Once Upon a Time 1. Chapter 1

Alright so apparently I have too much time in my hands and thus I'm doing this one shot. It's supposed to take place during the lost year in the Enchanted Forest and even though the end is kind of open, I will try (try is the key word, as I don't know how NOT to continue stories) to leave it there and pretend that their story continued back in the current story line in the show.

Everything here is a product of my imagination so let's play pretend, okay. Happy reading.

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If it wasn't because she has turned into so much of a cynic to believe that love could touch her again, Regina would have gone ahead a long time ago and admitted to herself that she was in love with him.

Any other person would have acknowledged it already; they would have recognized that strange feeling that made her stomach become a knot whenever he was near for what it really was and they would have definitely taken the hint in the fact that the memory of him was constantly in her mind.

It had always been like that when it came to him; ever since the first time she met him he has been able to turn her world upside down and if there was someone, anyone capable of rattling the foundations of her skepticism, it was him.

True, when they first met, she has been a little wary of him because he plain and simple intimidated her in ways no other man has ever done. Back then, she couldn't quite put her finger on why but as time passed, she realized that it has been due to his reaction towards her.

He wasn't appalled by her, hadn't been taken aback with her imposing presence and instead of acting apprehensive to her more than haughty behavior, he just stood his ground and fired back as only he knew how.

For every sneer from her part he would flash a smirk that only served to make her want to slap it off his face, for every attempt to talk him down in disdain he would reply cheekily in his always amused tone of voice and for each and every one of her snubs he would find a way to turn things around and make _her_ the one needing something from him.

All that had disconcerted her, making her mood become acrid and keeping true to her nature she reacted accordingly, like a cornered wild cat facing a great danger.

So it went like that, she barely played nice to him, that she had to admit… her words were cutting, her attitude lacked warmth and she did her best to treat him as nothing but a thief that nothing had to do meddling with the affairs of a Queen.

But even though she did her best to overlook him, she was never able to completely erase him from her mind. He was like a plague, and acting as such he managed to sneak into her subconscious until she had no choice but to question herself about her inability to understand what was happening to her.

All that started happening within the first few weeks after arriving back to the enchanted Forest, and later when they went their separate ways after those initial days, he faded and hid in the back of her head. But then when she would be last expecting it, he would just appear out of nowhere with a huge grin that never seemed to be meant for her and she would have no choice but to wonder what the hell it was with the man and his ridiculous haircut.

It wasn't until a couple of months passed by that she was able to answer that question, because that's the amount of time that passed by so that the two of them could meet again one on one.

It has been a regular afternoon in the Enchanted Forest, the sun was beaming high in the sky, a fragrant breeze was sweeping through the fields while carrying the sweat aroma of wild flowers and like always, she has been alone in her castle, feeling the loss of Henry deep within her soul.

It has been a particularly bad day, she could still remember how her own sorrow had been dragging her down and wanting to escape such a feeling, she went out to take a breath of fresh air. She ended up riding her horse aimlessly and for hours she was out and about, racing against the wind as a way to escape from the abysm that wanted to suck her in.

It didn't work much as there was no way to escape from her own demons, but when she finally made a stop at a stream so that her horse could drink from it, she heard the distinct sound of giggles and that made her feel in full alert mode.

Upon closer inspection, she discovered that the sound came from no other than Robin Hood and his son; the duo was at the stream playing and as it happened, the oldest of the two noticed her presence almost immediately.

She remembered the day as if it happened yesterday; watching the boy made her heart swell with something she thought was lost and forgotten and when Robin invited her closer she couldn't help but to comply, sitting nearer as she watched them play.

That day he caught her unprepared and vulnerable, and it was basically the day when their story began. From then on, they made it a habit to have Regina come over when Roland played and as the plague that he was, Robin managed to lower her defenses to invade her system.

It all happened gradually, Robin cracked her walls down and little by little he sneaked it. To that day Regina still didn't know what happened, but sometimes she liked to think that he managed in because he gave her something she has been denied for long years, someone with whom she could truly talk without being judged.

That's how it all happened, and then one good day, possessed by something she couldn't quite recognize, she ended up kissing him.

It has been something unplanned and spontaneous and so unlike her that she saw it as refreshing; in her high she even saw it as a way to start over and things just started flowing on their own.

So yes, despite the void in her heart that Henry's absence still provoked, she has been happy with Robin… but it was during her time with the man when she lost herself.

