A/N: Chapter Six – I don't own Robin Hood – enjoy!


HERE'S THE THING: DOMESTIC BLISS…

Chapter Six: The Tale Is Told And Leather Is Involved

When all were sitting back around the fire again, Ava demanded an explanation of the day's events.

"Marian kissed Gisborne!" Much burst out before anyone else could speak, disgust filling his voice.

Ava grinned and looked towards the sky, saying in a softly teasing voice, "It's the leather"

Marian grinned as well but Djaq smiled more softly as she nodded and Ava suspected that it was not Sir Guy's leather clad figure she was seeing her mind's eye.

"What?" exclaimed Much, disconcerted.

"Did Allan stick to the plan?" Ava asked, ignoring Much's confusion.

"Yes, not that it went quite as expected," Robin said grimly, watching Marian's cultivated look of deceptive innocence.

Ava's "oh, good" was heartfelt enough to gain Will's attention until she looked at him, when he looked swiftly away. The uncomfortable subject was dropped quickly and the plans for saving Anne of Hardinge were further canvassed instead. This didn't last long either, Djaq retreating to bed and her dreams, Marian to sit in silence beside John as she began to enjoy his paternal presence in the camp, and Robin and Much sharing some of the less painful reminisces of their time away at the Crusades. Ava listened to the old friends with only half an ear, letting the words wash over her as she stared into the fire, thinking of her brother.

Glancing up at Robin's sudden laughter, she noticed that Will sat a little apart from the group, out of the warm firelight, his arms resting on his knees as he gazed up at the star speckled sky. Staring at him, taking in the contours of his face and each well-known feature, she realized that all the time she'd been caught up in her own worry and grief over Allan's betrayal, her panic over Robin's faked death, and now her joy at learning her brother lived; she had not once comforted Will and sometimes not even noticed he needed it.

It was not so long since his father had been killed and though she'd been concerned about his newly born cold anger and seeming fondness for violence, she hadn't done anything about it. Now he had lost his best friend, Robin had warned them to think of Allan as dead and Will had taken that to heart much more than the rest of them, but she had not comforted him. She had noticed that he'd needed someone but had been too deep in her own grief to help. It was pure selfishness. She recognized that but before she allowed herself to spiral into incapacitating self-pity and loathing she forced it from her mind.

Ava blinked once to stop her staring and, leaning back to grasp one of her blankets; she stood and walked to him. Throwing it about his shoulders to give him some reassuring warmth she sat down beside him, close enough so their sides were touching and he could feel her solid and reassuring presence.

Will took a shuddering breath and his gaze dropped from the heavens to where Robin and Much were arguing over a point in their story and Marian was falling asleep, lent against John. Keeping his eyes firmly on them he let his hand drop so it could grasp Ava's where it lay on the ground. There would be a time for words later but for now, that warm clasp and the slight electric thrill it sent through her, was enough and the silence between them held their thoughts as load as shouting ever could.


A/N: Awwwwwwwwwww….sorry it's short, I'll update soon, promise!

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