Procrustean Bed- a standard or set of conditions, determined arbitrarily, to which everyone is forced to conform. But the question is... are there really any rules when it comes to the affairs of the heart?
More often these days, if I ever read a new fic I always check out the author's bio. If they are under 20 or not from a primarily English speaking country it shows in the writing. Not sure of gemini13me's age but this author is from Romania and her story The Procrustean Bed is a great fic. Maybe she's my Only Exception?
Edward walks into the bookstore that Bella works at. He's indifferent verging on rude to Bella whilst looking for a book for his beloved niece Jess. However this is Edward so of course Bella is going to still appreciate this very handsome man. It's just a shame Edward doesn't even give her a second glance once he has his book.
It's not his fault really, Edward has a lot of baggage in his life. Still reeling from the recent death of his wife Tanya (killed of right at the beginning.. yeh!) and trying to manage the expectations of his family specifically his iron fisted mother, Edward's only sense of freedom of relaxation is with young Jess.
Jess eventually brings Edward and Bella together much to her uncle's displeasure and their relationship slowly builds as Edward allows for the possibility of letting someone else in his life.
And it was strange how I was trying to somehow keep Isabella at arm's length but at the same time I couldn't wait to take things further. I wanted to honor Tanya, and every time I kissed Isabella or touched her like only a lover would, I was doing anything but that. In all honesty, I had no idea what the hell I was doing. I wanted us to take things slow, yet I was eager to speed up. I was eager for more. So much more. In fact, sometimes my eagerness went as far as thinking that maybe someday Isabella was going to be the most important person in my life, just like Tanya had been for so long. I even dared to hope that my biggest dream of having a family of my own wasn't going to remain something I fantasized about forever.
As the fic progresses these 2 do fall in love but they've got some serious troubles. Firstly Edward carries a lot of guilt about how he really felt about Tanya and the relationships with his family. Secondly the Esme in this fic is a complete bitch. I love it! It's actually so good to read an Esme who isn't tearing up inside but instead rips into Bella with her snide comments and hurtful accusations. Esme makes it very clear to the family that Bella is beneath Edward and completely unsuitable for her son and she'll do anything to split these two up. Jess' parents Emmett and Rosie are also not much support either since they take Esme's side which turns the screw that bit more on E/B.
Can Edward remain clear headed enough to not be affected by his mother's manipulations? At this point it's debatable, even though his relationship with Bella has become extremely serious and committed. The guy's confused and selfish but Bella isn't going to take this lying, down she's going to fight for her family. Oh a Bella and Esme battle? Shit yeah! Bring. It. On!
Read it Here: The Procrustean Bed
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