Team Anything Goes: First Person, Present by AccioBourbon

The Team Anything Goes Pick is...

Title: First Person, Present
Author: AccioBourbon
Chapters: 12
Words: 55,211
Reviews: 265
Summary: Peter and Bella prepare to leave for college, but the most important lessons about life aren't taught in a classroom. A story about getting out from under the expectations of others and learning to rescue *yourself.* An FGB story for Team Peterella.

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Teal - These characters originated in AccioBourbon’s collection of prompts from The Twilight Twenty-Five, titled Jumping into the Deep End. You can find the development of Peter and Bella’s relationship in chapters 7-10, 12, 14-15, 17, and 21.

Peter was so easy to fall in love with that a group of us banded together in Fandom Gives Back: Eclipse to bid for more. The result was First Person Present, which is now complete.

If you’d like to enjoy even more of this sweet Peter, AccioBourbon didn’t stop there. Oh The Weather Outside is Frightful is a fun Christmas side-shot from the Who’s Under Your Tree? Contest. The Past, Discounted gives a glimpse of Peter’s first run in with Bella’s ex. Last but not least, Chelsea Morning is a glimpse at the story behind Peter’s graduation gift to Bella.

Now, let’s talk about why we love this story so much!

First of all, it should be obvious: Peter. I just love him. I love that AccioBourbon imagines him with the same pretty face and gorgeous blue eyes that I do because, really, it’s hard not to fall for that kind of hottness! Add in a confident, creative, fun personality, and he’s a dreamboat. Yeah, I said dreamboat. Read this fic and try to tell me otherwise! What’s so special about Peter is the way being with Bella brings out the best parts of him, making him even better than he was before they met.

The last year had been the best one of my life. When I got back to Forks after sophomore year, I found a bartending job that paid well enough to feed me and keep a roof over my head. It left me plenty of time to write, and I even got back into surfing again. The idea for a story came to me one day while I was driving out to La Push with Jasper. I almost killed myself in the surf, distracted by images and pieces of dialogue. I rushed back to my apartment, opened my laptop, and the words poured out of me. It was a heady rush, like hitting an oil pocket, your whole body suddenly dripping with that elusive stuff you're always terrified you'll never find again.

I wrote for eight hours straight. The output of a well-fed soul, Bella said.

Bella. Somehow, having her in my life now, and they way I feel about her - it's all become tied up in the writing and the direction in which my life seems to be turning. She hated being called my muse, and truthfully, that's not what she's been for me. She's more like my touchstone, a counterweight for my tendency to sink too far into my own head. And when I get a little lost, she's Polaris.

While these two have a very sweet, romantic relationship developing, it’s not all cutesie rainbows and puppy dogs. Like any good Peter, he has an irresistible magnetism.

Peter and I exchange a long look when I get up to leave. When he tilts his head down slightly and gives me that focused, intense stare, with just the barest hint of a dirty smile, it goes straight to that area just south of my lower belly. I want to cross my legs and squeeze my thighs together in an effort to contain all of that attraction I still feel for him. It's every bit as strong as the night I met him, the night I handed him the shards of my heart and said "Here, make me feel again."

I feel you there, Bella!

Of course, let’s not forget that this boy has a naughty side. (Prepare to get a little hot here!)

Bella's face colors, but she leans down for a soft kiss, leaving her fingers against my lips. "I love you, and every single thing that comes out of that mouth of yours, you ridiculous, romantic fool."

"Yeah? What about this," I ask, pulling her forward on her knees as I slide down until my head is between them. I hold her hips in place as she leans on the headboard for balance.

"Oh, god, that too," she says, all breathy sighs as I trail my lips across the inside of her thigh.

I recall the mirror on the headboard. "Can you see yourself right now, baby?"
"Yes."

"I'm jealous. Watch for both of us, then."

/ded

You and I both know we would be helpless against that kind of dirty, sexy charm, so we can’t really blame Bella for falling in love with this one, now can we?

