The deal Chapter 2, an once upon a time fanfic

Hi my friends !

WOW WOW WOW ! I was blown by the feedback this story got ! I wanted to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart, because this story is really my baby, I have so much ideas and the fact that you are here and loving it, it means the world ! I can't tell you how happy, touch and proud I am ! YOU are the best :)

Here's a long chapter to thank you all !

I love you all. 3

-Previously on The deal-

So Regina took a deep breath and took her phone, dialing his number ( she still knew by heart) and waiting anxiously, almost closing the phone a few times, but then his voice could be heard and her heart stopped all over again.

"Regina?" he breathed and she felt tears at the back of her eyes. (He had kept her phone number.) "Regina?" he asked again and it was still the voice she remembered, even if the boyish tone had gone, replaced by a very mature one. One that made her shiver to the core and God, all of this was a terrible idea. "Is it really you?"

"You still owe me a favor." is all she said because she can't, he can't say anything else. Not when hearing his voice brought all the pain back like it was yesterday instead of 10 years ago. "And I need it now."

A silence could be heard on the phone and then his voice again,

"What do you need me to do?"

Chapter 2

- 2005 -

They were walking toward her appartment, his jacket over her shoulders and suddenly, she chuckled and he looked toward her, confused.

"What is it?"

"You know how incredibly cliché we look, right?"

He smirked and she rolled her eyes.

He was so annoying.

Yet, she had spent quite a good evening by his side and Regina found she was troubled by this handsome blue-eyed man.

"You say it like it's a bad thing." he flirted and she glared at him, making him laugh.

Robin only looked at her, then. She really was stunning and he had spent an amazing night by her side. She was beautiful, witty, charming, sassy, funny...

"You're thinking too hard again." she teased, "I can almost see your nose fuming."

Robin then caught suddenly her hand and brought her back to him until their faces were inches apart and he could hear her gasp, smirked again.

"What are you doing?" she asked, breathless and he only walked, until her back was pressed against a wall and she had no choice but to meet his eyes.

"What is wrong with you?" he asked bluntly and her eyes widened.

"Wrong with me?" she said, "Wrong with me? What is wrong with you? Let go of me you-"

But Robin cut her by leaning in again, and their noses brushed.

"Why is a woman so stunning as you still single?" he said again and this time, he could see the blush on her skin.

"I never said I was."

"You wouldn't allow me to be this close to you if you weren't."

"Touché."

"So?"

"I don't know." she shrugged and they were so close he felt it against his body. It made him want to be closer to her, always closer and he took a step to her again. He had not drunk a sip of alcohol since they met in that kitchen hours ago,

But he was drunk.

Drunk of her already.

Her scent, those brown eyes and red lips.

God, she certainly was a dangerous one, wasn't she?

Then brown eyes met blue from beneath her lashes. "Maybe I just didn't find the right guy to give my heart to, yet."

That was it.

Robin growled low in his throat and leant in, crashing his mouth on hers like he had wanted all night to do. She whimpered and for one second, he thought she was about to push him away, but then her hands were clutching at his jacket and she answered back to his kiss.

-2015-

Regina was fidgeting in her seat, nervous.

God,

This all had been a terrible idea.

She couldn't do this.

A silence could be heard on the phone and then his voice again,

"What do you need me to do?"

"I can't tell you over the phone. We need to meet." She tried to keep her voice cold and distant, but even her could hear the small tremble in it and she cursed herself.

Even now, 7 years after he broke her heart, he still had this effect on her? How?!

"Tell me where and when, m'lady."

"You don't get to call me that." she said before she could stop herself and tensed.

A small silence could be heard and then he said,

"When do you want us to meet?"

She told him the name of a small coffee outside New York and hurried to close the phone when he agreed.

Regina closed her eyes and felt her heart beat fast in her chest.

She was not sure she had made the right choice.

So here she was, waiting for him in this coffee and fidgeting with anything she could get her hand on.

Oh God, her heart was about to burst.

She was sure it was.

Regina was so focused on trying to calm her nerves that she didn't notice the door opened and the man who came in. Robin looked around and then stopped.

Regina.

She was sat a little away and his breath left him, like it used to do before.

She was still beautiful.

He felt his heart squeezed and noticed the pain that never quite left him those last 10 years felt a bit better.

And not for the first time,

Robin cursed his younger self for his lack of judgement.

But he soon shook his head because there was no need to dwell on the past. What was done was done. He had broken Regina's heard and there was no coming back from that. Although, Robin was very curious as to know why she had called him after all these years and what type of favor she might need from him. Money? But he had investigated on her, and she was one of the most powerful business woman in town. No money then. Apologies? Years later would seem a very long time for that. A new chance? Robin felt his heart quicken and forced it to calm down. There was no chance of that ever happening.