To that day she still didn't know how to put it into words, she just knew that she let him take reigns over her feelings and that was something that she didn't do. She could give him anything else he wanted, but not that.

But back to that time, Regina wasn't even aware that he has become master and conqueror of her heart, at least not until one day when she went to their usual meetings and found that Robin had left Roland with his Merry Men so that they could be on their own.

Never before had the two of them been completely alone and as it was to be expected, they took the opportunity given. It all started with a few long kisses that took both of their breaths away and soon after things escalated until clothes got disposed and they ended up entangled in the sweet after-match of their union.

It was then, with him still inside of her and with her lips on his shoulder when she saw it in his skin, the lion tattoo that has been prophesied such a long time ago.

But as if that wasn't enough, giving one final thrust he said the words, he told her that he loved her and that was the drop that made the glass overspill. Confused and more than a little freaked out, Regina remained mute and immobile; staring at the skies until Robin finally withdrew from her and dozed off by her side.

It was then, when he wasn't aware, when the raven haired woman did what she did best, she ran away. She waited until he was fully asleep and then in the cover of the night she gathered her things and disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

All that happened more than six months ago. A lot of moons have gone by since she out of the blue ran from him and as it turned out, things hadn't changed much. He could still provoke a torrent of unknown feelings to wash over her and she still reacted the same way, by running away.

Quickening her steps and hoping the exit door could magically appear out of nowhere, Regina ran her fingers down her neck and clenched her jaw until it hurt. It was ridiculous that she was running from him once again, she was very aware of that, but after spotting _him_ among the crowd attending the Charming's Enchanted Forest version of a baby shower, she had no other choice but to flee.

Has he seen her? She was almost positive that he did and that's why she was making such an exit… because of him and because the stupid Charmings had magic banned from their castle and thus she couldn't just disappear.

She knew she shouldn't have gone out of her own castle… she knew it.

But it was what it was, and as it happened when it came to Robin, after the night she left him near the stream, they hadn't spoken or seen each other.

She just made herself unavailable for him; she ignored his call the few times he went knocking at her door and she basically hid in her castle. That night was actually the first time she saw him after she abruptly ended their story.

Now, if it wasn't because of her skepticism, she would believe that life was coming in full circle and that faith was the one that brought them together, after all what were the chances of him intercepting her outside the castle the first time she was out? But no, she didn't believe in faith or destiny and the only thing she could think was that life was such a bitch, always putting her in situations she would rather avoid.

"I always wondered that if the moment ever came, if the first thing you were going to show me was your back while running away. I had a feeling that yes, that would be the case but I don't know… I'm kind of disappointed that I was right."

At the sound of that familiar voice, Regina stopped dead in her tracks and smiled a biter smile. "Hood." She said while turning around, hoping that he would take on the hint that she wasn't calling him by his given name.

"Regina." He said in a voice that was anything but amicable and with the full intensity of his eyes fixed entirely on her until she started to feel uncomfortable. "I see you got spew out of the whole you were hiding in. And it just took you half a year, how good is that?"

Pursing her lips, Regina just closed her eyes momentarily and swallowed hard down. Yes, she hadn't expected him to be entirely courteous with her, but it still stung in places she didn't want to acknowledge that they had turned into this.

It was her fault, she was aware of that, but the thing was that what was done was done and the only thing they could do was move on and keep living their lives.

She knew for sure that he did, so why shouldn't she do the same?

Opening her eyes and tilting her head up, The Queen shrugged. She has never been a woman who would shy away while facing adversity so she played the best card she had in hand, indifference.

"What can I say? It's been such busy months for me. I lost track of time."

"I bet it has. So tell me-" He said somberly while taking a few steps towards her and Regina just knew that he was going straight for the jugular and that was going to make the situation very uncomfortable.

"Can you explain to me why did you left without even saying a word?"

Ah, not so bad as she was expecting. Sure, she still didn't feel ready to talk motives with him but this wasn't as bad as she knew it could be.

"Robin, just let it go. It's been a such a long time and-"

Before she could finish talking, the former Outlaw took a step closer to her and chuckled. The sound was very familiar to her, it was the kind of thing he would do when he found something to be extremely ridiculous.

"Let it go you say?" He chuckled again, his hand lifting up so that he could run the ball of his thump down the ridge of his nose. "You disappeared without saying a word and you want me to let it go?"

