Author: Fyre Rating: PG Fandom, Pairing: Robin Hood, Robin/William (the Sherriff) Notes: This is part one to a maybe-never-to-be finished story. I wrote this on a sudden burst of inspiration and ever since have wanted to finish it, but .. my muse has left me. I like it loads though. It ends at a weird spot, I know. But that�s where I stopped writing. If I ever finish it, it will most likely be put into different chapters, the first break being at the �---� before the current end. ^_^; When Robin was young, he loved Loxley. The rolling hills, the friendly people, the beautiful countryside�and the even more beautiful boys and girls that lived there. Robin knew there was a common saying throughout Britain that only the most handsome and beautiful people were allowed to live there. While this wasn�t exactly true, it did seem like it. And Robin fit right in. He was young, quick, intelligent, wealthy, and handsome and never slow to put any of these qualities to his use. Robin had light brown hair, always combed back yet always messy and tousled. His clear green eyes shone through the darkest of nights and he claimed to have cat-like abilities to see in the dark. By the time he was sixteen, Robin was known throughout his father�s lands as a little rascal, but a fun, safe little rascal you could trust your toddlers with or your virginal teenage daughter. Robin represented his father perfectly and won the hearts of the people. Some of them tried to win his heart right back. Robin wouldn�t have it, though. He loudly proclaimed he would never fall in love�just lust. Love can be used against you, Robin would insist. A lover could die and grief could overcome you, leaving you incapable to live a full life. A lover could leave you and cause even more sadness. Too much anguish could happen because of love, Robin told his young friends. He planned to never fall in love. Lust, on the other hand � Robin fell in and out of lust and deep-like throughout his adolescence years. While it was true you could safely leave your pure daughter with him, it wasn�t the same with the sons. Robin liked boys, to put it very bluntly. Everyone knew it and since it was Robin, it was okay. Since it was Robin, it was accepted and therefore more boys who weren�t Robin could safely like boys too. Robin�s father pretended not to know, but it was hard, especially after he came into his son�s bedroom once to find him and a friend�together. Robin had high ideals and great ideas. He was going to go off to the Crusades as soon as he was twenty, since by then he�d be done with schooling and by then his father would have married him off and Robin would have produced an heir or two. Robin had resigned to his fate of marriage a while back. After the Crusades, he would return as a leader of his people and would then take over the ruling of Loxley from his father. Robin would live to old age like this, a lovely, comfortable life, always filled with sports, horses and boys. It was all planned out. ---- When Robin was fifteen, a new Sheriff was installed into Nottingham. Robin�s father technically had reign over Nottingham, but generally allowed the Sheriff to rule the area, as long as they agreed on important issues. So, of course, when this new Sheriff was appointed, Robin and his father went to meet him. This new Sheriff was very different from the old one. The old one was just that�Robin would always remember a stiff, old man with rigid, unwavering beliefs. When Robin had just been three or four, the old Sheriff gave him candy once, but never again. It was as if he regretted being nice so for the rest of his life he was extra rude to Robin. Robin didn�t mind, though. The new Sheriff was different. For one thing, he was young. And young, in Loxley at least, equaled handsome. The Sheriff did not disappoint. He had thick black hair pulled back as was the fashion lately. His pale blue eyes contrasted nicely with his dark hair and tanned skin. Robin was immediately drawn to him. Staring at the Sheriff as his father introduced the two of them, and then started an intense discussion, Robin felt light and dreamy. The Sheriff was so unlike anyone else in Loxley or Nottingham, he didn�t know what to do. For once, Robin wasn�t sure if he wanted the Sheriff to know about his licentious reputation or not. Before, it was an advantage for potential bedmates to know he had experience, but for once, Robin wasn�t so sure. What if promiscuity turned the Sheriff off? Robin was shocked at himself for actually worrying about these things. He was definitely getting ahead of himself�first, he should find out if the Sheriff even batted for the right team. Nonchalantly, he tried to insert himself into the conversation and threw in a couple references to the Sheriff�s wife. At the third reference, the Sheriff finally looked Robin in the eye and told him he wasn�t married. Robin almost couldn�t control the wild grin he felt coming on. Surely, if such a handsome older man wasn�t married, he must be gay. It was almost unheard of to not be married and so the Sheriff must have a good reason for it. Robin vowed to find out the Sheriff�s real name soon. ---- A month later, the Sheriff�William Gainsburough, Robin had learned�was a regular at the manor in Loxley. Robin was overjoyed. At first, William had made excuses about how he needed to confirm something with Robin�s father or was just passing through, but that stage soon went by. William was now stopping by and speaking exclusively with Robin most of the time, unless he had actual business with Robin�s father. Robin and William spoke of many things, politics, the world, sheep, God and much more. They always carefully skirted the topic of sexuality, though. Neither seemed to know for sure if the other was interested, so they were at a constant stalemate. Sometimes, Robin would be convinced utterly and completely William was in love with him, then William wouldn�t stop by for several days and Robin�s surety would fade. Robin would brush against William, brush against himself, but no hint seemed to work. Rumors were flying around Loxley. Robin had not been out looking for boys for so long, some wondered if he had been castrated. This seemed the only logical explanation, since Robin was known above all else for being boy-hungry. Some villagers said Robin had gone to the Crusades early, others said he was off on his honeymoon with the woman his father had set him up with. Yet others, the closest to the truth, said Robin was holed up with one perfect boy, being with him over and over again. This was by far the most scandalous, but also the most widely known, rumor of them all. |
