Cora Hale (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
impetere) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thepicketfencecliche2015-02-23 10:40 pm
impetere) wrote in thepicketfencecliche2015-02-23 10:40 pm
Entry tags:
canon au } { of adopted sisters and lost mothers
“You know, I’m surprised you came to me.”
Buffy’s back is to her, and Cora’s toweling off her hair from the shower. After stopping at the loft to pick up a bag for the night, she had made a beeline right to Buffy and Peter’s place. She had texted and verified that Peter wasn’t home before she came, because her trying to figure out being girly is not something she really wants any witnesses to, but now she’s glad it’s just her and Buffy.
Cora frowns at that, tipping her head to the side. “Dawn is too tall. Whatever she has wouldn’t fit me.”
“No, not what I meant.” She glances back as she pulls one of the dresses out of the closet, turning to face her. “Not that I’m not ungrateful for the unexpected girly time, but I figured with Laura back you would go to her instead.”
“Oh.” The hand in her hair pauses for a moment, before shrugging. “I think Laura has just about as many dresses as I do right now. Plus, it’s still weird – having her there to talk to, you know? I’m used to going to you guys.”
Buffy nods once, before holding out the dark teal dress for her. “Then you get to benefit from my online shopping addiction. The problem with buying things online is that you can never really tell how they fit. This is a little too big in the bust so if it fits you and you like it, you can keep it.”
“Thanks,” she says with a smile, before disappearing back into the bathroom to change. She leaves the door open a little, and she can hear Buffy moving closer, shifting to lean her back against the wall.
“So did you want to talk to me about something?”
Cora freezes for a moment, blinking in confusion as she pulls the dress over her shoulders. “How – ”
“You mentioned talking. I inferred.”
Cora sighs, tugging up the zipper before sticking her head out the door again. “Apparently Stiles and Dad have this Valentine’s Day thing where they go and visit his mom at the cemetery. They invited me to go with them and I … I think I screwed it up.”
Buffy gestures for her to come closer, checking the fit of the dress as she talks. “That’s not really something you could screw up. If you weren’t comfortable going, you shouldn’t have gone.”
“I know. I just … he wants me to meet her.” She doesn’t sound incredulous about it. She knows that he doesn’t mean actually meeting her in the sense of meeting her, but at the same time she isn’t sure how to go about it or what she’s supposed to say.
Buffy pauses, before nodding after a moment, before leading her over to the vanity to sit her down. Her hair is drying naturally, but she reaches for the hair dryer anyway. “Maybe you should meet her. And maybe Stiles should meet Talia too.”
Cora glances back at her in confusion and Buffy nudges her head back into place again so that she could keep drying her hair. “How?”
“I’m sure there are still albums or family movies in the vaults somewhere. Those are just as good as having a grave to visit.”
Cora watches Buffy as she fixes her hair in the mirror, the pangs of the things she can’t have sitting heavily in her chest. This is something she should have had, but Buffy’s hair should be so much darker and her eyes much kinder. It’s just one of the many things she could have done with her mother but never got the chance to. As Buffy’s fingers scoop through her hair, followed by the smooth stroke of her hair brush, she can’t help the flashes of a much smaller reflection in the mirror, sitting on her knees as her mother’s fingers carded through the strands, pulling it back into a pony tail or a French braid. She shakes her head after a moment, pushing the memory away.
“Cora?”
“Nothing,” she says, blinking away the tears as she looks away. “I just miss her.”
Buffy nods a bit, before moving to sit next to her on the bench, sliding an arm around her shoulders. “I miss my mom too. Unfortunately it’s part of the dead mom package.”
Cora leans into her a bit, before sighing heavily. “I just only have today. I didn’t expect to get blindsided by that.”
“Don’t worry. He sees you in this dress, and the only thing he’s going to be thinking about is getting you out of it.” Cora glances back at her, eyebrows raised, and Buffy smirks. “Trust me. I know how to make jaws drop.”
Cora seems reluctant, but she just shakes her head before nodding. “Alright. Work your magic.”
