Ruby's been reading the same sentence for at least ten minutes and it's beginning to make even less sense than it did the first time. She's never been much of a reader and, though she plays her part in the research, it's not her favourite way to spend her time. She lifts her eyes from her assigned book, looking across the table at Regina, who is poring over another ancient text and appears not to be having the same trouble with concentration that Ruby is. Ruby sighs.
As it turns out, friends only spend the night with each other following a near death experience. This became abundantly clear once Ruby was back to full-health and Regina stopped being quite so free with her touches. As the days have passed and put some distance between the memory of Ruby's injuries and the present, Regina has withdrawn back into herself a little. They still spend time together, but it's not quite as easy as it was, or as relaxed. Ruby's noticed that Regina has stopped suggesting activities and that, if not for Ruby initiating research sessions or making sure they're assigned to tasks together, they may not spend any time together at all. Their conversations tend to revolve around the Witch or the running of the castle.
Ruby blames herself for taking advantage of her injured state to come on stronger than she perhaps should have and it seems to have frightened the Queen off. A little part of Ruby also wonders if Regina's sudden distance is part of her misguided attempt to keep Ruby safe from her sister. The horrified expression she wore when she realised Zelena had targeted Ruby specifically is etched in the girl's memory and she's not convinced that putting some space between them is to somehow demonstrate that Zelena shouldn't waste her time with Ruby. Well, if that's the case, Ruby will need to do something about it. Because she misses the Regina she was just getting to know.
"I'm bored," Ruby announces. Regina lifts her head from her book and Ruby's pleased to see an affectionate smile on her face, at least.
"Then go and entertain yourself," Regina says, returning to her reading. "You're under no obligation to sit here with me. Even though you suggested it."
"Yeah, I did," Ruby agrees. "Otherwise when would I get to see you?"
"Ruby," Regina begins with a sigh. "Don't-"
"Don't what?" Ruby prompts. "Don't mention the elephant in the room?"
"There's a wolf in the room, dear, but no elephant as far as I can tell," Regina says, without looking at Ruby.
"That's because you're avoiding looking at it," Ruby presses on. "Ever since I got better, you've been acting weird. And I...I'm sorry if I, you know, did anything to make that happen." She closes the book in front of her and pushes it aside, leaning forward with her elbows on the table. Regina's still not meeting her eyes. "But I'd like it to stop and for us to go back to being friends."
Regina shakes her head. "But we're not friends," she says, lifting her head finally. "Are we?"
"We're not?" Ruby asks, a pang of hurt reverberating in her chest. "But we...I thought-"
"I may not have much experience with friendship, Ruby," Regina interrupts. "But I'm fairly sure that what we're doing is not friendship."
So, she was right. She did push too hard. "I'm sorry," she whispers. "I didn't mean to- to come on so strong. I just-it was so nice having you there and-"
"That's not the problem, Ruby," Regina tells her. "The problem is that I want you to. And that is not a basis for a friendship."
Ruby gets up from her seat and moves around the table, kneeling down by Regina's seat, clinging to the arm of her chair. There are a few people milling around the library and she doesn't particularly want them overhearing this discussion. "How is that a problem?" she asks, gently. "When it's something we both want?"
"I've explained why," Regina snaps.
"I know," Ruby says. "But things change, feelings change. And I know you didn't want to start anything because you miss Henry and we have a Wicked Witch to deal with. And I get that, I do." She takes a breath and reaches out to place her hand on Regina's arm, waiting until she looks at her. "But how is what we're doing any better, huh? Ignoring what's going on? Pretending it isn't there?"
There's a long pause and Ruby can hear Regina's uneven breathing. She runs her thumb back and forth over Regina's arm, trying to provide her with some small comfort, knowing that she finds it difficult to talk about such things.
"Yes, things do change," Regina agrees. "The reasons I gave you for not pursuing a relationship are still valid." She turns to meet Ruby's eyes and Ruby's heart sinks when she sees the blank expression Regina is wearing. "And, added to those reasons, is the fact that your association with me put you in very real danger. And I will not let that happen again."
Standing up, Ruby turns her back to Regina and takes a few steps away, shaking her head as she tries to formulate an argument that won't be dismissed immediately.
"We're all in danger, Regina," she begins. "She could decide to pick off any one of us at any time."
"But she didn't," Regina counters. "She chose to target you, very specifically. The one person I have been spending time with. That is not a coincid-."
"Attention! Attention!" Both women turn to glare at the interruption. It's Doc. "Your presence is requested in the Great Hall by Princess Snow and Prince David."
Regina rolls her eyes. "Aren't we being awfully formal all of a sudden?" Despite the snark in her tone, she pushes her chair back and stands. Ruby reaches out and grasps her arm.
"Seriously?" she asks. "Since when do you jump when Snow snaps her fingers?"
Regina opens her mouth to respond, but Doc interrupts once more.
"I-I have instructions that everyone is to attend. No exceptions. E-everyone is being invited as we speak," he tells them, his eyes bouncing between the two women. "You'll have to hurry it along. They won't wait."
"Regina and I have some unfinished business," she tells him, eyes trained on the woman in question, who still has not turned around, but she hasn't removed her arm from Ruby's grip either. "We will join you when we're finished."
"I-I think Snow really would prefer you to be there, Ruby," Doc implores.
