It takes Nace a moment or two to locate Jan when he steps outside, but once he’s worked his way past the chattering clumps of other smokers, he finds him a little further down the building, leaning up against the wall and seemingly lost in thought. He can’t help but think he looks like a model with his head tipped back like that, throat exposed. Or a work of art, maybe. Or, no – something otherworldly.
He almost stops, almost just stands and stares, but suddenly Jan is looking up and offering him a smile, so he urges his feet to pick up the pace again and heads over to join him.
“The others are voting to move on,” he says by way of greeting, remembering what he came out here to do. “The choices so far are Freedom or Electric City.”
“Now?” Jan’s voice had surprised him that first day with how deep it is, but he’s noticed it always sounds rougher when he smokes, in the same way it does when he’s just woken up.
“About twenty minutes, I think. Jure’s just bought a drink and he won’t let it go to waste.”
“Ah, good. Enough time to finish this then,” he says, gesturing with his cigarette, still burning down between two of his long fingers. He’s still smiling. “You want one?”
It’s been ages since Nace last smoked. He’s not given it up as strictly as the drinking, but he knows how bad it is for him. How much healthier he feels without it, even when he misses it. He should absolutely turn around and go back indoors to help the others figure out their next move, not stay out here and smoke and be mesmerised by Jan’s pretty dark eyes and how his lips look around his cigarette and wonder what his hair might feel like between Nace’s fingers or how warm his mouth might be or how his body might feel pressed between Nace’s and that wall –
“Sure, why not?” he manages, reaching to take the packet almost before Jan can get it out of his pocket.
One cigarette can’t hurt, surely.