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luciehercndale · 1 year

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Hi. I saw your post in the tag and I don't know if you're still doing request but could we get some Cordelia x Lucie? I don't really have any specific ideas but maybe something with Lucie having a bi awakening and/or them kissing could be nice.

Anon, you asked, and it took me a while to deliver. I don't know if this is what you wanted, but I tried! This one shot is set post COT, and it's more of a bi-awakening for both Lucie and Cordelia (who are with their partners in this story, so it's also a blackdale/jordelia story, but they're not the main focus). I liked the idea that Lucie, after writing about Cordelia in COT, is even more intrigued with the idea of writing a character who likes boys and girls, and she wants to know what it feels like to kiss a girl. And the girl is obviously Cordelia, whom Lucie idealized so much in her stories and often looked at with affection in her eyes. The realization shakes them both, because even though it isn't clearly stated, I believe Lucie might be bi (just like her father, tbh), and Cordelia could be too. This fic was a way for them to acknowledge that they might like girls as well, even though they are with male partners in canon (I believe that both James and Jesse are the straightest TLH characters, but they would be okay if either of them came out as bi to them). I don't know if my message came across, let me know. <3 Read on A03 (tw for mature talk about s*x)

Lucie and Cordelia - For The Sake of Research

Lucie perched on the windowsill of the drawing room with her notebook in tow, hoping to get the inspiration to continue her book. It was a rainy afternoon and she didn’t want to leave the warmth of the Institute. She liked to be where she was, with some of her favorite people keeping her company.

Jesse was reading a book about demons – reading advice from her beloved father, no less – on the armchair close to the window where she was sitting. James and Cordelia were playing chess in front of the hearth, and her best friend was beating her husband again. As she should, Lucie thought affectionately. She loved when someone beat James at something he was really good at. Not that he minded losing. Lucie heard the couple whisper to each other that the loser would have to do a dare or something. At first, she had found their voices distracting. She was trying to write, after all. But then, an image flickered in her mind, and she knew what she had to do.

There it was, the inspiration she sought so much, but not for the story she had been writing. A new story was forming in her head, except, she didn’t know how to write about her idea. She thought she could’ve asked one of her older cousins, but she remembered that they were in Idris. No, she had to ask Cordelia, who was her best friend, after all. She would understand. Plus, she was curious. She hoped her parabatai would also be okay with her proposition.

Every now and then, she glanced at Jesse and they exchanged a grin. He was often attuned to her glances, as if he knew she was watching him. Lucie loved him, and he was one of the people who inspired her the most to write. She was obviously curious to write more stuff regarding what happened between couples after they kissed, but for this idea, she didn’t have a boy and a girl in mind. She shivered, and she knew it wasn’t because of the cold. She was probably getting excited, and she needed to research. Now.

Nonetheless, she asked James to tend the fire. “Jamie, are you listening? I’ve just asked you to check the fire, I’m freezing.”

Her brother was so intent on playing with his wife that he didn’t hear her, so she had to shout it a second time. “By the angel, Lucie!”

“I finally got your attention now, brother,” she sighed. “Could you please put some wood in there? I’m freezing.”

James tilted his head. “Perhaps, if you got down from that windowsill, you would feel better.”

“I sit wherever I please,” she answered with annoyance. “This weather inspires me. Especially when it comes to your character.”

“What is Cruel Prince James up to?” he wondered casually, and both Cordelia and Jesse glanced at her, suddenly interested in this conversation.

Her cheeks warmed at the thought of what she was thinking of writing, and she didn’t dare to gaze at either of them. “There is no Cruel Prince James in this story, I’m afraid,” she shrugged, hoping no one would notice her rosy face. “It’s a story about girls.”

“Girls, plural,” James nodded absentmindedly. “Today is my lucky day, then.”

“Please, it’s not like I have ever made your character do something unforgivable,” she frowned. “It is just fiction, it’s not real. Cruel Prince James is not really you.”

“A character who locked his sister in the dungeon,” James raised an eyebrow. “Something I’d never do even if it seems tempting sometimes.” Lucie simply glared at him. She knew he was joking.

“Who is your current inspiration, Lucie?” Cordelia spoke before Lucie and James could keep arguing.

At that, Lucie managed a small grin, and took time to examine her, to take her in her expression and body posture. She seemed like a princess out of a fairytale, and she told herself she was definitely the best inspiration for her novel. “It’s you, Daisy,” she said without preamble. It wasn’t a surprise. Lucie had already written several stories with Cordelia as a protagonist, no one would have a say about her choice of inspiration.

“Don’t you think you should write about someone else, Lucie? Instead of my wife,” James said. “You could write about Jesse, you know. Your boyfriend.”

“Trust me. She did and she does,” said Jesse, who had tried to keep his eyes on the book he was reading in spite of the discussion happening around him. “And I’m glad to be an inspiration.”

