Joe was so angry he could barely speak. It was a foreign feeling for him to feel that way when it came to Nicky. He hadn't experienced it for so many years he barely remembered what it was like. Miserable, was what it was. Utterly miserable and exhausting, but he couldn't just let it go. Not this time.
Nicky had his reasons. Joe knew that. He'd heard them all so many times as they argued and fought about his plans. And even though he understood them and on some level agreed, he just couldn't accept his husband taking it upon himself to go and ruin their agreed upon punishment because he believed his rationale was more important than the team's for justice.
It was a betrayal in its own right. Their family had been given up to cruel, sadistic people and the man responsible needed to pay a price. Every time Nicky ignored that and went to him, he was saying that Andy and Joe's pain meant less that his guilt. Than Booker's grief. Than Joe's arguments and pleading that their friend needed to have this time alone to reflect and realize the impact of his decisions. It had been loud, ugly fights between the two lovers and the fallout from them was even uglier. For the first time in so long, Joe slept separately from Nicky. He barely spoke to him. He left rooms when he came in and nursed his own broken heart alone.
It was exhausting and he hated it but he couldn't bring himself to forgive yet. Not yet. Not when Nicky was still hurting him so badly. Which was why, when he came to him with concerns about unreturned texts, Joe's mind focused on the fact that there were still texts as opposed to the fact they were going unanswered. 'Maybe he finally figured out what you haven't and went to take his punishment,' he'd reasoned. But then, a few days later, the phone was thrown in his lap with a response.
It wasn't what he had expected to receive.
Joe looked at the picture carefully, trying to piece together what he was seeing. Nicky was already starting to pack and Joe crossed over to grab his shoulder with a bracing, "Woah. Woah, habibi, wait a minute." The endearment was just habit. It fell from his lips before he realized it and he nearly winced when he realized it had. Not the time for that, though. "What is this? What are you doing? Just going to walk blindly into an obvious trap, alone? Are you insane?"
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Nicky had his reasons. Joe knew that. He'd heard them all so many times as they argued and fought about his plans. And even though he understood them and on some level agreed, he just couldn't accept his husband taking it upon himself to go and ruin their agreed upon punishment because he believed his rationale was more important than the team's for justice.
It was a betrayal in its own right. Their family had been given up to cruel, sadistic people and the man responsible needed to pay a price. Every time Nicky ignored that and went to him, he was saying that Andy and Joe's pain meant less that his guilt. Than Booker's grief. Than Joe's arguments and pleading that their friend needed to have this time alone to reflect and realize the impact of his decisions. It had been loud, ugly fights between the two lovers and the fallout from them was even uglier. For the first time in so long, Joe slept separately from Nicky. He barely spoke to him. He left rooms when he came in and nursed his own broken heart alone.
It was exhausting and he hated it but he couldn't bring himself to forgive yet. Not yet. Not when Nicky was still hurting him so badly. Which was why, when he came to him with concerns about unreturned texts, Joe's mind focused on the fact that there were still texts as opposed to the fact they were going unanswered. 'Maybe he finally figured out what you haven't and went to take his punishment,' he'd reasoned. But then, a few days later, the phone was thrown in his lap with a response.
It wasn't what he had expected to receive.
Joe looked at the picture carefully, trying to piece together what he was seeing. Nicky was already starting to pack and Joe crossed over to grab his shoulder with a bracing, "Woah. Woah, habibi, wait a minute." The endearment was just habit. It fell from his lips before he realized it and he nearly winced when he realized it had. Not the time for that, though. "What is this? What are you doing? Just going to walk blindly into an obvious trap, alone? Are you insane?"