Chapter 2: A Painful Stretch for Denial
Maria jumped out of bed. She ran through her flat, frantically tidying up as much as she could. The doorbell rang again. Her phone buzzed once more. "I'm coming!"
Outside her door, Robin shifted his weight. He tried running his fingers through his hair but stopped short at his bun, he really needed that haircut. Robin looked around. He was considering pulling his mask down to take in a breath of fresh air when the door swung open.
Maria stood there with wide and glee-filled eyes. "Robin!" She prepared herself to tackle him with a hug when he raised his hands to stop her.
"No-no-no. Not yet. I've been in isolation and drove myself here. I should be safe… but let me change first—perhaps even shower?"
"Come in! The loo's down this way."
"Hang on, I'll take off the first layer here, don't want to risk anything. Close your eyes—or don't," he teased. "Not like you'd see something you haven't already."
Maria blushed. She stepped away and turned around. She knew he was simply referring to all their swimming trips, but his flippant comments like those always stirred her heart. Sending her mind running before coming to a crashing stop as soon as she reminded herself, he'd never see her as anything more.
"So, what are you doing here?" She mustered as calmly as she could.
Robin slipped off his jacket and shirt. The clink of his belt was followed by the sound of his jeans falling to the floor. As he bent over to pick up his clothes, he suddenly became aware of Maria's teal lounge shorts being a bit too short and quickly averted his eyes.
"Came to take you home—or give you company—whatever you want?" He said as he quickly stuffed his clothes into a plastic bag. "Figured this was the safest way."
Robin then ran past her in only black knickers and his duffle bag under his arm. "Be right back!" he yelled behind him. "What can I use in here?"
"It's all mine, have a go at it!" Maria removed her mask and tidied her flat some more. She was excited to see him but begged her heart to slow down. Trying to shake off those feelings, she sat at her dining table and tried to focus on her classwork instead.
Now clean and presentable, Robin stepped back out in a black sleeveless shirt and joggers. His shoulder-length damp hair was brushed back, his curls just beginning to form against the water. "Ready." He opened his arms wide.
Maria tackled him with a hug. His arms wrapped tightly around her and he spun her around. She took in a deep breath. Pine, Sandalwood, Moonacre, Home. With a dash of her flowery shampoo and hibiscus body wash. She felt the firmness of his body against her own and desperately tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach, scolding her heart for running wild before pulling away.
"Did you say drove here? On your motorbike?"
"No, I took your uncle's—"
"The MPV?" Maria cackled. "Would you look at that, the Robin de Noir—driving a people carrier. I remember how much you teased him for it."
"Yeah, yeah… even with your petite frame, sharing a seat cross-country wouldn't be too comfortable. I'm just being considerate. Where can I toss my clothes?"
"I swear, I think I've grown an inch or two in the last year," Maria said as she led him to the washing machine. "I don't think your motorbike could handle me anymore."
Robin snorted as he tossed his dirty clothes and set them to wash. "Sorry to break it to you, but if you think you got taller, then all your reading has finally damaged your eyes."
Maria gasped. "You come into my house. Use my limited-edition body wash. Then insult me? How rude! I demand reparations."
"How does lunch sound instead?"
"Perfect," Maria playfully brushed against him with a bump from her shoulder. Robin made a reach for her, but she evaded his grasp. Robin's eyes followed her as she fell back on the sofa and searched for a restaurant on her mobile. One knee was propped against her chin while the other leg hung over the sofa. Those shorts definitely made her legs look long and sleek. Robin's heart skipped a beat. He froze. Robin cleared his throat and quickly turned away. He raptly studied the various pictures along the walls and plants through the flat. Her classwork was spread out across the table: history, economics, literature. He looked through it as intently as he could, all to prevent himself from looking at Maria. "Do you still want to be a writer?" He asked with a side-glance.
"I haven't given up yet! Though I'm doing a minor in business to help my uncle during the downtime. Lord knows there will be plenty of that."
"Where are your roommates?"
"They went back home. What do you feel like having?"
"Been craving some dumplings."
"You got it." After putting down the order, she moved to the table and tied up her hair. "Food will get here soon. I was thinking, would you mind staying with me for a bit? I have an exam in a couple of days, but we can leave for home after."
"Sure."
"Thanks! I need to get back to studying but feel free to make yourself at home."
Robin sat on the sofa and stared out the window into the empty streets below. Back in the countryside, the stay-at-home mandate meant empty grounds and no visitors to the castle. Their fairs, festivals, and events were postponed indefinitely. Nonetheless, he still had his community. His family, friends, and the other residents of the castle who had remained to hunker down together. He could go out any time he wanted to fly the raptors or walk through the woods. Even Silverydew, their nearest town, still had some merchants moving about and selling door-to-door. Though they were affected by COVID, its effects on the countryside were nothing compared to the city. What was once a bustling city, was now a shell reminiscent of a ghost town. The desolate streets were jarring. The empty stores felt dead. Across the way, even the play park seemed eerie. Tall grass and overgrown roots spilled onto the sidewalks. Empty swings swayed back-and-forth with the wind, adding to the creepiness of it all.
