Regina was confused. Utterly, completely, mind blown. For once, no villains corrupted their quiet town, and they were actually living normally. Robin had gone into the forest for a while, camping with his merry men. He never gave her a set time frame when it came to being in the forest. She hoped he would not stay for more than a week though, she missed him after all. However, he needed to refuel his reputation, or so he had said, and because he needed the target practise. She was expecting at least one freshly killed rabbit when he returned home to her and Roland. Meanwhile, Regina was stuck with regular office hours, pushing papers, making sure there were no civil fights and so on. The usual.
Unless you counted the red fox that kept following her everywhere.
It had started on Monday. She got ready for work and stepped out on the asphalt, her heels clicking against the pavement as she walked the short distance to her office. It had jumped out of a nearby hedge, greenish eyes wide and begging. She never would have guessed a green-eyed fox existed had this one not scared her half to death at 7:30 in the morning. She stumbled back out of instinct, frowning as it whined and cuddled with her legs. She awkwardly bent, running a hand through surprisingly clean and soft fur, before pushing it away and walking again. Needless to say she was annoyed when it decided to walk up to her again, its bushy tail tickling the back of her calf.
"Won't you just shoo?" She half grumbled, nudging the fox away with the tip of her shoe. She never registered the hurt expression on its furry face, but its whine definitely hit her ears. It was most likely hungry, however, she didn't have time to feed hungry foxes, and quickly walked to the office, making sure to close the door behind her so that the animal wouldn't follow her in as well. Last thing she needed was fox fur all over the place.
It was already way past a good dusting, no need to add more dirt to the place. With a sigh, the mayor sank into the chair and readied herself for yet another day staring at documents.
Her ever so busy day was viciously disturbed when the sheriff walked in, a bag in one hand and two coffees in the other. With a startle, Regina realized that it was almost 1pm, and she had been cooped up in the office for the afternoon, thoughts and work making the time fly as if it was nothing. Now that she was aware of the time, her stomach gave a low growl, as if protesting its neglect. What she thought were baked goods turned out to be a homemade lasagne, smoke still curling from the open corners of the container. She grinned happily, but that happiness was quickly shattered when Emma, lounged comfortably on one of her chairs, spoke in between bites of her own food.
"Hey Regina, mind telling me why there is a fox curled up right before your door?"
She drew the line when the fox attempted to attack Roland. They had been at the park, and she was gently pushing him on the swings when the fox jumped out of nowhere, landing on the boy's lap. He had been startled at first of course, but he quickly adapted, petting the fox's fur as it purred happily on his lap. The green eyes were once again on her, and she was struck at how much they resembled Robin's. Regina shook her head violently, dispelling the thought as quickly as it had come into her mind. With a small smile and a "Don't touch wild animals Roland!", She picked the fox up and dropped it to the ground, pushing it away once again.
She wasn't exactly sure why she felt her heart twinge as its tail dropped and it sulked away, curling up under an empty bench.
The cycle of being followed by this mysterious fox continued for five days in total, up until the merry men came crashing through granny's door on Friday night, panicked expressions mixed with sorrow dominating every face. Her gut immediately twisted, and the coffee burned like bitter acid as it travelled down to her stomach. Robin was not with them.
"Where's Robin?" She was suddenly on her feet, a menacing glare twisting her features as she glared at the merry men, all panting as if they had been running for days.
"There was a trap in the forest, he went to disable it and suddenly he was surrounded by smoke, next thing we know there's this red fox standing where he had been! He ran away after that, we've been trying to search for him ever since, but we couldn't find him anywhere." Will Scarlett pushed his way to the front, his words somewhat twisted by the accent but still decipherable.
"And you decided to come tell us now?" Regina glowered at the thief, fury rolling off her in waves. Will opened his mouth to respond, but Emma cut across them, a somewhat confusing expression on her face.
"Did you say red fox?" She had an eyebrow raised, almost as if she was solving something all on her own.
"Yes, why? Did you see it?" Hope blossomed on the merry men's faces, faces lighting up one by one.
"Can it be that the red fox following you for the past five days is actually Robin Hood?" Emma turned to Regina, a bewildered look on her face even though they had faced weirder things.
"Oh God." Regina sunk into her chair again, shock overcoming her for the briefest of moments before she stood up, fixing her hair by habit. "Well, let's go see where it ran off to, maybe we can find a way to speak with him."
