It's been a while, hasn't it? So sorry. Time seemed to have gotten away from me these past few months. Hopefully this somewhat makes up for my prolonged absence!
One
Delphine was acutely aware of the hand gripping her arm, spinning her around and pulling her into a deep kiss. They were just barely three steps out of the boarding terminal of their plane, passengers grumbling their annoyance as they maneuvered around the embracing couple. It wasn't until she felt the dangerous swipe of Cosima's tongue across her bottom lip did Delphine finally pull away, a flustered smile being framed by errant curls falling around her face.
"Cosima." she mumbled against still eager lips, laughing at her girlfriend's urgency. "Cherie, wait!"
"Mmph." she whined, tip-toeing up for one last peck. "I just want to kiss my French girlfriend, who I love so much, in a French airport on French soil. Is that so much to ask?" The tiny American grumbled, allowing herself to be pulled down the busy hallway towards baggage claim, their fingers slotted perfectly together as they funneled through the busy crowds.
It was slightly less congested down there, people moving by the masses to circle around their designated conveyer belts. Delphine was in no rush to retrieve their luggage, more than willing to let the crowd attack and disperse before making a move to go in. Instead she turned on her heel, their conjoined hands never breaking apart.
"No," she laughed, pulling Cosima closer and resting her free hand on the back of her neck. She toyed with the baby hairs she found there, pulling her closer, feeling her breath tickle her skin. "It's not. I am French, we enjoy lovers."
"Hopefully I'm the only one." she quipped. There was only time to see Cosima's quick smirk before their lips met again, soft and pliant as they moved over each other in well-practiced motions.
In the back of her mind, Delphine was practically bursting with the excitement of being home. It had been many years since she had visited France. Although she had long ago contended that America was her home, the feeling of sanctuary that being back in the country offered her simply could not be matched. To add to the joyous swelling of her heart, Cosima was with her to share the moment.
Normally, public displays of affection were something that Delphine turned her head away from, but this past year and a half had proven that she simply does not care about what other people think, and that she's more than willing to kiss her girlfriend wherever she pleases. Whether it be in airport terminals or classrooms for this matter.
Girlfriend.
The word still tickled when it rolled off her tongue, sending the butterflies in her stomach into a frenzy. She'd be lying if she said some of her nights leading up to their flight weren't spent wide awake, her mind full of worry about her family's reaction to her girlfriend.
There was no doubt anymore that she wanted them to meet each other. She had decided long ago that Cosima was more of her family now than anybody ever could be. Cosima and all her siblings, that is. She had grown much closer the large family once the school year was over and Kira was no longer her student. Family outings, sleepovers, and vacations were frequented, Cosima always insisting that Delphine came in tow.
"Dude, we're totally in France right now." Cosima mumbled against Delphine's lips, breaking her train of thought. Ringed fingers dug into her hips a bit more firmly, pulling her closer than she originally considered possible. Both of them reveled in the way their bodies slotted together perfectly, a mold that had been waiting to meet its match for far too long.
"Oui, I know." she smiled, reluctantly pulling away once more, but not before nudging their noses together. "Why don't you grab our suitcases, and I will look for-"
"Delphine!"
Her name soared through the bustling crowd, the voice all too familiar and much too missed. She whipped her head around, hands still holding tight to Cosima as her eyes locked with the gentleman standing near the exitway. His smile, almost as wide as Cosima's, was shining brightly, a long arm extended in the air and waving with a rather enthusiastic speed towards the couple. In no time he was in front of them, embracing Delphine and kissing her cheeks.
Cosima stood back and watched, the delight upon her girlfriend's face sourcing from a place she had yet to discover. It was love, that she was certain, but not in the same way. No, this was a love from nostalgia, an adoration that had been waved off long ago. Just from observing, she felt in her heart as if she was seeing an old friend again, too.
"Adam!" she praised, squeezing him tightly once more. "Ça va?"
"Oui, ça va." he assured, cheeks rosy with benevolence. Adam, standing at just about Delphine's height with slightly disheveled hair and crisp-ironed clothes, turned to face a very patient Cosima. "Allo! Cosima, oui?"
"Yeah-uh, oui." she stuttered, rubbing at the back of her neck sheepishly.
Delphine smiled, moving back to Cosima's side and grabbing her hand, squeezing it assuringly. "Cosima, this is Adam. We were neighbors growing up and attended school together. He offered to pick us up from the airport."
