Happy Friday everyone! This OQ Bedsharing Week oneshot fills prompt 37: The airport cancels all flights and these two strangers get the last hotel room, but guess how many beds that room has? (one, it has one). Enjoy!

"All flights in or out of Heathrow Airport have been cancelled for the rest of the evening due to inclement weather. Accommodations for the night and arrangements for rescheduled flights will be provided through your airline, see the nearest flight attendant for further details."

Hearing the announcement, Regina groaned. It wasn't that she wanted to go back to the States. Far from it… mostly. She wanted to see her father- had to see him, in fact, before it was too late. He was in the final stages of cancer, and she wanted to be back in the States so she could spend as many of his final moments with him as she could.

Apart from her father, though, she was perfectly content not going home. She loved having three thousand miles and a vast ocean between her and her controlling mother and the sister who had always received her mother's praise and affection. She knew her mom would be furious about the change in plans, that she wouldn't be back in time for the Christmas bash she threw every year for all of the elitist friends that she brought to her like bees swarming around honey. Regina, however, was relieved she was missing the event. All she wanted to do was go home, spend as much time as possible with her father, and go serve Christmas dinner at the shelter where she had volunteered before she began her courses at Oxford.

She hurried up to the nearest flight attendant, noticing that she was far from the only one to do so. When the line before her had dissipated, she asked, "Are there any more rooms available?"

"Yes, of course," the attendant, a petite woman with long red hair with a name tag that identified her as Ariel, promised. "Here, there's one last room available at the Marriott. I'll book it for you right now."

"Perfect, thank you," Regina said after the redhead had gotten her email address and sent her the reservation number and hotel address. She wouldn't have bothered with the hotel at all, but her dorm was closed for the holidays, so she didn't have any other choice.

She followed the signs for baggage claim, grateful she had her carryon slung over her shoulder. She had everything she needed for the night inside, now all she needed was a taxi to take her to the hotel, then she could just sink into a nice relaxing bath as she called her father to apologize for not being there sooner.

(********)

She burst through the doors of the hotel, brushing snow off of her coat and bag. Barely registering the Christmas tree, poinsettias, and other decorations in the lobby, she hurried up to the concierge, a petite woman with a blonde bun on top of her head whose name tag read Tink.

"Tink? Really?" she asked skeptically in lieu of a more customary greeting. She found it hard to believe that the girl really shared the name of a Disney fairy, even if she did look remarkably like her.

The woman on the other side of the desk shrugged. "My best friend gave me that nickname in elementary school, and it stuck. What can I say? It's quirky."

"You can say that again," Regina agreed with a laugh. She wondered what exactly this blizzard and that flight attendant had gotten her into. Concierges named after Disney characters? She wasn't in some fairytale.

"Enjoy your stay," Tink said as she gave her a set of keys. The tag on them read 23, so Regina headed in the direction of the first floor rooms, which she knew could be accessed via a hallway she had passed on her way to the desk. She wasn't thrilled about being alone in a room on the first floor- what woman would be?- but remembered what Ariel had told her: this was the last room available in the hotel. Under the circumstances, she wasn't going to be picky.

She opened the door, which was decorated with a wreath, and put down her carry-on, her first goal to take a nice long shower after being in the airport all day. She undressed, keeping her flip-flops on (one never knew how often the floor was cleaned, after all), and walked to the bathroom door, which was oddly shut. Oh no, maybe the previous occupant had left a surprise in there for her and housekeeping hadn't been in to clean it up… No, that couldn't be right. The little she had seen of the room hadn't appeared to be dirty, so what was going on?

Tentatively, she opened the door and screamed when she saw what- or rather, who- was inside. A man about her age with dark blonde hair was standing naked in the room, his rear on full display as he bent over, his head in the shower, presumably to turn it on.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" she demanded, hands on her hips.

"Me? I should be asking you those questions!" the man replied indignantly. "This is my room, after all. Did the locked door, let alone the fact that the bathroom door was closed, give you no reason to pause?"

"I was supposed to be the only one in the room!" Regina shot back defensively. "Otherwise, yeah, it would've. Who expects someone to be in their hotel room when they book a room for one person?"

"No one," the man responded, understanding at last dawning on his face.

"Exactly," Regina confirmed with a nod. "I think this was just some misunderstanding. We need to just go down to Merryweather or whatever her name was-"

"Tink," the intruder supplied. "Odd name, isn't it?"

