A/N: For Thursday of #InspiredByOQ. Roni’s having a rough morning and the last person she wants to see walk into her bar is Grant Hawthorne... or so she thought. Based on this gorgeous manip by li_mozaizai.
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She’s in a mood today.
It’s been one god damn catastrophe after another since she woke at ten this morning to open up for her delivery guy. Who had so graciously informed her that there’d been a mix up with her order that week and the twelve cases of beer she’d been expecting in preparation for their weekend rush were out of stock and it would be another week before they could get them to her. Then she’d shattered two perfectly good bottles of rum as she’d been restocking behind the bar, leaving behind a sticky puddle for her to clean up. Jacinda had called off, something about Lucy that Roni had only half paid attention to before angrily telling her it was fine, that they’d manage and then hanging up.
So being behind in her routine and irritated to boot, the very last person she wants to see stroll into her bar no later than five minutes after she’s unlocked the door is Grant Fucking Hawthorne. Great. Grand. That’s just what she needs on top of this already shitty day, Belfrey’s lacky breathing down her neck.
“Get out, Hawthorne, I’m in no mood for your games today. You and your boss can shove whatever offer or threat or whatever else you’ve come here to deliver right back up your ass because I’m not interested.”
The harshly bitten words give him pause, his steps slowing as he tilts his head to the side, a lock of hair falling down over his forehead in a way that she should not find so damn attractive and it only spurs her anger on more. Roni can feel it bubbling up inside her like a volcano waiting to explode, the pressure building until he’s ready to burst.
Apparently, the acid spewing from her in waves isn’t enough to deter him, however, as he continues to make his way to the bar, settling down in his usual seat as he studies her. “Lovely to see you too, Roni. It’s always so pleasant to come in here.” There’s a hint of teasing in his tone, she can hear it, and while it might amuse her some other time, it just further irritates her.
“What. Do. You. Want?” She grinds out through her teeth, seething. “I’ve had a shit day so far and I don’t have time for your fucking games. Say what you need to and get out of my bar.”
A frown mars Grant’s face at her words, concern etching onto his features as he ignores her request and asks instead, “What’s happened?”
Roni scofs, “As if you care.”
That wrinkle between his brows deepens and despite herself, she has to admit he sounds sincere when he counters, “Roni, despite everything, I do care. If something’s upset you I’d like to see if I can help in some way. You might hate me, but I’ve become quite fond of you these past few weeks, and I’ve never meant to cause you more stress.”
She damn near laughs out right at that statement. Grant Hawthorne has been nothing but a thorn in her side since the moment he stepped foot in her bar to try and talk her into selling her business to that bitch Belfrey. A fucking dog with a bone. Relentless and determined. Sexy as hell. And sweet. Despite it all, he’s been sweet to her more often than not and it makes something sour twist in her stomach as she looks at the concerned expression on his face.
Shit.
It’s not supposed to be like this, she’s not supposed to feel like this. She doesn’t need some fancy suit mucking up her life, making her want things she’s not meant to have. She doesn’t need anyone to lean on, is perfectly capable of handling everything on her own, has been doing so for longer than she can remember and she hates him for making her want to open up, to take the help he’s offering, even if it’s just an ear to listen to her bitching when she’s having a shitty day. But he’s sitting there, looking at her in that completely patient and tenacious way of his and she just doesn’t have it in her anymore to pretend. Not this morning.
With a sigh, she turns on her heel, ignoring him for a minute as she reaches for a familiar bottle of amber liquid and two low ball glasses from beneath the bar. Setting each in front of him, Roni pours them each a finger of whiskey before setting the bottle aside and lifting one of the glasses in salut.
Grant studies her silently, patient as ever, like he’s looking into her soul and as uncomfortable as it makes her, Roni holds her ground, never letting her gaze waiver until he lifts his own glass and clinks it with hers. Tossing the spirit back in one gulp she lets the whiskey burn down her throat and then meets him halfway. “Can you get me a dozen cases of lager delivered by tonight and an extra set of hands for the afternoon rush, as my bartender called off and I’m on my own for the night?”
She’s not expecting a real answer, really just needed to get a bit of the frustration weighing her down off her chest. So when Grant answers easily with, “There’s not much I can do about the beer, but I can certainly offer up a hand. Point me where to go,” Roni stares at him stupidly for the span of several heartbeats.
“You want to help me cart my supply order to the back?” she asks incredulously.
Lifting a shoulder casually, Grant stands from his stool, sliding the glass back toward her and offering up that smirk that both grates on her nerves and flusters her hormones. “If that’s what you need, sure. I am at your service, milady.” He punctuates the statement with a little flourish of his hand and a small bow and the move causes a laugh to bubble up out of her.
Despite herself, some of the tension she’s been carrying around since she woke this morning dispels and Roni shakes her head at him. “Well, I’m not one to turn away slave labor when it’s offered so willingly, particularly when I’m in a bind.” Grant’s grin deepens, his dimples prominent and that fluttering in her stomach increases. Alright, enough of that, she decides. Pointing to the stack of boxes at the opposite end of the bar she comments, “Those need taken down to the cooler. I haven’t had a chance yet.”
“Certainly.”
As he strides over to where she’s directed him, it occurs to her that he must have had some purpose for this impromptu visit and she calls out curiously, “What did you come in for anyway?”
Grant shakes his head dismissively, “Doesn’t matter.”
Roni narrows her eyes at him as she watches him roll up his shirt sleeves, revealing his forearms and she catches a glimpse of something inked into his skin, a crest of some sort, before he’s turning to heft boxes down to the storeroom. The sight gives her pause, her heart picking up speed for absolutely no reason. Something tickles at the back of her mind. Firelight and a lion tattoo. Soft kisses and gentle caresses. It’s like a dream she can’t quite recall, wisps of it fluttering around the edges of her mind as it fades from memory.
Shaking off the odd moment, Roni moves to pick up the books she’d tossed down on the bar earlier, the lovely paperwork side of owning a business. If she’s got Grant here to do the heavy lifting, she might as well take advantage of it.
And she won’t dwell on what it means. Not today at least.
I just want to quickly thank everyone who has ever read and/or reviewed anything I have ever written. Thank you for all the sweet messages and compliments, no matter how utterly undeserving I am.
As a person whose hobby is to write but never really thinking much of it, it really means everything that I should be able to reach out to a lot of people and make friends across the continents just because of some of my writing. And it means so much as well to be praised for something I used to do just for myself because I could have never imagined being able to write pieces that anyone would ever like. For someone to tell me that I characterize their favorite characters, the very ones I love too, is just overwhelming to me. For someone to send me love and tell me that they live in a different country, or for someone to tell me that they admire my skills and is happy that I am writing, or that they will buy my book if I ever wrote one...the feelings brought by those simple words simply cannot be bought.
And I am so grateful.
I have been saved by fiction so many times, in so many ways. Reading fiction has been my way of escape from the sadness and cruelty of my own life and writing it had been my catharsis and my therapy at the same time that helped me heal so many wounds and helped me hope for a better reality, alternative or not. I could really only hope I had done the same to others
Anyway, I just wanted to quickly thank everyone who has ever given me love and support, who has ever helped me work through my moods to be able to not just churn out good content but also feel better about my shitty life in general. So many times, I have thought of quitting life, but so many times writing has saved me, either my own or more especially others'.
So thanks everyone, for reading my stories and writing more amazing ones that's helped me through life.
A/N: So here is a little sneak peek of future post-its verse. It’s not much, I apologize, but it will hopefully be expanded upon one day. Set a year and a half into their relationship.
She’s been looking forward to this day for weeks.
Mother’s Day.
Last year had been special. A beautiful day spent with Roland and Robin as they’d pampered her a bit. Much to her surprise. She wasn’t Roland’s mother after all. And although he and Robin had gone to the cemetery and brought Marian flowers, had spent a bit of time with her, talking and telling her of their lives for the last few weeks, letting Roland’s enthusiasm for life spill out, they’d spent just as much time making her feel special and cherished.
Roland had even made her a gift at preschool. A lovely brightly colored pasta necklace that she had worn proudly for the entire day. To this day it is one of her most prized possessions.
It had been a bit overwhelming, quite honestly. Had brought tears to her eyes more than once. Ones that had failed to go unnoticed by either Robin or his son. But a few tight hugs from Roland and gentles kisses to her forehead from Robin had helped ease the well of emotion that had risen up within Regina.
Back then she hadn’t felt like a mother, someone important in Roland’s life certainly. A mother figure, perhaps. But not really his mother.
This year is different. Now she truly feels like his mother. She and Robin are getting married, have committed to sharing their lives together, to sharing his son, and it’s such a beautiful thing Regina’s heart rises and falls erratically every time she thinks about it. He calls her Mama now, no longer his cute slurred version of her name. She reads to him every night as he tucks himself into her side and whispers that he loves her just before he drifts off to sleep.
There is so much love in her heart for this little boy. Her little boy now, just as much as Robin’s. It doesn’t matter that they don’t share blood. She and Roland have a bond that no one can touch, have since that first night on Christmas Eve, honestly, and it’s only grown stronger in the last near year and a half.
So Mother’s Day this year means a bit more to her, has a deeper meaning than anything she ever expected to have in her life. It blows her away sometimes.
Roland and Robin surprise her with breakfast in bed, a tray of scrambled eggs and toast that is just a touch on the deeper brown side, edging toward slightly burnt, but Roland informs her he’d made it himself, and mixed up the eggs. And daddy had helped him pour the coffee into her new World’s Best Mom mug that had accompanied the feast.
She sits there and listens to him as she slowly nibbles on the food in front of her, darting her eyes up to meet Robin’s every now and then as he watches them. The way he looks at them, those crystal clear blue eyes filled with such love and affection causes her breath to catch here and there. His fingers stroke lovingly through her dark locks, massaging against the back of her skull as she and Roland chat with each other.
It’s perfect.
All of it.
And Regina feels more blessed than words can ever express that this incredible man and his charming little boy are hers now.
Regina Mills is an esteemed actress who has been receiving disturbing letters from an anonymous fan. She hires Robin Locksley as her new bodyguard to protect herself and her son. Despite their best efforts the two begin to fall for each other. Will the frightening reminders from her past keep them apart or can this new love heal the hurts of her past?
{ ffn }
Killian Jones.
She’s not at all sure she likes the idea of bringing this man into their circle but Robin seems convinced that they need him. So Regina will go along with it, will meet this mysterious colleague of his, but that doesn’t mean she has to like him.
The two of them are sitting at the table in the kitchen alcove as they wait for the man in question to arrive. Regina fidgeting beside Robin, alternating between tapping her nails along the ceramic of her coffee mug and twisting her fingers together. “Would you relax?” Robin requests.
Huffing out an annoyed breath, Regina leans back in her seat, crossing her arms across her chest. “I can’t.” She’s a very private person. Dislikes having to share details of her life that doesn't concern anyone else and she knows that’s exactly what she will to have to do. This stranger is going to come into her home and want to know every scandalous, painful detail of the last few months and she hates it.
Ever insightful as he is, Robin is well aware of what has her so ruffled. He pulls her hand away from her body, threads their fingers together and gives it a reassuring squeeze. “It’s going to be alright. Killian is good at what he does. And you can trust him to be discreet.”
Regina nods, “I trust your judgement, Robin. I just don’t like it.”
Before he can say anything further the doorbell chimes and he feels her tense slightly beside him. “Well, you can judge him for yourself in a minute. I’ll go get that. Meet you in the study?” Regina nods, watches Robin exit the kitchen and takes another sip of her coffee before getting up and following him. She can hear them talking in the entryway as she walks down the hallway and stops in the doorway to her office. Before Regina can give in to the urge to sneak a peek at this guy he and Robin are rounding the corner and heading toward her.
The man isn’t at all what she was expecting. Killian Jones doesn’t appear overly buff or tough looking, although there is a definite air of strength around him, but definitely not how she would picture someone in Robin’s line of work. With his tight jeans and leather jacket, complete with fingers laden with thick rings and an earring in his right lobe, he looks much more like a bad boy pirate than bodyguard. Although, Robin had never said exactly what it is he does, merely that he was an associate of his.
Killian is giving her a once over himself, eyes traveling from her face down her body before returning his gaze to meet her eyes and smiling slyly as Robin introduces them. “Pleasure to meet you, love.”
Frowning, Regina shoots him a haughty frown, not keen on his term of endearment. “Yes, well… please, sit.” She gestures to the couch facing her desk in the study, throwing Robin a leary look as he follows them the rest of the way into the room. Choosing to lean against her desk facing him rather than sit beside him. “So, Mr. Jones, I assume Robin has told you why you’re here.”
Bowing his head slightly he replies, “The basics. Yes. I would like to hear the situation from your point of view though.”
Regina takes a steadying breath, “About three months ago I started receiving anonymous letters. They started off innocently enough and I thought it was just an overzealous fan, but after a few weeks they started to become more detailed and direct. The person writing them started describing their hopes of meeting me and being in my life, what they wanted to do once I was. Then details of my life and my movements started showing up in the letters. After a week of those types of letters I hired Robin to find out who it was and to keep me and my son safe.”
Killian nods through the recap of events, though Robin’s briefed him on most of it, before he asks her, “Do you have any idea who might want to hurt you, Ms. Mills?”
Crossing her arms and rolling her eyes, Regina shoots Robin a look that clearly says You’ve brought me a moron and levels her gaze on Killian’s. “If I knew that, Mr. Jones, we wouldn’t need you here. So to answer your question, no. I do not know who this man is. If I did he’d already be taken care of and life could go back to being full of rainbow kisses and unicorn stickers.”
Robin struggles to stifle the snort Regina’s words evoke and fails miserably, outright laughing at the dirty glare she sends him. Oh but how he loves when her sass comes out and clearly Killian is a bit taken aback.
“Alright then,” he replies, “Tell me about the times he’s crossed the line. When he’s gotten too close.”
“All of it’s crossed a line.” She tells him angrily.
Regina feels her ire rising until Robin’s touch on her arm grounds her, his grip on her elbow calming her racing pulse. “He knows that, Regina. I promise. Just go through it again with him. Sometimes it helps to put things in place by hearing different perspectives.” She pauses a moment, her gaze locked with Robin’s as his thumb rubs the skin along her bicep, before nodding, reminding herself that Robin trusts this man. Thinks he can help them. Her.
Turning back to Captain Guyliner, Regina takes a breath. “He sent a note home in my son’s backpack. Somehow managed to get through the security Robin put in place at his school and used my child as a way to torment me. That was the big one.” She pauses, flicks her gaze to Robin’s briefly and adds, “And he tried to hurt Robin. Tampered with some of the lighting equipment on set and nearly crushed him.”
