A/N: First day of Prompt Party 2018! This includes prompts 151. Jealous Regina and/or Robin and 213. Friends with benefits. Hope you like it!
It's fine. Truly.
They aren't together. Aren't anything more than friends who occasionally find their way into each others beds. Only when they're stressed or it's been a tough week. When Regina's had a shitty phone call from her mother or Robin's had a crap shift at the bar he tends at, drunken co-eds making shambles of their lives and serving as irritations to his. Sometimes they use it as a chance to let off steam before a big exam, or just when they're lonely on a Friday night, when their friends are out and about in their tiny college town but neither of them have a desire to join them.
It's the perfect arrangement really. Friends helping each other out, scratching an itch. Simple, no strings fun. A buddy they can get their jollies off with and then go grab a burger together without it being a big deal.
That's what they have with one another and it works out perfectly.
So there is absolutely no reason for her to feel this gnawing heat in her belly, eating away at the lining of her stomach, causing Regina's insides to churn as he casually brushes a lock of long, dark curls over a mocha colored shoulder, fingers skimming down the bare skin of the woman's bicep as Robin grins at her in that way that makes his dimples crease in his cheeks.
Her smile, dammit.
Except it's not. Regina doesn't own it. Robin's perfectly free to give it to whomever he wishes. The thought doesn't comfort her whatsoever. Not while she's sitting here watching him flirt with another girl. She hadn't even known he'd be at this party. It shouldn't surprise her, not really. They have the exact same group of friends, if Mary Margaret had texted her to let her know Ruby was having an impromptu bash to kick off finals week, it's only reasonable to think Robin received a similar one from David.
She doesn't know this girl, doesn't believe she's seen her around before, but, well, that's the whole damn point of a party, isn't it? To meet new people, expand their horizons, try something new. Regina should be enjoying the attractive, dark haired guy that's been eyeing her from his perch on the couch beside the music, adjusting songs every few minutes or so, keeping a steady upbeat in tempo. He's cute and has excellent taste in music to boot. She should go talk to him and ignore the sinking feeling in her gut as Robin's familiar laughter carries across the din of the party to reach her ears.
Suddenly, it's too much. The people, the noise, those dark brown eyes that wink at her from across the room when the dj catches her eyes on him. It's all wrong.
She needs another drink. Tipping back the last of her vodka cranberry, emptying the red solo cup in her grasp, she heads for the kitchen to get a refill. Maybe if she guzzles enough alcohol into her system she'll stop feeling this way and the traitorous voice in the back of her head will stop whispering that perhaps she feels more than friendship for Robin.
Surprisingly, it's one of the quieter rooms of the house at the moment. There's only a smattering of people, one with their head ducked in the fridge, looking for more beer, a trio of girls clustered together next to the kitchen table, and two dudes munching on the chips and pretzels Ruby's dumped into giant plastic bowls.
Regina breathes deeply, letting her lungs fill to the brim before exhaling a steady stream through her teeth as she makes a beeline for the bottles stationed on the countertop, thankful for a brief reprieve. One that is short lived as the last person she wants to talk with at the moment wanders in, just as she's pouring a healthy portion of liquor into her cup.
"Hey," he greets, two cups in hand, smiling innocently at her and Regina wishes she could smack that smirk right off his face. Ridiculous she scolds herself. He hasn't done anything wrong. There's no reason for her to be this upset with him.
Reaching for the juice, Regina eyes him from beneath her lashes as she focuses on her task and replies, "Hi."
Robin's brow furrows at her tone, though Regina doesn't notice it, focused as she is on dumping more cranberry into her cup as a mixer, reaching for a straw to stir it around. "I didn't realize you were coming tonight. What happened to cramming for your accounting final?"
Jerking her shoulder and finally meeting his gaze again, Regina replies, "Mary Margaret talked me into taking a break… and pointed out I still have all day tomorrow and that I should have a little fun the last weekend before we all leave." She takes another big gulp of her drink, letting the liquor burn down her throat and grimacing slightly. Too much vodka, but whatever it takes to get rid of this green eyed monster, right?
Unfortunately, Robin's too intuitive to let her get by with the clipped tone. "Is anything the matter, Regina?"
"No, of course not. Why would you think that?"
"Because you have your I-want-to-burn-down-the-world face on and this is supposed to be a party. You're meant to be having fun. Did something happen?"
Damn him for knowing her so well, being able to read her like an open book. It makes it impossible to hide anything from him. Even this unwarranted jealousy that's surging through her veins. Taking another sip from her drink, Regina tips her head to the side, her long dark locks falling over her shoulders in curling waves. "Everything's fine," she answers, taking another gulp.
Robin steps forward, hand reaching out to cup her elbow slightly and Regina jerks her arm from his grip, even as her skin tingles at the contact.