"-and explain the mix-up," Regina continued, pretending she hadn't heard his efforts to correct her. Despite his rugged good looks (which, she'd admit, she had admired before he had wrapped a towel around himself), she had no desire to get to know this stranger. He was nothing more than another blemish on this already eventful day. "But you need to put on some clothes first. I refuse to be seen with a man so scantily clad."

"Of course, milady," he said. "If you wouldn't mind?"

She rolled her eyes. It wasn't like she hadn't seen him in all his glory when she had opened the bathroom door. What difference did it make at this point? However, she had to admit that she would've wanted the same if their roles had been reversed. What was that golden rule they taught children? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Well, if that was the way it was supposed to be, she would turn away to preserve what remained of this man's dignity, even if he had somehow stolen her room.

When he wasn't ready to leave five minutes later, she huffed, "Forget it, I'll do it myself."

Grabbing her key, she walked out of the room, the door slamming shut behind her. The cheerful sounds of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" in the hallway and lobby certainly didn't help her mood. How could she be cheerful when so much had gone wrong that day?

The same blonde was at the desk, and Regina rolled her eyes. Time to give this woman a piece of her mind.

She assumed a face that she hoped was both kind and showed she meant business and strolled up to the desk.

"What can I do for you?" the far-too-perky Tink asked.

Regina propped her arms on the desk, "Tink, we have a problem. Can you check the room number you gave me please?"

She frowned as she began to type. "Sure, of course." She nodded. "23, just as I thought."

Regina tilted her head to the side skeptically. "Really? Are you sure? Because I was just in there and found a naked man in the bathroom. Not exactly the type of welcome I was expecting, if you know what I mean."

A sly grin spread across the concierge's face. "Is he handsome?"

"It doesn't matter that he could be Sean Maguire's twin- I already don't care that he has an accent!" Regina replied, crossing her arms when a small voice in the back of her mind asked if she was really sure about that. "I want to figure out how this happened, and I want it solved as soon as possible."

"Ooh, he has an accent?" Tink asked, that grin that Regina wanted to slap off only widening.

"Yes, and accent or not, I want him gone!" Regina burst out indignantly.

Tink shrugged. "If you say so. Hold on, let me see if I can figure out what happened and what I can do about it." She typed furiously, concentrating on the screen in front of her. As she was focused on her task, Regina heard someone come up behind her, and turning, she saw the guy who had been in her room.

"How's it going?" he whispered, clearly not wanting to disturb the hotel employee in front of them.

At that moment, the blonde looked up. "I think I figured out what happened. We had a lot of different airlines all booking rooms for their customers all at once. The system double-booked your room, and I'm afraid it really is the last available one. I wouldn't suggest trying to find a room at another hotel either, all of them will be having similar problems."

"So what you're saying is, we should just live with it," Regina paraphrased.

The fairy wannabe sighed. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do. I wouldn't want either of you to go without a bed tonight."

Regina walked away, the man following after her. She stopped by the elevators and turned to her unwitting roommate once he had caught up to her rapid gait. "It'll be fine, right? There are two beds, we're both adults, this is just a minor setback."

He cleared his throat. "Um… there's just one problem with your solution. I don't know if you noticed, but there's only one bed in that room."

By this point, Regina had completely forgotten that their room was on the first floor. She stayed rooted to the spot, completely floored by what he had just told her. "One bed? How is there only one bed? Don't these places usually have mostly double queen rooms?"

He nodded. "They do. But apparently we got one of the ones with the king-size bed. You didn't notice that on your way in?"

"No," Regina admitted. "In case you haven't noticed, today hasn't exactly been on my list of top one hundred best days. All I wanted to do was take a nice hot bath, have some dinner, and go to sleep."

"Well, it just so happens that I haven't eaten either." the man said. "What do you say we go get some food and get to know each other a little better, since circumstances have led to us sharing a room this evening? You can have that bath you want first, if you like."

Regina sighed. She had no idea if this man was a rapist or serial killer, but she had to admit that having dinner with him to get to know him better before they were stuck in the same bed wasn't a bad idea. "I don't even know your name," she pointed out. There. That should shut him up.

"Fair point." He held out his hand. "Robin Locksley, at your service, milady."

