Chapter 5

"Alright, ladies and gents, I'm delighted to announce… it's here," Killian proclaimed confidently as he slid into his usual chair at the lunch table between Emma and David. Emma, Mary Margaret, and David were currently discussing their miserable homework
loads and how they were possibly going to find a way to complete it before the weekend. Regina, who was caught up in a far more interesting discussion with Robin and Gold about which teachers they would rather assassinate, was just about to sassily
point out how intensely lame they were, before Killian's arrival.

"Well, this certainly doesn't bode well," Gold responded, rolling his eyes.

"I'm actually slightly afraid right now," said David, laughing. Snow nodded in agreement, grinning. Emma just rolled her eyes at Killian's ridiculous mannerisms.

"The way you just announced that makes me already hate what you're going to say." Regina snarked.

"And I'm just confused," Robin confessed, letting out a laugh. Robin, although he had certainly been accepted into the group, was still trying to get the hang of all of their weird customs and rituals. For example, whenever Killian seemed excited about
something, it typically was either something completely irrelevant and bizarre, or, more often, was something straight up life endangering.

"You are all bloody unsupportive friends, that's what you are. Maybe I just won't invite any of you to the party I'm hosting this weekend when Liam leaves town," Killian snapped, knowing full well he was going to shut them all up with that bit. It was
almost amusing how quickly everyone stopped sassing him and leaned forward to discuss the new notion of a party.

Partying in Storybrook was… difficult, to say the very least. The town was simply too small, and no matter how low key someone tried to keep a party, it always ended up drawing the attention of practically every teenager in town and, consequently, was
shut down by the very bored sheriff's station. So, for the most part, not many people had the courage to try and cheat the system and throw a party. Except for Killian, of course. His parties were practically famous, as his brother Liam's had been
when he was in high school. A Jones party was certainly something that caught the eye of any teenager with a social life, and certainly something to be eagerly anticipated. Especially the first one of the year, as this one would be.

"That's what I thought," Killian smirked complacently, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms across his chest proudly. Regina rolled her eyes.

"Pretty sure we're your only friends, so," Regina snarked, shooting Killian a nasty but playful smile. She'd felt he was having too much fun being in charge and thought she'd take him down a few notches.

"What gave you the impression that you and I were friends…?" Killian retorted, raising his eyebrows. After a moment of holding his challenging stare, Regina laughed and broke the tension. She and Killian had always had pretty exceptional sarcasm matches,
she liked that he was tough enough to take her insults. David was too sensitive a lot of the time. And if she ever made fun of Gold he would just snap back with a complete roast of her and he wouldn't be joking, so she typically refrained from messing
with him. And Robin was… well, sadly, Regina found that she never truly wanted to insult him.

"Enough, you two, I want details," Mary Margaret interjected.

"Saturday night. Nine o'clock. Upperclassmen only," Killian answered her, appearing to be having way too much fun with this. Killian had always loved to be the center of attention, especially concerning all things mischievous.

Oh, excellent, Regina had waited for this moment for the past month. The perfect opening to give Gold a hard time about his tragically obvious crush on Belle French, a bookishly pretty freshman who had managed to maneuver her way into several of their
junior year classes. Belle had somehow managed to convince Storybrook High's administration to let her test out of several of her classes, and she had landed herself smack in the middle of junior math, english, and history. Quite frankly, Regina wasn't
sure what it was about her that had Gold so infatuated, she didn't really seem like his type. She seemed too… sweet and good for his taste. But, regardless of this, Gold appeared to have fallen head over heels. And, considering that Gold was virtually
emotionless most of the time, there was no way in hell Regina was going to pass up an opportunity to embarrass him for his sudden display of affection.

"Did you hear that, Gold? Upperclassmen only," Regina said pointedly to Gold, smirking evilly. David and Killian both absolutely erupted into laughter, while Robin just softly grinned. Clearly, the three of them knew exactly what Regina was referring
to. Emma and Mary Margaret, on the other hand, looked completely bewildered.

"I'm sitting right here, aren't I?" Gold responded suspiciously, glaring at Regina. She arched an eyebrow.

"I just felt like it should be clarified, because I figured you might not want to attend if Belle French isn't going to be there," Regina said matter of factly. This was one of the few times she really wouldn't mind someone calling her the evil queen,
because she knew she absolutely deserved it. But the opportunity to roast Gold was just too good to pass up. So worth it.

The color seemed to completely drain from Gold's face. And if looks could kill, the one he was giving Regina would have obliterated her from the face of the planet.

"I resent that implication-" Gold began to argue furiously.

"Alright, Gold, the jig is up, I've been waiting to talk about this all month," David interrupted, still chortling loudly. Gold shifted his glare from Regina over to David and Killian.

