Here it how it is. Being a chronic insomniac, I couldn't sleep and listening to this song, I came up with an idea for a one shot. I'm always having ideas so I tried to push it away, but somehow it wouldn't leave my mind and I ended up writing it.
It takes place after the defeat of the Wicked Witch, that same night to be exact. I think that's all there is to say to enjoy ;)
ALL OF ME
Bringing to her lips the crystal clear glass she has been nursing in her hands for the last few minutes, the dark haired woman simply known as Regina took a sip of her red wine and savored it against her tongue, allowing her taste buds to take on its sweetness before swallowing down the fiery liquid.
It was good wine, not the best she ever had but it was good enough for her standards. Its savor blending perfectly into her mouth as it went easily down her throat, very easily.
Actually, it went down so easy that she was currently on her fourth glass, and as she finished this one as well she couldn't help but to muse about the sad picture she was presenting to anyone who cared enough to take a look at her. All dressed up, alone and apparently trying to get drunk with wine.
Not that anyone would take interest in looking her way to notice anyway, after all she was the eternal outsider in town and even though most of the residents had already learnt to accept and perhaps even bear her presence, the truth was that they would rather not deal with her unless it was strictly necessary.
That night it wasn't necessary and thus everyone was just passing her by without even as much sending a glance her way. Not that it bothered her, ignoring her was better than sending her nasty looks and scowls and that night, being neglected to the corner was convenient as it gave her the time and space necessary to think on everything that was going on.
It was while sitting there that she thought about her past and future; about Henry and what her love for him meant to her, about her sister being locked up, about the repercussions the actions of the red haired has brought to them all and about how if felt as if she dropped a huge weight off her shoulders when she finally let go of all trace and need of revenge against Snow.
That last one was provoking a bittersweet feeling to wash over her. Part of her was content about finally being free of the bondage created by hate and another part, perhaps a bit bigger than the other, was full of regret about having invested so much time and effort hating her 'stepdaughter'.
Curling her lips into a snarl, Regina set the glass over the counter and tried to swallow down a snort. Maybe if Snow would be there, annoying her, she wouldn't be feeling the same way but yeah, for the moment she could say that she was glad that even with their messed up relationship, the two of them had managed to make amends.
Taking in a deep breath, the former Evil Queen lifted a hand to her face and brushed her hair back, thinking that in conclusion, life has come full circle for her and that night, she could say that she was in peace with herself and that was something she hadn't been able to feel in forever.
It was refreshing, it was making her recently recovered heart beat with renewed force and why not say it? It was opening her mind to new possibilities.
"Drinking alone, uh?"
At the sound of that familiar accented voice, Regina arched an eyebrow and tilting her head to the side, she took a look at the source of it, her hair falling to the side as she looked. Now, as a rule, she would ignore anyone who tried to talk to her while she was submerged so deep into her thoughts, but this person… she didn't think she could ignore him even if she wanted to.
No. Now that she had both her heart and her memories back, she had a new perspective on the turn their 'relationship' had taken and because of that, he and everything he represented was something she has been giving a lot of thought to as well.
But now that he was there, she wanted to do no more thinking because when it came to him, thinking could lead to doubts and for once she just wanted to be carried away by instinct.
She wanted to let her gut dictate where she wanted to go and apparently, what her gut wanted was to explore things with him and just see where it could take them both.
True, because of the fact that she had her heart right where it belonged and thus she could feel with the full intensity of her being, she was now feeling half skeptic and full of insecurities about opening up completely to him, but she also needed to see what could come out of it all; after all she ran from it… from him once and she didn't want to do it again.
She wanted to think that if she got burned then so be it, but at least she would know that she gave the first step to let her fears behind and let her feelings run free.
Now, the whole thing was in some way terrifying, but in that moment, with his intense blue eyes fixed into hers and his lips curving into that enticing smile of his, instead of the storm of dubiety she thought she would be feeling, she was instead getting an eerie sense of giddiness.
Maybe the wine was having its effect on her already and her senses were getting affected.
"I feel like I should be offended, m'lady; I mean even though you know that you owe me a drink, you still came here by yourself."
