"You have to be kidding me." Halting in her tracks and lifting her hands halfway into the air so that a few drops of water could fall against her open palms, the raven haired woman infamously known as The Evil Queen said in a tone of voice that came out sounding both incredulous and annoyed. "Rain, again?"
Pressing the tip of her tongue against her parted lips, she allowed an exaggerated sigh to escape her and then, tilting her head up she closed her eyes.
Yes, what was starting to fall on her was definitely rain and as it moistened her closed eyelids, she tried to recall the number of times it had started to rain in the past few hours or so.
She wasn't quite sure, but if there was something she knew was that it all started the previous evening; it went on through the night and as the day started to progress, it has been coming and going at random intervals. The intensity varied from a light drizzle to a torrential downpour, but overall it has been raining recurrently.
"This is ridiculous." And it really was, because of the constant rain she has spent the day drenched to the bone, all muddy and definitely moody.
"I think we should halt for a while."
Arching an eyebrow at the sound of the familiar voice, Regina clasped her mouth shut and straightened her head so that she could stare forward. She has been waiting for him to say what he just said for hours, after all, the man was in no condition to keep on with his search, but still… "If you don't have it in you to go on, then we shall stop. It's not like we are in a hurry to find your son anyway." She said brazenly while opening her eyes.
At her words, the man emitted a sound that came off between a chuckle and a grunt and Regina rolled her eyes.
Now Robin… if truth must be told, she had to admit that throughout the day she has been going between ignoring the man and trying to push him to his limits and as of yet she hasn't succeeded in taking him to the edge. His suggestion that they should stop for a while was the closest thing to admitting that he couldn't keep on and now that he said it, she found out that it didn't bring her the joy she has been anticipating.
Why would it? After all she has been through the desperation of trying to look for her own child in a strange land and she could only suppose that if he wanted to stop for a search that has been dragging on for hours and hours, it was because he really couldn't go on.
That realization made her feel somewhat guilty, and even though she was still mad at him for getting kissy friendly that morning with her, she ended up looking over her shoulder to check on him.
He was resting his back against the trunk of a tree and because he had his eyes closed, she took a moment to inspect him.
"It will be just a minute." Now drenched as she was, Robin was definitely looking a bit too pale and with his hair all plastered against his head, he barely looked as the annoyingly joyful man that she knew. She also noticed that his fingers were lightly patting close to his wound and she couldn't help but to wonder if he was in too much pain.
"Is it bleeding again?" She asked almost indifferently but she waited expectantly as he opened his eyes and looked down to his side.
He looked for a few seconds and then he lifted his face so that he could stare straight into her eyes. "I don't think so."
Quirking her lips, she looked away so that she could think on what to do. Now, earlier on when the skies momentarily cleared up and the sun started shining bright from above, Regina used the same method as the previous night and drawing the form of a mirror against a dry surface, they communicated with Roland.
The boy has been fine and even though he confessed that he wanted to see his father face to face, he appeared calm and the only worry that she had for the moment was the four year old admitting that he has been feeding on sweets all day long.
Robin had told him that he couldn't do that but because he had said it in his always good nature, Roland just giggled.
Overall, the boy was fine and even though she would hate for him to spend another night by his own, she didn't see any other choice.
"We should stop for the night."
"No, we have a few hours left for night to come."
"And before that happens we must eat something." And change his bandages and rest… maybe even wash up. They had been walking in a weather that went from one extreme to the other in a matter of minutes and other than rain, they had also been chastised by sun and an impossible humidity.
"Alright." He said, then clearing his throat she heard him walking on heavy feet and she had no choice but to turn around to see what he was up to.
"And what the hell do you think you are doing?" She asked when she saw him, bow in hand while walking away.
As if it was the stupidest question ever, Robin turned to her and showed her the phantom of a smile. "Um, I'll go hunt something to eat?"
No, no, no… the man was definitely foolish as he was stubborn. "Yeah, and then we'll start a fire in this rain, excellent idea."
Nodding, Robin clicked his tongue against his cheek. "And what does our beloved Queen of sass suggest?"
