White Collar Fic: Let Us Live, Let Us Love
Aug. 1st, 2011 03:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elrhiarhodanTitle: Let Us Live, Let Us Love
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
elrhiarhodan
Fandom: White Collar
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Peter Burke, Peter/Elizabeth
Spoilers: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: Poetry?
Word Count: ~1000
Summary: On the occasion oflionessvalenti’s birthday, a bit of anniversary schmoop.
Title from Catullus 5. No beta. All mistakes are mine and mine alone.
__________________
Peter wasn’t always the type of man who forgot birthdays and anniversaries. He didn’t start out as the absent-minded husband who got so caught up in his work that he forgot to call his wife and tell her how late he was running.
No, when Peter Burke got married, he was the model specimen of an attentive husband. He made lists, checked them frequently, marked his calendar six months in advance with reminders every few weeks.
It was easy when they were first married. Money was tight and expectations were simple. His father, a man whose wisdom he never doubted, said there was a reason why the first anniversary gift was traditionally paper – because that’s what newlyweds could afford.
His bride was a study in contradictions. She was as down-to-earth as a pioneer woman, as smart as Marie Curie, and more beautiful than a thousand supermodels. She wasn’t expecting extravagance, and Peter couldn’t afford anything extravagant anyway. But he wanted his first anniversary present to be something memorable.
One afternoon, coming off shift from a stakeout, he found himself in front of one of the largest of New York City’s independent booksellers. Although the idea of giving El a book seemed a little banal, maybe the vast store would have something special.
He was standing at the counter, hoping to get the attention of one of the sales clerks. He hated stores like this, where the staff was known for their overly dramatic self-absorption. There was a young woman in front of him, quietly arguing with one of the clerks. She was trying to sell them an old book.
Peter couldn’t help but hear the conversation.
“Look, it’s a hand bound copy of Catullus’ poetry. The pages are gilt-edged. The cover is lambskin.”
“And it’s filled with pornographic sketches.”
“Which should increase its value.”
“We don’t buy or sell pornography.” The clerk was adamant.
The woman, who was getting angry, gestured to a display of books about Willem De Kooning’s nudes. “Then what do you call that?”
The snotty clerk replied, “Art.”
“Look, I need a hundred dollars for it. It was printed in 1782, in Paris.”
“I don’t care if it was printed in 1492 in Germany by Guttenberg himself. We’re not buying it.”
The young woman, thoroughly dejected, walked out. In a moment of inspiration, Peter followed her back to the street.
“Miss? Excuse me, I couldn’t help overhearing.”
The woman – a girl really – turned around. She was pretty, but frazzled looked. “What.”
“Umm – have you thought about taking the book to an auction house or a rare book dealer?” Peter didn’t want to take advantage of her, he had to let know she had some options.
“Yeah – I did. But I need the money now. The best offer I got was a hundred bucks. But I didn’t like the guy. He wanted me to leave the book and said he’d get the money.” She looked at him with sudden suspicion. “What’s your interest?”
Peter hoped he wasn’t blushing. “Well, I’m looking to buy my wife a present for our first anniversary – you know – paper?” This could go so wrong in so many ways.
The girl smiled. “You’re serious?”
“Yeah.” A thought occurred to Peter. He could be buying stolen property. “Umm – where did you get the book?”
“It was my grandmother’s – actually my grandfather gave it to her. He was stationed in London during the war and found it in a bookshop there. He sent it home as a gift. She did the illustrations and gave it back to him as a welcome home present.”
Peter was charmed – this would be perfect. “Can I see it?”
The girl stiffened in wariness again. “How do I know you’re not going to run off with it?”
Peter did the only thing he could think of, he showed her his badge. “Look – here’s my card. If I run off with it, you can track me down.”
“FBI, huh?”
“Yeah.” Peter smiled, hoping she’d see him as the harmless sort.
“Well – okay. But let’s go into the coffee shop.” She tilted her head to the Starbucks on the corner.
Miraculously, they got a table, and the girl, who finally introduced herself as Julia, pulled the book out. It was just as she described, and Peter was awed by the beauty of it. The sketches inside were delicate and exquisitely rendered. And utterly pornographic in their detail.
