Fic: Perception 11/?
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/ 6/ 7/ 8/ 9/ 10/
Ch 11
Boy, this really was an all-day celebration, Reid thought. He’d arrived at noon to help with set-ups and read Luke’s work, and here it was almost nine O’clock and, while most of the guests had gone home, there was still this little gathering of nine; the Snyders, all except the three younger ones, Katie, Henry, Maddie, Casey, and himself. They all sat in the living room by the fire, talking and laughing, while Holden and Casey plucked out a little improv on Scollay’s Reel.
Reid was tired and wasn’t contributing much to the conversation, instead content to watch the others. Most of the people sat on hardback chairs - all except for Luke, Maddie and Katie, who occupied the small sofa. Lily seemed tired but very happy; Katie was very much enjoying the social situation; Aaron was busy regaling them all with funny anecdotes, which was making Henry somewhat jealous. And although there was a tiredness in the room, it was laced with joy, and nobody in this small band seemed inclined to see the evening come to an end.
Reid could have been content to leave, but since he knew that it would be easier to simply wait until his ride was ready to go, he let his tired eyes fall on his favorite subject in the room, for just a minute. Always, his eyes went first to Luke’s face, taking in his eyes and cheekbones, his jaw and lips; moving on to his soft hair and down his neck, admiring his broad shoulders and strong arms, down to his hands, which had seen both the pen and the plow. They rested on his thighs; a smaller hand tentatively reached out to take his, and Reid watched as Luke turned his head towards Maddie and smiled softly at her, gently taking her hand in his own; then the young man looked back down and his smile seemed to falter.
It had been quite a day. The feasting had begun at two, and boy did they feast. Katie wasn’t lying about Emma’s cooking; Reid hadn’t tasted so many delicious casseroles and salads and pies, oh the pies…in years. And then the festivities had begun, with gifts given and speeches and songs sung; Reid smiled recalling how many times Luke had smiled and blushed and given big strong hugs of thank you. After that there had been games in the field and some of the younger folk had gone for a swim, although it was a chilly one to be sure, as the weather had cooled off in the last couple weeks. And before you knew it, it was time to eat again; oh, Reid could live like this. All that and the gathering had been large enough that people didn’t pay him too much mind, which was just how he liked it.
After supper, many people had gone home and Luke’s younger siblings had been put to bed, and before he knew it, it was just this little gathering right here. Being a good listener, he’d learned a lot about Luke’s family and close friends. It seemed that both Henry and Aaron were pretty close to Katie growing up, even though Aaron was three years younger than the other two. He’d always liked running with the older crowd.
Nobody had been surprised when Aaron had left school after the eighth grade - it was what Katie and Henry had done three years earlier - it was what most people did, if they made it that far. Reid hadn’t been surprised to hear it either; it was pretty common, both in the small towns and the city. If Lily and Holden hadn’t been surprised, however, they had been a bit disappointed. They were indeed proud of him, but Aaron was a very bright boy, and they’d hoped that he would have continued on farther. Holden himself had left school when he was twelve; the Civil War had sent his older brothers off to fight and he was needed on the farm. Lily had finished eighth grade - highly unusual for a girl at the time, but she’d come from a family of money and one that also valued formal education, both for boys and girls.
It had surprised no one when her family had tried to keep Lily from marrying Holden. Neither family - the Walsh’s or the Snyder’s had been very happy with the young, budding romance between the two, but it was love and there was no standing in its way, so ultimately the Walsh’s allowed their daughter to marry the farm boy and the Snyders allowed their son to marry the girl from that snobbish family. Both had given their blessing.
Looking at the two of them now, Holden with his fiddle resting on his knee and one arm draped behind her shoulder, Lily laughing and smiling at the conversation around her, no one would know of their tempestuous beginnings. They looked the picture of an easy, happy life. No wonder Luke had the attitude that bad times would always get better, that life was good. He had every reason to believe that.
Holden leaned in close to whisper something in his wife’s ear. She smiled at him.
“Well, I think that we’ll leave you young folks to it; we’re going to retire.” Taking her hand they began to leave. “Make yourselves at home, however, don’t feel the need to rush off.”
Lily paused to give Luke one more kiss. “We’re so proud of you, Son. Enjoy tonight.” And they left the room.
