Hello friends.
So, as some of you may be aware, Knocking Hips is two years old today, and a poll on twitter decided that an update would be the best present for you all. And so (a couple of hours past midnight, but oh well) here is your gift for sticking with me.
Now then, this chapter kind of comes at a bad time in regards to the events in the show, and so I shall warn you that this will likely scratch at still-healing wounds, and I completely understand if some people want to put off reading this until they're ready.
A couple of little notes to people;
Nina, remember those conversations waaaaaay back where I let you create your own character? I'm so very sorry, forgive me
Micka, thanks for helping me with that scene, you were a huge help.
Sarah, you are my favourite person in the world and this chapter has been a source of blackmail for too long and now I need to find something else. Darn it. :P
Anyways, that's all, hope you all enjoy the feels-fest that is Chapter 20.
Mwah
…
The journey down to where the men were being treated in the main hall was filled with so many thoughts Regina couldn't even hope to keep track. Her mind was constantly flittering between preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. And whilst she was no naïve princess, the worst case scenario had her chest tightening until it was difficult to breathe.
She should have checked on him, she should have made sure that Robin was okay. Instead she had been too busy distracting his son and sharing drinks with his friend, playing family and pretending everything was fine. She had felt something was wrong, and yet had pushed it aside, ignored it, because that was what Robin had asked her to do; trust that he could take care of himself.
Well just look how that had turned out...
Now Regina had to fix whatever damage she could, heal anyone that had made it back, and make funeral preparations for those who hadn't.
She didn't know who had been lucky enough to return, neither did Friar Tuck; he'd gotten the quick summary from a palace guard, and then - knowing Regina would want to know everything as soon as possible - found her and told her all that he knew, leaving their walk to the main hall bereft of conversation and weighed down with heavy silence.
Everything Robin was filtering through Regina's head. All the little things of his that she had gotten used to and now may never have again; his kind eyes that filled her with warmth, his smug smirk that she wanted to kiss away, his passionate touch that both set her aflame and made her feel safe…
She could lose it all. Lose him.
The commotion from the main hall was heard long before they could see the crowd milling about outside the entrance - though the group soon parted when they saw the Queen storming towards them, a look in her eyes warning anybody who dared stand in her path that they would be crushed to dust within seconds.
For all their hurried racing down corridors, the Queen and Friar Tuck halted after only a few steps into the room as their eyes scanned the carnage. Along both the left and right walls were those who had been injured, some were conscious and cradling whatever ailment they possessed, some were unconscious and had several healers surrounding them, and in the far right corner were four bodies covered in white sheets, mourning families huddled around them.
"This is hell," Tuck breathed from beside her, but Regina paid him no mind, her entire focus solely being used to find Robin.
Her eyes flittered over the people in the room, stopping long enough to group them into 'Robin' or 'Not-Robin' - and every person she saw fell into the latter category. With each passing second where the possibility of losing him became ever-so-real, it became exponentially more difficult to perform the simple task of inhaling air into her lungs.
"Is he here?" Tuck asked, unaware that the woman beside him was frantically trying to answer that herself - and at that moment she was only coming up with one response; he wasn't there.
He wasn't there. He wasn't there. He was…
There.
The crowd parted and Regina caught a glimpse of Robin, standing, breathing, alive, and the pure panic that had consumed her started to fade away, having her masking a relieved sigh as Tuck set about spotting the rest of his men.
As breathing became easier, Regina's swirling concoction of emotions dissipated, leaving only her residual anger in its wake. The Queen called upon all the strength that she had to stay reasonably calm, to not make a scene, to pretend that she had not just spent the entire journey there convinced she had lost someone else that she cared about.
It didn't work.
Storming up to Robin, fire in her eyes, Regina tore the amulet from around her neck, holding it up to him. "You stole this for a reason!"
Robin turned to her, looking pale and haggard, and if she wasn't furious with him Regina would have backed down and stowed her temper.
But she was. Oh so furious.
How dare he put her through that? Let her think the worst without even letting her know he was alright. That's what he stole the damn pendant for!
"I know…" he started, but he didn't get much further before Regina was interrupting him.
"Well then why didn't you use it?"
"I tried!"
"Well you didn't try hard enough," she spat, clenching her jaw.
Robin ran a hand through his hair in frustration, barely hiding his pained grimace at the movement but yet still retorting with a gruff; "Regina, I called for you; you didn't answer."
"I had this around my neck the entire time, Robin! If you called I would've answered."
"Well it obviously didn't work," he snapped. "And if you are done arguing with me, your majesty, I need to go and try to help my men. I've lost enough friends today."
And with that he brushed past her with enough force to have her taking a step back to regain her balance, and leaving Regina with a pounding heart and tears stinging her eyes.
He didn't know the hell he had just put her through. He couldn't know. Hell, even she didn't know that the thought of losing him would be so paralysing until it actually became a possibility. It was a fight to get her body back under control, her eyes dry, her heartbeat steady, her breathing even… But when she had felt composed enough to turn and face the rest of the chaos inside the hall, she realised she had to push her feelings about Robin aside. She could focus on him later; right now, she had work to do.