"What the hell is going on?" Emma interjected irritably, before Gold could threaten all of them. Mary Margaret nodded eagerly in agreement, seemingly equally as confused as Emma.

"Gold, here, seems to have developed a slight.. crush, shall we say, on Belle French," Killian explained, still laughing. Gold looked like he was truly considering jumping out the window next to their table.

"From the bottom of my heart, I hate all of you," Gold snapped, closing his eyes in sheer embarrassment.

"Jesus Christ, Gold, she's like five years old!" Emma exclaimed in disgust, swatting Gold's shoulder. Regina didn't think it was possible for Gold to look any more embarrassed.

"It's a good thing that I don't have any interest in her then!" Gold snarled viciously. David and Killian, who had just stopped laughing, started up again.

"Huh, guess we were wrong then. That's a shame though, she's hot," Killian responded easily, obviously completely bluffing. Regina could almost feel the waves of fury coming off of Emma at that comment. Not to mention, Gold immediately lunged forward
in his seat towards Killian.

"I will end your life, Killian," Gold growled, glaring at him.

"Oh yeah. No feelings there, clearly," Regina said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Everyone laughed again at that, besides Gold, who leaned back in his seat again, clearly mortified.

"I hate you all, I hope you know that," he muttered furiously. Mary Margaret placed her hand on his shoulder sympathetically.

"Come on, Gold, it's not so bad. I think it's sweet!" she exclaimed, smiling at him warmly. Regina almost gagged, Snow would think that.

"Now I really want to kill myself," Gold groaned, burying his face into his hands. Mary Margaret shook her head, bemused.

"We're just giving you a hard time. Besides, I wouldn't mind if you invited Belle, mate," Killian said to Gold, half smiling. Gold glared at him.

"I am not inviting Belle, thank you very much," Gold snapped, much to everyone else's amusement. "And if we don't change the subject in the next five seconds-"

"Alright, Gold, point taken. Moving on," Regina interrupted him. She felt that since she'd brought him into the center of humiliation, it was only right that she should help get him out.

"Well, this now makes Sunday even more stressful for homework, since the football game is on Friday, and now the party Saturday," David said sadly. Regina raised her eyebrows.

"You would plan on doing homework on a Saturday," she couldn't resist snarking.

"Someone remind me why we're friends with her, again?" David responded, rolling his eyes. Regina grinned.

"Trust me, the party will be worth it," Killian reassured him, winking.

"Exactly what does a Storybrook party entail, might I ask?" Robin said, speaking for the first time in awhile.

"Well, for most of us it doesn't involve getting so drunk that you rob a convenient store," Regina said to him under her breath. Robin chuckled and lightly nudged her shoulder. The contact sent shockwaves of electricity through her body. She did what
she could to ignore them.

"The usual. Drinking, regrettable hook ups, the works," Killian answered, grinning. Emma gave him a very pointed stare at that comment. It was pretty obvious that she and Killian were going through a downstage in their relationship, though Regina still
was yet to get the specifics on why that was.

"Alright, somebody, most embarrassing hook up story, go," Robin responded playfully, glancing around at all of them.

"There's always the time that Gold hooked up with Zelena," Emma pointed out, snickering. Regina and Gold both simultaneously groaned loudly.

"Really, Emma, did you have to?" Regina snapped irritably. This had to be one of Regina's least favorite stories. Least favorite moments, honestly.

"Have I not been humiliated enough today?" Gold grumbled irritably.

"Wait, isn't Zelena your…?" Robin trailed off, looking at Regina for confirmation. Regina nodded miserably.

"My half sister, yes."

"Isn't she a senior? Why was she even at a party you were at?" Robin asked confusedly.

"Well-" Killian began to explain deviously.

"That's an excellent question," Regina interrupted irritably, glaring at Killian, who had been the one who'd invited her.

"Regina and I had been having a bit of an argument that week, you see…" Killian trailed off, grinning fondly at Regina. Regina responded with a venomous glare.

"Yes, so Killian thought it would be a good idea to invite Zelena to his party for revenge," Regina continued, rolling her eyes. Robin raised his eyebrows.

"She's really that awful? That having her at a party actually qualifies as revenge?"

"Zelena is honestly the worst," Emma answered Robin's question, cracking up. Regina nodded in vehement agreement.

"And… somehow, having her at this party resulted in Gold and her hooking up?" Robin questioned curiously. Gold groaned pathetically again.

"I was drunk!"

"And desperate," David pointed out.

"Shut up, Charming."

"We were playing spin the bottle, and Gold and Zelena just went for it, in front of everyone, it was bloody amazing," Killian reminisced, cracking up at the memory.

"It was disgusting," Regina snapped angrily, glaring at him.

"I'm leaving," Gold muttered, making a move to stand up from the table. Regina grabbed his arm and pulled him back into his chair.

