AN: Sorry about the slow update NaNoWriMo is kicking my butt. A very special thank you to reviewers youngandobsessed and Orange-Coyote you make my heart happy so this one's for you :) Now here, have some more cheesiness.


They walked for another hour, deeper into the heart of the forest, the massive, close growing trees still blocking much of the sunlight, before Blaine stopped.

"Hold up, Kurt, you gotta put this on before we go any further," Blaine said untying the scarf around his neck.

"I have to wear your kerchief?

Blaine laughed. "No, you have to wear a blindfold."

Kurt folded his arms outraged. "You are joking."

"Its not that I don't trust you, really, but the camp is a secret, thats kind of what makes it safe."

"Well I'm not letting you blindfold me, so you're gonna have to get over that idea."

"Well we're not going any further till you put it on, so you're going to have to get over that idea."

Kurt glared at him furiously, determined. Unfortunately Blaine looked equally determined. He took a seat on the ground after a minute, pulling out an arrow to examine its fletchings, "not a problem, I can wait."

Kurt took a seat across from him, sighing, abandoning his standoffish tone. "Listen, I wouldn't even think about telling anyone about your secret camp thing, I promise. I just don't want to be blindfolded, I've had enough of feeling helpless today, enough of feeing helpless for a lifetime."

Kurt hadn't really meant to say that last bit, he looked at Blaine, worried he would make a joke about it. But Blaine looked serious, a frown twisting his lips, a crease between his brows.

He stood up quickly, his voice sounding slightly rough "Its fine, forget about it." and he pushed on like nothing had happened.

A few minutes later they turned at a massive white oak, walking onto a narrow path that had been hidden from view on the more well worn path.

Kurt decided to fill the slightly awkward silence. "Who else lives at the camp?"

"Well we all come and go. Wes and David are kind of my right hand men, they've been committed to the cause the longest with me. Some outlaws we've managed to convert to the straight and narrow, pass through a lot, Thad, Jeff, Nick. We host anyone that has need though, a safe haven for innocents hunted by the law, people that can't pay their taxes, travelers, outcasts. Its been getting worse lately, Nottingham is having all kinds of trouble. The sheriff grows crazier by the day, blinded by rage and the possibility of power, he was ruthless before, now he's a full on sadist.

"You know, I've heard of someone like you before, some philanthropic troublemaker in Nottingham. Some Robin Hood or something, have you heard of him?"

Blaine laughed and gave Kurt a mischievous smile, eyes sparkling with all those secrets. "Yes I've heard of him."

"What aren't you telling me?"

Blaine tried to look innocent but he was much too pleased with himself, it was written all over his face.

"Its you, isn't it? You're Robin Hood."

"Thats what they call me, in the village, yes. But my friends call me Blaine."

Now it was Kurt's turn to laugh. Even miles away from Nottingham he had heard of Robin Hood, robbing the richest families and government officials, just to give it away to the poor and live in poverty himself. People called him a hero, a scoundrel, and everything in between. Kurt had't allied himself with just any outlaw, he'd allied himself with the most most wanted man in Nottingham.

"Well I'm glad you find it so amusing" Blaine said.

Before Kurt had time to say anything else, Blaine stopped and said "we're here." He had stopped before an ordinary stretch of rock outcroppings, their sides covered in overgrown vines and leaves. Blaine studied the wall of stone for a moment before placing his hands behind part of the vine and pulling back. A heavily camouflaged wooden structure of a door was uncovered as Blaine pulled it away from its living neighbors, revealing a short passageway through the rocks.

"Pain in the ass, this thing, the camouflage has to be redone every few days in the summer to keep it looking realistic." Blaine said before ducking through the makeshift door.

Kurt followed through the narrow crevice of rock that was now revealed and gasped coming through the other side. The nook opened out to reveal a good sized clearing in the trees, ringed on one side with the closely outcropped rocks, tall enough that no one would bother climbing them, and surrounded everywhere else by massive trees, the gaps between them so narrow in most cases, only a child could squeeze through. They were in a tight copse of trees in a valley of sorts, Kurt could see land rising up beyond the trees.

The clearing was mostly empty in the center, supplies and pans were piled off to the side next to a small supply of weapons, and a jumble of clothes. A roasting spit sat over a dry fire pit. The clearing could sleep perhaps a dozen people in relative comfort, but right now it was empty. The place gave an aura of comfortable ease despite the fact that it was just a clearing in the forest.

"Home sweet home." Blaine said and Kurt was surprised when he caught Blaine looking at him, like he wanted to see Kurt's reaction. Kurt managed a smile, it was certainly a far cry from the comfort of his manor home. All the same Kurt couldn't help feeling a sense of admiration for the way Blaine lived, there was something simple, freeing, and enticingly masculine, about making your own rules. Kurt was reminded of the ancient men that had first made their way on this island, living off the land.

"Everyone's gone, someone was here this morning though," Blaine said kicking at the ashes in the fire pit. "Wes and David like to sneak into the village whenever they get the chance, I'm pretty sure they have girls holed up there."

