Alright so apparently I have too much time in my hands and thus I'm doing this one shot. It's supposed to take place during the lost year in the Enchanted Forest and even though the end is kind of open, I will try (try is the key word, as I don't know how NOT to continue stories) to leave it there and pretend that their story continued back in the current story line in the show.
Everything here is a product of my imagination so let's play pretend, okay. Happy reading.
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If it wasn't because she has turned into so much of a cynic to believe that love could touch her again, Regina would have gone ahead a long time ago and admitted to herself that she was in love with him.
Any other person would have acknowledged it already; they would have recognized that strange feeling that made her stomach become a knot whenever he was near for what it really was and they would have definitely taken the hint in the fact that the memory of him was constantly in her mind.
It had always been like that when it came to him; ever since the first time she met him he has been able to turn her world upside down and if there was someone, anyone capable of rattling the foundations of her skepticism, it was him.
True, when they first met, she has been a little wary of him because he plain and simple intimidated her in ways no other man has ever done. Back then, she couldn't quite put her finger on why but as time passed, she realized that it has been due to his reaction towards her.
He wasn't appalled by her, hadn't been taken aback with her imposing presence and instead of acting apprehensive to her more than haughty behavior, he just stood his ground and fired back as only he knew how.
For every sneer from her part he would flash a smirk that only served to make her want to slap it off his face, for every attempt to talk him down in disdain he would reply cheekily in his always amused tone of voice and for each and every one of her snubs he would find a way to turn things around and make her the one needing something from him.
All that had disconcerted her, making her mood become acrid and keeping true to her nature she reacted accordingly, like a cornered wild cat facing a great danger.
So it went like that, she barely played nice to him, that she had to admit… her words were cutting, her attitude lacked warmth and she did her best to treat him as nothing but a thief that nothing had to do meddling with the affairs of a Queen.
But even though she did her best to overlook him, she was never able to completely erase him from her mind. He was like a plague, and acting as such he managed to sneak into her subconscious until she had no choice but to question herself about her inability to understand what was happening to her.
All that started happening within the first few weeks after arriving back to the enchanted Forest, and later when they went their separate ways after those initial days, he faded and hid in the back of her head. But then when she would be last expecting it, he would just appear out of nowhere with a huge grin that never seemed to be meant for her and she would have no choice but to wonder what the hell it was with the man and his ridiculous haircut.
It wasn't until a couple of months passed by that she was able to answer that question, because that's the amount of time that passed by so that the two of them could meet again one on one.
It has been a regular afternoon in the Enchanted Forest, the sun was beaming high in the sky, a fragrant breeze was sweeping through the fields while carrying the sweat aroma of wild flowers and like always, she has been alone in her castle, feeling the loss of Henry deep within her soul.
It has been a particularly bad day, she could still remember how her own sorrow had been dragging her down and wanting to escape such a feeling, she went out to take a breath of fresh air. She ended up riding her horse aimlessly and for hours she was out and about, racing against the wind as a way to escape from the abysm that wanted to suck her in.
It didn't work much as there was no way to escape from her own demons, but when she finally made a stop at a stream so that her horse could drink from it, she heard the distinct sound of giggles and that made her feel in full alert mode.
Upon closer inspection, she discovered that the sound came from no other than Robin Hood and his son; the duo was at the stream playing and as it happened, the oldest of the two noticed her presence almost immediately.
She remembered the day as if it happened yesterday; watching the boy made her heart swell with something she thought was lost and forgotten and when Robin invited her closer she couldn't help but to comply, sitting nearer as she watched them play.
That day he caught her unprepared and vulnerable, and it was basically the day when their story began. From then on, they made it a habit to have Regina come over when Roland played and as the plague that he was, Robin managed to lower her defenses to invade her system.
It all happened gradually, Robin cracked her walls down and little by little he sneaked it. To that day Regina still didn't know what happened, but sometimes she liked to think that he managed in because he gave her something she has been denied for long years, someone with whom she could truly talk without being judged.
That's how it all happened, and then one good day, possessed by something she couldn't quite recognize, she ended up kissing him.
It has been something unplanned and spontaneous and so unlike her that she saw it as refreshing; in her high she even saw it as a way to start over and things just started flowing on their own.
So yes, despite the void in her heart that Henry's absence still provoked, she has been happy with Robin… but it was during her time with the man when she lost herself.
