These days, even Nick is grateful for What'sApp, because it means they are frequently hearing from Murray and other loved ones.“So you're glad we're not just neighbours?” Nick gives him a crooked grin. Neither of them actually feels like joking, but they both need a sense of normalcy.“Jerk,” Cody rolls his eyes, but he's grinning as well.Nick pretends to be absorbed by an article he's reading, but under the table, his bare foot finds Cody's and rubs it.Cody leans back, sighing: “The weather's beautiful.”They have talked about taking the boat out and going off the grid for a while, but as tempting as the idea is, it seems wrong these days. They can't just disappear when the world is in a state of uncertain suspense. So they stayed. Not many people remained on their boats but went home to their houses, where they can move around more, keep their distance from one another if need be. And now that everything's closed, the marina is all but deserted. It's the only time they can let Buzz, their rescue dog, run around freely.“Wanna work on the railing?” Nick asks. They have already bought the paint weeks ago.Cody shrugs: “Yeah, why not.” It's easy to forget, out there in the sun, that this isn't just another peaceful Saturday morning. When Cody looks up after a while, the absence of other people is palpable all of a sudden. Usually, the marina is a busy place: there are boats moving in and out of the harbour, people taking a stroll and going about their hobbies. Now, it's quiet, and the booth which rents out SUP and surf boards is closed.It's a strange notion that there's this invisible threat going around, that elsewhere, people are fighting for their lives because of it and that all over the world, hospitals are the opposite of this rather tranquil place right now.“It's like a war, if you think about it,” Nick says, having read Cody's mind easily, “with the doctors and nursing staff being the soldiers this time.”“Yeah.” Cody regards him, then he looks around: “We can't complain, right?”“I don't think so.” Nick looks at Buzz, who's lying on his back on his towel, spread out in all his glory: “Except for him, maybe.”“What are you talking about? Look how relaxed he is!” Sensing that this is about him, Buzz peers at them. And grins.“Yes, now. But he told me he's missing his buddies at the beach. He's bored.” Nick kneels down to scratch the dog's belly.“Ah. Well, if he said so... We can throw him his frisbee later.”“'kay. See how long it takes this time until it lands in the water.”Chuckling, Cody puts down the angle grinder: “Beer?”“I thought you'd never ask.”With a cawing sound, a pelican lands on the jetty. It remains motionless for a while, then it slowly makes its way over to the Ebb Tide.Cody sighs: “And some things just never change.”“Hear, hear.”They sit down with their beers in companionable silence; neither of them feels the need to talk, and anyway, the important stuff has long since been said. For now it's enough that their knees and their elbows are touching, and that they're both still here. They know that this virus is something to be reckoned with at their age, and they are both vaguely scared, if more for the other than for themselves.After having survived Vietnam and running a detective agency, it'd be beyond comprehension to be brought down by something so sneakily insidious; still, they are aware that things can yet get worse. But they also know that they can't live in fear from now on, that they should make every day that can still be viewed as something akin to normal count. That they should try and look ahead, hope for the time that comes after the pandemic. Otherwise, they could just as well crawl into bed and hide under the covers, which neither of them has ever been inclined to do.“What is it about the Ebb Tide that those guys love so much?” Nick now wonders, motioning towards the speed boat; the pelican has settled down on the stern in the meantime.Cody shakes his head: “Beats me. But they also love the Mimi, so...”He doesn't get up to chase the bird away, though.For a long while, they just sit quietly, blending in with the general hush and trying not to find it unsettling.“So,” Nick eventually says, clearing his throat. “Spaghetti for dinner tonight?”“Yeah, sounds good.”“'kay. Remind me to marinade the garlic around noon, yeah?”“I'll try.” The pelican, just like Buzz, isn't perturbed in the least when Cody and Nick continue grinding the railing a little while later.“If he's still there tomorrow, I'll catch him some fish,” Nick says that evening. Cody grins: “We'll end up with a small zoo if you keep taking in strays.”