"The, em, best of friends!" he piped in. "English then, yes?"
"Ha, yes please. Don't want to butcher your language more than I already have." Cosima smiled, side eyeing Delphine teasingly. "It's nice to meet you, man."
Before the last words could slip out of her mouth, Cosima found herself being kissed on either cheek, a formality she had not been accustomed to receiving since initially meeting Delphine.
"The pleasure is mine, Cosima." he said with a broad smile, stepping back. With a loud clap of his hands and a quick glance at the couple, he stepped back. "Have you got all of your bags? We should get going now, it is quite a drive."
"Yeah, alright." she nodded, leaning forward for another quick kiss before letting Delphine lead her out the door. She listened to the rapid-fire french exchange between the two friends, the excitement in Delphine's voice nothing short of obvious.
Cosima took it upon herself to breathe in a strong breath, puffing her chest out with every stride before exhaling loudly as she strode next to her girlfriend.
"Let me guess," Delphine said, quipping an eyebrow towards her girlfriend. "Breathing the French air?"
Cosima flashed her a typical grin. "You got it." she teased, helping Delphine into the car and closing the door before joining Adam at the trunk to help load their bags.
"Thanks for picking us up, by the way." she said quietly to the man beside her, winking at Delphine when the woman turned around to see them in the rear window.
"Of course!" he exclaimed with a genuine smile. "When Delphine called me, I couldn't deny the opportunity to see my friend again."
Cosima shrugged, a broad smile on her face. "It's really nice of you. I'm so excited to be here, dude."
It was then that she caught Adam's eye, a knowing stare on his face with the most subtle curl of his lips. "I, em, I think this will be a… a very memorable trip for you." he said. Cosima's eyes narrowed, trying to read his cryptic expression.
"Uh, yeah. I'd think so. It's France!"
Adam chuckled, nodding his head in the American's excitement. "It is." he quipped as he closed the trunk. "I am very glad you two have found each other, you know. You make her very happy. I honestly never thought Delphine would come to France again."
"Like, because of her parents and shit?" Cosima asked.
Adam shrugged, his head lolling side to side in thought. "Yes… and no. She was never happy here. Delphine's life here was school. Her academics were everything, yes, and that within itself nearly killed her. Moving to America changed everything for her. For the better."
His voice was solemn, it's playful tone lost. Cosima couldn't help but just listen, soaking in the words of this stranger who suddenly seemed to know more about Delphine than she did. "Y-yeah," she stuttered. "School can be pretty rough."
"No, Cosima. I mean- actually, nevermind. That is not mine to disclose. We really should get going! It's a bit of a drive."
Cosima was eager to press Adam for more, but he was already rounding the vehicle and getting in. She sighed, making a mental note to ask about it later. Instead, she shook her head, smiling and reminding herself that she was about to start on her vacation of a lifetime. She clamored into the car, hands immediately found each other, holding tight.
"So." Cosima hummed, her thumb stroking the top of Delphine's hand. "You haven't told me where we're staying."
"Oh, um." Delphine licked her lips, catching Adam's eye in his rear view mirror. "It is a surprise!" she settled with.
Cosima grumbled, shifting closer to her girlfriend and leaving a lingering kiss on her cheek. "As much as I love surprises, can I at least get a hint?" she mumbled against the soft skin against her lips, allowing Delphine to turn kiss her briefly.
"Fine. Just a small one." she conceded. "We have the whole… space, to ourselves."
"Dude… did you buy out the whole hotel?" she deadpanned.
Both Delphine and Adam laughed at this, shaking her head quickly. "Non, no. More like a very small, how do you say, vacation home?" she hinted skeptically.
The look on Cosima's face made Delphine's heart practically bloom. Eyes wide and smile wider, the American woman practically jumped in her seat, a hand going to the back of Delphine's neck for a gratuitous kiss.
'Perfect.' Delphine thought blissfully. The moment, the moments to come, would be absolutely perfect. In a few short hours, they'd be settling in and starting their first real vacation together. A vacation that Delphine hoped would be one of a lifetime. As Cosima's lips moved over her own, she thought about the ring, nestled securely in her luggage in the trunk, waiting patiently for it's debut when they ventured to Paris. She smiled into their kiss, pressing forward once more before pulling away and settling her head in the crook of Cosima's neck, closing her eyes.
