Hi, guys, here is the chapter! I'm so sorry for taking so long, I hope you like it and thank you for sticking with the story.

You're about to meet a new character ;)

Chapter 5.

- Monday -

January 7, 2019

She has a text from Robin on Monday morning, a thoughtful 'Good luck on your shoot today,' that puts a silly smile on the brunette's face. Regina can't help but feel excited at the simple attention, answering with a 'Thank you, that helped a lot,' that she hopes will be enough to let him know how much she appreciated the gesture. She has to admit that she is a bit nervous about her photoshoot with Jefferson, so Robin's company, even if through simple texts, is working wonders to keep her distracted.

'You'll be fantastic, I'm sure. But if it helps, I would love you to have you for lunch and, hopefully, help you to relax?'

Regina blushes at his words, can't stop her mind from wandering to much more sinful thoughts, even though she knows he didn't mean it that way. It's too soon to even be thinking about something like that, and she won't ruin what they have over a stupid desire, though she can tease and flirt with him for a bit.

She bites her lip and thinks about an answer to give him, but is interrupted when the doors of the elevator open, presenting a petite blonde with a messy bun on top of her head.

"Regina Mills?" the woman asks, a displeased frown on her face, "You're five minutes late. Follow me."

Regina frowns and glances at her phone, confirming that, no, she's five minutes earlier, actually, just like she had planned to be when she was told the shoot was scheduled for nine a.m.

She makes a mental note of being extra earlier the next time they call her for a shoot (if there's even a next time, that is), and follows the woman without saying another word, taking in her surroundings and looking around at the spacious corridors.

The building is pretty empty at this time in the morning. The walls are all white, cold, and empty, except for one bigger wall next to what she knows is Jefferson's office, where she can see several of his photos hanging on beautiful frames. He truly is an excellent photographer, she thinks, though she doesn't really have time to admire all the photos before the woman stops in front of one of the other doors, clutching a notebook against her chest as she turns to face the brunette.

"I'm Catherine Bell, Jefferson's assistant, but I will be yours for the time you will be staying with us, understood?" Regina swallows and nods her head, a bit taken aback by the woman's coldness, who, at least, could be trying to make her feel better instead of making her even more nervous, "Do you have any questions?" she asks, raising her brow.

"No-"

"Good, let me show you to the wardrobe."

She follows the blonde into a smaller, but crowded, room, where four other women are waiting for her, ready to dress her and help her get ready, Regina imagines. They straighten as soon as they see Catherine walking in, barking orders of 'Regina Mills, blue skirt, with the cream top and the black heels,' and Regina can't help but feel sorry for them, wondering if it was her apparent delay that left the woman in such foul mood.

"Call me when you're ready," she says to Regina before walking out of the room, leaving the brunette and the other women completely in silence.

Well, this is awkward, should she apologize or-

"Tink can be scary when she is in full work mode, but she's the sweetest lass, I assure you," one of the women steps behind Regina, placing a hand on the brunette's shoulder to give it a comforting squeeze.

"Somehow, I doubt that," Regina chuckles, fishing her phone out of her purse to see another text from Robin appearing on the screen - 'I'm so sorry, it sounded awful. I was just offering you lunch, I promise.'

His words make her feel ten times better in the middle of the mess. She finds herself chuckling at his message, the knots in her stomach disappearing at the thought of spending the afternoon with him.

Alright, she can do this. She's no newbie. She has years of experience that lead her to this moment.

She answers him, 'I look forward to that lunch ;)' and, 'Send me the address,' and then turns to face the women, who are already preparing all her clothes, puts a confident smile on her face and tells them, "Let's do this."

...

The shoot is a success, and Regina leaves the studio with a smile on her face, and a lot more relaxed now as she makes her way to Robin's apartment.

His place is rather close to her own hotel, she realizes, only three blocks away from the park where she usually goes for a run in the morning, and where she found Robin doing the same only a few days ago - she loves that they have that in common and thinks about asking him for company one of these days, though she's not sure she'll behave once she sees him all sweaty and athletic, running through the grass, with the sun lighting up his skin... it's a fantasy she hopes will turn into reality further into their relationship, though, for now, she's just happy that he cares enough about her to ask her for lunch in his own place, only to make her feel better after a stressful morning of photoshoots.