“I've always wanted an elephant,” Nick replies with a sigh.“Tell you what- when all this is over, we'll go and visit some elephants,” Cody says.“Okay.” Nick nods. “As soon as all this is over.”"We're not gonna take any of them home, though." "Not even a small one?" "Nope." "We'll see..." Cody just snorts: "Hear what I'm putting up with, Buzzy?" Buzz wags his tail: he likes being talked to, and he's being fed regularly by these two, so he's not going to complain. Or take sides. Under the table, Nick's foot finds Cody's again. “I couldn't stay away from you either,” he murmurs softly, eliciting a tender smile from his partner.Outside, it's getting dark, but they don't turn on any lights yet. For now, in here, all is well.
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Cody came into the galley to find Nick at the stove; Buzz was sitting next to him, watching Nick's every move with rapt attention.“Whatcha makin'?” Cody asked, peering over Nick's shoulder.“Creamed carrots and minute steaks baked in parmesan,” Nick said. “They'll take a while.”“Hmmm.... It's already smelling heavenly, right, Buzz?”The dog smiled up at Cody, who pressed a kiss on Nick's neck: “Anything I can do?”“Yeah, could you chop the parsley? Oh, and maybe grate the parmesan.”“Sure.” Cody sat down; as soon as he unwrapped the parmesan, Buzz got to his feet and came to sit under the table. Cody had barely started with the grating when he felt a gentle nudge against his knee. He grinned, but didn't say anything. A moment later, Buzz nudged him again. Unable to stop it, Cody laughed quietly: “I'm not feeding you off the table, doggo.”Nick didn't turn around, but he was grinning too. Under the table, nothing moved.Cody continued with the parmesan; a moment later, Buzz nudged him again. When Cody ignored it, the dog decided to take more drastic measures and put his head on Cody's thigh.“Still not giving you anything,” Cody said gently. Buzz's head grew a little heavier.Cody sighed: “Have we been spoiling this guy?”“No, he came to us fully formed in that regard.”“Well- he is sleeping in our bed.”“Course he is! Why would you even wanna have a dog if he wasn't allowed to cuddle with you? But we never fed him off the table. He's learned that elsewhere.”“Yeah. Is this enough cheese?”“Yeah. Thanks.”“Okay.” Cody wrapped the rest of it up again and made to get up.Buzz emerged from under the table with an air of supreme innocence, his gaze on the parmesan that Cody put back into the fridge now. Once it was out of sight, he looked at Cody with obvious disappointment.“Little trickster,” Cody said affectionately.When Buzz cocked his head at that, Cody knelt down and scratched him behind the ears: “You know exactly how to play us, don't you, buddy?”Buzz leaned into the touch, smiling up at Cody.“He's so clever,” Nick agreed. “We named him appropriately.”Cody grinned: “He's Furry Buzzinsky alright.” Later, they all lay on the guest bed in Murray's room; while Nick and Cody watched TV, Buzz was firmly and happily wedged between them, snoring with abandon.“Yup,” Cody muttered at one point. “We are spoiling him.”Nick grinned sleepily: “And you're loving it, admit it.”Cody sighed: “Yeah.” He turned onto his side and put his arm around the other two: “As long as he doesn't learn how to open the fridge.”“I think he's working on it,” Nick muttered.“You mean he's been practising hypnosis.”“Hm.”Chuckling, Cody closed his eyes: “I'm just glad the Roboz doesn't understand canine. Buzzy'd get him to do it.”“Don't give him any more ideas...”In his sleep, Buzz smiled.
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“I'b bying.”“You're not dying.”“Yed, I ab!”“Don't be a baby, it's just a cold! Here, I've brought you some nose drops and VapoRub.”“Thags.” Cody gave Nick a reproachful look as he opened the little bottle.“What?”Cody, who was tipping his head back to take the drops, didn't answer for a while.“I'm not a baby,” he said after a lot of sniffling and snuffling, then he sighed: “Oh yeah. That's much better.”Nick regarded him sternly: “You've been whining like one.”“I was just giving you an honest status update,” Cody said, opening the VapoRub and inhaling deeply. “It's horrible when you can't breathe properly. And anyway, you're one to talk! You're all grumpy and complaining when you're sick.”“'Course.” Nick grinned. “That's called putting up a fight instead of wallowing in self-pity.”“I thought it's called getting on Cody's nerves,” Cody muttered.Nick subdued a sigh: “Will you be okay for now? I need to get back to the galley.”Cody looked from him to the VapoRub: “Depends.”