(no subject)
Title: Roses in December
Rating: PG-13 (At worst)
Characters: Robin, Guy, Marian and some appearences by the gang.
Word Count: 1300ish
Summary: It wouldn't surprise Marian Fitzwalter to know how different Guy and Robin truly are.
A/N: Finally, a story after months of writer's block. Oh, one day, I will write fluff. That's probably a lie.
He stands a silent vigil outside her room for hours on end, the rough pattern of the stone embedded into the leather. She calls him inside and he moves swiftly, throwing open the heavy wooden door, she indulges him with a smile.
“Guy,” she says, her voice is hoarse and he moves closer to her.
“Marian, I…,” he can’t find the words, even here at the end; he doesn’t know what to say.
“I’m so tired,” she tells him and her eyes close, the fever already fading from her cheeks.
__________
He hasn’t seen her in three weeks, and he worries. He always worries. He sneaks into the castle in the middle of the night and has to avoid three guards and an angry cat before he finds her room.
“Marian, wake up,” he whispers, leaping onto the bed.
“Robin?” she asks, her eyes flutter open with immediacy. “Robin, I wanted to tell you, oh God, I…,” she can’t swallow her hesitation, and there’s so much she needs to say.
“What? Marian…” she grabs his arms, her fingers weakly digging into his muddy sleeve.
“Leave, please Robin, leave,” she says and looks away from him, her eyes tightly clenched shut. He looks at her in confusion and tries to gather her in his arms. “No!” she screams, struggling against him. “You can’t see me like this, don’t remember me like this!” She continues screaming, while he holds her tighter and attempts to calm her. It isn’t until she stops struggling that he realizes what has happened.
__________
He never marries. He thinks of it, Locksley is collecting dust and he will need an heir. But he can’t bring himself to it.
He visits Knighton once, the remaining chars shift under his boot. This is his handiwork, he thinks with a grimace.
“Gisborne,” he hears a soft voice behind him, and he slowly turns around. He doesn’t pick up his sword and she doesn’t even appear to have hers. She sits down across from him, and he can’t quite recall her name. “She told me once,” she pauses for a moment, looking at him earnestly. Djaq! That was it…“She told me that you loved her more than anyone ever had.” He glances at her sharply and he wants to tell her to stop, but he can’t find the words. “She didn’t hate you, not ever,” Djaq finishes in a fierce whisper. He walks away and doesn’t look back.
__________
He marries exactly three years later, a pretty young girl who joins him in the forest with a wink and smile. She has a beautiful laugh, loud and booming, that makes her eyes shine.
He never looks at her when they make love, his eyes always shut so tightly that tears gather at their edges. She never fails to notice.
They return one morning, bruised and bloodied, after a well-planned and poorly-executed ambush of a tax collector.
“Sometimes, I’d rather stay home and embroider,” she complains to Allan, who gives her a small snort in agreement. Robin gives her a sharp look and begins to run. He seeks no destination, running until his legs give out and collapsing onto the hard ground, as he cries jagged sobs that catch in his throat until he can no longer breathe. He returns to camp hours later and she doesn’t say anything but she holds him tighter that night as they sleep.
__________
He always visits the cemetery in the morning, in the hazy hours that follow dawn. He leaves the sleeping castle quietly and ignores that guards that curiously glances at him as he orders them to open the gates.
His horse canters slowly over the familiar hills and Guy can feel the hesitance and impatience flowing through his own veins, the same conflicting feelings that precede each visit.
He gently treads the small pathway to the clearing, surrounded by bowing white willows until he can see the familiar marker. He hates visiting her. The grave brings unbidden memories, thoughts of what he should have said and more aptly what he should not have said.
He sits there for exactly an hour, any longer and the Sheriff would notice his absence. Guy has long stopped believing in an afterlife, a heaven and a hell would mean an eternity of feeling like this, empty and so, so angry. So he never says anything, refuses to believe that he will exist forever without her. He visits each day.
__________
He always visits the cemetery at night, after the stars have come up and darkness has lulled his men (and wife) into sleep. He usually leaves quietly but today he lets out a yelp as he steps on a sleeping body.
“Where are you going?” Much asks and despite the bright light of the full moon his face is unreadable. “Robin…don’t go, not tonight,” Much pleads, gesturing over to Robin’s wife. She has had a wide smile on her features the entire day, despite a development morning sickness and the copious amount of cake that was distributed during the impromptu celebration.
“I’m sorry,” he says to nobody in particular and walks away from his camp, the dying firelight a distant memory and he begins to run. His legs ache with a familiar burn but he doesn’t slow down, not until he reaches the willow trees.
