Hello everyone! Hope you're all well and enjoying yourselves! So after seeing an idea shared on Twitter regarding one of Sean's old posters from his younger years, I decided to play around with the idea of Regina discovering that Robin used to be a teen pop star in his younger years and how the pair would approach this.
Thank you to my wonderful friend Beth for being my beta (you should totally check out her fic "Love at First Click" because it's AMAZING) and giving me a helping hand! Hope you all enjoy it
The silver spoon swirled through the cloud-like foam as Regina stirred her morning coffee absentmindedly. The vision of the metropolitan skyline beamed through her large window, the skyscrapers varying in size perfectly. She sets the spoon on the table and shifts towards the oak desk, which sits in the centre of the room, grasping the mug tightly as she sunk into her mesh office chair comfortably. She takes a quick sip before placing the cup onto the wood, picking up a rather large black folder with her other hand. The file is filled to the brim with documents, the papers gaping out of the edges slightly as she opens it. She scans through the pages of reports, pausing every now and then to peruse through the paragraphs of information before continuing with her reading. A short set of knocks echoing from her glass door awakened her from her work. The brunette lifted her gaze from the paperwork suddenly to figure out which individual thinks it's necessary to disturb her during her busy morning schedule.
"Knock, Knock!"
A cheery and yet slightly annoying Selena is wedged between the gap of the door, her head peeking through with a cheesy smile plastered on her cheeks. The brunette's older and British-born colleague made her way into Regina's office and plumped herself down onto one of the peacock velvet vintage chairs that sat opposite her desk. Yes, Regina loved the woman, she had been like a sister to her for years and had grown to become her best friend surprisingly. Nonetheless, she wasn't always the sort of person you wanted bounding into your office in the early hours of the day. And today was certainly one of those days.
"Selena, what can I do for you?"
Regina straightened the papers neatly before placing them back into the folder, grasping her coffee mug again to replenish herself after what felt like hours of reading. The red-headed beauty sat opposite her, filing her nails, appearing distant or bored despite her rush to agitate Regina whilst she was busy.
"Well, you know, it's been three months since you started dating Robin and I'm certain that means I get to have a glimpse of him finally after weeks of waiting"
The younger woman rolled her eyes and sighed exhaustively. Selena really wanted to talk about this now? It was still early, Regina hadn't even finished her first coffee of the day and she was already being bombarded with questions about the man she'd just recently formed a relationship with.
"Really Selena? You decide to distract me during probably the busiest part of my day just so you can gossip and guffaw over my newfound love interest?"
Selena was looking at her best friend like an eager child, waiting excitedly for Regina to give in to her plea. She couldn't lie, it was nice to see that someone was interested since Selena was almost the only person she'd told about Robin, disregarding her pushy mother of course who had harassed her with a mountain of questions after simply mentioning his name. Regina reflected her friend's excitement on the inside, hiding the smug grin growing on her cheeks as Selena rambled on.
"Regina PLEASE! Just one photo. One little picture. That's all I ask"
The woman sitting opposite Regina looked like a puppy begging for treats, her eyes open wide pleading for a positive response. The brunette sighed in defeat, giving in to the red-head's beseeching. Maybe a small part of herself REALLY wanted to let Selena finally find out what Robin looked like but Regina was never going to let her know that – she had a reputation to uphold.
"FINE. Fine. Let me grab my phone"
Selena clapped her hands and squealed with glee, unable to contain her excitement as Regina pulled her mobile from her coat pocket and began to swipe across the glass screen to open the photo folder. She scrolled through the columns of photos before finding her favourite photo of the two of them, one they had taken during their third date where he took her to the rooftop of the tallest building in the city and wined and dined her like a Queen until the night sky was lit with stars.
She smiled happily, giving the phone to Selena so she could admire the gorgeous man linked to Regina's arm, the two of them an absolute spectacle as they radiated in the purple sunset. Selena's eyes landed on the image and her reaction was not what Regina had originally expected. Her brows furrowed in concentration and confusion, her mouth opening slightly as if she was just trying to figure something out.
