"Hey Man..."

"But it's early," he replied, raising his brow. "Aren't you hungry? You don't look very well fed, and I'd be neglecting my duty as your host if I didn't even attempt to get some food in you."

He shook his head.

"No...I'm just...tired," he replied, wrapping his arms around himself. He looked defeated, and in a lot of ways, he was. "Is it okay if we share the same bed? I'm not really up for sleeping on the floor."

"I wouldn't dream of making you sleep on the floor," he replied with a smile. "I'm afraid I'm rather hungry, though--would you mind waiting for me to eat a can of soup? Then we can sleep."

He patted Mars's head, slicking back a few hairs that had wandered out of place.

"I have to go...check up on something," he replied, standing up. "...uhm...are you allergic to dogs?"

"No, why? Do you have a pet?" he asked, already retrieving a can and emptying its contents into a bowl.

"Well...it's a long story," Mars admitted, looking out the window at his car. "I'll be right back."

Mars disappeared for a few minutes, and when he returned, he quickly closed the door behind him. In walked with him, a very large, very muscular black and tan coonhound. The dog looked very young, as there was not even a hint of white around his mouth. He emitted a low, happy bark at Priestly and waggled his tail.

Mars smiled, letting him off his leash.

"This...is Rainsford," he smiled awkwardly. "We became friends...not too long ago."

He frowned pointedly at Mars, setting his bowl of soup on the hotplate.

"Why on earth didn't you say something sooner? We could've bought dog food." He went back to sipping his hot chocolate, and his frown vanished.

"We should probably get him shots soon. After my next job, we can."

"No, it's fine," Mars replied, letting Rainsford jump on the bed. He laid down, watching Priestly with his deep brown eyes. Mars sat down next to him on the bed. "I have dog food for him, and his shots are up to date. He's fine in the car, he just watches it for me. He has food and water out for him. But, it gets cold so I thought this would be better."

Mars fidgeted.

"....he was the dog of a hunter."

"One of the ones who died?" he asked. He could be talking about the weather, he held himself with such nonchalance.

"Yeah..." He sighed. "I didn't know what to do, so...I kept him. He seems to hae taken to me. I think...they used him for hunting, but I haven't."

"Do what comes naturally," he replied. "That's how you know you're doing something right. For example, giving you a ride felt natural, so I did it. Now offering you a place to stay feels natural, so I'm doing that as well."

Mars furrowed his eyebrows suddenly. The advice was intended to be good, but he found it more troubling than anything.

"...thanks," he mumbled. "I'm gonna go ahead and sleep, now. Rainsford will probably sleep on the bed, that fine?"

He grinned.

"I don't mind; just let me eat, and I'll slip into bed soon as well." He grabbed His soup and proceeded to drink it from the bowl, not even bothering with a spoon.

Mars got comfortable beneath the blankets, smiling as Rainsford came to lay next to him.

When Priestly finished his soup and hot chocolate, he washed all the dishes and set them on the counter to dry. Satisfied, he slipped out of his jeans and under the covers, clothed only by his tattoos.

He began to jerk off, as he did every night; it was how he got to sleep.

For a split second, Mars thought he must be imagining it. When he realized he wasn't, he almost screamed.

"W-wh-what the hell are to doing?!" He demanded, jumping to his feet. Rainsford followed, alarmed at Mars's sudden movements. Even as he moved, Mars hoped je was imagining it, it wasn't real. He wasn't sure he could take much more bizzarre shit today.

He sat up, still stroking himself.

"Sorry, is there a problem?" he asked.

Mars was still in shock. He couldn't even think coherant thoughts. Everything was jumbled together. He just stared, and then covered his face so he wasn't staring because, "I-I'm not a faggot!"

He didn't know what else to say.

"Di...did I d-do something to make you think I was?! I...I..." He refused to look. He turned his back completely. "I...it's...better if I j-just leave!"

He reached for the door handle, ready to bolt.

"Whoa there," said Priestly, standing up. "Who said anything about you being a faggot? This is just what I do every night to get to sleep. Does it bother you?"

Mars felt a wave of nauseating embarrassment, but also relief, mixed in. And then, shame. Shame at the very thought of being relieved of a stranger not thinking he was gay. It was so confusing.

He didn't turn around.

"Of course it does! What....what sort of holy man just....and I mean, with another man....." Even as he spit it out, jumping to conclusions suddenly seemed less strange.

"I assumed that since you're also a man, you would understand and not panic," he replied, chuckling softly. He held his hands up in a gesture of peace, revealing the crosses tattooed on his palms.

"I guess I assumed wrong. I can finish in the bathroom, if it's a problem."

"But you...you shluldn't...that's a sin!!" He insisted, finally yirning back around. "H-how can you...?"

"I'm a priest, aren't I?" he replied, faking outrage. "I think I know what I'm doing--I do this to get to sleep, and everyone knows a man can't be charged with sin when he's too tired to think straight."

Mars stared at him.

"...I don't...maybe I should still leave..."

How had things gotten so weird in like ten minutes?

He laughed.

"Go on and get to sleep--I'll finish up in the bathroom, and I won't disturb you again 'til morning, if you like." He stretched his back and marched off to the bathroom, settling the matter.