Strange

A Strange Sense of Faith

Heechul sits at the table and listens to the onslaught of questions from the reporters. He flashes a false smile from time to time to hide his growing boredom. Between the questions, fans place lavish gifts and bouquets of flowers in his arms.

He admires their show of affection. However, he can only give them vague gestures and an almost flippant swing of his hair. This is what the fans want and this is what he gives them.

He side glances at the man sitting three seats down from him. Eeteuk reaches out his arms to take yet another bundle of roses. He gives the young woman a bright smile. Eeteuk's smile is practiced and doesn't look a bit false or tainted.

Heechul lets out a huff and stands abruptly, informing the other members his throat hurts and he needs a drink. Eeteuk watches him rise and after answering a quick question, also states he needs to get a glass of water.

The duo leave with little fanfare, a simple wave of their hands. They both slip through the door way. Neither says anything as they approach the table containing a myriad of full and half empty water bottles.

Eeteuk comments that Heechul is getting too short with the reporters. That their fans are the reason they're still working and he needs to be a bit more pleasant. Heechul snorts and tells Eeteuk that he has his own reasons for staying with the group. Eeteuk raises an eyebrow underneath his blonde bangs.

Heechul turns to Eeteuk. He explains simply that everyone has to believe in something. That the tall man had his faith, that their missing Chinese companion had his, that even their song bird had something to believe in. He himself points out that his faith lies in something much more tangible than entities he can't see.

Eeteuk leans back on the table and asks Heechul about his sense of faith. Heechul approaches and straddles Eeteuk's legs. The elder member looks at the other calmly before barely draping his arms around Heechul's waist.

The slightly smaller young man explains that flesh and bone is his religion. That the feel of a slick mouth on his skin is more believable than stories told to him by people he doesn't know. His faith involves the slide of sweat and fluid and the sound of sordid words spilling out of someone else's mouth.

Eeteuk half smiles and tells Heechul that his faith is strange. Heechul asks Eeteuk then what he gives his undying devotion too. Eeteuk responds that his devotion always changes but never is out of his control. Heechul asks him what he means by the odd answer. Eeteuk pauses before suddenly grabbing the back of Heechul's head, turning it to the side.

He latches his mouth on the bare neck and Heechul's fingers dig into Eeteuk's partially unbuttoned shirt. Teeth scrape over flawless skin and the sting of a well placed bite sends sparks down Heechul's back. He hisses and scratches at Eeteuk's chest, leaving angry little marks in place of his fingernails.

Eeteuk pulls back and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. Heechul gives the older man a dirty look as he touches the spot and winces. Eeteuk explains to Heechul that he now wears the mark of Eeteuk's belief. Something about those words causes Heechul's eyes to widen in a kind of understanding.

The older man then pushes Heechul off his legs and grabs his water bottle. He tells the younger that they need to get back to the interview, they've already been away far too long. Eeteuk fastens up the buttons on his shirt so the red scrapes are not seen. Heechul frowns as he realizes the spot with be visible. He grabs a cloth napkin and makes a little tie around his neck.

They return with little notice. Two of the members give Heechul's newly acquired neck piece a look over but say nothing. They continue answering questions without missing a beat.

Heechul's mind goes over their discussion of faith as he fiddles with the microphone. He believes in flesh and blood and pleasure. Eeteuk believes that his devotion changes. Heechul wonders if perhaps his assumptions in Eeteuk are misplaced. Perhaps the mark on his neck is nothing more than that.

Or perhaps he should get on his knees and offer worship to this man who time and time again, reignites his strange faith.