Of course, no story is without obstacles (at least not a good story), and as head-over-heels as Peter and Bella are in love, their easygoing relationship is faced with changes. Namely, Peter’s one year sabbatical from college ends just as Bella prepares to embark on her brand new college career. Though they won’t be struggling through a cross-continental long distance torture, Chicago to Philadelphia isn’t much better, a fact that becomes quite evident immediately. Ups and downs occur, both in their schools lives and their relationships, but I love that they always realize when they’re building walls between each other and take the opportunity to remember how much they love on another. And when it really matters, the desperation and need in their intimate moments reveals their hearts.

I have him now, exactly where I needed him: between my thighs, under me, surrounding me. I bear down on him, my weight on my knees, and we go on from there – moving faster, gasping breaths, little cries into each other's mouths: curses, pleas, declarations of love.

Every single word of this fic is gorgeous. Filled with love, progress, growing up and finding their own, and falling even more in love, this is a story for the romantics out there. If you’ve never read a Peter/Bella story, I promise you that this is the perfect place to start.

Guest Reviewer Kassiah - If you know me at all, you know that I pretty much only ever ship EdwardxBella. But there’s something about this Peter that gets me hot and bothered in a way that I never expected to. He makes me swoon. A lot.

I was pretty much hooked from the first moment that I discovered him in AccioBourbon’s
Twilight Twenty-Five, where Peter meets Bella at a party and they get. it. on. First Person, Present picks up at Bella’s graduation, where he’s thinking about the questions her mom might ask him:

Is it serious?

Oh, yes. Very.

Are you having sex with my daughter?

Affirmative. Mind-blowing, life-changing, all-consuming…sex with your daughter.

Will you break her heart like Edward Cullen did?

I'd sooner die.

Yep, that’s right, ladies. Kass--wussperv extraordinaire--read and loved a fic in which Edward broke Bella’s heart.

Peter is so grown-up while still being vulnerable. Bella is his perfect match, and I love the way they compliment each other. They have issues, but they work through them (or get around them) together:

Peter leans on the bar with an elbow and crooks his finger at me, as if to pull me in and share a secret. Into my ear he says, "What time does Charlie leave in the morning for his shift?"

His low tone makes me shiver, and I close my eyes. "About quarter to seven," I answer. I really want to grab his hair and yank his mouth to mine but half the bar is probably watching us.

"Leave the front door unlocked," he says, and all I can do is nod now, because I'm not breathing anymore.

He presses his lips to my ear again. "Goodnight."

It's just one word, but it Peter says it like it means other things, too. I want you. And I'll show you how much.

Gah. I just can’t explain what it is exactly about these two. I just love them. This story is complete, and amazing. And I hope you’ll read it right away.

Jen - I’d never really thought about pairing Bella and Peter until I read AccioBourbon’s Twilight 25 entry about Bella meeting Peter at a party. She wrote several Twi 25 entries about this Peter and Bella, a few one-shots, and then for a team of FGB: Eclipse bidders she wrote more of their future in First Person, Present.

This Peter might just be my very favorite fic guy ever. I’m swooning just reminiscing about reading First Person, Present. He’s handsome, romantic, excellent with the parents, and so, so sweet with words. As they say about Mary Poppins- he’s practically perfect in every way. I have a feeling this post will break all records for the number of occurrences of the word swoon and its derivatives, all because of Peter.

One of the things I love most about AccioBourbon’s writing is that her characters are real. Real people in realistic situations. (This is me begrudgingly admitting that Peter might actually have a flaw or two.) Bella’s mature, if not yet truly a grown-up, as you’d expect for a college freshman. She’s bright, responsible, and introspective enough to learn from her past yet not enough to become a neurotic mess. Some girls with an older boyfriend might cede some or all decision making to the boy. Bella does not, and I think that having an older boyfriend suits her personality. It’s a very equal relationship, although of course they have some struggles. Instead of being hemmed in by having a long-distance boyfriend, I think it elevates Bella. She seems more driven to get the most out of her college experience. She’s not hiding away until they can be together again and she’s not necessarily following the path Peter might suggest she take. She’s just out there and giving it her all, opening herself up to new experiences and even perhaps failure.

Together, they’re just adorable. Peter is awed by her in many ways and his adoration is clear. They have wonderful banter, and Peter really does say the most beautiful, sweet things. After her awful break up with Edward, Peter’s been a real boost to her confidence, and I love that this Bella owns her developing sexuality.