"How's your girlfriend?" Regina instantly regrets the words as soon as they've left her lips. They're childish and sound petulant and whiny, even to her slightly inebriated ears. Jealous. She sounds jealous and that's the last thing she needs for Robin to realize. It will only screw up whatever it is they've got going on. And the last thing she wants to do is jeopardize his friendship in any way. He means too much to her for that.
He frowns at that, "Girlfriend? You mean Marian?" Clearly he's puzzled by her outburst, and Regina could kick herself for letting her emotions get the best of her. His hand flutters helplessly by his side, like he wants to reach for her again but knows better.
"Forget it," Regina tells him, not quite meeting his eyes. "I'm gonna get some air." She jerks her chin in the direction of the cups he holds. "Better fill those. Wouldn't want to keep your new friend waiting."
Before he has a chance to say anything else, Regina is darting her way out of the room, beelining down the hall and weaving through people until she reaches the backdoor. It's just as lively out here, people set up playing beer pong and a few smoking beside the hedges, laughing together, but at least there's not the suffocating, overheated atmosphere of too many bodies crammed into one room. And the music is blessedly muted out here.
She can breath for a few minutes, get herself back under control. Maybe she should just go home, she thinks absently. Coming tonight had been a mistake.
It doesn't appear lady luck is on her side this evening, however, when Robin's voice reaches her from directly behind her as she's headed down the steps. "Regina, stop. Please. Talk to me."
Rolling her eyes and groaning, Regina glances over her shoulder, "Go back inside, Robin." She takes a sharp right turn and heads around to the side of the house for what she hopes is a little privacy. Maybe she can just sneak out that way and head back to her apartment.
Though much to Regina's distress, Robin follows her. "No," he tells her, fingers loosely circling her wrist and halting her escape as he comes to a stop beside her, "not until you tell me what's going on."
"It's nothing, really," Regina insists. The lie tastes sour on her tongue, but what else is she supposed to tell him? That seeing him flirt with another woman is torture? That she thinks she might be falling in love with him? She has no right to that. That's not what this arrangement is. He's free to pursue whomever he wishes.
Robin sighs. "Obviously you're upset about something and I don't like seeing you this way." His voice drops a degree, barely audible over the noise of music that's echoing out from the house. "Let me help. Whatever it is. Please, Regina."
She groans, a sound deep in her throat rumbling up. "You can't!" She bursts.
"Why not?" Robin questions, exasperated, waving his hands around.
And maybe it's the alcohol finally fully hitting her, or the fact that they're out here alone and it's the end of the year and she has no idea what the future has in store for them, but suddenly she can't keep what she's feeling hidden anymore. It erupts like word vomit. "Because I'm jealous of her!"
Shock registers on Robin's face and he's quiet for another minute, staring at her as Regina feels her cheeks flush with embarrassment. Well she's done it now, hasn't she? There's no taking it back.
"You're jealous? Of Marian?" Robin repeats, clarifying.
Regina rolls her eyes, tossing the remainder of her drink in the bin a few feet away, she's probably had enough anyway, and sighs. "Yes. Alright. I know you and I are just friends, and that whatever we have going on isn't anything serious, but the truth is I hate seeing you with anyone else and I'm really not in the mood. So I'm just going to go home and try to avoid waking up with a hangover. Go back inside and find Marian and enjoy the rest of your night."
Turning on her heel, Regina begins stalking toward the front of the house, fully prepared to end the conversation there and pretend like it had never happened. Mortification pumps and mixes with the alcohol flowing through her system. She hasn't gone more than five feet before Robin's snagging her wrist again and turning her back around, pulling her body flush against his and laying his lips over hers.
It's just like every other kiss they've shared. It stirs things inside her that no one she's ever been with before has been able to do. She should have known that would be her downfall. This seductive pull she has toward him. Since that first time they'd been studying and things had gotten a bit heated, since they'd made their stupid agreement in the first place.
But Robin's lips are warm against her own, and he tastes like the whiskey he must have been drinking. Woodsy and smoky as his tongue slips between her parted lips and into her mouth. She moans into the kiss, hooking an arm around his neck instinctively. It feels right. Whatever this is between them is, it feels like they belong here. He belongs here, with her. Not inside with whatsherface. Robin angles his mouth over hers for another few, heady minutes as his fist grips her shirt at the base of her spine possessively and the other slips down to cup her ass over her jeans, until finally they break for air as he backs her up against the side of the house, pinning her between the brick and body.
"You foolish woman," he breaths, panting as he sucks oxygen into his lungs, his hips pressed wondrously into hers, the stirrings of an erection already forming.
Regina frowns at that, a little line forming between her brows as she attempts to pull away, but Robin's grip around her is firm and he keeps her close against his chest and thighs. "Excuse me?"
Chuckling, he tells her, "I don't want Marian. I only want you."
"You were flirting with her," Regina responds defensively, a tiny pout creating a crinkle between her brows.
