"Oh my God, Regina, look at you!"
Before the former Queen could lift her face up to take a good look at the person who yelped those words out loud, she felt the unmistakable sensation of someone wrapping their arms around her to give her a hug and she voiced her surprise with a small gasp, her face contorting in a grimace as she lifted her hands up to then let them drop limply by her sides.
Now, the invasion to her personal space took her by surprise because one, she wasn't exactly the most warm person in town and thus she wasn't exactly used to such gestures of affection and second, because the last thing she has been expecting or wanting as she walked around was for someone who she didn't even get see to hug her out of the blue.
Not that she really needed to look at this person to know who she was, after all she could recognize the exaggerated cheerful and perhaps annoying voice of Snow White anytime, anywhere.
"I know, I know, I'm huge." She said with an awkward chuckle, pulling back to cut the contact short.
"No, no; I mean you are definitely bigger that last time I saw you but that was to be expected; you still look great. Even your hair looks amazing, it has gotten so long!"
Rolling her eyes, Regina brushed the woman off because sure, it was true that they had put their differences aside long ago, but it was still awkward to interact with her as if nothing out of the ordinary has ever happened between them.
"It's the pregnancy glow, it settles with you beautifully." Snow stated, taking the liberty of putting her hands on Regina's belly to feel it around. "When I was pregnant… uff," She snorted as she remembered. "I really got huge, I was way too emotional, I was starving all the time, my feet were swollen, I walked like a penguin… and I felt so, so tired all the time. You seem to be bearing so much better."
Opening her mouth and then closing it again, Regina blew out a breath and shook her head no because well… she wasn't feeling so great looking as Snow was making it sound.
But before she could voice her own afflictions, she saw out of the corner of her eye how a few residents of town passed them by and took notice on both her now obvious pregnancy and Snow White's hands on it. Most of them seemed surprise because even though she was not trying to hide her pregnancy, she hadn't gotten out much announcing it and because of that, most of them didn't know…
Until that moment, that was.
"So what brings you down here?"
Clicking her tongue to her cheek and trying to ignore the curious looks people were sending her way, Regina shifted her weight to her left foot as she remembered the reason why she was there. "I was actually looking for Robin."
"Oh. I just saw him, he's with my husband at the sheriff station. He's you know, David, the baby and I are going on a little vacation and he's going to cover for David until we come back."
"Yes, I've heard." Regina said. A few days ago, Robin has called to check on her and he mentioned that. He had also reminded her that they had a talk pending and after being forced to promise that she was going to come by soon so that they could have said talk, there she was.
That has been more than a week ago and truth be told, she wasn't still feeling ready for that talk, but she figured out that postponing it wasn't going to her any favors so she decided to go to him that day. Whatever would happen, it better happen soon.
"Okay, I'll leave you to that then. I left the baby with Ruby and I bet she's pulling at her hair right now." With that, Snow gave her another hug and then she was wandering off the street.
Watching her go, Regina adjusted her coat so that it could cover more of her pregnant stomach and then, shaking her head she kept walking to the building she wanted to get. Once there, she opened the door and saw Emma sitting behind the desk doing some paper work.
"Hey," The blonde said. "Seems like it's visiting day for my deputies."
Quirking her lips, Regina took a look around. "Swan, looks like you are doing your regular duties; which seem to resume on you sitting on your ass all day long while doing nothing."
"Ha, I learnt my work ethic from my former Mayor."
Arching an eyebrow, Regina took off her coat and hung it by the door, "If I was still mayor, you wouldn't be sitting in that chair."
"If you were still Mayor I would have hanged myself from the ceiling a long time ago."
"Or I would have done it myself." She said simply, her lips curving into a sly grin as Emma burst out a laugh. But then, before she could say anything more Robin's voice was heard all around and she just had to move her head towards the source of his voice.
"Well what's all this fighting for?"
Licking her lips, Regina blinked slowly. Robin was walking to her and by the smile on his face, he was quite pleased to see her there.
"And we are just starting; you should really see us getting psycho crazy on each other." Emma said wriggling her eyebrows.
Snorting, Robin got closer and closer and once standing in front of her, he kissed her on the lips. Now, that right there wasn't one of the mind blowing kisses she knew he could give, but for some reason it made her feel weak on the knees as her face blushed.
