This was originally posted on tumblr with the awkward first meeting prompt: 'I needed a drink after my shower but I forgot I opened the blinds and you just saw me naked.' The oneshot turned into two parts and then three, and I'm nearly finished with the third part so I thought I'd finally post it here.

Hope you guys like it.

xXx

…

The hot shower had been necessary the moment she walked through the door. It had been a long day; first her creepy co-worker had taken to trailing his grubby fingertips down her arm when he stood next to her for coffee, then she'd had to stay late for work because one of her people had decided to get man-flu and had left all of his work to her, and then she had been caught in a heavy rain storm on the way back home because she had left her umbrella to dry on the balcony from yesterday's downpour.

A hot shower had been just what she needed.

Although the moment she stepped out, grabbed the towel from the floor and stood straight, a wave of dizziness crashed over her, and she had to grip the sink basin, close her eyes and wait for the room to stop spinning.

Perhaps her shower had been just a little too hot.

After a few deep breaths and when the world had righted itself again, Regina opened her eyes, deciding that she needed a glass of cold water before anything else.

She made her way to the kitchen, the cool tiles on her feet a welcome, refreshing feeling. She used the towel she had in her grasp to dry her hair a little, squeezing the ends to stop any excess water dripping on the floor before ruffling through the sides and back.

It was at times like these where Regina was thankful she lived alone; she was not in the least bit concerned about flatmates walking in when she was traipsing around, freshly showered, without even bothering to put on a robe first.

It wasn't that she was self-conscious about her appearance; she knew she looked good. She ate healthily, exercised regularly and used a strict beauty regime that worked wonders for the skin. It was just those accidental 'whoops-sorry-didn't-know-you-were-here' moments were somewhat awkward and incredibly uncomfortable.

A faint smash from outside broke her internal ramblings. Regina switched off the tap, took a sip from her drink and then turned to see what was going on.

She looked through her window – one of those large panes that almost reached from floor to ceiling – and it suddenly occurred to her that she had forgotten to close the blinds when she got home from work. So with it being somewhat dark outside, and with the light on in her open plan apartment, anybody could see in.

Then she noted the man on the balcony from an apartment on the opposite side of the complex, softly illuminated from the light from his living area. He had his hand held in front of him, and from the glistening at his feet, it looked as if he had dropped his glass. Regina was going to chuckle at his misfortune, but then she noticed he was looking right at her, and her smile faded away.

Despite the distance between them, Regina could clearly see his expression. His staring didn't exact unnerve her, but the usual reaction to seeing a naked stranger would be to turn away, surely. Although, the usual reaction to being seen naked by a stranger would be to run or cover up. And that wasn't going to happen; Regina Mills was nothing if not bold. She'd not let this stranger think she was embarrassed.

She'd blame the pink flush on her skin from the hot water, not from the heat of his gaze.

There was a silent declaration of war between the two; who would be the one to look away first?

Regina wouldn't back down. She didn't do that. Ever.

But this man – whoever he was – stood firm, closed his gaping mouth, and met her glare head-on.

Well, Regina thought, this is going to be interesting.

Then he surprised her; he just went back into his apartment and closed the door, not bearing her a second glance.

A frown appeared on her face. Perhaps she had embarrassed him?

Regina laughed at the thought. But then she remembered that she was standing starkers for all the world to see and she decided to go and put on her robe. It was thin and silky and didn't do much in the way of modesty as it only came to her mid-thigh, but it was something at least.

When she had strolled back into the kitchen, finished her glass of water and starting hunting through her cupboards to see what food she had in for her evening meal, she was interrupted by the rap of knuckles on her door.

Regina narrowed her eyes towards the direction of the hallway, shutting the cupboard and trying to work out who could possibly be outside her apartment at 9pm on a Monday evening.

She made her way over, tightening the sash around her waist and opened the door.

It was him.

The guy from the apartment opposite.

What the hell did he want?