Author's Notes:
Special Thanks to ale_nena for helping to make this chapter the absolute best, and her beautiful companion art!
Setting: Misthaven non-magical modern AU. The society and political system will be based on a combination of modern countries, with a probable bias toward the American system as I am an American. However, all characters are fictional and resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidence.
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The next morning was oppressively hot right from sunrise. Regina woke up with a throbbing headache, and stuck to her pillow by sweat and drool.
Disoriented, she pushed herself up, wiping her hair away from her face. Blinking, she took in the small room around her, slowly remembering that she was in Sherwood because she'd travelled there with Robin. As she tossed the covers back and swung her legs out of bed, pain jolted through her ankle as her right foot hit the floor.
She winced, recalling having injured it the night before...right after storming out of the bar and getting into a fight with Robin.
With a groan, she carefully pushed herself up and padded her way over to her overnight bag. Pulling out some clothes, she limped to the bathroom. After splashing cold water on her face, her head felt slightly clearer. Enough, at least, to change and face Locksley. She managed to get out of her pajamas and into a pair of white shorts and matching top.
She tossed her pajamas onto the bed in the guest room, and very slowly made her way down the stairs supporting most of her weight on the banister.
As she reached the bottom step, she heard footsteps coming and glanced up just as Robin turned around the corner.
"Regina," he said in surprise, "I didn't realize you were awake."
"Yeah," she told him, "Just wanted to get out of that room. It's a bit stuffy upstairs"
"Right," he nodded, "Here let me help you."
Taking her hand he helped her make her way into the livingroom and over to the couch. He lifted her lower legs, motioning for her swing her body around to lay down, "You should keep your ankle elevated today. Where's your ice pack?"
"Um..." she considered, "I think I left it upstairs."
"Okay, I'll be right back," he told her, jogging up the stairs to the guest room. He passed her coming back down, going instead right to the kitchen. From the next room she heard the crashing sounds of ice cubes being dumped out of trays. He returned a few seconds later, grabbed a pillow from one of the chairs and used it to prop her foot up.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
With a sigh, she answered, "A little tired, but I'm alright."
Robin nodded, easing the ice pack onto her foot and slowly saying, "Listen, about last night-"
She tensed up, cutting him off, "It's fine!"
He glanced up at her at the words.
"Um..." she continued, "...we'd both been drinking, we both said things we probably shouldn't have...it was no one's fault, so I think...probably it'd be best if we just forget about it."
Looking at her nodded, "Okay, sure."
"Okay," she agreed.
Clearing his throat, Robin changed the subject, "So are you hungry?"
"Yes, actually," she answered, "I'm starving."
"What do you want for breakfast?" he asked.
"Well...does your friend have any yogurt?"
"Sure, I think there were a few cups in the fridge."
"That sounds good," she said, "Any flavor is fine."
"Okay," pushed himself up from the floor, "I'll go check."
As he went back to the kitchen, Regina herself relax into the couch. It was a simple style, but fairly comfortable.
Robin came back a few minutes later to hand her an open yogurt carton and a spoon. She accepted it gratefully, and took a few small bites. Her head was still aching and she felt a little shaky, so she wasn't eating particularly fast, but she knew that getting some food in her stomach would help.
"So um..." Robin said hesitantly. She looked up at him questioningly and waited for him to continue, "Last night Killian and I discussed the gang coming over here tonight for dinner. There's a fireworks show that the city puts on over the lake, and this house is a perfect place to see it."
She swallowed her yogurt in surprise, glancing toward the back of the house, "There's a lake here?"
"Yeah," he nodded, "Right outside the back door."
She craned her neck in an attempt to see, and could just barely make out wooden steps that looked like they lead down to a dock. Turning back to Robin she asked, "How rich is your friend?"
He laughed, sitting down in the nearest chair, "Well he does alright for himself, but he isn't rich...not like you are."
Regina looked at him skeptically.
"The property values in Sherwood have stagnated for the past 50 years," he explained, "This house is fairly nice for this area, but it's actually not that expensive."
"Oh," she said, looking away as understanding of the implication dawned on her. This relatively simple house was affordable even though it was on a lake because there was almost no demand for real estate in this area. Sherwood, stereotypically, had been a forgotten place for a long time.
"Anyway," Robin changed the subject, "That was before you got hurt, so...if you don't feel up to company-"
"No," she shook her head, "It's fine. You should invite them over."
He looked doubtful as he continued, "...or if you don't feel comfortable around the company-"
"Robin," she interrupted, "It's not that. Your friends were perfectly nice to me last night, I just...I don't know. I over did it, I guess. Invite them over if you want to. I'll be on my best behavior."
He laughed, "I'm not asking you to do that, just...just be yourself. They don't care about who you are. They're only coming here to hang out and grill steaks."
"And see you," she reminded him.
"I've known most of these people for years," he answered.
It had been obvious last night that all these people knew him well, and all seemed very fond of him. It was something she almost envied. There were a few people who ran in the same circles as her whom she'd known since she was a child, but very few who genuinely cared about her. Most people in politics and high-society were constantly looking to advance themselves, and were always calculating about how the people in their lives could help them do that.
Smiling as much as she could, she said, "Well, like I said, it's fine."
"Okay...if you're certain."
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After Regina finished her yogurt, Robin took the cup to the kitchen, and told her that he had a few things to do around the house and to just call if she needed him.
Left on her own, Regina flipped through the magazines on the coffee table, getting a thorough overview of celebrity gossip, home decor, and the latest in hunting apparel.
Robin came back inside just as she finished the last of the magazines and made them both sandwiches for lunch. He ate his quickly, though, and went right back outside. Soon after Regina swore she heard a lawnmower start up, and began wondering just how seriously he was taking the idea of house sitting.
She flipped through the magazines a few more times, reading articles that looked boring the first time around before tossing the last one down on the coffee table with a bored sigh. Leaning forward she lifted the icepack off her ankle, set it aside, and slowly pushed herself up from the couch.