"Regina," she replied in kind, shaking his hand. He had calluses on his fingers, and she wondered how he got them. There were so many different occupations that could lead to the condition, but either way, it meant that this Robin Locksley was a hard worker. She had to admit that she valued that, even admired it.

"So which would you like to do first, bathe or go get something to eat?" he asked.

Regina wanted to say she wanted her bath, but her rumbling stomach made itself known before she had the chance to even open her mouth.

Robin chuckled softly. "Dinner it is."

She shook her head. "I need to get this awful day off me. Bath first."

"As you wish, milady," he said.

Once they had arrived at their room, Regina quickly grabbed her things and shut the bathroom door, grateful to put a wall between herself and Robin. All she had wanted to do when she found out that she wouldn't be going home as early as anticipated was spend her last Mother-free evening away from any additional stress, but that clearly wasn't what the universe had in store for her.

She had brought her phone in with her, and while a part of her knew that may cause the opposite of the state of mind she wanted to accomplish, she had an important call to make before she put her phone on silent and relaxed. "Hi, this is Regina Mills. Is Henry Mills available?"

"Let me check for you." A moment later, the nurse was back. "You're in luck, Ms. Mills, he's eating lunch right now. I'll transfer the call to him right now."

Regina hesitated. She didn't want to interrupt while he had warm food in front of him, but at the same time, this was important. Before she could decide, a voice heavy with sleep was saying, "Hello sweetheart. This is a pleasant surprise."

His greeting made Regina's heart melt but knowing what she was going to have to tell him, it made her feel guilty at the same time. "I hate to say it, Daddy, but there's a reason I'm calling. They've cancelled all flights out of the area for the rest of the day, so I won't be able to make it for the party tonight, but I should be there tomorrow." She waited with bated breath for his response. She knew circumstances were out of her control, but she still felt terrible.

"Oh sweetheart, it's all right, it's not your fault," her father soothed her. "So what are you doing with your evening then?"

It was a good question. "Oh, you know, having dinner." She honestly didn't know what else the evening would entail, and she didn't want to tell her father Oh, I'm just spending the night having dinner and sleeping in a bed with a complete stranger.

"Well, make sure you do something fun too," he advised. "It's the holidays, you need to be out there enjoying yourself."

"I'll enjoy it when I'm home with you and helping at the shelter," she told him, smiling. It was so very like him to worry that she was working too much.

She could hear his smile in his voice when he replied, "Of course you will. I'll see you tomorrow, sweetheart."

"See you tomorrow," Regina echoed. "Oh, and Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sure Mother will be furious that I"m not able to make an appearance tonight. Tell her I'll talk to her about it when I get home."

He sighed. "I'll certainly try. But you know your mother, Regina."

Did she ever. Cora Mills was someone who was used to getting her way- a trait that Regina hated to admit she had inherited from her, even if she tried to only let it affect her occasionally (with varying degrees of success). She wouldn't like Regina's absence at the party that evening, not at all. "I know. Thank you, Daddy."

"Anytime, sweetheart. Have a good night."

"You too," she responded in kind, ending the call and putting her phone back on the side of the tub. Now all she had to do was relax in the now-lukewarm water. No matter what happened, it was certainly going to be an interesting evening.

(********)

Robin was knocked off his feet when Regina stepped out of the bathroom after her bath. She was wearing a red dress with a neckline that allowed him to see just a hint of her olive skin beneath. He knew he needed to get a grip, that judging by the way this woman had reacted to his presence in their room earlier, he would be lucky if they were able to have a civil conversation at dinner, then go to sleep without any further mishaps. However, he just couldn't help himself. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

Apparently, his rather primal reaction to her was evident on his face, because she smirked and said, "Shall we?", picking up her purse, slipping on three-inch heels (how women managed to walk in those things, he would never know), and advanced toward the door. Patting his pocket to ensure that his wallet was safely tucked inside, Robin joined her.

As she reached for the door, he asked, "Would you like to eat at the hotel restaurant, or shall we go somewhere a bit less refined?" She seemed to be about his age, and if she was anything like him, she was trying not to spend a lot of money on things as simple as a meal out. From what he had seen of the restaurant, the price tags on its main courses would be far more than what his budget would allow, and the same would hopefully be true for her as well. If not, he supposed he could get an appetizer as his main meal.

