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Christmas time in the Kostan household had turned into a raucous display of colour, and sound. Mick sat on the couch, and chuckled at Josef's uncharacteristic exuberance for the festive season as he watched the whirlwind of activity going on around him. The decorations were hung, the tree was almost up. If either of them ate, Mick was sure a turkey with all the trimmings would have been paraded out as well.
"I would have thought bah humbug was more your style," Mick commented with faux derision.
Josef appeared unaffected, stopping just long enough to shrug, and throw out a casual, "It's our first Christmas together; I thought you liked all this traditional crap. Look," Josef held up a toy Reindeer, complete with red, flashing nose, "I even bought Rudolph for you."
"I'm flattered," Mick replied mildly, teeth working back and forth across the pad of his thumb, as he suppressed another round of laughter. "Strictly speaking though, it's not our 'first' Christmas together. We have spent Christmas in each other's company, more or less, for the last sixty odd years."
"Duly noted, Mr Pedantic," Josef baulked at Mick's apparent need to correct, and then tossed his head, and rapid fire witted, "Maybe I'll call it the first Christmas we've spent together where I don't have to get you drunk in order to get a blow job. How does that sound?"
Mick gave a brief snort of amusement, and ignored Josef's condescension.
"Oh, by the way," Mick heard Josef saying to him offhand then, "make sure you have a suitcase packed, and ready to go. We're flying to New York this evening."
"We are?" Mick gave Josef a sideways look.
"I thought you might like to see the Macy's window displays," Josef shrugged, seemingly nonplussed as he continued to put the finishing touches on a Christmas tree Rockefeller himself would be proud of.
"Okay?" Mick raised a questioning eyebrow, "I take it this is more of that 'traditional crap' I'm apparently so fond of?"
"Sure, why not," Josef offered another shrug, and then held a ladder steady whilst one of the help scaled the lofty heights of the tree, a 24 carat gold star in hand - Josef had considered using his Vampire abilities to jump up there and place the star himself, eventually dismissing the idea as being entirely too farcical. "Why," the decoration in place, Josef shifted his attention back to Mick, "what did you use to do for Christmas?"
Mick was on his feet then, walking over to where Josef stood, and wrapping his arms around Josef's waist, "Oh, you know, we put up a Christmas tree, exchanged presents, hung stockings, visited Santa – you know, family stuff. Why, what did you use to do?"
Josef grinned, and pretended to wave a lackadaisical hand. "Oh, you know, we slaughtered a goat, plucked a couple of chickens, went to church, prayed we wouldn't get the plague – you know, family stuff."
"Very funny."
"Really? I thought so."
Mick's attempt at rolling his eyes with world-weary impatience was belied by the smile on his face. Josef was being his usual cavalier self, just a hair shy of petulance. Mick loved him for that. His expression shifted whimsical for a moment; as he smiled, and leant forward to place a kiss on Josef's mouth. "I love you; you know that, don't you?"
"Mm," Josef replied with apparent noncommittal, as he brushed a stray lock of hair from Mick's forehead. "So you've told me, once or twice."
"Jerk," Mick rolled his eyes, and shot with good natured derision, "You're supposed to…"
"I love you too," Josef gritted his teeth, and muttered under his breath. "Now go pack."
"You really don't like saying that out loud, do you," Mick teased as he started to back away. They'd been together almost a year, and getting Josef to say those three little words was still like trying to get blood out of a stone.
"I have expensive tastes, talk's cheap." Josef offered Mick a disarming smile.
Mick thought about parrying something in return, and then gave a begrudging snort of laughter, and broke into a run, taking the steps two by two.
They were in the air two hours later.
"So when we ah…get to New York," Mick shifted a little uncomfortably in his plane seat as they cruised at altitude, "do you want to take some time to visit Sarah?"
"No," Josef fiddled with the shade on the window, "I'll see her next month."
"You still think about her, don't you?" Mick asked.
"I visit her once a month, and pay for her care; no, I don't think about her at all," Josef deadpanned. And then his expression softened. "You still think about Beth?"
"Yeah, sometimes, of course I do," Mick immediately went on the defensive; sure he was being accused of some impropriety, "Beth was important to me. We had some good years together, before her…"
"…Well, there you have it then."
Josef cut Mick off with a smile, and a shrug. Everything was so easy to him, Mick thought as he studied the laissez-faire look on Josef's face - we both have pasts, Mick, who cares; move on. Even the way they had gotten together hadn't exactly been a fanfare filled event. Mick remembered how he had lain staring up at the ceiling, struggling to control his thoughts, and rate of breathing in the aftermath of that first time they had tumbled into bed together. "It was bound to happen eventually," Josef had commented, as if none of it was that big a deal, before casually announcing his intent to have Mick move in with him. It had all sounded so simple and straightforward; Mick had found himself readily agreeing with Josef's proposal without giving it a second thought.
Mick turned his attention back to the glass of Scotch on the small table in front of him. They would be landing soon; Mick debated whether or not he could be bothered pouring a refill from the complimentary beverages bar, as he drained what was left in the bottom.
And then they were setting down in the Big Apple, the plane bouncing hard as they skidded along the runway.
"Remind me to have a word with the pilot," Josef pursed his lips, and fumed as they alighted, and went to collect their luggage.
"By 'have a word with' I take it you mean 'bite and drain the blood of'." Mick arched an eyebrow at Josef, and grinned. "Somehow I don't think the Airline would be too appreciative of that."
"Really," Josef countered with an arched brow grin of his own, his singular response dripping with trademark sarcasm.
