Wow! Thanks so much for all the favorites, follows and reviews after the last chapter. I'm glad y'all are enjoying it… I'm having fun writing it and have some (hopefully) good stuff coming up lol
This chapter is a mini-beast, so settle in and get comfortable. Please feel free to RT or share the link to my story to help get the word out about this little fic.
There is a trigger warning at the bottom of the chapter, so if you want to know, take a peek at that before beginning.
As always, please let me know what you think! Thanks! :)
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Chapter Seven
Regina has been trying to distract herself all day. Clicking from project to project on her computer screen, refreshing her email inbox every few seconds, phoning her employee's desks to check on their progress, anything she can think of so she is not sitting at her desk wallowing in self-consciousness. She feels terrible for telling Robin that she needed space this morning. Something in the way he tried to hide his disappointment from her makes her heart feel like someone has reached inside her chest and is squeezing the organ until it crumbles into dust.
After a few hours of working on her farmhouse mansion project, dealing with contractors and the overbearing clients themselves, she heads home. Henry will be home from school soon anyway, and he'll give her enough distraction. At least until it's time to go to bed.
Arriving home, Regina slips out of her heels and carries them to her bedroom, reveling in the coolness of the hardwood floors that are like a balm to her aching feet. She loves her heels, but some days her feet seem to protest the four-inch torture devices.
After placing her heels back onto her shoe rack inside the closet, she walks over to her bed, flopping down and sinking into the plush oasis, letting her legs hang off the side. The quiet is nice; she loves Henry and the noise he and his video games often create in their home, but after the day she's had, it's nice to have a few moments of peace.
Closing her eyes and sighing deeply, Regina's mind betrays her, wandering back to Robin's blue eyes and understanding nature. This could be something great...willing to wait as long as you need… his words play in a loop in her mind. As if that wasn't torment enough, her mind also brings up images of Daniel and the guilt he'd made her feel. Along with flashes of both men, her mother's words she has heard all her life like perfection and you need to do your best in all things, Regina attack her psyche.
Huffing out an irritated breath, Regina sits up. Looking around her room, she tries to find something to distract herself with. There's always the Outlander books she's yet to finish, but reading about a fated love when her love life is a mess seems counter-productive. There's always the television in the living room, but… just then she hears the door slam and a Mom? called out, cutting through the silence of the apartment like a knife.
Wincing at the slamming of the door, Regina stands and makes her way out into the living room, reminding her son on her way down the hall to not slam the door so hard next time.
Smiling sheepishly at her, Henry lets out an, "Oops, sorry, Mom."
"That's okay," she assures him, meeting him in the entryway to place a kiss to the top of his head. "How was school?" She asks as he unloads his belongings.
"Good," he shrugs, hanging his book bag on the rack and tucking his shoes under the small bench. "We started learning about the Cold War in Social Studies."
As Henry goes on telling her about his day and the things he learned, she finds herself momentarily not thinking about Robin. Or understanding words. Or gentle blue eyes. Again. It's a nice distraction. Maybe she'll keep him up and talking all night long.
Just then, her phone rings. Answering it, she discovers it's the father of one of Henry's classmates, Jefferson Hatterton. Apparently they were assigned a big project today, which he had not gotten around to mentioning just yet, and he wants to know if Henry would like to come over and work on it for a few hours. He offers to cook dinner and have her son back by eight.
Noting her son has already made his way to the kitchen table and is diligently working on his homework (knows he's not allowed to turn the television on until his school work is finished), Regina checks with Henry to see if he wants to go over to Grace's house and work on the project. Once he agrees, Regina affirms it with Grace's father.
"Sounds good, Mr. Hatterton," Regina says, glancing toward Henry, "just text me your address, and I'll have him there shortly. Thank you."
Well, now she doesn't have to plan a meal to cook tonight. That's always a welcome change to her routine. She'd already pulled out a packet of chicken, but, well, that can freeze easily and be cooked another night, so no harm there. With that thought, Regina goes to retrieve her heels from earlier. On her way down the hall, she calls out to Henry, telling him to start putting his shoes on so they can go.
Walking back out, she grabs her keys as Henry picks up his bookbag. He's chattering on about Grace and their project where they have to write letters as if they were children living in the Cold War and make a mobile of the time period and how he was nervous at first to work with a girl, but she turned out to be pretty cool so he was excited to work with his new friend.
Smirking at her son's rambling and reminding him to take a breath, she turns out the lights and locks the front door.
On the drive over to the Hatterton's house, Regina can't help but mentally kick herself. She's been silently reprimanding herself ever since she left Robin's office this morning. Henry had provided her a few moments of reprieve from her internal torture, but with his face glued to his iPad in the backseat of the car, she is back to her own thoughts.
She had gone in there this morning, completely convinced that she needed space. Seeing him, however, had made her insides quiver. She wasn't just attracted to him physically, but she also felt a connection to him on a deeper level. They had so much in common and got along well. Their children adored each other, which was a bonus, and they liked each other's kids, too. Things with Robin and the boys just felt right. They were like one of Roland's puzzles and all the pieces just seemed to fit together perfectly.
It had all the ingredients needed to make a successful, long lasting relationship. Even after only being friends for almost two months and going on one (very good) date, she just knew they could be something unique. It seemed crazy, even to her, but she just knew Robin was someone special to her - in whatever capacity he'd have her in.
It's that thought that has her furrowing her brow in confusion. If things felt so right, and she enjoyed his company so much, then why the hell was she fighting it?
She knows what it is, the only thing it can be - she is terrified.
She knows that's what it is. But thinking about Robin, and focusing on his kind smile, his sweet dimples and his considerate words calm her and make her feel like he doesn't want her perfection, he just wants her.
It's with that thought that she gathers her nerve and decides to make a pit stop on the way home.
Dropping Henry off at Grace's with a be good and call me if you need anything, she gets back in her car and heads in the opposite direction of her apartment.
{*************************}
Robin is turning off the oven and pulling out the freshly made tacos when his doorbell rings.
Going to answer to door, he is more than surprised to see Regina standing there.
"Regina?" He questions, but before he can say anything else, her arms wrap around his neck apprehensively and she's gently pressing her lips onto his in a soft kiss.
His arms instinctively wrap around her waist, pulling her into the apartment without ever breaking their kiss. He slowly deepens it, tongue tracing her bottom lip, seeking permission.
Once inside, Regina closes the door with her foot and moans into this mouth. It's with that sound coming from her mouth that he loses all his senses for a split second. Robin holds Regina in his arms, one hand finding purchase on her hip, while the other tangles in her hair at the base of her neck. Tongues meet for a few moments, while they each exhale short breaths. It's slow, reverent in a way. He loves the feel of her lips on his.
Her lips are so plump, he knows he could kiss them all day and never tire of it. He even pecks that little scar above her lip, and finds himself, once again, wondering how she got it.
He tugs on her hair gently, pulling her face away from his to look at her bewilderedly. His gaze is questioning why she's here and what she's doing. Wasn't it just this morning she said she needed space to figure things out?
"What are you doing here?" He asks curiously, a small smile playing on his face.
