Fic: Perception 6/?
Author: PABWECG (aka Patricia)
Title: Perception
Genre/Type: Romance, Period fic
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17
Characters/Pairings: Luke/Reid, Lily/Holden, Casey, Katie, Maddie, and Henry, amongst others
Warnings: Nope
Summary: The year is 1898; Luke lives on Snyder farm, and Reid is a doctor in Chicago; you’ll figure the rest out.
Big thanks, again, to Slayerkitty, for being my beta!!!
Previous Chapters: 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/
Chapter 6
Reid finished washing up and stepped out of the tub; he toweled off and put on his robe. As he walked across the hall towards his room, he almost ran into Katie.
“Oh my, I’m so sorry.” She said, beginning to blush as she took in his appearance. Reid had been staying here at Katie’s for two weeks, which was long enough for him to have figured out the effect he was having on her. How she would stare sometimes and then quickly avert her eyes; the frequent blushing; seeming to make all his favorite foods by coincidence. This wasn’t a new experience for Reid, but it bothered him when it occurred with someone he was genuinely starting to like.
“That’s alright, Mrs. Snyder. It’s a small hallway, a small house. We’re bound to bump into each other now and then.”
“Oh please, call me Katie.”
He looked down at his apparel, or lack thereof, and said, “I think that under the circumstances ‘Mrs. Snyder’ would be best.”
“Of course. Well, once you’re downstairs, and decent, please call me Katie.”
“That I will.” He said with a smile, and then began making his way towards his room.
Twenty minutes later, dressed and ready for his day, he sat down at the table for breakfast. Bacon and eggs and toast greeted him - and fresh coffee. The two other boarders had just finished and left, so it was he, Jacob and Katie once again. They ate in silence for a few minutes, and then Katie cleared her throat. “There’s a church supper and dance on Saturday evening.”
Reid raised his eyebrows, looking at her across the table, and swallowed. “I see.”
“Would you go with me?” she asked.
When he was silent, she added, “Not like that, just together.”
“Well, I don’t know. That hardly seems like my cup of tea. I’m not a church-goer.”
“That’s okay, it’s really for everyone in town, no matter what.”
“Well, I’m not…” he began, not sure where to take this. “Wouldn’t you rather go with Henry?”
“No. Well, of course he’ll be there, with one of his many girlfriends.”
Reid almost choked on his food.
“Are you okay?”
Reid nodded.
“I would like to go…with you.” She reiterated, and he swallowed again. “You’ve been here for two weeks now, and all you’ve done is work.”
“That’s not true.” He said.
“Yes, it is. Who have you met who doesn’t work at the hospital, and isn’t a patient?”
Reid thought. “You, and Jacob, and Henry.”
“We don’t count. You live here. And you wouldn’t know Henry if it weren’t for that either.” She continued to build her case. “When was the last time you did anything just for fun?”
Reid thought about the times he and Henry had met for “fun” and thought better about sharing that. It was becoming a nice little routine, but it would stay between the two of them. “I went for a drink with Henry.” He decided that was safe to say.
“Once.” She said. “That’s not enough. Everyone will be at this supper, you must come.” She began to clear the table. “The rest of the Hughes will be there; every family in town; the Snyders.”
“Your family.” Reid said.
“Well, Bradley’s family…but yes, mine now as well. Holden and Lily are lovely people, and so are their children.”
“I met Holden. I liked him.”
“Oh please, Reid. Please say you’ll come.”
And her eyes were hard to resist. “Okay,” he found himself saying. “Yes, I’ll go. But I don’t dance.”
“Oh, of course you do.” She said, standing up with the dishes and walking away towards the kitchen, as if the subject was closed.
He stood and gently took hold of her arm. “Katie,” he began. There was a lot he couldn’t tell her, but he also wanted to be clear. “When we go to this supper.” He held her gaze. “It’s as friends. It can’t be anything else. It’s important to me that you understand that.”
She seemed to understand; not everything, but her eyes told him that she had heard clearly. “Okay. I’d like a friend - a new friend.”
He nodded a small smile at her. “Me too.”
It was late, very late, and Luke had been woken up by dreams again; dreams of strong arms and thighs, glistening wet; dreams of soft kisses and moans; dreams of a deep, husky voice, and a strong hand on his hard member. Oh God, when would these dreams stop haunting him? He left his bed and splashed some cold water on his face from the basin in his room; he quietly opened the door of his and Ethan’s room and walked slowly up the hall towards the window, seeking the cool night air to calm him and to stop these feelings.