Regina shakes her arm free and continues on her way. The growl that erupts from Ruby's chest is enough to make Doc physically jump, and even Regina stops walking. Ruby's breath is coming fast and she's grinding her teeth. Everything in her wants to continue this conversation, but Snow wouldn't insist on everyone's presence if it wasn't important. Ruby shakes her head and storms past Doc, pausing by Regina. "We're not done," she warns. "After we hear whatever this is Snow has to say, you and I are going somewhere private and we are going to finish this conversation."
"Oh, we're done, dear."
"No," Ruby says, as Doc slinks by them and practically runs out of the room. "We're not. And don't think you can avoid me. I'll track you down and-"
"And you'll huff and puff and blow my door down?" Regina asks, in that disinterested tone of hers, with an infuriating smirk in place. "There's nothing to discuss."
"You know that's not true," Ruby tells her. "And if you don't wanna talk, then you'll listen to me, because I have plenty to say. Now come on, let's get this announcement over with so that we can get back to this."
She waits for Regina to start walking in front of her before following. The rest of the trip to the Great Hall is in silence. Regina pushes the doors to the hall open to reveal that it's already full of people standing in front of the small raised platform at the front of the room. They join the back of the crowd and find themselves next to Belle who turns to greet them with a smile, which Ruby attempts to return.
"What do you suppose this is about?" Ruby asks. "It sounds serious."
"Maybe they've come up with a plan to defeat Zelena?" Belle suggests with a shrug.
"Snow and Charming? By themselves? Really?" Regina scoffs. "Annoyingly hard to kill? Yes. Master strategists? No."
"Well, they managed to evade you for years," Ruby points out. "Doesn't say much for your own strategy, Your Majesty."
Belle glances at Ruby before taking in Regina's glare and shifts uncomfortably. She gives a false laugh to try to break the tension. "Well, I did say 'maybe'."
"I doubt that Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber have anything of use to say," Regina says, bestowing an incredibly fake smile on Belle. "But it's important that someone be here to make sure they're not going to propose anything more ridiculous than usual."
"At least they try," Ruby puts in. "At least they're willing to take risks." She knows she's poking Regina to try and get a reaction, but really, at this point, she just wantssomething from the other woman.
Belle clears her throat. "Oh, look, I think they're about to say something."
Ruby feels bad that her friend has landed in the middle of a situation she doesn't know anything about and has been made to feel awkward because of it. She turns her attention to Mary Margaret and David who are whispering to each other on the raised platform. Mary Margaret looks happy, so it can't be anything serious. David looks a little more worried, but he's trying to cover it with a smile.
The hall is silenced as Mary Margaret comes forward. Something about the smile Mary Margaret is wearing, and the worry Charming is trying to hide, tells Ruby exactly what this announcement is going to be. "Ten gold coins says she's pregnant," she murmurs, to no-one in particular.
"Oh, God," Regina groans. "That's all we'd need. Another Charming offspring."
Ruby is prevented from responding when Mary Margaret pulls David forward a little.
"Friends," she begins. "I know we're all busy in our preparations to face the Wicked Witch, and I thank you all for taking the time to come here upon our request." She looks at David and smiles before turning back to the crowd. "We have some wonderful news to share with you all." Her smile grows even brighter. "David and I are going to have a baby."
Belle grabs Ruby's arm in excitement and the hall erupts with cheers and chatter. "Told you," Ruby says, with a grin. Her happiness for her friends is tempered somewhat by Regina's words. While she knows the Queen was probably referring to Emma and all the strife she caused in Regina's life, Ruby's not entirely convinced that right now is the best time to bring a kid into the world. But what's done is done, and they'll all make the best of the situation. They always do.
"You'd think she'd invented the wheel," Regina mutters, under her breath, turning to leave. "Give them my regards. Tell them that I fervently hope that it turns out better than the last one."
"You're not going to tell them yourself?" Ruby asks, turning to watch Regina leave.
"Some of us have work to do, dear," Regina says, without turning around.
"I meant what I said," Ruby calls after her. "We're not done talking. I'll come find you." The Queen doesn't respond and continues on her way.
"Everything okay?" Belle asks.
"Oh, peachy," Ruby says, turning to her friend. "C'mon, let's go congratulate them."
They move further into the crowd, and although Ruby is the furthest away from Mary Margaret, she calls out to her anyway, and her friend immediately makes a beeline for them. "Snow!" Ruby lets out, and pulls her into a crushing hug. "Congratulations!"
Mary Margaret squeezes her friend tightly, her smile only growing in strength. "Thank you, Aunt Ruby," she says before pulling back, keeping hold of Ruby's arms.
"Aunt?" Ruby repeats, head tilting to the side.
Mary Margaret frowns. "Like I'd allow the child to call you anything else," she scolds lightly. "We're best friends. Sisters, practically. And it's not like I actually have any brothers or sisters."
Ruby finds herself smiling as Mary Margaret talks. She supposes, had things gone to plan and they weren't separated, Emma may well have been running around calling Ruby 'aunt' too. She's not sure why she finds it surprising, but to hear Mary Margaret call her a sister has her heart swelling just enough for her to almost forget what's going on between her and Regina. While Mary Margaret chatters away and receives congratulations from people, Ruby locates David - chatting to a few of the dwarves - and sidles up to him, offering him a hug.
"Congratulations, daddy."
David lets out a nervous laugh. "Yeah...I guess that's what I'll be." He steps away from Ruby and rubs the back of his neck.
Ruby cocks her head to the side and looks at David, confused. "You okay?"
"Huh?" David freezes, his eyes wide, like he's been caught. "Of course!" He laughs again, it sounds hollow. "I'm going to have a baby. Why wouldn't I be okay?" Uncomfortable under Ruby's scrutiny, he catches someone's eye over her shoulder and raises his hand in a wave. "I...uh...should go talk to people with Mary Margaret."
