A/N: We're nearing the end of this story, I hope you're ready. After this one, there are 3 chapters and one epilogue left. Minus some editing and betareading, everything is written and I plan to post one chapter every month, which means that by the end of summer, this story should be complete.
Thank you to everyone who keeps reviewing this story despite how long it's been since I started it!
In the meantime, enjoy a new chapter!
"I can't believe highschool is over." John sighs, leaning against the wall.
Robin looks up from the CD he's holding, smirks at him. "Aren't you excited to go to college in a few weeks?"
"I am." John confirms. "But I'm scared, too. I'll be alone there."
"You'll make new friends!" Alan encourages, clapping his back.
"I know. I'll just miss you guys."
"I'll take that," Regina says lowly as she takes the CD in Robin's hand and shoves it into her backpack, before looking up at John. "You'll come back for holidays, right?"
"I think so."
"You better!" Zelena answers immediately. "Mom won't bear to be separated from you for too long."
"We'll see each other then." Regina adds, "Until then, we'll stay in touch. It's not because you're going to college that we won't take news," she assures, eyes scanning the room to make sure she hasn't forgotten anything.
They're emptying their secret garden, gathering all the items Regina wants to bring back home for the summer holidays. Looking around, Robin feels a pinch in his stomach at the thought that they won't be back in this place for two months. Since the moment Regina showed it to him, and even more after the murder attempt against her, this place has become a refuge, a cocoon of safety that smelled like Regina, in which they were able to simply be, in which they could be themselves, leaving the past, the present, the fear outside. The only place in which he felt safe after the Mendell episode.
But now, a month later, the threats and the fear are gone, their lives have gone back to normal, free of the police officers following them everywhere since Regina's stepfather's been sent to a high security prison across the country for so many years he probably will never get out. Regina went back horseback riding every Saturday, they go to Granny's every Thursday after school with their friends, and life's never been better.
Neal, Belle and Will left shortly after the verdict was given, but they all stayed in touch, especially since Regina has been appointed maid of honor for Neal and Belle's wedding that's planned for next year.
As for Tuck and John, their high school years are coming to an end, they're both getting close to leaving town to follow their own paths: military training for Tuck, college at Georgia Tech for John. Goodbyes aren't going to be easy. Even if Regina and Robin have only known them for a few months, they've all created a strong bond that will make the distance difficult to bear. But they know it's for the best, that it won't stop them from staying in touch, something they all promised to do.
"We can Facetime anytime you want," Robin adds.
"You'll be so busy studying, you won't even have time to miss us, you'll see," Tuck reassures his friend. "Are you done?" he asks, looking at Regina in question. "The break is almost over, classes will start in five minutes."
"I'm good," Regina confirms.
Everyone heads for the door, their friends exiting the room, but Robin grabs Regina's hand, holding her back, sheepishly smiling when she quirks an eyebrow in question. He tugs on her hand a little, and she goes willingly in his open arms and wraps hers around his neck, waiting.
"That's where we kissed for the first time," he reminds, her eyes shining when she understands his thoughts. "Where you let me in." He nuzzles her nose tenderly, breathing softly. "Do you mind?"
She chuckles against his lips, shakes her head as she glances down at his lips. "Never," she whispers.
They're grinning at each other like two idiots, but Robin couldn't care less as his lips close over hers, breathing in deeply as a wave of endorphins courses through his veins, his body relaxing immediately with the feeling of Regina's skin against his. Four months have passed since their first kiss, and this one is obviously less shy, deeper, lingering as neither of them is willing to break it, as they're pressed against each other, feeling more comfortable in each other's embrace than with anyone else.
"I'd hate to break the moment, but the bell's about to ring." The amused voice of Zelena comes from outside.
Regina and Robin pull away, blushing and laughing, Robin pecking her lips before they both give a last look at the room, and turn their back on it.
Holidays pass by, filled with joy, laughs, and a happiness that Robin thoroughly enjoys.
Every other morning, he and Regina have planned an intensive revision session, one that Robin fully focuses on, knowing very well what depends on it. Thanks to Regina, Robin went from being an average student failing in mathematics, to a very good student who received the congratulations of their math teacher for his hard work and progress. Finally, he doesn't look at the equations with anxiety and disgust, and doesn't roll his eyes at the prospect of studying. It became easier for him, almost natural, and he can feel Regina watching him solving the equation he's working on, imagines the smirk that must be tugging at her lips.
When he looks up from his solved equation, knowing full well that it's correct, he's wearing a beaming and proud smile, and Regina's smirk is there, along with proud and shining eyes.
"You don't even need my help anymore, you master the subject!" she says, an eyebrow lifting, amused.
Robin pokes her arm, biting his bottom lip as he sheepishly looks down, shrugging. He scratches the back of his head, but can't fight a smile.