"Hello, beautiful," he greets as he opens the door to his apartment, and even though he's not sweaty and in a sporty gear, Regina can't help but find him handsome in his simple white t-shirt and grey sweatpants, that sit just below his hips, much to the brunette's appreciation, "Welcome to my humble flat."

"It smells great-" she is interrupted by Lady, who leaves her bed in a corner to greet Regina by the door, barking incessantly and brushing her paws against her legs, clearly asking for attention from their new guest, "Hello to you too," she bends down to run her hand through the puppy's brown fur, letting Robin close the door behind her, as she looks around to study their surroundings.

His apartment is not too big - it has two bedrooms, Robin shows her, one for him and one for Roland, both filled with toys as she's sure the boy spends more time in his father's bedroom than in his own (both their pajamas are neatly folded over the large mattress, which tells her that he must sleep with Robin too, the perks of being a single father, she imagines). Regina smiles at the thought and follows Robin back into the kitchen and living area, moaning at the smell that comes from the oven when he opens the door to look inside.

"What are you cooking?" she asks curiously, placing her hands on his hips for balance as she peers over the blonde's shoulder.

Robin chuckles and closes the door, turning around to wrap his arms around her waist and place a chaste kiss to her lips. "Sunday roast," he tells her, but it only makes her frown, her brows rising in genuine question, "It's a British recipe. Which means roasted meat, mashed potatoes, and lots, lots of gravy."

"Hmm, sounds good," she smiles, running her hands up his torso, "Anything you want me to do?"

Robin shakes his head, assures, "No, everything is taken care of, we can just-" his mouth finds her jaw to press a kiss there, then to her cheek, and finally to her lips, "We will have to wait until it's ready."

Regina smiles and closes the gap between them one more time - his back is against the counter, and she's pressed against him, his hands securely on her hips. It's not the most comfortable position, but they make it work, enough to have her moaning when his tongue brushes against her lips, asking for entrance. Regina grants it gladly, tongues moving against each other as her arms shift to wrap around his neck, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss.

Robin groans pleased at that, grips even tighter at her waist and rocks his hips against her own - Regina hasn't felt this giddy since the first time she had been physical with Daniel, the butterflies in her stomach, the warm sensation in her chest... She is attracted to Robin, there's no doubt about that, she just didn't think he would make her feel things she thought it would be impossible to feel ever again in her life. She will not sleep with him, she's sure of that, but she can't help but gasp when she feels his hands cupping her ass, his mouth moving south to give attention to her exposed throat.

"Wait, I-" she pants, pulling back, "Don't you think we're moving too fast?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry," he tells her, immediately raising his hands to avoid touching any part of her body, "I didn't want to-"

"No, I know, it's not that, listen to me," she cups his face in both her hands, urging him to look at her and pay attention to her words, "I'm not talking about this," she chuckles, looking down between them, at the non-existent space between their bodies and the bulge forming in Robin's pants, "I'm not afraid of sex, Robin, I'm afraid of... feelings."

His brows raise, clearly surprised at her confession (if it's even a confession at all), but a smile begins to form on Robin's lips, one so tender and sweet, as he grasps her hands on his own and presses a kiss to each one of them.

"I care about you," he tells her, and she's sure her heart skips a beat inside her chest, especially when he leans over to kiss her once again. She's reluctant at first, but it's not strong enough to push him back. They kiss slowly and gently, not at all as the kisses they shared only a few minutes prior, before Regina pulls back once again, her brow pressed against his while they regain their breath.

"It's just... we met five days ago, Robin-"

"Aren't you overthinking?" he asks, giving her hand a little squeeze, "I'm not asking you to marry me."

Regina actually chuckles at that, releasing her hands from his hold and taking the liberty to pour a glass of wine for each one of them. He's watching her every move, she notices, an amused smile on his face as he watches her so at ease in his space. That's what she meant and what worries her the most, Regina thinks, that she feels so comfortable with him, and that he was able to break down her walls so easily and fast.

"I will have to leave in a month," she points out, and Robin just shrugs, as if it the fact that they live across the ocean from each other wasn't such a big deal, "I don't want to make things difficult-"

"I just think we should enjoy the time you'll be here."

Regina stops and stares at him, trying to look for a sign that he's messing with her, though his expression is pretty much neutral.