Killian studies the pair, picks up the subtle vibes passing between them unspoken. Robin had failed to mention he was wrapped up in this on more than just a professional level when he’d called him to help. But it’s painfully clear watching the two of them interact. “So these attacks, they’re personal. Where he knows they will hurt you most. It sounds to me like it’s someone who knows you fairly well.” He pauses, drums his fingers on his bent knee resting over his leg, “Or someone who has been studying you for awhile. Enough to know how to manipulate you. Anyone who might fit that description?”
Her thoughts wander to her mother instantly. It sounds exactly like something she would do in order to weasel her way back into Regina’s life. Manipulating her daughter’s weakness to gain her love back. But something tells her this situation has nothing to do with Cora. She can’t say exactly what instinct says it’s not but Regina trusts it.
So instead she explains, “I am a very private person, Mr. Jones, despite my celebrity status. I don’t let very many people close to me and even fewer near my son. And the few that I have, I trust completely. With both mine and Henry’s life. That’s what makes this entire situation so disconcerting. No one that I’m close to would taunt me like this.”
His gaze meets Robin’s and he knows exactly what his friend is thinking. That what Regina has just described is one of the most common (and likely) explanations for their situation but he’s inclined to agree with her. And beyond that, he ran thorough background checks on anyone close to her when he’d first started. Everyone had checked out and as he’s gotten to know them the last few months Robin is sure that none of them could be the stalker. “Regina’s right.” He tells Killian. “I don’t believe anyone close to her is doing this. It’s someone outside the usual suspect pool.”
The man shrugs, “Alright, then. I’m going to want to look over those letters. See if I pick up on anything unusual.” He tells them both to which Robin assures him they will sit down together to go over each one. Killian watches Regina, standing there with a stiff back and tense muscles, and feels a pang of sympathy. Her entire world has been put in upheaval, something he can certainly relate to. Despite that, she doesn’t know him, doesn’t really trust him and Killian can tell she’s not too overly fond of him. Seeking to reassure her, for Robin’s sake if nothing else, he continues, “I will do my best to track the bastard down, love. I swear.”
She nods, lips pressed together in a tight line as her nails dig slightly into her elbows. “Thank you. I appreciate it. Robin trusts you and I trust him so I am putting my faith in your capabilities, Mr. Jones.” Regina narrows her eyes at him before adding, “Don’t let me down. I have too much at stake.”
He chuckles. Regina Mills is certainly a feisty woman. It’s not hard to tell what Robin sees in her.
“Why don’t you meet us here tomorrow morning. You can accompany us to the studio and you and I will dig in while Regina is filming.” Robin suggests, met with acknowledgements from the other two still sizing each other up. He grins at the pair of them before saying, “I’ll show you out, mate.”
Regina watches them leave. She’s still not entirely sure about all of this but Robin and Killian are probably right. They need a new perspective and a fresh set of eyes. Regina can only hope that’s enough before something goes horribly wrong.
----------
He finds her in her bedroom, reclining along the chaise lounge, her legs curled beneath her as she thumbs through a script, already considering what her next project will be after she’s finished this film. Standing in the doorway for a moment, Robin studies her, how beautiful she looks, even doing such an everyday task, and he’s hit with a wave of affection. Once all of this is over and behind them he wants to find her like this every single day. It doesn’t matter that they’ve only known each other a few months. He loves her, can’t picture her not being in his life.
“So,” he starts, stepping into the room as Regina’s gaze lifts to meet his, “What do you think?”
There’s a pause, a tad awkward, as Regina shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly. “He’ll do, I suppose. Though his fashion sense could use some serious work.”
Chuckling Robin continues the rest of the way into the room, lowering himself to sit beside her so he can run his fingers through her hair, lightly massaging her scalp and Regina hums, closes her eyes and enjoys the soothing gesture. “Jones is definitely someone you have to come around to.” He admits, “But I would trust him with my life.” Robin waits until Regina’s dark brown orbs are gazing directly into his bright blue ones before he continues, “And more importantly, I trust him with yours. And Henry’s.”
Regina nods. She’s willing to give the guy a chance after all. But her curiosity is certainly peaked so it’s unsurprising when the next words out of her mouth are a question Robin was expecting. “How did you two meet?”
It’s a minute before Robin finally responds, an expression Regina’s never seen on his face before as he says quietly, “He helped get me out of a rather sticky situation in my youth.”
Well then… Regina hadn’t been expecting that answer. Should have perhaps given what she knows of Robin’s past but she doesn’t comment yet, stares at him expectantly and says. “Care to elaborate?”
Robin shifts, moving to lie comfortably behind Regina on the chaise and curling his arm around her waist to pull her flush against his body. If they’re about to get into this discussion he at least wants to be comfortable. Wants to hold the woman he loves in his arms for a little while too. Regina says nothing, wiggles a bit until she’s resting comfortably against him, his other arm cradled beneath her neck and shoulder and takes his hand in hers, playing with his fingers a moment. Can’t help the smirk when her shifting elicits a quiet groan from Robin as her bum bumps against his hips.
“It was during my days with the Merry Men.” he starts when they’ve both settled. “We were targeting yachts down at the Marina, figured they’d be an easy in and out mark.” He pauses, mutters, “Stupid,” under his breath and Regina feels the back and forth motion of him shaking his head behind her.
She’s dragging her fingertips up and down his forearm now in absent, soothing passes. “I take it that idea didn’t pan out so well for you.”
“Not in the slightest.” Robin confirms with a laugh. It’s easier to talk about now that that part of his past is so far behind him. At the time it had been a bit of a wakeup call, made him question if what he was doing was actually worth the risk. The beginning of his desire to leave his thieving ways behind him. “The first few we snuck onto went off without a hitch and we took what we could carry and left without anyone the wiser. Or so we thought.”
His fingers are swirling in lazy circles over Regina’s belly as he speaks. “Jones is a bail bondsman. Is pretty much an expert at tracking people down, which is one of the reasons I called him.” he adds as an afterthought. Wants to explain his reasoning for bringing this man she doesn’t really trust into their lives, to understand why he himself trusts him. He wants her to be okay with this.
“He was staking out the marina for a job while we were robbing the boats, witnessed the whole thing happen. We decided to go back the next night and hit the rest of the yachts we’d skipped over. Which turned out to be a pretty poor choice on our parts.”
Robin nuzzles his nose against the back of Regina’s head, letting the sweet scent of her shampoo fill his senses. It distracts him for a moment, has him pondering how soon he can wrap up this conversation and get her into bed, before Regina gently elbows him and mutters, “Keep going.”
So he continues his tale with, “One of the owners ended up returning to his boat unexpectedly while I happened to be in the middle of robbing it. Will, one of my fellow Merry Men, had been assigned to stake out the dock and signal if something went wrong.” Robin snickers as he recalls what had happened instead. It’s humorous now looking back on it, so very like Will, but he’d been ready to throttle his friend at the time. “Apparently he’d been casually strolling up and down the dock when this pretty blonde stopped to flirt with him.”
Her laughter erupts in the quiet atmosphere around them as she turns around in his hold to face him. Winding her arms around his waist, Regina slips her leg between both of his, grins up at him, and quips, “It’s always the pretty blondes isn’t it?”
Robin’s fingers instantly rise to thread through her dark locks he so adores, “Oh, I don’t know. I’ve always had a particular weakness for brunettes. I find them quite distracting...” Regina’s answering smirk is infectious and he can’t help leaning down to place a peck on her lips.
As appealing as the idea of distracting him for the rest of the night is Regina wants to hear the rest of the story, is enjoying the insight into his past life. For as much as she loves him now, the idea of him as an honorable thief is an intriguing one. Instead she prompts, “So what happened while young Will was flirting away and neglecting his duties?”
Letting his hand slip through her hair, Robin caresses up and down her spine as he answers, “Well I was below deck rummaging around when I heard footsteps above. Of course I panicked.” His fingers still for a moment as Robin briefly loses himself in the memory. “I learned a valuable lesson that day. Never go into a job without a way out.” He tells her to which Regina nods, struggles to keep the corners of her mouth from tipping up in amusement at the seriousness of his tone.
“Noted.”
Robin laughs, resumes the soothing passes of his fingertips up and down her back and continues. “I was young and stupid and trapped on a rich man’s yacht about to be caught stealing with no way out. So I’m trying to think on my feet, debating whether to risk slipping up above or search for a place to hide until I could get out when I hear raised voices.”
“Oh did Will manage to pull himself away from the blonde to do his job after all?” she interrupts only to be shushed by Robin.
“As a matter of fact, no. It turned out to be Killian. Though I didn’t know it at the time. But it was the perfect distraction for me to creep above and sneak down the ladder on the far side back onto the dock and I wasn’t going to question my luck. Of course the two of them are standing there arguing with each other so there’s no way for me to get there without them noticing. So I’m hanging on to this ladder-” Robin breaks off and frowns down at her when Regina snorts.
She’s laughing, her body vibrating against his as she apologizes. “I’m sorry. Just enjoying the mental image of you stuck hanging off the side of a yacht.”
And Robin grins, lets out a laugh of his own as he concedes, “I suppose it is rather amusing. Though it didn’t feel so at the time.”
“I’m sure it didn’t.” she replies, biting her lower lip to control her mirth.
“Anyway, I’m waiting, listening to them argue until eventually he storms back onto the boat and Killian smirks and then turns and looks right at me.”
“You know, for a thief you tend to get caught an awful lot.” Regina comments, earning a gentle swat on her shoulder from Robin.
“Twice. I’ve only been caught twice. I’ll have you know I am an excellent thief.” Robin mocks offense, settles his hand on her hip casually, fingers curled against her form. “And I happen to have gotten one of my oldest friends out of it so it wasn’t all bad.”
Regina laughs. She’s needed this. Time alone with Robin to laugh and tease without the weight of the world on their shoulders. Even if it’s an illusion and they’ll be forced back to reality tomorrow, for the moment she can snuggle with him and find humor in his anecdotes. For just this short expanse of time she can breathe. “Right. And how exactly did your friendship with Captain Guyliner come about out of that scenario?” She asks, grinning as she feels Robin’s laugh vibrate through his whole body. Regina so enjoys that sound.
She’s resting her head beneath his chin and Robin tips his head down, inhaling her scent again as he tells the rest of his and Killian’s beginnings. “Well I got back up on the dock and he suggested we go get a drink. Figured the least I could do after he’d helped me out was buy the man a beer. So I took a gamble he wasn’t going to turn me in and we went to a nearby bar.”
Robin goes on to explain how Killian had told him what his profession was, how he’d been watching the docks for days and had witnessed the robbery the previous evening. He’d recognized him from around town, knew he was one of the leaders of the Merry Men and figured whatever they’d stolen was going to a good cause. Told him how he saw the whole thing play out and noticed the owner returning while his friend had been otherwise occupied and had decided to step in and try to keep him out of jail.
“And somehow we became friends. He’s always had my back and I appreciate his loyalty. Especially when it was initially directed toward a stranger. If I’m ever in a pinch I call Jones and he comes without question. It’s not easy to find those types of people.” Robin finishes quietly, feels Regina nod against his chin before she pulls away to look him in the eye.
“You’re lucky to have found a friend like that. I don’t know if I’ve ever really had anyone like that in my life.” She confesses. Sure she has Tink, her best friend for over a decade now, and while she knows the woman would do anything for her or Henry she honestly doesn’t know if she would drop everything for them. Regina hopes she would. If the situation were reversed she knows she’d do whatever Tink needed. But she’s not the type to lean on people and she rarely lets anyone close enough to develop that kind of relationship. And sometimes she worries over the distance she keeps from people. Unfortunately, she has no one to blame but herself for her lack of a support system.
Robin frowns, the conviction in her tone worrisome. She’s got that crinkle in her forehead she gets when she’s upset and he leans down and presses his lips to it. Seeking to soothe whatever dark thoughts have formed in her mind, he cups her cheek, rubs his thumb over the apple of her cheek as has become his habit and whispers what he hopes are reassuring words quietly between them.
“Well now you do. I would walk through fire for you, milady. And you need never worry about being alone again because I’m not going anywhere. No matter how hard you try.”
Regina grins, her eyes a bit glassy as she attempts to lighten the mood again, “I already know that. After all, I already tried getting rid of you and it didn’t work did it?”
“It most certainly did not.” Robin replies proudly and her smile widens. Truly, his words mean more to her than he could imagine but she wants to maintain their playful moods.
“I suppose the means I have to like him now, don’t I?”
Robin laughs, shakes his head and pulls her closer. “Honestly, I think you and Killian would get on rather well if you both give it a chance, but no, you don’t have to like him entirely. As long as he helps us figure out who’s stalking you that’s all I care about.”
Nodding, Regina stretches her neck so her lips can reach Robin’s for a deep kiss, their mouths parting and tongues sliding languidly against each other. “Come on, let’s go to bed. We should both probably be rested for tomorrow.”
“You actually believe we’ll get any rest if we climb into that bed together?” Robin asks, his hand sliding back down her body to palm her ass, giving it a squeeze that has Regina letting out an undignified giggle.
“Maybe I just plan to wear you out.” She jokes with an eyebrow wiggle before shuffling off the chaise and laughing as he quickly follows her.
----------
Killian meets them at the house the following morning, accompanies them to set where they part ways with Regina and the two of them hunker down to go over everything.
Robin finds himself staring down at the photograph in front of him, a stark contrast to the sea of letters all in the same loopy scrawl he’s come to despise. He’s been going over the notes with Killian, filling him in on everything he’s pieced together, the progressive pattern of them. But it is this photograph that is the key. He knows it, something in his gut telling him that this is their link to the bastard.
Looking up when he hears a drawn out sigh from beside him he watches his friend set the last of the letters down before him, “This is one twisted son of a bitch, mate.” He concludes and Robin scowls at him.
“Why do you think I called you? They’re getting worse, more violent, more desperate, and I still have no idea who it is.” Robin pauses, glances back down to the image of Regina curled into him on the couch before continuing, “And I refuse to risk Regina’s safety because of it.”
He studies him a minute, eyes flickering down to the photograph in Robin’s grasp, “You’ve really lost your head over the lass haven’t you?”
There’s not an ounce of hesitation in Robin’s voice when he responds immediately, “I’m in love with her.”
Killian raises an eyebrow. He’s known Robin for a long time and after the disaster and fall out with Marian he wasn’t sure his friend would ever attempt to have a serious relationship again, given the nature of his work and the fact he spends every free moment of time he can manage with his son. But there’s no denying the truth to his words and Killian grins, “Well then, we best find the bastard then, shouldn’t we? Lucky for you, I’m the best.”