When they arrived, she had already fallen asleep, missing Cosima's initial reaction to seeing the home. She was so quick to get out of the car, leaving Adam and Delphine still in the car as she whipped out her phone to start taking pictures.
They bid their farewell to Adam, kisses and hugs all around as he promised to see them again soon. Delphine handed the keys to her girlfriend from her pocket, assuming she would then help with the luggage. Not to her surprise, though, Cosima was gone, already practically skipping towards the door.
She laughed aloud, watching the petite woman gawk at the estate in front of her. Everything was as Delphine remembered it, not a stone nor shingle out of place.
"Small vacation home, my ass. Dude… this place is literally a castle. "
Cosima wasn't wrong. The building was a bit on the larger side of what she was imagining it to be. When Delphine had told her 'small vacation home', she pictured a small, quaint building nestled in semi-solitutde. Instead, they were greeted by a large stone manor, the facade filled with stained windows and grand double doors that had Cosima's jaw slack on her face.
Delphine barely had time to respond, the echo of Cosima's feet running down the hall interrupting her thoughts. She shook her head, a small smile pulling at the corners of her lips, and hauled their luggage through the large door, kicking it closed behind her.
"I wouldn't say castle." she mumbled under her breath, locking the door behind her and allowing their bags to fall from her aching arms in a heap on the floor. She looked around, taking in the sight in front of her. The stairs, winding up to the next floor, were currently occupied by her out-of-breath girlfriend who was still in the midst of her exploration.
"This is so rad." she wheezed, a wide smile painted across her face as she watched Delphine saunter over to her, allowing herself to be gathered in her arms. "There's so many doors upstairs in that hallway. We have to go explore!"
"I'm glad you approve." Delphine said quietly, pressing a lingering kiss to her either of her flushed cheeks. "Thrilled, actually."
"Of course I do." Cosima hummed, shifting slightly to press their lips together, wrapping her arms around the small of Delphine's waist and pulling her closer, the steps giving her a bit of a height advantage.
"Cosima." Delphine warned against eager lips, not yet moving to pull away. "We really should put our things away. It was a long flight."
"Delphine." she groaned, rolling her eyes as she felt firm hands push slightly at her hips. "Can't I kiss my French girlfriend in a French castle in peace?"
"It's not a castle!" she laughed, grabbing Cosima's hand and leading her down the steps to their bags. She huffed, begrudgingly taking her suitcase and following Delphine back up the stairs and down the hall to the bedroom.
"What's this door lead to- holy shit." Cosima gaped, allowing Delphine to pull her into the room. "I think this is the size of my whole apartment."
Delphine merely chuckled, already setting out to put away their clothes in the large armoire. "Hardly, cherie." she waved off, watching her girlfriend wander to the large bed in the middle of the room.
She caught the mischievous glint in Cosima's eye, watching the tiny brunette slip out of her shoes and run her hand along the linens on the bed. "What are you doing?" she warned quietly..
"Who me? Nothing…" Cosima simply shrugged over her shoulder, earning a rather quizitive eye from her girlfriend.
Delphine clicked her tongue, laughing quietly as she hoisted herself up, an armful of toiletries and makeup bags in tow. "I'm going to put these away." she said, passing through the large door that led to a master bath.
As soon as the door closed behind her, Delphine was practically a frantic mess. She dropped the various items that were gathered in her arms onto the large countertop, eyes scanning furiously.
"Dieu." she sighed, shaking the worry from her head and continued searching for the particular case. Spotting the black fabric, she grabbed at it, unzipping it quickly and immediately seeing velvet box nestled on the bottom. She pulled the ring box out, opening it and grabbing the band, running it between her fingers with precision care.
She had spent days trying to decide when would be a good time to give it to Cosima, wanting the moment to be absolutely perfect. After hours of lost sleep and arguing with Felix, they decided mutually that the Eiffel Tower would be perfect for Cosima. As much as the woman denied it, she was a hopeless romantic and a lover of famous sights. Now it was down to a matter of when they would go to Paris, which left Delphine constantly wondering.
Her nights, once filled with silence and comfort beside her love, were instead occupied by dreams of the ring on Cosima's finger, their wedding day, their plans coming true. Her heart fluttered at the reminiscent thoughts, a smile as broad as her girlfriend's moving over her face. She was quite sure Cosima would say yes, there was almost no doubt in her mind. For the second time in her life, she was sure of something.
