Regina was upset. She wasn't saying it, but after working with her for five years in an environment where it was just the two of them locked in a small office for the good part of their days, he could say that he had become acutely aware of her moods. By then, he knew her almost as he knew himself and yes, he could tell the difference between an upset Regina from an angry one. He could also detect whether she was happy or simply content by the way her eyes would light and hell, he could even differentiate if she was worried or just tired by listening to her talking.
In a way, she had become an open book to him, and the way she was acting in that moment was too obvious for him not to notice: her lips were pursed, her jaw was clenched, and her posture was so stiff he was afraid she would break at any given moment. Add to that the way her face was tilted to the side and away from him and voila, this was Regina Mills being very, very upset.
For reasons he still didn't get, she always avoided looking at him when she was in this mood, and in that moment, she was doing exactly that: keeping her eyes diverted, set intently in the scenery outside the passenger's window of his car.
In simpler words, she was ignoring him. She had been doing that ever since they were back at her house. After agreeing to let the kids play along in the ridiculous charade he got himself into, she simply left so he could plan things with the children. When she came back, she was dressed and ready to go, but not even once ever since, had she looked his way.
She completely missed (thank God) the awestruck glance he sent her way when he saw her emerge from her bedroom in skinny jeans, a tight black top that showed more skin than what he was used to see of her, and a pair of fuck me red pumps that added a killer sway to her steps. She was back at using the look she adopted for his and Belle's benefit and yes, he had to admit it, she looked ridiculously good.
Now, he didn't want to dwell in the turbulent waters of ogling after her but damn… how could he not? Sure, she was the same Regina he saw every day at the office, but it was like her volume was turned all the way up and he liked it. From her loose hair falling in soft waves down her shoulders, to her lips colored in the same shade of red she used the previous night. She even left her eyeglasses behind in favor of her contacts, and the way her eyes looked with nothing obstructing them from his view was like a breath of fresh air. She was stunning, and for the second time in the last twenty-four hours, he was left speechless.
When he finally reacted, Regina was walking out the door, mumbling that since she wanted to get this over with once and for all, they should leave. After that, he hadn't been able to make her look or even talk to him.
At first he tried to humor her, but it was all in vain. Now he was just there, chewing the inside of his cheek while stealing a few glances her way whenever he had the chance.
"Your car is awesome!"
Taken out of his thoughts by the sound of Lucy's excited voice, Robin chuckled, using the rearview mirror to take a look at the girl's smiling face. "Wanna drive it? We're almost there so I'm sure your mom won't mind it."
Regina didn't say anything, Lucy just giggled.
"She wouldn't let me. Besides, I don't know how to drive."
"That's true, she always loses in Mario Kart!" Henry added, looking as excited as his sister.
"I don't lose, I let you win so you don't cry."
"I don't cry! You say that because you don't like to lose and because you don't know how to cheat in Mario Kart yet."
Stepping in before the kids' little argument could get a little too intense, Robin clicked his tongue. "Alright, alright, how about we let Henry drive, since he is the ultimate Mario Kart winner? Do you think you can do it, champ?"
Laughing, the boy slapped a hand to his forehead. "No, it's not the same! Mario Kart is a game, not real life."
"Well that's a bummer, but hey! I can teach you to drive if you want to." Moving his eyes to the side, Robin looked at Regina, half expecting her to blurt out something about how he needed to stop throwing silly offers to her kids. She didn't say it though, didn't even acknowledge him, she just kept her face tilted away from him as if he wasn't even there. He couldn't have a good look at her this way, but it seemed as if she didn't even listen to the little exchange he had with Henry and Lucy.
He didn't like it. Through the years they've known each other, he had seen her being upset quite a few times and he had always hated it. But in that moment, knowing he was the cause of why she was feeling like that hit completely different.
