"You look really pretty, Mom."

She startled at the sound of her son's voice, turning to find him leaning against her bedroom door jamb with a wide smile for her that had her own red lips curling. She was wearing a champagne hued silk shirt dress that rested three quarters of the way down her thighs and allowed enough modesty to leave her legs bare. Her feet were free of the patent leather black heels she would slip on before heading downstairs, toes painted the same matte black as her fingernails.

She'd blown her hair out as always though left the ends a little straighter than she usually did without rhyme or reason as to why but simply because she quite enjoyed the the subtle change. Her makeup was equally as subtle save for the bold red of her lips. All in all, she found she quite liked the look.

"Thank you, sweetheart."

"You're welcome," he grinned before moving further into the room and climbing up to sit cross-legged on her bed.

She turned back to her mirror, a smile in her eyes as she rubbed her lips together, ensuring that her lipstick was slick and smooth, her gaze darting from her own face to find Henry watching her and back to her reflection again with a small chuckle. He'd always been fascinated with watching her apply makeup.

"Do you like Robin, Mom?"

Her brow furrowed as she fluffed out the ends of her hair over the collar of her dress, "of course I do, sweetheart." and then, "he's become a good friend."

"No!" he replied on a laugh that had her turning to look at him properly, "do you like like him?"

"I-" she started, rather taken aback at his question, "why would you ask such a thing?"

"I think he likes you," he continued as though she hadn't spoken, "I think he likes you a lot."

She could feel her cheeks heating as she tried to cut him off but to no avail.

"He's cool to talk to and he knows neat stuff, plus you two really get along already so I know he wouldn't be mean to you or anything and you laugh a lot when you're together so that's good. I like when you laugh."

She was speechless at his rambling, lips parted in shock as he continued regardless.

"I think he's planning on staying in town anyway so I think you should go for it, Mom." He slipped back and down from her bed, about to walk away before he turned back with a gentle cringe and requested "just don't kiss in front of me, okay?" and without waiting for an answer, he simply turned on his heel and walked away leaving her completely dumbfounded and unaware that the little mastermind had swiped her phone from atop her bed.

RM - come straight in when you get here, no need to knock xx

Robin smiled down at his phone, a little surprised at the extra kiss she'd added on but choosing not to look a gift horse in the mouth, he merely replied with a terribly cheesy sure thing, making sure to add the exact same amount of kisses as she had - was he really being so pathetic?

In all honesty, Regina Mills had reduced him to nothing more than a blundering fool since the very first day that he'd met her and now that he'd gotten to know the beautiful soul behind the beautiful face, he had absolutely no hope at all.

She was his friend though. Nothing more - even if he dreamt of holding her in his arms, wondered almost constantly how she'd feel pressed against him with her face buried in the crook of his neck.

It was a mantra he'd been repeating to himself for a while now but it was one he was going to stick by. Unless Regina gave him any kind of indication - clearer than an extra x at the end of a text - he was going to do nothing more than be the best kind of friend he could to her. Even if his heart yearned for so much more.

"Have you always liked to cook, mom?"

She glanced up from the mince meat she was stirring through the passata, turning only her head to find Henry watching her with the cheese already grated into a bowl beside him. Her smile came easily, "I suppose you could say that," she shrugged before adding "but never as much as when you were old enough to help."

"I still think you should get rid of that apron," he rolled his eyes as her incredulous gasp before whining "it's covered in brownie stains."

"Because you absolutely loved when we cooked brownies!" Her heart ached at the memory of him toddling about the kitchen with the batter in his little hands, licking the end clean and covering most of his face with it. "I couldn't bear to part with it, it's too precious."

"You say that about all of my things, Mom."

She shook her head as she turned back to stir the meat sauce as she told him "because I love you and the memories we have together. You're growing up so quickly," she sighed, "forgive me for wanting to remember every single moment."

There were a few moments of silence in which she assumed he was rolling his eyes at her and so was surprised when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and she felt a cheek pressed to her back.

She quickly turned the burner off and moved the pan towards the back of the stove, setting it down at a safe distance before tugging at Henry's arms enough to allow her to spin round.

He fell back into her with his cheek pressed to her chest this time, his grip strong as he murmured a muffled "Thank you for loving me, Mom."