“Thanks, Jesse,” Lucie told him with an affectionate grin. When she glanced at her brother, however, she made a scorned face. “Are you jealous I’m writing about Cordelia? She’s my best friend too. Also, she’s the perfect protagonist and the perfect inspiration. I mean, look at her,” she said with praise, and Cordelia lowered her stare. She seemed embarrassed every time Lucie said these things out loud, but it was the truth.

James did just that, and Cordelia offered him a loving smile. “It’s true what you’re saying, though,” he agreed, and Lucie saw his brother take his wife’s hand and kiss her. “You’re beautiful, Daisy.”

Lucie thought they were adorable, but now that they were talking about the topic of her book, she needed to act. “Daisy,” she said, “since you’re going to be the main protagonist of this story I’m writing and it’s very cold in here,” she continued, “what do you say we go out and have a little girls’ time at the Turkish baths? I could talk to you about my idea.”

“Is this necessary, Luce? We were about to leave, because the rain stopped,” James interjected.

“No one said anything about leaving,” Cordelia said. “We needed to finish the game first. Oh, and I like this idea, Lucie. I think we definitely need to spend some time together.”

“We can go with our carriage and you can get us when we’re done, if you want,” she shrugged, and Cordelia nodded at James, who had a resigned expression on his face. Victory! “Or you could come with us! Have a little bonding time too.”

“She’s right, James,” Cordelia said. “I could use the sauna. It’s cold today. I feel the chill in my bones.” Husband and wife exchanged a glance, and Lucie suspected her brother wanted to propose something else to get warm, and she immediately tried to wipe the image from her mind. “I think you may like it. You too, Jesse,” she looked at him.

“I’ve never been to a public bath,” Jesse furrowed his brow, “but it does sound exciting. What do you think, James?”

James eyed his wife, who was beaming and nodding at the same time, and then at Jesse. “I think you’ve just got yourself a partner for the day.”

Lucie got off the window and tucked her notebook under her arm. “Well, then. Shall we?”

…

It didn’t take long for them to reach their destination. Once there, Cordelia and Lucie said goodbye to the boys and headed to the women’s area. There was a room where the clients could leave their belongings in a cabinet – they had a key, so no one could steal anything. The bath provided a towel and a robe but some people just wore the towel, since they came to bathe.

Lucie and Cordelia covered themselves the best they could, even though there wasn’t much of a crowd. “Must have been the heavy rain to dissuade people from coming,” the lady at the entrance informed them. The girls thought that it was best that the hot room was empty.

“I’m honestly a little wary of other people’s stares,” Lucie confessed to Cordelia when they sat down in their private area. There was a small table in the middle of the seats, with just a water pitcher and some glasses.

“I’m the same too, you know,” Cordelia was already starting to show the signs of the hot humid air, her hair stuck on her neck, the sweat dripping on her robe. “My mother is the only other person who ever saw me without clothes,” she smiled at her friend, her cheeks pink. “And Risa, of course, and –”

“My brother,” she said matter of factly, and shook her head, a hand over her eyes to purge it from imagination. Ugh, this was the second time she imagined Cordelia and James in compromising positions. She should stop. “I’m sorry, Daisy. I don’t think I will ever be able to talk about what you and my brother do without clothes,” she chuckled coyly.

“Don’t worry, I know, it’s just,” she bit her lip, clearly distressed, and came closer to Lucie. She seemed like she wanted to say something, but in the end decided she couldn’t. “Have you ever done that, you know,” she lowered her voice, “with Jesse?”

Lucie’s skin probably turned pinker than it already was because of the hot temperature. She sighed, hugging her torso. “We haven’t,” she muttered, trying not to sound bitter or envious of her friend. “I tried to press the matter to him,” she raised an eyebrow for emphasis, “until we had a long conversation about it and decided that we would wait until after marriage.”

“He does seem very patient from the outside,” Cordelia took Lucie’s hand in hers. “I also think he insisted on waiting because he respects you and your family. He doesn’t want them to think he’s taking advantage of you. Would you want James or your father to tear him limb from limb and lay him to rest again before you even get married?”

“Of course not, Daisy!” Lucie squeezed her friend’s hand and they started to laugh, their voices carrying in the empty room. She gazed up at Cordelia, and realized her robe was slightly open and she could see the center of her chest. The sight took her back to what had been meaning to ask her friend. “Daisy,” her tone turned serious. “Have you ever done it with a girl? I mean, not done that –” she looked away for a second, “have you ever kissed a girl?”

Cordelia’s mouth gaped open but she quickly recollected herself. Lucie had written a story about her bosom, she should’ve expected something like that. “There was never the chance,” she giggled timidly. “I mean, James was all of my firsts.”