"I hope you try a lot harder than you just did with me," she jokes with a raised brow. She leaves it be. Today, they celebrate. Tomorrow, they'll talk about their concerns.
He looks down, ashamed. "Sorry, Ruby." He meets her eyes again. "We'll talk, okay? I just need to get my head around this. It's...big, you know?"
Ruby nods. "It is," she agrees. "And you'll all be fine." She nods towards the masses. "Go and mingle."
He nods and squeezes her arm as he passes. He's barely gone before his place is taken up by Granny. She joins Ruby in watching the happy couple as they chat to various subjects. "I noticed your Queen made a sharp exit. Not in a celebratory mood?"
Ruby frowns and takes a deep, steadying breath. "You'd have to ask her."
"Trouble in paradise?" Granny asks. "Finally realised that your new best friend is the Evil Queen, huh?"
Ruby shakes her head and faces her grandmother. "This is supposed to be a joyous occasion, so I'm not going to get into this with you now. But believe me, I'm under no illusions about who Regina was or is. And you're welcome to your opinion on her, but you need to stop trying to make it mine."
She brushes past her grandmother, intent on following Regina and continuing their discussion. She's barely taken five strides when something small barrels into her legs, almost causing her to fall over. She stumbles, but catches herself and spins to see what she nearly tripped over. Roland Hood is standing there, gazing up at her with a huge smile on his face, dimples out in full force.
"Hey squirt," she says, unable to stop herself from smiling back at him. "You can move pretty fast, I didn't even see you there!"
"What's a squirt?" Roland asks, his eyes big and curious. Ruby squats down so that she's on his level. She takes a hand and holds it over his head, sizing him up before nodding seriously.
"A squirt is someone exactly your size," she tells him and he laughs at the unusual sounding word.
"Are you really a wolf?" he asks, moving forward and touching Ruby's hair. "My daddy said you're a wolf, but you don't look like a wolf."
"Only sometimes," Ruby explains, amused by his scrutiny of her, as if he's looking for fur or teeth. "When the moon is a big bright circle in the sky, that's when I'm a wolf." His face lights up in delight.
"A real wolf?" he asks. "Like the wolves in the forest?"
"Yep," Ruby confirms. "A real wolf." She widens her eyes with a smile. "But I'm much bigger than the wolves in the forest."
"Can I see you when you're a wolf?" he asks. "I'd like a wolf to be my friend."
Touched by his simple world view, Ruby smiles. "I'm sure we can arrange for you to meet the wolf. And I'm sure she'd like to be your friend too."
"Real wolves eat people," Roland tells her, wisely. "You don't eat people, do you?"
Not anymore, she thinks.
"Roland!" Robin calls, arriving by his son's side and crouching beside both of them. "What have I told you about running away in big crowds like this? I couldn't find you!"
"I was with Miss Ruby," Roland says, as if this should be a perfectly valid explanation for him running away. "I'm gonna meet the wolf when the moon's big."
Robin grins at the two of them. "Are you now?"
Sobering, Ruby stands up but she can't help running a hand through the child's hair. "Only if you're okay with it, of course," she tells him.
"I have complete trust and faith in your wolf, Miss Ruby. I just fear that my boy might exhaust you."
"Never." She can't help but reach down to tickle the boy's sides and she chuckles, watching as he hides behind his father's legs. Robin bends to pick Roland up, hoisting him on his hip and she watches as the small boy flings his arms around his father and squeezes, burying his face into Robin's neck. It fills Ruby with bittersweet memories. Watching this scene play out in front of her reminds her of a time not so long ago; of Regina and Henry when he was just Roland's age, even younger.
"Miss Ruby?"
The woman in question shakes her head and fixes Robin with an easy smile. "Sorry. Zoned out for a minute there."
"Zoned out?" Robin questions.
"Went somewhere else. I wasn't really here, in the moment."
A frown crosses Robin's face, and Ruby can tell he's still trying to figure out this turn of phrase. "But… you didn't go anywhere."
"In my head," Ruby explains, tapping her temple. "I was just remembering something. That's all."
"From Storybrooke?" Robin questions.
"Yeah," Ruby says, winking at Roland. "Another little boy with a cheeky grin who used to try to get me to sneak him ice-cream when his mom wasn't looking."
"What's ice-cream?" Roland asks.
"Oh," Ruby says, constantly surprised by how little people in the Enchanted Forest know about the world with no magic. "It's wonderful stuff. It's kinda like snow, but you can eat it. And it tastes of strawberries, or other nice things."
"Can I have ice-cream, papa?" Roland asks.
"Uh, I...think you can only get it where Miss Ruby comes from," he turns to Ruby for confirmation.
Ruby thinks back to the night she spent with Regina walking in the woods, where the Queen conjured up a cone with little more than a snap of her fingers. She leans in close to Roland, lowering her voice. "I'll see what I can do, okay?"
His smile lights up the room and he reaches out and wraps his arms around her neck, awkwardly because Robin is still holding him. "Thank you!" he nearly yells in her ear.
"No problem," Ruby tells him, laughing at his exuberance. Robin puts him back on his feet and taps his back.
"Why don't you run over to Little John?" he suggests. "He's got a piece of wood he told me he was going to carve into a boat for you." The boy scurries off with a wave at Ruby. She watches him go with a smile on her face.
"So, a wolf and flavoured snow, eh?" Robin observes. "How am I possibly going to compete with that come his next birthday?"
