Work Text:
A STROLL IN THE PARK
Cordelia Carstairs had been tossing and turning in her bed for the past two hours. Blame it all on the coffee she had drunk in the evening, and now she was having a horrible case of insomnia. She sighed and sat up on her bed that had innumerable blankets piled up on it. How could she help it? London was freaking cold.
Cordelia ran a hand through her tangled mane of hair. It had become so tangled because of the tossing and turning, she highly doubted that it would be easily fixed tomorrow. A lot of struggle would definitely be required. Even hours of combing would have no effect. She stood up and looked in the mirror on the dressing table at her same old pale face, same old fiery hair, and same old coal black eyes that reminded her of a night without stars.
She opened her cloth cupboard and took out a light blue dress with taffeta cuffs on it. Surely she couldn’t go anywhere in her nightgown. She quickly changed into the dress which fit her body snuggly and it was quite warm, so as to protect her from the fierce London winters and that too in the late hours of the night. She also put on a black overcoat on it, for precautions.
Suddenly a chilly wind blew and moved her hair. Losing hope that they would ever be fixed or turn out nicely like Lucie’s, she took out a dark blue scarf that was gifted to her by Lucie on her birthday. Even thinking about it brought back fond memories to her. She smiled and put the scarf around her neck.
Cordelia slowly jerked away toward the door of her room but it made a creaking noise which would have surely woken someone, but Mr. and Mrs. Herondale had gone with Lucie to their manor in Wales, while James chose to stay at the institute and right now she didn’t know where he was. He was far too heartbroken after that incident with Grace to travel and enjoy anything. Steadily, Cordelia got out of the institute.
____________________________________________________________________________
The sky was completely black and grey except for the constant twinkling of stars. Cordelia was walking down to Hyde Park. it was the most peaceful place in the nighttime and she didn’t mind the ducks at all unlike James. She rather thought that they were unusual creatures. The streets were completely empty except for two or three people who looked like hopeless drunks. She became conscious of her surroundings and walked more faster. At last after twenty minutes or so, she reached the park.
____________________________________________________________________________
No one was present in the park. It was well past midnight now and Cordelia struggled to see in the dark. She quickly applied a Night Vision rune and thanked Angel Raziel for creating these life-saving runes.
Her vision was more clear now and she walked cheerfully towards the usual place where she and Lucie always sat. She was just beginning to got sit on a bench when she saw a figure sitting on the nearest bench with his back to him. Hell, she could recognize him anywhere. It was James.
She got up to where he was sitting and placed a hand on his shoulder, when with a shocking reflex, he grabbed her wrist and held his dagger on her neck. She saw the furious expression on his face which really didn’t last for that long since he had recognized who she was.
“What are you doing here?” He asked her.
“I could ask you the same question. Anyways, i couldn’t sleep so came here for a stroll. The ducks are so peaceful and beautiful in the night, don’t you agree?” She smirked at the latter sentence which led to a severe case of eye rolling from James.
He was still gazing at the sleeping ducks in the pond with an indignant expression and said, “I have quite a similar story to yours. I got drunk and then came here. It is peaceful though.” He smiled at her and continued on, “ My story doesn’t seem as exciting as you thought, Miss Carstairs?” He was grinning now.
At points like these when he teased her, she wanted to smack him mercilessly but what can I say, she had control in her bones.
She now looked at his radiant face. James was the sort of a person who could still be in his senses while being drunk. This ability of his indeed shocked people, but he never gave a damn about what other people thought about him.
He looked like he was lost in some thoughts when Cordelia moved her hands around his face.
“I think we should go home.” She said.
“”Yes, yes, sure.” He replied back.
Then he did something which Cordelia never had imagined. He grabbed her hand and then said, “Rather enjoying the company of the ducks, I see. Come on!” He tugged her forward.
She smiled at this gesture of his. She loved him with every fiber of her being and she also knew that he was still in love with Grace and didn’t love her back. She was just his sister’s parabatai, but sometimes he did things like these which made her really happy, no matter what shit was going on in her shitty life.