Nick leant back in his chair, bandaged foot up on the table as he glanced at his watch. Two am. They should have been back by now, he frowned.
He had sprained his ankle as they sloshed through the mud at the latest anomaly site and had been sent home, with much protestation, but Stephen promised to get Connor and himself home by midnight so he had conceded. And now they were late.
He willed the tight clenching in his gut to cease as the told himself they were just late. He glanced at his phone again as if expecting a missed call to suddenly appear.
A jingle of keys and Connor's lighthearted laugh sounded on the front step as the door unlocked and Nick flung himself out of the chair, carefully balanced on his good ankle and hobbled towards the door.
Dried mud flaked over the floor as he grasped at Steven's jacket, hands sliding across his chest and arms checking for injuries. He then moved to Connor who grinned and pressed into the questing hands as Stephen helped him shove Nick inside and close the door.
Nick sighed in relief as he leant against Stephen, then his eyes narrowed and he stood up straight.
"You're two hours late." Stephen looked at Connor who started laughing.
"Nick I know it was muddy out there, but do you really think we both got this covered just walking through it?"
Nick finally took in their appearances properly, both men were covered in black mud, most dry but with the occasional sticky wet patch where it had been thicker, it was in their hair and on their faces and absolutely coated all of their clothing.
Connor noted Nick's dawning understanding and helpfully supplied.
"We got bogged. It took us almost two hours to dig the car out."
Nick shook his head and laughed before looking them both up and down and gesturing up the bathroom.
"Shower, now."
Stephen leant in and kissed him before handing him the crutches that had been left leaning against the wall when Nick had come inside.
"You should go to bed, it's late. We'll join you when we're clean."
Nick smiled and watched his two mud streaked lovers fight over the first shower before hobbling into the bedroom.