Her eyes lit up at the suggestion. "If we can find somewhere that's walkable, sure. I don't know about you, but I've had enough of London's taxis and traffic for the day."

He chuckled and nodded in agreement, sitting on his bed and pulling up the area's restaurants while Regina appeared to do the same. He skimmed through the restaurants until one caught his eye. "Hey, what about this one? Do you like Asian food? I've been there before, it's a little Japanese place just down the street and has a variety of dishes. Think you could go for it?" He really hoped so. He remembered going there with his family when they had visited him at uni and loving it.

To his relief, she shrugged. "Fine by me."

With that settled, they left and Robin led her to the restaurant. Lanterns hung at the entrance, a wrought iron fence with a gate that swung open and clanged shut behind them serving as the entryway. It was really a shame that the constantly dreadful English weather prevented the establishment from having many tables outside, as its gardens, Robin knew, were a sight to behold in the height of summer.

He led Regina through the black doors to the entranceway within, where Robin was surprised to see his friend Mulan.

"I didn't expect to see you here!" he greeted her, hugging her once she had stepped out from behind the hostess stand. "I thought you would be home with your family."

"They wanted me to stay here and make money so I can come home this summer," she informed him.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, feeling bad for her. "No one should be alone this time of year."

She shrugged. "It's okay, I'm used to it. I haven't celebrated at home in years, so I always just make sure I'm scheduled to work these days."

Robin frowned. "If I wasn't going back to the States for the holidays, I would invite you to my grandparents'."

Once again, she shrugged it off. "It's fine. So who's your date?"

"Oh no, we're not-"

"This isn't what it looks like-" they denied in unison.

Mulan shook her head, smiling. "If you say so," she says in a singsong voice, and Robin knew he would be hearing about this the moment he got back from his holiday.

He sighed. "I do say so. Can we go to our table now please?"

"Fine, fine," she acquiesced.

She led them to their table, a secluded one in the corner of the restaurant. "Enjoy, you two," she told them, putting the menus on the table and walking away.

Robin moved forward before Regina could sit and pulled out her chair for her.

She frowned. "Why did you do that?"

He shrugged. "Because my grandfather always said it's polite to pull out a chair for a lady."

She snorted. "Lady? You haven't met my mother. She may be prim and proper, but she's no one's idea of a lady. No one would say that about her in a million years- or me, for that matter."

He hesitated for a second, not sure whether or not he should reveal how much he had overheard. Yes, this wasn't a date, but he would still be sharing a bed with her tonight, so he didn't want to alienate her. "But I'm guessing you're close to your father?"

"How much did you overhear?" she asked, her eyebrows raising.

"Only bits and pieces of your end of the conversation," he quickly assured her. "It's a small space, it was difficult not to eavesdrop at all."

"That's fair," she admitted with a scowl that told Robin she hated that she was conceding to anything so easily. "Since you know about my family, tell me about yours."

"Oh, they're great," he gushed. "Well, most of them. They're in the States, actually, I ask Gran and Grandpa if I need anything while I'm here. They're actually the reason I was traveling."

"You wanted to see your family for the holidays," she guessd, nodding. "Is it just your parents, or…"

"No, I have a younger sister named Belle," he informed her, smiling fondly at the thought of his baby sister. "What about you?"

She sighed. "I have an older sister, and she's just like my mother."

Thinking of some of his antics with Belle over the years, Robin smiled. "Surely you've had some good times though? I don't know what I'd do without my sister, but we don't get along all the time either."

One side of her mouth curled up, and Robin couldn't help feeling a little thrill of victory. He had only known Regina for the past hour, but he could already sense that she didn't smile easily. "I sense there's a story or two behind that."

"Oh, nothing major, just the usual sibling squabbles," he brushed off with a wave of his hand. "Thankfully, we weren't both girls, or there would've probably been fights over boys and stealing each other's clothes, and…" he shuddered. "I don't even want to think about it."

She laughed. "I guess that is one advantage of it. Still…" she fell silent, and Robin had to wonder just how bad her mother and sister were for her to have that reaction.

Thinking that she might also have a pet, he asked, only to be disappointed when the answer was no. In fact, that "no" was punctuated by a sarcastic laugh.

"My mother would never let an animal anywhere near the house," she elaborated. "Even the idea of that happening is laughable."

He sighed. Poor woman. No wonder she was a tough nut to crack. "All right then. What are three interesting things for me to know about you, Regina?"