“So, tell us more about the big city, Aaron.” Henry said. “You’ve been there six years now, you must have settled in. You’ve found work you enjoy, right?”
“I’m doing construction right now; have been for a year and a half, and I really like it.” Aaron’s smile was warm and genuine. “There’s a lot of building going on, and I’m good at it. Gives me a nice salary, with a lot of free time in the colder months.”
“And I’m sure you take advantage of that, if the stories I hear are true.” Casey winked at him. Lily and Holden hadn’t been too pleased of Aaron’s reputation as being quite the ladies’ man.
“Well, I’m only human; what’s a man to do, surrounded by so many lovely women?” And he gestured to the women in the room. “No offense to the lovely women right here in Oakdale.”
“None taken.” Katie replied.
“But you’re from the city…” Aaron said, turning to Reid, who had been perfectly content to just listen to the conversation.
“Well, that’s where I’ve lived for the last ten years or so.”
“But you can attest to the beautiful women…the temptation.” He smiled knowingly at Reid.
He smiled politely at Luke’s older brother, but said nothing.
“But some of the men aren’t interested in the ladies…that’s what you said.” Katie spoke, and then added, “I was telling Reid about that a few days ago. Since he’s a doctor, I thought he might have some light to shed on it.” She said as way of explanation.
“And do you?” Aaron asked Reid.
Reid silently looked between Aaron and Katie, and then took in Henry’s wide eyes.
Katie spoke. “Dr. Oliver said that it was a disorder of the brain. Isn’t that right?”
Reid hated keeping silent on his own beliefs, but he hadn’t been here in Oakdale very long, and he wasn’t ready to again be run out on a rail quite yet. “That’s what the medical community believes.” Reid said, but still, his gut churned.
Aaron was very astute however. “Is that what you believe?”
Reid couldn’t outright lie. “No.” he said.
Katie’s brow furrowed. “But, I thought…”
Casey interrupted. “What are you talking about?”
“Men who aren’t…interested in ladies.” Katie said with a blush. Casey didn’t appear to understand what she was talking about. “You know…” She nodded her head back and forth.
“No, I don’t know…” he said with a half-goofy smile. “That’s why I’m asking.”
Maddie took his arm. “Casey…in that way.” She looked at the others, defending Casey’s naiveté. “You can’t blame him for not knowing. Casey’s never been to the city.”
Light seemed to dawn on Luke’s best friend, and his eyebrows rose, then they furrowed. “Really?”
“You’ve never heard of such a thing, Casey?” Aaron asked.
Casey shook his head.
“I hadn’t either until you mentioned it.” Katie defended.
“Yes, but you’re a girl.”
She gave him an offended look.
“Well, it’s just that boys tend to know more about these things. But he’s young, and who can blame him.” And Aaron looked around the room at all the men. “I’m sure no young man would want to spend much time thinking about that.”
And almost everyone laughed.
“No, I wouldn’t.” Casey said. “But…are you sure?” and he looked to Luke’s older brother for confirmation.
“Quite sure, I’ve talked to some them myself.”
“But, why? I mean, why are they like that?”
“That’s what I want to know.” Katie said with enthusiasm. “And I want to know what we can do to help them.”
Aaron laughed. “Well, I hardly think we’re going to solve that dilemma tonight, Katie dear.”
“No, you’re right.” she agreed. “And besides, tonight is a night of celebration. Casey, would you play us another song and would you sing? You have such a lovely voice. How about…hmmm, what shall it be?”
“The Flower of Magherally O.” Maddie said. “I love it when you sing that one…She’s the girl that I adore…” Maddie quoted.
Casey began to play and then to sing and all eyes were on the young Hughes boy.
All eyes except two pairs. Luke’s gaze was on the floor and Reid’s was on him. He could see Luke’s chest heaving, his one hand anxiously pushing and pulling on his other thumb; Reid could feel how close Luke was to falling apart. He sat across the small room from him and he wished he could walk over to him and hold him.
In a moment, Luke stood up quietly. Casey kept on playing and singing. Maddie looked up at him questioningly and he nodded his head to say he was okay. He bent down to whisper something to her and as he walked out of the room, her reassured gaze fell back on Casey.
But Reid knew he wasn’t okay. And after a minute, he quietly excused himself as well.
