thank you all for reading the story so far! a special thank you for all the reviews, they make me smile and encourage me to write more and more.

sorry for all the mistakes as always!

During the meeting, Robin and Regina couldn't stop yearning, sharing glances and mischievous smiles. Christ, Christ, they were acting like teenagers at their first crush. But they couldn't help it; they were so stupidly in love and immensely happy of finally being together that they couldn't stop smiling for a single moment.

Daniels was there too, sitting at the other side of the table, searching for Robin's eyes at every chance she got, but him… his mind -and heart- were elsewhere, he didn't even realize she was trying to make eye contact with him. The woman he wanted was right in front of him, staring at him though her long, dark lashes with the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

She scribbled something on her notebook and he was dying to know what it was; he just wanted to know what she was thinking, how she was feeling, if her heart was beating just as fast as his. God, he felt like a complete idiot, but he was in love, madly, utterly in love with that angel.

The meeting seemed to end soon: after all, it was just a formality, they always managed to make it in less than an hour. Robin looked at his watch and smiled at the fact that it was only six: he had plenty of time to go home with her, cook her dinner and prepare a perfect evening for the two of them. Just the two of them, finally, together.

"so, Mr Locksley" he heard her voice from behind his back and he couldn't help but turn and smile at her. The desire of taking her, hugging and kissing her again, and again, and again, was just too much. But they couldn't. Not there. Not so soon. "are you sure you aren't too tired to spend an evening with me?" she smiled, joking.

"Hmm.. maybe, you know. I changed my mind and I don't even want it so much…" he tried to keep a straight face but he couldn't; it was probably the biggest lie he had ever said, to anyone. He laughed, dragging herself behind him:
"oh, that's awesome! You know, Baylor, the gym teacher, kept staring at me at the meeting and… Mh, maybe I should go out with him tonight. He's so handsome… athletic…" she bit her lower lip and, for a moment, Robin had to hold himself back from taking her arm, pushing her gently against the wall and kiss her senseless, right there, just to remind her and everyone there that she was his, his only, and he loved her.

"oh, really?" he laughed nervously "Baylor, uh? Well, tell Baylor that I'm not tired at all and, if tomorrow he won't see you at work, it'll be because you won't be able to walk for how many times I'll take you tonight, Regina." he said it aloud, regardless of the people around them and the fact that they could possibly hear him. Regina gave him a a pat on his back, definitely harder than the ones she usually gave him, as her cheeks reddened immediately.

"Robin!" she exclaimed.

"oh, but believe me, it's the truth." she saw him distracting for a moment, then, when he realized he had finally reached a little-used area of the school, he took her hand and pulled her away with him. They reached the library, slipping between the aisles overflowing with books and, when he finally found an empty one, he pushed her in there, against one of the shelves, kissing her as if his life depended on it.

Regina found herself mentally thanking heaven for making her put on a skirt that morning as she felt his hands slowly raising it, jus enough to allow her to wrap her thighs around his waist.

"God, we look like horny teenagers" she suffocated a smile against his neck as she kissed him again, and again, and again. He didn't reply, he just closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of having Regina Mills' lips finally against him, on every inch of his skin and soul.

"You have no idea how much I want you, Regina." he put her down for a moment, just to allow her to spread her legs slightly, as much as he needed to caress her inner thigh, going up until he finally met her panties. Wet, soaked. "but, I assure you, I have an idea of how much you want me, right now." that smirk that drove her insane invaded her chocolate pools one more time, before she closed them at the contact between his skin and the wet cloth of her underwear.

"oh" she moaned, throwing her head back, leaving him more room to enjoy with his lips and tongue. She felt his fingers slipping under the cloth and held her breath for a moment. Christ, she needed those fingers, everywhere. "Robin" she tried not to yell, but she couldn't keep her voice low, not in that situation.