…
For all the protesting that the Merry Men had originally had regarding her magic before they set off on this damn quest, they were sure as hell willing to utilise it now. There were a few wary looks and quiet whispers to begin with, but after they witnessed her bringing Much the Miller's son out of his coma, they realised she wasn't a threat and had all but pleaded with her to help them.
Little John had gratefully thanked her for healing the clawmarks from Zelena's apes upon his back and the broken ankle he sustained, Dave had mumbled thanks after she healed his snapped wrist, Will Stutely had enveloped her in a hug after she fixed the head injury that had left him deadweight for half the journey back to the castle.
Alan-a-Dale, however, seemed much less enthusiastic about receiving help, having already started to make peace with his injuries.
"I doubt it's something even you can fix, Your Majesty," he had said as she had knelt by his side.
"I think you underestimate how powerful I actually am," Regina stated, before asking; "now, are you going to let me help or not?
With a dejected sigh, Alan shifted and removed his right arm from where it had been cradled to his chest, holding it up to Regina so she could see what had happened.
Her eyes trailed up his arm, a few tears in the fabric of his sleeve edged in red, and dark smudges from dirt and grass where the fabric was in tact. But as Regina's eyes caught sight of extra cloth that had been tied tight around his forearm, and she raised her gaze to where she was expecting his hand to be bloodied and injured, she was momentarily taken aback when she realised that there was no hand there at all.
Well... That made things a little more difficult.
"Ah..."
"Still think you can fix me, Your Majesty?" Alan asked, and Regina bristled at his tone.
"I happen to know someone who is perfectly happy with having a hook for a hand who would disagree about needing to be 'fixed'," Regina sniped. "But if you are wanting your hand back I suggest you talk to me with a little more respect."
Alan opened his mouth to retort, then wisely closed it again.
"Do you have your hand?"
He held up the cloth wrapped stump with an incredulous look. "No. That's the whole point."
Regina rolled her eyes, looking around him on the floor. "I mean do you have the hand with you?"
"No. Why?"
Regina shuffled forwards, bringing Alan's arm to rest over her lap as she informed him; "reattachment is a lot easier than regrowth."
She looked up at the man and noted the hope in his eyes, hoping to God that she had not just promised him that which she could not deliver. But she was determined, and had learned enough from preparing to heal Will Stutely the previous month to believe that she could do this.
She could do this.
Unwrapping the ties holding the bloodied cloth in place, Regina gingerly peeled away the fabric to reveal the mess that his wrist was in. A clean wound would have been better, but she could do this. She could.
Moving her hands so one was above his wrist and one was below, she paused to warn Alan; "this may hurt."
"Everyone's already hurting, Your Majesty," he pointed out, glancing towards the corner where those who had not made it back alive were lying, and Regina inclined her head to sombrely agree.
"Try to keep still," Regina advised, before she called forth the magic brewing underneath her skin and set to work creating a new hand.
Halfway through the process, Much had managed to slowly make his way to sit down next to them, offering support for both of them as Alan let out pained groans through gritted teeth and Regina's brow furrowed in discomfort and effort as she put all of her energy into helping his friend.
At the first ghostly outline of a hand, a small smile tugged at the corners of Regina's mouth, and then as the colour grew in appearance with each pulse of purple magic, the strength and power required took hold and faded her surroundings into blackness, awareness only returning to her when Much placed a hand on her arm and told her it was done.
"You... You did it..." Alan stammered, and Regina had to blink a few times for the room to stop spinning, but yes, yes she had. "I don't know how... I mean I... Thank you."
Regina met Alan's gaze, half tempted to chuckle at the wonder and disbelief in his eyes. But instead, she smiled, raised a brow and teased; "I told you not to underestimate me."
"That you did," he agreed. "And it is something I shall remember always."
"And I," Much spoke from next to him, with a grateful smile from ear to ear.
"Glad to hear it."
After a few last checks to ensure his hand was alright - stretching out his fingers, making a fist, gently rotating his wrist - Regina started preparing to stand.
"One last thing," she added. "No strenuous activity with that hand for a while. No archery. No heavy lifting. No fast movements."
Alan reluctantly nodded, but Much found something amusing and couldn't help but snort out a laugh. "You'll have to find yourself a woman, Alan."
"I have two hands, you idiot," he joked back, before realising he was in the presence of a Queen and looking rather embarrassed as he mumbled; "pardon me, Your Majesty."
"I've heard much worse," she assured them with a chuckle, before taking on a serious tone as she ordered; "if there are any problems come and see me."
When Much snorted again, Regina hastily clarified; "regarding the healing of your hand. Any other issues are not my problem."
"Understood," Alan nodded with a grin.
After a final 'thank you' from the two men in front of her, Regina stood and made her way over to the knights which had returned, hoping she had enough energy within her to heal them too.
...
When Robin entered his and his son's room, he was slightly unnerved to find a woman with blonde hair curled up on his bed next to his son. But he had remembered seeing her around the castle, and he had taught Roland enough to trust his instincts when it came to judging people's true heart. And when he saw his son being so enamoured with the story she was reading to him that he hadn't even noticed his father was standing in the doorway, Robin's immediate distrust of the woman faded into the background and he focussed on his little boy.
