Written for OQ on Holidays Week Day4.
Prompt number 34. Regina breaks her leg during her holidays with her parents and sister, and is forced to stay behind while they are out visiting. One day she decides to get out to get some fresh air and ends up running into a certain British boy with deep dimples and ocean blue eyes.
Breaking a leg during holidays wasn't on Regina Mills' bucket list.
But it happened, whether she wanted it or not, and Regina was forced to stay behind while her sister and parents were out visiting museums and taking walks around the wonderful city and across the beach.
During the first day she stayed in her hotel room, flipping through the channels of TV, watching some sappy movies and comedies. The day was long and boring, so the next day she decided to go lay down by the poll, get a little bit of fresh air and Sun.
So, with the help of her father (she's terrible when it comes to walking with crutches, she would have fallen down the moment she stepped out of the hotel room) she made her way to the poll and lied down on the chair. Making sure that she's taken everything she could need from her room – sunglasses, her phone, a beach hat and a book – she thanks her father and wishes him to have a great day walking around the town while she stays here, only a tiny bit of envy in her voice.
The sun is high in the sky today, so when Regina's father walks away, she closes her eyes and soaks in the warmth. She's not a big fan of sunbathing, but after a hot day spent in her room with an aching leg, she finds that she doesn't mind the sun so much today.
She takes the book then – it's her mother's, the book from Agatha Christie's collection – and opens it. The weather is good, the Sun is shining, and Regina feels quite content with the way her holidays turned out. It's still better than to spend the whole day with her mother and her annoying sister, Zelena.
"This is my seat."
Regina's pulled out of her reading by a masculine voice. It makes her furrow her brow in confusion as she closes the book and finally glances at the intruder. There's a young man standing in front of her, a few years older than her maybe, with a book of his own in his hands. He's shirtless, dressed only in a pair of shorts, his muscular chest and arms making Regina look at him for far longer than it's acceptable.
"I'm sorry?" Regina finally says when she returns to her senses. Her cheeks turn pink as she realizes that he's definitely caught her checking him out.
"This is my seat," the man repeats in a serious voice, but the corners of his lips are twitching up as he fights the urge to smile.
Regina finally regains her wits and scoffs, "I don't see your name written on it."
The man laughs, the sound rich and wonderful, and takes off his sunglasses. The breath gets caught in Regina's throat as she meets his deep ocean blue eyes. God, she's never seen something more beautiful.
"Robin Locksley," the man stretches his hand out for Regina to shake.
She frowns at his sudden introduction but then straightens a bit and takes his hand, shakes it, "Regina Mills."
He lies down on the chair beside her, putting his sunglasses back on and opening the book. Regina turns back away from him, still confused by the way he quit their conversation. Telling her stupid heart to stop beating so wildly in her chest, she opens her own book, tries to find the last line she's read.
"Are you here alone?" the man asks, making Regina turn to look at him again.
She frowns a bit at the unexpected question, and replies, "I'm here with my parents and sister. They are out in town. I had to stay here because of my broken leg."
Robin glances at her leg and then nods his head, a smile spreading across his face.
"Good to know that there's no boyfriend with you."
Regina cannot help but roll her eyes, "Are you here alone or should I be worried about jealous girlfriends?"
Robin laughs before saying, "My girlfriend broke up with me right before this trip. It was supposed to be a romantic thing for my parents but after Marian left me, they dragged me here with them, insisting that I need some time off to heal my heart, you know."
"Does your heart really need healing? When your heart is broken, you don't come to flirt with random people in front of the poll," Regina points out, turning away from him so that the book would hide her smile.
"True," Robin agrees, "But, in my defense, I only came to flirt with you."
"And why is that?" Regina asks, finally putting the book away and turning on her side to look at him.
"I saw a beautiful girl in front of the poll who, I thought, could have used some company to cheer her up," he tells her, and Regina cannot help but roll her eyes. Chuckling at her, he finally states, "Okay, okay, so my parents have gone out sightseeing, and it was supposed to be their romantic trip, you know, so I have insisted so stay behind and let them have their great time. And I'm so bored, we've been here for a week and I've already watched all TV shows and wandered through all the halls of this hotel. If I didn't make a conversation with anyone, I would lose my mind."
Regina laughs at his statement, mutters, "Poor you."
She must admit she knows how it feels like. She's spent one day in her room and she's been bored out of her mind. She cannot even imagine what it would be like to spend the whole week in her room, alone.
Oh Gods, she's going to spend her week like that if she doesn't learn how to walk with crutches (she doubts she will ever learn that).
"When you put it that way, I think I'll take pity on you and talk with you for a while," she tells him, taking her sunglasses off. She can read that book tomorrow after all, it's not every day that a handsome stranger walks up to you for a little chat.
"Good," Robin smiles and sits up a bit. "I have cards with me, do you know how to play poker?"
Regina sits up as well, leaving her broken leg on the chair for as soon as she lets it down it becomes swollen, and nods her head. She's not a good player, the last time she's played was years ago, she's not even a fan of this game, but she'll try.
"We could play strip poker, you know," he jokes and Regina rolls her eyes and shakes her head in disbelief, but the smile is spreading across her face.
Today is going to be a good day.
(…)
They spent the whole day playing different card games and talking, and she finds out that he's from Storybrooke, a town which is only half an hour away from her hometown, and that he's the only child, that he's two years older in her, starting his second year in college in autumn.
She also learns that he plays guitar and sings, and writes songs, and her heart flutters in her chest when she tries to think what it would be like to listen to him play his songs as he looks at her with these ocean blue eyes that makes Regina weak.
They are snapped out of their conversation and game when Regina's father walks up to them. While Robin introduces himself and shakes the older man's hand, Regina feels disappointment flooding her veins – she doesn't remember the last time she's felt so happy and carefree, and she really doesn't want to part with him.
Oh well.
"Well, it's getting late, my parents are probably back too," Robin says standing up and taking the book he hasn't even read from the chair. "It was very nice to play with you, Regina. I hope I'll see you again," he tells her and with one last smile he makes his way back into the hotel.
"I think someone is smitten," Regina's father says, making Regina blink her eyes rapidly and turn to look at him with horror written all over her face. Henry laughs at her expression and lifts her up from the chair, "Let's go back. Your mom is waiting for us."
As Regina makes her way back to the hotel room, she finds herself hoping to see Robin again, and a huge smile spreads across her face.
