Accompanied sonata - chapter two
Jun. 15th, 2011 09:23 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
herumtreiberAuthor:
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herumtreiber Rating: PG -13
Characters: Edward/Jacob
Word count: 2,566
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does. Nor do I make any money from this writing.
Notes: This occurs just after Eclipse. Edward mulls over his upcoming marriage.
Chapter one
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
The road not taken, by Robert Frost."
Bella finished reading aloud the poem, closing the black book with finality. She smiled shyly at me, pushing aside a curl of her hair. She put the slim tome over the tall grass, nervously fingering a stalk of a violet wildflower. Our meadow seemed very peaceful at that moment.
"I love this poem. It gives me strength to take the plunge with you, Edward, because I will also take the uncommon road."
I smiled encouragingly at her, entranced as always by her fragrant scent. It smelled of life, of sweetness, all the things I no longer had.
Yet I couldn't help but wish that Bella wouldn't recite these old poems. It wasn't that they weren't good - they were. It was just that Bella, for all her considerable empathy, lacked the imagination to wonder how they affected me. I've had more than a normal lifetime to hear poetry, to chart how it rises and falls in favor and disfavor. If there was a thing I hated about high school, it was English lessons. The succession of teachers prattling on and on about the wonders of Melville and Shakespeare could grow tiring after decades.
Sometimes, poetry called up unwanted memories, for the poems were tinged with sorrow and regret, overlaid by my experiences when I first heard them.
I recalled reading reviews about Frost's work in the New Yorker. Back when I was Edward Anthony Masen, when I had illusions and ambitions - when I lived. It was around 1917 and I was an avid reader of the East Coast papers. I followed intently the news about the Great War.
I had read with excitement and despair the tribulations of the British Expeditionary Force at the Marne. The great taxi rush of 1914 inspired my imagination, when General Gallieni used them to transport soldiers across Paris due to the choked railroad.
I wanted so much to enlist in the Army, to sail across the Atlantic and prove my mettle in that great adventure to end all wars. In my mind, I pictured how after the conclusion of the war I would spend time in Montmartre, mixing with bohemian painters and musicians, soaking their way of life. Maybe I would enroll at the conservatory of Paris and study music. But my mother of blessed memory persuaded me to remain at home, to stay safe from the perils of the war until I grew older.
Little did she know that by doing this she was only condemning me to die. I could have been safer in the muddy trenches of the Western Front, though maybe the Spanish Flu would have gotten me even there. It was too late for regrets anyway.
I didn't know how the war ended until much, much later. In my newborn crazed state I remained unaware of such affairs which no longer were a concern of mine. From those tiring times I only recalled Carlisle's honest, concerned face. His smooth voice and clear reasoning kept me from tearing people apart in my lust for blood. I had become a monster, the antithesis of the hero I so yearned to be.
Carlisle saved me from the typical life of a soulless vampire; this man I loved so fiercely, the father I sometimes resented for this undead life I was forced to endure.
"Something troubling you, Edward?" Bella reclined against my chest, tugging demurely her frilly blouse. It felt soft against my bare throat. I was sure Alice knew perfectly well the name of the fabric, but I cared little about such matters.
"It's just that your poem affected me." I smiled at her, ruffling her hair.
"I know what you mean, it's powerfully written. Do you want to hear more?" Bella made to pick up the book, but I stopped her, putting my cold hand over hers. It sparkled in the sun, a painful reminder of all that was taken from me when I became what I was.
What price immortality, when I could no longer mingle with the rest of humanity? Montmartre and the conservatory were forever out of my reach, no matter how long I lived this soulless existence.
"Later, Bella. Let's enjoy the moment." I gazed with affection at her. I didn't know how to tell her my doubts about our marriage, my growing respect and affection for the mutt.
My mother wanted me to marry, to give her grandchildren someday; she was like Bella, a bit shy and fumbling. She had fine features and long bronze-colored hair. My mother was full of zest, a passion for life. She wanted so much to protect me; that's why she asked me not to enlist and the reason she begged Carlisle to turn me.
In my daydreams of going to war, I always pictured a girlfriend just like Bella who would be waiting for me when I returned from abroad.
"This is such a fine day, Edward."
I nodded my assent, noting that Bella appeared to be tired.
She was exactly the kind of girl my mother would have liked me to marry. I was sure mother wouldn't have approved of Jacob, but lately I had come to wonder if I should just let the past go - if my mother's wishes were reason enough to marry Bella, to spend with her the rest of my cursed existence.
I caressed Bella's soft hair. My shining hand brought to mind my loss and loneliness - that spark of life which Bella was so eager to give up without having lived at all, barely a teenage girl. I wondered if my mother - who lived life to the fullest - would have really approved of Bella. Would she scoff at my bride who was so willing to give up her own life?
