Aaahh, I started my first multi-chapter fic and I'm planning on a long one! I'm very excited and I hope I won't mess it up…

So, this Modern AU deals with Cobert being married for many years, but there will be some flashbacks every once in a while. It's mostly from Cora's and Robert's POV, but sometimes it will also be from the girls' perspective.

I'm thankful for everyone who's willing to join me on this journey! Please let me know what you think! – Caecilia

Cora was walking the aisles of the supermarket when her phone rang. She manoeuvred the shopping cart to the side and reached inside her handbag.

"Damn…" she muttered. Her bag was bursting with her students' essays and all the items she carried with her all days that Robert deemed unnecessary. Her fingers brushed her cosmetic kit and two packs of tissues. Why there were two, she couldn't tell but she wouldn't be surprised if there was a third one somewhere there. She located her phone just in time.

"Hello?"

"Mama, where are you?" Mary's voice spoke from the phone.

"I'm doing the groceries. Is there something you need, dear?" Cora told her eldest daughter and continued pushing her shopping cart past the shelves of washing and cleaning products.

"Uumh, could you bring some apricot jam, but the good one, please?"

"You mean, the one Edith hates?" Cora inquired and grabbed her usual washing powder without as much as stopping by.

"Do I sound like I care, Mama? She doesn't have to eat it if she doesn't like it." Cora could imagine the way Mary rolled her eyes at this perfectly. Cora just huffed.

"What was the reason you called?" she asked instead, her voice had its usual sweet tone.

"Oh, well, actually I wanted to ask if you could have a look at my term paper. The deadline is next week and I haven't got the faintest idea how to make something of it," Mary explained.

She'd started university last year and mastered her courses skilfully. But at the moment she had some sort of a dry spell.

"Of course, my darling," Cora's mind went to the stack of essays she had to look through and their heavy weight that pulled at her shoulder was suddenly much more present.

"Oh great! I knew you'd help me. Thank you, Mama! I've to go now, see you later," Mary replied in a hurry.

"See you, darling," Cora ended the call. She smiled with a reminiscent expression as she came to a halt in front of the wine shelf. Her little girls were growing up. Mary needed her for a short look at her term paper but that was about it. She was quite capable of managing her life on her own. Cora was glad all her daughters still lived with her because she couldn't bear losing them this fast. She was also proud of how they grew to be such great women but that didn't change anything about the fact that she was still their mother. It must have been just yesterday that they were tied to her apron strings. Now every one of them lived their own lives. At least they all came together under the same roof to share certain parts of their days. Her thoughts wandered to today's dinner. It had sounded as if Mary was out tonight. Maybe Cora would have dinner with Robert only. Not a bad prospect. She scanned the wines in front of her. It was about time for a treat for both of them. She knew they had a shelf full of bottles of fine wine but she felt like bringing home a nice one with her. She couldn't quite settle on one, not even if red or white. Deciding to send Robert a short message, she reached for her phone. He was most likely still in his office and she didn't want to interrupt his work unnecessarily.

What do you think of a Merlot or a Riesling tonight? Are you coming home early? Miss u x

She hit send and hoped it didn't sound too clingy. They just saw each other this morning and she still wasn't home by now herself. But it was true, she really missed him.

She stood there undecided, both bottles in hand, and waited for his reply. What if he didn't read it?

Ding.

Her worries proved redundant. Robert had answered instantly.

Riesling. I have as much work as ever but I'm looking forward to your beautiful smile xx

She grinned and put back the red wine. His sweet words plastered a big smile on her face and she couldn't do anything about it. She tried to recall his smart face and dashing smile but was positive she needed to see it again soon, even if it was a constant image in her mind, one of her favourite ones. She went to retrieve the missing items and when she was in front of the jams, her phone dinged again.

Miss u too x

Her heart melted. Her sweet, sweet Robert. She had to get home in an instant in order to stay sane. She just had to hope he would follow soon. The rest of the shopping was rushed and she wouldn't guarantee that she hadn't missed anything. She stuffed all the shopping bags in the boot of the car and made her way home.

Robert hummed some tune he couldn't quite decipher. He stood in their kitchen and looked for Cora's favourite tea in the kitchen drawer. When he found the citrus-scented green tea, he prepared a pot and retrieved their matching cups. They had in fact a lot of matching teacups. The girls never used them and Cora and Robert never mixed the pairs. He took the pine-coloured ones with white polka dots. The tea and the cups were placed on the kitchen table, where a sweet tiny meal was already arranged.