Taking notice on the way his clear blue eyes were blazing, Regina shook her head. "Oh come on, you knew where I was so don't make it sound like you thought I was dead."

Opening his mouth and then closing it shut again, Robin snorted while moving his hand to his hair. "You are so insufferable that it's unbelievable."

"Then I would say good riddance on your part." She replied, the words coming out as forced and beaten into submission. "Anyway, now that you corroborated that I'm alive and insufferable as always, why don't-"

Robin interrupted her once again by reaching for her head and pulling it towards him. The motion wasn't the most gentle but she still made no protest, and when his mouth pressed harshly against hers she just melted into the kiss and handed him the reins of her feelings once again.

Maybe he always had them, maybe she never truly moved on, she wasn't sure… the only thing that she knew was that when Robin kissed her right there in the middle of that corridor, she had no choice but to kiss him back.

The feeling of his tongue moving against hers still had the potency of clouding all rational thought and his taste was so familiar that she suddenly didn't know how she has managed to live without it; it was as if everything was clicking back into place… as if the last few months has been nothing but a bad dream and things between them were perfectly fine. For a few seconds it didn't matter that he was the man with Lion tattoo… it didn't even mattered that he believed he loved her.

Or at least that was the silly thought running through her mind the moment he pulled away.

"I searched for you everywhere." He hissed, not quite pulling away from her so that his breath was a hot caress against her lips. His hands were still on her too, holding the back of her head so that he could tilt her face towards him. "I was going out of my mind and you didn't even bother to care."

Sensing the anger and frustration in his voice but choosing to ignore it, Regina snorted and tried to turn things around. It was easier that way… "Don't play victim here, I gave you what you were looking for that day so what's the big deal? It was clear that you only wanted to get in my pants so be happy that at least you got what you worked so hard to get."

"No, no… don't even try to pull that out of your sleeve, Regina; you know perfectly fine that I wanted more from you than to get in your bed. You know I loved you."

Love, that word again. It made her cringe and she tried to pull away from him. Was she going to run? She wasn't sure, but all of a sudden having him so close was unbearable.

"Get your hands off; I don't want to make a scene here." She ended up saying when he wouldn't let her go.

"So you can end up running again? No, I want to know why you left. I think I deserve at least that." He hissed, his fingers burying into her hair as his forehead pressed hard against hers.

Shaking her head, Regina closed her eyes shut. This was a conversation she didn't want to have; not in that moment and not ever. She wasn't ready… maybe she never would be ready.

"Tell me."

"Don't do this." She mumbled, feeling too weak. Where was the strong woman everyone knew her to be? Why did she always succumb for him?

"Was it because of somebody else?" He asked, his voice almost cracking and his fingers tightening.

"No." She said at once, her eyes opening so that they could get lost in his intense stare. In that moment, she felt as if the whole world didn't exist, as if they were the only ones left. "It wasn't that."

"Then why?" He asked in frustration and she felt something tugging at her heart. Was it love? No, she didn't believe in love… but that she didn't believe in it didn't mean that she was incapable of feeling it again.

"I…" Shaking her head, she took in a deep breath and rested her hands against his chest.

Robin closed the gap that separated them and kissed her lips briefly. "Wasn't I enough for you?"

"It wasn't that."

"Then what was it?" He hissed against her lips and Regina had to swallow on dry.

"I was afraid."

Yeah… as soon as she saw the tattoo and then heard the words love she freaked out and ran away without looking back. It has been a stupid move since getting away didn't stop her from having feelings for him, but it was the only thing she knew how to do. Run.

"I was afraid of the way I felt for you and I didn't know what else to do. All I knew was that I didn't want to feel like that so I tried to make the feelings go away by leaving you behind."

Pushing the corner of his lips with the tip of his tongue, Robin blinked his eyes slowly as he looked down on her. "Did it work?"

Blinking rapidly, Regina thought about it and then she shook her head.

Robin smiled, but his smile wasn't one born out of happiness. It was a bitter smile, one that made her heart stop for a second. "Good, now you'll feel how it is to love someone and have them turn their back on you."

With that said, he took a few steps back and then he turned around and started walking away. Regina just watched him, her eyes stinging and her lips trembling.

