Guard My Heart

Chapter Five

They are at a stalemate. 

Regina refuses to open up to him and Robin is quickly losing patience with her over the matter, something he usually holds in abundance. Yet every time he starts to chip away at the walls she's built around herself she runs away and throws up new ones in their place. Despite their brief respite on the couch she's barely spoken to him since Saturday, had avoided him for the rest of the weekend and through the day on Monday using the need to rehearse for one of her upcoming scenes as an excuse. By the time Tuesday rolls around and they are walking into the studio and heading for Regina's trailer Robin has had enough. Can't take the aloof silence from her any longer.

When the door shuts behind them and Regina won't even glance in his direction within the tiny space Robin snaps. "Are we going to bloody talk about this?" the words tumbling out of his mouth faster than he can process them and Regina's head whips around to stare at him in surprise. Her mouth opens briefly, as if she's going to lash back at him, but appears to think better of it.

Turning her back to him and busying herself with the mindless task of flipping through her sides for the day Regina questions, "Talk about what exactly?"

"About the fact you've barely spoken to me the past two days and now you won't even look me in the eye." Robin huffs exasperatedly, a touch of hurt lacing his words. Playing this game with her is wearing him down and he can't afford to not be in top form around her, Regina's protection depends on it. Furthermore, he has to do something, anything, to show her she can trust him enough to let him truly see her, trust in the knowledge that he would never hurt her. Anything to end this one step forward, two steps back dance they have going on. "Or about how you are running away, again." 

Quite honestly Robin knows it would be better not to push the matter, especially considering he should be attempting to maintain those professional boundaries not blurring the lines any further. But he has neither the heart nor the stomach to pretend like he and Regina are merely business associates. He already cares far too much about her to let whatever this may be slip away.

It's that last bit of his outburst that has Regina's eyes lifting hastily to meet Robin's, anger, hurt, fear all swirling through those mesmerizing brown orbs and Robin feels himself being drawn to her, as always. It's as if his soul is calling out to hers, has been since the moment they met, and he can't just ignore it any longer, even if Regina would prefer it that way. It's time they face whatever feelings are developing between them and he wants the opportunity to find out what they mean. Robin reaches a hand out to cup her elbow and Regina flinches at the contact and jerks her arm away, "I don't know what you're talking about."

A frustrated groan sounds in the back of Robin's throat, "That's complete crap, Regina, and you know it." He takes a small step toward her, doesn't touch her again, doesn't want to crowd her, but the slight shift is enough to get her attention. "You've been avoiding me since that moment in the pool and save for our conversation about Marian you've barely spoken to me since then. This isn't the first time it's happened either. Every time we start to edge toward something personal you go running in the opposite direction." he dips his head down slightly, waits until her gaze meets his directly and asks quietly, "Why won't you let yourself open up to me?"

Robin's words feel like a knife between her ribs, just below her breasts and Regina's heart clenches in her chest. He's right, of course. In the time they've known each other Robin has shared far more of himself, including private parts of his past, than Regina has. Not to mention every time they start to give into the physical attraction between them she slams on the breaks and yet they always end up drawn together once again. It's no wonder Robin's confused. She's been throwing mixed signals at him for a month now. A great deal of that comes from the part of her that just can't let go of the notion that she's not meant to have a happy ending, from that little voice in the back of her mind feeding her fears that if she lets Robin in it will only end in her own heartbreak.