Location: South American rainforest
Date: One year from Zero
"I am sorry, you know."
Nick looked up from where he was skinning the litopterna.
"For what?"
Stephen shrugged, and poked at the fire.
"You know what. Helen. I don't think I ever apologised."
"You didn't have to. I know what she's like. She's a bitch, and she left me. I refused to go with her because it would meaning leaving you lot behind."
"What do you mean?"
Nick sighed and set down the knife, leaning forward on his elbows.
"You know when I went through and spoke to her? When Lester had his men go and capture her?" he paused as Stephen nodded. "Well she wanted me to stay with her. To leave you all behind and go travelling with her into the past and future. But I couldn't do it. I told her all sorts, but I couldn't leave you."
There was a pregnant pause.
"I probably wouldn't have managed without you."
"Neither would I."
Location: South American rainforest
Date: Two years from Zero
"Don't be such a spoilsport!" Taylor shouted as she climbed up onto the high rock. "We've seen you with no shirt on before!"
Stephen ducked underwater as she hurled herself from the fifty-foot height and curled into a tiny, compact ball to land beside him and send water spraying everywhere. She surfaced, grinning widely.
"I bet it's cold!" Nick called from where he was perched on a large log at the edge of the lake. Stephen laughed.
"Just jump in then. You can't back out of that," he pointed out, and Taylor swam over to the edge.
"Come on, or I'll force you in," she threatened. Nick's eyebrows shot up in an affronted manner.
"You force me in? Come on, you little brat, like you could manage to do that," he scoffed, but hesitated as he saw Stephen run up out of the water towards them.
"She might not, but I certainly could," he said, hands on hips, and Nick rolled his eyes.
"I refuse to run around this jungle in a state of undress like you too."
Stephen and Taylor both looked down at their underwear.
"Yeah, cos there's so many people here to see you," Taylor shot back sarcastically, and cast Stephen a mischievous grin. "You hold him."
"What? Wait –" but Nick was cut off by Stephen's suddenly wrapping his arms firmly about his chest from behind, and Taylor leapt on his boots, yanking them off.
"I told you I'd force you!" she said cheerfully as she proceeded to pull off his clothes, which was proving slightly difficult as he was squirming in Stephen's firm grip.
"I'll ground you if you carry on like this," Nick warned, trying to prise Stephen's hands from his waist and failing. "You see if I don't."
"Ground me?" Taylor laughed. "I'd like to see you try."
"This is really unfair," Nick settled for complaining as Stephen hauled him bodily up the steep rock face to where Taylor had been jumping. "I refuse to cook dinner tonight."
"Taylor can cook, you do realise," Stephen pointed out as Nick slipped slightly on the wet rock.
"Why do I have no control over you two?" he asked, clearly exasperated, as they reached the top.
"Because we're both rebelling against you. Take a deep breath."
Taylor jumped first, giving them enough room to both land as Stephen wrapped his arms and legs completely around the older man, locking them both together as he hurled them both backwards through the air. The few airborne seconds dragged on for an eternity as Nick was acutely aware of Stephen's hands on his shoulder and waist, legs pressed against his, skin to skin and hip to hip, chest rising and falling against his back as Stephen inhaled deeply, warmth turning to cool as they plunged into the water entangled, now and Nick realised that they always had been.
They hit the bottom and Nick pushed off from the ground hard, shooting them back up through and to the light. They surfaced, heads pounding, Stephen's breath hot on Nick's neck, hands warm again and gentle where they rested, and Nick felt his eyes drifting closed as he relaxed in the warm embrace.
"I told you it wasn't that bad!" Taylor shouted, swimming over to them, and they sprang apart, each with a guilty look on their faces, Nick blushing furiously. She gave them an odd look. "Guys, seriously. I knew before we came here."
"Excuse me?" Stephen asked, bemused, his breath slightly ragged. She smirked.
"Oh come off it. You two've got a thing going on, 'aven't you? I'm not blind, you know. And you're hardly subtle about it."
"Well…"
"I ain't got no problem wiv it. I woulda said if I 'ad. So you can stop blushing, Nick."
"It's not that," he admitted, and looked past Stephen to where they had landed a few metres away. "My boxers came off when we landed. So did yours."
"I'm off!" Taylor said hastily, swimming towards the opposite side of the lake. Stephen glanced at Nick.
"I've seen you naked before."
"By accident."
"Still counts."
Nick smiled and moved back towards him.
Location: South American rainforest
Date: Three years from Zero
"Oh come off it!" Taylor retorted, hands on hips. "You're well the woman here."
"And how have you come to that conclusion, missy?" Nick said with a scowl as Stephen sniggered behind him. "I'm just as macho as him!"
"Mate, you do the cooking and cleaning. Stephen is the one that does the hunting and protecting an' that. I mean, how else is it gonna work?"
"I am the alpha male in this camp! I am the most senior member!" Nick protested, and Stephen jogged past him, grinning.
"Let's see you prove that you're the alpha, granddad," he taunted, and Taylor clambered up onto a nearby rock.
"Yeah, come on, mum. Let's see you be the alpha male!"
"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you!"
Stephen was thrown completely off guard as Nick suddenly launched himself at the younger man, catching him around the waist and throwing both of them to the floor. Stephen landed hard and took a moment to catch his breath before launching himself up and flipping Nick over so that he was straddling him. Nick grinned and headbutted Stephen solidly in the chest, causing him to cough and fall backwards. He jumped up immediately and wrapped one arm around the other's neck, the other around his chest.
"Admit defeat?" he asked, slightly out of breath, and Stephen smirked, hands holding onto Nick's arms.
"Never," he replied cheekily, and to cries of encouragement from Taylor, took a firmer hold of Nick's arms and with an almighty heave, pulled him over his shoulder and onto the ground in front of him. Nick stared up at him, completely winded, and closed his eyes.
"I forgot that you were an Olympic champion," he admitted, staring up at Stephen, who laughed and kneeled upright so that he was bending over the other's man's head, knees pressed against his shoulders.
"Hardly. Junior fencing champion and prospective junior Olympic shooter, that's all."
"Enough for me," Nick replied with a smile and reached up to pull Stephen down to him.
"OK, I'm off!" Taylor said loudly, jumping down from her rock abruptly.
"Do you want to do dinner?" Stephen asked, as Nick rubbed small circles on the back of his neck.
"Sure. Now that you've proven that you're in charge here…"
"Hey!"
"Don't forget to take the rifle just in case!" Stephen called after her as she jogged back to the camp. He grinned down at Nick. "She's not turned out bad, has she?"
"Considering who she's had raising her, no. She could be worse."
"I reckon you make a good mum."
"Shut up."
Stephen grinned as he touched his lips to Nick's.
He reckoned he made a pretty good dad, too.