AN: I know I'm like reaaaally late to the party but I only watched season 3 of OUAT recently and wasn't aware of the ship Outlaw Queen during the Outlaw Queen Week. But now, I'm full on board this great ship and I read a lot of the amazing work people have been writing and decided to pitch in. I figured you wouldn't mind reading another fanfiction from prompts used 2 months ago. English is not my first language so I apologize for any mistake you may see. I'm looking for a beta if anyone is interested.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from OUAT and its characters, I'm just borrowing them to have some fun.
Secret admirer – Outlaw Queen Week - Day 6
Post 3X22
Rating : PG
« Come on, Mom! I'm hungry! »
She heard Henry's voice calling her from downstairs and even though he seemed impatient, it brought a smile to her face. After all, a few days ago, she still had to pretend to be Emma's long lost friend just to be able to see her own son. But now, he remembered her and was eager to spend some time with her. And ever since Robin was reunited with his wife, she was grateful for the time spent with Henry. At least, she was able to get out of her bed in the morning instead of mopping around all day like her heart was begging her to do.
She was putting her last touch of make up, red lipstick, before she answered.
« I'm coming, Henry ! "
She added a spray of perfume and went downstairs to join her antsy son. They had decided to go to Granny's for brunch and apparently her now, teenage boy had worked up quite an apetite. She wrapped one arm around his shoulder, trying to remember when her baby had decided to become all grown up, a man growling about bacon. She shook her head and urged him forward.
« Let's go, honey. »
As soon as she passed the door, her foot connected with something on her doormat. She glanced down and saw a small bouquet of flowers. They looked like wild flowers picked up by hands, neatly attached together with high strays of grass. A small smile crept up as she brought the bouquet to her nose, inhaling the sweet fragrance.
« Looks like you have a secret admirer. »
Regina followed Henry's gaze towards the present she held in her hand and smiled softly.
"Thank you, Henry, they really are beautiful."
A look of confusion ran through the young man's eyes before he stammered.
"Huh, these... they're not from me. Although, now that I'm seeing you smile, I regret not having thought about getting you flowers myself."
His disappointment didn't go unnoticed by his mother and she cupped his cheek, trying to reassure him.
"Nonsense, dear. Your presence is all I could ever want. Spending time with you after our year appart is worth so much more than some flowers, as beautiful as they may be."
Her grin seemed to alleviate his guilt and he responded with one of his own.
"Who do you think left them, then?"
She had to stifle a chuckle, her son, always the detective, trying to solve all the mysteries he stumbled upon.
"I guess that's why we call them secret admirers."
"Maybe it's Robin!"
She had to turn around to keep Henry from seeing how his words had hurt her. She didn't want him to feel bad about speaking about Robin, but she also couldn't stand how hopeful he sounded.
"I'm going to put them in some water, she mumbled."
She made her way to her kitchen and, while she was searching for a vase, she tried to keep her tears at bay. She couldn't blame her son for thinking about the outlaw, because as soon as she had picked up the flowers she had thought about him too. Her treacherous heart didn't seem to understand that a man reunited with his first love, the mother of his child, wasn't really supposed to send other women some flowers.
She hadn't seen him ever since that fateful night at Granny's when Marian reappeared, two weeks ago. And she didn't want to either. It was one thing to know he was moving on with his family, it was another to witness it.
After she finished tending to the flowers, she put the vase on the window sill so it could be seen from the street. The fact that she knew Robin had to walk in front of her house on his way from his camp to the center of Storybrooke had nothing to do with it, of course.
She truly was pathetic. For all she knew, the flowers weren't even for her. Someone must have made a mistake. If Henry wasn't her secret admirer, she had no idea who would want to cheer her up or show her any kind of appreciation. She braced herself on her sink with both hands and leaned forward to get one last whiff of the sweet scent before steeling herself back to her cold and aloof persona of Madam Mayor. People already thought of her as the Evil Queen therefore she saw no reason to act amiable around town except when she was alone with her son.
She shook herself and met Henry who was still waiting for her on the front steps. They made their way to Granny's, one arm wrapped around the other and neither of them brought the topic of the secret admirer up again. Henry sensed his mention of Robin had hurt his mother so he tried to lead the conversation far away from anything relating to the outlaw. He made her laugh with stories of his life in New York and she told him she would love to go there with him one day so he could show her all the wonderful places he's been in the last year.
"And you have to taste the pizza, Mom!"
She chuckled, glad that they managed to restore the light conversation from before this whole flowers incident.
"Of course, the pizza. It wouldn't be New York without the pizza."
They went inside the diner, settled in a booth and ordered some food. Regina couldn't contain a smirk as she saw her son's amazed expression in front of his full plate.
After they finished their meal, she went to the counter to pay while Henry went to say hello to Archie who was drinking his coffee after his walk with Pongo. She told her son to join her outside when he was finished and nodded her head as a quick hello to the cricket.
She reached the sidewalk in front of Granny's, so deep in thought - maybe Henry would need new sessions with Dr Hopper after all he'd been through this last year - that she didn't hear her name being called, at first. It was only when the owner of the high pitched voice was a few feet from her that she registered the young boy running towards her as fast as his little legs could carry him.
