Why am I here? she kept on repeating in her head. She didn't like being social and faking to be enjoying herself. Why can't I just be home and watch Nightmare on Elm Street or something? That's what I would call a satisfying Halloween night.
However, Regina Mills knew why she was at her friend Malaury's Halloween party: her friend kept bugged her constantly every day, blatantly telling her that she'd repay her with a wine bottle and hot suitors for her hand, or at least her bed for one night. Usually, Regina wouldn't have thought this would be enough, but after a few calls and some pleadings, which was rather surprising from Mal, she had agreed to come just so her friend would shut up already. The raven haired woman was no fool: she knew her friend had something in mind, but she didn't investigate to know what exactly –she knew that would be useless because Mal never revealed her plans.
The fact that she didn't want to go didn't mean that she'd make a fool out of herself, no. She knew Mal had very rich and powerful friends and that the costumes at the party would probably be extravagant and stunning. With a lot of research and a few dollar bills, she found everything she needed for the costume she had in mind. You can never go wrong with a classic.
So there she was, on October 31st, sipping a blood red cocktail that matched the color of lipstick, clad in leather from head to toe, high heels giving the illusion of infinite legs, small ears on top of her head and a black mask hiding the upper features of her face. Alone. I may hate this, but at least I'm looking good, and the alcohol's great were the only positive points she could find so far.
But that was only at the beginning of the night, before he arrived.
"Oh hell no," She muttered beside Mal, who had decided to dress up Lara Croft. Malaury laughed as she saw why Regina had seemed to hit a wall. "Well, well, I didn't expect that. Apparently I won't need to make presentations then," The woman dressed as a video game character muttered in her friend's ear.
Regina frowned and opened her mouth to reply, but Mal had already walked away before she could utter a single word. "This bastard," She grumbled and looked at the man across the room again. This time, piercing blue eyes caught her dark ones and the superhero across the room stopped to observe her. Fuck, I'm screwed Regina thought as her heart started to beat faster.
The man started to step towards her, his black padded suit showing that all these muscles weren't real, although Regina could imagine a rather nice silhouette underneath the costume. His jaw was defined, but not too much, and he hadn't shaved to be more faithful to the costumes. A black mask with pointed ears and an exaggerated scowl hid the rest of his face and a
"Well, well, what do we have here," He said once he was close enough to the woman.
Regina raised her eyebrows behind her mask and opened her mouth to give a snarky comment to him, but she was cut off by Mario Bros. "Wow! Batman and Catwoman! Great couple costume, guys!" He said, way too cheerful for Regina's liking. The Italian plumber walked away and Regina sighed.
"Great. This is just great," She grumbled and crossed her arms, catching Mal glance farther away and giving her a seriously annoyed face although she knew her friend had nothing to do with this. The woman with a white tank top mouthed a "have fun" and gave her a devilish grin and a wink. Regina rolled her eyes, not believing she'd have to clarify that they weren't together all night long.
"You certainly seem thrilled about this party," Batman told her to get her attention back.
Regina sighed and shrugged before giving him an evasive "Yeah, I kind of didn't have the choice to come in the first place, thanks to Mal. Talking about her: how do you know her?" Regina said, thinking she might as well start a conversation with her unexpected counterpart.
"We're working together. What about you?" He replied, seeming genuinely interested, more than Regina expected at least.
"College dorms. We shared the same room," She explained briefly.
The man in black nodded and was about to say something when their conversation was once again interrupted. "Did anyone put up the bat signal tonight?" A tall Leia Organa with two hair rolls joked. "You guys look great! My husband and I would have loved to do Batman and Catwoman, but unfortunately, neither of us really have the body shape for that. I blame marriage and pregnancies," The woman rambled, making Regina frown and wonder how can anyone say so much in so little time.
"We… we're not," Regina started, but then she felt her new partner wrap an arm around her shoulder. She looked at him in confusion and didn't have the time to ask what the hell he was doing before he started speaking.
"Well that has the advantage to be honest. We've only just gotten married and came back from our honeymoon three days ago actually, so we're not quite there already," The man said, leaving Regina rather speechless, but quickly smiling at the other woman and trying to look convincing.
"Oh really? That's so awesome, you guys look really great together," She complimented with a dreaming smile. That's the illusion of the costumes, you idiot Regina thought as she forced her smile to widen, already unable to wait for the end of this conversation. "Are you guys planning to have kids soon?" The woman asked with raised eyebrows.
What the hell? Who the fuck asks this kind of question after a one minute conversation?
Of course, Regina and the man had to say "No" and "Yes" at the same time. They exchanged a glance, the both of them silently telling the other "are you kidding me?" and she took a deep breath before looking at the Leia-wannabe in front of her. "What we mean is that we don't want kids now, but that we'll consider it in a few years," She lied calmly, deciding to completely give in the game. That made up story owned her a rather bright and amused smile from her fake husband.
