Two: It Just Gets More Difficult
He was running. And running. And running some more. He stared down at his hands - red. They were red, dripping with blood.
"What happened?"
He was out of breath and could feel his heart pounding in his chest as if he had just ran a marathon. In the corner of his eye were the flashing red and blue lights of police cars, and he could hear the yells of officers in the distance. His eyes grew wide as he wiped sweat from his forehead and stared down at his bloodied t-shirt. It was ripped in some places.
"What the hell did I do?"
He began running again in the opposite direction of the police force, through the dark and crowded woods. He noticed cuts on his arms - probably from twigs and thorns. He continued running, dodging the branches and ditches. Nothing meant more to him right now than getting away.
"I can't believe this, what is going on?"
What was going on? What had happened? What the hell was he running from? Why was he so bloody? What was the reason he was so afraid and shaken? Why was his heart beating so fast? Why had it felt like his entire world had just broken?
He spotted a small cabin in the distance, with boarded up windows and an eerie feel to it. He banged against the locked door and broke the wooden boards off of it, throwing them to the ground and then opening the door. It was dark inside, there was no furniture, it was silent, except for the quiet cries of a woman. He shut the door behind him quietly and slowly walked into the room. The cries were horrifying - it sounded like someone was dying. He wiped his hands on his t-shirt, which was not white anymore due to the dirt and blood stains on it, and then wiped his forehead of sweat. In a moment, he hard a louder cry, one that was more of a scream, and he suddenly recognized it. He ran through the dark, following the horrifying sound to a locked room. He fumbled with the doorknob until he heard the woman speak, "Is anyone there? Please help me."
He finally got the door open as he saw the wet and glistening eyes of an all too familiar face, her hands wrapped tightly around a spot on her waist, which was gushing with blood. Her face was covered in bruises and cuts, her arms bruised and bloody, and her lip split. Her clothes were a ripped and torn masterpiece, looking as if she herself had ran through the wooded area and met the same obstacles he had. She had a large cut on her arm, deep and gushing. He felt a drop in his stomach as he took her in as a whole image. She froze as she saw him, her eyes widening and her mouth dropping. She forced herself to lean up and push away from him, "Robin? Get away from me. Please."
"Did - did I do this?"
It all came together. He looked down at his hands - the bloody mess they were, his arms - the scratched up and strangled image they were, and then it struck him. He did this to her. He had hurt her.
"Regina, I'm-"
"Get away from me!"
He stepped towards her and bent down to aid her wounds, but she yelled, "Stop, go away. Please stop!"
"Regina, let me help you."
"You've done enough." she said before letting out another scream of pain.
Robin woke up in a pool of sweat. He was breathing so heavily that the entire bed was shaking. His hands felt around the bed, noticing that she was still there, breathing and peacefully sleeping beside him. Robin let out a sigh of relief, before placing his hand on his chest and trying to breath regularly. He stood and left his bedroom, before heading to the bathroom to splash water on his face. Without turning the light in, he leaned over the sink and rubbed his face with cold water, letting it relieve him of the sweat he woke with. He shut his eyes as the water dripped off, letting out more consistent breaths than he had before. What the hell was that nightmare? Was it the future? Was it a mind trick? He stood and wiped his face of all water, before staring at himself in the mirror. He didn't see a murderer. He didn't see a convict. He didn't see darkness.
He made his way back to his room, quietly slipping back under the blanket and turning to stare at Regina. Her eyes, lined with full and thick lashes, shut. A straight nose, full lips, high cheekbones - she seemed the picture of perfection. She was stunningly gorgeous, like a painting of a goddess brought to life. She smiled sweetly in her sleep, humming against the pillow and pulling the blanket further up her body. He smiled at the image in front of him, shifting his body so she was basically wrapped in his arms. He ran his fingers through her hair before kissing her forehead and whispering to her, "I won't ever hurt you."
"I love you too much." He stared at her emotionless face and felt hurt. If what Deanna had proposed was to come true, he'd never get the chance to stare in full content at her like this ever again. If what Deanna had predicted was to come true, he'd never get the chance to fulfill all of their dreams. If why Deanna had assumed was to come true, Robin would never be able to look at himself the same. There was so much at stake - too much at stake.
He noticed her shift her body so her back was to him. Their hands met and their fingers became entangled. Robin inhaled her sweet scent before closing his eyes and resting his head next to hers. When he was ready to fall back asleep, he wrapped his arm completely around her waist, never wanting to let go.
She was everything to him.
And he was determined to do everything in his power to change his fate.
For him.
And for her.
A/N: Oooo! Next chapter will get some stuff sorted. I'm now on break, so chapters should become more lengthy an will be posted quicker! Hoep you continue enjoying it! Until next time fellow shippers :)