"And here I thought we'd have a normal period of time." Emma shook her head as her parents, Henry and herself headed out, Belle staying behind to take care of Roland.
It didn't take long to find the red fox. It had been curled up under Granny's sign, and Regina couldn't help but smile as she saw the dejected look on its face. This time it didn't run after her as it had been doing the past five days, and Regina crouched slowly, extending her hand before running it through the now dirty fur. Running on the streets was bound to get him a bit filthy.
"So, that's Robin Hood?" Henry raised an eyebrow at the merry men as they stared at the animal in complete shock.
"Apparently, how can we change him back?" David stepped forward, and everyone was surprised when the fox suddenly inched back, exposing razor sharp teeth as it glared at the prince.
"I'll try using a reversing spell." Regina stepped back, beckoning the fox out of its hiding place. It followed her until they were in the middle of the street, where it obediently sat down, tail swishing behind it.
The others stayed back, fully aware of the pulsating waves that magic usually emitted. However, they were not ready for what really happened. A red pulse of magic went through all of them, stretching till the very town line, but they didn't pay it any heed. All their focus was on the fox in the middle of road, its back arched upwards and its fur practically upright for the briefest of seconds. Then it collapsed, high whines of unbelievable pain reaching their ears and squeezing their hearts. The merry men immediately raced forward, but the fox found enough energy to shy away from them, fear, pain, and wariness evident in its expression. However, despite shying from its supposedly friends, it immediately turned to search for Regina, curling around her feet as if to seek comfort after that ordeal. The former evil queen stood, completely baffled as she felt the animal shake against her, whether from pain or fear, she didn't know. However, it could have been both.
"Wasn't that supposed to work?" Leroy suddenly piped up, his gruff voice sounding both mocking and fearful at the same time.
"It was, but the magic on him is stronger, it fought against mine, and I don't have stronger spells on me, so I might as well go search through some books, maybe see if there is a potion that can solve all of this." Regina squeezed the bridge of her nose, as if kicking away future headaches. So much for regular work hours.
"And who'll take care of Robin in the meantime?" Mary Margaret's voice was full of concern, and Regina couldn't help but smile.
"I'll take him home with me, he seemed to be comfortable with Roland and I, so it's probably the safest bet." Regina bent down, petting the shaky fox as it shamelessly cuddled with her, as if attempting to escape the pain that still riddled its joints.
"Okay, so you take Robin and we'll regroup tomorrow and try and figure out how to get him back to human. We'll search the forest for any more of those traps as well, might as well get rid of them all to avoid any other accidents." Emma suddenly took command, her tone leaving no room for arguments as she shooed the others away.
The merry men seemed as if they were ready to protest, but one look from Emma immediately shut them up, and they sulked back to their own homes, more than ready to finally sleep in a real bed. Henry left with Emma, and Regina headed inside to collect Roland before picking up the fox and dropping it into her backseat.
"Why is the fox coming with us?" Roland's voice broke the silence as she buckled his seat belt.
"Because Roland, that is Robin, someone cast a spell on him, but we're going to make him okay again." Regina explained with a small smile.
"Daddy?"
The fox barked, its tail wagging slightly as it heard the kid's voice, and Regina almost laughed as she saw it smile a little.
"Yes, that is daddy."
Roland didn't comment further, and Regina didn't waste time to park near her house. After getting Roland tucked into Henry's bed, she turned to the fox that still trailed behind her, its bright orange fur now slightly matted.
"Okay, let's see what we can do about you tonight." She promptly bent down and picked it up, carrying the reluctant animal to the bathroom. It squirmed in her hands, and Regina couldn't help but laugh as she closed the door and readied the bath, making sure it was soapy enough before dropping 'Robin' into it. She couldn't help but laugh as the fox spluttered, the water flatting its fur and giving it a thoroughly horrendous look. She made quick work of its fur, making sure it was clean before washing away the soap and rubbing it roughly with a towel. She didn't comment when she felt its stomach growling underneath her hand. It remained quiet through it all, sometimes pouting or whining when she rubbed a bit too harsh. She couldn't help but laugh when the fur puffed up, and it looked to be in absolute misery as it trudged after her to the kitchen, its nails clicking slightly against the marble staircase.
"Now, do you eat dog food or normal food?"
The fox promptly growled, its eyes sliding to slits.
"You're going to stay angry with me because I dropped you in the soap? You were stinking more than usual Robin."
A more tame growl this time.
"Now, where will you sleep? Because I sure as hell won't allow you to sleep in my bed."