Is he asking for a relationship with no strings attached? A relationship like she had with Graham, purely physical? She's not sure she wants another take at that, no matter how attractive and gorgeous Robin is.

"I... I'm not sure I understand-"

"Look, let me tell you something," Robin interrupts, grabbing his glass of wine and leading her towards the couch.

Regina follows without a word, occupying the seat beside him as she tries not to be too disappointed before she hears what he has to say. What did she expect? She met the man five days ago, did she really think he was falling in love with her, or that this could be more than simply 'having someone to pass the time'?

She was ready for Robin to settle things between them, but she is more than surprised when he starts telling her about Marian, his first and only relationship when he went to college, which surprisingly lasted when he decided to quit law school to pursue a musical career. She got pregnant a few years later, and that's when things started to get messy - Marian was worried Robin didn't make much money playing on bars, and apparently her job was not permanent either, which prompted her to blame Robin for not finishing law school, telling him it was his fault they wouldn't have money to raise a baby at the time. Regina has no idea why he is telling her all this, but she chooses not to comment, letting him unload and see where he is trying to go with the story.

There was this one day, he tells her, when Robin got home to find a flyer about abortion laying on the table right at the entrance, and Marian nowhere to be found. He thought the worst at the time, but he was able to find Marian scooped up inside her office, crying incessantly as she told him she simply couldn't do it. The moment they decided to keep Roland had brought them closer again, but somehow, Robin knew this wasn't the Marian he had fallen in love with early in his twenty's. She was different... angrier.

It still bothers him, Regina notices - it's noticeable in the way he clenches his jaw, his grip around the glass of wine tightening just slightly. He still resents her for everything that happened, and it makes Regina mad too, wondering how Marian was able to blame Robin for everything, letting him believe it was his fault if she did chose to put an end to her pregnancy. Robin loves his son, she can tell. She knows he would do everything to give his son a good life, to make sure Roland has everything he needs.

"It became too much for her when Roland was born. He was a crying baby," he smiles, though it doesn't reach his eyes, "He didn't let us sleep, we were exhausted, cranky, we fought over the money problems, everything and nothing," Robin explains, finally telling her, "She took a few days off to visit her family in the States, so I agreed to stay with Roland so she could have time to herself, believing it could be good for all of us," Regina can't understand how she even felt comfortable leaving a month-old baby and fly to the other side of the ocean, but she chooses to keep those thoughts to herself, knowing it's not her place to question the woman's reasons, "Two weeks later she called to say she was giving me Roland's full custody, and that she didn't know when she would be back."

"When... How-"

"It took her three months to admit what I knew already, she didn't want to come back. She told me she never wanted to be a mother, she just couldn't do it."

Regina is a bit surprised at the information, wasn't really expecting to hear that Marian chose to abandon them all of a sudden. She feels angry for Robin, and for Roland, at a woman she doesn't even know. How does someone abandon a child like that? How can she sleep knowing she has a little boy growing on the other side of the world?

"And she never came back?"

"She did, once. I told her she still had time to fix everything, I just wanted my son to have a mother," Robin downs what's left of his wine in one gulp, and Regina can't help but cover his free hand with her own, intertwining their fingers together and giving it a comforting squeeze, "Christ, she..." he sighs, calming down, "She still makes me mad."

"It's okay," she soothes, taking a deep breath, because she thinks it will help if she shares her own story, even if there's not too much to share, anyway, "My mother left us to marry a rich guy."

Robin stops at that, turns to look at her, his anger is now replaced for curiosity, though he doesn't ask, but she knows he is wondering what happened by the look on the blonde's face.

"She was... difficult. Leaving us was the best that could happen, actually-"

"Regina-"

"No, it's the truth," the brunette assures, taking a sip of her own wine. Contrary to Roland, that was still a baby, she remembers her mother being less than friendly to her - always criticizing, always trying to control her life - she doesn't know what's worse, honestly: if she hadn't met her mother at all, or leaving under constant criticism and being harassed by her own family.

She startles a little when she feels the couch dip a bit beside her, turns her head to see Lady lying against her legs, her small head resting over Regina's knees. She freezes a bit at the dog's closeness, but she can't help but smile, placing the glass over the coffee table to run her hand over the pup's soft fur.