"I'm sorry," she says, softly pecking his lips again. "I know I said I wanted space, but," she continues, punctuating her words with feathery light kisses. "I just…" Another kiss and then she suddenly pulls back, looking around the room, "Where's Roland?" She furrows her eyebrows, shaking her head as if coming out of a daze and remembering that he has a son in the apartment. Their snogging session wasn't rushed and hungry but calm and sweet. Regina seemed nervous to even be kissing him. It was enough, though, to momentarily make them both forget about his boy sleeping down the hall.
Chuckling, he tells her he is sleeping off his latest dose of medicine. Stepping away from her body, he asks where Henry is, temporarily forgetting that she was about to explain her sudden change of mind.
She tells him he's at a friend's house working on a project for school. Taking another step apart, Robin takes a calming breath and offers her dinner, saying he made far too much for himself and a sick boy with a diminished appetite.
Regina puffs out a small breath, running her hands through her hair and down her face. She smiles and tells him she'd love to have dinner. Claims she was going to just go home and eat a bowl of cereal since Henry wouldn't be around for dinner.
"Well, we can't have that," he grins, taking her hand and leading her into the kitchen. "There's plenty. Let's eat and then I'll wake Roland to see if he's even hungry."
"Sounds good."
Robin fixes their plates while Regina pours them each a glass of water. She's equally as comfortable in his apartment by now as he is in hers, she's been here enough to know exactly where his cups are, so sharing the chore of getting things ready for dinner can now be done effortlessly.
After a few minutes of pleasant conversation, the air between them changes. Robin sees Regina shift slightly in her chair to face him more.
"So," she begins, wringing her hands together, "you're probably wondering what the hell is wrong with me." She breathes out, chuckling slightly.
Smirking, he swallows his bite of taco and tells her that nothing is wrong with her, that she just seems confused.
"I am, honestly." She sighs before taking a deep breath. Robin listens as Regina confides in him that she's afraid.
"We have so much in common and we get along great," she says, and he agrees.
"We do, it's one of the things that makes this," he motions his hands in between their bodies, "so easy."
"Exactly," she says, smiling brightly, "but that's also what scares me. I've never had easy. It was easy with Daniel in the beginning, but after a while," she waves her hand around in the air, "it became such a hassle to keep the relationship going." She tells him again how Daniel has been the only man she ever seriously dated. She mentions another man, Graham, that she went on one date with, but other than that, Daniel was all she's ever known.
"You know I don't want to be with him anymore," she continues, looking down at the hand he's just picked up in his. He secretly likes hearing her say she doesn't want to be with Daniel; makes him feel more confident in what he's pursuing with her. "But it's scary to think about being with someone else." She looks up into his eyes, hers almost pleading for him to understand her plight.
His breath seems to catch in his throat as he realizes she wants this to be something, too. She feels the connection already as well. His teeth sink into his bottom lip before he lets it go to smile brightly at her, bringing her hand up to his lips, kissing her knuckles.
"I know it's scary, Regina," he confides. He tells her how he's only dated two other women since Marian died, and both times, it had only lasted a few months. There was Ashley, sweet girl, but he only dated her for six months two years after Marian passed. Then Jasmine came along a few months after that, but they fizzled out only a few short weeks, a month or so maybe, later before it could go anywhere serious. He and Jasmine ended more than a year ago, and since then it's just been him and Roland. "And I was fine with that. Gave me time to focus on raising my son; we were happy, just the two of us," he says, running a hand over his face. "But, Regina, I haven't felt this type of connection with anyone in a very long time," he adds, looking deep into her expressive eyes. She's the only person he's ever known that can say so much with just a look in her eye without having to speak any words at all. Her eyes are like a window into her carefully guarded soul, and it's one of the things he finds most attractive about her.
She's staring back at him with a small, barely noticeable, smile on her lips.
"I'm glad you feel it, too." She lets out a small breath, and Robin lets out one to match before they both take a few more bites of food. They've hardly touched their dinner; having such a serious talk over food probably wasn't their smartest decision.
She tells him how Daniel thinks she's perfect, she can do no wrong in his eyes, and it's always been that way. And her mother always demanded perfection from her, in everything she did - school, horseback riding, dance class, business - so she was terrified to try and be perfect for him, saying with a quiver in her voice, "I'm afraid I might let you down."
He realizes with that confession just how much pressure her mother, and even Daniel, have put on her throughout her life. He doesn't want perfection, doesn't need perfection.
Closing his eyes momentarily and letting out an understanding sigh with a smile on his lips, he tells her, "I just need you." Shrugging as his eyebrows scrunch together slightly. "I don't need perfection. Perfection is overrated, and besides," he says, straightening his napkin on the table, "no one is perfect."
She lets out a small laugh, wiping away a stray tear and telling him her mother would disagree.
"Well, it's a good thing I want to date you and not your mother," he replies casually, standing and collecting their dishes from the table. They've somehow managed to eat enough to fill their stomachs, and if he's hungry later, well, he can always sneak into the kitchen and have a midnight snack.
He walks over to the sink to deposit the plates there. As he's turning on the water to wash over the dishes, he feels her arms wrap around his middle. Her nose buries itself into his shoulder blade, and he feels her exhale.
Turning off the faucet and into her embrace, Robin leans down and kisses her slowly. He lets his lips linger on hers for a while, just happy to be touching her. No tongues, just two sets of lips coming together in a consoling embrace.
When he finally pulls away, he looks down into her eyes. She's looking up at him through her long eyelashes and smiling happily.
"So," he says, brushing her hair behind her ear for her, "I'm not perfect. You're not perfect." He shrugs, jutting his lips out into a playful pout, "What do you say we give this a shot anyway?"
Giggling and letting a breath out, she jokingly rolls her eyes and says, "Thank God you didn't say 'let's try to be perfect for each other'."
He tilts his head back then, laughing and thinking to himself he's glad he didn't say it because he had definitely been thinking it. He knows Regina thinks she's not good enough, but he has faith in her, in them. No one is perfect, every couple has their issues, but in his gut he just knows that the two of them can be spectacular.
"No." He chuckles. "Although..." he doesn't finish his thought, but instead leans down to place another soft kiss to her lips. Pulling away and bumping her nose with his, he bites his lower lips.
She mirrors his action and bites her lip, too, mumbling, "I think another shot at this sounds like a great idea."
God, he wants to kiss her again, deeper and more fully this time, but he also needs to check on his son.
She pecks his lips one more time, then steps away. "Do you want me to heat up a taco for Roland while you go wake him up?"
Smiling down at her, thinking again how easily they work together, he says, "Sure, thank you." With one last short kiss to her lips, he walks toward Roland's bedroom.
Roland is pleased to see Regina there when Robin carries him into the kitchen, and the boy cuddles into her chest as he eats his dinner.
He falls asleep against her soon after finishing his last bite, and Regina offers to tuck him in.
Watching her walk toward his son's room, carrying his sleeping form, Robin can't help the fluttering in his stomach at the image of this wonderful woman being in their life now.
{**********************}
Once she tucks Roland into bed and places a soft kiss to his forehead, Regina makes her way back into Robin's living room.