Delphine ran her fingers along the cold surface, gazing at the large room in the reflection of the mirror in front of her. The vaguely familiar background giving her a small wind of melancholy. She knew it was a bit of a risk taking Cosima here, apprehensive of her reaction if she figured out where they were, but Delphine remained hopeful.
She couldn't help but slip the ring onto her own finger, holding it out in front of herself to gaze at it. It was quite beautiful, but she knew in her heart that it was made for Cosima's hand, not hers.
Her thoughts were quickly knocked by a rhythmic squeaking sound from outside the door, subtle but just enough to have Delphine's ears turning. She quickly tucked the ring back into the bag, setting their belongings away and hiding it in plain sight.
"Cosima!" she gasped, opening the door back to the bedroom. She watched with wide eyes as the tiny brunette repeatedly launched herself into the air, the springs of the massive mattress squeaking beneath her determined feet.
"Come on!" she pleaded with a deep belly laugh, "You know you want to!"
Delphine huffed, folding her arms across her chest and biting down on her lip to suppress a grin. "I'm not going to jump on a bed, Cosima. Get down!"
"Make me." she deadpanned, hands on her hips as she continued to leap.
"Cosima…" she challenged, slowly strutting to the bed.
She didn't relent, continuing her steady rhythm even as Delphine kicked her shoes off, anchoring her hands to the bed, finally snatching at Cosima's leg and pulling her down with a squeal.
In no time, Delphine was over her, pushing the American to the middle of the bed and straddling her legs over her hips.
"Hm, Dr. Cormier, you don't play fair." she smirked. Delphine raised her brow, matching Cosima's cheekiness tenfold and pinning the tiny woman's hands above her head. "Oh!"
"Oh?" she laughed, dipping down and chastely kissing the woman beneath her. "Is that all you have to say?" she whispered.
"Funny, suddenly everything is slipping my mind…" Cosima husked, licking her lips as she watched Delphine's eyes darken ever so slightly.
"Is that so?"
"Obvs."
She didn't bother responding, instead leaning down again to capture Cosima's lips in rather hungry kiss. Hands that were once pinned above her head were now grabbing at either side of Delphine's face, pulling her closer and deepening their embrace, taking the French-woman's bottom lip between her teeth teasingly.
Delphine whimpered, settling herself atop the sprawled body below her and allowing her hands to wander the expanse of Cosima's skin. Practiced fingers slipped under the loose shirt, scraping at the juts of her ribs beneath warm skin. Over a year of constant learning and practice had led to Delphine's confidence in herself soaring, leaving Cosima at her mercy more often than not, not that she was ever one to complain.
"So happy." she mumbled against the blonde's lips, bringing Delphine back to reality.
"What?" she breathed, pulling back to press their foreheads together.
Cosima smiled lazily, rubbing their noses together while she gripped the woman's hips. "I said, so happy. As in you make me so happy, Delphine."
"You make me happier." she promised, covering the small woman's face in a flutter of light kisses.
"Is that a challenge?" Cosima asked quietly, thumbs rubbing small circles over the juts of her hips.
Delphine stared at her for a moment, giving her eyes a proper reminder of just how beautiful her soulmate was. "Non." she said softly. "Non, it's a promise."
Cosima shook her head, smiling so widely that her cheeks surely hurt. "God I love you." she breathed. "Even if you're so incredibly cheesy."
"Cheesy?" she asked quietly, letting the word roll over and over on her tongue.
"Yeah. In this case it kind of means like… overly sentimental. I think it's just your French-ness coming out, though. You know, being in the motherland and all."
It was Delphine's turn to laugh this time, letting her head drop to Cosima's shoulder, kissing her just there. "My French-ness." she repeated with a giggle. "You make France seem like a world away…. motherland!"
Cosima joined her laughter, grabbing at the flesh of Delphine's exposed thigh below the fabric of her shorts. "You're so cute." she cooed, tilting her head up for another kiss, which Delphine obliged to briefly. "I can't wait for this vacation. It's going to be perfect."
"I hope so." Delphine breathed. "I don't have anything planned really... So whatever you want to do, we can."
"Even all the boring touristy stuff that I know you're going to hate?" she asked inquisitively. Delphine smile and nodded her head, letting her curls bounce freely around. "And you'll take pictures with me at all of them- and let me talk to people in French?"
