I'm back with a new chapter!
(Regina's outfit for her date with Robin was inspired on what she was wearing when she had her first kiss with Robin on the show). Enjoy!
Chapter 4.
- Saturday -
January 5, 2019
She doesn't see him in the park today. She runs for about forty-five minutes, a bit less than what she is used to, but she's tired from the night before, and it's cold, and she decided to take the day to herself, for a self-care and beauty routine.
Her date with Robin is tomorrow night, and she wants to look especially good for him. She hasn't been excited about a date since she fell in love with Daniel almost thirteen years ago - she was sixteen at the time, she knew nothing about love - not to mention she hadn't had a day to spoil herself in God knows how long. Yes, she has always a team of professionals doing her best so she can look extra pretty on her shoots, taking care of her hair and makeup, always making sure she's living in the dream of red carpets and Hollywood stars. But it's always a commotion during the whole process, and she never really has time to be alone with her thoughts.
So today, she will make the most of the free time she has.
She steps out of the bathtub and wraps the robe around her naked body, applies a layer of skin mask to her face, before reaching for the cell phone when it begins to ring on the bedside table.
She rolls her eyes in amusement at the sight of Emma's name on the screen, knowing exactly the reason why her best friend is calling when it's still early morning in New York City.
"Just so you know, I was right," Regina teases as soon as she picks up the call, sitting against the comfy pillows on the bed, with a knowing smirk on her face.
"Good morning to you too," the blonde says from the other side of the line, her voice still rough from the sleep, "And why is that?"
Regina smiles at Emma's question, putting her on speaker so she won't ruin the mask spread all over her face, "I know you're calling to know about my date with Robin, which I told you, was not a date-"
"Really, Regina? Are we really keeping arguing about this?"
Regina knows it's a bit childish, but she can't help but tease Emma, knowing it will annoy her just as she does when it comes to Regina's dating life. She has always something to say about it, an opinion to give, someone to introduce her to. She seems even more invested in it than Regina herself, so she can't stop herself from messing with the blonde for a bit.
"Call it what you want, but it does not change the fact that he wanted to spend time with you, which it seems was a success."
Regina melts at the thought of their evening together, wondering how did she get so lucky to have bumped with Robin of all the people. He is such a funny and easy person to be with, a breath of fresh air in Regina's current life. If she's ready to open up to love again, she doesn't know, but she can't deny that Robin is an interesting person, and only the future will tell if there's room for more than friendship in her life.
"He is going to take me out on an official date tomorrow night."
"I knew it!" Emma cries out, as if she had just made the greatest discovery of the century, "You sound so smitten already! What happened yesterday?"
"Nothing happened yesterday," Regina is quick to answer, because it's the truth. They did nothing more than walk through the market and go ice skating - she held his hands when she was helping him balance on the ice, but there were no kisses or sweet caresses, much less what Regina knows Emma is implying.
"Are you sure?" the blonde asks, sounding less than convinced, "Do you really expect me to believe that you accepted to go out with a man you met two days ago, without being the least interested?"
"That's the whole point of going out with him, right? People get to know each other before 'something happens'," she parrots Emma's words from before, her eyes catching the bouquet of flowers beside the bed.
It doesn't seem to convince Emma, though, and she's not one to give up so easily, "That's debatable-"
"No, it's not."
For a few seconds, there's silence on the other end of the line, and Regina smiles in victory. At least until Emma asks, "Not even a goodnight kiss?"
The brunette laughs, can't help it. Emma can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but she's also really funny, and her best friend, and maybe she deserves to know a bit more about their night, even if there's nothing juicy to tell her about.
"He was charming enough to bring me flowers," she smiles sheepishly, "And he fell on the ice when I tried to teach him ice skating."
Emma laughs at that last bit, sounds pleased enough when she tells her, "It seems you did have fun."
"We did," Regina admits, closing her eyes, "I haven't had so much fun in a long time."
"You deserve it."
She does. Or at least, that's what Regina tells herself. She gave up on love when things with Daniel didn't work out, she thinks that maybe it's time to give herself a second chance.