Limping her way into the kitchen, a knocking sound from outside caught her attention. Sliding the back door open, she stepped out onto the porch. The sun was high and bright overhead through an almost cloudless sky. Regina shielded her eyes as she made her way over to the railing to look around for the source of the noise.
It turned out to be Robin standing at stump next to the porch, chopping wood. Actually chopping wood!
She bit her lip, holding down a laugh at the almost cliche sight. He tossed the split pieces into a pile that he was apparently amassing for some purpose. Chuckling to herself, she glanced away, jaw dropping as she took in her surroundings. Robin hadn't been kidding when he'd said there was a lake. She'd almost expected it to be more of a pond, but, between the trees there was clearly a sizable lake. The sun glinting off the water even from a distance.
She hobbled over to the stairs, leaning heavily on the rail as she carefully took each step down to where there was a long wooden pathway that lead down to a dock at the water. She made it about five steps before a voice called from behind her, "What are you doing out here?"
With a sigh she turned to face Robin as he appeared beside her, "I'm going down to see the lake."
He looked at her doubtfully, "Are you serious?"
"Yes," she said firmly, "I am."
"You need to keep ice on that ankle," he scolded.
"I've had ice on it since last night!" she argued.
"Yes, you should ice it for the first 48 hours."
Regina rolled her eyes, turning back down the path, "I'll take that under advisement."
"Regina, stop!" he stepped in front of her, forcing her to stop suddenly.
Wincing in pain, she glared at him, "Move out of my way!"
"You need to stay off your feet!" Robin said, this time more forcefully.
"I am sick of sitting around inside. I want to go see the water!"
He laughed mirthlessly, "And how do you think you're going to do that? You can't even walk!"
"I can walk!" she protested, shoving past him, carefully hobbling down the path.
"Right!" he said skeptically, "That why you didn't bother putting on shoes? You're going to fall and hurt your other ankle!"
She sighed irritably, "Well I'm willing to take that risk."
"I'm not," he shot back, "It's my job to protect you-"
"Then you'd better help me make sure I get down to the lake safely!" she said, looking at him with a raised eyebrow, "How would it look for you if I fall and hurt my other ankle, hm?"
Narrowing his eyes in irritation, he stepped over so that she could grip his hand, using him to support herself as they slowly walked the rest of the way down the path.
"Okay, here's the lake. Does it look different than it did back at the house?" he asked.
She ignored him, however, limping down to the end of the dock so that she could lower herself down to the edge and dip her toes in the water.
With a sigh he said, "Twenty minutes, then you go back to the house and get the ice back on your ankle!"
Regina continued ignore him as she stared out across the water.
Leaving her with a cross look at her back, Robin hiked back up the pathway to the pile of wood he'd been chopping when he noticed Regina unsteadily swaying down the walk. After gathering it back up he took it up to the porch and dropped it next to the firepit. Wiping his brow, he went inside and poured himself a glass of water. Gluping it down, he glanced out the window toward the lake where he'd left Regina. Damned stubborn woman! Deciding in the middle of the day that she absolutely had to go down to the lake while injured!
Shaking his head, he walked over to the living room where he was unsurprised to find she'd left her ice pack. He picked it up, noting that it was mostly melted by now. Dumping the ice down the sink, he opened the freezer, enjoying the cool as he dumped out another tray and used it to fill Regina's ice pack back up. He screwed it closed as he went back out to the back porch and down the walkway to toward the lake. It probably had only been 15 minutes, but he didn't doubt it'd take at least 5 minutes of arguing to get her back up to the house, so might as well get started on that now.
He stepped out onto the dock, fully prepared to inform Regina that her time was up and order her back to the house. The words died on his lips, though, when he saw her. She was laying back on her elbows, face turned up toward the sky, her eyes closed as she enjoyed the sun. Her normally hard expression had softened away into an easy, peaceful one that had his anger melting away as well.
Standing at the edge of the dock, he let out a rueful breath at his inability to stay angry at her, and, with slow steps, walked over to the end of the dock and lowered himself down next Regina.
Resting his arms on his knees, he relaxed, letting the ice pack dangle from his fingers as he looked out over the dark golden water, listening to the gentle ripples and occasional calls of water birds.
"I never realized," Regina said softly.
He glanced over to her, "Hm?"
Pushing herself up in a sitting position, she continued, "I never realized Sherwood was so beautiful."
Lips dropping open, he said nothing in response. Her surprise was not shocking to him. Sherwood was largely a forgotten region of Misthaven. The place people from the coastal and northern regions thought little of, and didn't see any reason to start. He didn't say that, however. Instead simply remained silent, watching Regina staring out over the water.
Turning her head, she met his eyes and said, "Thank you, again, for inviting me here."
"You're welcome," he answered, clearing his throat lightly, "Are you ready to go back in?"
She rolled her eyes gently but agreed, "Alright."
Standing up, Robin reached down to help her get up. She gasped, stumbling against him as she put weight on her feet.
"You okay?" he asked, catching her by her sides.
She winced, holding onto his arms tightly as she looked down at her ankle, "Okay, maybe you were right about the ice."
"Here," he said, pressing the ice pack into her hand. She took it, glancing at him in confusion. Slipping his arm around her waist, he stooped down, hooked his other arm under her knees, and scooped her up into a bridal carry.
She gripped the back of his shirt in surprise, meet his eyes as he lifted her. He paused, holding her in his arms and asked, "Okay?"
She swallowed, nodding, "Yeah."
Moving carefully on the wooden boards, he carried her back to the house, and up to the porch where he lowered her down onto a lounge chair. Turning to one of the other chairs, he picked up the vinyl cushions and used them to elevate her knee and ankle.
Taking the ice pack from where she still had it gripped against her stomach, he set it back on her foot, "You can stay out here for a while, that way you can still see the lake if you want."
She nodded, not quite trusting her words as he leaned over her, close enough that she was surrounded by a masculine, earthy smell somewhat reminiscent of the forest surrounding them.
"Thank you," she finally said softly.
He glanced up at her. Eyes locking, they stared at each other in silence, shadowed light from the setting sun dancing over their skin.