"Actions have consequences, sit down," Regina commanded, grinning at him. Gold just shook his head in disbelief at his horrible luck today.

"So I gather that Zelena will not be invited to the party this weekend, then?" Robin mused, leaning back in his chair.

"If Killian doesn't want me to set his house on fire," Regina snapped. Killian and Robin both laughed.

"No, no Zelena's at this party," Killian answered, lightly punching Regina's shoulder.

Just as Killian made this comment, however, Ruby Lucas, who had been walking by their table, paused behind Killian's chair.

"Did I just hear that you were having a party, Killian?" she asked curiously, her eyes wide with interest. Ruby was dressed in her typical Ruby fashion today, in a bright red mini skirt and a white blouse, with the bottom tied up in a knot to reveal a
strip of her toned stomach. Her hair, which was jet black with occasional bright streaks of red scattered about, had been straightened and hung almost to the small of her back. Her eye makeup was dark and smoky, and her lips were a dark red.

"You sure did, love. Tell all your friends," Killian answered her, with a cocky grin and a wink. Ruby smirked and walked off, probably to, indeed, tell the rest of the grade the good news.

Regina wouldn't consider herself a partier, by any stretch of the imagination, but even she couldn't deny that she was excited for this.

Frankly, Killian's party couldn't have come at a better time. Regina needed a drink, and she needed one badly.

"Come on, Regina, it could have been worse," Mary Margaret tried, comfortingly placing her hand on Regina's shoulder. Mary Margaret, Emma, and Regina had just made their escape out of Regina's house, where they had been getting ready for the party together.
They were now beginning the fifteen minute walk to Killian's house.

"You would say that, seeing as she just complimented you," Regina snarked furiously, still fuming from her most recent encounter with Cora. Mary Margaret rolled her eyes, but conceded defeat with a shrug.

Mary Margaret and Emma always insisted on getting ready for any event that required them to look attractive at Regina's house. Something about her bathroom being the largest. Whatever the reason, Regina would have done anything to change the tradition.
Cora always took it upon herself to passive aggressively insult whatever Regina was wearing, or how she looked in general, and then compare her to Mary Margaret. Recently, Cora had particularly taken to criticizing Regina's figure and trying to passively
imply that she had gained weight, or didn't look good in whatever she was wearing. Cora had always really enjoyed nagging her on that topic, but recently she'd been on a rampage. And tonight had been no exception.

"Yeah, that was pretty rough. Cora is such a bitch, I don't understand why she hates you so much," Emma admitted, shaking her head. Regina was exceptionally grateful for Emma's blatantness and support at the moment. Mary Margaret often tried to defend
Cora's horrible behavior, while Emma had no trouble completely denouncing her.

"Emma, she does not hate Regina!"

"She really kind of does."

"Yes, let's continue discussing whether or not my mother hates me," Regina snapped irritably, rolling her eyes. She shivered in the cool night air, and momentarily wished she'd taken Cora's advice and 'covered more of herself up'. It wasn't like she looked
like a whore, but she wasn't exactly striving for… modesty this evening either.

"Either way, Regina, what she said isn't true, you're a babe," Emma complimented her, playfully knocking up against Regina's shoulder. Regina grinned.

Regina had outfitted herself in a black leather skirt, a dark red draping tank top that was tucked into the skirt, and her black, lighter leather jacket over it. She had even taken Cora's usual advice of wearing heels to make her look less 'short and
stocky', and wore some black leather heels that covered the front/top of her feet. She had curled her hair, letting it flow in more pronounced waves than normal, and she'd actually put some effort into her eye makeup, making it darker to try and highlight
her chocolate brown eyes. Regina didn't really know what had made her work so hard on her appearance this evening. That was a blatant lie, of course. She knew exactly who she was trying to impress, she just refused to admit it.

"You look beautiful, as always," Mary Margaret confirmed, smiling lovingly at Regina. Regina rolled her eyes, still smiling widely, and threw both of her arms over her two best friends' shoulders as they walked.

"Yeah, yeah, that's enough," Regina said sarcastically, but still making it obvious that she appreciated their validation. Despite the fact that Cora had solidly roasted Regina for wearing a skirt with the 'current size of her legs', Regina knew this
was going to be a good night.

Regina couldn't help but shake her head as she walked up to Killian's house, which was clearly already full of Storybrook teenagers. Despite the fact that he had taken care to close all the front blinds, she would've sworn she could still detect movement
behind them. The dull hum of the base from the loud music being played was vaguely audible from outside. Regina would venture that it was certainly going to get louder as the night progressed.

Regina, Emma, and Mary Margaret casually opened the front door and took in their surroundings. Oh yes, this was a Jones party if Regina had ever seen one. Teenagers holding beer cans were covering every square inch of the opening room, and several people
were already solidly making out in plain sight of everyone. This promises to be a very classy night, Regina thought ironically to herself.