He looked around at Maria's small flat. To think she had been confined in here for so long, he would have gone mad. He wondered how Maria was handling it—then again, this was Maria he was talking about. Her optimism, creativity, and tenacity could drive her to push through even the toughest of challenges. He admired her for that, among many other things. Many times, she had dragged him into her many schemes, yet no matter the outcomes, whether breaking a bone or being disciplined, he never regretted it. Life was an adventure with her. He never told anyone, but her absence was the reason he left to work at other parks. Moonacre just wasn't the same without her.
A few ringlets had spilled out of Maria's bun and framed her face. Her eyebrows were scrunched, and she was biting her pen. Her lips seemed rounder, and for a second, he wondered if they were as soft as they looked—Robin immediately shut that thought out.
A knocking sat the door marked the arrival of their food. "I'll get it!" Robin jumped out of his seat.
Maria cleared the table and brought out some plates and utensils. All the while telling Robin how happy she was to finally have company.
As they sat down to eat, Robin asked, "Have you been alone this whole time?"
"Yes. It's been so boring!"
"Any bloke I should know about it?"
Maria scrunched her nose. "Oh certainly, nothing like a pandemic to liven my dating life. Just look at all the men waiting in line!" Maria waved around the air sarcastically.
"Really, no boyfriend?"
"Yes really, no boyfriend. Just me, myself, and the black screens of my classmates. You never cared before, why the interest now?"
Robin shrugged his shoulders. "You're older now. Relationships are bound to be more serious."
"What about you? Are you still with Alice?"
"Nah we broke up."
"Why's that? I was sure you'd end up with her, she seemed your type."
Robin scowled and shook his head before taking another bite of his dumpling.
"What's with the face?" Maria asked incredulously. "You two were practically tied at the hip. She was at the castle all the time! And she loved all that outdoorsy stuff too."
"You like that stuff too—Nevermind," Robin shook himself and focused on his food instead, "Well you're wrong. She's gone mad. Last I heard, she was going on about the pandemic being a sham. Something about a mind-control conspiracy. I never minded the crystals or horoscopes stuff she was into— though the number of times I had to hear 'well you're not a Taurus so you wouldn't understand' was maddening—but COVID? I'm sorry mate but I just can't respect that."
Wide-eyed at this new information, Maria listened attentively as she continued to stuff her cheeks. Alice did have a strange air about her and tended to fall down some conspiracy-theory rabbit holes.
"Wouldn't be surprised if she turns out to be a flat-earther as well."
Maria almost choked on her food, "Don't be mean."
"What's mean about that? Honestly, I don't know what I ever saw in her."
Maria raised a brow.
"What?" Robin asked.
"Tall, thin, pale. Dark eyes with long black hair. Red lipstick that somehow never faded or stained her teeth. She just screamed your type."
"Oi look who's talking? Every one of your exes has been blond and a rugby player!"
Maria smiled and pretended to toss her hair over her shoulder. "What can I say? I like them rough and tough." Robin's face fell flat. "And just to be clear, only two were. The third was a football player with black hair."
"Shouldn't you be studying?"
"Ugh, don't remind me. Anyways you can sleep in Jane's bed, she said it was alright. I would offer the other room but it's completely empty."
"I can sleep on the sofa for all I care."
"Nonsense, it's a perfectly good bed, unless you're uncomfortable with sharing a room?"
"Are you uncomfortable?"
Maria laughed, "I'm the one offering! I wouldn't have done so if I was uncomfortable. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time."
"Yeah, when we were kids..."
"What?"
"Nothing."
Their afternoon passed along. Maria's lo-fi and classical music mix filled the room with a nostalgic feeling that Robin couldn't quite put his finger on. Maria studied diligently, while Robin entertained himself scrolling social media or watching the television. Though much to his frustration, he caught his eyes drifting towards her direction more than a few times.
Nearing sunset Maria finally took a study break. "Fancy some yoga?"
"No."
"Oh come on! I've been alone this whole time, please just humor me?"
He absolutely did not want to do yoga, but her large eyes… the way she grabbed his hands and pleaded. Robin was left with no choice but to relent with a heavy sigh.
However, when she stepped back out of her room with two mats under her arms, Robin immediately knew he had made a big mistake. She wore black yoga leggings and a bright pink crop top that perfectly outlined her figure—and were those abs?
Robin tried backing out of it, but Maria was relentless. The more he protested, the closer she stepped towards him, until he was backed into the wall and her body was but a few inches away from him.
