Written for the last day (SUNDAY) of OQ Prompt Party Week 2019. Prompts:

4. Regina has scars from surviving a fire and thinks nobody can love her, Robin proves her wrong.

19. Modern AU: Regina is a witch and when Robin discovers it accidentally, his reaction surprises her.

(…)

It's past seven when the bell of the front door is ringed.

Regina lifts her gaze from the book she's been reading, frowning in confusion – she isn't expecting anyone. However, the sound of the doorbell echoes through her quiet house again and she sighs before getting out of her comfortable cocoon of warm blankets.

"Mr. Locksley!" Regina gasps in surprise when she opens the door and finds the neighbor from the other end of the street standing there. His adorable son is there beside him, looking down at his feet shyly. Regina cannot help but think that there's another reason why this beautiful child is looking down, there's a reason why most of the people look down whenever they see her – it's the burn scars that go from the left side of her cheek down her neck and cover half of her body.

Most people look away from her. And she doesn't blame them for she herself refuses to look at the mirror most of the days.

"Good evening, Miss Mills," the neighbor smiles warmly at her.

Regina forces a smile in return – it's not that she doesn't like him, she just doesn't like people in general.

When Regina doesn't say anything, the man clears his throat, says, "We came here to thank you for… saving my son."

The air hitches in her throat as Regina blinks her eyes, trying not to show that she's surprised by his words.

A few days ago she was standing at her driveway, getting things out of her car while Mr. Locksley and his son were walking down the street. The boy was carrying a ball and he must have dropped it because all of a sudden Regina heard a panicked scream of "Roland" and when she looked up, she noticed the boy was in the middle of the street with his ball beside him and a car coming right into him.

There was no way that the car will be able to stop in time or for the boy to get away from the road, so Regina, on instinct, lifted her hand and, using her magical powers, stopped the vehicle right before it touched the boy.

She didn't think anyone noticed her or what she did – the father was too frightened to notice anything but his son- and, relieved that the innocent child was saved, she quickly collected the rest of her things and rushed home.

And now Mr. Locksley is standing in front of her house, thanking her for saving his son.

Damn it!

"We made you a chocolate cake," the boy, Roland is his name, speaks up then, finally looking up at her.

It's then when she sees that Mr. Locksley is holding a box in his hands, and when he hands it to her, she takes it, stunned by all of this. Her heart is hammering in her chest and she's pretty sure all color has drained from her face.

"I didn't do anything," Regina finally says. "I was standing a few feet away from there. How could I have saved him?" She forces herself to chuckle nervously, but even to her own ears it sounds fake.

This is not going to end well.

"Thank you, Regina," the man says instead, his voice sincere, eyes never leaving hers. "I'm forever in your debt."

Regina presses her lips together and tries not to scowl.

There have always been rumors spreading around their little town about Regina and her nature, and even though Mr. Locksley had moved in here only a few months ago, he's likely heard all of it since this town's most favorite activity is gossips.

He must have heard all the terrible things people talk about her, and he's obviously seen how hideously she looks, yet he's standing here at her porch with his cute son, smiling and looking at her as if she's some kind of a savior instead of someone he needs to stay away from.

This handsome man is looking at her as if half of her face is not scarred, he's not staring like so many do, and it's been so long since someone looked at Regina without being disgusted that she finds herself inhaling shakily in order to conceal her emotions.

"Why don't you come in? This cake seems rather heavy, I'm sure I won't be able to eat it all alone." She finds herself saying, the hands holding the cake shaking a bit. She doesn't understand why she's just said that – the man knows she's a damn witch, she should stay as far away from him as possible.

The boy perks up at her words, turns to his father and asks excitedly, "Can we, daddy?"

"It'd be our pleasure." Mr. Locksley's smile only grows wider.

(…)

A few months later, when Regina is sitting on the couch with Robin's arms wrapped around her, all the secrets and curses finally being revealed, she realizes that inviting Robin and his son into her house that evening was one of the best decisions she's ever made.

Not even the powerful curse that took her beauty in exchange of her witch nature was able to stop the love that grew between the ordinary man and the witch.

(...)

I wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who's read my entries for this week and reviewed! Your words motivate me to write more! Thank you!