"I'm gonna go find David," Mary Margaret said loudly over the music.

"I'm gonna find Killian!" Emma added.

"Considering that I'm sure they'll be in the same place, why don't we just all look for them?" Regina suggested sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Emma and Snow both laughed.

The three of them made their way into the living room, where, sure enough, David, Killian, and Robin were all seated on the long sofa against the wall. All three of them were laughing loudly about something, and each one of them was holding a beer can
or red solo cup. Regina wondered where Gold was.

"AYE, look who it is!" Killian exclaimed loudly as he caught sight of Emma, Regina, and Mary Margaret. All three guys stood up from the couch upon their arrival. Mary Margaret immediately walked over to David, who embraced her, and pressed his lips against
the side of her forehead. How sickeningly adorable. Emma, who normally didn't like to show Killian any affection whatsoever, actually gave him a hug. Killian looked as surprised about this as everyone else, but very happy, nonetheless. But Regina
was suddenly frozen in place as she made eye contact with Robin.

He looked more handsome than should be legal. He was wearing his normal dark jeans and grey vans (Regina didn't think she'd ever see him wear anything else), which he'd paired with a black v-necked t-shirt, which just made his seemingly flawless body
even more obvious. His dark blonde hair was slightly tidier than normal, and his light covering of blonde facial scruff was even more attractive than it usually was. He was perfect, so unbelievably handsome… Every negative thing Cora had said to Regina
about her appearance in the past month ran through Regina's mind, and she felt herself seized by paralyzing insecurity as she wondered if Robin thought she was even half attractive as she thought he was. Yet, despite everything Cora had said, and
whether it was true or not, Robin Locksley was standing across the room, giving Regina that warm look of sheer admiration that made her heart stop.

Regina's breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. Part of her wanted to go and speak to him, the other half couldn't move.

"Regina, hey," Killian said suddenly, yanking Regina out of her horrible train of thought. She immediately broke her eye contact with Robin. Killian easily pulled Regina into a friendly embrace, blocking Robin from her vision, and Regina couldn't have
been more grateful for him.

"Hey," she responded breathlessly, allowing Killian to hug her for a moment longer.

"What's up?"

"I need a drink. Tell me you have something stronger than beer somewhere here," Regina responded, raising an eyebrow. Killian cackled.

"THE EVIL QUEEN, EVERYONE!" he shouted loudly for everyone to hear. Regina's friend group erupted into cheers. The Evil Queen punchline was always particularly well received at parties. She rolled her eyes but grinned anyways.

"Sorry I'm late," she smirked, giving her fans something to enjoy.

"Alright let me take you to go get a drink," Killian replied, laughing.

"Such a good host," Regina mockingly doted. Killian rolled his eyes at that comment, just as Robin walked up to join their conversation. Regina did what she could to resist looking at him. She knew she absolutely couldn't handle her feelings right now.
Not in this setting, not in this house. Here, she was vulnerable. It was at Killian's house that she'd caught Daniel and Rose six months ago… This house made her emotionally weak, and the last thing she needed was to be around an exceptionally
attractive Robin Locksley while she was so desperately in need of male validation. Especially his… STOP it, Regina.

"Actually, I'm going to refill as well. Accompany me?" Robin asked Regina casually, flashing his most charming crooked smile. Regina absolutely would not accompany him, she resolved.

"Sure."

Regina and Robin, after successfully weaving through the myriad of drunk teenagers blocking all the entrances to the kitchen, managed to make it to the cabinet where Regina knew Liam stored his whiskey.

Robin retrieved the bottle and began to unscrew the top to pour some into his cup. But before he could, Regina playfully snatched it away and poured herself a glass.

"I need it more," she informed him, raising her newly filled glass to her lips and smirking. Robin arched an eyebrow.

"What's with the desperation for alcohol, might I ask?"

"Have you never just wanted a drink?"

"Certainly. Especially when I'm returning for the first time to the house where I caught my significant other having sex with someone else," Robin responded pointedly, his voice softening a bit. Regina sputtered her whiskey back into her glass, much to
Robin's amusement.

"Someone's feeling bold tonight," she snapped, glaring at him.

"I guess you're rubbing off on me," Robin retorted, shooting her his typical, irritatingly complacent smirk.

"Well, for your information, I'm still planning on having fun tonight, despite my past misfortunes here," Regina said coldly, annoyed at him for bringing up Daniel. Just because they may or may not have been having (far too many) emotional moments together
lately did not give him the right to pry into her personal life.

"Oh, yes, you sound absolutely ecstatic," Robin responded sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Regina glared at him, feeling more challenged than she would have preferred. She'd be damned if she was going to let what happened with Daniel here haunt her tonight.
She was going to have a night out with her friends, and there was nothing Cora, or Daniel, or even Robin Locksley could do to stop her.