She had confessed a lot to him tonight but finds it so easy to talk to him. He seems to be willing to listen, something she isn't used to, and she likes it. Daniel always assured her their problems could just be swept under the rug, no one really has issues when they're in love is how he'd always explained it to her. And Mother would roll her eyes, saying there were bigger problems in the world than hers, if and when she ever confided in Cora. So, Regina has learned over the years to just keep things bottled up, but it's nice that Robin is different. It's a nice change from what's become her normal.
Robin is sitting on the couch when she makes her way into the living room.
"Hey," she says softly, glancing at the clock in the kitchen, "I hate to run, but Henry will be home soon."
Standing up from the couch, he replies, "Yeah, of course," and wraps his arms around her. They stand there, hugging in the middle of his living room for a few minutes, breathing each other in, neither one quite ready to let go.
Sighing, Regina pulls away, looking up into Robin's blue eyes. "Thank you for listening tonight," she says, running her hand down his cheek, "and for giving me a second chance."
"Oh, darling," he breathes out, "you never lost your first chance." His words cause her stomach to do a summersault, but she's happy to let it flip all over the place if it means this wonderful man is saying these words to her. "You're scared. I can relate. We can take things slowly and see where they go."
"That sounds lovely." She kisses his lips again. After all the kissing they've done tonight, she finds she is quite addicted to the feel of his lips on hers. It's better than any cup of coffee, and the caffeine it fuels her with each morning, surging through her veins.
They make their way over to the front door where she turns to face him again.
"Goodnight, Robin."
"Goodnight, Regina," he echoes, pulling her to him for one final kiss, this one a bit stronger than all the others tonight, and it takes her breath away in the best way possible.
Walking out of the elevator and to her car, Regina can't get the smile playing on her lips to go away. She'd been an idiot telling Robin she needed space, knows that now. He's wonderful and patient, a good man. She doesn't always appreciate things, but she does him.
Shaking her head at her own thoughts, she climbs into her car and buckles herself in. Glancing up at Robin's apartment building one last time, she pulls off.
When Regina gets home, she takes out her phone. Smiling, she sees Robin has already sent her a text.
Can't wait to see you again. Just the two of us. How does dinner Friday night sound?
Sounds excellent. Can't wait. She replies back, adding a kissy face emoji.
Sighing contently, Regina flops her phone onto her mattress and heads to the bathroom to take a quick shower. Mr. Hatterton had called a few minutes ago to let her know Henry would be home in twenty minutes, so she figures she has just enough time to get ready for bed.
Once Henry is home and in bed sleeping, Regina can't help but smile at the peaceful feeling she has surrounding her. She's glad she went to Robin's tonight. And she's even happier that his feelings seem to match hers. She is excited to see where this goes.
{***********************}
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say someone looks smitten."
Rolling her eyes at her ever peppy right-hand woman, Mary Margaret, Regina quickly locks her phone and tries to hide the smile that has begun to bloom on her face. Robin had sent her a flirty text assuring her that even though he hasn't seen her yet today, he is confident that she looks bloody gorgeous and he hopes she has a great day. She takes the coffee Mary is offering her as they make their way down the long hallway that leads to Regina's office. It's nearly lunchtime, too late to be drinking another (third) cup of the caffeine according to Mary Margaret, but they have a lot to do today, so she'll happily guzzle down the dark brew all day if necessary.
It's Wednesday, and Robin and Regina have not stopped texting since their impromptu taco dinner date at his house Monday night. Regina felt stupid, almost like a child, after she gave Robin such mixed signals, but luckily, Robin was quick to understand. He's considerate. Regina likes that.
Looking over to Mary Margaret, Regina simply gives her a tight smile.
"Alright, so," Mary says, lifting her eyebrows, "clearly I'm not getting any of those details."
"No," Regina smiles almost too sweetly, "you're not. How is Dr. Whale's office project coming along?" Whale is a well known doctor in town and had hired Regina a few weeks ago to redo his offices in a more modern look. She has several of her best employees working to make the project perfect.
After getting the mandatory updates from Mary on all of her company's latest accounts, Regina makes her way into her office, telling Mary Margaret to go check on Ariel's part of the Whale project.
"Right away, Boss!" She hears Mary call over her shoulder.
Sitting down at her desk, Regina takes out her phone again.
I've been thinking about you all morning.
She smiles at the text. Biting her lip, she responds, telling him she's been thinking about him, too, and can't wait for their date on Friday.
Friday is still two days away. How am I going to make it two more days? Regina wonders to herself.
{***********************}
Friday finally rolls around and Robin can hardly make it through the work day. He's been texting Regina practically all day every day during working hours and having their nightly phone calls this week. He just can't seem to get enough of her. And based on her equally frequent responses, it would seem she can't get enough of him, either.
"Tink," Robin begins when she answers the phone, "I have a proposition for you."
"Alright. What is it?"
"How would you like to make double your money tonight while babysitting?" He's already asked Tink to watch Roland tonight, but they had thought Emma would watch Henry like she normally does. Turns out, Emma has a date tonight, and Regina called him earlier in a frenzy saying she couldn't ask Daniel or her mother just yet and that she didn't know what to do. He told her to breath, not to worry, and that Tink would watch both boys. Regina gently reminded him that he couldn't just assume Tink would do it. Told him no matter how good a friend the girl may be, they still needed to check with her that it was okay.
"I'd say I'm no fool," Tink laughs. "What's the catch, Robin?"
"Well," Robin starts, feeling foolish, "I was wondering if you could watch Henry as well?" He nervously rubs the back of his neck. "He's not with his dad this weekend, but Regina and I have plans to go to dinner tonight."
"Oh," Tink says, "well sure! Henry's a cool kid. Not a problem. I can even spend the night if, uh, you know… you need more time after dinner." He can practically hear Tink smirking through the phone. He's positive if the blonde were standing in front of him, she'd be elbowing him in the ribs and wagging her eyebrows. Sometimes Tink acts more like a frat boy than a young woman who is about to graduate and start a career, and he loves her for it. She's laid back, fun, and a joy to be around. She keeps him young. He's always thankful that he found Tink when Roland was a baby; she's practically like a sister to him now.
He laughs dryly. "I don't think that will be necessary. We are trying to take things slow. But thank you for the offer."
"Yeah, yeah…"
"Thank you, Tink. I'll see you at five," he says, finishing his phone call. Now he just needs to make it through the rest of the day.
{*************************}
All taken care of. Tink is happy to watch both boys.
Sighing with relief, Regina responds to his text. She was worried Tink wouldn't be able to watch Henry and then she'd have to either take him to Daniel and go through all of that again, or even worse, call her mother and tell her she has a date. If that had happened, she would have had to kill Emma for having a date and not being able to babysit.
Thank goodness. What time do I need to be there?
She'll be here at 5. I still feel like a right git for not picking you up for our date. You sure I can't come and get you lot?
That wouldn't make much sense if we're going right back to your place to drop Henry off. It's fine! I'll see you at 5 :)
With that, Regina closes her phone and focuses on work the rest of the day. It's already half past noon and she's barely managed to get anything done. Her farmhouse mansion clients, George and Sophia King, called this morning to, once again, change something in the design, and Regina had to lay down the law so to speak, and let them know they couldn't make many more changes or otherwise the project would never get finished. Luckily, Mr. King understood and said he'd try to make sure his wife didn't demand anything else be altered.
