Part III

Prompt: 91. Robin asks Henry to be his best man

When school finishes, Henry is surprised to see none other than Robin waiting for him at the fence right next to the yellow school bus. It's not uncommon for his mom to send Robin to pick him up but usually she will tell him in advance. The man is dressed as always. Dark brown pants combined with the green jacket and a hoodie underneath.

"I thought you'd be taking the bus home with us, Henry!" Violet says surprised when she sees Robin. "Isn't that your… uh… Robin Hood?"

"It is. Perhaps something important came up and mom sent him to pick me up from school. I will see you tomorrow morning, Vi, right?"

The girl grins and nods. It looks like she wants to say something else, doesn't dare to, instead, she is fidgeting with the zipper of her backpack. Henry bites his lower lip, not ready to leave her standing like this even though he knows she won't be alone on the bus. Before he can think twice, he's pressing a quick kiss onto her cheek, mouthing a quick 'bye' and running off into Robin's direction, not daring to look back. He doesn't hear her gasp, nor does he see how she slightly blushes and presses her hand onto the spot where he just kissed her. Instead, Henry focuses on Robin, who looks rather nervously around until he finally spots him.

"Henry."

"I didn't know you were going to pick me up. Mom didn't say anything this morning." He lets his backpack dangle down from just one shoulder, hands stuffed into the pockets of his pants. Robin takes a moment to reply, seemingly looking for an answer before he lets out a sigh.

"It uh… was kind of last minute. I thought we could go and have lunch at Granny's?" To Henry, all of this sounds more than suspicious, but who is he to turn down lunch at his favorite diner on the only day school's out early for his grade. He and his mom used to do it on a regular basis before the curse broke and everything went downhill. Maybe he should ask her to consider making it a regular thing again. But first of all he has to find out what Robin wants.

"Burgers, milkshakes and a sundae for dessert?"

"Anything you like," the archer answers and Henry wonders if his mom knows about this. Probably not. She'd never let him have all three and would insist on at least a side salad or a bunch of other greens. Ew. This must be something big. Robin either wants to bribe him or has done something he thinks needs bribing. Perhaps Roland stole one of his comics once again… Anyway, who is he to look a gift horse in the mouth?

They do small talk on the way to Granny's. Nothing big really, rather safe topics like 'How was school?' and 'How is Roland?' or 'Do you think you can finally teach me how to shoot an arrow any time soon?' Henry babbles a little, tells Robin about his day, about the good grade he received in a writing assignment, but somehow forgets to mention the math test he only passed because Violet let him copy her answers.

Granny's is busy as always, however when they enter, some of the dwarves are just leaving, so Henry quickly slides into the favored booth before anyone else can sneak it away from them. The moment Ruby gets to them to note down their order, he tries to push it by ordering a double cheeseburger with a side of fries, fried onion rings, extra ketchup and a large strawberry milkshake - his mom would have his head if she knew - while Robin sticks with the usual macaroni and cheese plus a small beer. The moment Henry sees him order alcohol; he just knows something is going on. Ruby just raises an eyebrow at both of them but doesn't say anything. They'll have to make it up to her with a hefty tip in the end in order to make sure she won't mention anything to his mom the next time.

Robin only picks at his food while Henry wolfs down everything just a little too fast. He's considering whether to ditch half of the onion rings for the sundae, but then again, he's a growing boy. Better eat it now than regret it later. So when Ruby clears their table, Henry orders a double chocolate sundae for dessert and the moment Robin doesn't say anything he feels like he just has to be the one to make the first step.

"So, Robin," he starts, taking a sip of his milkshake. "Will you finally tell me what's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Robin asks, but is given away by scratching his chin, a habit his mom once told him he only does when he's nervous.

"Really? Picking me up from school, Granny's, letting me order everything I want… I might be a teenager but I'm not stupid. Mom would have my head if she knew I had all this for lunch plus a sundae."

"I should have said no to the sundae, should I?" the former thief chuckles before he takes a deep sigh. "You're very perceptive for your age."

"Not really. I just think it's funny adults still think they can bribe me with my favorite food and letting me have my way," the teenager smirks, finishing the last bit of his milkshake.

"It's working though, is it?"

"I won't tell if you won't," Henry grins with a wink, pushing the glass away from him. Okay. He's really full and maybe he shouldn't have gotten the sundae. But it's ice cream damn it, it'll fit into his stomach somehow.

