A/N: Here it is, the chapter you have all been waiting for! The first one-on-one date with Robin and Regina! Thank you all so, so much for the response to the last chapter. I've been blown away and feel so grateful for all the likes on Twitter and reviews on here. You really are the best! A huge thanks to my wonderful beta waterbaby134 who is super stressed at the moment but still found time to beta :)
This is for my FoodieHoodies - Cannoli, Toffifee and the Shady Gummibear aka Nugzghandi
(16)
The next day came without a headache for Robin, but there was a surprise for all the men. A message from Regina had arrived early in the morning, asking Keith, Killian and Sidney out on a group date, and postponing the Night of the Roses to tomorrow evening. While Keith seemed indifferent to see Regina, something he received unkind words for by a few of the other men, Killian was rather excited, since it was his first date with Regina. Sidney seemed nothing but smug about the fact he was allowed on the second group date within a week, a fact that lead to displeasure by some of the other men. Robin couldn't care less. He'd all but wished for David to be chosen, so he wouldn't have to talk to the man today. After last night's conversation, he didn't know whether he could trust the man or whether he should be even more careful with how he behaved toward Regina.
David himself didn't seem to be bothered by Robin's doubts. He remained calm and acted as if nothing had happened whenever the cameras were around, making no attempt to speak to Robin about Regina at all. Robin was kind of glad for it, making the man more likable in his opinion.
He hadn't slept well; the little bit of sleep he'd been able to catch had been filled with abstruse dreams and memories, partly of Marian and Regina. It'd been a while since he dreamed of his late wife, the woman he still loved deeply, the one who'd pulled him back together from the dark place he'd been in and given him the greatest gift imaginable - his son. Marian would always be a part of his life - just as much as Regina would, even though they only ever spent one summer together.
It ached him to know Roland was to grow up without his mother, without sweet, loving Marian, had only known her for a fraction of time before the cold hands of death took her away from them. He'd been but a baby and it was unfair, so unfair that another woman he loved had been taken away from him the moment he thought he had everything.
While Robin tried to keep Marian's memory alive to his son by telling him stories and showing him pictures of his mother, he knew his boy was a bit detached. Roland knew 'Mommy', could point her out in pictures and adored the videos of their wedding, never minding when Robin took him to the graveyard on important dates such as birthdates and anniversaries. He seemed fine and Robin was sure he wasn't doing the worst job at parenting, but… Roland needed a female in his life. Could… could Regina be that person? Was it crazy to carry on with this thought? How would she react on meeting Roland – depending on whether he would make it that far. All he remembered was the girl who left him with nothing but a letter where she elaborately stated why they couldn't be together on the day they'd planned to run away together. She'd left him, had married some rich guy who abused her. Robin gasped, the overwhelming pain he felt in his heart making it hard for him to breathe. Did he even want her to meet his son after everything that happened?
He swallowed hard, his eyes closed for a second as he imagined the three of them together. But it was all wishful thinking. This whole situation was a mess - how long could they keep up the masquerade without being found out? Could he stay all calm and neutral once they finally got an opportunity to talk? The answer was obvious, he couldn't. He wanted an explanation, needed one badly, if only to finally close the chapter of his life that had been haunting him for ten years. Regina owed him one besides that stupid letter. He'd wanted to rip it apart a million times but never could bring himself to do it. He still had it, at home in the drawer with his grandmother's engagement ring, serving as a pointed reminder of the time he'd risked everything for her.
"Robin, you okay?" David asked, concerned.
"I will be," Robin mumbled, taking a deep breath in order to calm his breathing down.
David gave him a pointed look but didn't say anything. God, Robin badly wanted to get everything off his chest and promised himself he would take the next opportunity in order to talk to Regina.
While Killian, Keith and Sidney left for the date, Robin and the other men were informed to pack a suitcase, since they would be flying out to San Francisco in the afternoon. An interesting choice for the Night of the Roses, but Robin figured they had to step up their game a bit. This was his chance.
Xxxxx
When the Hummer limousine dropped them off at the San Francisco Opera, the men marveled in awe at the grand building from the late 1920's, which was all lit up with giant floodlights. As an avowed fan of Shakespeare, Robin had always preferred the art of theatre a bit more than opera, however the prospect of possibly seeing one on stage in the renowned War Memorial Opera House was something to get him excited.
