Happy birthday Karla!! I hope you have an amazing day, this one's for you.
Big thank you to Vie for giving me the idea for the plot. It's based on the movie 'One Day', so credits to the creators of that. I myself haven't seen the film but got the storyline from Wikipedia, so if you do know the movie; don't expect a rewrite of it but just with different characters.
Basically, the story follows David and Regina on June 11th (almost) every year for 16 years. You don't need to be worried about remembering the exact dates to understand the storyline.
Also I had not foreseen that this would turn into a 15k banger so I've been stressing about getting it done in time for today. Because of this I haven't had time to proofread as much as I'd like, so sorry for the mistakes that are undoubtedly in there.
TW at the end of story. Enjoy :)
June 11th, 2005
David and Regina had both studied at the same college. They were different kinds of people, with different majors. Over the years, though, they had encountered each other at school and at different parties numerous times. As a result, they both knew who the other was by name.
David majored in literature and was an aspiring writer. His dream was to be able to make a living while doing what he loved most: putting words to paper. What he liked best was drawing inspiration from his own life and mixing that with a healthy dose of fiction, creating a captivating story.
Regina was a law student, following in the footsteps of her mother. She couldn't say that she absolutely loved studying law, but since her mother would have it no other way, Regina had made the best of it. As it turned out, she inherited her mother's qualities when it came to this field and had excelled at school. On top of that, she had not hated it nearly as much as she thought she would.
Today was graduation day. By some coincidence, Regina and David had both ended up at the same graduation party. Tonight had been the first night they had actually spent time together, or at least with the same group of people. As it turned out, Regina's friend Mal was befriended with one of David's friends.
The night had been fun and Regina supposed she drank a little bit more than was wise. When she started drinking alcohol for the night, though, she always had a hard time deciding when enough was enough.
Far too soon, the party was over. Even though Regina and David hadn't really spoken one-on-one, they felt a connection; like they could be good friends. When David seemed as reluctant to end the night and go home as she was, Regina suggested that they go back to her place for a little after-party. Normally, she wouldn't invite strangers to her flat, but the alcohol clouded her judgement. And besides, David looked like too much of a goody two-shoes to turn out to be some stalker or serial killer.
"Nice place you have here," he said as they walked through the door. He walked in behind her and as he kicked the door closed, she turned around and walked the rest of the way inside backwards while giving him an unimpressed look.
"Thanks. It's crap," she quipped as she motioned around her. She stumbled, the alcohol affecting her balance, but caught herself with one hand on the wall.
While Regina's parents were relatively wealthy, they did not help Regina fund her flat. College; they payed for. But since college was close enough to home that Regina actually didn't have to move out, they refused to help her pay for her own place. Or rather, her mother Cora did. Regina had decided that she couldn't handle living with her mother any longer, though, and had moved out anyways. This did mean that she stayed in the cheapest room available. And that it was, in fact, crap.
David snorted and conceded. "Oh, well. Nice crappy place you got here," he amended.
Regina smiled and liked that he didn't insist on his compliment, but rather judged her place right along with her. She appreciated an honest opinion and she did not like people who sucked up.
Opening the beers they had sneaked with them from the party, they settled down on Regina's worn out couch after putting on some music.
Now, drunk Regina had two moods: the hyper and loud mood, where she would be dancing around to some music while singing along loudly (very out of tune), and the calm, almost sleepy mood. At the party, Regina had been in the hyper and loud mood, but now that began to shift.
She rested her side against David's as they sat together, talking about anything and everything. Conversation was easy, and the occasional silences were comfortable instead of awkward.
They talked about graduation and about plans for the future. They discussed art: the literary art that David was passionate about as well as the art of perception, something Regina had learned was crucial during her studies. Aside from these serious conversations were the casual ones about hobbies and music.
Soon, though, Regina had put on her favorite album and her hyper mood was back as David and Regina danced to the rhythm of the music in her small living room.
Hands clasped, fingers interlocked, they twirled around, smiles big on their faces.
This was the first time for both of them that they privately recognized that the other was attractive. Very much so. Regina objectively admired David's broad shoulders and pretty eyes, while David admitted to himself that Regina was probably the most gorgeous girl he'd ever seen.
This changed nothing in their new and easy relationship, though.
As the music quieted down to a softer song and their connection felt deeper than it already had all night, they looked into each other's eyes. They felt like this could be a turning point.
For the first time that night, Regina smiled shyly. "Let's just, be friends, okay?" She did not want to ruin what could be an amazing friendship with complicated feelings, or with sex. No matter how attractive David might be.
David seemed to understand, and agreed. He squeezed her hand once, and then let go of her. "Just friends."
June 11th, 2006
The last year had been hectic for both David and Regina.
David had tried to start working as a writer right away, but could not find a job on short notice. As a result of this, he moved back in with his parents. He did a lot around the house, worked odd jobs whenever he could on top of using all of his free time to write.
Regina hadn't wanted to start working at her mother's law firm quite yet, even though Cora insisted. To give herself some more time to postpone, she'd gone abroad for extra school programs. She figured you could never know too much about something, and the extra knowledge would be useful someday.
Their busy schedules meant that Regina and David had not seen much of each other for the past twelve months. In fact, they hadn't spoken for about four months until, while running errands, they had run into each other.
Regina had only been back in the country for a little over two weeks, and told David as much as they started talking.
It was like no time had passed and their connection had not dwindled. When they noticed that they'd been talking in the mall parking lot for half an hour, they decided to go to David's place to catch up.
David, who still lived with his parents, apologized when he remembered the chaos as he looked around the room when they arrived there. "Sorry for the mess," he'd said, "I'm actually moving, so i'm trying to box everything."
Emphasis on trying.
Regina took in her surroundings and lifted her brows as she saw the state of utter chaos the house seemed to be in. Clearly, David was not an organized person.
"I'm actually supposed to have my stuff out of the way before my parents come home from their trip this weekend, it's why I was at the mall looking for moving boxes," he held up the arm full of cardboard he was holding.
Regina shook her head and looked at the clock. She couldn't leave the poor man to deal with this on his own. So, she suggested that she help him today. After a bit of reluctance--he didn't want to put Regina to work--David agreed.
They had a nice cup of coffee before digging in.
As they passed around David's stuff, Regina telling him where to put what (ever the organizer) and helping with the actual boxing, David explained how he was moving to the big city to try and get a writer's job there. While having played relatively safe this last year, he now wanted to take a leap and hope for the best.
Meanwhile, Regina told him that she still did not know what her future would hold. Her mother wanted Regina to join her firm and become a lawyer, but she explained how she didn't know if she was ready to make that decision yet. Surely, if she joined the firm, mother will never let her leave again.
"Well, you could always get yourself disbarred as a way out, when you're truly sick of it," David joked, clearly not serious.
Regina hummed, though, not even finding it such a bad idea. "I'll see," she dismissed the subject. "You know what I think?" She began, holding up a clearly well-read copy of Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone. "I think you need to get a life."
David pretended to be offended as he fished the book from her hands, holding it to his chest. "Please," he scoffed. "Reading--even this--, is better than sitting around and doing nothing while drinking cocktails, which I gather is what you have been doing since you came back from studying abroad," he quipped. He may not have spent much time with Regina last year, but he does remember she liked herself a good drink.
He meant no harm by his joke, but he could see a little bit of uneasiness in her eyes as she looked away from him, busying herself with some more of his stuff. So, he decided to change the subject and break the small amount of tension he had inadvertently created. "Tell you what," he began, leaning over junk-filled the table that separated him from Regina and grabbing her hand. "I think we've done enough for today. And I do like the occasional cocktail myself. What do you say we watch a movie and have a drink together?" Really, she had helped him enough. He shouldn't have taken her up on her offer to help him with his stuff in the first place, he didn't want her thinking he was only using her for her help, while he did actually enjoy her company.