He raised his eyebrows. “Your grandmother was very talented.”
“She was a professor of art history at Columbia and fluent in Greek and Latin. That’s why my grandfather knew she’d love the book.”
Peter closed it and put it back in its protective case. “Why are you selling it?”
“I have to eat, and besides – what am I going to do with it? It’s going to get wrecked or stolen in my dorm room.”
Peter had mentally budgeted fifty dollars for Elizabeth’s gift, plus a hundred for a good dinner at Donatella’s. “Would you take two hundred for it?” So he’d eat deviled ham sandwiches for the rest of the month.
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.” Peter pulled out his wallet. He had just a hundred in cash, plus the hundred dollar bill he carried for emergencies.
Julia folded up the money and tucked it into her bra, Peter wrapped the book up and put it in his breast pocket.
“Does your wife read Latin?”
“No, but I do.” Peter smiled at the thought of sharing this with Elizabeth. Despite the illustrations, the poetry was more about the celebration of love than the mechanics of coupling.
They left the coffee shop. Julia was presumably heading back to her dorm room and Peter went down into the subway. He spent most of the ride thinking about getting Elizabeth naked and reading the poetry to her. He hoped she wouldn’t laugh at him, at least not too hard.
Then they could try out some of the positions that were illustrated.
Let us live, my Lesbia, let us love,
and all the words of the old, and so moral,
may they be worth less than nothing to us!
Suns may set, and suns may rise again:
but when our brief light has set,
night is one long everlasting sleep.
Give me a thousand kisses, a hundred more,
another thousand, and another hundred,
and, when we’ve counted up the many thousands,
confuse them so as not to know them all,
so that no enemy may cast an evil eye,
by knowing that there were so many kisses.
Catullus 5
FIN
Author:
elrhiarhodanFandom: White Collar
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Peter Burke, Peter/Elizabeth
Spoilers: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: Poetry?
Word Count: ~1000
Summary: On the occasion of
lionessvalenti’s birthday, a bit of anniversary schmoop. Title from Catullus 5. No beta. All mistakes are mine and mine alone.
Peter wasn’t always the type of man who forgot birthdays and anniversaries. He didn’t start out as the absent-minded husband who got so caught up in his work that he forgot to call his wife and tell her how late he was running.
No, when Peter Burke got married, he was the model specimen of an attentive husband. He made lists, checked them frequently, marked his calendar six months in advance with reminders every few weeks.
It was easy when they were first married. Money was tight and expectations were simple. His father, a man whose wisdom he never doubted, said there was a reason why the first anniversary gift was traditionally paper – because that’s what newlyweds could afford.
His bride was a study in contradictions. She was as down-to-earth as a pioneer woman, as smart as Marie Curie, and more beautiful than a thousand supermodels. She wasn’t expecting extravagance, and Peter couldn’t afford anything extravagant anyway. But he wanted his first anniversary present to be something memorable.
One afternoon, coming off shift from a stakeout, he found himself in front of one of the largest of New York City’s independent booksellers. Although the idea of giving El a book seemed a little banal, maybe the vast store would have something special.
He was standing at the counter, hoping to get the attention of one of the sales clerks. He hated stores like this, where the staff was known for their overly dramatic self-absorption. There was a young woman in front of him, quietly arguing with one of the clerks. She was trying to sell them an old book.
Peter couldn’t help but hear the conversation.
“Look, it’s a hand bound copy of Catullus’ poetry. The pages are gilt-edged. The cover is lambskin.”
“And it’s filled with pornographic sketches.”
“Which should increase its value.”
“We don’t buy or sell pornography.” The clerk was adamant.
The woman, who was getting angry, gestured to a display of books about Willem De Kooning’s nudes. “Then what do you call that?”
The snotty clerk replied, “Art.”
“Look, I need a hundred dollars for it. It was printed in 1782, in Paris.”
“I don’t care if it was printed in 1492 in Germany by Guttenberg himself. We’re not buying it.”
The young woman, thoroughly dejected, walked out. In a moment of inspiration, Peter followed her back to the street.
“Miss? Excuse me, I couldn’t help overhearing.”
The woman – a girl really – turned around. She was pretty, but frazzled looked. “What.”
