A/N: ....so, uh, hi! I unexpectedly moved during the panini, and it messed up my writing groove, but I'm still working on this! and yes, the chapter count went up. We're now half-way through this fic! This chapter contains spoilers for Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Gods of Jade and Shadow.
*
3. Nicky
“‘You can’t steal love,’ she told him. ‘You can only earn it. And I want to be the kind of person who can still believe, after all this time, that I will deserve it.’” --Courtney Milan’s After the Wedding
Booker hits send on his drafted text to Nicky: would you like to read a book together?
As in a bedtime story?
Booker rolls his eyes. like a book club
yes. What did you have in mind?
Booker did not expect such a speedy reply, so he hadn’t decided which of his books to suggest. He scans the pile of books on the TV tray near him, and finds a romance – Nicky’s always loved a good romance. He takes a picture, along with the name of the book and author.
Nicky’s reply is a mere 👍.
The socializing ball now out of his court, he sets his phone aside and cracks the book open. He doesn’t want to fall behind – the last time they had done this was by letter, and Nicky had spoiled that the Admiral was the murderer.
It takes Nicky a few days to start live texting him, but when he does, he wakes up to a slew of fourteen text messages ranging from ah yes, the classic marriage of convenience; Malta 1649 to I am glad to see historicals about bisexuals 🏳🌈. It certainly motivates Booker to keep reading ahead of Nicky.
“I like watching you race each other,” Quỳnh notes with bemusement, as Booker tries to live text his own reading experience. Something he struggles with, since he gets swept up in the book entirely. Quỳnh has to remind him the tea kettle is ready, so would he set the book down so he can stop the kettle’s shrieking?
When at last they both finish the book (Booker first, likely because he has nothing else going on in his life), they text more. Nicky types, I would call, but that’s not an option right now. Why did you pick this book? Ah, so Nicky’s probably up to trouble with everyone else; Booker’s surprised by how he both by how he misses being part of a group doesn’t miss feeling alone within it.
Booker is honest. It was next to me and you like romances.
Can we read this one next? I can visit you for IRL book club 😊 Nicky sends a photo of a green and gold book cover comes in.
Booker replies, yes, of course! 😁
😊 then I will save all my comments for then
In reality, Booker feels a prickle of sweat. He wants to make a good impression on Nicky. And … shit, that means he’ll need to cook something spectacular.
*
Gods of Jade and Shadow is not what Booker expects, and yet he devours the thing in one go. When he closes the book at last, he stares at the wall, still under its spell. Quỳnh slinks into the kitchen for a midnight snack, and says through a mouthful of expensive cheese, “That good?”
“Yeah,” Booker says, “yeah.”
“Can I read it?”
Booker wordlessly hands it to her, and she settles in against his side, beginning. They fall asleep pressed against one another, the half-finished book still open in Quỳnh’s lap.
*
The day Nicky is set to arrive, Quỳnh decides to help Booker cook.
“You’re not worried he’ll see you?”
“Nicolò would find it rude to show up eight hours early, even if he did likely arrive last night just in case of unforeseen circumstance.” She’s right, of course. “And he once cooked me a marvelous loaf of bread. We ate it with honey… My memories are not all that they were, the order of them especially, but I remember the taste of it, and laughing with him. He gave me the leftover honey – for Andromache, he said, with a wink.”
Booker likes hearing Quỳnh reminisce. Andy didn’t do it much because it hurt, and Nicky and Joe’s memories of her and Quỳnh only go so far back. Quỳnh remembers Andy unsuccessfully trying to ride a water buffalo along with the requisite embarrassingly bawdy sex tales (“She claimed she was sore from riding the shepherd, but I knew it was the water buffalo”). It’s a side of Andy no one’s seen for many years. He hopes, if he’s lucky, he’ll see it for himself.
They work together, Quỳnh on her bread and Booker on minestrone soup he decides to throw vegan Parmesan in, just to see if Nicky will notice. Then he makes a galette; rolling out the filo dough keeps his mind off of how nervous he is. He still has a little time before Quỳnh’s bread is done in the oven, so he also makes garlic and herb butter.
Eventually, there’s a full spread of food, more than just he and Nicky can eat, and Quỳnh’s loaf of bread comes out of the oven. The whole apartment smells delicious and lived-in, like someone with a life worth living lives here.
Quỳnh takes her leave, and half an hour later, Nicky knocks on their door.
*
Over an early dinner, they talk about Gods of Jade and Shadow. “I thought this was going to be a romance,” Booker admits sheepishly.
Nicky smiles. “The back of the book fooled you, saying it was a fairy tale?” Booker nods. “Why do you think I love it?”
“It’s… mythic?”
“Because Casiopea does what she must to set the world back in tune,” he corrects. “She’s just an ordinary young woman trying to find her way and do the right thing. And isn’t that what we’re doing?”