If it wasn't because she didn't believe in such things, she would think that her heart just broke into a million pieces…

FIN


	2. Chapter 2

So! By popular demand, I added a bit more to this story. It was either that or be virtually killed! Anyway, for now it will just be this chapter and probably a third one, not sure though. Now, one was basically to give an inside look at Robin and how did he feel about the whole thing. If there is a third, it will be with them in SB so enjoy.

P.S. I'm amazed at how many reviews, thanks guys! And damn that episode tonight! All that kissing! Ah!

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When Robin first heard from the lips of Snow White herself that Regina has been seen taking a walk within the perimeters of her castle, he tried not to put much thought into it and more importantly, he did his best so that the fact that she went into hiding by choice would not affect him.

Why should he waste even more of his time thinking about her and her motives anyway? He has done too much wondering as it was and he couldn't allow to fall victim to the same trap once again.

No, now than more than a few months have gone by since the day she left him, she had become nothing but a ghost of his past and he just refused to waste a second of his valuable time thinking about her.

So as the casual comment reached him, he tried his best not to give a donkey's ass about the fact that she has decided to show her face after such a long time and he just kept living his life as he only knew how to.

He drowned his mind with taking care of his son, he banned the memory of her from invading his psyche and every single night he forced his body to the limits of exhaustion by helping the Charming's reconstruct their caste so that when the time came for him to go to sleep, he would be too tired to think about her.

He basically put all his efforts into not caring and soon after, the itch taking over his entire being that urged him to go and see for himself that she was indeed fine and out and about faded into nothingness.

True, it took him some time to get there, but once he managed, there was no more lying awake while going back to that dark place she has left him into and no more dwelling in the memory of her. He forced his mind and soul to understand that thinking about her was paving a bitter path that wasn't going to lead him anywhere good and he just… moved on…

Or at least that was what he thought.

But then, out of nowhere something happened and his entire world came crashing at his feet… he saw her.

He saw her, stunning and almighty as always at the Charming's castle of all places and ever since that moment, he has been unable to keep her out of his mind.

Apparently, thinking that he was over her and actually being over her were two entirely different things and that realization made him wonder on why couldn't they just be together.

Not that he had always questioned about that because back to the night he saw her, his first reaction after spotting her has been anger. More than anything, he was mad and bitter about the fact that she left the way she did and seeing her made those feelings resurface.

That anger was the motivation that made him walk after her when she once again ran away from him; but now, a whole fortnight after the encounter, he couldn't help but to question if going after her has been his biggest mistake because anger was nothing compared to a love he didn't want to feel anymore.

Yes, despite everything she put him through, he still loved her. He realized it the moment his eyes found her amidst the crowd; and then to touch her… to hear her talk in that sultry voice he has come to miss so much and as if that wasn't enough, to kiss her lips… it was as if their time apart hadn't even happened and his feelings were as raw as they had been when he woke up with her gone.

Because of that, he was now back to zero and to be completely honest with himself, he didn't know how to crawl out of his hole. He was now reaching rock bottom and he didn't know what to do.

How could he stop sitting in the dark for entire nights while trying to come up with a thousand reasons not to go to her castle and beg her to give him a chance? How to keep the memory of her from haunting his dreams? How could he stop loving her?

Clenching his jaw at the questions invading his mind, the former Outlaw lowered his eyes to his hands and took in a deep breath while feeling aware that by all means he should be doing anything but thinking about her.

But it wasn't like he could help it, she has reduced him into this and even though he had it very clear in his mind that going to her to try to fix everything was practically becoming a mendicant for her love and that he couldn't just go living on the alms of whatever she was willing to give him, the truth was that his heart couldn't understand that.

Swallowing on dry and thinking about how messed up he was, Robin lifted his face towards the horizon and stared at it for a few minutes; but then, as he was finally starting to put his mind in blank, he heard the distinct sound of someone approaching and he automatically got to his feet and turned around.

That's when he saw her, almost as if he had just called her with the power of his thoughts, Regina was now standing there, a few feet away from his whereabouts and staring at him through warm and wide brown eyes.

She looked like a mirage, with her eyes shining into his and the pale light of the moon illuminating her smooth face. Looking at her, there was no doubt on why he has been drawn to her upon first sight… she was beyond beautiful, with her lips, full and promising as sin itself and that air of importance she always carried around, she was definitely a woman to be noticed…

But he has seen more in her than her beauty and what she wanted to portray and he fought hard to make that Regina she hid deep within herself come to the surface and then… then she left.

"Robin." She said, her voice low but firm.

