A collection of stories set before Robin goes off to fight in the Holy war. And perhaps some after. Most of this is going to be AU, just bare with me. Loads of Robin and Marian fluff.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Just the crazy imaginings of my brain.
A time before war
Chapter 1: When you were young.
The seven-year-old girl sat with her head resting on her knees, she was leaning against a tree her eyes full of tears. They slipped down her cheeks. Her father had been looking for her and was getting worried.
"Why did you run away?" the male voice above her head caused her to look up sharply, apparently he hadn't know she'd been crying and was taken aback by the sight of tears streaming down her face; "Are you ok?" he asked taking a seat beside her.
She sighed but did not answer him, she sniffed a couple of times before looking at him; "R…Robin," she mumbled his name, his eyes were still studying her and he nodded slightly for her to continue; "I…I…" she paused again, and the boy knew that he wasn't going to find out what happened from her.
"Your father is looking for you Marian." He told her, he was giving her a way out. She gave him a watery smile, grateful that he would be so considerate. She got to her feet and dusted off her dress, she waited for Robin to follow, the ten-year-old did so without hesitation. He smiled at her. It was a warm smile reserved for friends and family. He and Marian had known each other for years, friends for life.
"Your father is strict." Robin commented in an offhand fashion, Marian stopped to look at him, her blue eyes red and slightly puffy.
A small smile graced her lips; "He needs to be, with such an unruly child as me." Robin laughed out loud and placed an arm around her shoulders.
"Unruly?" he did not believe her; "You don't know the meaning of the word." He mocked her. She raised an eyebrow at him and he shook his head; "You're ok now?" he asked his tone suddenly serious; he did not like to see her miserable. She nodded weakly as her eyes clouded with emotion, he noticed and pulled her to him again; "Whatever it is, Little one," he paused; "I'm here." Little one was a nickname that he'd given her when she was only five. She pushed him away and in an unladylike fashion wiped her eyes and nose with the sleeve of her dress.
"Don't call me that." She complained laughing slightly.
He smiled; "You are little though." Was his retort.
She glared at him; "You're three years older than me, I'd be worried if I were taller than you." He smirked slightly and she knew that she'd won.
He smirked again and watched her; "You haven't an unruly bone in your body lady Marian."
She laughed; "You should have thought of that earlier." She told him with a grin. He smiled knowing again that she was right. He hadn't out grown bickering with her but he knew when he was beaten. They walked on letting the silence hang between them. They would find as they grew up that those silences would not be nearly as comfortable for either of them.
"MARIAN!" her father's bellowing voice caused Marian to jump slightly, Robin's hand reached out to her, he placed it on her back; "Where have you been child?" he asked her, concern colouring his voice.
She looked up at him, her thick lashes hiding her puffy eyes; "I…I…went-" Robin cut in.
"We went for a walk." Edward looked down at the boy before him.
He glanced at his daughter; "You, went…together?" he asked, Robin noticed a small smile grace Edward's lips, he was not aware of the reason why.
Edward's smile was because of an agreement that he had made with Robin's father when his wife had told him that she were pregnant. He remembered the two-year-old Robin rushing around his Father's feet, a promise that if the child were a girl they would be married. He knew now that Robin's affection for his daughter would mean that he would not have to go back on his promise.
-Five years into their future-
They had grown, him more than her. She was sat on her bed shoulder length hair tickling her shoulders and chin, at twelve-years-old she was beautiful; there was no doubt about that. Her milky white skin and light blue eyes was enough to win over any man. A shuffling noise by her window caused her to look up alarmed; "Robin." She smiled to herself as she breathed his name.
"Lady Marian." He said as his feet landed in her room; "Why have you been hiding away?" he asked a cheeky grin spread over his face it reached his eyes.
"There is a door you know." She muttered dryly.
He grinned again and moved a little closer; "Yes, but I find climbing through your window more exciting, as I'm sure you do too." Was his reply.
"Where is Much?" she asked, Robin scowled.
"Why do want to know?" he asked suspiciously.
She rolled her eyes; "Well he acts like your little lap dog, I'm merely surprised that he let you venture out of his site." Her words were bitter they stung.
"Is something the matter?" he asked now worried that he had done something to offend her.
She shook her head and placed a hand over her eyes; "I am fine." She looked up at him and smiled weakly; "You should probably go." She muttered.