Booker feels awkward assuming Nicky would be defined only by his love for Joe, but Nicky is gracious. “And it does make me grateful my star crossed lover and I get to be together. Not all are so fortunate. The right thing isn’t always about what we want to do, although I have been lucky the two have been the same in my life.” He sips his soup. “It’s our responsibility to make a life worth living for ourselves and everyone else too.”
Booker sighs. “I don’t know if I have that much heart left in me.”
“That’s why you’re here,” Nicky says, placing his hand on Booker’s shoulder. Booker feels grateful for the touch. “To take the time to figure out how to live. Watching me and Joe wasn’t helping.”
“That’s a polite way of putting it.”
“Ratting us out didn’t help, either.”
“Are you trying to make me feel better or worse?”
“The truth will set you free,” Nicky nods very sagely.
Booker laughs, a short thing, but a laugh nonetheless. “You little shit.”
“You wouldn’t have it any other way. Now, what is the secret ingredient you put in the soup? I can’t tell what it is.”
“Vegan Parmesan.”
Nicky sets his spoon down. “I am glad people have options, but a good wheel of Parmesan is an art, Booker.”
Booker’s heard this line of thought before, so he quickly exclaims, “Dessert!” They’d been so wrapped up in talking with one another, he’d forgotten to serve Quỳnh’s bread with the soup. He’d promised her he’d give Nicky a slice, so he grabs the loaf along with the honey Quỳnh casually left out. Nicky roots through drawers until he finds fresh plates and utensils.
Nicky raises his eye at the loaf. “You didn’t oversalt it did you?”
Booker chuckles. “No.”
“Well, let’s see.”
They cut into it, and after the first bite, Nicky says pensively, “Pass the honey.”
As they munch once more, Booker thinks to himself Quỳnh must’ve done this deliberately, and Nicky confirms it when he murmurs, “I know the taste of these hands.” He stares at the bite of bread left in his hands, shoves it in his mouth, eyes growing wet, but reaches for a second slice anyway.
*
At the end of their night, Nicky pulls Booker into a long embrace, wool-coat scratchy against him. “Tell her I miss her,” Nicky says, “and pass the hug along.” Booker merely nods, unsure how much he should say. Nicky lets him go, but then hugs him once more.
“Am I passing this one along too?”
Nicky chuckles. “No, that one’s for you.” Booker’s eyes water, but Nicky says nothing of it.
"She was but a girl from nowhere. Let the heroes save the world, save kings who must regain their crowns. Live, live, she wanted to live, and there was a way. […] Instead, she remembered what she’d told Hun-Kamé at the hotel: that she wanted everything to live.” --Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Gods of Jade and Shadow
Books for Booker 4/8
*
3. Nicky
Booker hits send on his drafted text to Nicky: would you like to read a book together?
As in a bedtime story?
Booker rolls his eyes. like a book club
yes. What did you have in mind?
Booker did not expect such a speedy reply, so he hadn’t decided which of his books to suggest. He scans the pile of books on the TV tray near him, and finds a romance – Nicky’s always loved a good romance. He takes a picture, along with the name of the book and author.
Nicky’s reply is a mere 👍.
The socializing ball now out of his court, he sets his phone aside and cracks the book open. He doesn’t want to fall behind – the last time they had done this was by letter, and Nicky had spoiled that the Admiral was the murderer.
It takes Nicky a few days to start live texting him, but when he does, he wakes up to a slew of fourteen text messages ranging from ah yes, the classic marriage of convenience; Malta 1649 to I am glad to see historicals about bisexuals 🏳🌈. It certainly motivates Booker to keep reading ahead of Nicky.
“I like watching you race each other,” Quỳnh notes with bemusement, as Booker tries to live text his own reading experience. Something he struggles with, since he gets swept up in the book entirely. Quỳnh has to remind him the tea kettle is ready, so would he set the book down so he can stop the kettle’s shrieking?
When at last they both finish the book (Booker first, likely because he has nothing else going on in his life), they text more. Nicky types, I would call, but that’s not an option right now. Why did you pick this book? Ah, so Nicky’s probably up to trouble with everyone else; Booker’s surprised by how he both by how he misses being part of a group doesn’t miss feeling alone within it.
Booker is honest. It was next to me and you like romances.
Can we read this one next? I can visit you for IRL book club 😊 Nicky sends a photo of a green and gold book cover comes in.
Booker replies, yes, of course! 😁
😊 then I will save all my comments for then
In reality, Booker feels a prickle of sweat. He wants to make a good impression on Nicky. And … shit, that means he’ll need to cook something spectacular.
