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A Lovely Apparition by jezrana (R)
Fandom: BANDOM
Pairing: Gerard/Frank
Length: 21,720 words
Author on LJ:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jezrana
Author Website: Writing journal
Why this must be read: The one where Gerard's a crossdresser in the 1790s and falls in love with Frank. Crossdressing didn't use to be a kink of mine but this is one of the stories that changed my mind. There is a gentleness and sweetness to it that is very appealing and the writing is lovely. I also like what she's done with the characterisation of Gerard and Frank, they feel very much like themselves without being out of place in the late 18th century.
Excerpt from the story:
The evening's festivities were centred in the large clearing known as the Grove. The orchestra played from a building in the middle, open to the mild summer air, while some couples sat in the pavilions or supper-boxes all around and others danced or simply walked about in the open spaces between the buildings.
There was more than one young lady present who seemed to be without a chaperone, so Gerard wouldn't stand out in that regard. As he made his way into the crowd of strangers, he felt a brief moment of anxiety, a belated second thought about whether or not he would truly be able to do this. But while several idly curious glances were cast in his direction, he saw no suspicion in any them, and after a few moments, he began to relax somewhat.
As he walked about, Gerard's train of thought was rather suddenly interrupted when he stepped over an uneven patch of ground. Having reconciled themselves easily enough to walking in women's shoes over even ground, his feet chose to greet this new obstacle with immediate revolt. He stumbled, and would almost certainly have fallen if not for the hands that caught him: one at his elbow, one at the small of his back, steadying Gerard for the brief but crucial moment it took to regain his footing.
"Steady on, there," said a voice that presumably went with the hands, and Gerard turned his head to confirm this. A young man stood at his side, an expression of gentlemanly concern on his face, which was uncovered except for a simple black domino mask across his eyes.
He was short - Gerard thought he would be taller even without high-heeled shoes, and he was no paragon of height, himself - but handsome, with dark hair trimmed short and brown eyes that caught the light most attractively. He was dressed like a commoner, in a plain homespun shirt and russet waistcoat, but he had the bearing and accent of privilege.
"All right, now?" he asked, and when Gerard nodded, he relinquished his hold on Gerard's back and elbow.
"Thank you, sir," Gerard said, doing his best to pitch his voice high without it sounding false (another thing he'd practiced in the safety of his own bedroom).
"Not at all," the gentleman replied. "It would be a crime to see a beautiful lady in distress and not come to her aid."
Gerard felt sudden heat flood his cheeks, and for a moment, all he could think about was that he had just been called beautiful.
Then he remembered himself, and the full truth of the situation dawned on him: that he had just been called a beautiful lady by a handsome young man who had apparently been taken in by his disguise, and that he seemed to have blundered into exactly the sort of situation he had hoped to avoid by staying in motion and not engaging anyone in conversation.
A Lovely Apparition
Pairing: Gerard/Frank
Length: 21,720 words
Author on LJ:
jezranaAuthor Website: Writing journal
Why this must be read: The one where Gerard's a crossdresser in the 1790s and falls in love with Frank. Crossdressing didn't use to be a kink of mine but this is one of the stories that changed my mind. There is a gentleness and sweetness to it that is very appealing and the writing is lovely. I also like what she's done with the characterisation of Gerard and Frank, they feel very much like themselves without being out of place in the late 18th century.
Excerpt from the story:
The evening's festivities were centred in the large clearing known as the Grove. The orchestra played from a building in the middle, open to the mild summer air, while some couples sat in the pavilions or supper-boxes all around and others danced or simply walked about in the open spaces between the buildings.
There was more than one young lady present who seemed to be without a chaperone, so Gerard wouldn't stand out in that regard. As he made his way into the crowd of strangers, he felt a brief moment of anxiety, a belated second thought about whether or not he would truly be able to do this. But while several idly curious glances were cast in his direction, he saw no suspicion in any them, and after a few moments, he began to relax somewhat.
As he walked about, Gerard's train of thought was rather suddenly interrupted when he stepped over an uneven patch of ground. Having reconciled themselves easily enough to walking in women's shoes over even ground, his feet chose to greet this new obstacle with immediate revolt. He stumbled, and would almost certainly have fallen if not for the hands that caught him: one at his elbow, one at the small of his back, steadying Gerard for the brief but crucial moment it took to regain his footing.
"Steady on, there," said a voice that presumably went with the hands, and Gerard turned his head to confirm this. A young man stood at his side, an expression of gentlemanly concern on his face, which was uncovered except for a simple black domino mask across his eyes.
He was short - Gerard thought he would be taller even without high-heeled shoes, and he was no paragon of height, himself - but handsome, with dark hair trimmed short and brown eyes that caught the light most attractively. He was dressed like a commoner, in a plain homespun shirt and russet waistcoat, but he had the bearing and accent of privilege.
"All right, now?" he asked, and when Gerard nodded, he relinquished his hold on Gerard's back and elbow.
"Thank you, sir," Gerard said, doing his best to pitch his voice high without it sounding false (another thing he'd practiced in the safety of his own bedroom).
"Not at all," the gentleman replied. "It would be a crime to see a beautiful lady in distress and not come to her aid."
Gerard felt sudden heat flood his cheeks, and for a moment, all he could think about was that he had just been called beautiful.
Then he remembered himself, and the full truth of the situation dawned on him: that he had just been called a beautiful lady by a handsome young man who had apparently been taken in by his disguise, and that he seemed to have blundered into exactly the sort of situation he had hoped to avoid by staying in motion and not engaging anyone in conversation.
A Lovely Apparition