Chapter 21.
He remembers it like it was yesterday. The first time he kissed Regina, his best friend at the time, who had never kissed a boy in her life and had a crush on one of their senior colleagues.
He had asked her on a date, and Robin couldn't be happier for her. She was such an amazing girl, this guy didn't even know how lucky he was.
Robin had met her earlier that day, had offered to help her get ready, clearly aware of how nervous she was about having this date with her senior crush (he remembers her distress when was time to choose something to wear, even though Robin would assure she looked beautiful in whatever dress she choose – this guy would fall in love as soon as he looked into her brown eyes, the most beautiful and innocent eyes he had seen in his entire life…)
And then the conversation had shifted to their first kisses, and everything had changed from then. He couldn't believe when she told him she had never kissed a boy before – of course, she had changed a quick peck with a friend during one of those childish games, but never a real kiss, one with feeling or emotion – he didn't know at first, but that was about to change.
He'd been completely taken by surprise when she asked him to show her, with that sheepish, but not less sweet voice, that granted her everything she wanted. Was it really a good idea? Robin didn't see any harm at the time (they were friends, after all, and it was just a kiss), but he quickly realized the mistake they made when he couldn't get Regina out of his mind.
The kiss had been… everything he dreamed of. Tender and affectionate, and he still smiles when he remembers the tiny moan that escaped her throat when he sucked a bit harder on that upper lip.
Shit. He really ruined everything last night, didn't he?
He's awake from his reverie by the sound of his alarm echoing through the room – he doesn't even know why he set the alarm in first place, it's not like he has someplace to be in the next few hours. Nevertheless, he gets out of bed and makes his way towards the kitchen, deciding that a cup of coffee will do him no harm.
He's a bloody idiot. He had spoiled everything with Regina, again. Maybe they are not destined to be together, maybe he should just be a part of her life from afar. Just like in college, when he had to watch her walk hand-in-hand with that senior prat, who had broken her heart just because she wasn't ready to take their relationship to the next level. He didn't deserve her, and maybe he doesn't deserve her as well. He just wished he could go back in time, before he could have said something that he clearly regrets the next morning.
With a sigh, he sits on one of the benches at the counter, relishing in the comfort the hot beverages provides.
He needs to figure his life. And he knows just where to start.
###
Marian is home, he's relieved to know that, he thought she might be working today, so it's a good thing when he spots her car parked in the driveway, her small Citroen cleaned and shining, just as he so well remembers every each of her cars to be.
He rings her doorbell two times, and waits as his ex-wife opens the door. She doesn't seem happy to see him, to say the least, but again, when was the last time Marian looked less than annoyed by Robin's presence? There's a lot going on between them, and to say the truth, Robin is not thrilled to be here as well, but they need to talk, they need to figure things, for Roland's sake if not for theirs.
Robin waits for her to say something – she keeps staring at him with those wide brown eyes, a frown on her face as if asking what he is doing there, at her door. He wonders if this was a bad idea, she already told him she didn't want to reach an agreement, but he needs to try, it would make everyone's lives so much easier.
"Can I have a moment?" Robin asks, and Marian finally moves, taking a step back to let him further into her house, "We need to talk."
"I thought you said everything you wanted last time you were here," she bites back, closing the door behind him and walking towards the living room.
Right… their talk about Keith. It's not his fault if she doesn't see the prick her boyfriend is, but he's not here to talk about her fiancée, he couldn't care less about that man, he is here to talk about their son, the main priority right now.
"I want to reach an agreement… for Roland," Robin explains, his voice firm, because this is their last chance before one of them loses everything in court. And he knows Marian wants the best for their son, she is his mother, for God's sake, he can't understand why she wants to leave the decision in a stranger's hands. The judge doesn't know Roland like they do, he doesn't know Roland at all, is his parent's responsibility to choose the best for their little boy, "Please, Marian-"
"No," she scoffs, shaking her head, "You're just afraid because you know you'll lose."
"I really don't."
He doesn't. Because he can't believe Marian will win the custody - the full custody, at least - she doesn't have anything to prove he is not capable of being a good father for the boy.