He hadn't been completely honest when he'd answered her message. Yes, he had as much work as ever but he was still coming home early. Actually, he was already home but it should be a surprise. He had seen, how exhausted she had been the last week. She didn't have more classes than the years before but somehow, they wore on her more than ever this year, especially last week. She was teaching art and English literature and she really enjoyed her job. Robert knew what a great and devoted teacher she was. She poured her heart into what she did. And sometimes this was draining her of her energy, so he wanted to help her get that energy back.

He had made her some pancakes and had located the last jar of pesto. She always loved her pancakes with red pesto. Now, the plate of steaming pancakes stood on the table and Robert thought about putting it into the lightly heated oven to keep them warm. He wasn't sure when Cora would be finally coming home from the supermarket. Just then he heard the rattling of keys in the front door. He quickly went to get the still missing cutlery from the kitchen drawer.

Cora entered the kitchen with shopping bags in both hands and her heavy handbag on her shoulder to the sight of Robert bent over the table.

"Robert!" she exclaimed. He turned around; a sheepish smile on his face. Cora let the bags sink down to the floor and she exhaled jadedly. Her tired face wore an expression of affection and her eyes glinted lovingly.

"You're home," she stepped forward and sank into his arms. His right hand patted her dark chocolate hair, his left arm looped around her upper back.

"Sorry, for not saying anything, but it should stay a surprise," Robert murmured into her curls.

"Well, it was a surprise."

"No, not exactly that. But yes, that probably too somehow," he rambled.

Cora lifted her head and looked at him questioningly. He stepped to the side to reveal the kitchen table.

"Oh, darling! That's so sweet!" she gushed. "But, it wouldn't be necessary." She shook her head.

"Sit down, I'm fixing the groceries," he simply stated and bent down to collect the bags.

She was still admiring the lovely arrangement.

"What? Oh, no! Let me help you!" she quickly joined him and took one bag from his hands.

"You'd help me if you sat down and ate the pancakes."

He took the bag from her hands after he had placed the other ones next to the fridge.

"Alright, alright!" Cora surrendered and went over to the kitchen table. She sat down in front of the pancakes and shrugged off her fine trench coat to suspend it over the back of her chair. With her elbows on the table and her head in her hands, she looked over the kitchen counter to Robert.

"So, how come you could come home early to spoil your wife?" she asked.

"Well, I called it a day and decided to do everything else tomorrow," he answered with his head in the depths of the fridge. Cora admired his backside, which she had a rather good sight of from her place at the kitchen table.

"And what does your boss say about it?" she joked because Robert was his own boss. He ran a financial institute with multiple branches in different cities.

"Oh, he is a kind man, my boss. And he's very understanding when it's about family. I heard he's very infatuated with his own wife."

"Oh, is that the case? She must be a very lucky woman then. Have you ever met her?" Cora went along with his little game. She watched him opening the kitchen shelf and placing the jams and the sugar inside. Absentmindedly she twisted a curl, that had loosened from her up-do, around her index.

"Yes. She seems to be a very nice and if I daresay a most beautiful woman. Oh, have I told you about her smile? Heart-warming and bewitching…" he stopped his activity and turned around but his gaze was far away.

"Robert!" she warned, her tone high-pitched.

"I'm sorry, dear. You're quite sweet yourself," he joked.

"Oh, come here, you ungrateful husband, so I can eat my pancakes!"

"I told you to start eating," but he knew perfectly, she wouldn't start without him sitting by her side and he went to take his seat. Cora grabbed the cutlery immediately and took a big bite, humming in content.

"You're quite good at that by now," she mumbled between bites. Another curl fell from her up-do after the long day and Robert grinned at the sight of his ravished wife with dishevelled hair.

"I'm quite good at that for years now," he made clear and he was right about that. Pancakes had been his metier for a long time in their marriage.

The kitchen door opened and 16-year-old Sybil entered the room.

"If that's about the laundry, then I have to object," Sybil stated and held up a now light pink top. She didn't need to say, it was once white. Her parents knew.

Robert's face went red. Cora turned to see what her youngest was holding.

"Oh…" she uttered. "I think it doesn't look that bad." Cora's wide blue eyes held a look of optimism. "And you still have another white top, right?"

"Yes, it's no big deal for me. But, I'm not sure Mary has the same opinion. Her cream-coloured blouse is also affected. And I don't think you can convince her to wear pink," Sybil placed the shirt on the kitchen counter and opened the fridge while answering.

Cora shot Robert a pitiful look. It wasn't the first he'd messed up the laundry but this time at least the clothes were still their original size. Cora couldn't quite comprehend his clumsiness with the washing, for it couldn't be for a lack of practice. He did the laundry nearly as often as her. But the cause for her pity was the prospect of Mary's reaction. She would most definitely not be as cool about it as dear Sybil. However, it would probably be Cora herself who'd bother with Mary later. She was rather sure about that.

