Fic: Perception 16/?
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/ 12/ 13/ 14/ 15/
Chapter 16
Reid was kissing Luke Snyder. Actually he wasn’t. At the moment he was sitting with three teenagers at a booth in Henry’s pub. Maddie was seated next to him; across from her was Luke and beside him, across from Reid, was Casey. Things were a bit awkward at the moment, what with Luke having ended things with Maddie, and with Casey and Maddie not sure what to do next (and not talking to anyone, including each other, about their kiss) and with Reid and Luke not being able to be open about their relationship.
Relationship? Reid shook his head slightly; he’d analyze that thought later.
At the moment, he was looking at those lips. He knew how they tasted, he knew how they felt; he knew what it felt like when Luke sucked his lower lip into his mouth, gently nibbling it. That’s what Reid meant when he said he was kissing Luke Snyder. Almost a week after their first orgasm, they’d shared their first kiss. Now, a week after that, Reid doesn’t think he’s ever kissed anyone so much in his life. That’s all they’ve done, but he’s not complaining.
And that’s strange. Not only has he never kissed anyone so much, he’s never been so content to simply kiss. Sure, that kissing included ears, and necks, and collarbones, but nothing south of that. But Reid thinks he could be quite happy spending much of the future with his lips exploring Luke Snyder from the neck up - and vice versa - especially since the experience came with the delicious sounds Luke made and the gorgeous, happy smiles on his face.
Raising his eyes to Luke’s, he found Luke’s on him; their eyes met and Luke licked his lips and smiled, and Reid swallowed. They both looked away towards their companions, who appeared to be studying their drinks. Reid knew that Luke wished to broach the subject of their kiss, Maddie’s and Casey’s, with his two friends, to put them out of their guilty misery, to let them know that he was alright with it. But here wasn’t the place.
“So,” Luke said. “I have some news.”
All three looked at Luke now.
Luke took the new satchel that his father had made him, and laid it on the table.
“Did you write something new, Luke?” Maddie asked.
Luke shook his head.
Reid raised an eyebrow, and Luke’s smile back at him was shy and proud.
“Well, show us,” Reid insisted.
Luke licked his lips and opened the satchel. He pulled out some sheets of paper, held together by a paper clip. He held them tentatively for a moment, and then as he handed them to Reid, Reid smiled at the young man, already having figured out what this was.
He took one look at the papers Luke had handed him. “You did it. You’re applying to university.”
Luke nodded. “I did. I am.”
And Reid couldn’t resist. He reached across the table and took Luke’s hand in his own. “Good for you.”
“Wow,” Maddie said.
Casey looked at her, both of them seemingly relieved to have something to think about besides their own guilt. “Yeah, you were actually serious, Luke.”
“Well, I’d never considered the idea before, but yeah…” he looked down and then up again. “I’m nervous, but I’m serious.”
“You shouldn’t be nervous, Luke.” Casey said. “You’re good.” He put an arm around Luke’s shoulder. “Really good.”
“Thanks, Casey. That means a lot.”
His eyes met Reid’s, who’d been watching him. “Has anyone read your application essay for you, Luke.” He asked.
Luke nodded. “My parents.”
Reid smiled, remembering the conversation he’d had with Holden about Luke and further studies.
“They really liked it.” Luke said, blushing, and Reid smiled again at him. “I don’t know if I’ll be accepted, especially since it’s so late, but I’m glad I’m doing it.”
“Good.” Reid looked around at everyone at the table. “So, are you ready to post it? Make it official?”
Luke smiled shyly, looking at the three. He exhaled. “Yes.”
As he handed the parcel to the postmaster, Luke felt as if a brand new chapter was on the verge of being written for his life. He stood still for a moment and then, turning and meeting Reid’s gaze, he knew his thoughts were understood without speaking them. And how good that felt - to have someone understand his soul like that.
The four of them walked down the street until Reid had to part ways with them.
“I’ll see you all soon,” Reid said, Luke knowing that he would see Reid the next day.
“Thank you,” Luke said. “For helping me, encouraging me.” He stepped up and gave Reid a hug, and then he whispered, “thank you so much.”
The three young people walked on.
“Casey…Maddie, can I talk to you about something?”
“Sure Luke,” Maddie responded.
“Can we sit in the park? It’s…important.”
“Okay.”
They walked on a bit and then found a quiet spot and all three sat together on the grass. Luke fiddled with some grass, not sure how to say this, but hardly able to stand the silence anymore.