With that behind her, Regina focuses on Robin's last two remaining office spaces and one of Dr. Whale's waiting room designs. Before long, she looks at the clock and sees that it's almost three o'clock. She needs to go home, shower and look presentable for her date.
Shutting down her computer and turning off the lights, Regina tells Mary Margaret on her way out that's she's leaving.
"So soon?" Mary questions. "It's only three o'clock!"
"I have… a date tonight." Regina says, tucking the hair behind the ears. Mary has been her employee since day one, and she loves the girl. She'd hardly admit that aloud, but she does. She hired Mary right out of college. She was only a few years younger than Regina, and she had annoyed her to no end with her never ending enthusiasm and incessant positivity at first, but over the years she's come to appreciate Mary's outlook on life. She may not open up to her too much about her personal life (or anyone for that matter other than Emma), not that there's been much to tell as of late, but she considers Mary a good friend and knows she'll want all the details about this date.
"A date?! Regina!" Mary Margaret stands from her desk, walking closer to Regina and grabbing she shoulders. "With who? I didn't know you were dating anyone."
Rolling her eyes at the girl's excitement, Regina explains, "it's only a second date. Well, third technically but second official date."
"Well from all your secrecy, I can tell it's someone you really like," the younger woman replies with a knowing smirk on her face. "Just be careful and have fun!"
"Thank you. I'll see you Monday, Mary." Regina says, hoping in the elevator.
{****************************}
Traffic had been a nightmare on the way home, so Regina now only has a little over an hour to get ready. It may seem like enough time, but she wants to knock Robin off his feet, so she needs all the time she can get to make sure her hair and makeup look perfect.
She sends Henry off to his room to finish homework and clean up a little while she gets ready.
"Where are you going, Mom?"
"Robin and I are having dinner. You're going to go play with Roland and Tink while we're out," she explains, figuring there was no sense in hiding the fact that she was having dinner with Robin. Henry was going to be at his apartment tonight, he'd figure it out anyway.
"Awesome! I knew the two of you would get together!" Henry exclaims, hopping up and running to his room.
With that, Regina makes her way to her room with a smile on her face. She's glad Henry seems to approve, not that she had any doubt he would. A quick shower and a blow dry later, she's ready for her makeup. Robin told her earlier in the week that he wanted to take her somewhere nice, so she decides to wear a little more makeup than the last time. She makes sure she puts on her best foundation, blush, garnet colored lipstick and a generous coat of mascara. Her lashes are naturally long, but her favorite mascara she just discovered a few weeks ago makes them look even longer, and she's been obsessed with it ever since.
She chooses to wear a form fitting, cobalt blue dress that sits just slightly below her knee. The zipper runs all the way from the bottom of the dress to just below her shoulder blades, and there's a black bow that ties at the top of the dress in the back. She normally doesn't wear blue, but this dress was just too sexy not to buy when she saw it a few months ago. She and Emma had been out shopping, and the blonde had finally convinced her it was worth the price. Now, she's just glad she has an excuse to wear it.
Putting in her second earring, she calls out to Henry, "get your shoes and let's go!"
She's running a little behind, so she sends Robin a text to let him know about the traffic from earlier and that they'd be there soon.
{***********************}
Robin sees Regina's text about running late and assures her it's fine. Their reservation isn't until six thirty anyway, so they'll have plenty of time to get there.
A few minutes before quarter til six, his doorbell rings.
Opening up his front door, Robin's jaw almost hits the floor. Regina is standing there in a blue dress that just fits. It suits her body like a glove.
Taking a deep breath, Robin forces himself to act like an adult in front of Henry.
"Hey, you lot," he says, clapping the boy on his shoulder. "Come on in."
As Regina and Henry make their way in, Robin can't help but scan his eyes over her one more time. When he finally reaches her eyes, he's met with her staring right back at him, smirking and cocking one eyebrow up toward the ceiling.
"Henry," Robin clears his throat, "Roland's in his room with Tink. Why don't you go on back there and play?"
"Ok," Henry shrugs. "Bye Mom! Have fun!" He says, kissing his mom's cheek and taking off his shoes to leave by the front door.
"Bye, sweetheart," she says, tucking his shoes closer to the wall so no one trips on them. Typical mom, he muses, noting his and Roland's shoes from today that sit haphazardly by the front door, too, and pushing them closer to the wall with his foot. "You be on your best behavior for Tink. Understand?"
"Got it!" Henry yells, already halfway to Roland's room.
Regina turns to face Robin and he snaps his eyes up from where they'd been looking at her rear. He bites his lip like a kid who just caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He couldn't help but stare when she turned away from him. The back view of the dress was just as nice, if not better, than the front side.
Giggling, Regina says, "See anything you like?"
"All of it," he breathes, taking her by the hand and pulling her into his chest.
He kisses the top of her head and takes in the scent of her shampoo wafting from her hair. It's floral scented and clean, reminds him of clean laundry and roses mixed together.
"You look absolutely stunning."
"Thank you," she says, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks, as she runs a hand down the front of her dress.
Just then, Tink comes out from Roland's room laughing at the young boy's antics.
"Alright, love birds," she says, smirking. "You go have fun. I've got the boys. All night if need be," she finishes, winking at both Regina and Robin.
Rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, he reminds Tink that they've already discussed that point earlier and it won't be necessary.
Looking sheepishly over at Regina, who is just smirking at him and Tink, he says, "Shall we go, milady?"
"Certainly. Goodnight, Tink." Regina says, waving in Tink's direction. "Call us if you need anything."
With that, Robin and Regina make their way to dinner at Chops. It's an upscale steakhouse that everyone always raves about, and Robin knew right away this is where he wanted to take Regina on their date. It normally has a three month waiting period to get in, but Robin had done some advertising for the owner years ago when he was just getting his restaurant started. He's always telling Robin he owes him a favor, so he was more than glad to call it in for tonight.
When they arrive, they're seated on the second floor of the restaurant. Their table is against one of the floor to ceiling windows that overlooks the city.
"This view is beautiful!" Regina says, mesmerized by the city lights below.
"Yeah," Robin takes ahold of Regina's hand, "it most certainly is." He finishes, looking at her and not the city view. Regina looks over at him then, clearly noticing that he wasn't talking about the view and shakes her head playfully at him, chuckling under her breath. He likes making her laugh, even slightly, and if him saying cheesy, romantic clichés (no matter how much he actually means them) makes her smile, well, then he'll keep saying them all night.
They share a bottle of white wine, and they each order their meals. Regina gets the grilled chicken with a side salad, dressing on the side, while Robin opts for a hearty steak and fully loaded potato. While enjoying their food and the soft, live music that is playing, they talk about work and how their projects are going.
Robin tells Regina now that his Sleep Tight campaign is almost finished, his team is focusing on a new salsa advertising. They're currently trying to think of a catchy slogan to draw people in.