The mere sight of him had Robin swallowing back a sob, and he knew that the hug he needed would be his downfall.
He couldn't allow his son to see him like this, bloodied and bruised and grieving. He just wanted to see for himself that Roland was safe and well. Before anything else.
Though the thought of climbing into bed and spending a few days away from the world sounded like a good idea right about now, shutting everything and everyone out until he had pieced himself back together once again. But he couldn't do that, not to Roland, not to his remaining men, and not to Regina...
And so he took a few steps back and stayed in the shadows for a while, observing his son and drawing energy from the knowledge that he was okay, that whatever had happened, the person he loved most in the world was safe and sound - and giggling at a woman's impression of a dragon and pretending to breathe fire.
He was so intent on watching his son living and breathing that he didn't hear the quiet footsteps behind him until their owner cleared their throat and announced their presence.
"Robin?"
When he turned and saw Regina standing in front of him, he couldn't help but automatically feel defensive; their little quarrel in the main hall had taken a lot of his energy, and he wasn't sure he could cope with another disagreement with her.
Though Regina saw him raise his guards in order to talk to her, and she didn't want that, she never wanted that, and so she did the first thing she could think of to make him feel comfortable around her again.
"I'm sorry."
In any other circumstances the Queen would have laughed at the mild shock on his face from hearing her apologise, but here and now, she was too busy trying not to reach out and hold him, knowing that whilst he was guarded around her it would do no good.
"About what I said in the main hall... You were going through a lot, and the last thing you needed was me being... Me." Regina chanced a glance up to Robin, finding his stern gaze directed elsewhere and his jaw clenched, and added; "I shouldn't have yelled at you."
"No, you shouldn't have," Robin snapped back, taking a second to reign in his anger before looking at Regina, and upon seeing her eyes downcast and a pained frown on her face, realising perhaps he was being too harsh on her. "But I forgive you."
Regina nodded once, her lips upturning in her attempt at a smile before the weight of the situation dragged them back into reality again.
Robin looked torn. His forlorn expression tugged at Regina's heart, and her hands itched with the urge to try and magic some of his pain away; his physical wounds she could heal, at least. That is if he let her; he was nothing if not stubborn in his tendency to refuse magical aid unless it was absolutely necessary. And Regina was all too aware of the urge to dwell in pain; her methods of coping usually involved making others suffer or putting herself under a curse. Neither of which she'd ever let Robin resort to.
She swallowed, biting her lip, feeling the weight of the silence pushing Robin further into himself.
"How are you holding up?" Regina asked, trying to draw him back to her.
"About as well as can be expected, I should think," he replied, raising his shoulders in a half-assed shrug and so obviously attempting to put on a brave front.
But he didn't need that, not with Regina. They had shared too much to believe the other when they were pretending not to be hurting. And for the very few times that he had seen her break down over the loss of her son, sitting next to her and offering words of comfort, a shoulder to cry on, or a hand to hold, he deserved to have someone who would be there for him too.
"Robin..." she started, intent on telling him as much. But he shook his head, and closed his eyes, and the heartbreak on his face had her words stuck in her throat.
"I let him down, Regina," Robin spoke, his voice pained and constricted. "I should have done more to protect him."
"Don't do that," Regina ordered as she stepped forward, placing a hand on Robin's arm and trying to ensure that he was listening to her. "You cannot blame yourself for what happened."
"But..."
"No 'buts'," she interrupted, pausing a moment and trying to figure out the best way to get through to him, and decided on her honest bluntness. "The last thing George would have wanted is for you to be beating yourself up over his passing."
The mere mention of Robin's friend had him choking back a sob and scrunching his eyes shut.
George had fought valiantly, vanquishing many a winged beast until there were but a few left. But as Robin had been fending off one monster, another had set about attacking an incapacitated Little John, and the leader of the Merry Men had been powerless to stop George jumping in front of it.
They had fought, a few screeches from the ape, a few cries from George, but it was only after Robin defeated the enemy in front of him - with a few extra fractures and bruises to add to his list - that he realised how much his friend was struggling. The fight had fatigued him, fatigued them all; they had lost knights that they had become friends with, seen men they had known for years getting thrown to the ground like toys, and it was finally taking a toll on those who remained fighting.
Robin was halfway across the clearing when a quick swipe of the monkey's claws had George falling to the ground, another quick swipe making sure the man would never rise from it, before it screeched in some warped victory cry and began to fly away.
But Robin was quicker, nocking an arrow in his bow and setting it free to embed itself in the creature in the sky, then nocking another, and another, and another, until his quiver was empty and the ape who had killed his friend was lying on the ground with more holes than his old tunic.
Robin had lost a good man. A very good man; one of his best.
George was not the only fatality, but he was the one Robin felt most keenly. The weight of loss clung to Robin like a second skin that was slightly too tight, constricting his chest until it was too hard to breathe. But as Robin looked at Regina's face, seeing her pinched expression and watery eyes, he realised that it was not only him who had lost a good friend that day.
"I'm sorry, are you alright? I know you and George were…"
Regina shook her head to quiet his words, stepping closer and putting a hand on his cheek. "I came here for you, Robin."