At the sound of her voice, his heart stopped beating for a whole second only to renew its beating with a whole new force. How come she still had that effect on him? Whatever it was, he hated it.

"You really have a lot of nerve coming here." He said, his voice low in his throat; and was his response bitter? Yes, but that was how he was feeling and he wasn't going to hide it to spare her feelings.

"I didn't… I don't want to argue, Robin. I just…" Stopping midsentence, the raven haired ran two fingers along her collar bone and then she went on. "I just want us to talk."

Talk? He snorted and rested a hand to his mouth. Why would they do that? Last time they talked left him emotionally numb, mentally exhausted and the only thing he wanted was to move on from that.

It just… it wasn't like him to feel so beat down and angry and he didn't want to expose how weak for her she has left him; besides, talking to her could only bring more pain and a whole deal of frustration to the table and he didn't want that. But then again, talking to her could give him some sort of closure and after that moving on would become easier.

Maybe that was what he needed… but maybe talking to her when his feelings were so raw and struggling to be let out would end up being another mistake and instead of moving on, he could end up trying to reason with her and the idea of trying things again.

"Alright, go ahead and talk." He ended up saying while folding his arms against his chest.

Now, maybe that wasn't the best idea and if he still had some common sense in him, he should let things die there as he didn't have anything to talk with her. What she did to him was something that he couldn't forget no matter how hard he has tried to and he knew he couldn't have a calm conversation with her without letting her know how bad she hurt him.

Opening her mouth and then closing it back shut, Regina took in a deep breath and then she put her feet in motion. She moved gracefully and smoothly and once she was close she lowered herself down and sat in the same spot he has been sitting in a while ago.

"How is Roland?"

Dropping his hands down and then lifting one up so that he could run his fingers through his short hair, Robin closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. "Do you really care or is this a fake courtesy from your part?"

Lifting her face so that she could look at him, Regina blinked a few times as if she didn't understand what he was saying. "Don't do that. You know I really care about him."

"Well you have a really good way of showing it. Do you have any idea of how many times he asked for you?" And really, he hasn't been the only one wounded up after she left. Roland has been affected by it as well and remembering how the two of them had sat in the same place she was sitting now while hoping for her to show up only made him want to stand strong in his decision of moving on.

At those words, Regina clenched her jaw and moved her face from him so that she could blink a few more times. Robin knew her, he knew her well enough to realize that she was struggling to keep her composure and that was almost enough for him to stop the charade to let her know how he really felt.

But he couldn't, because even though she admitted last time to have some sort of feelings towards him, that wasn't enough to make her want to commit to it fully. No, Regina was never going to let go of whatever it was that was holding her down and he wasn't willing to have her halfway.

Clearing her throat and tilting her head towards the moon, Regina regained her regal semblance. "I'm sorry."

She said and at the apology, Robin just nodded while keeping his face neutral. Oh but even though his face was a stoic mask that gave nothing away, there was a torrent of feelings invading him and making him feel confused.

"Saying sorry isn't going to cut it, Regina."

Snorting bitterly, the former Queen pushed the inside of her cheek with her tongue. "Coming here… to say this, is not easy for me so just…."

"Just what, you want me to tell you that everything is good now because you apologized?" He said, his voice drilling into her brain and making her bite hard on her lips.

She shook her head, but she said nothing and then, before he could stop himself, he started talking things he would have rather keep to himself. "Do you have any idea of how I felt when you disappeared? Or how it was to wake up to find you gone without any explanation whatsoever? Do you even care about the things that went through my mind?"

And oh so many things went through his mind. From her being hurt or captured by the Wicked Witch, to her having someone else and the one he came to fear the most once he found out that she was well and unhurt in her castle, that she has decided that he wasn't good enough for her and thus why leaving without even a 'we are through.'

"I do care, you probably won't believe it but I do care about you and a lot.

Snorting, Robin crouched down close to her and then he shook his head and ran his tongue over his lips. "How can I believe that when you say it without looking at me?"

Blinking for a few seconds and then lifting her face to him, Regina opened her eyes and stared straight into his blue orbs. "I care about you."

"No." He replied at once, his eyes hard on her. "If you really cared you wouldn't have done what you did."

"I do care; it was never a problem of not caring. My problem was that I didn't know how to deal with the way I felt for you; I'm not so good with emotions so I didn't know how to handle it and I… ran."

