A Personal Lesson

by Merry Amelie

Title: A Personal Lesson
Author: Merry Amelie
Archive: MA only
Category: Alternate Reality, Qui/Obi, Romance, Series
Rating: PG
Summary: National Coming Out Day.

I'm posting Arcadia and Q/O drabbles to TPM 100.

Series: Academic Arcadia -- # 113
A chronological list of the series with the URLs can be found under the header 'Academic Arcadia' at the Master Apprentice ML.

My MA story page is here.

Feedback: Is treasured at MerryAmelie@aol.com.
Disclaimer: Mr. Lucas owns everything Star Wars. I'm not making any money.

For
My beta team: Nerowill, Emila-Wan, Carol, and Padawan Sue
Mali Wane for posting
My former betas: Alex and Ula

Gay classics, courtesy of jclarkmedia.com

Mona Mott knew something was up that Thursday before Professor Prentice had even started to speak. Her seat in the front row had its advantages. When he took off his rain slicker, she saw a rainbow ribbon fluttering on the lapel of his tan corduroy jacket.

"Before we begin to discuss The Parson's Tale, I'd like to take a moment to talk with you about today's events. As many of you know, it is National Coming Out Day. This day has particular significance for me." Ian held up his left hand, and his wedding band gleamed in the early morning light.

"Professor Quinn Masterson and I were married a little over two years ago." Ian heard a quickly stifled gasp from the back of the class. "Yes, it is easy to hide in plain sight. Wedding rings tend to look alike, after all. But today is about the opposite of hiding."

Ian stalked up and down the length of the classroom. "It is about freedom. This university would not be able to function without freedom of speech. Neither would our democracy as a whole. Each one of us must be free to express ourselves without fear of reprisal, or no one is truly free."

"Forster, Woolf, Housman, Stein, James, Hall, Isherwood, Sappho, Marlowe, Renault, Wilde. Think of the riches gay authors have brought to literature, and think of what might have been had they been free to write whatever they wished." He paused for emphasis, the room gone quiet with the impact of his words.

"A listing of today's events is posted on just about every available tree trunk from here to the student center." Ian chuckled wryly. "Now let's get started on Chaucer."

Quinn's arm wrapped casually around Ian's shoulders as he drank his rainbow punch. "They've outdone themselves this year, lad."

"I'll say. They even have rainbow squares," Ian said, popping one into his mouth with relish.

The Luke Playhouse was jumping that night. People milled around the buffet tables and information booths in the lobby. Quinn and Ian had cheered the night away, as dozens of students, faculty, and staff had come onstage to the open microphone one by one to declare themselves gay Americans.

"Hello, gentlemen. Thought I'd find you at the buffet." Case chuckled.

Quinn grinned. "Where else? They've just closed up shop in the theater."

Ian said, "Seems like the best turnout yet. We could barely get seats."

Case sipped his punch. "Yeah. I was in the mezzanine. That was some powerful stuff."

Quinn nodded. "The courage of those kids...they just amaze me."

"A new hope for us all." Ian smiled.

The firelight flickered over Quinn and Ian as they cuddled on the couch under their checkered quilt.

"I'll never forget your speech when we were newlyweds." Ian reached up for a kiss. He hadn't expected his reserved husband to go onstage at all, and then Quinn had turned to him.

"Ian is the reason I'm up here tonight. He has freed me to love. Before him, I was simply existing. Now I am thriving."

Ian whispered the words reverently, overcome by them still. Quinn hugged him tight, stroking his fire-bright hair. "Oh, laddie. Truer words were never spoken."

Both men knew the power of words, their profession, their passion. And the words they'd heard that night had the power to change the world.