Day 4: The Nanny AU.
Dimples Queen!
Robin paces back and forth in his living room, nervously scratching his head. He has a date in an hour, and he's really excited about it because this new woman in his life has him very interested and it's his first date after her but there is a huge problem: his friend, Little John, who had to look after Roland had an accident and now he can no longer take care of the boy.
And he can't leave Roland alone but he also can't take him on the date.
He thinks about all his other friends, but they obviously wouldn't take a good care of his son.
Well, there is one friend – he's not sure if he can still call that person a friend - one woman actually, who would be capable to look after Roland. But he's not sure if this woman, Regina Mills, would agree to do such a thing after what has happened between them, they haven't talked after that.
But perhaps she would agree look after Roland anyway, she always adored him.
Robin glances at the clock on the wall and groans because he doesn't have more time to think, he's already running late and delay on the first date isn't the best idea.
Regina's sitting in her living room with a book in her hands but she's not reading. She's thinking about how lonely her evening will be; Henry is out with Emma and Hook and he won't be back until tomorrow evening, so it means she's all alone by herself. Of course, Charmings volunteered to spend some time with her but she waved her hand in a dismissive way and said that she's a big girl, she doesn't need someone to look after her.
Sighing she tries to concentrate on the book she's reading but then there's a knock on the door and she immediately drops the book on the couch and rushes to the door. Perhaps Henry changed his mind and decided to come home?
She opens the door widely with a huge smile on her face but there is not Henry… It's Robin Hood and Roland.
Her eyes widen in surprise and confusion when she blinks for a few times just to make sure she's not dreaming. What are they doing here?
"Hi," Robin breaks a silence and offers her a small smile.
"Hi?" Regina replies, her voice shaking just a little bit. She was sure that after what has happened between them, she will never see him again but here he is; standing in her doorway with his cute little boy beside him. "What are you doing here?"
"I… I wanted to ask you… .can you look after Roland this evening? I have a … a meeting and Little John can't look after him, and I have no one else to ask and… yeah," He explains, hesitatingly, making Regina let out a humourless chuckle. He has to be kidding. They haven't talked for… six months probably and now he shows up as if nothing has happened. This man is crazy, no doubt.
But then she looks down at Roland and the boy is grinning at her, the dimples in his cheeks make her knees go weak as always. She has missed him a lot, truth be told she would like to spend time with him because she was close with him, there was a time when she thought about him as a son. But despite all that, she's still not sure if she should agree.
She looks back at Robin for a moment and finds him pleading her with his eyes. She rolls her eyes at him but then looks back at Roland, who is still smiling at her that cute heart-warming smile. Damn, she can't say no to this dimpled boy.
She then inhales and finally says, "Okay,"
Robin smiles a little, lets go of Roland's hand and the boy immediately runs to Regina and hugs her leg tightly. She smiles as she kneels to pick him up and then stands back up to look at Robin.
"Be a good boy, Roland, and listen to Regina, I will be back soon, buddy," Robin states to Roland and the boy eagerly nods his head. Then he turns to Regina and says, "Thank you, milady, you saved my day,"
"It's nothing," She smiles a little too and hugs Roland tighter, making the boy giggle.
"No, it means a lot, Regina," Robin says seriously and she nods with a small smile still on her face.
They say their goodbyes then because Robin is already late and then he disappears from her threshold. Regina closes the door and carries Roland to the living room, puts him down on the floor and the boy almost immediately jumps on the couch, makes himself comfortable and looks at her again with that smile.
He still feels like home here.
"I missed you," Roland announces.
"Oh, I missed you too, Roland," Regina says as she sits down beside him on the couch. Roland immediately moves closer to her until he can snuggle to her.
"I missed Henry too,"
"I'm sure Henry missed you as well but he's with his other mom tonight." She explains and Roland nods his head in understanding, making Regina laugh a little. His cuteness has no end. She shakes her head to herself smiling and then asks, "So what do you want to do?"
"Can we make an apple pie? The one we made for Christmas" Roland asks and his eyes shine with excitement.
"Of course we can," She agrees and laughs a little when she recalls the last time they made that pie. She had to clean kitchen for hours after that and since that day Henry and Roland aren't allowed to cook when they're alone.
Roland looks at her and giggles too, he recalls this event as well but then Regina takes his little hand and they both walk to the kitchen.
Roland makes himself comfortable on the chair in the kitchen, rolls up his sleeves as Regina takes the ingredients from the fridge. She puts an empty bowl on the table and Roland takes an egg immediately, ready to cook.
It doesn't take an hour and the pie is in the oven. Both Roland and Regina clean the kitchen, they really did make a mess as always, and once the kitchen is clean, they walk back to the living room.
They sit back down on the couch and Regina turns on the TV, a cartoon channel Roland likes so much. The boy snuggles to her side again and sighs.
"I'll tell you a secret, but you can't tell it to anyone," Roland says after a while of silence. Regina nods her head intrigued and then he continues, "I don't like papa's new girlfriend. I like you more,"
Robin has a new girlfriend? Did he?.. Her heart aches as she closes her eyes tightly for a moment, trying to keep her emotions under control. They broke up six months ago, what has she expected? Of course, he has to move on.
