5! And cobert ofcourse♥️
Thank you for the prompt! My first thought at this prompt was, it would go perfectly with drunk Cobert and I just had a go at this... I hope you liked how it turned out!
5 - giggly cuddles
Robert had sought the safety of the library a while ago and Cora had stayed behind in the drawing room with the rest of the family. Now, as the others had gone up or home one by one, she joined him.
“I’ll have one too”, Cora stated.
Robert, who stood at the liquor cabinet, turned around and faced his wife with a lightly surprised expression, but he poured her a drink without questioning her. Silently he handed her the glass. They sat down next to each other on one of the red velvety settees. Cora swirled the liquid in her glass before she took a small sip.
“It wasn’t very comradely to let me face Mama and Isobel on my own. They were in the best mood to bicker today”, Cora said flippantly as she looked deep into the amber liquid. In the silent that followed she took another sip.
“I’m sorry”, Robert finally responded, “You’re right, of course. It was probably not only uncompanionable but even cowardly. But I couldn’t help myself, I was exhausted of the constant obligation of conversation”, he huffed a sigh.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t come to converse”, Cora leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder.
“You’d be the only one I wouldn’t mind talking to. In fact, I’ve to point out that we’re engaged in conversation right now”, he nearly downed the whole of his whiskey before he put his arm around her.
She chuckled throatily. After taking another small sip of whiskey her face contorted into a grimace, “Would you pour me a sherry instead?” She handed him her drink and lifted her head from his shoulder. Robert drank the rest of her drink in one gulp with a wink that made her chuckle again. To be honest, both had been equally surprised that she’d requested whiskey in the first place. He placed both their glasses on the table nearby and stood to pour Cora her drink of choice.
He re-filled his own glass with whiskey and sat down next to her again. Cora immediately resumed her previous position. It was a while that they just sat there, nursing their drinks in silence. Eventually Robert started stroking up and down her arm.
“You know how Mama was ridiculing Isobel earlier?”, Cora stated out of the blue.
“Obviously not.”
“She said going of to war would be very less harming than talking to Isobel.”
He chuckled, “Poor Isobel! They must have a very serious feud at the moment.”
“Oh, but you should have heard her counter!”, Cora didn’t lift her head, fatigue had taken hold of her. She only raised her eyebrows and her eyes widened.
“I’m all ears.”
“Isobel said, Mama should stop whining otherwise one would think her fearful. Even little Sybbie would see no problem in talking to her.”
A hearty laugh escaped Robert’s lips, his chest heaved up and down heavily. The laughter was contagious and Cora let out light giggles. Robert’s laughs didn’t ebb away and his heaving chest shook Cora who was cuddled up in his arms. Mama’s and Isobel’s bantering wasn’t that funny at all, but Cora and Robert already were a bit inebriated at that moment and the reason for their laughing soon changed to the laughing itself.
“Robert…this payoff is nothing new”, Cora uttered between her giggles, “there isn’t anything comical about it.”
Robert slowly regained his composure, “But thank you for lifting my mood with this joke.”
Cora let out another loud laugh, “But it’s no joke, Robert.”
“You’re laughing quite a lot for there not being any joke.”
Robert tried to sit up but his inebriated state and Cora’s weight propped against his side made it impossible, “Would you mind another round?”, he lifted his empty glass.
“Oh, feel free to top me off!”
Cora held out her hand to help him as she noticed his struggles.
After another round and the recurring struggles with getting into a standing position after just sinking into the deep cushions of the settee, they came up with the clever idea of to change places. Now they were on two chairs just next to the decanters.
It had been a while since Robert last had a binge with his wife. He tried to remember the last time, but somehow it was hard to focus. In their early years of marriage, they’d engaged in some shenanigans, Violet had deemed as improper for someone who called themselves Viscount and Viscountess. But however, when a chance presented itself, the couple wasn’t averse to indulge quite the amounts of alcohol or engage in other activities Violet called ill-reputed.
Right now, Robert could only focus the vision before him. The cheeks of his wife had reddened notably. Her eyes glistened and her full lips, encasing the rim of the glass, greedily drank the red liquid.
“You’re staring.”
He cleared his throat and blushed unwillingly, “But I’m not staring in the way you’re implying.”
“Oh? I wasn’t aware that I was implying something.”
“I’m just happy, we’re still doing this.”
Cora raised an eyebrow, “Doing what?”
“You know, that”, with a wide gesture he pointed vaguely in her direction and at the drink cabinet. The drink in his glass spilled onto the carpet at his gesture. “Oops…”
“Maybe we’ve had enough of that”, she spoke and placed her glass next to the full bottles.
“Perhaps that’s right, but does mean you don’t agree? You don’t think it’s great we can even do something like this together?”, Robert sounded anxious.
“I agree, it’s very great indeed”, she tried to stand but swayed and had to grip the edge of the drink cabinet next to her. Robert shot up to help her, but he was unsteady on his feet himself and he had to hold onto her as much she had to hold onto him. They giggled in union at their foolish behaviour. Their arms around each other’s shoulders the made their way through the hall and up the stairs, all the way accompanied by their giggles. In front of her room, they parted to be dressed for bed by their servants. Baxter and Bates noticed the state their employers were in but helped them patiently and silently out and into their clothes. When Robert entered their room through the adjoining door, Cora already sat in bed. He joined her.
“I think it was quite fun tonight”, Robert sank back against the pillows with a pleased expression on his face. That sight made Cora giggle again. She tried to hide it behind her hand. His expression reminded her of other situation he wore that expression.
“I see you also think so”, he added.
Cora didn’t affirm but only giggled more, now holding her belly with her other hand.
“Would her Ladyship share the joke with me?”, he leaned towards her with a questioning look, “or is there no joke?”
“…no joke, Robert”, Cora finally managed, “I already told you earlier… there’s no joke.”
Remembering the earlier situation, he started laughing himself again. He saw Cora’s shaken form and her arm clutching her belly and he took her into his arm to give her support. She immediately reached out for his support and sneaked her arms around his waist. Cuddling each other they sank down into their pillows more and more, giggles erupting from their tangled forms. When their giggles subsided slowly, slumber claimed them. Their breathing slowed and they fell asleep in each other’s arms.