Robin was the one to finally break the spell. Glancing away as he rose to his feet, "Well, the Jolly Roger is closing early tonight, so I'd better get dinner started."
"Okay," Regina nodded, slowly settling back into the chair and pretending not to watch as he walked away from her.
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As she sat relaxing on the porch, Robin was in and out of the house, working on something inside, then coming back outside to light the fire pit and barbecue grill. Afterward, he brought out a plate of steaks.
She watched interestedly as he cooked them, "I hope you don't plan to completely char those."
He glanced over his shoulder at her, "No."
"Are you sure about that?" she raised her eyebrow, leaning over for a better view of the grill.
"Unless you want yours still mooing," he ribbed.
She scoffed, but sat back into her chair.
Heavy footsteps echoed from inside the house, and Robin's bartender friend Killian appeared in the doorway holding a bottle of rum clutched in his prosthetic.
"Hey! I see you survived after you left the Jolly Roger last night," he joked, stepping over to clap Robin on the back, glancing over at Regina he said, "But maybe I spoke too soon. What happened to you, Lovely?"
"Just a sprained ankle," Regina rolled her eyes, "Nothing to worry about."
"That's the spirit," Killian said approvingly, using his good hand to squeeze her ankle.
"AHH!" she cried out in pain, "Dammit!"
"Killian," Robin hissed.
"She said, 'no big deal!'" he defended.
Glaring Regina said, "How about you do something useful, One-Hand, like make some drinks?"
The tattooed man blinked at her in surprise, but then laughed loudly, "Aye-aye, Your Majesty!"
Her lips dropping open, Regina whirled around to Robin.
"I didn't say anything," he said holding his hands up defensively.
Killian, meanwhile, glanced in between them, "Okay...well, I'll see what can I do about that drink."
Robin quirked his lips as he turned back to the grill, and Regina huffed in disbelief.
Her annoyance was short-lived, however, as the rest of Robin's friends from the previous night appeared in the doorway, greeting the two men warmly.
Shifting in her seat, Regina ignored the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach as she prepared herself for a second evening of being the outsider in the group.
It turned out, however, that her fears were unfounded.
Robin's friends all asked politely about her injury, and seemed seem to express very genuine sympathy.
As everyone got settled around the porch, Robin closed the barbecue lid to allow the steaks to finish cooking and made his way into the kitchen.
Inside Killian was slicing lemons. Stepping past him, he picked up a pair of oven mitts to pull a tray of fries out of the oven.
"So what are you waiting for?" Killian asked, using his good hand to squeeze the lemons into a blender.
"For what?"
"To get into the princess's knickers," the other man answered, waggling his eyebrows.
Rolling his eyes, Robin replied, "Yeah, real funny."
"Oh, I wasn't joking," he laughed.
"Have you been talking to John and Will?" Robin demanded, "I told them last night it isn't like that."
"Sure it isn't!" Killian scoffed, "Come on, mate. You have that look…"
He sighed, "What look would that be?"
Looking at him slyly, the bartender answered, "Like you'd go off if she so much as winked at you!"
"Oh, fuck off!" Robin grumbled,
"Alright, if you'd rather stick to denial."
"I'm not in denial about anything," he admitted, "But it's never going to happen, she's my boss's daughter."
Looking out the window, Killian responded, "I might be willing to get fired for an arse like that."
Robin glared darkly, leading the other man to hold up his hands, or rather hand and prosthetic, defensively, "Just joking."
"Well don't," Robin warned, dumping the fries onto a serving platter and carrying them out to the group.
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Killian used the rum he'd brought to blend up some frosted lemon and berry drink, the two colors representing Misthaven's flag, which he passed out to the group just as Robin took the steaks off the grill.
The steaks were a pleasant surprise. They were cooked just to medium, and seasoned very pleasantly. She even decided to splurge and allow herself some of the fries with them.
When she finished the last of her fries and washed them down with a sip of Killian's cocktail, she sighed contentedly, the rum humming through her pleasantly.
Glancing over at Tink, she squinted at her fingernails where she was holding her glass.
The blonde woman turn to her, looking at her questioningly.
"Sorry," she slurred, "I was just looking at your nails. What is that on them?"
"Oh, go ahead," Tink said, transferring her drink over and holding out her hand, "It's faries."
"Wow," Regina commented, "Intricate."
"Thanks," the other woman laughed, "I always wanted to be a makeup artist."
"You should go for it," she said, "You clearly have the talent."
Tink shrugged as she slurped a sip of her drink, "Not much call for them in Sherwood, I'm afraid."
"Oh," Regina said, feeling a little silly, "Sorry."
Marian laughed from beside her, "Don't worry. It's something all us aspiring artist types learn."
She looked at her questioningly.
"I had hoped to be a photographer when I left for college," Marian explained.
"Ah," she nodded.
"But then...life happened and I ended up having to come back home."
"What about wedding photography?"
"I try to as much as I can," the dark-skinned woman answered, "What about you? What is it you do at your foundation?"
"Oh, management mostly. Some event planning, fundraising...that kind of thing."
"Hm," Marian nodded, still smiling politely but obviously not knowing what to say. Glancing across the fire, she changed the subject, "So, Alan, you insisted on lugging that guitar all the way here. Are we going to hear a song or what?"
"Yeah, alright," the man said, "Rob, you going to help me out?"
"What?" Regina asked.
"Robin didn't tell you about his band?" Tink laughed.
"Ah...no," she answered, looking over to him.
He rolled his eyes, "It was a garage band Alan and I had for one summer in secondary school."
"Robin was always a wonderful singer," Marian said.
"Yeah, voice of bloody angel," Killian joked, ending his jab in a trilling falsetto.
"Oh sod off, the lot of you!" Robin grumbled.
"Come on, for old time's sake! I'll even play one of those sappy love songs you like," Alan said as he opened his guitar case.
Regina bit her lip against a laugh at the look on his face.
Robin rolled his eyes as Alan strummed his guitar a few times to warm up, before switching over into a distinct rhythm. His fingers were smooth and agile over the strings as he accompanied himself on the instrument. As he finished the first verse, he nodded to Robin who took over without a missed note. His voice just as clear and smooth as the other man's.