Regina blinked her eyes from the hand he had placed on hers to his eyes and her lips curved into a small smile before putting on a mischievous yet innocent pout. "Do your parents allow you to have alcohol when you're home alone?" She mocked.
David scoffed. He was happy that his comment hadn't put her mood down indefinitely and so, his indignation was faked. "Ha ha. Laugh all you want. You're only a year older than me." And they had both been of legal drinking age for years now.
Regina brought her free hand up and patted the side of his face. "I was actually referring to you still living with your parents, but yes; that reminds me. You're a baby."
Her warm hand on his face had him distracted for a moment and he looked down at her lips while she told him he was a baby. A thought entered his mind: he wouldn't mind her calling him that in another context. David cleared his throat and looked back up and into her eyes. He didn't know if he was imagining it, but he felt a certain tension between them. He was drawn to her, but a table full of all of his junk separated them.
He could lean in and catch her lips with his, no problem.
But he didn't. "Well, this baby has tequila in his fridge nonetheless. C'mon," he said as he took a step back, her hand falling from his face.
He couldn't regret his decision to not act on his sudden impulse. Their lives were too different; they could never work. Besides, they had agreed to be just friends on that first night in her apartment. No funny business, Nolan.
They had a few drinks, a movie playing in on the television. They both wouldn't be able to tell what it had been about, though, as it was mainly background noise to their chatter. They just had so much to talk about.
When it was getting rather late and Regina had to get home, David realized that she would have to drive there. He suggested that she stay with him for the night, or at least through dinner, so that the alcohol could have a little longer to cease its effects. He did not like the idea of her driving while under the influence, even if she didn't seem all that affected. Aside from the fact that it was illegal, she could seriously hurt someone. Or herself.
But, Regina insisted that she was fine, got in her car, and drove off.
Not before promising to keep in touch, though.
June 11th, 2007
Keep in touch, Regina did over the next year.
She had decided to postpone her career decision again by taking time off and travelling the world. She took jobs here and there, saving money before moving on to another part of the world. And she loved it. There were no obligations, no one to account for and there was nothing she couldn't do.
If she wanted to party; she could. If she wanted to get drunk; she could. And if she wanted to fuck some random person to fill the ever empty void in her heart; she could. Where that void had come from, Regina didn't know. All she knew is she was missing something in her life. She was certain she would find it somewhere in this world, though, and so she kept trekking from one place to the next.
From every new place she visited, she sent a postcard to David with a little note. Sometimes, she'd tell him about something that had happened to her in that specific place, and other times, she'd simply ask him how he was.
He always responded by text. Not because he didn't like corresponding through mail, quite the opposite in fact. But, not knowing her address by the time his written letter would arrive since she was moving around so much, texting was more convenient.
Most of the time, David had nothing special to report. Truthfully, his life hadn't been going that great. He had moved out and had applied for writing jobs everywhere. Even places where he did not even want to work, he'd approached. It just seemed that no one wanted to hire him and David felt quite embarrassed about it. As a result of not finding any writing jobs, he'd accepted a job at the local pet shelter where he now worked full time.
Today, he got into work ready to train the new woman his boss had hired to replace the bloke who'd left them to work somewhere else. Somewhere better paying, David figured. The woman had beat him to the shelter, but not having a key, she stood at the entrance looking a little lost. She had short pixie cut hair and was wearing --in David's opinion--quite a frumpy dress. "Mary Margaret," he greeted as he walked up to her and he saw her face brighten immediately when she noticed his presence.
Yesterday, on her first day of work, he'd noticed that she probably had a little crush on him. David didn't like to think things like this too often, realizing that not every woman who was nice to him had a thing for him. But her doe eyes lingering on him even after he'd turn away were his first clue. The fact that she offered to stay late to help him close even though he'd told her she could go was another giveaway. What sane person volunteered to stay late at work?
"David!" Mary Margaret answered happily. "Good morning," she said as he walked up to her, key in hand to open the door. She didn't move away from the door far enough to not get in her personal space as he unlocked the door. He returned the sentiment and let them both in, marking the start of their work day. The owner of the shelter would not come in until later, leaving opening and closing to David most of the time. This could be seen as a compliment, David knew, because his boss trusted him enough for that. David just thought that the man was a lazy ass who couldn't bother to come in early for his own business.
As he got through the day with Mary Margaret, having to explain to her multiple times that no, we don't get set break times because when a client comes in we can't just leave them waiting; we're the only staff, he thought of Regina a few times. He believed Mary Margaret would be just the kind of person to get on Regina's nerves. It actually would be quite funny to have the both of them meet.
This train of thought left David to wonder where exactly Regina was the world right now, if she was happy.
And if she was coming back home soon.
June 11th, 2008
"No, don't!" Regina shrieked as David approached and threatened to tilt the floating sunbed that she was laying on, totally relaxed and enjoying the sun on the water. It was too late, though, and two seconds later, Regina splashed into the pool and was soaking wet.
When she came up from beneath the surface, hair in her eyes and water spewing from her mouth--which had been very much opened in her indignation when David pushed her underwater--David laughed hard at her expense.
"You didn't!" Regina half scolded and half laughed, getting her hair out of her face and rubbing her fingers beneath her eyes to get rid of any running make-up. She hadn't planned on going into the water further than to her shoulders but apparently she should have known better.
David was such a child.
Regina had been back in the country for about half a year and she and David had met up a couple of times. One time they'd gone out for drinks, another time David had stopped by Regina's place spontaneously for coffee and last time they'd gone shopping together. David hated shopping whereas Regina loved it. When he'd told her over the phone how much he needed to go but didn't want to, she'd insisted on going together.
Now, they were at the pool, the weather having turned hot. Regina had presumed that they were going to have a nice and relaxing afternoon; talk, laugh and enjoy the sun. But apparently David had other plans.
He grinned at Regina as they stood facing each other in the pool, the bed that Regina had been floating on separating them. "I did. Whatcha gonna do about it?" David challenged her and oh, Regina might be prim and proper when she wanted to be but a water fight was not beneath her.
She slowly grabbed the floating bed and slid it away from between them through the water and when it was gone she carefully walked closer to David, using the attraction she knew was there by moving seductively-- as much as she could in a pool with water coming well up to her waist--, almost pretending she was about to make a move on him. Then, when she was nice and close, she sprayed him with as much water as she could, hitting him right in the face.
David had been watching Regina slowly approach, anticipating a lot more than the spray of water that just hit him in the face. Quickly his mind went back to the night they met, though, and he remembered their pact. Just friends. He shook off whatever feeling that anything more between them could happen, and engaged in the fight Regina had clearly just started. (No matter that it was him who threw her in the water first.)
He started spraying her back and with his larger limbs, he was just more successful in this fight than Regina. She quickly turned around, away from the water hitting her face and David tried to take his chance to grab her by the waist to lift her up and throw her back into the water a little ways further. But Regina must have felt this move coming for she quickly jumped back and started swimming away from David.
Game on.
David followed her, trying to catch her ankle or some other part of her leg so he could pull her back to him. Eventually, he succeeded.
After a bit of a struggle, David dunking Regina more than once, Regina kicking and screaming in the process, she ended up with the upper hand. Kind of.
Her hands were on his shoulders and her legs high around his waist as she towered above him. This had seemed like a good idea to Regina because at least he wouldn't be able to dunk her under water without going under himself, too. Now that they were so close and intimate, though, it felt like less than a stellar idea.
Still, Regina didn't give up the fight and pushed on David's shoulders to try and force him under water. Unfortunately for Regina, David was a bit too strong for her and didn't cave, which ended up with her in his arms, while the fight had ceased.
They were both panting and laughing out breaths as they recovered from their water fight, and Regina relaxed her legs a little which caused her to slide down, now face to face with David. "I win," she said.