“I love you both,” he said.
Maddie looked at Casey, then Luke. “We love you too, Luke.”
“I know. I know you do.” He swallowed and looked at each of them in turn. “And I know things have been rather off between us lately.”
He watched them each color and avoid each other’s eyes.
“I’m sorry, Luke.” Maddie began. “It’s just…”
“I know what it is.”
They both appeared panicked.
“What do you mean?” Casey asked.
Luke hesitated. “I saw you.” He paused. “Kissing, I mean.”
“Oh God.” Maddie put her face in her hands and Casey really did look panicked.
“Luke, I’m so sorry.” He said. “I didn’t mean…I just…oh Jesus.” Casey ran a hand through his hair.
“Is that why you wanted to stop seeing each other?” Maddie asked quietly.
“No…yes.” He paused. “No.”
His two friends both looked stricken and confused.
“It really doesn’t matter why, but it was the right decision.” Then he took Maddie’s hand. “The most important thing I want to say is that I’m okay with it. I know you two are confused - or at least it seems like you’re confused - about how you feel for each other. But I’m okay. I wasn’t at first, when I saw you, but I am now.” And he let go of one of her hands to take Casey’s. “I love you both, and you’re my best friends - and you always will be, no matter what happens here.”
“I’m sorry, Luke.” Casey said. “We both are. It was just once.” Casey again ran a hand through his hair. “And I know that doesn’t make it right. You and Maddie were together and we shouldn’t have and…well, it just happened.”
Luke now knew what that phrase meant. “I know, Case. I know. And I know you’ll sort things out, however they’re meant to be but…Casey, look at me.” He waited for his best friend to meet his eye. “Don’t hold back - if this is right…” and he looked between the two of them. “If it’s right don’t hold back because of me.”
Casey and Maddie looked at each other, still with so much unspoken that needed speaking, and nodded their heads.
“Luke,” Maddie said, looking at him.
“Come here,” he said, and she leaned forward and they held each other. “It’s really okay, Mads, it is.”
She pulled away with a tearful smile.
Then Luke pulled Casey in for a similar hug, feeling the barriers between him and his friend beginning to dissolve again.
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/ 12/ 13/ 14/ 15/
Chapter 16
Reid was kissing Luke Snyder. Actually he wasn’t. At the moment he was sitting with three teenagers at a booth in Henry’s pub. Maddie was seated next to him; across from her was Luke and beside him, across from Reid, was Casey. Things were a bit awkward at the moment, what with Luke having ended things with Maddie, and with Casey and Maddie not sure what to do next (and not talking to anyone, including each other, about their kiss) and with Reid and Luke not being able to be open about their relationship.
Relationship? Reid shook his head slightly; he’d analyze that thought later.
At the moment, he was looking at those lips. He knew how they tasted, he knew how they felt; he knew what it felt like when Luke sucked his lower lip into his mouth, gently nibbling it. That’s what Reid meant when he said he was kissing Luke Snyder. Almost a week after their first orgasm, they’d shared their first kiss. Now, a week after that, Reid doesn’t think he’s ever kissed anyone so much in his life. That’s all they’ve done, but he’s not complaining.
And that’s strange. Not only has he never kissed anyone so much, he’s never been so content to simply kiss. Sure, that kissing included ears, and necks, and collarbones, but nothing south of that. But Reid thinks he could be quite happy spending much of the future with his lips exploring Luke Snyder from the neck up - and vice versa - especially since the experience came with the delicious sounds Luke made and the gorgeous, happy smiles on his face.
Raising his eyes to Luke’s, he found Luke’s on him; their eyes met and Luke licked his lips and smiled, and Reid swallowed. They both looked away towards their companions, who appeared to be studying their drinks. Reid knew that Luke wished to broach the subject of their kiss, Maddie’s and Casey’s, with his two friends, to put them out of their guilty misery, to let them know that he was alright with it. But here wasn’t the place.
“So,” Luke said. “I have some news.”
All three looked at Luke now.
Luke took the new satchel that his father had made him, and laid it on the table.
“Did you write something new, Luke?” Maddie asked.
Luke shook his head.
Reid raised an eyebrow, and Luke’s smile back at him was shy and proud.
“Well, show us,” Reid insisted.