- Sunday -
January 6, 2019
They agree to meet at the restaurant this time. Robin had sent her the address, and it's close enough from the subway that she insists he doesn't need to make the whole way back from his house only to pick her up. Besides, it gives Regina more time to finish getting ready.
She matches a cream-colored blouse with a black pencil skirt, then focuses her attention on straightening her hair, in an attempt to tame her stubborn curls - her father had always loved her natural waves, though that's something with which Regina always struggled. She is not ready to embrace it, and especially not on her first date with Robin.
She puts on her long black coat and places a cream scarf over her shoulders, steps out into the cold and into the subway, in the direction of the address Robin had sent her.
He is already waiting when she steps into the surprisingly quiet room, sitting at a table near one of the windows. He looks even more handsome today (if that is even possible), staring out at the busy street, and at the light rain it had begun to fall only a few minutes ago.
Regina smiles at the sight, taking off her coat before starting in Robin's direction.
"This is really nice," she says as she stops behind him, her eyes studying their surroundings. The restaurant is not too big, enough to have a few tables scattered around the room, and a long counter along the opposite wall. The lights are dimmed for a more comfortable atmosphere, and there are small lamps in the center of each table.
"I was afraid you would get caught in the rain," the blonde man admits, sounding almost relieved. He did look worried when she first saw him, staring out the window and frowning at the sight of the dark clouds gathered in the sky, but she didn't think he was worried about her getting caught in the weather, though she won't lie and say it doesn't feel good to have someone that actually cares about her, even in these simple things.
Regina's smile widens even more when he stands from his seat to press a kiss to her cheek, his voice rough and low when he whispers, "You look gorgeous."
"Thank you. You look very handsome as well," she purposely runs her eyes down his body, before he takes the seat across from her chair. She is beginning to feel more and more comfortable around Robin, and she figures that, if this is a date, what's the harm in flirting for a bit?
"You ordered red, my favorite," Regina reaches for the glass of wine already placed in front of her plate, bringing it to her lips to take a sip of the fruity beverage.
She closes her eyes and hums in approval, muttering a 'God, this is good,' before she opens them again to find Robin watching her almost mesmerized, "What?"
"Nothing. I'm so sorry, I was just-" he stutters, awkwardly, "I was just thinking about how lucky I must be that you agreed to be here with me tonight."
Regina stops at his words - freezes, actually - not really expecting Robin to get so serious and deep all of a sudden. She will not lie and say she never wondered why Robin is single when he is such a good-looking man, and for what Regina can tell, a really great person, anyone would be lucky to date a man like him, he's looking at the situation in reverse.
"I should be the one telling you that, actually."
His smile widens as he lifts his glass in an invitation for a toast, prompting Regina to do the same and clink her glass with his.
"To this fantastic evening and even better company," he tells her without breaking the eye contact, taking a sip.
God, she doesn't think she noticed how attractive he really is before this very moment, where his blue eyes look so bright under the dim light, and the scent of his cologne reaches her nostrils. She really is the lucky one in this whole deal, there's no doubt about it, even if Robin seems to think otherwise.
"We should order the food, or the wine won't be such a good idea," Regina tells him with a chuckle, settling her glass down and reaching for the menu instead.
Robin orders the steak with a spicy black pepper sauce - and she learns that he likes spicy food, surprisingly - while Regina sets for the classic chow mein. She is a fan of cuisine in general, and she loves Chinese recipes, which prompts him to tell her that he booked a trip to China once, though they had to cancel it once they discovered Marian's pregnancy.
Marian, who she learns is Robin's ex-fiance.
He doesn't dig too much into that issue, and Regina doesn't ask either, afraid it will ruin the mood if their breakup, as it seems, was not an amicable one. They set for more friendly subjects instead, focusing on Robin's four-year-old son, and on their shared love for traveling the world.
"I'm trying to save some money so I can take Roland there," Robin tells her, excitedly, "That's why I like to work on the weekends. The bar is full, they pay me to sing, and I even earn a percentage on the drinks."
"That does seem a fair deal," Regina agrees, while her mind wanders to the night she saw him on the stage, looking so happy as he sang, his voice so beautiful, "When did you start?" Regina wonders, curiosity taking the best of her, "Singing, I mean."