"not here, my love. I want to enjoy every moment, I want to look at you in the eyes as you come on my fingers, on my tongue, around me. I want to feel you shuddering repeatedly and moaning out my name without having to worry about adjusting the tone of your voice. I want you to feel free, Regina, and, most of all, loved." he caressed her one more time, then helped her straightening her skirt and gently licked his fingers clean. God, she tasted so damn good.

Regina was observing every move and moaned, as if he was still touching her. It was amazing the effect that man had on her.

"you taste amazing, I'd gladly spend the rest of my life savoring you." he smiled, giving her a kiss that tasted of her. It was the first time Regina tasted herself, the first time a man cared about her enough to make her feel like she could do anything.

"let's go, before they find us." he whispered.

Right when they were about to get out of school, a female voice called out Robin's name, and this time it was not the one he wanted to hear.

"Robin!" he turned around and saw her: Irene Daniels. The woman who deserved so much more than what he could give her; him, that could only offer her a couple of dinners and a coffee, or an occasional lunch. They had tried, tried so hard, but it wasn't meant to be, or better: he was madly in love with another woman, the angel he shared his house with. Once, Irene had tried to kiss him and he hadn't stopped her. It had been just another confirmation of how impossible it was for him to feel someone else's lips against his, it was as if they were meant to be just for Regina's, as if that woman was the missing piece of his heart, of his soul. And now that he had finally found her, he had no intention of letting her go (at least she wanted him to) that easily. To make sure of that, he had to get rid of what it had become nothing but a third wheel:

"Irene, hi!" he gave her a friendly kiss on her cheek, hoping that Regina, who was right beside him, waiting for him to go home, wouldn't mind. Or maybe he wanted her to? The thought of her being jealous of him like he was of her excited him. He wanted to try, but not then, not when there was still nothing certain or remotely defined in their relationship.

"Hi! I've been looking for you after the council, but you literally disappeared! Where the hell were you?"

"Uh…" he seemed to blush slightly. I actually had my hands busy between this woman's thighs, the woman I love, whom I can't wait to go home and make love with, if all of you stopped interrupting, the voice inside his head wanted to shout. "Regina had to take a book in the library and she needed my advice." he shifted, so that Irene could see Regina behind him.

"hey, Regina!" said the green-eyed woman with a gorgeous smile. She was really kind and she didn't deserve al the thoughts full of hatred, jealousy that Regina had had of her.

"Irene, how are you?"

"good, thanks." she looked back at Robin, then at Regina, then at Robin again. Regina seemed to understand: "uh… I'll wait for you in the car, Robin, it seems you two have a lot to talk about…"

"oh that's not necessary, really! Stay, I know how important you are to Robin. You're like a sister to him, right?" Robin almost choked on his own saliva. Yep, a sister I imagined in all the possible positions -and even the impossible ones, trust me, we'll make it work. He wanted to laugh at the thought of what, only a few minutes before, they were doing in the library, and he almost did when he remembered that his hand still had the taste of Regina Mills.

"yep" Regina blushed, as if she had read in Robin's twisted mind. He managed to repress his laughter and just smiled:

"what did you want to ask me, Irene?"

"truthfully, I… I just wanted to ask you out for dinner. Tonight."

Shit. "tonight?"

"yep. Is that a problem? Because something happened and I… I want to talk you about it. Really, Robin, I need to talk to you as soon as possible." he could almost see a slight blush on Irene's cheeks. What the hell could be worse than that? She clearly didn't want to tell him she's in love with him and she wanted more, right? Shit, not that night.

He turned for a moment to look at Regina, noticing the way the beautiful smile she had on her lips just a moment before had faded, replaced by the shadow of someone who had just seen the chance of a perfect evening they'd been waiting for a lifetime, vanishing.

"of course. I mean, of course it's not a problem, Ren, I'll pick you up at eight." he smiled at her politely and gave her another kiss before turning to face the woman he loved.

"bye Regina!" Irene waved her hand and smiled.

She returned the gesture, coldly.