Regina didn't need Robin's comfort and kind words; she was used to loss, had dealt with it all her life as one-by-one the people she loved were torn away from her, until she was hardened and consumed by darkness. But Robin had a constant light in his eyes and heart, put there by those who cared about him. Losing a part of that light… Regina knew how keenly it was felt.
It took all of three seconds before Robin crumpled, a hand coming up to try and mask the sobs he'd kept in all afternoon.
Feeling her lower lip begin to tremble, Regina removed her hand from his face, placing her arms around his shoulders and stepping into him, rising to her toes before making her grip just that little bit tighter. Robin's arms wrapped around her, pulling her so tight against him that his fingertips brushed his own dirty, blood-stained shirt. He let out a ragged breath and buried his face in her shoulder, tears dampening the fabric of her coat.
Regina's fingers tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck, her other hand following a soothing pattern up and down his back in an attempt at offering even a semblance of comfort. But the events of the day had been building inside of him, his need to stay strong and lead his men offering a temporary distraction from the hurt and pain, and now that it was just them there was nothing to stop it from taking over.
It took a while for Robin's sobs to subside and for his breathing to become less haggard, enough time for the stray tears that had manage to escape down Regina's cheeks to dry. Her fingers were still threading through strands of Robin's hair, her hand still making comforting passes along his spine, her heart still reaching out to try and ease his pain.
But Robin started withdrawing, easing his hold on her as he started to piece himself back together, pausing for one last deep breath before he stood straight again. One hand remained on Regina's waist as the other wiped away any trace of his breakdown on his face.
"I'm sorry," he sighed, not quite able to lift his gaze from the floor.
Regina raised a hand to cup his cheek, offering a comforting smile as she assured him; "you shouldn't be."
Robin's eyes met Regina's for a couple of seconds, long enough for him to place his own hand on her cheek before he was closing his eyes and bringing her forehead to rest against his. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it," Regina responded, and then Robin had tilted her chin up to press his lips against hers in a chaste kiss, waiting a second before capturing her lips again for another one.
It was the third kiss that he deepened, finding comfort in the way his surroundings would melt away and all he would be left with was this marvellous woman and her ability to make him feel whole again.
She pulled away all too soon, but she barely managed to breathe out his name before he was pulling her back to him, refusing to lose the sense of grounding that she gave him.
"Robin..." she tried again the moment her lips were free, raising her hands to his chest and gently pushing to put a few inches of space between them. "Perhaps this isn't the right time for-"
"Regina, please..." Robin started, resting his forehead against hers again as his hands moved to rest on her hips. "I need this."
"You're hurting," Regina pointed out, willing to voice more reasons why now probably wasn't the best time to reconnect before he stopped her...
"Not when I'm with you."
How was she supposed to continue her argument now? He had rendered her mind blank and knees weak, and any intention that she had to put some space between them so they could grieve faded, leaving her left with the urge to lose herself in him too.
The soft press of his lips to hers sealed the deal. His hands trailed up her sides, past her shoulders until they were on her neck, his thumbs traced her jawline, and she surrendered unto him.
His kisses soon turned desperate, an arm wrapping around Regina and pulling her closer to him, holding her as if she was the only thing keeping him tethered to the ground he was standing on.
Regina could feel his wince whenever there was too much pressure on his chest, a slight bite to her lip whenever her hands brushed over his wounds, but his touch was still gentle, tracing along her jawline and then burying into her hair, twisting strands around his fingers before he withdrew them to the ends.
It was when Robin's other hand trailed down to grope at her backside and one - or both - of them released a moan, that Regina realised perhaps they weren't in the most appropriate of places.
His son was in a room a few feet away, as was her friend, and this was neither the time nor the place for any questions from them should they be discovered. And so a quick flick of Regina's wrist had them moving to her chambers, appearing a mere meter away from the foot of her bed.
Being no stranger to Regina's magic now, Robin continued kissing her, stealing her breath with swipes of his tongue and drags of his teeth as she started unfastening the buttons on his shirt. It only took a second after she had finished before she was breaking their kiss, looking down at his torso, cataloguing his wounds - and letting out an audible gasp.
Her hand rose, fingers gingerly tracing over a cut on his chest, though they quickly retreated when he hissed between gritted teeth.
"Regina..."
"I can heal them," she stated, prepared to do just that before Robin hooked a finger under her chin to return her gaze to his.
"Not now," Robin mumbled, his hands sliding over her body as he leaned forward to capture her lips with his.
Despite the urge to clear his chest of battle marks, Regina's primary thought became simply how good his lips felt, and how much she had missed this. And for a brief moment she forgot everything else, one hand tangling in his hair to keep the angle of their kiss just how she liked it, her other rising to feel the heat of his skin under her palm.
But upon another wince from Robin she broke contact - vowing to not let him sweep her off of her feet until she had eased his pain.
He knew of her intentions, mumbled "I'm fine," before cupping the back of her head and pulling her mouth to meet his.
However, Regina refused to bed him when she was going to be worried about hurting him with every movement; she had made a vow to heal those who had returned from that stupid quest to find her half-sister, and that included Robin.