"Since I remember," Robin answers, smiling, then takes a moment when the waitress arrives with their food. They dig into their meals while Robin tells her about his first performances in his school plays, and how he started the guitar lessons a few years later - he was a teenager back then, so he thought it would give him a few points with the girls, more than he thought about a future career. He's now glad he took those lessons, Robin admits - he does what he loves, makes money out of it, and it gives him more time with Roland than it would if he had chosen to work scooped up inside an office.
"And you're really good, your voice is beautiful," Regina offers, smiling when she notices a blush growing on his cheeks.
There's a silence between them as the words leave Regina's mouth, a moment they both take to just stare at each other, while Robin's hand moves over the table to reach for Regina's. His thumb moves back and forth over the back of her palm, her heart beating ten times faster inside her chest.
"Look, I..." he starts, without releasing the hold on her hand, reaching blindly inside his jacket pocket to pick up a white envelope and give it to her, "I brought you this-"
"Robin, you shouldn't-"
"Open it?" the man is quick to interrupt, finally letting go of her hand so she could see what is inside the small package, "If you don't like it, I can-"
"Are you serious?" Regina asks with a chuckle, her eyes studying the two tickets now in her hands, "Is this for today?"
"In about... an hour and half," Robin glances at the watch on his wrist, his smile widening at the pleased and surprised look on Regina's face, "I didn't know if you liked musicals, but... I guess it's also a way for you to get to know me a little bit better."
"I love musicals, theatre in general," she tells him, and well... it seems it's one more thing they have in common then, she really has no idea how she got so lucky, "Thank you, Robin."
"No need to," he dismisses, "Let's just eat so we can get out of here."
Regina chuckles and focuses her attention back on her food, eyeing one more time the two tickets for 'The Phantom of the Opera', and wondering when did her life has become so much better.
...
Regina sighs pleased as she sits in the theatre, pulling her phone out of her purse to send a quick text to Emma: 'He's perfect,' she types with a smile on her face, knowing her friend is probably dying to know how her date with Robin is going.
He had excused himself to go to the bathroom as soon as the show had gone for a little break, and Regina had said that she would stay behind to watch their things, taking advantage of the time alone to think about the situation.
Is she really considering dating Robin, when she knows she will have to leave for New York in less than a month? Where would that even take them? Is there even a future to look forward to?
Regina closes her eyes and leans against her seat, considering every possible situation. She could stay and pursue her career - it would honestly break her heart to move so far away from Henry and Emma, and of course, from her father, though she could always pay them regular visits. Or maybe Robin would like to try a new life in New York City (she knows, of course, that this is almost impossible, that he has a family of his own, a four-year-old boy who has a mother that most certainly would not allow him to move to the other side of the ocean). In the best-case scenario, they would be successful in a long-distance relationship, though it's most likely that they will only test the waters during this month to then continue with their separate lives.
"Tired?" she feels the light touch of his hand up and down her upper tight, and she opens her eyes to find Robin smirking at her, his dimples helping the thoughts in her head getting so much clearer.
Yes, she wants to give this a chance. And yes, the future can be uncertain, but if she won't take the risk, she will never know if it's really worth it or not.
"No, just waiting for you," Regina turns her head to look at the blonde, her fingers intertwining with his.
Robin smiles and brings her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to the back of her palm before letting it fall back to her lap. He hasn't let go of her hand, Regina notices, and the brunette can't help but lean closer to him, her eyes focusing on his perfect lips.
God, she wants to kiss him. She wants to throw caution to the wind and live in the moment, a moment where Robin is looking at her almost as intensely, his teeth peeking out to bite on his lower lip.
Right... Regina takes a deep breath, centering herself. She might give life to her thoughts.
Robin moves closer before she could realize what he is doing - his free hand moves to cup her face, his nose nuzzling softly against her own.
It's when his lips brush gently against hers, that all the lights in the room are turned off to start the second part of the show. She feels Robin pull back with a displeased grunt, and Regina can't help but chuckle amused at his antics, giving his hand a light squeeze and promising, "We can finish this later."
She settles back against her seat with a smirk on her face, not really sure when did she get so bold, but loving the effect it has on Robin. He looks distracted for the rest of the play, his eyes darting to Regina from time to time, though she pretends not to notice, even when the only thought in her mind is to live up to her words.