"Then we'll go to court, and we'll see."
Stupid. It was so stupid of him to think this would work, "We should try, Marian, think of Roland. One week with each other, shared decisions, it's more than fair-"
"What about the costs?" she asks, her voice raising in the process, "The daycare, the medical expenses-"
"We will share. I'll help with that as long as we have shared custody, or do you think I would pay you every month, if you had the full custody, when you don't even let me see my son?" She must be crazy if she thinks he would let that happen. He's not a bank. And Roland needs his father, why can't she see that? "Would you really push me away from Roland?"
Marian stops at that, taken aback. She's not a heartless person, he knows she wants the best for Roland, he really believes she does. This is not the Marian he knows, but it has to be there somewhere. She can't have changed that much.
Maybe he is right, he muses as he sees Marian's expression softening, her frown disappearing as she takes a deep breath. Good, maybe he still has a chance to change things, maybe they can make this work.
"No," she mutters almost inaudible, but that's fine, he heard just the same.
"So why can't we just share?"
He sighs when Marian shakes her head, building that wall around her all over again, "We can't even talk without yelling to each other, Robin, it's just… easier this way," she admits, returning to her stubborn and unreasonable self.
"How's that even fair-"
"What's going on here?" they turn around to see Keith standing in the doorway, taking small steps until he can wrap his arm possessively around Marian as he places a kiss on the brunette's temple. Idiot. Robin was hopeful that he was working, the last thing he needs is facing his ex-wife's fiancée right now, "What is he doing here?"
"We're in a middle of a conversation about our son, if you could give us some privacy," Robin retorts quickly, but the man stays immobile in his spot, eyeing Robin with a smirk on his lips. Christ, he really has no patience for this right now, if he could just leave.
"Well, if that's true, where's that pretty lawyer of yours?"
"I bet you would like to know, don't you?-" Robin is startled by the feeling of Keith's fist colliding with his face. He can ear Marian's yell of 'Keith!' as he returns to his senses, covering his nose with his hands as he straights himself just in time to hear the idiot one more time.
"You're the one sleeping with her, mate, what did you think? She would help you win the custody more easily?"
This time, is Robin's hand who hits Keith right in his jaw – he knows it is a mistake as soon as he does it, but he can't just control himself when it comes to this guy, would do it again if it wasn't for the consequences that can come from his action, "I'm not sleeping with her!"
"Enough!"
Marian's voice echoes through the room, drawing both men's attention to her as she turns her head to face Robin. Shit, he's screwed, "Get out."
"Marian, wait-"
"Out!"
He nods to let her know he doesn't mean to fight, throwing a last glance at the other man before heading towards the door. He was so close. So close to convincing her to agree on shared custody. But here he is again, alone, and far away from getting what he wants.
###
His nose hurts, and his cheek, and he thinks he might have a bruise tomorrow, but he couldn't care less, because that's the least of his problems right now. He probably just lost his chances of winning Roland's custody due to his behavior, and now he will have to tell Regina, and he couldn't be more terrified.
Not of her – never of her, he knows he can tell her everything – but he is afraid she will confirm what he already knows: this is bad, and one more card for Marian to play against him.
So he delays it. Eats lunch, cleans the house, and tells himself he doesn't want to ruin her weekend with her sons. Bullshit. She will give him a piece of her mind if he hides this from her, and he knows it.
Nevertheless, it's only around dinner time when he gathers the courage to pick up the phone and press her name on the screen. She picks up in less than three rings, her gentle voice easing his worries for a moment with a simple, "Hello?"
"Hi… can we talk for a minute?" he asks without wasting more time, taking a seat on the couch in the living room.
He hears the sound of water running before Regina can give him an answer, and then there are pots hitting the marble counter, and he wonders if this was really a good time to be bothering her with this issue.
"Yes, of course," she tells him, explaining, "I was just finishing cooking dinner."
Oh, so that's it.