Regina held challenging eye contact with Robin as she tossed back her first glass of whiskey. The bitter alcohol burned her throat, but it didn't really bother her. Robin's eyebrows practically hit the ceiling.

"Well, it seems Your Majesty can take her whiskey, doesn't it?"

"Certainly appears that way, yes."

"Well, I'm sorry to inform you that a thief can take his as well," Robin informed her easily, as he too tossed back the remaining alcohol in his glass.

"We'll see about that," Regina challenged, pouring both herself and Robin another serving. She raised her glass and very recklessly made the decision to just toss this one back too. Reckless, because it had been… quite awhile since Regina had last been
drunk and she couldn't imagine her tolerance was anything to brag about at the moment. Robin smirked, and easily drained his as well.

They alternated pouring one another drinks about four more times. Regina had never been more certain that what she was currently doing was an absolutely atrocious idea, and she also hadn't ever cared less. She wanted a carefree night for herself, she'd
earned it. And with each glass she knocked back, she felt herself lightening and all of her inhibitions dissipating.

"Let's take this next one to go, yeah?" Robin confirmed as he opened up the refrigerator nearby. He pulled out two Cokes. Regina immediately shook her head.

"Diet."

"Are you serious?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"Quite frankly, yes. I've never seen you smile for so long," Robin responded, bemused. Regina knew that he was right about that bit. Alcohol always made her particularly cheerful and lighthearted. So different from her normal self. The pleasant fog in
her mind caused her to laugh at Robin's comment, rather than sarcastically retort.

"I still want diet," Regina repeated. Robin rolled his eyes, but replaced one of the Coke cans with a Diet Coke. Robin filled both cups with ice, and poured a hearty serving of whiskey into each glass.

"You are absolutely ridiculous," he told her, shaking his head as he cracked open both of the soda cans.

"See, you say that, but if I just ate whatever I wanted all the time, you wouldn't have anything pleasant to look at," Regina argued, grinning. Robin chuckled at that, as he topped off both of their drinks with their respective sodas.

"You'll always be pleasant to look at. Now drink this, and let's go socialize," Robin responded easily, pressing the drink into her hand. Regina's heart skipped a beat, and her stomach soared. She wondered if Robin really meant that… If he really thought
she was pleasant to look at. She despised herself for how much she wanted to ask him. A few more drinks in her, and she probably would. Better make this the last one for awhile, Regina thought to herself.

Regina and Robin made their way from the kitchen back into the living room where their friends were. Much to Regina's amusement, Emma was draped across Killian's lap, her arms wrapped around his neck and his securely around her waist, seemingly delighted
by her sudden mood swing. She was holding a beer, and looked like she was feeling about as good as Regina was. Meanwhile, Mary Margaret and David, who were typically so chaste and sickly sweet, were practically making out on the other end of the couch.
David had a beer on the table next to him. David occasionally drank, while Mary Margaret never did. Regina wondered where the hell Gold was…

Taking in their friends' behavior, Regina and Robin exchanged a knowing glance and both of them laughed.

"AYE, they're back, we can start now!" Killian suddenly cried, as Regina and Robin walked over to the couch. Mary Margaret and David pulled away from one another, and Emma stood from Killian's lap.

"What are we starting?" Robin asked. Regina casually took off her black leather jacket and tossed it onto the couch.

"TRUTH OR DARE" Killian practically screamed, getting pretty much everyone's attention. His suggestion was met with shouts of agreement, as other juniors began to gather around. Ah, truth or dare. It was Killian's favorite game, and it was practically
a Jones party tradition (this was how most of the regrettable hook ups took place). Honestly, nobody ever followed the traditional rules of the game, it was mostly just a glorified version of spin the bottle. This way, the people making out weren't
just doing so by random chance, but by the command of someone else (under the disguise of a 'dare'), who had some reason for wanting to humiliate them.

"This should be interesting," David said.

It was very interesting. On a dare from David, Ruby Lucas made out with Frank Whale. On a dare from Emma, Mallory Dragons made out with Arthur Camelson. On a dare from Mary Margaret, Tamara Turner and Greg Wirst hooked up. And on a dare from Robin, Emma
and Killian passionately made out in front of everyone (Regina suspected Killian had been silently begging for that one). They really did make a good couple, Emma and Killian. Not that Regina would admit it sober.

All those participating were seated in a severely warped oval/circle on the floor of Killian's living room. Regina was seated in between Mary Margaret and Robin. She knew that, based on how wonderfully drunk she was feeling, she should be running far,
far away from Robin. The longer she was close to him, the more her heart just… ached for him. The more she couldn't stop imagining throwing herself into his arms, of ripping off that black v-neck and just… Oh, God, she was so screwed.

As he was the last one to be dared, it was now Killian's turn. Regina was interested to see who he would victimize.