Lucie frowned. She didn’t want to know that, but still, she thought it was delightful that Cordelia’s first kiss and first time had been with her husband. And perhaps, even her first time, someday — “Would you like to be my first, too?”

“Lucie, I don’t understand what you mean,” Cordelia said, puzzled. “I thought you and Jesse –” but she was cut off.

“We do kiss,” Lucie said with a smile, “and he was indeed my first kiss. But, Daisy, can I kiss you?” she wondered loudly, squeezing Cordelia’s hand hard. When her friend remained silent, she continued. “It’s for research, you know. Just for research. For the character that I’m writing, who has affairs with both women and men alike. I want to know how it feels,” she sighed, “so I can write it properly. I thought I’d ask you since you’re my best friend.”

“That sounds exciting,” Cordelia commented finally.

“Does it?” Lucie lighted up, her grin was blinding. “I’ve always wanted to write about a character like that, Daisy,” she explained, smiling to herself now. “But never got around to experience anything with a woman, you know.”

“I understand,” Cordelia nodded, and Lucie couldn’t help but see how her robe was coming undone even more. “I will immolate myself for the good cause, then.”

“Would you? For real?”

“I’m positive James wouldn’t consider kissing his sister as betrayal,” Cordelia shrugged. “And neither would Jesse, would he?”

“It won’t hurt them if they don’t know,” Lucie winked at her friend. “But no, I don’t think they would. It’s for research, after all, it’s innocent,” she winked. “And they both know we love them and they’re our soulmates.”

“This will be our little secret, then,” she agreed. “Now… what do we do?”

“You should just kiss me, Daisy.”

Cordelia moisturized her lips before she kissed her best friend. They both closed their eyes, their hands still entwined, and gave into the new experience. Once they separated, they were both out of breath. The kiss didn't last long, as both of them were shy exploring each other’s mouths, but it had been intense, as they tried to kiss each other as if they were kissing their partners. In a way, they were also partners. They were parabatai, the oldest of bonds.

“Well, that was… something,” Lucie said, fanning herself as sweat descended on her face and neck. “I think I know how to do it now. Thanks, Daisy.”

“Really,” Cordelia echoed, wiping her face with the towel. “I think I’ve warmed enough for today, shall we go fetch James and Jesse?”

“We shall,” Lucie replied curtly, and the duo headed to the next room to cool off.

They found the boys waiting for them by the small reception. They were deep in discussion about something, and when they heard the sound of their boots on the linoleum, they both turned in their direction. Lucie and Cordelia glanced at each other and smiled before they reached their partners. She felt giggly all over, and she thought it was because of that kiss.

“I thought you left without us,” James said more to Lucie than to Cordelia. “We should go back to Curzon Street, Daisy. Apparently, Effie said a pipe broke because of the rain, and the rooftop room is completely flooded. Our presence is requested.”

“Sure, we’ll go,” Cordelia frowned, exchanging a glance with Lucie.

“I guess we’ll see you both the day after tomorrow?” James asked Lucie and Jesse. “Well, tell mama and papa hi from us.” He took Cordelia’s hand and started walking away.

“James, what are we going to do tomorrow? We don’t have anything planned,” they heard Cordelia wonder.

“I’ll tell you later,” James said, before they both disappeared outside.

“Do you think a pipe really broke?” Lucie wondered as she and Jesse, too, walked to the carriage. James had decided to take a hansom cab, so they could take the carriage back to the Institute.

“Please, he was eager to be alone with his wife,” Jesse replied. “And I can’t blame him. I was also eager to be alone with you, since we can only be alone until we get home.”

“Yes, me too,” Lucie said absentmindedly with a smile, glancing outside her window at the street. It stopped raining, and more people dared to go outside. “Even though I was happy to spend time with Cordelia. We’ve barely been together because she and James spent six months traveling the world. I missed her. She also helped me with my inspiration.”

“Glad you got your time with her,” he interlaced his fingers in hers. “I also had a fine time with your brother, until some guy with the surname Townsend, I think, walked in and he begged James to tell him everything about his travels, since he wanted to leave with his wife for a trip around the world too. James complied, but it was very awkward because this guy sat between us, legs wide open, his robe undone and everything on display. I don’t have anything against nudity, but we aren’t even friends with this fella, and it was embarrassing. We ran away the first chance we got.”

“Oh, Townsend,” Lucie sighed. “I can’t stand him. “He always had this big ego. No wonder he’s a show off. I bet that’s why Jamie was so pissed off.”

“You can bet on it,” he nodded. “I can’t wait to read what you’re going to come up with,” he added with a grin.

“I’m sure it’ll surprise you,” Lucie said, and she kissed his cheek, still thinking about what the kiss she exchanged with Cordelia made her feel, and tucking it for safekeeping into her memory.