The first thing Robin noticed when he walked to Regina's car, was that she had a lot of stuff stuck inside the limited space: suitcases, bags, a whole espresso machine, and he didn't even know how many shoe boxes.

It was a little bit insane actually, and for several seconds, he just had to stop dead on his tracks so that he could absorb the image.

Now, he didn't want to jump ahead of himself, but it looked like she was in the process of moving out, or as if she was living in her car and he honestly felt a little bit lost.

This was definitely not the Regina he knew, and her odd behavior was making him wonder what was going on.

He was going to ask, more concerned than curious, but then as he was about to open his mouth, he noticed Regina's struggle in getting a sleeping Roland out of the car and he snapped back to the moment rather quickly.

"Let me help you," he said once he was by the door, reaching for his boy and then maneuvering to get him out.

Not missing a beat, Regina drew in a deep breath. "I'm going to pick him up first thing tomorrow, okay?"

Frowning as he held Roland against him, Robin lowered his gaze to her. She didn't look good, she was too pale, her eyes glassy, and he could feel the tension emanating out of her in huge waves.

She was acting weird too, because it was almost midnight and she was handing him their son as if they were used to this.

They weren't. Regina was the most organized woman he ever met. Like she made plans to make plans, so the way this was flowing didn't settle well with him.

"What's going on?" he asked at last.

Running a hand through her hair, Regina shook her head rather slowly. He knew this gesture, as he had seen her do it many times during their relationship.

He saw it afterwards too, more times than what he cared to count, and he didn't think it was a good thing she was doing it now.

Nope, because this was how she tried to gather herself when she was about to break.

She was fighting it, he could see it clear as day…

But then, taking another deep breath, she closed her eyes and exhaled. She did it a few times, and just like that, she was back in control. Her eyes open and focused.

"I had to get out of my mother's… I just had to."

Oh… Robin thought, knowing full well that Cora was a sore subject for Regina to talk about.

"I was supposed to get into a hotel but there's nothing available close by and I didn't want to drive Roland all over the place so late. That's why I thought of leaving him with you. Just for tonight."

Puffing out a breath, Robin watched as Regina turned quickly on her feet and went back to her car. Once there, she grabbed Roland's backpack and with the same swift moment in which she walked away, she made it back to him. This time holding their son's belongings so that he could take it.

Now… maybe he was going to overstep right now, but he didn't care. "And what are you going to do? You have somewhere to go?"

Regina shrugged, her eyes wide and wild scanning their surroundings. "I'll just… find a place."

"And if you don't?"

Pursing her lips, Regina shook her head. "Then I'll keep looking."

Robin hummed, in a way a bit peeved that she was not even considering staying with him or even with Ruby. Sure, that was her, stubborn to the core, but he hated the idea that she would rather roam the entire state looking for a place to stay before reaching out to him.

He was not a stranger, and she should know by now that she could count on him for anything.

"You know what? You are very mistaken if you think I'm going to let you drive at this hour looking for a hotel when you can very well stay here."

Turning to him at once, Regina's eyes widened. "Oh, no… I can't. I don't…"

"I won't accept a no for an answer, you know that right?" Robin cut her off, and then making sure Roland wouldn't slip from his grasp, he reached inside her car, turned off the engine and started to walk back into his house. "Now come in before you freeze your arse out here."

Now… Robin had his doubts, so he held his breath. But then he heard Regina walk after him, he felt a huge wave of relief wash over him. Not like he should claim victory so soon, because for all he knew, she probably went after him to ask for her keys back.

"Robin, you know I can't stay here."

And there it was, just as he anticipated. Not like it mattered, because he just kept walking towards Roland's new room.

He had to go through countless boxes scattered all over to get there, and for an instant, he was regretting not pushing himself a bit further earlier on so that he could finish unpacking.

Now look what that provoked, Regina was stepping into his house for the first time ever and everything was a mess.

Damn…

"Robin–"

Listening to the mother of his child calling him, Robin put Roland down on his bed, smiling over the fact that the boy didn't even stir. Then he turned around and met Regina down the corridor.

"I can't stay here," she said again, her tone low but firm.

"And I can't let you spend the whole night roaming around. What are you going to do if you don't find a hotel? Will you sleep in your car, in a shelter, under a bridge? Tell me how is that better than staying here."

Opening her mouth to reply, Regina crossed her arms to her chest. But then she said nothing.

Robin took that as an agreement from her part, so arching an eyebrow, he nodded. "Just… there's a couch somewhere in this mess, so sit there if you find it while I get your stuff out of the car."

Biting her lips, Regina looked down to her boots and again, he was going to take this as her agreeing this was the best thing to do.

When he finished unloading everything, he came back in to find Regina in his living room, just sitting on his couch and staring at the wall opposite to her.