"Hmm. I recognise him. There's something about him, he looks familiar"
Regina's stomach dropped. Oh God. He wasn't an old ex of Selena's was he? That would make things just perfectly awkward between the new couple, and Regina and Selena's friendship also. She didn't want a future topic of discussion to be how Selena felt Robin performed in the bedroom, she shuddered at the thought. Regina moved forward in her seat, her upper body leaning over the desk in anxiety as her friend continued to study the photo intensely.
"Really? How so?"
Selena tilted her head and zoomed in on the photo's dimensions, trying to get a closer look at the man she seemed to somehow identify. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but she knew him, from where or how she couldn't recall.
"I dunno. He just…Wait a minute. I know who he is, I KNOW WHO HE IS. That's Robin Hood!"
Oh shit. Selena did know Robin. But Robin's second name was Locksley, why was she calling him "Robin Hood"? Unless he was lying to her. No, he wouldn't, would he? She hoped that the two of them had made some deep connection that he wouldn't lie to her. Regina felt sick; she HAD to know the reason behind her best friend's enthusiasm. What did she know that Regina didn't?
"What do you mean 'Robin Hood'? Who's Robin Hood?"
Selena laughed as she typed away at the screen of Regina's iPhone. She seemed to be searching for something on Safari, scrolling and tapping to find an explanation to her holler of excitement. It took her a few moments, but she found just what she was looking for, turning the phone to Regina so she could see the images displayed on the small screen.
"Robin Hood! Oh, I loved him when I was younger. No way are you going out with him!"
Regina's eyes scanned the screen, seeing the lines of magazine covers which displayed a younger version Robin in his youth as he posed like an accomplished model for the camera. She was utterly gobsmacked, this was not what she expected when Selena said she recognised him.
"I think you must be mistaken Selena. That looks nothing like my Robin"
Selena laughed at her friend's remark, placing the phone onto Regina's desk as she leapt out of her seat to make a swift exit. Before she reached the door, she turned to the brunette who was sat gawking at her phone in curiosity, her brows furrowed in concentration as she analysed the screen intently.
"Well I think you might just be telling yourself that to feel a little less worried. I'll leave you be till tomorrow and you can tell me all about what he says when you ask him tonight"
Regina stared the woman down. No way was she going to quiz Robin about this. What if it wasn't him? If she embarrassed herself so early in their relationship surely it would have a lasting effect. She didn't believe it was him anyway. Of course she wasn't going to ask him.
"Selena…"
The tone in Regina's voice was straight. She genuinely didn't want to create something when it could turn out to be nothing. This was Selena's easily excitable personality turning the situation into something bigger than it was.
But Selena wasn't having any of it. She shook her head as her upper body remained in the space of the door, using her hand to lean her weight onto the frame as she spoke.
"Ah, Ah, Ah. You're not getting out of this one. Ask him, it can't hurt can it?"
Selena pulled herself out of the door frame and left Regina to sit with her phone lying on the wood, the images of Robin on full display. She picked the device up and saved a couple of the magazine covers onto her phone. Well, she needed photographic evidence to back up her questioning when she asked Robin later tonight.
She groaned, setting her mobile face down onto her desk as she went back to continuing with her work. Typing away at her laptop, her line of sight kept shifting to the device resting on the chestnut oak, her concern growing as she counted down the minutes until she was reunited with the man it seemed she didn't know absolutely everything about…
Regina shut the heavy, white door behind her, pulling the keys from the lock and running the latch into place. Her feet escaped the tight confines of her high-heels as they landed on the cold laminate, her arches cooling comfortably as they melted into the freezing floor. Regina turns to see him standing by the stove, his white shirt unbuttoned at the top and a tea towel hanging over his shoulder as he cooked dinner for the both of them.
It had become customary for Robin to let himself into the apartment every now and then, their agreement on Wednesday nights being the time when he would stay over at Regina's since they both started work a little bit later than usual the following day. And with today being Wednesday, there he was, happily stirring the vegetables frying in the pan and concocting a meal that would no doubt be delicious thanks to his fantastic cooking skills.
"Hello, love"
Regina dropped her bag onto the table and sauntered over to the blonde-haired gentleman, pecking his lips shortly before resting her chin on his shoulder as he turned to cook the food.
"So what are you making for me tonight, darling?"
Robin smiled, rotating to grab Regina's hips bringing a similar expression to her own face. One of his hands moved to cup her cheek, looking into her eyes intently as he rubbed the soft skin delicately with his index finger.