Around them, the group hooted encouragement.
Regina watched from the other side of the crackling flames. If she'd been aware of her surroundings she'd have noticed the one-armed man between them watching both intently...or thought something of the fact that Robin's eyes never left hers the entire time he sang. As it was, though, she simply sat quietly with her melting cocktail forgotten in her lap.
Before the last note was played, a screaming echoed overhead followed by a loud pop as the first firework went off, bathing the sky in blue light.
Snapping out of her reverie, she sat up, turning her attention to the sky to watch the show.
On the other side of the fire pit, Alan set his guitar aside. Forgetting the rest of the song in favor of watching as more fireworks exploded overhead.
One person, however, was still staring across the fire at the woman he'd, in spite of his own better judgement, been singing to.
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"John stop!" Tink's scream echoed from the dock followed by a splash as he tossed her into the water, "Argh! You bastard!"
"Sorry, my love! I'll come rescue you immediately!" he yelled to her as he held his arms out and fell forward off the dock, belly-flopping into the water.
Regina winced at the splash, followed by the raucous laughter from the rest of the group drunkenly stumbling around the backyard.
Killian shuffled his way out through the backdoor, siping from a glass. Apparently he'd moved on from frozen drinks to straight rum over ice.
Pausing behind Robin's chair, he handed him the glass which he took a sip from himself then gave back to the other man.
Regina stared at them, her lips dropping open in amusement. After taking the glass back, he took a few more sips before setting the glass down on the railing, and wobbling down the porch steps, and yelling at the other members of the group about not being able to hold their liquor.
As they shouted protests and insults back, she stared at Robin laughing.
"What?" he asked.
"What?" she repeated, shaking her head, "You and that guy are so chummy!"
"So? We're friends," he shrugged.
"You act like you're twins."
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" he rolled his eyes, as he put the damper over the firepit to snuff out the last of the dying embers.
She laughed again, glancing down off the edge of the porch where Killian appeared to be trying to corral the rest of the group. However, he wasn't having much luck, as he was just as drunk himself.
"You know you don't have to sit up here with me the whole time," she remarked, "I'm probably going to call it a night pretty soon anyway."
"Yeah," he leaned back in his chair, "They're winding down too. They're just getting the last of it out of their systems."
"Hmm," she nodded.
"If you're ready to turn in, though…" he thought, "...do you want me to help you back inside?"
She thought it over before answering, "Yeah, that's probably a good idea."
He stood from his chair, reaching to help her get up out of hers. Keeping a firm grip on his shoulders to support herself, she gingerly put weight on her ankle. It felt okay at first, but she wobbled as she attempted to take a few first steps on it, causing her to lose her balance and stumble into him.
"Whoa!" he grabbed her around her back, "Careful!"
Tossing her hair out of her face, she sighed in irritation. As she glanced up at him, she realized just how close together they were.
She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a bright flash from the blow the deck.
Head whipping around she caught sight of Robin's young friend Will holding up his cell phone camera as he and Killian laughed loudly, shouting catcalls at them.
Gaping in horror, she shoved Robin away, "What is he doing?!"
"Nothing," he reassured her, "They're just being arseholes!"
"Then why did he take a picture?!" she demanded, "What is the going to do with that?!"
"What do you mean what is he going to do with it?"
"Is he going to put it up on is social media?"
Robin sighed, "Why would he do that? What does he want a picture of us on his social media for?"
"Why does anyone post pictures of public figures on their social media?! Attention!" she yelled, "Gods, if my mother finds out about this-"
"About what?" he asked.
"I told Drake I was working this weekend," she said.
"It's nearly mid-night, surely anyone would understand you aren't going to be working in the middle of the night on a holiday?"
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean it's just going to be alright if pictures show up all over the internet of me-"
"What?" Robin asked, "Of you what? What are you doing that's so wrong?"
She crossed her arms over her chest protectively and answered firmly, "Nothing."
"Precisely," he pointed out.
"You know it doesn't look that way though! You and I might both know that nothing was going on and I just stumbled because of my ankle, but you know how it's going to look. Don't pretend you don't! I know you aren't that naive," she yelled back, "You may think it's stupid, but in my world appearances matter-"
"Alright!" he cut her off, sighing in exasperation, "Just wait here."
With that he stormed down the porch steps over Will.
"Will," he said calmly, "What are you doing?"
The younger man laughed, "Getting proof that you're full of shite! You looked pretty cozy up there-"
"You need to delete that photo," Robin told him.
Will threw his head back and laughed, "The more you deny it the more-"
"Will, just delete the photo!" he said, yanking the phone out of his hand.
"Oi, steady on!" he protested.
Scrolling through the photo album, Robin pulled up the picture of him and Regina up on the deck. At that angle it did look like a romantic embrace, rather than just an attempt to keep her from falling on her face.
He sent it to the trash bin and handed the phone back to Will who took it with an annoyed look, "Since when are you so uptight?"
He sighed, "Look it makes Regina uncomfortable, okay?"
The other man rolled his eyes and muttered, "Wouldn't want to upset the princess."
Robin ignored him, however, as John and Tink made their way up from the lake, both soaking wet and dripping onto the grass.
"I think we're going to head out," John said languidly, "Great seeing you again, Rob."
"Yeah, good seeing you too," he answered. Tink giggled by John's side as the large man shouted to where Killian, Alan, and Marian were down at the dock drunkenly singing one of the Unity Day anthems.
"Do you have a ride home?" Robin asked.
"Don't worry," Tink slurred, "We'll get a Flyt."
"Okay," he nodded, walking along with the couple over to meet the other three as they stumbled up the path.
"Killian, you okay to find a Flyt?" Robin asked.
Killian drew himself up, "You know me, mate, always the responsible one!"
"Gods helps us all!" Tink joked, sending Marian and John into cackling laughter, much to Killian's chagrin.
This time Robin did laugh as well, hugging each of his friends goodbye, those who weren't sopping wet at least, and watching as they made their way around the house to meet their ride.
