"Hey Man..."

"Whatcha running from?" he asked casually, laying down on the bed.

Mars looked over at him, yawning before he spoke.

"Past," he replied, shrugging. "...i'm a high school dropout with no family and no future. If I ever find my brother, and that's a big if, he'll be all I have."

He nodded.

"Fair enough; I know the feeling. Didn't finish high school either." He sipped the whiskey again.

"Why is it you don't have any friends, though? That's what confuses me. You're a pleasant, bright young thing."

Mars hugged the pillow to his chest, fidgeting. He thought of ways to answer, but nothing made sense.

"It's complicated," he replied, knowing it wasn't at all.

"Well, let's you and I be friends." He extended his hand to Mars without sitting up. "Come on, I swear I don't bite."

He laughed.

"You're crazy, I don't even remotely like you," he replied honestly.

"Why not? I'm friendly enough, aren't I?" he chuckled, shaking his head. "I try, at least--I like making friends. That's why I've been helping you."

"You're..." he frowned, scowling. "I don't know, weird or crazy or something. What do you want me to say? You creep me out."

He sat up, grinning.

"You think this is strange? I'm wu re you don't know how strange I can be." He laughed, slicking his hair back.

"Of course I think you're strange!" he replied, sitting up himself. His back hurt. He stood up and paced, but that only made it feel worse. "You...I don't know, I barely even know you."

He sat in a chair, fidgeting.

"Ask away, then--get to know me."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "I'm not sure I want to get to know you," Mars grumbled, mostly to himself. "Fine, fine...

"Uh, how old are you really? Are you really a priest?" he asked, leaning on his knees.

"I said twenty-two, didn't I?" he giggled. "And of course I'm a priest--what kind of blasphemous ass lies about such a thing? I got my schooling and everything, I'm an honorary member of the clergy. I just haven't chosen to settle down, is all."

"If you're twenty-two, them I'm a faggot," he growled angrily. "Fine, I buy you're a priest. At least, you know what you're doing demon hunting wise..."

He scowled.

"Do you think it would hurt too much if I showered?"

"Let me help," he said, sitting up. "You can have a sponge-bath so you don't soak your fresh bandages."

Mars frowned at the idea, but he wanted to feel better.

"Fine, but if you do anything...weird," he glowered at Priestly, "I'll kill you."

-x-

Mars let Priestly into his hotel room, shutting the door behind them. It was early, only around 10:00. They had made quick work of the demon. It had been much easier than Mars recalled. Perhaps, he was simply getting better.

He had also grown accustomed to Priestly, more or less. The man was impossible to keep away, anyway. They tended to chase down the same leads, and often they'd end up together. Rarely had they shared a hotel room, and Mars preferred it that way. He felt a strange attraction to Priestly, one that unsettled him. The man was, after all, one of the strangest "priests" he had met to date, and also quite a bit older. And very, very weird. Still, they got along well enough for being so very different, and Mars didn't mind having company that wasn't a one night-stand every once in a while.

As soon as he shut the door, he stripped off his sweaty shirt and tossed it into his laundry pile. He started a shower, but it would be a quick one tonight. He was, actually, more interested in talking to Priestly.

"Mind if I shower too?" asked Priestly, already slipping out of his shirt and jeans. If he was ashamed of being seen without clothes, he was a brilliant actor.

"Hurry up," Mars replied, stripping down to nothing but his tight briefs. "I want to lay down early, tonight."

He chuckled.

"Do you have a date? Will I have to leave? You could've said something."

He snorted.

"No, I make sure to plan my dates when you're nowhere around, lest you scare them away, you weirdo," he replied, waving his hand. "But fine, since you're taking so long, I'll shower first."

He moved into the bathroom, stripping off the last of his clothes and stepping into the shower.

Priestly followed him in and began nonchalantly scrubbing himself with soap.

Mars scoffed.

"You're a faggot," he replied, but his tone was more light hearted than anything. He wetted down his hair, reaching for the shampoo.

Priestly handed it to him with a smile, playfully brushing his hip against Mars's.

"Of course I am."

He snorted, shoving Priestly back.

"Don't make it gay," he replied, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he hoped Priestly made it gay.