“You're perfectly capable of doing that yourself,” Nick said.“Not on my back.”“Fine. But don't complain if your soup smells of the stuff later.”“What soup are you making? Not chicken, I hope?”“No, your highness, I wouldn't dare to make more chicken soup after you expressly forbade it.”“I've been eating that stuff for three days!”“Yes, and it's been good for you.”Cody sighed while he pulled up his shirt: “True. So what are you making today?”“Carrot soup. In fact, I'm inventing a new recipe.” Nick opened the small tub and began spreading the VapoRub with even strokes.“Yeah? What's in it?”“Puréed carrots which have previously been cooked with some coconut oil, linseed, broth, blue fenugreek-”“That the stuff you put into the bread last week?”“Yeah?”“I loved that.”“Thanks.”“Sorry. What else?”“Not much. Some ginger and, as per your request, Vermicelli.”“Hm, sounds delicious.”“Wait and see.”“Everything you make is good,” Cody said seriously. “I stand by my repeatedly voiced opinion that you should write a cookbook.”“There are a million cookbooks out there already,” Nick muttered.“None like yours though.” Cody coughed. “Nonna's recipes from the galley. With new additions by her grandson.”Nick grinned: “That sounds like she was a ship's cook.”“We can work on the title.”“I won't write a book.” Nick pulled Cody's shirt down again: “Done.”Cody inhaled deeply: “Thanks.”“'kay.” Nick got to his feet and went to wash his hands, then he looked back in: “Anything else you need?”“No.” Cody gave him a weary smile: “Thanks, Babe.”With a wink, Nick disappeared up the stairs.Cody settled back against the pillows and closed his eyes; every now and then, he could hear sounds from the galley, and it was strangely comforting to know that Nick was over there, doing his magic. It had been much quieter on the boat after Murray had moved out in the previous year, and it had taken some time to get used to it.For months, they hadn't touched his room, not only because they couldn't decide on what to do with it but also because it seemed wrong somehow. Only recently they had finally done some renovating and turned it into a guestroom, which had already come in handy when Cody's sister and her boyfriend had been visiting. Well, at least Murray lived nearby and was still part of the agency. And now he was going to be a father. The thought always made Cody smile, because he just knew that their friend was going to be a great dad. “Maybe we should do it,” Cody said sleepily that night; Nick, who had been reading to him from the sports section of the paper, looked at him: “Do what?”“Write some of your recipes down.”“Will you give it a rest?” Nick sighed. “They're really not that special!”Cody tugged at his arm. “Give yourself some credit, okay? They're really good. But I didn't mean write them down to get them published. I just thought it'd be nice to have them.”“Oh, in case I'll kick the bucket you mean?”“No, of course not!” Cody coughed indignantly: “How can you even say that!”Nick subdued a grin: “Sorry, but what else would it be useful for?”“For example if you get sick, then I could cook some soup for you.”“Ah.”“Or maybe Baby Bozinsky will want to have them one day.”“Baby Bozinsky?” Nick raised his eyebrows.“Yeah. Well, obviously by then, he or she won't be a baby anymore.”“Why would he or she want to have my recipes?”“Because he or she is bound to love your cooking.”“Oh, so you think he or she is gonna visit a lot?”“Course they are! We'll be the best uncles a kid could have!”“I see.” Nick's expression softened as he regarded Cody now: “You really think so?”“Yeah.” Cody sneezed. “Unless this cold's gonna be my untimely death.”Nick groaned: “Not that again!”“My nose is already clogging again. I can feel ib.” Cody snuffled.“Okay.” Putting the paper aside, Nick reached for the VapoRub: “Strip.”“I lob wheb you talk dirty to me. But thags.”“Can't have Baby Bozinsky missing out on meeting Uncle Cody, after all. Besides, who'd I cook for until the kid's old enough to enjoy solid food?”“Funny,” Cody muttered, but he was smiling. “So are we gonna do ib?”Sighing, Nick nodded: “Fine. But you'll do the writing.”“Deal.”