"I think that I'm going to…" Killian tauntingly trailed off, glancing menacingly around the circle. Regina rolled her eyes. "I think I'm going to return the favor, Robin" Killian concluded after a long moment of perplexity. Robin chuckled.

"Lucky me. And what are you going to dare me to do?"

It was a particularly odd and uncomfortable moment that followed. Killian met Regina's eyes, and Regina, knowing full well what was about to happen, vigorously began shaking her head. Because for some reason, she knew by the way Killian was looking at
her that he knew. That he knew how she secretly felt about Robin. Or maybe he didn't really know the full complexity of the situation, per se, but he clearly had some understanding that she really did not need to be kissing Robin.

"I think you should kiss Regina," Killian said to Robin, smirking. Regina's heart pretty much just stopped beating. Killian subtly mouthed 'sorry' to Regina, but Regina knew he wasn't even a little bit sorry. But he had no idea what he was doing to her…
Even in her completely drunken state, she knew she wasn't ready for this, she couldn't handle kissing Robin right now. She hadn't figured out how to close herself off to him yet, how to make herself unaffected by him. How to not constantly wonder
what he was thinking, in general and what he was thinking about her. How to not constantly look at him and wonder how she could even be so insanely attracted to him. How to make her stomach stop flipping when he looked at her, and to make
her heart beat regularly when they were speaking. She was not ready for this.

"Oh boy…" David said quietly, from next to Mary Margaret.

"This is not good," Mary Margaret responded to him quietly. Regina didn't even want to think about what the hell they meant by that. Did everyone know? Regina was reasonably certain that if her friends, let alone Robin, had even the slightest
inkling about the way she felt, she would legitimately have to jump out a window.

And it really did not help Regina's self confidence that Robin looked like he wanted to die, at Killian's dare. Regina had no idea what to do. All she wanted to do was say no, but resisting seemed feeble at this point.

Robin awkwardly angled his body towards Regina, and stood up onto his knees, as those who had been dared before had done. Regina, feeling more uncomfortable than she ever had, very unsurely followed his lead and stood up onto hers. They made some exceptionally
uncomfortable eye contact. Robin's deep, clear blue eyes looked so incredibly troubled by this… Regina couldn't help considering that he was probably mortified. She was nothing to him, she had to know that…

"Aye, we don't have all night, you two, stop with the lovey dovey eyes and go for it already!" Emma encouraged loudly. Everyone laughed, with the exception of Mary Margaret, who Regina saw burying her face into her hands.

Robin hesitantly placed his hands on Regina's waist and slightly pulled her closer to him. Her heart was suddenly beating so fast that she felt like she couldn't breathe. The feeling of Robin's hands on her… Fortunately, she didn't have much time to think
about this, because Robin was suddenly gently pressing his lips against hers.

It wasn't a long kiss. Maybe five seconds, at the most. But they were potentially the most intriguing five seconds Regina had ever experienced. Kissing Robin was… more than she'd thought it would be. It was like everything she'd been expecting, and all
the things she'd forgotten to think about, all at the same time. His lips were soft, but firm. His hands were sure, but not aggressive. Their lips only moved once or twice in the five seconds, but she could feel that their synchronization was painfully
perfect. Of course it was. This was so bad, so very, very bad…

They mutually pulled away once all the cheering died down in the background. The last thing Regina wanted was to make everyone else think that she wanted to be kissing Robin for any longer than she had to. They both sat down without a word to one another.

"Right, my turn again. Um, I dare David to kiss Mary Margaret. That's a hard one, I know, but I have to go get another drink," Robin said hastily, before getting up and stalking away from the circle before anyone could protest. Regina knew full well that
Robin was not going to get a drink. He was probably so embarrassed, he probably couldn't stand to look at her now…

Regina found herself excusing herself moments later. She just wanted to talk to him for a second, she just wanted to tell him that it was fine. That it meant nothing, and that it was never going to happen again. But finding Robin in her drunken haze was
proving difficult.

"Regina, wait!" Mary Margaret suddenly called out from behind Regina, who was attempting to locate Robin. Regina turned around to face her, trying to hide her mortification.

"Regina, I'm so sorry that happened, I'm sure that was the last thing you wanted," Mary Margaret comforted sympathetically. Regina wasn't entirely sure why she seemed so upset by what had happened…

"I'm fine, Snow."

"I know this night is probably difficult for you, because of Daniel… I'm sure kissing Robin was the last thing you wanted to be doing," Mary Margaret said understandingly. Regina almost died with relief on the spot. Mary Margaret was so worried about
what had happened because of Daniel! Not because she suspected anything about how Regina felt about Robin. Regina had to make sure to encourage that idea.