He heard soft sounds coming from his parents’ room; he told himself to stay where he was, but he had to go. Twice now recently he'd stood outside his parents’ bedroom, listening - just for a few moments. It was strange to imagine his parents being together like that. But still, something in their voices, as he listened outside their door, told him that whatever was going on inside was good and was beautiful, and that they both sounded…happy? Well yes, but something else as well. Something that reminded him of his dreams.
Once, recently, the pastor had dared to speak about the sacredness of the love that is shared between man and wife when they know each other - that way; Luke remembered the silence that had come over the congregation on that particular Sunday morning. Perhaps when Luke was finally married, and was able to know a woman, it would feel the way the pastor had spoke about. It would be like what he heard from his parents’ bedroom.
Why didn’t he dream of Maddie? Why didn’t he dream of any girl? Why did he dream of Casey? Why was it his hand he imagined in those dreams, his voice? Or that of other men, ones he’d never met, but only imagined. Was it because it was only men whom he had seen men naked? Perhaps if he saw a woman naked, her image would replace his. A little voice inside of him doubted this, but still he had no other explanation for these strange feelings that only he seemed plagued by. He had never heard of anyone else experiencing it - except for those strange men that Aaron had talked about. Perhaps there was something wrong with him, and perhaps that was what kept him from feeling that tug on his heart that his father had spoken about.
The sounds from his parents’ room were now increasing and sounding so strange and delicious to Luke. He heard murmurs and he heard his parents quietly calling each other’s name and he heard declarations of love and he heard the word yes, and Luke found it so disturbing and he had to literally tear himself away, because it broke his heart. He found no place to reconcile all of these feelings in his heart and his body. What his body seemed to want was not what it was supposed to want, and yet the want was so strong; he wondered if he would ever, ever be happy…or if he would always reside in this tortuous place between what he wanted and what he was supposed to want.
Still his body knew - despite his confusion - what it wanted; Luke’s manhood, which had softened somewhat in the cool night air, had hardened even more fully now, demanding to be touched. He slipped back into his shared room and under the covers of his bed, and allowed himself to find release. When his hand met his member, oh the relief that spread through his body and heart. He stroked it, and it didn’t take long; when his release came, he threw his head back and silently moaned, as unbidden images of Casey standing naked, at the pond’s edge, came flooding over him. And then he cried - from the relief and the beauty and the despair.
next part/
Title: Perception
Genre/Type: Romance, Period fic
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17
Characters/Pairings: Luke/Reid, Lily/Holden, Casey, Katie, Maddie, and Henry, amongst others
Warnings: Nope
Summary: The year is 1898; Luke lives on Snyder farm, and Reid is a doctor in Chicago; you’ll figure the rest out.
Big thanks, again, to Slayerkitty, for being my beta!!!
Previous Chapters: 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/
Chapter 6
Reid finished washing up and stepped out of the tub; he toweled off and put on his robe. As he walked across the hall towards his room, he almost ran into Katie.
“Oh my, I’m so sorry.” She said, beginning to blush as she took in his appearance. Reid had been staying here at Katie’s for two weeks, which was long enough for him to have figured out the effect he was having on her. How she would stare sometimes and then quickly avert her eyes; the frequent blushing; seeming to make all his favorite foods by coincidence. This wasn’t a new experience for Reid, but it bothered him when it occurred with someone he was genuinely starting to like.
“That’s alright, Mrs. Snyder. It’s a small hallway, a small house. We’re bound to bump into each other now and then.”
“Oh please, call me Katie.”
He looked down at his apparel, or lack thereof, and said, “I think that under the circumstances ‘Mrs. Snyder’ would be best.”
“Of course. Well, once you’re downstairs, and decent, please call me Katie.”
“That I will.” He said with a smile, and then began making his way towards his room.
Twenty minutes later, dressed and ready for his day, he sat down at the table for breakfast. Bacon and eggs and toast greeted him - and fresh coffee. The two other boarders had just finished and left, so it was he, Jacob and Katie once again. They ate in silence for a few minutes, and then Katie cleared her throat. “There’s a church supper and dance on Saturday evening.”
Reid raised his eyebrows, looking at her across the table, and swallowed. “I see.”
“Would you go with me?” she asked.
When he was silent, she added, “Not like that, just together.”
“Well, I don’t know. That hardly seems like my cup of tea. I’m not a church-goer.”
“That’s okay, it’s really for everyone in town, no matter what.”
“Well, I’m not…” he began, not sure where to take this. “Wouldn’t you rather go with Henry?”
“No. Well, of course he’ll be there, with one of his many girlfriends.”
