Chapter Text
His head ached. Truly ached and Robin immediately knew, the moment he woke up, that opening his eyes would be a bad idea. So he groaned instead.
Instantly, cool, slender fingers brushed across his forehead. They were so soothing that he moaned again.
"Shh, try to lie still..." A feminine voice that he recognised instructed.
"Princess..." He murmured as her fingers continued to stroke his hair lightly. "...What are you doing in my room?"
"Everyone was looking forward to your birthday feast. So I volunteered to keep an eye on you when I arrived for it," Maria answered lightly, omitting that actually, she'd been so incensed that his friends had only felt it necessary to come up and check on him every once in a while that she'd barred them from the room and suggested that they go and enjoy the feast uninterrupted since it appeared so much more important to them.
But Robin didn't need to know that.
He made a noise of derision, nonetheless guessing part of it. "So everyone is too busy getting drunk you mean," He stated, listening to the raucous shouts and muffled laughter issuing from the Great Hall below.
"Well, yes." Maria admitted, "But in your honour of course,"
"Oh, of course. I get injured hunting for my own birthday feast, which, naturally, everyone goes ahead and enjoys while I’m potentially on my death bed. Sounds about right,"
"Well it would have been a shame to waste all the hard work and preparation that went into it. And it's nothing serious. You just got knocked out," Maria reasoned, but, once again, her mild tone and nonchalant words were completely at odds with her real feelings on the matter.
"Then why does it hurt so damned much?" Robin complained. He immediately regreted this as it resulted in the soothing fingers carding though his curls withdrawing and movement as Maria stood up from where she must have been perched on his bed.
Robin was about to open his eyes to see where she'd gone, and risk all the pain that would come with it, when his mattress dipped again. "Here, drink this," She pressed a cup to his lips. The drink tasted herby and slightly bitter but he recognised it as something that would ease his pain.
"I hope that wasn't made by Loveday. She used to always over do it and knock me out for hours," He remarked.
"I was hoping I wouldn't have to resort to that," Maria sounded amused.
"Actually, maybe you should. Then at least I'll maybe dream I get to attend the feast..."
"Go to sleep Robin," Maria replied, her voice still bemused. Her fingers resumed stroking his forehead, gently winding into his curls and he drifted off back to sleep.
There were no soothing fingers brushing his hair away from his face the second time Robin awoke. The muffled noise from below had ceased and he wondered if Maria had left, since it had to be very late if the feast had finished and his clan had all finally passed out.
But when soft lips brushed lightly against his own, suddenly he wasn't convinced he'd woken up at all.
"What was that?" He asked in a quiet voice when they drew away, all too soon for his liking.
"A distraction," Maria whispered, her breath ghosting across his lips. He could feel her leaning over him, still only inches away.
"You've never distracted me that way before," he murmured.
"Well, now I have you at my mercy," Her fingers started tracing down the side of his face.
"I’m always at your mercy," He told her, suppressing a groan at the effect those delicate fingertips were having on him.
She let out a slight breath of amusement, ceasing her ministrations, "Go back to sleep Robin," She said softly.
"I am asleep." He answered, his voice now a low hum, "This is a dream. Why else would you be kissing me?"
"Perhaps so I can insist you're delirious and no one will believe you if you tell anyone..."
"That is very under-hand Princess." He accused, "You know some might say you were taking advantage of me while I'm unable to defend myself,"
"What can I say? Perhaps I’ve spent too much time with you De Noirs,"
"We’re not underhand," He disagreed, "We say what we mean and act on it. We like to keep things simple..."
"Then let me simplify things again," she whispered, closing the distance between them once more. And as he slowly wound a hand into her long hair, deepening her gentle kiss, he let all thoughts beyond that moment vanish from his mind. For getting knocked out and suffering an aching head suddenly seemed a very small price to pay and Robin found that he didn't care he'd missed his own celebration at all. In fact, delirious or not, it had ended up a far better birthday than he could ever have imagined.