“Umm – have you thought about taking the book to an auction house or a rare book dealer?” Peter didn’t want to take advantage of her, he had to let know she had some options.
“Yeah – I did. But I need the money now. The best offer I got was a hundred bucks. But I didn’t like the guy. He wanted me to leave the book and said he’d get the money.” She looked at him with sudden suspicion. “What’s your interest?”
Peter hoped he wasn’t blushing. “Well, I’m looking to buy my wife a present for our first anniversary – you know – paper?” This could go so wrong in so many ways.
The girl smiled. “You’re serious?”
“Yeah.” A thought occurred to Peter. He could be buying stolen property. “Umm – where did you get the book?”
“It was my grandmother’s – actually my grandfather gave it to her. He was stationed in London during the war and found it in a bookshop there. He sent it home as a gift. She did the illustrations and gave it back to him as a welcome home present.”
Peter was charmed – this would be perfect. “Can I see it?”
The girl stiffened in wariness again. “How do I know you’re not going to run off with it?”
Peter did the only thing he could think of, he showed her his badge. “Look – here’s my card. If I run off with it, you can track me down.”
“FBI, huh?”
“Yeah.” Peter smiled, hoping she’d see him as the harmless sort.
“Well – okay. But let’s go into the coffee shop.” She tilted her head to the Starbucks on the corner.
Miraculously, they got a table, and the girl, who finally introduced herself as Julia, pulled the book out. It was just as she described, and Peter was awed by the beauty of it. The sketches inside were delicate and exquisitely rendered. And utterly pornographic in their detail.
He raised his eyebrows. “Your grandmother was very talented.”
“She was a professor of art history at Columbia and fluent in Greek and Latin. That’s why my grandfather knew she’d love the book.”
Peter closed it and put it back in its protective case. “Why are you selling it?”
“I have to eat, and besides – what am I going to do with it? It’s going to get wrecked or stolen in my dorm room.”
Peter had mentally budgeted fifty dollars for Elizabeth’s gift, plus a hundred for a good dinner at Donatella’s. “Would you take two hundred for it?” So he’d eat deviled ham sandwiches for the rest of the month.
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.” Peter pulled out his wallet. He had just a hundred in cash, plus the hundred dollar bill he carried for emergencies.
Julia folded up the money and tucked it into her bra, Peter wrapped the book up and put it in his breast pocket.
“Does your wife read Latin?”
“No, but I do.” Peter smiled at the thought of sharing this with Elizabeth. Despite the illustrations, the poetry was more about the celebration of love than the mechanics of coupling.
They left the coffee shop. Julia was presumably heading back to her dorm room and Peter went down into the subway. He spent most of the ride thinking about getting Elizabeth naked and reading the poetry to her. He hoped she wouldn’t laugh at him, at least not too hard.
Then they could try out some of the positions that were illustrated.
and all the words of the old, and so moral,
may they be worth less than nothing to us!
Suns may set, and suns may rise again:
but when our brief light has set,
night is one long everlasting sleep.
Give me a thousand kisses, a hundred more,
another thousand, and another hundred,
and, when we’ve counted up the many thousands,
confuse them so as not to know them all,
so that no enemy may cast an evil eye,
by knowing that there were so many kisses.
Catullus 5
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-08-01 09:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 02:42 pm (UTC)Yes, I believe that young Peter was once quite the romantic.
Thank you!
no subject
Date: 2011-08-01 09:43 pm (UTC)But still, really beautiful.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 02:43 pm (UTC)He'd kiss her tears away and then they would have a merry old time trying some of the positions sketched out.
Thank you!
no subject
Date: 2011-08-01 11:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 02:45 pm (UTC)I think El would so appreciate the gift - that it is something that would always be between her and Peter. She would admire the artwork and he'd read the poems to her.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-01 11:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 02:46 pm (UTC)I think that young Peter was terribly romantic when they were first married. We still see signs of that - he just needs to be prompted.
That wedding s a perfect example. And of course the anniversary setup in Pilot.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-01 11:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 08:43 pm (UTC)Thank you!
I had hoped that having Peter give her a better offer than she had gotten elsewhere didn't seem weird. That book, particularly with the illustrations, is probably worth 5 times that amount.