"Oh, I'm sure you'll think of something," Ruby says with a sigh, the reality of her life settling back on her shoulders after the brief reprieve of Snow's baby announcement and her conversation with Roland.
"Is something the matter?" Robin asks.
"Aside from the usual problems of a green maniac toying with us and being stuck in a place that's not my home?" Ruby jokes. Her smile fades quickly. "No, nothing's the matter."
"Can I interest you in a drink?"
She glances over at him quickly, trying to pick out the meaning behind his invitation. "A drink...as in…" she trails off, apprehensively.
"A drink as in a beverage," Robin explains, grinning at her. "I'm not trying to woo you, Ruby." He winks. "I wish to remain alive for the foreseeable future, and any attempt at romancing you would result in my untimely death at the hands of your Queen, I have no doubt."
"Right," Ruby says, her cheeks flushing at her assumption. "Sure, a drink sounds great. Where are we gonna find one?" Her mind goes to the very pleasant liquor she'd shared with Regina.
"Well," Robin begins, draping an arm around her shoulders and lowering his voice. "It may just be the case that some of my men have set up something of a makeshift tavern in one of the storage rooms on the far side of the castle." He puts a finger to his lips. "But that's not to go any further."
"Oh man," Ruby laughs. "You've set up a speakeasy in Regina's castle?"
"If that's what you want to call it, then I suppose so," Robin says. "Just let me make arrangements for Roland to be taken care of for the evening and I shall be all yours."
"Lucky me," Ruby jokes as he walks away.
Turns out her description isn't too far off the mark. She can smell the booze before they're anywhere near the place and when Robin opens the door, she's confronted with the sight of Knights and Merry Men all over the place, laughing and arguing over card games and swilling what smells like ale from large tankards. She wrinkles her nose; she's never been much of a fan of beer, but it'll do.
A shout goes up to greet Robin and he makes his way through the crowd, patting people on the shoulder and waving at others. Ruby's not overly familiar with the Merry Men yet, so she follows Robin and smiles and nods at the few faces she recognises. Finally they reach, what she assumes is, the bar. It's a table with some barrels behind it and an assortment of cups and glasses. Not all of which are very clean. Robin busies himself with pouring them both a drink from one of the barrels and Ruby looks around for a quiet-ish corner. They make their way to an empty table and pull up two chairs. Robin holds up his tankard.
"Cheers!"
Ruby bumps her own glass against it, nodding. "Cheers." After a healthy swallow of some not very cold beer, Robin folds his hands on the table and smiles at Ruby.
"So," he begins. "What do you think of our fine establishment?" He waves a hand around them. "Not bad, is it?"
"Yeah, it's okay," Ruby concedes. "It's not as nice as the diner I work in, but it'll do." She pre-empts his question. "It's like a place where you go to eat, and we also serve drinks."
"I had gathered the eating part from the word itself," Robin says. "So, it's similar to a tavern, yes?"
"Kinda," Ruby agrees. "Just with a juke box instead of a lute player."
"I really am quite fascinated by this land you come from," Robin tells her. "I was a tavern keeper myself for a time." His smile grows sad. "My wife and I, we...well, I was attempting to leave my life of crime behind and start anew." He chuckles. "I can't say I always stayed on the straight and narrow, but I did very much enjoy being a tavern keeper." He looks down into his ale. "I miss it sometimes. Well, I miss a lot of things."
Ruby's not really familiar with Robin's history, but she has pieced together enough to know that his wife died in mysterious circumstances. He speaks of her fondly, and often, but Ruby recognises the sadness of lost love when she sees it.
"What was she like?" she asks. "Your wife?"
"Marian?" His smile grows wide once more. "Oh, she was...she was intelligent, beautiful, she made me laugh every day with her quick wit. She believed in justice and doing what was right." He raises his eyebrows. "She was the one to help me realise the importance of being an honorable man, of having a code of honour." His gaze drops to the table and he wraps his hands around his tankard. "And above all, she valued family. She loved Roland with all of her heart. I believe that she would have moved hell or high water to get back to him, to us, if she could." He swallows and shrugs. "However, she died, I know her thoughts would have been of us." Looking up at Ruby again, he smiles. "As my thoughts are of her, each and every day."
Throughout his description of his wife, Ruby can't help but think of her own experience with love. She loved Peter, as much as a sheltered teenage girl can understand what love is. She never had the chance to experience a life with him, or marry him, or build up a lifetime of memories with him. She mourned for what could have been, but Robin mourns what was. He lost his wife and the mother of his child, and yet he found a way to go on. He still smiles. Ruby reaches out and places a hand on his arm.
"She sounds like a wonderful woman," she tells him.
"She was." He nods. "She was indeed. And I loved her very much." He sniffs and tilts his head. "Have you known love, Ruby?" She notices the sparkle coming back to his eye she and knows he's about to tease her before he even opens his mouth. "I mean, aside from your current situation, of course."
She hits his arm and sits back in her chair, crossing her arms and glaring as he laughs. "I don't have a 'situation'. And even if I did, it would definitely be too early to be talking about 'love'."
"Would it?" Robin asks, his brow creased in confusion. "Is love so different in Storybrooke?"
"What do you mean?" Ruby asks, taking a long swallow of her ale and grimacing.
"When I met Marian, I knew within minutes that we shared something special," he explains. "Before the day was out, I knew I was falling in love with her."
"Not sure I believe in love at first sight," Ruby mumbles. "You should talk to Snow though, I'd imagine she does."
