"Guy comforts Marian appropriately after her father's death in Show Me the Money ("no stupid kissing attempt, etc".)" This is the theme of my short story. I needed to rewrite the scene for a ficathon, a contest of fanfiction on The Robin Hood Fan Community forum. It was supposed to be a ficlet (200-1000 words), it's ending as a short story (1000-3000 words).
I'm a passionate Guy/Marian's OTP and it's my first fic but certainly not the last about them. English is not my first language so please, don't hesitate to help me fix my mispelling or mistakes but kindly, please.
I want to thank my wonderful Beta, Jayne, aka Iwishfinnhudsonwasmyfirsttime at Tumblr. She is so patient and supportive with me!
I hope you will enjoy this story. Please, give me your advices and opinions by reviewing it. Thanks :)
Wholeheartedly lost in her despair, Marian was taken aback by Guy's words about her not being safe anymore in the castle. She tried to push aside the jeweled knife's issue but Guy was persistent in his idea. When he suggested she could be hang because of the jailor's death, Marian could only shake her head in denial, her tears running freely down her cheeks.
Guy was deeply moved by her distress and only wished he could take her in his arms and by hugging her as tightly as possible he could ease her sorrow. His first move was to step forward to her but he knew better and fighting against his own desire and his own body, he stood still.
"Forgive me, Marian" he said in a deep sigh. "I know it's not time to talk about this now, we will have plenty of time later. For now, you need time to grieve for your father. Don't worry about the Sheriff or anything else, I will take care of it."
Surprised by his words and his behavior she blinked, not knowing what to expect anymore. She feared at first he would use her sorrow to put his desire forward but he seemed not to and that realization startled her.
"Marian, believe me, I'm deeply sorry for your loss. Your father was a good man and…"
A distressed sob from Marian shushed him and he had to use all his will to restrain his imperious desire to crush her into his arms. Feeling she wanted to be alone, he decided to let her be and started to leave the corridor. He stilled for a second telling her with all the soothing and loving tone he could muster in his voice: "I will protect and look after you, no matter what, Marian, I swear it. Remember, you are not alone."
For the first time, she felt no threat in his tone, only a clear assurance that he will do anything to help and protect her. She wanted more than anything to not think about him and her torn feelings about him. She was mourning her father and nothing else mattered. So, why, when he started again to leave did she feel dizzy?
Suddenly, without knowing it, she fell on her knees. It was as if each step he made to move away from her increased the chill in her, the loneliness, threatening to suffocate her. Guy heard her fall but didn't dare to turn back and help her fearing she shove him off again. He just slowed his pace waiting for what was to come.
"I killed him! I killed him! And now I'm alone…" she was devastated by all the terrible thoughts devouring her mind when, soothingly another one appeared, growing more and more, warming her heart a little : "You are not alone." And she wasn't! Even with all his faults and his obedience to the Sheriff, Guy never let her down, saving her life and protecting her without even having a second thought for the price he would have to pay for it.
"Guy…" she whispered begging him to stay. Guy stopped instantly in his tracks, standing still.
The realization he was still here without trying anything overwhelmed her more than anything else. They were opposite one to the other but she could feel his support and all the feelings he felt for her simultaneously, she couldn't bear it anymore.
"How can you!" she screamed, her voice shaking with her sobs. "How can you care so much for me after all I did!"
Guy listened her but said nothing. He wasn't sure what she was talking about so he decided to wait and see if she said more.
Putting her hands on her face, she rocked slowly adding: "I killed him! I killed my father! Oh my Gosh, I killed my father!"
Guy couldn't let her say something so wrong. He couldn't let her suffer so much, he needed to soothe her as much for her as for himself. It was as if each tear she cried was another cut on his own heart. So, sighing deeply, he turned back and kneeled in front of her, putting his two strong arms on her shoulders. She could always push him away he thought, hoping she would not.