She was going to heal every cut, soothe every bruise, magic away every single mark upon his body that Zelena's apes had put there, and then she was going to take him until the world fell away and it was just the two of them left.
He didn't have a choice in the matter.
Regina hooked her fingers into the waistband of his trousers, pulling him with her the two steps needed for her to sit on the foot of the bed, and then gently pushing to halt his desire to crawl over her. He stood before her, an obvious irritation on his face, but she paid it no mind and set about healing each mark on his torso.
She managed a bruise next to his navel and a graze on his bicep before she gave in to the urge to seal each one with the press of her lips to his skin.
Robin reached for her elbow, trying to draw her up to him, and huffing when she twisted her arm out of his grasp and healed a shallow gash to his stomach instead. "What are you doing?"
Regina paused, looking up at him for a split second before returning her gaze back to her task, trying to appear nonchalant when she stated; "I'm taking care of you."
"I don't need-"
"Yes, you do," she glared, taking a moment to heal a bruise on his collarbone before sitting straight and asking; "where else are you injured?"
She held his gaze, daring him to defy her, but it was obvious that the outlaw just didn't have the strength to do so.
"My side," he admitted. "I think there are a few scratches there."
"Which side?"
Robin turned, lifting his arm and shirt so she could see.
'A few scratches' my ass, Regina thought. There were four deep gouges from his left shoulder blade all the way down to his hip.
She healed them, trailing a finger from the start of the cuts to the ends, watching as the scores knitted themselves back together as she went. She still couldn't help but press a kiss to his skin after the first had been healed, and the second. She was part way through the third when Robin tried to turn around, ignoring his skin healing in favour of trying to lose himself in Regina.
She stopped him. "You need to let me heal you."
"I don't need that," Robin growled. "I just need..."
"Robin, please... Let me help." They both held firm, glaring at each other's stubbornness before Regina bargained; "then I'm all yours, I promise."
With a reluctant nod, Robin agreed, and allowed her to continue the work she was doing before.
One of her hands gathered the material of his shirt and held it high up his back, her other hand soothing over his injuries.
Regina couldn't help her mind wandering, a frustrated 'how did this even happen to him?' being answered with a curt 'he met you.' It had her heart dropping, a deflated sigh escaping her when she realised it was the truth; had he never met her he would have been running around the forest with his son and breaking into castles with his men. It was her sister's vendetta that had Robin hurt. That and his absolute code of honour to stick by her side. What good was honour if it only led to fighting battles nobody could win?
But then a small part of her, a traitorous, selfish part of her, pointed out that Robin was fighting for her. He had seen something from the very start in her poisoned barbs and cutting insults that he felt was worthy to fight for. She had never had that before. Never had someone willing to fight whatever beasts plagued her simply because they cared.
She was lucky to have him. So incredibly lucky.
The moment she had finished healing the skin on his back, she dropped his shirt and stood, walking around to his front and kissing him before he even had the chance to look at the emotions swimming in her eyes.
With most of the visible injuries healed, Robin felt a lot less tense when he pulled her against him, his hands running over her, from her shoulders to her hips, from her waist to her thighs, his possessive grasp having her pressing against him even harder.
His teeth dragged over her lower lip, her fingers dug into his shoulders, Regina feeling that slickness between her thighs when Robin groped her backside, and Robin hardening against her when she moaned and responded in kind. Allowing a couple of inches between them, Robin moved one of his hands to his front, deftly untying the laces holding his trousers around his waist and letting them pool to the floor. Regina pushing his shirt to join them not a few seconds later.
A dainty hand on Robin's newly healed chest pushed him back, continuing to push until his knees hit the bed and he was sat where Regina had been. He still couldn't hide his wince at the movement, and Regina resigned herself to healing wherever she had missed.
There was a bruise high upon his ribs, near his sternum, and as she hovered her hand over it she realised the bone underneath the skin was fractured. Regina rolled her eyes. Honestly, could he not have just told her? Did he have to try and shoulder all this by himself? It wouldn't do him any good. She was just trying to help, hated to see him hurt.
His breathing came easier when her magic faded away, and hers came easier when a final sweep over his torso revealed no other ailments.
Though there was one patch of his skin that was hidden; a section of his forearm that was covered with the coat of arms that Roland had drawn a while back for each of the Merry Men. It had a few spots on blood on it, the top edge of the fabric slightly frayed, a smudge or two of dirt over the boy's drawing of a tree...
Regina reached to undo the knot tying it, but Robin quickly grasped her wrists.
"Don't," he ordered, before softening and explaining; "Roland tied that on before I left, and I promised him he could remove it when I returned safe."
Regina couldn't help the moisture that gathered in her eyes at the thief's relationship with his son. She couldn't imagine how difficult it must have been for the young boy.
Her fingertips gently traced over the fabric before she nodded and ran her fingers up and over the palms of his hands, leaning forward to capture his lips in a kiss. But a second before she reached him, Robin winced and quickly withdrew his left hand from under hers, bringing it to his chest.
"What is it?" Regina asked, sitting up astride his waist again as she took his hand in her own.
It didn't take a doctor to work out that he had fractured his little finger; from the first joint upwards his skin had a blue tone to it, and whilst the other fingers were bent, that last one remained straight.
