A/N: I tried uploading this chapter as fast as I could because I was practically bullied to by GinaScrive (Just kidding, love ya sis!) so I'm just gonna apologize in advance for mistakes and...you know, what happens in this chapter and the upcoming ones. SORRY!
A/N2: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, I love hearing your thoughts on this and to everyone that followed and favorite, y'all are amazing!
To the Puerto Rican guest: I just wanna say that although I love all my reviews, yours made me really happy :) thank you for taking the time to let me know what you think also, GinaScrive says "Wepa!"
Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time nor its characters. However, I do own the idea behind this story and certain character that are unknown to the Once Fandom, also I own my terrible mistakes!
He went there, to the bistro. Day after day after day, sitting at his usual table without his usual order, just waiting for her to walk in. Every sound of clicking and footsteps caught his attention, in hope it was the sound of her heels against the teak flooring but it wasn't. Every sound was every other costumer's but hers.
He missed her, and it was crazy. How can he miss someone he'd only known for a little over a week? But he did. She consumed his thoughts and it was as if his world stopped revolving around his job and friends, his own life and focused on her, and only her. It was starting to show, people were starting to notice, Ruby most definitely did, she didn't tease him as she did before, and part of him was grateful.
Had he not seen her that day, he wouldn't be suffocating at the mere thought of her today.
Her name laid heavily atop of his lungs, her images danced around in his memories, twirling in circles like a ballerina in an old music box destined to play for eternity. Her laughter rang through his ears, a sweet echo slowly fading into the blackness. He feared forgetting it. God, he missed her. This was definitely love, and he was screwed.
…
"Has she come at all today?" Robin finally asked, lifting his head up to meet Ruby's frown, she shook her head and he sighed. He came to the bistro straight from work, the minute his shift was over. He only left for half an hour for a much needed nap before returning. And it was nearly closing time now, almost 12 o'clock and she still didn't show up. As if the earth had split in half and swallowed her, leaving behind no trace of her for him to follow. Did he mess up that badly that she felt the need to disappear as if she never existed?
"Another refill?" Ruby asked and he shook his head. He downed three cups already in a span of four hours. It wasn't healthy and he knew it, but nothing he ever did was anyways.
"I'm gonna head back home," he drawled, offering her a tight-lipped smile. He was tired, barely had any sleep for God knows how long. Between his unstable work shifts to staying up until the break of dawn thinking about Regina. It was energy draining, absolutely tiring. "Goodnight," he waved.
"Goodnight," Ruby whispered, a frown fixed over her face. She watched him stumble out, and as if he was crossing the street rather than walk along the sidewalk, he glanced both ways, left to right and she knew. He wasn't looking out for passing cars, he was hoping to catch a glimpse of Regina's silhouette. It was sweet, yet saddening at same time. She felt sorry him.
It went on like this for a while. Straight to The Rustic Baker from work and then back to his apartment after midnight. Ruby pitied him, Granny too but he shrugged off their sympathetic looks and nursed one cup of coffee after another.
By week two he stopped. What little hope he had, disappeared. He knew it felt too good to be true, she was far too perfect to consider being with a man like him. She could be a model, for all he knows, and what model would settle for a security guard with a low income? He had high expectations, his dreams went too far. His mother always told him to dream big, and he did. It got him nowhere.
"Hey, Robbie!" John said, apparently for the hundredth time, or so he claimed. "Where did you go, man? I've been calling your name for over half an hour." He exaggerated of course. It's been less than fifteen minutes since he got out his bedroom and joined him in the livingroom.
"Sorry, I was thinking about something." Robin murmured, tilting his beer upward and taking another swig. He licked his lips, "What were you saying?"
"I was asking if you're going to Killian's bachelor's party." John said and Robin clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "Why not?" The chunky man asked, furrowing his brows, "You've been looking forward to this night since he told us he's proposing to Emma!"
"I don't feel like it, John." Robin complained, downing the rest of his drink in one go before tossing the empty bottle aside.
"Why?"