It was stupid, she knew that; but her reaction was probably due to the fact that Emma was right there looking and that made her feel more than a little awkward.
Pulling away from the gentle kiss, Robin immediately lowered his face towards her stomach and smiled brightly. "And how's my girl doing?" He asked, placing both hands over her belly and feeling around.
"The baby is doing great, getting bigger and bigger." She said, her breathing stopping for a second when he looked up into her eyes.
"I'll be out in a few minutes, do you mind waiting?"
"No, it's okay."
Pursing his lips, he nodded and then turned around to disappear into the next room.
"What. Was. That?" Emma asked in inexplicable wonder and Regina shrugged.
"What was what?" The soon mother to be asked even though she knew exactly what she was being asked.
"Come on, don't play dumb with me; you know I'm talking about that kiss."
"Oh that peck, well that was nothing."
"Right; anyway, since when are you two in a kissing-pecking zone and why didn't I know about it?" After asking that, the younger blonde tilted her head to the side and gasped as if being enlightened. "Wait, you are sleeping together, aren't you?"
Opening her eyes as wide as she could, Regina looked around to make sure no one was listening. "Why don't you announce it in the next city meeting, gosh."
Taking in a breath a bit dramatically, Emma pressed a hand to her chest and closed her eyes. "I knew it, I knew this was going to happen. I need details and I need them now."
Blinking a few times and snorting, Regina shook her head no. "I'm not going to give you details, you pervert. Besides it was nothing, it just happened one time and I'm not even sure if it meant something."
"What? Come on Regina, of course it had to mean something. Whenever two people who love each other sleep together, it means a lot."
"It's not as easy as that. Robin and I, well you know we are just friends and that's it, there's no more to it."
"Do you love him?"
Puffing out a breath, Regina frowned. "Of course I do, he's my best friend." And not only that, he was the father of her baby so of course she felt for him.
"Okay, let me ask it this way. Are you in love with him?"
Sucking in a breath, Regina looked up to the ceiling and shrugged. She shouldn't be saying this and least of all to Emma… but still… "I don't… know, okay." She admitted out loud. "Not that it matters, because to Robin I'm just a friend."
"Yeah, and that's why he is sleeping with you, because you are such a good friend. Tsk. Look, Robin doesn't seem like the kind of man who sleeps around just because he cans so I assure you, if he slept with you is because he feels something deeper than a friendship for you and by the way he looks at you I can assure you that this is the case."
"I'm not so sure about that."
Snorting, Emma got up to her feet and headed to the next room as well; but before disappearing, she turned to Regina and shrugged. "I have to differ on that one; but if you are still not sure, then maybe it's time you go to him and find out."
With that said, Emma smiled brightly and left, leaving Regina alone so that she could do nothing but to think on what she said.
After that, a few minutes that felt like hours passed by and Regina just stood there, thinking. In a way, she knew the other woman was that right and that she needed to find out what was going on between her and Robin, but at the same time she was afraid to do so.
What if she faced reality only to figure out that she was indeed in love with him? Or what was worse, what if she realized it only to have him tell her that he didn't want anything with her.
That would be awful as she didn't knew how to deal with rejection and well, the bond they had now was for their whole life and how could she get over an unrequited love when she was going to interact with him on regular basis?
Blowing out a breath and running her manicured fingers through her hair, she turned around and started to make her way out. The best she could do for the time being was ignoring the whole thing and let whatever was going to happen to happen.
Resigned to that, she waited a bit more and when Robin finally came out, she forced a smile to grace her lips.
"Sorry about the wait, I tried to be as quick as possible."
"It's okay."
"How about if we head out to eat something, I'm starving."
"Sure." Anything to delay the inevitable talk.
Agreeing on that, the former Outlaw turned into temporary deputy leaned into her space and kissed her for a second time that day. Only that this time he went straight to the point and grabbing her chin and pulling it down with his thumb, he created a gap so his tongue could slide into her mouth.
Regina let him do it, hell, she even returned the kiss as her hand came to rest at the back of his neck. But as soon as the kiss started, it ended when Robin pulled away.
"Shall we go then?"
Not trusting her voice to speak out loud, Regina nodded, biting her lips and blinking a couple of times.
She just didn't know what to say, all she could think and wonder about was that how come things got so complicated; everything that she was feeling and thinking made a mess out of her brain and as a thousand questions started to invade her mind, one of those questions stood out above all others; why was she feeling like she was falling head over heels for him? Why…?
