A/N: This story is inspired by Seasons 3 & 4.
Inevitable
They both knew that it was a bad idea. Pretending to be married to infiltrate the castle of a foreign lord seemed like a good plan for a hot minute. Until it didn't. Always good with plans, that part they did not foresee. The realisation hit them when they finished dinner and retired to their chamber for the night, finding themselves alone in the secluded bedroom. One bed. Two of them. A situation they'd managed to avoid so far because they knew it was a terrible idea. And yet there they were, standing on the opposite sides of the bed, still fully dressed having no idea how to proceed.
"I'll take the floor," Robin said breaking the silence.
"Don't be silly, it'll be freezing at night," replied Marion against her better judgment. "The bed is big enough for four, we'll manage."
Robin swallowed hard at the thought of sharing a bed with her; even platonically. It's one thing to sleep next to someone on the ground in the woods next to the fire surrounded by potential dangers lurking in the shadows. And completely different to share a bed in a secluded chamber with locked doors separating them from everyone else in the castle. It's more intimate, more… He couldn't find the right words. His hand traced the intricate carvings on the dark wood of the four-poster bed next to him as he considered his options.
"I really shouldn't…" He avoided her eyes and scanned the room for things he could use to form his makeshift bed on the floor.
"We're supposed to be married," she said. "If anyone comes in and finds you on the floor, our cover is blown." She knew it was a terrible idea and yet, she found herself persuading him.
His eyes met hers and he slowly nodded. "But keep those feet away from me! I've seen you kick in your sleep, you could do some damage," he joked to lighten the mood.
"Like you're any better." She rolled her eyes smiling.
He grinned and turned his attention to his saddle bag, considering his clothing options for the night.
Normally chatty and comfortable with each other, they got ready for bed in complete silence. Neither of them dared to look at the other for more than a few seconds. Thankfully, their bedroom had a small room attached to it where they could find bowls with water to wash up as well as a secluded place to change. They counted themselves lucky in that regard as normally those things were placed right in the open.
Marion went to change first leaving Robin alone in the room. Looking out of the window at the dark, snow-covered forest below, he could hear the water splashing as Marion was getting ready for the night. He tried to think of anything else, but he was painfully aware of her almost naked body behind the flimsy door next to him.
It didn't take her long to emerge from the room and he automatically turned to face her when he heard the door open. Her auburn hair flowing, her cheeks pink from the cold water, and her body clad in a green silk nightgown, a gift from her cousin, Iris. Never used in the forest, it was perfect for this situation. Form-fitting at the top and flowy below the waist, it accentuated her body perfectly. She took his breath away and he quickly averted his gaze trying to focus on the trees barely visible under the almost full moon.
"I'll get the candles while you change," she said and went over to the opposite side of the room with her back turned to him. She put out the first candle as Robin grabbed his stuff and went inside the small room desperate to get away from her before he said or did anything stupid.
By the time he got back, only two candles remained lit, one on each side of the bed, giving the room a warm, inviting glow. Marion was already under the covers near the edge of the bed, reading a book she found in the library downstairs. Beowulf. They didn't get many books in the Sherwood Forest, and she missed the simple act of reading before bed and tried to do it as often as she could. It also provided a much-needed distraction from the men she was about to share a bed with. When she heard the crack of the wooden door, she lifted her eyes only to be met with Robin's naked chest. His bottom half was clad in linen trousers made for sleeping. Her grip on the book tightened, her body warm. She liked to think that she was immune to seeing him half naked, having seen it many times. But truth be told, it still had a profound effect on her. Intent on not giving his ego a boost (God knows other women did a fine job at that without her help), and keeping her dignity (he'd never let her live it down if she drooled all over him, even metaphorically), she'd perfected her poker face and you'd never know it by looking at her, but inside, she was screaming. Her fingers tingled, longing to touch him. She looked away quickly, busing herself with putting away her book.
Robin walked over to his side of the bed and reluctantly lifted the covers.
"Are you sure about this? I can sleep on the floor…"
She blew out the candle on her side of the bed.
"Just get in and stop talking, we have to get up early." Her tone was light. She smiled at him before turning on her side trying not to think of his taunt and tanned body next to her. Robin looked at her back, considering his options. Despite the fireplace still glowing with raging flames, the stone floor was cold, numbing his feet. With a deep breath, he wiggled his toes to warm them. He blew out the candle and climbed into the bed, settling on the opposite edge from her, positioning himself as far away from her as possible without falling off. With that out of the way, he sighed and closed his eyes.
"Goodnight, Marion."
"Goodnight, Robin," she said trying hard not to think about his body so close to hers that despite the distance, his body heat already radiated towards her. It was going to be a long, sleepless night, she thought to herself.
The next morning, Marion was first to wake up. Still groggy from sleep, she tried to make sense of her surroundings. Behind her back there was something hot, warming her body, moulding to it. She stirred and immediately froze when the realisation hit her.