"Oh, I'm not saying that my love for Marian was as deep on that first day as it was on our wedding day, or on any of the days that followed," Robin says, waving at someone to bring them more beer. "But that's why they call it 'falling', Ruby. Because with every passing moment, you find something that makes you fall a little deeper in love."
"Very poetic," Ruby says, unable to hide her smile. "But how does that work if the first time I met Regina, I was under a curse? Cast by her?"
"And while you were under this curse, you had no feelings whatsoever towards her?" Robin presses. "And thank you for mentioning her by name, by the way, I assumed I'd have to do that, so bravo!"
"I have no idea why I'm spending time with an asshole like you," Ruby says, laughing and accepting another beer. Robin clinks his own against hers, causing it to slosh over both their hands. "And no. I had no feelings for her."
That's not strictly true. Even under the curse, Ruby had been attracted to the Mayor. But, who wouldn't be? She was the most sophisticated, glamorous, interestingperson in the town. There wasn't a whole lot of competition. And yeah, maybe Ruby used to look forward to seeing her smile every morning. But that was part of the curse, right? That doesn't mean anything and it certainly doesn't mean anything to do with love.
"What made you follow her to the castle that day?" Robin asks, looking at her over the rim of his glass. "You had no real reason to. No-one else did."
She frowns. "I-I don't know, really. She had no-one else and I-" She shakes her head. "I guess I didn't want her to be alone. I don't know."
"See?" Robin says, with a grin. "Something was there. You can't name it, but you know it was there." He winks. "That's love."
"Will you quit it with the love stuff?" Ruby grumbles, finishing off her beer and gesturing for another. It's not so bad tasting after a couple. "And anyway, it's pointless talking about it because nothing is happening between Regina and I. We're friends. Kinda. Sometimes. When we're not fighting about how we're friends."
"Lo-ove," Robin singsongs, ducking to avoid the slap she throws at the side of his head. He holds his hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I shall stop teasing you now."
"Good," Ruby asserts. "We came here to drink. Not to talk about my lovelife. Or lack thereof."
"Do you wish me to talk to her?" Robin asks kindly.
"Only if you wish yourself dead," Ruby counters with a grin. "Because I'm fairly certain with the mood she's in right now, she's more likely to incinerate you than listen to you. Or me, for that matter," she grumbles.
"You mentioned fighting about being friends," Robin says. "I watched as the two of you walked into the Great Hall. Neither of you looked pleased. Has something happened?"
Sighing, Ruby looks down into her ale. She's going to need something stronger if she's going to get into this. "What else is on offer, Hood?"
Robin throws Ruby a boyish grin and stands up. "Wait right here. I think I have just the thing." He disappears into the crowd.
Left alone, now, she sighs and looks around the place while trying not to succumb to her thoughts completely. She was supposed to find Regina. To finish that damn conversation Doc had interrupted. Though, she supposes, things were starting to get quite heated before they had been ushered out of the library. Ruby shudders to think exactly how heated things could have gotten had they had the chance to finish it. Maybe leaving it be for the moment is the best thing. Regina can calm down. Ruby can calm down. And then they can both discuss it more cal-
"Here you are." Two shot glasses have been placed on the table, and Robin resumes his seat opposite. He brings up a bottle of dark amber liquid and pours into each glass. "This should do the trick." Placing the bottle back on the table, he picks up the shot and Ruby does the same before clinking them together and swallowing it down in one gulp.
The liquid burns, and with her over sensitive tastebuds, it feels more like she's swallowing fire from the depths of hell itself. She starts coughing immediately. "Jesus!" She lets out once she's able to breathe. "The hell is that, Robin?"
"A secret stash that only myself and my Merry Men know about," he replies easily, already pouring two more shots.
Ruby points to the small glass. "It needs to stay secret." But she picks up the shot and drinks it nonetheless. Embarrassingly, she still has a coughing fit as she struggles to get used to the liquid. She glares at Robin who seems to be a pro at knocking them back, and tries to ignore the expectant look he's bestowed on her. "Something you were after?"
The thief shakes his head, still smiling at Ruby. "Just wondering how many of those it will take before you tell me what's happened between you and your Queen."
Ruby rolls her eyes. "Enough with the my Queen. She's just as much mine as she is everyone else's."
"And that's bothering you, isn't it?"
Ruby huffs and snatches the bottle from the table, filling both their glasses. "It's the 'trying to pretend the feelings don't exist when they do' thing that bothers me. She's got it in her head that if we don't associate with each other, the feelings will disappear and Zelena will stop coming after me." She takes her shot, with Robin following suit. The coughing is less this time.
"And you disagree?"
"Of course I disagree!" Ruby shouts. She looks around the makeshift tavern as the occupants cast their glances towards them both and she groans. "Of course I disagree," she repeats, softer this time. "Feelings don't just change because you want them to."
"That's assuming Regina does want them to," Robin counters.
"She doesn't." She fills up the glasses again. "But she keeps telling herself she does. Because feeling things is… I don't know, stupid, according to Her Majesty." They both down their drinks. "But what she fails to realise is that pretending not to feel a certain way doesn't make us any less a target. If Zelena figured out there was something there, she's not just gonna think it went away. But no, Regina thinks she knows best."
"Hence the fighting," Robin finishes for her, filling up their glasses. "I see why you took up my offer of a drink, m'lady."
"Yeah, well… she thinks there's nothing more to be discussed. But there is. There's a connection. I'm not going to throw it away just because she's scared. I'm scared too, bu-"
"But that's what happens when you're in love," Robin says, hiding his grin behind his glass.
