DIY (Robin)

[Deleted]

With one hand planted on her hip and the other clutching a paint roller, Marian stood back a few feet and stared at the bare wall before her. The sparse furniture they had accumulated so far sat grouped together in the centre of the room behind her, covered haphazardly with plastic drop sheets. The place looked unfinished and fairly unlivable, but she couldn’t have been more happy with it.

It wasn’t a grand house, but it wasn’t a small flat either. It was cosy, and it was perfect, and it was theirs. Their first house, together; her first house as a married woman. Upon returning from their honeymoon it had not taken them long to find it, it was as if it had been waiting for them. Robin had even carried her over the threshold. Smiling at the memory, she turned her head to look toward the kitchen where her husband had disappeared.

“I am not certain about this colour,” Marian called, turning her attention back to the wall and scrutinizing the single line of colour she had made in the centre of it’s white expanse. “It might be a bit too... dark?” She couldn’t quite put her finger on what was wrong with it. Maybe once it was finished it would look alright.

[Deleted]

Robin, meanwhile, was struggling with some shelves and refusing to admit, even to himself, that perhaps he wished they had got workmen in to do this job and not decided it would be more 'satisfying' to do it themselves. He stared at the instructions with a frown. He had defeated saracens, triumphed over the sheriff, saved the people of Nottingham (and England) from cruel tyranny, so why couldn't he put up a simple set of kitchen shelves?

When Marian called out to him, he was almost glad to have a distraction, and quickly popped his head round the kitchen door to inspect the paint she spoke of.

"Maybe that is just because it is against a white wall." He pointed out with a cheeky grin "If it is too dark when you have finished, we can solve the problem then."
And he wasn't just saying that because he didn't want yet another trip to the hardware store, or because he rather liked the shade of green they'd picked out.

[Deleted]

Marian hadn’t failed to notice the use of ‘you’ in that sentence. ‘When “you” have finished’, he said. Of course he had insisted on the more manly task of assembling shelves, leaving her to paint, but he did seem to be taking his time with them. Surely they could not be that difficult to put together, they came with written instructions and diagrams.

“Maybe,” she conceded, brushing a stray lock of hair back from her forehead with the back of her hand. She still felt a little awkward being so dressed down in front of Robin, wearing an old pair of trousers and a shirt that she would not mind getting paint on. She was so used to wanting to look pretty for him in some way or another, whether it be to catch his eye or make him jealous or regretful. Of course he had seen her looking a lot worse, like the night she had been stabbed and, more recently, he had seen her in a lot less as well.

Blushing a bit as she smiled to herself, Marian dipped the roller back into the paint. “How are the shelves coming? It would be nice to unpack a few things tonight.” All the wedding gifts they had received were still in their boxes except for a few essentials.

[Deleted]

Almost at the same time that Marian was busy feeling awkward about how she was dressed, Robin was busy admiring it. It was strange how this formally alien clothing could become so normal, stranger still how beautiful Marian could look in just about anything - and especially in nothing.
Of course that meant he didn't have enough time to prepare an appropriate response for the question he should have known was coming - an enquiry about the state of those blasted shelves.

"Oh, they are... coming along nicely." He lied calmly "Shall we take a break and have a cup of tea or something perhaps?" He didn't want to have to go right back to those shelves and any closer to having to admit his failure. Who knew, perhaps after a break they would look simpler. Maybe.

[Deleted]

Applying the roller to the wall again, Marian began to fill it in with colour, slowly hiding the stark white primer under the first coat of deep green.

“I would like to get this wall finished first, but if you want to put the kettle on I suppose I could be persuaded,” she replied, barely casting Robin another glance as she concentrated on her work. She could feel his eyes on her, and though she couldn’t help but feel a little bashful, she also reveled in the attention. He only had to look at her a certain way and she felt like the most beautiful, desirable woman in the world.