"You're right. I wanted to talk to you, Henry. Maybe I should have made a better plan on how to do this…"

Henry's curious now. Whatever it is, it must be big because he's never seen Robin nervous like this. He, the legendary thief who steals from the rich to give to the poor has never been nervous in front of him. "I'm all ears. Shoot. Did Roland rip out a page from one of my comics?"

Robin's eyes shot up. "What? No! No, Roland has given every comic back he hoarded under his pillow. He practices reading with them, so… No. I wanted to talk to you about your mom... Regina."

"Is she okay?" is Henry's first question, because Robin wouldn't make such a drama if it weren't something serious.

"What? Oh, yes, she's fine; she's at the mayor's office. No, I want to talk to you about something that concerns all of us… and I thought of a million ways to say it, but I don't really know how right now." The young man waits, doesn't say anything just listens. It doesn't really seem to help Robin who takes a good long sip of his beer, closing his eyes before he pulls up his sleeve to uncover the lion tattoo. "You know what this is?"

"Yeah, it's the lion tattoo," Henry now answers, wondering where the archer is trying to go with this. He has an idea but doesn't say anything just yet. Perhaps he's completely wrong about it… he hopes not.

"That's right. It's a family crest and I got it on my sixteenth birthday by my father's request. To me, it stands for everything I am, or rather, everything I used to be before I took off and became a better person, the person I am today." He pauses, looking at Regina's son, considering how to go on. "There used to be a time I wished I could get it removed for any price. But then I met your mother."

"According to the tattoo, you're soul mates." Henry knows the story, he's read it a million times and every time he wishes he could just take his pen and change her fate, have them meet before Regina became evil.

"It's true. According to the tattoo and the pixie dust Tinkerbell scattered, we are soul mates. But you know what? I loved your mom before I knew we were soul mates and I think we are meant to be together. Not just by fate, but also by choice."

Henry bites his lip, almost ready to say something about the whole Marian or rather Zelena thing, but he keeps his mouth shut. He knows why Robin did it and his mom has forgiven him for it. That's all that counts.

"Henry, I know what you're thinking. That I hurt her, that I'm not worthy of her… And I agree. I'm not."

"I never said that," Henry protests. "I know you love my mom and she loves you back. You're fated to be together and you make her happy."

"I try to. That's why I wanted to talk to you. Henry… I very much would like to marry your mother, if you will give me your blessing."

The teenager looks up; surprised he would even be asked such a question. He likes Robin a lot, Roland is like a little brother to him and looking at it all, they're a family. His mother has been happy ever since they came back, she's smiling, laughing… who is he to stand in the way of her happiness? Realizing Robin is holding his breath, still waiting for an answer, he smiles.

"I think I like the idea very much. Do you have a ring yet?"

"No…" Robin admits, "I didn't want to jump in front of the wagon. I thought… maybe you and Roland could give me your input on the ring thing. If you can keep the whole proposal thing a secret."

"Talk to Roland, not me. He tells mom everything the moment she bribes him with cookies." Quite an annoying habit, but Henry had gotten around to it by promising him double the cookies if he resisted Regina. Robin chuckles at that, knows how much of a sucker his son is for Regina's baked goods. Like father like son… though he rather is a sucker for, well… other things.

Ruby brings the sundae with two spoons and a grin on her face. Of course the wolf has overheard their conversation, but she doesn't say anything. Good.

Just a second before Henry digs his spoon into the sundae, Robin asks him to wait, well, because there is another thing he has to ask. "One more thing, Henry… Will you be my best man?"

This time the boy seems honestly surprised at the archer's choice. Robin has thought about it a lot, the first thought had gone to John or Tuck, men he's known forever, but on second thought, Henry would become his stepson. Nothing much would change, he already loves him like a son, but it's still a step up. So his decision has been made. The only other thing he needs is an answer.

Henry blinks, once, twice, before a sincere smile spreads over his face.

"I would love to. Cheers!" He digs his spoon into the ice cream, taking a mouthful. Today couldn't get any better. He got the greasiest lunch he's had in weeks and his mom is one step closer to the happy ending she finally deserves.

Xxxxx

Weeks later the day they let the wooden coffin down into the cold, dark earth, his mind wanders back to this day, thinking how wrong he'd been.