With a sigh at yet another injury he hadn't told her about, she smoothed her fingers over his fracture,
"You need to tell me what injuries you have so I can heal them," Regina ordered, before she softened and explained; "I don't want to hurt you."
Robin's hands trailed up to rest on her thighs, his voice low and honest when he declared; "I don't want to be apart from you any longer."
"Then just tell me what I want to know."
"I have a painful bruise on my right thigh," he sighed, but Regina lifted her brow and waited until he ended up confessing; "and another scratch on my left calf."
Regina started to shift but then stopped, returning to where she was and narrowing her eyes at him, until Robin deflated and admitted a final; "And I pulled a muscle in my shoulder."
Resuming her mission to heal every damage inflicted upon him, Regina pushed herself back up and off the bed, lowering herself to her knees in front of him, and completely not focussing on how different her intentions had been the last time she'd been in this position.
She healed the scratch on his calf, then headed for the bruise on the inside of his thigh, letting her magic flow into his skin and repair the burst blood vessels. She still couldn't resist pressing a kiss to the healed injuries, a part of her smirking when his member twitched when she moved high up his thigh.
One of his hands threaded into her hair, cupping the back of her head and guiding her to where he wanted her.
Regina smirked, licking her lips and planning to turn his world upside down with her mouth, but instead he guided her up his torso, letting her pause to press wet kisses to his skin before he claimed her lips with his.
She met his kiss with fervour, barely having enough conscious thought to heal the ache he mentioned in his shoulder before she let him pull her deeper into his embrace. She could get lost in him, truly. Get lost in his magical kisses and passionate touch and perfect eyes.
Regina pulled back, chancing a glance into those eyes and getting swept away in a sea of blue. She vowed to memorise them, picture them whenever she needed to escape from the world, catalogue every emotion behind them whilst she had the chance...
Her overly sentimental train of thought had her internally chastising herself, but then she was reaching for him, and he was reaching for her, far more important things to be doing than simply gazing into each other's eyes.
There were also far more important things to be doing than wearing clothes; Robin's touch trailed around to her front, his finger hooking into the low neckline of her coat as he murmured; "I need to see you."
And then he gave an extra tug on her coat for good measure.
With a smirk Regina sat atop him, unfastening the laces keeping her coat wrapped around her and letting the red fabric slide down her shoulders. The shifting required to remove it and throw it somewhere behind her drew a low groan from the man underneath her, and her smirk broadened.
Left in just her leather trousers and a layer of black lace covering her torso, Regina felt the desire to shift atop him again, purposely circling her hips as she swept her hair off of her neck and piled it atop her head. The sight had Robin licking his lips before groaning, sitting up to place kisses across the black lace, occasionally catching it between his teeth when he started leaving gentle bites across the warm flesh.
His hands quickly dropped to her hips, gathering the material in his hands and pushing it upwards, breaking contact with her for the few moments it took for it to be removed and thrown to match the coat behind her.
Robin's mouth descended to her chest, his hands splayed across her back to support Regina when his path travelled lower and his leaning forward forced her to recline back. With the new range of movement he wasted no time in starting to kiss and lick and suck at her stiff peaks, occasionally letting his teeth scrape across the surrounding flesh and drawing a moan from the base of Regina's throat.
Her hips started rocking against his, slow drags that had them both releasing harsher breaths and infrequent groans, but with the leather of Regina's trousers an unwelcome layer separating them, it didn't take long before the sensation wasn't enough and she wanted nothing between them.
Shuffling backwards on the bed so she could remove her leather trousers and underwear, Regina watched as Robin's eyes roamed the newly exposed flesh. She always felt desired when he looked at her in such a way, always felt beautiful. And she found herself making a show of the swing of her hips as she worked the material down her legs, smirking at his bitten off groan.
When she crawled forward again, Robin shifted back with her, making it halfway up the bed until she placed a hand on his chest and pushed him to lie back down.
She trailed another row of kisses up his torso, and perhaps she lingered a little when she felt the strong heartbeat of her archer under her lips, but she didn't consciously note anything of the sort. And it wasn't as if her mind was focussed on her movements when Robin's hand was sliding deliciously across the skin of her thighs, heading to where she was wet and waiting. The first touch across the swollen flesh was so light that it had a shiver running through her, her fingernails digging into his chest a little harsher for a moment before she was releasing and resuming her task of mapping his body with her touch.
For all of Robin's insistence that she wasted none of their time in healing him, he seemed remarkably content with trading lazy kisses, of leisurely tracing her skin and slowly working her up with gentle passes over the bundle of nerves between her thighs. But Regina was unaware that this was all he wanted; the closeness and ease in which they spent time with each other, the familiarity found in each other's embrace that made him feel as if they had been together for a lifetime.
This was enough. She was enough. She always would be.
Robin hadn't realised how difficult it would have been to be separated from her until he had to be. He'd had no idea how much he would have missed her, how much he would have wanted her over their five days apart. He vowed to never be apart from her for that long again. Not without putting up one hell of a fight.