As their voices faded into the distance, he climbed back up the back porch. Regina was still there, sitting in one of the chairs in the shadows.
"I took care of the picture," he informed her.
"I heard," she said quietly.
Stepping over to her, he offered her a hand to help her up out of the chair. As she stood he said, "For the record, though, Will wouldn't have done anything with it. He's not a gossip monger."
She sighed, "Maybe, but even if it were just an accident, or if he thought he could make some money off it-"
"Just because someone's poor, Regina, doesn't mean they're out to get you!"
"I'm not saying that," she answered, prompting him to look at her skeptically, "I'm not! You said yourself we weren't actually doing anything...so he'd probably think it was no big deal and an easy way to make a few coins."
"Like I said, not everyone is out to make money off you!"
"Everyone wants to make money, Robin!" she said, "That's how the world works!"
He sighed.
"Look," she reached over, squeezing his arm, "I don't mean to insult your friend. Maybe...maybe I am just being paranoid, but you know my mother well enough by now to know how she'd react even to the suggestion of a scandal."
Even if part of him was loathe admit it, she was right about that.
"And I know you probably think I'm horribly arrogant, but I have to think about this kind of thing. I can't just do whatever I want, I can't...I can't…"
As she trailed off, meeting his eyes for what felt like the millionth time that night, something inside him snapped. Stepping forward, he cupped her cheek, tangling his fingers in her hair. Face inches from hers, he said heatedly, "I don't want money."
With that he crashed his lips against hers. Gasping, she opened her mouth, tongue seeking his instinctively.
He wrapped his arms around her and shifting her body so that their legs tangled together.
Regina grabbed his shoulders for support as she moved her head with his so that they did not have to break their kiss.
Breaking away for air, Robin leaned his forehead against hers. Her little gasps and sighs, and the heat between her thighs where she was straddling his, drove him out of his mind with desire.
"Tell me to stop," he breathed.
Through heavy breaths, she moved her hand to the back of his head and pulled him back in for another kiss, lips insistent against his own.
He groaned against her mouth, hands traveling down her back exploring every inch of her curves. Her ass was far too soft and round to resist gripping firmly as he bent his knees and hauled her further up his body until her feet left the ground.
She let out a surprised breath, but dove back into the kiss without missing a beat.
He stepped back until her back was pressed up against the glass door. Using it to help support her weight, he fumbled for the door-handle with one hand until he managed to slide it open. Lifting her off the door, he carried her through the kitchen, arms supporting her by her upper-thighs.
The door to the master bedroom flew open with a kick as they stumbled inside, tumbling backwards onto the bed. Their bodies bounced up and down as they landed, forcing them to break apart.
He took the opportunity, however, to lean into her neck, kissing above her pulse point, and luxuriating in the sweet, crisp smell of her hair.
"Ohh!" she moaned, squeezing her legs together as he kissed and nipped up the curve of her neck and along her earlobe.
Sitting back, he looked down at her, her eye closed in pleasure, soft sighs escaping her lips, and, Gods, if he was dreaming this he hoped he wasn't about to wake up.
Gently, he pressed his lips at the juncture where her collar bones met her throat, lifting his hands to the hem of her shirt and pushing it up her chest.
Dragging his face down between her breasts, he kissed along the bottom of her ribs and past her navel. As he nipped at the skin around her belly-button he felt her hands pulling his shirt up his back, so he shrugged it over his head and tossed it aside.
Leaning back down to the soft, creamy skin below her navel, he pressed his head against her stomach, dropping light kisses as he slid his hands up to her waistband, toying with the top button. Shifting, he tugged the first one open. Immediately her body flinched, an alarmed cry escaping her throat.
Dropping his hand away, he took few deep resigned breaths and murmured, "Sorry."
"What?" she be breathed, looking down at him, "No, no...it was just my ankle. It moved in an awkward way."
Pulling back from her, he moved down to lift up her knee and inspect her injured ankle. It was swollen. Almost twice the size of her other one, and he could see the beginnings of a dark purple bruise forming along the side of it.
Carefully setting her leg back down, he instructed, "Hang on, I'll be right back."
Sitting up on her elbows she watched in confusion as he made a beeline for the bathroom.
Inside, he flipped opened the medicine cabinet and began rummaging through the contents, finally finding a compression bandage behind a bottle of painkiller and a box of cloth pads. Setting it down on the sink, he closed the medicine cabinet and opened the drawers below the sink.
He let out a sigh of relief when he found two packets of condoms in the bottom drawer, having been uncertain that Donald would have any since he was married. Luckily, though, they hadn't even reached their expiration date.
Grabbing them up, he shoved both into his back pocket. Never paid to be unprepared, after all.
Shutting off the bathroom light, he walked back over and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"What are you doing?" Regina inquired.
Lifting her ankle into his lap, he unhooked the compression bandage and stretched it over the arch of her foot, "Just going to wrap your ankle, that way it won't get twisted again."
Eyebrows shooting up, she laughed pressing the back of her hand to her mouth.
"What?" he asked, as he threaded the bandage back and forth around her ankle and under her foot.
She shook her head, "Nothing just...you really are very safety conscious, huh?"
He grinned at her, pressing a kiss above the bandage as he fastened it closed with the hook.
Her laughter died as he continued his way up her leg, kissing the inside of her knee before lifting his head to look into her eyes and leaning to meet her lips again.
She returned the kiss, both of them laying back onto the bed as he settled on top of her, her leg pressing against the side of his ribs. In between kisses, he eased her top the rest of the way up over her head. Raising her arms, she untangled it, and taking it from his hands to let it fall over the side of the bed to the floor.
Turning back, she found him staring down at her, his blue eyes deep and dark.
"What?"
Shaking his head slowly he murmured, "You are…so beautiful."
Smiling, she leaned up to kissed him again, her leg sliding over his hip down the back of his thigh.