“You know, if you would like a break from the shelving, and to maybe hurry me along, there is another roller over there,” she pointed out with her own roller sending a drop of green paint splashing over the tarp covered furniture.

[Deleted]

Robin paused just as he had started to turn back to the kitchen, and looked back at his wife with a slightly rueful smile. She just had this way of seeing right through him - while she might not realise the exact state of the shelves or why he might want a break from them, she had at least easily worked out his motives.

Later on he could deal with the shelves and make sure they were in a suitable state for her to unpack things onto, even if that involved cheating and getting somebody else to help, but for now he didn't need to think about that.

Moving over to her side, he picked up the second roller and dipped it into the paint, dipping his finger into the paint as well with a mischievous grin, before reaching out and smudging it across her nose.

[Deleted]

Hiding a smile when Robin stopped in his tracks, Marian continued to paint as if she had noticed nothing at all. Whether the shelve building was not going well, or he merely wanted a break to spend time with her she was not sure, but it was clear he had been looking for some excuse. As he did not push the ‘break and cup of tea’ issues, she was content to believe the latter, at least until proven otherwise.

Taking a small step to the side so he could get at the paint at her feet, she did not want him to see her victorious look when he decided to help her, so she was completely unprepared by the following attack. Letting out a noise of surprise, she swatted Robin’s hand away and tried to glare at him but he was obviously enjoying himself and his grin was infectious. Taking a moment to look down at her nose, now smudged with green paint, and almost crossing her eyes to do so, she slowly brought them back to his face.

“You will pay for that, Robin of Locksley,” Marian threatened, brandishing her paint roller as she would a sword and taking a step toward her husband.

[Deleted]

"Oh I will, will I?" Robin smirked, still trying not to laugh at how utterly adorable she'd looked, eyes crossed and peering at her own nose.

Holding up his paintroller as well, almost 'en guarde', he raised an eyebrow
"And just what will you do to me, dear Marian of Locksley?"
It might seem a bit odd to have used her full name, but frankly it made him giddy with delight to hear it, even from his own mouth. Marian of Locksley, his wife.

It was probably a good job the furniture was all well covered and the floor not yet finished, Robin had a feeling this was going to get messy.

[Deleted]

Marian had to struggle to hold back her smile as well when Robin used her full name, her married name. She still had a hard time believing she was really his wife. It had all happened so quickly... well, the wedding itself, at least. They had originally begun their courtship so long ago now that she honestly couldn’t remember a time when he was not in her head, long before he had invaded her heart as well.

“You are not the only one with skills,” she replied, allowing her smile to shine through partially, giving the image of a smirk instead. “You seem to like the colour green so much...”

Taking a quick step forward, Marian took a jab at him with her roller, unable to stifle the giggle that had been building within. This was how life was supposed to be with the one you loved. There would always be hard times, no relationship was perfect (and theirs was far from it), but the bad should never outweigh the good. They had certainly seen their share of bad times, so certainly they deserved for this unadulterated joy to last for quite some time to make up for it all.

[Deleted]

Expecting a swipe, Robin leaned back to avoid it. He managed to correct himself when the jab game and keep leaning, but not fast enough, not only did he end up unbalancing slightly and stepping back, he also got a nice blob of paint across his chest.

"Oooh..." He groaned, clutching at the paint splatter and stumbling back a few more steps as if he'd meant to do that all along "You got me. Oh, the pain. how could you do this to me?" He staggered back, falling into a sheet-covered armchair with a dramatic slump "I am finished..." He groaned in a near whisper "I love you..." he breathed, letting all his limbs go loose and his eyes close.

[Deleted]

Letting out a whoop of victory when she managed to outmaneuver the infamous Robin Hood, Marian fixed him with a triumphant grin even as she prepared to defend herself against the impending retaliation... that did not come. Instead Robin chose to ‘ham it up’, so to speak, playing out an overdramatic death scene.

Marian bit her lower lip to stifle her laughter.

