Virgin [sʜᴀᴍᴇʀᴏɴ]

IV

No weapon formed tagainst you shall prosper

Isaiah 54:17

"Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty. Early in the morning, our song shall rise to Thee. Holy, Holy, Holy merciful and mighty. God in three persons blessed Trinity." Shawn sang with the choir, moving in sync with them also. Perfect harmony they were, and Shawn felt that this was where he appeared best, in the church, among church-folk. Even though they annexed him socially and told him that he was going to hell, swore that not even the purgatory could cleanse him and had more insults for him than Lucifer had for Christ himself. Shawn knew love, and he believed that if you knew love then you knew God, for God himself was love. So no, he wasn't going to stop loving Cameron and no, he wasn't going to change up his ways.

Cameron smiled up at him, ignoring how Mindy [who stood next to Shawn] wouldn't stop staring and how Cindy wouldn't stop glaring [at Shawn that is]. He thought about it and he'd make sure to show more affection than usual. He loathed how they wouldn't tolerate Shawn for his sexuality alone, yet regaled him for his beauty that he himself felt as though Shawn matched, and even exceeded. Jack and Aaron sat on either sides of Cameron and they clapped along, silently breathing out verses under their breaths.

It was where they had all met; church. The boys had grown up in the milieu of the church and they were 'church boys' as the public called them, growing up under the church and [mostly] adhering to the word that it prescribed. The thing about Falls Church was that it had long been the sister church of the esteemed St. Lutheran's. St. Lutheran's was the church that Shawn's bible study group belonged to, it was the church that the choir belonged to and they despised him in secret, hiding it when their brethren were around, not speaking a word of his sins in the cathedral. The occupants mingled every now and again, but the only churchgoers from the Falls who went to study with the sister church were Mindy, Cindy, Shawn and Cameron. It was a phenomenon really, how the rumours hadn't spread. Shawn knew that the church-folk spread tales and truths like wildfire, and yet his sexuality was something that only the St. Lutherans were knowledgeable of.

Shawn descended the staircase behind the choir and they all headed into the common room to discuss the performances and enjoy the pastries brought forth every week. They made a small fuss in regards to Shawn accompanying them, but it had been mostly kept under wraps, and what escaped, Shawn ignored. They were judging him again, and he figured that Wednesday hadn't been enough. No, they hadn't grumbled enough or sated their desires to perform the work of God. Shawn had bet on it really, banked on the current situation manifesting all on its own, swirling from the dirt and becoming the monster that it was.

Mindy hadn't brought up a single thing of the biscuits, no. In fact, she had avoided Shawn all together, only sparing him her most intense glares when they emerged from the common room and he met Cameron's acquaintance. Shawn didn't mind though, he could spot a farce from a mile away, and her wanting to educate him on biscuits was absolutely heinous, especially when she had an ever-flowing supply of nasty comments about his relationship. Shawn ignored her, treated her as she treated him and it turned her tone to one of the most intense shades of scarlet ever birthed.

Aaron picked at his nails as the sermon began, watching the Pastor take his place behind the podium. He shuffled some papers and cleared his throat for good measure. His glasses fell low and he pushed them from the foot of his proboscis. He was an elderly man at the brink of his existence, and nothing joyed him more than to articulate the principle of Jesus Christ. As custom had it, he began the lecture with some question that tied into his teachings, and most everyone answered. He droned on, really he did, and the service lasted an hour longer than the clergy had planned, but no one noticed, they were snared, letting his words fill them, his emotions, all that he was.