They freshened up when they got to the hotel – showered, got changed – Josef seemed nervous as he tucked a folded handkerchief into the pocket of his suit coat, and drew a matching tie around his neck.
"Damn it," Josef cursed when he couldn't get the knot right.
"Relax," Mick went over, and helped Josef with his tie, "What's up with you anyway? You're primping way more than usual."
"I do not 'primp'," Josef drew himself up to his full height, and huffed with all the self-righteous indignation he could muster.
"Oh come on," Mick lowered his eyes, and put on his best 'you know I'm right' expression, "yes you do, you're doing it right now."
"Yes, well," Josef stopped fiddling with the cuffs of his shirt, and cleared his throat, before offering Mick a disarming smile. "Maybe I just like to look nice for you."
"Well thank you," Mick replied with exaggerated sincerity.
"Are we going to stand here taking pot shots at one another all night?"
"I don't know about you, but I could stand to go another ten rounds," Mick parried with a cheeky grin.
"Against me?" Josef scoffed, "In your dreams. You wouldn't last the distance."
"I've done alright so far haven't I?"
"Yeah, you have." Mick had still been teasing; Josef's own expression shifted earnest as he drew his arms around Mick's neck, and placed a tender kiss on Mick's lips.
Mick thought to say something, when Josef interrupted with a casual, "Let's go."
They made their way to mid-town Manhattan; the Rockefeller centre would be their starting point, before they headed down 34th and Broadway.
"I saw this tree lit in 1955," Josef looked up at the Christmas tree stretching towards the night sky, "I was going to propose to Sarah under it, before – you know," Josef gestured to finish the remainder of his sentence, and then brightened. "Maybe I'll propose to you instead."
Mick did a double take, and then noticed the grin on Josef's face. "Yeah right," Mick chuckled.
"Come on," Josef linked his arm with Mick's, and growled when Mick playfully pulled his Fedora cap down over his eyes - as they headed towards the Christmas window displays.
"Wow," Mick studied the scene in the first window, a perfect replica of the night before Christmas, and then gave a low whistle. "Man, I didn't realise the level of detail that went into these things."
"They are impressive," Josef remarked as they made their way from one window to the next, his hands shoved into his pockets then to hide his increasing nervousness.
Mick shot Josef a quick glance, and furrowed his brow. He decided not to say anything, figured Josef's nerves were business related; he'd left the new guy in charge at a pinch.
Mick paused at the next display. There was something familiar about it; like someone had taken a snapshot of their lives, and displayed it in miniature. And then he noticed the small plaque meant to describe the scene. It read simply 'marry me'.
Realisation was slow to dawn; Mick's jaw fell when it did.
Josef placed a hand under Mick's chin, and carefully closed Mick's mouth for him. "You know an answer at some stage would be appreciated," he casually pointed out.
An answer? Mick's gaze continued to roam across the scene in front of him, taking in tiny details. He remembered the offhanded joke Josef had made back at the Rockefeller Christmas tree.
Maybe I'll propose to you instead
That's what this was then, a joke – albeit a very elaborate one – Mick was sure of it.
"You son of a bitch." Laughing, Mick turned to Josef, and placed two hands in the middle of his chest, shoving him backwards onto the sidewalk below, before he started to look around. "Alright, where are the cameras? It's not like you to pull a prank this elaborate, and not record it for posterity."
Josef picked himself up, and dusted himself off with an indignant huff. "You know if you wanted me to go down on bended knee, you only had to ask. And no, it's not a prank; this display cost me a small fortune to set up, it was supposed to be a pleasant surprise."
Josef had meant what he said about one thing, talk was cheap; it seemed he had decided to display his feelings in the grandest way possible instead.
"I'm sorry," Mick stammered out an apology, and then furrowed his brow. "You're proposing to me?"
"What do you need it spelt out for you? Oh wait," Josef pointed to the plaque that accompanied the display, "I already did."
"Yeah alright, keep your fangs in." Mick shifted defensive, his mouth set in a line of disapproval. "You caught me off guard, I wasn't expecting this."
"Sixty years is a long time to wait, Mick. Maybe I didn't feel like waiting another sixty." Josef's own manner softened. "Well?" And then he was arching a questioning eyebrow, and waiting for Mick to respond.
"You want to know what my answer is."
"That would be nice," Josef gave a facetious smile, "Sometime this cent…"
…"Yes." Mick interrupted the rest of Josef's planned sarcasm.
"Yes?"
Mick smiled, and drew his arms around Josef's neck, "Yes."
Ignoring the cheers, and whistles of the small crowd that had gathered around them, Mick leant forward, and pressed his lips against Josef's own then. Moments later he broke the kiss, and commented in Josef's ear, "You don't do things by half, do you?"
"Nope," Josef grinned, and then drew his cell phone out of his pocket. "I suppose I'd better call the appropriate people, and let them know the display can be changed."
"No, don't," Mick placed a halting hand on Josef's arm. "I kind of like the idea of having it displayed to the world like that."
"New York's hardly the world, Mick," Josef pointed out, as they made their way back along the street they had come down.
"Half the world then," Mick shrugged, and then gave Josef a playful shove. "And next time, don't pull a stunt on me like that again."
"Okay," Josef clamped his mouth shut, and suppressed the urge to chuckle.
"And if you do, at least try and drop a few hints so I'm prepared for it."
Josef nodded his understanding; his lips still pressed together, lest he burst out in merriment.
"And next time…"
"…Mick!" Josef called out in exasperation then.
"What, shut up?"
"No," Josef tittered with amusement, and then stole a quick kiss. "I love you, Merry Christmas."