...
Regina can honestly say this was one of the best dates she has been so far.
The restaurant Robin had chosen had exceeded her expectations, the food was amazing, as well as the company, and she can't think of a better ending to their night than watching 'The Phantom of the Opera'.
Everything was perfect, not to mention she can't get out of her head the moment Robin almost kissed her.
God... she still can feel his breath against her cheek, his lips brushing softly against her own...
What is happening to her? Why does she feel so connected to Robin already?
She thought that maybe she just felt lonely, that maybe it's because she is alone in a foreign country and Robin was nice enough to ask her out a couple of times, but... the problem is, she doesn't know how to stop.
She wants to keep seeing him and test where this is going, wants to kiss him without being interrupted, wants to get to know Robin without the thought of 'I'm leaving the country in less than a month' going around in circles in her head. If she doesn't follow her instincts and at least gives this a chance, she knows she won't be able to get the man out of her mind.
"So..." Robin starts, looking at their surroundings, "Here we are again."
Regina smiles and nods her head, knowing that this is almost a déjà vu of Friday night, when Robin walked her back to the hotel and they found themselves in a similar situation. They were also standing in front of the hotel double doors, readying themselves to say goodbye, though this time she can feel a different tension growing between them.
It's like they both know what they want to do, but neither of them actually moves to take the lead.
That's it until Regina takes a small step in Robin's direction, her hands moving to grab the lapels of his jacket and crush his lips against her own.
Robin is surprised at first, but is quick to recover and kiss her back. He kisses her slowly and gently, but barely has time to react properly before Regina is pulling back once again, an apologetic look on the brunette's face, "I'm so sorry, I-"
"You don't have to be sorry about a bloody thing right now," he whispers against her lips, closing the distance between them one more time.
Regina moans in surprise as their lips meet hungrily and passionately, not a hint of hesitation this time, compared to the kiss they shared only a few seconds before. He wraps his arms comfortably around her body, hers moving to circle around his neck, while her fingers play with the small hairs at the back of his head - she feels Robin shiver at the touch of her cold hand against warm skin, feels him pressing closer to her, his hand moving up and down the expanse of her back.
"Robin," she sighs, tilting her head to deepen the kiss. She opens her mouth to him when his tongue brushes against her bottom lip, lets the taste of the popcorn they eat earlier in the theatre invade her senses.
She's doomed, she thinks. So doomed, because, now that she had a taste of him, she doesn't want to let go.
She doesn't try to stop him when his hands move to grasp at her hips, doesn't try to pull back when he keeps pulling her closer, backing her a few steps so they aren't standing right in the middle of the sidewalk, kissing for everyone to see. Regina is grateful for that, truthfully, she was never one for public displays of affection, though this time it doesn't seem to bother her in the slightest, judging by the way she keeps clinging to him, moaning at the way he sucks fuller on her lower lip, before pulling back completely.
"Christ," Robin pants, trying to regain his breath, "I wasn't expecting that."
"I promised you we could finish this later," she tells him with a shrug of her shoulders, smiling when his fingers intertwine in her dark hair, and he pulls her closer to press a kiss to her forehead, "Thank you. For everything tonight."
"It was my pleasure," he dismisses, mirroring her gesture of shrugging her shoulders, "I'm glad you enjoyed it."
Regina laughs and nods her head, presses a gentle kiss to his lips again, softer but lingering.
When she pulls back a second time, she presses her forehead to his, her voice sweet and kind as she tells him, "I have a shoot tomorrow morning, I really need to get some sleep-"
"Oh, of course," Robin pulls back immediately, making Regina chuckle at his antics, "I can call you tomorrow?"
She nods her head and makes her way back to the hotel, glances at him one last time to watch him slip into a cab - he only has time to give her a little wave before the car disappears down the street - and then, here she is, alone, with her thoughts.
She has a lot to consider, Regina thinks, walking into the building. Maybe she will talk to Robin about it.
For now, she considers herself lucky to have found a bit of company in the blue-eyed man, hopes that time will help her see things clearer.
Hope you liked it, tell me what you thought! :)