"Aw, that's great. It's heart-warming to see people in love like you two. Anyways, I hope you have a great night!" The woman said before walking away, seemingly to join a smaller version of Han Solo. Regina turned to face Bruce Wayne's replica, his arm falling off her shoulder.
"Really?" She asked and crossed her arms again.
"What? Don't give me that glance, Selina. Pretending we're together and will avoid clarifying what an awkward situation this is every time someone comes up to us, which is likely happen quite a lot since two different persons complimented us on our cosplay talent in less than five minutes."
Look at how smug of his cleverness he is, ugh. I hate it. I hate that he's right.
"Besides, are you afraid you might have a good time? I mean, I didn't see you smile until just now after all."
I swear, this insufferable caped freak will be the death of me She thought as she tried to snuff out the excited and playful voice in the back of her head.
"Fine, just let me lead the dance next time," She mumbled before taking a sip from her drink, the man smiling once more.
"I didn't catch your name," He said, his eyes never leaving hers and she then observed how many different shades of blue they contained.
"That's because I haven't said it," She replied quickly. However, Regina had to admit she was curious to know who hid behind the mask. "Although, since you're so clever, I thought you would have guessed by now. I mean, you did call me Selina a few seconds ago after all. Should I call you Bruce?" She added, becoming a little more comfortable and playful. Face it, Mills: you don't have anything to lose after all.
Oh fuck, that lip bite was... Maybe he'll do the same with my lip at the end of the night.
"The name's Robin, at your service," He answered and gave a slight bow.
Regina raised her eyebrows at his answer and she started to chuckle. "Robin? Really? Dressed as Batman? I think you didn't pick the right character, identity thief," She replied to him, thinking this was rather ironic.
"Very funny," He muttered with a slight shake of his head, followed by a few seconds of silence, complicity increasing and tension building between them.
"I'm Regina," She finally muttered and she could see his eyebrows rise behind his mask.
"Oh, so you're the Regina Mal won't shut up about," He replied and leaned on the wall beside them.
Regina frowned at his words and shifted her weight on her hip. "What do you mean? Mal talked about me?"
Robin nodded and took a sip from his cup. "Oh, that she did quite often, most specifically in my presence, never failing to mention how great and single you were," He said, not adding how she also repeated what a wonderful ass her friend had. He was able to judge by himself after all, and if Robin knew one thing, it was that leather suits didn't lie.
"Alright, spit it out, thief: what has she told you about me more precisely?" Regina asked with crossed arms. She knew she shouldn't be surprised by this kind of thing from Mal.
"What would I gain to tell you? If I do, then I lose my advantage to check if she told me the truth or if you're not like that at all, or even if you're a fraud," Robin said, clearly loving to have the upper hand.
Regina raised her eyebrows at his words and replied: "A fraud? Are you serious?"
Robin smirked at Regina's exclamation and he leaned forward slightly, making her now realize how close they had become. "I guess there's only one way to figure it out," He whispered with narrowed eyes.
Regina bit her lip with a slight smirk still on her face, staring in the man's eyes as she tried to decide on her next move. "Alright, what do you suggest? Saving Gotham from the Joker?" She replied sarcastically.
"Perhaps another time," Robin replied to her. "But what about truth or dare?"
"Alright, I'm in."
They went to fill up their cups and met one of Robin and Mal' colleague who was surprised Robin had a girlfriend and that he hadn't heard about it. Of course, Regina played along since it was their agreement, but a part of her was starting to think this game was actually pretty enjoyable. It wasn't so unpleasant to have his muscular arm wrapped around her shoulders lightly, his fingers brushing her costume and she found herself secretly wishing that leather wasn't covering her body so she could really feel what his touch on her skin would be like. Another thing she noticed then was his smell: that did not match his costume at all. She couldn't quite put her finger on what his scent was exactly, but she could definitely identity pine, coffee and probably hints of pepper and dark chocolate.
After being freed from Voldemort, they went in a quieter corner of the living room. They sat on the couch and Regina decided to take the lead as she crossed her legs. "So, Robin, truth or dare?" She asked before taking a sip of her drink.
The man flashed a small smile before biting his lips, never breaking their eye contact. "Truth," He answered.
Regina grunted and rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, you're no fun," She replied to him before starting to think of a question, too deep in her thoughts to notice how the man was looking at her now, how he could feel affection grow for this mysterious woman he still hadn't completely seen, thanks to her mask.
"What's your guilty pleasure?" Regina finally decided to go with, getting him out of his thoughts. She had a good timing since they were about to turn into
Robin took a deep breath before answering the question. "70's and 80's music, especially Bohemian Rhapsody," He mumbled before taking a sip from his drink.
Regina chuckled at this, not expecting that kind of answer. "Oh my god, that's so cheesy," She laughed and Robin shook his head.