Ruby glares, snarling softly at the man who seems to be having a lot of fun at her expense. "Yeah, keep poking the werewolf, Hood. See what happens. I dare you."
He laughs at that. "I'll take my chances," he says. "As I said earlier, I'd trust you or your wolf with my boy's life. I think it's unlikely that you would hurt me for a little teasing. Or am I wrong, Hood?"
The alcohol is settling pleasantly in her bloodstream now. She knows it won't last long because of her damn wolf metabolism so she enjoys the lightheadedness while she can. She narrows her eyes, playfully. "You're an asshole, but you're not wrong."
"Good. Now that we've established that you're not going to hurt me, we can get back to the matter at hand." His speech is starting to slide together, slurring at the edges. "What's your plan to get the Queen to see sense?"
"Besides telling her she's an idiot?" Ruby deadpans.
"Yes. Besides that."
Ruby shrugs, pouring another couple of shots. Instead of pushing one of the glasses towards Robin, she downs them both. One right after the other. "I can try to make her see sense all I want. I can argue until my voice is hoarse, but at the end of the day, it's her choice and I can't force her." She sighs and rubs her temples. The buzz might wear off quickly with her superhuman abilities, but the headache that's starting to form is likely to last all night. "If she chooses to believe that that's what is safest, then…" She trails off and shrugs her shoulders. "I told her I'd wait. So that's what I'm gonna do."
He nods, his expression growing contemplative. "In itself, that is an admirable quality," Robin says. "One I'm sure your Queen will appreciate, in time."
"Yeah, in time. Maybe," Ruby says, staring at the half-empty bottle, the light from the torches reflecting on its surface.
"Well, one thing I'm certain of," Robin begins, leaning his elbows on the table and resting his head against one of his hands. "Is that faint heart never won fair lady. And you, Miss Ruby, are not faint of heart."
"Just soft in head?" she jokes, but her smile fades and she pours two glasses of the strong spirit, shoving one to Robin this time. "Thank you."
He lifts his glass and winks at her. "Cheers."
It's a while later when Ruby manages to convince Robin that they should probably call it a night. The thief is leaning heavily on her shoulder and she's seriously contemplating carrying him the rest of the way.
"You must have hollow legs," Robin decides as they stumble into the wall again. "You drank more'n me."
"It doesn't have much effect on me," Ruby tells him, gritting her teeth as he veers off to the left. She arranges his arm more firmly around her shoulder and hefts most of his weight as they navigate the narrow hallways of the castle. "Can't say the same for you, I see."
"I can drink most men under th'table," he insists. "Jus'...not you." He laughs, at nothing. "Tell me about the fox again. He sounds marvellous."
Ruby sighs. She's sure Robin understood very little of her basic description of what a cartoon was, but he was very taken with the idea of himself as a fox and Little John as a bear. "I'll tell you tomorrow," she promises.
"Roland would be a fox cub!" Robin dissolves in laughter at this thought, and even Ruby cracks a smile at the image.
"He would," she agrees. "He'd be a cute one."
"I'm sure he'd rather be a wolf," Robin says. "Little Red Roland Hood." He grins sloppily at her. "Has quite the ring to it."
Ruby chuckles at that. "Does that make you and I married, then?"
Robin stops in his tracks, causing Ruby to stop with him. He grins and waggles a finger in front of her face. "You… are funny Miss Ruby. I quite like you."
"Yes, well I'm sure you won't be saying that in the morning." She hefts his weight and starts them both walking again. "You're more likely to curse me while you deal with that hangover you're bound to have."
"I will deal with that in morning."
"You can barely deal with it now," Ruby tells him through a chuckle. "I thought you said you could drink, Hood."
"With people. Not superhuman…. animal-type… werewolf-able hybrids."
Glaring, Ruby continues. "I'm gonna take that as a compliment."
"I meant it as nothing less," he tells her through a grin. "With a face like yours Miss Ruby, how could I? We are married, after all."
"Congratulations."
If Ruby had any alcohol left in her system, that single word gets rid of it. Robin gasps dramatically. "It's your Queen," he whispers.
Ruby sighs and slowly turns them both around to face Regina. The sight of her breaks Ruby's heart a little, because there's not a trace of emotion on Regina's face. The facade is back in full force and Ruby knows it's gonna be a hard task getting through it.
"Your Majesty," Robin greets, lurching forward with a smile. Ruby catches him before he can land on top of Regina, yanking him back. "Ruby was merely assis- helping me to find my quarters."
"I'm sure she was," Regina says, looking down her nose at him. "She's very good at finding men's bedrooms."
"Wow," Ruby says, shaking her head. "That's…"
"Uncalled for," Robin says, his smile gone. "Ruby doesn't deserve to be spoken to like that."
There's a beat, barely a moment, when shame flickers across Regina's face. But it's soon replaced by a smirk. "Her tracking talents are well-known. I was merely commenting on her ability to find things, that's all."
"You're the one who found your way to my bed, Your Majesty," Ruby spits. "Two nights running. So I wouldn't be so quick to throw accusations around."
The smirk drops and Regina's face hardens once more. She holds Ruby's eyes for a long time, and Ruby can hear Regina's heart hammering in her chest.
"A mistake I won't be making again," Regina tells her, calmly, before moving to pass the duo. "I'll leave you to your honeymoon, Mr and Mrs Hood. Goodnight." She sweeps away, down the corridor, leaving the two in her wake, stunned.
