Fic: Perception 12/?
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/ 11/
Chapter 12
Reid headed towards the barn; he thought that that was where Luke would go - to see his horses. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say to the boy, but he simply couldn’t sit in that room any longer knowing that Luke was out here hurting or confused.
He’d been right; he saw Luke in the lamplight, standing just inside one of the stalls, rubbing Ginger’s nose, and speaking quietly to her. Reid cleared his throat, and Luke looked up, startled and a bit frightened. When his eyes met Reid’s, a myriad of emotions seemed to pass over them; Reid saw Luke’s fear that he had revealed too much; next he saw Luke’s eyes take him in; lastly he saw concern furrow his brow again.
Reid wanted, again, to step up and hold the young man.
Luke stood taller, seeming to pull himself together for the sake of appearances; a part of Reid wanted to tell him to stop - that he didn’t need to pretend, not with him. But really…if Reid wasn’t ready to tell the truth about himself, how could he expect Luke to be ready? So he stood and watched as Luke put up his guard, pretended that everything was okay.
“What are you doing out here, Dr. Oliver?”
Reid scratched the back of his head. “I just needed some fresh air…stretch my legs.”
Luke looked at him, as if assessing whether or not he was telling the truth. “I just needed to check in on the horses for the night.”
Reid nodded, sure that Holden had already done that just a couple hours ago, but allowing Luke to hold onto his story none-the-less. “It was quite a party; quite a day.” He allowed himself to smile at the young man. “I’m glad I came.”
“Me too.” Luke smiled, and Reid was amazed both by how quickly Luke could lower his guard and by his own reaction to that smile. And for a moment they both simply held each other’s gaze, until Luke looked away. “Thank you…for reading my work.”
Reid nodded his head. “It was my pleasure, Luke. Really - thank you for sharing it with me.” He took a step closer to the beautiful boy, before realizing it and backing off. Looking at Luke’s face, the young man seemed to assess him - like a million questions were going through his head.
“So, I suppose you’ll be heading off soon - back to town.”
Reid nodded.
“Dr. Oliver?” Reid met his gaze. “Do you know how…the other day you said…well, you were feeling down, and you said that…” he hesitated.
“I said that being with you had made me feel better.” Reid stated and Luke nodded, blushing.
“Well, thank you for coming out here…I know it wasn’t just for the fresh air…”
Reid nodded slightly.
“Well, it made me feel better, so…thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Luke.” And again Reid had to resist stepping closer and holding him, but these words did slip out. “Maybe we should do it more often.”
Luke silently questioned him.
“I mean, if it makes you feel better and me as well…” Reid babbled, not quite believing he was actually saying these things.
Luke laughed quietly. “I’d like to. Spend more time together, I mean. Friends do that. Not that we’re friends, I mean, I’m just a kid, but…”
“You’re not just a kid, Luke.” They both smiled at each other. “And I do think we’re becoming friends.”
Luke inhaled and then let it out. “Would you like to ride together? Sometime this week.”
Reid nodded.
“How about Wednesday - midday?”
“Sure.” Reid said. “I’ll come out here; it’s so beautiful.”
“Sounds…wonderful.” Luke said.
As they walked back towards the house together, they fell in step beside each other. Reid hadn’t felt so comfortable in another human being’s presence in many years. Matthew, he thought. This was how it was with Matthew before that night. After that night, when Reid’s father had discovered them in their barn, he and his best friend had continued to spend time together, despite Reid’s father’s wishes. They’d been secretive about it, however, and they’d never touched each other again like they had that night. And slowly, they’d drifted apart, the weight of everything unspoken becoming too much for them. And eventually Matthew had married Suzanne, and as Reid saw how miserable Matthew and his wife were, he’d left town, found his way into university and he’d avoided best friends after that.
But Luke was different; he was much younger than Reid, for one thing. That knowledge made Reid want to be very careful about where this friendship went; he felt responsible in a way he hadn’t quite felt with Matthew. But Reid also sensed courage in Luke that Matthew hadn’t had. When Reid thought about it, Luke was more courageous than any of the supposedly adult men Reid had known. Reid had a lot of respect for Luke already, in the few weeks since they’d met.
As he thought these things his eyes drifted over to look at the young man beside him. In his expressive eyes and lips, in his strong profile, Reid could see that much wisdom had already been acquired in his short life. Luke turned to him suddenly, as they continued walking, and smiled at him; and that smile - full of innocence - caught Reid’s breath and he smiled back.
“There you are!” Maddie’s voice cried out from across the yard. “We weren’t sure where you two had wandered off to.”
Luke put his hands in his pockets as she, Henry and Casey approached. And Reid looked at him and then down at the ground. “I needed some fresh air.” Reid pulled out his story.
“Yeah.” Luke smiled at him. “And I wanted to check on the horse once more.” And then he turned towards the little group. “So, are you off?”
“Yes.” Maddie smiled at him. “It’s been a wonderful day, Luke. We’re all so proud of you.”
“Yeah, Luke.” Casey said, giving him a bear hug. “Great job.” He smiled sincerely at Luke. “We’ll wait for you at the carriage, Maddie. Don’t be long.”
Reid let himself be led away by Casey, but when they got to Henry’s carriage, he couldn’t resist turning around.
Maddie and Luke were standing close together and he had his hands on her waist. He leaned in and gave her a kiss, lingering a bit. Then he stepped back and as she walked towards Reid and Casey, his eyes met Reid’s briefly, before they both looked down.