Arching an eyebrow, Regina shrugged and with a swirl of her wrist, she made a whole roasted chicken appear. It came with the whole deal, a table, a canopy to shelter them for the rain, potato salad and even a bottle of wine to wash it down. It was the first thing that came into her mind… and there it was.
Chuckling, Robin ran a hand down his face while shaking his head.
"If you want to do it your way then go ahead. But first, let me see your wound."
Walking to him so that she could check on him, she motioned him to take off the shirt and he did. Now the bandage was wet and bloody but when she took it off, she saw that the wound wasn't so bad.
"You are all muddy." Robin said in a low whisper and she automatically looked up and curved her lips into a snarl.
"Yeah well you should look at yourself… or smell for that matter."
Turning around with a forced grimace, Regina used magic once again so that a few essentials could appear and once they were at the table near their dinner, she grabbed for a bar of soap, turned back to him and placed it in his hand.
"I'm pretty sure this is a new concept for you but trust me, it will work. It's called soap and it is used to clean up. Use it. Once you wash up, put this ointment in the wound and don't patch it up, let it breathe and… there are dry clothes you can use too."
Humming, Robin nodded and frowned. "And I'm supposed to wash up in the rain, right here."
"Not right here." She said dryly. "You go that way, and I'll go that way." She said, pointing into the woods. "Now hurry before the food get cold."
"Alright, alright…" He said while looking down. For a moment he remained like that, his tongue pushing against his cheek and his eyes fixed in the muddy ground. But then, when Regina was about to leave herself, he cleared his throat and searched her eyes with his. "Can we… can you contact Roland to check on him? It doesn't have to be now… I just want him to know that I'm still here and that I'll get to him."
Softening her features, Regina nodded. "We'll do that."
"Good." With that said, he turned around and started to walk away. As he did that, Regina couldn't help but to notice that he had a few marks on his back, old wounds apparently inflicted by lashings.
It made her wonder about him and his past for a second, but then she shook her head and left to wash up herself. Robin wasn't her business, not his past, not his present and definitely not his future, but washing up so that she could go and eat was a very pressing matter.
With that in mind, she hurried into the forest and washed as best as she could under the circumstances. Once done, she made it back to the canopy to find that Robin was already sitting at the table; clean and not looking quite as pale. He wasn't eating though, and for some reason she was almost sure that he was waiting for her.
"These are definitely some weird clothes." He said once he spotted her and Regina arched an eyebrow at him.
Yeah… she didn't think much about it when she made the clothes appear, but now that she considered it, she realized that for someone who has never been out of the Enchanted Forest, jeans and a simple black shirt would definitely look and maybe even feel weird.
He definitely looked different in them.
Without saying a word, Regina sat in the opposite chair and without wasting time in courtesies, she began to eat. Now, she ate in small bites even though the smell of the food invading her system made her realized that she was starving and following her lead, Robin began to eat too.
Without saying a word, they both satiated a hunger they hadn't even been aware that they had, at least that was until Robin opened his mouth to break the silence that has taken over the evening.
"I feel like I must apologize for upsetting you this morning."
Slowly swallowing down some of her wine, Regina put up her neutral face and shrugged. "Upsetting me? I'm afraid I don't know what you mean." She said with cold indifference even though she was very aware of what he was referring to.
Yes, she knew exactly what he was talking about as he probably knew that the fact that she has been acting all nasty with him all day long was because she was indeed upset because of the kiss.
What he probably didn't know was the motive of why it had bothered her so much…
Tilting his head to the side and delving in her eyes, Robin blew out a breath. "How do you do that? I mean put up this act of indifference to things that clearly affect you. And I'm not talking just about the kiss, I'm talking about everything."
Pushing her tongue hard against her teeth, Regina shrugged again. "What can I say, one of my many charms?"
Narrowing his eyes, Robin kept digging into her brown orbs and Regina refused to look away. "This morning… you were having a bad dream, what was it?"