He gets lost in his thoughts thinking how casual and carefree she must look as she enjoys her weekend with the boys, how beautiful she must be without any makeup covering her stunning features. Shit, what he wouldn't give to see her right now, without a care in the world as she enjoys her time away from the messy reality.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" she interrupts his daydream, and right… there's no point in delaying the inevitable, is it?
Robin sighs, and tells her, "I went to see Marian today."
And then there's silent.
He can't hear any noise coming from the other end, and it makes him even more nervous. He knows Regina won't judge him, but he also knows she won't be happy to hear about what happened at his ex-wife's house, "I thought I would try to convince her to reach an agreement about Roland's custody. I was really committed to talking to her about it, without arguing or fighting, but the whole thing went right down the drain when her bastard of a boyfriend showed up… We might have changed a few punches in the meantime."
He regrets his words as soon as they're out of his mouth, because it's not like he couldn't have waited till Monday to tell her about this. It's a bit selfish, he knows that (he won't lie and say he didn't want someone to talk about this with), but what's done it's done, and he knows Regina appreciates his honesty about everything concerning his case.
Even so, the only thing that comes from her mouth is a defeated 'Robin…' as he pictures her face in his mind, a grimace he would very much love to keep away from her stunning features.
"I know, love, and I'm sorry," he tells her, because what can he really say at this moment? He runs his hand through his own sandy blonde hair, even more remorseful for having fallen in Keith's ambush, as he addresses her one more time, "We don't have to talk about it now, I just thought I would let you know, but we can deal with this next week, when you're back from your weekend with boys, I didn't want-"
"God, Robin, I wish you were here," she takes him by surprise with her words – he was not really expecting to hear this, was already preparing himself to face the adorable, but no less, intimidating Regina Mills' rage. He doesn't miss the tiny chuckle that leaves her throat on the other side, another thing he didn't believe he would hear today, "I should've listened to Henry when he begged me to invite you this weekend. I thought it was a bad idea, but at least you wouldn't have picked a fight with your ex-wife's fiancée."
He laughs a little at that, at the accuracy of her words, so maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to call her after all, he is already feeling better about the whole thing, "Do you think there's still time…"
Regina chuckles, and he can almost picture her biting her lip in that enticing way of hers, as she tells him, "Henry would be thrilled."
He's not really sure what they are playing here right now, but he feels a leap of anticipation at what it could mean. It's not fair, he doesn't want to intrude in her weekend with the kids, but talking about some time away with the woman he's currently head over heels in love with and her two sons (one of them he shares with said woman), how could he refuse?
"I'm sure we would be able to behave, you know, if you want to, of course."
For a moment, he's glad he is home alone, because he's sure he would be mocked about the huge smile that forms on his lips. But they have to be reasonable here, and is it really a good idea to spend a weekend with Regina when they know they should keep a distance from each other?
On the other hand, they are friends, and it's not like someone would see them in the middle of nowhere. They would be away from the city, away from prying eyes, and Christ, he is a weak man, because he finds himself nodding his head, unable of saying no to both Regina and their son, "Tease, you know I can't say no to Henry." (Nor to Regina, but he doesn't have to admit that, he's sure she knows it already).
"For Henry," he hears the smile on her voice, which tells him this is not entirely the boy's fault, he was already convinced that his father wouldn't share the weekend with them.
"Send me the address to the house?"
"I will," she tells him, before she hangs up.
It's not much later that he receives the message with the address, and a quick note of 'Don't ring the bell, the boys will probably be asleep by the time you get here, just text,' and it's suddenly clear why this is a bad idea.
This is not keeping distance, but does he really want to do that?
###
Almost three hours later, the boys are tucked asleep in their beds, and Regina lets herself get comfortable on the wooden chaise lounge, just looking at the stars, a thin blanket wrapped around her just to keep the cool wind of the night from reaching her bones.
She frowns. Robin should be here by now, the drive doesn't take more than two hours, two hours and half at most. She checks her phone one more time, searching for any missing texts, but there is none. Why is he taking so long? Or maybe she's just being a bit more impatient than she should. Sure enough, he had to get things ready to spend the weekend away from home, pack a suitcase, it's not like he was expecting her to invite him to spend the weekend with her and the boys at the lake house.