He lies next to her gravestone, breathing heavily. He talks for hours, tells her stories of their daily adventures and of castle gossip. He reassures her about her father and Much, and promises her that he’s eating and sleeping properly.
“I’m going to be a father, Marian,” he whispers, with a small smile, he’s waited all day to tell her. He has begun believing in God, a faith he had lost so many years ago in a field filled with blood and screams, just so that he can believe in heaven. He dreams of picking her up and kissing her until she can’t breathe, he dreams of brown curls and soft hands tightly clenched in his own.
__________
He finds her ring one day, in a chest of treasures for the visiting prince. He remembers with a wince the way it felt as it connected with his jaw, but he also remember the feel of her skin under the ring. He takes the ring and puts it in a small box under his bed. He never looks at it again.
__________
“Papa, look what I found!” his daughter says, tugging excitedly on his shirt. His mouth goes dry as he looks at the hair pin in his daughter’s chubby little hand. He snatches it from her without thinking and regrets it instantly, as thick tears begin to flow down her cheeks.
“Oh hush, sweetheart, we’ll find you a new pin, won’t we?” his wife says, swinging her daughter into her arms. He runs his finger gently over the jewels and slips the pin into his pocket. He takes his daughter from her mother’s arms and the five-year-old barely thinks of the trinket as her giggles fill the air while her father playfully bounces her. His wife doesn’t look his way and she flinches away from his touch as they sleep.
__________
He is dying.
“Call a priest,” he says to the servant boy who stares at him in confusion. “A priest,” he says again and the boy runs off. He drifts in and out of consciousness until the priest shakes his shoulders urgently, “Sir Guy?’
“Bless me, Father, for I have sinned,” he whispers, because perhaps there is a heaven and perhaps he will see her again.
__________
“Robin, Robin, please, you’ll be alright,” Djaq murmurs urgently and he can see the lie the moment he looks in her eyes.
He turns his head to his wife, who is sitting beside him, gently stroking his forehead.
“Will you...” his voice breaks and he struggles to find his words. “Will you bury me next to her?” he finishes quietly. She nods and places a kiss in her husband’s hair. He has never loved her more.
A/N: Title comes from a quote by J.M. Barrie, "God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December." It may make no sense with this story, I really can't tell. Oh and please review and give me some constructive advise, becuase I wasn't really pleased with this story.
Rating: PG-13 (At worst)
Characters: Robin, Guy, Marian and some appearences by the gang.
Word Count: 1300ish
Summary: It wouldn't surprise Marian Fitzwalter to know how different Guy and Robin truly are.
A/N: Finally, a story after months of writer's block. Oh, one day, I will write fluff. That's probably a lie.
He stands a silent vigil outside her room for hours on end, the rough pattern of the stone embedded into the leather. She calls him inside and he moves swiftly, throwing open the heavy wooden door, she indulges him with a smile.
“Guy,” she says, her voice is hoarse and he moves closer to her.
“Marian, I…,” he can’t find the words, even here at the end; he doesn’t know what to say.
“I’m so tired,” she tells him and her eyes close, the fever already fading from her cheeks.
__________
He hasn’t seen her in three weeks, and he worries. He always worries. He sneaks into the castle in the middle of the night and has to avoid three guards and an angry cat before he finds her room.
“Marian, wake up,” he whispers, leaping onto the bed.
“Robin?” she asks, her eyes flutter open with immediacy. “Robin, I wanted to tell you, oh God, I…,” she can’t swallow her hesitation, and there’s so much she needs to say.
“What? Marian…” she grabs his arms, her fingers weakly digging into his muddy sleeve.
“Leave, please Robin, leave,” she says and looks away from him, her eyes tightly clenched shut. He looks at her in confusion and tries to gather her in his arms. “No!” she screams, struggling against him. “You can’t see me like this, don’t remember me like this!” She continues screaming, while he holds her tighter and attempts to calm her. It isn’t until she stops struggling that he realizes what has happened.
__________
He never marries. He thinks of it, Locksley is collecting dust and he will need an heir. But he can’t bring himself to it.
He visits Knighton once, the remaining chars shift under his boot. This is his handiwork, he thinks with a grimace.
“Gisborne,” he hears a soft voice behind him, and he slowly turns around. He doesn’t pick up his sword and she doesn’t even appear to have hers. She sits down across from him, and he can’t quite recall her name. “She told me once,” she pauses for a moment, looking at him earnestly. Djaq! That was it…“She told me that you loved her more than anyone ever had.” He glances at her sharply and he wants to tell her to stop, but he can’t find the words. “She didn’t hate you, not ever,” Djaq finishes in a fierce whisper. He walks away and doesn’t look back.