Belle greeted them in the grand lobby with Roman pillars and marble floor, with a golden ceiling and grand lights hanging down from it. There were staircases with overlooks at each end and entrances to the main level at left, which made the place seem even grander. Soft, classy music was playing in the background, changing the atmosphere to something extravagant that only few of the men had experienced so far.
"Welcome," Belle greeted them all warmly after they lined up in the middle of the lobby, each of them a tad bit nervous at what would come next. "I'm happy every one of you made his way here. Today is a special night - it's the third Night of the Roses. Two men will have to leave us after tonight, but before this happens, there is another chance to win a One-On-One-Date with Regina for a short part of this evening. All you have to do… is ask Regina for a dance."
A collective gasp of relief went through the row of men. How hard could it be to ask a woman for a dance, really? But Belle raised her hand, a knowing smirk on her lips. "You may think it's easy, but don't be so sure of yourself. We will lead you to the Regency ballroom shortly, where Regina will be waiting for you. You have to find her in the crowd and she will not speak to you until we give the sign. Are you ready?"
"How hard can it be?" Victor asked, seeming more than sure of himself.
"You shouldn't underestimate us," Graham mumbled, "We'll see who is fastest."
They were led into the ballroom, the cameras following them, as two dressed up men opened the door. Robin's eyes widened at the sight in front of him and he bumped into Daniel, who'd stopped on the threshold, not sure whether he should enter. Comments such as "What the fuck?" as well as "Holy shit!" followed by the others.
"I knew they wouldn't make it easy for us, but this… is a first." David whispered only half joking, making Robin nod in agreement.
The room was filled with people - women to be exact. How many, Robin couldn't say for sure, since they were all dressed up in the same flowing red gown, their dark hair done up in an elaborate bun and a white and golden embroidered Venetian mask covering their full faces. On first glance, they all looked the same, they all featured a look similar to Regina - and one of them hiding somewhere in the crowd, must certainly be her. Apart from the music, there were no voices to be heard, since of course the deep, rich sound of Regina's voice would give her away immediately. So would the scar on her lip, Robin figured as he took in the masks. Thankfully the eyes were uncovered and as one woman passed him, he saw a flash of green behind the mask. Definitely not Regina.
"They all look the same, how are we supposed to find her, when we can't even see her face?" Arthur whined.
"I think they want to see who paid attention to her other features," Keith smirked. "The one over there has tits as big as honey melons. That's definitely not her."
"So you think you can make out Regina in all these women by the size of her breasts?" Daniel asked disgustedly, his hand balling into a fist.
"Or her ass," Keith smirked. "See you later, you idiots. I'm gonna get my one-on-one!" With this, he vanished in the crowd.
"He's such a dick," August hissed, making those who heard him agree with him. "I hope she's gonna kick him out soon."
"After how he behaved yesterday, I'm sure Regina's interest in Keith dwindled away," Killian pointed out. Robin looked over at the dark haired man, his eyebrows raised in question. They hadn't had the time to talk about his group date with Regina yet; all he'd heard from Sidney had been the fact they went surfing in San Diego and Keith commenting on her assets in the springsuit and bikini she'd been wearing, which had made Robin leave the room before his fist would get a mind of its own and connect with Keith's face.
"I hope so. He's an asshole - but I think Regina is a good judge of character. She deserves someone who cherishes her," Daniel pointed out, his mind suddenly growing determined. "What do you say, guys? Let's find Regina and make sure one of us-not one of these pricks- wins the one-on-one tonight."
Without another word, the remaining men spread out, each of them set to find Regina in the crowd of identical looking women.
Robin felt intrigued. This was something completely new and not something he'd suspected when he got out of the car, but he was sure he had an advantage in comparison to the other candidates, because he knew Regina. More importantly, he knew every inch of her body and despite the fact he couldn't see her face, there were things he remembered, things that had burned themselves into his memory.
Carefully, he looked around, feeling a bit awkward to be viewing the women from tip to toe. At least he wasn't as obvious as Keith, who'd announced he'd find Regina by the size of her breasts. Not that Robin didn't think he could do so as well, he's always had a weakness for her full, luscious… okay; this was really not the time for this.