Neither of them said a word on the way home. They didn't even dare to utter a sigh. Regina felt as if a huge, heavy boulder was crushing her stomach and, simultaneously, was preventing her heart from beating. It was as if it all was suspended, hanging by a thread, just waiting to be fixed.

They entered the house and she hurried to find some documents in the drawer: she still had to see Vivianne; she still wanted to collect her check and think about what to do with all that messy, complicated situation.

"I shall return in an hour, I see Vivianne at seven. You will be probably already gone by the time I come back, so… have a good evening." her eyes didn't dare to meet his, not even for a second, too fearful to find the guilt she wouldn't be able to bear.

"Regina—" he tried to grab her hand but she slipped away, taking her bag and the phone from the kitchen counter.

"I have to go, Robin."

"please, my love, wait." he managed to stop her with those words. She turned to face him and finally found the courage to bury her chocolate brown pools in his ocean blue ones. She stood still, in front of him, letting him say what he needed her to know:
"nothing's changed between us, is it?" he bit the inside of his cheek, nervously.

"Robin, there's nothing between us, it's not even started." she smiled, bitterly "Look, I have suffered… for almost all my life. The man I believed was the love of my life turned out to be a bastard, who treated me like an object and always took me for granted. Please, please don't you dare doing it too. I couldn't bear it, even if I tried. Because, believe me, Locksley, you're all I want, all I have, the person I trust the most in the whole world." she paused, to suffocate a sigh "At first I was afraid: the sole thought of a man getting close to me, touching me, kissing me, winning my confidence… it just made me sick. But when I met you, it was as if my heart told me that you were different, you were not like Victor, and you're never gonna be. As if… I know it sounds ridiculous, but I felt as if someone had sent a guardian angel to take care of me, always." she had to pause again, to kick away a tear that inevitably fell on her perfectly red cheeks "don't break my heart, Robin Locksley, please."

Robin stood still for a few seconds, paralyzed, unable to find words that were worth at least half the ones she had chosen to express her feelings. It was there that he realized: she had not yet told him she loved him because she was scared, not that he may not feel the same —about that she was more than sure— but because saying it out loud would make it real. And Robin knew that, when Regina Mills loved, she did it with every inch of her being, every part of her.

So he hugged her, held her in his arms, tightly, and let her cry on his shoulder without saying another word. His hands at first slid down her back, then through her hair, then he cupped her face and sank his eyes into hers, smiling:

"I would never forgive myself for that, ever. I'd rather die than seeing you suffer more, for my sake. I love you more than anything, Regina, and I swear, I swear to everything I have that I never took you for granted, I never thought of you as an object or a one-night stand. I want a forever with you, I want to spend everyday of my life with you, waking up next to you, having breakfast with you, go to work with you and come back home with you, take our future dog out for a walk after dinner, come back and make love to you all night, and then repeat it all over again, until we're old." he heard her giggling and allowed himself to do the same. "I love you, and I'm going to scream it to the world, starting from Daniels, tonight." he caressed her cheeks sweetly, kissed both of them, then finally made their lips touch. "I love you." another kiss, then another and another.

"I—I just… please don't hurt Irene. She's always so kind to both of us" he smiled at the infinite sweetness that was that woman; even while confessing their deepest feelings to each other, she though of a way to protect others, as if they were worthier than her, as if their happiness mattered more than hers.

"I won't hurt her, I'll just tell her the truth, my love. Irene deserves a lot, just like us. She deserves to find someone who loves her just as much as I love you." Regina wanted to cry again, but this time of joy. She just wanted to be held in his arms and feel him as much as possible, touch every inch of him, just to make sure he was real and not just a dream. She couldn't believe she deserved that wonderful man, her, who had always believed she didn't deserve anything.

They hugged again and she let him kiss her forehead:

"the only thing I'm actually sorry for is the fact that we'll have to postpone our evening once more."

Regina smiled: "we have a lifetime for us, Robin. You go, I'll wait here." she pulled away, as much as she needed to look straight into his eyes: "and when you come back, we could…" she blushed violently, making him smile.
"what, my love?"