"Tonight, milady, we are having mushroom risotto, which I know is a favourite of yours. And I thought you had dessert sorted right?"
Regina adored his flirtatious demeanour, smirking and raising her eyebrows as he enveloped her lips into a passionate kiss, his hand moving from her hip to grip her arse as the kiss intensified. They couldn't do this now. As much as Regina would have loved to move things to the bedroom, the kitchen was indeed her favourite place and her first love was always going to be food. She pulled away and grinned, wiping the lipstick marks from his lips where the rouge substance had stained his stubble slightly.
"Maybe later, if your risotto is as appetizing as it smells."
She gave him one last peck before turning to change into a comfier outfit, approaching her bedroom to make a swift exit. She'd make sure to return just in time for the food to be ready.
"Oh I'm sure it will reach her majesty's expectations."
Regina twisted from the doorway of her bedroom, curtseying jokingly as Robin bowed, the pair giggling like kids before Regina went to change into something that wasn't as tight and constricting.
She unzipped her pencil skirt from the back and threw it into her hamper, grabbing her favourite pair of joggers, which were positioned on the door of her wardrobe and pulling them up her toned legs, their cosy warmth heating her chill body from the freezing temperatures outside. She then unbuttoned her maroon blouse and chucked it also into her laundry basket. Seeing Robin's old university hoodie hanging on the knob of her bedroom door, she hauled the oversized sweatshirt over her upper body, revelling in the distinct smell of forest, which was left by his favourite cologne.
She re-entered the kitchen, Robin still stood cooking dinner happily for the both of them. This was the moment. Regina had to ask him, or at least tell him about what had happened today. Like Selena said, it couldn't hurt.
"So Selena showed me something interesting today."
Robin rotated on his feet, a wooden spoon in his left hand from where he had been stirring the risotto. He laughed, knowing that his girlfriend's work friend was one for saying the largest of claims which turned out to be very untrue.
"Oh good lord. What nonsense has the woman been spouting out now?"
Regina loved it when his gorgeous English accent was heightened by his use of vocabulary. It was cute but she also found it charming. He truly was a real gentleman, unlike some of the men she had previously dated, fortunately. She dismissed the memories of her past as she went on to explain what "nonsense" Selena had been exclaiming to her today.
"So she asked to see a photo of you after asking for weeks and weeks and I caved. I showed her the one of us on her third date and she said she recognised you."
Robin placed the utensil he had just been holding onto the spoon rest, folding his arms in interest as he urged the stunning woman in front of him to continue with her story.
"Really? Hmm, I'm intrigued. Tell me more!"
Regina found his interest unnerving. It was only going to come crashing down when she told him the truth. She had to do it quick, rip it off like a bandaid. At least it would cause less pain for the both of them – Hopefully.
"She said that you looked like a singer she liked when she was younger. Robin Hood or something…"
Robin's face dropped.
Shit – she'd found out. How had she found out?
Of course, Selena was from Cambridge and being a similar age to Regina, she was more than likely going to remember the years Robin spent performing cheesy love ballads on stage to crowds of screaming girls.
"Really…Did she say anything else?"
Regina had clicked onto Robin's awareness, knowing that he realised she'd finally found out the secret that he hoped to keep for a little bit longer. He had tried his hardest for it to stay hidden, only ready to tell her when they had reached a firmer stage in their relationship. Well, Selena had ruined that plan.
"Nah not really. She just showed me some magazine covers that he was featured on. He looked kinda cute…"
Regina couldn't suppress the cheeky grin that glowed on her face as she finished her sentence. Robin's eyebrows were raised in question as she smiled at him. He knew that she knew and he wasn't going to be the one to cave in the game they were playing.
"Regina. I know you know"
The woman decided to play dumb, holding her arms up in defence as she queried Robin's last statement, acting like she didn't have any clue as to what he was talking about, which was a complete fib of course.
"Know what? I have no idea what you're talking about."
Robin saw straight through her lies – she really was rubbish at lying. This was something she had learned as their relationship had become less serious and more playful, Regina's attempts at hiding her true feelings usually failing when the two of them were messing about and having fun.
"I know that you know about my younger years back in England."