"In what world do you win this?" David asked incredulously. "Obviously I win. I dunked you four times. You just got me a little wet."
Regina rolled her eyes, disagreeing even though he was totally right. "Well. You got me a little wet, too."
David grinned and shook his head; jokes like these weren't uncommon between them. He squeezed her around the middle where he was holding her and leaned in to reply: "I think I got you more than a little wet."
David did not need to know that this was true, in every sense of the word. Regina couldn't help the attraction she felt for him, especially being in his arms like this. But; just friends.
So, Regina scoffed and unwinded her legs from around him which in turn got him to let go of her middle and they moved on.
Later that afternoon, when they layes side by side on two sunbeds nursing a drink, David suddenly got an idea. "We should totally go on a vacation together."
Regina raised an eyebrow and looked at him questioningly. So, he continued. "Yes! Look at how fun this afternoon was! We should totally vacation together, it'd be so much fun."
"I don't know if I'd want to go on a holiday with someone who keeps pestering me by getting me wet." Regina quipped, smile on her face to show she was joking.
David looked at her unimpressed and tilted his head, waiting for an answer.
"... Where would we even go?!" Regina asked, taking a sip from her drink while sitting up and swinging her feet from the bed and to the ground.
He hadn't thought it out that much yet, and just answered: "I don't know. Somewhere you haven't been."
"Or you."
"That's easy. I've never been out of the country," David told her.
They held gazes for a while, Regina testing to know if he was being serious and David totally conveying that he'd just had the idea of the decade. And maybe he had. "So, what do you say?" He asked.
After a few seconds of silence and suspense while Regina quickly thought it through, she figured hell, why not? She could use (another) vacation. "I'm in."
June 11th, 2009
"I told you we weren't going in the right direction" David told a cranky and overheated Regina who was walking a little ways ahead of him, key to their hotel room at the ready. She glared at him from over her shoulder for a second and then rightened her posture.
"Why then, you could have been helpful and tell me what was the right direction." Regina huffed out a breath while coming to a halt at their door. She turned her face to look up at him with somewhat of a scowl on her face and continued. "No, instead you just whine about 'we're going in circles.' Any fool could know we were going in circles. But apparently Google Maps likes circles." She aggressively opened the door and took a step inside. "You were of no help."
They were in The Netherlands. While Regina had been travelling the world on her own, she'd seen most of the famous cities in Europe like Paris and Rome. And since they'd agreed to vacation in a place that neither of them had ever been, they had decided on Holland.
Nothing had been left of the spontaneity of their trip, though, since it had been a year ago that David had suggested they take this little holiday. With both their busy schedules, they couldn't just drop everything to take this trip. One of the two was always busy. David at his job, still at the animal shelter. Regina at school, which she'd picked up again. She'd caved in and agreed to work at her mother's law firm, but not before taking this year for an extra course in administrative law to be extra prepared. Definitely not to postpone working there just a little longer. A joke between her and David now was that Regina was the ever lasting student while David was the writer who never actually wrote.
They'd been in The Netherlands for four days already and tomorrow would be their last. In these four days, they stayed in a hotel just outside of Amsterdam. Not too expensive, but close to the capital nonetheless. The first day, they'd gone into Amsterdam to see the sights and to see if it really was true that weed was sold at every corner of the street. (It wasn't every corner...) The following day they'd gone to The Hague since this was the city where all the big governing happened. The International Court Of Justice was also located there and although Regina had never loved law school, after hearing and learning about these kinds of things for years, she was intrigued and felt that it was worth a visit.
On the third day, they'd visited museums, the geeky side of David coming out to enjoy old paintings and ancient woodwork.
Today, they went to the beach. Because, as luck would have it, the country known for it's dreary weather was actually tropically hot during David and Regina's visit. They hadn't had the energy to go out and actually do something in this heat, so they'd gone back to The Hague, specifically a place called Scheveningen, and went to the beach. It'd been a nice day, the breeze at the coast helping with the heat from the scalding sun. The day had neared to an end, though, and after grabbing a bite to eat at one of the food tents, they'd made their way back to their hotel. Or tried to.
They'd taken the bus to get to the neighbourhood of their hotel and Regina had lead the way from the bus stop to their home for the duration of this vacation. The supposed ten minute walk had taken them twenty-five minutes, though, only ending after asking a stranger for directions. 39 degrees celsius and a walk like that while packed with bags containing their beach stuff did not make for a nice experience. Hence the rather cranky Regina.
David had decided not to respond to Regina's little remark about him being of no help and instead followed her inside quietly. They both put down their bags and as David wiped the sweat off his forehead, he was surprised when Regina began to undress. First she kicked off her shoes and then she pulled her tank top over her head, leaving her in her shorts and bikini top. Then, she thrust her hand into her pocket and yanked out a hairband. She gathered all her hair and tried to make a bun but shorter pieces of hair from her neck and bangs kept falling out and after a few tries, Regina forcefully threw the band on the floor which looked rather ridiculous because the tiny material really wasn't much to throw with.
Suddenly, she was yelling. "And what is it with this place?! It's supposed to be cold here! Why is it so damn hot?!"
David stood there with raised brows, understanding her frustration but not having seen her entirely loose her composure like this before. While he should be focusing on talking her down, before she decided to throw things his way next, all that David was thinking about was how cute Regina looked when she was frustrated.
The vein in her forehead had made itself prominent and her flushed face was set in a scowl. Her hands that had been waving around while talking were now placed on her hips. David was sure that Regina was able to look very intimidating, but standing there only half dressed, not to mention the fact that she was just plain tiny, had David chuckling before he knew what he was doing.
"What are you laughing at?" Regina asked hot-headedly.
Suddenly David couldn't hold back. He had spent almost every minute of every day with Regina for the last four days and now that she stood before him looking like that, his affections for her took charge of him. Obviously there had always been a pull between them; they'd addressed it by telling themselves just friends. This time, though, David discarded that pact they had made and he moved closer to the brunette woman before him.
Regina looked rather confused as David stepped closer to her, and closer still. They stayed quiet, and Regina just looked up at him as David stood right before her, towering over her.
Suddenly quite nervous, David leaned in slowly. He inched closer, feeling Regina's breath on his lips. They were millimeters apart, and David took the swing. He ever so slightly bussed his lips against hers, kissing her.
The way Regina saw it, they had two choices. One: they gave in and had a night together. Maybe even something more, because they did have this weird connection. But eventually, it would come to an end, because relationships never last. This was what experience had taught her.
Or; they didn't cross this line and they could be friends for life.
She made up her mind quickly and pulled back from him. "We shouldn't," she said simply, regrettably, and that was that. She turned and went into the bathroom to shower and get ready for bed.
They didn't talk about what happened, not until they got home and had a good few weeks apart to think it through.
June 11th, 2011
Two years had gone by since David and Regina's holiday and after four years of pining, Mary Margaret had finally gotten herself a date with David Nolan.
They'd worked together all these years and Mary Margaret's crush on him had never lessened. Since she was a nice woman and the only one who seemed to be interested in him for more than a quick fuck, David figured he'd give it a shot. He really was ready for a steady relationship at this point.
Regina had no problem dating. She had finally started that job at her mother's law firm last year but apparently that did not stop her from finding new people to spend a few nights with. And she had no problem at all telling David about her various adventures over the years. He couldn't shake the feeling that Regina liked to share these things just to make clear the line between them that could not be crossed.
They'd talked about the kiss on their vacation. Regina had explained why she'd rejected him and to a certain extent, David understood. That didn't mean he liked it. He didn't really agree that their relationship would be doomed from the start.
The fact that he and Regina would never be, though, was obvious to him. So, he had to finally move on.
During their date, Mary Margaret complimented him, laughed at all of his jokes and was overall the perfect lady. If a bit dull.