He crashed into her legs and hugged her, which made her almost lose her balance in her high heels. She cupped the back of his head before crouching in front of him.
"Hello Roland."
"Hi 'Gina!"
If his brilliant smile didn't melt her heart, his outstanding dimples took care of it.
"I saw my flowers at your window when I walked here!"
His beaming face made her chuckle.
"Oh, so, you are my secret admirer."
He nodded enthusiastically. Her whole body filled with joy at the thought of the small boy picking one flower after the other and arranging them in a bouquet, only to put them on her doormat for her to find. He was such a sweet boy and she missed him dearly, almost as much as his father. He seemed to share her feelings because he suddenly wrapped his arms around her, furrowed his nose in her neck and mumbled against her skin.
"I miss you 'Gina."
Her throat tightened at his words, her eyes stung and it took everything in her to fight her tears from falling. She could feel him inhaling her scent, taking some comfort in her warmth and decided to do the same as she stroked his soft curls. The scent of wilderness and his apple smelling shampoo brought her some solace and broke her heart at the same time. She felt the longing of the life she could have had pull at her very soul and, for the hundrenth time in the last couple of weeks, she regretted having her heart back in her chest.
Regina brought her hands to the boy's cheeks and leveled his eyes with hers but before she had the chance to say anything, Roland spoke.
"Will you take me for ice cream again? I had the bestest time when I went with you and Papa the other day. We can go with Henry this time."
His head was cocked on one side as he waited for her to respond but she was speechless while reminiscing the night in question: kisses in front of Granny's, tasting chocolate on Robin's tongue and feeling her heart plummeting in her stomach upon seeing him hugging his wife. Speaking of which...
"Roland, where are your parents? Surely you didn't walk all the way from the camp on your own?"
She dropped her hands when he turned his head and pointed behind him and there, on the sidewalk across the road, stood Robin and Marian. She couldn't help but notice they weren't holding hands or even touching.
'Not the time to go down that road, Regina.' she thought.
She caught Marian's eyes and she gasped lightly, the young woman wore the same expression she wore herself almost three years ago as she watched her own son running away from her to a strange woman. She stood up and attempted a smile at Roland but she knew she wasn't really convincing, however the boy was clueless as he grabbed her hand and responded with a grin of his own.
She saw Henry exiting Granny's in her peripheral vision and when he took in the scene in front of him, he froze, not knowing how she was going to react. She motionned him over and led Roland across the street towards his parents. She really wasn't looking forward to facing Robin again, but living in Storybrooke meant you always crossed paths with everyone, especially those you were trying to avoid. It was inevitable. At least, now she had Roland and Henry with her to deflect any unwanted attention on her person.
She forced a smile as she approached and greeted them. Marian seemed glued to the pavement and Robin had a look of bewilderment and wonder on his handsome face. This truly was a mistake, being close to him again where she could smell his delicious scent and long to scratch his stubble with her nails. But surely, his wife would not agree to that.
Roland jumped in his father's arms, maybe in hope not to be scowled for running around the street by himself. When Robin stood up with his son in his arms, their eyes met and she gasped slightly at the sadness she saw there. Henry sensed the awkward tension between the adults and extended his hand towards Robin as a hello. The outlaw saw the diversion the young man was offering and gratefully shook it.
"Hello, Henry."
"Papa, 'Gina found my flowers!"
She felt slightly embarrassed by the crestfallen expression that appeared on Marian's face at her son's words and it gave her the clear impression that Robin was Roland's accomplice while his wife was left clueless. She instantly hated herself for the butterflies that settled in her stomach.
"That's great, my boy."
They couldn't decidedly blame a four-year-old for getting excited over something that put the adults uncomfortable. Regina found her voice again.
"And they are really beautiful!"
Robin and Roland were all smiles and dimples and dear God they were making it hard for her to do the honorable thing and not drop a big fat kiss on both their cheeks. She now knew that the bouquet was as much from Robin as it was from his son. She couldn't explain it but hope began to fill her whole being. She should be angry, should yell at him for harbouring feelings for her while remaining hitched to his not-so-dead wife.
But she also remembered their time together in her office when he told her about timing and for the first time she decided to believe in Tinkerbell when she assured her that Robin and her were meant to be. It might not be for a while but she had faith they were going to be reunited. She knew her feelings weren't going to fade anytime soon. She knew she couldn't blame anyone for this situation, not Robin, not Marian and not even Emma. She wasn't going to seek revenge but she wouldn't pine for him either.
In the meantime, she had a lot to look forward to. She had Henry and maybe a trip to New York in the future, and she knew the townhall awaited her. She might not be a fan of a lot of the inhabitants of Storybrooke but she loved taking care of the town.
She and Henry bid their goodbyes after promising Roland they would go for an ice cream the next day and went their way home the same way they came, arms wrapped around the other.
Henry noticed the lightness in his mother's step and that her smile was more pronounced. He knew she made peace with Marian being back and he was glad. He really didn't want another war between his two mothers. He just hoped things would turn out ok for Regina because he would love to have Robin Hood as a step father and Roland seemed like he would be a great little brother.