Anyhow, as they headed to the dinner and then ordered their food and even ate it, that question remained in her mind and well… it may sound weird to some and she would understand why; but the thing was that Regina only came to realize that she was feeling like that because she actually loved her best friend the moment he caught her staring at him.
Sure, she could argue against the world about how she already knew that she loved him, but the thing was that she now understood that not only was she feeling as if she was falling for him, but that she was already in love with him.
Realizing this came as a shock to her, after all she couldn't even recall when or how she came to feel that way. The only thing she could think off was that it felt as if a veil had fallen off her eyes and she was now able to see what has been right in front of her eyes, an unrequited love that was probably going to be her downfall.
So yes, it came as a big surprise, especially since she hadn't even noticed that she has been staring so when it downed on her, it hit her like a blow to the stomach, knocking the air out of her lungs and paralyzing her under the intense gaze of his blue eyes.
"What?" Robin asked, a weak version of one of his enticing smiles curving the corner of his lips.
Knowing that she has been caught and feeling like a cornered deer, Regina blinked her eyes a couple of times and voiced the only sound that she could find in her vocabulary. "Uh?"
Once that was said, she felt dumb and terrified that he could read the truth out of her eyes so she tried to look away, but at the same time she was unable to and feeling her cheeks burning as a heat started to creep from her chest and up towards her face, she just blinked once again.
"You are staring." The former bandit replied simply, the smile still on his face as he focused his attention only on her.
To save face, her first instinct was to deny, deny and deny or who knew, maybe to get up on her feet and flee the scene; but knowing Robin like she knew him, that would only raise his suspicious and he would dig until tearing her newfound truth.
That was unless she told him afterwards that she needed to go to the bathroom and thus her little act of running away all the way to her house.
Shaking her head at her juvenile way of dealing with the situation at hand, Regina closed her eyes for a second to gather herself. Once she was somehow alright, she snorted while bringing her hand up to her hair. "I'm sorry; I just spaced out for a minute."
"So you spaced out staring at my face. That's new." He said in amusement, taking a sip of his water and his eyes still delving deep into hers.
Taking in a deep breath and finally looking around at the small crowd around them to make sure no one was paying attention to them, she shrugged.
"I wasn't staring. I just got caught up thinking about a couple of things and your face happened to be on the way." She said with a forced smile while moving her eyes back to his.
"Right."
Arching an eyebrow, Regina rested her head against her hand, trying to act as normal as possible and not as if she was trying to place a date and time on the moment she started to have deep feelings for him.
Did it happen during that first night they slept together? Was it after? Has she been unknowingly in love with him all along and thus the reason she choose him to be the father of her baby?
Or better yet, was she really in love with him or was it her pregnancy hormones playing tricks on her mind?
Not finding an answer to all her questions and still a bit surprised by her discovery, the soon to be mother decided to keep her feelings undercover because one, she was kind of living a denial phase and second, because even if she was indeed in love with him, chances that he reciprocated were very dim.
Yeah, maybe he liked her like Emma said, but liking her enough to have sex with her didn't necessarily meant that he was in love with her and she didn't want to end up getting burned.
Shaking herself back to the moment, she cleared her throat and decided that thinking about all that in that moment wasn't going to resolve anything. "You look tired." She commented as casually as she could.
Pursing his lips, he leaned back against his chair and snorted. "So do you."
"Really? Well maybe that's because I am, sleeping is the only thing I want to do as of late."
Tilting his head and looking at the watch on his wrist, Robin pursed his lips and blew a breath out of his mouth. "Well it is kind of late so we'll go now, I also want to be home before Little John drops off Roland."
Opening her mouth to say that she didn't mean to say that she wanted to go and that they could stay a while longer, Regina watched as Robin got to his feet. Apparently, he has made the decision to leave because he was calling the waiter for the bill.
Now, it wasn't that she was bummed to cut the night early because she has never been known as a social butterfly, but in that particular night, she wanted to stay because she realized that safety was in numbers.
What was going to happen once she was all alone with him? She knew that she didn't want to blurt out feelings she still didn't understand and especially not to him.
That was without saying that she now knew that she was doomed to fall in his arms if he had the desire for it and that was the last thing that she needed, to end up as his bed. Not that she was expecting that to happen, not after she has gotten so big that it would be impossible to wake any kind of desire out of him.