And yes, Robin was aware that five days was not too long a time to be separated from a person, but when it felt as if one's entire soul was yearning for someone else, every second without them was such a hardship.
So, here he was, savouring every single second of the contact he had been missing so dearly; her lips against his, her skin against his, her body against his...
But it was when she started rocking her hips against him, when she was feeling slicker with every grind, that simply having her against him didn't seem quite as fulfilling as it had been, and Robin found himself wanting more.
The moan she released into his shoulder when he started meeting her every movement was positively sinful, and had his hand rising to tangle in her hair, encouraging her to continue leaving a trail of soft bites up his neck. His other hand trailed down her back, gripping and kneading at the flesh of her ass and guiding her down harder against him - drawing out yet another groan from the woman above.
She broke away from him with a whispered 'God...', pushing herself up into a sitting position atop him and trailing her fingertips down his torso - the hint of nails having his muscles clenching underneath her. And when she bit her lip and continued the slow roll of her hips, his head ground back into the pillow and a groan rumbled from his throat.
He couldn't help it; she was a marvel. Perfect. Stunning in every way. And his.
At the extra twist she added to the downward grind of her hips, his hands shot up to fist in his hair, in the pillow under his head, anywhere to stop him from grabbing Regina and simply having his way with her. He was going to savour this, savour every moment they were together, because the thought of being separated was just too much to bear at this point.
Regina seemed to agree, slowing the pace of her hips as her touch travelled up his torso, across the muscles in his arms, up further until she was interlacing their fingers and pressing their joined hands into her pillow. As Robin craned his neck to capture her lips in a kiss, he couldn't resist groaning; "can't wait to be inside you."
His words drew out a sultry moan from Regina, a harsher grind down, a bite to his lip... Yes; he definitely needed her now.
"Regina..." he started, momentarily losing track when she started circling her hips again. "Regina, I need- you need to- I can't-"
For all of his broken ramblings Regina understood him, letting go of one of his hands and worming her way between them, lifting her hips and sinking onto him on the next grind down.
Her forehead dropped to rest against his, their breaths mingling in the scant space between them as their eyes scrunched shut in bliss. After a few moments Regina began to resume the roll of her hips, drawing herself up and down at a steady pace, taking him in over and over again until their skin was coated in a fine sheen of dewy sweat.
The hand she had on his shoulder helped push her upright, reducing the cloying heat from the long moments spent body against body on such a humid day to begin with.
Regina's head tipped back on a gasp, the ache in her thighs nothing compared to the pleasure blooming from her core, the friction winding that coil tighter, not enough to warrant release, not yet, but something oh so wonderful that she couldn't help the loud moans breaking free.
Robin's hands went to her legs, tracing up her calves to her knees and then up her thighs to her hips, spending a few moments sweeping over the skin low on her stomach before he returned whence he came. Her own touch followed a similar pattern from his shoulders to his hips - when she wasn't left too weak-kneed and using her hands as support.
The first cant of Robin's hips upwards had Regina leaning forward and bracing herself against her luxurious headrest, finding extra leverage to push back down with. Her hips continued rolling with every thrust, an extra drag to her clit which had her head falling forward as a series of broken gasps escaped her. The long, dark locks that she had swept over her shoulder fell in a curtain around them - as if they needed anything else to help them escape the outside world. It was just them now. The push-pull of his hands on her hips and the feeling of them repeatedly coming together rendering anything else a simply trivial matter. All that mattered was that they were both here. Together. Alive.
Unable to stop himself, Robin leaned forwards to capture Regina's lips with his, an arm wrapping around her to keep her body close to him as he sat up to meet her. The action had him shifting inside of her, changing the angle to something that had pleasure ricocheting inside of Regina with every stroke, and she moaned again. With his other arm stretched out behind him for support, there was no need for her to continue holding onto the headboard, and so she wrapped an arm around his shoulders, her other bent between them as her hand grasped his bicep.
"God..." she groaned into his mouth, his teeth grasping her lower lip when she put an inch of space between them.
He responded with a moan of her name, pushing his hips up to meet hers and moaning again when he thrust deeper than he had before. Regina's sharp cry into his mouth brought forth a lick of satisfaction, one which he would have no doubt been smug about were he not holding back his own shouts of pleasure.
The arm around her waist pulled her even further onto him, speeding up the joining of their hips and reducing their kiss to a slack meeting of lips whilst they breathed whispers of 'oh god' and 'yes' and each other's name in between gasps and moans.
It was a few moments before they could manage anything else, before the overwhelming pleasure wasn't all-consuming and they had the capacity to continuing the roaming path that their hands were taking as they took what they needed from each other.
Regina's touch trailed across the expanse of Robin's shoulders, her hand lowering to knock the locked elbow he was supporting them with, resulting in Robin falling back down to the bed. His immediate reaction was to pull her down with him, to keep feeling her entire body pressed against his, but Regina had other ideas.
No sooner had his back hit the mattress than she was pitching forwards, her hands fisting in the pillow either side of his head as she altered their rhythm into quick ruts, no longer partaking in lazy enjoyment; all about chasing release.
