Chapter Text
She’s crying again.
Giselle, sat beside her, watches without a word.
The first time they’d been in that position, Cordelia had tried so desperately not to let the other see her tears. Blink fast, hold a smile, laugh over warbling voice.
She had kept her pride until Giselle had interrupted her to hand her a tissue, "Your tears are running," and it had drawn out another sob.
Now it’s a familiar scene: Cordelia, who can’t help but cry and Giselle who worked her up to that state.
She doesn’t bother rubbing her eyes anymore. Giselle would see through it anyways. Plus some vindictive part of Cordelia wants Giselle to watch her cry, see what she does to her.
"I hadn’t realized birthdays were so important to you."
"Birthdays are special. You’re supposed to spend them with people you love."
"I’ve never seen it that way."
Cordelia’s laugh is horrible, a dying sun. "I guess you wouldn’t."
"I didn’t see the point in telling you. I thought you knew, or you could search for the date if it mattered that much."
It’s barely above a whisper that Cordelia says, "I wanted to spend your birthday with you."
"…"
"…"
"Well, I’m sorry." That makes the third apology today. It still sounds like Giselle is reciting from a cookbook of how to be a good girlfriend.
"Stop apologizing." Cordelia says tightly. "I don’t want to hear it if you don’t mean it."
Acquiescing, Giselle goes silent.
They sit there, joined in their awful quiet.