Chapter Nine ~ Rosy Cheeks

Jude had a great fascination with the house. Her eyes ogled every room we went in, gazing around and expressing how 'pretty' everything was.

We soon met up with Uncle and Loveday and Jude introduced herself to a slightly confounded Uncle. When Marmaduke appeared, she seemed to fall in the same trance as she had done with the house itself. She giggled immensely when Marmaduke showed her his super speed. Wrolfe also made an appearance, much taller than the small girl, but seemed to have taken a shine to her, licking her face with his tongue and humming as she played with his fur.

Marmaduke offered to show her the kitchen, leaving Robin and I some peace, promising to look after the little girl.

"It's a wonder how someone so small can have so much energy." Robin muttered. We were strolling the gardens together. I linked my hand through Robin's arm and leaned carelessly against him.

"She's much like Marmaduke." I agreed, smiling up at him.

"Without the moustache." I giggled softly. We sat down on the swing bench and there was a brief silence. I turned to face Robin. He stared out across the gardens, his hands tucked into his trouser pockets. I studied his face. Dark rings were around his eyes and heavy bags underneath them. As if he hadn't been sleeping much. I frowned at this.

"How are things with your family?" I asked. Robin shrugged and turned to face me.

"They won't inform us when they'll be leaving." He muttered gravely. "Apparently Uncle George was under the impression they could stay for a few months." I widened my eyes at this.

"Why don't you just kick them out?" Robin laughed lightly this and shook his head.

"Father wants to be the 'bigger person'." He sighed. "He doesn't want to upset them." Robin scrunched up his face then turned away. "God I hate them."

"You don't mean that." I said quietly. Robin just snorted. There was silence and I rest my head on his shoulder. Immediately he seemed to relax with this gesture and leaned his head against mine. "If things get too bad up in De Noir kingdom, I'm here for you. You know that right?" Robin didn't answer. At first I thought he hadn't heard, so I pulled up to look at his face. He still stared across the grounds with a small smile on his face. His eyes flickered down to me. "You heard me, didn't you?" I asked, slightly worried for Robin's sanity as he just smiled down at me.

He brought a hand up to my face and stroked my cheek slowly with the back of it. He laughed softly and kissed my head.

"Thank you, princess." He whispered against my skin. I frowned.

"Are you feeling okay?" I asked, slightly dazed. He chuckled again and leaned back to look at my face.

"I think my breakfast must have been off this morning." He replied. It was my turn to chuckle and I grinned at him.

"You must come for dinner again." I said suddenly. "You haven't eaten here for a while."

"If I came, that would probably mean Cousin Henry and Uncle George in tow." He sighed. "I'd rather save you the hassle if I'm honest, princess."

"Loveday said they're supposed to be visiting anyway." I replied.

"Yes but I've been giving them excuses not to." Robin admitted. "They would have been down sooner, but I keep distracting them so they won't come. Save Loveday the horror. She hates them the most, you see." I raised my eyebrows.

"I still don't see why you hate them so much." I muttered. It was the first time I had said this in front of any of the De Noir's. I didn't want to say it in front of Loveday as her angry outbursts about them had shown me it was not such a good idea.

"They're arrogant pigs, Maria." Robin replied.

"You were an arrogant pig when I first met you." I pointed out, grinning. Robin glared playfully at me and then sighed.

"They're very big-headed." Robin began. "When my mother died, Uncle George had a huge argument with Father. Blamed him for her death." I stared at him. Robin had never spoke about his mother before. She had been mentioned in passing conversation but nothing more than that. I didn't even know how she died.

"But that's not true." I said quietly.

"My mother died suddenly when I was no more then four years old." He rubbed his face with one of his hands. "Loveday told me all about what Uncle George had done when I was older."

"What had he done?"

"Made my father feel even more awful about Mother's death than he already did. The only reason Father won't kick them out is because he still feels bad." He sighed. "Bad being an under-statement of course." I felt sorry for Mr De Noir. To me, he just seemed to be the strong, powerful man he made himself out to be. I couldn't imagine him being upset, sobbing himself to sleep, needing a shoulder to cry on.

"I'm sorry." I said finally. Robin chuckled, facing me.

"For what?" He asked.

"For your mother." He studied me for a few seconds before taking my hand and entwining our fingers.

"Don't be sorry, Maria." He spoke softly. "It was no one's fault." He shrugged "It's just the way it is." A sad smile graced his face.

"Do you miss her?"

"I was four when she died. I don't think I can even remember much of her." His face fell with sadness. "What a great son I am." He muttered sarcastically.

"Don't be like that, Robin." I whispered. "Your mother would be proud of you if she could see you now." Robin chuckled again.

"I'm 19 years old nearly, still working for my father. No real goal to shrive to, no idea where my life will take me. Father keeps insisting I hurry up and find a wife so I can leave home and leave him in peace. I spend most of my time in that God forsaken forest and to be honest, my life seems to be heading down hill already. It's like what Father used to say to me; I'm a waste of space and completely useless." He raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure she would be proud, yes." I pulled my hand out of his and flicked him on the ear. "Oww!" He yelped.

"Stop it, Robin." I said firmly. I leaned away from him. "Why have you got to be so absurd?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, princess."

"Don't 'princess' me." I muttered, folding my arms across my chest.

"Am I annoying you?" Robin asked, amused. I shook me head. He prodded me in my side. "I am, aren't I?" He grinned and proceeded to prod me.

"Robin, stop it."

"You're a moody little princess." He prodded me again.

"ROBIN!" He stopped, his grin fading. He dropped his hands and leaned back and studied me with a peculiar look on his face. "What?" I demanded.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I don't like it when you talk about yourself like that." I admitted. A pause.

