She stares at the thin stick. It's a modern contraption for which she'd thought she would never have a use, but she's promised Henry she won't use magic unless it's absolutely necessary. She leans forward, watching tensely, but no change happens. It takes a few minutes before she believes that nothing is going to happen, and then, at last, she relaxes.
The mighty Queen's shoulders slump. Her face falls, and as she releases a long breath of air, she feels a pang in her heart. She tries to ignore it as she does away with the contraption and flushes the toilet, but the pain is still lingering in her chest long after she's washed her hands. Finally, she forces herself to leave the bathroom and is surprised as she's instantly met.
Robin takes one look into her eyes and knows everything without her having to speak a word. His strong arms wrap around her, and although she's surprised to find him standing pensively outside her bathroom, Regina doesn't try to push him away. She needs him right now -- needs that strength, that reassurance, protection, and warmth that she only receives when he hugs her like this.
He holds her close for a while, laying his head gently over hers at first. Then he moves just enough that his light beard brushes over the top of her cheek, a stroking motion that he knows she likes. "It's okay," he tells her.
"Robin, what . . . ?" she starts to ask, but then as their eyes meet again, she realizes he knows everything already. "How?" Only he ever manages to make her so stunned that she finds it difficult to speak so much as a syllable.
He smiles down into her eyes and strokes her face tenderly with his large hands. "Did you truly think you could hide anything from your humble thief, my Queen?"
"I . . . I . . . How did you know?"
He strokes her hair, tucks a stray strand back behind her ear. "Does it matter?" He knows she wouldn't believe him if he told her that every worried look over the last few weeks she's given him has warned him of what she thought was coming.
"I . . . I guess not," she admits, her shoulders slumping again. "Nothing is to come of it, and this moment is not to be spoken of again."
He continues to smile at her stern commands. "Very well, but I have one thing to say first." He lifts her hands to his lips and kisses them both at once. "The time may not be right yet, my Queen, but one day,it will be. When that moment arrives, it will be the second highest honor I have ever had bestowed upon me, the first being when you gave me your heart in all matters."
He leans close and brushes his stubble over her cheeks again before kissing her lightly. Unconsciously, she raises a foot as she leans in to him and deepens their kiss. Her sorrow has left, as it always seems to do around him. She knows now, too, that it certainly won't be a horrible thing at all when the time does come and they have a child together. Nothing will ever dim their love for Henry and Roland, but it will be a wonderful life to raise not only the boys they already have but a child of their own making together as well.
Outlaw Queen: Not Yet (PG-13/T)
She stares at the thin stick. It's a modern contraption for which she'd thought she would never have a use, but she's promised Henry she won't use magic unless it's absolutely necessary. She leans forward, watching tensely, but no change happens. It takes a few minutes before she believes that nothing is going to happen, and then, at last, she relaxes.
The mighty Queen's shoulders slump. Her face falls, and as she releases a long breath of air, she feels a pang in her heart. She tries to ignore it as she does away with the contraption and flushes the toilet, but the pain is still lingering in her chest long after she's washed her hands. Finally, she forces herself to leave the bathroom and is surprised as she's instantly met.
Robin takes one look into her eyes and knows everything without her having to speak a word. His strong arms wrap around her, and although she's surprised to find him standing pensively outside her bathroom, Regina doesn't try to push him away. She needs him right now -- needs that strength, that reassurance, protection, and warmth that she only receives when he hugs her like this.
He holds her close for a while, laying his head gently over hers at first. Then he moves just enough that his light beard brushes over the top of her cheek, a stroking motion that he knows she likes. "It's okay," he tells her.
"Robin, what . . . ?" she starts to ask, but then as their eyes meet again, she realizes he knows everything already. "How?" Only he ever manages to make her so stunned that she finds it difficult to speak so much as a syllable.
He smiles down into her eyes and strokes her face tenderly with his large hands. "Did you truly think you could hide anything from your humble thief, my Queen?"
"I . . . I . . . How did you know?"
He strokes her hair, tucks a stray strand back behind her ear. "Does it matter?" He knows she wouldn't believe him if he told her that every worried look over the last few weeks she's given him has warned him of what she thought was coming.
"I . . . I guess not," she admits, her shoulders slumping again. "Nothing is to come of it, and this moment is not to be spoken of again."
He continues to smile at her stern commands. "Very well, but I have one thing to say first." He lifts her hands to his lips and kisses them both at once. "The time may not be right yet, my Queen, but one day,it will be. When that moment arrives, it will be the second highest honor I have ever had bestowed upon me, the first being when you gave me your heart in all matters."
He leans close and brushes his stubble over her cheeks again before kissing her lightly. Unconsciously, she raises a foot as she leans in to him and deepens their kiss. Her sorrow has left, as it always seems to do around him. She knows now, too, that it certainly won't be a horrible thing at all when the time does come and they have a child together. Nothing will ever dim their love for Henry and Roland, but it will be a wonderful life to raise not only the boys they already have but a child of their own making together as well.
The End