He did not want to go, he liked spending time with her, when he was with her there was a feeling of completion within him; "Do I have to?" he almost whined.
She looked up at him again and got to her feet, Robin felt his heart beat a little faster; "Unless there was something that you wanted, yes, you do." She told him giving him a prod in the chest for good measure.
He couldn't hide the smile that lit up his face, he caught the hand that she had prodded him with and pulled her closer, her breath hitched in her throat, another smart retort had been planned but it failed to surface. He was staring at her, there was something hanging between them; "Ro-Robin…" she stuttered looking into her eyes. She could see him hesitating, there was something that he wanted to do, to say to her, but he couldn't bring himself to it. He let her go.
"Sorry, I…" he took a step back, he couldn't understand what it was he was feeling. The intensity of it. Marian looked down at her feet, she felt a blush rise to her cheeks.
She quickly brushed an unruly strand of hair behind her ears; "There is nothing to apologise for." She told him as she also took a step backwards. There was something hanging in the air between them that neither of them could see.
"I, um…there was a reason for me jumping through your window." Robin said coughing to clear his throat and his mind, she nodded at him to continue; "I was wondering, if you would like to go for a walk with me?"
She smiled at him; "A walk," she paused looking him up and down; "with you?" she asked smirking slightly, Robin had left himself very open. She walked around him like a vulture inspecting it's prey; "I could do that." She said smiling, in truth she loved spending time with him, especially when they were alone together.
"Good, 'cause Much said-" he paused seeing a look burning in her eyes a rage smouldering just beneath the surface; "Marian?" he was worried, her face had gone red; "are you alright?" he asked.
She shook her head; disbelief crossing her face; "Much? Can you not go out by yourself? Does your father still insist that Much follow you around?" she asked angrily; "Surely you can look after yourself." She muttered bitterly.
He did not know what to say to her; "I was not aware that you felt this way, I thought you liked Much?" he asked taking a careful step towards her.
Marian nodded slowly; "I do, he talks too much, but I like him, I only wish…" she stopped herself, and blushed; "time with you, is short…" she paused and Robin took another step, they were so close now, Robin reached out for her.
"We are here, without Much, now." He whispered, she looked up into his eyes and was lost in them, the intensity of feelings that she saw there, was staggering. She wanted to say something, wanted to tell him how she was feeling, they both leant in when a loud knock on her door caused the two of them to draw apart quickly. Marian's eyes were wide she knew what had been about to happen, she opened her bedroom door.
"Father." She greeted him, her hands clasped behind her back, he smiled at her and then looked up at Robin, he was clearly amused.
"You don't like using the front door then?" he asked with a smile.
Robin looked at his shoes and smiled; "No sir." He answered.
Edward's gaze drifted from the teenage boy to his daughter's blushing cheeks, she smiled to himself; "I'll leave you two alone, but next time," he looked up at Robin again; "please use the door, it is nice to see you." He told him before turning away closing the door as he went. Certainly by the way that her father had looked at the pair, he was aware of what had been about to occur before he burst in.
Marian was suddenly all too aware of how close Robin was, she took a step away from him and looked away, she were but a girl, Robin was very nearly a man; "Maybe," he looked up at her upon the sound of her voice; "you should go." She said sadly, she did not want him to leave, but it seemed that her father had quite ruined the moment.
He began to protest; "I thought, we, we were going to go for a walk?" he suggested gently taking a step towards her. She shook her head sadly; he nodded knowing that he would not be able to persuade her; "I will see you tomorrow." It was not a question she nodded. He smiled and leant towards her placing a delicate kiss on her cheek, a flush rose to them and Marian fought the urge to cover her face with her hands.
She coughed; "Goodbye Robin." She whispered as she watched him climb onto the windowsill quite forgetting that he had promised Edward he would use the door from now on, she smiled as he slipped from view with a wave. She knew that he was more trouble than he was worth, but her heart was full of him, and there was no way she could get him out of her head, not of course that this bothered her. She liked that she could still smell him on the air, liked that he was in her thoughts every waking moment of the day. She did not however like the fact that he clearly thought he was in control of their relationship. That had to change.
A/N: Yes so this is chapter 1 of my new Robin Hood fic. Yay. I hope that you like it. Review please, no flames thank you.