As he walked around, he found more and more women that couldn't be her, regarding their height and body shape. Sometimes the hair was a shade too light, the shoulders too wide or too small… God, this didn't get him anywhere. The way these women were hushing through the ballroom, he had no chance of knowing who he'd already checked and who not. Only a few feet away, he noticed August asking a woman for a dance. One quick look told Robin this was anyone but Regina. The woman slightly bowed down in front of him, as he took her hand in his and walked her over to the stage at the end of the room.
Carefully, August removed the mask, clearly disappointed when the woman turned out to be a very pretty brunette - but obviously no Regina. A collective gasp was heard from the other men around him and August now had to wait on the side of the stage while the other men continued the search. It seemed hopeless to Robin that he'd find Regina in all these women. One by one, he watched the men go on stage with a pretty masked brunette in a red dress, which they thought was her. Even from afar, Robin could always tell it wasn't.
That was until the only ones who were left seemed to be Daniel, David and himself. He was determined on finding her, knew she had to be here somewhere and just as he passed the bar, he caught sight of something that triggered one of his favorite memories and made a smirk crawl up on his face. Gotcha.
He crushed down on her, their breathing heavy and out of sync, as both were trying to get a hold on reality, which came back crashing down on them after the height they'd just been on. He felt himself soften inside her but couldn't be bothered to pull out just yet, no. Burying his head in Regina's warm neck, her sweat soaked hairline against his temple seemed way better than washing up. He felt her arms and legs wrap around him, holding him in place while her fingertips started caressing his back, drawing seemingly inconsequential lines onto the skin. No - wait, they weren't some random lines, they were letters. An o… was the following a v or a u? Then an e… ove? A y, followed by another o and a u… ove you? Her fingertips went back into drawing circles. What did she mean? Had he mistaken the v for a w? Owe you? No, she couldn't possibly mean that. But what did ove… Unless… unless he'd missed the letter before and she meant… but it was too soon, wasn't it?
"I can hear you thinking, Robin," she chuckled; her deep, rich and satisfied voice was close to his ear. He looked up into the depths of her whiskey brown iris', twinkling mischievously, as she bit her lip, holding herself back to say something else that was on her mind.
Still speechless, he pressed a soft kiss onto her swollen lips, sucked a little, so she opened her mouth for him. He couldn't be sure if she'd meant it, if he'd read it right; also, he didn't want to ruin the moment by asking her. Instead, he tried to show her by kissing her breathless - something which was easily obtained since she still seemed to be exhausted from their late afternoon exercise.
"Are you up for another round already?" she asked, half joking, half serious.
"I'm afraid I might need another moment… I also should go and wash up." The displeased sound she made as he got up and pulled out of her, leaving her sweaty body to the fresh air which made her nipples harden, had him smiling down at her. "I'll be back in a sec…"
Grumpily, Regina grabbed the blanket, which she wrapped around herself tightly, giving him the cold shoulder. Robin chuckled, before he disposed of the condom and wiped himself off with a tissue. It took him less than three minutes to slip into his boxers, go to the kitchen to grab two pop tarts and sneak back into the room.
"Would you mind letting me under the blanket?"
"No," she grumbled back, her face buried inside the pillow with her hair sprawled over it.
"Please?" Robin asked, putting the pop tarts onto the nightstand and leaning down to press a kiss onto the birthmark on her right shoulder. No answer. "You know, I like this one, number - what was it? Forty-eight… I like to kiss it, because it's so close to your neck and I can easily sneak my way up to here…"
He continued peppering her shoulder and neck with kisses, seeing how hard she was trying not to give in and giggle. "But you know which is my favorite, Regina?"
"Hmmm?" she hummed in appreciation as he smoothed back her hair in order to get a look at her face.
"It's the one on your chin, right next to your lips…" She turned her head toward him, raising an eyebrow as he leaned down to first, kiss the mark and then move onto her lips.
"Do I taste pop tarts?" Regina asked into the kiss after a moment.
Robin chuckled, reaching over to the nightstand in order to retrieve the two cherry pop tarts from the plate. "I swap food for blanket… And I promise once we're done, I'll kiss and count every one of your birth marks before I make love to you again."
"Deal," Regina grinned, as she scooted over to reveal some of the blanket and snuck the pop tart out of his hand.
