Robin opened his eyes as the sound of birds broke the quiet of the morning. He winced slightly as he attempted to move his neck as he struggled to gain his bearings as to why he was awakening in such an uncomfortable position, propped up against the wooden wall on his bed. He was startled as his eyes caught sight of the figure curled up asleep in the bed beside him. Will Scarlett.
Robin shook his head slightly to clear it, as the memory of the previous day's events played out in his mind. They took on a surreal quality as Robin glanced down at the unconscious young man. My brother.
Will's sleep appeared relatively peaceful, despite the fitful night he had. Robin had a dim memory of attempting to wake his brother as nightmares took hold. As the effects of Azeem's potion had been strong, Robin had eventually given up and spent the night sitting up on the bed beside him.
His contemplation was broken by a noise from the doorway. Azeem stood there, a frown on his face. In his hands he held the empty bag of medicine from the previous evening. He strode into the room abruptly, hands on his hips as his gaze flickered from Robin to Will.
"Move Christian!"
Robin barely had time to stand before Azeem took his place on the bed, reaching a hand towards the sleeping younger man. He gently raised one of Will's eyelids, examining it carefully before letting it fall back into place. Will did not so much as stir from the intrusion and Robin felt a kernel of worry for the first time. Azeem gently pushed Will's hair back from his face before turning to pin the older Locksley with a withering glare. His voice held a note of accusation.
"How much did you give him? He was not meant to have such an amount! Can you not follow direction?!"
Robin felt his stomach drop further as he glanced at his sleeping brother. His voice a hint of worry as he responded.
"I gave him all….I wished him to have a peaceful sleep and I did not think it would do him harm. He was in great distress for most of the day yesterday and his wounds are bad. Robin paused as his voice caught slightly. He willed himself calm as he forced himself to meet Azeem's eyes, regret clearly evident in his every move.
"I….I am a fool. . Is he going to live?
Azeem's gaze softened slightly as he picked up on the man's genuine concern. He was saved from answering as Will stirred and gave a soft groan. Robin glanced over at Will and he let out a breath he had not realized he was holding. Will opened his eyes briefly before they flickered closed again. He buried his head in the pillow with a soft moan, seemingly unaware of their presence.
Azeem reached over and shook Will lightly, causing him to fully open his eyes. He blinked owlishly at the men; confusion evident. Will looked disconcerted and Robin felt relief set in.
Will's eyes connected with his and Robin smiled down at him reassuringly.
Will scrubbed his face as though to clear the cobwebs and Robin could see the moment Will's reason returned. He was instantly rewarded with a dark glare.
"You drugged me," he spat out.
Robin contemplated the irritated young man, not losing his smile. Prior to yesterday such barbed remarks would have led to harsh words between them. He almost shook his head in wonder at how much had changed with Will's confession.
"Good morning to you too little brother."
Muttering under his breath, Azeem stood up from his spot on the bed with an aggrieved sigh. He contemplated the two of them, rolling his eyes up to the heavens before heading for the door.
"Allah give me patience. We have a battle to fight. Try not to kill each other before then."
Robin chuckled at his friend's back before turning to catch Will's eye. He sobered slightly as the younger of the pair continued to glower at him.
Robin resumed his spot on the bed, leaning his head back for a moment. He inwardly contemplated how best to address the concerns on his mind. Will was tetchy enough as it was over current events. He contemplated letting the matter drop completely, but knew the day held many dangers ahead. Robin was no fool and under no illusion that many of them may not live to see another day rise. He contemplated the dangers of leaving too much unsaid. Although he did not have the words to say he hoped he could find them.
Will obviously had no such compunction, as the young man was halfway out the door after Azeem when Robin's voice stilled him.
"I know you are a bit….upset with me, but can we please speak for a moment?"
Will's glare did not fade as he reluctantly turned angrily to face Robin. He took a threatening step forward and Robin was shocked at the anger he saw there.