Robin lets out a tense chuckle, “And always so modest.” There is a prickling along the base of his spine however, trickling up to his neck, feels like there are ants crawling over his skin. It has him on edge and Robin is fighting every urge to rush off to Regina, to make sure she’s ok. But she’s filming and he’d seen her not even a half hour ago before he and Killian had excused themselves to find a quiet spot to hunker down in. Still, he sets the photograph down, shoots off a quick text to her to double check.
Just checking in. I trust Gold is still breathing ;)
Setting the phone face up on the table Robin goes back to analyzing the information before him.
“My instincts tell me it’s someone within the studio but I went over everyone when Regina started filming and everyone in the cast and crew checked out.” Robin’s brow furrows in frustration. They’re close, he can feel it, but it’s like this man’s identity is still just out of reach. It’s maddening.
Nodding, Killian comments, “Well considering in all the time I’ve worked with you I’ve never known your instincts to be wrong let’s go over everyone again, see if something unusual turns up.”
Willing to try anything at this point Robin fires up his laptop to bring up the list of cast and crew for the film Regina is working on with links to the background checks he’d run on all of them. After e-mailing the file to Killian the pair begin sifting through names.
“Have you considered her co-star? Graham Hunt?” He notes the way Robin’s jaw clenches automatically at the mention of the man’s name before continuing, “For someone in the spotlight he appears to be a loner, which fits the profile. He isn’t in many of the tabloids, his name isn’t splashed all over the internet, and he does have easy access to her. No one would look twice at his being around her.”
Struggling with the nasty flash of jealousy that whips through him at the mention of Graham, Robin shakes his head. “No. He’s certainly interested in her enough,” he replies in a clipped tone that has Killian
raising an eyebrow and the corner of his mouth tipping up slightly, “but he’s too direct a person. Not the type to play games. And this psycho has been toying with her from the beginning.” Personal feelings aside he doesn’t think Graham actually capable of hurting Regina, even if Robin would like to punch the guy more often than not.
“Interested in her, huh?” Killian goads him, unable to resist an outright laugh at the dirty look Robin shoots him.
“Graham Hunt would be only too happy to turn their working relationship into a personal one. Lucky for his sake Regina does not return that interest.” Robin replies. “But it’s not him.” They both return to scanning the names on the list.
Robin’s eyes wander to the photograph again. The man is obviously jealous of his relationship with Regina, of her returning Robin’s affections while she runs from his. The similarities between what is occurring now and what had happened with Daniel have been weighing on Robin’s mind since she’d shared her past with him. The circumstances seem to be too similar for it to be merely a coincidence.
Letting out a sigh he mentions in a low voice, “She has had serious issues with a co-star in the past though.”
That piques Killian’s interest and his eyes latch onto Robin’s. “What kind of issues?”
Hesitating to betray Regina’s confidence Robin debates with himself. At this point that have to consider every option, no more tiptoeing around the seriousness of the issue. “Ten years ago Leopold King thought he would use his attractive, young co-star to fix his image, give his career a desperately needed boost. When Regina refused his advances he went crazy and murdered her fiance.”
“Bloody hell, mate.” Killian remarks, processing the new information.
“I know.” Robin replies. “She’s been through a lot, too much. She doesn’t deserve any of this.” Squeezing a hand around his to-go cup of coffee absently Robin frowns in contemplation. “I’ve looked into him, he’s locked up, isn’t even up for parole for another five years, but do you think he could have something to do with this? Is somehow pulling strings from inside?” He asks.
Killian considers for a minute, “He could be, I suppose. Sounds as if he would certainly have the motive to want to torment Regina but I think he would have to have some serious connections to be able to pull it off. This guy’s too involved in Regina’s daily movements for it to realistically be King.” Tapping his index finger repeatedly on his bottom lip he continues, “It might be something to poke around in though. If he’s got a contact on the outside I can find out.”
Robin nods appreciatively, glancing down at his phone to see if Regina has responded. She hasn’t and he struggles to tamp down the instant rise of panic he feels. She’s busy. He knows how Gold is and she probably hasn’t even had a chance to check her phone, let alone respond to him. That tiny niggle of worry still persists though and Robin drums his fingers along the table in irritation.
“We’re going to find him, Locksley.” Killian’s not used to seeing his friend and colleague this rattled. It’s a good thing Robin brought him in when he did, he’d been right. He’s too involved. That’s when mistakes start to happen. Mistakes Robin can’t afford to take with the woman he loves.
“I know. I’ve just got a bad feeling.” He confesses.
“Let’s plug away at some more of this list and then we’ll go check on your lady. Sound good?” Robin nods and tries to refocus, pushing his worries and thoughts of Regina to the back of his mind.
It isn’t long before Killian’s voice breaks through Robin’s concentration.”Tell me about the day the scaffolding fell again.”
Robin lets out a sigh, ashamed to admit that it hadn’t been one of his finest moments. “I was distracted that day,” he confesses, “Regina and I were in the middle of a disagreement and, I admit, was focused more on her than our surroundings.”
“What kind of disagreement?” He asks, curious. Robin isn’t one to get distracted easily.
He smiles a bit wistfully before responding, “Regina was being stubborn,” his tone ripe with affection as he says it. “We’d both finally given into our feelings for each other and she was running away. I was trying to give her some space and make her see reason.” Killian acknowledges him, waving a hand for him to continue. Though Robin doesn’t miss the smirk his friend does a poor job of concealing.
“I was wandering around set, heading closer to the stage where she was acting when I heard metal crunching and looked up. One of the sets of lights had come loose from the scaffolding overhead and nearly fell on top of me before I dodged out of the way.” Robin pauses, takes another sip of his coffee and checks his phone once more. Still nothing from Regina.
“Regina was distraught and I was just focused on getting her alone to calm her down and reassure her. When we got back to her trailer there was another note. Basically said that the incident had been a warning and for me to keep my hands off of her.” He tells him, anger rising as he remembers, recalling the way Regina had blamed herself. How it had been one more obstacle he’d had to overcome before he could convince her to give them a shot.
Killian interjects with, “So it clearly was not an accident. And was certainly intended as a message. Did you look into it any further after that?”
Robin gives him a baleful look. “Yes, of course. I double checked with security and no one came in or out of the lot that day that wasn’t scheduled to be there. I ran new background checks on everyone again and questioned all of the lighting techs but none of them knew what had happened. In fact, not one of them were even up there when the damn thing fell.”
“What about the rest of the crew?” he asks. “Could someone else working that day have tampered with it?”
Musing over the suggestion, Robin concedes, “I suppose it’s a possibility. Nothing suspicious popped up in the new background checks. Though I could have missed something. Let’s go through them again.”
Several minutes go by as the two of them go over the information in front of them before Killian pipes up with, “What about this guy? Sydney Glass? He’s not on your original crew list but he shows up on the second one you ran.” He’d been cross checking the two lists to see if anyone had signed on to work on the film after Robin’s initial check, Glass’ name popping out as one of the few who had.
He glances up, to where Killian is studying his screen with a mild frown. “Camera man? Right?” Robin asks, double checking he’s matching the correct face with the name in his mind. Killian nods and points to something on his screen.
“Says here he was hired as an extra crewman two weeks after the start of the production. But he has no prior history of working on any movie or film for the studio previously.”
Robin nods, trying to remember the details. “That’s correct. He had a background in…” His voice trails off, eyes going wide as his gaze meets KIllian’s over the table in horror. That sick feeling he’s had all day returning ten fold as he finishes, “Photography…” A tabloid reporter if he isn’t mistaken and, God, he is an absolute idiot. How could he have been so stupid as to not catch something like that?
Granted, Robin had no idea of Regina’s history with the paparazzi when he’d looked into the cast so he hadn’t been looking for it, but still. He should have known better. Should have digged deeper. Should have made the connection sooner.
“We need to get to Regina. Now.” he clips out, a new kind of panic making his throat tight. That voice in the back of his mind telling him to be worried even stronger now. Something’s wrong. He can feel it. Robin’s up out of his seat and bolting toward the sound stage where Regina is shooting before Killian can even acknowledge the pieces they’ve put together. Groaning, he takes off after his friend.
----------
Over on set, Gold calls cut and announces they’re taking a break so he can go over the footage and they’re all released for a half hour. Regina let’s out a breath of relief. She’s distracted today, hadn’t slept well the night before, despite Robin’s reassuring presence beside her, and is tired and worn out as a result. Thinking of Robin she smiles to herself. Thirty minutes with him is just what she needs to boost her energy. He’d said he and Killian were going to go set up camp and go over things, she assumes he’d use her trailer for that as he typically does.
Waving off Graham’s suggestion they grab some lunch together over at craft services, she tells Tink she’ll be in her trailer and heads across the lot. It’s not until she’s about to step inside that she glances down to see the text message from him and grins, causes her to chuckle as she pushes the door open.
But something’s off. It’s empty, for one. No Robin to be seen anywhere. The hair on the back of Regina’s neck prickles, goosebumps peppering her skin as soon as she steps foot into her trailer. Her eyes dart around the familiar space, searching for something out of place, as she fights the instinct to turn and run.
By the time an arm wraps around her waist, hand pressing a faintly sweet smelling cloth over her mouth and nose she never saw coming, it is too late. She feels her eyelids droop heavily, as she struggles to break free of the hold around her, her limbs feel like lead until eventually everything goes dark…
Regina Mills is an esteemed actress who has been receiving disturbing letters from an anonymous fan. She hires Robin Locksley as her new bodyguard to protect herself and her son. Despite their best efforts the two begin to fall for each other. Will the frightening reminders from her past keep them apart or can this new love heal the hurts of her past?
{ ffn }
They snooze for a bit, the sated sensation of loving dragging them toward oblivion as Regina and Robin lie together. Despite her sleepy brain and heavy limbs it isn't long before that damned voice that is constantly whispering to her this is too good, it won’t work, starts to creep through Regina’s mind. How badly will this affect their relationship?
“What are we going to do?” Her voice is quiet, barely above a whisper, disturbing the tranquil air around them as she swirls the tips of her fingers in random patterns over his chest and her head rests on his shoulder, Robin’s arms holding her tightly to him. “About us? About this?” Ending up in bed together had not been part of the plan and in fact will likely complicate matters tenfold. Just what they had needed in this situation. But resisting each other had become impossible and now they have to deal with the consequences of their actions.
Robin’s hand slides up and down Regina’s naked back. He doesn’t have a good answer for her, is just as taken aback by the depth of his feelings for this woman as she is. Never would he have imagined he would fall so hard for her when he had accepted this job. He may have no clue what comes next but if Robin is certain of one thing it’s that he wants Regina in his life, in every way possible. And he will not regret being with her this way, prays to whomever is listening that Regina won’t either.
“This can’t happen again, Robin. We both know that. It doesn’t change anything.” Robin’s arms tighten around her in protest, as if he’s afraid she’ll disappear if he doesn’t hold onto her. Wishing she didn’t have to drag them back to reality Regina continues, “You are my bodyguard and anything between us would never work.” Regina pauses, sitting up and extricating herself from his embrace, holding the sheet to her breasts as a protective shield and steels herself for what she’s about to say next, “This was a mistake.”
The words are like a dagger to his heart.
Saying it kills her but Regina knows no other way to fix the damage they’ve done. She can’t be in a relationship, isn’t destined for romantic happiness, has known it since the day Daniel died and she will not drag Robin down with her. Despite his adamant attempts to convince her that this thing between them could actually work she is positive it never would. It’s impossible. He deserves so much more than she can give him and Regina cares far too much about him to give Robin anything less than everything.
Denial is her only option, no matter how strongly she wants to bury herself within his embrace and distract them both from the mess they’ve gotten themselves into. Her heart can’t take the uncertainty. They should never have slept together. Now it’s going to take all of Regina’s strength to make it through this conversation, to force Robin out of her bed when all she wants is to forget the outside world exists and her greatest desire at the moment is to stay cocooned in their little bubble and toss her leg over his hips to straddling him, wants to experience that glorious peak with him again. Why does this have to be so damn complicated?
It shouldn’t surprise him that she’s trying to run again, to erect that wall between them, but Robin had thought they were past this. Perhaps they should have stopped to talk before they’d wildly taken each other after all. “You don’t mean that.”
Because she can’t, not truly. In the time that he’s known her Robin has learned how to read this woman, her fears, her insecurities, and he knows exactly what she’s doing, what she’s been doing for weeks now. He just doesn’t know why. Every time they take a step forward or he sees just a bit more of the woman she hides beneath her tough image she throws up another wall to keep them apart. Why should this time be any different? Except it is. Because now Robin knows what it feels like to hold her in his arms, to kiss her, to make her moan his name in ecstasy, and there is no way he can be expected to give that up simply because she’s scared of what they have. He refuses to.
"It shouldn't have happened, Robin." Is Regina’s only response.
Shifting to climb off the bed she suddenly finds herself drawn beneath his hard body, his forearms caging her in on either side of her head. He already wants her again, presses his desire against her and her hips jerk against his, a stifled groan escaping Regina's lips before she can choke it back as triumph flashes through Robin’s eyes. Though it fades quickly as he asks, "Why do you keep trying to pretend like what we have is nothing? Why Regina? What's holding you back?"
His forehead drops to Regina’s for a second, his eyes pleading with her to let him in, before his lips trail down her jawline to her neck and Regina arches her back into the feel of his kisses against her skin, squeezing her own shut against the onslaught of tears welling up. And then the truth slips out, part of it at least. "Because all I’ll do is hurt you.”
Halting his ministrations as the words find his ears Robin lifts his head to stare down at her in puzzlement. “Regina, what are you talking about?” His right hand comes up to stroke her hair away from her face lovingly, soothingly as he waits for her to explain.
But she just shakes her head, pressing her lips together in a thin line, upset with herself for revealing even that much to him. What is it about this man that makes her want to bear her soul to him? It’s dangerous, clearly. Regina pushes him away from her with a hand on his bare chest and scoots off the bed, walking the few steps to the closet to retrieve her comfy robe and wrapping it around her body. A shield, however small, between herself and Robin.
Turning back around to face him Robin sits on the bed, sheets pooled around his waist with his knees drawn up for his forearms to rest on. The two watch each other in a silent battle for what feels like an eternity as Regina foolishly hopes he will drop the subject and pretend like she never said anything. Of course, she is not so lucky when Robin lets out a resigned sigh. Tossing the covers from his body he rises to walk over to where Regina is standing. If she won’t come to him that’s fine, then he’ll be forced to go to her. Comfortable in his nudity Robin doesn’t bother with modesty as he stands before her in all his naked glory. It distracts her for a second and Regina briefly waivers on whether this is the right thing to do. Maybe this time could be different. Perhaps this relationship won’t end in tragedy.
