Cobert Holiday fanfic exchange 2016
prompt: "I daren't stay long. I just had to see you."
words: 1,758
rating: K
set: 25th December 1890 (Young!Cobert)
beta: CountessCora
That was Cora's first Christmas at Downton as viscountess. Only a year ago, when she had celebrated there with her mother, inside these very same walls, she couldn't imagine what life might become for her. And yet there she was. Cora was not pacing as a guest in the library, the sitting room nor the main hall. Rather, she was walking on the soft carpet of the second floor in her own room, as a wife, dame, and lady of the house.
Cora felt like the title didn't quite fit her, not just yet, but she couldn't deny that she liked her life at that point. She had everything a girl could've dreamt of. Even if traditions and celebrations were different from America, she'd learned to love them just as much.
Still, she didn't feel right to let her first Christmas in her new and forever life pass by so quickly, with no extravagance – as her mother-in-law often called her peculiar attitudes -no surprise, nothing memorable to tell her children and grandchildren one day.
This was why she was pacing nervously around her bed, fidgeting her own fingers as her heart raced within her chest. Cora wanted to create special memories for both herself and Robert to remember in the years ahead. But would he like it? Or would he think she was behaving like a silly child? Could she dare to be herself, Cora, for Christmas, just for him, just for a moment or did she still need to play her part of her title?
Cora drew a long breath, closing her eyes as the smooth and soft fabric of her nightgown settled onto her skin, wrapping her body into a comfortable embrace that, strangely, calmed her down. She wasn't supposed to fear her husband's reaction, much less when he himself had shown some strange traits in his behavior during the whole evening. He appeared as if he was avoiding her, smiling when he thought no one was watching him, almost if he had something in mind. Could it have been possible?
Cora was about to surrender to her anxieties, thinking that maybe it would be better to leave the peculiarities to the following years, when they would be closer, when she sharply turned on her heels to the door between her room and Robert's dressing, from which a soft knocking came.
"Yes?" she asked puzzled, loosely clutching at of the wooden column that made up the canopy. Her voice had sounded so dim that she questioned herself, for a moment, if Robert had heard her.
"May I come in?" Robert seemed shy. It wasn't like him to seem almost embarrassed, and the whole situation did nothing but intensify her curiosity for the strange mystery.
"Of course." Cora said, almost chanting, as she tilted her head to one side in wonder as he pushed the door ajar to peek inside before entering completely.
It wasn't the first time he'd been in her room, but she couldn't deny the fact that she was quite surprised by his presence. She wasn't ready, quite taken aback. But how could she disappoint her husband, especially on Christmas Day? "You said it had been a long day." She mumbled as she hurried her steps to the vanity in search of the hair ribbon she had chosen not to wear that night to let him see her with her hair down, not perfectly dressed and combed as an English girl. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea after all.
"I like your hair down." He mumbled and Cora froze with her hand between her locks. Robert briefly shook his head. "My apologies." He whispered. By the sound of his voice, she could tell he was smiling. "I daren't stay long. I just had to see you." He confessed, walking toward her with both his hands behind his back and a mischievous grin curving his lips.
"Oh?" Cora stared him, unmoving. If it was possible, she was even more surprised than before. What he could possibly have in mind?
"I wanted to give you my real gift." Robert said with mirth as his cheeks rose even higher. "That necklace looks lovely on you, but I thought it was quite impersonal since it's out first Christmas together."
Cora couldn't believe her ears. All that time tormenting herself on being the good and well-trained wife and he was the first to break the rules.
"Robert, actually-" She gasped, extremely happy and unable to cope with the emotions.
"I thought you might like it..." Robert mumbled gloomily, clearly misunderstanding her real intentions.
"No, I mean, yes!" Cora took a small breath before closing her eyes abruptly, embarrassment growing inside her like a boiling liquid. "Actually, Robert, I have something for you, too." She finally breathed, looking relieved and happy.
"You really do?" Robert's face lit up again and the sorrowful expression was quickly replaced with a curious and expectant one. He now looked like an actual child on Christmas Day and she couldn't be happier to be the reason for it.
"Yes." Cora nodded with a broad smile. "Who shall go first?"
"Ladies first." He encouraged with a small gesture of his head.
