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Here is my little contribution into the OQ prompt party. It's gonna be a multi-chapter so just hand in there with me. It's an AU based on prompt 51 which sets the background for the story. Day 1: prompt 160 (Blind date).Thank you Shay for your help beta skills.I hope you like it. Let me know what y'all think.
Disclaimer: the characters are not mine, the story is based on tge prompts.
OQ BELONGS TO US THE FANS!
Chapter 1. Come What May.
He is cheating on her. Robin, her devoted husband, her one and only, the father of her kids has been cheating on her with someone. Regina Mills-Locksley is sure of that. She doesn't quite know how long ago this started but he's been acting weird for at least two weeks. And she states as much, just let's her fears pour out of her, puts all the emotions that have been brewing inside for a few days now into this bitter declaration of their downfall. She watches her friend's eyes go wide.
"How can you say that?!"
Mary Margaret can't but gasp leaning closer towards Regina over the café table.
"He loves you." She all but whispers.
It's afternoon and the café is crowded with people who are here to grab some lunch. But Regina is here definitely not for food. She isn't here to keep quiet either. She's here to get it all out, to share with someone. Anyone for God's sake really and if it has to be Mary Margaret of all people then so be it. She is a chatterbox and can be a gossip at times but what are Regina's options? After all she is one of her best friends and Regina hasn't got many to begin with as she's not the one to trust people easily. So there are only two has been like that for a while. Mal has been her friend much longer than Mary Margaret sure but Regina'd rather cut her hand off than discuss such sensitive issues with her, the woman is a hurracane and has never really been a fan of marriage to start with. Her other friend is married, has been married for quite some time and they seem to have been able to maintain all the feelings for each other, her husband and her. So Mary Margaret it is.
"Not anymore apparently."
Regina lets out a bitter chuckle and takes half a sip of her coffee.
It's obvious that her friend is shocked. Hell, she is still shocked herself, she thinks. But Mary Margaret's facial expression softens as she grabs one of Regina's hands and leans in slightly more forward again. Regina is sure that once on it she won't let it go now.
"But how do you know? Are you sure? Is there any proof?"
"Well, no, not exactly." And Regina hears her friend let out a breath of relief she was holding with a whoosh. "But he hasn't been himself lately and ..."
"That,-" Mary Margaret says matter of factly interrupting her friend, "- could be a lot of things, you know. That doesn't prove anything."
"Since when are you more on his side rather than mine?"
"Well, you tend to exaggerate things, you know that yourself! I'm sure you got upset and your mind took you to the worst scenario ever."
"Not this time I can assure you." Regina states defeatedly feeling the hot prickle behind her eyes the tell tale of tears that are about to come. Her friend squeezes her hand lightly.
"Tell me." She urges.
Regina thought that she was not the one to pour her soul out and definitely not in a public place like they are at right now. But they both work and she needed someone to talk to as soon as possible. She should have waited till after work and have them meet somewhere more secluded but that would be nearly impossible they both have kids. Damn, she should have waited till the weekend but her heart broke into hundreds little pieces when she say a message light up on his phone screen this morning while he was in the shower. "See you tonight at 6, lover boy." It read. He has never been the one for nicknames so she must have him right round her little finger.
"Did she really write "lover boy"? I don't think Robin would like that..."
"It was written in black and white clear as day on his display. And this little bitch's name is something like Tilda or Tina... No, wait, that's not it...Tink! "
"Tink? Seriously? That's a really weird name. Sounds more like a nickname rather than a real name. Did you ask Robin about all of this?"
"No! Of course I did not." She feels wetness gather at the corners of her eyes, these are angry tears but she promised herself she won't cry not in front of all these people in a café. "But I did ask him when he got off work tonight. And you know what he said, the bastard..."
"Regina!"
"That bastard said they were working late tonight and he would be home no sooner than 8 p.m."
"That's so much not like Robin."
"It's not." She scoffs. "But than you can't really argue with facts either."
"I'm still not buying it. I'm sure there's a reason behind all that..."
