Spread the Love, Part One
Title: Spread the Love
Subtitle: ...and Pass the Penicillin.
Foreign Title: How Robin Hood's Men became Merry.
Author: omteddy2006
Rating: PG-13
Words: 951
Characters: Allan, Djaq, Will
Pairings: Djaq/Will, Djaq/Allan
Summary: Allan is so cold. Luckily for him, Djaq is not.
Author's Note: Don't blame me for everything you read here...this entire story was written while under the influence of a Blue Moon.
Credits: Thanks to wastingyourgum for the beta work.
PART ONE
Allan lay in his berth curled into a fetal position. Even in a tight ball, huddled against himself, he could not stay warm. He hated living in the camp. They lived like animals, not outlaws. They ate like scavengers, literally scavenging left-overs after their food drops in the villages were completed. It was dirty and cold and damp. While nights under the stars sounded romantic, they were anything but romantic-for him, at least.
Other were far luckier. Allan listened-not wanting to, but unable to resist-to Will and Djaq who were having a romantic time under the stars. Will's soft murmurs and Djaq's low giggles drifted across the short distance to where Allan lay, not sleeping.
Allan had liked Will from nearly the first moment. He did not trust most people, but there was something about the tall, lanky carpenter's son that rang true. He genuinely liked and trusted Will Scarlett. Will was the first real friend that Allan had met in a long while. Allan had just gotten to a comfortable place with his new friend when she had arrived.
Djaq was unlike anyone Allan had ever met. Eyes like fire, skin like silk, and a mind as quick as his own, but educated as well. Allan respected Djaq, but envied her, too. If he knew the things that she did, he reckoned he would be unstoppable. What a team they could have made! And, she liked him.
Most only saw the superficial man. Allan A' Dale rarely let down his defenses unless he completely trusted someone and he rarely trusted anyone. Djaq saw straight through his paltry defenses, though. She didn't ask to be let in; she just came. For whatever reason, she could read Allan A' Dale like a well-worn book. And yet, she still seemed to like him...all of him, the good and the not-so-good. Allan had thought he was falling in love, but then... It was strange that the two people Allan most trusted, and with whom he felt the most comfortable, found comfort in each other. Once again, Allan A' Dale had found himself on the outside looking in.
A loud giggle followed by a low "shhhh" brought Allan out of his reverie. He was glad that Will and Djaq had found true love, but wished they could be a little quieter about it.
Allan raised up on an elbow and started to shift to his other side. Out of the corner of his eye, he spied Will's tall silhouette. He heard Djaq call to Will to come back to bed, then Will shushed her again. After saying something else-indecipherable to Allan-Will left, walking purposefully toward the hidden entrance of the camp. Now, where is he off to at this time of night? Allan wondered. I wouldn't 'ave left Djaq alone, 'specially not in her current state.
Allan thought about Djaq's current state-naked, excited, and alone. He realized that he was in roughly the same state, or he soon would be. Figuring that he did not have much to lose (except his braies which were suddenly wrapping themselves around him in his frenzy to shed them off), he crept over to where Djaq lay. Slipping easily into Will's recently vacated position, Allan wrapped two strong arms around her and snuggled close for much needed warmth.
"Will! Your hands are like ice!" Djaq exclaimed. "How did you get so cold so quickly?"
Allan murmured something indecipherable and nuzzled the back of Djaq's neck. Something about the man spooning her seemed different-the beard was coarser, the murmured voice had a mischievous lilt, and the hands grasping her were much too smooth and much too fast! She turned and confirmed her suspicion, "Allan A' Dale! What are you doing in my bed?"
"Finally getting warm!" he answered teasingly.
"You...You...Why, you..." Djaq sputtered.
"Calm down, Love. I may be a lot of man, but there's only one of me," Allan cheekily interjected.
Djaq turned quickly and thumped him not-so-lightly on the nose.
"Owwww," Allan laughed and rubbed his affronted proboscis. He couldn't blame Djaq for hitting him. He had expected much worse. She was going to have to try harder than that if she wanted him to leave, though. She felt way too warm...and soft...and... Allan sighed and nestled down under the cover again, pulling a slightly resistant Djaq closer.
"Allan! Aren't you forgetting someone?" Djaq asked incredulously.
"Who?"
"Will! Your friend!" Djaq replied, then let loose a long tirade in her native tongue that Allan could only guess the meaning of, given the current context.
"Is he coming back?" Allan asked, knowing full well what Djaq meant by the comment, but pretending otherwise.
"Of course!"
"Tonight?"
"Yes, tonight!" Djaq stopped herself from going on another tirade when she saw the amused expression on Allan's face and realized that she was being played. "You are incorrigible, Allan A' Dale," she said, lightly pushing him away.
"If incorrigible means 'cold', then yes, I am," he answered, snuggling down for the third time in her bunk. He opened one eye and looked up at Djaq who was trying to conceal herself as best as possible, but who had not asked him to leave. "So, do you want me to go?" he cheekily asked, not moving an inch.
Djaq paused, then smiled. "I guess not. On a night like tonight, more is merrier."
Several parts of Allan A' Dale did simultaneous "flips" at these unanticipated words. Djaq held the covers tightly about her as she lay down on what had been her and Will's bed moments before. Allan threw one lanky leg over and fully engulfed her in a bear-like embrace.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Part Two is posted here.