Robin made his way over to the brunette sitting at the set up bar, nursing her whiskey, which seemed ridiculous since she couldn't drink with the mask on. It was her, Robin knew it was her. Just as he was about to approach her, he could see Daniel making his way over to him, his eyes set on Regina. Panic flamed up in Robin's chest. He wasn't going to lose the date to him, no, he would ask her for the dance and get the damned one-on-one date with her tonight!
He caught David's eye, who simply nodded and stepped right into Daniel's way, engaging the man in conversation. Robin was finally behind her, his heartbeat going crazy. It was her, he knew it was her. He could smell her; he could see the mark on her slim shoulders, the shape of her ears…
"Care for a dance, milady?"
She tensed, waited a moment before she turned around as if she needed time to collect herself. Once she looked at him and he could see her twinkling eyes through the mask, he let out a relieved breath. She was smiling, even though her face was hidden behind the mask, he could see it. Instead of answering, she simply nodded, taking the arm Robin offered, as he guided her up the stage, where they stopped in the middle and turned toward each other.
The other men who were waiting on the side of the stage got up from their seats, each of them trying to see if Robin had picked the right woman. Carefully, he raised his hands up to her mask, untying the ribbon with one smooth pull before removing it completely from her face. Regina was smiling, no beaming at him, as he laughed gleefully and without thinking, wrapped her into a tight hug, which she answered by throwing her arms around his neck.
The room was suddenly filled with applause - not by the men who seemed quite pissed they didn't pick the right women, but from the other women in the ballroom, who also took off their masks and threw them up into the air graduation-style.
"You found me," Regina whispered into his ear when she was sure the thundering applause would drown out everything she said. He didn't answer, just wrapped his arms around her more tightly as he slowly set her down. "How?"
"Number forty-eight," he simply shrugged, feeling how his heart squeezed as he saw her eyes water.
Xxxxx
They were lead up to a private lounge, which seemed to be preserved for the special guests of the opera only. It was a grand room with high ceilings; a red embroidered carpet as well as a quite comfortable looking leather couch. Two flutes of champagne, as well as a bowl of fruit were waiting for them on a side table, as they walked into the room, smiling shyly at each other. It was the first time they were alone, or at least away from the prying eyes of the other men, but sadly not away from Leroy and his camera, which was recording everything.
Robin gestured toward the couch, asking Regina to pick a side while he walked over to retrieve the two flutes from the side table. They clinked glasses, took a sip… and kept silent.
"So…"
"How…" They started at the same time, laughing as they realized the awkwardness of the situation. "You go first," Robin added, his tongue wetting his dry lips.
"How's Roland?"
He looked up, surprised she steered the conversation this way, but not displeased. "He's doing great. I talked to him this morning, but I miss him terribly. I haven't seen him in more than three weeks and it's like I'm missing out on his life."
"I…" know how you feel, she wanted to say, but she bit her lip, clearing her throat instead, before her hand reached over to grab his. "I'm sorry you miss him. I wish there was something I could do." Regina squeezed his hand once, her smile comforting, since she knew exactly how he felt. How bad must it be to be only able to talk to him via phone and not even have the opportunity to keep in touch via Skype like she had? She really wondered if there was something she could do to help him, but she couldn't possibly offer to call him from her phone right now, could she?
But why not? The thought wasn't too far off. "Robin, would you like to call Roland?"
"What?" He looked up, wondering if he heard right.
"I was asking if you would like to call Roland on my phone. I have FaceTime. Then you could see him. I know it's late, but…"
"Yes!" Robin answered breathlessly. "Yes, of course I'd like to call him. Are you… are you sure?"
"Of course." She squeezed his hand one last time before he finally let her get up and signaled Leroy she would be getting her phone from the room where Ruby had done her makeup. It didn't take more than five minutes for her to walk down there and back up, knowingly changing the background of her home and lock screen on the way so Robin wouldn't see the picture of Henry. Robin was beaming at her, happily taking the phone as she held it out toward him.
Leroy asked them to sit a little closer together so they would both be seen on the phone's screen, while a second camera by a man jokingly named Sneezy was positioned behind them, so it could catch the phone on the screen.