"Why are you so protective of him?"
But Regina has to remind herself that even though Marry Margaret is HER friend she has seemed to be HIS advocate starting day one. Memories flood her now and they hurt, oh how much they hurt her now.
11 years ago.
"Oh, no!"
Regina pulls her pixie haired friend aside as soon as she notices another man sitting beside David at their table in a restaurant. It is their usual Friday night date when Regina as always has to tolerate these two love sick teenagers make mooneyes at each other and hold hands under the table as if they aren't adults. It's torture, sure, but having someone else with them is even worse. What ideas has Mary Margaret got in this head of hers? But then she just peeks out to cast a glance at the stranger and when she looks back at her friend she sees everything written on her face with heart eyes and a silly smile.
"No." She repeats sternly. "I can't believe you are trying to hook me up with someone. Again."
But the reality is she can believe. It's Mary Margaret for goodness sake.
"Come on, Regina, he is cute and a very nice guy."
"Haven't we been down this particular lane already?" Regina says in that whiny voice which is so uncharacteristic of her.
"That was different." Mary Margaret grabs both of Regina's hands brings them together and gives them a little comforting squeeze. "He is nothing like Graham."
Regina doesn't say anything just lifts one of her perfectly sculptured eyebrows trying to make a point.
"He is NOT."
"That hardly changes anything."
"Why don't you want to give anyone else a chance that's beyond me? Graham was simply a douchebag who didn't appreciate what he had."
Regina can't agree more with that so she only says ayes, that he was and thank you, but her friend keeps talking full of righteous anger now.
"The fact that he, after what 2 years together, cheated on you with the first hot slutty looking blond he met at his work doesn't mean that every man in your life will be like him."
"Let's just drop that topic. I don't want to talk about Graham right now or any other guy in my life for that matter."
"I'm sorry if I stepped on any sore toes. I just wanted you to know that Robin is nothing like that."
Mary Margaret gives Regina a warm hopeful smile, her eyes shining with both encouragement and excitement.
Regina takes a step back out of her friend's hold leaning against the wall and protectively crosses her arms in front of her.
"So Robin, huh? Is he another co-worker of David's from the police station?"
"No, he isn't. Not at all. He is his friend from England. "
Now that's something Regina didn't expect. She has never really seen herself with anyone from a different country and she can't imagine moving with the job at a magazine she has recently been able to get.
"England?" She furrows her brows. "You know what I think about long distance relationships."
But Mary Margaret is already waving her hand in front of her dismissing her concerns.
"Well, they met a while ago during that leap year David took before he joined the police academy. But Robin lives in the US now. He moved a few years ago to California and now he wants to move to New York!"
"So why exactly do you want me to go out with him? And don't tell me he needs a place to stay and is looking for a roommate because I'm not a charity organization and I'm not sharing my apartment with anyone."
"No, it's not that. I think he has already rented a place and got himself a job. He is a nice guy and a lot of fun. David thinks very highly of him."
Impressive Regina thinks to herself but Mary Margaret doesn't need to hear that.
"So what does all that have to do with me?"
"Don't be silly, Regina. I thought you could use a nice guy in your life right now. A guy who can be attentive and caring and chivalrous and..."
"Uh huh. And?"
"And we both know you need to get laid soon otherwise you get very edgy and God forbid start killing people some time very soon if that doesn't happen."
"I DO NOT! And I most certainly will not do THAT!" She smirks then. "Well, maybe just a few."
Mary Margaret just shakes her head smiling at her friend.
"We'd better head to the boys otherwise soon it'll start to look a bit rude, don't you think?"
"Do I have to?" Regina finds herself whining which is a bit embarrassing quite frankly as she doesn't do that. But she was really hoping for a quiet evening when she could just be and unwind a bit, not a blind date she is apparently being subjected to at the moment.
