He left to follow Josef back out onto the street. He was waiting only thirty metres down the road, stubbornly leaning up against their black rented saloon car, sunglasses the single form of protection from the searing midday heat. His only acknowledgment that Mick existed was a brief, blank gaze from the mirrored glasses before he swung the door open and dropped heavily into passenger seat, arms folded expectantly. Mick began to speak, but Josef cut him off.
"I don't want to talk. Let's just go back to the hotel, and I'll fill you in on these meetings for tomorrow."
He kept his eyes facing forward, on the road, and Mick used those seconds to cast a wary glance over his friend. Suddenly Josef seemed to look older, with light purple rings beneath the chocolate of his eyes. What remained of the colour in his face had disappeared, and now his skin had a sickly pallor to it. Josef was clearly distracted; he absently chewed on his bottom lip when he was both concerned and mulling over a problem in his head. Mick wondered how much he still loved Sarah, even after all this time, and whether he had ever considered simply letting her go. But there was no easy way to bring up those subjects, especially right now. Instead Mick tried to decide what he would do if he'd ever tried to turn Beth and it had gone horribly wrong, but it was no use. He didn't love Beth the way Josef loved Sarah.
"Do we need to pick anything up on the way?" Mick ventured, referring to the blood they would require in the morning. Generally hotels did not stock bags of O-, nor did they have freezers in the rooms that were big enough to fit a fully grown man inside. But Josef shook his head.
"Everything is already sorted for us."
"Okay. And when are you going to hire some new staff?" Mick risked another glance in Josef's direction as they pulled up to some traffic lights. He wasn't expecting an answer, considering the fact that Josef had said he didn't want to talk, but he did get an odd look.
"How did you know I was going to have to hire new staff?" He countered, brow puckered in polite interest, as if he was searching a fellow poker player for his tell. Mick shrugged.
"I just assumed that was what you were going to do. Didn't you fire all of your staff?"
"Yes." Josef conceded. "I didn't realise I was so predictable. It's worrisome." Suddenly he was back to frowning, chewing on his bottom lip once more. Mick said nothing as he pulled away from the lights, and they continued to drive in silence. Only once they were parked did he bother to speak again. He adopted a soothing tone.
"You have nothing to worry about. I just know you, Josef. You're not at all predictable." He grinned mischievously. "I didn't see that kiss coming, that's for sure."
Josef smiled a little at the thought, but it disappeared as quickly as it arrived.
"I could tell." He muttered amiably.
"Next time I won't be."
"Next time? I'm definitely predictable."
He shifted his weight in his seat so that he was turned to face Mick, with his back to the door, and in a second Josef was bridging the gap, pressing his lips to Mick's in an almost frantic movement. Without hesitation their lips parted, tongues meeting in a flurry of sword-like gestures; one attacking and one on the defence.
For a moment Mick forgot where he was, that they were sitting in a car park like two teenagers. The scent of Josef, something he'd never really seemed to notice before, was overpowering in the confines of the vehicle, and he grappled behind himself for the door handle in an attempt at getting some fresh air, but to no avail. An involuntary moan escaped from his mouth as Josef's hands began to work their way beneath his jacket.
"Can we at least check in first?" He gasped, begging Josef to let him go for one second. Even though it was not technically necessary for him to breathe, Mick found his lungs shouting for air. This was a new concept for him. Grudgingly, Josef nodded.
"Fine."
And then he was gone, out of the car, walking away without another word. Mick marvelled at the way his companion was so certain he would be followed. He stopped for a second, to right himself, and considered what it was they were actually doing. He thought he loved Beth, and he thought Josef was straight. Hell, he thought he was straight. He'd thought a lot of things. Maybe that was the problem. Maybe the best thing to do would be to just go with it, enjoy himself. Eternity was a long time.