He's a good man and a good husband. That's why I love him.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-01 11:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 08:45 pm (UTC)Thank you so very much.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 12:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 08:46 pm (UTC)I don't often write b-day fic, but your love of Peter and El is always inspiring.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 02:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 08:47 pm (UTC)Thank you for reading and commenting!
no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 06:35 am (UTC)I love that there's such history to the book and that Peter really tries hard to not take advantage, and it's a smart, beautiful but earthy present, just like his wife. Seriously. I LOVE THIS FIC!!!!!!
So now you're going to do a fic for each of Catallus' poems in the series? *is evol* but really I love his poems and i love that it's their first anniversary present
no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 08:49 pm (UTC)I could be inspired to write a story where N/P/E are listing to Carl Orff "Catulli Carmina" and El brings down the book to show Neal.
Maybe the artist and her husband were his great aunt and uncle?
no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 09:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 10:37 pm (UTC)It's set in Vienna, 1784, Neal is a composer - a contemporary of Mozart - he even has a patron. He's written a very scandalous opera - Les Trois Cygnes - a love triangle, but it is the men who are in love with each other.
He is struggling with orchestration - this is not is strong suit. And he knows that (1) he can't really ask anyone for help and (2) he can't even have the opera performed. He wants to burn it, but he won't. It's too important to him.
You see, he's secretly in love with the Kapellmeister for his patron's orchestra. And he's in love with the man's wife, too - she's a famous soprano.
And you guessed it - Peter and Elizabeth.
I so want to take a vacation and just write this for you. I fear it will exceed my allotted time on this earth - what with the research into the music, clothing, housing, food. Sanitary customs.
But if you want to send me to Vienna, so I can do my research first hand, I'll be happy to write it for you.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 10:52 pm (UTC)A lady with cruelty and brilliance in equal parts!
No, I'm not quoting an aria. I'm SAYING THAT ABOUT YOU :)
i love that idea sooooooooo much. and... if it's a story about labors of love... maybe you should do it. you, know. as a labor of love.
lol i can't afford to send anyone to vienna (despite it being one of my favorite cities) but I LOVE that AU soooooo much. You could write it as an ongoing collection of snippets and drabbles? Whatever strikes your fancy. Speaking just for me, I don't necessarily need fic that goes in chronological order - short little things that jump around in time to give little vignettes on characters, their relationships, etc. are great.
Maybe you should write a drabble about one little part of the story you imagine and see how you like it.
:)
no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 11:35 pm (UTC)Good, good idea.
I'll do up a prompt list and fill it with 300-500 word shots.
I think I can do this, I think I can do this.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-03 03:35 am (UTC)As in, yes, you can.
And as in, YAY.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 05:27 pm (UTC)I believe you have captured Peter perfectly. I wish the show would show more of the romantic side of Peter and El. While it's nice to see Neal with Sara and watching their relationship grow, Peter and El have been together for over 12 or so years and you can see the sparks flying between them.
Hope you write more of the Burkes early romance. Its beautiful.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 08:50 pm (UTC)Gah - the plot bunnehs!
no subject
Date: 2011-08-04 03:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-04 11:06 pm (UTC)He definitely would do this.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-15 12:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-15 12:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-06 06:22 pm (UTC)So Peter to be complimentary without being tacky.
Now I wonder how and where Neal would chose to tease him about it once he had found it snooping through the Burke household! Maybe a copy of one of the illustrations at the end of a mortgage fraud report awaiting Peter's signature? With Peter and Elizabeth's faces of course!
no subject
Date: 2013-06-10 11:45 pm (UTC)And I think Neal would be more intrigued than anything...but maybe on something private, he'd add a little pornographic sketch or two.
no subject
Date: 2013-06-06 06:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-10 11:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-07 12:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-10 11:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-07 05:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-10 11:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-08 11:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-10 11:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-10 11:55 am (UTC)Great story. I love romantic and educated Peter !
no subject
Date: 2013-06-10 11:40 pm (UTC)It was such a delight meeting you. I hope you had an uneventful trip home.
no subject
Date: 2013-06-11 10:24 am (UTC)Trip was perfectly uneventful. I was just oh so exhausted I fell asleep before the plane took off. And I've slept 11.5 hours last night !