"Alright fine! Let's just get on with this!" He practically shouted, though his annoyance did nothing to quash Maria's utter glee.
Robin liked to think he was a fit guy. He ran trails, climbed rocks, and swam as much as he could. Yet his history of stretching was sorely lacking, limited to touching his toes or stretching his arms. As a result, he struggled through the movements, made all the worst as he did the most to avoid looking in Maria's direction; to avoid looking at the freckles dotting her smooth back. The toned lines of the muscles of her arms and thighs. The flexibility in how she stretched and moved her body. He was sure he strained his neck a few times. It was during the butterfly stretch, when Maria burst into laughter, that he experienced what he had been dreading all along.
"Here let me help you." She nimbly rolled out of the stretch and crawled behind him.
"Woah hang on there! What are you doing?" Robin yelped as Maria grasped his thighs from behind.
"Relax birdboy. I'm holding your thighs in place, you'll hurt your hip and ankles with what you're doing."
"To hell with my joints I'll be fine!"
"No you won't! You will not break another bone on my watch!"
Her knees dug into his hips, and she tightened her grasp on his thighs. She leaned in, her warm torso lining up with his back. "Now take in a deep breath. As you let it out, relax your shoulders and try to lower your knees," she said by his ear.
Robin gritted his teeth against the shivers that ran down his spine. He was not relaxed, and his breathing was nowhere near steady. He didn't know what was worst, the jolt of heat coursing through his body, or the pain in his groin.
Unfortunately for Robin, that wasn't the end of it, for Maria thought this was the perfect time to try some partner stretches she'd been curious about. She took him through an assortment of movements. Some were innocent enough, while others left his heart beating wildly from the lasting imprints of her touch. Robin bit his cheek and struggled to remind himself that she was just his friend. That this was nothing to be acting a fool for. That the beating of his heart meant nothing more than the fact that he was exercising.
All the while, Maria couldn't help but admire Robin's struggling physique as she pushed him to his limits, catching glances of his strong back and well-defined shoulders and arms. It wasn't until the double-seated straddle stretch, where Robin's grey joggers left little to the imagination and her face burning hot, that she began to wonder if she had taken it too far.
When they finished, Maria thanked him with a hug and a kiss on the cheek before running off to shower, leaving behind an incredibly flustered Robin. Hugs and friendly kisses were nothing new for them, but for some reason, this kiss felt like it had been burned into his cheek.
Robin grabbed his mask and went out for a run to shake off the strange feelings and images of Maria in her form-fitting attire. He refused to even give them a second thought lest they remain permanently engraved. Robin refused to believe they could mean anything more. He ran through the city, his feet pounding along the empty pavement in the hopes of squashing out any other thoughts about Maria. Anything other than the reminder that she was just his friend.
On the way back to her flat, he picked up some curry for dinner. When he returned, he told Maria to eat without him and took a very cold shower. When he came out, Maria was studying in her bedroom. There was a newly reheated plate of curry on the table for him.
The rest of the night passed quietly. Robin distracted himself by watching Gangs of London or scrolling social media. Nearing midnight, Maria walked out of the room and into the bathroom. When she came back out, she wore a shirt so large it seemed like that was the only thing she was wearing.
Robin averted his eyes. "You going to bed?"
"Yeah, I'm beat. You coming?"
"Let me just finish this episode." In truth, Robin was stalling. His heart quickened with the thought of sleeping in the same room. He wasn't sure why; it was so unlike him. He's never been one to feel nervous about anything.
A few episodes later, Robin finally turned off the television. He stood at her door and took in a deep breath before turning the knob and walking in. Maria's room was chilly. Her window was open, it was quiet. She was sleeping peacefully, her blankets thrown halfway to the floor. Her long hair was scattered across her pillow. The copper waves glistened with the moonlight. She looked like the medieval maidens in the portraits that decorated the castle. Robin wondered if her hair was as soft as it looked.
A breeze rustled her curtains, causing Maria to shiver. Robin quietly made his way to the window. As he walked by her desk, he stopped to look at her photos. He was filled with pride in seeing that one of theirs was in the middle. With a soft smile, he looked out into the sleepy city before closing the window. On his way back he readjusted her blankets and settled into his bed for the night.
That night, Robin laid awake for what felt like hours. He turned to look at her. Maria was curled into a ball, her blankets covering up to her ear. Just two more days before they could leave. He could survive here with her for two more days. She was his friend. His long-time—childhood—friend...Who many claimed had a long-time crush on him, but that didn't matter—or so he said to himself.
A/N: This was supposed to be the second entry for Moonacre Week 2021... but 3.5 months late. Sorry!
Also I had to change the rating due to chapter 4... It gets a bit spicy but nothing explicit. I still get embarrassed writing intimacy lol. The story is finished, chapter 3 will be posted in a bit, and Chapter 4 will be posted on Sunday. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!