For The Hero's Love By: SomaFan (Vic Banks)

Author's notes: This is a short story I came up with recently after playing the original Fable for 4 days straight. It is a crap short story that shows what happens when I have to much time on my hands and no sleep. lol

Warnings: This is a yaoi type story. Men with men. If you do not like this kind of material. ...then don't read most of my stuff.

I do not own Fable or any of it's characters... If I did I'd be a millionaire sitting on my butt playing video games all day long and not writing fan fiction.

"I could teach you a great many things, you know?" Why did I say this? To this day I don't know… I had never been interested in those kinds of things, but for this man …this 'hero' I was. The look he gave me made my heart skip in fear, confusion apparent on his gorgeous countenance, not surprisingly since he had been flirting with the local barmaid.

"I've heard about people like you…Good things, you understand?" Oh why did my mouth continue to spew such words? I was sure he would turn away, disgusted by my words…and my actions, which consisted of me, a full grown male, folding my arms in front of me and swaying slightly like a love-sick schoolgirl. He gave me a sweet, yet somewhat strained smile, laughed uncomfortably, and sure enough, turned back to the young girl. To say I was embarrassed would have been a major understatement, but I had expected that response from that black haired god.

He came quite often to that bar, the only one in Bowerstone, and I found myself going there as well. I would sit at the table in a far corner, behind the stairs, drinking the local brew and watching his back as he leaned on the counter.

Sometimes he would pay the bard to sing of his adventures, often at the request of the local girls, and he would always listen politely to the poor excuses for songs. Despite the lack of any clear melody, I loved hearing the tales of his greatness, though they often seemed conflicted, sometimes telling of his many 'good' deeds and other times of the 'bad.' Even his name was a mystery. Some called him "Sabre", others called him "Hood", and others still spoke of him with the name "Liberator" or "Assassin". …So many conflicting things. I suppose the only one who actually knew what the truth was, was the hero himself. And considering how much he actually talked, I doubted anyone would ever know.

Despite this, I had become enamored, almost obsessed with him. While all the local girls, single or otherwise, said things like "I reckon…He's the man for me. I'm gonna marry him." I quietly wished for the same thing. Often times, after successfully finishing a big quest, he would buy beers for everyone in the tavern, though I rarely if ever saw him drink any of it himself. Such generosity was seldom seen these days… Of course from my hiding spot, no one ever noticed me so I never got one.

Then one day out of the blue during one of these 'parties' I heard a deep voice say "Hey." I turned around only to find the hero smiling at me with a beer in his hand. He handed it to me, and motioned with his hand at the empty chair next to me. I was shocked and could only nod my head. He smiled again, and took a seat. Leaning back in the chair, he sighed quietly and closed his eyes. He looked so tired, and I could now see a slight red stain beginning to seep through his white shirt. I figured he was hurt and had probably came to this corner to rest a bit, as it was much quieter here and well hidden from view of the others.

I excused myself for a moment, and he simply nodded without opening his eyes. I went to the bartender and bought one of his terribly over-priced health potions as well as some red meat and a piece of apple pie.

No one gave me much notice as I walked back to the table. Most had avoided me since that disastrous first meeting with the hero, not counting the local teacher who had offered himself to me. …Like I really wanted anything to do with that snooty, doll-playing, high-maintenance geek. To this day I shudder from the very thought…

The hero opened his eyes and looked with interest at what I had brought. He seemed surprised when I offered the items to him. As usual, he didn't say anything, but the smile he gave me on that night was thanks enough. He downed the potion in one gulp, and sighed in relief as the wound finally closed. He ate the meat slowly, and without much enthusiasm, but when it came to the pie he ate happily, the expression on his face was that of a child.

As he ate, I talked a little about the current state of the town. I mentioned that Lady Gray had become the mayor, but not many people knew of her past. The Hero shuddered a little at this, as if remembering something unpleasant. I asked him what was wrong and he simply shook his head, obviously not wanting to stay on the subject. So I changed to how the local children seemed to be learning a lot of different things, including how to belch and fart at will. This had him laughing out loud, as he showed me a copy of the "Windbreaker Rule Book" which he had apparently given to the school as a donation. I could just imagine what it would have looked like to see that annoying, toffee-nosed prick of a teacher trying to use that book in a school lecture. I was soon laughing out loud as well.

Soon though the others finally sobered up enough to realize he wasn't around them anymore and came over to where we were sitting. They dragged him back to the party and he went with a shrug and a small frown. I knew they'd keep him busy for the rest of the night so I left the tavern and went home. He left for his next adventure the following day.