I softly took the book out of Bella's unresisting hands, opening it at random and touching the crisp paper. It reminded me of the New Yorker. I remembered the Frost review was next to an advertisement for transatlantic voyages on a Cunard steamship. I recalled the feeling of my stiff, starched collar and constricting tie around my neck, the itch caused by my tweed jacket, and the felt hat my mother bought me.
Fingering the book, I returned to the present, wondering what kind of poems Jacob would read. I smiled picturing the wolf; he'd probably laugh at me for even suggesting it. Or else he would create a new poem, something I'd never heard before. It wouldn't matter to me if it was unpolished or not, I felt sure it would reflect Jacob. It would be something about this verdant land of tall trees, meandering rivers and stormy coasts - of everlasting rain - that his tribe protected so tenaciously.
"Edward, I don't like the car," mumbled Bella sleepily.
"Why?"
"It's just too ostentatious." Bella sat up and looked intently into my eyes. "Today I went to the gas station and some guys? They wanted to take a photo of the car! I think a Mercedes Guardian is way too much."
I shook my head, speaking in the smooth voice that I knew Bella couldn't resist. "I'm doing it for your safety, Bella. I don't want you to have a mortal accident."
She nodded, brushing aside a strand of her dark hair. "I'll accept it for now, but really Edward, a Mercedes?"
She reclined against my chest again, putting an arm around my neck. I wondered if it was a woman thing, this disdain for the expensive car. I imagined how Jake would react if I gave him a Mercedes. Probably he would use it to cruise, looking for girls to pick up. My nostrils flared angrily, thinking about the wolf doing that.
On second thought, Jacob most likely would punch me. The proud Quileute would never accept a car from me. Then I pictured Jake riding his bike wearing black boots, tight black jeans, shirtless, his bronzed skin shining in the sun as he revved his motorbike while scores of girls and boys drooled just looking at the sexy mutt's toned abs, hungrily eyeing his crotch.
"Edward, your eyes are very dark. Do you need to go hunting again? You just went two days ago." Bella looked at me with concern and I ruffled her hair, hefting the slim book in my palm. Trying to distract her, I said, "Won't you read another poem, Bella?"
So intent was I on pacifying Bella that I didn't notice Jacob's presence in my mind - or maybe the wily wolf was camouflaging his thoughts - until the earth trembled and Bella's damned poetry book slipped from my hand, falling to the ground.
I turned towards the nearby copse and saw a huge russet-colored wolf, his muzzle snarling in revulsion. The wolf lifted his head and howled in despair; then he turned and ran towards the woods.
"Oh my god! Edward, you have to go and find Jacob!" said Bella urgently as she sat up, startled. She lifted her hands to her face and grimaced. "I couldn't forgive myself if he left because of me!"
I stood up and ran towards the stubborn wolf, rolling my eyes. Bella always pretended she cared so much about Jacob and wanted to protect him when in reality she just wanted his undying devotion. What was it with women that they always had to sugarcoat things, evading the truth?
I'd always been honest in my dealings with Jacob, letting dirt fall where it may. But the wolf's agonizing howl broke my heart. I couldn't let Jake go with the wrong impression. Some part of me desperately needed the mutt.
I ran as fast as I could, but the wolf was way ahead. Jacob reached a natural crossroads and suddenly veered to the left, heading towards the creek that delineated the land protected by the Quileutes.
I was going way too fast to change course effectively. I jumped 20 feet and hit a sturdy oak, breaking most of its limbs in the process, changing my momentum enough to take the path that would lead me to Jake. Those damned physics classes proved useful at last.
I jumped constantly as I ran, avoiding the numerous rocks dislodged by Jake though several hit my ankles. If I'd been a mortal, I would have a broken leg by now. I cursed when I noticed we were rapidly approaching the mound where the big oaks were, near the gorge separating our territories. I knew I had to catch Jake, in his mind there were thoughts of going far away to the north.
Filled with desperation, I jumped before Jacob could. I grabbed his thick russet fur, which was as silky and sensual as I'd imagined. The wolf snarled and jerked, twisting his body sideways to get rid of me. We collided against a birch, uprooting so it tilted forward, its bark torn.
I clawed my way up the wolf so I could grab his neck, unmindful of the tufts of fur that remained in my cold hand - knowing that the shapeshifter's healing powers would take care of that. The smell of wet dog that I used to hate reminded me now of my mortal family, coming home in the afternoons to my warm, loving mother.
"Wait, Jake!" I pleaded with him in my smooth, hypnotic tenor. I continued in a hoarse whisper when I realized my sensual timbre would have no effect on the stubborn mutt. "This is not what you think!"