Tensing a little, Regina's eyes moved from him and as a way to occupy herself, she started to clean up the table with magic. The rest of their dinner disappeared, the wine… even the ointment for Robin's wound fell victim to her spells.
"Let's contact Roland before it gets really late." With that said, she got to her feet and went to her discarded wet clothes to take hold of the chalk. She had guarded it in a small leather pouch so that it wouldn't get wet and once she found it, she returned to the table and drew a circle and then waved her hand over it.
The image of Roland, this time laying on his side while playing with a toy that closely resembled the one she gave him came into view and she couldn't help but to smile in relief when she saw that he was still alright.
"Roland, hey buddy."
"Papa!" The boy said excitedly while sitting up. "Look what I made." Grabbing the car and placing it in the palm of his hand, he smiled brightly.
"You did that by yourself? Amazing." Robin said in clearly exaggerated amusement and Regina rested her back against the table as she watched him talk to his boy.
"Yes I did! Papa, when are you coming over?"
Chewing on his lips before answering, Robin sighed. "I, we are trying to get to you as soon as possible but… buddy, not even Regina and me can outsmart you. You are too much for us."
Giggling and covering his mouth, Roland jumped. "I am smart."
"You sure are. Now listen, are you still in the house you told us by the lake?"
"Yes." He replied proudly. "And I ate like Regina told me and… and… I've been good."
"I know, just don't move from there alright?"
"Alright, but Papa, I want you to sing to me."
Chuckling, Robin patted his lips and then made as if he was considering it. "Will you go to sleep if I do?"
Nodding, Roland lay down into what appeared to be a bed and smiled his dimples into view. Then he shut his eyes tight shut and with a puffing sound making her startle, an instrument that closely resembled a guitar appeared in Robin's lap.
"How…" He started to say as he quickly looked at her.
On her part, Regina shook her head as if indicating him that she wasn't the one doing magic this time and for a few consecutive seconds, they did nothing but stare into each other's eyes.
She could almost read the questions in his eyes but because she didn't know the answers, she said nothing.
"Sing, Papa." Roland said with a yawn and blinking his eyes away from hers, Robin accommodated the instrument over one of his knees. Once there he tested the strings, and then without any more preambles, he started to play it.
At first, he just played the instrument, his fingers expertly strumming the chords as Regina watched him get in full concentrating mode. By then the rain was nothing but a light drizzle and enjoying how the air was carrying the smell of rain all around her even though, the black haired closed her eyes and listened.
That's when he started singing, his voice low and steady telling the tale of a lost love. It was a sorrowful song and Regina didn't think it was lullaby material, but at the same time she found the beauty in it and as it turned out, he had the perfect melodic voice for it.
Who would have known?
Opening her soft brown orbs once more, she listened to him while a cold breeze was sweeping all around her, carrying some mist and making it dance in front of her eyes. A few drops fell on her, the rest kept moving away to disappear in the distance, leaving both of them behind.
Fixing her eyes into the distance, Regina ran the palm of her hands against her arms, hoping that the friction would provide her with some warmth, it worked, and as he sang, she listened.
Now the song made her once again wonder about his past and as much as she wanted to prevented it, it made her think of her own…
But because she didn't want to be invaded by ghosts of her past, she got up from the chair and without saying a word she magically created a tent and disappeared inside. In there she covered herself from head to toe and tried to put her mind in blank.
It was hard to though, and as she lay there she came to realize how lonely she was… how lonely she has always been. While she had Henry, she had the illusion of having someone there for her but as it turned out, that didn't last long.
Maybe that was the reason why she jumped after Roland without thinking, because she was afraid of going back home only to find out that Henry was as happy as he has never been with her. Actually, just to think about that possibility terrified her and realizing that made her feel a deep void in her heart that would never be filled.
It was her fault though, if she hadn't ran away from Robin that first time so long ago, maybe things would have been different. But then again, if she would have gone to him she would have never come to cast the Dark Curse and because of that, Henry wouldn't have been born and she wouldn't have meet him and let alone raise him.
