Twenty-Three Pages

Chapter 5

She'd only been home fifteen minutes, had just about finished making herself a coffee and was sitting down on the sofa when her phone buzzed.

Home safe?

She smirked, rolling her eyes reflexively with only mirth, typing back:

Yes. I managed the whole two blocks alone ;)

Regina set her phone down next to her and sipped at her mug. She hadn't let Robin walk her to her door, insisted it was pointless for him to go past his shop just to walk back again. After a spiel about chivalry and gentlemanly-ness, Regina managed to convince him she'd be fine over such a short distance and he relented. Not, it would seem, without keeping his word to check in with her. And she liked him all the more for it.

Good. I had a great time.

The words made a bubble swell in her stomach; her first reactions to be happy, for the first time in a long time, but although she kept the smile on her face, she couldn't help the feeling of dread spreading through her body.

Me too.

It was a small reply, completely underplaying the huge smile creeping across her face, but she didn't want to let her emotions run wild, not yet. Everyone she ever let in had been hurt and she couldn't do that to Robin, couldn't be the one to make that dimpled grin slowly fade from his face. Because it would, she knows it would, and the thought had her biting her lip, turning her phone to silent and slipping it under the cushion next to her.

She was better off alone.

---

Two days passed and Robin had heard nothing more from Regina. He wanted to give her time, to see if she'd send him another text, or even pop into the shop, but no. Nothing. Maybe she was doing the same thing, waiting for him to break the ice. He hoped that was the case because Friday was without a doubt the best first date he'd ever had; the conversation was easy, smiles exchanged and laughs shared like they were old friends. Robin ran a hand through his hair - a habit he'd picked up from his father - desperately trying not to overthink the situation, but it was almost impossible to think of anything else. He pulled his phone out and hovered over the buttons, trying to form a sentence that sounded casual, not harbouring any traces of the self-doubt creeping in at the edges of his mind.

Fancy getting a coffee?

It was the fourth attempt at a message but he took a deep breath and hit send. Too late to turn back now. He felt ridiculous, but his heart was pounding, could feel the blood pumping in his ears as he waited for a response.

"You know you have to press the screen for it to do something?" Killian waltzed into the kitchen, his black jeans faded grey on the knees from constant wear. If Robin wasn't so wrapped up in his own thoughts, he would have laughed, because Killian must have had a sixth sense for when Robin looked like a pining fool.

"I'm just waiting for a text." He said, shutting off the screen and shoving the phone back in his pocket. "You're up early for a Sunday." It was 11'o'clock, but for Killian Jones, anything before one was practically the middle of the night at the weekend.

"Emma's idea." He said, clearly not pleased with that decision, adding, "She won't tell me where we're going." He smiled at that, a small, probably subconscious smile that people get when they talk about someone they're in love with. Robin didn't say anything, but he couldn't help smiling a little himself; Killian was a good man, he deserved a bit of happiness in his life.

Robin's phone buzzed from under the table and he pulled it out, eyes scanning the screen quickly to read her reply.

Okay, when?