Anyone else, any other mother, would have frowned at the statement but she knew why he was saying it, knew the pain in his heart and so she only whispered an emotional "it is no hardship, my darling" lifting a hand to hold his head to her as her other arm held him just as tight against her. "Things will change," she assured him, hoping there to be truth to her words, "she'll change." And then, because it really was the truth, "she loves you, Henry."

"I know," he sniffled, nuzzling in further against her, "but still," he continued, "thank you for choosing to love me, Mom."

She pressed a kiss to the top of his head before resting her own there and closing her eyes and she rocked them both gently from side to side. "You're welcome."

He lingered for only a moment more, the back of her dress clutched in his fists, before he inhaled a deep breath and pulled back, laughing when she instantly moved to wipe his tears from his cheeks with an adoring smile. "I got your dress wet."

Sure enough, when she looked down to her chest she found a damp patch left behind but merely shrugged before looking back to him "I'll be your hanky any time, sweetheart."

She was glad when he laughed and rolled his eyes at her, happy to see that he was slowly picking himself back up. She also made a mental note to try and track down his damn biological mother and talk some sense into her. It was as she moved to ensure that he really was okay that they both turned their heads at the sound of the front door opening and closing.

"Mills family?"

They both shared a smile at the sound of Robin's voice before Henry was bounding off and through the kitchen door with an excited "Robin!" that had her smile only widening - she ignored the butterflies in her stomach, that was new - as she turned back to continue cooking dinner.

"I'm early…" he winced as he came to rest in the doorway, eyes on the stove.

She shook her head, "it's fine," and then "you can keep that one entertained" with a look to Henry when he came skipping through the doorway happily, slipping between Robin and the wall.

"My pleasure," he grinned back at her, dimples denting his cheeks as he pushed off of the wall. "For you, m'lady" he offered her a bottle of red wine when he grew close enough and bowed low, chuckling when she rolled her eyes at him as he straightened out again.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied easily before turning his attention to her son and allowing her eyes to wander rather shamelessly - she could kill Henry for putting the idea of anything more than friendship in her mind, now she couldn't think of anything other than how tight Robin's jeans were - over Robin's figure.

He was wearing a white button down shirt tucked into blue jeans. His leather jacket was a deep brown and looked well-worn and around his neck was a thin grey scarf that she thought looked to be more for show than any other purpose. His hair was styled how it usually was and she could smell the scent of his aftershave, very familiar yet tonight, with Henry's assumptions, she found herself rather stunned by him and the realisation that she could imagine more with him.

She could imagine nights like these, when he would come over - that's if he was still to be staying in town, he hadn't yet told her his decision if he'd made one - and help keep Henry occupied whilst she cooked them a meal...or perhaps he would. Perhaps some nights she'd come home to find him cooking at the stove, wearing a smile for her and nothing el-

"Mom!"

She jerked into awareness at her son's cry, realising just in time that her bechamel sauce was about to be scorched. Instantly she grabbed at the handle, hissing when she felt how hot the metal had gotten - why she hadn't grabbed one with a plastic handle, she didn't know - before throwing it to the back of the stove and turning off the burner.

"Regina," Robin was by her side in an instant, "are you okay?"

She wouldn't look at him, not with the tears gathering in her eyes at just how much her hand stung but instead she gritted out a strained "I'm fine" that was fooling no one, especially not him.

He drew closer to her so that he could touch his fingers to her elbow, "please," he requested softly, "may I take a look?" his palm curled around the back of her own, lightly touching until she finally nodded with a sigh and allowed him to guide it towards him, taking in the crease of his brow as he cringed at the already reddening skin. "Can I just-" he lifted his other hand to slip the button of her dress cuff through the hole, folding it back from her wrist as best he could with one hand before asking her to follow him to the sink.

"Are you okay, Mom?"

She turned only her head to find Henry looking rather scared from his place at the kitchen island. Nodding, she told him "I'm fine, sweetheart," whilst Robin waited for the proper water temperature behind her, "just a little burn, nothing to worry about."

"Okay," Robin breathed, "I'm sorry if this hurts."

