Title: Ways of Fate
Rated: Strong T
Summary: Reason number one why you shouldn't leave your donor's 'colaboration' accessible to anyone? Someone might mess it up. Reason number two? That someone might end up being your ex-boyfriend and now, accidentally, the father of your child. OQ AU loosely inspired by the movie The Switch.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters included in this story.
A/N: So I've been working on this story since mid-summer and it is only now that I found the courage and inspiration to actually write it down and post it. This fic is loosely inspired on the movie The Switch, but it does not follow the movie, I just took an idea of the plot and made it mine? Anyways, kudos to my wonderful friend Mel (ohmyhelena) who, back in July, worked over some details with me and gave me a few suggestions. You know how much I love you girl, this one's for you!
A/N (2): I know it's basically a sin to write a new multi chapter fic whilst I have another one in the works, but this idea was driving me crazy! So I had to write it down in order to write IHTBH's 8th chapter. Also, all mistakes are mine and mine alone, so I'm sorry for them.
Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this story! And as always, let me know what you think!
| Prologue |
She lacks tact.
He lacks control over his emotions.
It's a dangerous combination, like adding oxygen to a chemical reaction unbeknownst to the scientist that a combustion is about to happen. It's a mistake that almost never occurs, but the odds have never been in their favor.
It is absolutely menacing to be in the same room as those two because one, two, and three seconds later they're clawing at each other's weak points, saying hurtful comments, throwing annoyed sideway glances and several scoffs whenever they think that they other one isn't looking their way.
Do they tolerate each other? Yes, they do, but not in a healthy way, not for their sake. They do it for the sake of their friends, an unspoken promise going between Robin and Regina the moment a fight got way out of hand at their best friends wedding, both groom and bride wearing matching frowns and disappointed looks the moment they faced their audience. They do it for little Neal, their smallest godson. Neal, who adores both godfather and godmother, Neal who loves spending time with both of them together. They do it for Henry, their oldest godson, who always looks forward for movie-nights with both godparents. So they agreed, they agreed to be on their best behavior whenever they were surrounded by close acquaintances.
But their friends aren't with them today, neither is Little Neal or Henry.
No.
They're alone in a small café down two blocks from her workplace.
So of course, without their friends and family close by to keep them on their leach, this lunch is going downhill quite quickly. People around them eyeing the odd couple that more often than not threw hurtful barbs here and there.
But the point is that right now, with him sitting in front of her at a small table, their hands around their own cup of coffee as they try to avoid the big elephant in the room, right now they're both a ticking bomb. And it's hilarious really, because behind Regina there's a clock emitting those loud ticks as if it was mocking them, as if that inanimate object was waiting for them to start clawing at each other's weak points like a predator to it's prey. The silence between them it's deafening and it's slowly making Regina anxious, it's slowly driving her insane because there he is, in front of her, a disbelieving look on his face as he eyes at her, mouth agape as he contemplates what she'd said.
"Bloody hell. You must be shitting on me, woman?" Robin lets out, a deep unamused chuckle rumbling from deep within him.
Yes, he lacks control over his emotions.
"Excuse me?" Regina asks, a shocked expression written all over her round face. She should've known better than to ask him. Should've known that this was a really bad idea, that she must look like a crazy woman with a stamp on her forehead that read "Looking for sperm donor. To contact please call 1800-901-desperation"
This. This is the way they treat each other. This is what Mary Margaret despises the most about being in the same room as them. Sure, it had been mutual accord to call it quits a year ago, but it still hurt, it still hurt that their relationship had failed a second time. Truth is they were both too busy with work and their relationship became a routine; quick sex on a Saturday morning before she left early for work and returning late at night, completely spent and sleepy, dinner dates getting pushed back because of a few exams he had to grade, several case work files she had to re-read and before either one of them knew it, their relationship fell to pieces right under their nostrils with him coming home late one Saturday night, completely wasted, to her cozying on the couch and he poured his true feelings out.
It's been one year and two months since that ordeal, and they never talked about it, proceeded to break up the very next morning, a click of a door and an engagement ring being thrown away signaling another failed attempt at this relationship of theirs.
