Macho Men

by EssieJane2

Summary JD's been trying to improve Chris' Cable TV reception and managed to add a few channels accidentally. Including at least one from Australia - then, when recuperating from a concussion, he tunes in to the Sydney Mardi Gras...

Author's Note: This came about after a discussion on a fic group about M7 and The Village People. (Don't Ask! Lol!). For the young / those unfamiliar with the group, The Village People were a late '70's / early '80's era disco group who were as famous for their colourful stage costumes as for their music. They became gay icons, and representations are, today, a staple of any Pride parade.

(Beware: Silliness Ahead!)

"Whatcha watching, kid?" Buck's voice came from behind JD. The youngest member of the group was currently tucked up on Chris' couch, recovering from a concussion sustained after the perps at their last bust had decided they didn't want to go quietly.

"Not sure." He returned, slightly groggily. "Some kind of parade, I think. I was just channel hopping. Lots of pretty ladies, though."

"Yeah?" That, predictably, caught the mustached man's interest. He turned and took another look at the screen. "Uhhh... JD. Those aren't ladies."

"Huh?"

"Those aren't.... ladies, Kid."

"Huh? Then what are they?"

"What are what?" Unnoticed by either man, Chris had wandered in from the kitchen, where he'd been putting things together for dinner. "What are you watching?"

Buck tried valiantly to hide his smile. "Kid was channel surfing. Found this parade. "Lots of pretty ladies." " He quoted. Not quite able to look his old friend in the eye.

"Should suit you, then." The blond's eyes widened as he got a good look at the 'ladies' on the screen. "O-kaay..."

"Yeah." Buck still couldn't look in the other man's direction. Too afraid that he was going to burst out laughing and it really wasn't JD's fault. Poor kid was still not quite 'with it' despite being released from the hospital - much too early in the big man's opinion - with instructions to take it easy for the next few days

"I didn't know there was a Pride event in Denver today." Chris' own grin was now threatening to break free.

"I don't think there is." With another look at his young friend, who had now, apparently drifted off to sleep, Buck took the remote out of a lax hand and turned the sound up slightly. (JD had had it muted in deference to a bad headache.) A distinctively Australian accent announced "Welcome to the 1999 Annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras!"

"Australia! I didn't know I got Australian channels."

"I don't think you did, Stud. At least not until JD started messing around with your receiver, last week. Remember?"

"Yes." Chris started chuckling, remembering. A thunderstorm had affected his reception of certain channels - including a sports channel that was a favourite of most of the team. His cable provider had 'not' been helpful and had stated that it would be at least two weeks before they could send someone out to have a look at it.

JD had volunteered to take a look, instead and Chris had rather grudgingly let him, with the injunction that if JD messed anything up, then he would be the one to pay to get it fixed. He should have known better, he thought, rather ruefully, now. JD had not only fixed the reception so it was better than it had been previously, but had somehow added several extra channels to the box's repertoire, as well. Including at least one in a foreign language that none of them had been able to interpret and which had later turned out to be Thai!

This was obviously another one of the same. He chuckled. Australia. Ok. He frowned at the screen as a group of men in skimpy leather costumes marched into view, accompanied by a loud music track proclaiming them to be 'Macho Men'. "I think I'll see how dinner's getting on." he said, beating a hasty retreat back to the kitchen. He had no problems with gays or homosexuals and he was perfectly sure of himself, but enough was enough, after all. He could hear Buck chuckling behind him and made himself a promise to kill his old friend at some later time.

A chorus of war whoops drew him back out, a minute later, to find the big man entranced by a group of dark-haired women this time, again in leather costumes that left little to the imagination. "That looks like Xena."

"Yep. Think so. Wonder if Gabrielle is there, too?" Buck's leer said it all. Chris just shook his head. Buck would never change. At least now, though, he had plenty of ammunition for the next time his old friend started teasing him. All he would have to do would be threaten to tell people that Buck had been watching a Gay Pride Parade on TV... Ha! His musings as he wandered back to the other room were interrupted by a tune he vaguely recognised. His frown changing to a reluctant smile as the lyrics filtered through.  'Y.M.C.A.'

Good Grief. He remembered doing calisthenics to that, in the Navy! He shook his head, dispelling the memories as the music shut off and Buck joined him in the kitchen. Wearing the same sort of reminiscent smile that he was sure had graced his own face just a minute before - and still did, if the look in Buck's eye was anything to go by. "Memories, eh, Stud?"

"Yep."

...............................................................

JD, in the other room, was drifting in and out of sleep. The music was audible, but not enough to really wake him from his doze. He opened his eyes, but things were blurry, and he shut them again, visions of men in colourful costumes playing across his mind. A blond man in a construction worker's hard hat. Chris. It had to be Chris. Nobody else he knew wore their jeans tight like that. Not even Buck, who claimed his... jewels needed room to breathe.

Buck. He used to be a cop. He still was from what he was wearing. Ok, maybe he was going back to it, though he hadn't mentioned it to JD. The young man smiled in his sleep as he figured out what was probably, really going on. It was most likely that his friend had dug out his old uniform to impress some female acquaintance. It wouldn't be the first time, he was sure. Buck would do almost anything to secure the attention of his lady du jour.

He sighed. Both Buck and Chris had been in the Navy, he knew, and some of the others had been in the army, although he didn't think Ezra had been. So why was he wearing an army uniform? Must be part of his latest undercover, he thought. Dismissing it from his mind. Although Josiah didn't usually go undercover and he never wore outfits like this one! Not that JD had ever seen, anyway. Tight, black, leather pants, a matching, open, leather vest, with - was that a chest harness? - and a peaked cap, also in black, over dark sunglasses. He looked like one of those, what did they call them - Leathermen? Those big macho gay men that looked like bikers? Maybe he was playing bodyguard to Ezra. Yes, that would be it. If this guy was really bad, and Ezra needed some heavy duty backup... That made sense and Vin was going riding. No surprise there. Vin loved to ride. Give him a chance and he'd be out on Peso all day. That was why he was dressed as a cowboy, in leather chaps, a vest and a stetson hat. Useful things, stetsons, apparently. Kept the sun and the rain both, off your face and could be used to give your horse a drink as well, if you needed to.

Well, that explained Vin, but it didn't explain Nathan. All those feathers and the moccasins and breechclout... Nathan wasn't Native American. He was Black,  but, oh, hang on! Nathan's girlfriend was half Seminole Indian. Rain must have invited him to join some kind of tribal ceremony. Yeah, that made sense. Ok. It all made sense now. All the strange things his friends were wearing. He smiled and rolled over slightly, snuggling down into his blankets, even as the two older men came back into the room again.

Buck looking down at JD with a concerned expression and Chris picking up the TV remote. Flicking off the TV, which was still showing various groups of costumed marchers, now just with the sound muted.

"How's he doing?" He turned to his friend.

"Seems to be asleep. Must be having some pretty good dreams though, from the smile on his face."

"Well, leave him be, Getting some rest won't hurt him. We can wake him up when the others get here and have Nathan check him over before dinner."

"Yeah, ok. They'll be here soon. Wish I knew what the kid was dreaming about though. Looks like it was fun, whatever it was."

"Probably Casey. You know he's mad about her."

"Yeah, you're probably right at that." Both men turned as cars came up the drive and the ex-cop and the blond in tight jeans walked out to greet the rest of their group...

FINIS