She thought for a moment, then an evil gleam came into her eye as she told him, "I've been to more countries than the number of years I've been alive, I'm going to school to become a lawyer someday," there was a shadow behind her eyes as she said those words, and Robin hated to think what she had been through to cause even a hint of darkness in her life. He had tried not to eavesdrop much while she was on the phone, but he sensed that there was more to the story than that. "And my father means the world to me."

"It must be nice to have that," he said, thinking of his own father. "My mum's great, but my dad…"

"Seems our situations are reversed," she commented, and he nodded in agreement. Note to self: never ask Regina about her mother unless by some miracle they saw each other after tonight and he somehow managed to earn her trust. He was starting to think that he wanted that; more of the intriguing woman who was Regina Mills; but he seriously doubted she would ever want to see him again after they left the hotel room the following day.

At that point, their food arrived, and silence fell as they ate, a silence that Robin sincerely hoped Regina took as a reprieve if she needed it instead of seeing it as awkward. He wanted her to be comfortable around him. After all, she would be spending an entirely innocent night with him, and he knew that in this day and age, women couldn't rely on men to be chivalrous, because far too many of them weren't.

To his surprise, she was the one who broke the comfortable silence. "You asked a lot about me, so tell me about you."

He laid his hands out on the table, palms up. "I'm an open book, milady. You can ask me anything. What would you like to know?"

"Tell me more about your sister," she suggested. "Or any pets you have, or three interesting things about you."

He chuckled, he couldn't help it. She was turning the tables on him. It was a bold and audacious move, and he loved it. "Well, I lived here before my parents decided to move to the States for Mum's job. She's in computer science, and the pharmaceutical trials company she works for has offices all over the world, so she does a lot of traveling. We have a dog named Little John who's my best friend in the world-"

She laughed at that, a beautiful sound. "A guy named Robin whose best friend is Little John?"

He chuckled and shrugged sheepishly. "What can I say? I loved Robin Hood when I was little."

"Why do I have a feeling you still like it just as much now?" she asked, a twinkle in her eye. He loved that she had so much fire, that she wasn't afraid to tease him.

"So what if I do?" he asked. "I always think it's good to have a childlike sense of adventure and wonder, don't you?"

"We're adults, aren't we supposed to be too old for that?"

He shook his head. "Too old for believing in goodness in the world? Never."

She was quiet after that, and his heart broke for her. Her silence indicated that something in her past had made her give up on trying to be happy, which he thought was tragic, no matter how big or small that thing was. He scrambled for a way to change the atmosphere, to have her smiling and laughing once more. Was it crazy that he was absolutely fascinated by her only an hour or so after meeting her?

Finally, he realized he had the answer right in front of him. "So what's your favorite type of food? And what's your favorite dessert and snack?" He figured that everyone liked something savory, whether they favored sweet or salty treats, and he was curious which type of cuisine Regina preferred above all others.

She smirked. "I make a lasagna that's to die for. As for my favorite snack, I don't really have one, but I do enjoy making the occasional apple dessert, pies and turnovers especially. I make this dish that I call apple goodie too, it's kind of like a cobbler, but without the dough. So it's a saucy mixture with apple slices and pecans and brown sugar on top."

She had his mouth watering just at the sound of those scrumptious delicacies. "Those do sound delectable. You said you make them, so you like to cook and bake, I"m guessing? Or do you just make those particular dishes?"

"Oh, I'll cook or bake anything if you give me the recipe for it," she replied with a confident air that he couldn't help admiring. He wished he was more like her. He had been surprised when he discovered just how easy she was to talk to. Normally he was a stuttering mess around girls his age.

"All right, milady, then when we're both back here in England, I want you to make me this famous lasagna of yours." He grinned, and he knew the dimples that he had inherited from his grandfather were flashing. Hopefully those would win her over.

"And what do I get in return?" she challenged, raising an eyebrow. Oh, he liked her, he really did.

"If you would be so kind as to make me your famous lasagna, I'll sing you a song, maybe even write one for you," he proposed. "And I don't perform for just anyone, let alone write a song for them."

She let out a derisive laugh. "What exactly would you call this song, 'An Ode to Lasagna'?"

"Sounds like an excellent title, milady. 'An Ode to Lasagna' it is," he declared, grinning.