Kissing her until she felt breathless and fuzzy, he travelled back down to her chest. Her nipples were tight and erect, showing prominently through the thin satin of her bra. He closed his lips over her right one, swirling his tongue over the pebbled nub as he squeezed the other between his thumb and forefinger. The sounds that escaped her were like music to his ears. The sight of her dark areolas, wet with his saliva, showing through the sheer fabric, made him strain painfully in his jeans.
He wouldn't have stopped for the world, though, as he moved over to give her right breast the same treatment.
"Oh Gods," she moaned, body writhing under his attention.
His hands scrambled to the waistband of her shorts, this time encountering no protest as he undid the rest of the buttons. He moved away just long enough to slide them down her legs.
For her part, Regina took the opportunity to undo her bra and take it off.
His hands traveled up the side of her legs leaving heated trails until he reached the waistband of her panties. Hooking his thumbs on under the edges, he asked, "May I?"
"Yes!" she whined, "Take them off!"
He didn't need to be told twice, pulling the flimsy scrap of fabric off to join her shorts on the floor, leaving her completely exposed to his gaze. Lifting her legs apart, he trailed hot kisses down her inner thighs, biting down on the sensitive skin.
She gripped his head with a gasp, nails digging into his hair.
Taking a deep breath of her arousal, he pressed an open mouthed kiss directly on her clit. She screamed out, body jumping at the shock.
Moving his arms up to pin down her hips, he angled her pelvis open to give him more access to the sharp, heady taste of her. Pressing her lips closed tightly, pleasured moans left her throat with each swipe of his tongue.
Abruptly, she pulled hard on his hair, forcing him to lift up to meet her gaze. Her eyes were dark black pools as she said, "You're wearing too many clothes."
Moving swiftly, he undid his jeans, wrestling his way out of them and his boxers, making sure to take the condoms out of the back pocket before kicking them aside.
Regina pulled him back down for a kiss, his cock sliding against her thigh tortuously as he leaned back into her. The feeling of her completely bare body against his almost mind numbingly good.
After drinking his fill of her lips, he grabbed one of the condoms from the mattress, tore open the packet, and rolled it on.
Pausing as he positioned himself between Regina's legs, he met her eyes. Staring back, she nodded without him even having to ask the question.
Wrapping her legs around his back, he took himself in hand, and, finally, guided himself into her.
She gasped, gripping his shoulders as he stretched her open.
"You okay?" he breathed against her ear.
"Yeah," she nodded, breathlessly, "Just...been a while."
He was painfully hard, and the feeling of her hot and wet around him, even through the latex barrier, was driving him mad, but he forced himself to stay still and allow her to adjust to the feeling.
Squeezing her legs more tightly around him, she breathed, "Okay."
Lowering himself down onto his arms, he pulled back nearly all the way out of her before thrusting back in.
Her body moved against his with each thrust, hands falling away from his back to grip the bed sheets.
Lifting up without breaking pace, he took in her face, watching as she bit down on her lip with each thrust.
Face screwing up, she let out a long drawn out moan, "Ohhhh! Oh Gods!"
Gripping her hips with a growl, he sped up his pace. His body was thrumming, dangerously close to losing it, but he determined not to finish before getting to see her fly apart and knowing it was because of his cock. He wasn't about to waste the experience of having her now after fantasizing about it for so long.
"Yes!" she yelled, "Oh yes, harder! Fuck! Don't stop, don't stop, don't ever stop! Robiiin!"
He was fucking her at a fevered pace when words died on her tongue, her insides gripping him tightly as she came.
Holding her tightly, trying to fit their bodies together as close as humanly possible, he let himself fall into it all..her soft skin, her cries, the feel of her around him. With a groan he gripped her hips to his and spilled every last drop of himself.
Resting in the crook of her neck until he caught his breath, he felt her legs fall away from his back. Withdrawing from her, he pushed himself up from the bed and shuffled over to the bathroom to dispose of the condom.
At the sink, he splashed some water on his face, letting it cool down his fevered skin. Shutting off the tap, he made his way back into the bedroom.
Regina was laying back on the bed, one arm tossed over her head. Her eyes were closed and her breathing even, a peaceful expression on her face.
Moving over to the other side, he gently eased the sheet out from under her, and got into bed. With a contented sigh, she rolled over into him, snuggling into his side.
A smile crossing his lips, he pulled the sheet up over them, and wrapped his arm around her as he followed her into a blissful sleep.
* 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 *
Regina woke up the next morning to the sound of chirping birds. Stretching her body out, she rolled over onto her back, languidly easing awake.
As she drifted to consciousness, her eyes shot open as she turned her head beside her. The other side of the bed was empty, but it was obvious the spot next to her had been slept on.
Pulling the sheets up to her chest, she glanced around the room. Robin was nowhere to be seen, but even more pressing was her bladder screaming for attention.
She winced at how her body ached as she stood from the bed, wrapped the sheet around herself, and carefully limped toward the bathroom.
Shutting the door firmly behind her, she lowered herself down onto the toilet with a sigh. After relieving herself, she sat there for a moment, letting the bulk of the sheet fall forward between her knees.
As she stared down at the floor, she flexed her ankle experimentally. The movement still hurt a little, but not as badly as the previous day. The fabric bandage holding it in place, however, was another unmistakable sign that last night had happened.
She'd slept with Robin.
Dear Gods, she'd slept with her bodyguard.
This was a disaster!
Reaching behind her to flush the toilet, she gathered the sheet around her to tuck under her arms so that she could wash her hands.
As she shut of the tap, she caught sight of herself in the mirror. She looked mostly the same, except a little too relaxed...her lips swollen and red from too many kisses and the scratch of his beard.
A shiver went through her as she recalled how that felt on her neck...and other places.
Shaking herself, Regina turned and made her way out.
Back in the master bedroom she was just trying to gather her thoughts when the doorknob rattled, the door swinging open.
Instinctively, she gripped the sheet more tightly to herself as Robin stepped inside.
He paused at seeing her up, but quirked his lips into a smile, "Morning."
"Hi," she responded, tucking her a lock of hair behind her ear.
Stepping into the room, he lowered her overnight bag off his shoulder and set it down on the bed, "I thought you might not want to go upstairs."