Looking over at her as she sips her wine, he asks, "How are the farmhouse clients?" which earns him a hearty eye roll. Regina tells him how she had to put her foot down this week, and she hopes it doesn't cost her any future work from them.
"I'm sure it won't," he assures her, rubbing the back of her hand that is resting on the table. "Would it be so bad if they didn't hire you again?"
"I guess not," she concedes, saying she has a few other lucrative accounts that can keep her business running. She tells him how the project has been a blast to work on, but that Mrs. King has just been a mood killer each and every time she's had to interact with the woman.
"I'm hoping they at least recommend me to some friends of theirs. Mr. King mentioned his brother needed his winter home redone, so there's that," she says, taking the last bite of her salad.
Finishing his steak, he agrees, saying it'll be good to get some more clients out of this whole nightmare.
Chuckling, she tells him he's right before saying, "So, tell me about your family. You mentioned you moved to the States for your mom's job?"
"Yeah," he nods his head, taking a sip of his drink, "Mum is a cardiothoracic surgeon. She was offered this really great position at the Children's Hospital of West Virginia, and we all just knew she couldn't turn it down."
"That's amazing," Regina gushes, "sounds like she's had a great career."
Robin chuckles, "Oh, she has. She's finally retiring this year and still claims she could work another twenty."
Laughing, she tells him that's a good attitude to have about it, and he agrees. He goes on to tell her how his dad was a pediatrician. "My parents met in medical school before mum decided to go the surgeon route. Dad always jokes that he married up when he finally got her to find time for a wedding. Says he fell in love with her the moment she stepped into Biology 101 and he's never looked back."
Since they're already on the topic of families, Robin decides to ask about hers. He knows, based on things she's already revealed to him, that he is not the biggest fan of her mother.
"Oh," she breathes out, "my parents are still together. My mom is a retired lawyer who spends all her time at the horse tracks with her friends. I may have mentioned that already?" She smiles, and he smiles right back, telling her you did, yeah. She says her mom worked her whole career at a top law firm in Maine before moving the family to New York when she got offered a partnership at Gold & Gold Associates when Regina was in middle school. Mr. Gold had apparently had a very public falling out with his son, Giddeon, and was in need of a new partner. He and Cora had worked several cases together over the years and knew each other from law school, so it was an easy choice for him to make.
"What about your father?" He asks, not disappointed with the way her face lights up.
"Daddy is wonderful," she beams, sipping her wine. She tells him her father owns his own horse ranch on the outskirts of the city. "They breed racehorses there, which is why mother has always loved the track so much. But they also give lessons to children and teens, which is the part Daddy loves. He's actually the one that taught me to ride."
"You ride?"
She chuckles, "Yeah, it was always something fun for me and my dad to do on the weekends. It kind of… got us away from my mother for a few hours."
Laughing, he tells her he's glad she and her father had something in common that also gave them some reprieve, which earns him a hearty laugh from Regina.
As the waiter takes their plates away, Robin can't help but grab ahold of her hand again. He likes touching her and feeling connected to her in that way. She smiles back at him as he begins to gently rub his thumb along the top of her hand, and she glances over to the dance floor where a few couples have started dancing to the live pianist.
"Would you care to dance, love?"
Turning to face him again, she says shyly, "Only if you want to."
Standing up, he gently tugs on her hand and confirms that he does.
{**********************}
When they get to the dance floor, Regina can't help but smile like a giddy school girl. In all the years with Daniel, he never once danced with her in public. Sure, they'd had a few dances in their kitchen or living room over the years, but it never lasted very long. Daniel didn't like to dance and claimed he felt like he looked stupid doing it. He was always concerned with how others viewed him.
Robin, however, seems more than willing to dance with her. His arms fall into place, one holding her hand and the other around her waist. She can't help the butterflies that are swarming around in her stomach right now. His arms just feel like perfection holding her like this.
They're not the best dancers, tripping over toes once or twice, but they giggle their way through the mistakes. She just enjoys being in his arms, free from worry of what other people in the restaurant think of her. It's nice. She steps on his toe again and giggles, looking up to apologize, but she stops the words from coming out. He's looking into her eyes so deeply, and all she can think about is how she hasn't kissed him since that night at his apartment. Pursing her lips, she tilts her head up, signaling to Robin that she's okay with being kissed in public, wants him to, in fact.
Grinning, he leans in to her, opening his mouth to press against her open mouth before their lips close around each others. The kiss moves her back a little, but she doesn't mind, smiles into his lips and plays it off as a sway to the music. She leans in to match his kiss with just as much concealed force, quirking her eyebrows up in pleasure, before pulling apart. Catching the corner of her bottom lip in her teeth, she looks around the dance floor to see if they've garnered the attention of any other dancers. Luckily, everyone seems to be too lost in their own worlds to notice their kiss. Good, she thinks, leaning in to press a more gentle kiss to his lips this time, enjoying the way his stubble gently tickles against her skin.
Turning her eyes up toward Robin, she notices that he's looking into her eyes again.
Smiling brightly before drawing her lips together, she asks, "What is it?"
"Nothing," he says, sheepishly smiling down at her. "You just look so beautiful tonight. Are you having fun?"
"I am," she tells him, laying her head on his chest, "I love to dance. This is lovely and the music is nice."
"It is. I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. You deserve it," he finishes, pressing his cheek to the top of her head.
They stay there for the next two songs, swaying to the music and talking softly. They seem to have found their rhythm together, not making nearly as many clumsy mistakes as their first dance. Regina is so caught up in his blue eyes and his affectionate words that she almost misses the pianist announcing his break.
They make their way back to the table so they can pay for their meals and she can collect her purse.
Once they're in the car, Robin says, "It's only eight thirty. Tink did say she didn't mind staying late. Would you like to go somewhere else? Coffee or dessert, perhaps?"
"We could go grab some coffee. I know where to get the best cup in town," Regina says with a smug smirk on her face.
"Oh?" Robin lifts his eyebrows, looking in her direction, "Where's that?"
"My apartment," Regina finishes, looking straight into Robin's suddenly confused blue eyes. Poor guy. She says she needs space, then shows up to make out with him. Says they need to take it slow, now she's inviting him back to her apartment. She really needs to get ahold of this.
"Al-alright," he stammers. "That sounds good." She can tell he's trying to sound calm about the implication she just made. She needs to make sure he knows there will be no sex tonight.
Arriving at her apartment complex, the air is thick with tension. They finally make it to her floor and her hands fumble to get the keys out and into the lock. Once inside, their lips are instantly on each other's.
Robin closes the door and pushes Regina up against it, his hands on either side of her head, pressing her, in the most gratifying way possible, into the backside of her front door.
Their lips meet over and over again in wet, messy, frantic kisses. His lips make their way from her lips, to her jaw, down to her neck, and back up again, while she leans her head back and sighs at the glorious feeling of his lips on her skin.
Regina pushes Robin back slightly so she can move them into the living room. His lips feel amazing on her skin, but she wants them to be more comfortable. She takes Robin's hand and guides him to her soft couch. Pushing him onto the middle cushion, Regina hikes her dress up just enough that she can straddle his lap. Once situated, her lips are on his again while his hands grip her hips. This time, it's her lips that move from his mouth, down to his jaw and neck and back again, all while he leans his head back, letting low groans fall from his lips.
