A Particular Day in Autumn

"Ah, really?" he said, sounding a little disappointed. "What's on your mind then? School? Life? Is it boys?" He chuckled as he said the last part. Mars had given him hell in the past for such jokes, but he couldn't seem to stop making them. It was all in good fun, after all.

"N-no!" He said defensively, but he still didn't look at Priestly. "I just...nothing."

He sighed, still smiling. Moving behind Mars, he began to massage his shoulders. The boy was nice and warm, but oddly tense.

"Oh come on--it sure seems like something. You know you can always ask me for advice, Marsy."

Mars hunched over beneath his touch. It felt so nice. It wasn't fair.

"Wh-what if..." He mumbled. "...I r-really like someone."

It was so quiet, he half hoped Priestly wouldn't hear it.

Priestly chuckled, leaning closer.

"Oh Marsy, do tell," he purred. "You know I love to help. How long have you liked this special someone?"

He moved away instinctively, but attempted to force himself to relax. It didn't work so well.

"Oh, uhm..." He hesitated. "...a while."

Priestly's smile widened. He let go of Mars's shoulders to lean against the counter at his eye level. Mars had pretty eyes, he thought; brilliant and green and full of naivety. He found them endearing and comforting in the most inexplicable way.

"Go on. What're they like, Marsy? What do you like about them most?" Imagining Mars with someone else was strange, though not particularly difficult; he imagined him with the boy he had helped a while back, their bodies pressing together. That boy had had a name beginning with an "R"...right? Priestly was surprised to find he couldn't remember; most of the memories he had from that month were of Mars, cute little Marsy and his strangely loveable ways.

Trying to ignore that fact, he went back to imagining them together as he waited for Mars to speak again; Mars was definitely the smaller person, and he would probably prefer to be pleasured, Priestly guessed. He could imagine all the positions they would go through, which ones they'd enjoy the most, etc....somehow, it still felt strange.

No matter what he did, even if he could picture Mars with a smile, he couldn't imagine it reaching his pretty green eyes.

Mars was relieved Priestly wasn't touching him anymore. It made it so much harder to concentrate when he was. Too many stray thoughts he had when he was that close to the other man.

"Oh, well..."

How was he supposed to nonchalantly describe Priestly, anyway? The man would obviously know. But wasn't that what he wanted? Or was it? It hurt his head to think about. So he stopped.

He looked away from Priestly, toying with his hair. He had put it up into a high ponytail for once. He wasn't sure if it looked better like this is or not.

"...They're, uh. Kind of older than I am." That wasn't too descriptive. "A-and, I was...kind of a jerk to them for a really long time so I don't think they like me anymore, anyway."

No, no, no that was too much description. There was no way Priestly didn't know who it was now.

Mars stood up quickly. "U-uhm, never mind, I-I'm going back to my room." He said nervously.

He reached for Mars's arm, frowning.

"No, come on--you can tell me. Tell me more, silly--what're they like? What do they believe? Why do they make your heart pound and your palms sweat?" He chuckled softly, pulling him back toward the chair. "Come on--I enjoy hearing about young love, now that I'm past that time."

He frowned deeply, cautiously sitting back down. Oh, perhaps Priestly hadn't figured it out. Maybe he could talk a little bit more about it. Just a little bit, though. Just a little bit.

However, as he mulled over what Priestly had said, he paused. "Wait, how are you past that time? I thought you were twenty-two...That's still young."

He grinned knowingly. Sweet li'l Marsy still hadn't quite gotten the joke.

"Oh, it's older than you'd think--you'll find out when you get there, kiddo."

He cleared his throat. Somehow, he wasn't sure if that Priestly's teasing voice or not. So he didn't think about it too much.

"A-anyway...Uhm. They're like..." How did he describe Priestly in a way Priestly wouldn't get? "...religious and very, very, uhm, nice and stuff."

Yes, that was so non-descript he would never guess.

"I, well...I really like them, is all...But it doesn't really matter." He toyed with his hair. "L-like I said. They don't like me anymore, anyway..."

He snorted, patting Mars on the head.

"Silly, silly Marsy--how could someone stop loving you? You're far too cute for your own good, you see.

"But they're religious, eh? What religion? I'd love to speak with them."

"You can't meet them." He said automatically. "Uhm. For reasons."

Yes, Priestly couldn't meet himself. Mars wanted to facepalm.

"...they're my faith." He said meekly. Okay, that wasn't exactly the truth, but also not a lie.

"Ah, Christian," he said, sitting in the chair next to Mars. "Are they kind? What do they think of you?"

"They're...very kind. Most of the time." He added, as a slightly afterthought. "I...I don't think they like me. At all, really...It's stupid of me to think they do..."

He sighed gently, placing a hand on Mars's shoulder.

"Of course they like you, Marsy--you're such a wonderful person. Personally, I can't imagine it."

He turned quite red, both from the compliments as well as Priestly's touch. He couldn't imagine Priestly wasn't lying at this point. It just didn't make any sense; how could Priestly still like him after everything he had done?

"B-but I was so terrible to you!" He insisted, then realized he had slipped up. "I mean them." If he had left it, he might have been able to explain it. But now it was just too late. "N-NOT that the person I'm talking about it YOU!"

He sunk into his chair, expecting Priestly to laugh a condescending laugh and tell him something like, "Even if you do like me, I hate you" or "Silly Mars, you were a jerk, why would I like you anymore?".

Priestly frowned, staring at Mars. He had not been expecting that.

"...How were you terrible, Marsy? I can't remember anything of that nature. You're just a sweet young boy, is all."

"B-but I..." He frowned deeply. At the least, this was a better reaction than he had expected. "...I was so terrible to you. I-I mean, I hit you and I pulled your hair and I was really rough and mean...Oh, and I called you a stripper all the time..."

Now he just felt and sounded like a moron. He also kind of felt like crying.

He laughed.

"It's okay, Marsy--everyone has times when they're in a bad mood, right? For example, I get in particular moods that I have trouble fighting...how can I blame you? I love you, silly. Or did you forget?"

The second he heard those wonderful words, Mars realized how stupid he was being. Of course. Of course. Priestly hadn't stopped loving him. Priestly had promised he wouldn't.

He felt his eyes tear up more, but he was so happy he smiled anyway.

"...yes." He admitted, laughing to himself and wiping away the tears that had fallen down his cheeks. "I-I had forgotten."

He practically threw himself onto Priestly, pulling him into a nice, warm hug.

"I-I love you, too..." He had expected a much more dramatic confession, really. Actually, he was quite surprised at how easily he had said the words. It just felt so nice to say...

Priestly gently caressed Mars's cheek, smiling. Then he tilted his chin up and pressed their lips together, barely holding back. He wrapped his arms around Mars, pulling him as close as he possibly could. He had craved the warmth of his body for so long, now. Surely God would allow him a pleasure as simple and insignificant as this.

For the first time in literally years, Mars didn't struggle or resist. Instead, he willing moved closer and rather enthusiastically kissed back. It felt much, much nicer than all of his usual struggling and fighting back, really. It just felt normal, for once. Perhaps the most normal thing he had felt in a really long time.

He kissed Mars on the neck very gently, his fingers inching up his shirt.

"Your body has been so yearning for this, right?" he breathed softly as he pressed Mars against the counter. He wouldn't let him escape this time. "You body and heart have missed my touch...I don't mind relieving you of your desires, Mars."