Cora widened her grin before rushing to the first drawer, taking a square envelope out of it. It looked like a book which had been wrapped into a brown paper, tied up with a silky red bow.
"There." Cora peeped, swinging on the spot as soon as he took the package with one hand, his right still behind his back. She tried to peek in a moment of distraction, but he'd been quicker and he scolded her with a playful glance.
"What is it?" Robert inquired, waiting with impatience as she pulled one end of the bow, letting the ribbon fall. The paper came soon after it, both piled on the floor between their feet.
"It's a- book." Cora murmured vaguely and her brow wrinkled, almost if she was unsure what to say. That was curious.
Robert held up the item, analyzing its cover. The Downton library collection was endless, of course, but he was almost sure he'd never seen a similar volume. Was it modern? Was it a special edition of one of his favorite books? How could she have known?
He hummed contently and sat on the settee before the bed, making sure that his wife stayed in front of him without being able to see what was behind his back.
"Cora it's-" amazing, beautiful, exquisite, "-empty?" Robert gasped in surprise, scrolling through the pages once again. He lifted his head with a small pout when he heard her soft giggle.
"Not completely." She whispered, putting her smaller hand on his to stop his hasty searching. Cora knelt before him and opened the book to the first pages, where graceful words had been written down by her own hand. "It's a diary," she explained as Robert read, mouthing the words so softly she heard just whispers. "for you. I've already written some of my favorite days we spent together." She swallowed as her cheeks grew warmer and her heart started to pump faster. "You can write whatever you like." Cora paused, biting her lower lip. "I know it's not fancy or-"
"I love it." Robert cut in, hardly able to hide the moisture in his eyes. He hadn't had the time to read everything properly but he caught some heartwarming lines regarding the first time they met, their wedding, their evenings alone.. there wasn't a better gift.
"What's yours?" Cora asked enthusiastically and Robert nodded, sharing her sentiment; he rose onto his feet and took her hands in his free one, guiding her to the middle of the room.
"Close your eyes." He demanded with a giggle and Cora took her time to do she was told. Silent with happiness and the curiosity that was devouring her from the inside. Soon she would have discover the mystery of his satisfaction. She would have the gift Robert had planned from a long time inside of her hands.
She took a deep breath, unable to stop smiling when she felt him stepping back, leaving her hand for a couple of seconds.
"Robert..?" She called, an everlasting grin bending her lips.
"You may look." He stated proudly and Cora slowly opened her eyelids.
Robert was standing there in front of her with both his hands opened, his palms slightly outward, back straightened and an enigmatic smile upon his lips.
Cora stared at him, studied him for the smallest clue for her gift. He wasn't holding a package. He had nothing in the pocket of his robe. Neither was he wearing anything out of the ordinary. What was that all about?
She frowned, swallowing slowly as her mind couldn't understand what was happening. Was he tricking her? Maybe it wasn't something she could figure out. Maybe it was one of those English things she still didn't comprehend.
"Robert, what is it?" Cora asked in a small voice. She didn't want to disappoint him and of course she didn't want to look greedy, but she had to ask.
Cora watched him as he smiled and took a small step toward her.
"My gift for you is.. me." He said. "All of me, completely, eternally, devotedly." Robert whispered, daring to walk closer her. He took her warm hands in his, cherishing her knuckles with his thumbs. "I mean it, Cora, my darling. From now on, you shall have me, because-"
"Because?" Her voice cracked and her lips parted in anticipation. Her eyes became wet and her heart tightened as she waited for those words, those sweet beautiful words she had longed for almost a year.
"Because.. I love you." Robert finally breathed out, smiling, letting small tears to fall along his cheeks, as red as hers.
"I couldn't dreamt about a better gift, my love." Cora whispered, raising onto her toes to kiss him briefly on his lips, warm, wet and oh-so-welcoming.
"Happy Christmas, my darling Cora." Robert murmured onto her lips, making her smile. Their brows touched.
"Merry Christmas to you, Robert." She replied, letting her American accent burst out. She'd spent the day wishing everyone a happy Christmas because she was, outside this door, a perfect and refined English lady. But for her love, she could dare to be herself, even for a moment. She could be anything the family wished during the day. But for him, she was Cora, after she'd just received the only thing missing in her life, especially on Christmas Day.