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Under a clear blue sky, the Riptide was anchoring in a small, secluded bay. Nick, Cody and even Murray were spread out on towels on the beach, all of them fast asleep; the Roboz was standing next to Murray, holding up a beach umbrella to provide some shade.They had just closed the last of several at times overlapping cases that morning, and they were exhausted mentally and physically. They hadn't initially meant to work more than one case at a time, but they had had a severe dry spell before and couldn't really afford to turn their sudden influx of customers down, so one thing led to another, and suddenly, they had found themselves ears deep in work. It had brought about a nice change for their bank account but also little rest in between.The moment they were done, Cody sighed as they looked at each other: “Thank God that's over.”Nick was rubbing his eyes: “I didn't think we'd find Lockhart so quickly.”“Me neither.” Murray yawned.“How about we'll take the boat out for a day or two?” Cody was tired as well, but he had yet to come down off his adrenaline high. “You two can go to bed, I'll manage.”“Nah,” Nick said. “It's a good idea, but we need to go shopping before we go anywhere else.”“You're right.” Cody sighed again.“And I really need to do some laundry,” Murray muttered.“Okay, so... we need a plan.”Four hours later saw the Riptide making her way out of the harbor, Cody at the helm, Nick right beside him: “Just in case you nod off,” he said airily. “We don't wanna end up on a jetty or anything.”Cody glared at him: “Funny.”Nick only grinned.As soon as they had dropped anchor, they had relocated to the beach with some sandwiches for a late lunch, after which they had all closed their eyes for a bit. And now it was late afternoon and Nick began to stir. For a moment, he was confused, but then he recalled where he was. He stretched and sat up, still feeling groggy but enjoying the tranquility of the place. Next to him, Cody lay on his back, his face slack, still dead to the world, while Murray was nowhere in sight. The Roboz was still there, however, as was the dinghy, so maybe Murray had just nipped behind a rock to follow the call of nature.Nick regarded Cody; even now, with his mouth slightly open and a bit of snoring going on, Nick could have looked at him all day. As if he had sensed that he was being watched though, Cody snuffled and began to blink. It took a few seconds until he was aware and focusing on Nick, who smiled.“Hey,” Cody muttered, returning the smile.“I missed you,” Nick said softly. “These past days.”Cody knew what he meant: getting by on little sleep while they were juggling their workload didn't exactly leave much room for only the two of them.“Same here.” Cody's smile deepened. “I think we're gonna catch up on that soon though.”"Yeah?""Yeah."“Sounds good.”For a moment, they just stayed like that, smiling and feeling close to one another, then Nick laughed quietly, taking a deep breath: “You hungry?”“Starving.” Cody sat up too. “Where's Boz?”“Dunno. Figured he was taking a leak.”Right then, Murray appeared from behind a large rock: “Oh, hi guys. I didn't want to wake you, so I went exploring for a bit. I gotta say, the local flora is fascinating. Did you know that there are several species of plants which are endemic to these islands, such as that yellow rock-rose-”“Endemic?”“Unique to the place. They don't grow anywhere else.”“Oh. Wow.”“I didn't know that. Cody, did you know that?”“No, I didn't.”“I'm gonna take a few pictures tomorrow, I've got a friend who'd love to see these...”Nick and Cody exchanged a look, managing not to grin. This was Murray as he lived and breathed, after all. Back on the Riptide, Nick and Cody got started on making dinner while Murray went in search of some “plant families identification handbook” he thought he had lying around somewhere, in order to catalogue the species he had found.“I didn't know Murray was into botany as well,” Nick said, turning on the stove.“I think he's into whatever's crossing his path,” Cody muttered without looking up from the fruit he was chopping for a salad. “As long as he isn't distracted by a computer.”“You're probably right.”“Let's hope this is just a one-time thing. If he keeps bringing plants aboard, he'll run out of space. Or sink us.”Nick glanced at him over his shoulder: “His rock phase comes to mind.”Cody wiped his hands on a towel: “Right- thank God he dropped one onto his foot, otherwise we'd probably have sunk by now.”Grinning, Nick turned his attention back to the garlic he was braising ever so slightly: “Nah, you'd probably have thrown him and his rocks overboard before that.”“I dunno- I might have discussed it with him first.”“No way. I vividly remember the vein on your forehead coming to life at one point every time Murray started talking about geodes or... what was the word... gneiss.”Cody grinned as well: “Well, at least we learned something.”Right then, Murray came down the stairs: “Do you need my help with anything?”