She hissed involuntarily the moment the water - tepid, not cold - washed over her skin but smiled at his whispered "I'm sorry," because only a second later she could feel the relief of the cold washing over her palm.

Robin smiled at her sigh, chuckling softly as he asked "better?" and she nodded in reply, eyes falling closed.

The water felt amazing as it coated her hand and trickled down from her palm as Robin tilted it this way and that with a tender touch that she seemed to focus on after a long moment. He'd touched her before, had squeezed her knee for comfort, had held her hand briefly during conversation and had even hugged her but now, knowing what her son believed, it felt different - heightened.

Her breathing changed with her awareness as her eyes snapped open. His focus was on her hand, his brow furrowed as he looked to the wounded skin. "Do you have any saran wrap?" He glanced up at her, "just to cover it until we can get it sorted properly?"

That had her frowning "I'm not going to the hospital" snapping out of her mindless staring as nerves took root in her stomach.

"Someone may need to-"

"Not a chance." She shook her head, tugging her hand back but he kept her in place with a slightly firmer grip - not forcing her to stay, more like requesting.

"Mom's scared of hospitals."

Her head snapped around to direct her stern glare at her son. "Henry-"

"And she's terrified of needles, she almost fainted when I had my jabs."

"Oh my god."

Robin chuckled at her utterance, watching as her eyes closed in mortification and Henry laughed with him. "The most they'll do is wrap it up for you, Regina" he promised, waiting for her to turn back to him and smiling gently "I could always take you in the morning once you've dropped Henry to school?" and when she bit at her lip, unsure, he offered "even if only for moral support?"

She sighed heavily, still seemingly both a little embarrassed and nervous about the prospect of visiting the hospital before she nodded gently.

"Is your hand okay?"

His small fingers curled around her wrist as he looked at the hand she had resting palm up on his bed, her other hand supporting her weight beside his ribs as she settled him into bed. Her smile was soft as she nodded, "much better now, sweetheart."

"Good," he rubbed his thumb over her wrist "but promise you'll let Robin take you to the hospital."

"It's really not that ba-"

"Mom." He levelled her with a glare that was all her, one that had her mouth snapping shut as she held it steadily before relenting with an overly-dramatic roll of her eyes that had him chuckling in his bed. "Robin will take care of you."

Her smile slowly faded at that. "Henry-"

"I mean as a friend, Mom" he clarified gently, "if I'm right or wrong about him like liking you, I know for a fact that he cares about you either way."

"Even still," she sighed, pushing down the butterflies that came with the thought of Robin's affections, "I don't want you to get your hopes up, he may not even be staying in town yet."

He hummed his understanding but she could still see the hope in those beautifully dark eyes. With a heavy exhalation, she leaned forward enough to brush his hair back from his forehead and press her lips to the warm skin there, her eyes closing as her love for her boy filled her up. "Get some sleep, sweetheart."

She was glad to see that his eyes remained closed when she pulled back enough to watch him for a few moments and overjoyed when he whispered "I love you, Mom."

Regina couldn't help but to kiss his forehead one last time before standing from the bed and whispering "I love you too, Henry." Making sure to switch his light off and pull his door closed slightly.

She found him in the kitchen upon reaching the ground floor.

"You didn't have to do that," she frowned guiltily when she entered the room and caught him standing at the sink, elbows deep in sudsy water as he washed their plates from the meal that he'd had to cook after her idiotic accident.

Robin turned his head at the sound of her voice, smiling at the sight of her before shrugging "it's no bother," and then "plus, we don't want to aggravate that hand. How're you feeling, by the way?"

She nodded, "the paracetamol has kicked in, it's nothing more than a slight irritation now."

"I still think we should-"

"You've convinced me enough, Robin" she cut him off with a gentle, if a little exasperated, laugh, "I will allow you to escort me to the hospital tomorrow morning."

He grinned at her, "good," and then "for a moment there I was afraid I was going to have to drag you kicking and screaming from your office."

"You could try," she teased on a smirk, "but you most certainly wouldn't win."

He chuckled before turning back to the dishes and mused "now that I don't doubt."