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/ 6/ 7/ 8/ 9/ 10/
Ch 11
Boy, this really was an all-day celebration, Reid thought. He’d arrived at noon to help with set-ups and read Luke’s work, and here it was almost nine O’clock and, while most of the guests had gone home, there was still this little gathering of nine; the Snyders, all except the three younger ones, Katie, Henry, Maddie, Casey, and himself. They all sat in the living room by the fire, talking and laughing, while Holden and Casey plucked out a little improv on Scollay’s Reel.
Reid was tired and wasn’t contributing much to the conversation, instead content to watch the others. Most of the people sat on hardback chairs - all except for Luke, Maddie and Katie, who occupied the small sofa. Lily seemed tired but very happy; Katie was very much enjoying the social situation; Aaron was busy regaling them all with funny anecdotes, which was making Henry somewhat jealous. And although there was a tiredness in the room, it was laced with joy, and nobody in this small band seemed inclined to see the evening come to an end.
Reid could have been content to leave, but since he knew that it would be easier to simply wait until his ride was ready to go, he let his tired eyes fall on his favorite subject in the room, for just a minute. Always, his eyes went first to Luke’s face, taking in his eyes and cheekbones, his jaw and lips; moving on to his soft hair and down his neck, admiring his broad shoulders and strong arms, down to his hands, which had seen both the pen and the plow. They rested on his thighs; a smaller hand tentatively reached out to take his, and Reid watched as Luke turned his head towards Maddie and smiled softly at her, gently taking her hand in his own; then the young man looked back down and his smile seemed to falter.
It had been quite a day. The feasting had begun at two, and boy did they feast. Katie wasn’t lying about Emma’s cooking; Reid hadn’t tasted so many delicious casseroles and salads and pies, oh the pies…in years. And then the festivities had begun, with gifts given and speeches and songs sung; Reid smiled recalling how many times Luke had smiled and blushed and given big strong hugs of thank you. After that there had been games in the field and some of the younger folk had gone for a swim, although it was a chilly one to be sure, as the weather had cooled off in the last couple weeks. And before you knew it, it was time to eat again; oh, Reid could live like this. All that and the gathering had been large enough that people didn’t pay him too much mind, which was just how he liked it.
After supper, many people had gone home and Luke’s younger siblings had been put to bed, and before he knew it, it was just this little gathering right here. Being a good listener, he’d learned a lot about Luke’s family and close friends. It seemed that both Henry and Aaron were pretty close to Katie growing up, even though Aaron was three years younger than the other two. He’d always liked running with the older crowd.
Nobody had been surprised when Aaron had left school after the eighth grade - it was what Katie and Henry had done three years earlier - it was what most people did, if they made it that far. Reid hadn’t been surprised to hear it either; it was pretty common, both in the small towns and the city. If Lily and Holden hadn’t been surprised, however, they had been a bit disappointed. They were indeed proud of him, but Aaron was a very bright boy, and they’d hoped that he would have continued on farther. Holden himself had left school when he was twelve; the Civil War had sent his older brothers off to fight and he was needed on the farm. Lily had finished eighth grade - highly unusual for a girl at the time, but she’d come from a family of money and one that also valued formal education, both for boys and girls.
It had surprised no one when her family had tried to keep Lily from marrying Holden. Neither family - the Walsh’s or the Snyder’s had been very happy with the young, budding romance between the two, but it was love and there was no standing in its way, so ultimately the Walsh’s allowed their daughter to marry the farm boy and the Snyders allowed their son to marry the girl from that snobbish family. Both had given their blessing.
Looking at the two of them now, Holden with his fiddle resting on his knee and one arm draped behind her shoulder, Lily laughing and smiling at the conversation around her, no one would know of their tempestuous beginnings. They looked the picture of an easy, happy life. No wonder Luke had the attitude that bad times would always get better, that life was good. He had every reason to believe that.
Holden leaned in close to whisper something in his wife’s ear. She smiled at him.
“Well, I think that we’ll leave you young folks to it; we’re going to retire.” Taking her hand they began to leave. “Make yourselves at home, however, don’t feel the need to rush off.”
Lily paused to give Luke one more kiss. “We’re so proud of you, Son. Enjoy tonight.” And they left the room.