A whine followed that statement.
"Here, is this enough?"
She lay a plate laden with warmed rabbit, fruits, and vegetables, and put a dish of water next to it. The fox immediately began to wolf it down, easily showing how hungry it was.
"God Robin, don't be such an animal."
Robin flipped an ear.
"Oh right."
Regina awkwardly waited until it was satisfied, then washed its plate before heading upstairs, locating a few old blankets that she lay on the ground to form a comfortable barrier against its coldness. The fox hopped on to it, curling up so that it was nothing but a red blob of fur with a head, and she couldn't help but smile at its droopy eyes. Reaching out a hand, she gently scratched behind its ears, laughing as Robin purred lowly before she went to change and fell into bed, feeling exhausted by the night's events.
If she felt him jump into her bed and curl up in her vicinity in the middle of the night, she certainly didn't show it, and Robin was more than content with staying there.
The next day Emma, Hook, David, Mary Margaret, the dwarves, and even Belle headed out to the forest to scout for more traps and hopefully manage to get rid of them. They didn't need any more foxes on their hands. Robin was quiet fox. He stayed in a corner most of the time, curled up on something and staring blankly into space. Roland usually sat next to it, petting its fur or talking animatedly about everything that had happened while Robin was away. Henry and Regina focused hard on attempting to find a cure.
Three days passed.
They had found five more traps, all successfully disabled. Turned out that they had been there for ages, and no one was quite sure on how they actually came to be there. Needless to say everyone was glad they were gone now, and astounded as to how no one had come on one of them before.
Regina was getting frustrated, and Robin was becoming more and more withdrawn. He was scared of all the others, only comfortable with Regina and Roland, and even with them he was still visibly holding back something.
Regina later discovered it was the fox's animalistic nature. It was taking over Robin, and if they didn't stop it quickly, there would not be a human to salvage.
It was quite startling how she discovered what it was, and she was still a bit shocked. After feeding Robin, she tried to take the half empty plate back, only to have the fox growl and snap at her fingers, as if attempting to protect its food. She had dropped the plate, and its loud shatter brought Henry into the room, only to see a visibly regretful fox and a very shaken Regina, still crouched on the floor with a slack jaw.
The matter suddenly became more urgent, however, the answer wasn't in any book any of them had combed through.
On the fourth day, they were all gathered in Regina's living room and buried in books, all attempting to find a solution to the problem.
"Why don't you try a true love kiss?" Henry suddenly piped up from behind a thick book, his eyes showing just a tiny bit of hope.
"I'm not going to kiss a fox Henry."
"But he's Robin, and you don't have anything to lose, it might work." Henry shrugged, seeming completely done with reading through volumes of books.
"He's right Regina, might as well go through everything we can." Emma joined the party as well, and Regina could see that everyone was siding with her kid.
"Fine, but I'm going to do it in the privacy of my office, you don't get to snoop." She promptly stood up, and after taking the fox away from Roland, locked herself in her office so that nobody would be able to enter.
They both stood in the middle of the office, staring at each other dead in the eye. There was nothing else, only the two of them. One frustrated and not so evil queen, and a fox fighting its animalistic nature, tail swishing slightly against the floor. The tension could be felt in every corner of the claustrophobic room, and Regina kneeled, pristine trousers making no noise as her knees slid on the marbled floor. A myriad of emotions crisscrossed on her face, all showing unashamedly as she gently beckoned the fox to come to her.
It stayed back at first, hesitant to go near her, scared of losing its frail hold on humanity and actually attacking the love of his life, but then it took a step forward. And another. Its paws moved on their own accord, gingerly latching on her trousers as she grabbed it from under its front legs, bringing it up to her face, its wet nose rubbing against hers.
She took one last look into its eyes, mesmerizing brown meeting with emerald green before she briefly touched her lips to its mouth, feeling the shape of his sharp teeth against her upper lip.
There was nothing.
No burst of magic.
No sudden onslaught of love.
No change.
She still felt fur underneath her hands.
Still felt the canines against her lip.
She sighed, and a small whine broke the sudden silence, making Regina realise she was squeezing the poor animal to death. She set it on the floor, absentmindedly petting its head before she realized something. The fox was unnaturally still, and she stared at it as its expression changed, twisting into one of utter pain as it seized, scratching the floor with its paws as it collapsed on its side. High pitched whines left its mouth, and she stared in shock as the fur fell, littering the floor as its legs lengthened, the shape gradually becoming larger as the whines morphed into the strangled shouts of a man. The tail receded, completely disappearing as its spine stretched and pulled.