If it wasn't because he knew what was at stake, he would turn around, go somewhere else where she would feel more comfortable and simply forget about the whole deal with Belle. It would be easy… it would even feel right…
But no. After the way his mind short circuited that morning and he began to question why he couldn't have that every day, a Regina looking freshly out of bed and looking so breathtakingly beautiful, he couldn't encourage any situation where his thoughts could wander to places that were pretty much forbidden. Because yes… him taking her away and doing everything in his power to make her change her long face, would be too dangerous, and he couldn't let that happen.
That morning had been bad, he hadn't been prepared to have his entire being invaded by the kind of thoughts that crawled into his head and to be honest, he wasn't sure if he had recovered from that one yet. What if his wretched nature betrayed him and he tried to do something stupid? What if he screwed up the only good thing in his life by thinking Regina was the one he should try to pursue and not Belle?
The way his mind was working in that moment screamed at him that yes, this should be the way. They got along, he bonded with her kids in a way he couldn't explain, and he wouldn't have to lie his face off to woo her. They were friends, they cared about each other and at least from his part, he would do anything for her. It would be perfect, the fact that he was having a hard time keeping his eyes from her was a good thing too.
His mind was wrong though, because a relationship between him and Regina couldn't happen… especially if he was basing that crazy idea just because he discovered she had a pair of thighs carved in perfection and legs to die for.
No, as good as she looked in that little shirt she had earlier on, in last night's dress or even in those jeans, her presence in his life was too pure for him to taint it by trying to be more than just her friend. Not like she would ever let them be more anyway, but still, he couldn't even for once second, nurse the idea that he wanted more.
That was why he needed his plan to work, now more than ever, because he needed to preserve his relationship with Regina as it was no matter the cost. In that moment, Belle was representing his salvation: if he managed to actually start a relationship with her, he wouldn't have time to let his mind drift away...
That was how he was able to keep driving, how he made it to the parking lot of the bouncy park despite the fact that Regina seemed upset about what he was making her do, because it was the best thing to do in such a tricky situation.
"Here we are," He said, chuckling as Lucy and Henry giggled and talked in hushed voices in the backseat. When they climbed out of the car, the girl even held her brother in an embrace he quickly tried to escape.
Regina got out soon after and he followed, walking to her with a sheepish look on his face. Despite his previous plan of not letting her behavior affect him, he meant to ask if she was still alright with the kids being involved in the charade. It would probably earn him an icy cold glance or worse, her calling the whole thing off, but in that moment, he felt like it was a risk worth taking. She didn't look good, and what kind of friend would ignore the dull sparkle in her eyes as she looked away from him? But before he could say the words, Lucy interrupted him.
"So how will we call you? Dad, Pappa, Daddy?" We didn't talk about this part."
Sucking in a breath, Robin moved his eyes to the girl. "Well, I always liked this one: Supreme master of the Universe. What do you think?"
"I think we're not being paid enough for that. If you add a MacBook Pro to our goodies, we can renegotiate," Lucy beamed, bouncing on the heel of her sneakers.
"I want to re… to negotiate too!" Henry said, and Robin didn't need to think too much to know he was going to ask for a trip to Puerto Rico, again.
"Sorry kiddos, the time to negotiate ended. This deal closed with a Playstation 5 with a VR headset for our Mario Kart champion over here, and a new Apple watch with AirPods Pro for our young lady to the right. Trust me, that was one hell of a deal for you, but because today is your lucky day, I will add not one, but two bags of Skittles to the pot. Now come on, let's move."
"The parking lot is lava!" Lucy yelled and in a matter of seconds, both kids were running to the door of the bouncy park. They waited there, excitedly talking to each other.
"I am the worst mother ever," Regina said at last, shaking her head as one of her hands pressed to her lips. "I can't believe I'm letting them do this."
"Hey," Breaking (again) the silent pact they established long ago of keeping their touches to the minimum, Robin said, taking a step towards her and grabbing her chin in his hand to make her look at him. "You are a great mother, so don't start thinking otherwise."