"well…"

He kissed her again, and again, and again. "tell me, my love, what do you want to do when I get back?"

"I-I—" she got interrupted by another kiss.

"do you want to make love to me, Regina?" he whispered, moving his lips on her neck, making her strangle a moan.

"yes" she ran her fingers through his blond hair, pushing his head against her skin, making him understand how much she needed the contact between his lips and her flesh. He lifted her off the ground, putting her down on the kitchen counter, making her moan at the contact between her half-naked legs and the cold marble. He captured her lips with his, while his hands were slipping under her skirt, stroking her skin, arriving to the fabric of her panties. Again.

"Regina, if we continue like this, I won't be able to stop myself." he whispered, but Regina wasn't even listening anymore, she couldn't. He was so close, so close to where she wanted him the most. "Oh, my love" he groaned, reluctantly pulling his hands from under her skirt, bringing them around her face; they were warm and smelled of her.

"Robin, I can't take it anymore, I need you." she put her forehead against his, breathing him in for a few seconds, while she still tried to regulate her breath.

"me too, Regina, I need to feel you, to be inside of you… I want you so much." every sentence was succeeded by a sweet kiss. "I promise you that when all of this will be over and there will be no more obstacles to divide us, we will dedicate ourself to each other, for as long as you want." he made the tip of her nose brushing against hers, then he kissed it, making her smile.

"I love you."

She took a deep breath, as if she was trying to find courage, and probably she was: "I love you too, Robin."

Those four words gave him the strength to go on, to leave the house with a smile that night, even though he knew that he was giving up the first night they could spend together. She had told him she loved him. She loved him too. Despite the fear of losing him, despite the fact that she believed that she was bound to lose everything she loved… she had told him; because he had to know, he deserved to know.

It was just midnight when he returned and he had a beautiful smile on his lips: the dinner with Daniels had turned out to be completely different from what he expected; she ended up telling him what he did not believe it was possible and he couldn't wait to tell Regina. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from his heart.

He thought of her, of the words she had said to him —"you want to make love to me?" "yes"— as he turned the key in the door. He almost quivered with desire of seeing her, making love to her, that night.
"my love?" the lights were out, only the bajour in their bedroom was still on. He smiled as he found her lying in his bed, under the covers. She was sleeping, his beautiful angel, or so he thought:

"Robin?" she said, sleepily.

"I'm here, my love." he whispered as he took off his shoes and, soon after, his pants. Regina couldn't see him, but she would've been pleasantly surprised by that spectacle. He also removed the shirt, remaining bare-chested, imprinting that mischievous smile on his face. Oh, she would have loved that view.

"hmmm" she moaned unconsciously at the contact between their bodies, as he got under the covers and hugged her tightly. Robin's body was so warm and inviting, and the way he had immediately opened his arms to hold her… she felt at home, finally. "How was your dinner?" she whispered, as she turned to sink her face in his chest, breathing his scent in deeply. God, it was all she needed.

"ah, well! There was no need to talk to Daniels." he smiled, kissing her temple. Regina widened her eyes, now fully awake:

"what?"

"yep. She talked to me. Apparently she found another man that makes her heart beat fast, but she still wants us to remain good friends." he couldn't help but laugh at the immediate reaction and concern in Regina's eyes, that, immediately, breathed a sigh of relief:
"oh thank God, I was afraid that—"

"what? that I would break her heart?" he whispered, almost offended.

"No, you would never, and I know that. It's just… I was afraid she wouldn't take it well." they stood in silence for the following seconds, then he kissed her again.

"Robin?" He called.
"yes, my love?"

"promise me we'll stay like this all night. Promise me." it was a weak whisper that Robin could barely hear. He smiled, taking her chin between his fingers so he could look deeply into her eyes:
"It's all I want, Regina, there's no need to promise." she smiled in the dark of that room before he could remind her one more time how much he loved her.

Regina squeezed him tightly, resting her face on his chest and, slowly, fell asleep. Happy and complete at last.

thoughts? :)