The wolf growled angrily, his thoughts swirling around betrayal. "Get off my back, you fucking leech! You and Bella think I'm your fucking toy? No way!"
I knew where to strike to convince my wolf, for Bella was his weak point. "I can't break Bella's heart again! You saw how brokenhearted she was, do you really want to see her like that?"
The wolf crouched at the edge of the ravine, trembling with nervous energy, pondering whether to jump or not. "So go back to your Bella and let me be! Don't wanna see you again, fucking bloodsucker! I thought you and me -"
The wolf twisted, turning his head to face me. I could see my reflection in his big dark eyes; the tousled bronze-colored hair, the perfect planes of my face, my perfect cheekbones. Everything that marked me as special, a flawless vampire - everything I hated. But Jake's eyes were imbued with passion, an unquenchable thirst for life - and reflected in their inky depths I fancied I saw the innocent boy I used to be, the one who dreamed about becoming a hero who would help to save the world.
I felt renewed and my chest felt lighter, as if a weight had been lifted, for I had made my choice.
I fixed my gaze in his eyes, growling, "Don't think you can escape me so easily, Jake! I'm not frail Bella that will just lay around and weep, hoping you return someday!"
I grabbed his ear and cruelly twisted it, disregarding his loud yelps. "I'll follow you wherever you go. I'll haunt your every step!"
I leaned forward, touching my forehead to his silky fur, savoring its warmth. "And when I find you, I'll fight you; and if you should kill me I'll gladly accept it. I can't - I won't live without you!"
"Really?" Jacob's mental voice sounded timid and tentative, unlike his usual cocksure self.
"I'm tired, Jacob. You wouldn't believe how tired I feel, even with Bella. You make me feel young again. I won't give up what we can have."
I felt his smooth, hot skin against my own a moment before we tumbled down the ravine, the sounds of crunching leaves and twigs all around us. I inhaled deeply the fragrant smell of the wildflowers overlaid with Jake's unique scent, shifting my position instantly to protect his precious skin from the piercing underbrush.
We fell to a stop at the edge of the ravine. Jake was above me; I held him tight so he wouldn't slip, hungrily rubbing his broad shoulders.
He touched my cheeks, staring intently at my eyes. "You really mean that, leech?"
I nodded, too overcome to speak.
"You'd better mean it, Edward!" He took a deep breath, shuddering. "Just don't pull a Bella on me, ok?"
He mumbled, "Couldn't stand that again."
I could hear a wolf howling at the other edge of the ravine, but paid it no mind. Instead I drank the sight of the handsome shapeshifter. I lifted my head, but before I could reach him, Jacob leaned down and kissed me.
His kiss was rough, demanding, very different from Bella's tentative ones. With her I had to hold myself in check, afraid of hurting the delicate mortal girl.
If there was a lack of that quality - Bella's scent that sang to me - it was more than made up by Jacob's warmth. His mouth seemed a furnace, a liquid fire that heated my senses and made me forget how cold I always was, even with Bella.
Jake's thoughts swirled at the edge of my awareness, luring me as relentlessly as his heated kiss did. I lost myself in the moment and in him.
Chapter three
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Date: 2011-06-15 04:11 pm (UTC)Awesome. Love the contrast between Bella's selfishness and Jacob's need, both centred around Edward. Looking forward to the next part. Don't be afraid to really go for Bella's jugular (literally or figuratively!)
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Date: 2011-06-15 04:28 pm (UTC)I wonder what Bella's friends really think about her :)
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Date: 2011-06-15 05:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-15 08:09 pm (UTC)Seth and Carlisle will be accepting, but I don't know about the rest.
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Date: 2011-06-16 12:14 am (UTC)and really who complains about a car that costs more then most people make in their entire lives, I mean geez even the most down to earth person in the world would be gratful that their boyfriend or girlfriend would give them a car that was worth the price of a small house.
OH suggestion- could you make Alice not OK with Edward/Jake together and make her really bitchy about her hratred of them together, because I'm sick of reading fics that have Alice as their personal cheerleader form the start of Edward/Jake getting together.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-16 12:51 am (UTC)Bella is grumpy that Edward sabotaged her old car and bought her an armored one, just so she wouldn't crash and die. I just went... suuuure!!
I get what you mean, Rosalie and Leah supposedly are very mean to Bella, but I think they have their reasons for being so, and Alice is chirpy, but she was the one that told Edward Bella had jumped the shark... I mean the cliff :D
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Date: 2011-06-16 03:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-16 03:41 am (UTC)*pouts*
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Date: 2011-07-17 02:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-17 02:38 pm (UTC)no :D
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Date: 2011-07-17 02:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-17 02:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-17 03:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-17 03:13 pm (UTC)