Suddenly, an image of Daniel lying on the ground, bleeding from his chest, shock and fear shining in his eyes, flashes through her brain and then the face is shifting into Robin’s the life draining out of those bright blue eyes she adores and Regina shudders. No, she will not let history repeat itself. Will not tempt fate that way.
He’s in front of her now, his hands rubbing gently up and down the arms she has crossed protectively over her chest. “Why would you think you’re going to hurt me, milady?”
Regina nibbles on her bottom lip anxiously as she tries to figure out someway to get out of this conversation, some way to make Robin walk away. Nothing comes to her though, except for the hard truth that she is terrified she will be the cause of another love dying. Her head tilts to the left, hair spilling over her shoulder and her eyes lift to his slowly, brimming with the tears she fights to keep from falling, and the look of utter misery in them breaks Robin’s heart. “Regina… talk to me.”
“I loved a man once.” she whispers, the words barely audible, out of her mouth before she can think about the ramifications of them. But here he is again, drawing parts of herself Regina would rather keep hidden out into the open.
Robin looks at her curiously, “Henry’s father I assume.” Her brief nod confirms his assumption and then he is asking, “But what does that have to do with us? With this?”
Shrugging off Robin’s hold Regina paces across the room, stares out the window into the night, studies the way the moonlight slants over the glistening water of the pool. For a second it calms her nerves and settles her racing pulse enough to have her turning her attention back to Robin and sighing, voice hoarse with emotion as she confesses, “He was killed because of me. Because he loved me.” Her heart aches painfully in her chest at the omission. Never has she said those words aloud to anyone before.
It takes all of Robin’s restraint not to stride across the room and wrap Regina up in his arms, his heart splintering once more for the pain this incredible woman has overcome. He wants nothing more than to ease the hurt that drips from her voice in thick droplets of despair.
Hesitantly at first, he takes one step toward her again, then another and another until Robin is standing next to her again. It seems they can’t stand to be more than a few feet from each other at all times, especially now when he can see how much she’s hurting. Afraid to upset her further he pauses before his hand comes up to slip his fingers through her hair, massaging the back of her scalp gently. “I am so sorry, Regina.” The apology is inadequate at best, for nothing can make up for the loss of love like that but she’s not alone anymore. She doesn’t have to bear the weight of that grief by herself.
Regina lets herself be drawn into an embrace with Robin, his arms pulling her close to him and she tucks her head beneath his chin, her nose pressed against his chest as she inhales his warm, pine scent. She feels safe with him, like this, longs for this exact feeling more than she realized before he came into her life. But while Robin is here to protect her and is well aware of the hazards that come with the job Regina would never forgive herself if something were to happen to him because of her. And becoming involved with him is as good as putting a target on his back for this madman.
Ignoring the voice that is telling her it’s too late, they are already involved, she murmurs, “You and I are better off keeping our relationship strictly professional.”
The chuckle Robin lets out jostles her against his chest. “It’s a little late for that, milady, don’t you think?” Leaning down he presses a kiss into her hair. “I’m crazy about you, Regina, and nothing you could say or do is going to change that.” It’s the truth and she knows it but Regina’s not quite ready to admit defeat on this matter, even if her own battered heart longs to let this man love her.
Extracting herself from his hold Regina looks up into his eyes, shaking her head as she steps back from him. “I’m sorry, Robin, but we can’t be together.”
He starts toward her again, pleading with her, “Regina...please…” But her next words stop him in his track.
“I want you to leave. Now.” She has her arms wrapped around her torso again, cradling herself as if she’s been wounded and it kills him that she refuses to accept him, slices him to the core. But her voice is firm and the last thing Robin wants is to make her feel cornered. Perhaps it’s best if he gives her a little bit of space for a few days until he can figure out someway to convince her they belong together.
So he sighs, bends to pick up his boxers from where they’d been tossed to the floor earlier and slips into them, gathering the rest of his clothing in the process. Regina watches him, gaze guarded, that protective barrier erected around her heart once more. Just as Robin reaches the door handle, twisting it and then turning back to look at the woman illuminated by moonlight he tells her, “This isn’t over, milady.”
And then he’s gone and Regina’s facade breaks as she collapses back to the bed, curling up and finally letting the tears she’s been fighting fall down her cheeks.
----------
Going to set after that is unbearable. Though he doesn’t like it, Robin has begrudgingly been giving Regina her space while they are at home in the hope that she might come to her senses regarding their relationship. He’s put in enough security measures that he’s fairly certain nothing could happen to her while there. The studio, however, is another matter altogether. Too many people, too many chances for something, someone, to slip by him. Here he has to be with her constantly, practically glued to her side. A rather uncomfortable situation when the woman he’s here to guard will barely acknowledge his presence beyond anything strictly professional. Robin can’t deny Regina Mills can be bloody stubborn when she wants to be.
To make things even more awkward people have begun to notice the shift. It’s not as if he and Regina had been overly flirtatious or inappropriate while she’d been working before but there were plenty of lingering glances and shy smiles and apparently neither one of them have been very good at hiding their feelings. As a result, Regina is a tad on edge and rather moody. Doesn’t exactly fancy being reminded of Robin’s presence or of how close they’ve become at every turn while she’s trying her best to ignore her heart screaming at her that she’s being a complete fool to give him up. And when exactly had he ingrained himself in her life so completely?
Ruby and Belle take turns shooting confused and concerned glances between the pair when they step into the makeup trailer Monday morning, the tension between Robin and Regina thick and suffocating in the air. There are none of the sassy remarks or heated glances they’ve come to expect from the two of them. Just a cold silence that feels wrong. Neither of them utter a word about it though, simply prepare Regina for her scenes for the day as usual and trade befuddled looks back and forth. Leroy, one of the grips, remarks in passing as Regina strides by him with a rude and snide comment, “Who put a stick up your butt, sister?” Gold merely lifts an eyebrow when she snaps at him in annoyance when he tells her he’s got something to take care of and they won’t be starting for another twenty minutes.
In Regina’s defense, it’s not her fault if she’s a little on edge though is it? She can’t freaking breathe with Robin around. Trying to maintain an emotional distance from him after having slept together, having to pretend like her traitorous heart hasn’t gone and fallen in love with him is more taxing than she had anticipated it would be. She’d been surly and snarky all weekend, her mood souring despite Robin giving her exactly what she’d wanted. Space.
Every time she starts having doubts as to whether or not she is doing the right thing, if staying away from him is really the best decision for both of them, Regina is assaulted by memories of cradling Daniel’s head in her lap, surrounded by people and paparazzi, as the love of her life had slipped away from her. Daniel’s murder had broken her into a thousand pieces, shattered her view of the world and of the life she thought she could have.
From that point on Regina had decided that she would never love another man again. It was much better to never open yourself to that kind of vulnerability.
And now Robin’s here again, hovering, constantly reminding her that it’s too late. She’s already fallen for him and all Regina wants is to grab him by the lapels of his cotton button down and clamp her mouth on his. To give into the well of love she feels for him. She just wants something to be simple and normal for once in her life. So she’s edgy and doesn’t quite give a damn about it.
Stomping over to where her assistant stands by her chair, coffee waiting in hand, Regina greets her with no enthusiasm whatsoever as the blonde hands the cup over and she takes a sip, tries desperately to forget that Robin is standing two feet behind her. Robin smiles ruefully at Tink when she knits her brow together in confusion at Regina’s poor mood, eyes darting between her friend’s haughty stance and her bodyguard’s resigned misery as he stares at the back of Regina’s head.
Never one to beat around the bush, Tink watches the couple for a solid sixty seconds, takes in the tension crackling between them and states knowingly, “You two slept together, didn’t you?” She’s not surprised in the least. They’ve been dancing around each other for weeks and Regina is not only her boss but one of her closest friends, she knows her well enough that she can spot when she’s truly interested in someone. Honestly, she’s surprised they’d lasted this long with the amount of sexual tension between them. When Regina’s mouth opens into a tiny “o” of dismay that quickly morphs into a scowl and Robin looks down sheepishly at his feet that’s all the reassurance she needs that she’s right.
“Why don’t I go get myself a cup of coffee?” Robin suggests.
“Yes, I think that’s a wonderful idea. Why don’t you?” Regina readily agrees, will take any reprieve she can get even if it means being left by herself to deal with her nosy assistant, so much for being her friend. Robin quickly abandons the women to allow them a moment alone while he walks over to the craft service table set up on the other side of the room, greeting several crew members jovially as he goes.
Damn him. He’s even become friends with the people she works with. Why can’t the man be a jerk instead of a kind and caring man? It would make this whole situation so much simpler. Turning her attention away from Robin’s retreating back with a sigh she rolls her eyes at Tink in annoyance. The pixie blonde glares at her friend shrewdly and says “Don’t even try to deny it, Regina. I know you remember.”
Regina huffs, “And what makes you so sure? Not that it’s any of your damn business even if it were true.”
Grinning at her Tink lifts an eyebrow and quips “If?” before she answers easily, “Because I’ve been watching the two of you tiptoe around each other like a bomb will go off if you get too close for over a month now. I’ve never seen two people with more sexual tension in my life.” she teases. “And now you’re cranky and moody and it is still strained between you but the air isn’t sizzling around you both anymore.” Leveling her with a look she adds, “Now what did you do to fuck it up?”
The glare Regina gives Tink could only be described as pure evil and for many it would likely scare them right out of their boots but she’s known this woman too long, is fully aware that her bark is often worse than her bite. Regina’s voice is low and annoyed when she asks, “Excuse me? What makes you think I did anything?”
“Cut the crap, Regina.” Tink’s voice softens as she implores her friend to open up to her. “Talk to me.”
It’s the pleading evident in her friend’s tone that finally causes Regina to relent, letting out a huff of air. The pain she’s been fighting for days seeps back through her bones. “Fine. Yes, we slept together. And it was amazing and perfect and I’ve never felt like that with anyone before.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Tink questions.
It hurts to talk about it, to remember that pain again, to be reminded that she was the cause for such tragedy. But surely this woman of all people will understand. She had watched it all unfold after all, knows how it wrecked her. “It won’t work, Tink. Loving me is dangerous and I will not let Robin end up hurt because of me, like Daniel was.” The last part is barely a whisper and Tink’s heart breaks at the omission.
“What happened to Daniel was not your fault, Regina. You can’t keep blaming yourself for his death forever.”
Emotion grips Regina by the throat and her words come out choked, “But that’s just it! It was my fault! Daniel died because he was involved with me, because he loved me. He never would have been killed if he hadn’t met me.” Talking about this brings the pain of it back tenfold and Regina’s heart aches to the point where she desperately wishes she could rip it out of her chest, feel nothing but numbness. “Everything I’ve ever loved has been taken away from me either by my mother or some cruel twist of fate. The only thing I’ve ever truly gotten right in my life is my son.” Deflating a bit from her outburst Regina murmurs, “Henry is enough. I can’t put myself in a position to be hurt like that again. And Robin is better off without me.”
Tink stares at Regina for several long seconds, heart breaking as she realizes her friend truly believes what she is saying, that she doesn’t think she deserves to be happy and loved. Not sure how to respond the blonde says the only thing that comes to mind, “You need love, Regina. Loving your son is not enough, not when you have so much of it in your heart to give. I know you don’t believe it but you have to let the past go and open yourself up again.” Taking a step toward her Tink grips Regina’s hand in both of hers, eyes beseeching her to believe what she is saying. “You can’t keep walling off your heart, Regina, and there is a man who I believe loves you, who wants to be there for you and protect you, and I’m pretty sure you love him too. Don’t run from that.”
Tears are welling up in Regina’s eyes as emotion overwhelms her. Maybe Tink is right. Maybe it is time to stop running from this. Before she can process her own feelings or response Gold is beckoning to her, indicating he’s ready to start rolling. Giving her friend a watery smile she squeezes her hand and starts over to the set.
She watches her walk away and then Tink’s head turns, scanning the room for Robin. She spots him back in the shadows, watching Regina as always, and he looks absolutely miserable. Well if Regina is going to choose to be thick headed about this then she is just going to have to take matters into her own hands. Striding quickly and determinedly to where he stands the blonde stops next to him, mirrors Robin’s stance and crosses her arms over her chest, pivots to watch Regina begin rehearsing.
They stay that way while the silence drags between them before Tink finally speaks quietly, “Don’t give up on her.”
Robin’s head swivels to look at her questioningly. “What?”
“Don’t give up.” she repeats. “Whatever you do, don’t stop fighting for her. Regina is stubborn as hell and whether she will admit it or not she needs you.” Tink pauses, debates whether she should be telling him this but from what she’s observed Regina and Robin are perfect for each other and she can’t help but play matchmaker when they are being so utterly stupid. And she can’t stand to see her friend in pain. “She’s hurting because of her past and is pushing you away because she’s afraid, but that just means she cares for you. So don’t let her shut you out, ok?”
Nodding, Robin let’s the blonde’s words sink in, glances from her bright face to where Regina is reciting her lines for the camera and his heart is overwhelmed by the wave of love that flows through him. “I won’t.” he assures her. Nothing is going to keep him from this woman he has fallen head over heels in love with, definitely not this stalker and not even the woman herself. He gives her a small smile, “Thanks.” and then the blond nods once more and scampers off in her pixie like manner.
Robin wanders a bit closer to the set, drawn to Regina as always, and contemplates what his next move should be. He needs to find this man and put a stop to his harassment. That is one of the main things holding her back from embracing their relationship. Perhaps if Robin can prove to her that she is not doomed to suffer, that he can protect both her and himself and they can be happy, together, she’ll stop running. And once she trusts him to do that hopefully he can convince her to open up about her past.
He doesn’t see it coming, is so focused on Regina that Robin doesn’t notice that the bar of stage lights hanging above him has started to swing back and forth in a manner that it definitely should not, hanging precariously from the scaffolding. He hears the creaking sound of metal bending, however, glances up just in time to see the shaking equipment and dive roll away before the lights break from their anchor and crash to the ground where he had been standing.
All movement stops for the span of a second as the cast and crew look at the broken lights and Robin on the ground in shock. Then Regina is shouting his name and rushing to kneel beside him on the floor, her hands running over his shoulders and down his arms, her right hand coming up to cup his face in her palm. “Robin! Are you alright? Oh my god!”
The adrenaline is pumping through his veins, blood pounding in his ears as he looks away from where the large stage lights had almost crushed him to Regina’s worried and frightened face. Covering her hand on his cheek with his own Robin gives her a small smile, “I”m fine, milady.” his voice tight he tells her, “I’m quick on my feet. I can take care of myself.”