She looked defeated, and seeing her like that made his heart break a little for her. Because yes, they were no longer together, and they haven't been in ages, but he was always going to hold a special place in his heart exclusively for her.

She was the love of his life after all, and part of him was going to always feel protective towards her. For what they were, for being the mother of his boy, and because she was that girl who stole his heart and never gave it back.

Not like he could go to her and say all that. No… last time they talked about feelings, she made sure to be clear about the fact that there wasn't going to be anything between them ever again, and he had to accept that.

It stung, yes, but because he was going to respect her wishes above everything else, he was going to approach as the best next thing he could be to her: as a friend.

With that in mind, he grabbed a couple of beers from his fridge and sat next to her.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked, offering her one of the bottles.

Regina reached for it and took a sip, shaking her head. "No… I don't."

"Alright. We can talk about something else then, yeah?" Twisting his lips, Robin breathed out, his eyes settling on her hands as they curled around the dark glass.

"She was stealing from me. She took all the money I gave her month after month to pay the bills and she gambled it all. She apparently lost, and now the bank wants to take the house. We're being evicted."

"What?" Robin gasped, as this was the last thing he expected Regina to blurt out, especially after she said she didn't want to talk about it.

It was… fuck this was terrible, Cora Mills… haughty and annoyingly righteous gambling her own daughter's money? Just… damn.

"You know… I have to work a lot, to be able to cover all of her bills, because those were her bills. I was doing relatively fine when it was just me and Roland, but then she came saying that she couldn't live on her own because she had all these medical conditions and I left everything to go and live with her. And now she pulls this? It's like… she wants to take everything and everyone from me and I just… I can't… not anymore."

Unable to help it, Robin reached for her and pulled her to him. She gave into the embrace easily, melting against him with an ease that left him breathless.

It was something he shouldn't have done because… God, he couldn't remember when was the last time they did something like this and the way she felt kicked him right in the feels. It was just… overwhelming.

It was a whole new experience, as this was not the same girl he had loved so long ago. No, she was a woman now, and she didn't smell the same… hell, she even felt different. But at the same time, having her in his arms was so bloody familiar.

It was like going back in time: her hair tickling his nose, her cheek pressed against his chest, and his arms around her small frame…

She also seemed to be looking the same kind of comfort after a fight with her mother because holy shit, that woman really seemed to have a kink out of fucking Regina over and over again.

"How much money are we talking about here?" he asked, trying to focus on what was important.

Scoffing bitterly, Regina lifted her face a little. "Almost eight thousand on the house alone."

Arching both eyebrows, Robin rubbed Regina's back, his mind running at full speed while calculating if he could take that amount out of his savings without making too much of a hole in his plans, or if it was better if he took a loan.

Both were going to be tricky since he just moved and spent quite a nice sum buying things he already owned but that Marian refused to give back, but it was manageable.

He had a good job after all, and even if he didn't, he would still do it…

"I will give you the money."

Pulling away from him as if she had been burned, Regina looked at him through her deep brown eyes. "No. That's a big no, Robin."

"You don't have to give it back. Just look at it as me making sure Roland keeps a roof over his head."

Regina blinked slowly, her nose scrunching.

"I appreciate it, but I will find another place for us. I can rent like I was doing before, or whatever comes, but I won't return to my mother's house, let alone let you waste a penny on something she lost so carelessly."

Nodding because alright, she had a point, Robin set his eyes back to her. "And what are you going to do in the meantime? Are you going to live in your car? In a hotel?"

"I can check with Granny."

Shaking his head because he wasn't going to let her do that, Robin clicked his tongue. "The hell you are. You're staying here and I don't care what you think. I have a spare room… like, it doesn't have anything yet, but we'll get something. Until then you'll take my bed and I'll sleep here."

Sucking in a breath, Regina's face crumbled a little. "I can't let you do that. I won't crash here and just… take over your space."

"And I won't let you be out and about with no place to go. Regina… this is not the best moment to let your pride talk on your behalf, you are going through a bad moment and there's no shame in that. It happens, so until you get out of it, I need you to understand that you can count on me. I don't care about my space… I mean, all I've done in my life, I've done it to make sure the two of you are okay, so let me help you on this."

This seemed to get her. Robin knew because he noticed the way her eyes filled with tears and he had to be honest, he wasn't ready to see her cry. Hell, if it was up to him, she would never have any motive to feel that level of upset, so trying to fix the mood a little, he took a chance with her.

"Besides, I saw that espresso machine you brought along and I won't lie, I kind of want to try it for a while. It's in my kitchen already, so you know… it's a win win."

Regina frowned, and then just as he had been hoping, she laughed. Yeah, she had to wipe a couple of rebel tears that escaped her as this outburst rocked her, but in this case, he was going to take it as a good thing.

"It's a good machine," she chuckled, rolling her eyes.