She startles a little when fifteen minutes later her phone buzzes from beside her, a message of Robin displayed on the screen where he tells her he is at her door (or at least he hopes he is). She laughs a little at that, wraps the blanket around her body as she walks towards the front door, and there he is, standing on the porch, a black backpack slung over his right shoulder.
"I'm sorry, it took me a little bit to find this place," he tells her, looking around at the trees that surround the property. Alright, she can admit that the house can be tricky to find if you don't know the place, "It's beautiful."
She nods her head, takes a step back to welcome him into the house before closing the door behind him. It's when she turns on the light of the hallway that she notices the purple bruise forming just below his eye, and she feels a wave of anger at the man who did this to him, wanting nothing more than to have a conversation with Marian's fiancée herself.
She reaches out to cup his cheek and run her thumb over the forming bruise - it makes Robin step closer, his left hand wrapping around her wrist affectionately, "It was stupid, I shouldn't have-"
She cuts him off with a shake of her head, her fury certainly not directed at Robin at this moment. He's not a violent person, she knows this, whatever Keith did, or say, it must have been serious for Robin to pick up a fight.
She offers him a gentle smile and runs her hand down his arm until she grips it firmly in her own, "Can we go outside, I don't want to wake up the boys."
She was not really expecting him to answer, but he nods his head anyway, letting her lead him towards the backyard, where she had been waiting for him to arrive. She had left the lamp outside switched on, the faint glimmer letting them have a view of the property, the newly renovated stable peeking from behind the thick woods.
She watches as his eyes shift to the building, interested, it seems, and she imagines them riding a horse, running away from reality and into a future together.
"I really didn't want to spoil your weekend with them," she hears Robin's voice in her daydream, pulling her back to reality.
"Oh… you didn't," Regina assures, focusing her attention on him as she finally asks, "What happened?"
She takes a seat beside him on the chaise lounge when she notices his hands pressed into clenched fists. She doesn't even hesitate before placing her hand over his, her thumb running soothing patterns over the back of his wrist, "He started making insinuations, but I was not the one to throw the first punch."
Regina frowns, thinking. She might have an idea what this is about, "Is this about us?"
"No-" he rushes to assure, but he can't really hide this from her, can he? "Well, yes, but nothing I can't deal with, I promise. We knew this would happen-"
"What did he say?" she asks, leaving her seat beside him.
Shit, they're playing with fire. And what did she do? Invited him to spend the weekend with her and her sons. What was she thinking?
He lets out a sigh at her question, and leaves his seat to move in her direction, stopping just behind Regina. She can feel his warm breath near her neck, his hand stopping tentatively on her waist, but she doesn't protest, doesn't push him away as she should.
Instead, she feels him take a step closer, the heat of his body warming her back, as his thumb draws lazy patterns on her hip and his lips press a chaste and perfectly innocent kiss to the top of her head. She sighs, thinking how right this feels when the time couldn't be more wrong. They could've had everything. A relationship, a life, kids, they could've been so happy.
"He accused me of sleeping with you for the sake of Roland's custody. Asked me if I thought I would get an advantage if I did."
"That's ridiculous," Regina scoffs, wondering if that man could be more absurd. She hates him. She hates what he did to Robin, she hates that he gets to be part of Roland's life, probably more than his own father. It's stupid. And unfair. And she wished she could do something about it.
She feels Robin's hand tightening his grip on her hip, grounding her, and she notices how tense she got just thinking about it, she can understand why Robin lost his sense and did what he did, "I know, as if I needed a reason to sleep with you."
She lets out a breathy chuckle at his words, instantly relaxing under his hold, "If anything, it would only bring you more problems," she turns to look at him, "Look at us. If I could be with you, I…"
"I know, love," he moves his hand to cup her face, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, "But we have to wait, right? Or we could just… take advantage of the weekend?"
She rolls her eyes when he leans in closer to her, a smile on her lips nonetheless as she bumps her nose with his, taking a step back and away from his grip when he tries to press his lips to hers.