"They say dogs sense people's moods, though I'm a bit wounded she chose to comfort you over me," Robin teases, leaning against the couch. Regina mirrors his movement with a chuckle, laying her head against the back, and stopping to stare at him for a moment. She didn't think she would be able to feel this close to someone ever again, not romantically or whatever they have. She still doesn't know why he chose to tell her his story with Marian, or where he wants to go with this, but she feels flattered that he seems to trust so much in her, and she wants him to know that she does feel comfortable around Robin too.

"Anyway, it was hard, yes, but I'm sure it was for the best," Regina shrugs, and Robin sighs, tells her he's sorry, that he didn't know she had gone through the same his son has, apparently, "It's fine, I just meant that, I still think I had a good life with my father. He was enough, and I never resented him," she assures, making clear her point when she tells him, "Roland will not blame you, and I don't think he will be less happy because he's growing up without a mother. You seem to be doing a good job, Robin."

He is, she's sure of it. Maybe she doesn't know Robin all that well, and she doesn't know Roland, for that matter, but she can tell his son is his priority, only by the way he gets upset when talking about his mother, or how worried he gets to think about he might not be enough for the four-year-old boy.

"Thank you, it got easier with time," Robin smiles, or at least, he tries to. He is past the difficult stage - she is glad for it - he has a comfortable home, a steady job, and from what she can see in the pictures, hanging around the walls, Roland seems to be a truly happy child, always with a dimpled smile on his face that reminisces so much of his father, "It was difficult to support both of us with the money I made at the time, and I didn't have anyone to look after Roland during the day so I could get a full-time job... but things started to improve when I met Belle a few months later. She offered to take care of Roland, and introduced me to her sister, Lacey, who got me a permanent job at 'The Rabbit Hole'."

"That's amazing," Regina tells him, genuinely happy. Her hand moves to stop on his thigh, his falling on top of hers, grasping gently.

"I don't know what I would've done without them," Robin admits in a whisper, closing his eyes for a moment, probably still hurt about that time of his life. She can't imagine what is like living without knowing if she will have food to give to her son the next day, or if she will have a house to return to, all because of a woman who chose to abandon them when they needed the most to be a family.

Still, there's one thing Regina still wants to ask about this whole story, which is, "Why are you telling me all this?"

"I got a bit carried away, didn't I?" Robin asks with a smirk, though it makes Regina feel a bit guilty about her question, because it's not like she doesn't want to listen to his story, she's just curious about where he wants to get with all this. They started this conversation talking about them, about whether or not a relationship between them is worth it, and they ended up talking about Marian and how she disappeared, and how Robin struggled to give a good life to his four-year-old son.

"It's just... talking about the past, it makes me realize that..." he trails off, pressing his lips together, collecting his thoughts, "I don't want this to sound selfish, or that I don't love my son," he admits, "I have been living for Roland in the past four years, you know, I just feel like... I haven't had time to focus on myself..." he looks at her, uncertain, "Is this awful?"

"No. No, Robin, it's not," Regina assures, firmly, "Roland is your priority, you want to give him a good life, there's no doubt about that, but I can imagine how engrossing that can be, that we easily forget to take care of ourselves."

She gets it. She is not judging him, how could she? He is doing the best he can, she is so amazed by how far he seems to have come.

"I don't regret it," Robin tells her, as if he has something to prove, "I would do everything again to make sure Roland is happy and taken care of. But we are good now, we have a comfortable life. I feel like I can start having some time to myself again. And then you showed up..."

There's suddenly a blush on his cheeks, a shade of red coloring his face, making him look so much younger and naive than he actually is. He does deserve to get that part of his life back, to connect to someone again. She is just not sure she can give him what he needs, she will end up leaving him, just like Marian did. She will have to get back to her life in New York and he will end up alone again, back to where he first started.

"You were... are, a breath of fresh air. You make me feel like I can have a life apart of being a father-"

"Robin..."

"I know..." he shakes his head, grimacing, "I'm sorry. I'm sure you weren't expecting to come to my house today and get a lecture about my life... Nor do I want you to feel pressured-"

Regina shakes her head, assures, "It's not that, I just... I don't know if this will help, you know this can't be permanent-"

"I don't think I need something permanent," he interrupts. Great... that's just... "I mean, it's hard for me to make those long-distance plans. Just thinking about the word 'permanent' puts me in a lot of pressure, I just... I like to spend time with you, and if you feel the same, why making it so difficult?"