{*********************}
His hands begin to roam over her glorious body, still wrapped in that damn blue dress that has been driving him crazy all night. She's pulled it up enough that he can caress her smooth legs and just slightly above her knees. Her hands are roaming over him as well. She's unbuttoned most of the buttons on his olive-green shirt and he can feel her hands on his bare chest now.
Pulling their lips apart, and hearing Regina let out a small grunt, he smirks at her and tucks the hair behind her ears.
Looking into her eyes, he sees some clarity coming back to her as their hormones die down a notch.
"No sex tonight," she reminds him, panting and slightly shaking her head.
"I know," he smiles, nodding and taking a breath. He knows Regina wants to wait a little bit longer, which is understandable, this is only their second true date after all.
Smiling down at him, Regina moves her hands to glide over the stubble on his cheeks then rake through his hair before resting them at the bottom of his neck. She leans down and grazes her plump lips along his ear lobe and she whispers, "That doesn't mean we can't do this." And with that, her lips are back on his.
Her kisses make him a weak man. And with her straddling him like she is, he won't be able to hide his attraction much longer. She's one of the most beautiful women he's ever known, and he can't believe he's the lucky bastard that is allowed the good fortune to snog her like this. Robin lifts Regina up and flips her so that she's lying on her back on the couch with him hovering over her. The little squeal that escapes her lips in the process doing things to him.
"God, you are so beautiful," he says, stroking her cheek and lowering his lips to cover hers in a slow, heated kiss.
Moving his lips down to her neck, his hands roaming up and down her sides while her hands stroke up and down his back, he hears another moan escape her throat.
"I could stay here all night and snog you like this," he says, as she giggles at his words.
"I wouldn't be opposed to that," she says, breathing a few deep breaths. "But we have to go back eventually so I can get Henry."
Looking down at her and pulling his lips away, he utters, "You're right. And I'd never hear the end of it from Tink."
Sharing a grin with each other, they agree they need to get up soon. But not quite yet.
"Maybe just five more minutes?" Regina asks, scrunching her nose up in that adorable way she does.
"Definitely," he growls, lowering his body back onto hers, reveling in the feel of her body beneath him and her lips touching his.
It doesn't go any further than roaming hands and heated kisses, but god, it is enough for him to know that he's completely besotted with this woman, and he hopes she feels the same way.
{*****************************}
Walking into his apartment, their hair slightly disheveled, Tink just raises her eyebrows at them but doesn't say anything about it.
"How was dinner?" She asks, giggling.
"It was great. Good food, good music. The place is nice." Robin tells her quickly, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
Tink tells them that the boys were well behaved and fell asleep about an hour ago.
They thank Tink and she takes her leave, grinning the whole time like the cat who got the cream.
"That girl is trouble." Robin laughs, turning to face Regina, who has made her way into his kitchen.
Walking up behind her, he wraps his arms around her middle and kisses the side of her neck.
"Tonight was good," Regina says. "Better than good. It was great. Thank you." Sighing, she turns in his arms and kisses his lips.
"It was. And you're welcome… you're quite a good kisser, too, so that was nice," he grins, kissing her again, this one slightly lingering. Looking into her eyes, he notices they're shining, almost as if she's on the verge of tears.
"What is it?" He asks, concern coloring his features.
Shrugging and sighing a small sigh, she tells him in a raspy voice, "I just never thought I'd have this."
As she runs her hands through his hair, he smiles down at her. "I know what you mean, love. This just feels so right."
"It really does, Robin," she says, placing her hands on his shoulders. "And thank you for dancing with me tonight. Daniel never danced with me, and I love to do it."
Suddenly disliking Daniel even more than he already does, he says, "Well, then we shall dance all the time." How could anyone not want to dance with this woman? Or give her anything her heart desires? He takes her hands and pulls her closer to him, humming a soft melody into the quiet of the kitchen. She lets out a slight giggle at his response, stepping back from the embrace and taking a dramatic bow before clasping their hands together to slowly sway to the melody he's humming. Robin knows when to be serious but has never had a problem goofing off and letting loose; Regina more often than not seems to have walls up and has a hard time being silly, so it makes him smile that she can loosen up around him and truly be herself.
They stay there for a few more minutes, slowly dancing in a small circle while looking into each other's eyes, only illuminated by the lamps in the living room and the light that has been left on above the sink. They share short, sweet kisses until Regina sighs and says, "I should really be getting Henry home."
They move to Robin's guest room where she collects Henry from underneath the comforter he's buried himself into. He may be ten but Regina assures Robin that the boy can still sleep through a considerable amount of disturbances, which she's thankful for.
Walking them back out into the living room, he kisses her on the cheek and sends them on their way with a promise of another date soon. With that, Robin closes the door with a smile on his face.
{*******************************}
A month after their date at Chops, Regina finds herself happier than she's ever been. She's nicer to her employees, everyone at the office knows about their relationship, her mother's phone calls aren't quite as unbearable, and seeing Daniel and his kicked puppy dog face no longer make her feel guilty. He hasn't been outright rude about her dating Robin, but the past month has definitely made him show his jealous side a little bit more.
Things have been going quite nicely for her and Robin, though. They've gone on several other dates and spend majority of their free time with their boys together. On the weekends when Daniel has Henry, Regina finds herself at Robin's spending time with him and Roland.
At first she thought she might be overwhelming them with her presence, but Robin has assured her over and over again that he wants her there even when Henry isn't with her. He just wants to be with her as much as possible.
Her phone rings, interrupting her happy thoughts. Glancing down at the caller i.d. though perks her right back up.
"Hey, handsome," she croons into the phone.
"Hello, gorgeous. What are you doing for lunch?" He says, his British accent going straight to her middle.
"I just brought some leftovers from dinner last night. What did you have in mind?"
He asks her if she wants to eat at Granny's instead while he has free time in between his two big pitch meetings today. She smiles, leaning back in her chair as she tells him she would love to. They agree to meet there in half an hour.
{****************************}
Walking into Granny's thirty minutes later, Regina spots Robin. He's wearing his navy suit today with a white button up shirt and a navy tie. Very simple but very sexy.
She greets him with a hug and quick kiss to his lips, while thinking she would much rather take him back to her apartment and let him have his way with her. They haven't had sex yet, even though it's been a month. But Regina has only ever slept with two other people (and does a one night stand with Graham really count?) so she's nervous that she won't be good enough for him. She told Robin of this fear a few weeks ago while he was knuckles deep inside of her. Clearly not her best timing to drop a piece of baggage like that, but Robin, like always, was understanding and said he'd wait however long she needed, while curling his fingers up inside her wet heat. Told her he's only been with a few other women besides Marian, anyway.
Fumbling into the living room, Regina plops onto Robin's couch cushion, shushing Robin and telling him they didn't need to wake up Roland.
Chuckling, Robin assures her, "He's asleep. Besides, Roland could sleep through a train driving through his room. And," he captures her lips for good measure as his hands roam down her sides to cup her rear, "his door is closed."