*
Gods of Jade and Shadow is not what Booker expects, and yet he devours the thing in one go. When he closes the book at last, he stares at the wall, still under its spell. Quỳnh slinks into the kitchen for a midnight snack, and says through a mouthful of expensive cheese, “That good?”
“Yeah,” Booker says, “yeah.”
“Can I read it?”
Booker wordlessly hands it to her, and she settles in against his side, beginning. They fall asleep pressed against one another, the half-finished book still open in Quỳnh’s lap.
*
The day Nicky is set to arrive, Quỳnh decides to help Booker cook.
“You’re not worried he’ll see you?”
“Nicolò would find it rude to show up eight hours early, even if he did likely arrive last night just in case of unforeseen circumstance.” She’s right, of course. “And he once cooked me a marvelous loaf of bread. We ate it with honey… My memories are not all that they were, the order of them especially, but I remember the taste of it, and laughing with him. He gave me the leftover honey – for Andromache, he said, with a wink.”
Booker likes hearing Quỳnh reminisce. Andy didn’t do it much because it hurt, and Nicky and Joe’s memories of her and Quỳnh only go so far back. Quỳnh remembers Andy unsuccessfully trying to ride a water buffalo along with the requisite embarrassingly bawdy sex tales (“She claimed she was sore from riding the shepherd, but I knew it was the water buffalo”). It’s a side of Andy no one’s seen for many years. He hopes, if he’s lucky, he’ll see it for himself.
They work together, Quỳnh on her bread and Booker on minestrone soup he decides to throw vegan Parmesan in, just to see if Nicky will notice. Then he makes a galette; rolling out the filo dough keeps his mind off of how nervous he is. He still has a little time before Quỳnh’s bread is done in the oven, so he also makes garlic and herb butter.
Eventually, there’s a full spread of food, more than just he and Nicky can eat, and Quỳnh’s loaf of bread comes out of the oven. The whole apartment smells delicious and lived-in, like someone with a life worth living lives here.
Quỳnh takes her leave, and half an hour later, Nicky knocks on their door.
*
Over an early dinner, they talk about Gods of Jade and Shadow. “I thought this was going to be a romance,” Booker admits sheepishly.
Nicky smiles. “The back of the book fooled you, saying it was a fairy tale?” Booker nods. “Why do you think I love it?”
“It’s… mythic?”
“Because Casiopea does what she must to set the world back in tune,” he corrects. “She’s just an ordinary young woman trying to find her way and do the right thing. And isn’t that what we’re doing?”
Booker feels awkward assuming Nicky would be defined only by his love for Joe, but Nicky is gracious. “And it does make me grateful my star crossed lover and I get to be together. Not all are so fortunate. The right thing isn’t always about what we want to do, although I have been lucky the two have been the same in my life.” He sips his soup. “It’s our responsibility to make a life worth living for ourselves and everyone else too.”
Booker sighs. “I don’t know if I have that much heart left in me.”
“That’s why you’re here,” Nicky says, placing his hand on Booker’s shoulder. Booker feels grateful for the touch. “To take the time to figure out how to live. Watching me and Joe wasn’t helping.”
“That’s a polite way of putting it.”
“Ratting us out didn’t help, either.”
“Are you trying to make me feel better or worse?”
“The truth will set you free,” Nicky nods very sagely.
Booker laughs, a short thing, but a laugh nonetheless. “You little shit.”
“You wouldn’t have it any other way. Now, what is the secret ingredient you put in the soup? I can’t tell what it is.”
“Vegan Parmesan.”
Nicky sets his spoon down. “I am glad people have options, but a good wheel of Parmesan is an art, Booker.”
Booker’s heard this line of thought before, so he quickly exclaims, “Dessert!” They’d been so wrapped up in talking with one another, he’d forgotten to serve Quỳnh’s bread with the soup. He’d promised her he’d give Nicky a slice, so he grabs the loaf along with the honey Quỳnh casually left out. Nicky roots through drawers until he finds fresh plates and utensils.
Nicky raises his eye at the loaf. “You didn’t oversalt it did you?”
Booker chuckles. “No.”
“Well, let’s see.”
They cut into it, and after the first bite, Nicky says pensively, “Pass the honey.”
As they munch once more, Booker thinks to himself Quỳnh must’ve done this deliberately, and Nicky confirms it when he murmurs, “I know the taste of these hands.” He stares at the bite of bread left in his hands, shoves it in his mouth, eyes growing wet, but reaches for a second slice anyway.
*
At the end of their night, Nicky pulls Booker into a long embrace, wool-coat scratchy against him. “Tell her I miss her,” Nicky says, “and pass the hug along.” Booker merely nods, unsure how much he should say. Nicky lets him go, but then hugs him once more.
“Am I passing this one along too?”
Nicky chuckles. “No, that one’s for you.” Booker’s eyes water, but Nicky says nothing of it.