Merry Christmas to everyone who is celebrating! May your holidays be merry and filled with peace and love! I hope you'll enjoy this short one-shot of Sightless and Soundless OQ's first Christmas together!
Nice reading!
Sightless and Soundless: Christmas
After losing her sight, Regina has never thought that she would ever celebrate Christmas again. Daniel was gone, and so was Henry – thousands of kilometers that separated them seemed insurmountable for a very exhausted and heartbroken Regina.
She thought she would live in darkness forever, not only physically but emotionally as well.
It's funny how things can change in a year, Regina thinks as she closes the book on her lap. Quiet snores that are echoing through the room make a small smile spread across her face as she rubs her hand lightly over Henry's leg covered by a thick blanket.
Just last year she had only a small chance of seeing her son every now and then, and this year with a little push and some convincing, Emma let him spend the Christmas Eve at Regina's place. To say that Regina was ecstatic would be an understatement.
Slowly she gets up from the bed and makes her way towards the bed-head, trying to make as little noise as possible. Stretching her hand in front of herself she finds Henry's shoulder and gingerly leans over to place a kiss on top of his head. It's taken her a lot of practice to do it without waking him up, but she's getting better at this whole thing, she's finally learning how to live and be a mom again.
"Merry Christmas, my little prince," she whispers into the darkness, her heart clenching in her chest from the joy she feels deep inside.
Once she's out of his room, she makes her way to the living room. The quiet Christmas music is playing on the radio and her smile only widens when she hears Robin humming a song of his own, completely oblivious of the fact that the radio is on.
She stops for a moment and just listens to his incredible voice, amazed by how wonderful he sounds while living in the world of complete silence.
She feels a sudden wave of emotions wash over her and she quickly shakes her head to herself, reminds herself that she made a promise not to cry. She can be sentimental tomorrow and the whole next year but tonight she'll let herself be happy.
Still, a tiny tear rolls down her cheek but she quickly wipes it away, assures herself that one tear from happiness is not a bad thing (she's spent half the day all choked up).
Just last year Regina was so unsure of letting someone into her life. She was uncertain of everything that was happening to her, she was dependent on people, Mal especially who took her to the doctor appointments and rehearsals.
And now she is celebrating Christmas with her son while Robin is humming a jolly melody in her living room, making her heart burst in her chest from happiness.
She is allowed to be emotional, right?
"Have you put the presents under the tree already?" Regina asks, trying to push her emotions away.
Robin doesn't reply to her and she supposes he doesn't have his phone with him so she makes her way further into the living room touching along the side of the couch to prevent herself from tripping – they've put a lot of stuff around the room which is not usually there so she doesn't want to risk and break something.
"Is Henry asleep?" Robin asks, putting his hand on hers. She realizes that he's sitting on the couch, probably gazing at the Christmas tree which he and Henry decorated just this morning.
Regina tried to help with the decorations but she'd been mocked when she tried to hang up an ornament and obviously messed up. Surprisingly, she didn't feel hurt by their teasing and laughs, instead she felt happy and laughed along with them, thanking her lucky star for bringing the two of them into her life.
She opted out of decorating then, insisted that she'd better play for them instead of ruining their hard work with her blind eyes. So she sat on the couch and took the cello, started playing a Christmas song and listened to Robin and Henry teasing each other and laughing around the Christmas tree.
She realized that she was crying only when Henry rushed to her side and hugged her tightly, asking her what was wrong. She assured him that everything was fine and that she's unbelievably happy to be where she is right now with Henry and Robin.
She knew that this Christmas Eve was more than she could ever ask for and that she'll forever treasure it in her heart.
"He is," Regina replies, walking carefully around Robin and plopping down on the couch beside him. "He really enjoys our bedtime stories, thanks to you," she adds, pointing to the book that she's just placed beside her, the one that Robin brought for her when she told him she was finally learning braille.
"Anything to make you two happy," Robin says and surprises her by pressing his lips against hers in a sweet and warm kiss. His lips taste like cinnamon and gingerbread cookies and it makes her smile.
It seems like Santa has already visited her home.
"Have you put the presents under the Christmas tree?" Regina asks after pulling away and this time Robin replies with an affirmative hum. "Did you unpack your present from me?" she raises an eyebrow at him playfully, and Robin laughs quietly.
"You'll never know," he replies in a teasing tone, and Regina can only shake her head in mock hurt before smiling widely at him. With a grin on her face she rests her hands on Robin's shoulders and leans over a bit, chuckling when his lips meet hers half-way.
She loves this, loves how they can tease each other and laugh. She loves that he understands her without words and that he gives her space whenever she needs it. She loves everything about him, even his dark days don't scare her away anymore.
Being here with him tonight feels like a blessing.
Once their lips part, Regina shifts on the couch and moves closer to Robin, curls into his side until she's comfortable and puts her head on his chest. Sighing in contentment, Robin wraps his arm around her, placing a loving kiss on top of her head before turning towards the Christmas tree.
For hours they just sit in the small living room in front of the shining Christmas tree, wrapped in each other's arms. Robin watches the lights while Regina listens to the Christmas songs still playing quietly in the background, imagining what her apartment must look like now.
It probably looks mesmerizing with all the lights and decorations.
The thought makes a lump form in her throat again.
She's so grateful for Robin and so grateful that she's found the courage and strength within herself to stand up on her feet again. Just last year she thought she was going to suffocate in the darkness all on her own and tonight she feels content in the arms of the man, who became not only her best friend but also a wonderful lover, not afraid of what the future in the sightless world holds.
"I love you, Robin," she whispers into the darkness.
She's not surprised when Robin doesn't reply, she doesn't expect him to, because he's probably lost in his thoughts while gazing at the Christmas tree, feeling grateful for this evening as much as she is, his phone tossed away.
But then again, she doesn't think that he needs her to say these three words out loud – he must know she feels this way, because she's certain he feels it, too.
With her head rested on Robin's steadily beating heart, Regina falls asleep. The last thought in her head that night is a wordless prayer sent to someone above, a prayer in which she asks to never be lonely again.