There were several ways she could play this. She could stand her ground and accuse him of trying to lure her into a trap, which was possible. She could play along and act out the guilt ridden widow, realising too late what she had done.

Or...

Dropping her roller back in the paint tray, she approached her husband’s still form. He was very good at playing the role of a corpse, she had to admit that, though from what she had heard from Much he was well practiced. It was a very effective tactic in stopping those traveling through Sherwood Forest so that they could be relieved of their riches.

Placing a knee on either side of him to straddle his waist, Marian sat on Robin’s lap and grinned down at him. In such a situation there was really only one thing she could say, and it consisted of three words; three little words that she had said to him more times than she could count.

“Oh, grow up.”

[Deleted]

"Oh..." He groaned without opening his eyes "Woe is me, for I am dying and my dear, dear wife can not find it in her heart to be kind to me in my hour of need. Woe!" he opened one eye and peered up at her, a smirk playing about the edge of his lips.

"As my dying act, I shall steal that which I long for the most, a kiss from dear lady's lips!" He declared, even as he sat up quickly and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her down to press their lips together.

((A little short sorry XD))

[Deleted]

Rolling her eyes at his little act, Marian tried in vain to hold back her smile. This cheeky, playful attitude was one thing that she had often pretended to find annoying when they were younger, but had always secretly loved. Even when times were hard, when she was upset or angry with him, his joking around had always managed to illicit some reaction from her, and if that reaction was a not-so-pleasant one he did know when to quit and be serious. At this time in her life, though, she was tired of being serious; to be so lighthearted and carefree was a godsend.

“Really, if I had known you were such a weakling, I would never have-” she started to reply, but her words were swiftly cut off but a sudden and forceful kiss. Her startled laugh smothered by his lips, Marian only gave resistance a fleeting thought before giving in and returning the kiss in kind. How she had lived so long without such sensations she would never know, but now that this was her life, one filled with passionate kisses and gentle touches she knew she could never go back to the modest maiden she had been before. Everything she had been missing, she understood now why the values of so many had changed from those she had been raised to believe. Had she known before all she had been missing... things may have been different. As it was, she was glad how they had turned out. Although she would never be the same to him, she was perfectly happy for Robin to be her first and her last.

Finally pulling away, though only barely, she leaned her forehead against his and smiled. “You are very vigorous for a dying man.”

[Deleted]

"AH! It is your kiss!" He gasped dramatically as they broke apart "It gives me such life, such vigour! I feel I could live forever with its power!"

This was what he'd been working so hard to attain, he felt he'd been so burdened over the past few years, he wasn't even sure he'd ever completely let it all go and become the carefree charmer he'd once been, but it was moments like this that he really believed it could all go back to the way it was. The teasing, the games, the fun. He could still help whoever he found that needed helping, but he didn't have to be so serious about it, a weight had been lifted from him, and now that he had Marian by his side, he felt like nothing was impossible.

"So long as I can experience it for the rest of my days." He added with a cheeky grin.

[Deleted]

Leaning back, Marian bit her lower lip in a vain attempt to contain her smile. Years and experience had changed him, aged him, but at this moment he was that cheeky young boy again, the one who had first stolen her heart. She knew not what horrors he had seen in battle, although one day she hoped to discuss it, nor what he had done to fight the Sheriff, but this was certainly the most carefree she had seen him since before the crusades.

“Well, I suppose I am legally bound to you now, and in being such I am obligated to perform certain tasks,” she replied, trying to sound almost put-upon but failing miserably. “So if I must...”

Kissing Robin again, she wound her arms around his neck and settled into the embrace. To experience this for the rest of her days sounded like heaven.

“But I believe I have the right to refuse if you do not do what I want of you as well,” she eventually said, shifting slightly on his lap. “And right now,” she placed a lingering kiss along his jaw, “what I most desire,” her lips were close to his ear now, “...is for you to help me finish painting this room.”