Disclaimer: BBC, Tiger Aspect, Foz and Dominic: they own it all.
Characters: Guy/Marian. Guy/Sheriff; I don't normally do slash, but their subtext is too text to be ignored. (Thanks, Keith Allen).
*Warning: slash, some adult situations, and dubious consent. *Spoilers all across Series 1 and 2.
A/N: Told in a series of 100-word drabbles from each perspective: Guy, Marian and Vaysey. This is my attempt at trying to make sense of the relationships and power dynamics between the three characters as we've seen so far. Does Marian feel anything at all for Guy? Does Guy see Marian as merely his possession? What's behind Guy's submissiveness to the Sheriff? Is the Sheriff just a manipulative father figure, or is there more to it than that? Who knows. (I bet the show writers don't exactly either).
And yes, it's highly Guy-centric, why do you ask? :)
Thanks everyone for reading, and enjoy. Reviews as always, are much appreciated.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(Pre-series)
- - -
Guy
He feels, more than hears, the bed beneath him creak, as Vaysey settles himself on the edge. The bedclothes rustle as the older man moves closer.
There is a palm on his cheek. Ghost of a breath.
"Wakey wakey, Gisbourne."
He is awake now but his eyes remain closed. Instinctively, he leans into the touch. The Sheriff chuckles, deep and low.
"There's my boy."
On days like these, he allows himself to believe that the Sheriff has a capacity for love - warped and obsessive, but love nonetheless. And he's come to learn to treasure rare moments like these.
- - -
Marian
After the meeting, she concluded that Sheriff Vaysey was, apart from being traitorous and scheming, also quite mad. And unabashedly smug about being all three.
He worried her, and she saw that unease reflected in faces around the court, yet there was one who seemed unfazed by the Sheriff and his dangerous eccentricity.
Sir Guy of Gisbourne. Clad in black leather, visage perpetually grim, his steed covered in the soot of hellfire. A man who threatened and extorted, oppressed and murdered, yet followed after his master like one who was loyal, if nothing else.
Lap dog, she mused. Tamed wolf.
- - -
The Sheriff
He's making eyes at that girl again. Eddie's daughter, what's her name, Mary. Marian. Something. Begins with 'M'.
It's always a girl with Gisbourne. Some kitchen wench, the serving maid, it used to be, but now… oh, now, he wants a slice of noble pie. A fresh, feisty, maiden pie.
Used to fancy himself a bit of a knight years ago, when he was a boy; dreamt of rescuing some banshee of a woman and living happily ever after. Romantic fool.
Eventually, he catches me watching him, and drops his gaze.
Ah. I think it's time we had another talk.