Reid almost choked on his food.
“Are you okay?”
Reid nodded.
“I would like to go…with you.” She reiterated, and he swallowed again. “You’ve been here for two weeks now, and all you’ve done is work.”
“That’s not true.” He said.
“Yes, it is. Who have you met who doesn’t work at the hospital, and isn’t a patient?”
Reid thought. “You, and Jacob, and Henry.”
“We don’t count. You live here. And you wouldn’t know Henry if it weren’t for that either.” She continued to build her case. “When was the last time you did anything just for fun?”
Reid thought about the times he and Henry had met for “fun” and thought better about sharing that. It was becoming a nice little routine, but it would stay between the two of them. “I went for a drink with Henry.” He decided that was safe to say.
“Once.” She said. “That’s not enough. Everyone will be at this supper, you must come.” She began to clear the table. “The rest of the Hughes will be there; every family in town; the Snyders.”
“Your family.” Reid said.
“Well, Bradley’s family…but yes, mine now as well. Holden and Lily are lovely people, and so are their children.”
“I met Holden. I liked him.”
“Oh please, Reid. Please say you’ll come.”
And her eyes were hard to resist. “Okay,” he found himself saying. “Yes, I’ll go. But I don’t dance.”
“Oh, of course you do.” She said, standing up with the dishes and walking away towards the kitchen, as if the subject was closed.
He stood and gently took hold of her arm. “Katie,” he began. There was a lot he couldn’t tell her, but he also wanted to be clear. “When we go to this supper.” He held her gaze. “It’s as friends. It can’t be anything else. It’s important to me that you understand that.”
She seemed to understand; not everything, but her eyes told him that she had heard clearly. “Okay. I’d like a friend - a new friend.”
He nodded a small smile at her. “Me too.”
It was late, very late, and Luke had been woken up by dreams again; dreams of strong arms and thighs, glistening wet; dreams of soft kisses and moans; dreams of a deep, husky voice, and a strong hand on his hard member. Oh God, when would these dreams stop haunting him? He left his bed and splashed some cold water on his face from the basin in his room; he quietly opened the door of his and Ethan’s room and walked slowly up the hall towards the window, seeking the cool night air to calm him and to stop these feelings.
He heard soft sounds coming from his parents’ room; he told himself to stay where he was, but he had to go. Twice now recently he'd stood outside his parents’ bedroom, listening - just for a few moments. It was strange to imagine his parents being together like that. But still, something in their voices, as he listened outside their door, told him that whatever was going on inside was good and was beautiful, and that they both sounded…happy? Well yes, but something else as well. Something that reminded him of his dreams.
Once, recently, the pastor had dared to speak about the sacredness of the love that is shared between man and wife when they know each other - that way; Luke remembered the silence that had come over the congregation on that particular Sunday morning. Perhaps when Luke was finally married, and was able to know a woman, it would feel the way the pastor had spoke about. It would be like what he heard from his parents’ bedroom.
Why didn’t he dream of Maddie? Why didn’t he dream of any girl? Why did he dream of Casey? Why was it his hand he imagined in those dreams, his voice? Or that of other men, ones he’d never met, but only imagined. Was it because it was only men whom he had seen men naked? Perhaps if he saw a woman naked, her image would replace his. A little voice inside of him doubted this, but still he had no other explanation for these strange feelings that only he seemed plagued by. He had never heard of anyone else experiencing it - except for those strange men that Aaron had talked about. Perhaps there was something wrong with him, and perhaps that was what kept him from feeling that tug on his heart that his father had spoken about.
The sounds from his parents’ room were now increasing and sounding so strange and delicious to Luke. He heard murmurs and he heard his parents quietly calling each other’s name and he heard declarations of love and he heard the word yes, and Luke found it so disturbing and he had to literally tear himself away, because it broke his heart. He found no place to reconcile all of these feelings in his heart and his body. What his body seemed to want was not what it was supposed to want, and yet the want was so strong; he wondered if he would ever, ever be happy…or if he would always reside in this tortuous place between what he wanted and what he was supposed to want.
Still his body knew - despite his confusion - what it wanted; Luke’s manhood, which had softened somewhat in the cool night air, had hardened even more fully now, demanding to be touched. He slipped back into his shared room and under the covers of his bed, and allowed himself to find release. When his hand met his member, oh the relief that spread through his body and heart. He stroked it, and it didn’t take long; when his release came, he threw his head back and silently moaned, as unbidden images of Casey standing naked, at the pond’s edge, came flooding over him. And then he cried - from the relief and the beauty and the despair.
next part/