“So, tell us more about the big city, Aaron.” Henry said. “You’ve been there six years now, you must have settled in. You’ve found work you enjoy, right?”
“I’m doing construction right now; have been for a year and a half, and I really like it.” Aaron’s smile was warm and genuine. “There’s a lot of building going on, and I’m good at it. Gives me a nice salary, with a lot of free time in the colder months.”
“And I’m sure you take advantage of that, if the stories I hear are true.” Casey winked at him. Lily and Holden hadn’t been too pleased of Aaron’s reputation as being quite the ladies’ man.
“Well, I’m only human; what’s a man to do, surrounded by so many lovely women?” And he gestured to the women in the room. “No offense to the lovely women right here in Oakdale.”
“None taken.” Katie replied.
“But you’re from the city…” Aaron said, turning to Reid, who had been perfectly content to just listen to the conversation.
“Well, that’s where I’ve lived for the last ten years or so.”
“But you can attest to the beautiful women…the temptation.” He smiled knowingly at Reid.
He smiled politely at Luke’s older brother, but said nothing.
“But some of the men aren’t interested in the ladies…that’s what you said.” Katie spoke, and then added, “I was telling Reid about that a few days ago. Since he’s a doctor, I thought he might have some light to shed on it.” She said as way of explanation.
“And do you?” Aaron asked Reid.
Reid silently looked between Aaron and Katie, and then took in Henry’s wide eyes.
Katie spoke. “Dr. Oliver said that it was a disorder of the brain. Isn’t that right?”
Reid hated keeping silent on his own beliefs, but he hadn’t been here in Oakdale very long, and he wasn’t ready to again be run out on a rail quite yet. “That’s what the medical community believes.” Reid said, but still, his gut churned.
Aaron was very astute however. “Is that what you believe?”
Reid couldn’t outright lie. “No.” he said.
Katie’s brow furrowed. “But, I thought…”
Casey interrupted. “What are you talking about?”
“Men who aren’t…interested in ladies.” Katie said with a blush. Casey didn’t appear to understand what she was talking about. “You know…” She nodded her head back and forth.
“No, I don’t know…” he said with a half-goofy smile. “That’s why I’m asking.”
Maddie took his arm. “Casey…in that way.” She looked at the others, defending Casey’s naiveté. “You can’t blame him for not knowing. Casey’s never been to the city.”
Light seemed to dawn on Luke’s best friend, and his eyebrows rose, then they furrowed. “Really?”
“You’ve never heard of such a thing, Casey?” Aaron asked.
Casey shook his head.
“I hadn’t either until you mentioned it.” Katie defended.
“Yes, but you’re a girl.”
She gave him an offended look.
“Well, it’s just that boys tend to know more about these things. But he’s young, and who can blame him.” And Aaron looked around the room at all the men. “I’m sure no young man would want to spend much time thinking about that.”
And almost everyone laughed.
“No, I wouldn’t.” Casey said. “But…are you sure?” and he looked to Luke’s older brother for confirmation.
“Quite sure, I’ve talked to some them myself.”
“But, why? I mean, why are they like that?”
“That’s what I want to know.” Katie said with enthusiasm. “And I want to know what we can do to help them.”
Aaron laughed. “Well, I hardly think we’re going to solve that dilemma tonight, Katie dear.”
“No, you’re right.” she agreed. “And besides, tonight is a night of celebration. Casey, would you play us another song and would you sing? You have such a lovely voice. How about…hmmm, what shall it be?”
“The Flower of Magherally O.” Maddie said. “I love it when you sing that one…She’s the girl that I adore…” Maddie quoted.
Casey began to play and then to sing and all eyes were on the young Hughes boy.
All eyes except two pairs. Luke’s gaze was on the floor and Reid’s was on him. He could see Luke’s chest heaving, his one hand anxiously pushing and pulling on his other thumb; Reid could feel how close Luke was to falling apart. He sat across the small room from him and he wished he could walk over to him and hold him.
In a moment, Luke stood up quietly. Casey kept on playing and singing. Maddie looked up at him questioningly and he nodded his head to say he was okay. He bent down to whisper something to her and as he walked out of the room, her reassured gaze fell back on Casey.
But Reid knew he wasn’t okay. And after a minute, he quietly excused himself as well.
next part/