But what if he did want it? She would definitely give him reign to do whatever he wanted and that would only make matters worse for her.
Right in that moment, she could deal with her feelings as long as their friendship remained just that, a friendship; but if they kept playing the sleeping together game, she would definitely fall prey to those feelings and when the time came for him to move on, she wouldn't be able to act as if nothing happened.
Meaning, she had to cut off with Robin the lover and stick to the friend.
Feeling a sense of dread fall on her, she followed him outside and into the car he was now driving and together they left. The car ride was for the most part silent, her mind was too occupied with different scenarios of what could go wrong from now on and the more she thought about it, the worse she was feeling.
Once they arrived to their final destination, which happened to be his apartment, Regina knew what she had to do and she did it as soon as Robin closed the door.
"We shouldn't keep doing this sleeping together thing." There, she said it while feeling her face turning a deep red.
On his part, Robin's brows furrowed a little and he blinked a couple of times. "Alright. That was kind of unexpected."
"I mean, I'm not saying that you wanted to do it now but you know, I just… well we shouldn't do it… ever again."
Nodding and pushing with his tongue the corner of his lip, Robin folded his arms over his chest and rested his back to the door. For the first time ever he looked out of words and Regina felt like she needed to fill the void his silence had left all through the room.
"Well, aren't you going to say something?"
Snorting and lifting a hand so that he could run his fingers over his jaw, he sighed. "And what can I possibly say about this?"
"I don't know, maybe you can tell me what are you thinking."
Taking in a deep breath, the tattooed man just shrugged. "Well I'm not thinking about anything in particular; only that I wasn't expecting you to say that out of the blue but what can I say; I'm not going to force you into anything and I'm not going to make this moment more awkward by asking you why."
Biting her bottom lip, Regina lowered her head so that her eyes were looking at her protruding belly. That was it; she cut off the sleeping together thing and what was better, she did it without him asking her question… meaning that having sex with her hadn't been as important to him as it has been for her.
For him it was probably something that happened and nothing more.
"Good," Clearing her throat, she looked up to an undefined point in the wall behind him and flashed a pathetic smile. "I guess I better go then."
"You don't have to go, I didn't bring you here to get you in my bed so you can stay. You know, I'm not going to touch you if that is what bothers you."
Recognizing his tone as one of annoyance, the dark eyed looked at him to notice that his face was long and somber. It was as if he was angry.
"You are mad."
Shaking his head and walking to her, the so called prince of thieves grabbed her face and kissed her forehead. The kiss was short-lived and as soon as it was over he let go of her and turned around. "I'm not mad, I'm just… surprised that you came all the way here just to tell me that." Shaking his head, he snorted. "But anyhow, you can stay here if you want to; I'm going to take check if Little John arrived."
Watching him opening the door to leave, Regina closed her eyes and spoke without thinking. "Robin, please don't be mad. You know I care about you a lot, you are… your friendship means the world to me and I don't want to see it ruined because of this."
Turning back so that he could look at her, the blue eyed man shook his head and blew out a breath. "I'm not mad at you, I'm really not. I just don't get it, I thought everything was fine."
"And it was fine." Instead of leaving it there where it should have ended, she kept talking. "But I don't want to end up being your better than nothing."
With his eyes delving into hers and his head lifting up, Robin pursed his lips. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You know what it means, doing this thing we were doing was fine to you when it was happening; but what when you find someone else and decide that it was better to stick up as nothing more than friends? You know that when the moment comes you will push me aside, then I wouldn't be able to handle it well and we will end at odds. That's not the way I want to raise my child."
"So, in other words you are implying that I've been using you all this time until something better comes." He said and it was not a question. "Do you really think that I acceded to father your child just because I wanted an easy lay whenever I felt the need? Is that what you really thought I was doing?" Snorting and shaking his head, Robin's eyes shone in anger. "You don't really get it don't but you, but you know what, just forget it."
Turning back around so that he could finally open the door, he walked out of the room and this time, Regina could assure that he was mad… and what was worse, she was now sure that for the first time since their friendship began, she was at odds with her best friend, the father of her child and the man she came to love without realizing it.
TBC
Okay so don't hate meeee! But seriously, what those two really need is to sit and talk about what they are feeling. They are both elusive and well… they are not handling things in the best way.