"I'm a lucky girl, you know." I grind against him, holding onto his shoulders.

"Why's that?"

"Because my boyfriend likes me on top."

One side of his mouth curves up. "No, your boyfriend loves you on top," he says. "As well as underneath, up against the wall, and bent over the back of the sofa, and…Jesus, Bella, that feels incredible. Please, before you kill me…"

I lift up slightly and reach for him, taking his hardness into my hand to guide him inside. His hands settle again on my hips and he lowers me down onto him slowly. "God, you feel good," he groans, and I do the same.

"You mention religion a lot during sex."

"That's because I'm so close to heaven when you're on top of me like this," he shoots back, still a fast draw with the words. "Plus, my hands are free to do this." He works one of my nipples between his fingers. "And this…" he adds, as he uses his other hand to pull my head down, so he can bury his tongue in my mouth.

"Now move," he whispers, and I do. As I work faster over him, I feel myself take an early lead. The sensations, the pressure against my clit as I come back down on him pushes me to want more, always more. But when I look back for Peter, to find where he is, I slow my pace.

He smiles, his eyes half closed. "I'm praying right now, as a matter of fact."

"About what?" I manage to ask, before giving way to a low moan from the intense sensation.

"About how unbelievably sexy you look up there. And how much I love you."

Aside from the fact that Bella and Edward never had sex, this is not what sex between Edward and Bella would have been like. I think Peter showed Bella the possibility of who she could be, and I don’t just mean that sexually. His utter faith in her helps her take flight.

Here’s a gorgeous exchange from the same chapter.

"Why pearls? I mean, I love them, and I wish I didn't ever have to take them off, but I am curious."

Peter rests his warm palm against my throat. "I think they're classic, and understated, and I thought they would look perfect around this gorgeous neck."

I thank him again with another kiss.

"And I think it's fascinating," he continues, "the way that pearls are made: hidden away, forming slowly over time, until someone opens the shell and there it is, beautiful and completely unique."

I work my arms under his shoulders and hold him to me tightly, my throat suddenly too closed to speak.

How will I ever make it, being apart from this man who has the heart and soul of a poet, and the mouth and hands of a magician?

Every word AccioBourbon writes is wonderful--if you haven’t read her Emmett/Rosalie story, Inconceivable, you really need to. First Person, Present is so special, because, imo, she owns this pairing. There’s so much gorgeousness and richness to this story, I really hope you’ll give it a read.

Jess - I am officially in love with Peterella. Like epic, swoony, sweep me off my feet in love with Peterella. Before I started First Person, Present, I read through all the Twilight Twenty-Five entries (see exact chapters above) that pertained to Peter and Bella. I’m glad I did, although they aren’t necessary to understanding or reading this story. They provide just enough back story to seriously hook you, and that made reading First Person, Present all the more amazing... which then led to me devouring EVERYTHING AccioBourbon had written about them. I think my love in this epically long intro is pretty clear. So, why? Why the love for these two?!

First, Bella. At eighteen, she is just on the heels of a crappy break up with Edward and is slowly trying to figure out how to be herself. It’s rough and ends... or should I say begins with a chance run-in with Peter. One thing leads to another and they hook up at a party. And I say it begins with Peter, because it’s not just some random hook up. It’s SO much more. The scene where that all goes down pretty much sealed the deal for me.

Together, these two work through Bella’s heartbreak, become dear friends, lovers, and learn to navigate through the choppy waters of past baggage and a long distance relationship. It sounds angsty, but it really wasn’t. It was real, and AccioBourbon doesn’t minimize the very real challenges that a first year college student and an older boyfriend, also away at college, have to face. This level of reality and depth was absolutely perfect and really made this story zing for me.

Bella is mature, a trait I don’t often feel comes across in most stories. When things finally come to a head, I love that Bella chooses the difficult but right path for her... and that means the right path for them.

Second, Peter, as Jen mentioned is practically perfect in every way. Not literally, of course, but he is just so, so good. He’s sexy as hell - black hair, piercing blue eyes, and a cute little chin dimple. Seriously, I’m swooning all over again.