__________
He marries exactly three years later, a pretty young girl who joins him in the forest with a wink and smile. She has a beautiful laugh, loud and booming, that makes her eyes shine.
He never looks at her when they make love, his eyes always shut so tightly that tears gather at their edges. She never fails to notice.
They return one morning, bruised and bloodied, after a well-planned and poorly-executed ambush of a tax collector.
“Sometimes, I’d rather stay home and embroider,” she complains to Allan, who gives her a small snort in agreement. Robin gives her a sharp look and begins to run. He seeks no destination, running until his legs give out and collapsing onto the hard ground, as he cries jagged sobs that catch in his throat until he can no longer breathe. He returns to camp hours later and she doesn’t say anything but she holds him tighter that night as they sleep.
__________
He always visits the cemetery in the morning, in the hazy hours that follow dawn. He leaves the sleeping castle quietly and ignores that guards that curiously glances at him as he orders them to open the gates.
His horse canters slowly over the familiar hills and Guy can feel the hesitance and impatience flowing through his own veins, the same conflicting feelings that precede each visit.
He gently treads the small pathway to the clearing, surrounded by bowing white willows until he can see the familiar marker. He hates visiting her. The grave brings unbidden memories, thoughts of what he should have said and more aptly what he should not have said.
He sits there for exactly an hour, any longer and the Sheriff would notice his absence. Guy has long stopped believing in an afterlife, a heaven and a hell would mean an eternity of feeling like this, empty and so, so angry. So he never says anything, refuses to believe that he will exist forever without her. He visits each day.
__________
He always visits the cemetery at night, after the stars have come up and darkness has lulled his men (and wife) into sleep. He usually leaves quietly but today he lets out a yelp as he steps on a sleeping body.
“Where are you going?” Much asks and despite the bright light of the full moon his face is unreadable. “Robin…don’t go, not tonight,” Much pleads, gesturing over to Robin’s wife. She has had a wide smile on her features the entire day, despite a development morning sickness and the copious amount of cake that was distributed during the impromptu celebration.
“I’m sorry,” he says to nobody in particular and walks away from his camp, the dying firelight a distant memory and he begins to run. His legs ache with a familiar burn but he doesn’t slow down, not until he reaches the willow trees.
He lies next to her gravestone, breathing heavily. He talks for hours, tells her stories of their daily adventures and of castle gossip. He reassures her about her father and Much, and promises her that he’s eating and sleeping properly.
“I’m going to be a father, Marian,” he whispers, with a small smile, he’s waited all day to tell her. He has begun believing in God, a faith he had lost so many years ago in a field filled with blood and screams, just so that he can believe in heaven. He dreams of picking her up and kissing her until she can’t breathe, he dreams of brown curls and soft hands tightly clenched in his own.
__________
He finds her ring one day, in a chest of treasures for the visiting prince. He remembers with a wince the way it felt as it connected with his jaw, but he also remember the feel of her skin under the ring. He takes the ring and puts it in a small box under his bed. He never looks at it again.
__________
“Papa, look what I found!” his daughter says, tugging excitedly on his shirt. His mouth goes dry as he looks at the hair pin in his daughter’s chubby little hand. He snatches it from her without thinking and regrets it instantly, as thick tears begin to flow down her cheeks.
“Oh hush, sweetheart, we’ll find you a new pin, won’t we?” his wife says, swinging her daughter into her arms. He runs his finger gently over the jewels and slips the pin into his pocket. He takes his daughter from her mother’s arms and the five-year-old barely thinks of the trinket as her giggles fill the air while her father playfully bounces her. His wife doesn’t look his way and she flinches away from his touch as they sleep.
__________
He is dying.
“Call a priest,” he says to the servant boy who stares at him in confusion. “A priest,” he says again and the boy runs off. He drifts in and out of consciousness until the priest shakes his shoulders urgently, “Sir Guy?’
“Bless me, Father, for I have sinned,” he whispers, because perhaps there is a heaven and perhaps he will see her again.
__________
“Robin, Robin, please, you’ll be alright,” Djaq murmurs urgently and he can see the lie the moment he looks in her eyes.
He turns his head to his wife, who is sitting beside him, gently stroking his forehead.
“Will you...” his voice breaks and he struggles to find his words. “Will you bury me next to her?” he finishes quietly. She nods and places a kiss in her husband’s hair. He has never loved her more.
A/N: Title comes from a quote by J.M. Barrie, "God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December." It may make no sense with this story, I really can't tell. Oh and please review and give me some constructive advise, becuase I wasn't really pleased with this story.