Only then did he noticed that he had stopped to think, when Regina looked up and their eyes met for the first time in so much time. Robin's heart stopped when he saw those brown eyes he had been so much in love with, those brown eyes that used to look at him with nothing but undying trust and love. He swallowed and walked toward her again.

Regina couldn't tear her eyes from his. Those dreamy blue eyes that she had been so sure would be the first and last thing she would see everyday for the rest of her life. He was handsome, still was. But she couldn't allow herself to dwell on that. On the fact that his arms which had never been small to begin with were now strong and muscular, that the stubble on his jaw was extremely fitting or-

Stop it.

He broke her heart.

Regina cleared her throat and pulled herself together right in time when he arrived at the table.

"Regina." he breathed and she couldn't help a shiver.

"Good morning." she only said. "You can sit, we have a lot to discuss."

Robin nodded and then again, a small silence settled.

"What did you call me for?"

"I need a favor."

"Anything."

She looked up and he was so hurt to see how much guarded she actually was.

"You can say no."

"I won't."

"You don't even know what I'm going to ask." she said, annoyed suddenly.

"You're right. But I know that I have a lot to make up for."

Again, a silence and he could see Regina was tensed.

"I..." she tried and shook her head. "What I need is..." she huffed, annoyed with herself and Robin wanted to reach for her hand but he knew it was not a good idea.

"Just name it, Regina."

"It will sound crazy."

"Try me."

She took a deep breath.

"I need you to come with me to the reunion party of my old highschool." he frowned and she added. "I kind of said we were dating and now, everyone is expecting us there together."

Robin tried to prevent his heart from beating fast. Why would she tell they were together?

"A woman of my shcool, she really has a thing for getting at me. She upset me and I told her I wasn't alone. I don't know why, but I told her your name."

Robin took a deep breath.

"So, if I get this right" he said and she pursed her lips. He could see she was nervous, he still knew her well even after all these years. "You want us to pretend?"

"Yes." she said after a small amount of hesitation. "Just for the week end. Then you'll be back to your life and I'll be back to mine."

Robin nodded and then went thoughtful. Since his divorced, he had quite some time for himself.

"What weekend?"

"The 20th of August."

Great.

It was Marian's turn to have Roland, anyway.

"Ok." he only said and saw her eyes widened.

"You will do it?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"she said again.

"Positive."

Regina tilted her head to the side then, and he noticed he couldn't read her eyes anymore, and that upset him for some reason.

He had always been able to read her eyes.

"Thank you." she whispered and blue eyes locked onto brown.

Robin was so lost in her that he couldn't help but said the only thing he had been thinking since he received her call,

"I missed you so much..."

But Regina froze and he could see the wall she quickly put between them. She got up and took her purse.

"I have to get back to work." she only said. "I'll reach out for you so we can get the story of what we'll tell the other ready."

Robin had barely the time to agreed before she was out.

Regina didn't feel well.

She was breathing way too fast and her vision was blurry.

She had been so stupid to think she could do this.

So stupid.

She leant on a wall, trying to get her breath to settle and she vaguely heard someone asked her,

"Are you ok, miss?"

Ok?

She was anything but ok.

God.

She couldn't do it.

A lump was forming in her throat and she didn't calm down very soon, she was going to throw up in the middle of the street and crumble right after that.

God,

She was having a panic attack.

"Miss?"

"Regina?" she heard his voice and no, that wasn't helping at all. But she was too weak to protest when she felt two strong arms catch her and helped her upwards so she didn't have to lean on the wall anymore."Don't worry," she heard Robin say. "She will be fine." Then, he whispered tenderly in her ear. "I've got you."

They were settled back inside the café, Regina with a glass of water in front of her; Robin watching her like she was about to crumble at anytime.

"I'm fine." she finally said. "You don't need to look at me like that."

"Regina..."

"I am just tired. Work is exhausting."

They both knew it had nothing to do with work, but Robin only nodded, willing to give her that solace if it helped her feeling better.

"I am sorry." he said and her eyes widened. "I shouldn't have told you that, earlier."

"No." she admitted after a small silence. "You shouldn't have."

"But Regina, if we are to do this then you'll have to stop feeling so panicked when I am near you."

"This is not why I panicked!"

Robin held his hands in surrended and she calmed down a bit.

"But you're right." she sighed.

"Perhaps..." he started but shook his head.

"Perhaps what?"

"Forget it."

"Robin." she whined because he knew she hated when he did that.

At least he used to know.

"You're not gonna like it."

"This is this whole situation that I don't like already." she breathed and he couldn't help but feel his heart squeeze.

"Perhaps we need to spend some time together." her eyes widened and he hurried to say. "Practice for your reunion, because we can't just arrive and pretend to be together for a long time."

She took a deep breath and exhaled.

This was getting out of hands.

She needed to stop it now.