Sybil took a yoghurt Cora had just bought and scanned the fridge for other possible titbits. "We've got nothing to eat," she complained.

Robert's eyes that had turned towards Sybil while she was talking now shot an incredulous look in Cora's direction. Cora feared that his eyes might fall out of their sockets.

"Sybil Crawley! Your mother has just been out shopping!" Robert declared. It was a constant argument between the girls and the parents. The fridge was always filled with stuff but apparently never the things the girls were looking for. Statements like 'There is nothing in the fridge' or 'I can't find anything to eat' made Robert go ballistic instantly.

"You can do the groceries yourself the next time if you continue to feel the urge to nag," he exclaimed. Cora laid a hand on his lower arm placatingly.

"Okay, got it," Sybil muttered and closed the fridge. In passing, she grabbed a can of peanuts from the kitchen shelf and left the room.

Cora took a sip from the cup of tea she'd poured herself and stated unemotionally, "She forgot her top." And indeed, the light pink garment laid abandoned on the kitchen counter next to the bowl of fruits. Robert rolled his eyes. Sybil's tendency to be messy irritated him. He wasn't able to clean after her without comment as Cora did. He often pointed out his daughter's shortcomings but without achieving any change in the behaviour of his youngest.

"Take a cup of tea," Cora proposed. Maybe it would calm his nerves. "Do you want some of these delicious pancakes? I would surrender a tiny piece," she added.

Robert took the second green cup filled it with tea, "No, it's yours." But Cora knew the way his eyes wandered to her plate.

"I'm full, you can have the rest," she pushed the plate towards him and he dug in happily. Cora had to smile at this.

"How was your day?" Robert managed with a mouth full of food. Cora giggled at the behaviour Robert criticised in his daughters.

"Fine. I've got a bunch of essays to mark but the classes today were smooth sailing."

"But you don't plan to start with the essays this evening, right?" Robert confirmed. Cora was about to start arguing that she had to begin the corrections in order to finish in time but Robert continued, "You promised me a Riesling."

Cora closed her already open mouth. He had a point.

"Let it rest for today, as did I." Robert had finished his eating and set the fork aside. Cora nodded in assent.

As they sat on the couch later that evening, calming ease filled Cora's chest. Her head was on Robert's shoulder and his arm was wrapped around her upper body. The girls were in their rooms or, in Mary's case, out with friends, just as Cora had assumed. It was only the two of them now. Cora's soul had ached for that moment all day. Just them without any thoughts about problems, in the warmth of each other's embrace. The lights of the lit candles on the couch table flickered across their features. Cora took a sip from her glass of wine and Robert caressed her upper arm lightly. He put his chin on the crown of her head.

His thoughts were on the message he'd received minutes earlier. Joseph Molesley had contacted him. He was a co-worker of Cora's, teaching History at the same school. Robert and Joseph had formed a casual friendship when they'd found out that they grew up in the same area. Joseph was a kind-hearted and helpful fellow but he wasn't a very close friend. However, Joseph had asked to meet him to 'catch up'. That wasn't what they normally did, catching up. They met in bigger groups of friends and acquaintances or talked a little bit when they saw each other at school events. Robert had confirmed a meeting for tomorrow, a little bit curious what Joseph was up to.

But right now, Robert tried to push the thoughts aside. This was his evening with Cora, he wouldn't spoil it by asking her something school-related that would remind her of work. He planted a kiss on the crown of her head. He knew the smile that appeared on her face without seeing it. Her hand crept up on his chest. Her slender fingers drew circles there. She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked up at him. He could see how her illuminated eyes wandered between his ones and his lips, so he leaned down and pressed a kiss on her lips. As he was about to pull back, she pressed her lips against his more firmly. He saw her closed eyes and her dark lashes and closed his eyes too to relish more in the warm feeling of her lips. Cora moved in his arms to settle more fully into the kiss. Her glass of wine still in her left hand she pressed her chest against his and placed her right hand at his jaw. When she tried to push her tongue inside his mouth, Robert pulled back. He placed their drinks on the table before wrapping his arms around his wife. Now he was ready for the deep kiss she'd planned. She continued right there and took his face in both her hands. His hands first settled at her elbows but he soon pulled her nearer and lightly caressed the small of her back. She tasted his mouth and recognized the white wine she'd sipped herself shortly before. He swept his tongue over her lower lip and his fingertips brushed across her spine. She shivered lightly and her stomach flipped deliciously. Her kisses grew more hungrily and her hand, which had wandered to the back of his head, pushed firmly to deepen the kiss even more. His fingers travelled up and down her body. Soon they had to pull back to catch their breath.

Robert moved his lips to her neck and kissed a line to her clavicle where he dipped his tongue. Cora threw her head back and breathed heavily. One of his hands grabbed her breast and kneaded it gently through the material of her blouse.

