A/N: Hello, Everyone! I know it's been awhile since the last chapter and thank you all for being patient and sticking with this story. Hopefully this chapter will make up for it, though you should prepare yourself for a bit of an emotional roller coaster. Enjoy! :)
Eventually they find themselves in Regina's room, limbs entwined together beneath her silk sheets. Spent and completely sated. They had managed another round before they'd both collapsed into their current position.
Regina is snuggled up against his side, arm draped over Robin's abdomen. The sun is slowly setting as the last remnants of light filter through the window casting shadows across the sheets covering them. They've maybe an hour yet before Henry returns, an hour to just enjoy holding each other. She is warm and content, drifting off to sleep with her head pillowed on his chest when he presses a kiss to her hair and whispers almost inaudibly, "Will you tell me about Henry's father?" Perhaps it is not the wisest moment to bring up the question but she is relaxed in his arms, finally open to him and Robin can't resist asking. He needs to know.
Immediately tensing in his hold, Regina remains quiet for several long moments that seem to last forever. But she's let him in this much, enough to be lying in this bed with him, enough for him to have touched her heart and made her fall in love with him, to agree to give them a chance so why not give him the rest? Robin had shared his past with her, it's time she explained why she's been so frightened of their relationship, why she has spent so much time pushing him away. With a sigh she runs her fingertips over his chest, soothing herself as she begins.
"I met him right after I moved to L.A. I was trying to get my start, going to classes and auditions pretty much nonstop. Definitely did not have romance on the brain. I was much too focused on my career." The corners of Regina's mouth tip up a bit at the memory as she recalls how Daniel had thrown her carefully thought out plan out the window. "Eventually I managed to get a small role in a made for tv movie set on a horse ranch. I was thrilled, not only was it the biggest role I'd had to date but I've always loved horses and hadn't been around them since I was a teenager. Daniel was the animal handler on set." Regina smiles a bit as she remembers while Robin's fingers run languidly through her hair, the steady pull and release soothing her.
He doesn't say anything, just listens as Regina continues. "We fell for each other right from the beginning. Bonded over our mutual love for the animals we were working with and growing up on the east coast before moving out here, how exciting and terrifying it was." Her voice contains a touch of wistfulness as Regina loses herself in the memories. Daniel had been one of the first and only people in her life to understand her so instantaneously, so completely. It doesn't escape her notice or amusement that Robin had been the same way when he had come into her life.
Suppressing a smile as she wonders what that could mean for them Regina shifts over him, crossing her forearms over each other and resting her chin on them so she can look up into Robin's crystal clear blue eyes. The love shining there causes Regina's heart to leap in her chest as she keeps talking. "He was so easy to talk to, not something I've had a lot of in my life, and my heart didn't stand a chance." she laughs.
Robin's thumb rubs along the apple of her cheek as he smiles. "I'm quite positive he felt the same, milady. If he was anything like myself his heart would have been completely lost to you the moment he laid eyes on you." Regina's heart swells, that elusive smile breaking out over her features and Robin could swear he falls more in love with her every time she gives it to him.
Laughing, Regina teases, "Flirt."
Shaking his head, Robin chuckles and swipes his thumb over her bottom lip. "Truth." he counters and can't help leaning down to press gentle a kiss to her lips.
The gleam in her eyes when Robin pulls away makes her look even more beautiful as he rubs his hand up and down her arm, the other sliding along her bare back. "Keep going." he says quietly.
Taking a breath to steady herself Regina says, "Yes, well I was quite head over heels myself." she admits. "We were so wrapped up in each other that between Daniel and focusing on the movie I didn't notice any of the signs at first." Her eyes darken, going blank as she recalls the past, and Robin tightens his hold around her body, attempting to comfort her that she's safe now, here, with him.
"What happened?" he asks.
"My co-star for the film was an older actor who had already hit his peak, was on a downward streak. A man who was bitter and angry about his career. Leopold King." she whispers, as if the name alone still haunts her and Robin's heart aches at the tone. "He thought he would use his fresh, young co-star to boost his image, get back in the game if you will."
