Summary: "On average, the mind of a person takes between ninety seconds and four minutes to determine whether it is struck by love or not." Outlaw Queen. AU. Three-Shot. Established Semi-Relationship.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Notes: Scroll down.


Chapter Two
Stage Two. Attraction


It's hard to pretend like nothing happened when it's all they can think about. By some unspoken agreement, they never lingered together too long, they made sure they didn't catch each other's eyes whilst at work, and they were determined not to let what happened over a week ago happen again. But it was hard, and draining.

Waking up that morning had been bliss, with Robin's arms wrapped tight around her waist, her bare back pressed against his naked chest and their legs tangled together. It had rained that night, so the morning sky was grey and it was still drizzling when they woke. They hadn't spoken, nor had they moved. Maybe, because when they did, then it'd be over. And neither one of them wanted that.

But they had to move eventually, and they'd dressed and eaten in silent. They'd touched each other as much as possible, his hand on the small of her back, hers brushing his chest as she passed by. They'd stood in the kitchen, arms wound around each others waist with her nose buried in his neck. It was ridiculous, really. They knew this would happen. They knew that, no matter what they may feel, no matter what they did, it can't continue... and it can't happen again.

But it did. Because until Robin stepped through her front door, what they felt was restricted to her apartment. And they took advantage of that as best they could. It was still early when his hand had travelled up her stomach, under the tank top she'd donned that morning. Her stomach was warm whereas his hand was cold and his touch had caused her nipples to harden and her back to arch. Beyond the small talk they'd made over breakfast, each trying to avoid anything serious and heavy, they said nothing as their hands roamed each others body. Even as Robin had turned her in his arms, even as his hand had fallen under her shorts and between her legs, even as she rocked in to curled fingers - they were quiet. His lips on her neck, her soft moans, it didn't take long before he was sinking in to her deeply, thrusting slowly, his arms holding her up as she came with a muffled cry and he followed soon after.

They'd stayed like that for most of the morning, until he had to leave to retrieve his son, and he'd done so with a small smile and a lingering kiss. And that was it. They'd given in, and now they had to pay the price.

A week had passed, with Robin watching Regina when he thought she wasn't looking, and Regina doing the same to Robin. Averted gazes and bitten lips, both trying desperately to act as if they didn't know every inch of the others body, every mark and every freckle.

But Robin caves during lunch. The need to touch her again is just too strong and he'd found himself sitting beside her. Regina tensed, heart in her throat and back rigid as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye, eyebrow raised as she rolled the wrap she'd brought for lunch. "What are you doing?" she muttered under her breath, taking great care not to look at him, nor react to his hand as it moved to rest on her thigh under the table. They were relatively alone, save for the substitute sitting the corner with her nose buried in a book. She could care less about whatever sordid affair the school's staff partakes in - 'Sordid affair?' she thinks with a crease in her brow. There's nothing sordid about what they'd done and it was hardly an affair... They're both single, after all and, why is she thinking about this as if there's anything to think about?

"I'm sorry," he says, and she knows he's not because his hand stays still on her thigh, and a part of her isn't either - but the bigger part, the more rational part, knows that if Gold walks through that door and sees them as close as they are, everything they've tried so hard to hide will be out in the open and... she can't afford to look for another job.

Briefly, she turns her head to look at him directly, an attempt at convincing him to move away dying on her lips as she sees the way he looks at her. Her breath hitches in her throat and she swallows, an action that draws his attention from her eyes to her throat and his thumb begins to move in circles over her knee. The look alone makes her feel weak in the knees and his touch has her pressing her legs together and damn it, they said this wouldn't happen again.

But God, he is undeniably attractive and her heart splutters in her chest as he smiles at her, as his gaze roams her jaw and her cheek, her lips to her eyes and she can tell that he is trying very, very hard not to kiss her right now. Maybe it should concern her that she can read him so easily but later, when he's pressing her up against the wall beside his apartment door and littering her neck with kisses that'll bruise come morning, she forgets how wrong it is and concentrates on how good his hands in her hair feels.

When they're lying together in his bed, spent and half-asleep, he whispers sweet nothings in her ear. He talks about how beautiful he thinks she is, and how he can't stop thinking about her, and she smiles softly, turns her nose in to the pillow to hide the blush only he seems capable of causing. And for the second time, they fall asleep in each others arms.

They can't stop. No matter how hard they try, they can't stop. He touches her at every opportunity, and she does the same to him. Gentle brushes of their hands or brief kisses to the cheek in the mornings. She is an addiction to him, and he can't get enough. He's never been attracted to someone like he is to her. He is drawn to her like a moth to a flame, utterly fascinated with her entire being and he'd like nothing more than to embrace her in the open, to kiss her like he wants to kiss her in the mornings - but he restrains himself, does as she asks because while he may be enamoured with the very thought of the two of them together, he knows she isn't. At least, not yet.


Notes: So I know this chapter is short, and I apologise for that. This chapter/stage is basically just a filler for the next and last one, which I will tease to you is titled 'Attachment', and I will make sure that that is quite long to make up for the shortness of this one. I'd just like to reply to a couple of reviews:

RedBlackandLights: I didn't really plan on adding more smut to this. The smut was supposed to just be limited to the first chapter but I did do my best to add small snippets and mentions of it. I hope it was enough! : )

MissPoisonous: Thank you so much! I wasn't sure whether to go with it as an AU or in a Canonological ( totally not a word ) sense, but it seems I write AU's better so, I'm glad you liked it as such.

The next chapter will be longer guys, that I will promise you. And I will tell you to prepare for even more fluff, but also angst and drama, because the next chapter will be the last and naturally, all the shit has to hit the fan.