"It's still thanks to you."
"Regina wasn't the first one to tell you that working hard would have results," his mother says as she enters the room. Robin and Regina turn towards her while she's tying her apron. "You've always gotten average grades without doing anything. I suspected that if you finally got motivated to study, you could become a really good student."
"But Regina helped me find my method, Mom. I may have never found it without her."
"That's true," his mother concedes with a duck of her head. "Roasted chicken and potatoes for lunch?"
Robin and Regina glance at each other, nodding in concert.
"Can I help you, Edith?" Regina offers.
"Aren't you studying?"
Regina closes her book, winking at Robin. "We're done for today, Robin just finished the last exercise I had planned."
"Then you know where your apron is, sweetheart."
Robin laughs at the enthusiasm that lightens up Regina's face, at her eagerness to clean the table from their books and pens. She really enjoys cooking with his mother, learning new recipes. She even cooked a couple of times herself, and the result was excellent. Robin knows how much his mother got attached to Regina, how much she takes pleasure in spending time with her. He's glad, because cooking isn't something that she shares with him or his father, and she must find in Regina the daughter she never had.
"Go!" Robin tells her cheerfully. "I'll put these away."
She beams at him, grinning, pecks his lips quickly and joins his mother in the kitchen, tying her apron around her waist before embracing her from behind and kissing her cheek. Edith chuckles, cups Regina's cheek tenderly, and when Robin walks upstairs, she and Regina are completely busy discussing the recipe.
The warm temperatures allow them to spend time outside, too, and it took them time, took him a while to be able to use it again, but a few weeks ago, they finally went back to the archery lessons he used to give Regina. They do it during mornings when they don't get up too late, while it's not too hot. It's always a pleasure, a moment just between them, one of the things that strengthens their relationship.
"Your elbow," he reminds.
Regina immediately corrects her position, inhales deeply as she focuses, and starts pulling on the string.
"Slow down," Robin says quietly as she's almost at her marks. "Relax your fingers," he adds when he notices her firm hold on the bow. "Remember to let the bow go when you release your arrow."
He stays silent then, lets her feel her marks, be ready, and then release. She slightly moved her bow arm, which resulted in the arrow going to the right of the center, a mistake she regularly does, that is common among beginners. It annoys her, has Regina huff in frustration, but Robin places his hand between her shoulder blades, starting to walk to the target.
"You know that's something you have to work on," he tells her, wanting to reassure her. "Try to only focus on that for a while."
They've reached the target, and he quickly does the math while she removes the arrows, counts forty-five out of sixty points, a very good score for someone whose practice has been erratic and only over a few months. If she corrects her arm, she'll soon become very good.
"When are we supposed to be meeting the guys?" she asks after she's put her arrows in the quiver at her belt.
"3pm. John told me they'll wait for us in front of the park."
"Okay. Do you mind if we stop now?" she asks, stretching her right shoulder and wincing in the process. "My shoulder and my back are stirring."
"That's because of your hard work," Robin says, winking and nudging her in the ribs playfully. "But yes, don't overtire yourself. Stretch properly before undoing the bow."
Regina nods while she rolls her shoulder. "Good thing you had your old bow in the attic. The bowstring of your new one is too taut for me."
"Is that a subtle way to ask for a back massage?" he asks playfully, smirking, and Regina blushes, laughs and bumps her shoulder into his.
"It wasn't, but since you offered."
They clean the area, laughing as they enter the house, placing all the archery material in what is now their bedroom, ending up closing the door as Robin decides that he should hold onto his word, give Regina a back massage. Not that he would complain about sharing some kind of intimacy with her. Massages are one of the ways they found to be intimate without triggering any of Regina's bad memories. Thanks to them, they are able to touch each other in a different context than when they're trying –and failing- to make love, and Regina's been requesting them more often when she realized that she could fully relax during them, that they allowed them to be together somehow.
It's not enough, it's not nearly enough when all they both want is to get lost in one another, to share what they know Zelena and Alan share, what most in love teenage couples share. But they're not like most people, and Regina's wounds are still open, two years of abuse can't be erased in the blink of an eye. It's hard sometimes, neither of them will deny it. It's difficult, frustrating, annoying, it makes them feel like there's a gap between them that there's no way to cross, that keeps them apart, and Robin hates it. It hurt them a few times, but it never was big, never went past some regrets, her apologies that he refused each time, apologizing himself because he, too, is struggling with this situation.
Now, when he wants to slam the door behind him after another failed attempt, when the need is overwhelming, when he almost chokes on his denied desire, he remembers the reason why Regina can't get past her fear.
He remembers what she's been through, what she must feel, the guilt and apologies that he reads in her eyes.