He lets out a groan of disappointment at her escape, and she giggles when he pouts, those deep, blue eyes, staring at her with mock outrage, "I should show you to your room."
"Please do," he tells her provocatively, earning another laugh from her as she grabs his hand and leads him upstairs.
She presses her forefinger to her lips when they reach the second floor, letting him know the boys are sleeping in the next two bedrooms, and she really wants to surprise Henry in the morning, so they have to be silent, "I'm here with Dylan if you need something," she points to the door across from his, "And Henry's bedroom is down the hall. I can show you the house tomorrow."
"Don't worry about that," he smiles, thanking her one more time for the opportunity she's giving him.
And then she presses a quick kiss to his cheek, tells him, "Goodnight," and opens the door to her bedroom, leaving a beaming and astounded Robin on the doorway.
###
Robin wakes up with a smile on his face, and a sense of calm he hasn't felt in a very long time.
He can hear the birds chirping outside the window, the sunlight warming the bedroom and waking him up from his deep slumber.
He could really wake up to this every day. Especially knowing the brunette sleeping in the room across from his.
The house is still quiet, which lets him know that everyone else is probably still asleep. He thinks about Regina all curled up and relaxed under the covers, and Henry still pretty much in the land of dreams, obviously oblivious to his father's presence in the house.
He should do something for them, he muses, at least try to help Regina instead of being just a burden for the whole weekend. He knows she would tell him that he's being ridiculous, that he is not a five-year-old child she would have to keep an eye on during their stay in the house, but he wants help, wants to thank her properly.
So he tosses off the covers and slips out of bed, puts on one of his white tank tops and tiptoes his way towards the kitchen, careful to not wake up anybody else in the process.
He had managed to steal a glance at the kitchen the night before, but he clearly didn't get a proper view. The whole room is beautiful. There's a large window looking over the lake, with a wooden table right beside it, and there's a long island in the middle of the large room. God, the view is what captivates him the most, no wonder Regina escapes here to have some peace and quiet. It's gorgeous, with the lake on one side, the forest on the other, he could see himself living here every day-
"Robin?"
His heart jumps out of his chest when he hears a sleepy voice calling him from the doorway, and he turns around to find Henry staring at him with a confused look on his face, his hazel eyes studying him with interest.
Christ, he has no idea if Regina wanted to be the one to explain to her son why his father is here… Well, too late now.
"What are you doing here?"
"Surprise," Robin tells him with a lot less enthusiasm than he should feel right now. He really didn't want to spoil this for Regina, but it was a risk when he came snooping around downstairs, wasn't it?
"Cool! Are you spending the weekend with us?" Henry asks, closing what's left of the distance between him and the blue-eyed man.
"I… guess I am. Are you hungry?" Robin opens the fridge to study their options (and in an attempt to shift the conversation to something else) – there are eggs, milk, juice, and he turns around towards the island to see a bowl of fruit decorating the countertop, well, he thinks he knows what he is going to be cooking today, "Scrambled eggs?"
"Can I have juice too?"
He doesn't think Regina would be too bothered about it, so he nods his head and tells Henry to pour himself a cup, "But I think your mother will prefer a cup of coffee, don't you think?"
"Definitely."
He smiles as he starts on said coffee, always keeping an eye on the boy as he carries the juice and the glasses to the table. There's something about cooking breakfast with Henry that makes his heart swell with happiness – and doing this for Regina, no less – it makes him imagine them as a family, just spending a weekend away from everyone, with Roland, of course, that would make everything even better. He would love it. Maybe they can do this later, when he will be free of courts and fights with his ex-wife.
He reaches for the eggs in the fridge, at the same time Henry offers to make them some toasts. It will go well with the eggs, the boy argues, and who is Robin to disagree?
Fifteen minutes later, the breakfast is properly set on the table, and Robin is cutting the last pieces of fruit when they hear the sound of footsteps on the stairs, and a sleepy Regina entering in the kitchen a moment later.
