Run Down

A Shoulder To Cry On

Authors note:
Hi everyone, just a warning for slight angst and upcoming smut, and a thanks to everyone who's reading/voting!

Two weeks had passed since Cora's party, and Robin had spent his every waking moment when he wasn't working with Regina. He was on his way to her apartment now - the drive familiar even in the relatively short space of time - having dropped Roland off at Will's for an evening of Mario Kart and pizza and no doubt staying up way past bed time.

They were moving in all the right directions, him and Regina, and it made Robin smile, because for the first time in a long time he was at a place in his life where things were coming together. He had his son, bubbling with joy and bringing a constant light to his life and now Regina had waltzed - or rather crashed - into his days, and he couldn't be happier. He parked on the curb outside her building, lips curving upwards before he'd even been buzzed in.

He ascended the stairs, bunch of flowers in hand, then knocked on her door and waited. It took her longer than usual to answer and Robin noticed - worry was creeping in at the edges of his gaze as he shifted his weight between his feet and fiddled with the ribbon tying the stems of the flowers together - but finally she did and her eyes were red, mouth fighting for a watery smile that barely lifted the corners of her lips.

"You brought flowers." She said, hands instinctively reaching forwards to take them from him and he handed them over wilfully, clasping her fingers in his own before she could drop her hand.

"What's wrong?" He asked, other hand lifting to cup her cheek, eyes flicking between hers as if searching for an answer in the brown orbs.

"Nothing, it's not important." She dismissed him with a shake of her head but he placed his hands over her biceps and ran his palms up and down over the warm skin. Robin didn't want to push her, would never force her to speak about things she wasn't comfortable with but he couldn't stop himself from asking; he wanted to do anything he could to relieve some of the pain and sadness in her eyes.

"Talk to me," He slid his fingers down her arms and linked them with hers, lifting her hand to his lips and placing a kiss on the back of each knuckle. Regina let out a ragged breath and fell into his chest, her head crashing onto his shoulder as a small sob escaped her. Robin wrapped his arms around her small frame, enveloping her into the familiar scent of pine and mint that always lingered around him. His strong arms were a welcome pressure around her shoulders as she sobbed into his shirt. It felt safe; Robin felt safe.

He ran his hand over her back in slow circles, his chin resting gently on the top of her head, whispering calming words to her and dropping kisses into her hair. Finally she moved back in his arms, just far enough to see his face and those blue eyes filled with worry.

"I got a call this morning," as she spoke, Regina's eyes glossed over with another set of tears she tried to keep at bay, "someone I used to know--" her sentences were broken and Robin pulled her against him tightly again, cradling the back of her head in his hand as she buried into the crook of his neck. They were still in the doorway, half in and half out, so Robin walked them back into the room and onto the sofa. She pulled her feet up, curling into a ball at his side, head resting on his shoulder as her breathing began to even out.

"There was a boy I used to know," she started again, tears rolling down her cheeks in single steaks now rather than an endless stream, as Robin drew swirls onto her arm with his fingers. "When we were about sixteen he had to leave, and he didn't even say goodbye." Robin listened intently, eyes never leaving her face as her brow scrunched up in the middle. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this, you don't care--"