Robin bent his knees and placed his feet firm on the bed, sharply thrusting upwards to meet her and enjoying the way her short breaths turned into broken moans. His hands trailed around to her front, kneading her breasts, his fingers twisting and tugging whenever he could concentrate long enough to draw out her bitten-off cries.
Robin opened his eyes, looking up at the woman above him. She was stunning. He stared at her face, at her beautiful, perfect features scrunched together in pleasure, and he bit his lip at the knowledge he was the one responsible. He was the one with her. He was the one she wanted.
It suddenly occurred to him that he could have lost it all, could have never experienced the completion he felt with her, and he raised a hand to her cheek, needing to look into her eyes and calm his heart.
Their gazes met and a thousand words passed between them, assurances...
'I'm here.'
'You'll be okay.'
'You're safe.'
"Don't ever..." Robin started, his words becoming stuck in his throat before he cleared it and tried a different approach; "I need you."
Regina's lips parted, but any words that she could have possibly said refused to leave her mouth. And so, instead, she leaned forwards and kissed him, pouring everything she couldn't say into her actions, hoping to god that he understood.
She briefly wondered when this - them - had become so intense? When had this simple distraction become something she wouldn't - couldn't - let go of?
But then Robin was groaning into her mouth, a hand worming between them to rub at her clit and she wasn't wondering anything anymore.
Pleasure shot through her, a sudden rush of heat and bliss and emotions that had her trembling above him, her thighs quivering around his hips as she buried her face in his shoulder. Her hands clawed down his chest, her nails catching and making him hiss before he was grunting with every upward thrust into her. Her pleasure peaked and she muffled a broken sob into his skin, the way her muscles rhythmically contracted and released around Robin dragging him with her over the precipice with a sharp shout of her name.
It took longer than usual for them both to calm, for them both to relax. Regina's hand moved up to frame Robin's face, her thumb stroking over the stubble on his jaw as her breath ghosted over his damp, sweaty skin. His hand smoothed over her spine, soothing passes that had her sighing and shifting atop him to get more comfortable.
It was then that Regina became painfully aware of the ache in her legs, and knew that she'd have to move soon lest she never be able to get up. Grimacing, she straightened her right, lifting off of Robin to lie back on the bed so she could straighten her left.
Not two seconds later she was curling into his side, resting her head over his chest and feeling comforted by the steady thump-thump of his heartbeat under her ear.
"I thought you'd died..." Regina suddenly said, her voice quiet, barely audible, and the surprise of her sudden words took her several moments before was speaking. "I thought... I thought that was it, Robin, and…"
After a moment of quiet Robin shifted, tilting his head to try and see Regina's face as he asked; "and what?"
She shrugged, pressing her lips together, before reluctantly admitting in a whisper; "I was... It scared me."
"Scared you?" Robin prompted as he shifted again, nudging Regina until she was propping herself up by resting her forearms across his chest, looking down at him with a frustrated frown and a sigh.
"I don't do this." At his questioning gaze she elaborated; "talking, sharing…"
"I feel honoured," he smiled, the corner of his mouth quirking upwards into a smirk which he had no idea how much had been missed.
"You should," Regina teased, before their smiles faded and the situation become weighted again.
Regina opened her mouth to speak. And then closed it again.
She couldn't find the words. All the things she'd felt, all her worries and concerns and fears… They were all such a jumbled mess that Regina didn't even know where to begin.
He almost died. Robin – her Robin – had almost died, and it felt like fate was reminding her why she refused to let herself get emotionally attached in the first place; it would always tear her apart in the end.
But he was here, underneath her; his eyes searching hers as he tried to work out what she was thinking, his comforting smile trying to encourage her to just talk to him as the backs of his fingers smoothed up and down her sides in a rhythm that had her relaxing with a sigh…
He was here. Alive. Hers.
"Regina…"
"I can't lose you," she released in one breath, looking nervous, an unsure frown on her face before she amended; "I won't lose you."
For the sudden influx of emotions currently rushing into Robin like a wave at a beach, he managed to keep a collected front, a small smile on his face as he regarded Regina with what he hoped was warmth in his eyes. Yes, he was rather surprised at the outward admittance considering her absolute abhorrence for the idea of feelings when they had first discussed where this was heading. But, in all honesty, he hadn't expected to feel so much so quickly either, and whilst Robin believed open honesty and transparent feelings were the best way to handle things, he knew Regina felt differently. So, was he wanting to lead the conversation into confessions of the heart? Yes. Was he going to? No. He wasn't going to delve too deep and scare Regina away from talking to him; he was going to comfort her, and assure her, and erase their doubts together.
He crooked a finger under her chin, ensuring her gaze stayed locked on his as he vowed; "I'll be by your side as long as you want me there, Regina."
Regina nodded, her eyes searching Robin's face as she swallowed. He moved his hand, tucking a long piece of hair behind the Queen's ear, his fingers lingering when the corners of her mouth twitched into a smile.
Feeling satisfied - for now - that Robin wasn't going anywhere, Regina laid her head back on his chest, hooking a leg over his as she relaxed against his side.
This could only end badly. She was sure of it. But Robin had this way of putting her world to rights, of easing her inner turmoil and soothing her fractured heart.
She could see herself falling for him. One day.
When circumstances were different…
She could love him.