"Dieu." Delphine simply shrugged. How could she say ever deny her anything. She made her wait long enough almost two years ago, she had a lot of time to make up for. "Just promise me you'll ask how to say something first instead of approaching them and guessing."
Cosima pretended to toy with the idea, as if she was actually considering making an intentional fool of herself in a foreign country. Delphine huffed, swatting at Cosima's shoulder before quickly kissing the same spot, biting just gently.
"Obvs I'll ask!" she giggled, exposing a full set of teeth in her smile. "I can't wait. But I still want to explore this place first."
"Aren't you tired?" She slipped their hands together, slotting their fingers perfectly between each other and bringing their conjoined hands to her lips from a chaste kiss. "Don't you want to stay here for a moment? Maybe nap."
"Nope. I slept on the plane."
"I know." Delphine matched. "You snore. Everybody knows you slept on the plane."
Cosima rolled her eyes dramatically, shifting to press her body up behind her love's. She buried her face in the back of her lover's neck, breathing in the intoxicating smell seemed to linger there.
"You love me anyway." she said with a hidden smile. Delphine matched her grin, though she couldn't see it.
"Are you sure that you like it here?" she asked quietly, teasingly shifting her hips backwards to press against Cosima's.
"Mhmm." she whimpered, hands pulling Delphine closer as she rolled her hips forward in return. Her mouth traced the long expanse of the blonde's neck, kissing her just where she knew would drive her crazy.
As much as Delphine reveled in the feelings Cosima was giving her, she loved teasing her girlfriend back even more. She moved away, slipping from Cosima's grasp and earning an exaggerated groan as she pulled her up off the bed in tow.
"Delphiiiiiiine." she moaned. "What are you doing?"
She peered over her shoulder slyly at the woman being feigning dead weight in her arms, head thrown back in a grumpy slouch. "I thought you wanted to explore."
"We can do it later! I suddenly find myself hella tired and want to immediately get back on that bed. Like right now. We can explore the grand castle later."
"Oh now you're tired." Delphine chuckled, sticking her tongue out teasingly. "There isn't much to it, anyway. It's mostly hallways like these. A few bedrooms up here, bathrooms, an office. All the communal rooms are mostly on the first floor, kitchen, living room, parlor. Though, I think you will enjoy the office the most, the library has a few books I think you will like. Anyway, I think there's some wine downstairs that I have been dying to taste."
Grumbling, she allowed Delphine to kiss her slowly before leading her out the door and back into the hall of the estate. As stunning and pristine as it was, Cosima couldn't help but welcome the homey feeling it offered. It felt as if it's been lived in, but not for a while, just maintained at this point.
"Uh, Delphine?" she pulled on their conjoined hands, grabbing her girlfriend's attention as they wandered into the rather large kitchen. "How do you know all of this? About this house and stuff?"
"Hm?" Delphine licked her lips, moving to open a cabinet of wine bottles and picking one to pour. "What do you mean?"
"What I mean is that you seem like, hella knowledgeable about this place. Kind of like you've been here before."
Delphine was silent, moving across the island from Cosima and sliding her a glass of red wine. She sipped at it slowly, remembering its taste even after all these years.
"Delphine…" Cosima warned "You're avoiding my questions."
"Do you not like the wine?"
"Delphine!" Cosima pleaded, eyes wide behind her frames as she stared down her suddenly quiet girlfriend. "Come on."
"Fine." she said. "You're right... in a way. I have been here before."
Cosima grinned slyly, eyes quirking upwards. "Called it." she said. "When was this?"
Delphine finished off her wine, desperately needing the soothing warmth of the alcohol to start working, and walked slowly to the sink to rinse her glass. "Oh, em. When I was younger." she waved off.
"When you were younger…. like a baby, or a toddler? Or are we talking about like, teenage Delphine?"
"Oui." Delphine said far too quickly for Cosima's better judgment.
"What- alright! You gotta explain this one, Delphine. Because it's beginning to sound like you-"
"Used to live here?" she finished off with a small smile. "Yes."
As per usual, you're all absolutely amazing. Thanks for sticking with this story. Unfortunately, with the semester starting again, updates are probably going to be a bit far and few in between. I can assure you that I'm not abandoning the story, though. Excuse all the errors in this chapter, I didn't really have enough time to read it through as much as I wanted to, and I really just wanted to have it posted already. Thank you all so so so much for reading. Much love.