Her eyes are cloudy now as she recalls what a mess the situation had turned into, a horrible understatement. Regina's fingers are rubbing slowly back and forth over Robin's skin, taking comfort in the warm flesh and coarse hair on his chest beneath the pads of her fingers. "I wasn't interested of course. And too young and naive, too in love, to see what it was he wanted from me." She lets out a sigh. "At first I thought he was just taking an interest in me as a mentor, he'd been in this business far longer than I had after all and I thought he wanted to help me be better."
Turning her head to rest her cheek against her forearms Regina lets her eyes fall shut as Robin's hand slides down the back of her head, rising again and again to run down her hair. It lulls her rapidly beating heart enough to continue. "He started leaving me flowers and little gifts in my trailer. Then that turned into invitations to dinner and to his home. I didn't think much of it in the beginning, I was just eager to learn as much as I could. I thought he might have something to teach me." Her voice goes cold as ice as she states, "I was wrong."
"One day he made a pass at me in my trailer, had me pinned between him and the sink when Daniel walked in. Before I could handle the situation myself Daniel had pulled him away from me and punched him." Regina pauses, draws in a breath, "Leo was furious. Humiliated. And it only got worse when he had to walk onto set with a black eye and bloody lip."
Leaning down Robin presses a kiss into Regina's hair. "I probably would have done far worse if I'd been the one to find him pawing at you." Instantly, Regina goes rigid in his arms and Robin knows that was definitely the wrong thing to say, though he has no idea why. She pulls away from him, sits up and draws the sheet to her breast. Robin follows suit, brow furrowed in confusion, "Regina?"
She just shakes her head though, turns her neck to look over her shoulder at him, eyes dark and troubled. "Sorry. Bad memory. It's not easy for me to talk about this."
Robin wants to tell her it's ok, that she doesn't have to tell him anymore but he can't. He needs to hear the rest and he's pretty sure deep down that Regina needs to talk about it as well. So he leans forward and presses his forehead to hers for several seconds, apologizes for the pain so clearly evident in her tone and whispers that he loves her before drawing back and sliding his hand down her spine.
Taking a deep breath Regina reminds herself the past was a long time ago. And Leopold can't hurt her now. And then she's grateful for Robin's presence. If she has to share this story with anyone she is glad it's him. This man that loves her, that will protect her no matter what. She smiles at him, reaching out to grip one of his hands with hers, lacing their fingers together.
"Leopold went crazy after that." she tells him quietly. "He'd already leaked our "blossoming romance" to the press and here I was running around set with another man. I wasn't even aware of being followed by the paparazzi until pictures of Daniel and I came out with the headline 'Has Leopold King lost his new love already?' There was a park not too far from set with this gorgeous apple tree. Daniel and I used to sneak off there at lunch and they caught us kissing beneath the tree." Regina pauses in her story, allowing herself to get caught up in the comfort of Robin's bright blue eyes.
Her heart begins beating faster as she recalls what had happened after that, fighting down the residual panic as she remembers how quickly the situation had escalated. "Everything got worse after that." she whispers. "He began harassing me and threatening Daniel. It was impossible to work with him, to be around him and the press just kept making it worse. His mental stability plummeted. We were looking into getting a restraining order against him, movie be damned, when it happened."
Regina's voice catches in her throat as she is swamped by a sudden wave of grief, no longer able to fight the tears from escaping and then Robin's arms are wrapped around her tightly, holding her to his chest. Turning her face into his neck she desperately tries to stem the sobs wracking her small frame to no avail. She is weeping in his arms, tears running quickly down her cheeks to land on his bare chest as Robin holds her tighter, running his hand soothingly over her hair. His heart breaks for the pain that she's been forced to endure in her life, ignites his anger that this amazing, gorgeous creature should have had to suffer so much. And he's yet to hear all of the story. Is positive it's about to get much worse. "Shhhhhhh, it's alright. Everything is going to be alright, my love."