Scoffing, Regina glares at him and jerks her hand back from his face. “Of course. You were nearly seriously injured but you’re perfectly fine so why should I be concerned?”
“Hey…” Robin tries to grab her hand but she pulls her arm out of reach before his fingers can connect to hers. “Regina...that’s not what I meant.” And he’s an idiot for trying to dispel her anxiety with a joke, a poor one at that, when she’s already on edge over the possibility of him being hurt.
Exceedingly grateful when he hears Gold call in an annoyed voice that they are done for the day so they can clean up and figure out what went wrong with the lights Robin catches Regina’s hand in his as she is distracted and pulls her to him, their bodies are pressed together and though she initially makes to push away from him one look into Robin’s eyes has her pausing. “Come on, we’re going.”
Though he is certain that this was not an accident it’s not until they get back to Regina’s trailer that it is confirmed by the note left on her table with a bouquet of roses in a crystal vase serving as a paperweight for the slip of stationary. Robin tries to grab the note before Regina can read what is written but she is quicker and snatches it up from him.
“This time was a warning. Tell that bodyguard of yours to keep his hands to himself. No one is allowed to touch you but me, My Queen.” She reads the words scrawled on the page, face losing all of its color with each one. Regina’s eyes lift to Robin’s and the fear in them is so apparent he can’t help but pull her into his arms, wrapping them around her small frame and clutching her to him.
“It was him. He did this. If that thing had landed on you...” She’s fighting back tears and her words are mumbled by his chest but Robin hears her clearly enough. “All because of me, because you and I were together.”
Running his fingers through her hair Robin shushes her, holds her tighter to his body. “It’s not your fault, Regina.”
She lifts her head from his chest to look into his eyes. “How can you even say that? He tried to hurt you because of this obsession with me, because of what you mean to me. Of course it’s my fault.” Regina shoves her hands against his chest, taking several steps backward and a few tears escape to slide down her cheek. “This is exactly why we can’t be together, Robin.”
Looking at the woman before him Tink’s words whisper through his mind. No, he is not going to give up her nor their relationship. He walks to her and takes both of her hands in his, brings them up and places a kiss on each knuckle, causes a few more tears to fall from Regina’s eyes as she watches him. “Let’s go home and we can talk about it some more.”
Regina just shakes her head, “Robin, what is there left to talk about?”
He cups her cheek lovingly and smiles at her, the one that has all of his dimples winking out and makes her go a tad weak at the knees. “Please, milady. Hear me out just one more time.”
Regina Mills is an esteemed actress who has been receiving disturbing letters from an anonymous fan. She hires Robin Locksley as her new bodyguard to protect herself and her son. Despite their best efforts the two begin to fall for each other. Will the frightening reminders from her past keep them apart or can this new love heal the hurts of her past?
{ ffn }
-
It’s been a relatively quiet week since Regina had hired Robin. There’s been no notes, no flowers, nothing at all from her admirer and she knows Robin has had a large part in that. Regina is aware that he’s been screening her mail, though he hasn’t said anything to her about it, and she is infinitely grateful for it. It’s a relief to have someone else to share the burden with, to not have the stress of the situation solely on her shoulders anymore. And though she hasn’t seen anything she knows they haven’t stopped. Not only is it wishful thinking and improbable but Robin also has this way of looking at her that is pitifully easy to see through and when he does she knows there’s been another one. But it’s his job to worry about it now, not hers.
So she’s done her best to put it out of her mind. To enjoy the last week with her son before she starts shooting and her schedule goes from relaxed to sixteen hour days on set and hardly any time with him. Regina wonders downstairs looking for him and finds him huddled with Robin at the kitchen table, there’s a board game laid out in front of them and it’s quite clear that Henry has roped him into playing with him. Her heart stutters a beat at the sight of them. Robin’s been great with Henry, sweet and caring, and it’s nice to see her son have that type of male interaction he’s had very little of in his life.
But it does things to her and Regina’s hormones take a hit at the sight. Having Robin underfoot constantly would be fine, a touch annoying, but fine if it weren’t for the fact that she is wildly attracted to him and has no idea how to handle that. She’s been jumpy and jittery around him for a week now and it's not getting any better, driving her mad in fact. How is she suppose to resist her attraction to him when he goes and eases her mind and plays silly games with her son?
“Ha! I win!” Henry exclaims all of a sudden, jumping up from his chair to do a little happy dance, Robin grinning at him. His smile makes her weak in the knees and Regina takes a deep breath to calm the butterflies dancing around in her stomach.
“What do we have here?” she asks from the doorway, chuckling as both of them shift their focus to her with identical expressions of merriment.
Henry runs over to her, grabbing her hand and dragging her across the kitchen to the table to show her. “I kicked Robin’s butt in Sorry!” he declares happily, gesturing toward the board where all four of his blue tokens are gathered together in the home bubble while Robin’s green ones have only managed to get one there, several of them still at the start.
Her eyes meet his over Henry’s head and she smiles at him and tisks, “Trounced by a ten-year-old at a children’s board game. How does it feel, Locksley?” Regina unashamedly enjoys the way his eyes light up in challenge at her use of his last name. Over the last week she’s discovered his reaction to it, the way his jaw tenses and he’s forced to breath slowly through his nose once before he can respond, has thoroughly delighted in tormenting him with it at every opportunity. It’s not helping their current predicament in the slightest but Regina can’t quite resist the temptation, relishes knowing he’s at least halfway affected by her as she is by him. They simply just have to keep ignoring the feelings bubbling up within them, that doesn’t mean she can’t have a little fun agonizing him as well.
“The boy put up quite a fight. He deserves his win.” Robin grins at her. She looks lovely this morning, dressed to go to set in those form fitted slacks that hug her figure in tantalizing ways and a casual sweater. Stunning in every way, Robin thinks, and it's entirely unfair. This woman is off limits and yet the more he gets to know her, the more of her he learns, the more Robin wants her. It's driving him absolutely mad. "You look lovely this morning."
Regina blushes slightly at the compliment, hopes neither he nor Henry notice. "Thank you. We need to be leaving. Gold will murder me if I'm late for my call time and I'd rather avoid his wrath on the first day. It'll make the whole shoot a horrid experience." she laughs, moving to pour coffee into a to-go cup from the cupboard. “And you, young man, have school. Mary Margaret will be here any minute to take you. Go up and grab your things so you’re ready when she gets here.”
Henry scampers off to retrieve his backpack, leaving Regina and Robin alone. A heavy silence fills the kitchen and as she hears Robin begin to put their game away she turns around to face him. “You don’t have to play with him you know.” Regina blurts out. “Board games with my son wasn’t exactly in the job description and I know you have more important things on your plate. If he’s bothering you just let me know and I can have a talk with him.”
Abandoning his task Robin walks over to where Regina stands next to the counter and studies her with a puzzled expression for a minute before shaking his head. “Have I given any indication that Henry is a bother?” he asks. “I enjoy spending time with him. It’s refreshing.” She still looks doubtful though and all Robin can do is shake his head at her. “He’s a great kid, Regina. You’ve raised a wonderful child who is pleasant to be around.” Robin pauses, sucking in a breath before he reveals his own vulnerability to her. “And being around him makes not having Roland with me just a little bit easier to bear.” he confesses.
Before she realizes she’s done it Regina’s hand has covered Robin’s on the counter, her thumb rubbing along the outside of his in short, absent strokes and their eyes meet. Her heart aches at his confession. They’ve yet to discuss his son in more depth than what she’d learned at his apartment the week before but his words are laced with pain and Regina has this pressing need to ease his hurts. “I’m sorry.” Is all she whispers though, taking a small step closer to him, drawn in by his steady gaze on hers.
Their breaths mingle in the miniscule space between them now. “Thank you.” he whispers and for one exhilarating moment Regina thinks he’s about to kiss her, is too curious as to what his lips against hers would feel like to attempt to stop him. Robin’s face leans closer to, their mouths a hairs breath from each other just as the doorbell rings loudly, echoing around them and Henry shouts that Mary Margaret has arrived.
The pair quickly pull away as they hear Henry’s heavy footsteps getting closer, running back into the kitchen, backpack in hand, to give his mother a kiss goodbye before darting off again and meeting his babysitter at the door so she can escort him to school.
Regina smiles embarrassingly at Robin, both disappointed and grateful at the untimely interruption. Mary Margaret has saved them from making what would surely have been a terrible, awkward mistake. Clearing her throat she says, “Well. We should probably be leaving. My call times in an hour and with traffic we’ll be lucky we even make it in that.”
“Right. Of course.” Robin readily agrees. He’s not sure what would have happened if they hadn’t been interrupted, if he actually had given in and kissed her. But he knows he wanted to, still wants to, desperately and his hormones are a bit on edge at the moment. But he gestures for Regina to lead the way, “After you, milady.” and follows her out to the waiting car.
----------
It’s a whirlwind once they finally make it to the studio after their battle through traffic and it seems every single person on the lot knows Regina, makes a point to stop and talk with her, even for just a second. Robin had known she was an extremely popular actress, had a reputation for being one of the more open actors on set, when she wanted to be, but he hadn’t quite expected that response to her presence when he’d prepared for her security. They’ve mostly spent the last week at her home and she hasn’t gone out all that much save for a few meetings and taking Henry to the park. This is the first time Robin has been in a crowded area with her really. And her charming demeanor only makes his job that much harder. Her stalker could be any one of these people, is actually likely it is someone she comes in contact with on a daily basis if they are to go by statistics. And her coming into contact with hoards of people just on the walk to her trailer is going to make keeping her safe and figuring out who this person is all the more difficult.
So he says nothing as they continue to weave their way through people milling about, Regina waving to those who call out her name and stopping to chat with a few crew members, remains as close to her as he can, a hand on the small of her back the entire way through the lot toward where the stars trailers are kept. As soon as they are inside though he’s on her. “Must you be so damn friendly with everyone?”
Regina turns from where she has dumped her bag on the couch along the wall and gives him a puzzled and annoyed glare. “Excuse me?” She has no idea what his problem is but one look at Robin and she can tell something has him worked up, though Regina hasn’t a clue what it could be. Aside from their near miss moment in the kitchen this morning nothing out the the ordinary has happened up till now.
“You have a man who is stalking you, whom I am here to protect you from, and I can’t do that if you’re going to flit around here cozying up with every other person who walks up to you.” Robin responds. And it’s a bit of an exaggeration, perhaps a touch irrational for him to be picking a fight over this but he’s on edge and their encounter earlier hasn’t helped with his nerves a bit, has no one to take it out on but her. There’s more to it though. Another letter had arrived just that morning, the tone of it just a tad more desperate than some of the others, had mentioned her starting filming today and wishing he could be there with her. It has Robin worried. So he is being precautious today, even if it means pissing Regina off.
She stares at him befuddled for several long seconds, blinks while trying to process the words, his tone and the reasoning behind it but all it does is set her back up. She’s done nothing to warrant that kind of reaction, will not let this deranged man change how she acts. How dare Robin even suggest the notion she’s being overly friendly, as if she asks for the attention people bestow upon her. Regina’s mind reels at the indication that he might think that of her. “I highly doubt my stopping for thirty seconds to speak with people I’ve worked with for years is going to put me in any serious danger, Robin.” she spats angrily.
The back of Robin’s neck is prickling, making him uneasy. “You need to be more cautious, Regina. This man could be anyone, including someone who works here, someone you’ve worked with before. And you’re the one who hired me, remember?” he points out. “Perhaps you should listen to me so I can keep you safe instead of being chummy with everyone on this set.”
“I’m late for hair and makeup.” Is all Regina says in response as she storms out of the trailer, incensed that Robin has the nerve to question her habits like that. Yes, she’s hired him to protect her but he is being entirely unreasonable in this, she won’t stay here and listen to it. Not giving a damn whether Robin catches up or not Regina moves across the lot in long strides, steam practically rolling off her in waves. She vaguely hears Robin shouting after her but doesn’t slow down, doesn’t stop till she’s made it to the makeup trailer where she takes a deep calming breath before entering. The last thing she needs is to cause a scene the first day.
As she steps into the dim room compared to the bright California sun it takes a minute for Regina’s eyes to adjust. But as they do she is smiling and stepping further into the room, greeting the familiar faces around her. Ruby Lucas and Belle French are the it girls when it comes to hair and makeup in Hollywood at the moment, have worked on the last four movies she’s been on and Regina’s come to grow rather fond of them, cherishing the time she spends with them each day. “Good morning, ladies.” she smiles, attempts to keep her tone pleasant even when she still wants to strangle Robin.
Speak of the devil, the man plaguing her life swings the trailer door open no more than twenty seconds after her greeting, obviously still as annoyed as she feels. “Regina…” he starts, trailing off when he realizes they are not alone. All three women turn to stare at him and Robin briefly takes note of the two brunette women surrounded by brushes and powders looking at him curiously but he only has eyes for Regina. Tries to reprimand her for running off without him through his gaze rather than words and he knows she knows exactly what he means but she just smirks and turns away from him, plopping herself down in one of the chairs facing a vanity mirror.
“What sort of trouble have you beauties been getting into since our last film?” she asks of Belle and Ruby. When neither of them say anything for another minute, eyes darting over to where Robin stands awkwardly in the doorway Regina sighs. “Belle, Ruby, this is Robin Locksley. He’s my new bodyguard. He’ll be hoovering for the foreseeable future.” she informs them, her ire evident and Robin rolls his eyes at the tone. He’s just trying to keep the infuriating woman safe. That’s what she’d hired him to do. “Don’t give him a second thought. You guys have to make me gorgeous or we’ll all have to listen to Gold complain.”
The two laugh and nod, moving to begin preparing Regina. Belle shoots Robin a friendly smile while she gets to work applying foundation to Regina’s skin whereas Ruby gives him an obvious once-over and a sultry smile of approval as she moves to grab the curlers. Annoyance flairs through Regina again, though it shouldn’t bother her. Robin’s quite attractive, of course Ruby is going to notice, and she sure as hell has no claim over him. Doesn’t want one, she repeats to herself, perhaps a few more times than should be necessary to believe it. And she’s still annoyed with him all the same.
Robin isn’t quite sure what to do with himself. Clearly this is not an area he is comfortable in and the trailer is small and tight, chairs and mirrors and people crammed in as it is. He feels out of place and awkward and a part of him still wants to ring Regina’s neck for walking out in the middle of their disagreement. If she refuses to listen to what he has to say how the hell is he going to be able to protect her from this man? That feeling of unease is still plaguing him. The trio chatter away while Robin considers what his best course of action is from here. He really should do a sweep of the sound stage and the surrounding areas before Regina makes her way over there. He needs to swing through the studio security office as well to snag a list of all the people with access to the lots so he can run a check on them, see if anything suspicious comes up.