He didn't return until 3 months later, though I had heard many more tales of his exploits, including his grand victory at the Arena. Despite this, he seemed much more subdued almost depressed. I watched as he slipped out from the bar and away from the hoards of clamoring fans. He went to the Quay, and sat on the docks watching the reflection of the moon on the slightly wavy surface of the water. I sat down beside him, but he didn't acknowledge my presence. We sat there in silence for a while, until he broke the quiet with a loud sigh. It was a world-weary kind of sound, and it made my heart ache to hear it. He reached into his bag and showed me a small wooden broach. I remember it belonged to another hero who visited from time to time named Whisper. I remembered hearing about the final Arena match from that niggling teacher. He said that Whisper and the hero had fought each other and at the end Whisper had lost. The crowd had yelled and cheered for her death. Whether or not he had actually taken her life I don't know, as apparently the teacher had eaten some bad food earlier that day and had to rush out of the stands before the end.

"Were you and Whisper close?" He nodded. "I hear she's very strong. That must have been a very tough fight." Again he nodded, and gave another sigh. Then he leaned against me and placed his head on my shoulder. He was exhausted and soon fell into a light slumber. I couldn't stop the blush that crept onto my face, but I remained perfectly still not wanting to disturb him. He awoke a short while later as the first rays of sunlight began to show in the sky. Groggily he looked around and realized where he was. He blushed then and quickly apologized, before getting to his feet and leaving. I didn't try to stop him, and I really don't know why. I wanted to ask him about what had happened at the end of the fight, but I didn't have the heart. I would see people bring it up and the sadness hidden deep in his eyes was enough to make my heart feel like it had been ripped out. I saw him a few times after that around town, but he would always avoid my eyes or walk in the opposite direction.

About a month later, Whisper came to Bowerstone, effectively answering my lingering questions about the battle. Despite the town not allowing weapons, she still had her staff. (It seems that the guards were to afraid to try to disarm her.) She saw the hero and with a frown walked up to him.

"Farmboy." The name dripped venom and sent a chill down my spine. "The Guildmaster is looking for you. It's so annoying…I lose to you now I'm nothing more then an errand girl. Stop turning off you damn guild seal!" He nodded and attempted to apologize, only to get a sneer in return. She turned her back to him and said under her breath "Why didn't you just let me die with honor…" He flinched and looked toward the ground.

I was shocked! She was angry at him for sparing her life? For something as meaningless as pride she had thrown away their friendship, and hurt him so deeply!? I don't know what happened next as my mind went blank for a second, but when I came to I was standing in front of a very shocked Whisper. She was holding her cheek which had begun to turn red and I noticed a sharp pain in my hand and wrist. Her eyes flashed with anger and she reached for her staff ready to strike me down. I closed my eyes, and when I heard a loud crack I expected to feel a lot of pain. When it didn't come I peeked at little and received another shock. The hero was standing in front of me. He had blocked her blow with his bare hands, and with a twist of his wrists, disarmed her. He then arched his back slightly and kicked her with as much strength as he could muster, sending her flying into a few barrels. She shook her head and stumbled to her feet glaring at him. He took her roughly by the wrist and literally dragged her out of the town. At the gate, he gave her the staff back, pointed at a sign which said 'no weapons allowed', then turned around and left her to gape at his back.

I watched him come back to me, rage plastered on his face. He took my unhurt hand in his own and led me to his rented room at the tavern. No one had ever seen him this angry so they got out of his way. He pulled me inside and closed the door, motioning to the bed. I sat down, cradling my injured hand, and looked at the floor, slightly afraid of what would happen next. I had slapped her…his best friend… Sure she had been treating him like crap, but that didn't give me the right to hit her.

I jumped when a bag landed next to me on the bed, and the hero stared rummaging through it quite roughly. Again I closed my eyes expecting to be punished in some way. …I felt him grab my injured hand roughly and heard the snap as he jerked it hard. I gasped, the pain stealing my breath for a moment, and then relaxed somewhat as I realized the pain was slowly being replaced by a warm feeling. I opened my eyes and looked at him. He was using some sort of spell to heal my wrist. I realized he had hurt me before not out of anger, but because he had popped my dislocated wrist back into place. I was confused… He looked me in the eye and his expression seemed to be asking if I was alright.