Eventually, she starts to get herself under control as Robin whispers reassurances into her ear, presses kisses to the top of her head and holds her. He draws her back with him so they are laying against the headboard, her head pillowed on his chest and tucked beneath his chin. Saying nothing as Robin simply holds her, rubs his hands up and down her arm and lets her cry it out, content to stay just like this for as long as she needs.
Then Regina's voice breaks through the quiet in the room. "He died in my arms." she confesses. And Robin is taken aback. Shocked by the statement as he twists his head to look down at her. Regina draws in a deep breath, "Daniel and I were on our way out to dinner. I'd been staying with him because I didn't feel comfortable at my place and somehow Leo found out. We walked outside and there he was waiting against the car, drunk and waving a gun around."
She stops, her voice quivering and breathing shaky as she attempts to stem another wave of tears. "Daniel tried to calm him down but he was raving, not making any sense and then the gun just went off, hitting Daniel in the chest." Regina's voice is barely above a whisper as she recalls the pool of blood that had seeped from the love of her life's chest on their front lawn while she'd cradled his head in her lap. Sobbing that he couldn't leave her, that she would be all alone and he wasn't allowed to die.
Daniel had simply smiled up at her weakly and told her how much he loved her. That it was alright, it would be ok, she would be fine. How he was happy to have had her in his life for however brief a time. And then he'd shattered her heart into pieces by telling her she couldn't give up, couldn't allow this to break her, that she needed to love again someday.
"He bled out right there on the front lawn while I held him before an ambulance could get there." she says, voice a bit shaky but no longer thick with tears. Her body feels numb with the memory, as Regina recalls the overwhelming sense of loss she'd experienced.
Turning his lips down toward her Robin places a kiss into her hair as he murmurs, "I'm so sorry, love. I can't even imagine having to go through that." It's unthinkable. No one should ever be forced to endure that kind of pain. And now he understands her hesitancy in pursuing a relationship between them. Surely experiencing what she'd gone through would cause even the strongest of people to close off. And yet she'd persevered and come out stronger for it. Just look at the woman in his arms and how amazing she is.
Still, an icy sense of dread runs through his veins as Robin notes the similarities between her past and their current situation. Yes. Now he gets why she'd been so afraid. But he will not let history repeat itself. Won't allow anything like that to happen again.
Nodding her head slightly to acknowledge his sympathy Regina takes a deep breath. "I didn't handle the loss very well at all." She confesses. "Leopold was arrested and I immediately quit the film. I couldn't do anything, was barely functioning on a day to day basis. If it weren't for Tink keeping an eye on me I don't know what I would have done." Her eyes lift to meet Robin's, chin tilting upward and telling him, "Two weeks later I found out I was pregnant."
It had been another blow at the time. One more thing weighing her down until Regina felt like she was drowning. Every minute of every day unbearable. "I was so angry at everything. Angry at the world. I'd just lost the man I loved and there I was young and alone and pregnant." And heartbroken, Robin thinks but doesn't say anything, just lets the tips of his fingers drag up and down her spine as she talks. Now that she's said it, told him the most awful part of her past Regina can't seem to stop the words from flowing out of her mouth.
"I was depressed and scared out of my wits, numb to any sort of feeling. I completely shut down." Regina confides, grateful for Robin's soothing fingers on her back, her head now tucked beneath his chin again. It's easier to tell him about that period of her life than she thought it would be. But then she's felt safe with him since the moment they met, it's really not any wonder she feels comfortable enough to share this with him too now that she's stopped running.
And she smiles against his chest when she continues with, "And then Henry was born." Ultimately it was her son who had been able to pull her out of the dark and dangerous depression she'd spiraled into. "The second they put him in my arms I was in love. I felt my heart start beating again as I held this beautiful little human we had created. And I realized Daniel would never have wanted me to cut myself off that way. He would have wanted me to be happy. I had to move on and learn to love again. Henry helped me do that."