Deciding that’s probably a much more productive use of his time than standing here watching her be primped and primed, as lovely as she looks, Robin walks over to the chair Regina is occupying. “Excuse me for a second.” he says to Belle who has to take a step backward as Robin leans down into Regina’s space to whisper in her ear. “Since you’re too damn stubborn for your own good we’ll finish discussing this later. I have some things I need to check on.” His breath is warm as it coasts over her ear, making Regina shiver. His scent surrounds her, overwhelms her senses, something that reminds her of the forest, and it’s a heady smell that clouds her brain. “Do try to stay out of trouble while I’m gone. I’ll meet you over on the sound stage.” he finishes and is out the door before Regina has a chance to recover from the way he’s turned her brain to mush at his closeness.
No one says anything for a full minute and ultimately it is Ruby who breaks the silence. “Well, damn. Where did you find him and where can I get me one?” And Regina laughs along with the other two women at Ruby’s comment but can’t deny she’s a touch concerned over Robin’s effect on her.
She has to put it out of her mind though through the rest of prep and as she ventures over to Stage 7, where they will be filming the majority of the movie, has to focus on her character. Robin’s quite the distraction she discovers and Regina has a harder time shutting him out of her head than she would like. She smiles when she gets to the sound stage though. There’s no feeling like the first day of production, the buzz of creating something new and exciting before the endless hours start to take their toll on the crew and the actors. Regina lives for that first day and wants to enjoy every minute of it, despite her troublesome bodyguard.
Finding her way over to her chair Regina spots her costar, Graham Hunt, already set up next to her own looking over the script. They haven’t worked together before but they’ve both been in the business for years, each having gotten their break around the same time. He’d been pleasant enough and charming when they had read together for the parts and he is very good at what he does, an excellent actor even if he does have a reputation for getting rather close to his co stars. There had been rumors flying around about him and Emma Swan several months ago when they’d been filming together.
Though Regina doesn’t truly have an interest in finding out if those rumors are true or not she won’t deny how attractive he is which will make him playing her love interest all the more enjoyable. Slipping into her seat next to him she leans over and flashes him a flirty smile, “Hello, handsome.”
Graham grins at her in response, leaning toward her himself, a twinkle of flirtation in his eye as he greets her, “Hello, gorgeous. How are we this fine day? Ready to make a hit?” She grins back, places a hand on his forearm and nods.
That’s how Robin sees them when he walks onto the soundstage, huddled up together, matching grins on their faces and the sight irks him. It shouldn’t and he can’t really allow himself to give into those emotions but he’s bothered by the image just the same. So he wastes no time walking over to where the pair sit, placing a hand lightly between Regina’s shoulder blades to let her know he’s there and she turns her head quickly to look up at him. Instantly, the playful gleam in her eyes blinks out and regret washes over him. He never wants to be responsible for that light leaving her eyes and perhaps he had been a bit hard on her earlier.
“All clear.” he tells her and Regina nods, turning her attention back to Graham who studies them with mild curiosity. Quickly making introductions the two shake hands and Robin does his best not to crush the man’s hand when his appreciative gaze swings back to Regina before their palms have even broken apart. He does not like the way the man looks at her, not in the least.
Luckily, Robin is saved from having to make small talk with the man for long as Gold calls them both over to begin shooting. And so he spends the next several hours watching Regina work, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious, and making several phone calls to his various contacts to begin running searches on all of the people on the list he’d retrieved.
Eventually Gold calls cut and Regina is free to leave for the day. Robin walks back over to where she is standing and he can see she is tired, not surprising after she’s spent hours doing take after take. He desperately wants to help her relax, to ease some of the strain he notices around her eyes, instead he simply asks if she’s ready to leave. At her assent they make their way back to her trailer to retrieve her belongings before heading home.
There are flowers waiting for her when they arrive. Hundreds of them, every type one could possibly imagine strewn over every available surface and Regina’s stomach drops at the sight before her, halted in the doorway with Robin behind her. She can’t move. Her blood feels like ice and she knows without a doubt they are from him. It’s entirely like him to invade her space this way, to destroy the excited buzz she always feels on the first day of a new production, though she knows he doesn’t see it that way. No, in his eyes this is affection and for a moment Regina fears it will never end. That she will be forced to live in this reality forever. She hears Robin’s concerned murmur of her name as she hasn’t moved since opening the door but can’t speak beyond the lump in her throat.
After another thirty seconds of numb silence on her part Robin doesn’t wait for her response. Simply steps up behind her until his hands are braced on her arms and his chest comes in contact with her back. His eyes go wide at the sight before him but immediately his mind starts spinning a million miles an hour. Whether out of reflex or his protective instinct over her Robin tightens his hold on her, bringing her even closer to him as he moves them a few steps into the trailer, out of the doorway so it slams closed behind them. Immediately he steps away to sweep the tiny area, swiftly checking the small room off the back to ensure no one has lingered and then he searches for a note, positive there is one somewhere. He finds it hidden within one of the bunches of flowers on the table and scans it quickly, his fingers tightening and eyes narrowing at the words on the page before he folds it again and slides it into the back pocket of his jeans. So this is why he has had such a bad feeling since they’d arrived.
Robin’s eyes lift to Regina’s and fear is still etched all over her features. It’s unprofessional but he can’t stop himself as he crosses the three steps to her and wraps his arms around her. Regina is a strong woman but she shakes in his embrace and only hesitates for a few seconds before her own come up around him, her head finding the crook of his neck and burying her face in it. The feel of Robin’s hand stroking up and down her back as the other one holds her head to him and it soothes her. It shouldn’t, she should not be seeking comfort from him when she already feels so defenseless but she’s shaken up and doesn’t have the strength to resist at this particular moment.
Neither one of them know how long they stand there before the steady beat of Robin’s heart calms her enough to have Regina taking a step back, pulling out of his embrace. Her eyes lift to his and the weary resignation in her gaze causes Robin’s heart clench in his chest. “Will this never end?” she asks quietly.
And Robin has no answer for her, wishes he could assure her that she is not going to have to deal with it any longer but until he discovers who this man is all he can provide is a small bit of what he hopes is reassurance, “Not if I have any say over it. I will find him, Regina. I promise you that.”
Giving him a watery smile she nods, “I suppose I should have listened to you earlier after all.” she jokes, though there’s very little teasing in the words. So Robin breaks, can’t stand to see that look on her face. He slides his hand down the length of her arm until his fingers are tangled with hers and he leads her over to the leather sofa and pulls her down onto it with her facing him. Robin’s hands move up to Regina’s shoulders and he steadily begins to knead the tension away, his thumbs pressing along her bunched muscles until they start to relax under his attention.
It feels glorious, Regina thinks, eyelids fluttering shut as Robin massages the stress away. His hands are like magic, working out all of the kinks that have been building up within her. And as she relaxes Regina wonders what it would be like to feel those hands running over other parts of her body. Wonders how amazing it would feel to be stroked and petted by this man. It’s a risky train of thought but Regina’s head falls back to rest on Robin’s shoulder anyway, turns it toward his neck until that forest scent fills her nostrils and his stubble tickles her forehead.
Robin sucks in his breath at her movement, the way her body melts against his chest, but continues rubbing her shoulders. Her hair smells like apples and her skin is soft as her nose rubs against his throat. Attempting to keep this from progressing further than is wise Robin swallows heavily, “Feel a bit better?” he asks softly.
And Regina nods, taking one more second to revel in how nice this feels before she opens her eyes and sits up, turning on the couch to face him. “Thank you. And I know you’re only trying to protect me, I shouldn’t give you such a hard time. I’m just so lost. I have no idea how to deal with this anymore.” she confesses.
His hand comes up and brushes a stray lock of hair behind her ear, cupping her cheek, a habit of his he’s picked up rather quickly she contemplates. Everything between them has been so easy, he seems to understand her better than anyone she’s ever met. And that frightens her almost as much as her stalker.
“Well, milady, luckily for you you don’t have to do it alone anymore. I’m here.”
A startling thought for someone who has only had herself to rely on for more years than she can recall. But as Robin’s thumb strokes over the apple of her cheek Regina believes him, thinks it’s a feeling she would like to hold on to as long as she can.
Regina Mills is an esteemed actress who has been receiving disturbing letters from an anonymous fan. She hires Robin Locksley as her new bodyguard to protect herself and her son. Despite their best efforts the two begin to fall for each other. Will the frightening reminders from her past keep them apart or can this new love heal the hurts of her past?
{ ffn }
-
His first order of business is learning her routine. He needs to be aware of her habits, things she does every day without thinking about them, places she frequents, the people around her that she trusts. All of those points are weaknesses, areas easily manipulated by someone seeking to be close to her. The first step in protecting her is eliminating all the chinks in the armour, so to speak. He rises early for a thorough check of the grounds, sneaks out of the house quietly before she or Henry are awake. Some habits are hard to break, he thinks as he tiptoes past Regina’s room with the skill and efficiency of a practiced thief.
It’s not an enormous estate he discovers but Regina has enough land surrounding her home, enough wooded and ungated areas that it would be easy enough for someone to sneak onto the premises. That’s one of the first things they need to fix.
Robin ventures back inside through the back door, finding Regina in the kitchen at the stove flipping pancakes, Henry sitting at the counter drinking orange juice as he waits, prattling on and on about Ironman’s latest adventure. He takes a moment to study Regina, she’s dressed casually for the morning in a loose grey v-neck and vest, black slacks to go with it and her hair pulled back into a loose ponytail at the base of her neck. Her feet are bare and for some ridiculous reason Robin can not fathom his attention is drawn to her red polished toenails and how absolutely adorable they are. Attempting to reign his focus back onto more important matters he steps into the open area. “Good morning.”
Her gaze jumps to him immediately as if she has forgotten his presence in her home, spatula hovering over the pan awkwardly for a moment before she recovers. Returning to the task at hand she returns the sentiment, “Good morning, Mr. Locksley.”
They can’t have that now, there is no place for that kind of formality between them if he’s going to be with her constantly. And something about the way she says his name in that tone has parts of his body aching in ways that are entirely inappropriate to have regarding his boss, especially in front of her son. So he ventures further into the room until he is standing directly next to her at the stove, “I think it would be a good idea if you and I were on a first name basis, don’t you agree...Regina?” he asks, voice deepening ever so slightly as he says her name.
For a moment all she can do is stare into his eyes, caught by the teasing glint in them. What is happening to her? Regina hasn’t been this affected by a man in more years than she would care to remember and yet this one has her stomach doing flips every time he looks at her. It unsettles her, makes her nervous, has her fighting back the urge to slam up every protective wall she has in place around her heart. “I suppose so...Robin.” she replies, as if testing out his name on her tongue, and turning back to the stove to plate Henry’s pancakes.
Robin backs up a few spaces to give her room to maneuver around the kitchen as she sets Henry’s plate in front of him and grimaces slightly as he immediately goes for the syrup and a touch of cinnamon but says nothing. “Would you like any?” she asks him.
He shakes his head to decline, “I’m quite alright, milady. I would, however, like a chance to speak with you when you have a minute regarding my...purpose.” he trails off quietly, careful to speak the last bit in hushed tones so Henry doesn’t overhear him. Regina nods her consent but there’s a tension in her shoulders now, one he knows is born from fear. Robin’s already agreed to protect her but with every glimpse of strain he sees in her he vows to do everything he can to ease her mind as well.
“Fine, after I get Henry off to school.”
“Of course.” he readily agrees. There is nothing left for him to say at the moment, nothing to do but observe as she turns off the stove and goes about cleaning up the mess Henry’s breakfast has brought to the kitchen. Her movements practiced and easy as she cleans up and then turns to the refrigerator to pull out a small portion of sliced fruit, surely her own breakfast. It is not until she stands at the counter across from Henry and glances over at him with a puzzled frown that Robin realizes he hasn’t made a single move, has simply been watching her for the past several minutes.
Regina sighs irritably, she does not enjoy having strangers in her home, rarely lets anyone she is not completely comfortable with come here. Though she had known she would have to make an exception in this instance she had not anticipated being forced to have the man she hired as her bodyguard underfoot constantly, studying her with that focused gaze that feels as if he can see all the parts of herself she keeps hidden. A flash of annoyance flairs within her unexpectedly at his damn insistence on the matter, at her own lack of control over the situation and for a moment she feels murderous towards the man who is haunting her, for the reason Robin has been forced into her life in the first place. “You may wait in my office until I’m finished here.” she snaps. She needs him to leave, to have her quiet morning back, just her and Henry as they’ve always been.
“Right,” Robin mutters hastily. It’s not his place to intrude upon their routine and he’s quite sure nothing catastrophic will occur in the amount of time it takes for them to finish up. “I’ll leave you to it then. You know where I’ll be when you’re ready, Regina.” He moves to slip by her out of the room, his body brushing against hers for the briefest moment and he feels as much as hears her sharp intake of breath as he passes. The tingling sensation that spreads through each of their limbs at the brief contact taking them both by surprise. An elemental reaction neither of them has had toward anyone in quite some time and not one they would be wise to act upon.
So they ignore it. Robin hastens out of the room as quickly as possible and Regina moves to sit beside her son to finish her breakfast before she has to wrangle him into brushing his teeth before school.
But he lingers in her thoughts. Who is this man? Truly? She knows very little about him and still there is a spark that Regina can’t quite deny the existence of. Part of her wants to learn everything she can about him, is intrigued by his confidence. He’s already shown he’s not afraid to fight her when necessary, is staying in her home as a result, and yet those glimpses of honor she’s seen peak her curiosity. Yet, the part that had loved so deeply only to have her world come crashing down around her in an instant is shouting for her to keep as much distance between them as possible.
If only that were feasible.
It takes her thirty minutes to finish getting Henry ready for his day and herself prepared for her own before she ventures back downstairs toward her office. She supposes she’s put this off long enough, there’s no avoiding it any longer. Regina opens the door to her office to find Robin standing at the window, contemplating something outside. “Sorry I’m late.” she offers as she walks to her desk immediately, hoping behind it she will feel a bit more confident during the conversation they are about to have.
She’s changed from the casual clothing she’d been wearing while making breakfast. The relaxed mother has been replaced by the sophisticated star, now clad in neat, straight khaki slacks and a crisp blouse. She’d done her make up for the day as well and her lips are painted a tempting rose shade that makes Robin want to nibble them. He has to tamp down this explosive attraction he feels for this woman. He barely knows her, is here to do a job, and yet every other thought around her involves the many, many ways he would like to pleasure her. It’s a horrible distraction that he can not allow. So he clears his throat in an attempt to loosen the ball of tension in his stomach and tosses her a smile. “You clean up well.”