She looks even more beautiful in the morning, if that's possible. Dark brown tousled curls framing her face, no sign of makeup, and a relaxed expression marking her features as she hugs Dylan close to her chest. He likes to see her like this, he wished he could see her every morning.
Robin smiles when she wraps her arm around Henry and greets him with a kiss on his temple, right before she stops beside him, stealing a piece of orange and popping it into her mouth.
"What's all this?" she asks with a smile, her teeth trapping her bottom lip as her brown eyes stare at blue ones, "Henry should be the one being surprised, not me."
He knows she's not mad, but it still feels wrong for Robin. Maybe he should've waited for her, they could've left the breakfast for tomorrow, "I'm sorry, I thought I would help, and he caught me red-handed."
"I thought you said Robin couldn't come," Henry interrupts, and Regina moves to take a seat beside her older son, mug with coffee in hand.
"It was supposed to be a surprise," it wasn't, not really, at least until the night before, but Henry doesn't need to know that, and her excuse seems to be good enough for the boy.
Henry just shrugs his shoulders, taking another bite from his toast, and it seems they ran out of topics, at least until they are all sited at the table, and Henry looks at Robin to ask, "What's that on your face?"
Well, that question would appear, eventually. He just wasn't ready to talk about it at breakfast.
He steals a glance at Regina, her gaze letting him know she's curious to see how he will explain his bruise to his son, "This was something foolish," Robin takes a sip of his own juice, "Done by a dumb person trying to pick up a fight."
He watches Henry frown at that, he imagines Regina raised him well enough for him to know that they shouldn't solve their problems with their fists, but he can see the boy thinking, and soon enough he asks what Robin was already expecting, "You got in a fight with someone? Why?"
"Not a fight," Robin corrects, because it was only one punch. That's probably not even the point, but he won't let his son think he is violent, or that he is in favor of using his fists to work things out, "He hit me first, and then said some bad things that are not true, and I got really mad. But that's not an excuse for what we did. There's always another way of fixing everything."
"That's what my mom says."
"And she's right."
Henry focuses his attention back on the breakfast, takes another bite of his food (the scrambled eggs, this time), but he's still thinking, still brooding over the issue, and it's normal that he is curious, but he really doesn't want to give the boy too many details, "What did this person say to you?"
"Nothing you need to worry about," Robin is quick to answer, to Regina's clear relief, "Now, how about we finish this food, so we can go for a swim in the lake?"
Henry beams at that, and Regina chuckles, nodding discreetly at him from across the table, her voice cheerful when she tells them, "That's a really good idea."
###
It turns out Henry wants to show him the stables first. And maybe even go for a ride.
It's that part that doesn't sit well with Regina, always thinking that riding a horse was something he used to do with Daniel, and she doesn't think she's ready to witness him sharing that with someone else. It's selfish, she knows that, and she keeps trying to smile, a forced grin for the sake of the boy, but she really didn't want to deal with this today.
"Are you alright?" Robin asks as he walks beside her, lowering his voice so only Regina can hear.
"I'm fine," she assures, when clearly, she is not.
She isn't naïve enough to think Robin will believe in her lie, but she hopes he won't question her any further, something that clearly won't happen when he asks, "Is it something I did?"
"God, Robin, no," she sighs, and it's not, it's really not Robin's fault that she feels like this, it's nobody's actually. It's even understandable that Henry wants to go ride with his parents, if not for the reason that he just gets to ride a horse when they spend time here.
So that's why this is selfish. Because she can't tell her son that he can't go for a ride with his father, because his mother is still mourning Daniel's death and is not sure she can witness him sharing a good moment with Robin.
"I just don't feel like doing this today."
Robin doesn't answer, but she watches as he runs to catch up with Henry, telling him something Regina can't understand from where she stands a few feet away. The next thing she knows, they both come running back to the house, Robin whispering, "I promised him we could ride tomorrow," and well, it's not like a day will change her mind, but she can talk to him later, right now, she only wants to enjoy what's left of their day.
###
He's an amazing father, carefully spreading a fair amount of sunscreen over baby skin when Regina finds them by the lake, basket with their lunch in hand.