She watched in mute horror as Robin, clad in only his briefs, curled in the foetal position, his forehead pressed against the cold tile. His hands, still curled in loose fists, scratched at the ground, as if seeking comfort or in hopes of diminishing the mind numbing pain that travelled through his system as nerves and muscle formed again, bones re-adjusting to those of a human. She stumbled forward, laying a hand on his shoulder as he finally quieted, even though he still shook viciously. He whimpered at her touch, and she saw his eyes tighten even more before they snapped open and he flew back, finding purchase with both arms and feet as he stood up, albeit shakily.
Horror was prominent on Robin's face, and she saw his wariness as he struggled to place himself, utter confusion and helplessness battling each other to dominate his features. She stepped back, giving him space as he catalogued his surroundings before his eyes focused on her, relief showing as he sagged, the tension melting from his shoulders. He then glanced at himself, a faint blush rising up to his cheeks when he noticed his lack of clothes, but she was too concerned with the fact that he was swaying, even though he had a firm grip on the wall behind him.
"Oh good, I'm human again." His rough voice shook Regina out of her reverie, just in time to see his knees give out as he collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious. She stepped forward, at least managing to keep his head from cracking wide open against the marble floor. She frowned in worry as he shivered again, pain and shock chasing his subconscious even if he was not aware to acknowledge them. She unconsciously smoothed his hair back, noticing the heat that emanated from his frame just before the vicious knocking on the door reached her ears.
His shouts must have been heard from the living room then, no surprise there. She waved her hand, opening the locks with her magic to allow the others in. They all stumbled in, shock clear on each face as they stared at Robin's prone form, the only thing preventing him from being totally motionless being the tremors that shook his whole frame. Barely audible groans escaped every now and then, and Regina winced as she tried to imagine the change his body was going through internally.
And that pain wouldn't be helped if he was laying on cold floor.
"Can somebody carry him to the sofa?" Regina shot a glare at the two men in the room, who were staring at the couple.
"Can't you poof him?" Emma raised an eyebrow, worry apparent in her eyes.
"I'd prefer not to, considering I don't know what's going on with his body at the moment." Regina couldn't help but frown as he shook once again, fingers trying to find purchase on the hard ground.
"Well, come on Hook, you grab his feet and I'll take his shoulders." David stepped forward, smoothly shifting Robin's shoulders from Regina's lap to his arms. Killian placed his hook underneath one ankle and gently yet firmly grabbed the other, hoisting upwards exactly when David nodded at the pirate. Regina flinched when Robin's head lolled lifelessly, but the two friends quickly moved to deposit him on the plush couch. Regina materialized a comfortable pillow, slipping it underneath his head just before David lowered him completely, catching the opportunity to observe his facial expression once again. He seemed to have relaxed a bit, but the brief tightening of his eyes screamed out his pain.
"Should we call Doctor Whale?" Mary Margaret frowned in concern as she gently laid a blanket on his bare frame, preserving a part of his dignity even if he wasn't completely naked.
"Shouldn't we wait to see if he wakes up first?" Hook threw in his own 2 cents.
"If he woke up he'd claim he is fine and try to walk off possibly very sore muscles and ligaments." Henry rose an eyebrow at their reasoning, pointing out the obvious.
"The kid does have a point, I'd say we have Whale examine him while he's still unconscious." Emma shrugged, relaxing on the armchair even if tension still remained in her shoulders.
"I agree with them." David squeezed Robin's shoulder, flinching when he heard the unconscious man whimper slightly. Looks like someone's nerves were a bit too sensitive at the moment.
"I'll go call him, make sure he doesn't tell anyone." Regina walked out of the office, capturing the opportunity to gather herself completely before flipping out her phone.
"Hey guys, where's Roland?" Henry suddenly stood up, his eyes darting everywhere as he searched for the kid.
"He fell asleep in the living room, I left the baby monitor near him, we'll hear him if something happened." David assured his grandson.
For his own good, Whale barely asked any questions, only the general story to know what he was looking for. After that he fell quiet, gently yet firmly running his hands along different sections of Robin's body, testing reactions and the bone formation, frowning every now and then when Robin flinched away from him, only David's restrictive hands keeping him in the positions that Whale was putting him in. They were all rather curious on how Regina had threatened him, as not a single non-sense comment passed his lips. Regina stayed nearby, one hand encased in Robin's, rubbing small circles on the back of his hand, as if her touch was enough to keep him anchored to this world. The doctor firmly ran his hand on Robin's spine, making the former thief cry out hoarsely as he jerked, green eyes dazedly fluttering open as he attempted to get out of their holds.
