"Once the portal opens you'll only have a few minutes before it closes, so make it quick. If you mess this up, there's no going back."
"I know, I have seen a portal before, remember?"
Regina knows he's teasing her, if not by the twinkle in his eye then by the quirk of his lips, flashing those dimples at her, but he has no idea how the memory pinches at her heart.
God, how could she forget? That first moment she'd seen him, when her heart had lurched to a stop before jumping in her chest, pounding so loud it had blocked out any sound of the rushing river or the swirling portal. She had accepted that she'd never see him again, those eyes, that smile, nor would she feel his touch or hear his laugh, and yet, there he was in front of her, pointing an arrow at her racing heart.
That memory feels like a lifetime ago, the first spike of the emotional roller coaster that the last few weeks had been. She had accepted that she'd never see him again, but then he came back to her, and she had to accept that he was not her Robin, he did not know her, he did not love her. Such like fate to kick her in the teeth again.
Still, she can't resist the smirk he gives her as they walk towards the center of the park, can't tame the butterflies that flare up in her belly when his gaze lingers just a little longer than necessary, and she grins back at him.
They'd been shamelessly flirting since he had returned to her, and she regretted it, knew that it would only cause her pain when he finally had to leave, but she couldn't resist him. Her heart ached for him, and she welcomed his wandering gaze, his fleeting touches, in hopes that the memories it brought back of their first moments in Storybrooke might dull the pain in her heart for just a moment.
But he was not her Robin, that much had always been clear. Her Robin knew her like the back of his hand, his eyes were less curious and more understanding, his touch was measured and sure, his words sincere and comforting. Her Robin looked at her with love in his eyes, and this Robin never could.
Emma leads them only a few steps father, stopping when the open stretch of grass is enough to hold the portal without creating any damage to the park that Regina would have to deal with come morning. The three of them stop walking, and Emma starts talking, saying something about how she'll use the bean to open the portal just in front of them for Robin to jump into. But Regina ignores her, because Robin is still looking at her.
His eyes travel her face, down along her jaw, pausing at her lips before jumping back up to meet her gaze. The rays of the sunset that shine through the trees catch in his eyes, making the blue dance with specs of gold, and when he smiles at her, that cute flirty smile where he bites his lip, Regina's heart jumps against her will, and something hardens in her stomach.
Saying goodbye is hard enough when he doesn't know who she is, doesn't have the memories that she does, but if he's going to flirt with her before leaving her forever, she might just kill him herself.
So she swallows thickly and turns to Emma, giving her the go ahead to open the portal. Her fingers start to tremble, and she pushes them against her stomach, trying to convince her insides to stop their shaking.
Emma lifts her arm in front of her, the magic bean they'd weaseled out of Rumple resting in her open palm, just as Robin steps towards Regina, reaching out to cup her elbow.
"Regina…" he says softly, barely there, and she furrows her brow at him. He seems to be wrestling with himself, eyes bouncing up and down her face, and just as Emma throws the bean in front of her, releasing a burst of magic, Robin launches forward, cupping her cheek with one hand while he kisses her.
Something sparks inside Regina, hot and sharp in her chest, and it shoots out of her into Robin, causing him to jump back several steps, releasing his hold on her.
Her hand flies to her lips, and she tries to apologize, to say something about the magic that shot out of her at him, but his eyes are glazed over, as if he's not seeing her. It lasts only a moment, and then he's shaking his head, blinking a few times as he sees her clearly.
"Regina?" He says, as if it's a question, and she can barely hear him over the whipping of the wind, so she shakes her head at him.
Robin's eyes blow wide, and he practically jumps in place, rushing towards her until his hands are firmly holding her arms, pulling her flush against him.
"I remember!" He yells in her ear when he wraps his arms around her shoulders. "I remember everything; us, Henry, Roland, New York, Camelot, my daughter. All of it."
"What?"
"It's me." He pulls back, places both hands on her cheeks, and his eyes shine with tears before he leans forward to leave a kiss on her forehead.
She shakes her head slowly, her hands gripping his wrists as he holds her face in his palms, and her brain moves slower than molasses.
"I love you," he says, looking directly into her eyes, and in an instant she believes him. She sees the love, the recognition, the connection, shining through his blue irises. "More than anything in my life, I regret not telling you that before I jumped in front of you. I love you."
"Robin…" She lifts a hand to his cheek, stroking her thumb across the tears that slide down his cheek. He does the same to her, and she hadn't even realized she was crying. But her chin is wobbling, her voice unsteady, and she practically gasps for air.
"Your hair is shorter," He says almost absently as he runs his fingers through her short locks, and she can't help but laugh, a short choked thing as she beams at him.
"Guys!" Emma yells from in front of them, "The portal is gonna close soon! He has to go now!"
"I can't leave!" Robin says in response, turning his focus back to Regina. "I can't leave you, I just got you back."
His brow knits and his lips fall into a frown, his pain at the mere idea enough to break her heart all over again, and Regina's first instinct is to tell him to stay. She already lost him once, and now she has him back. Why should she lose him again?
But he was never her Robin. She lost her Robin, he gave his life for her, and she would always carry him with her. But this Robin, he doesn't belong here.
Regina pinches her eyes together, tears streaming down her cheeks into Robin's palms, and tightens her grip on his arms as she shakes her head.
"You have to go back to Roland." Robin's face falls, and he goes to shake his head, to tell her no, but she stops him. "This Roland already lost his father, don't make the other one lose you, too."
Robin hiccups through his tears, pulling her closer before he rests his forehead against hers. He presses his lips into the bridge of her nose and takes a shaky breath. "I can't leave you again."
"You never will," Regina assures him, "I love you. I've always loved you."
Emma yells from beside them again, and Regina takes one last time to press her lips to Robin's. Her Robin. She's soft and slow, her tears mixing with his as their lips meet, before Robin pulls her closer, deepening the kiss for just a moment, tangling his fingers in her hair and drowning in the taste of her. It feels final, a goodbye kiss.
They pull apart, and Robin steps past Regina, leaving her facing away from the portal, tears blurring her view of the golden leaves shining in the evening sun.
"Hey, thief," she shouts over the wind, still looking away from him. She turns slowly, and sees him at the edge of the portal, hair blowing wildly in the wind as he grins at her, dimples on full display. She takes a steadying breath, wraps her arms around her chest, and yells, "Give that Queen a run for her money."
He laughs, and it's his laugh, loud and warm and familiar, and he gives her a dramatic bow in response.
"Oh I wouldn't dream of it, milady."
He's still crying as he watches her, bright eyes and brighter smile, as he steps backwards, letting himself fall into the pool of swirling green magic. She's the last thing he sees as he disappears from this world, just as it had been, and as Regina falls to her knees, squeezing herself tighter, she comforts herself with the thought that, if this is how their story ends, at least they have another.