David figured that, should he spend more time with her, he'd eventually learn to like her. Maybe he could even love her if he tried hard enough. So, he gave it his all at this dinner date and by the end of it, he thought he could make it work between them. Mary Margaret's sweet and selfless nature could be quite endearing. So, as he walked her up her driveway and stopped at her front door, he kissed her. He kissed her tentatively, sweetly, like he imagined she'd like a first kiss. All the while he tried to think about a certain other brunette who he was sure liked to kiss differently. Bolder, perhaps. Passionately.
When he pulled back and Mary Margaret's sparkling and happy eyes looked back at him, he knew one thing. David was going to be a kept man.
Kept by Mary fucking Margaret.
June 11th, 2013
Another two years passed, and a few things had changed.
Regina's tough and sometimes quite vicious exterior in the courtroom had made her well-known and dreaded by others in their line of work. The fact that she did not seem to care about anything but herself didn't help her case. When she walked into a room, even at her own place of work, she would hear whispers of people talking about her.
The frustrated mutter of one man who lost to Regina had made her known as 'The Evil Queen.'
But Regina couldn't be bothered by it. She knew who her friends were and who weren't, and she couldn't care about the fact that she was not very popular. Looking at the big picture, sometimes it could be quite useful to have this nickname. Fear could be an effective tool.
Regina's life was, looking at all the facts, quite good. The had a good paying job and a handful of friends. Relationships were on and off with her; she couldn't decide between wanting to be committed to someone or the single life.
She and David had stayed good friends. Best friends, even. She knew about his girlfriend Mary Margaret and had even met her a few times. Regina couldn't say she liked the girl, and she didn't hesitate to express these feelings to David. Whenever she would point out a flaw about the girl or their relationship, though, David would change the subject. He hadn't a word to say otherwise about Mary Margaret's annoying cheerfulness, idiotic positivity or offensive nosiness. This was why Regina was beginning to think he agreed with her on all of these accounts.
Mary Margaret had left work at the Pet Shelter in favour of another job, leaving David with a new co-worker. This meant that the two of them didn't see each other all day every day anymore. Apparently that had convinced David that he and Mary Margaret should finally move in together. She had been hinting at it for months, but David hadn't felt like spending 24/7 together would be the best thing for their relationship.
They'd finally rented a place together a few months ago, quite soon after Mary Margaret quit her job at the shelter. Now, what David immediately noticed was that Mary Margaret was very much a cleaning freak. Should he leave dishes lying around or throw a few articles of clothing beside the hamper, she would get quite cross with him. Which could be very annoying.
The fact that she was such a morning person, even on the weekends, did not help either.
The thing was, for Mary Margaret, the obvious step after moving in together was getting married and having children. And lots of them. She had tried to talk to him about it numerous times, but David kept avoiding the subject. Marriage, he could maybe wrap his head around. But having children would truly bind them together forever, and David was not ready for that yet. In truth, he didn't know if he'd ever be. One day, he considered, he would have to make a decision. Go all in with Mary Margaret, or break it off with her.
That day was not today, though.
At least Regina was always there for him to talk to about Mary Margaret as well as anything else that crossed his mind. The only thing he hadn't told her was Mary Margaret's wish for children. He felt like discussing having children with another woman would truly close the door that was them, forever.
He wasn't ready for that yet, either.
Because sometimes he still wondered where they went wrong. The older he got, the more David realized that Regina might have been the one who got away. The one he could have been really, truly, happy with.
He thought he made peace with never finding that out, with never being with her, but he hadn't. Not really.
June 11th, 2014
On the next June 11th, David didn't need to be worried about making his choice regarding Mary Margaret anymore; she made it for him. Her nice personality had made way for a jealous and angry woman as she yelled at David while carrying his packed bags out onto the driveway.
"You've never been all in with us! Now I finally know why!" She shook her head disbelievingly and threw another one of his bags outside.
When this woman was angry, she was really something else. "Mary Margaret! I- come on!" He stood in the hallway watching her as she manhandled his bags, not believing what was happening.
She looked angrily back at him. "What 'come on', David? Are you saying it's not true? Tell me!"
She'd found his diary. Yes, he was a grown man and kept a diary. Rather weird, he knew, but the aspiring writer in him liked to write about his own thoughts and feelings as well as the fictional stories he wrote.
When Mary Margaret had gone through it- a total breach of privacy, as David argued- she'd come across entries about a certain woman numerous times.
His writings about Regina were mostly from days he'd seen her or spoken to her. He expressed the gratitude he felt for having her in his life but never going as far as describing the crush he'd had on her for years now. The loving way in which he wrote about her must have tipped Mary Margaret off, though, and she was green with jealousy.
Not entirely mis founded, David considered.
When he remained silent at her question, not denying that Regina was the reason he was not all in with Mary Margaret, she scoffed. "I knew it. You've always watered at the mouth whenever that whore came by. I should have gotten rid of her a long time ago."
What? "Whore? Gotten rid of her?" David said, confused. Where was the blushing and innocent woman he'd spent the last three years with? He became livid at the insult to Regina, who absolutely did not deserve Mary Margaret's bad mouthing. "Regina is not a whore. And-"
"Please," she interrupted him while walking past him into the house only to return with his car keys. She shoved them into his hands and continued to try and push him out the door. "The outfits she wears? Not to mention she has salacious stories about new men and women she's seeing every time I speak to her."
Reluctantly taking a few steps toward the front door, David ignored the outfit comment because it was just ridiculous. The turn this whole conversation had taken was. "As if you speak to her that often?! She's a single woman and she is allowed to date!"
"She's not single anymore," Mary Margaret snarled as she pushed him over the entryway and stood in the doorway while watching him down on the driveway alongside his packed bags. "Too bad for you," she mocked him with a faked pout before slamming the door in his face.
Well then.
He started carrying his bags to his car, accepting his fate and thinking of places he could crash for a while. He thought of Regina first, but like Mary Margaret mentioned, Regina is not single anymore. Some dude named Robin had come into her life and had pursued her from the first moment he'd laid eyes on her. David didn't like the man, but he had to say he was a smart one for immediately recognising Regina's value, and by pursuing her from the start. David himself could have learned from that when he'd first met Regina all those years ago. He never should have agreed to just be friends, when, even at the time, he'd known how special she was.
Maybe if things were different and she wasn't with Robin right now, he would have taken his chance. Maybe he would have convinced her to fuck it, fuck being responsible for the sake of friendship, and to give them a chance. Maybe it would have turned out wonderfully. But again, fate was not on their side and bad timing was. Another opportunity missed and another situation to add to the list of what could have been's.
June 11th, 2015
"David!" Regina caught his attention and patted the seat next to her, inviting him to sit next to her a little ways away from the dance floor. David's smile lit up as he saw her and made his way over to her, stopping for two glasses of champagne along the way.
"There you are, I got the feeling you've been avoiding me. I've barely seen you all evening." David remarked as he sat down and handed Regina the drink she was more than eager to accept.
She took a sip and sighed. "I know. It's Robin," she rolled her eyes half-heartedly. "He's barely left my side all evening. I didn't get the chance to come find you sooner." Regina patted David's cheek affectionately with her free hand before pulling it away again, not wanting it to become too intimate.
"Hmm, well, I'm glad I have a chance to speak to you," David squeezed her knee in response to her touch on his cheek and looked her in the eye. "I have some exciting news," he smiled.
"Really? Me too," Regina smirked.
They were at a wedding, Regina by chance knowing the bride while David was good friends with the groom. Both of them had known that the other was attending, and had been looking forward to seeing each other again.
"You first," Regina gestured to him and adjusted her seat on the chair, crossing her legs and drawing attention to the slit in the front of her dress, showing off her gorgeous legs.
David was distracted by those legs for just a moment before locking eyes with Regina again. Regina, who now had a mischievous glint in her eyes. David laughed a little foolishly and went ahead with his exciting news. "I got a book deal."