"Oh...um...thank you," she answered.
"How's your ankle feeling?"
"It's fine," she said, "Getting a little better I think."
"Good," he smiled. They stared at each other for a few minutes before he went on, "Well, I got breakfast for us. I thought we could eat it outside."
"That sounds nice. Just give me a minute to get changed."
"Of course," he nodded, "Will you be alright?"
"Yes!" she answered quickly, "I'll...I'll be right behind you."
"Okay," he agreed, stepping out.
As he shut the door behind him, Regina let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Stepping back over to the bed she sunk down into it, wondering what the she was going to do now!
It almost made things worse that he was being so sweet and attentive. How on Earth could she tell him that last night had been the most impulsive and potentially catastrophic thing she'd ever done in her life?
Sighing, she pulled her bag over to her and started digging through for some clothes. She settled on a simple cotton dress with short sleeves.
Taking a deep breath to prepare herself for the conversation she'd need to have, she opened the door and limped her way through the kitchen.
Robin was waiting for her by the back door, sliding it open and offering her a steadying hand to step out onto the porch.
This morning was considerably cooler than the previous one, dew shining on the grass below and a light fog drifting between the trees.
Stepping over to the small table he'd pulled over next to the now cold fire pit, she looked over the items laid out on it.
Turning to him with raised eyebrows she asked, "Doughnuts? Really?"
"What? Everyone loves doughnuts," he answered.
She gave him a dubious look.
"Didn't you tell me expanding your palette never hurt anyone?"
"There are exceptions," she muttered, but settled down into one the chairs and unscrewed the spout on the carton of coffee sitting next to the pink box. After pouring herself a cup and adding cream and sugar, she picked up one of the chocolate covered pastries and took a small bite.
To her surprise, it was filled with a thick, sweet custard that worked very nicely with the fried dough and chocolatey glaze.
Swallowing the first bite, she grudgingly admitted, "It's good."
With a chuckle, he settled down next to her to take one of the pastries himself. She could feel him watching her as she ate. Before she had the chance to swallow her second bite and ask why, though, he reached over and smeared a drop of custard across her nose.
Gaping at him in shock, she punched him in the shoulder, prompting him to laugh as she picked up a napkin to wipe away the mess.
Before she could even put it back down, though, he leaned over her side, hooking his hands under her the backs of her knees and lifting her out of her chair over onto his lap.
Caught off guard by the action, she gripped her arms around his neck to avoid sliding backward onto the ground.
Meeting his eyes, she chuckled.
"Hi," he whispered, tapping the side of her nose with his.
"Hi," she answered before even thinking about it.
Smiling, he leaned over and kissed her softly. Her lips parted against his, the tip of his tongue gently massasing hers.
She sighed in her throat, stroking her thumb across his cheek,
The hand he'd been using to hold her to him by her thigh slowly travelled up under her skirt, sliding around between her legs, his fingers brushing against the edge of her panties.
Her eyes slid open as the sensation brought her back to reality. Gently pulling away from his lips, she lowered her hand to hold him back from her.
"Um..." she patted his chest lightly, clearing her throat to regain her voice, "...you know this can't happen again, right?"
He blinked, expression falling as he sat back in the chair.
Swallowing, she continued on, "I don't mean...it's just if anyone found out…"
He nodded, glancing back up at her, "Right."
"I'm not saying I regret it. Last night was…" she trailed off.
He shook his head, pulling her skirt back down her leg, "No, I understand. Just a one-time thing?"
"Yeah," she answered
"Okay," he nodded, "That's fine."
"Really?"
"Yeah," he assured her, "No one needs to know. This is no one's business but ours."
"Right," she sighed in relief, "Yeah, I'm so glad you agree."
He quirked his lips adding, "We can just say what happens in Sherwood stays in Sherwood."
She laughed, stroking her hand absently across his chest, awkwardness slowly slipping into the moment as they realized she was still sitting on his lap.
"Well," he said, "I'd better go start getting the house cleaned up so we can head out."
Taking the cue, she braced herself on the arm of the chair and pulled herself to a standing position.
"Anything I can do to...help?" she offered weakly.
He glanced down at her ankle, chuckling softly, "No, that's okay. You just stay here. Finish the doughnuts for me."
With that he turned and went inside. She watched as the glass door slid closed behind him, sinking back down into the deck chair. Glancing at the half-eaten doughnut sitting on the napkin in front of her, she found that she suddenly didn't have much of an appetite for it anymore.
Inside the house Robin took a breath, making his way over to the sink and starting up the water. Early that morning he'd gone through gathering up all the dishes from the previous night and stacked them in the sink. Grabbing a sponge, he began scrubbing each of them one by one, stacking them in the drying rack after they were clean and rinsed. When he finished the last one he shut off the water and glanced out the window above the sink.
Regina was still out on the porch, her back to him from where she was sitting.
"What did you expect?" he muttered to himself, pushing away from the sink to move onto the master bedroom. He picked Regina's overnight bag up off the bed, noticing that her clothes from the previous night were still laying where they'd fallen. Gathering them up, he folded them as best he could, put them back in the bag, and then put it, along with his own, outside the door.
Turning back inside, he stripped the sheets off the bed, trying not to notice their combined scent lingering on the fabric or remember her gripping them in her fists as he made love to her.
Shoving the sheets into the washing machine, he got a new set out of the closet and put them on, making the bed as neatly as he could.
Next he carried his and Regina's bags out to the car to store in the trunk.
As he walked back inside, he found her slowly walking in through the back door.
"Hey," he glanced at her bare feet, "Shit! I just put your bag in the car. Did you need shoes?"
"Um...well yes, but I don't know if I'll be able to walk in any of the ones I brought," she admitted.
"Okay," he nodded.
"Okay?" she questioned.
"When we're ready to leave I'll back the car up as close to the front steps as I can and...I'll carry you if need be."
"Alright," she agreed, somewhat skeptical, but not bothering to argue.
"Did you have anything else besides your overnight bag?" he asked.
"Yeah, some things in the bathroom," she said, "Don't worry, I'll get them."