"Stop it." Her friend frowns chastening her. "You will go there, you'll meet the guy and you will enjoy yourself. "
In just a moment they get to the table, introductions are made. Robin and Regina shake hands. He even moves the chair for her so he's a gentleman after all. Robin turns out to be very sociable and with a sense of humour that Regina seems to enjoy. She feels at ease with him against her own expectations and almost against herself. She wishes he wasn't so charming or funny or so attractive for that matter. She wishes he didn't have that toothy grin that all of a sudden warms all of her insides or those stupid dimples that make him look so young almost boyish and draw her attention to his mouth every time he smiles. His voice timbre and his accent that seem to hypnotise her in a way that she has to concentrate on what he is saying instead of just getting too much satisfaction from hearing his voice and she still misses half of what he says anyway because of the way he looks at her. And every time their eyes lock she feels that traitorous blush creep up her cheeks but she simply can't help it.
Robin shares some funny stories from back in the day when him and David just met. David's also quick to return the favor. Then David, Mary Margaret and Regina also share some funny moments from shared past. The conversation runs easy. They're done with diner now and had a bottle of wine between the four of them. Regina is grateful Mary Margaret didn't just ditch her alone with Robin. Their getting to know each other is in a more natural environment instead of a tense one. She finds that she likes Robin, very much if she has to admit and that irritates her. He is funny but he's also cheeky and sharp tongued. She likes that but she also hates that. And he is good-looking, ridiculously so and he isn't even her type if she's being honest but she can't do anything about the way she is attracted to him and that's... unsettling, irritating... she has to stop casting lingering glances his way, she doesn't do that. Regina can't remember a time when she was so taken by a man, well, there was Daniel but it was her first crush and she was sixteen back then.
"So, tell me, is there anything you like to do for fun or are you usually more reserved like now?" She hears Robin ask her these dimples winking at her as he gives her a small smile.
"I'm not reserved!" She points out. "I'm just not as reckless as you are."
"But you are." Mary Margaret pipes. "It's so hard to get you out these days."
"That's because I work. I just recently got my job, I enjoy it and I would very much like to keep it."
"We all work, Regina, but it seems like you've forgotten how to really have fun."
Why does Mary Margaret have to be so blunt all the time? Regina feels getting annoyed by her. It's not good as she tends to lose her temper almost every time she starts to feel a person get on her nerves.
"Says my only friend who does gardening for fun." She fires back at her.
"What wrong with gardening?! I love growing new things and it's relaxing. Plus, David and I do lots of stuff for fun together and you usually prefer to close yourself at home and use it as your fortress to push people off."
Mary Margaret looks offended now but so is Regina. How can she say stuff like that in front of a stranger?!
"I don't push anyone off. I have plenty of friends I hang out with."
"Once in a blue moon?"
It's David who interrupts their little banter.
"Now now, ladies, I think we all could use a little bit of more fun in our lives."
"So what do you enjoy doing?"
Regina feels Robin's hand cover hers. It startles her a bit and she has to withdraw her hand.
"I..."
Their eyes lock again, blue on brown. His eyes are warm and caring. It does things to her she can't really explain.
"Regina likes to dance but she'd never confess that." Mary Margaret jumps in.
"Mary Margaret!" Regina feels anger start to flare inside her again.
"It's true. She went to a dance school when she was little and then took some dancing classes when growing up. She's pretty good."
"So you like to dance?" She hears Robin's voice over her boiling emotions and it's so comforting, so calming. She just wants to close her eyes and lose herself in his soothing voice, in him.
"I do but..."
"See, there's always a 'but'." Mary Margaret states and the magical soothing bubble is broken.
But Robin covers Regina's hand with his again and gives her a little squeeze. She doesn't withdraw it this time. He puts a finger to his lips looking at Mary Margaret telling her to keep quiet but with a little wink.
"So what do you say to going to a nightclub right now and proving these two wrong by showing them just all the right moves?"
It's a dare. Regina can see that mischievous sparkle in Robin's eyes and bites her lip. She wants to say yes but the thing is she doesn't go to nightclubs. In fact she has never been to one but she would never confess that now.
"She'd never..."
"I'd love to."