For Day 2 of Prompt Party 2019.

Prompt: "MP - Robin and his first press conference meeting where he has to speak and he's nervous"

Please note: Usually these Chronicles are in Regina's POV but this one was better done in Robin's.


It's not often that Robin Locksley hates his job, but today, oh, today is definitely one of those days.

They've been working on new environmental policies, brokering deals with Congress in order to get these bills passed, and in the midst of it all, Elsa had somehow roped him into briefing the press about the negotiations and the most recent corrections and amendments done to the proposed legislation.

It's the first time he speaks to the press corps, despite having been on the job for over eight months already, and the reason for this is that he hates public speaking. Hates it. It's part of why he'd always enjoyed his job as Secret Service. Being in the shadows, focusing on nothing but doing what is right for those he protects and making sure everything is in order, none of this pandering to content-hungry reporters and exposing himself to their incessant questioning.

He sighs, rolling the little folder in his hands and unrolling it again, the notes Elsa had printed for him and given to Regina for approval all ready to go, placed in order of importance just inside the brown cardstock.

This is going to be a disaster.

"This is going to be great!" Elsa says as she reaches him, her bubbly attitude grating on Robin like nails on a chalkboard.

"I can't do this," he grouses.

"Of course you can, you're the Chief of Staff," the blonde replies.

"Exactly, I'm your boss, and I'm telling you I can't do this, you have to stop it."

But Elsa is smiling, and reminding him that, "Well, your boss needs you to do this. You'll be just fine, I promise. Stop worrying so much."

Easy for her to say.

His palms are sweaty, his brain foggy as the anxiety sets in, and he swallows thickly, takes a deep breath, and the nerves just won't leave.

He can't do this.

"I'll go introduce you," comes Elsa's perky voice.

And before he can tell her once again that he cannot go out there, she's walked into the press room and onto the podium, giving everyone a pleasant smile as she greets them with a, "Good evening. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Robin Locksley, Chief of Staff to President Mills."

Robin swallows again, curses this day, and steps out.

"Good evening," he says, the words parroted back to him in a collective mumble that carries slowly through the chamber. "I'll, uh... I'll give you all a brief summary of the newest developments on this environmental initiative and then we'll, uh, open the floor for questions."

There's a spotlight at the very back, and someone (Robin doesn't know who, but he curses them anyway) turns it on and points it right at his face as everyone watches him expectantly.

It's hot in here, and he pulls a little bit on his collar as he clears his throat, lifting the folder's front cover and preparing to read.

Except that there's a little scribble in blue ink at the very bottom of that first page that catches his attention.

At first, he thinks he's imagining it, but his thumb touches over the words and they do not vanish.

It's Regina's handwriting, tiny and cramped into the right-hand corner, and the message reads, You've got this.

"Mr. Locksley?" a reporter asks, and Robin snaps out of his fifteen-second trance, finds Elsa widening her eyes at him on the sidelines, gesturing with her chin towards the pages he's supposed to be reading.

"Right, uh... Okay, the new initiative will... will include a new deal that will— will include a new deal that will involve private companies committing to reduce their carbon footprint and work with the federal government to implement more environmentally conscious policies in their respective industries..."

He keeps going, his voice finding an appropriate volume at last, and though his voice isn't as steady as he'd like it to be, he manages to get through that first page without incident, sighing his relief before he turns to the next one and finds another little message waiting for him.

You're smart, and capable.

That one touches him, has him hiding a tiny smile as he reads on, giving the press as many details as possible on the new policies in hopes they won't ask him any questions.

He should've know that was a pipe dream.

As soon as his statement is done, a man in a rumpled suit and glasses asks him which companies have agreed to abide by the new regulations. Robin mentions a few, but can't quite remember the entire list, so he moves to the next page in his notes, finding all the names there, along with yet another message from Regina, a follow-up to the previous one.

And so, so sexy.

He almost chuckles right there, but forces himself to keep a straight face as he tells the man the names of all twelve companies who have pledged their support.

The next reporter, an older woman with short hair and a blue blazer, asks him about the statistics, the numbers of the projected results, should the new initiative be approved, and Robin refers to a few pages ahead in his notes to give her the correct percentages, already looking forward to his next little gift from Regina.

Can't wait to see you after.

On and on it goes, each page hosting a tiny new message from this extraordinary woman he's so bloody lucky to love.

Try to focus. You look hot when you're focused.

If you get nervous, think of the audience naked.

Or think of me naked.

He coughs as he reads that last one, takes a moment to clear his throat before addressing the next question, hoping now that he'll have to find new information in his notes to answer it, just so he can continue reading all of Regina's little entries.

Two questions later, he gets his wish, and is not at all disappointed by the message he finds.

Now I'm thinking of us naked.

There are three more bits of text in the next few pages, naughty and sweet and perfect, but it's the very last one that gets to him the most.

I love you. Knock 'em dead. Then come meet me by the hot tub.

She's drawn a little winky face next to the last word, and Robin hides his wide grin by feigning another cough. God, what did he ever do to deserve her?

He gets a couple more questions, fumbles a bit, but manages to answer them without the help of his notes this time, and as he's wrapping up, he sneaks a look at Elsa, relieved to find her smiling proudly at him and nodding as he speaks. That gives him one last little boost to end the conference with a confident closing statement, and then he's off before anyone can even think to stop him.

He mustn't keep the boss waiting.