"I don't know, Robin," Regina tells him, a bit more sharply than she intended. She regrets it the moment he leans back with a surprised frown on his face - she really doesn't want to push him away, she honestly wants to give in and give this a chance, "I'm sorry. It's not like I don't want to try, I do, I just... don't know what to do."

"Stop thinking."

His hand is suddenly on her cheek, warm and soft against her skin, his thumb tracing lazy patterns on her face. He moved a touch closer to her, with enough space that their noses aren't touching, but close enough to keep her from thinking straight. Alright, she breathes, looking into his eyes, she can do it. She will forget all about why she shouldn't, or why this is a bad idea, and will focus on the fact that she likes to spend time with Robin, that they can be friends, and if it happens that they will end up sharing a few kisses, then... well, what's the harm in that?

"Saved by the bell," she hears Robin say with a chuckle, and it takes her a moment to realize that there's a beeping coming from the kitchen, interrupting them before she could even give him an answer. Robin places a kiss on her forehead instead, standing up from the couch before making his way towards the oven, suggesting, "How about we talk about this later and just enjoy our lunch for now?"

...

They never get back to the conversation.

She finds herself, about an hour later, curling up on the couch with Robin by her side, mouths meeting, her leg stretched over the man's lap as his hand traces lazy patterns on her ankle. His other arm is stretched over the back of the couch, his fingers tangling in Regina's hair every now and then. They stay like that for a while, trading lazy and soft kisses, just enjoying each other company.

She will blame it on the wine later. Not that she had too much, but definitely enough to make her feel relaxed and loose.

She can't even stop the sigh that escapes from her lips when Robin's hand moves slowly up her leg, rubbing her calf, which honestly feels heaven after spending the whole morning posing on high heels. Regina presses her leg further into Robin's grasp, silently asking him to keep what he is doing, so he does. He puts a bit more pressure on his fingers, intently massaging her tired muscles.

"Hmm, that feels good," she mutters against his mouth, pulling back to lean her head against his stretched arm.

She hums when he asks if it's sore, and whines a bit when he brings the other hand to help with the massage, a whine that quickly turns into a moan when she feels more of his fingers moving against her skin.

He has good hands, she can't help but think. Can't stop imagining him massaging other parts of her body, his hands running over bare skin...

God, this was a good idea. An excellent idea. Who'd have thought that she would feel so relaxed over a simple massage?

"I think I will be asking you for more of this... photoshoots can be really exhausting."

She opens her eyes to see him chuckling at her words, teasing, "And here you were, about an hour ago, ready to run away from me," which, it shouldn't, but puts a smile on the brunette's face, "Should we talk about it?"

Regina sighs, and she knows that it's probably unfair, that she keeps giving Robin mixed signals, but she really doesn't want to have to make a decision right now. Not when there's wine clouding her judgments, or while Robin is doing that heavenly thing with his hands, his blue eyes focused on her as he waits for Regina to give him an answer.

"I... don't really want to," she admits, an apologetic look on her face, "I know you don't want to think about long-distance plans, and I want to be able to ignore the fact that I will only be here for four more weeks, but... I don't think I can make a decision right now. I know it's not fair-"

"It's okay."

Regina is still a bit taken aback by his reaction, her expression shifting to a frown, still surprised that he seems to accept this whole situation so well. She wishes she could too. She wants nothing more than to throw caution to the wind and do whatever she pleases during this month, wants to explore this connection she feels with Robin, wants to live the present without worrying about the future.

"I'm not asking you to make a decision, I just think we could do just that. Go with the flow."

Regina takes a deep breath, looking deep into his eyes, noticing how hopeful he is that she will be willing to give this a chance, "You're terribly optimistic that this will work."

"I am," he admits, his hand moving to cup her cheek, "Who knows? Maybe we will actually find out that we only want to be good friends."

Robin smirks, and she can't help but laugh when he pulls her back for another kiss, muttering 'This is not what friends usually do,' before she melts in the feeling of their mouths moving together, slowly, unhurriedly, her arms wrapping loosely around his neck.

They relish in the moment for a bit, not crossing any boundaries, only enjoying each other's company.