Luke licked his lips and opened the satchel. He pulled out some sheets of paper, held together by a paper clip. He held them tentatively for a moment, and then as he handed them to Reid, Reid smiled at the young man, already having figured out what this was.
He took one look at the papers Luke had handed him. “You did it. You’re applying to university.”
Luke nodded. “I did. I am.”
And Reid couldn’t resist. He reached across the table and took Luke’s hand in his own. “Good for you.”
“Wow,” Maddie said.
Casey looked at her, both of them seemingly relieved to have something to think about besides their own guilt. “Yeah, you were actually serious, Luke.”
“Well, I’d never considered the idea before, but yeah…” he looked down and then up again. “I’m nervous, but I’m serious.”
“You shouldn’t be nervous, Luke.” Casey said. “You’re good.” He put an arm around Luke’s shoulder. “Really good.”
“Thanks, Casey. That means a lot.”
His eyes met Reid’s, who’d been watching him. “Has anyone read your application essay for you, Luke.” He asked.
Luke nodded. “My parents.”
Reid smiled, remembering the conversation he’d had with Holden about Luke and further studies.
“They really liked it.” Luke said, blushing, and Reid smiled again at him. “I don’t know if I’ll be accepted, especially since it’s so late, but I’m glad I’m doing it.”
“Good.” Reid looked around at everyone at the table. “So, are you ready to post it? Make it official?”
Luke smiled shyly, looking at the three. He exhaled. “Yes.”
As he handed the parcel to the postmaster, Luke felt as if a brand new chapter was on the verge of being written for his life. He stood still for a moment and then, turning and meeting Reid’s gaze, he knew his thoughts were understood without speaking them. And how good that felt - to have someone understand his soul like that.
The four of them walked down the street until Reid had to part ways with them.
“I’ll see you all soon,” Reid said, Luke knowing that he would see Reid the next day.
“Thank you,” Luke said. “For helping me, encouraging me.” He stepped up and gave Reid a hug, and then he whispered, “thank you so much.”
The three young people walked on.
“Casey…Maddie, can I talk to you about something?”
“Sure Luke,” Maddie responded.
“Can we sit in the park? It’s…important.”
“Okay.”
They walked on a bit and then found a quiet spot and all three sat together on the grass. Luke fiddled with some grass, not sure how to say this, but hardly able to stand the silence anymore.
“I love you both,” he said.
Maddie looked at Casey, then Luke. “We love you too, Luke.”
“I know. I know you do.” He swallowed and looked at each of them in turn. “And I know things have been rather off between us lately.”
He watched them each color and avoid each other’s eyes.
“I’m sorry, Luke.” Maddie began. “It’s just…”
“I know what it is.”
They both appeared panicked.
“What do you mean?” Casey asked.
Luke hesitated. “I saw you.” He paused. “Kissing, I mean.”
“Oh God.” Maddie put her face in her hands and Casey really did look panicked.
“Luke, I’m so sorry.” He said. “I didn’t mean…I just…oh Jesus.” Casey ran a hand through his hair.
“Is that why you wanted to stop seeing each other?” Maddie asked quietly.
“No…yes.” He paused. “No.”
His two friends both looked stricken and confused.
“It really doesn’t matter why, but it was the right decision.” Then he took Maddie’s hand. “The most important thing I want to say is that I’m okay with it. I know you two are confused - or at least it seems like you’re confused - about how you feel for each other. But I’m okay. I wasn’t at first, when I saw you, but I am now.” And he let go of one of her hands to take Casey’s. “I love you both, and you’re my best friends - and you always will be, no matter what happens here.”
“I’m sorry, Luke.” Casey said. “We both are. It was just once.” Casey again ran a hand through his hair. “And I know that doesn’t make it right. You and Maddie were together and we shouldn’t have and…well, it just happened.”
Luke now knew what that phrase meant. “I know, Case. I know. And I know you’ll sort things out, however they’re meant to be but…Casey, look at me.” He waited for his best friend to meet his eye. “Don’t hold back - if this is right…” and he looked between the two of them. “If it’s right don’t hold back because of me.”
Casey and Maddie looked at each other, still with so much unspoken that needed speaking, and nodded their heads.
“Luke,” Maddie said, looking at him.
“Come here,” he said, and she leaned forward and they held each other. “It’s really okay, Mads, it is.”
She pulled away with a tearful smile.
Then Luke pulled Casey in for a similar hug, feeling the barriers between him and his friend beginning to dissolve again.
next part/