"Absolutely," she agreed, nodding her head. Tragically, she was clearly over selling it because Mary Margaret's eyes suddenly widened. Shit. Regina hated herself for being too drunk to manipulate Mary Margaret. Because if she couldn't fool Mary Margaret,
she sure as hell couldn't fool anyone else.

"Wait… This isn't about Daniel, is it?" Mary Margaret asked slowly, staring at Regina suspiciously.

"No, it is!"

"No it's not, oh my gosh, this is about Robin!"

"It is absolutely not about Robin!"

"Oh my gosh, Regina, did you… want to kiss him?" Mary Margaret asked incredulously, her eyes wide with amazement, like she'd just struck emotional gold. Well, there goes Regina's hope of hiding that secret.

"No, I most certainly did not."

"Yes, you most certainly did. Regina, that's amazing!" Mary Margaret exclaimed happily, throwing her arms around Regina. What the hell did she mean this was amazing?! This was the worst and most humiliating thing in the world!

Regina slid out of her grip immediately.

"No, no, not amazing. Why the hell would this be amazing?"

"Because he so obviously likes you," Snow replied, rolling her eyes as though this were obvious. Regina's heart faltered. No, Robin Locksley absolutely did not like her, Snow was just being optimistic like always. And even if he did, it's not like she
cared.

"He absolutely does not!"

"Oh, he absolutely does, it's adorable. Alright, I'm not going to say anything else about this, because I fear that if I do you'll murder me, but, Regina… if that's what you want, don't let anything hold you back," Snow said firmly, giving Regina's hand
an encouraging squeeze before leaving her.

Regina did not want to find Robin so she could profess anything to him, no, she wanted to find him to make sure he was okay with what had just transpired in the living room.

After looking around the house for about five more minutes with no luck, her drunken mind finally worked out that he had probably gone outside to the backyard. She, fearing the cold, briefly returned to the living room to retrieve her leather jacket,
before making her way outside.

There were very few people in the backyard, which made it relatively easy for Regina to spot Robin. He was standing alone by the lit fireplace on the porch (how considerate of Killian to make a fire), nursing a drink. The lighting of the fire really suited
him, Regina couldn't help noticing as she walked over to join him.

"Hey," she said softly as she approached, slightly startling him.

"Hey," he responded quietly, seemingly very uncomfortable. Regina sighed. Did he absolutely have to make this so painfully awkward? Yes, maybe he hadn't wanted to kiss her, but was it really that awful?

"I'm sorry about… that," Regina started off hesitantly, staring at the side of Robin's face, as he was still gazing determinedly into the fire rather than at her. This comment got his attention, however, and he met her stare. His eyes still contained
that same very troubled and conflicted look.

"Why are you apologizing?" Robin asked her confusedly, knitting his eyebrows together in bewilderment. Regina rolled her eyes.

"Because you're clearly very disturbed by what happened," she snapped, trying not to sound hurt by his behavior. Robin looked at her incredulously.

"You think I'm out here, because I didn't… enjoy what just happened?" Robin asked her slowly, like she was the dumbest person in the entire world. Regina was annoyed by this.

"Obviously…"

"You are completely ridiculous."

"And you are completely obnoxious."

"Regina, I'm out here right now because I never wanted it to happen like that," Robin said softly, staring at her intently. Now Regina was the confused one.

"What do you mean 'like that'?"

"I mean that's not how I wanted to-…. That's not how I wanted to tell you," Robin responded, after an excruciatingly long pause.

Clearly, Regina knew exactly what he meant, and what he was trying to tell her. But she just couldn't hear it, she still needed to hear him say it. This was not something she was willing to make any assumptions about. Regina also knew that she should
walk away right now. She absolutely should not allow him to tell her this, because she knew it was going to change everything, she knew it would be futile to resist after this.

"Tell me…?" Regina trailed off quietly. Robin sighed.

"I know it's wrong, I know you're vulnerable and you just got out of a horrible relationship, I know we're both going through a lot, I know that we're friends and we're in the same group, I know I absolutely am not supposed to be looking at you. I know
all of this, and I try, I try so hard not to look at you, but I just… do. I know it's wrong of me to put you in this position, I don't expect anything from you, but I just-"

She was a goner at that point. Maybe if she hadn't been drunk, she would have been able to make herself walk away, would have been able to force herself to get out some deflective response telling him that she didn't feel the same way. Maybe she would
have been smart enough to actually consider the consequences of what would happen later, or how much this would change everything. Maybe she would have been able to think about something other than the present moment. But she was drunk, and
she didn't think about any of those things.

Regina found herself grabbing Robin with both hands by his shirt and firmly pressing her lips against his to silence him. He, seemingly surprised by this unexpected turn of events, kissed her back equally as strongly for a moment, before they both pulled
away.

They just looked at each other in amazement for a long moment, as though they were both dumbstruck by what had just happened. Like, in a rare moment of vulnerability for both of them, they were trying to read each other's expression to determine if the
other felt the same way. Robin clearly did, because he just pulled Regina back to him without a word.

