Hey guys, this is my first fic for The Old Guard. I've only watched it twice so far, but I love it, and I needed to write this scene that is my headcanon for after they leave Merrick's building. Joe and Nicky are so in love it makes me so happy.

I hope you enjoy it, much love xox

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The car ride had been mostly silent, everyone was processing everything that had just transpired in Merrick's building and over the past few days. It was a lot to take in. A new one of them, Booker selling them out, Andy becoming mortal; it was too much.

Joe glared daggers at Booker the entire way to another safe house, he felt many things about the situation, they all did. Betrayed of course, shocked, hurt (both physically and emotionally), outraged, upset…there were too many emotions and sitting there in the car he couldn't express any of them how he needed to. Nicky had sat between the two men in an attempt to keep things calm in the car, he held Joe's hand, leaned into him and whispered to him in different languages, trying to sooth his lover.

It was hours before they reached the safe house, and they were all very weary by the time Nile pulled the car up in front of an old cottage that was falling apart on the outskirts of a little town. It wasn't much, but it would serve them for now.

They were all a mess of dried blood and rubble, ripped clothes, and low spirits. Everyone slumped down into various chairs once inside and the place was deemed secure, Joe made himself comfortable in Nicky's lap, unable to be more than arms-length away from the love of his life, and in return Nicky circled his arms around the man in his lap and held him like he'd never let go. Andy was made to use the shower first and Nile redressed her wounds while Booker took his turn. Nile was next, and then Nicky motioned for Joe to go before him, but Joe wasn't letting Nicky out of his sight. He tugged Nicky up and dragged him into the bathroom with him.

"Hey…" Nicky said softly as the bathroom door clicked shut behind him, "it's alright, we made it out, I'm not going anywhere."

"Nicolò," Joe's voice was cracked and his eyes gazed at the floor, there was so much he needed to say but the words were uncharacteristically caught in his throat, "I-" he swallowed.

Nicky stepped into Joe's space and wrapped his arms around his lover's familiar waist, holding him close, knowing everything his love wanted to say. Joe immediately hugged him tightly, his face buried in Nicky's neck, and he couldn't stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks onto their ruined shirts.

"I-I am so, so angry," Joe admitted, heat in his voice, "how could he do that?"

Nicky stroked his back soothingly, "I know, I'm angry too. However, Yusuf, my Yusuf, we are still here together. Nothing could ever keep me from you."

"No thanks to Booker," Joe spat, the tears starting to dry up.

Nicky nodded solemnly, Booker would be punished for this, if he were mortal Nicky would have killed him already for putting the love of his in such peril, he might regardless. Despite how he was feeling, he wanted to bring back the light in Joe's eyes and sooth the storm raging inside of him, "I haven't seen you this angry since that bartender in Jamaica tried to get me drunk and hit on me," Nicky stated as he caressed Joe's cheek and beard.

"I had every right to be angry, just because he was a giant, handsome man with dreadlocks down to his pert ass did not mean that he could have my Nicolò, my moon and stars, my everything."

Success, there would be time to be furious with Booker, but right now he just want to be with Joe, "You are quite right my heart. Now, let us get out of these clothes and under the water," Nicky suggested with a small smile and turned the shower on, then began tugging off Joe's clothing.

"You always know what to say," Joe told his love while also undressing him, his shirt almost ripping off.

"I should hope so by now, we've known each other long enough," Nicky chuckled while he slid Joe's pants to the floor,

A shiver ran through Joe, even after all this time, the simple things Nicky did still made his heart flutter and his stomach clench. He leant in and kissed his love, it was full of passion and need, but it was also slow and savouring. Nick shucked his own pants off and pulled Joe into the shower by the waist, not breaking the kiss for a moment.

Joe's back ended up against the tiled wall of the shower, a gasp fell out of his mouth from the cold tile on his warm skin, and Nicky ate it up, hardly letting either of them breathe between kisses. Joe was the overly, incurable romantic between them, there was no competition, but it didn't mean that Nicky loved him any less than Joe loved him, or showed that love less. They were confident in their relationship, and could be just a needy as each other at times; this was one of those times. Even though Nicky had just soothed Joe, didn't mean he didn't have his own emotions; he had been just as scared to lose Joe as Joe had been to lose him.

"I love you Yusuf, my sweet, beautiful Yusuf," Nicky mouthed almost inaudibly, but Joe got the message.

"Oh, Nicolò, I am more in love with you than words can ever say," Joe barely finished his sentence before his mouth was claimed once more.

Nicky pressed his body against Joe's, they lined up perfectly as always, as if they had been made for each other, and maybe they had been. It was a lovely thought.

Hips slowly began to grind against hips as Nicky's fingers got lost in Joe's hair, and Joe's hands caressed the well-known contours of Nicky's body. Joe was the first to make a sound; it was only a low moan but Nicky heard it over the running water.

"My body burns for you, my heart aflame with love, forever will still not be long enough by your side," Joe confessed poetically.

"Ahhwww, Yusuf, you make me the luckiest man in all of time," Nicky kissed Joe, sucking on his lower lip and rocked his hips harder against Joe's, bringing more delicious noises from his lover.

"Touch me, Nicky, please," it sounded desperate even to Joe, and honestly it was.

Not one to deny his love; Nicky reached between them and held their solid lengths together, a raspy moan escaped his lips when he began to pump them together, his hand sliding easily over their soft skin. Joe grasped one of Nicky's ass cheeks in one hand and caressed his face, neck and chest with the other, bringing a low growl from Nicky. With his free hand Nicky easily found Joe's nipples and played with them, rubbing and pinching until they were stiff and Joe was almost mewling with his head tipped back against the wall. Nicky found this opportunity to suck and bite at Joe's exposed neckline causing Joe to thrust rapidly into Nicky's hand, his eyes closed.

"I could…look at you like this forever," Nicky told him breathlessly, he loved the way Joe looked moments before he would come; hooded eyes, lips parted, skin shiny with sweat, and cock ready to burst.

Joe crushed their mouths together at the last second, his moans muffled by Nicky as he came. Nicky milked every last bit of pleasure out of him before releasing his grip on Joe and focusing on his own completion, which didn't take long considering who he had in front of him.

"Mmmmnnn, fuck," Nicky groaned and rested his forehead on Joe's shoulder panting.

"The sooner we get clean, the sooner we get to the cuddling part," Joe suggested pressing light kisses to the side of Nicky's face.

"You're right," Nicky agreed and caught Joe's lips in a distracting kiss.

They only broke apart because of the loud knock on the door followed by Andy's voice, "Guys, there's only one toilet, you've been in there an hour."

"Sorry Boss!" Nicky called out.

"Be right out!" Joe added.

They looked at each other and grinned before Joe got the soap from the dish and began washing the blood and grime from Nicky's body that hadn't washed away already.

"We're going to be in here another hour if you keep that up," Nicky told him huskily.

"I would not object to that," Joe admitted slyly.

"Ah, Yusuf, as much as I want that my heart, I do not wish to piss off Andy right now."

"Hmm, good point, perhaps later," Joe suggested and began using the soap on himself, but never took his eyes away from the man in front of him.

"Definitely later my love," Nicky assured him with a kiss and a promising grin. They both needed much more of the other, it had been a traumatic time in their long lives and it was going to take a little more than a shower to make things feel okay again, but they would always get there, as long as they had each other.