But one part of her still hoped. Deep down she still thought that Robin would wait for her… You see, they have been dating for a few years, have even started living together but when things got more and more serious, Robin proposed to her. And that was it.
She had managed to break her wall for him and let him in, but marriage was still the thing that scared her the most. She loved him, he was her everything, but she couldn't agree, not yet. So she shook her head and ran away.
She stayed in her vault for a few days after that and when she finally found strength to see him and explain everything to him, he wasn't at her home anymore. He had collected all his things and left with Roland.
Since then they haven't talked. She hasn't even explained to him why she ran away.
And if things between this new girlfriend and Robin are serious, Regina has lost her chance completely, deep down she still hoped that once she explains everything to him, he will give her another chance. But it seems she's already too late, isn't she?
But she can't blame Robin, she is the one, who ran away without saying a word.
Regina recovers then, blinks away the tears and looks down at Roland, smiles and asks, "And why don't you like her?"
"Her hair is not beautiful," Roland shrugs and Regina chuckles but then she's deep in her thought again.
She's lost Robin. That's it.
But she loves him. She is ready to take that next step now, she's not afraid of it anymore because during these lonely months without him she realized that he's everything she's ever wanted and there's no need to be afraid.
And now she has to fight for him or at least tell him why she ran away that day.
"I want to sleep, 'Gina," Roland's voice snaps her out of her thoughts and she nods immediately giving him a smile. She takes his hand and they both walk upstairs to Henry's room, the room, where he used to stay when he and Robin were living with her.
Roland's already sleeping upstairs when Robin comes back. He knocks gently on the door and it doesn't take a minute until Regina opens the door and lets him in. She has been waiting for him for a while now.
"How was your evening?" She asks politely once he's inside although she's not interested about his date at all.
Robin smiles and says that it was good, very good actually. Regina nods and smiles as well although she feels jealous, he's having a good time while she's still deeply in love with him, suffering, but on the other hand she can't blame him, it's her fault, after all.
"Where's Roland?" He asks as they walk into the empty living room.
"He's sleeping upstairs," She replies quietly before taking a deep breath in.
She turns around to face Robin (he has been walking behind her) and suddenly they're so close, it would take just one step and they could kiss. She can't help but look at his lips, those lips she missed so much but then she looks up into his deep blue eyes and she can't stop herself from taking that one needed step which makes their noses touch.
She ignores her gut and kisses him just like the first time. She presses her lips tightly against his and wraps her arms around his neck to pull him even closer.
He doesn't hesitate, he kisses back immediately, his arms find their way around her waist and he's pulling her closer as well.
It's been too long since they kissed like that, too long since they've been this close.
"I love you," She whispers when they break the kiss to take a breath and for the first time in years these words leave her mouth so easily, she doesn't feel scared anymore even if the world will come crashing down.
Robin stares at her with wide eyes and Regina looks down, feeling guilty that she waited so long, that it has taken her to go through so much pain, even a break up, and just now she's finally able to admit her true feelings to him.
She understands that perhaps Robin doesn't want to be with her anymore and it's understandable because she's pushed him away and he has all the rights to move on, but still her heart clenches as she looks into his wide eyes.
They stare into each other's eyes for a moment but then she shakes her head to herself and pulls away from him, takes a step back because he hasn't said anything, he's just staring at her and it's enough to answer her unspoken question. She's lost her chance.
"You should take Roland and go home," She whispers turning around and takes a deep breath trying to stay calm. She can't cry in front of him, she won't, she can't show him how vulnerable he can make her.
But Robin grabs her hand and turns her around to face him again and once she's looking at him, he leans over and kisses her again. She's surprised for a moment but then she recovers and kisses him back and this time the kiss is different, there's something more, more emotions, more passion, more love, pain perhaps, she doesn't quite understand it herself.
His hands find their way into her hair and he pulls her even closer and kisses her like there's no tomorrow. It makes her knees go weak, she lets a quiet moan out. She doesn't remember the last time he kissed her like that.
Eventually they pull away, both breathless but both with smiles on their faces.
"I love you, too," Robin whispers looking deep into her eyes and then he leans over again, their lips are almost touching again. Regina smiles widely, it's not the first time he says it, but it's the first time he says it after so long and it's such a relief to know that his feeling hasn't changed.
"I'm so sorry I waited so long, Robin," She apologizes but Robin nods understanding, a small smile on his face. He knows her, knows her walls and how tall and hard they are, it's hard to break them after so many years of being alone, of being scared, feeling nothing. "I should've said it much-"
But he's heard enough of her apologies, so he cuts her off with a kiss, a sweet and soft kiss which is enough to make her stops talking. She smiles a little and then every thought leave her mind, she feels light and peaceful, there are just she and he, nothing more.
They're taking their second chance and this time, she's ready for it.
A brown haired boy is standing at the top of the stairs, pressing a teddy bear to his chest when a small smile spreads across his face. He can see his Papa kissing his 'Gina, and yes, he's still little, they think he doesn't understand, but he does and he know that it means that there are going to be fights now, tears and screams, perhaps even a broken plates but in the end, they are going to be happy together again.
Just as he always wanted.
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