“Aren't you busy with your plants?”“No, actually- I couldn't find my book, and frankly, I don't feel like working tonight.”“Good for you, Boz.”Murray smiled: “So, should I set the table?” Later, they sat on the fantail with some beers and looked up at the stars. The sea was calm, there were barely any sounds. They didn't talk much either, apart from a lengthy explanation by Murray why the water was so quiet at night, which apparently was “meteorologically very common”.Nick and Cody pointedly did not look at each other right then, but Nick put his arm around Murray for a moment: “Thanks, I had no idea.”Murray glanced at him: “Nick," he said, his voice quavering a little. "Can I ask you something?""'Course.""You don't think I'm a know-it-all, do you?”Nick regarded him, then the corners of his mouth slowly quirked up: “Seriously, Boz- I think it's amazing that you've got such an incredibly good memory.”“Really?”“Yeah. It's like you've got a computer in there.” He motioned towards Murray's head. "I wish I knew so much stuff.""Me too," Cody agreed.Murray beamed: “Thank you! That's a really boss thing to say, guys...”Cody held out his beer: “To you and your brains, Boz.”Laughing, they clinked their bottles together; afterwards, they were silent again, if very companionably so.“This is the life,” Cody eventually muttered, leaning back with a contented sigh.Murray and Nick unanimously agreed.
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1972 Morosely, Nick stared at the Huey's engine, lost in thoughts and absently inhaling the smell of motor oil. It had been a shitty day and a shitty few weeks and he was tired of it all: the battles, the heat, the ever-present tang of the jungle, the glaring sun and how the light seemed wrong somehow, the lack of privacy, the food, the insects... the list went on. Worst of all though: that everything was green. The damn jungle, the damn camp, their damn fatigues, their damn choppers, even the damn light sometimes- green as far as the eye could see. Nick didn't think he'd be able to stand it even one more damn day, none of it. He wanted to go home and never see anything green again.Grimly, he picked up a wrench, tempted to throw it at something. Not the damn green chopper, because in all fairness, its colour wasn't its fault. No, he felt like throwing it at the trees. Well. Strictly speaking, their colour wasn't their fault either, but in their case, Nick wasn't exactly bent on making an exception. Thing was though- if he did throw the damn wrench at the damn trees, he'd be the one who'd be crawling through the damn brush looking for it later. And with his luck, he'd probably get bitten by a damn spider or a snake or something. A green one, presumably. So he refrained from throwing the damn thing for the time being, but he kept grumbling under his breath as he continued to work. At least the damn motor wasn't green. An hour later, he was wiping his hands on a rag (green), when he heard someone approaching.“Hey,” a voice he hadn't expected said, and when he turned around, it was Cody, and he was grinning broadly; the next thing Nick knew, he was engulfed in a bear hug.“What are you doing here?” Nick asked once they had let go of one another, unaware of how much his own expression had lit up at the sight of his friend. “I thought you weren't due back until next week!”“I wasn't,” Cody confirmed. “But I was going nuts in that place. So I... expedited the process a little.”“How?” Nick was genuinely curious. Cody had been in the hospital after having been shot; he was looking much better than the one time Nick had been able to visit him there, and he had felt as he always did just now, strong and muscular, but if he hadn't fully recovered yet... It was gonna be hard on him, to say the least.Cody however laughed quietly: “Stop worrying, okay? I'm fine. I just... pushed it a little. Did my PT exercises again at night, that kind of thing.”Nick regarded him with narrowed eyes: “You sure?”“Yes, I'm sure. Doc gave me a clean bill of health.”Relieved, Nick nodded: “It's good to hear that, man.”Cody's smile deepened: “Couldn't leave you alone on your birthday, right?”Nick frowned: “My... oh.”He had completely forgotten about his own birthday.Cody shook his head: “Happy Birthday, Nicky,” he said softly, his voice full of affection.Nick felt a blush creeping up his neck: “Thanks, man,” he muttered, fiddling with the rag he was still holding. He was dimly aware that Cody was also wearing green, but strangely, that didn't bother Nick in the least.