"That...probably wasn't very helpful, was it?" Robin asks, seemingly more sober than a few minutes previously. "I'm sorr-"
"Don't," Ruby tells him, her eyes still trained on the end of the corridor. "You have nothing to say sorry for."
"She shouldn't have spoken to you like that," Robin says. "You're a fine woman. And any number of people would be honoured to be with you."
"Yeah, well, it's a shame I don't want any number of other people," Ruby sighs. "C'mon. You need to get to bed. And I have a discussion to finish."
They reach the door to Robin's quarters without further incident and, after making sure he's not going to fall down, Ruby takes a step back and nods at him.
"Thank you for tonight," she says, and means it. "I think I needed it."
"You're most welcome," Robin says, his easy grin back in place. "It was a very entertaining evening. And if you ever need it again, please come and find me. Mrs Hood."
"Shut up," Ruby tells him, with a roll of her eyes. But she leans in and brushes a kiss against his cheek. "Go to bed, Mr Hood."
"I shall," he agrees, finally opening the door. "And remember, faint heart never won fair lady. I bid you goodnight."
"Goodnight, Robin," Ruby says, laughing as he trips over something. He flashes her a grin and closes the door, leaving Ruby alone in the hallway. She rolls her shoulders and straightens her back, her jaw clenching almost painfully. Turning on her heel, she speeds through the winding corridors until she gets to Regina's quarters.
She knows she should knock on the door; it's only polite after all. But politeness went out the window the moment Regina made that crack about bedrooms. And really, there's no chance of Regina letting her in. She reaches out for the handle of the door and turns, only to find it locked. Raising her eyebrows, Ruby hones in, unfairly, on her strength and twists the doorknob while pushing on the door. It comes free, swinging from the hinge and hitting the wall behind it loudly.
"By all means," Regina drawls, from her place by the dresser. "Do come in."
"Okay, what the hell was that?" Ruby yells. "You don't get t-" In her haste to get in, she hadn't quite appreciated what was in front of her. Regina is dressed in a pantsuit Ruby has seen her wear many times in Storybrooke. It's navy blue with a white trim. A tailored white shirt peeks out from under the jacket. "What are you wearing?"
It seems as if Regina had forgotten about her attire, if her panicked glance down is anything to go by. She waves a hand and the pantsuit is replaced by her usual regal garb. "Nothing," she says, quickly. "Now, kindly fix my door and leave."
"No," Ruby says, crossing her arms. "I told you were weren't done."
"You also told me you'd come and find me after speaking to Snow," Regina replies. "But you found another playmate instead. So I'd say we're done."
"And I'd say you need to stop acting like a jealous girlfriend," Ruby fires back. "Because you're not. My girlfriend, that is. You've made that clear."
"That's right, I have," Regina agrees. "And it didn't take you long to get over me, did it? Despite your grand claims."
"Jesus Christ, Regina!" Ruby throws up her hands. "I wasn't doing anything with Robin except having a drink. But even if I was, you don't get to push me away one minute and then guilt trip me for daring to have a male friend the next. What's next? Are you gonna mark me as your territory? Piss on my leg?"
Regina recoils, her nose wrinkling in disgust. "Must you be so crude?"
"Oh, I'm sorry if my savage, uncouth language has offended your sensibilities," Ruby snaps. "But my question still stands. What the hell are we doing? I can't- I can't keep up with you. I know you've said you don't want us to be together, and I'm fine with that, but now you don't even want us to be friends and I'm really not okay with that."
The vein in Regina's forehead is prominent and throbbing, a sign Ruby's learned means that she's holding back. The Queen's jaw twitches and Ruby thinks she's about to speak, but she turns away instead, and Ruby sighs in frustration.
"It's for the best, Ruby," Regina says, finally. Her voice is quiet and resigned and missing any of the fire that Ruby associates with the other woman.
"Making me miserable is for the best?" Ruby pushes, approaching Regina, but stopping a few steps away. "And for what? To fool your sister into thinking you don't care about anyone here?"
"Yes," Regina snaps, looking over her shoulder. "I'd rather you be miserable than dead."
"Shouldn't that be my decision? Didn't we talk about this already? That I'm the only one who gets to make decisions about my life?"
Regina lets her head fall back so that she's looking at the ceiling. "Reverse our positions," she says, wearily. "Imagine Granny was some insane villainous witch intent on revenge...you probably won't have to stretch your imagination too far."
Ruby smiles a little at that, but nods for Regina to continue.
"And imagine she had decided that she wanted to do whatever she could to ruin your life. And part of that was a plan to hurt anyone you cared about. Snow. Charming. Me." She turns to face Ruby. "Wouldn't you do whatever you could to keep us safe?"
"Yes," Ruby responds, without hesitation. "I would. But that wouldn't include pushing you away or pretending I didn't care."
"That's easy for you to say now," Regina says. "In reality, you'd feel differently."
"Regardless, I certainly wouldn't consider throwing your past in your face. That was a low blow, Regina."
Regina raises her arms and wiggles her fingers with a grin. "All part of the show dear."
The facade drops almost immediately and she turns fully to face the younger woman. Crossing her arms over her chest, she adopts a bored expression. Ruby clenches her fists in an effort to give her hands something to do.
"I don't want the show," Ruby says, her throat growing thick at the thought of Regina building this elaborate scenario around herself. "You said you weren't going to push me away. You promised."
Briefly, Ruby thinks she might get an honest response, but Regina's eyes change as her barriers go up. "Well Ms Lucas," she begins, in her best regal voice. "It would appear that I lied."