Sucking on her teeth, Regina arched an eyebrow once again and studied the man sitting by her side, her soft chocolate brown eyes taking on his appearance. He was dressed way too casually; white shirt, faded blue jeans and an oversized leather coat that made him look like trouble.
His casualness contrasted greatly from her high profile image, but then again, she was finding the simplicity of his looks very appealing.
"Are you? Offended, I mean?" She asked, her voice low and definitely coming off as detached. She hadn't meant it to sound like that but it was what it was.
Biting on his lips, Robin's eyes went down to her soft rose colored mouth. It was only for a second before they returned to her eyes but Regina definitely noticed. "It all depends."
"On what?" Regina mimicked what he just said and she bit her bottom lip, the edge of her teeth slightly grazing on her flesh.
Shrugging and snorting, Robin shook his head and looked down into his hands. "On if you will ever repay that drink you owe me or not." Once that was said, he looked back into her eyes and smiled meekly.
Clicking her tongue to her cheek, the raven haired leaned into him a little bit. Not too much though, just enough to make sure that he could hear what she was saying. "I don't like being in debt… but let's say that I will still owe you that drink. You see, this is a family dinner and this wine," She pointed to her empty glass. "Well I didn't exactly order it here."
And she really hadn't, it was just something she magically made appear out of convenience.
At her words, Robin hummed, squinting his eyes as he looked at her. "Alright; then it will be another time?"
Realizing that she was coming off as kind of elusive and that it may be a bit disconcerting for Robin after they had been in kissing terms last time they were alone together, Regina tried to smile; but instead she ended up pursing her lips and clenching her jaw as her eyes watched the man intently.
He looked as if he was getting ready to being sent away and trying to appease him, she blurted out the first thing that came into her mind.
"Do you want to take a walk out or something?" And there, even though it was an invitation, it came out as forced and chewed.
She didn't know what it was with her and why she was acting so nonchalantly when deep inside she was feeling anything but that, but she had the vague idea that this was an automatic mechanism of defense due to the giddiness his presence was provoking in her.
Arching an eyebrow as if in surprise, Robin nodded. "Sounds good."
Before anything more could be said, Regina got to her feet and as soon as the heels of her shoes touched the floor, she understood why it hadn't been such a good idea to drink so much wine on an empty stomach. Not that she was drunk, but perhaps she wasn't a hundred percent in all her full senses.
Fortunately, she was able to pull out a normal act and together, they walked out of the dinner and into the bitter cold outside.
"So how are Snow White and the baby?" Robin asked.
"They are fine." She guessed as the cold wind swirled all around her, all she knew was that Henry has wanted to stay with his newborn uncle and that was all.
"Good; it seems like the whole town is quite in a festive mood celebrating the baby's birth and the defeat of the Wicked Witch. It took me forever to lay Roland down from all the noise around; if it wouldn't have been for that I would have come sooner to look for you but… you know how it is."
Lifting her face up but without looking at him, Regina shivered under the weather. For some reason she didn't have a coat and the black dress she was now wearing wasn't doing such a great job keeping her warm. "You came looking for me?"
Biting down on her lips, she folded her arms to her chest to guard some of her body heat.
"I did, in fact." He said as a matter of fact.
After saying that, Regina hummed as they walked a bit more and lost to the fact that she didn't know where they were going, all she could think about was on what he said and that they were walking so close to each other that her shoulder would occasionally bump against his arm.
"Regina… if I ask you something, would you answer truthfully?" Robin said halting on his track and Regina had no choice than to stop as well.
Swirling on her heels so that she could face him, Regina looked up at the man that recuperated her heart from the Wicked Witch's paws and rubbing her hands to her arms, she couldn't help but to get a bit lost into the depths of his blue stare.
"Yes, what is it?"
"Am I making you uncomfortable?"
Frowning, Regina dropped her arms and settled her hands to her slim waist. "Uncomfortable, no… why do you ask that?"
"I don't know, ever since you got your heart back you are kind of distant and I just thought that perhaps you changed your mind in regards to us or that I don't know, maybe getting your memories back threw you off a little when it came to me?"