Regina shoots him a withering glare, “Perhaps you should take notes.” He’s dressed casually again today in worn jeans and a linen shirt, still in his leather jacket from the previous night. Despite the barb, Regina finds his appearance quite handsome, the liquid warmth of attraction trickling through her veins as she takes it in. A stray thought of what it would be like to rip that shirt right off of him creeps through her brain before she quickly shuts it down. “Now, what exactly is it you wish to discuss with me? I’ve a rather busy day planned.”
“Well that would be the first order of business,” Robin huffs. His time spent with this woman is certainly going to be challenging. She’s not the first client to take issue with the way he does his job, to oppose to the intrusion into their life, but this is how he keeps them safe, and it’s a method that’s worked damn well in the past. Robin has no intention of letting this woman’s stubbornness put her in a situation where she could be hurt. “I’m going to go ahead and add some security measures to the house. I also need a copy of your schedule, let’s start with the next week, and common places you visit. I’ll want to check them out, make sure they are in the clear. Not to mention it will be helpful because from this point on I will be your shadow Regina, where you go, I go. That’s how this works. That’s what keeps you safe.”
Being forced to spend almost all of her time with Robin for her foreseeable future doesn’t sound at all appealing to Regina. And yet she doesn’t really have much of a choice. She needs him. “Fine. I will get you a copy. Is that all?” Her shoulders are rigid with tension and she wants this to be over with. Detests every bit of what is happening to her.
He hates to have to ask, to put her through this when she is so obviously uncomfortable but it has to be done. “Only one more item right now. I need to see all of the letters, Regina. Anything that you have received from this man. There could be something in them that gives us a clue as to what he is thinking. Reviewing them may give me a preemptive edge to help ensure he can’t get anywhere near you or Henry.”
The request has a sharp pain ricocheting through her, as if she’s been run through with a knife. She should have expected him to ask to see them, it makes sense, but the thought of Robin reading those words has anxiety pooling in the pit of her stomach.
Robin witnesses the expression of dread cross her face and almost wishes he could take it back. But he can’t. He needs to see them. So he stands his ground as she mulls over his request until finally she relents. She bends down to unlock and open the bottom drawer of her desk, pulling out a rather significant stack of folded up notes rubberbanded together. “I tossed out most of them at the beginning,” she confesses as she stands and walks over to hand them to him. “But once they started showing some warning signs I began to keep them, just in case.”
Slipping the letters from her grasp Robin holds her gaze, “Thank you, Regina. I know this is hard, but you already took the first step by hiring me, this is the next one.” She looks away immediately. His eyes are too blue, too clear, it feels as if he’s looking into her soul in that moment and it makes Regina highly uncomfortable. If she’s not careful Robin is going to end up seeing way more of herself than she’d bargained for.
He moves over to sit on the cream colored couch along the side of the room, unwrapping the letters as he goes. For the next few minutes he pours over the words before him and with each new letter he reads his stomach drops. This man is clearly twisted, his mental state understatedly questionable at best. Describing intimacies he would like to experience with her and dark and degrading fantasies, his thoughts getting progressively worse with each letter. And when he thinks about Regina dealing with this on her own for however long this has been going on it ties him up in knots. Robin vows to do everything in his power to protect this woman, beyond just what his work entails. Quite suddenly he feels a very personal responsibility to help her, to find this man and hang him out to dry, the ferocity of the urge taking him by surprise.
When he is finished Robin lifts his gaze to Regina’s, who has been quietly leaning against her desk watching him. She would give anything to have been able to avoid the look in Robin’s eyes after he reads them. It’s not quite pity, but it’s an expression that she doesn’t understand, one that makes her nervous and anxious.
Rising to meet her, Robin places the letters back on her desk, now standing directly in front of her. He can’t help the hand that rises up to lightly brush his fingers over her cheek, his thumb rubbing in soothing strokes back and forth. “We are going to find him, Regina. I will not let him touch you in any way any longer.”
Regina’s every nerve is on edge, buzzing excitedly. Robin is standing just a hare’s breath from her and she should really push him away, she’s not quite sure why he’s invaded her personal space so much to begin with but something stops her from following through, their eyes locked together. “That’s not in your job description.” she whispers instead.
“It is now.”
Only one other person in her life has ever given her that kind of unwavering support, willing to instantly rise to her defense. Daniel. Only Daniel. And now Robin has taken it upon himself to slip effortlessly into the role and it terrifies her, makes Regina ache for the man she had loved with every part of her heart. She reminds herself that this is what he does for a living, what she’s hired him to do, nothing more than that. He has no personal feelings toward her, couldn’t possibly, he doesn’t know her. This connection she feels isn’t real, it doesn’t exist. But it’s a lie.
Regina had been blessed with true love once in her life already and it had been abruptly taken away from her. She’s not foolish enough to believe it might happen for her a second time, especially with a man she barely knows. So she gives Robin a gentle nudge backward and a watery smile. “Thank you. At least you appear to have a sense of honor if nothing else.”
The edge is back in her voice and Robin can almost see her drop a wall between them as she struggles with her own vulnerability. He should be grateful to her for it, for having the sense enough to keep their relationship from becoming too personal. But he’s not. In this moment all he wants is to wrap her up in his arms and protect her from the evils of the world. Not your place, Locksley, he berates himself. “Yes, I live by a code. I do my best to honor it every day.”
“Is that why you decided to become a bodyguard? Because of honor?” she can’t help but ask, curious about this man, who he is, his motivations in life.
Robin grins but shakes his head. “Alas, that is a story for another time, milady.” One he thinks, surprisingly enough, he might be willing to share with her one day. It’s not a part of his past he typically tells people about, even if it had changed the course of his life. “Now, you said you have a full day planned, so where are we off to?”
She doesn’t press him, supposes it’s none of her business really. “Meetings.” she answers him with a devious smile, sure he’ll be quite bored for the duration of the day while she haggles out details with her manager, The Dragon, over her next production. “I’m starting a new film next week.”
To his credit, Robin doesn’t even blink, just nods and moves to open the door of her office. “Well then, shall we be off?”
----------
As they finish up at the production offices Robin opens the waiting car door for Regina, a hand lightly on the small of her back as he subtly blocks her body with his. He's not truly concerned at the moment but as her bodyguard he'd much rather take the extra precaution. And as wrong as it may be he wants to be close to her.
Rounding the front of the black town car Robin leans down to speak quietly to the driver before joining Regina in the back seat. It takes no more than five minutes after they've pulled away for her to realize they are not headed in the direction of her home. "Where are we going?" she questions.
"To my apartment." Robin answers easily.
Her immediate protest causes a scowl to cross her features. "I didn't agree to that." Robin's already gotten under her skin multiple times today, his lurking presence in the background as she met with Mal and then Gold, her director, nothing but an annoyance and distraction. Not to mention having to field questions from each of them as to why she’d had to hire a new bodyguard in the first place. All Regina wants now is to go home and hug her son and relax in a long, warm bath to wash away the stress of the last couple days, last few weeks really. Under no circumstances does she have any desire to be alone with him in his apartment.
Robin smirks at her, "No, you did not. I'm not really leaving it up to you now am I." Before Regina can open her mouth to argue with him he's continuing. "I have to get some of my stuff. I didn't exactly come to our meeting yesterday hauling half of my belongings before I was certain I would be staying. Now that I am I have to pack a few things."
She says nothing for a few moments, continues staring out the window. "Fine. But be quick. I don't want you making me wait around for you forever."
"Oh I wouldn't dream of it, milady." he assures her with a charming grin that makes Regina's insides flutter a bit. It's entirely unfair that he has this effect on her. She doesn't need a man in her life, is perfectly content with her career and her son and she is positive should she even wish for a relationship, which she definitely does not, that Robin Locksley is not the man for her. So why does her traitorous heart start doing somersaults inside her chest when he looks at her like that?
The rest of the car ride is spent in companionable silence. Each lost in thoughts of the other they are too afraid to have and yet can't seem to dispel. Before too long they've arrived at Robin's, a lovely little apartment in Westwood that reminds her a bit of a treehouse. "You are welcome to come in if you wish. I shouldn't be long." Regina nods and follows Robin into the house. "Make yourself comfortable."
While Robin disappears into the bedroom Regina decides to explore a bit, wondering over to the bookshelf taking up a large portion of the far wall. There are picture frames scattered all throughout it. Some of him with what must be friends or family but the majority are of an adorable toddler with a curly mop of brown hair and dimples that you can't help but fall in love with. Dimples that suspiciously resemble those of the man in the other room.
His son? Not once in the time she's known him has he mentioned having a child. Though she doesn't really know anything about him or his life, truthfully. A fact that bothers her far more than is rational. Surely that is something that should have come up, particularly since he's essentially moving in with her for the next few weeks. Thinking back on how he’d handled Henry yesterday though, how easy it had been for him, she can see how it’s possible.
Regina studies the rest of the images displayed, Robin giving him a piggy back ride, the boy dressed up as Robin Hood for Halloween, one of him jumping in the waves at the beach, a few formal portrait shots. It is a particularly endearing one of them with the boy cuddled up in Robin’s lap and laughing that catches her eye and she can’t help it as her fingertips reach out to brush over the picture frame lightly.
"That would be Roland." His voice startles her and Regina whips around to see him standing in the doorway, rucksack slung over his shoulder and a look of amusement covering his features. "My son."
Attempting to hide her embarrassment at being caught peeking at his photographs Regina nods, “You never mentioned you have a child. Seems a little odd considering the situation. Where is he?” she asks curiously.
His body tenses and sags instantly, letting the mask slip for just a second to reveal a glimpse of frustration, before Robin let's out a long steady breath. "With his mother." he responds simply. Clearly she’s hit a nerve if the way he says it is any indication and though Regina knows she should leave it alone part of her is desperately curious as to this new development.
“How old is he?” she asks and feels the smile pull up on her face as the edges of Robin’s tip up instantly when he answers that he’s four. “They are always so adorable at that age.” she muses, remembering Henry as a toddler and feeling a pang of nostalgia that he’s getting to be so big. She misses when he was little like that.
“They are. I don’t get to see him nearly as often as I would like between my work and only having partial custody.” he confesses and Regina can tell how much that hurts him. Feels for him. Being a single parent is incredibly difficult but she’s never had to fight anyone over the time she spends with her son, can’t even imagine how hard that must be.
“I’m sorry. Perhaps you can bring him by the next time you have him? He and Henry can play.” The words are out before she even registers the thought or the complications the offer could cause. She has no idea what his arrangements are, if he even gets to see Roland while he’s working on a job like this one. And likely doesn’t want to spend precious time with his son with herself or her own even if he does. Silence hangs between them as Robin studies her with a surprised expression and Regina quickly backtracks. “Or not. I’m sure you’d much rather have him all to yourself.”
Robin shakes his head instantly to reassure her, “No, no, no. Not at all. That sounds quite enjoyable, actually.” He smiles at her, a truly genuine one that makes his eyes sparkle and it causes Regina’s knees to go a tad weak. What the hell is she going to do about this reaction to him? For another minute they stand there smiling at one another before Robin ventures back to the task at hand. “I’m all set if you are.” he offers, continuing at Regina’s nod of agreement. “Let’s get you home, then.”
The ride to the mansion feels infinitely longer than it is in actuality. Regina and Robin’s hands lie on the seat between them, brushing ever so slightly whenever they hit a bump in the road. It makes her skin tingle each time but she doesn’t pull it away and neither does he. As soon as she is safely in the house the pair part ways, Regina running off to find her son and get away from him, Robin left to watch her leave for the second night in a row. It’s a pattern he determines he must break her of.
Regina Mills is an esteemed actress who has been receiving disturbing letters from an anonymous fan. She hires Robin Locksley as her new bodyguard to protect herself and her son. Despite their best efforts the two begin to fall for each other. Will the frightening reminders from her past keep them apart or can this new love heal the hurts of her past?
{ ffn }
It starts out innocently enough, not something she thought she should be worried about. She’s a well established and esteemed actress after all, Regina is used to people fawning over her, enjoys it most of the time. The letters hadn’t been concerning at first, talking about how much he adores her, the occasional bouquet of flowers delivered to her at the studio, trinkets he says reminds him of her. All signed in the same manner, “You’re most devoted fan”. In the beginning she doesn’t think too much of it. But gradually things began to shift and suddenly the letters weren’t so well meaning. In the last several weeks they had taken a decidedly darker turn, no longer flattering but almost violating. They’ve turned into monologues of his thoughts, what he wishes he could do with her.
Despite the troublesome sense of deja vu they bring her, Regina has fairly thick skin and probably would have ignored them and hoped they would stop once her admirer lost interest. Even with how uncomfortable the notes make her it’s not until they start arriving at her home that she becomes truly concerned that the situation is going too far. Every time one arrives it makes her skin crawl and she’s not always quick enough to catch them before Henry finds one. How does one explain the unwelcome notes and flowers to one’s ten-year-old son? Ultimately that is what had done it, what had forced Regina to seek out help in the matter. She would not let this affect Henry in any way.
So Regina finds herself sitting across from this man. His name had been at the top of everyone’s recommendation list when she’d casually brought up the fact she was looking for a new bodyguard with several of her costars and friends. They face each other from opposite couches in her sitting room studying one another. He looks out of place is all she can think, with his jeans and hoodie beneath a leather jacket, the scruff on his face leaning just a tad toward unkempt. He doesn’t fit within the stark white and black décor and clean lines of her home. Perhaps this isn’t such a great idea after all.
The pair simply stare at one another for several more seconds before Robin finally breaks the silence. “So why don’t you tell me why I am here, milady?”
She blinks at him. “Is that not rather obvious, Mr. Locksley? I am in need of a new bodyguard and from what I've heard of your reputation you are the top man in the field. I want the best.”
Robin smirks at her. “Well I am certainly the best, Ms. Mills, you are correct in that. And I have quite a bit of experience with those in the entertainment business, among others..." he trails off, thinking of his thieving past and the trouble it's gotten him into in the past. He'd been skilled enough at stealing to know how to read a situation and he is positive he hasn't gotten the full story here yet. He’d rather be blunt and to the point than dance around the elephant in the room. "I am excellent at reading people, Ms. Mills, and you haven't told me all there is yet. So if you wish for me to work for you then you are going to have to be honest with me.” Robin pauses as surprise flickers through her eyes and his expression grows serious. “Something has you spooked, I can see it. Now are you going to tell me what it is so I can help or shall I simply leave?"