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/ 11/
Chapter 12
Reid headed towards the barn; he thought that that was where Luke would go - to see his horses. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say to the boy, but he simply couldn’t sit in that room any longer knowing that Luke was out here hurting or confused.
He’d been right; he saw Luke in the lamplight, standing just inside one of the stalls, rubbing Ginger’s nose, and speaking quietly to her. Reid cleared his throat, and Luke looked up, startled and a bit frightened. When his eyes met Reid’s, a myriad of emotions seemed to pass over them; Reid saw Luke’s fear that he had revealed too much; next he saw Luke’s eyes take him in; lastly he saw concern furrow his brow again.
Reid wanted, again, to step up and hold the young man.
Luke stood taller, seeming to pull himself together for the sake of appearances; a part of Reid wanted to tell him to stop - that he didn’t need to pretend, not with him. But really…if Reid wasn’t ready to tell the truth about himself, how could he expect Luke to be ready? So he stood and watched as Luke put up his guard, pretended that everything was okay.
“What are you doing out here, Dr. Oliver?”
Reid scratched the back of his head. “I just needed some fresh air…stretch my legs.”
Luke looked at him, as if assessing whether or not he was telling the truth. “I just needed to check in on the horses for the night.”
Reid nodded, sure that Holden had already done that just a couple hours ago, but allowing Luke to hold onto his story none-the-less. “It was quite a party; quite a day.” He allowed himself to smile at the young man. “I’m glad I came.”
“Me too.” Luke smiled, and Reid was amazed both by how quickly Luke could lower his guard and by his own reaction to that smile. And for a moment they both simply held each other’s gaze, until Luke looked away. “Thank you…for reading my work.”
Reid nodded his head. “It was my pleasure, Luke. Really - thank you for sharing it with me.” He took a step closer to the beautiful boy, before realizing it and backing off. Looking at Luke’s face, the young man seemed to assess him - like a million questions were going through his head.
“So, I suppose you’ll be heading off soon - back to town.”
Reid nodded.
“Dr. Oliver?” Reid met his gaze. “Do you know how…the other day you said…well, you were feeling down, and you said that…” he hesitated.
“I said that being with you had made me feel better.” Reid stated and Luke nodded, blushing.
“Well, thank you for coming out here…I know it wasn’t just for the fresh air…”
Reid nodded slightly.
“Well, it made me feel better, so…thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Luke.” And again Reid had to resist stepping closer and holding him, but these words did slip out. “Maybe we should do it more often.”
Luke silently questioned him.
“I mean, if it makes you feel better and me as well…” Reid babbled, not quite believing he was actually saying these things.
Luke laughed quietly. “I’d like to. Spend more time together, I mean. Friends do that. Not that we’re friends, I mean, I’m just a kid, but…”
“You’re not just a kid, Luke.” They both smiled at each other. “And I do think we’re becoming friends.”
Luke inhaled and then let it out. “Would you like to ride together? Sometime this week.”
Reid nodded.
“How about Wednesday - midday?”
“Sure.” Reid said. “I’ll come out here; it’s so beautiful.”
“Sounds…wonderful.” Luke said.
As they walked back towards the house together, they fell in step beside each other. Reid hadn’t felt so comfortable in another human being’s presence in many years. Matthew, he thought. This was how it was with Matthew before that night. After that night, when Reid’s father had discovered them in their barn, he and his best friend had continued to spend time together, despite Reid’s father’s wishes. They’d been secretive about it, however, and they’d never touched each other again like they had that night. And slowly, they’d drifted apart, the weight of everything unspoken becoming too much for them. And eventually Matthew had married Suzanne, and as Reid saw how miserable Matthew and his wife were, he’d left town, found his way into university and he’d avoided best friends after that.
But Luke was different; he was much younger than Reid, for one thing. That knowledge made Reid want to be very careful about where this friendship went; he felt responsible in a way he hadn’t quite felt with Matthew. But Reid also sensed courage in Luke that Matthew hadn’t had. When Reid thought about it, Luke was more courageous than any of the supposedly adult men Reid had known. Reid had a lot of respect for Luke already, in the few weeks since they’d met.
As he thought these things his eyes drifted over to look at the young man beside him. In his expressive eyes and lips, in his strong profile, Reid could see that much wisdom had already been acquired in his short life. Luke turned to him suddenly, as they continued walking, and smiled at him; and that smile - full of innocence - caught Reid’s breath and he smiled back.
“There you are!” Maddie’s voice cried out from across the yard. “We weren’t sure where you two had wandered off to.”
Luke put his hands in his pockets as she, Henry and Casey approached. And Reid looked at him and then down at the ground. “I needed some fresh air.” Reid pulled out his story.
“Yeah.” Luke smiled at him. “And I wanted to check on the horse once more.” And then he turned towards the little group. “So, are you off?”
“Yes.” Maddie smiled at him. “It’s been a wonderful day, Luke. We’re all so proud of you.”
“Yeah, Luke.” Casey said, giving him a bear hug. “Great job.” He smiled sincerely at Luke. “We’ll wait for you at the carriage, Maddie. Don’t be long.”
Reid let himself be led away by Casey, but when they got to Henry’s carriage, he couldn’t resist turning around.
Maddie and Luke were standing close together and he had his hands on her waist. He leaned in and gave her a kiss, lingering a bit. Then he stepped back and as she walked towards Reid and Casey, his eyes met Reid’s briefly, before they both looked down.
next part/