"It's okay Robin, Whale is just checking on you." Regina squeezed his hand, delighting in herself when he relaxed briefly, even if confusion was still apparent in his facial expression when Whale turned him on his back again, flashing a bright pen light directly in his eyes. Robin winced, narrowing his eyes. He barely had time to react when Whale popped a thermometer in his mouth, instructing the outlaw to keep it underneath his tongue as he placed two fingers underneath Robin's jaw, keeping track of the rapid heartbeat that thrummed against his fingertips. Robin mumbled something indecipherable, completely floored as he fidgeted, anxiety getting the best of him.
"Stay with us Hood, you're human again, but we need to make sure you're fine." David smiled down at the thief's face, relief washing over him when recognition flickered in the green orbs.
"Yeah mate, you'll get a drink when all of this is over." Hook smiled down from behind the sofa, making the former thief smile briefly in return as his eyes gently closed again.
Whale didn't react much to the brief episode of consciousness, and observed the thermometer before dropping everything in his bag again and turning to face Regina.
"Well, his temperature is slightly higher than usual, and his heart is racing, but those are all physical reactions to pain; quite normal considering what his body is still going through. While his bones are completely reformed, his nerves and muscles and everything else are still adjusting, obviously causing him high levels of pain. Now I can admit him and sedate him until all of this is over, or I can administer a pain killer now and leave another one for you to administer about 6 hours from now if he is still in pain." Whale's information left a thick silence in its wake, and Regina immediately sought for the reigns.
"No hospital.." The barely audible slur startled them all, as they all thought he had fallen asleep again.
"We'll take care of him here, what do we need to do?" Regina turned to Whale, levelling him with one of her glares.
"Nothing much, just keep him calm, no strenuous activities, rest as much as possible, all the usual. Give him water whenever he's awake so he won't be dehydrated and so that his temperature doesn't elevate. Does anyone here know how to inject in a vein?" Whale asked, ruffling around in his bag.
"I do." Emma shrugged, ignoring the looks of confusion she received in return. Nobody needed to know that part of her childhood.
"Good, you need to give him this in 6 hours, he should be almost completely okay in 12 hours, so there's no need for me to give you two." Whale turned to Robin again and tied a piece of fabric around his bicep, barely giving time for the former thief to notice what he was doing before depressing the plunger.
Robin tensed, letting out a grumble of insults as he curled on his side, the tremors slowly subsiding until he was simply sleeping, soft snores escaping every now and then. Whale smiled before saying his goodbyes as Regina showed him out. When she returned she had Roland on her hip, who grinned as he saw his father asleep. Mary Margaret had covered the outlaw again, and they all settled around the couch, ready for a long wait until he decided to grace them with his consciousness again.
David, Emma and Hook had left after two hours, taking the time to go inform the merry men and the people at Granny's, mainly Belle, that Robin was once again human and resting after that horrific ordeal. Of course, the merry men had all crowded in the mansion, camping in the prestigious living room so that Robin would see them when he stepped out of the office.
Regina wisely didn't comment when Emma passed on the information an hour later, instead focusing on wiping the sweat from his forehead once again. He had slept peacefully, but regularly a spasm would pass through him, and even though his temperature had gone back to normal, sweat still poured down his brow, trickling into the pillow underneath his head. The formerly evil queen had fallen to gently scratching his scalp, comforting him in the only way she could as he slumbered on, blissfully unaware of what was happening around him.
Now, almost five hours after Whale had left, only Regina was left by his bedside. Well, more like sofa side, but anyway. The others had all filed into the living room, and the dull sounds of a movie could be heard through the walls. Regina was secretly glad for the sudden solitude, relieved that she could just release a breath, allow herself to show her concern, worry, and even humour at the whole situation. Hood had stopped shaking, only small spasms making him flinch every now and then, and she smiled as one particular spasm had him groaning out loud, green eyes fluttering open. She watched from behind his head as his eyes flickered about, struggling to place himself in what she knew was familiar space for him.
"Hey there." She jarred him out of his thoughts, and couldn't help the chuckle when he startled, neck arching backwards to get a glimpse of her.