Peter is an only child, just like Bella, and is burdened by the heavy weight of parental expectations. Stuck in a major he hates, trapped in the snare of his father’s control, and desperately seeking a way to be himself and the writer he really wants to be, he loses himself in Bella. He throws himself into loving her, and in doing so, finds himself. That journey doesn’t come without cost, as he - they - stumble along the way, but it’s in the day to day that their love flourishes.

At one point, after a very heavy first semester apart and rough couple of interactions - both with Bella and his father - Peter makes the long trek from Philly to Chicago and surprises Bella. That moment - the entire weekend, really - left me breathless. Full of revelations that are often left unstated with distance, they spill everything that has come between them. It’s so cathartic, and you can literally feel the distance between them closing.

Straightening, I shrug out of my coat and toss it on the bed. Before I take the other chair next to her, I lean in very close, until I can see my reflection in her brown eyes. "I just really, really need to do something first," I whisper.

"You'd better," she answers. There's a smile at one corner of her mouth, so that's where I begin. I kiss her there, and then move to the other corner, and then trap her bottom lip before sliding into home. She had orange spice tea while I was gone. It's a fascinating contradiction, kissing her: thrilling and always new, yet still as familiar as the house you grew up in.

I’m squealing inside just thinking about that scene. And of course, with all that swoon, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give you just a taste - a teeny tiny taste - of them loving each other. It’s fun and hot and intense and perfect. It’s just... them!

And then I groan out loud because there are... No. Panties. Underneath. "All day, like this?" I ask, my voice cracking.

"Yep. You're out walking around the city, and I'm sitting here waiting, commando."

I shake my head at the unbearable sadness. So much wasted time.

Better make up for it.

Pulling her to a sitting position, I order: "Off with that," and she lifts her tee shirt over her head with exaggerated slowness, and there, underneath - fuck yes - is that strapless satin bra. "God," I breathe, "I love your little sentimental streak."

I caress the satin cups with my fingers, drag my thumbs along the band, making her squirm. "Well, are you going to, or should I – "

"Shush." I open the front clasp and the satin falls away, leaving ivory satin-skin underneath. "Oh, hello, girls. I've missed you so. Come to Peter."

Trust me girls, when I say there is plenty more where that came from. If you aren’t sure about Peterella, promise me you’ll read this. If you aren’t swooning by the end... well, I have no doubt you will. I mean... seriously, aren’t you already?

And to AccioBourbon, sweet girl, what is it going to take to get just a wee look at these two in the future? I’m like an addict for these two, and I’m desperate for another fix. Love. Love. Love.

Chele - I admit it freely: I’m a bit of a slut for Peter. While other girls swoon for Jasper and his emotive-soldier characterization, deep down, I know, that without Peter taking a stand against Maria’s practice with the newborns to save his love and forcing Jasper to look deeper into what he had become, the Jasper we all know and love would not exist. Further, without Peter coming back to pull him from the army and show him the promise of a new life, Jasper wouldn’t have allowed himself to exist at all. Peter is a hero.

I must also admit, however, that before I read AccioBourbon’s original Jumping into the Deep End, which introduced me to Peter as this smooth, forthright, dirty talking, red-hot piece of man, I had never really considered him much at all. That’s right, this Peter is the one that launched my love for Peters everywhere. He’s that good.

What I find brilliant, is that the things that I have come to love about Peter in canon, are all here in this AU world. He is loyal but selfish enough to break from the pressure of his peers when he feels something is important. He’s not afraid to do what he feels is right, especially when it comes to the girl that he loves.

First Person, Present captures that time of life at the precipice of adulthood and responsibility when anything is possible, but that possibility is all so overwhelming that it’s hard to see what a carefree time it should have been until you’re through it. It explores the idea of finding “the one” before really knowing any others, and the difficulty of keeping that faith in the face of separation and adversity.

It’s so very real, and the characters are only made more perfect by their flaws and willingness to keep finding their ways to each other, despite them. Reading this fic is like hearing a love story about your hot best friend and her amazingly sexy husband. You feel intimately close to them, and invested in what happens to them. If you love a good romance, which is as heavy on the erotic romance as it is on the plot, you need to be reading this now.