To that day she still didn't know how to put it into words, she just knew that she let him take reigns over her feelings and that was something that she didn't do. She could give him anything else he wanted, but not that.
But back to that time, Regina wasn't even aware that he has become master and conqueror of her heart, at least not until one day when she went to their usual meetings and found that Robin had left Roland with his Merry Men so that they could be on their own.
Never before had the two of them been completely alone and as it was to be expected, they took the opportunity given. It all started with a few long kisses that took both of their breaths away and soon after things escalated until clothes got disposed and they ended up entangled in the sweet after-match of their union.
It was then, with him still inside of her and with her lips on his shoulder when she saw it in his skin, the lion tattoo that has been prophesied such a long time ago.
But as if that wasn't enough, giving one final thrust he said the words, he told her that he loved her and that was the drop that made the glass overspill. Confused and more than a little freaked out, Regina remained mute and immobile; staring at the skies until Robin finally withdrew from her and dozed off by her side.
It was then, when he wasn't aware, when the raven haired woman did what she did best, she ran away. She waited until he was fully asleep and then in the cover of the night she gathered her things and disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.
All that happened more than six months ago. A lot of moons have gone by since she out of the blue ran from him and as it turned out, things hadn't changed much. He could still provoke a torrent of unknown feelings to wash over her and she still reacted the same way, by running away.
Quickening her steps and hoping the exit door could magically appear out of nowhere, Regina ran her fingers down her neck and clenched her jaw until it hurt. It was ridiculous that she was running from him once again, she was very aware of that, but after spotting him among the crowd attending the Charming's Enchanted Forest version of a baby shower, she had no other choice but to flee.
Has he seen her? She was almost positive that he did and that's why she was making such an exit… because of him and because the stupid Charmings had magic banned from their castle and thus she couldn't just disappear.
She knew she shouldn't have gone out of her own castle… she knew it.
But it was what it was, and as it happened when it came to Robin, after the night she left him near the stream, they hadn't spoken or seen each other.
She just made herself unavailable for him; she ignored his call the few times he went knocking at her door and she basically hid in her castle. That night was actually the first time she saw him after she abruptly ended their story.
Now, if it wasn't because of her skepticism, she would believe that life was coming in full circle and that faith was the one that brought them together, after all what were the chances of him intercepting her outside the castle the first time she was out? But no, she didn't believe in faith or destiny and the only thing she could think was that life was such a bitch, always putting her in situations she would rather avoid.
"I always wondered that if the moment ever came, if the first thing you were going to show me was your back while running away. I had a feeling that yes, that would be the case but I don't know… I'm kind of disappointed that I was right."
At the sound of that familiar voice, Regina stopped dead in her tracks and smiled a biter smile. "Hood." She said while turning around, hoping that he would take on the hint that she wasn't calling him by his given name.
"Regina." He said in a voice that was anything but amicable and with the full intensity of his eyes fixed entirely on her until she started to feel uncomfortable. "I see you got spew out of the whole you were hiding in. And it just took you half a year, how good is that?"
Pursing her lips, Regina just closed her eyes momentarily and swallowed hard down. Yes, she hadn't expected him to be entirely courteous with her, but it still stung in places she didn't want to acknowledge that they had turned into this.
It was her fault, she was aware of that, but the thing was that what was done was done and the only thing they could do was move on and keep living their lives.
She knew for sure that he did, so why shouldn't she do the same?
Opening her eyes and tilting her head up, The Queen shrugged. She has never been a woman who would shy away while facing adversity so she played the best card she had in hand, indifference.
"What can I say? It's been such busy months for me. I lost track of time."
"I bet it has. So tell me-" He said somberly while taking a few steps towards her and Regina just knew that he was going straight for the jugular and that was going to make the situation very uncomfortable.
"Can you explain to me why did you left without even saying a word?"
Ah, not so bad as she was expecting. Sure, she still didn't feel ready to talk motives with him but this wasn't as bad as she knew it could be.
"Robin, just let it go. It's been a such a long time and-"
Before she could finish talking, the former Outlaw took a step closer to her and chuckled. The sound was very familiar to her, it was the kind of thing he would do when he found something to be extremely ridiculous.
"Let it go you say?" He chuckled again, his hand lifting up so that he could run the ball of his thump down the ridge of his nose. "You disappeared without saying a word and you want me to let it go?"