He remembers that they're in this together, and he signed the deal, accepted her as she is, the good and the bad, and she's doing her best, she's trying, this isn't her fault, he can't let her bear the brunt of his frustration, she has enough herself already.
So, after a few lingering minutes looking up at the ceiling while they recover and cool off, he takes a deep breath, smiles at her, welcomes her in his arms tenderly, pressing a kiss to her forehead, her temple, her cheek, assuring her that he still loves her, he'll wait, she needn't feel guilty, he understands.
And he focuses on moments like these instead. He watches Regina remove her top and lie down on her belly, crossing her arms under her face and smiling at him coyly. He smiles back, straddling her carefully –that's the only moment where she stiffens, but she almost always relaxes when his palms come flat against her skin- and reaching for the massage oil that they bought last month with their friends. He pours several drops on her back, Regina shivering slightly, and then he places his hands on her skin.
As always, he has to take a few seconds, because the contact between their bare skins is overwhelming, the soft touch triggering his desire every time, even if he knows that they can't go further than these touches. And then, he starts moving. His palms slide on her back, from her shoulders to her lower back, then up again, smoothing the flesh, finding the knot under her right shoulder blade, pressing on it, drawing a few hushes and a painful breath from Regina, but as he keeps the pressure, her body relaxes beneath his fingers. She's calm now, almost on the verge of sleep, abandoned to his care, his touches, caresses that she barely bears in other circumstances, but Robin doesn't stop, revels in moments like this, because even if it's not enough, it's good anyway.
He leans forward, peppers kisses along her neckline and down her spine, Regina shivering and moaning in answer, sighing comfortably. Robin doesn't stop as he lets himself slide from her, his hand still moving against her skin, relentless, soft, tender, only stopping once he's laid down on the bed, nose to nose, smile to smile. She opens her eyes, and her smile shifts into a grin, one that he mirrors immediately. She lifts a hand to his cheek, brushing it softly, and Robin's eyes close at the touch.
"Thank you," she murmurs.
He opens his eyes, leans forward to steal a kiss, bumping his nose against hers. "Anytime."
The bliss of the moment is broken by his mother calling to inform them that lunch is ready, and they swallow down their lunch before heading outside, climbing on the bus to join their friends.
Once all together, they unfold large blankets in front of the small pond, Regina between his legs, her back to his front, his arms linked around her waist, her head resting against his shoulder.
"It's our last time with you guys?" Robin says as John and Tuck sit next to them.
"Yep!" John confirms. "I'm leaving tomorrow."
"And me at the end of the week. Start my training on Monday," Tuck adds.
"High school won't be the same without you," Zelena says, opening the cooler and grabbing a few sodas that she hands them, while Alan pulls his guitar out of its case. "Good thing Regina and Robin are part of our group now!"
"Say right away that you're bored with me," Alan mutters, rolling his eyes playfully.
Zelena laughs, pokes his ribs with her elbow, Alan playing hurt when he really is holding back a chuckle. She grabs his chin between her thumb and forefinger, plants a rough kiss to his lips and then pulls back. "You know how much I love you."
He grins at her, leaning forward for another kiss, deeper this time, but they're interrupted by John throwing a bag of chips at their faces.
"Hey, you! Public space!"
The whole group laughs as Zelena and Alan pull back.
"After two years, you're still not used to it?" Regina asks, tampering down her laughter.
"She stays my little sister. There are certain things that I don't want to see." John shrugs.
"By the way," Alan counteracts. "Did you finally ask the server at Granny's out?"
John blushes, scratching the back of his head. "Kind of. We exchanged numbers, and we agreed to see each other when I come back for holidays."
"Finally!" Zelena exclaims, head falling backward. "I thought you'd never ask. You couldn't keep your eyes off of her every time we went there. The poor girl must have thought you were stalking her or something."
John glares at her, rolling his eyes at his sister's overreaction. "I did promise her that my little sister wouldn't bother her with questions though!" he declares, pointedly looking at Zelena. "You better behave!"
"I always do!" Zelena counteracts, falsely shocked.
Regina chuckles, leans her head against Robin's shoulder, nuzzling his neck, before pressing a smooth kiss there, making him shiver and tighten his grip on her. Who would've thought, when he first talked to Regina, that they would be here, 10 months later, in love, part of a group of amazing friends? Being happy.
Alan starts playing his guitar, singing at the same time, songs that they all know, and for a while they listen, until Zelena starts to join him, and then Regina. Soon, they're all singing, even Tuck, despite the fact that he still doesn't support his brother's desire to live off his music. They're relaxed, having fun, enjoying the moment, a peaceful afternoon, the last one where they'll be reunited in a long time, and this connection between these six has never been stronger, and will hopefully last for many years to come.
Title of the next chapter: Her heart