"God, I hope for once Will didn't listen to me and put Roland to bed on time. I'd hate to wake him up," Robin mumbled and Regina tried to hold back a chuckle. She didn't know how much Will had changed in ten years, but if Robin said he wasn't immune to his son's puppy dog eyes, he wouldn't be either.
He held the phone up, typing in the number and hit the FaceTime button. Will answered the phone, his expression wary and curious at the same time because of the unknown number that was calling him. The look on his friend's face as he picked up the call and looked right into the faces of Robin and Regina was hilarious. "Robin? Regina?"
"You must be Will," Regina quickly said in order to prevent any other slip from Will's side. "It's nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Will mumbled back, still confused about the scene unfolding in front of him.
"Will, please tell me you didn't listen to me and Roland is still awake," Robin chimed in.
"It's not my fault, ya lil' lad could win the next election with his debating skills."
"You fell for the eyes."
"Every damn time. I'm sorry Robin; it's not that I don't try. Usually it works out fine, but he missed you a lot today. They talked about family in preschool today and he realized you would be gone for a while longer. He argued he wouldn't miss you so much if he watched "Mommy and Daddy getting married!" and I couldn't say no. He's just finishing up in the bathroom."
"It's okay, Will," Robin smiled. "For once I was counting on you not being your consequent self." It was a joke, both men knew it. "Can I talk to him?"
"Sure, let me get him for you." The phone was put down on a table or nightstand - Robin realized the stars on the ceiling and knew Will must have been in Roland's bedroom. It ached him to think that his son missed him so much. He wanted to go home… badly.
They could listen to Will calling Roland; how he asked him whether he brushed his teeth and which pajamas he wanted to wear tonight. "There's a surprise for you, Roland…"
"PAPA!" was shouted into the phone and for a moment, all Robin and Regina could see was black, since Roland pressed the phone to his ear.
"He's on the screen, Roland. It's a video message," Will explained, taking the phone from him while getting Roland settled in bed and then holding the phone out once again.
"Hi Papa!" the little boy beamed, eagerly waving at the screen where he could see Robin and Regina.
"My boy," Robin whispered, desperately trying to hold back the tears. Regina offered to hold the phone for him, so he could wipe a hand over his face and hair. "How are you, Roland? I miss you, son!"
"I miss you, too, Papa, but today, I watched you and mommy getting married!"
"Oh did you now?" Robin asked proudly. The videos of the wedding, as well as Roland's birth were a few of the hidden gems in the DVD shelf in their house. Roland loved watching these videos, loved pointing out the people he recognized and whenever he beamed up at him once Marian laughed.
"Yes! But Papa, the video is all wrong," Roland pointed out.
"Why is that?"
"Because I wasn't there!" He raised his hands up as if it was the most obvious thing, making both Robin and Regina chuckle.
"That's because you weren't born yet, my boy."
"But you got married without me! And you were having a big, big funny party afterwards with lots of cake. And I wasn't there, Papa!" His voice sounded accusing, but coming from a four-year-old it was more adorable and funny, than actually threatening.
"I'm sorry, son. I really wished you would have been there."
"Can I be in the next video? Please?" Roland begged and for the first time Regina witnessed the puppy-dog eyes first hand. No wonder Robin couldn't say no to this little guy. He was even worse than Henry had been! Even worse, but certainly adorable.
"What next video?"
"Uncle Will says that you're going to marry the Bachi… Becho…"
"Bachelorette?" Regina helped Roland out and for the first time it seemed as if Roland noticed her. The little boy stayed quiet for a moment, looking at her through the screen with his little nose scrunched up in an adorable way.
"Who are you?" he asked curiously, his gaze shifting from Robin to Regina and back.
"I'm Regina - and who are you?"
"I'm Roland!" he shouted proudly, before he turned toward Robin and whispered loudly. "She is really pretty, Papa!"
"Why thank you for the compliment, Roland," Regina laughed, as Robin started laughing. "Who taught you to make such precious compliments?"
"My Papa!"
"He taught you well. So you're raising a little Casanova?" She asked toward Robin, who simply shrugged.
"The charm runs in the family I'm afraid." She swatted his shoulder casually, knowing exactly what he was talking about. Henry certainly didn't get his romanticized world-view from her.