She scoffed. "I was kidding, obviously. Why would someone actually give a song that name?"

"Well then, in all seriousness, what would you call it?" he asked, genuinely curious.

She threw her hands up in the air. "I don't know. This whole conversation is ridiculous."

He scrambled, trying to find a different topic to appease her. "Would you rather talk about your family then, or what ails your father?"

A deer in headlights, that was the only way to describe the look that came over her face when he made that suggestion. He waited with bated breath for her response. Had he screwed things up for good this time?

(********)

How dare he? It was one thing for him to have overheard her conversation with Daddy- they were in close quarters, after all- but to ask her point blank to share the details of her private life? They were complete strangers being forced to share a bed, nothing more, no matter how much he managed to get under her skin and somehow make her like him at the same time… Right?

Suggesting another topic, that's what she needed to do. Something light, something that would completely distract her from the panic filling her at the thought of her father and what he was going through. "How long have you been playing and writing songs?"

His eyes had been intent as he was looking at her, but at the change in conversation, he visibly relaxed, his shoulders no longer hunched, no tense lines on his face. "Oh, I've been playing for almost longer than I can remember. My dad is a writer and my mum has a beautiful voice and knows how to play…"

"So between the two of them, you're a natural," she finished, nodding. "Do you have your guitar on you?" She didn't know what it was, but suddenly, she really wanted to hear him play.

He nodded. "You didn't see it in our room? It was my carry-on. I couldn't risk someone else taking it."

She nodded. She understood that. She couldn't bear to part with the locket around her neck, or the memories it brought with it.

At that point the waiter came and took their plates, asking if they wanted dessert. Regina shook her head, her mother's voice critiquing her figure loud in her ear, but she saw Robin's kicked puppy look and she resolved then and there to make sure they got a sweet treat on their way home. What was it about him that made her rethink everything she had ever known?

The check taken care of, they stood and left, Mulan wishing them happy holidays on their way out. Once they were outside, she turned to him. "You know, just because I said I didn't want dessert there doesn't mean I don't want dessert at all. These places don't always have the best desserts, you know?"

He beamed and reached for her hand. What was even more surprising was that she let him take it. "Come on. I know a place with the best desserts."

He led her down the street to a cute little patisserie that she was surprised was open at this late hour. They stopped for a minute at the door and her mouth started watering at the sight of all of the cookies, breads, brownies, and cakes on display.

"Come on," Robin said, laughing and leading her inside. "What do you want?"

Regina just stared, mouth agape. What did she want? She had no idea, there were simply too many options for her to choose. However, if they had her favorite…

She looked around the store, trying to spot it. They had to have it, right? Granted, they were in England, not the States, where it was a staple around this time of year, but they had to have something with apples here…

At last she spotted something in the very corner that looked promising. She walked over to it, oblivious to her other surroundings for the first time since entering the shop, and as she approached, she found that she was right. She was staring at an apple pie slice, the perfect cure for the less-than-ideal day she had had.

She grabbed it and turned back around to find that Robin had followed her. She held up the slice of pie, "All set."

"Excellent choice- one that doesn't surprise me at all," he commented. So he had been paying attention when she was talking earlier. Good. She had met far too many men who were too self-obsessed, in love with the sounds of their own voices, to automatically believe that he would listen just out of the kindness of his heart. Clearly, he was just trying to get in her good graces for later… right? The likelihood that he genuinely cared was so slim that she didn't dare hope that he actually meant to keep this up.

Suddenly too tired to try to figure out this man's true motives, she asked, "You've been busy following me, have you actually gotten something for yourself yet?"

He nodded, holding up a large chocolate chip cookie. "Are we ready to take these to Kensington Gardens?"

"You really want to stay out?" she asked. "Aren't you starting to get tired?" She knew she was.

"All right, back to our room it is, milady," he said, gesturing toward the doors with a flourish. "Shall we?"

After paying for their treats, they headed out and walked back to the hotel. Once they were inside their room, Regina headed toward the small table so she could eat.

To her dismay, she saw that Robin had not followed suit. "You know, if you get anything on or in that bed, I'll make you pay for it."

"And just how will you do that, milady?" he asked, smirking.

She wished one of the pillows was near her so she could throw it at him. "Trust me, I am not someone you want to cross."

"All right, all right, have it your way then," he sighed, coming over to the table to sit with her. "I just thought you'd want to have some space between us before the end of the night."

