They ended up in Emmett's hotel room this time. It was a cheaper affair. A standard room with two queen sized beds, the only thing that had been available as a smoking room when Emmett checked in. Emmett hated that his feet would sometimes brush open air at the edge of the bed. At least it was easier to forget in the heat of the moment.

Despite Edan's boasts he didn't make it as long as the night before, as far as sex was concerned anyway. At least he managed to lie awake with Emmett into the small hours.

Emmett sat against the headboard, tapping his cigarette into a glass ashtray. The room was hot but he liked an excuse to be nude above the covers.

"What do you think about when you smoke?"

Emmett glanced down. Edan had sunk into the pillows beside him, a focused gaze watching Emmett intently. It made Emmett's face warm now that he knew Edan’s eyes were upon him.

"You don't wanna know."

"I asked, though."

Emmett ran a hand through his hair, blowing out a long smoky sigh. He rested his head against his shoulder, stared into a corner of the room so he wouldn't look at Edan.

"How do you want to die?"

A long silence. Edan's opinions of him were probably changing by the second.

"Around friends and family, I guess?"

What a boringly typical answer. Proof that he'd never considered the thought in the first place.

"Why would anyone want to do that? Force people to sit through heartbreak…" He didn't mean to sound so bitter about it.

"How would you want to do it than?" The tone wasn't offended, just curious.

Emmett finished his cigarette in one long drag, holding the smoke in his chest as he set the ashtray aside. Edan's expression hadn't changed since before. Emmett blew the smoke into the air as he lay down, letting Edan pull him close.

"Far away in a place where no one knows me. Maybe just fall asleep forever in bed all peaceful and shit. I'll destroy all of my IDs so no one knows who I am. The people I knew will just wonder, 'What ever happened to him?'"

Another long silence that didn't surprise Emmett. Edan's grip tightened around him and Emmett couldn't decide if he resented it or not.

"Are you going to be alright while I'm gone?"

"You're going somewhere?"

"A job overseas. Leaving tomorrow."

Tomorrow? Did it hurt? Did he even care? You’re just moody cause it’s dark out.

"I was alright before I met you. I'll be fine. Just cause I think about this shit… it doesn't mean anything." Emmett turned in Edan's arms giving the man a thin smile. "Don't tell me you're going to miss me while you're gone. Did I really manage to snare you in only two days?"

"You've got the noose on me."

Emmett gently placed his fingers around Edan's neck. "Trying to run is what makes it pull tighter."

"I guess I'll have to hurry back before I starve."

Edan's pulse was steady beneath his fingers, only making Emmett's run faster. Maybe things were more serious than he realised. Emmett felt like crying. I guess I will miss him.

"So you get a noose. What’s my memento while you’re gone?" Emmett considered it a moment before smiling. He leaned forward to steal a kiss, grazing his tongue along Edan’s teeth as a hint.

Edan gave him an uncertain look at first, but when Emmett offered him his wrist he pressed his lips to the soft flesh just below the bend of Emmett’s arm. “Won’t it be obvious in your shoots?” Edan asked.

“I’d love for everyone to see it but they always make me wear long sleeves.”

It must have been a good enough answer for him. Edan bit down. Emmett winced. It bled. Not much, but the small red beads rising up around Edan's teeth made his heart leap.

Emmett let out a small gasp as Edan released him. It hurt, but the thought of carrying around the mark made him smile.

Edan’s turn to give a kiss, sharing that small taste of blood on his lips. “You know, most people just trade phone numbers this early.”

"I don't have a cellphone."

"You really are trying to avoid working, aren't you?"

Emmett only smiled again, tracing the rapidly swelling ring on his arm. Edan reached over to the side table to retrieve his own phone. "You have a house phone, I hope?" He asked as he tapped on the bright screen.

Emmett nodded, typing in his number when Edan handed the phone over.

"You should really get a cellphone for this line of business."

"I'll think about it."