Biting the inside of his cheek because for everything that was sacred in this world, he still couldn't understand how this woman had the uncanny ability of making his heart skip a beat just by smiling, Robin smiled what felt like a sad smile.

"It looks pretty good."

"Just don't get used to it, because I'll take it with me when I get a place. That's going to be soon."

"I know. Doesn't mean I won't enjoy it while it lasts."

For a couple of seconds, Regina looked at him, her eyes intensely set on him. "Thank you, really."

Pursing his lips, Robin lifted a hand and waved her off. "You don't have to thank me for this, Regina."

"Of course I do. Sometimes I think you are the only person who has always been there for me, even if I don't deserve it. I don't think I've ever thanked you for that… or even if I had apologized for the shitty things I did to you."

Feeling his heart swell, Robin reached forward and brushed Regina's hair behind her ear. "We're way past, so like I said, no thanks and no apologies are needed. Okay?"

Instead of replying, Regina leaned forward and once again rested against his chest, her body molding to him perfectly.

Robin received her without hesitation, his arms automatically going around her.

It felt good. It felt right…

"I'm all stinky, I was about to take a bath before things got weird."

Chuckling despite himself, Robin breathed into her scent and… well, she definitely didn't smell like he remembered, but she was far from being stinky. He actually liked it, the faint undertones of some sort of perfume still clinging to her.

"You are not smelly, but you can go and take a shower and then go lay down. You must be exhausted."

Regina nodded, but for a few seconds she remained there, pressed to him. Robin took the opportunity to kiss her temples, his eyes automatically closing.

It was a weird thing because it had been years since the last time he got to hold her so close, but she still felt like home…

But then, Regina was pushing away from him and the spell was broken.

"Okay. I'm going to do that."

Letting his eyes roam her face, Robin smiled. "Alright, I'll show you around. Now please, take in consideration I'm just moving, so everything is still a mess around here."

"I kind of noticed," chuckling, Regina rolled her eyes. "But look at my own stuff, I don't even know where half my things are among so many bags. I just threw everything I could together and went away."

Remembering how he did the same when he left his apartment with Marian and how he left so many things in the rush… things that he lost forever because now his ex refused to give them back, Robin cleared his throat.

"Did you get everything out?"

"Just what could fit in the car."

"We can get the rest tomorrow. I mean… if you want to."

Blinking a couple of times, Regina smiled. "We can do that, you know, before my mother comes back."

Taking a deep breath, Robin slapped a hand to his knee. "Alright, let's get some rest then, as tomorrow will probably be a long day."

With that settled, Robin showed Regina around and then left her so that she could shower and then go to sleep.

He tried to do the same, and he was actually in the process of trying to fall asleep on his couch when his phone started to ring.

It was Marian, again, so blowing out a breath, he ran a hand down his face.

Earlier on and for whatever reason, she had sent him a series of racy pictures that left him completely lost, and he guessed she was calling about that.

He considered missing the call, as he was definitely not in the mood for one of her fights, but when the phone kept ringing, he decided to answer.

"What is it now?" he asked, his tone cutting.

"Is that how you greet the mother of your baby? I never heard you talking like that to Regina."

Scratching the underside of his jaw because there she was again with the same subject as always, Robin tried to be direct. "It's late, so just tell me what you want, Marian."

"I want you," she said, and her change of tune did surprise him a little. "Did you get the photos I sent?"

Yeah, he definitely did, and he still didn't know what to make of them. For weeks since they broke up, she had been at his throat, being all nasty and cutting. She had even been menacing, threatening him with leaving so he would never meet their baby. But now she was sending nudes, telling him how much she wanted him and it was… fucking weird and uncomfortable.

"Just go to sleep Marian, it's late."

"I was touching myself thinking about you, but it's not the same if you're not here, so why don't you come over and make love to me? Don't you want that? Don't you miss it?"

Robin cringed, not knowing how to say it…

"I want it, I want you."

Rubbing his forehead hard, Robin cleared his throat. "Let's… just don't do this, okay? This is not you, and you don't need to resort to this kind of thing just to get with some guy."

He could give her the 'you deserve better" speech and so on, but he was afraid that she could take it the wrong way so he kept his mouth shut.

"But I need to, Robin. And I need it now, the dates are just right, and it has to be you!"

Her words made him frown, but taking notice that she was starting to get riled up, he decided to cut the conversation. "I'm going to hang up now."

"Don't you dare, or I swear you'll regret this for the rest of your life."

Biting the inside of his lip, Robin thought that he had many regrets, and he was going to have many more, but not giving into Marian was not going to be one of them. So with that decided, he hung up the call and went to sleep… as tomorrow was going to be a long, long day…

TBC

Will he end up regretting it? Will he and Regina bond even more? Stay tuned to know more soon…