Letting out a breathy laugh of her own into the space between them, Regina says, "Ok, continue on then," as Robin situates them on the couch.
He hovers above her, staring into her eyes. "God, you're beautiful."
"You're not so bad yourself," she jokes, pulling him by the base of his neck onto her lips.
After a few heated kisses, his hands reach for the bottom of her shirt. Running his hand under the shirt's material, he cups her breast, giving her nipple a quick tweak through her bra's fabric before moving to the next one.
Moaning, Regina slides her hands to the hem of his t-shirt and lifts it up over his head, their lips breaking just long enough to take it off. She tosses his shirt across the room as his lips crash back onto hers before they make their descent down to her throat.
Robin's hands leave her now very hard nipples, and make their way to her pants. He unbuttons the button and begins lowering the zipper. This isn't the first time he's had his hands (or mouth) on her lower parts, but each time he makes his way down there, it sends nervous butterflies into her stomach. She wore her skinny jeans today and knows that they'll be problematic to take off, so she sits up slightly to help in the process.
Once her pants have been tossed over with his shirt, his hands run up and down her legs in a loving caress. "Mmm," she moans, "your hands always feel so good."
"Yeah?" he says, hooking his finger in the top of her lace thong and sliding them over enough to slip his fingers into her heat.
She breathes out a, "Yes… s—soft," as his finger dips further into her.
"You're so wet," he tells her, capturing her lips again, "feels so good."
She can feel his hard length pressed against her, and she wants nothing more than to unzip his jeans and take him in her hands. The position they're in makes that a little difficult, so she'll have to wait a few more minutes. He seems quite content with where they are now, anyway.
He adds another finger, pressing harder into her wet core and causing her to cover her mouth so her moan doesn't escape too loudly. "God, Robin," she pants, his fingers now up to his knuckles inside of her, "I want you."
His fingers falter for a second, looking down at her. She's made it clear already that she wants to take things slow, which he had agreed with, so she's not quite sure why those words popped out of her mouth. Well, actually, his thick fingers about to bring her to the brink of orgasm are what did it, she knows.
"Regina?" he asks tentatively, always the gentleman.
"No," she breaths, "I know. I just meant… god, not now, but… someday. Soon. I'm just… scared." She grinds her hips to get his fingers moving again. She knows she instantly killed the mood, but she was so close to coming, she just needs to get back to where they were.
"Of what, love?" he leans down, brushing his lips against her forehead and sliding his fingers out of her to caress her hip.
Sighing, she tells him, "I've only ever been with Daniel. Well, and Graham but that was just once. What if I'm not any good? Or good enough?"
Chuckling, he stares down at her, almost in disbelief, "You are able to make me come in the palm of your hand, I'm pretty sure you'll be good enough for me, darling." He kisses her lips, giving her hip a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry. When it happens, it'll happen. We can wait as long as you need. And trust me… it will be amazing."
Sighing out a small giggle, she covers her eyes with her free hand. "You're right," she groans, "I don't know why I'm so nervous."
"It's only natural." He says, kissing her neck and running his hand down to her thigh, "I had the same worry when I slept with Ashley the first time." Ashley is the first girl he dated after Marian's death, their relationship only lasted about six months, but he had told Regina one night that she was the first person he slept with after Marian, and it had taken him over three months into their relationship to let it get that far.
"You did?"
"Of course." He tells her it makes sense to be nervous. "Now," he says, sliding down to press a kiss to her inner thigh, "can I continue?"
Smirking, she parts her legs a little further, moaning out a "What do you think?" before he swipes his tongue through her slick folds. He adds a finger into the mix as she pants and rocks against his face. God, she really needs to help relieve some of the pressure in his pants, but this just feels too damn good to give up right now.
Raising one hand to play with her nipples, her other hand lands in his hair. Her fingers tangle into his locks as she pants his name, burying his face deeper into her core. It's with a hard flick of his tongue that she comes apart, running her nails along his shoulder blade and panting his name.
At least they weren't totally celibate. They've done any and all things besides actually have sex, but Regina thinks the time might be coming soon that she just gives in and lets him take her completely. She needs it. Badly.
"This is an unexpected surprise," she says, smiling as they pull away from their kiss, "but I'm not complaining!"
They sit down at a booth, just a few down from the one they shared during their first meal together when the boys were sick.
"This is much better than my leftover fish and veggies."
"I agree," Robin smirks, grabbing her hand from across the table and interlocking their fingers. "And now we can get some of those barbeque burgers again." Robin had raved on and on about those burgers ever since they'd first eaten them, not that she can blame him. They're delicious.
Lunch comes and goes with them talking about work, plans for the summer now that summer break officially starts for the boys tomorrow, and his upcoming meetings. She even lets him run through one of his pitches with her, while she tells him the clients would be crazy not to buy the product after a sell like that.
As they're standing from the booth, Regina bends down to pick up her purse from the seat. When she stands back up, she almost bumps into someone. Looking up, about to apologize to the stranger, she sighs.
"Hi, Daniel," she says, adjusting her purse on her shoulder.
"Regina." Daniel looks over toward Robin, letting out a terse, "Robin."
"What are you doing on this side of town?" Regina asks, knowing Daniel's whole life is centered on the other side of the city.
"I had a business luncheon with some clients and they wanted to eat here. Seems we weren't the only ones with the idea."
"Well, they do have the best food here, so…" Regina replies awkwardly, as Robin comes to stand next to her, his hand on her lower back.
Daniel's eyes follow his hand briefly before his eyes shoot back up to Regina's face.
"Yes, well… have a good day," he says, leaning in to kiss Regina's cheek.
"You too, Daniel," Regina says, giving him a tight smile but slightly rolling her eyes once his back is turned.
The whole interaction was stiff and left Regina feeling uncomfortable. She and Daniel have always gotten along, even during their other break ups. This was just… not right. She makes a mental note to talk to Daniel soon about how he's feeling. Maybe he doesn't want Robin around Henry, maybe he's jealous… she just needs to find out. It's been eight, almost nine, months since they broke up, she'd think he would understand by now that she's not taking him back.
{*************************}
After lunch, Robin drops her off at her car with a kiss to her lips and a tight hug. He tells her not to worry about Daniel. He just needs time to adjust to her dating someone new. She agrees and says she still wants to talk with him about it, though.
"I understand, love." Robin runs his hands up and down her arms comfortingly. "And you will. It doesn't have to be today. You go finish your work day and worry about Daniel later."
Kissing him one more time, Regina nods, saying, "I will. Thank you again for lunch."
The rest of the work day goes by uneventfully, so Regina is relieved when the clock finally reads four o'clock and she knows she can leave work for the day. Henry will be getting off the bus soon, it was his last day of school so he's bound to be a ball of energy, and she always likes the days she can be home by time he gets there. That way he won't have to stay with their neighbor, Anna, and her boyfriend Kris. They're a great couple, both working from home, and have lived next door to them for years. They have always let Henry stay with them for the half hour to hour she sometimes needs to get home to him from work. He's technically old enough now that he could stay home for that little bit of time by himself, playing video games or working on his homework, but he admitted to Regina a few months ago that he missed Anna and Kris the few times he stayed home by himself. So, she'd given Henry a key and said it was up to him where he went after school - Anna's or their apartment - but either way, he needed to let both her and Anna know what he was going to do. He is still a child, after all.
