A small Christmas OQ story for y'all! I hope you like it!
She noticed Storybrooke's streets covered in white with snow as she looked down to the gift she was holding in her hands and headed to one secret special spot in the middle of the forest. She had never been this nervous before.
She has always loved and cherished Christmas's time. Some people would even go beyond as to say she's kinda obsessed with it. She wholeheartedly believed Christmas wasn't a season, but a feeling. Something about this time of the year was always magical. It always made her feel like she's exactly where she's supposed to be, giving her a break from feeling like a fish out of water like she sometimes felt. Christmas songs playing everywhere (on the radio, on commercials in televisions, and in many other places), Christmas ornaments on display in several stores, and the world just seemed one big neighborhood.
Growing up in a town like Storybrooke, in Maine, it taught her how to face the cold and the things she could do to warm up. She learned that things like fleece glove, arm warmers and scarf actually weren't useless and they did help a lot in the winter.
But this year… she was not being able to feel the joy of this fabulous season. Today, she was not even being able to feel the cold. She was wearing pants, boots and just one long sleeved black blouse and she was okay. And it was making 30ºF outside. But giving how apprehensive and agitated she was feeling, the weather was going unnoticed by her.
And the reason of that, of her distress, had a face and a name. A certain blonde, blue eyed man with deep addicted dimples. Robin of Locksley. Her best friend. The man who she was unconditionally in love with, but she did not have courage to tell him yet about it.
Just to make things worse, she was going to have to leave. She was finishing high school, and she was going to move to New York. It was her dream to go to NYU since she was a little girl, and she knew she was going to miss Robin, but she also knew that giving up her dream for someone would only make her resent that person.
She already told him about her decision, and he was not surprised. If her talks about that university and the flyers she had in her bedroom were any indication, he knew she was going to leave sooner or later. And being the awesome and selfless man he was, he supported her and tried to act like he was happy but she could see that deep down he was suffering. After she told him she was for sure going to NYC, they didn't touch in the subject again.
She got closer to the log they named as theirs; hidden between the shrubs, her heart beats increasing with each step she took. She took the shrubs out of the way, marveling at how familiar that movement felt to her, and saw him already sitting in the log. Waiting for her.
It felt like her heart was going to jump out of her chest, and forget it – she was not just feeling butterflies in her stomach. She was feeling the whole damn zoo.
He heard her coming and turned to face her, a smile showing on his face.
"Hi", he greeted, his dimples spreading across his face.
"Hi", she replied and leaned in to hug him.
If she hugged him a little bit longer than normal and if she discreetly let her nose wanders around his skin to feel his smell, who could really blame her?
"No no, no snooping!" he told her when he saw her trying to see what was inside his gift. "Every year you do this and every year I say the same thing" he laughed and she laughed too, and he didn't take his arms around her.
They had known each other since they were in kindergarten, and when they got older, they created a small routine for Christmas. Every year, when it was missing just one more week for that joyful event, they both headed to that same spot and traded gifts.
This year, it was extremely hard for her to pick a gift for him. Because what do you give to someone you know you'll spent a lot of time without seeing them? What do you give to someone you have sort of a limited time to see them?
"Well, in all fairness, you never give me not even a hint of what you're going to give me. You can't blame a girl for being curious. We're naturally curious", she argued.
"And in all fairness, you're even more curious them most of the girls."
"Shut up, you love me." the words were out before she realized what she said.
She looked to his face to see his reaction, and his smile widened, and he tightened his hold on her.
"That I do."
She blushed, and she didn't push any further. She didn't ask if he loved her in the romantic sense too, even though she was dying to know. It wouldn't do any good for them to let their feelings out in the open now. That silly voice inside her head kept telling her, you'll have to leave eventually.
Besides, there was also that strong feeling of never being enough. Of telling Robin about her feelings, but finding out he doesn't feel the same. She wanted to be strong, but she wasn't sure she would be able to live after being rejected by him.
Robin saw how impatient she was, and gave her the gift he bought for her. She opened it, and when she saw what it was, her mouth opened in shook. It was a plane ticket to New York, or better saying, a one-way ticket. A ticket with Robin's name in it.
"Robin, what's going on?" she asked, confused and wide eyed.