Her words didn't seem to appease the hardness in his eyes and Regina ended up looking down and away from him. That she was acting like this wasn't at all like her so he guessed that it was really hard for her to come and talk to him.

It made him wonder once again why couldn't they just try to fix everything.

As he thought about it, for a long time they remained like that, the awkwardness of the moment suffocating them… at least until he broke the silence. "And what is this 'way' you supposedly felt for me?"

"It doesn't matter." She said with a shrug.

"Damn it, Regina, you were the one that wanted to talk so don't keep things from me." He yelled, apparently losing all his patience with her.

But still, she said nothing and instead stared off into the sky.

"I just don't get you, I really don't and as much as I try to get a peek into that thick skull of you I just can't. You always shut me out, you always held back and I fucking hated that and here you are, doing it again."

Instead of words, Regina replied with a shake of her head, her hands running along her neck and clutching hard at it.

Robin waited, and when she got to her feet he knew what was coming. "I shouldn't have come here." She said as she started to move away.

That she was leaving made him feel mad so he voiced out what he was feeling and thinking. "Yes go ahead and run, hid in your castle as you've been doing all this time. Very brave of you, Your Majesty."

Swirling on her feet and walking back to him, Regina snarled her lips. "I'm not running."

"Then what are you doing?"

Puffing out a breath, she shook her head. She was struggling, Robin could see it in the way her eyes were wide and moistened and on how her whole body was tense and on the defensive.

"I don't know what to do want me to say, I apologized so take it and be happy with it."

"There's nothing you've said here that could make me happy."

"Then so be it."

'Regina." Grabbing her chin and forcing her face up, he said. He wasn't thinking of resentments' in that moment, he just wanted a peek into the woman that no matter what, had the ability of make him renounce to his senses. "Tell me, even if it is for a second let me know what you have in that head of yours.'

Closing her eyes, she shook her head. "I can't… what I feel for you… I don't want to feel it."

"Why not?" He asked, the vague idea that he was about to start begging her to give into what she was feeling slowly creeping in.

And would that be bad, if he begged? Because all he could see was that in her vulnerable state, pressing on the matter could end up being in his favor if at the end he could end up convincing her on giving in.

Why be proud?

"Why are you so afraid?"

"Because I don't want to lose you. I always end up losing the people I love and I don't want to lose you too. I wouldn't bear it… I wouldn't…." Her voice cracked and she had to take a deep breath, but before she could go on he leaned forward and kissed her full on her mouth.

Regina didn't even try to stop him and instead started to kiss him back and it was just… he wouldn't even know how to explain it, but kissing her felt like the right thing to do and he wouldn't be able to let go even if the Ripper itself came walking through that door claiming for him.

Regina probably felt the same way, he knew because she was kissing him with everything she had, so even though he could taste her salty tears as their lips fused and their tongues melted as one over and over again, he wrapped his arms around her waist, tilted his head to the side and deepened the kiss.

For a while they kissed, then sliding his hands to her hips and pulling her closer, Robin ended the kiss and rested forehead against hers.

"I won't be going anywhere." He said, trying to reassure her.

"You don't know that."

Clearly forgetting everything about moving on, he pulled her even more into him. He wanted her, that was the truth and he couldn't escape it. It angered him that he wanted all of her, but it was what it was.

But maybe it was too late for them, he didn't know; all he knew in that moment was that even though he loved her as much as she angered him, he also wanted all of her or nothing at all.

He couldn't have her halfway…

And that was the reason why he should desist on her. Regina wasn't ready or willing to give it all and he wasn't planning on accepting a portion of everything she had.

"What do you want to do with what you feel?"

"I don't know."

Kissing her forehead, he breathed into her scent. "You know how I feel for you, I shouldn't even feel this way but the fact is that I do. But the thing is that you are not ready to give me what I want because trust me, what I want is everything."

"I can't give you that."

Swallowing on dry and feeling a sense of doom bring him down, Robin nodded. "I know. Just know that if sometime you are ready to give it all, I'll be waiting for you. Until then, goodbye Regina."

With that said, he kissed her cheek and after lingering for a few seconds, he went away.

As he walked away, he wondered if the day would ever come, but little did he know that by the time Regina would make up her mind, it would be too late and that next time they would see each other, they wouldn't even remember who the other was.

TBC?


	3. Chapter 3

Alright, so here it is, the actual ending to this little story! I hope it doesn't disappoint and if it does, well… at least I had fun writing it!

