Robin Hood fic: Second Best
Dec. 13th, 2010 04:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Title: Second Best
Fandom: Robin Hood (BBC)
Pairing/Characters: Guy/Marian
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 344
Prompt: For the darkship prompt meme, prompt "second choice"
Summary: . AU. At the end of season one, Marion married Guy, but the happiness he thought this would bring eludes him.
Warnings: None
She never refused him.
It ought to have pleased him but it didn't. Guy didn't want her to be passive, didn't want her acquiescence, her surrender. He wanted her to respond to his touch, to return it eagerly. He wanted her to want him, as he wanted her. He wanted her to initiate their lovemaking.
She never did.
"Marian," he moaned as he moved above her. But she was silent, eyes devoid of passion, lips closed against his name.
Afterwards, he rose from the crumpled sheets. He pulled on his robe and went to the table, taking up his cup and draining the last dregs of wine.
"Do I displease you?" he asked at last.
"No."
Guy threw the goblet across the room. Marian jumped at the sudden violence but said nothing, and regarded him coolly.
"Do you hate me?"
"No."
Guy strode over to the bed and leant over her. "Do you love me"?
She swallowed, brushing at the creases of her nightgown. "It is a wife's duty to love her husband."
He grabbed for her, restraining his anger enough to catch her chin in his hand without bruising her tender flesh.
"That is no answer, Marian."
Tears welled up in her eyes, her self-control finally gave, and she began to weep. Defeated, Guy released her. He moved away and sat in the chair by the fire, staring at the flames, letting her cry. He could offer her no comfort, for it was Robin she cried for, the man she truly loved with all her heart.
Eventually her sobs ceased. She padded over to him and knelt at his feet, hands on his knees.
"Forgive me."
He nodded curtly, unwilling to meet her gaze.
"I do care about you." She sounded sincere enough.
When she pressed one cheek to his thigh, Guy relented, stroking the long dark tresses of her hair. It might even be true, he thought, maybe she did care.
Still, the fact remained that he would always be her second choice, and that knowledge soured every tender moment they shared.
Fandom: Robin Hood (BBC)
Pairing/Characters: Guy/Marian
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 344
Prompt: For the darkship prompt meme, prompt "second choice"
Summary: . AU. At the end of season one, Marion married Guy, but the happiness he thought this would bring eludes him.
Warnings: None
She never refused him.
It ought to have pleased him but it didn't. Guy didn't want her to be passive, didn't want her acquiescence, her surrender. He wanted her to respond to his touch, to return it eagerly. He wanted her to want him, as he wanted her. He wanted her to initiate their lovemaking.
She never did.
"Marian," he moaned as he moved above her. But she was silent, eyes devoid of passion, lips closed against his name.
Afterwards, he rose from the crumpled sheets. He pulled on his robe and went to the table, taking up his cup and draining the last dregs of wine.
"Do I displease you?" he asked at last.
"No."
Guy threw the goblet across the room. Marian jumped at the sudden violence but said nothing, and regarded him coolly.
"Do you hate me?"
"No."
Guy strode over to the bed and leant over her. "Do you love me"?
She swallowed, brushing at the creases of her nightgown. "It is a wife's duty to love her husband."
He grabbed for her, restraining his anger enough to catch her chin in his hand without bruising her tender flesh.
"That is no answer, Marian."
Tears welled up in her eyes, her self-control finally gave, and she began to weep. Defeated, Guy released her. He moved away and sat in the chair by the fire, staring at the flames, letting her cry. He could offer her no comfort, for it was Robin she cried for, the man she truly loved with all her heart.
Eventually her sobs ceased. She padded over to him and knelt at his feet, hands on his knees.
"Forgive me."
He nodded curtly, unwilling to meet her gaze.
"I do care about you." She sounded sincere enough.
When she pressed one cheek to his thigh, Guy relented, stroking the long dark tresses of her hair. It might even be true, he thought, maybe she did care.
Still, the fact remained that he would always be her second choice, and that knowledge soured every tender moment they shared.
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Date: 2010-12-13 05:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-13 07:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-13 07:18 pm (UTC)Um, crosspost and spam? :-)
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Date: 2010-12-13 07:43 pm (UTC)Um, if you insist!
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Date: 2010-12-13 08:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-14 02:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-13 08:08 pm (UTC)I'm not sure she would have been able to remain that indifferent to him sexually, though.
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Date: 2010-12-14 02:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-14 04:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-14 02:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-14 02:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-14 12:19 am (UTC)However, I have to agree with Ladykate. I think he would grown on her, as she herself became more experienced. Then again, I never understood her virtual insanity in physically preferring Robin to Guy, so... I mean come on...
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Date: 2010-12-14 08:23 am (UTC)However, I have to say that I don't think it would be insane to prefer Robin to Guy. For the record, my mom, who's seen bits of the show when I was watching it, thinks Robin is more attractive. :D
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Date: 2010-12-14 02:49 pm (UTC)I think we're early on in the marriage here and, as I commented above while I didn't specify the backstory I had it in mind that maybe Robin was dead (or believed to be) which is why Marian gave in and married Guy. She's probably still grieving and can't truly feel for anyone right now. Later, I hope she'd warm to him, given his obvious devotion to her.
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Date: 2010-12-14 02:02 am (UTC)how very very sad, for both of them. I wonder if this is early in their relationship (I hope it is, for both their sakes). There's some dark foreshadowing going on here as well, and deep emotion; what a wonderful piece!
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Date: 2010-12-14 02:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-14 02:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-14 02:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-14 04:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-14 02:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-14 05:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-14 02:52 pm (UTC)Great!
Date: 2010-12-14 06:34 am (UTC)Re: Great!
Date: 2010-12-14 02:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-14 10:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-14 02:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-14 02:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-14 02:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-15 10:00 am (UTC)(and ack, sorry for trolling your thread! it's just fun reading)
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Date: 2010-12-15 03:09 pm (UTC)When I rewatched the series, I felt even more convinced that Guy started out wanting Marian as a suitable wife but quickly came to have genuine feelings. Marian on the other hand seemed to move from dislike to some level of appreciation of Guy, but she was always most concerned with using him for her own ends (and Robin's). And yes, some scenes in season 2 are almost painful to watch as she falsely professes love for Guy to get what she wants from him.
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Date: 2010-12-14 05:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-14 07:06 pm (UTC)Can't leave us hanging!
Date: 2010-12-16 05:18 am (UTC)and I think you're right, this makes sense for a S1 relationship between the 2 of them. But I think by the end of S1 she does have some feelings for Guy. Before she marries him she lists his qualities for Robin and then asks why Robin can't show him some compassion by recognizing that Guy has been deprived of love. So on some level marian does care for Guy by this point I think, I don't believe that it's all about manipulation as might be the case in S2.
Re: Can't leave us hanging!
Date: 2010-12-17 07:49 pm (UTC)Re: Can't leave us hanging!
Date: 2010-12-18 05:18 am (UTC)Seriously, you "promise us nothing" when it comes to a sequel, awh, boo! hoo! Consider it encouragement to write a sequel, you have a great fanbase! But I totally understand if you can't commit to one, for whatever reason. Thanks for allowing us to enjoy the story you've already written though :)
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Date: 2010-12-19 04:05 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2010-12-24 04:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-02 10:41 am (UTC)lovely
Date: 2011-01-06 06:30 am (UTC)Re: lovely
Date: 2011-01-06 04:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-27 12:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-27 09:53 am (UTC)