He opened his mouth to argue, but she stopped him, "I need to go up there anyway to brush my teeth and try to fix my hair a little."
Her hair was tousled and curling into waves around her head. It looked beautiful.
Clearing his throat, he nodded, allowing her to hobble past him and slowly climb the stairs.
While she was up there, he made a final round through the house, checking to make sure everything was taken care of. The washing machine had finished it's cycle, so he moved the sheets to the dryer and started it up. It would run after they left and be dry by the time Donald and his wife got back.
Satisfied that everything was in place, he went back to the living room to wait for Regina. After about 15 minutes, she slowly made her way down the stairs, struggling to hold herself up on the bannister while clutching her toiletry bag in one hand.
"Here, I've got it," he jogged up, taking the bag from her hand and supporting her the rest of the way down.
Helping her out to the porch, he locked the door behind them and put the key back up on the door frame. Then, after putting the rest of her things in her bag and slamming the trunk shut, he back her car up to the house.
She was already halfway down the steps when he threw it into park, and got out help her. She winced as she stepped across the gravel without shoes, but insisted she on walking the ten steps to the passenger's side door.
Shutting it behind her, he went back over to the driver's side and started up the engine to get them back on their way toward Unity City.
* 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 *
They spent most of the drive in silence with the exception of a brief conversation about whether they wanted to stop for lunch. Ultimately, both decided they weren't that hungry so they should just keep going.
That decision, along with the relative lack of traffic on the Sunday after the holiday, was the reason they reached the outskirts of Unity City in almost record time.
As they passed the security gate and were driving up toward the house, Regina shifted in her seat, "Listen Robin…"
He turned his attention to her as she spoke.
"...this doesn't have to be awkward," she said in what she hoped was a reassuring tone of voice, "I mean it was what it was and...this weekend was actually really great. I...I had fun."
He managed to quirk a smile, "I'm glad, Regina. I did too."
With that he turned into the drive up to the house, shut off the car and moved around to help her out. They made their way up the front steps with her leaning heavily on him. Keying in the code to the front door, he swung it open to let them inside.
In the front entryway, Drake just happened to be passing by. Catching sight of the the two, he paused, doing a double take, "Miss Mills...you're injured! What happened?"
"Oh, it's nothing to worry about, Drake. Just a sprained ankle," she answered.
Glancing at Robin, he asked, "Are you certain?"
"Yes, of course," she nodded, "I saw a doctor. They said I was fine. I just need to wait for it to heal."
"Alright," he acquiesced, moving to offer her a hand, "Here let me help you."
"Ah, Miss Mills, your bag is still in the car," Robin reminded her.
"Just bring it in and leave here, Locksley," Drake ordered, "I'll have one of the housekeeping staff take it up later."
"Yes, Sir," he agreed. Regina looked over her shoulder, trying to meet his eye to convey her thanks but Drake was already leading her toward the elevator.
"Here, let's get you up to your suite."
"No," she shook her head, "Not yet. I'm a bit hungry, can we go to the kitchen instead?"
She was hungry, the scant breakfast and delayed lunch finally catching up with her.
"Of course!" the older man agreed, changing course toward the kitchen. After helping her to a seat at the small table in the outer kitchen, he pushed open the door to the cooking area and called for Mrs. Fa. The small woman appeared in the doorway moments later.
"Miss Mills needs something to eat," Drake informed her, turning back to Regina, "I'll send someone up to help you to your suite after your meal."
"Drake, really, I'm fine. If I need help I can ask one of the housekeeping staff," she told him.
The head of security looked skeptical, but did not argue. After he left, Mrs. Fa fixed Regina with a piercing look, glancing down toward her injured ankle, "What on Earth happened to you?"
"Just a sprained ankle," she repeated.
The older woman narrowed her eyes, "Do I want to know what you got up to this weekend?"
"Nothing you need to worry about," Regina lied, "Now, may I please have some lunch? I'm starving.
Mrs. Fa humphed, but sighed as her maternal side kicked in, "Well, since you are hurt, what do you say to a batch of my dumplings?"
Regina smiled widely, "That sounds wonderful, Mrs. Fa, thank you."
"Alright, wait here," she instructed, shoving her way back into the cooking area.
* 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 *
After taking Regina's bag up to the house, Robin drove the car around to the garage and went inside to the basement floor. After hanging the keys to her car back in its proper place, he dropped his bag off in his room.
Letting out a heavy breath, he pulled off his shoes and socks to swap them out for his shower sandals, dug his soap and shampoo out of his bag, picked up a towel and change of clothes from the wardrobe, and walked through the corridor around to the staff locker room.
After shedding his clothes, he turned on the water in one of the shower stalls, letting the falling droplets plet his skin, melting away the weariness.
Closing his eyes, he tried not to recall the way Regina's hands felt on his skin...how she responded to his touch...
He jumped as the stall door flew open. Turning around, he look in confusion at his boss, standing behind him with his arms crossed.
"What the hell happened, Locksley?" he demanded.
"Sir?" he asked in confusion.
"Miss Mills got injured while you were assigned to her! How exactly did that happen?"
Sighing, Robin shut off the water, "She stumbled on some uneven pavement. It was an accident."
"An accident that occurred on your watch!" the older man shot back.
"With all due respect, Sir, how would you suggest I better protect her from stumbling on the sidewalk?" he asked, wrapping the towel around his waist, "Especially when she insists on wearing those high-heels?"
"That's none of your concern!" Drake reprimanded, "Our job is to ensure their safety, not give our opinions on their clothing choices!"
"Well," Robin shrugged, "I suppose I could carry her everywhere, but I'm not sure how Mr. and Mrs. Mills would feel about that."
"Don't be a wise ass, Locksley!"
"Wouldn't dream of it," he murmured as he picked up his things.
Drake glared, but gave in, "Alright, fine. Miss Mills confirmed it was an accident, so I'll let you off this time, but lose the attitude before Mr. and Mrs. Mills get back tonight!"
"Yes Sir," he deadpanned as he made his way out of the locker room.