(It's an expected response. The very same Nicky had felt bubbling in his own gut the moment he realized it, and seeing that surface on Joe hurt even worse. They had only been forced into separation once or twice in their lifetime, and those had been sheer agony. This was something else though. This somehow felt more nefarious if only for the fact that neither of them had realized it until this exact second.

He moves towards Joe instinctively, reaching out to rest a hand against his bicep, squeezing.)

I do not know, Yusuf. Shh. (He shifts around so that he could ease his arm over Joe's shoulders, tucking him against his own body.)

We will figure it out. We always do. (Always.) We are still together. That's all that matters. The rest is music. We simply need to learn the dance that goes along with it.

(See, Nicky could be poetic and profound too sometimes.)