"You're lying to yourself," Ruby snarls, making Regina look over at her, at least. "Your plan appears to be to isolate yourself completely in case your sister thinks that you might possibly care about anyone a tiny bit."
Crossing the room, eyes blazing, Regina jabs a finger into Ruby's chest. "And yourplan seems to involve us flaunting some grand love affair, regardless of the consequences."
"My plan is to not allow psychotic witches to dictate my life," Ruby says.
"You better be talking about my sister," Regina says, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"My plan is to live my life and try to be happy," Ruby continues, ignoring Regina's interruption. "Because, God knows, there could be another curse or fucking swirling vortex of evil at any moment. And I'm damned if I'm not gonna grab hold of whatever happiness comes my way in the meantime."
"But don't you see, Ruby?" Regina implores. "I am the curse and the swirling vortex of evil. Your association with me is the danger you're facing right now. And my...myweakness has allowed that to happen." She turns away, her back facing Ruby.
"It's not weak to want to be with somebody, Regina," Ruby says, keeping her voice low and soft.
"It is," Regina insists. "It is if it gets you hurt or- or worse."
"As I said, your sister knows we're close. She's not stupid. She's gonna see right through us both. Just because we stop spending time together doesn't just make the… feelings disappear. No matter how much you try and convince yourself they have." She takes a chance and places her hand on Regina's back, feeling her tense and then relax. She steps around the other woman, her hand now resting gently on her waist, and waits for her to meet her eyes.
"If you can give me a single reason for us not to be friends other than to keep me safe, then I will respect your wishes," Ruby says, slowly. "I'm not pushing for anything other than that, Regina. I promise. You said you weren't ready for anything else and I respect that completely. But, please, let me be your friend."
Regina sighs, flattening her hand over Ruby's chest, over her heart. "I can't give you another reason," she admits. "A-and I know I said I wasn't ready for anything beyond friendship, but by God you make me forget why, sometimes."
Ruby's heart soars, but she bites her lip, waiting for what's coming next. Regina's fingertips are soft as they dance along her clavicle and the other woman seems lost in watching their progress. "Well, that's good, right?" Ruby prompts, after a moment.
There's still nothing forthcoming from the woman in her arms, although her hand does move back to its position resting over Ruby's heart. Regina tilts her head back, seeking out Ruby's eyes. "I'm not your happy ending, Ruby," she finally says, her eyes shining. "Being with me will only bring you pain and suffering."
"You don't know that, Regina," Ruby murmurs, her hands settling on the other woman's hips. "I'm willing to find out."
Slowly, Regina leans forward until her forehead is pressed against Ruby's neck, her arms sliding around her waist. Ruby lets Regina settle against her before wrapping her own arms around her. She closes her eyes.
"Do you see?" Regina whispers, her breath tickling Ruby's neck. "How weak I am? Not five minutes ago I was trying to cut you out of my life. And now I'm in your arms."
"It's not weak," Ruby tells her again, turning her nose into Regina's hair. "Pushing me away doesn't make you strong. All it does is make us both miserable and lonely. So, stop doing it, please?" Regina makes a huffing noise against Ruby's neck. "Is that you agreeing with me?"
Regina lifts her head to look up at Ruby. "You're sure you want this?" she asks. "And all the risks that come with it?"
"Regina," Ruby whispers. "You're more than worth the risk."
Regina ducks her head back into Ruby's neck, but not before Ruby sees the smile that blooms as a result of her words. She tightens her arms around her, rubbing her back gently. They stand in silence for a few moments, Ruby's cheek resting against Regina's head.
"So," she begins, to lighten the conversation a little. "Wanna tell me why you were wearing a sensible pantsuit when I got here?"
"You weren't supposed to see that," Regina mutters, not moving from her position. "The door was locked."
"I told you I'd huff and puff," Ruby says, craning her neck to try to see Regina, who acquiesces and lifts her head. "Seriously, why was Mayor Mills here?"
Regina shakes her head, avoiding Ruby's eyes. She shrugs. "I was just...I suppose Snow's announcement earlier brought back some memories, that's all." Ruby squeezes her waist, but remains quiet. Regina lifts her eyes, finally. "I wanted to feel like myself for a little while. And not...not the Evil Queen."
"You're not the Evil Queen," Ruby tells her. "No matter what you're wearing, you're not the Evil Queen. You're Regina."
Regina huffs. "Yes, well. That may be how you see me, dear. But not everyone is like you."
Ruby reaches up to smooth back the hair covering Regina's face. "What matters is how you see yourself," she says. "If I can help you see how awesome you are, then great."
Shaking her head, Regina looks up at Ruby with a soft smile. "So, what now? Where do we go from here?"
"I think a date is traditional," Ruby says. "So I guess I should take you on one."
"You should probably check that your husband is okay with that," Regina says, the quirk of her lips indicating her humour and Ruby laughs, glad to be free of the earlier animosity.
"Oh, believe me, he'll be thrilled," Ruby says. "He's like my own personal cheerleader or something. He has an unhealthy interest in our relationship."
"A date, then," Regina agrees, with a nod. "When?"
"Tomorrow?" Ruby suggests, desperately trying to think of how she can possibly arrange anything resembling a date in the Enchanted Forest.
"Ruby?"
"Hmmm?"
"I think this is where you kiss me," Regina says in a stage whisper.
She could come up with a witty response, or tease Regina. But instead, she dips her head, hand gently guiding Regina's chin upwards.
And she kisses Regina Mills.