"She's an exchange student, here for summer session and arrived a few weeks early. She and Ruby met in line for coffee. It's her first party." Robin grins at her, his thumb stroking up and down her spine. "I was just being nice. Telling her who everyone was." He wiggles his eyebrow at her and comments, "In fact, I think she might have more of an interest in Ruby than me."
Oh. Well, now she feels idiotic, exactly like the fool he'd called her. Though that's not what it had looked like and, granted, she'd jumped to conclusions, but still—
"But this… isn't… we aren't..." Her voice trails off, uncertain now.
"It is." Robin counters, grinning and biting his bottom lip in that way that makes her ache between her thighs, need slowly gnawing at her insides as the seconds tick by. "Has been for awhile, actually, for me at least. But I thought telling you might screw it up."
"We said no strings." Regina points out. And why is she arguing this? She's getting exactly what she wants, albeit something she hadn't entirely realized she'd wanted until this evening. At least not consciously. However, she thinks somewhere in the back of her mind she's always known what they have has never been as casual as they'd fooled themselves into believing.
His laughter shakes his chest and shoulders, jostling her a bit, but his grin is infectious, especially when he informs her, "I think that ended somewhere around the first time you let me stay and I got to hold you all night."
His words make her skin heat, a flush forming over her limbs and down her spine at the memory. They'd just fucked each other silly, taking full advantage of her roommates spur of the moment trip home for the weekend. And after a round on the kitchen counter, and the couch (not to mention the wall outside her door), they'd finally managed to stumble their way to her bedroom, collapsing on the mattress. Robin had turned into her, curling around her back and nuzzling his nose into her hair, causing Regina to sigh contentedly, endorphins high and limbs loose she'd already been drifting off to sleep. It had barely even been a conscious thought as she'd whispered Stay when he'd muttered something about feeling too wonderful to even move, let alone leave.
Perhaps that had been when things had begun to shift for her as well. The first time she'd let herself be truly defenseless with him.
Can it really be true? Could Robin really have feelings for her? "You're serious?" Regina questions one last time, hope a precarious emotion, especially when mixed with the alcohol swimming in her veins. It seems too good to be true.
"Regina," Robin drawls slowly, voice rich and warm, like a gentle caress as his palm lifts to cup her cheek, the tips of his fingers slipping through the strands of her hair as he confesses, "I'm mad about you. Utterly besotted in every way. Have been since the moment we met, truthfully. I'm amazed you haven't figured it out before now. I've done a rather poor job of concealing it I think."
She ducks her head at that, biting her bottom lip as acceptance gradually grows inside her, quickly followed by a rush of delight that spurs a pleasant blush to heat her cheeks. Robin has feelings for her, too. This isn't just about the sex, incredible as it is. Meeting his eyes again, Regina mutters honestly, "I never let myself consider it. We'd agreed this was just for fun and I didn't want to ruin it and risk losing you by letting myself believe that it was more."
"Nor did I, but I think perhaps we've let that notion go on too long." Robin's expression turns a bit impish as he adds, "As flattering as you being jealous is," and he chuckles when Regina can't help swatting his shoulder at the remark, rolling her eyes before he continues, "we can't have you believing there's even a chance you could lose me." Somehow he sounds even sexier when he tacks on solemnly, "I've not touched anyone but you since that first time we were together."
God, they have been fools. Secretly pining away for each other, not wanting to rock the boat on their little arrangement when it'd grown far beyond what either of them had ever intended. They've wasted so much time already.
Not anymore, though. "Neither have I," Regina admits almost shyly. "Been with anyone else but you, I mean." She's not used to being this open and vulnerable about her feelings. With anyone. But she knows her emotions are safe with Robin, that he'd never do anything to hurt her. That intrinsic trust is one of the things that had fascinated her, drawn her to him in the first place. And finally being honest, with him, with herself, is refreshing she has to admit.
Robin's smile is radiant when she grows silent again, unsure what to say or do now. He bends his head for another kiss then, this one slower, sweeter than the last. Angling his mouth over her own, Robin rubs his lips against hers, licking along her bottom lip and toying with her tongue as Regina opens herself to him. He's palming at her ass again, squeezing just the way she likes as she hooks an ankle over his calf and rubs her center over the bulge in his jeans. It feels so good. Has her body buzzing anxiously and suddenly she needs him. Urgently.
"Take me home," Regina whispers open-mouthed, hot breath puffing against Robin's lips as they gasp and grind their hips together, oblivious to the crowd of people only yards away. He nods, the tip of his nose brushing against the apple of her cheek as he drops his forehead to hers for a moment and breathes heavily.
Then he's pushing off the wall, stepping back and grabbing her hand in his, weaving their fingers together as he smirks and tugs her toward the front of the house and down the street into the night.
They've still a lot to sort out, more that needs to be said between them, but for now it's enough to know that they've pushed through a block in their relationship. That despite what this little arrangement had begun as, they're still on the same page.
And whomever he'd spent the earlier part of his night with, Robin is going home with her. Just as it was meant to be.