Regina needed no more confirmation than that to realise that what Selena had told her this morning was true. He really was Robin Hood, this supposed teen pop star who claimed some moments of fame in his youth. But this was fun, she had to tease him just a little bit more, she was going to hold this over his head for a long time.
"Robin you'll have to be more clear. I'm not sure I understand."
The male stood facing his girlfriend with a tired expression on his face. He had to give in, he had to come clean even though he knew she had some knowledge about the whole ordeal. But of course she was going to make him provide more details. For she wore the trousers in this relationship unfortunately and so it was time for him to come clean.
"Back in England, when I was a teen, I sort of had a stint as a pop star for a couple of years…"
The brunette couldn't help the hysterics that escaped her lips. She found the entire matter absolutely adorable and she really was enjoying the moment a bit more than she should have been.
"Okay. Okay. You HAVE to tell me more!"
Robin shook his head, his demeanour changing as he brought the simmering pan near the plates so he could scrape the food onto them. He didn't appear hurt but Regina could tell that it appeared to be a touchy subject.
"No Regina. I'm not telling you anything."
Robin's statement struck a chord with the woman. She had hoped that they had grown close enough that he could trust her. She'd confined with him about her mother, and about Daniel. What was different this time?
"Why not? Hey…You know you can tell me anything"
Robin sighed as he placed the pan onto the worktop. Regina's arms were wrapped around his waist, looking intently into his eyes as if waiting for him to speak. He gave into her insistent gaze; he knew she wasn't going to judge him. If anything, she would listen and understand.
"Well it was a time I'd rather forget. It wasn't the smoothest of rides despite the rewarding lifestyle."
Regina listened intently, hearing his usual cheery resonance die down to something that resembled a whisper. He obviously didn't like to discuss it, just like she didn't always like to share her past with Daniel.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Her tone was soft, accepting that this situation held a lot more at its core than what Robin had originally described. But she wasn't going to push him for a straight answer. She understood that everyone had moments in their life that they would like to keep hidden from the world and this was Robin's.
"I was planning to, but at a later date. It's obviously not the easiest thing to explain, I couldn't exactly tell you straight away. I feared you would run off thinking that I was a weirdo."
The woman couldn't help but chuckle at his inner worries. This man who she held in her arms had so much more to offer and her feelings for him were continuously growing as the pair of them developed their relationship further, becoming closer and more connected. She wasn't going to leave just because his face used to be plastered on the walls of every teenage girl in England.
"You can't get rid of me that easily, Mr Hood."
She moved forward and pressed a kiss to his lips, a gesture to say that she understood and that she wasn't bothered. Robin pulled away soon after, biting his tongue and raising his eyebrows at the nickname he had earned himself.
"Really? The nickname already?"
Regina giggled, kissing him again before moving out of his embrace and grabbing the two plates from the kitchen countertop, moving towards the table where the placemats were set, ready for the two of them to eat. She placed them onto the oblong shaped rests, pulling her chair out shortly afterwards to sit down and begin feasting on the gorgeous meal Robin had concocted.
"Oh come on! You know you love it! It's cute."
Robin chuckled, bringing her a glass of wine and some cutlery before sitting down himself and joining her at the table, taking a swig from his beer before taking his first bite into the food.
"Yes. Well for the moment this stays between just us, okay?"
Regina looked up from her plate, to find Robin anticipating her answer attentively. Of course she wasn't going to share the information. She would just tell Selena that she didn't get a chance to ask and that he didn't know who Robin Hood was anyway.
"Okay. I promise…But look at how adorable you were?!"
Her hand now held her phone, the screen displaying an image of Robin's younger self half-naked and hugging a white duvet over his chest, his eyes staring intensely at the camera as he pulled his model pout.
Regina sniggered like a child as Robin glared at her. He couldn't stay angry at her for long though, joining her in laughter as she gazed at the picture one last time before placing the phone face down onto the table.
Robin watched as she set the phone down and sipped at her glass of Chardonnay. He knew this teasing was going to last a lifetime if they stayed together permanently, something he wished for dearly. But he didn't mind, for getting to share the rest of his days with her was something that would make it all worth it in the end.
He wasn't so sure if he looked forward to the album listening sessions and poster analysis which would soon be happening however…