"Because I just don't!" Robin barked, slowly getting more and more irritated. Couldn't he just understand that he feels like shit, has been since his date with Regina. He felt as if he lost the most valuable thing in his life, and it wasn't even his to begin with. And that made it worse. But how could John know? He was yet to share her with the world. As selfish as it may be, he wanted it her all to himself, even if it was for a little while. Get to know her a little better, cherish her, explore this love he had for her before getting bombarded with all sorts of questions from everyone around him.
"Jeff isn't going because he couldn't find a sitter and now you're not either, who am I supposed to hang out with aside from Killian?" John frowned.
"Will, David, Graham…" Robin trailed off and shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know them all that much," John grumbled, he puffed a huff and ran a hand through his dark curls.
"Well get to know them then." Robin said. "Because I'm not going."
And he stood by his decision, assuring John that it was final, and he wouldn't change his mind. Well, until an hour past and he began suffocating on his own thoughts. Loneliness was a ruthless thing. There were so many things going through his head, different scenarios playing on repeat. So many what ifs and questions that he made up his own answers to. He felt himself getting lost in them.
He chugged down the rest of his second beer and shrugged on his black leather jacket. Maybe going to the club would make him feel better, maybe a few drinks in he'll find himself a stripper and perhaps he'll finally forget about Regina. He hoped. But forgetting a Goddess would be near impossible. He could try.
"Robin!" A voice called out somewhere in the crowded club, he looked around until his gaze fell over his cousin, Killian, waving at him from a distance. "Come here!" He called out, his voice barely audible with the music blasting around them.
"Sorry I'm late," Robin said, offering a lopsided smile. "I really didn't want to come." He admitted, shrugging his shoulders.
Killian rolled his eyes at the blunt honesty. "Well, I'm glad you did anyways." He told him, pushing a shot into Robin's hand before gesturing for another.
"Come on, pay up!" David exclaimed, laughing and holding his hand toward a grumpy John and a scowling Graham while Will snickered at their misfortune.
"I told you so!" Will teased, "Whenever a bet includes Robin, you should always be prepared to lose." He explained, and he had a point there. Anything that includes Robin is unpredictable. He often made people angry by doing the opposite of what they wagered on despite him being clueless about it all. Why were they betting on him anyways?
"Thanks a lot, Rob." John scoffed, slapping a ten dollar bill over David's palm, followed by an agreed "Yeah, thanks a lot" from Graham too, and another ten bucks.
Robin rolled his eyes, "I never forced anyone into this." He pointed out. One would think they'd learn from observing others falling into the same misery but alas, they were too stupid.
"Why did you change your mind anyways?" John asked.
"I just did," Robin said, plain and simple and John rolled his eyes. Well, thank God he didn't go through with the idea of studying law because this wasn't the way to win a case.
"Can you stop being grouchy for at least an hour and enjoy this?" John pleaded. It was a night for them to let loose of their stress, drink and maybe find themselves a woman or two.
Robin sighed, "Fine." He titled his head back and quaffed down his first of many shots. This night was going to be long.
His plan was to get drunk, as wasted as he can get by the end of the night but two shots in and the guys were already on their forth, or maybe fifth. They were loud and woozy, most certainly not in a great shape to drive themselves back home, and a taxi just won't do. He knew better than to send any of them on their way in this condition.
Great. He had to be the most sober of them all when it was him who needed to drink and forget. Momentarily perhaps but forgetting nevertheless. And that sounded like a bliss, sadly, it'll have to wait for another night.
"Where are you going, mate?" Killian slurred, loosely clutching on the material of Robin's jacket.
"Getting some water," Robin groaned, prying his cousin's hand off and patting it back down on the table, "I'll be right back, please don't do anything stupid." He begged and the groom-to-be simply chuckled.
It was a bad idea. Coming here.