She likes it. Truly. She misses having someone to share moments like this with, moments of real affection instead of just physical desire, of letting her guard down with someone ever again - Daniel left a mark in her life that she thought would be difficult to erase, a mark that for so many years kept her from trusting someone enough to build a serious relationship, to be with someone again for something more than just sex.

Maybe this solution with Robin is exactly what she needs for that confidence to be restored. Maybe this will actually be beneficial for both of them.

Regina lets out a moan when Robin's hand moves firmly up her leg, stopping on her hip, before their moment is interrupted when Lady comes running towards the front door, barking incessantly.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!"

Regina pulls back from Robin just in time to see a petite brunette walking through the door - she has dark brown hair pulled up in a ponytail, and a shade of red growing on her cheeks. Regina can't even tell who is more embarrassed about what just happened - if herself for being caught kissing Robin by one of his... friends? Or the girl who seems to just want to vanish into the air, and who is being subjected to one of Robin's teasing smirks, "Belle," he stands up from the couch, walking in the brunette's direction, "I wasn't expecting you today."

"I'm sorry, I didn't think you were home, I thought about taking Lady for a walk before picking up Roland from school-" the girl stumbles over the words, though Robin doesn't let her finish before his smile turns into a grimace and he says, "It's my fault, I totally forgot to tell you I'm picking up Roland today."

Belle seems to relax a little at his words, but her attention is now shifting towards the brunette sitting on the couch, and God... isn't this awkward?

"Hi, I'm Regina," she decides to introduce herself, hoping to make the moment less uncomfortable. If only that was true...

"Oh..." the woman replies, her eyes moving to meet Robin's. Regina frowns in confusion. What is happening here? Why are they acting so complicit all of a sudden?

She stands up from the couch to stop beside Robin, his hand surprisingly reaching for one of hers.

"I told her about our date," he admits guiltily, making the young girl chuckle.

"It's so nice to meet you!"

"Belle is like a little sister to me," Robin tells her with a roll of his eyes, laughing at the girl's enthusiasm.

Regina doesn't know how to react, too stunned at the information to think about something to say. She didn't think Robin had talked about her to any of his friends (to be fair, she talked about Robin to Emma, but that's something women do, and the blonde is her best friend, she didn't think their date had been special enough that would make Robin share the information with one of his friends - that's bullshit, she knows it, but it's still a bit surprising).

"I'm sorry, this is awkward," Regina tries to laugh, but it comes out a little forced, which doesn't help the situation in the slightest. She gives Robin's hand a squeeze before letting go, moving to reach for her purse hanging by the door, "I should go. I don't want to make you late to pick up Roland."

He's preparing to assure her he's not, but she doesn't give him the opportunity to do it - she's not mad, but she was taken by surprise, and she's honestly nervous about having met one of the most important people in Robin's life. So Regina leans closer to press a kiss to his cheek, offering the other brunette a nod of her head, before walking out the door.

...

She is lying in bed later that night. She's trying to distract herself with a movie, but her thoughts keep wandering to Robin and his friend, and how she probably made a fool of herself when she practically ran out of his apartment early that afternoon. To make things worse, her phone buzzes on the bedside table with a message from said man, asking, 'I'm sorry about this afternoon, are we okay?', which only makes Regina grimace (no wonder Robin thinks she's upset).

She answers, 'We are fine,' before placing the phone back on the bedside table and reaching for the remote, decided to find something worthy of her attention.

She's overreacting, she thinks to herself. She met one of his friends - big deal - she doesn't have to feel pressured about her relationship with Robin. Well... she does. She doesn't want to hurt him. She doesn't want him to start introducing her to his friends, and family, only for her to get out of his life as quickly as she entered. His 'little sister', as he had put it, would not be very happy, and with very good reason, Robin deserves to find someone with whom he can build a future.

'Are you sure?' he asks, and she can't help but smile softly at his concern, wondering if she is being silly about something so trivial.

'Yeah, it was just a surprise, can we forget about it?'

'Of course,' it comes not even a minute later, putting her mind at rest.

She will talk to him later, if it's even necessary. For now, she will wish him a good night and focus on her movie, hoping the next day will help her see things more clearly.

Please tell me if you liked it, I love hearing your thoughts :)