Though she'd learned how to open her heart again slowly, first to Henry and then to friends like Tink, Regina had never done so romantically. Not till Robin. Had been too afraid to risk that kind of loss again. And yet somehow he'd managed to make her fall head over heels for him. Lying here with him, the weight of her past lifted from her chest and no longer running from her feelings Regina can't help but be grateful to him for it.
Unable to express the adoration he feels for the woman in his arms Robin simply nuzzles his nose into her hair, inhaling the sweet scent of apples from her shampoo before hooking his index finger under her chin and lifting her head to press a sweet and lingering kiss to her lips. Pulling away Robin smiles down at her, love shining in his eyes as he tells her, "You are an amazing woman, Regina Mills. And I love you. I won't let anything hurt you ever again." A promise he intends to keep.
Emotion chokes her. He means it. She knows that Robin will protect her no matter what. And Regina vows to do the same. Some crazy stalker will not keep her from love again.
This has been too long and too emotional of a conversation though and Regina is eager to lighten the mood as she smiles at Robin and murmurs, "I love you too." and his heart swells unbearably in his chest. It's the first time she's told him that in so many words. He knows embracing her feelings isn't easy for her (let alone voicing them), gets it even more now with his newfound knowledge of her past, but Robin's heart tumbles a little just the same before Regina continues with, "But my son is going to be home any minute and we can not be naked in this bed so you need to get up."
Laughing at the wounded look on Robin's face Regina grins and kisses him again as he flips them over and presses her down into the mattress. "Kicking me out already?" he questions, suckling kisses down the line of her jaw. If she wants to play he is happy to do so.
Regina chuckles, "Mmhmmmm." It doesn't stop her from hooking a leg over his hip, however. Or from teasingly rocking against him. "I've had my way with you and now I'm finished."
"Is that so?" he asks, hand sliding up her belly to cup her breast, teasing her nipple between his fingers. The way Regina arches her back into his touch has desire gathering inside him again. God, will he never get enough of this woman? If he had any say in the matter Robin would keep her right here, naked and satisfied and happy for a week. As it happens though, he knows she's right and Henry is likely to walk in the door any minute. Besides, he'll have plenty of time to ravish her later. Robin will make sure of it. "You wound me, milady." Giving her a mock frown Robin gives her breast one more squeeze before rolling off her.
It's only as Robin stands to get dressed that he realizes his clothes are definitely not here and he turns his head to look at Regina sheepishly where she giggles from the bed. "I guess we forgot them in the living room."
Oh yes. They had indeed. Jeans and shirts had been rather far down on Robin's list of priorities when focusing on having Regina in her nice big bed. Images flickering through his mind of doing just that causing him to want to slip back beneath those sheets with her and...
Unfortunately, it seems their time has run out. The unmistakable sound of the front door opening and slamming shut behind her son drifting up the stairs. Regina's eyes go wide as she hears Henry call out for her and for a minute she panics. They are naked. And as they've just determined she's fairly certain their clothes are strewn all over the living room and oh god Henry can not see that. Can not see Robin standing there naked. "Robin!" she exclaims, distress apparent in her tone.
Quick on his feet Robin spurts to the door as Regina dashes out of bed to grab her robe from the chaise lounge she'd tossed it on this morning. He's just about to sprint down the hallway to his own room where he can find some damn pants when Regina hisses, "Robin! Our clothes!"
Well damn. He hears Henry on the stairs, that third step creaking a tad as it always does, and knows he only has a few seconds before this turns into quite the awkward situation. He's quite sure neither one of them are ready to be caught in this position by Regina's very astute and curious ten year old. "I'll take care of it." he tells her. "Keep Henry in here and I'll get them."
Regina nods, can't help laughing a bit as she catches sight of Robin's bare butt as he darts out the door. When had her life taken this kind of turn? She doesn't have time to dwell on it though because a moment later Henry is pushing the door open. "Mom?"