"Oh…" she moaned.

"Robert, we can't do it down here," Cora breathed and when he looked up, he admired her swollen lips.

"No, then let's continue upstairs…" before he'd ended, she'd jumped up with a grin and was rushing to the door.

"Oh, someone is very eager, I see," Robert chuckled and followed on her heels.

He turned around to blow out the candles. When he reached the stairs, she looked at him over her shoulder and continued her ascent slowly with swaying hips. His eyes wandered between her hips and her grin. Going up the stairs, he quickened his pace to catch up with her. But Cora won't have that and ran up the last steps before she turned towards their bedroom door. As her hand touched the doorknob, Robert reached her and grabbed her at her waist. Cora giggled and pushed open the door. Once inside, she turned in his arms and looped hers around his neck. He kicked the door close and pushed her towards the bed. The back of her thighs hit the mattress. She crushed her lips to his and he reached into her hair and removed the clip that held her up-do together. The dark tresses tumbled down on her shoulders and back. He combed them gently with his fingers while granting her tongue entrance. One of her hands took hold of his collar and travelled to his chest, pressing there firmly. She made a move to open the buttons of his shirt. Just then, he grabbed her by her hips, lifted her up and set her down on the bed with a bounce. Cora giggled. He followed her onto the bed and grabbed the hem of her blouse with a grin. Her fingers went back to his buttons and they undressed each other wordlessly. There was a lot of love in their actions. They had done this multiple times. Fervently, hurried, slowly, giggling, lustfully. This time, they had enough patience not to rip their clothes from their body but their need was apparent by the bulge in his trousers and the heaving of her chest. Robert kicked off his pants and was about to hover over her.

"Take off your socks, please," Cora pleaded lowly.

"… fine," he huffed and pulled them off. With a loving gaze, she took him in her arms. Cora didn't like it when he left them on. It implied a hurry that wasn't necessary, she said. Well, most of the time it wasn't necessary. Robert couldn't quite comprehend her aversion to socks. But he didn't have to; he just had to take them off.

Her lips found his again. With his hands beside her head, he lowered his body slowly. His member brushed her thigh and she inhaled sharply before she sucked on his lower lip and pressed her hands more firmly into his shoulder blades. The tingling in her abdomen was intense by now. She was hot between her thighs and the heat rose up in her body and into her legs. She pulled up her legs to hold his hips in place. His hand tangled into her hair. One good thing about her large amount of work at the moment was, that she'd abandoned every effort to cut her hair. He liked how her tresses nearly reached her waist by now. He massaged her scalp lightly which elicited a moan from her.

As he pressed harder into her thigh, he pulled back and leaned towards the drawer of the bedside table. His fingers fumbled for the condoms. He found one and Cora took it from him with gentle fingers. She put it on his erect member and he didn't dare to watch her long fingers do their work, for he didn't want to be spent early. She squeezed his buttocks when she was finished and lifted her head to bite lightly into the firm skin of his shoulder. His fingers wandered between her legs and slipped across her folds. Her head fell back and she sighed. He sensed her apparent wetness and locked her lips with his lips, smooching shortly. After breaking the kiss, his eyes sought her consent and she nodded with slightly parted lips. Her sweet breath hit his face and sank down into her heat.

"Oh…" she moaned. Her arms pressed into his back and he held himself steady with both hands on the mattress. Both were still for a moment. Then, she shuffled her hips softly to get more comfortable. The press of her small hand into his hip indicated that he could start moving. With a pant, he pushed into her again and he set a tender rhythm. His hand found its way into her tresses again and the massaging of her scalp made her moan repeatedly. She locked her ankles, with her legs looped around his hips. Her hands pulled his head towards her. They shared a few sloppy kisses until Cora was breathing too heavy.

"Oh, yes!" she uttered breathily. His hips rocked her faster. A deep and long moan escaped her.

"God, Cora…" Robert groaned. Her heels dug into his behind and her back arched.

"Yes, there! Harder…" she exclaimed, her eyes closed and her face flushed. Robert moved his hips with more force and she tightened around him.

"Oh, Robert!" He kissed his name from her lips and rode her through her climax. He spilled with a few more thrusts. Collapsing onto her heavy breathing figure, he stayed inside her a bit longer.

A lazy smile played on her lips. She brushed a strand of hair from her brow before she tickled the curls at his temples softly. He rolled over and gathered her in his arms. She snuggled close to his side and they dozed together in post-coital bliss.

"Well, I wouldn't have thought I would be that active and energetic this evening," Cora chuckled.

"But it was worth it, wasn't it?" Robert asked and joined her chuckling.

"Oh, most definitely!"

Soon after they fell into a deep slumber.