She felt his hands on her and cried even more knowing he was here, willing to listen to her, to help her as much as he could. For an instant, she forgot everything else, every danger, every lie she told him, every secret she needed to keep. There was only the two of them and she needed to talk about her guilt, about how mean a daughter she had been and how horrible she felt for the last words to her father were angry ones, made especially to hurt him.
"I killed him! I was so mean! How could I did that to him!"
"No, you didn't, Marian. That's not you! You are the most wonderful daughter a father could dream of."
Without realizing it, she let her hands off her face and threw herself into Guy's arms making him huff in surprise and falling on his backside. Instinctively, he hugged her as tight against his chest as he could, cradling her slowly.
"I called him weak…" Marian said as she couldn't stop herself talking now that she was in the security of his strong arms. "I called him weak to not fight against the Sheriff! I called him coward to not support Robin!"
As he heard it, Guy stiffened. He had always know she was close to Robin and had even though she could help him but hearing it aloud was another thing. He could have been angry, he could have pushed her away, he could have denounced her to the Sheriff and put her under arrest… Nonsense! He knew perfectly he could never do that to her! He loved her, he always had but til now, he didn't have realize how strong his feelings were. Now, while she revealed to him all her deepest and darkest secrets, the only thing he thought about was she had enough faith in him to tell him everything, laying her life in his hands.
As this concept grew in his heart, he cradled her a little more, putting his jaw on her head to make her feel safer. He shushed her tenderly, telling her that all will be fine, that she will be okay, that she didn't do anything wrong.
"Your father knew how much you loved him, that all you did was to protect him."
"But I told him…"
"Marian, everyone said things they didn't really mean. But people who love each other know better than to believe it. Your father knew how much you cared for him. And he loved you as much, even more. You knew that, didn't you?"
"Yes, but…" she sniffled.
"You were his daughter and he was so proud of you!"
"Was he?" She asked in a small voice.
"Yes! Everyone could have said it by the way he talked about you, his tone proud and fierce. And he knew how much you admired him. He was a great man! His only concern was you. He was afraid for you. He wanted you to be safe."
"And I told him he was weak… Guy… those were my last words to him…" she said shaken by her uncontrollable sobs.
"You didn't mean it and he knew that, believe me. I'm sure he did." Guy wasn't sure how to comfort her never had been soothed himself since his parents death. But he let his own heart talk, he said what he would have loved to hear when he was a teen mourning his parents loss. And for a second, tears came to his eyes as if he was in total harmony with Marian, both grieving for the loss of the people they loved the most. Finally, he didn't talk anymore, just rocked her slowly, feeling complete for the first time in his whole life.
His voice was warmer and deeper than Marian had ever heard it and she was surprised by how it affected her. It was like a warm balm on her feverish soul. She would never had guessed he could soothe her like he did. Each and every word he said seemed to engrave itself in her mind and heart. She felt so safe in his arms, as if his strong body had been created for her only, as she fits perfectly against it. She never wanted to let him go, she wanted to feel him against her forever.
Sadly, Guy decided to end this perfectly peaceful moment by fear the Sheriff could come searching for his Master-at-Arms. So, before pulling her from his arms, he loosened his embrace and stroked her back tenderly. He felt her shiver a little and he bit his lips to suppress the smug smile threatening to appear. Nevertheless, as soon as their eyes they locked, there was no smug behavior, no pretending, no flirting… they were earnest and more tethered than they ever were.
Finally, they started to disentangle awkwardly themselves from each other. Guy stood up and helped her to do the same by taking her hands in his.
"Thank you" she whispered to him not daring looking in his eyes because of what they had just experienced together.
"Anytime!" he answered fervently, stroking with his thumbs the hands he still held.
At his tone, her eyes raised and lost themselves in his ardently blue eyes. She felt herself blushing by the intensity of the moment. He finally let her hands go and, stepping aside to go, he put his hand on her shoulder for a second, tightened and released it before leaving the corridor.
Alone, Marian let escape the breath she took as soon as she had looked into his eyes. Things have drastically changed, she could say. But she couldn't know if it was for the worse or the better. Sighing deeply, she opened her door, closing it after her and jumped when she heard her name: "Robin!"