"Hi, sweetheart." she greets brightly, suddenly conscious of the fact that while she may be covered now, she's positive her appearance has to be rather rumpled, eyes still a tad red-rimmed and glassy from her tears. "How was your day?"
Henry studies her speculatively, confused expression covering his features. "What are you doing?" His eyes glance over to the disheveled sheets. "Why are you in bed? What's going on?" There's a note of worry in his tone that Regina wishes desperately was not there. Ever since the incident at the park Henry's been quite protective over her.
Rushing to ease his mind she says, "I got out of shooting early, came home and took a nap." Regina hates lying to her son, even a tiny one like this, but this thing with Robin is still too new. She's not ready for Henry to know about them yet.
"Where's Robin?" he asks, must sense something is off despite her answer or he wouldn't be asking for her bodyguard. And he's taken quite the interest in Robin's job as of late.
The man in question chooses that moment to pop his head into the room. "Hey, Henry! I thought I heard you come in." He's fully clothed once more and Regina smiles fondly at him. Trying her best to suppress the laughter that is threatening to burst from her as Robin smiles at her son while shooting her a smirk, wicked gleam in his eye like they haven't just been having wild sex and heart wrenching conversations. God she's crazy about this man.
"Why don't you and Robin head downstairs and we can all do something? I'll be down in just a few minutes." Regina suggests.
Henry hesitates, still eyeing her with a look of worry but then he agrees. "Alright. That sounds good, I guess." Then he's following Robin out of the room and Regina collapses down on the bed, giving into that laughter for a few moments. It's been one hell of a day.
. . .
Robin cooks them dinner that night. Insists upon it actually now they are properly clothed again and Henry is home. Tells her it's the least he can do since he's forced his way into her life, gives Regina a sly grin as he says it that she can't help responding to with one of her own as she agrees. She feels lighter for the first time in weeks, since she'd received that original note, and does not need to be talked into enjoying one night of peace with her son and the man she's in love with.
So she pours herself a glass of wine, one for Robin as well, and plants herself at the counter to watch him work. Enjoys the way he moves around her kitchen, how easy and comfortable he is in her home. "Where did you learn to cook?" Regina asks conversationally as Robin stands at the stove browning meat.
He glances over his shoulder at her before turning back to his task. "My mother taught me." he says, turning the beef over in the pan. "She said that a man always had to be able to cook on his own, that it was a vital life skill. And quite handy when it came to impressing the ladies." he laughs, recalling afternoons spent in the kitchen with his mother laughing as she showed him the basics. "She used to drag me into the kitchen with her on weekends and we'd spend the day baking or trying out new recipes. I've created some really awful dishes in my lifetime." Robin jokes.
"I bet she's proud of you." Regina remarks, a tad envious of him. Her relationship with her own mother has never been particularly healthy. Cora Mills is controlling and manipulative and Regina knows she is better off for having cut her out of her life, out of Henry's. Still, she can't help the lick of jealousy at the warm image Robin paints of his relationship with his mother as she takes a sip of wine.
Robin is silent, however, the muscles in his back tense as he stares at the pan in front of him, heart constricting painfully in his chest. "I hope that she would be. She's gone." he confesses so quietly it takes Regina a moment to process his words. After all these years it still hurts to talk about and he doesn't like to dwell on it if he doesn't have to. But today has been a day of bearing their heart and souls, of sharing their pasts and it seems they aren't quite done yet.
Lowering the heat on the stove Robin moves to stand at the counter opposite Regina and begins slicing up the vegetables for the stew he's making. Slowly reaching across the space between them Regina rests her hand over Robin's, rubbing her thumb back and forth over his wrist and waiting until his eyes lift to meet hers before quietly whispering, "I'm sorry, Robin. What happened?"