“Got something for you,” Cody now said, pulling a parcel out of his duffel; it was wrapped in plain brown paper, but that didn't matter. In it, Nick found a box of quality cigars and a card with a birthday cake on it: Thought you could use some decent victory cigars, it read in Cody's unmistakable handwriting.Nick took one up and held it under his nose, savouring the aroma, so unlike everything else around here. Funny, considering they were made out of (originally green) leaves.“I do,” he then said. “Thanks, man. Where did you get these?”“Had them shipped from home,” Cody said. “Luckily, they arrived just on time.”Touched, Nick nodded. “Thanks,” he repeated. “Appreciate it.”They smiled at one another, and inexplicably, Nick felt himself relaxing, as if Cody's sheer presence was steadying him.“Come on,” Cody now said. “Let's go and grab a bite. I wanna hear all about the past two weeks.”Nodding, Nick closed the cowling: “Sounds good.”If he was honest with himself, having Cody back was like finally being able to breathe again. His recent bad temper might have had a lot to do with the absence of his friend and less with everything else, no matter how annoying the heat and the insects and the jungle could get sometimes. Which hadn't bothered him that much before, after all. He weighed the wrench in his hand, grinning, before putting it back into the tool box.Already, things were looking less...damn green around him.
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As long as Nick can remember, Cody loved Christmas. Even in Vietnam he had been humming carols under his breath during their free time and sent Christmas cards home.This year is the first time that something managed to put such a damper on his spirits that he didn't even break out the fairy lights. The pandemic and everything that's going on actually put Cody off his festive mood which usually already began way before Thanksgiving.Nick's relationship with Christmas has always been difficult, to say the least, but he learned to appreciate just how much it meant to Cody, and his own aversion has lessened considerably during their 47 years together: he even enjoys certain aspects of it by now. He doesn't mind the absence of fairy lights and other Christmas paraphernalia, but he doesn't like seeing Cody so serious and somewhat subdued most of the time.It's what it has come to during the past few months though. The man whose middle name should by rights be 'sunny disposition' is quiet and barely able to laugh anymore, especially after he's read the paper or watched the news on the telly. Even Buzz's antics aren't cracking him up as usual. Not that Nick feels like laughing himself so much these days, but it's worrying him nevertheless. So he wonders what he could do to remedy the situation, and after a few days of pondering the matter, he comes up with a plan. When Cody wakes up on the morning of Christmas Eve, Nick and Buzz have already gotten up. Cody turns onto his back and rubs his eyes, then he hesitates. Something's different: the Riptide's moving more than she would in her berth, and it's very quiet.Frowning, he gets out of bed, slips into his old and worn-off but comfy dressing gown and goes to investigate. On the topmost stair to the salon, he pauses. The room is decorated with fairy lights, there's a distinct smell of Christmas cookies in the air and there's even a small Christmas tree, as of yet still bare. And they are indeed out on the open sea; he can see nothing but the ocean in whichever direction he looks.Right then, as he's still standing there, surprised and perplexed, Nick comes up the stairs from the galley with two mugs of coffee. Buzz apppears too; he's wearing his life vest and greeting Cody enthusiastically.“Morning,” Nick says.Cody blinks, absently petting their dog: “Morning. Nick- what's all this? Why are we out here?”Nick hands him a mug: “This is Christmas,” he says carefully. “At least I hope it will be.”“What?”“We're going off the grid for a few days. We got everything we need, and I think you and I both could do with a change of scenery. No paper, no TV for a while.” He doesn't say no more bad news, because he can tell by Cody's expression that he gets where Nick is coming from.His initial frown slowly softens: “You did all this for me?”“Buzz helped.” After a lightning smile, Nick regards him more seriously. “You ain't doing so well at the moment, we both know that. And we both know that it's not your fault. So I thought we should escape for a while. Reboot, as Murray'd say.”“You're getting all modern in your old age,” Cody mutters, but his expression is slowly lighting up. “You even bought a tree.”