"What happened?" His voice was hoarse, and he coughed harshly after uttering the two words, swallowing with a grimace in an attempt to moisten his throat.
"Well, what do you remember last?" She countered his question with one of her own, raising an eyebrow when a flicker of annoyance showed on his features.
"Can I have a drink first?"
She got up, reaching for the pitcher and glass they had left on her table for when he woke up. He greedily downed the glass, some water trickling down his chin in his eagerness. The liquid seemed to have given the former thief some energy, as his eyes focused thoroughly after he put the glass down near the almost empty pitcher.
"I was in the forest with my men, and walked into a trap or something, next think I know there was this puff of smoke and pain, and I was a fox. I couldn't recognize anyone, but my instinct led me to you, hence why I was following you, I didn't trust any of the others. You and Roland were the only ones that felt right. I knew you wouldn't hurt me. Even though you kicked me away many times. I remember bits and pieces up until you kissed me, then it's a big black blank." Robin shrugged, wide green eyes locking with hers in a desperate search for answers.
"Okay first of all, I thought you were a wild fox out to get Roland, and after the kiss you started shouting your head off with pain, then you lost consciousness. Whale checked up on you, but you're completely fine, and just woke up now." Regina smiled slightly, easily reading Robin's frustration and soreness.
"How long has it been?"
"Since you fell unconscious? 4 hours. Since you've been turned into a fox? 4 days in total." She winced in sympathy as shock made his eyes grow wide.
"No wonder my muscles are sore as hell." His accent, even more pronounced in his drowsiness, made the words fall out thickly.
"Whale gave you some pain-killers, but we have to wait another hour to give you another dose. They're also why you're feeling a bit loopy." Regina offered any information she could.
"Where are my men? Did they make it back safely?" He looked around the room, as if expecting them to suddenly pop out from the corners.
"They are camping in my living room, waiting for you to wake up." She couldn't help the grin when a genuine smile lit up his face.
"And Roland?"
Regina didn't even have the chance to answer that, as the child's shrieks of laughter were heard from the other room, the high pitch easily penetrating the walls.
"You could say he is fine. He enjoyed playing with you when you were a fox as well." Regina chuckled when Robin winced.
"I really didn't enjoy having my tail pulled. That thing felt like a damn piece of my spine." As if feeling the phantom pain, Robin rubbed his lower back before standing up slowly, getting used to being vertical again before stretching, welcoming the pain even as his bones cracked in protest. Regina winced in sympathy before throwing him a pair of sweat pants, snorting when he glanced confusingly at the material before noticing that he was more than half naked.
"He's a kid who wanted to play, not like I was going to stop him from putting you in a little pain." Regina smirked, watching carefully as he walked as graceful as ever, his steps light even though his form was bulky.
He wisely didn't respond, instead opening the door as he slid into the living room, the former queen right behind him. What happened next was quite a funny little thing. The merry men all cheered, quite literally jumping on their leader. Little John went as far as grabbing him, lifting the thief from the ground as he hugged him. Robin wriggled out of his arms, only to be met by Hook's tentative smile and a "Welcome back mate," before he was drawn into David's own hug. It was all rather brotherly if he were to be honest. Roland came running then, and Robin crouched, gathering the child into his arms before resting him on his hip, still bouncing him and causing Roland's curls to fall around his face. The little one giggled, the dimples showing on his face. Robin couldn't help but kiss his forehead, unconsciously squeezing the bundle in his arms to his chest.
Mary Margaret broke the moment when she pulled Robin aside, quite literally shoving him into a chair before placing a steaming bowl in front of him. Roland settled quietly on his lap.
"You need food, and Granny sent that over, so you better eat it." She smiled, but there was something about her expression that damn near threatened bodily harm if he didn't fill his stomach.
"Thank you Snow." He smiled before practically inhaling the soup in front of him, feeling it warm up every part of his body.
His muscles still ached, especially when he moved, but he would gladly push through all of it to be with his son and friends, especially considering he was human now. Of course, that would mean putting on a mask so as to not show his pain, because if he did, Regina would for sure kick everyone out so he could rest. And even though the idea of rest seemed lovely, actual human touch was more tempting. After he was finished, everyone settled in the living room, where a huge sofa and two arm chairs rested, facing a flat-screen TV.
"Before we do this, don't you all think we should let Robin has a wash? After all, he's been running around these past 4 days." Regina raised an eyebrow at the former thief, who smirked in return.