"Everyone who claims not loving that kind of music is a liar though," He replied to her, which made Regina continue to laugh. Oh how he loved the sound of that.
"Alright, milady, truth or dare?" He asked her with raised eyebrows. Regina opted for the second option and a playful smirk appeared on Robin's face. "Take 2 shots and then tie a cherry stem with your tongue."
The woman gave him a devilish glare before getting up to get everything she'd need, careful to swing her hips sensually since she knew he his eyes were following her. She was back a minute later, bottle of Jack Daniel's, a cherry and two shot glasses in hand. "You have no idea who you're dealing with," She muttered once she sat back down on the couch. She ate the cherry while she filled the tiny glasses up with alcohol.
Shooting him a last glance with a confident grin, she quickly downed the 2 shots of whiskey, barely making a face as the liquor slid down her throat. She swiftly took the stem of the cherry she ate earlier and put it in her mouth. She locked eyes with him as she skilfully accomplished her task, slowly taking the tied stem from her mouth with the tip of her fingers.
"There, easy," Regina said with raised eyebrows as she put the cherry part in her partner's beverage. Robin didn't realize he was holding his breath until the woman in front of him asked him "Truth or dare?". He had to clear his throat and take a deep breath before answering and choosing to take a challenge.
"See that karaoke machine? You're going to walk up to it and give your best performance of Bohemian Rhapsody since it's one of your favorite song," She answered, proud of herself for this idea.
Robin sighed once he heard what he'd have to do. "I hate you," He grumbled as he got up, thinking most of his colleagues were here and would probably never let him forget this moment. But Robin never backed down. He had accepted to play, so he had to go through with it.
He installed himself and Regina moved from the couch to lean against the wall facing Robin so she could have a better view of the show.
Is this the real life?
Or is this just fantasy?
And they could see most people turn around, their attention caught instantly upon recognizing the song with the first line. Regina held back her laughter as best as she could. You didn't get to see Batman sing a Queen song very often after all. She caught Mal's glance across the room, the other woman shaking her head slightly and she knew she was aware Regina was behind this. "You're a bad girl, Regina," She mouthed to her and Regina lifted her glass as a response.
The woman dressed in leather got her cellphone out and decided to film a part of the performance. To her surprise, he really put his heart into it, making hand gestures as he sang in the mic. On top of it all, he wasn't that bad. However, one thing she did not expect was that people gradually started to join him.
Once the guitar solo started, he played air guitar and then, when the piano started, a round of people started to push on invisible keys in front of them, all in symphony. It was quite the show and Regina couldn't stop chuckling.
I see a little silhouetto of a man
Robin sang and pointed to her, encouraging her to come join the group and Regina shook her head as she continued to record the performance.
I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Robin encouraged again and let the others sing the next two lines. Regina looked at him and stayed silent until:
Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?
Robin smiled widely, lighting the entire room when the woman finally started to sing along. In that moment, Regina's heart swelled in her chest; in a crowded room, he only had eyes for her.
She stopped the recording and put her phone back in her pocket before joining him.
Will not let you go (Let me go!)
Never, never let you go
Never let me go, oh
He wrapped his arm around her waist and they continued to sing together until the instrumental part arrived and they jumped up and down together as they danced and laughed.
So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?
So you think you can love me and leave me to die?
Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby,
Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here.
Regina and Robin put their whole heart into it, forgetting about everyone else around them as they danced and laughed their hearts out. The music slowed down and so did they, his arm still snaking a little over her hips to keep her close and hers wrapped around his shoulder.
Nothing really matters,
Anyone can see,
Nothing really matters,
Nothing really matters to me
They softly sang the last lyrics together, their bodies pressed against one another. Their hearts were beating fast from both the energy they just put in their performance and the intensity of their shared glance behind their black masks. As their minds went blank and the song slowly faded, they became particularly aware of their short breaths hitting the small area of skin they had exposed.
They leaned closer and closer, until they breathed the same air, exhales hitting each other's lips. With a hundred butterflies in her stomach, Regina closed the space between them and tasted his lips. Her heart sank in her chest as they kissed, absolutely loving the way he held her close to him, as if he never wanted to let go.
Anyway the wind blows.
As she felt he wanted to deepen the kiss –and god knows she desperately wanted the same thing– they gained back consciousness of the other guests in the room. They pulled away, catching back their breath and smirking when they locked eyes together once again.
She wanted nothing more than him now and she could see he wanted her too.
"Ew, could you guys get a room, you're almost being explicit with you eye-fucking," Mal said as she passed beside them, getting them out of their trance. Regina looked back at Robin and their shared smirk confirmed that it was exactly what they were about to do. They started to head out of the room, hand in hand with the woman leading the way. She felt her new fake husband put his hand on her hip and lean closer behind her to whisper in her ear:
"So, I believe it's your turn now: truth or dare?"