"Cora," Sarah said softly as she held her hand. She had been sick nearly all day. Cora, who was already very small and delicate, looked even more so. She complained of her back and chest hurting to the point, where she didn't feel like she could move at all. Her sickness was long over, but she was still groggy, weak, and looked as if she was in pure hell.
"Dear Sarah," she said and squeezed her hand. "Thank god, you're here."
"Of course, I'm here," she said. "I'm always here to protect you," she added.
Cora's eyes blinked, "Oh yes, from the beginning, you saved me from that awful pervert in that club." She weakly laughed.
"Yes, that was it," Sarah said and moved her thumb along the skin of Cora's hand. "Do you need some water?" She noticed her lips looked rather dry.
"If it's not too much bother," she said.
Sarah made her way down to Cora's kitchen, got a glass from the cupboard, and filled it with water-adding a few ice cubes as an afterthought. She hurried up the stairs, always feeling herself being pulled towards Cora, it was a force that she couldn't help. It was true that she had taken care of Cora from the moment she met her. After the loss of her favorite brother (which she blamed herself for), she made a vow to protect the people she loved. Cora and her were so different, of course. But still, Sarah still remembered their first meeting. Cora was a fine lady and came into the dingy club, rather tipsy and attended by her daughter. Sarah had noticed her, but didn't go to see her. In the end, Cora ran into her outside and asked for a cigarette. Later that night, she saved her. From then on, she dedicated herself to Cora. And Cora, while a guarded sort of person, like Sarah, appreciated Sarah's friendship and treated her well.
Sarah entered the room again and sat on the chair next to the bed. Cora was in the middle of a coughing spell and Sarah waited till it was over to hand her the glass.
"Thank you," Cora said. "Oh, just take me out and shoot me, Sarah." Sarah had heard her say this several times over the past few hours, knowing that she tended to be melodramatic about illness.
"You'll be fine, the worst is past," Sarah said and let out a small smile. Cora took a sip of water, "Ahh that's better," she said.
"You see, you overreact," Sarah put her hand on the bed and Cora took it in hers.
"I hope you're not afraid of catching anything," Cora said.
"I'm not," Sarah said aloud. Silently, she thought, you've already caught me, I'm not afraid, not anymore.
"You never notice, how alone you are until you're sick. My mother is long gone, my husband is too. Oh, I have friends enough, but they would only show up if it was part of some societal function. But here you are." Cora smiled. Sarah also had noticed that she let her guard down when she was sick, far more than she usually did in the few years that Sarah had known her.
"Do you miss your mother?" Sarah asked. She had a mother, of course, but she had never been close to her.
"Oh yes, we were the best of friends. I told her everything—my hopes, my dreams, my desires. We had the best talks. I never felt as if I was a nuisance to her, it was always so freeing to be in her company."
Sarah gave her a silent smile, moments passed and Cora asked, "Do you miss your brother?"
"Of course, I do. I wasn't close to my mother, like you. My father died when I was young and I missed him. I'm afraid I rather had to be one of the boys. I worked, like my brother, to support our family. It was a quiet bond, but it was there. We would always joke and rough each other up a bit."
Cora smiled, "That sounds nice, I never had a brother. W ell we are both rather broken, aren't we? Missing some piece, I suppose."
"Yes, always searching to replace it." Sarah said, rubbing her hand again.
"Sarah.." Cora said and she could feel her heart beat faster.
Sarah could do nothing, but stare at Cora's lips. Cora's vulnerability made her more beautiful, basically irresistible to Sarah right at this moment. They were a little chapped, of course but still a beautiful shade of pink that she had admired a dozen times before tonight. Only now, they seemed a bit more open to the idea of her.
"I've never loved a woman," Cora said softly as Sarah leaned in to hear her. Sarah stood up and took a place on the bed, she rested herself against Cora's legs.
"I've loved you for longer than I care to admit," she said. Now all Sarah could see was her blue eyes looking at her, almost questioningly. Sarah leaned in and kissed her, just for a few seconds and pulled away. She could see Cora's lips parted and her eyes just opening as she pulled away.
"Cora? Is it okay?" Sarah whispered.
Cora shook her head and leaned in to kiss her once again. Only this time it was longer and far deeper. Cora had been so lonely, these two years. After her husband had died, she thought she would never love another. Though he didn't love her well, she gave up everything for him and always had loved him. But then came Sarah, a dear friend. She came to mean to Cora more than that. Not since her mother, had anyone wanted to take care of her. And it was more than that, Sarah understood her. So hurt by the past, both of them—almost haunted by it. They had spent so many nights, curdled in the same bed, cuddling, running their fingers against parts of skin that weren't what they thought was forbidden to the other. Coming so close and pulling away. Not in Cora's wildest dreams, did she think that she could learn to live happily in the present. No, that she could love more passionately. She always thought she knew what love was until Sarah kissed her, that's when she realized she knew nothing.
Cora laid down flat and Sarah steadied herself over her, holding one of Cora's hand in hers and letting the other hand lie on the other side of her. She kissed her again. Sarah tried her best not to lean on her chest that was still sore from the illness. Their lips stayed together, as Cora's bosom heaved. There was such a release of passion that had been repressed for too long. Now it was fully realized and the past seemed like a faint memory, when there was so much happiness to reclaim in each other's lips.
First foray into Corah territory, semi-inspired by 2x08 + a spinoff of my modern Robert/Cora story.