“Yeah. I didn't decorate it because I know you got a system-” He doesn't get any further because Cody pulls him close and kisses him, then he hugs him, one-armed because both of them are still balancing their coffees: “Thanks,” he mutters into Nick's skin. “This is a good idea, big guy.”“Good,” Nick mutters back. “I'm glad to hear it.”And when they pull back, Cody is actually smiling at him. Nick, who wasn't at all sure about this, feels so relieved that he wouldn't even mind if Cody sang a few carols right now: “I love you, you know that, right?” he asks.“You keep showing me,” Cody says softly. “Love you too, Nicky. So much.” That night, the Riptide is the only source of light out there. Her navigation lights, the fairy lights and those on the little tree all illuminate the darkness, mirrored by the ocean's surface.Cody and Nick are sitting in the salon playing cards, and for the first time in weeks, Cody seems okay. Maybe they should've taken the boat out more often, Nick thinks, let the horizon take their minds off their worries every now and then. For some reason, they didn't, which innocuously enough seemed only one of the many other things that were different this year.Later, as they're getting into bed, Cody holds Nick tightly once he's tucked himself under his arm and Buzz has wedged himself between them.Nick listens to Cody's heartbeat for a while, as strong and steady as always, and knows that he needs this just as much as his partner does, because if Cody can't cope with things in the long run, neither will he.“We gotta stick to the habits and traditions we made,” he mutters. “It's what makes life feel normal. Even now.”“You're right,” Cody nuzzles his hair. “I'm sorry.”“No need to apologize.” Nick's voice is soft and tender.“You know what's a good thing?” Cody asks after a moment of silence.“Hm?”“That I'd already gotten your Christmas present.”“You did?”“Yeah.”Nick's genuinely surprised. “So... where did you hide him?”“Who?”“The elephant you promised me.”“I-”“I didn't get one for my birthday, so I'm assuming you got me one for Christmas.”“Didn't I tell you you couldn't have one, not even a small one?”“Ah, you're just saying that.”“Sadly, no.”“Huh. You sure?”“Totally.”“That's too bad. I bet Buzz would have liked him.”Cody chuckles softly, and it's the best thing Nick's heard in a long time. “Merry Christmas, big guy,” he murmurs.“Merry Christmas, baby,” Cody replies, and he sounds content and very much like his old self.Long after Nick's dozed off, he's still awake, listening to the sounds of the old boat and Nick's breathing and Buzz's soft snores, and once more realizes just how lucky he is. Which is kind of the point- it makes him feel guilty sometimes, that he's so fortunate and in good health when there are so many others who aren't. By now, several of their acquaintances and even friends have fallen victim to the virus, some of whom didn't survive it.Nick and Cody have taken to checking in with Murray every other day; so far, he's been doing alright, which they are grateful for. Cody also keeps regular contact with his family, all of whom are doing well, to his relief, though there's been the occasional scare.On the day they heard that Straightaway had passed away, Cody went onto the foredeck and threw one of the chairs into the water, and then he stood there and cried, helplessly and terribly, until Nick gently took his arms and tugged him along, down to their bedroom, where he wrapped a blanket and himself around Cody and they hid from the world for the rest of the day, sharing their grief. Even Buzz, who wiggled under the blanket with them, seemed to understand that something was wrong.“It's just unfair,” Cody kept repeating once he had calmed down enough to find his voice, hoarse and brittle.“I know.” Nick didn't sound much better. “Never is. Wasn't in 'Nam, isn't today.” Cody ponders this now, as he slowly drifts off to sleep, knowing what else Nick'd say: that they too had their fair share of unhappiness and hardship. That it didn't mean they deserved better than others, but that most people experienced trials and tribulations at one point in their lives, for whichever reasons. And Cody knows that he's right, of course he is. Still, on some days, this knowledge is more difficult to bear than on others. He's slightly abashed though that he needed to be reminded that he isn't doing it alone.With a sigh, he tightens his hold around Nick and pushes his nose against his skin, which is how he finally nods off; it's past midnight already. Christmas. On the following morning, they are just waking up when Nick's phone rings: it's a video call from Murray and his family, thus the day starts with a heartfelt rendition of “We wish you a merry Christmas” on the Bozinskys' end.