Regina's mouth fell open and a smile appeared on her perfectly pink lips. "You did?!" She knew David had been striving to become an author even though he'd worked at the animal shelter for years now. She was genuinely excited about this good news and leaned towards him to give him a seated hug. She pulled her head back to kiss his cheek and look him in the eye while still close to him. "I'm proud of you, Mr. Author," she said.
David chuckled and appreciated Regina's face from up close. "Thank you, thank you. I'm a little proud myself," he joked, and let go of Regina so they could separate and lean back into their chairs again. "Now, what's your exciting news?"
Smiling a little shyly and swiping hair out of her face, Regina altered, "Oh, I don't know if you'll be so excited for it." She rolled her lips and looked at him coyly. "Two things. I'm getting married,"
David's smile unconsciously fell from his face and a surprised look appeared in its stead before Regina continued.
"And... I'm pregnant." She revealed and her smile was happy as she looked down and her fingers lightly touched her abdomen.
David couldn't help but notice she looked absolutely beautiful.
His breath was taken away and he felt a surge of emotions. Of course, he was happy for his friend. But his heart also broke as he realised that this really was the end of any hope of he and Regina making it out together as a couple. Some voice in his head had always told him that he and Regina were meant to be, and that they would work it out some day. But with her engaged and expecting a child with another man, the window had really closed.
He forced a smile on his face and just said "Wow!" This was a genuine response, at least, because wow indeed. The next response was a little less genuine. "Regina! Wow, just, I'm so happy for you guys. A baby?!"
Regina chuckled and shook her head as if she herself couldn't quite believe it. "I know," she took another sip of her champagne and this caught David's eye and he frowned. Pregnant women weren't supposed to drink, right? Before he could make a comment, she continued. "It's crazy. I was scared when I found out because I didn't know if Robin would be happy, but he proposed right then and there."
Ah. So he had proposed because he found out Regina was pregnant. David had a bad feeling about all of it, but he didn't exactly know if he was justified in that feeling or if he was just being a jealous ass. But even if he was right in this feeling; you weren't supposed to react negatively when your friend told you they were getting married and having a child.
"I'm sure you'll be a good mother," he decided to say, and he wasn't lying. If anything, Regina would be a great mother. He'd felt personally how amazing her love feels when it's directed at you, and he was sure Regina would love her child to the moon and back. They would be so very lucky to have her.
As she went to take another sip of her champagne, though, David stopped her with his hand on hers. "You really should quit the alcohol, though."
Regina's big eyes stared blankly at him and he for once he couldn't read her, at all. After a few seconds, she grimaced and looked down. "I suppose you're right," she conceded and set the glass down on the table in front of her.
Then, they went back to discussing the exciting new chapters in both their lives with cheerful banter. David explained his book idea to her and Regina talked about the upcoming changes in her life, too.
After a while they got separated again when Robin came up to them and took his fiancée away from David for a dance.
When the evening ended David made sure to look her up before he went home, but seeing her and Robin cozied up together outside a little ways away from the party made him change his mind. He would text her when he was home instead.
June 11th, 2017
Seasons had shifted, eight times no less, and another two years had passed with Regina having given birth to a baby boy named Roland and having married Robin quickly and unceremoniously at town hall.
Quite soon after their union and the birth of their child, Robin had made it clear he expected Regina to quit her job and stay home with their son, like the perfect little housewife. Regina, entirely in love with her new son at the time, had eventually agreed.
Not exactly the life she'd always dreamt of, and not exactly the freedom she's always yearned for.
But, she made it work. After all, she loved her son dearly and would not trade anything in the world for him. His father, on the other hand, she wouldn't mind trading. Their love had dwindled down to a begrudging acceptance of each other. It was not like they fought a lot; there just wasn't any passion either.
The thing she didn't know, though, was that Robin was having an affair with one of the girls he'd met in the bar he frequented. Her name was Marian and Robin had been secretly sleeping with her for over a year now. It had started just after little Roland was born. This secret affair could very well be the reason that Robin and Regina were no longer in love. Or maybe they just never actually had been in love in the first place.
What was happening in David's life was a lot more exciting. His first book had been published and it was a great success. So great, in fact, that he'd already signed on to write at least two sequels to the fantasy novel he'd written. David was overjoyed that his life was finally beginning to get on track; the only thing missing now was love.
He knew how Regina and Robin were struggling and he guessed he was luckier to be single than to be stuck in a marriage like that.
He loved little Roland, though, and would see him often when he came by or when Regina brought him with her when she came to see David. The last time he and Regina had spent time alone without Roland had been a while ago because Robin wasn't one for 'babysitting' his own child. David despised him for that. Not the part where he was never alone with Regina anymore-although that wasn't a thing he was jumping up and down about-but the part where the man didn't seem interested in his own child; in his own family.
He figured there was nothing he could do about it, though, and tried not to spend too much time thinking about how Regina deserved so much better than the man she was currently stuck with.
And once more he figured that he would have treated her so much better, had he ever gotten the chance.
June 11th, 2018
"I'm so sorry, Regina," he said, not knowing what else to say to comfort her in light of this news.
Regina had gotten a divorce; she'd found out about Robin's cheating. Even though her relationship with him had never been everything she ever wanted from a partnership, being with him had been better than being alone. She had enough dignity to not stick around for a cheating husband, though, and had left him as soon as she found out about his infidelity. Little Roland didn't know what was going on with the split, which was the thing that broke Regina's heart most.
Tonight, she'd come here to forget about all of that, though, and have fun with her best friend.
She smiled at David reassuringly, "Don't be sorry." Why should he be? It wasn't his fault.
He wasn't sorry. Not really. How could he be? He'd never liked the man, and now he'd cheated on Regina. Idiot. Of course, he was sorry that Regina had been betrayed. But he was not sorry that the jerk was finally out of her life.
Well, as out of her life as he could be, seeing as they shared a child.
Three comfort movies and several hours later, they were snuggled up in front of the couch. Regina liked to sit on the floor resting back against it, something that David had always considered to be ridiculous. He still thought the concept was crazy-a couch was made to sit on, not in front of-, but with Regina resting against his chest and her lovely smell surrounding him, he couldn't say he minded the position.
Regina grabbed the blanket they were wrapped up in more firmly and drew it up to her chin, drawing it away from him in the process and looking up at him while smiling sheepishly at the fact that she was stealing the blanket again. David only shook his head endearingly and tucked her hair behind her ear, almost out of instinct.
"You still cold?" He asked as he moved his hand down to rub her arm through the material of the blanket and tightened the arm that was around her middle, holding her to him. How exactly they had ended up in this intimate position, they couldn't tell, but it seemed like the natural thing to do.
Regina lifted her head from his chest and locked eyes with him for a second, then she looked down to where he was rubbing her arm and back up at him again. "Not anymore," she said a little suggestively.
One of David's eyebrows raised. The more flirty side to their relationship had vanished alongside their chances of being together years ago back in Amsterdam, when Regina had wanted to make the line they couldn't cross as clear as day. Apparently, today was the day she wanted to blur those lines again, and David couldn't say he minded.
"Yeah?" He said as he moved his arm to underneath the blanket to stroke the bare flesh of her arm, all the way from her elbow to her shoulder and back again. He searched her eyes intensively to see what she was feeling, how she'd react. He knew these touches were rather innocent, but they were more than he and Regina had ever done after the vacation incident.
Regina sat up a little, no longer resting against his chest but with one of her legs thrown over his body, she still angled towards him with her hands on his shoulders. "David?" She asked him, and her eyes flitted down to his lips which were oh so very close.
"Regina?" He asked back a little tentatively. God, he wanted her. She looked exquisite tonight, as always, and knowing that she was technically single again had *little* David on high alert all night. Still, he would never make the first move. Not tonight, and not any night in the near future; he wanted to give her more of a chance to grieve her marriage. But he'd wanted her for so long. If she decided she'd had enough grieving and made the first move, David would not, could not, stop her.