She thought this was a good idea, an afternoon at the lake with just Robin and the boys, but she quickly finds the flaw in the whole plan when her eyes shift to Robin's body, all gorgeous and accessible for everyone to see.
God, this is dangerous. He has an amazing body, toned enough that she has to fight the urge to run her hands over his tanned chest, especially with two pairs of young eyes studying her every move. His blonde hair glows with every ray of sunshine that hits his face, and he has that dimpled smile on his lips, widening just a little further when she stops in front of him and says, "I hope you managed to convince your son to do the same."
"Of course," Robin assures, tossing the sunscreen beside him on the towel, "And this little man is ready too."
Regina smiles, and places her own towel beside her baby boy. Can he stop being so amazing? It's clearly not helping Regina keeping her crush under control.
"Thank you," she tells him, before getting rid of her clothes and laying on her belly in an attempt to soak up a bit of sun.
She opens her eyes to find Robin staring at her without an ounce of shame, his blue eyes studying her body, the corners of his lips tilting up in a teasing smirk.
Idiot, she smiles, deciding that she can allow him to stare for a while. He shouldn't, but Henry is clearly entertained, too busy playing on the water to pay attention to his parents.
So she gives him a few more minutes to enjoy the view, but she probably needs to end this before it gets too far, so she finds herself laughing, and asking him, "What?"
Robin shakes his head, tells her, "I don't think you should be sunbathing without putting any sunblock too."
"Oh, you would think that, don't you?" she teases back. They might be heading in a dangerous direction.
She can only imagine what will come next, and soon enough, Robin nods his head, tells her, "Yeah," and reaches for the bottle of oil in the bag, offering, "I can help you with that, if you want."
She really, really, should say no. She doesn't need Robin touching every inch of her body to send her into overdrive, that's the last thing she needs. But then she feels him approaching, taking a seat beside Dylan on the towel alongside hers, and how can she refuse his offer? It's just a bit of sunscreen after all, it's totally innocent, "If you don't mind."
She closes her eyes when she feels Robin's oily hands moving over her back, spreading the lotion over her spine, shoulders, and shifting down to cover her upper arms too. She sighs relaxed at the contact, something almost inaudible – or at least she thinks it is, until she hears Robin chuckling, moving his hands to apply some pressure on her lower back. When did this turn into a massage? Not that she is complaining.
She opens one eye to find Robin smiling down at her, and she notices that his body is strategically placed to block her older son's view of his hands – not that they are doing something wrong, or inappropriate, but she finds she's thankful for the privacy, knowing she won't have to deal with Henry's questions later in the day.
"You planned this, don't you?" she murmurs, with no heat in her voice.
Robin doesn't answer, just continues his work with his hands, slipping underneath the stripes of her white bikini, his fingertips brushing slightly the side of her breasts, causing her to gasp in surprise at the movement.
It's gone as quickly as it appeared, and she smiles when he murmurs, "Sorry," before moving his hands towards her legs.
Tease.
He takes time massaging the back of her thighs, pressing his thumb over her tight muscle, and just giving her a moment to relax.
It's good. It's not a turn-on as she thought it could be, or at least, it is not in this situation, when she has her older son swimming in the water a few meters of where she lies in the towel, or when she has her two-year-old playing just beside them on the grass.
Speaking of which, she feels little hands patting the small of her back, bringing her back to reality, and pieces of cold grass falling on her shoulders.
"I think your time to relax is up, love," Robin laughs, running his hand affectionately over Dylan's hair.
"Mama, water!"
Regina chuckles, stretching her hand out to her son as she stands up from her seat, "C'mon, sweetheart."
Henry moans a bored "What took you so long?" when she approaches the edge, but it's quickly replaced with a laugh as Robin jumps into the lake, purposely splashing water everywhere to taunt Regina, she's sure.
She could live like this every day, just watching Henry and Robin laughing and playing together, and Dylan's contagious smile as his eyes shift between his brother and the blue-eyed man.
They can have this, she tells herself, just a bit more time and they can have everything.
Hope you like this chapter, let me know what you think! :)