An hour later, Regina is preparing spaghetti and talking with Henry about school when the doorbell rings.
Looking curiously at his mom, Henry asks, "Are Robin and Roland coming over?"
"Not that I know of, sweetheart." Regina wipes her hands on her apron and turns the stove top down to low, saying, "They're supposed to be coming over tomorrow for dinner. Maybe Robin just got his days mixed up." Smiling to herself and fixing her hair, fully expecting to see Robin, Regina opens the door.
"Daniel?"
"Dad?"
"Hey, Champ!" Daniel exclaims, walking into Regina's apartment.
"What are you doing here, Daniel?" Regina asks, trying to keep her voice even, but not missing the fact that he's brought her favorite flowers over with him and he's just walked into her apartment uninvited.
"Well I figured it'd been a while since we all ate together. And I knew you'd be cooking his annual last day of school spaghetti, so I thought 'why not?'," he says, handing the brightly colored sunflowers over to Regina.
Trying to hide her frustration in front of Henry, Regina just puts on a smile, turning to place the flowers down on the kitchen counter before turning back to face Daniel and Henry.
"Good thing we weren't at Robin's tonight!" Henry exclaims as Daniel's body stiffens.
"Yeah. Good thing," he says curtly, looking in Regina's direction.
Huffing out a breath, Regina tells him that he's welcome to stay for dinner, but then he needs to leave so Henry can get in bed. Technically, yes, she'd already told Henry earlier that they could stay up late and watch a movie while gorging on all the popcorn they could handle, but Daniel doesn't need to know that. She does not want to give him any more reason to stay longer. Luckily Henry is too distracted by his new comic book Daniel has just gifted him with to notice the lie she let slip.
"Aw, come on, Gina. Today was his last day of school. I think he can manage to stay up a little later with his old man!" Daniel says, ruffling Henry's hair and air punching him in the stomach.
"Yes, well," Regina says, turning to cut off the stove, "he's still a boy that needs sleep and you weren't exactly invited." She finishes her sentence tightly, hoping Henry won't notice how much she doesn't want his father there. It's not that she doesn't mind Daniel's company, he is, after all, Henry's father, but with the way he has been acting lately, she doesn't necessarily want him here. And showing up uninvited is just rude, no matter who you are.
Walking over to retrieve plates, while Henry and Daniel go into the living room, Regina runs a hand over her face. This should be interesting.
Dinner finishes after far too many awkward silences and Daniel asking one too many questions to Henry about Robin.
"Henry, why don't you go play in your room, son?" Daniel says, turning toward Henry, "I've got some things to talk to your mom about."
The way he says it makes Regina uncomfortable, but Daniel has never been one to raise a hand at her or harm her in any way, so she pushes the odd feeling down.
Once Henry has cleared the room and is in his bedroom, distracted, Daniel turns to Regina with a crazy look in his eye. He's standing in the living room, but quickly stalks toward her where she stands near the kitchen counters.
"Daniel?" Regina shakes her head, suddenly not feeling as safe as she did a few seconds ago, "What are you doing?"
"Shhh," he says, pushing his weight onto hers so she slams into the counter, his lips crashing onto hers. His hands fly up, one on her hip and the other on the side of her neck, effectively holding her in one spot so she can't move.
She tries to push him off of her, but Daniel is much stronger than she remembers. Pulling her head back a little, breaking their kiss, she angrily says, "What the hell are you doing?"
"Taking what's mine," Daniel growls back. He slams his mouth back onto hers, teeth crashing against hers. A vomiting sensation rises in her throat as she realizes what Daniel really wanted in coming here tonight. Her hands are free, so finding her strength, she starts pushing him off of her and hitting his chest.
"No!" Daniel screams, pinning her hands above her head, one of her wrist slamming into her cabinet handle, causing Regina to let out a strangled groan of pain. "You are mine. Not his," he says in between kisses. His one hand is big enough to hold both her wrists down against the cabinet, while his other hand slides down her side and back up to cup one of her breasts, squeezing and rubbing his thumb against her nipple through the fabric of her shirt.
She won't take this. She's a strong woman who will not tolerate this behavior from any man, let alone the man who claims to love her unconditionally and fathers her child. Her hands may be pinned down, but her legs aren't. They're stuck in between Daniel's legs, but she maneuvers one enough to pull it back and knee him in the groin before slamming her foot down on top of his.
Daniel lets out a howl of pain, stepping back for a second to regain his balance. Regina makes to move out from under him while he's distracted, but he grabs her torso and pushes her back to where she was. Once again stuck between him and the cabinets with both hands trapped above her head. He tightens his legs this time, assuring that she isn't able to pull the same stunt on him a second time. Fuck.
Regina can't help the tears that spring to her eyes. She needs to get out of this. She needs Henry to walk in, but she also doesn't want her baby to see her in this situation.
"Daniel," she chokes out through gritted teeth, "stop."
She's pissed, and scared, and wishing she had the ability to conjure a fireball in the palm of her hand like the characters in Henry's fairy tales. She'd incinerate him on the spot if she had the powers to do so.
Luckily, Daniel's latest outburst was enough to rouse Henry from his bedroom.
"Mom?" Henry questions, running toward the kitchen. Daniel instantly lets go of her when he hears Henry's voice.
"Hey, Champ!" He calls, turning to walk toward him. Regina wipes the tears from her cheeks quickly, hoping Henry won't notice them.
"Get away from him," Regina grits out angrily, straightening her shirt and tucking her hair behind her ears. "And get out. Now," she finishes in an eerily calm and steady voice. She moves to wrap her arms around Henry before Daniel can get close to him, but her arms are still shaking.
"Mom, what's going on?" Henry questions, fear evident in his voice.
"Nothing, sweetheart. Your father was just leaving."
With one last snarl, Daniel leaves, saying he'll be back in a few weeks to take Henry on their annual fishing trip when their son gets back from his summer camp. Yeah, right, Regina thinks to herself. She isn't planning on letting Daniel get anywhere near her son anytime soon. His summer camp starts tomorrow and will last three weeks. Even after that, she probably won't let Daniel see him.
As he slams the door shut, Regina is still shaking. She turns to put both hands on Henry's shoulders. "Go pack a bag, honey. We're going to go stay at Robin's tonight.''
"Ok…" Henry's brow furrows, much like Regina's do when perplexed, as he walks away to get his things. She eventually needs to find out what Henry saw but doesn't want to scare him right now if he didn't see anything.
Pulling out her phone from her back pocket, she takes a deep, calming breath and sends Robin a quick text just to make sure (even though she knows what his answer will be).
Can Henry and I sleep at your place tonight?
She instantly gets a reply of, Of course. What's up?
Not wanting to get into it through a text, Regina quickly packs a few things into an overnight bag, while trying to pacify her anger, and they head to Robin's.
At least there, in the comfort of his embrace, she knows she'll be safe.
{*********************}
Eeeek… Thoughts?
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Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault