Robin and the Red Crow

Chapter Twenty-Eight - Spilled Tea

Robin hurriedly removed Holly's winter clothes, frantically checking her for injuries from the collision. Fortunately, aside from some additional bruises and abrasions on her arms and legs, she seemed relatively unharmed. Robin let out a sigh of relief when Holly started to shiver from the cold, a sign of life after she had laid motionless in his arms. Robin slowly stood to his feet, lifting her carefully, as he carried her back into her room, tucking her under the heavy duvet and  black-and-red tulip quilt atop her bed.

Holly's room mirrored the grandeur of the rest of the house, but on an even more dizzying scale, Mirrors and paintings covered the walls, reaching up to a meticulously painted mural of a cloudy summer sky on the ceiling. Strings of diamonds and stones hung from the ceiling, glittering in the artificial light of the numerous decorative lamps that adorned nearly every surface. A cluttered vanity in one corner was covered in various makeup vials and powders. It's mirror was so dirty that Robin cringed, almost wondering if he might clean it before she woke up. The rest of the room was also a mess, with clothes and shredded paper (Robin couldn't tell if it was Cookie's mess or Holly's) scattered across the floor, immune to the magic floorboards that typically swept messes away.

Trying not to be distracted, Robin dashed downstairs, using the pile of mail and firewood to kindle a large fire in the parlor's fireplace. He then hurried into the kitchen, grabbed a kettle, and set the water to boil for a tea to warm them both up.

Robin had just started back up the stairs, when he saw Holly at the top, slowly descending in her chemise with the tulip quilt wrapped around her shoulders.

"How are you feeling?" Robin asked, retreating backward down the steps, ready to catch her if she suddenly fell unconscious again.

"I'm fine now, thank you...and thank you for healing me," Holly , focusing on the stairs, her eyes not meeting his. "I took quite a nasty tumble there," she added, attempting to minimize her experience in the frightening situation they both just experienced.

"Of course. I am so glad you are alright. Um... and you were—?"

"I was the bird, yes," Holly confirmed, reaching the bottom of the stairs, and walking past Robin into the parlor.

"Oh," Robin replied awkwardly, uncertain what to say, especially since he had tried so aggressively to fight the bird that had scooped him up. As if in apology, he quickly caught up and extended his hand for her to hold as they made their way toward the fire in the parlor.

"I meant to get us all the way to Sunshine Acres," Holly explained, laughing lightly as she pulled a blanket from the settee and laid it in front of the fireplace. "But I should have told you what I was planning so you wouldn't be so scared as to use your necklace."

"What does that mean?" Robin asked, sensing there was a deeper meaning behind her words as he watched her settle by the fire and begin to warm her hands.

"Well, the magic in my heart stone is tied to my abilities. Since it's broken, I only get extra strength from the nearby pieces. When you used the magic in your necklace to call for me, it drained some of the energy I needed to get us home. And since my magic is connected to my life force, I ended up fall unconscious from overexerting my magic."

"Oh..." Robin mumbled, feeling a pang of guilt at causing her accident. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I should have told you I planned on transforming into a big scary bird to carry you. I wasn't thinking very clearly in that moment," Holly replied, suddenly coughing as her face flushed, obviously recalling the kiss she'd given him in her haste. "So,I'm sorry too...Good thinking with the transportation spell," she added, steering the conversation to a new subject. "Otherwise, we might not have made it."

"Yes, well... I'm glad you had some magic left to use it."

"Me too," Holly mumbled with a light laugh.

The kettle whistled in the kitchen, and Robin quickly fetched their tea. When he returned, the two sat by the fire in comfortable silence, sipping the warm drink and soaking in the healing heat of the crackling fire.

"You know," Robin said, breaking the silence between them." If you need to, you can always give me more, if you want. I will try to take good care of it. "

Holly tilted her head, eyes still fixed on the fire. "More?"

Robin pulled the necklace from under his shirt, turning it over in his fingers as he eyed the small pieces of green stone that made up the Ivy leaves on the dark metal whistle.

"I just mean, I'll do my best to protect any part of your heart you give me. I know I don't have much magic, but I-I'm pretty handy with a scalpel, and I know the easiest ways to kill a man, medically speaking, so I think I could manage on my own... And- Well, if it would help you be stronger... I'd carry your whole heart, if you'd let me."

Robin was rambling, and he knew it. His heart was beating so nervously in his ears that he felt he couldn't hear his own thoughts before they tumbled out of his mouth in this horrific confession.

Holly watched him fiddle with the necklace, her eyes distant as she looked back into her mug of tea, and exhaled slowly. 

Each moment without a response felt like an eternity, the embarrassment of Robin's offer tightening in his chest. He knew it hadn't been long since her last heartbreak, and maybe he had no right to ask this of her...But after everything they'd just been through, he felt like this was the right moment to try.

"I—" Holly began, her gaze shifting back to the fire. "I'd be happy to give you as much as you're willing to carry.""

Robin laughed in relief, causing Holly's attention to snap to his face in suprised confusion.

"Sorry, I just—" Robin chuckled as he shook his head, leaning forward to softly place a hand on her knee, looking into Holly's deep green eyes with a small smile.

"Holly, your heart isn't nearly the burden that others have made it out to be."

Holly's lips parted as if she were about to argue,  her eyes darted back and forth to search through his gaze. As if something in them might reveal a hidden truth behind his words.

"In fact, you know, I—" Robin started, lifting his hand, and accidentally knocking over her mug, spilling the hot tea onto her legs. "Ah—oops! I'm sorry. Oh I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to—" Robin had to stop himself, as he chuckled awkwardly, mortified at how he'd ruined the otherwise perfect romantic moment. 

Robin carefully leaned over her to quickly press his thumb against her skin where the tea had burned it, when he felt a gentle tug on his necklace as it dangled from his neck.

Robin looked down, following the path of the chain, and found Holly holding it, her fingers toying with the green stones as she twirled the whistle charm back and forth between them..

Holly's eyes met his, and her other hand slowly rose to rest on Robin's, which still lay on her leg. His thumb still pressed into her skin where the burn used to be.

Holly slowly pulled at the necklace, drawing him closer, the warmth of their breath on the other becoming more of a healing comfort than that of the fire before them.

Her gaze made it clear what she wanted. To kiss him, and not stop kissing, him... if he wanted.

Which is precisely what Robin wanted.

So that's exactly what she did.