He could feel dread coiling in the pit of his stomach, his gut feeling or sixth sense, whichever seemed more believable. It was alarming, almost as if it was warning him, but he put those feelings aside. Maybe it was just his negative thoughts, his mind playing tricks on him. It could happen, right? Robin sighed, "Water please." He gestured for the bartender, leaning half his weight against the bar.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you—" An enthusiastic voice behind him announced, his accent a bit off. Scottish mixed in with a hint of American, giving away the fact that whoever it was, he lived here for sometime. Either way, he chose to ignore it. "The most exotic part of the evening and my personal favorite," the man chuckled and Robin rolled his eyes. "La Reina!" He drawled and the crowd cheered, and although he tried his best to turn a blind eye to it, curiosity got the best of him and he turned around.
And how he wished he hadn't.
There she was. His mysterious brunette.
Heavy makeup working as a mask to hide away her true beauty, lipstick as red as blood smothered over her plump lips. Raven curls cascading over her shoulders, one side pinned up, baring her ear and the diamond that dangled from her lobe.
That was enough of a sight to turn his stomach, but then his eyes drifted to her attire — was it even still considered as one when she barely wore a thing? Her body almost fully exposed to the hungry eyes of those drunken scumbags. Only matching red lace covering her most intimate parts. Barely.
It was as if time had slowed, or perhaps stopped. He wasn't aware of his surroundings anymore, the music that once blasted through the club, disappeared and then—
One hand rested over his shoulder, a grip tight enough to leave a bruise, or a faint mark temporarily. "Hey, you!" Someone called out from behind him, pulling him out of his daze. "I'm talking to you." The voice demanded and Robin blinked, he turned around to face a snarling man, twice his size. "What do you think you're doing?"
Robin furrowed his brows in confusion.
"You're paying for that glass." The man gestured his hand toward the shattered pieces scattered around his feet and…oh
"I'm—I'm sorry," Robin stuttered. "I…I don't know how it happened…" He trailed off, and he really didn't. One minute he was reaching for his water and the second he saw her, and his world just stopped.
"Well I don't give a damn, you're paying for it." The bartender grumbled but Robin's mind drifted elsewhere, again and the lack of attention given to him angered the bartender. He snarled, balling one fist, ready to strike Robin with when—
"What do you think you're doing?" John glowered, enveloping the bartender's fist with his hand.
"Step aside," the man demanded.
"I'm not taking one step away." John declared.
"What's happening here?" David slurred, and that was enough to draw Robin's attention back to his bitter reality, well, almost. His focus was still mainly over Regina, the way she moved. Hips swaying, finger tips brushing over strange men's cheeks. It angered him.
"Nothing that concerns either of you," the bartender said, pointing his index over at David and John.
"He's with us, it has everything to do with us." David argued.
The corner of the bartender's lips twitched up and he folded his arms over his broad chest. "Well then, one of you is going to pay for this." He motioned his hand toward the mess they were stepping on.
"You almost punched our friend and you expect us to give you a cent?" John chuckled dryly, a humorless laugh erupting out of him and he shook his head. No way would either of them do that. "Come on, Robin." He urged, nudging his friend to move when the bartender extended his hand and grabbed his shoulder. John's laughter died, his grin replaced with a snarl.
"Bad move, buddy." David mumbled, clicking his tongue and stepping back.
And bad was an understatement.
John's large fist stroked the side of the bartender's face, forcing him to stumble a step back but it didn't end there. That merely drew unwanted attention, gasps from the intoxicated crowd. The larger man lunged forward, clenched hand blowing over John's face.
"John!" David exclaimed but it fell to deaf ears. John ignored and went for another.
People gathered around the bar, their voices grew louder than the music itself, and then she turned around. And she saw him.
Their eyes locked for a brief moment and Robin's breath hitched, his heart sank and his knees grew weak. He wanted to speak, say something, anything but as if he forgot how to. He clamped his mouth shut and watched her wrap her arms around herself to cover her modesty but it didn't do much, it didn't change the fact that she was almost completely bare for everyone to see. He took a step forward, his feet guiding him toward her but when he neared, she ran away.
Again.
A/N: I'm not that proud of this chapter to be completely honest but i'd probably go insane if I rewrote it one more time, so I do hope you enjoyed reading it. Please don't forget to review, it makes me happy.
