Ask anyone on Team 411. I never know what I’m doing. I just do things, and other things happen, and then I do more things. So that’s how I’m approaching the fanfic rec’s. There’s so much stuff I want to recommend, and eventually I will get to all of it, but deciding what to recommend right now!!! is tough. So if you’re looking for a pattern or reason to why I’m rec’ing a certain story at a specific time, or if stories I recommend together “go together”, just save yourself the headache and assume I didn’t know what I was doing. Assume I covered my eyes and pointed at a spreadsheet to decide what to recommend this week. Because that’s probably what happened.
“Carpe Noctem & Fiat Lux” by queenofgrey
I lose my shit when this story updates. I jump up and down and pump my fist in the air and lick my computer screen. I adore this story. I can’t say enough good stuff about it. As I mentioned before, I am very tough on canon fics. This story is not straight canon (I would call it AU/Canon), but everyone who should be a vampire is a vampire, and Bella lives at home in Forks with Charlie. So the groundwork, it’s all canon. Where it diverges: Bella is a wee bit older. She’s 21 but Edward is still eternally 17, so if you’re uncomfortable with that, this may not be for you. I am a total hypocrite—Art After 5 completely grosses me out, but this one doesn’t bother me. Why? Probably because Edward isn’t trying pass as a high-schooler. When we meet him in this story, he’s living apart from the Cullens as an adult, and the author makes a good point in one of her notes. While his body is 17, he is more than 100. And since this Edward isn’t trying to be a 17 year old, I’m okay with his relationship with Bella. And that relationship is what makes this story so special. Edward labors, he fucking crawls on hands and knees over broken glass for every inch he gains with Bella. This is no “you’re cute, I like you, I don’t want to eat you anymore, we’re cool now” crap. First off, their first meeting is a wee bit rougher than staring at someone rudely in biology. So Edward not only has to make amends, he also has to overcome his hunger, which is staggering and difficult for him to do. Then some stuff happens, and Bella has to find it in her to forgive him. These two really work to be together, which only makes their relationship more compelling. At every step, they are weighing odds and considering the ramifications, and still they choose to be together.