"I can't lose you, Regina. I want to go to New York with you, and go to college there."
"Robin, you can't give up your dreams because of me, we've talked about that", she said exasperated.
"My dream is to be wherever you're, Regina." he said softly and took her hands in his. "And I'm not giving up my dreams. Not really. I can do back there what I want to do. I admit I was afraid of leaving my parents, and that's what was holding me back. But my mother assured me that she was going to be fine. I can become a teacher there. I don't have to stay here for that. I already applied to some of the universities there, and… I got in."
She started deep into his eyes, trying to formulate something to say, but she was at loss for words.
"I know it's a lot to take in, but I do need to say something else. I feel like… I might regret if I don't say it now." he caressed her chin and made sure she was looking right at him. "I don't just love you; I'm in love with every single part of you, Regina."
If she thought her heart was beating fast before, it was never compared to the way it was beating after she heard those words. Was she dreaming? Was the man she loved confessing he loved her as well? Was the love she felt for him reciprocal?
"Are you serious, Robin?" her voice gave away the happiness she was feeling.
"I have never been more serious in my entire life, Regina. I don't know if you feel the same, but even if you don't, I don't want to be far away from you and I promise I'll respect you. You're an incredible person. And if you do feel the same, we could…"
Regina stopped him in the middle of the sentence. She grabbed the collar of the jacket he was using, and pushed him to her. Their mouths collided, and it seemed as if the world were fitting, piece by piece, as were their mouths.
It just seemed so right. And delicious.
Robin was paralyzed for a few seconds, but soon he returned the kiss. They stopped to catch some air, and he could see the vulnerability showing on Regina's face. He knew her, and he knew she didn't let that side of her show to everyone. The fact that she trusted him enough to let him see that part of her, spoke volumes to him. It made him fall even harder for her.
He tipped her face to his, traced her lovely features with his eyes. Her smooth long dark hair. Her bright smile. Her shining coffe brown eyes, that had a special sparkle in in. Everything about her was beautiful, especially the inside. He wrapped his arms around her and brought her as close as humanly possible. She willing parted her lips, welcoming, nay, urging his invasion. And he did not disappoint. He explored every bit of it, taking his time swirling his tongue over hers and then letting his tongue trace the shape of her lips. He heard her moan and it only encouraged him to keep going.
He sucked at her bottom lip, and she moaned louder, he was loving to learn every little thing that excited her. A little later they stopped kissing due to the lack of air, and she pulled back just a little to look at his face.
"I'm in love with you too, Robin. I have been for a while." she said quietly but firm.
The alluring dimples showed on his face and he leaned in to give a peck on her lips. She hid her smiling face in the crook of his neck and he dropped a kiss on her forehead.
"There's something else inside where the plane ticket was." he whispered and she looked back at him, surprised.
She unwilling disentangled herself from him and went after the plane ticket to see what else was there too. She took the small package in her hands and took it with her to the log, where Robin was sitting. She sat beside him, and as she was moving to open her gift, she finally started to feel the cold and she was unable to contain the shiver she felt.
Robin noticed it, and immediately took out the thick coat he was wearing and put it around her. Regina felt touched with the gesture and thanked him. She loved that not only she already felt warmer, but also that now she felt surrounded by Robin's scent. And his scent had a calming effect on her.
She took a deep breath and opened her gift, discovering what it was. A silver necklace with a heart key pendant.
"I'm giving you the key to my heart, my love." Robin's voice echoed through the quietness of the woods. "It's yours now."
She felt tears pricking in the corner of her eyes, and she was not able to hold them back. She let them fall freely, just as free as it was her spirit when she was with him.
She leaned forward and hugged him, trying to show in that warm hug how grateful she was to have him in her life.
"And now that you have my heart, I fully intend on stealing yours." she heard him say playfully.
She looked up to him with an indignant smile.
"You can't steal something that's been given to you."
He didn't have a reply to that. He just leaned in and kissed her again. And while they kissed, Regina couldn't help but think "Lucky I'm in love with my best friend". And she knew whatever they were going to face next; they were going to do it together.
There'll be more. I haven't decided yet if I'll write 2 more chapters, or just 1. We'll see. I hope you like this little story as much as I loved writing it. I'm inlovewithlanap in twitter ❤