His face echoed her own surprise at her next words. "You don't need to do that."

He grinned. "Are you actually admitting that you like me?"

"I said no such thing," she protested, although she didn't know why. She knew as well as he did that she had trusted him enough to share a few of her secrets. Clearly, that meant something, though she was nowhere near ready to voice what that was.

Her phone rang, and she groaned when she saw the name on the screen. She was sure her father would have relayed the message that she was unable to be there, so she knew her mother was well aware of exactly where she was. This was nothing more than a guilt trip call, meant to make her feel like it was entirely her fault that all flights had stopped flying out of Heathrow. She didn't want to answer, she really didn't, but this call would be so much worse if it was an in-person conversation. Time to face the music. "What is it, Mother?"

"There you are, Regina! I've been trying to reach you for ages! You're much better at answering emails and texts than this, what's gotten into you?"

Regina sighed. "My flight got delayed, Mother, so obviously I've been a little busy." She refused to tell her mother- or Daddy, for that matter- where she was spending the night (or rather, with whom). Daddy would understand, she was sure, especially under the circumstances, but Mother would never allow it.

She scoffed. "With what, Regina, stuffing your face? I hope you were studying instead, you have an important set of classes next semester, and you need to be prepared. If it wasn't so important for you to come to the gala tonight, I would've had you stay there. In fact, I think I shall. It's over now, there's no reason for you to come home anymore."

There was a very unwelcome lump in Regina's throat, and she fought to keep it down, to keep her composure so neither Robin nor her mother could tell just how upset she was. Only logic could save her Christmas now. "But Mother, you've already paid for the ticket. It's the night before the flight and I've already checked in, it's too late to cancel. And Daddy… I need to see Daddy, Mother." Hopefully, that would bring her back to her senses… if she had any.

"Don't be silly, dear, of course I can cancel it for you. I know the CEO of the airline, he's an old acquaintance from my own days at university," Cora said, brushing away Regina's well-thought-out argument as if it was an irksome fly and crushing Regina's dreams of seeing her father in the process.

All Regina wanted to do was right back, make sure she ended up on that plane home, but she knew talking back would only get her in more trouble. "Mother, please, Daddy's sick," she pleaded, hating how her voice cracked with every word. "This might be my last chance to see him."

From the pause on the other end of the line, she could tell that her mother was considering her words, and that gave her hope (as unwise as that emotion might be in this particular moment). "Very well. But make no mistake, I will know how you spend your time while you are here, and if you don't spend at least four hours a day studying, I will know and find a suitable punishment. Perhaps going back early would do the trick."

"All right, Mother," Regina sighed. She knew there was no arguing with her. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodbye dear," her mother responded, and the line went dead.

Relieved, she collapsed on the bed behind her. She inhaled, but before she could even get a minute to relax, she felt the bed dip beside her. "I know I don't know everything and we've only just met, but is there anything I can do? If you need to just vent, get it off your chest, feel free to do that too."

She sighed. "You know my father's in the hospital, right?"

At his nod, she continued, "It's cancer, Robin. Final stages," she confessed with a shuddering breath, praying that the tears gathering in her eyes didn't fall. "I have to be there or I'll miss this opportunity, and it may be my last..."

She trailed off, unable to speak the words that would make her beloved parent's situation a reality. Suddenly, he was pulling her so she was in a sitting position and his arm was around her, rubbing soothing circles on her back. It was an intimate gesture, far too intimate, but in that particular moment, she didn't care. All she knew was she hated her mother and the fact that she would even think of threatening to not let Regina see Daddy when he was in such a poor condition. Did she care about their relationship at all, that Regina could lose her father any day now? Of course not, and that was the infuriating thing about Cora Mills. She never cared about anything except her own ambitions for Regina.

"Shh, it'll be ok," he whispered. "You'll get to see him, and enjoy as much time as you can together."

"But Robin, what if she follows through with that threat and makes me stay here?" she burst out, unable to hide the depth of her fear from him any longer. Let him see what an emotional train wreck she was, then he'd know he needed to stay far, far away from her.

"Then we'll smuggle you onto my plane in my guitar case," he suggested so matter-of-factly that it took her brain a minute to register exactly what he had said.