They must have shifted positions overnight. Her breath caught in her throat as she analysed the situation. Somehow, Robin ended up lying behind her. His taunt muscles pressed against her back, his arm circled her waist and lay across her stomach with his warm hand gently cupping her breast through the thin fabric of her nightgown. Her heart thumped in her chest; her body flooded with warmth, aching for his. Pressure built inside of her as his erection dug into her tight while he snored lightly still fully asleep blissfully unaware of what his body was doing.
Marion considered lifting his arm and sliding under it but that would risk waking him up and she didn't want to embarrass him. Not to mention that she'd be lying if she said she wasn't enjoying this closeness even though she knew that she shouldn't.
Having limited options, she relaxed her back and fully leaned into him. Instinctively, Robin's strong arm gathered her to him in his sleep. She let out a long breath, closed her eyes, and relaxed, pretending to be asleep for his sake and allowing herself to enjoy the brief moment of closeness.
It wasn't long before Robin stirred behind her. His hand tightened on her chest briefly before he realised the position they were in and what his hand was touching. Mortified, he immediately relaxed his fingers and gently removed his hand from her body, leaving her skin feeling cold, longing for his touch. Trying not to wake Marion up, he held his breath as he gently moved his pelvis away and rolled onto his back cursing his body for betraying him, for putting him in this compromising position. Praying that he hadn't woken her up, he took a deep breath to calm himself down. Desperate for his morning erection to go away, which was a Herculean task with her lying so close, he squeezed his eyes trying to think of anything else. Robin's body burned with desire, his skin tingled from touching her, wishing he could just reach out and hold her close to him once again. But he had no right to do that. It was he who, despite his own wishes, asked her to wait until King Richard's return. He had no right…
As soon as he was semi-decent, he lifted the covers, swung his legs off the bed, grabbed his clothes for the day, and, without looking in her direction, he sneaked to the other room to get ready for the day.
Cursing himself for not sleeping on the floor, he returned to the room. As he entered, Marion stirred in her sleep and yawned pretending to wake up.
"Morning," he said worried about her reaction.
"Morning," she replied and rolled onto her back, her eyes still closed. "I've had the best night's sleep in forever," she added.
Robin realised that, at least to his knowledge, she had no clue about their sleeping position and he, the Robin Hood, didn't have enough courage to tell her. She was the only person who scared him. Or rather losing her was the only thing that scared him. So, they didn't speak about it.
That night, Robin dreaded going to bed unsure of how they were going to wake up in the morning.
"I should take the floor," he suggested again.
"Will you give it a rest?" she said exasperated. "The nights are freezing here. Just get in bed and stop whining." Her words harsh but a twinkle in her eyes and a wide smile told him she wasn't mad at him. He was tempted to let her know what happened as clearly, she had no idea but he was too afraid that she would think ill of him, so he bit his tongue and slipped under the covers.
Satisfied with his response, she turned to her side facing away from him.
"Sleep well," Marion said.
"You too." His eyes fixed on her back. For a brief moment, Robin considered placing pillows between them to prevent him from rolling over in his sleep, but she'd question that and then he'd have to explain. So, he lay there willing his body to stay on his side of the bed until sleep overtook him.
The next morning, Robin woke up first. With his eyes still closed, he felt something heavy on his chest. He opened his eyes, blinking as they adjusted to the morning light as the bright sun shone through the castle windows blinding him. The first thing he saw was a wild mane of auburn hair under his chin. He smiled; his body flooded with warmth. Marion's head lay atop of him, her thick hair sprawled across his chest, her hand across his stomach holding onto him, her leg on top of his. Her breaths were even, and her body relaxed. She was sound asleep. Robin's hand circled her back, his palm resting on her waist holding her close to him. He traced small circles with his fingertips. Even through the fabric of her nightgown, her skin was hot under his touch. He swallowed hard.
This time it wasn't him who moved in his sleep. He took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. Forest, and incense. And that unique smell only she had. He loved that scent.
Trapped, Robin had no way of sliding from underneath her without waking her up. Defeated, he relaxed his body and closed his eyes. Pretending to be asleep, he enjoyed the weight of her body on top of him, her warmth, the intimacy of their position. Too afraid to move, he held her close. His arm still to avoid any movement that could wake her up. He knew that she'd be embarrassed to find herself in this position, especially after he made it clear they couldn't be together until King Richard returned from the Holly Land. What was he thinking? He questioned his decision. Holding her in his arms weakened his resolve.
Eventually, Marion stirred. Her body and mind slowly waking up. In the state between wakefulness and sleep, she snuggled closer to him, nuzzling her face into his chest unaware of the effect her movement had on him. Robin held his breath trying to control his body that started to betray him. He squeezed his eyes shut pretending to be asleep, hoping that she would stop moving before his cover was blown.