Lifting her eyes to his, Regina blinked a couple of times, the warmness of her stare digging so deep into Robin's psyche that he had to swallow hard on dry. Her words made him harshly come back to reality though. "You're just saying that because you want me to be okay with this."
"Actually? No… I'm saying it because it's the truth. Your kids are smart, loved, healthy… they are also happy and incredibly good at bargaining, and that wouldn't happen if it wasn't because they had such an amazing mother looking after them."
"They just agreed to lie in exchange for a Playstation and a watch, Robin… I don't know what that makes me, but a good mother is not it."
Robin chuckled. "Well… that's part of them being smart. Too smart I would say? because none of the things they asked are cheap, you know?"
"I shouldn't have said yes to this."
Feeling guilty, Robin sighed, his hand dropping from her face. He still kept himself too close to her, so close he could smell the shampoo from in her hair. "I'll tell you what. Once Belle arrives, I'll introduce her to the kids briefly and then I'll be out of your way. They don't have to do much other than smile and then keep playing. Would that make you feel better?"
Pursing her lips, Regina looked away. "I don't know… maybe a little."
He got her there, he knew it, so wanting to keep the progress, he smiled. "You're a great friend, Regina… the best."
At his words, Regina chuckled, her eyes closing for a couple of seconds. "I'm stupid, that's what I am."
"No, you're not," he said, his eyes trying to get a hold of hers. He was unable to do it because she was evading his gaze, but that didn't stop him from trying to lighten the mood with one of his usual and probably out of place comments. "If we're going to call you anything, let's call you gorgeous because hot damn, look at you!" Robin whistled, taking a step back to have a better look at her. "You know what? Screw Belle, let's get together, you and me, babe!"
Did he go too hard? Maybe, but in typical Regina fashion, she just scoffed in response. "As if you could handle me." With that said, she arched an eyebrow and moved forward, walking after her kids and entering the locale.
Robin just looked after her, his eyes set in the hypnotizing swing of her hips and the interesting way her jeans clung to what looked like a perfect ass. She looked good… too good for his well being and yes, he knew that if he kept thinking like that, he was going to be in a whole lot of trouble.
If he wasn't careful, he could still screw things up. He knew it… but that didn't stop him from going after her, his hands grabbing her hips once he caught up with her so that he could whisper in her ear. "I think I can handle you… the real question is: can you handle me?"
Regina froze, he felt it in the way her back straightened against him. For a wild moment, he was sure this was it and that he messed up, but then she turned to him, an eyebrow arched and her tongue pressed to the corner of her lips. It was then that another kind of sensation took over him…
Yes, she had always fired back and responded to his silly comments with one that would make him shut up, but this time, the way she was looking at him made him feel like floating. She hadn't spoken a word and he already felt like he was in deep trouble.
"Handle what? One night and a lifetime of regrets? I think I'll pass."
Hissing, Robin placed a hand to his chest. "You think that's all I have to offer? You wound me, Regina."
"Yeah, anyway: my kids are getting impatient, so how about you get them their entrance tickets? Oh, and by the way, today they are all yours, so enjoy being a dad!"
With that said, Regina moved away from him, disappearing into the almost deserted locale and settling somewhere near the resting area. Robin smiled, watching her move… thinking that no matter what happened or what he thought he wanted in that moment, he couldn't risk jeopardizing his friendship with her.
He needed her, not only in a professional way, but also as his rock, as the only person who could ground him, and as the most genuine relationship he ever had.
There could be a lot of Belles and many other women, but there was only going to be one Regina in his life. That was why he needed to get a grip of himself and focus…
What he didn't know was that destiny had other plans for him, and that by the end of the day, there was going to be a twist that was going to change everything… especially when it came to their relationship.
The catalyst was in motion though, a scheme already laid out by Henry and Lucy… and for what they had in mind, he was not going to be ready.