Title: Homeless

Series: The Secret of Moonacre (2008)

Pairing: Maria Merryweather/Robin De Noir

Tags: Romance, Fluff, Existing Relationship
Summary: Fed up with trying to appease his father, whose continual disappoint in his son hasn't changed, Robin decides to leave home. Luckily, he has someone waiting for him.

Notes: Best. Movie. Ever. 3

BETA: TheSupernova

The sun was high overhead, and Robin and Maria were out having a picnic in the forest, covered by the shade of the trees.

"You think a lifetime of disappointment and hatred can be solved so easily?" Robin asked Maria.

"I suppose not," she responded, "but surely without the whole 'taking over the valley' thing, he's calmed down at least a little?"

Robin laughed, but it was laced with sadness.

"Do you know what my father said to me before I left home?" Robin asked. He continued without waiting for an answer. "He said 'I've begrudgingly allowed one of my children to marry into that wretched family, so like hell I'll accept another one doing the same thing! You can't even fall in love the right way, can you?'"

Maria snorted. "'The right way'? What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged in response. "I don't know. I never know what he's thinking, or what he expects of me. Hell, I don't even think he knows."

Suddenly, Rwolf came running up to them, barking the entire way. A note was tied to his collar.

Maria read it. "Oh, is it that time already?"

"What?" Robin asked.

"Oh, my uncle is taking me shopping in town. Apparently, it's time to leave." Maria chuckled. "As soon as I get back, that is."

Robin acknowledged it distractedly. Maria watched him for a few moments, before placing her hand in his.

"I'll be back later tonight. How about I bring dinner with me?" she asked, smile spreading across her face. "We can eat it at your place."

That must have been the right thing to say, because some of the tension loosened in Robin's body and the boy smiled.

"Looks like I have some cleaning up to do, such as it is." Robin said.

He helped her pack up the picnic basket her chef helped put together and waved her off. Robin immediately started for home.

Home for Robin was the cavern under the large tree where the pearls had been found. After leaving the castle, he moved into the small, yet functional room. It held enough space for a small futon, and a bedside crate for a candle and some books. A chest full of clothes sat next to it. On the other side of the room was a table and chairs. The silverware and plates were packed up in a crate, and he mainly used the cooking pit he made just outside.

Having a dirt floor did make it harder to clean house, but he swept the best he could. If a dirt floor could ever look presentable, Robin would make it so.

Maria had the best cook in all of Moonacre Valley living at home, so Robin was always overjoyed when Maria came bearing food. Although food wasn't required when it came to spending time with Maria.

When Robin left home, he at least had the forethought to take the fancy dishware with him (just in case).

"To be honest," Robin said, speaking between bites of food, "your uncle was right. Well, sort of right, when he called my family thieves and bandits. That had nothing to do with the pearls."

Maria nodded. She half-suspected that her uncle's words about Robin's family had been overexaggerated, but apparently not. Well, at least the Merryweathers were now under De Noir protection, so that was something. It was nice being able to travel the country roads and not worry about being jumped by the more unsavory kind of bandits.

After more conversation over dinner, Maria decided to bring up the question she had been thinking about ever since she left to go shopping. It had been a spark of inspiration, really. So over dessert, when there was a lull in conversation, she took a deep breath and decided to go for it.

"Move in with me," Maria blurted out. Robin almost dropped his spoon in surprise and just barely kept his mouth closed, hurriedly finishing what was in it before speaking.

"What brought this on?" Robin asked.

"Well…" she began. "I know you are more than capable of living off the land like this for what I assume is an indefinite amount of time, but I thought that since you can't—or won't—go home, maybe you could call the Merryweather mansion your home?"

They both knew that Robin's sister, Loveday, had already moved in, although she did end up spending half her time in the cave she used to live in. Still rescuing injured animals of all kinds. Except the difference was, Maria's uncle often joined Loveday on those excursions.

"Please, just think about it," Maria begged. "I promise you won't be a bother. In fact, you—"

"All right."

"Wait, what? Really?" she asked, surprised. "That was fast. I thought you'd put up more of a fight."

"Yeah well…" Robin paused, tapping his chin a few times before proceeding. "It means I get to see you more often, for one. And although I hadn't given it much thought before, I'm not exactly opposed to living in a room without dirt floors or a leaking roof, you know."

Maria chuckled softly. "Then how about we ditch this place tonight?"

When Maria reached her hand across the table, Robin's met it halfway. They entwined their fingers together, Maria caressing the side of his thumb softly.

"It does get awful lonely at night in my queen-sized bed," Maria said suggestively, releasing a fake sigh at the end.

Now that got Robin moving.

"Well what are we waiting for?" he said impatiently. "We can finish our dessert later, right now, we have more important things to do. Like moving me out of here."

Maria smiled at him lovingly. She placed her spoon down, and pushed her plate away before standing up.

"It's in one of the towers, so it's pretty isolated at night." She winked at him. "I've woken up screaming from nightmares before and no one heard me."

Robin immediately pulled Maria towards him, kissing her the moment she fell against his body.

"You leave me with no choice now," Robin said. "You are just impossible to resist."

"And that's just the way I like it." Maria responded confidently.