Is she being that transparent? It’s true that she has yet to tell him the primary reason for his being here, but Regina had thought she had been hiding her concern fairly well. Apparently not though. This is the moment of truth, she has to decide if she is willing to trust this man with her life, and more importantly her son’s life. Though she doesn’t know him, has only just met him ten minutes prior there is a part of her that trusts him. She can’t say what it is but some part of her is screaming for her to tell him everything, that this is a man who will keep her safe. She’s not quite that desperate yet though so she sighs and begins with, “I have been getting some notes...”
“Is it not normal for someone in your profession receive that type of thing on a regular basis?” he interjects and Regina narrows her eyes at him.
“That is true, yes, but these are different, they aren’t your typical fan mail. And usually all of that goes through the studio,” She pauses for a moment, contemplating how quickly the letters had escalated in the last few months. “In the beginning they did. However, now they are arriving here and I do not feel comfortable with the tone of the letters, especially when I have to try to intercept them before my son gets ahold of them.”
Surprise flickers through his eyes as he stares at her. Not many people know that she has a son. Regina prefers to keep her personal life private and guarded, entirely separate from the public persona she puts on. It is no ones business what she does privately and unfortunately in the business she’s chosen it comes with the territory. But she will not have it affect Henry’s life, not after what happened to Daniel.
“You have a son?” Robin questions with a touch of disbelief. He ran in many of the same circles as she did, albeit from an observational perspective rather than participatory but there had never been any indication she had a child, from any of the people he’d worked for. And surprisingly enough or not, given her success, her name had come up quite often amongst her colleagues, some praising her talent, others spitting insults at her out of jealousy. However, it was quite a feat for someone so engrossed in the public eye, to keep the existence of a child a secret. It cast a new light on the enigma of a woman before him and an unforeseen connection between them. He certainly understood wanting to do everything possible to protect your child.
Regina simply nodded. “I keep my personal life as exclusive as possible and I would like it to remain that way. I don’t want this escalating or interfering in Henry’s life. That’s why I need you. I need someone who I can trust to protect myself as well as him.”
“If these letters have made you this uncomfortable, this unsure of your safety why have you not gone to the police?” he questions. Something about this whole situation still feels off to him but a voice somewhere in his mind is telling him not to walk away yet. He’s spent fifteen minutes in her company and yet it is as if a part of her is pulling him to her. Robin doesn’t understand the connection he feels to this woman but he’ll be damned if he leaves before he figures it out.
“As I’ve said, Mr. Locksley, I am a private person in a very public profession and unfortunately it’s all too easy for something like this to leak to the press. I would prefer to handle it quietly.” Last time the damn tabloid magazines had only made everything worse. Perhaps there would have been a very different outcome before if their taunts hadn’t been hanging over them. And there is so much more at stake this time around. Regina can not risk it.
Robin understands that, can respect it, but there is a flicker of what he thinks is genuine fear in her eyes as she says it. Had he not been studying her so closely he would have missed it but it has an unwelcome and unusual feeling of dread forming in the pit of his stomach. What had happened to her? “Tell me about the notes.”
Regina hesitates. She doesn’t want to talk about what’s in the recent letters she’s been receiving. Logically she knows she’s going to have to share them with him if she expects him to do his job, and to find the man that is sending them, but the idea of sharing those images makes her skin crawl. “At the start they just appeared to be typical fan mail, praising and admiring my work. In the last few weeks, however, they’ve become more vulgar, describing fantasies about me, some of them truly disturbing images. I’m worried that he’s developed an obsession.” She pauses, not used to showing her vulnerable side to anyone, particularly a stranger, but she’s about to place her trust in this man to protect herself and her son and she has to start somewhere. “I’m frightened.” she breathes almost inaudibly. “He shouldn’t know where I live. I don’t feel comfortable anymore, constantly looking over my shoulder, afraid to let my son run around the yard. I don’t give into fear or let it control me, Mr. Locksley, so I am doing something about it. That’s where you come in.”
Robin says nothing for several seconds, tapping his thumb against his knee. He studies this glamorous woman who from all appearances seems to have a perfect, blessed life, sitting across from him scared and vulnerable. In that moment he makes his decision, there is no way he is going to be able to walk away from this, from her.
"Alright, Ms. Mills, I will help. I am an honorable man after all and I can’t walk away in good conscience from a woman who could potentially be in danger.” Robin leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees. “Our first order of business is going to be stepping up your security.” he informs her.
She breathes a sigh of relief, barely, just a slight almost imperceptible dropping of the stiffness of her shoulders. Before she can thank him Robin is continuing.
"From this point on I will be with you at all times. Anytime you leave, anytime you go to the studio, the gym, the salon I will be with you. I'll need access to all of your current security and we will have to improve upon that. Oh and a room in this lovely mansion you've got here."
Regina stares at him in shock, her eyes wide and nostrils flaring as she narrows her gaze at him. She'll be damned if she will let this man into her life only for him to start making demands no matter how much she may need his help. "Excuse me?" Robin says nothing, the corner of his mouth tipping up slightly in a grin. He can almost see the wheels turning in her head and he can tell she's about to spit fire at him. She's gorgeous. The thought filters through his head before he even has the chance to quell it. Its a dangerous one, something he can not afford to let happen if he's going to do his job the way he needs to.
"If you are under the impression that you can come in here and take over you are..."
"With all due respect, your majesty, you are paying me to protect you and I will do whatever I feel is necessary to ensure that. Frankly, I don't give a damn if it upsets you or not."
Regina is speechless for a beat. She is not accustomed to people standing up to her, usually those around her bend to her will. But this Locksley seems to have no problem toeing off with her. As irritating as she finds it she can’t help but admire the quality. With a huff Regina narrows her eyes at him but relents, she’s too spooked not to agree to his terms. “Fine. I will go along with this and make sure you get all the information you need. As far as a room… I do not see why it is necessary for you to move in here to do your job.”
Robin leans forward, his forearms resting on his thighs. “You’ve already said he knows where you live, milady, and how uncomfortable it makes you. If he’s willing to send you things here what’s to stop him from showing up one of these days. In order for me to protect you I have to be readily available. At all times. That requires having a space of my own here.” he pauses and shoots her a grin, one that is far more charming than it should be given his next sentence. “Unless you’d rather I bunk with you in order to truly ensure your safety round the clock.” Robin isn’t quite sure where that had come from. It is definitely a poor idea to flirt with her, completely unprofessional and senseless given he’s just pissed her off and as Regina gaps at him for several extremely long seconds he feels utterly foolish. “Although a room within a reasonable distance should serve just fine.” he quickly back tracks. As the seconds tick by he feels increasingly like the idiot he may be.
He’s thrown her off balance and Regina could kick herself for it. Robin is a rather attractive specimen of the male species she has to admit. And if she said that some part of her didn’t feel a slight tug in her belly when he looked at her she would be lying. However, before she can even begin to contemplate the mild attraction she feels toward him he is backpeddling. It’s better that way. They can ignore whatever allure is between them and focus on the job. Which brings Regina back to his ridiculous demands. “And just how do you expect me to explain to my son why a stranger has moved into our home?” she demands.
A part of him wants to tell her that’s not really his problem. He’s here to do a job not help her explain what’s happening to her son but a larger part, the one that is a father himself won’t allow the words to leave his mouth. So his brow furrows as he exhales, “You’ve said you don’t want this to affect his life but if it’s having this great an influence on yours then surely he already knows things aren’t quite right.” Robin pauses, tilting his head slightly. “You mentioned trying to intercept these letters before he sees them, am I correct in assuming you haven’t always been successful in that?” The slight wince at his question is answer enough.
It’s true she hasn’t been able to catch them all. One had slipped by her a few weeks ago when Henry had been a bit over zealous to retrieve the mail, anxiously awaiting the newest Wolverine comic. Thankfully that note had been rather mild in content compared to the others, but it had been a bit of a wake up call. “No,” she answers, “I haven’t always managed to get to them before he sees them.”
"Right, then he must be at least partially aware that things are a bit out of the norm. Just tell him you are being extra cautious and that's why I'm here."
Its not an entirely unreasonable suggestion. But Henry is a curious boy and he's going to ask questions. Questions Regina is not prepared to answer nor does she want to. A new body guard for extra security, especially when she's about to start a new production? That she can explain to him. One who is going to be a temporary house guest for the foreseeable future? That's a bit harder to justify to a 10 year-old without unwanted questions. "I'm not sure that'll be enough." she murmurs under her breath with a heavy sigh.
“Why don’t we just see how it goes.” Robin offers to which Regina nods her consent. What else can she do really? It’s entirely unavoidable and her priority is Henry’s safety and Robin is helping provide that. “Now, I would like to meet your son.” he requests.
"Alright, but despite what he’s seen he still doesn’t know much and I would like to keep it that way. He's only ten, he does not need to be worried about this. But Henry's a curious boy,” Regina smiles, it’s both a pain and a pleasure to deal with, especially during moments like this. “and he's going to ask questions. Let me handle it."
Robin nods graciously, "Of course." He has a son himself after all, one he doesn't get to see nearly enough, and it drives him mad when Marian tries to control the way he parents Roland. He would never dream of encroaching upon how another parent handles their child.
Surprised by his easy concordance with her request Regina nods curtly and then stands, smoothing her hands down her neat black pencil skirt to divest it of wrinkles. The movement draws Robin's eye, his gaze roaming over her luscious curves and causing his mouth to water slightly. Oh this is not good. He's far too attracted to her for her to be his client, an attraction they can not act upon and will only serve as a distraction. Robin clears his throat in an attempt to quell the images of running his hands over that body of hers from his mind. "Lead the way, milady" he gestures with his arm out as he rises from the opposite couch.
He follows her out of the sitting room in which they’d been seated and into the open foyer of the house, a long winding staircase, which she begins to ascend, leading to the second floor. Her home is large and spacious, certainly luxurious, all what he’d expected to find when coming to an A-list actresses home and yet there is modestly to it as well. It has a warmth to it. Climbing the stairs behind her Robin can’t help but notice the lovely way her skirt hugs her rear. Get it together, Locksley he chides himself. She is your client and absolutely off limits.
They come to a door off the landing and Regina knocks quietly before opening it and peeking her head around. “Henry, there’s someone I want you to meet.” Robin hears a muffled question of ‘Who?’ from inside the room before Regina is pushing it open fully and standing just inside the doorway. His view is now unobstructed and Robin sees a young boy laying on his bed, face buried in a comic book. He doesn’t even glance up as she opens the door, so engrossed in his reading. The room is decorated in hues of blue and evidence as to the owner being a child scattered everywhere. “Henry.” Regina repeats in a tone with just enough motherly steel to have Henry looking up from his comic and studying them. Robin can’t help his slight smirk at her intonation.
“Henry, this is Robin. He’s just taken the job as my new bodyguard and is going to be staying with us for the next few months." she tells him casually.
The boy furrows his brow at her, his nose scrunching up slightly. "Why?" he questions immediately. "Is something wrong? Are you ok?" There’s a look in Henry’s eye as he studies his mother with a serious expression, his concern quite apparent. Robin can tell his resistance comes more from worry than outright objection and thinks perhaps the boy might be more aware of what's been going on than Regina would like to believe.
Despite the fact that she’d asked to handle him on her own Robin takes a few steps into the room, placing a hand lightly on Regina's forearm as she shoots him a puzzled, slightly put-out frown. His focus is all on Henry though, doesn't want to step on any toes but thinks he might be able to offer the boy some reassurance. He moves further into the room, "May I sit?" he gestures to the empty space beside the boy on the bed. At Henry's nod Robin plops down. "Your mom's a pretty big deal right?" he asks him.
Henry's eyes flicker to his mother briefly, a small grin settling on his features as he looks back at Robin. "I guess so, yeah. She's really good in her movies and sometimes when we're out people recognize her and stuff."
Robin grins at Henry's description, eyes finding Regina's, the edge of her mouth tipping up slightly at her son but is studying Robin curiously. He can't help but notice how beautiful she is when she smiles. "And when someone is popular like that people want to know all about them and what they're doing in their life. It's my job to give your mom some peace and make sure they leave her alone. It’s easier for me to do that if I’m around all the time."
That’s one way to describe what he does she supposes. A bit simplistic and vague perhaps but then again he is talking to a ten year old. Even more baffling is why he's trying to explain the situation to her son at all. Regina isn't used to anyone helping her out with the difficult questions Henry is prone to. Definitely not some stranger she’s just met and hired as her bodyguard. From what she’s seen Robin Locksley is someone she’s going to have to watch out for if she’s not careful. Though she’s hired him to protect her Regina will not allow herself to become dependent on him. No one ever stays in her life for very long and she’s quite sure Robin will be no exception.
Henry is still staring at Robin skeptically but she sees the moment that he decides to trust what he is saying. Regina moves into the room and sits beside Henry as well, her hand coming up to run through his hair gently. “Robin is just going to look after you,” she pauses for a moment and her eyes meet Robin’s over Henry’s head before continuing quietly. “and me, for the next little while.” Henry murmurs okay, returning to his comic book and Regina smiles and kisses the top of his head. “Dinner will be ready in a bit, don’t forget to wash up before coming down.”
Motioning for Robin to follow her Regina rises and strolls out of the room. He follows her out and down the hallway to what is surely a guest bedroom. She pushes the door open and gestures inside. “Since you’re insistent on staying here this will be your room.”
“It’s appreciated. This is for your own good, milady.” Robin quips with a grin as he steps forward to enter, stopped by Regina’s hand coming to rest on his bicep, eyes locking with hers inquisitively. She’s about to show him some more of that quick tongue he’s sure, so Robin is surprised when her voice comes out softly.
“Thank you,” she murmurs, “for what you said to Henry back there. It wasn’t necessary, I could have handled it. But this is a rather delicate situation and your explanation was one that he could understand. So thank you for that.”
Robin moves just a touch closer, their bodies only a foot or so apart now, reminding Regina her hand is still on his arm and it shouldn't be. She should not be touching him. Hastily removing it, her eyes flicker up to his and they are a bright, clear blue that draws her in. "It's no trouble. I understand how difficult it is to shelter a child, particularly from situations so common in my line of work."
She nods and takes a step back from him, away from those alluring eyes and the puzzling feelings they are bringing out in her. "Yes, well, thank you just the same. I'm sure our acquaintance will be quite the experience, Mr. Locksley."
With that Regina turns and starts back down the hallway to a room in which she disappears, one Robin can only assume is her bedroom. "That it will be, Ms. Mills." he mutters to himself with a smirk as he turns to his own room and shuts the door.