"Are you a princess, R'gina?" Roland piped up curiously. Will laughed out loud in the background.
"Now why would you think so, Roland?"
"Because Uncle Will said Papa has to fight with others to win your heart! Like a knight."
"Will what kind of tale have you told my son again?" Robin asked a tad annoyed, looking over at Regina with an apologetic look, but she just grinned at him.
"I just tried to give him an idea of what you're doing," Will defended himself.
"He's not that wrong, is he?" Regina wondered aloud. "In a way, you are fighting to win my heart, are you not?" When all Robin could do was gape at Regina, completely at loss for words, he was glad when Roland chimed in, announcing when he was big, he would become a knight so he could fight, just like his Papa. But he wouldn't marry the princess, because girls were yucky. Not Regina of course, Regina was really pretty.
Robin enjoyed talking to his son for a bit longer, was sad when he realized Roland's eyes were dropping closed and a quick look at his watch told him it was nearly 11 pm in Storybrooke. Damn the time difference.
"I think you should go to sleep, son."
"But Papa… I miss you." Robin's heart dropped in his chest. He was thankful how Regina rested her hand on his tight, squeezing it lightly to comfort him.
"I know, son. I…" He couldn't promise he would be home soon, not when Regina gave him another rose tonight. "I'll call tomorrow," he offered instead. "And then you have to show me that new song you learned, the one about all the colors, okay? And if you miss me, you can watch all the videos of Papa and Mama and the ones of when you were little."
"Mhmmmm."
"Good night, Roland. Take care of Uncle Will and watch him so he can't do any nonsense. Give Tuck a hug from me."
"I will, Papa. Good night. Night R'gina…" A sloppy kiss was pressed right onto the front camera, leaving the picture quite blurry as Roland dropped back onto his pillow, eyes half closed.
"I'll see you, Robin. Thanks for the call. It really cheered him up," Will smiled once he turned the phone around.
"Thanks, Will. Please take care of him."
"I always do. Have a great date the two of you. Bye Regina!" Will answered.
"Bye, Will!" Regina and Robin answered together, before the screen went black. Robin dropped back into the cushions seeming more than exhausted after the fifteen-minute talk to his son. She could see how much he missed him and how hard he was trying to hold it together.
"He's a wonderful kid, Robin. You did well with him."
"I miss him so much." His voice was filled with worry and sadness, something Regina could relate to more than he knew. Without another thought, she wrapped him into a tight hug, which he embraced thankfully, burying his head in her neck. In this moment, she wanted to tell him, wanted to tell him about Henry and ask him what happened, why he never came looking for her, why he left her. She didn't know if she should be mad or relieved, if she should shout at him for just forgetting about her, for moving on so quickly or relish the feeling of having him this close after ten years.
"I'm trying so hard to make it right, Regina, I'm trying to give him everything but I still feel like I'm failing. I feel like I'm making so many mistakes with him and I know if Marian were here she would tell me what I'm doing wrong." He wasn't crying but Regina could feel how much this ate him up from the inside. "I hate that my son has to grow up without his mother."
And she hated her own son had to grow up without his father and instead had to endure growing up under Leopold's horrible regime for the first five years. Her little prince had to grow up under constant fear of a man who treated him like garbage and used him as a means to make Regina bend to his will. She didn't regret it, everything she'd done ever since agreeing to marry Leopold after Mary Margaret had told her secret; she'd done for Henry. Henry, who'd never seen his father, who only knew the tales and stories she used to tell him when he was little. At one point he'd simply stopped asking and she wondered whether it was because he lost his interest or because he felt how it pained her to talk about Robin.
"You're doing everything you can, Robin. Roland knows that. He knows how much you love him and that you miss him. You can't protect him from every evil out there. But… but if you want to go home… I would understand." She wouldn't be happy about it, but she would understand. If someone would offer her an out right now, she would probably take it and go back to her son. He finally looked up, directly into her eyes; his warm blue orbs as deep as always, a place she could simply get lost in.
"Do you want me to leave?"
Her eyebrow arched up questioningly. "I didn't say that. I'm simply offering you an out."
"You didn't answer my question," Robin insisted. "Do you want me to leave?"
