Written for Alexia, based on a Disney prompt.
If I never knew you
- Set in 5.05, after the porch conversation with the Dark Swan.
Robin descended the stairs, and found his love sitting on the couch, covered by a blanket, chin resting on her knees – she was surrounding her legs with her arms, apparently busy in a deep meditation. Her eyes lifted up when he entered the living room.
"So?"
Robin sighed and walked towards the sofa, sitting behind her – she went to cuddle against his chest, and he waited a moment before answering.
"So, Roland is asleep," he said. "And Henry has put up a brave face, and told me he is fine," he rubbed her shoulder, and she leaned more on him. "I told him I'm used to the Mills family telling me they're okay when it's obviously not true," he chuckled, and he felt her shoulders shaking a bit, trying to hold back a laugh.
"So I've asked him of his date, instead of talking about Emma," he continued, and Regina nodded. She turned her face towards him, and he saw a glimmer of tears in her eyes. He looked at her, puzzled, and she probably read his inquisitive gaze, because she brought up a hand and rubbed her right temple, but he didn't miss the quick move her finger did to wipe away the tears.
"What's wrong?" he asked, and she shook her head.
Robin shifted a bit, and lifted her easily to make her sit on his lap – she smiled, but only for a second. "Again, another member of the Mills family who lies to me," he said softly.
Regina leaned her forehead against his temple. "I was thinking," she whispered. "I've told Emma I was starting to see the good in her… I was thinking about the Dark One, the manipulations, the darkness," she told him slowly. "About my mother, about what she did, and about how… Daniel died".
He nodded, without interrupting her. She didn't move, and he felt her hair tickling his neck. "And about you almost died a few days ago," she finally said, and he started to shake his head, but didn't say anything. Regina lowered her head, and placed it on the crook of his neck. "And yet you continue to stay with me," she muttered. "Even if knowing me only brought you pain, with my sister, and the baby, and the Fury… Maybe… it would have been better if we never met, none of this would have happened to you," she said, and a few tears escaped her eyes to splash on his shoulder. Robin brought up a hand to her back, and rubbed it for a moment, and then placed it between her hair.
"Regina, look at me. Look at me," he repeated, and she lifted her head to meet his eyes. "I'd rather die tomorrow," he told her firmly, "than live a hundred years without knowing you".
She smiled weakly, but shook her head. "And that's exactly the problem," she murmured. "One day, something will happen, and you'll leave me, maybe for good," she said. Her eyes were fixated on his, and he couldn't bring himself to smile or laugh, not when this problem seemed to eat on her. He hated it, hated that she had no faith in his enduring presence at her side, and instead she had added worrisome thoughts about him to her problems, currently represented by Emma, Henry, Zelena and basically the entire weight and safety of Storybrooke on her shoulders…
He pulled her closer, and embraced her – she relaxed, only a little, and he whispered in her ear. "No matter what happens to me, I'll always be with you, okay? Remember that, please," he felt her nod, but he hadn't finished yet. "If I never knew you, Regina Mills, my life would have been simpler, it's true," he continued. "But being with you, compensates everything life throws at me. Do you remember what I said to you… when we met the second time for the first time?"
She looked at him, but didn't lift her head. "That you wanted to have a drink?" she chuckled.
"I said, you got yourself a partner," he answered, and she smiled then. "And that's a promise I intend to keep"
She closed her eyes, and he leaned on to kiss her temple. "Now that we've settled this problem, shall we go and figure out how to use that mushroom?"