"Don't be ridiculous," she scolded, nudging him playfully. "That would never work, and you know it. Besides, where are you flying to, anyway? I doubt it's the same as mine, I'd never make it home, it'd just be an unnecessary detour."

"Logan," he said, and she whipped around to face him.

"Seriously?" What were the chances there would be two flights to the exact same location at the same time on the same day?

His eyes lit up. "You're going to Logan too? That's perfect! See, if we need it, this plan will work after all!"

"Except I'd need a ticket, and my mother would see it on my account and know exactly what I was doing," she pointed out.

"So I'll pay for it," Robin shrugged. "You can Venmo me later."

"Seriously?" she whispered. "You would do that? But- why?" Yes, they had gotten to know each other some by this point, but they had still only just met that day.

He clasped her hand in his. "I know we just met, but I feel like we've known each other our entire lives. Crazy, I know, but it's true."

She made the mistake of looking in his eyes then, and found herself unable to look away from the fathomless blue depths. She had no idea how this guy could possibly be sincere, what it was about him that made her trust him, but she did. He was right, it was crazy, absolutely nuts. So why was she so sure that he was right?

All she did in reply was squeeze his hand, too caught up in her emotions to even attempt to voice them. Instead she yawned, and he asked, "Are you ready to go to sleep?"

She nodded, getting up to change into her PJ's.

When she emerged after brushing her teeth, she found him already in bed. "You're not going to brush your teeth? Really?" she asked, her eyebrows raised. Boys. They were disgusting, all of them.

"You were in the bathroom," he defended himself. "And…" he hesitated. "Don't be offended, but I didn't exactly bring pajamas, I obviously didn't know that I was going to be in the same room as anyone else, so I just have my boxers."

She sighed. Boys. Her father did the same thing, but he was her family. Robin, despite the closeness that had been forced upon them, was still a near-stranger. "It's fine, I get it. I'll just… turn away."

"You don't have to," he said. When her eyebrows reached her hairline, he stuttered, "I- I mean- do whatever makes you most comfortable, that's all I was saying. Do you trust me?" His voice was nervous again, as if the success of their situation depended on her answer- which, she supposed, it did.

She nodded. She had no idea why, but there was something about him (maybe his transparent, brutal honesty?) that had made her aware that he was someone she could trust.

He beamed, a smile that seemed to light up the room itself with its warmth. "Good. I'll go brush my teeth now."

She closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep, but she couldn't. Despite Robin's ridiculous plans, she was still worried about her mother, that she would turn up at the airport tomorrow and be unable to board the plane. She would be thrilled to have the chance to not see Mother, but Daddy… not seeing him would be unbearable.

She felt the bed dip behind her, and knew Robin had joined her. She knew she couldn't let out a single sob. She refused to alert him to the fact that she was crying. He would do everything he could to comfort her, she was sure of it, but still, it was beyond embarrassing that she was crying in front of a stranger.

Making sure her throat was clear of any lumps, she said, "Stay on your side of the bed. Just because we're sharing doesn't mean we have to snuggle." To her horror, her voice cracked on the last word, probably because she would give anything to be in a hospital room holding her father in her arms right now.

"Regina, I can't do that when you're upset," he said, and she knew he meant it because she could hear the horror at her suggestion in his words. The very idea that he could care so much about her after less than a day rendered her speechless.

She turned and buried her face in his chest so she didn't have to look into those earnest sapphire eyes of his. Crying in front of him was bad enough, she didn't want to show him how much it meant to her that he seemed to care. He was the only one in her life apart from Daddy who had done that in she didn't even know how long. Sure, she had Mal, who cared about her in her own way, but she hadn't had this since she had left home.

Suddenly, his fingers were in her hair, and he was murmuring reassuring words in her ear. When she still wasn't able to shake the fear of what was happening to her father at this very moment (Robin didn't know everything was going to be all right, how could he?), he began to sing.

His voice… Regina had never heard anything like it. He sang what sounded like a lullaby, and while she knew they were far too old for them, the melody and the sound of his voice, the vibration of it as she rested her head against his chest, finally lulled her into a sense of peace, enough that she was able to close her eyes at last.

She didn't know if it was part of a dream or not, but she heard him whisper, "Don't worry, milady. Whatever happens, we'll figure out how to face it together." She hoped that he meant it, that at last, as she fell asleep with his arms wrapped around her, she wasn't alone.

Thanks for reading this, let me know what you think!