Her smile faded slowly with the silence as she moved to lean against the kitchen counter and then, quietly and tentatively, began making her way over to the sink and leaned her hip against the countertop so that she was facing him. He smiled at the change, glancing at her quickly before looking back to the pan he was working on. "Thank you."

"They're only dishes, Regina" he chuckled good-naturedly but it died down the moment he turned to find her expression was quite serious. She was sure she looked as terrified as she felt.

Her head shook, "I meant for all that you've done for me since you arrived here."

"You've already thanked me for that," he reminded her gently, pulling the plug from the drain with the last of the dishes now drying on the rack and the pot he'd been cleaning done and turned to face her properly. "Anyone would have done the same-"

"No they wouldn't."

"Any decent person would have done the same."

She chuckled at his amendment, rolling her eyes and conceding "even so," before she lost a little of her nerve and allowed her eyes to drop to the countertop, "you've done far more than has ever been expected of you and, for what it's worth, Henry and myself are very grateful to have had you around."

"You're talking as though you're never going to see me again."

She shrugged, "is that not a possibility?"

"Not likely," he replied, his tone pulling her gaze back to his and increasing her heart rate as he drew closer to her, eyes steady on her own.

She swallowed thickly as she watched him approach her, eyes dropping to his lips before she lifted them once more and tapped her fingers nervously atop the counter.

"I haven't yet made the decision to stay, Regina" he explained softly, his own fingers trailing along the granite surface until they were mere inches from her own, "but you're certainly swaying me."

Her stomach fluttered as her lips parted gently, his words seeping into her body and pulling forth that damn hopeful little girl inside of her just looking for someone to love. "H-Henry and me?"

He rocked his head atop his shoulders as he agreed "I have certainly found myself growing extremely fond of your boy, Regina."

A small smile curled her lips at that, even as she fought back her nerves. "He thinks you're attracted to me" she laughed breathlessly.

That stopped him for only a moment before he replied "he's very perceptive." and practically stopped her heart altogether.

"You are?"

"Most definitely" he replied on a heavy breath that screamed relief, "I have been since the day we met and my feelings for you have only grown with every new day."

She gasped quietly before her head shook. "Why haven't you told me this before?"

"Because I was afraid of losing you," he laughed gently, eyebrows lifting as he explained "I'd rather have you in my life as just a friend if nothing else at all, Regina. You've come to mean an awful lot to me in such a short amount of time that I'd call it ridiculous if it wasn't so strong a feeling."

Her eyes dropped to their hands, fingertips only millimetres apart before she replied "You mean a lot to me too, Robin," and lifted her eyes to his slowly, "more than I think I'd come to realise before tonight."

"Before Henry pointed out my feelings?" Robin asked, taking the half a step closer to diminish the last bit of space between them and stealing her breath from her lungs as her lips parted gently and she nodded. He grinned, "remind me to take him for ice cream one day soon," and though her laughter was breathy, it was still genuine. He was putting her a little more at ease even as he leaned close enough to whisper into her ear "may I take you for dinner tomorrow night?" he pressed a feather light kiss to her cheek, "just the two of us?"

She allowed herself to lean a little into him, eyes closing as she revelled in the feeling of his lips on her skin and tried to remember how to breathe as she whispered back "I'd like that," and stroked a finger down the length of his own whilst her other hand lifted to curl her fingers around the arm that was bent so that he could hold her waist. How the hell had she not realised this before?

She couldn't stop grinning as she made her way upstairs, the thought of tomorrow night pushing away the fear of tomorrow morning. He liked her.

Then the worry of what she was going to wear, to do her hair like, how to do her makeup began to take root. She hadn't been on a date in so very long. Graham had taken her out once, their harmless flirting convincing them both that perhaps there was something there but there hadn't been.

Still, she already knew it was there with Robin, could already feel the flaming embers of anticipation lighting within her once more. She wasn't going to place much stock in it, not when his future here was still so uncertain but a date with him, even if it was only one, would surely be with the disappointment if he truly did leave.

She sighed heavily, already making the conscious decision to just enjoy herself tomorrow and not allow anything to ruin it as she passed Henry's room and was stopped by a smug "told you so" that had her gasping with a wide, incredulous smile before she muttered an amused "go to sleep, brat." and continued on her way to bed to the sound of her son's laughter.