P.S. The opening words are my own twisted version of a Paulo Coellho quote so please don't sue ;p

**XxXxXxXxX**

People liked to say that being in love was the key to find happiness. She didn't know why they said that when in her case it was quite the contrary. For her, being in love was a constant state of anxiety, a battlefield; it was sleepless nights, it was messing up and being scared, it was asking herself all the time if she was doing the right thing… For her, being in love was nothing but of ecstasy and agony…

At least that was how she was feeling in that moment because ever since the curse broke, a turmoil of emotions has been raging inside of her and it was making her feel as if her chest was about to explode.

It was making her feel antsy, it was making her stomach turn to water and she was even fighting hard against the urge of biting her nails off.

And all that in the name of love and of course, in the name of Robin Hood.

Closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath, the brown eyed beauty stopped pacing through her living room and tried to justify the reason why she was feeling like that, then after analyzing it for a few seconds she decided that there was basically no reason to act in such a way; after all she had all the motives in the world to start being happy.

She broke the curse, Henry remembered her and Robin… well, she didn't get the impression that Robin hated her now that he remembered.

But even though he didn't seem angry or upset, she was sure that the memory of how things ended between them during the missing year was very present in his mind and the subject coming to the surface was just a matter of timing.

True, he didn't say anything concrete because Henry has been there and he knew better that to bring the subject there, but he did mention something about things being rocky between them during the missing year and God, has he been right?

Rocky was the understatement of the year because as she recently remembered, their missing year has been full of bitterness, resentment and to some extent betrayal.

So no, things during the missing year didn't exactly ran as smoothly as they were running now in Storybrooke for her and Robin and now, with her new mindset, she was scared to death that because of how she acted with him in the past, she was going to end up losing him for real in this present.

She didn't want that… after battling her demons and overcoming most of her fears, Regina had finally come to terms with what she wanted and what she wanted was Robin by her side.

Trying to run from her feelings had been a mistake, one that she wouldn't want to repeat.

Opening her eyes and lifting a hand to her head, Regina tried not to think much about the possibility of Robin not loving her anymore; it could happen… she was aware, but since he said that he was going to come over later that night, she shouldn't worry about things that hadn't been said yet.

Blowing out a breath, she lifted her other hand and buried it in her hair as well so that her fingers could scratch furiously at her scalp.

Robin… there was no wonder why she has taken such a liking to the man since she first interacted with him in StoryBrooke; after all, even though she wasn't aware at the moment, he has been the only man she hadn't been able to ban from constantly invading her mind while back in the Enchanted Forest and he has been the only person in the entire world that could rattle the foundations of her entire existence just by standing right in front of her.

And that man, that same man was going to be at her house at any given time.

Trying to calm herself somehow, she swirled on her feet and started walking in a bee line towards the bathroom; once there, she took a took a scrutinizing look into the mirror and blew out a breath.

She remained there, brushing her hair almost in a compulsive manner while she tried to do her best to at least look presentable.

Once she was done with her appearances, that first knock at her door came and she was glad that she didn't look as if she has been sulking with the knowledge that she messed up big time when she walked away from the one person she cared the most… after her son at least.

Breathing in deeply and taking one final look at her reflection, Regina closed her eyes and walked back to her living room. She did it while holding her breath, and it wasn't until she grabbed the handle of the door and opened it that she let go of said breath.

Now, the reality of her situation didn't settle completely in her mind until she saw him there, standing in front of her door with his hands hiding into the pockets of his coat and his face a stoic mask that wouldn't give anything away.

It made her consider what she thought earlier on about him not hating her for what she did. Maybe he thought it over…

She also had to wonder about her own reactions. What if she broke and ended up begging him to please forgive her or what if those three words escaped her lips in a moment of desperation and way before she was ready to let them out? What if she admitted that back during the missing year, she has done nothing that wasn't thinking about him and regretting that night when she decided to leave him?

That wouldn't be good… not at all.

"Hey." He said, the clear blue of his eyes fixing deep in her own eyes.

"Hey," She replied, stepping back in a silent invitation for him to walk into the sanctuary of her house.

He did, his steps slow but secure and his strong presence overwhelming all her senses.

He has always done that to her; he just had the strongest aura she has ever felt and his tall figure was one that would always catch her attention no matter what. He didn't even have to speak; she just needed to feel his presence for all her senses to be on the edge.