Rather cold hands moved from his shoulders up to his neck, cupping it on both sides. The pressure on those hands increased and David followed Regina's lead, leaning toward her.
They were centimetres apart. Regina flexed her fingers and dug her nails into David's skin, licking her lips as she tried to think through what she was about to do. But there was no coherent thinking. Not when, for the life of her, she couldn't remember why she ever rejected David in the first place. Not when his lips were so close to hers that she could practically taste them already. Not when she's wanted this for years.
So, she made the move and crashed her lips against David's. It deepened immediately, mouths opening and tongues stroking as David moved his hands to her waist, practically picking her up and sitting her back on his lap so that she was properly straddling him, the blanket they had been wrapped in now discarded halfway on the floor and halfway on his legs. When she was situated, David grabbed the back of her neck with one hand, fingers tangling in long locks as they both tilted their heads to deepen their kiss even more.
It was intense. Years of pent up emotion, admiration and straight up want coming to the surface and making the both of them lightheaded.
Regina sat up on her knees, only to tower over David so he had to tilt his head up to her. From this angle she could kiss him with more force, and she did, pressing down on his lips hard, teeth clacking but neither of them caring.
After a few moments, the kiss slowed and softened, drawing out for long moments as neither of them wanted to ever stop. When they did part, and Regina sat back on David's thighs again, they stayed close, breathing the same air. "I want you," Regina said, not beating around the bush, and she could feel he wanted her in return. The evidence of it was growing between her thighs.
David groaned, coming from her mouth the thing he'd been wanting to hear for ages. Just that simple sentence had desire shooting through him and he couldn't help but kiss her again, enveloping her lips with his and sucking on her plump bottom lip, loving her taste and the way she responded; so very eagerly. He pulled back shortly to make clear: "I want you too. Been wanting you for fucking ages," and he dove forward again to keep kissing her. She didn't have a chance to respond to his words but instead moaned eagerly at them, biting on his upper lip lightly before soothing the skin and taking back control of the kiss.
David moved his hands to Regina's ass, figuring that he was finally allowed to cup a feel, and it felt even more glorious than his mind had made him believe. The material of her dress wasn't very thick and so he could squeeze her cheeks nicely. He moaned at the feel of it.
This is when Regina started moving her hips, grinding on him while her arms went to wind around his head, their torsos pressing together as their kiss continued.
But before too long, all of this wasn't enough anymore. Their lips smacked as Regina pulled back abruptly, and she stood up. David's hands regrettably fell off her body as she did so, and he immediately missed the feel of her in his palms. But as Regina stood, looking down on him with her lips curving into a seductive smile, David was only excited for what was to come next. Regina's hands disappeared behind her body, pulling down the zipper on her dress and a few seconds later, the material fell down to her feet and David's eyes couldn't take in all of her newly exposed skin fast enough. He was still moving his eyes over her greedily when she took a few steps back, into the direction of the stairs. "Coming?" She asked, but she needn't have. David was already scrambling to his feet.
As he took a few paces towards her, he got rid of his own t-shirt and threw it somewhere in the general direction of the couch, but not really caring should it end up on the floor. When he reached for her, she quickly stepped back and out of reach. This happened once, twice more before David moved fast and wrapped his arms around her, going straight for her ass again as he pulled her up against him by the supple flesh there and kissed her for a few seconds. Then, he let her go again and gestured to the stairs, "After you." When she took the first step into the direction of the stairs, he playfully swatted her ass, just because he could.
Regina didn't comment on it but rather reached behind herself again and unfastened her bra, the silent request for him to stop fucking around and follow her to his bedroom worked, for all David could think about now, as Regina discarded her bra onto the floor, were her naked tits -which were out of sight for him what with her back turned to him-, and he followed her as fast as he could.
When they arrived in his room, his good 'friend' Regina knowing the way there by heart, they did not hesitate in getting undressed as fast as they could (not that it took much for Regina, her panties being the only thing left at that point). A few heated kisses and presses of bodies standing in the middle of his room later, they separated and Regina climbed onto the bed first. David watched her as she did, her muscles flexing with the movements, and he was certain he was looking at the hottest woman he'd ever seen.
When she stilled facing the headboard, sitting on all fours and looking back to him suggestively with her perfect ass cheeks on display, his breath caught. "Fuck me like this, David," she said, voice deeper than normal with arousal. It was the sexiest thing he'd ever heard.
David quickly climbed onto the bed after her, wanting nothing more than to thrust into her and start fucking her hard and fast. Still, he refrained himself and decided on something else first. He kneeled and leaned down behind her, face coming in line with her ass. He guided her legs a little more apart and her perfect center came into view, a little red and a lot wet, from what he could see looking at her parted folds.
He grabbed Regina's ass cheeks and drew them apart before diving in.
First, he licked her from her clit all the way down to her entrance, circling it and tasting the wetness that had already gathered there. Then, he thrusted his stiffened tongue inside, and out again, a few times. Regina moved back onto him each time, searching for more. After a few strokes, David moved up to her clit, sucking it between his lips and rubbing it with his tongue. He could stay eating her out forever, her taste intoxicating as hell, but his cock was asking for more and going off of the wet heat that was Regina's pussy, she was ready for it.
So, he left her centre, but not without one last lick down the length of her, ending between her cheeks, almost reaching the other hole that resided there.
David sat up on his knees, grabbed her hip in one hand and his length in the other, and guided himself inside of her.
Upon first entrance, they both moaned.
He felt big inside of her. Regina hadn't really had the time to look at him, his cock, before he made his entrance, but she could tell he was well endowed.
"Fuck," he muttered and gripped her hips more firmly with both hands before he started thrusting. Slow, at first, to give Regina a chance to get used to him, steadily moving in, and out, in, and back out again, going deep.
"Yes, David, give it to me," she needed him to. She hadn't had decent sex with Robin since she became pregnant with Roland, so it'd been a long time. And God knows that this, she and David finally giving in and fucking out all these pent up feelings, had been a long time coming. Long story short; she needed him to fuck her, nice and hard. She needed to come.
"You want me to give it to you?" He groaned and pushed in harder on his next thrust, going to the hilt, his hips pressing against her ass.
Regina didn't respond but ahh'd when she felt him starting to hit her harder, encouraging him. She shifted from her hands down to her elbows, forehead resting on the mattress and back arched to take David inside of her.
David's view was just fantastic. Though he didn't like how little he'd seen of Regina's tits yet, he figured there would be more time later and enjoyed her naked back-muscles flexing as she held herself up-, as well as the curve of her hips and ass. She was just exquisite.
Then he got an idea. He stopped thrusting for a moment, pulling out and reaching over Regina for one of the pillows.
Regina, who had been increasingly enjoying his thrusts, made a disapproving sound. But when he put the pillow in front of her, she figured she may as well take the comfort and laid her head on it sideways, her elbows resting beside it.
But as David guided himself inside her again, Regina moving backwards to impale herself on him just that little faster, David seemed to have a different idea for her arms.
He grabbed one wrist, then the other, and drew them both back, Regina's upper body weight now half resting on her face and chest and half being held up by her arms being pulled back.
Then, he started thrusting again, their new position making for good leverage for him to pull her back onto his cock by his grip on her wrists on every one of his inward strokes.
After a few experimental thrusts, David got the hang of it and started going harder, looking down to see her ass rippling every time he slapped hard against it with his hips as his his length disappeared inside of her.
Regina couldn't do much in this position except arch her back and take everything he gave her and oh, it felt amazing when he rapped his hips against hers just so.
"Faster," she said, though she was left in no position to make demands as he controlled her movements as well as his own. Yet faster, he went-oh yes, like that, that feels good.
Fuck, she was close already.