"I'm not-" she stops herself, bites the inside of her cheek before continuing, "shitting on you," she finishes, never once looking at him in the eyes. So refined, Regina, thinking twice before saying a curse word and for a minute she's convinced that she's twelve and mother is yelling at her for saying the word bitch to her friend. She's raising her head a little higher, ignoring the few pairs of eyes that are giving them sideway glances as they try to make sense of their discussion. And why, for the love of God, why can't Robin keep his voice down?
"You are absolutely insane," he says after a second before leaning back against the back of the chair and rubbing his temple.
Maybe he's right, maybe this is a crazy idea but so was going to the moon a few decades back and look how great that turned out to be. Right?
"Just because you're spoiled rotten doesn't mean that everybody's going to give you everything you want!"
And why must it always come to that? Why must he always use her upbringings as an excuse to not answer her questions?
"God Locksley, stop babbling like a madman and just answer me."
Robin sighs and sits straight, rests his elbows against the table as she mumbles on and on and on.
"… you don't even have to raise it, or provide any alimony for it. I just need your sperm, that's all."
Tact, she definitely lacks it.
"Is that all? Oh I'm sorry, should I also give you part of my left testicle should this not work out? Regina, can't you see that this is insane?" his patience is clearly wearing thin, as is hers.
"I can't, Robin, because it's not. I'm a single and professional thirty-six year old who just happens to want a baby of her own. Why is that so hard to understand?"
"It's hard to understand because you're referring to this baby as an it. It's hard to understand because you really wanted a dog a few years ago, and you gave him up because, and I quote, 'He's too big and I can't handle him'."
"That's not-"
"Don't."
She just sighs and swallows hard, brings her cup towards her lips to take a chug, but ends up grimacing at the lukewarm coffee.
"You still haven't answered my question. Are you going to help me or not?"
"How can you be so calm talking about this?" he asks, once again ignoring her question, once again bewilderment written on his face.
He's angered by this, she can tell. And he has no right to be, he doesn't control her life, her decisions, so she answers with the truth.
"Because I really, really want to have a baby. I want to have someone whom I can cherish and love and protect, someone who will reciprocate those feelings. I want to be called 'mom' instead of 'auntie' or 'Gina'," she finishes on a shaky breath, her eyes watering and she closes them for a moment, takes a deep breath to calm her emotions and opens her eyes.
"You hate babies," he shakes his head, the image of this strong woman once again breaking down in front of him still too painful for him.
"I dislike the prospect of using a baby as a balm for soothing and fixing an already broken relationship."
Get a grip on yourself, Regina. It's neither the right time or place to start talking about past relationship issues. No. That stays buried in the past, where it belongs. So she shakes her head and waits for a response.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound so-"
"Rude?" Regina finishes for him.
Robin just lowers his head and swallows hard. He still loves her, in his own twisted way he wishes they would've fixed their relationship, wishes they were planning to have a baby under different circumstances.
"I'm sorry Regina, but I'm going to have to refuse. If I'm going to have a baby it'll have to be by making love to the woman I love or adopting with the woman I love."
"I am not having sex with you."
Oh, how quickly she assumed that position as the woman he loves. Under different circumstances he would've called her out on it, but not today, for today old wounds were opened and he was desperately, hopelessly trying to close them.
"And I'd obviously love to be a part of my child's life," he finishes with a shake of his head.
It hurts. It hurts like hell because they could've had that, a baby and a great relationship. But fate wasn't on their side and instead it teared them further apart. It hurts, but she'll get through it, she'll get through it and find somebody who's willing to help.
Help, how pathetic it sounds in her head. 'Help me have a baby by being my sperm donor' she can practically see the craigslist ad and if she weren't hurting this bad, she would've laughed.
"Why did you pick me anyways?" and he's curious, of course he is. After all, what are the odds of an ex-girlfriend asking you to conceive a kid with her? The answer is zero one. Well, one, now that Regina has.
"While you may be an ass sometimes, you're incredibly smart. Plus I already knew you so you were the easiest," she shrugs.
"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you."
"It's not the first time, eh?" she shrugs trying to act indifferently as she gives him a small smile. A poor excuse of a joke threw too early because he offers her a melancholic smile, regret plaguing his features before leaving a twenty dollar bill on the table and walking away.
She's alone now, like she's always been her whole life and that, accompanied with the ticking clock behind her, was the worst thing a woman desperate to conceive could ever hope for.
Thoughts?
Suggestions are always welcomed :)