"I'm sorry." I shrugged. He reached out with both arms and detangled my own that were folded tightly still. I let him do so, watching him. Once he had done, he placed them by my sides and then reached up with one of his hands to stroke my face again. He ran his finger along my forehead, smoothing out the angry creases that were upon it. He then ran the finger down my nose and to my lips. With both hands he took either side of my mouth and pulled it up. He grinned. "There's that pretty little smile of yours."

"You can be extremely irritating, you know that?" I muttered. Robin only grinned, dropping his hands from my make-shift smile. He left one resting against my neck, his thumb rubbing circles onto my cheek. He had a habit for tracing shapes on me. It seemed to relax him, so I chose not to say anything. Also due to the fact I enjoyed it when he did it.

"You still angry with me?" He asked, his deep brown eyes boring into me with a familiar glint in them. He used them on me to get his own way. He seemed to realise I melted at his feet when he stared into my eyes with that look.

"No." I stuttered. He grinned.

"Good." I narrowed my eyes slightly.

"We should…" I swallowed hard, my thoughts jumbled. "We should go find Jude. She'll be wondering where we are." I went to move but with his free hand he grabbed my arm lightly.

"She'll be fine." He replied quietly.

"Well maybe we should go inside anyway." Why was I being so difficult?

"I like it out here." Robin said. "Don't you?"

"I like it." I nodded after a long pause. My sudden nervousness caused a grin to form on Robin's face. The hand resting on my neck moved up and rested on my cheek, I couldn't help but lean against it.

"Hmmm." Robin said after a while.

"Hmmm?"

"Nothing." He shook his head. With a sigh he dropped his hand from my face all together. I frowned.

"I hate it when you do that." I muttered.

"Do what?" Robin asked innocently, a grin playing on his face.

"Don't give me that." I glared at him, shoving him. He grabbed my hand and kissed my palm.

"How is it that whenever I'm with you, you always seem to get angry someway or another?"

"Like I said, you're irritating."

"But you love me for it."

"If you say so."

"Oh, princess!" Robin feigned shock, clutching his chest and pretending to faint. He ended up in a fit of laughter and collapsed into a mist of chuckles.

"I'm glad you find my lack of love for you amusing." I muttered, trying to not smile. He looked up at me and leaned back against his elbows.

"I'm hurt, princess." He said. "I thought I meant something to you." It seemed that through his mocking tone, there was a sense of honesty. I pursed my lips together.

"You know you do." I said finally.

"Do what?" Now he was just teasing, eyebrows raised high. I sighed. I reached over and grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him to an upright position in front of me. Without a pause, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him close to me, holding him tight.

"You know you mean a lot to me, you fool." I whispered into his ear. I felt him shake slightly as he chuckled.

"It's nice to hear you say it." I felt him press a kiss into my hair and murmur something I couldn't make out. His breath brushed against my ear as he pressed his lips against it. "Don't you ever leave me, Maria Merryweather." He whispered softly. "I mean it, princess. I don't want to lose you, I care about you too much." A pause. "Don't tell Loveday I said that or she'll never let me live it down." I giggled quietly and closed my eyes shut, taking in what he had just said to me.

I don't want to lose you, I care about you too much.

"Do my ears deceive me but is the great Robin De Noir scared of his older sister?" I teased. I felt his grip around me tighten slightly.

"You have no idea, princess." He muttered. I could sense a smile in his words. After a brief moment of silence I untangled myself from Robin and smiled up at him. He didn't say anything he just smiled back. I was then aware of how close we were. His face was so close I could feel his breath against my own. I inhaled his breath silently, it tasted odd against my tongue. Sweet almost. Robin tilted his head to one side, watching me in an odd way.

"What?" I demanded after a while. He shook his head, smiling. A beautiful dazzling smile, that made my heart jump and stomach squirm. Why was this happening to me?

"Master Robin!" A voice called from a distance, snapping me out of my trance and I looked away from Robin's stare. "Miss Maria!" It sounded distinctively like Jude.

I was right.

Jude came bounding around the corner. When she spotted us, her face scrunched up and she wrinkled her nose.

"Have you two been kissing?" She asked in disgust. I felt my face flush red and I heard Robin laugh next to me.

"No we haven't." I replied, moving away from Robin and standing up.

"That's good, because kissing is gross." Jude said, her face still showing the apparent disgust she felt for the act of kissing. My cheeks seemed to go hotter and I knew they had just gotten redder.

"Oh, I don't know." Robin said cheerfully, I saw him stand up and I looked up at him. He was grinning. "I think kissing's quite fun." He winked at me and then turned back to Jude.

"Yes but you're weird, Master Robin." Jude shot back. Robin raised his eyebrow.

"I think it's time I take you home, Jude." Robin began. "And on the way home we can discuss the pleasures of kissing."

"Eww!" Robin grinned. He turned to me.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" He asked.

"That's if you remember or don't have anything better to do." I muttered.

"I'm sure I can find time for you, princess." Before I could say anything, Robin leaned in and kissed me on the cheek.

"Eww, that's gross!" I heard Jude protest. Though I kept my eyes on Robin as he pulled away. With one last smile he left, taking Jude's hand in his, and headed towards the forest. He glanced over his shoulder at me before he disappeared, a smile plastered on his face. He tipped his hat at me then I saw him haul Jude up and sat her on his shoulders. The pair of them vanished through the trees and I stood, slightly dumb-struck, my cheeks still as red as Loveday's roses.

(A/N) Finally! Normal chapter length is restored! Took me a while though. I apologise for it!

Not much else to say really... :)

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