"I'm ok now." He smiled when I said that and looked relieved. "Why did you…heal me…?" His expression became confused. I looked away, unable to meet his eyes. "You're not mad at me? Your friend… I hit her."

"…You hit her…for me right? …because of what she said?" His deep voice was soft, yet clear, a truly beautiful sound. I nodded in response, but didn't look up. "That… made me very happy." He lifted my chin up then and kissed me. It was soft and chaste, but at the same time deep and filled with unspoken emotions. He tried to deepen it and pushed me softly to lie back on the bed. I broke the kiss then, suddenly a little afraid, and pushed him away. Blushing I looked away from his expression which looked hurt.

"That…" I carefully choose my next words not wanting to hurt him further. "That sort of thing…I mean…it's not right. For people who aren't married…" He didn't say anything else but simply nodded his understanding. I got up from the bed and left. He didn't try to stop me. Why should he? I had hurt him… I didn't deserve his kindness.

I didn't sleep much that night, spending most of the time crying, absolutely sure he'd never want to see me again. Still I went to visit him in the morning, hoping beyond hope I could mend our relationship in anyway, only to find he had left for his hometown of Oakvale. I have no way to explain why it hurt so much to know he left without saying good bye. He always did that. …Why should it be any different now? Especially since I had turned him down and hurt him.

A month passed and he returned. I heard the commotion at the bar, but I didn't go to see him. I didn't want to hurt him again… he deserved much better then that. It was a little past 10 when I heard a soft knock at my door. I answered it and to my surprise there he stood, smiling at me. He motioned to the inside of the house, and I realized I had been staring at him like an idiot.

"I'm…sorry. Um…please come in." He giggled a little at my stammering and came inside. He walked around the room slowly, taking in the small den. "Have a seat." I motioned to a chair near the fireplace, but he simply shook his head at the offer. "Um would you like some beer? Or I have some blueberry pie if you'd prefer something to eat…" Again he shook his head, and I could feel the tension in the room. It was almost suffocating. "Um…W-well…a…" As I was stumbling for something to say, he turned to look at me. The serious expression on his face made me even more nervous.

He walked over to me then, and cupped my face in his hands. I felt heat rush into my face as he kissed me softly. I tried to push him away gently and he allowed it, taking my hand in his own and kissing my knuckles. He then looked me in the eye and let go of my hand, before walking to the door. He stood for a moment not looking back before saying, "Please consider it.", and walked out into the night.

I was confused until I realized something was in my closed hand. When I opened it, there was a small plain golden ring in my palm. It wasn't the cheap one either, but the real deal. My mouth fell open and I forgot how to breathe. I ran outside to look for him, and eventually found him at the Quay, once again looking at the water. He didn't turn around at my approach.

"I-is this w-what I think it is?" He nodded. "Y-you're asking me to…?" Once again a nod. "You…you really mean it? To…to me?" He nodded once more and finally turned around. It was like a dream. I ran into his arms, hugging him tightly. I breathed my answer into his ear. "Yes! I love you! Let's get married!" His arms encircled me than and held me tightly. We shared a wonderfully deep kiss that night on the docks, completely oblivious to the group of shirtless men watching slack jawed from the dirt ring nearby.

He took me to Oakvale after that, and showed me the house where he lived as a child. It was a wonderful little house that was a short walk from the ocean. The reason he had taken so long in Oakvale was because he had been saving up some money doing quests for the locals, so he could buy his old house and the ring. He had me follow him to the local shop and I saw the other reason he had come to this town. The rings here were the same as the ones in Bowerstone, exactly the same quality, but a lot cheaper. I knew he was smart.

The wedding was perfect, the wedding night even more so as both of us finally gave into the passions that we had held back for so long. As we lie in bed afterwards, basking in the warm glow of the small fire and the after math of bliss, I couldn't help but giggle. He looked at me confused and I laughed a little harder.

"It's a little to late to ask…but I just realized I don't even know your true name."

He laughed out loud at this, then leaned closer to me. His breath tickled my ear as he whispered, "My name is…"

The end.

Like I said, crappy and short. For the record, this is the clean version. I have another ending with much more of a lemony flavor. If I get enough people who want it, I will post it in another chapter.

Hope you liked it, and please review. Seriously any review will do. I accept complements, comments, corrections, and complaints (provided it's not a useless flame). I use and love all to better my work.

I also request that people be forgiving on my terrible spelling/grammer. I have done my best working with the Spell Cheacker, but have no one to Beta my work. Thanks to all. ^_^