Taking notice on the way his clear blue eyes were blazing, Regina shook her head. "Oh come on, you knew where I was so don't make it sound like you thought I was dead."
Opening his mouth and then closing it shut again, Robin snorted while moving his hand to his hair. "You are so insufferable that it's unbelievable."
"Then I would say good riddance on your part." She replied, the words coming out as forced and beaten into submission. "Anyway, now that you corroborated that I'm alive and insufferable as always, why don't-"
Robin interrupted her once again by reaching for her head and pulling it towards him. The motion wasn't the most gentle but she still made no protest, and when his mouth pressed harshly against hers she just melted into the kiss and handed him the reins of her feelings once again.
Maybe he always had them, maybe she never truly moved on, she wasn't sure… the only thing that she knew was that when Robin kissed her right there in the middle of that corridor, she had no choice but to kiss him back.
The feeling of his tongue moving against hers still had the potency of clouding all rational thought and his taste was so familiar that she suddenly didn't know how she has managed to live without it; it was as if everything was clicking back into place… as if the last few months has been nothing but a bad dream and things between them were perfectly fine. For a few seconds it didn't matter that he was the man with Lion tattoo… it didn't even mattered that he believed he loved her.
Or at least that was the silly thought running through her mind the moment he pulled away.
"I searched for you everywhere." He hissed, not quite pulling away from her so that his breath was a hot caress against her lips. His hands were still on her too, holding the back of her head so that he could tilt her face towards him. "I was going out of my mind and you didn't even bother to care."
Sensing the anger and frustration in his voice but choosing to ignore it, Regina snorted and tried to turn things around. It was easier that way… "Don't play victim here, I gave you what you were looking for that day so what's the big deal? It was clear that you only wanted to get in my pants so be happy that at least you got what you worked so hard to get."
"No, no… don't even try to pull that out of your sleeve, Regina; you know perfectly fine that I wanted more from you than to get in your bed. You know I loved you."
Love, that word again. It made her cringe and she tried to pull away from him. Was she going to run? She wasn't sure, but all of a sudden having him so close was unbearable.
"Get your hands off; I don't want to make a scene here." She ended up saying when he wouldn't let her go.
"So you can end up running again? No, I want to know why you left. I think I deserve at least that." He hissed, his fingers burying into her hair as his forehead pressed hard against hers.
Shaking her head, Regina closed her eyes shut. This was a conversation she didn't want to have; not in that moment and not ever. She wasn't ready… maybe she never would be ready.
"Tell me."
"Don't do this." She mumbled, feeling too weak. Where was the strong woman everyone knew her to be? Why did she always succumb for him?
"Was it because of somebody else?" He asked, his voice almost cracking and his fingers tightening.
"No." She said at once, her eyes opening so that they could get lost in his intense stare. In that moment, she felt as if the whole world didn't exist, as if they were the only ones left. "It wasn't that."
"Then why?" He asked in frustration and she felt something tugging at her heart. Was it love? No, she didn't believe in love… but that she didn't believe in it didn't mean that she was incapable of feeling it again.
"I…" Shaking her head, she took in a deep breath and rested her hands against his chest.
Robin closed the gap that separated them and kissed her lips briefly. "Wasn't I enough for you?"
"It wasn't that."
"Then what was it?" He hissed against her lips and Regina had to swallow on dry.
"I was afraid."
Yeah… as soon as she saw the tattoo and then heard the words love she freaked out and ran away without looking back. It has been a stupid move since getting away didn't stop her from having feelings for him, but it was the only thing she knew how to do. Run.
"I was afraid of the way I felt for you and I didn't know what else to do. All I knew was that I didn't want to feel like that so I tried to make the feelings go away by leaving you behind."
Pushing the corner of his lips with the tip of his tongue, Robin blinked his eyes slowly as he looked down on her. "Did it work?"
Blinking rapidly, Regina thought about it and then she shook her head.
Robin smiled, but his smile wasn't one born out of happiness. It was a bitter smile, one that made her heart stop for a second. "Good, now you'll feel how it is to love someone and have them turn their back on you."
With that said, he took a few steps back and then he turned around and started walking away. Regina just watched him, her eyes stinging and her lips trembling.
If it wasn't because she didn't believe in such things, she would think that her heart just broke into a million pieces…
FIN