Title: Labyrinth

Pairing: Josef/Mick

Rating: Low Level NC17 for mildly explicit sexual content

Disclaimer: All publically recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: A Moonlightaholics Champagne Challenge Response. Challenge # 103 - Write a fic on the theme of what happened after Mick said "I'm a vampire" to Beth at the end of episode 2, "Out of the Past.

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"You do of course realise I'm going to have to kill her now?"

Mick shot Josef a panicked glare over his shoulder, and then let out a relieved breath when he saw the cheeky smile on his friend's face.

"That's not funny, Josef."

"It wasn't?" Josef's voice sounded mock crestfallen. "Damn, I'm losing my touch. Hold still."

Mick winced in momentary pain, fingers digging into the flesh at the top of his thighs, as Josef dug the metal forceps into his back and extracted the last of the buckshot.

"Right, all done." Josef dropped the pellet into the glass jar on top of the kitchen bench. Picking up the damp cloth that lay nearby he wiped it over Mick's skin, cleaning off the streaks of dried blood. "Now, tell me what happened."

Josef's tone was matter of fact, but the movement of his hand, still wiping the cloth over Mick's back, languid, almost like a caress, felt like something more.

"There's not much to tell." Mick snatched the cloth from Josef's hand, tossing it aside, and got to his feet. He turned to face Josef, arms folded across his chest and stance defensive, a distinct note of discomfort in his expression. "She walked in on me vamped out and sucking on a bag of O positive. I told her what I was, and then-"

"-you kicked her out."

"Something like that." Mick arched a quick eyebrow and chewed on his bottom lip for a moment, his expression making it clear he didn't want to discuss the subject any further.

"How did I guess?" Josef muttered the words under his breath, eyes raised skyward. He turned his attention back to Mick, a pointed smile drawn across his face. "And then of course you had to ring me."

"Well what was I supposed to do, Josef." Mick scrunched his brow in annoyance. "I couldn't exactly ask Beth to go digging silver pellets out of me; she was freaked out enough as it was. And stop staring."

"I'm not staring." Josef's gaze trailed across Mick's half naked form. "I'm just admiring the view."

"Well don't." Mick's tone was pointed, a determined look passing over his features.

"Don't?" Josef arched an eyebrow in Mick's direction, lips curled in a knowing smile. "That's not what you told me last week."

Josef stepped closer. His hand stroked across Mick's chest, fingers tracing down Mick's abdomen.

"Yeah, well things change." Mick snatched Josef's hand away.

"Oh really?" Josef pressed forward, moving further into Mick's space, breath fanning hot on the side of Mick's face. "Says who?"

"Says me." Mick shot Josef an irate look, teeth clenched and mouth set in affronted line. "Besides, last week I was drunk. As a matter of fact, I've been drunk nearly every single time we've been together, Josef. So what does that tell you?"

"I don't know?" Josef cocked his head, and quipped with overtones of mock politeness. "Alcohol's an aphrodisiac?"

"You don't get to change the rules halfway through the game, Mick." Josef's tone shifted then, falling dark and salacious, almost menacing in its invitation. "I thought you understood that?"

Josef's hand slipped below the elastic waistband of Mick's boxers, fingers encircling the hardness found there.

"And you're not drunk now, are you?" Josef's hand began to stroke Mick's length, a slow maddening rhythm.

"Josef…" Mick's breath hitched in his chest, his formed protest silenced by Josef's lips pressing against his.

Josef's fingers gripped tighter, pace quickening. Mick's breathing fell ragged, hips thrusting in time to Josef's hand movements up and down his shaft, resistance giving way to pleasure.

"Come." Josef whispered a single word, heated command in Mick's ear, a sharp hiss of approval eliciting from his lips as he felt Mick's cock spasm in his hand.

And then Mick was uttering a single cry of release, body arched upwards, drawn by an invisible string. Fangs sunk deep into Josef's neck; Mick shuddered and growled his way through the climax that tore through him, his fluid pumping over Josef's hand.

"Get cleaned up, and get dressed." Josef instructed Mick matter of fact when Mick's orgasm was spent, pausing to wipe Mick's semen from his hand on the discarded rag that lay on the bench in front of him.

"Why?" A series of weak kneed aftershocks still hummed through Mick's body.

"I'm taking you to my place." Josef shrugged, and looked as if the suggestion were the most natural one in the world for him to have made at that time. "I have freshies there, and you need to feed properly. Besides," Josef arched a pointed eyebrow in Mick's direction, "I expect you to return that little favour."

"Don't be long." Mick heard Josef telling him then, watching as Josef turned heel and sauntered away. Flopping down on Mick's leather sofa, Josef picked up the remote for the TV and started flicking through channels at random.

Josef's manner was forced nonchalance, trying to affect the impression that what had just happened didn't really matter. Mick knew different. Perhaps he'd always known.

Mick hesitated for a moment, oscillating between thoughts of Beth and thoughts of Josef, wondering exactly how he was expected to negotiate that particular Labyrinth. Pushing such concerns to the back of his mind for the time being, Mick drew a quick unneeded breath, and then headed off to take a shower.

Life for Mick St John had just gotten a whole lot more complicated.