Maybe that was what first caught her attention about him and to that day, she hadn't met anyone that could have the same effect on her.

"So..." He said, taking a look around before positioning himself right in front of her.

Closing the door, Regina ran a hand through her hair and stood in front of him as well, her eyes taking notice of the intense way in which he was looking at her.

Now, before the curse broke, they had spent their last meeting kissing like two lovebirds in front of Snow's apartment and considering what she could remember now, the whole thing was making her feel awkward.

"Do you want anything?" She said looking away from him to take a look towards her kitchen.

"I want a lot of things, but it will suffice if you just say what you were going to tell me.

At his words, Regina swallowed on dry and once again, she ran her fingers through her hair. He was right, she was the one that wanted to talk so she might as well start talking. That's why he came over.

The only problem was this, she has never been good when she had to talk about her feelings. Meaning: She didn't know how to start or what to say.

Couldn't they just talk about anything but them? She would be happy only to hear him talk about Roland. But that wasn't why he came to her for and she knew it.

So… clearing her throat and realizing that they hadn't made it pass the entrance, Regina snorted nervously and shrugged. "I… Last time, during the missing year, you said that you were going to wait until I was ready to give it all."

At her words, Robin nodded, but his face remained a mask that didn't give away what was really going on through his head and Regina started wondering if her words came out as emotionally detached as they felt on her tongue.

That hadn't been her intention, but honestly speaking she hadn't known how to say what she wanted to say without sounding like a complete idiot.

After her words where delivered, neither one of them said anything for a while and unable to hold his stare, Regina started looking at her hands.

"Are you ready now?"

Blinking her eyes rapidly, Regina looked up. "I don't know, but I don't want to run from what I feel… I don't want to run from you."

During the last talk they had by the stream, she had wanted to tell him that. That's why she went to him, but at the hour of truth she froze. She struggled; he would never have an idea about how bad she has wanted to tell him back then and how close she has been of saying it all. But she didn't… she couldn't. The words formed in the back of her throat but even to think about saying them out loud made her feel like chocking and thus the words got stuck and they found it unable to roll off her tongue.

But now it was different… now she wasn't as afraid as she has been back then. She should have said it… and that she didn't only forced her to live with a deep void where her heart should be.

"I love you." She said, and once the words were out she realized that saying it wasn't as hard as she thought it would be. "And I know this may sound impossible since I have no heart but it's true. I love you, I loved you during the missing year and I will love you…"

Before she could finish talking, Robin closed the distance that separated them and kissed her. He kissed her long and deep; his tongue quickly seeking refuge inside her mouth and swirling possessively against hers.

The intensity of the kiss made her head swirl and melting against him; she buried her fingers into his hair.

She liked how that felt, kissing him now with the memory of the love she felt.

"I won't settle for less than everything, you know that right?"

"I know." She mumbled absent mindedly, pressing her mouth back to his.

"I'm not playing, Regina." Robin said, pulling away. "I don't want to get back into this if you are not willing to work things out, you need to understand that."

"I'm not playing with you."

Shaking his head and pursing his lips, Robin blinked slowly. "I don't know why I'm doing this."

Sensing his doubts, Regina closed the distance that separated them and kissed his cheek and wrapping his arms around her, Robin pulled her into an embrace.

"Do you still feel the same way?" She asked, half afraid that he was going to say that she killed whatever he once felt for her.

"Are you kidding me? I am doomed to love you no matter what. Even if I didn't remember, I would have ended up loving you in this new reality as well."

Lifting her face, she sought for his lips and kissed him, thinking that what lay ahead wasn't going to be easy, but if at the end of the road things were finally going to settle in place, then this was a journey that she was willing to walk with him.

"Stay the night here, we don't have to do anything. I just… I just want you here."

True, she had amends to make, lots of them and she would have to make; but for that night, she only wanted to have him all for herself.

They didn't even have to do anything as she said, not that she would mind if they did, but she could be content only to have him there, talking about anything or everything and if she was lucky, kissing her path of full forgiveness.

"Alright, I'll stay. But I don't want this to be about tonight only."

"I won't." She said, grabbing his hand and taking him towards her bedroom.

Whatever happened that night, she was going to make sure that he was going to be back the next day and then the next one after. Whatever happened, she was going to make sure that they were going to be together forever.

The End


End file.

Once Upon a Time, Drama, Romance