Pairing: JC and Brian
Words: explicit; avid; gobble; anoint


"No, the turkey says, 'Gobble-gobble,' Bri.  The goose says
'Honk-honk.'"

Brian smiled at the indulgent tone of the man on the cell phone as
he rounded the corner of the bookshelf.  Obviously talking to his
child, and it was nice, really, to hear an American accent, even
though Hay-On-Wye was a large enough phenomenon book-wise, to draw
a multinational crowd.  The best part, other than the books, was
that no one seemed to notice or care who he was.  If he'd been
Stephen King perhaps... but maybe not even then, given the age of
many of the books, especially the one he'd come for.  Jane Austen,
or Plato.  They would have been instant celebrities.

Not the Backstreet Boys.  Or NSYNC.

Brian recognized the other man immediately, and had determined to
ignore him, when JC closed the cell phone with a snap and looked
up.

"Um, hi," Brian said awkwardly.

JC grinned at him.  "What are you doing here?  Isn't this place
great?"  He pinwheeled around, gesturing at the towering stacks of
manuscripts.

Brian smiled back; the enthusiasm was infectious.  "I wanted to
look at their Bibles."  He held up the paper-wrapped parcel he was
carrying.  "A Geneva Bible.  I could've ordered it, but then I
wouldn't have gotten to see the condition, and..." he trailed off. 
"Um, probably more than you wanted to know?"

JC shook his head and smiled.  "I think it's great.  And it's, yes. 
It makes sense.  Seeing the books in person.  You get a connection
with them."

"Exactly."

"The Hay Cinema shop had some interesting books on religion.  You
think it's all about movies, but no.  Did you go there yet?"

"I... I'm sorry.  I guess I'm a little surprised that you'd care. 
I mean... everybody says..."  Brian felt his ears going hot, but JC
was looking at him curiously, and he'd already begun the
embarrassment, so... "I mean, you know what the business is like. 
People thank God in their liner notes and tattoo crosses on their
bodies, but genuine avid interest is just."  He covered his face
with his free hand.  "Shutting up now."

JC tapped his arm.  "You don't have to.  There's nothing wrong. 
You."  He frowned, then sang, "'The spirit of the Lord is upon me
/ because he has anointed me.  / He has sent me to bring good news
to the oppressed, / to bind up the broken-hearted, / To proclaim
liberty to the captives, / and the opening of the prison to those
who are bound.'  If you ignore God, you ignore poetry.  You ignore
music.  You ignore the *source* of music."

"It's..." Brian looked at his Bible; JC was agreeing with him, why
was he arguing?  "It's about more than just music, you know."

JC waved his hands.  "Yes.  I know.  Yes.  I just.  I guess I don't
express myself well.  There's all this stuff, and everything's
music, but there's poetry, too, and it's.  It's--"

"It's okay.  It's just good to know that somebody understands."

"Oh, yes!  I understand.  And the guys understand, too.  Sort of. 
Well, Chris says that the best part about the Bible is the explicit
sex in the Song of Solomon, but we're not sure he *can* read,
so..."

JC grinned at him hopefully, and Brian laughed.