joenicky and some of the little things they celebrate over the centuries? Calendars change but the solstices are still the solstices so maybe those? Idk have fun with it 🥰
“Jolabokaflod!” cries Joe, bursting in the front door of the small house in which he and Nicky are lying low. He has a cheerful red scarf wrapped around his neck and his hair is dusted with snow. There’s a package wrapped in brown paper in his hand.
“What have you done?” Nicky asks dryly from his seat by the fire.
Joe closes the door and stamps the snow off his boots. The look on his face is pure mischief. “Nothing,” Joe says cheerfully, shrugging out of his coat and hanging it on a peg. “Nothing particularly wicked, anyway.”
This isn’t perhaps as reassuring as Joe thinks. “Should I be armed?” Nicky asks.
“Psh,” Joe says, ambling across the room to sit across from Nicky. “How many knives do you have on your person right now?”
“And your special knife.”
Nicky wiggles a hand. “Eh.”
Joe laughs softly, and offers Nicky the parcel he’s still holding. “For you.”
Nicky takes the package and slides his fingers under the string tied expertly around it. “What’s the occasion?”
“Jolabokaflod!” Joe crows. “The Icelandic tradition of exchanging books on December 24th.” He waggles his eyebrows. “We get to read all day.”
Nicky pulls the paper away from his book and finds a new book about Circe. “Sorcery,” he says, delighted. “Extremely festive.”
Joe slumps back in his chair, happiness written across his face. “I knew you would like it.”
Nicky slides his hand down beside his chair and pulls out a package wrapped in paper depicting dinosaurs in Santa hats. “And for you.”
“You jolabokaflodded me?” Joe asks.
Nicky closes one eye at the verb, but nods as Joe takes the package.
Joe rips the paper open. “Three Bags Full, A Sheep Detective!” he says with wonder. “SHEEP who solve crime?”
Nicky smiles at him. “Sadly there were no goat detectives to be hand.”
Joe nods solemnly. “I do like a good goat,” he agrees. He looks over at Nicky eyes twinkling. “I’ll make tea. And – “
“—we’ll go back to bed,” Nicky finishes, causing Joe to clap his hands once in affirmation. He stands, leans in and kisses Nicky’s forehead. “Happy book day, my love,” he whispers.
Nicky tilts his head back to steal a proper kiss.
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