Looking around and taking notice that they were in an alley, Regina snorted. "Why, no… if anything, you should be the one feeling like that because let's face it, we didn't exactly hit it off during the lost year and maybe, just maybe that had to do a lot with my attitude."
Snickering, Robin ran the knuckle of his forefinger against the bridge of his nose. "What are you talking about? You were lovely and kind and not at all rudely arrogant, haughty or overbearing."
Smiling despite the description Robin just gave of her, Regina shook her head and wrinkled her nose. "Well maybe I was a bit insufferable."
"A bit? That may be an understatement, Regina." The man said and if it wasn't for the smile on his face, she would have felt offended.
"Well you were a nosey, very imprudent thief and not one who was very pleasant to be around so…" Rolling her eyes, she shrugged. "let's not-" But before she could say anything else, Robin closed the distance that separated them and sealed her mouth with a kiss.
It was as if they had done it a thousand times and not just the few kisses they had shared in the woods and then outside The Charming's apartment so as soon as his lips brushed against hers, she parted a way in for him and he took advantage of it, sliding his tongue right in so he could touch it to hers.
Her response was immediate; she angled her face to the right while grabbing the edge of his coat as his hand went up to the back of her head so that his fingers could slide into her hair, holding her in place at the same time that he enjoyed the silky texture of her dark locks underneath his touch.
Barely aware of where they were and oblivious to the fact that they could be seen, Regina sighed into the kiss as his tongue swept against hers, obliterating all her common sense effortlessly and making her act on impulses.
Those impulses were the ones that made her move her hands underneath his coat so that she could rest her palms against the much thinner fabric of his shirt. It felt nice, he felt nice and running her hands down his stomach and then to his sides, she kept kissing him.
She was just letting her gut guide her… and apparently that was a good thing because even though kissing him was an experience on its own that felt exquisite, being able to feel the pure masculine outline of his torso even if it was through the restriction of his shirt was really adding to the moment.
Overall, touching him and letting him kiss her senseless while his scent invaded her ability to think straight was making her feel whimsical as a warm sensation washed over her.
But apparently not wanting to be left behind, Robin reciprocated her need to touch by wrapping one arm around her waist so he could press her to him, making her body mold to his in the most delicious of manners as his other hand slid down from her hair so that it could roam from her hip to her waist back and forth.
The whole thing was making her feel more than warm inside so pulling away from his lips, Regina opened her eyes and cleared her throat. "Did that feel as me being distant?"
Pressing his forehead to hers, Robin kissed the corner of her lips. "Not at all, but it sure made me feel even more intrigued by you."
Refusing to pull away and lose the heat his body was radiated into her, Regina hummed. "And why is that?"
"I have no idea; after having my memories back I'm just having a hard time associating everything, like how you were in the Enchanted Forest and how you are here."
Pursing her lips and wondering if that was a bad thing, Regina said nothing.
"Actually, I'm kind of having a hard time processing how things are going between us right now because let's face it… no matter what realm we move on to, you will always be the Queen and I'm just… me."
"The Evil Queen, you mean?" She said curtly, already sensing that he wanted to cut things off before they could even begin.
It was probably because of her past and wouldn't that be awful, that now that she has decided to give love a chance to knock on her door, he wanted to bail out because of who she has been and the things she has done.
"The Queen, just The Queen. You know, a powerful and smart woman who I thought to be unreachable, untouchable and stunningly beautiful." He breathed out, locking his eyes with her stormy ones
"Is that what you thought of me?" Feeling curious and less worried now, she frowned.
Biting down a smirk, he held her close as if he was afraid that she was going to pull away. "Well that and also that you were a pain in the arse."
Snorting and definitely not pulling away, the dark haired rolled her eyes. "That I was. But here I'm just Regina." She whispered as her fingers moved in almost an imperceptible manner down his sides.
"I know. But much as you did back then, I'm intrigued because I can't simply figure you out; at times it feels like you really want this and then you are elusive and that… it confuses me." He said with a voice that much like her own was just a raspy whisper in the wind.
"I'm sorry." She said, not really knowing what else to say.
"I don't want you to apologize; I just want you to really let me in."