He gives her a small smile, grateful for the show of support, before he's features turn somber. "She and my father were killed in a car crash. Some idiot driver hit them head on late one night. They were both killed instantly." he tells her, voice thick with emotion Robin tries to push down. Regina deserves to hear this though. She'd told him of her darkest period, it's only fair he tell her his.
Slicing the last few vegetables in front of him Robin gathers them up to drop them into the pot of broth on the stove, tossing the meat in as well and placing a lid over it to let the stew simmer for awhile. Sliding off her stool Regina comes around the counter to stand behind Robin, rubbing her hands over his shoulders and back. "That's awful. I'm sorry." She knows the apology is inadequate and likely does not make him feel better in the least but she feels it all the same. Hates that he has also lost people he cared about. That's not something she would wish on anyone.
"It turned my entire world upside down." he confesses, turns around to lean against the counter at his back and draw Regina into his embrace as she stands in the space between his legs. Robin's arms loop around her back, fingers locking at the base of her spine while Regina's palms come to rest on his chest. "I went from having the two people who had always been there for me to nothing in the blink of an eye. It changes you." he murmurs quietly, his mind a million miles away. He'd barely been into his twenties, just a reckless kid really and yet his kind hearted parents are the ones who'd been taken from the world.
That is certainly the truth, Regina thinks, nodding, "I know." She understands the emptiness that comes from experiencing something like that better than most. Her right hands slips up to play with the hair at the nape of his neck, gently massaging the tense muscles there. And Robin is grateful that he doesn't have to say more, doesn't have to try and find the words to convey how he feels because she's experienced the same thing. It's just one more way in which they are alike, one more piece to the puzzle in which they fit so well together.
"That's actually the reason I left England in the first place," he says. "I couldn't take all the memories, the reminders, on a daily basis. It was eating me alive with anger and guilt for being alive when they weren't. So I left. Dropped everything and moved here and became a thief." He grins at her and Regina laughs obligingly.
"Well, you've certainly managed to turn your life around." she teases then turns serious. "You are a remarkable man, Robin. All the heartbreak and all the struggles you've faced led you here and I'm so thankful that the universe brought you to me." Regina's voice turns raspy with emotion as she whispers, "I never thought I'd have this."
"Neither did I, milady." The love in his tone causes Regina's heart to swell in her chest. "But maybe it's all about timing. And right now is our time." Robin says, leaning down to rest his forehead against hers and Regina's grin is infectious as they stand there smiling at each other like idiots.
"I love you." she whispers, still getting used to the words, to the feeling of saying them outloud.
Robin presses his lips to hers, lingers for a few moments before replying, "I love you too. But all our activities today have left me starving. Let's eat!" Regina's laugh is music to his ears.
. . .
Later in the evening the three of them find themselves back in the living room, another movie on the screen in front of them. Henry has taken up camp in front of the coffee table completely engrossed in the film while Regina and Robin make themselves comfortable on the couch. This time however, they are sitting much closer, shoulders rubbing against each other while Robin alternates between sliding his palm up and down Regina's denim clad thigh and playing with her fingers in her lap.
Their feet are propped up on the table in front of them and Regina entertains herself by rubbing her toes over Robin's feet. Both of them are trying exceedingly hard not to think about what they'd been doing on this very couch earlier today. Of the way their bodies had felt pressed against each other and their lips meeting in frantic kisses. It's not working very well however. And despite the fact her son is sitting in front of them Regina wishes they could have a repeat performance.
But she contents herself with watching Sorcerer's Stone play out, one of Henry's favorites, and lets her head drop to rest on Robin's shoulder about halfway through, after Henry has stretched out on his side in front of the tv. He only makes it to the forbidden forest before she hears him snoring softly and Regina smiles happily knowing her child is sleeping soundly. She'll have to move him to his bed soon so he's comfortable but he'll be fine for a little while longer.
So she turns and snuggles into Robin's side to watch the last bit of the movie, sliding her leg over his and draping her arm over his waist as his wraps around her shoulders. And right now, in this very moment, Regina feels truly happy.