"A bit? I trusted you for one night and you took advantage of the situation to get your way. This is just what you nobles at the expense of anyone that may disagree with you. I am leaving in the morning as soon as this whole rescue business is done. You and your truce can go straight to-"
Will flinched away from the hand that shot out suddenly. This quickly turned to embarrassment when he realized that instead of a strike a hand cupped the side of his face. Robin recovered his own composure before Will, slightly shocked at the reaction. He wondered again at what John had shared of Will's past. Bothered by Will's discomfort he dropped his hand quickly but stood facing the tense young man. The sounds of the camp stirring outside filtered into the room, only adding to the tension.
"I had no intention of striking you Will." Robin sighed deeply and his voice was slightly pained. "Do you really think so little of me? I am truly sorry for my actions last night….my intentions were honorable but misguided."
Robin frowned at the silence that followed, opting to try another tactic to get Will to talk.
"How did you know I am afraid of snakes. No one knows that….well…almost no one. No one in this life." he amended.
Will glanced up at him quickly, clearly startled by the change in topic. He shuffled uncomfortably, but Robin felt relieved when Will finally met his eyes. Will shrugged but appeared less agitated.
"I don't know Locksley. Many people are…why does it matter?" He glanced towards the door and the sounds of Friar Tuck loud voice rang through the morning air. Will nodded his head meaningfully towards it, clearly anxious to escape the topic at hand. Or Robin's company.
"If you are done with this we really should go. Since you are our fearless leader you should at least be making your presence known amongst the men don't you think?"
Robin smiled slightly at the barbed response.
"We have time yet. I would really like to speak for a few moments Will. We may not get a chance…..Nottingham does want my head after all.
Will looked longingly at the door and Robin almost missed Will's quiet muttered response.
"I should be so lucky."
Robin could not hold in his merriment, letting out a bark of laughter.
"You truly wish me dead Will?"
"I have no idea what I want Locksley. But if it makes you feel better Nottingham wishes my tongue to be cut out. Perhaps by the end of the day we will both be missing some body parts."
Robin grinned, unrepentant. He contemplated his brother, feeling on tenterhooks against the young man's recalcitrant nature.
"From what I have heard you are more than able to get by without your tongue. Is it true that you were a mute for a time little brother?"
The flash of pain came and went so fast that Robin could have sworn he imagined it. He felt a moment of shame. Will composed himself quickly, looking almost bored with the subject.
The simple response when it came held a hint of challenge. "I was."
Robin wondered at his own persistence. He felt a desperate need to connect with Will which surprised even him.
"John said you grew up as an orphan…"
Will's frustration at the continued topic was evident. His eyes sparked with irritation.
"John has a big mouth. It is not a secret….everyone that knows me knows my past. I grew up in Nottingham…..again, why does any of this matter to you?"
Robin felt himself floundering and knew that a wiser man would let the matter drop. Will was obviously not in the mood to converse, let alone being ready to share so much with him. Robin felt his own irritation rise to the surface.
"It matters to me Will because despite our past, you are my brother. That means something to me. I just wish to know something…anything about you. We have many years to catch up on. I will allow you to escape my company if—"
"Allow?! You will allow me?" Will huffed angrily, his eyes sparking as his temper spilled over. He raked Robin with a cold glance, his arm gesturing sharply at the older man. "Do you even hear yourself? You just think you can order everyone around-"
Robin watched Will make a valiant attempt to rein in his temper, as he took a step back and closed his eyes, breathing heavily. His voice remained cold but was calmer when he finally opened them and looked Robin squarely in the eyes.
"Look Locksley, I did not ask for, nor do I have any desire for a brother. Even if I did you would be the last man I would choose. I had no intention of ever telling you the truth and I will never forgive you for what you and he did to me and my mother when you-"
Will's stopped himself suddenly, realizing he was going too far in his anger. Robin felt a wave of pain as he watched the fight go out of the boy. Will dropped his gaze to the floor and his voice was almost a pained whisper when he continued.
"We do not get on Robin. Let us not pretend otherwise as it would be folly to do so. We have a battle to fight and if we both survive the day, I will leave you in peace. There is no need to further pretend a relationship that has no hope of existing…we share blood, nothing more.
Will stared at Robin for a moment, his eyes full of emotion, before he turned to leave. "I do not wish for a relationship with you and that is not something that will ever change."
Robin's heart squeezed painfully as Will turned without another word and left, the door shutting quietly behind him. So much for the truce.