Marion moved her hand back and forth as she felt something warm. Trying to recognize what it was, she traced her fingers across Robin's skin. A familiar scent hit her. Mortified, she opened her eyes as the realisation dawned on her. She stopped all movement and listened to his even breath. Her head rose and fell with the movement of his chest, his body warm under her cheek. Satisfied that he was still asleep, Marion lifted his palm, sneaked out from his embrace, and rolled out of bed. The air hit her body as she left the warmth of the bed. Goosebumps covered her skin. After being cocooned by Robin's warm arms, the coldness of morning air was more unbearable than it was normally.
On her tiptoes, she crossed the room to grab her clothes and get ready for the morning. Her cheeks were bright red from the realisation of what she'd done in her sleep. Not that she didn't enjoy it; it was a nice way to wake up but knowing that she couldn't trust her own body in her sleep made her feel uneasy.
When she got back, Robin stirred, pretending to wake up.
"Morning," he said smiling.
"Morning," she replied avoiding looking at him.
"It's a beautiful day, he said squinting his eyes, trying to shield them from the bright winter sun. "This bed is amazing, I've slept like a baby," he said and just like the night before, they didn't speak about what happened.
The third and last night at the castle, they both dreaded going to bed, unsure of what their bodies would do. After retiring to their chamber, they could hardly focus. Their conversation was light, focused on their travel in the morning. This time, Robin didn't suggest sleeping on the floor. It was pointless.
As soon as they got into bed and wished each other goodnight, they turned away from each other, pretending to go to sleep, not daring to look at the other, not daring to speak. Their heads were full of thoughts, wishes… Painfully aware of the other's body next to them. Now, as they'd held each other, it was more difficult than ever to stay away. Their bodies ached for one another. Burning desire made it difficult to fall asleep.
This time, they woke up together. A loud bang outside their door startled them and they bolted right up, sitting up straight. Robin's hand was still on Marion's waist, her legs entangled with his. Despite being startled by the unexpected noise and their grogginess, they were still painfully aware of the position they woke up in.
Overnight, they turned around and met in the middle of the bed, facing one another. Marion's head lay next to his chest, her nose burrowed in his skin. Robin's chin on top of her head, her hair near his mouth, tickling it, his arm wrapped around her, holding her close to him. Her arm wrapped around his waist, trying to get close to him, her face burrowed in his chest. And that's exactly how they woke up when a loud bang startled them.
The investigation of the sound was short. It was only a cat making a mess in the hall. But now, they were faced with the reality of the situation. As the hall was cold, they returned to their bed in silence. Their actions automatic. Each kept to their side of the bed, a huge gap between them. Unsure of what to say, they lay on their back staring at the ceiling.
It was Marion who broke the silence.
"It's cold tonight," she whispered looking at the snow falling behind the window.
"It is..." Screw it, he thought to himself. "Come here," he said and lifted his arm.
Without a word, she scooted closer to him and lay her head on his chest like the night before. He dropped his hand and placed it on her lower back, gently gathering her to him.
"It feels right," she said.
"It does." Without thinking, he dropped a small kiss on the top of her head.
"I wish we could do this every night." Darkness gave her the courage to speak her mind.
"Me too." He gathered his courage. "We've been doing that for the past two nights."
"I know."
"You knew?"
"Yeah." She splayed her hand across his stomach snuggling closer to him.
"Why didn't you say anything?" His body stiffened. "I should've slept on the floor. I am so sorry."
"You've nothing to be sorry for."
"Really?"
"Really," she said and planted a small kiss on his chest. "If I didn't enjoy it, I would've said something." She lifted her head and their eyes met in the dim light of the full moon that filled the room. Their bodies tingled in anticipation.
Robin's body relaxed and he shifted back just enough to lean his head closer to her. He looked her in the eyes and gently captured her lips with his mouth. In response, she pushed herself up, her lips parted slightly, responding immediately, joining him in the kiss. Slow at first, they couldn't hold it in any longer. Robin reached with his hand and captured Marion's cheek without breaking the kiss. With the other, he gently rolled her onto her back as he hovered above her. He broke the kiss breathing heavily.
"We should've done it sooner."
"We should've." Hungry with desire, she lifted her head to capture his lips and he lowered his head to welcome them.
The next morning, they woke up slowly. Their bodies entangled and naked, holding each other close, enjoying themselves. All embarrassment and uncertainty gone.
He stirred in his sleep and slipped his hand across her stomach gathering her to him.
"Good morning," he whispered into her hair and kissed her head.
"Morning," she turned around in his arms to face him.
He opened his eyes to look at her, afraid that she might have changed her mind and regret the night before.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
A wide smile brightened her face.
"Yes. You?"
"More than okay." A thought crossed her mind. Worried that he might regret breaking his resolve and waiting for the King's return, she asked. "Are you happy?"
"More than I have ever been," he said, and his lips found hers putting a stop to any further conversation. They'd have time for that later.
The End