More and more sounds left her throat at David fucked into her hard, fast, and not to mention deep.
"You're close, aren't you?" David panted and he pulled her back harder onto him on his next stroke.
A breathy "Uh-huh," was her only response as she focused on the coiling feeling inside of her, ready spring.
"Let go, Regina," David's thrusts didn't falter as he too felt the need to come, but held back. He stroked hard, hard, hard, again, again and again, their skin slapping together and adding to the sounds that he and Regina were already producing. "Come, now."
And a handful of thrusts later, she did. She clenched hard, soaking David's cock with her release as he kept pounding inside of her. She felt so good, and with every one of his thrusts the feeling was only elevated as she just didn't stop coming.
Then, he pulled out. It gave her pussy the time to relax and stop coming, Regina letting out a whine at the loss of contact as David let go of her wrists and turned her around so that for the first time since he'd started fucking her, she was seeing his face.
He spread her knees and Regina was happy to feel him pushing inside her again, thrusting quickly, the aftershocks of her orgasm having her clench on him hard still. "Wanna see your face while I come inside you," he muttered and oh, fuck yes.
He fucked her relentlessly, making Regina wonder if she was going to come a second time before he groaned and came, filling her with his come and collapsing on top of her.
Regina moaned one more time as she felt their combined juices starting to flow out of her while he was still inside of her, the feeling to dirty yet so good at the same time.
"Well," she sighed rather blissfully and David lifted his head from her shoulder to look at her face. "I guess we're not 'just friends' anymore now, huh?"
June 11th, 2019
"Can I open my eyes yet?" David complained as Regina walked him into their bedroom. She had a little surprise for him, something he really was not expecting.
David had talked to Regina about marriage multiple times, expressing his desire to marry her. Regina, having already been divorced once, hadn't been ready. And what was the rush? They'd been together for less than a year when David brought up the topic of marriage. They'd be together for years to come still. That was why Regina had in no uncertain terms told David to not even think about proposing to her.
And he hadn't. David was a very patient man who would wait for Regina forever, if he had to.
So now, on the anniversary of their first year together as a couple, Regina felt she was ready and was taking the lead.
She guided David to sit on the bed and instructed him to keep his eyes closed for just another minute. In preparation, Regina had lit about a dozen candles and had laid down some rose petals- she was going to do this the cliche way.
She kneeled down in front of David in somewhat of a circle of petals, not very gracefully thanks to the tight fit of her red dress. She'd bought a simple silver band, which laid neatly in the box that she now held in her hand.
"Okay. Open your eyes," Regina said. She knew what David's answer was going to be, but still her heart was beginning to beat all the way up in her throat with anticipation.
When David opened his eyes, his face immediately broke out in a smile just because he got to see Regina's face, not even having recognized what was going on. He saw Regina, sitting on the floor before him, on her knees. He saw rose petals on the ground, and candles lit up around them. Lastly, he noticed the small box in Regina's hand. His eyes widened.
"David," Regina began. There wasn't going to be a whole speech. David knew how Regina felt about him and Regina felt confident enough in their love that she didn't have to recite all the reasons she wanted to be with him again. "We've talked about marriage. And I've told you time and again I wasn't ready, and that you'd better not try anything like..." she gestured to around herself a little comically, "well, like this."
David smiled disbelievingly at Regina, looking deep into her eyes. Was she really doing this? Fuck, he loved her so much.
"But, I'm ready now. I love you. So, David Nolan," without breaking eye contact with him, she opened the box which contained the ring she planned on giving him in a minute. "Will you marry me?"
Already getting off the bed to come kneel in front of her, David laughed out loud and grabbed Regina's face with both of his hands, kissing her on the lips hard. When he pulled back after a chase kiss, he nodded. "Hell yes I'll marry you." Then he kissed her again, deeper this time, passionately.
Regina laughed into the kiss, turning her head to break it, and grabbed the ring from it's container. When she slid the cold material over his finger, everything felt like it fell into place. Regina was still marveling over the fact that David had said yes even though she'd already knew he would and was still looking at the ring on his finger, when she heard him speaking, only catching the end of his sentence.
"... future Mrs. Nolan."
Regina narrowed her eyes at him and lifted her chin while pressing her index finger into his chest as she corrected: "Mr. Mills." It was only fair. After all, she was the one who proposed. She was making him, hers.
David followed her example and narrowed his eyes as well, as he amended: "Nolan-Mills."
In reality, he'd become Mr. Mills in a heartbeat. He couldn't care less about any of it, as long as at the end of the day, he'd get to call Regina his wife.
"Mills-Nolan," Regina made another offer, grinning at him with mischievous eyes.
David shook his head adoringly and grabbed Regina's chin while planting a kiss on her lips. "Mills-Nolan," he agreed, murmuring against her lips before enveloping them again in a passionate kiss.
June 11th 2020
June 11th had become somewhat of a lucky date for David and Regina, since they officially started their relationship as well as got engaged on this date. This was why they figured that they should just as well get married on this day. Which is how they ended up here, in church (even though neither of them was very religious), about to say I do.
They stood before each other, Regina in a stunning off-white dress and David in a black suit, hands entwined as they listened to the minister, awaiting the moment they would recite their vows. They had chosen for the traditional vows, agreeing that they would exchange more personal ones later on that night. It would feel more intimate that way.
As David looked at his lovely bride, he reflected upon their last two years together for a moment. Their relationship had been nothing short of blissful and he had never been happier in his life. He believed he could say the same thing for Regina. She had absolutely lit up in the time they'd been together and the smile that seemed to be on her face more often than it ever had before was no doubt the most beautiful thing David had ever seen.
The only thing that was still missing now was a child of their own. He and Regina had discussed it and they had been trying, but no luck so far. The fact that they hadn't conceived yet did not put a damper on their happiness, though, for they were hopeful it would happen one day. And if it didn't; it simply wasn't meant to be. Just having Regina and Roland was enough for David.
David devoted a quick thought to how he'd never wanted children with Mary Margaret, even when she'd begged him for it. He now figured that he just needed to find the right person to share that experience with. And God knows Regina was the right person. She was his person.
He was quickly brought back from his musings when Regina squeezed his hand tightly and when he refocused his attention on her face and saw her looking at him with all the love in the world, he felt like the luckiest man on the whole planet as he smiled back at her, stroking the palm of her hand with his thumb.
Then it was time for the vows. They got through that rather easily and with no errors, and quickly it was her turn to say I do. Just before she could open her mouth to speak, though, David quipped: "This is your last chance to get rid of me, darling."
Regina chuckled along with their guests and she half-heartedly rolled her eyes at him. "Never."
And that was that. They both accepted the other as their lawfully wedded spouse and smooched to make it official.
... 'Till death do them part.
June 11, 2021
Exactly one year ago today David and Regina had officially started their lives together, promising to love and to cherish, to have and to hold, for better or worse.
The last year had been all better. They'd been on a blissful cloud of happiness and Regina had been just starting to wonder how long it would take for something, anything, to happen to ruin the streak of happiness they'd been on. Because certainly, life could not be as easy as this, could it?
But, as Regina saw her timer go off and looked up to the little device on the sink, she realised that luck was on their side once more. She squealed out a little happy sound at the reality that she and David were having a baby; she was pregnant.
Her mind immediately went to scenarios on how she'd tell David, all kinds of special ways to go about it. In the end, she knew she would never be able to keep this from him, though, not even for the short amount of time it could take her to pull something special together. The moment he'd walk through their front door this afternoon she was going to burst with the excitement. She already was, and it was hard not to call him right now to let him know the good news. After all, they had wanted this for well over a year now.
Regina was glad that Roland was at a playmate for the afternoon, so that she and David could spend some alone time together after she'd told him of the new addition to their family. Maybe they could even celebrate while hot and sweaty between the sheets.