Blinking a couple of times, Regina thought about what he just said. "You know, I may still be a pain in your ass here as well because I'm not an easy pill to swallow, Robin... and-" Trying to organize her thoughts and failing, she shrugged and looked up into the skies as if searching for a way to say what she wanted to say. "I haven't done this in such a long time that I wouldn't even know how to start. I'm used to being on my own and…" She muttered, and unable to stop herself she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his again.
It was a brief contact to reassure herself before going back into rambling.
"I'm not socially adept, I may be emotionally inept and the thought of opening up into this scares the hell out of me because I just don't know how to open up." No, she only knew how to push people away and she was afraid that she was going to do that with him.
He already thought that she was being distant and elusive and that was with her wanting to be with him so…
Taking her out of her thoughts, this time, it was Robin the one who kissed her lips as she swallowed down hard.
"I don't believe that. You can't be emotionally inept, not when you broke the curse with the love you have for your son."
"That's different, Henry is the only person I've let in and… that I do love him doesn't mean that I'm not scared about this." She confessed in a broken whisper. "I'm just not as strong as you think I am."
"Look at me." Robin said, grabbing her face and making her look at him; and then as his thumbs caressed her softly he began to talk. "That fear that you have, I have it too. I've never… after Roland's mother died, I closed off to the possibility of letting someone in again; but there are moments and people in life that make you change the plan of the game and that's exactly what you did."
Blinking, and feeling her eyes moisten, she bit on her lips.
"Back during the lost year I was captivated by your beauty but thrown off by your attitude, and then we came here and I got to know you in a whole different aspect and I'm… I am stricken. I'm not saying it is love but it has the potential to be and even though thinking about it does sound kind of scary, I want to try it. Don't you?"
Closing her eyes and feeling the soothing way in which he cupped and touched her face, Regina mused about certain things.
At times, she would think that she felt so drawn to Robin because he was the man with the lion tattoo and in her subconscious she was letting herself be guided by a wicked notion of her so called destiny.
When she saw it simply as that, a wave of momentarily relief would wash over her and she would feel better; but then, her mind would make her go back to the first time she meet him in and that's when all became confusing.
She hadn't know who he was at first… and yet, her attraction to him has started that same day, when he saved her from the flying monkey, and even though she saw him as more annoying than attractive, she didn't give him and whatever it was that caught her attention much thought. After all she was grieving her separation with Henry and she didn't have much free time thinking about men.
But then came the second first meeting with the man and yes, in that occasion he somehow got to lower her defenses and she has even flirted a little with him. It was something that was definitely out of character for her but it felt right… at least until she saw the tattoo and fled.
But now, now there was something more than an attraction. She felt connected with him; he has been there for her in a critical time in her life and back then, she didn't even know who he was so yeah, the potential was there. She just needed to let go of her fear and see what would happen next.
"So I captivated you with my beauty?" She asked with a snort while blinking her eyes open.
Laughing, he shrugged. "Well you did. Actually, you still do."
Not used to being told such things, she shrugged the compliment off and pursed her lips. "I thought you only saw in me a second chance."
"Yes; but it doesn't hurt that you happen to look like you do. Or that you kiss like you do."
With that, he captured her lips with his and once again, she gave him free reign to cloud her judgment with his kiss. That was how right there, with his hands moving to her hips to pull her as close as she could be, he explored the contours of her mouth; his tongue moving against hers as he stole the breath out of her lungs.
They kissed like that for a while, but when the need to breathe was there, she pulled away and licked her lips.
"I do, want to try it." Opening her eyes to look at him, she smiled. This was something she has been giving a lot of thought to and well… the fear that lived deep within her very essence was something she wanted to overcome. "I really do."
Smiling and moving forward to capture her mouth once again, Robin kissed her long and deep and then he pulled away.
"Then we'll try it together."
Biting on her lips and then arching an eyebrow, Regina hummed. "Now I won't promise it will be easy, but I do promise to make it worth it."
"Oh I know you will."
Smiling, she sought his mouth with hers again and with the wind swirling around them and the night engulfing them, they kissed.
Yes, she knew that together, they would embark in a journey to find the kind of happy ending that could complement the love of their kids, the happy ending that they both deserved.
FIN