Regina had no idea how long they stood by that fire, allowing herself to lose herself to Robin's wonderfully skillful lips. But once more people began coming outside, they agreed to move their… conversation somewhere more private.

"Let's try upstairs," Robin muttered, as they weaved their way through everyone crowding the downstairs hallways. Regina just laughed and nodded, as she allowed Robin to pull her up the stairs with him. They reached the upstairs hallway, which was pleasantly
and surprisingly deserted, and Robin paused.

"Would you like to pick a room?" he asked, laughing. Regina smirked and, out of the three, picked the room nearest to them, which appeared to be a guest room. Honestly, she just didn't want to pick Killian's room, which is where she'd caught Rose and
Daniel last year… That was just a little too much deja vu for her taste.

However, what awaited her inside of the room she selected, which she incorrectly assumed was empty, was equally as traumatic. When Robin opened the door to the room Regina gestured to, Regina literally heard herself let out a quiet scream. Regina and
Robin had just walked in on Gold and Belle French passionately making out against the wall of the room. Belle was pressed tightly against the wall, her hands tangled into Gold's hair, while Gold's hands were blatantly fumbling around under her shirt.

Gold and Belle shot away from each other immediately. Belle's blue button down shirt was almost completely unbuttoned, and her adorably plain bra was clearly visible. She was flushed crimson and probably couldn't have looked more embarrassed.

"Jesus Christ, Regina!" Gold shouted angrily. Regina's eyebrows shot up.

"Excuse me, do you think I wanted to see this?"

"Um, Belle, maybe you should…?" Robin interjected tentatively to Belle, gesturing to her very exposed chest. Belle's blush impossibly deepened and she rapidly fastened the buttons on her shirt, averting her gaze.

"Regina, I swear if you tell anyone about this-" Gold began threateningly.

"You can't seriously expect me not to-"

"I'd think twice about that, dearie. What exactly are you and Mr. Locksley up here to do, besides ruin my life, hmm?" Gold challenged, arching an eyebrow. Sadly, Regina had forgotten that she was in no position to try and hold leverage over Gold's head…

"Fair enough," she replied, smirking. Gold nodded curtly, took Belle's hand, and pulled her out of the room. They closed the door behind them. As soon as the door was shut, Regina and Robin absolutely exploded with laughter.

"What the hell did we just see?"

"I think I'm just destined to be traumatized in this house," Regina replied, grinning. She aimlessly moved towards the empty desk in the corner of the room and leaned back against it, still chuckling. Robin rolled his eyes, but slowly made his way over
to the desk she was now leaning against. Regina's heart raced as he steadily got closer.

Robin gently placed his hands on her shoulders and lightly pushed her black leather jacket off of her, letting it fall onto the desk behind her. Regina felt herself smile at his touch. She had just completely given into her feelings for the time being,
and didn't force herself to resist him. She allowed her hands to casually grab onto the sides of his shirt as she stared up at him. Robin's hands easily settled onto Regina's hips, causing her heart to beat so fast she felt lightheaded. He, seemingly
determined to make Regina's heart stop working entirely, slightly lifted her up so that she was sitting on the desk. Regina's legs immediately curled around his legs, pulling him in between hers.

"I'm hoping… that what's happening right now isn't too traumatic for you," Robin murmured, slightly pulling Regina's body closer to his so that she was completely pressed against his chest. She was really going to have a heart attack soon.

Regina pulled Robin so close to her that there was only maybe a centimeter between their lips. He grinned.

"I'm sure I'll survive," she breathed, pressing her lips against his. Robin tangled both of his hands firmly into Regina's hair, as she allowed hers to explore the light covering of facial scruff on his face. His taste was so distinctive, yet so undefinable.
And so tragically addictive. His scent was rather definitive as well, it was fresh and cool, almost like a forest.

Regina was certainly not a stranger to kissing. She'd dated Daniel for four years, and they had done more than their fair share of it. But she was a stranger to… this kind of kissing. The kind where she couldn't breathe, or think. The kind that
had her so dazed in a state of wanting more, of being so enthralled in what was happening that she could barely even remember her name. The kind where she had virtually no control of what she was doing, where her mind was just completely her body's
slave. The kind that had a certain… heat pooling between her thighs. She certainly hadn't minded kissing Daniel, in fact, she probably would have said that she really enjoyed kissing him. But after experiencing this kind of kissing with Robin,
she had just become blatantly aware of the lack of chemistry and sexual tension she and Daniel had held in comparison.

The way this was making her feel was dangerous. And she knew that this was a huge mistake. That kissing Robin was a mistake, that even being near him was a mistake, that just Robin in her life, in general, was a mistake. But he was her mistake to make
all night.