Kurt laughed, the illusion of safety in the natural fort after his exhausting day was making him feel heady, "And where's your girl? Don't tell me you have her hidden in a cave somewhere."

Blaine quirked a knowing smile that seemed somehow pouty at the same time, looking at Kurt, one eye slightly squinted, like he was looking for some tell in Kurt's expression.

"What?" Kurt asked surprised when his voice came out unaccountably breathy, Blaine's face suddenly felt much too close.

"I'm starving, should be something in here." Blaine said as he tugged a rope out from under a rock, freeing a parcel from the tree overhead so it landed at his feet. Withdrawing a handful of nuts and dried meat and passing Kurt a leather flask of water that was sitting on a stone.

Kurt gulped down the water, suddenly aware of how thirsty he was. Trading the flask for the food Blaine offered he tried to make himself comfortable on the ground.

Blaine sat beside him, throwing back his whole handful of food in one gulp, smiling like a goofy idiot through his mouthful of food when Kurt gave him a doubtful look. A look that turned into a laugh when Blaine coughed and had to clear his throat a few times, looking sheepish as Kurt thumped him liberally on the back.

Blaine grew serious, watching Kurt, his hand reaching up to hover close to Kurt's face near his swollen eye. "You should clean this, it looks awful." Blaine said softly.

"Its nothing."

"Theres a creek really close, I'll show you, we need to get more water anyway." Blaine said motioning to a pile of water skins.

"Right. Ok." Kurt said starting to sling the straps of empty flasks over his back, eager to be helpful.

Blaine appeared at his side a moment later, a slim, compact knife, similar to the one Kurt had lost in his hand. "Here. Take it."

"I couldn't."

"You might need it." Kurt took it with a sigh, bending towards his boot before thinking better of it and sticking it in his belt.

Blaine was sizing up Kurt's crossbow. "Do you ever hit anything with this?" Blaine asked picking it up to examine it closer.

"As matter of fact, yes. I'm something of an excellent shot."

Blaine's brows shot up. "Excellent?"

Kurt gave a nod daring Blaine to contradict him.

"This technology isn't even very accurate." Blaine said, concentration creasing his forehead as he examined the mechanisms closer.

"Well it works well for me," Kurt said, grabbing it a little too roughly out of Blaine's hand. It was somehow irking, having Blaine criticize his bow, like he was criticizing Kurt instead of just his weapon. "I've taken down plenty of game over the years."

"Like that deer the other day?" Blaine said with a smirk.

"Well if you wouldn't have startled it I would have-"

"-oh if I wouldn't have startled it?"

"Why did you run away anyway?"

"Didn't want to blow my cover."

Blaine picked up his longbow from where he had left it at the camp's entrance. "Now this is a real weapon, only way to go."

"Its a bit cumbersome isn't it? Not very powerful without the mechanical pull."

"Excellent range, the shooting rate doesn't even compare, much more accurate and powerful than that clunky contraption, and capable of twice the power. Enough power to knock a man from his horse."

Kurt swallowed loudly despite himself, he had the distinct impression Blaine was speaking from experience.

"I'll teach you how to use it, if you want. Might come in useful."

Kurt considered. "Yeah, that would be great actually." Where else was he going to learn to a shoot a longbow?

Kurt followed Blaine out of the natural fort, back to the narrow path-which a short distance later opened out onto the banks of a creek, Kurt thought it might more accurately be called a river. It was fairly wide and deep, but slow moving enough that there was no need to worry about the current. They walked along its bank a bit further until they reached a small falls-small enough to step over easily, where the water was pooling even deeper just before it spilled over the rocks.

While Blaine began filling water skins, Kurt pulled off his kerchief and knelt carefully at the bank, dipping it in the stream so it was soaked, and rubbing it gingerly across where the skin under his eye had split, mopping up dried blood and puss. It didn't hurt too badly anymore, just a dull throbbing, so Kurt figured it wasn't bad. "There. Am a pretty enough to be seen in public now?" Kurt joked.

Blaine appraised him carefully. "Not bad. Are you hurt any where else?"

"Just some bruises. I did hit the back of my head pretty hard though, do you mind taking a look?" Kurt felt a little silly for asking, but you really couldn't be too careful, the last thing he needed was some wound that wouldn't heal because he had never cleaned it.

"Its not a problem," Blaine said, scooting over so he knelt behind where Kurt was sitting cross legged. He raked his fingers gently through Kurt's short hair, searching out the lump, until Kurt winced.

"There's just a little blood here, but its not too swollen, hand me your kerchief." Blaine said keeping his hand on Kurt's head. Kurt did, feeling impossibly foolish as Blaine gently wiped the blood from his head and out of his hair.

"Thanks," Kurt said, his face red as he avoided Blaine's gaze and reached for a water skin to start filling, the memory of Blaine's fingers in his hair very much in his thoughts.


Thanks so very much for reading and God bless. Up next, plot! maybe.