Buffy grins, before pushing up from the bed. “Let me get my make up.”
Cora sighs heavily, leaning back in the seat. “I regret this already.”
Buffy’s back is to her, and Cora’s toweling off her hair from the shower. After stopping at the loft to pick up a bag for the night, she had made a beeline right to Buffy and Peter’s place. She had texted and verified that Peter wasn’t home before she came, because her trying to figure out being girly is not something she really wants any witnesses to, but now she’s glad it’s just her and Buffy.
Cora frowns at that, tipping her head to the side. “Dawn is too tall. Whatever she has wouldn’t fit me.”
“No, not what I meant.” She glances back as she pulls one of the dresses out of the closet, turning to face her. “Not that I’m not ungrateful for the unexpected girly time, but I figured with Laura back you would go to her instead.”
“Oh.” The hand in her hair pauses for a moment, before shrugging. “I think Laura has just about as many dresses as I do right now. Plus, it’s still weird – having her there to talk to, you know? I’m used to going to you guys.”
Buffy nods once, before holding out the dark teal dress for her. “Then you get to benefit from my online shopping addiction. The problem with buying things online is that you can never really tell how they fit. This is a little too big in the bust so if it fits you and you like it, you can keep it.”
“Thanks,” she says with a smile, before disappearing back into the bathroom to change. She leaves the door open a little, and she can hear Buffy moving closer, shifting to lean her back against the wall.
“So did you want to talk to me about something?”
Cora freezes for a moment, blinking in confusion as she pulls the dress over her shoulders. “How – ”
“You mentioned talking. I inferred.”
Cora sighs, tugging up the zipper before sticking her head out the door again. “Apparently Stiles and Dad have this Valentine’s Day thing where they go and visit his mom at the cemetery. They invited me to go with them and I … I think I screwed it up.”
Buffy gestures for her to come closer, checking the fit of the dress as she talks. “That’s not really something you could screw up. If you weren’t comfortable going, you shouldn’t have gone.”
“I know. I just … he wants me to meet her.” She doesn’t sound incredulous about it. She knows that he doesn’t mean actually meeting her in the sense of meeting her, but at the same time she isn’t sure how to go about it or what she’s supposed to say.
Buffy pauses, before nodding after a moment, before leading her over to the vanity to sit her down. Her hair is drying naturally, but she reaches for the hair dryer anyway. “Maybe you should meet her. And maybe Stiles should meet Talia too.”
Cora glances back at her in confusion and Buffy nudges her head back into place again so that she could keep drying her hair. “How?”
“I’m sure there are still albums or family movies in the vaults somewhere. Those are just as good as having a grave to visit.”
Cora watches Buffy as she fixes her hair in the mirror, the pangs of the things she can’t have sitting heavily in her chest. This is something she should have had, but Buffy’s hair should be so much darker and her eyes much kinder. It’s just one of the many things she could have done with her mother but never got the chance to. As Buffy’s fingers scoop through her hair, followed by the smooth stroke of her hair brush, she can’t help the flashes of a much smaller reflection in the mirror, sitting on her knees as her mother’s fingers carded through the strands, pulling it back into a pony tail or a French braid. She shakes her head after a moment, pushing the memory away.
“Cora?”
“Nothing,” she says, blinking away the tears as she looks away. “I just miss her.”
Buffy nods a bit, before moving to sit next to her on the bench, sliding an arm around her shoulders. “I miss my mom too. Unfortunately it’s part of the dead mom package.”
Cora leans into her a bit, before sighing heavily. “I just only have today. I didn’t expect to get blindsided by that.”
“Don’t worry. He sees you in this dress, and the only thing he’s going to be thinking about is getting you out of it.” Cora glances back at her, eyebrows raised, and Buffy smirks. “Trust me. I know how to make jaws drop.”
Cora seems reluctant, but she just shakes her head before nodding. “Alright. Work your magic.”
Buffy grins, before pushing up from the bed. “Let me get my make up.”
Cora sighs heavily, leaning back in the seat. “I regret this already.”