She looked at her watch, seeing that David was supposed to arrive home any time now. She would hear him arrive, though, the motorcycle he insisted on driving around on made an awful lot of sound. She quickly got up from the side of the tub she'd been perched upon while waiting on the pregnancy test, leaving the stick there to show to David later while Regina made her way downstairs.
When she stepped down the last stair step, heeled shoe clicking on the hardwoord floor, she heard something coming from outside. It sounded like somewhat of a crash, muffled by distance as well as the walls of her home.
Regina didn't think much of it. Still, her curiosity made her walk to the living room and to the window looking out on the road their home was next to.
Looking out to the left side, Regina frowned when she saw a truck looking to be standing still on the middle of the road. Had it hit something? Her eyes searched the vicinity of the truck and quickly she noticed something on the ground a few meters from the truck.
Two somethings. Something dark blue and something black.
David's motorcycle was dark blue.
His motorcycle suit; black.
Regina's eyes went wide and her jaw slacked. That wasn't David lying there on the ground, right? Right?
As quick as she could, Regina ran from the living room to the front door, leaving it opened as she sprinted towards the intersection where the truck and the other things which Regina didn't want to believe were her husband and his motorcycle laid. With her heels on, though, Regina wasn't as fast as she liked. She stopped for a second, kicked her shoes off, and continued.
Her eyes were focused on the person (as she got closer she could definitely make out that it was, in fact, a person) laying there, completely still, praying it wasn't David. From the corner of her eye, though, she saw someone exiting the truck. The person made their way toward the unfortunate soul they had just hit.
The man who had gotten out of the truck crouched down next to the body laying there (Regina couldn't yet believe that it was David,) and he went to take off the helmet they wore. "No don't!" Regina yelled. She didn't know much about medicine and healthcare and all that, but she did know that you didn't go moving a person that had just been hit by a truck, in case they'd damaged something in their back or neck.
The man that was sat down on the ground startled at her loud voice, but as Regina finally arrived at the site and she fell down to the ground on the other side of the body, she didn't care to see what they were doing aside from the fact they had stopped their movement towards (not) David.
"He came outta nowhere, I swear," the man said, obviously in shock himself. Regina didn't listen, though, but just looked at the unmoving man she sat beside.
She recognized that suit. Those shoes. The ring he wore on his left hand.
"No," she shook her head in despair, face twisted in terror. "David?" She asked in a small voice, hoping he'd hear her. Hell, hoping he'd hear her and tell her he was not David, who was she even talking about?
She sniffed and oh so gently leaned over him to move the face shield that kept her from seeing and determining that this was David without a doubt. When his face came into view, it took Regina everything she had not to collapse right there. She couldn't risk jostling him, though.
It was David.
"Call 911," she said, trying to keep calm but feeling the first tears start to gather in her eyes.
"I swear I didn't see him, oh my god I-"
Regina didn't care. "I don't have a phone on me. Call 911, or give me your phone, please!" Her voice turned a little hysterical at the end, realizing now that every second could count. She ripped her eyes away from David's face to look the man straight in the eyes, begging him to do as she said. He got up and walked back to his truck wordlessly, which Regina assumed was because he went to get his phone. She watched him walk over there, and only when she saw him grab his phone and fumble with it, then put it to his ear, did she look back at David.
His eyes were closed and he looked pale. The deep scratches on the side of the helmet where it had hit the concrete sickened Regina to her stomach as she imagined that that could have been his face.
Reminded of injuries, she looked his body over to see if she could find any. His motorcycle suit was ripped in some places, scratched up badly in a lot of others just like the helmet, but from what Regina could assess, there were no obvious injuries. At least, there was no pool of blood gathering around him. That must have been a good sight, right?
Regina thought of what she could do for David right now, but came up empty. It was a matter of waiting on the ambulance. So, for the first time since she was looking out the window and saw a motionless David lying on the street, her mind stopped reeling with things she could do, things she had to do, and her mind took this time to get her to realise what had just happened. What still could happen. David could die (or maybe he already had.)
She choked dry air and the first tears fell down her cheeks as she thought about David dying, but she couldn't linger on that thought for too long.
She looked at the wrist on his left arm, which was laying at quite a weird angle. Regina considered feeling it, to see if she could feel a pulse. But then again, if she wouldn't feel a pulse; she'd rather not know. She'd rather believe he was still alive.
So, she avoided his wrist but grabbed his hand gently, thumb moving over one of his fingers to comfort him, if he could even feel her at all. "Don't you dare die, David," she told him, voice breaking as more tears made their way down her face. He couldn't die. He couldn't leave her; she needed him. They were best friends, lovers, soulmates. He was more of a father to Roland than Robin ever was and not to mention the fact that she'd just found out he'd fathered another one of their children. "Don't you dare."
Leaning down to press her forehead to his hand, getting as close to hugging some part of him as she would dare, she muttered: "I love you."
She rocked her body back and forth a little, trying to soothe herself but obviously failing. In the distance, she could hear sirens wailing. "Do you hear that?" She whispered. "The ambulance is almost here. You're going to be just fine."
About a minute later, two nurses stepped out of an ambulance and took David after securing his neck with a brace. They made quick work of getting him on a gurney and into the ambulance after having listened for a heartbeat which was luckily still faintly there. When they took him back to the hospital, Regina rode with them in the front of the vehicle.
After they arrived at the hospital, it was all a bit of a blur. She was pointed into the general direction of a waiting area as the doctors took David to a restricted area where they were hopefully saving his life. Regina wandered the halls for a bit, not having understood where exactly she should be heading to wait. Eventually someone who she assumed worked at the hospital guided her to a chair and told her to sit and wait there.
And she did. Surprisingly, it didn't take long before a doctor found her. Or maybe it just seemed like it didn't take long; time could move fast when you were thinking about the person you loved dying prematurely.
Regina looked hopefully up at the doctor, not being able to read her face. "You are family of David Mills-Nolan?"
She nodded impatiently and stood up, waiting for the news that would either make her the happiest woman on earth right now or shatter her life completely.
Then, the worst thing happened. The doctor's face scrunched up in some sort of sorrowful way and Regina knew the news before she'd even heard it. The doctor was going on and on, something about a collapsed lung and internal bleeding. It was all extra noise compared to the absolute shitshow that was going on inside her head, and she couldn't keep up. The doctor ends with: "We did all we could."
"He died?" Regina asks as she focused her eyes, looking at the doctor for confirmation. She needed confirmation. Or she wouldn't believe it. "David is dead?"
"He is. He died. I'm so sorry for your loss."
All Regina can think as the doctor retreats is that she should have made that damned call she wanted to give him to tell him the happy news of their pregnancy. Or, even if she'd only called him for a minute, just to tell him to hurry home- safely-, this could have been avoided. Just a ten second difference in the timeline would have kept David from crashing into that truck. She should have fucking called him.
But David was gone. Dead. Never waking up. Never meeting their child. Even though he'd only been a hundred meters from home.
He'd nearly made it.
But he hadn't.
As she thinks about all this, another thought pops into her head. She'd wasted thirteen years. If she hadn't pushed him away from the very start, they would have had thirteen more years together. Thirteen years seemed like a lifetime when all she'd gotten now was four of them.
Exactly one year ago today, Regina and David had vowed each other 'till death do them part. Never had she imagined in her worst nightmares that death would part them this quickly.
As she stands staring blankly ahead of herself, she feels something between her thighs slowly making its way down her left leg. When she slowly turns her head to look down, as if it takes her all the effort in the world to make this small movement, she sees a trail of blood running from underneath her skirt down her leg, followed by more and more streaks of the red liquid.
This was the moment Regina realised that she'd not just lost her husband, but their unborn child as well.
And just like that, June 11th had turned from one of the best days of her life into the absolute worst.
Fin
TW: Major character death.
I included some smut in between the pining and the dying so you'd have something to enjoy too lmaoo.