So not, she couldn't regret not going to Robin that first time when Tinker Bell used pixie dust to find him because Henry came out as a the result of her cowardice; but because of that it was now what it was; she didn't have Henry, she definitely didn't have her soul mate and she was just the same ol' Regina. Alone and bitter and hiding from things she would rather avoid to face.
Wiping her eyes angrily to prevent any tear to fall, Regina swallowed on dry and tried to drift off… dwelling in the past was a long journey that lead nowhere so it was best if she didn't even think about it.
But before she could succeed in falling into a deep slumber, Robin walked into the tent and as if he had any right to, he took the comforter off of her and exposed her. "Hey, are you alright?"
He looked genuinely concerned and that did nothing to help matters. So, because it was the only way she knew how to face things, she snarled her lips and arched an eyebrow proudly. "I was, until you came here waking me up."
Blinking a couple of times, he nodded and bit on his lips. "My apologies for disturbing you then, I'll leave now."
Before he could retract from the tent as he clearly intended, Regina sat up and as if she was being possessed by another being, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his warm ones.
The act momentarily took him aback and in case he would want to pull away, she placed a hand to the nape of his neck and held him in place; not that it was necessary, because soon after he took control of the situation and moved his hand to her head so that he could run his fingers through her hair. Then he parted a way into her mouth so that he could be granted unlimited access to explore.
Sighing against his lips, Regina allowed his tongue to seek hers, letting it swirl around while trying to coax her to respond. But before she could reciprocate with the same treatment, he pulled away and looked deep into her eyes. "And why is this for?"
"I don't know." She breathed out before searching for his lips to kiss once again.
Moving his fingers from her hair to her back, Robin kissed her long and deep, their breaths mingling as one and then, before she could even ask herself what was she doing, she felt herself lifting a little so that she could straddle him.
If it surprised him, he didn't let it show, and if the movement caused some discomfort because of his wound, he didn't complain. All Robin did was allow his hand to wander down her side, reaching the edge of her shirt so that it could sneak underneath it.
Now, even though his touch was gentle and only limited to run slowly down and then up her spine, it still felt as if the pad of his fingers were made out of electricity and she couldn't help but to arch into him.
That right there made him kiss her harder, and as he stole the air from her lungs with his kiss, he swirled her around so that now he was the one on top of her and right between her legs.
Maybe this was what she needed… maybe it was what she wanted, or maybe she would come to regret it later on. But whatever the cause or the consequences, she lifted her hips into him, feeling a delicious tremor run through her as his arousal pressed against her heated groin.
"Regina…" He breathed out against her lips. "If this is not what you want, I suggest we stop now."
Looking into his eyes, she reached for the edge of his shirt and being careful not to hurt him, she took it off. Then, seeking for his lips so that he wouldn't try to put some senses into her, she started kissing him once again and almost as if her kiss granted him permission, his hand started to roam freely beneath her shirt.
He explored at will, making her melt under his touch until he helped himself and took the offending piece away. From there, things started to move fast… too fast. But as it turned out, it wasn't as if she could help it. The feeling of his bare skin fusing with hers was more than pleasant and the heat of his body passing through her was starting to make her feel delirious.
Letting the moment drag her down, she allowed her hand to slide down his back and to his pants and even though she couldn't quite believe that she was doing that, she started to push them down and away.
Not that he seemed to mind and in fact, he even helped her dispose of the rest of his clothes and then, he started helping her undress as well.
It was all happening too fast; she understood that when she felt the very essence of his masculinity pressing insistently against her wetness and waiting for entrance, and entrance that she was offering right there, right now.
But he didn't take it; he just remained still for a while as he throbbed against her, his eyes roaming her face as she started intently into his blue orbs. "Gods, you must hear this all the time but you are so beautiful."
Now, for some reason, those words took Regina aback, and as his eyes delved deep into hers she realized that there was no turning back from this.
That was how there, as the rain started to pour outside their tent and as the night fell on them, she gave into desire. She let go of all fear and inhibition and between moans and swallowed gasps, she surrendered herself to him.