“You know,” Cody says later, as they have opened their presents and are making breakfast, “I probably still have that Chipmunks tape somewhere around here.”“Huh,” Nick says, pausing at scrambling the eggs, “I guess it flies better than any frisbee.”Chuckling, Cody presses a kiss on his neck: “Just kidding, big guy.”He's humming “The first Noel” under his breath as he takes the plate of pancakes up to the salon, and Nick nods to himself, glad that his plan seemed to have worked. There'll be other, more difficult times in between, but right now, they're mostly back on track. Can't expect everything to be resolved in one day, of course, and Cody's still looking contemplative when he thinks nobody is watching him, but at least he's doing better on the whole; Nick knows him well enough to see that he isn't just pretending.He glances at Buzz, who's sitting next to him very politely, his attention on the frying pan: “Getting there, hm?”Buzz smiles.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The twilight of dawn was just creeping into the room when there was a loud bang. Cody sat bolt upright and wide-eyed before he was even properly awake, while Nick only blinked, bemused and unsure what he had just heard. He reached for Cody now, but the latter was already getting to his feet.“'s probably just Murray,” Nick muttered, but scrambled after his partner.Murray was just coming up the stairs from his room as Cody and Nick were entering the salon; he was squinting, since he wasn't wearing his glasses, and appeared as dishevelled as his two friends.“Sorry, guys,” he said. “I accidentally shorted out the conducting circuit for my wavelength experiment.”Cody shook his head: “At four a.m.?”“I had it running all night!”Nick regarded him: “You alright, Boz?”“Yeah, yeah... fortunately for me, I was wearing earplugs to drown out the noise from the transducer.”Cody sighed: “Are there any holes in my boat? Or is anything on fire, maybe?”At that, Murray looked puzzled: “No, why?”“Because it sounded as if either or both might be the case.”“It's only my instruments that are busted.”“Oh, well- if you're alright and we're not sinking, I'mma go back to bed.”“And of course, our power's out,” Murray added.Cody, who had already turned to go, paused, exhaling slowly: “Again ?”Murray shrugged contritely: “See, that's why it was a good idea to install the emergency backup generator!”Nick clapped Cody on the shoulder: “On it,” he muttered and disappeared down the stairs.Cody just shook his head. Once they had crawled back into bed, Nick wrapped an arm and a leg around Cody: “You still love the guy,” he muttered.Cody huffed: “On some days it's hard to remember why.”Nick grinned sleepily: “Fair enough.”“What? No 'Come on, Cody, you know he doesn't mean for these things to happen' or anything?”“Too early for that.”Cody huffed again: “It's early alright.”“Close your eyes,” Nick muttered. “I'll rub your belly for a bit.”“Okay...” When Cody and Nick got up a few hours later, Murray was already up. He had gotten coffee, pastries and the paper and set the table.Once they had sat down, he kept looking at Cody with an uncertain expression until the latter sighed: “Stop making that face, Boz. It's okay, I'm not mad at you.”“You're not?”“I was, at four this morning. I guess I slept it off.”Nick grinned but refrained from mentioning any belly-rubbing.Murray was visibly relieved: “Thanks, Cody. You're a swell guy. And I've already had a look at the fried components, I can easily fix the damage.”“That's great, Murray.” Cody gave him a smile.“So are these,” Nick held up a Danish.Murray's expression lit up further: “Did you know that they actually originated from Austria before they became a Danish specialty?”“I didn't.”“Me neither. So where do Bearclaws come from?”“I don't know,” Murray said pensively. “I expect it's a European recipe as well; a lot of the pastries that are common nowadays have derived from there, though they often weren't even sweet in the beginnings but filled with meat or vegetables... It's rather interesting, really.”Cody looked from him to Nick, who held his gaze: See? His expression said. You love him.“Course I do,” Cody muttered. “It's impossible not to.”“What?” Murray asked distractedly.“I just said 'pass me the paper, please'?”“Yeah, of course.” He handed it to Cody, who opened the sports section with a sigh; all was well aboard the Riptide.