"You know animals can clean themselves, right?"
"Licking yourself clean is not the same as washing Robin, now go wash, before you stink up my living room." She crossed her arms, daring him to come up with another retort.
"As you wish, milady." He mock bowed before handing her Roland and escaping upstairs.
"You got him wrapped around your little finger, don't you now?" Hook rose an eyebrow at Will's comment, smirking when he saw Regina's deadpan look.
"I don't have him wrapped around anything, but he's not stupid enough to stand up to me when I'm right." She narrowed her eyes, daring him to respond again, but he just shrugged, lowering his head to the ground as Mary Margaret sighed.
It was almost an hour later when Robin finally made his way down again, clad in a pair of sweat pants and a hoodie, hair still slightly damp from his bath. Regina caught the barely hidden grimaces before Robin covered them with a mask as he dropped onto the sofa, groaning in relief. Roland immediately snuggled into his father and the former thief smiled, gathering the child into his arms.
"Hey Emma, has it been six hours since Whale gave him the pain killer?" David spoke up before Regina, blue eyes narrowed at the back of Robin's head.
"Yeah, should I give him the other?" Emma barely even finished the sentence.
"I'm fine guys, don't worry." Robin smirked at them, but they both rose their eyebrows, and Regina spoke up.
"Sure you are, that's why you're wincing like you got an elephant on top of you rather than a 4 year old." Regina couldn't help the grin when he rolled his eyes at her, but grudgingly didn't respond.
"Just let them give you the pain killer Robin." Little John spoke up from the arm chair, where he had been sitting quietly for the better part of those last few hours.
"Can't exactly object, can I?" Robin smiled good-naturedly as Emma rolled up his sleeve and tied a piece of fabric around his bicep. He flinched upon seeing the needle, but relaxed when Regina's hands gently kneaded his neck, distracting him while Emma did her work.
Once his hoodie was rolled down again, Regina plopped down next to her thief, unashamedly cuddling into his side, making sure not to hurt him even when he pulled her closer. They all found positions, some on the floor, others on the other arm chair, almost all squeezed together aside from Henry, who remained standing so that he could put on a DVD. When he chose one, everybody frowned at his clearly suppressed laughter, the suspense basically killing them as he plopped down on the sofa next to Robin and pressed play.
"Are you bloody kidding me?" Robin's grouchiness was clearly only his own, as the others roared with laughter at Henry's choice.
"I'm in a Disney mood, and we might as well watch your story." Henry smirked as Robin appeared on the screen in the shape of a talking, walking, red fox. Roland's giggles joined the fray, and Robin couldn't help a chuckle of his own as he playfully wrestled the four year old, who started to struggle when Robin tickled him relentlessly, the two of them red in the face as Roland begged for mercy. Once Robin stopped everyone settled to watch the film, and nobody commented on the fact that Robin fell asleep a little less than half way through, the pain-killers having done their job and knocked him out.
They all stayed quiet, respecting his need to rest until the movie finished, and the merry men quickly lay down their leader before Regina covered both him and Roland, who was napping on his father's chest, his head right on top of Robin's heart.
The others all filed out, and Regina gently closed the door before snapping a picture of the two dozing boys, feeling the love completely envelop her as she settled in the arm chair with a children's book. Everybody needed to read a few fairy tales in their life after all, and what better chance would she have than the present moment?
With that thought, she opened the book and started reading.
"In merry England in the time of old, when good King Henry the Second ruled the land, there lived within the green glades of Sherwood Forest, near Nottingham Town, a famous outlaw whose name was Robin Hood..."
So I had this in my files so I figured I might as well post it XD
I hope you enjoyed this random blurb, because I love Robin and my sleep-deprived brain came up with this XD c=
Leave what you think below, aye?
Also, as I stated in my other story, School is starting next Monday, so I might not post regularly anymore ;-;
However, I have about 2 star trek ideas, along with another Chicago Med one, a much better idea with Rhodes!whump this time, and even another OUAT, with Hook!whump and bromance all around. Don't you just love his and David's bromance?! Anyway..
Disclaimer - I do not own OUAT and am not making any profit with this story. If I owned OUAT "SOMEONE" Wouldn't have died in season 5.
Chrisii c=
PS : THIS IS OFFICIALLY MY 50TH STORY ON THIS SITE GUYS! I wouldn't have done this without you as my readers and your feedback, even if it is just a favourite, so thank you so much! Looking forward for more! =D