Stop it now before it's too late.

But instead of that, she heard herself asking.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," he cleared his throat. "Practice our little show. See if people blieve it. Your friends, my friends..."

"You want us to lie to everyone?"

Lie to people she didn't really care about was one thing, but lie to the ones closest to her?

"I am not a fan either," he admitted and she recognized the way his brows furrowed. "But I think if we want our little plan to work, we're gonna need practice."

It was madness.

Pure and simple.

Then why did it made actual sense to her?

She was so screwed already anyway.

"Fine. "Regina breathed and Robin released a breath he didn't remember he was holding.

"This week end, my friend John is holding a party at his house. Will you come with me?"

She tensed.

Because she needed to remember this was nothing but an act.

"What will Marian say?" she asked and heard how her voice seemed small, even to herself.

Robin smiled sadly at her.

"We divorced." he said and her eyes widened. "Five years ago."

"Oh." Regina tried to understand when he was saying but she couldn't. "Oh. I am sorry." she finally said and he shook his head.

"Don't be."

Then she sensed he was going to add something and hurried to say.

"I'm in. For you're friend's party." then she got up, "You can pick me up at 7. I'll text you the adress."

And then she left for good and Robin's eyes followed her, longing.

He didn't know if all of that was a good idea.

Lying to his family and friends wasn't something he looked forward to, but he was more afraid of something else.

Afraid of what will become of him - and of his heart, when this little game will be over. When he has to say goodbye to Regina, for good, again.

Robin shook his head, he refused to think about it.

It was July, 20th.

The reunion was in one month and he was going to be there for Regina the way he should have been all those years ago.

Robin sighed again, his heart heavy and laid some cash on the table before leaving.

-2005-

They receded and brown eyes locked onto blue. They were both breathless, a bit dizzy and so, so close. Robin's hand was clutching at Regina's waist and hers was clutching at his jacket.

"You kissed me." she breathed, and he felt it against his lips, smirked a bit.

"That I did." he answered and leant closer. "And if you may, I think I'll do it again."

He barely saw her smile - and God, this radiant smile of hers was going to be his downfall, before he closed the space between them and kissed her. The kiss was passionate and intense, when they receded, Regina's eyes were still closed and he couldn't help but pecked her lips and then, she smiled and her hands came circling his neck, bringing him even closer to her.

"You live here?" he asked, looking at the building behind her.

"Hm." she hummed and then raised an eyebrow, "Don't tell me you live there too, because I won't believe it."

He laughed and she smiled again.

"I don't, actually. Mine is the building called The Forest."

Her eyes widened once again.

"But it's on the other way of the campus!"

"Perhaps." he smirked.

"You planned it all along." she continued and his smirk widened.

"What?"

"Don't play innocent with me, Robin! You planned to kiss-"

But he kissed her, cutting her rambles and a moan escaped her lips, making him deepened the kiss with a low growl.

God,

He was so screwed.

"And what if I did?" he asked and she chuckled. "Are you complaining, m'lady?"

She leant closer to him and whispered against his lips.

"Most certainly not."

And then she kissed him.

"You know I eventually have to go, hm?" she asked, still smiling and breathless from their kisses.

"I prefer not to think about that, actually." he smirked and she laughed, threw her head back and he wanted to kiss his path along her neck, but stopped ; instead, he laid a small and chast kiss just under her pulsing point and could feel her shiver. She looked up and he smiled,

"I'll see you soon, then."

"Perhaps." she smiled and she was so beautiful.

Robin leant in and laid a last kiss on her lips before receding. She smiled and started walking toward her building, without breaking eye contact, until she was gone.

Robin took a deep breath and then noticed there was this big, silly smile on his face.

Like he said,

So screwed.

Regina entered her room, trying not to make any noises but soon, she noticed her roomate wasn't home yet. She threw herself on her bed and took her phone, before she frowned.

A new text.

Goodnight, m'lady.

She smiled and felt her heart rushed.

You stole my phone?

Well, as you said when we met. I am a thief. ;)

She laughed at that and typed an answer.

That you are. ;) And may I ask why you did this?

Because I fully intend on seeing you again, very soon.

Oh.

God.

Of course she certainly hoped it after the moment (and kisses) they shared a few minutes ago. But for him to be so blunt so soon. That certainly was a good surprise.

Have I frightened you, your Majesty?

You'll soon learn I don't get easily scared.

Oh. Now, I am curious.

She laughed and couldn't care less how stupid she must look right now.

So you want to see me again, huh?

I do.

She smiled again and was typing an answer when she received another tewt from him.

Will tuesday night be ok for you?

Her heart stopped then rushed, making her dizzy.

Are you asking me out on a date now? ;)

Yes.

Oh God.

Do you want to come on a date with me? he asked and there was seriously only one answer possible.

Yes.

A/N : So ? ;)