It would make things easier, Regina thought. But they had been given a second chance at something - what this something was, was yet to be determined, but it was a chance. She wasn't ready to just let him go, not when they didn't have the chance to talk about what happened - a chance which would arise sooner than either one of them thought.
"No, I don't want you to leave," Regina said finally, her voice deep and rough, filled with unspoken emotions. Her heart skipped a beat as Robin's hand cupped her cheek and he leaned in, a moment of hesitation to see whether she was about to skip out - which she didn't. Their lips locked with soft pressure, stirring an old feeling inside of her, Regina thought was long buried. It felt so familiar, so warm, so good, as if it hadn't been ten years since the last time. Once the dragon inside her had been awoken, she wanted more. Robin was everywhere. She wanted to feel him, to really kiss him - senseless, like she used to do - but the moment was over before she even knew it happened, leaving her wonder if she'd just imagined it. No, she definitely hadn't. The tingling of her lips was still there, and judging by the shocked look on Robin's face, this kiss had been more than real.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Don't… I'm not sorry at all." Her gaze shifted to Leroy who was still holding the camera, carefully recording their exchange. "I want to give Robin a rose. Now."
"What?"
"I want to give him a rose. Can we arrange that?" she asked, trying not to look at Robin's stunned face at her request.
"Uh… sure. Give me a second, I need to make a call…" He gestured to Sneezy before they left the room in order to get the rose for Regina, leaving the two of them finally alone for the first time since they got here.
"Regina…"
"Robin…" They said at the same time, growing silent immediately, waiting for the other one to start. Always the gentleman, he motioned for her to go first, patiently waiting.
Regina knew they didn't have much time and of all the simple things she could have asked, she dropped the question that had weighed on her shoulders for ten years. "Why did you leave me?"
There it was, it was out in the open. She felt nauseous and weak, afraid of his answer. She hadn't realized until now how much she needed the answer, how much she needed to hear why he left her and their unborn child he didn't know of to their fate. She needed to know why she endured five years of a physical and emotional abusive marriage. It certainly wasn't for the answer coming from Robin's dumb folded and confused face.
"Because you didn't want me to."
Confusion hit her hard, increasing the nauseating feeling. "What?" Her voice was merely a whisper. What was he talking about?
Robin straightened his back in order to get some distance between them. He'd expected everything - mostly an apology, really, but not this question. "You left me, Regina."
"I… what?" She felt like a ghost, watching the horror of the scene unfold in front of her. The rage on Robin's face was clear. He couldn't hold back any longer, couldn't keep it inside, not after ten years. She'd asked the question, she wanted to know, she'd opened the can and he was not going to hold back now. No. These times were over. He had a right to be angry, even after ten years.
"Are you serious now, Regina? Do you really want me to relive it? Fine! I was waiting for you at our spot, I waited all night and you didn't show up. I had the car packed, I had the tickets bought, I had everything ready. You didn't show - and when I got home, I knew why. After everything that happened between us, you dumped me. You left me, off to marry that rich son of a bitch who abused you. You. Dumped. Me. With nothing but a fucking letter!"
Her ears were ringing, her eyes trying to zoom in on something, but everything was blurry. What…?
The opening of the door was cutting through the silence in the room like a knife. Leroy stepped inside; holding the rose on a silver tray, ready to hand it over to Regina.
"Everything alright in here?" he asked curiously, not oblivious to the fact something must have happened during his absence.
Something clicked inside of her, brought her vision back and made her plaster a smile on her face, just like she'd been used to doing for five years of her life. It was one of her talents, to pretend nothing had happened and look as if she had not just received a punch in the face - well, in the heart in this case. She had no idea what Robin was talking about, no idea what letter he meant, all she knew was that he was angry. Very angry.
"We are fine." They were not. Not really.
Robin gaped at her, about to say something, but he knew he couldn't reveal them. He'd said his bit and if Regina didn't have to say anything to it, fine, so be it. He was done here.
"Okay get back to your seats," Leroy instructed them, camera ready to continue recording. "We'll start right-" but Robin shook his head, wiping off his sweaty hands on the soft fabric of his smoking jacket before he stood up.
"I can't do this." Without another word, he jumped up and left.
Leroy simply raised an eyebrow at her. "Well, sister… that escalated quickly." She didn't know what to reply to that.
Please don't kill me... I'd love to hear what you think ;)
