Protection

Chapter 4 Age

"You're pretty quiet, Regina," Killian said, as they walked pretty silently down the cobble street. "You know, you don't have to be afraid of me, if you don't trust me all the way like you said, then it's ok, you can be honest," he explained, with a soft tone. 

When Regina said she trusted Killian, despite her hesitation, she truly did. Killian sensed that her hesitation was more for her own protection, rather than not truly feeling it. Regina had no reason "Not" to trust him. Killian had given zero signs that he would ever harm her, and his focus was on protecting her. 

Killian had a notion that perhaps Regina just needed to relax a bit, be spoiled. He wondered how much she actually experienced in a pure way, before she was ripped away from it. "Uhh, listen, tomorrow night is the sting, I'll have to get in touch with the agency, and they'll help me plan it out," he said.

"What will I do?" She asks. "You'll be protected by my boss, the woman you met, she'll keep you obtained and you'll view what's going on, and you just give her nods, that's it," he explained. Regina exhaled, with an expression of distress.

"Sixteen right?" Killian poses. "Umm, what?" She submits. "When you were taken, you said you were coming home from a movie, were you on a date?" He inquired. "Oh, I.." she turns her focus down, "I wasn't allowed to date until I was 17, so no, it was just friends," she reveals. 

Killian furrows his brow. She wasn't even given a first date, and suddenly was ripped away to be a sex slave. By the time she would have even been allowed to have a young man escort her to something simple like ice cream, she was being used and abused sexually by men twice her age. 

"Listen, Umm, you seem distressed about tomorrow, how about I make the calls to my agent, and we don't discuss it again?" He suggests. She looks at him, and doesn't understand his query in this moment. "What I'm getting at," he continues, "How about I treat you to a date?" he raises. 

She gapes at him a bit, "I mean, I know I'm like 10 years older, probably not the most romantic bloke, being alone doing this job all these years." he rambles. "But I can order some nice food, and perhaps some sweets, and the hotel we're in definitely has movie channels, watch old romantic films?" he proposes. 

She smiles, "You want to give me a date?" She asks. "Uhh, nothing implied, nothing expected, just showing you a good time that no man probably ever has," he said. Regina felt her eyes start to fill up, "I didn't mean to make you cry," he utters, softly as he gently places a thumb on her cheek. 

Just under her eye, he glides his thumb, as the tear releases from it. "I would love to do that," she articulates, attempting not to sob. "Great, what's your favorite movie?" he asks. She starts to laugh a bit, "The notebook," she admits. "Ah, classic sappy romance," he laughs at her. 

"We don't have to watch that.." she's stopped, "No no, this is YOUR date, you get what you want, it's about bloody time you got what you wanted," he insists, and leads her back to the hotel. Regina has her hand through his arm, and focuses up at him. 

Given her small size, and in the flat sandals, she reaches his shoulder. She looks at the scruff on his jawline, and observes the way his hair is. She's never gotten really to look at a man like this, and of course never wanted to, in her situation. 

Getting back to the hotel, Killian goes to the front desk, Regina hangs back a bit. "I would like, a fruit platter, and champagne, and wine, and some of your finest desserts, sent up," Killian says. He grits his teeth talking to this man, knowing he must have tormented Regina more than once. "Yes Sir," the man nods. 

Regina looks around unsure of what to do once in the room. "Just get comfortable, this is kind of what they call a date night in," he says. "Oh, is that night wear?" Regina asks. "Well, sort of, whatever you're comfortable in," he nods. "Are you going to change?" Regina asks. 

He pauses, and looks at her, "Umm, yeah, I actually think I have some plaid flannel pants, because I am THAT cool," he jokes. Regina paws through the suitcase of clothes, that was provided by the agency, while Killian makes the calls to his boss, making arrangements. 

She finds a satin pajama set, and changes in the bathroom. "Ok, sure, we'll ummm.." Killian is mid-sentece when he sees Regina enter. He stares at her with his mouth fallen open. She looks at him. 

He's in a blue tee and the plaid flannel pants he mentioned. "Uhh yeah I'm here," he smiles, pressing the phone to his ear. "Ok, bye," hanging up, he exhales deeply. The door buzzes and Killian heads to answer it. 

Regina watches, as moments later, Killian holds two glasses in one hand, and a bottle of wine in the other. "I'm underage," she reminds. "Well, not here, but you don't have to drink if you don't want to," he said. 

She watches him pour out a glass, it's a deep red. "Spain has amazing wine," he says. "I thought that was France?" She asks. "Well, all of Europe really," he laughs. "Do you want to try it?" he offers her the glass. Regina nibbles her bottom lip debating. She nods. 

Taking the glass from him, "Ok, wait, smell it first," he says. Regina breathes in the scent of the glass, and places her lips on the edge. Taking her first sip, the wine coats her mouth, it's smooth, and not too dry. "Mmm," she nods. "Ah, something we have in common," he smiles. 

"Now, I'll need about three glasses to get through this sappy cute film you want to watch," he jokes with her, holding the glass in the palm of his hand, he sits on the bed. She sits beneath him on the floor, and looks up at him. 

"You rather look at me than Ryan Gosling?" he jokes. "Oh Umm," Regina blushes and shakes her head, realizing that she's been staring at Killian over and over for the past hour. He smiles, "You should eat some of that food, since you're drinking," he suggests. 

He gets up, and makes Regina a plate of fruits and the sweet cake that was sent. She can't get over his care for her. Here they are just sitting cutely in pajamas with treats and drinks watching a sappy romance. 

It's everything she had ever thought a first date would be, except now she's more grown up. Her life of the past three years has aged her probably a decade faster, but she still holds a sort of innocence. She can't help but giggle as he kneels down on the floor next to her, holding the plate. 

"What? Am I that funny looking?" he teases. "No," she shrugs, with a huge grin on her face. "This is pretty tasty," he tries a bite of the decadent chocolate cake. Killian gets a piece on the fork again, and puts it towards Regina's mouth.

She stares at it, and then his eyes again. Focusing on him, as she empties his fork, she swallows the smooth chocolate. Killian gently places the plate down, keeping his eyes on hers. He wants desperately to kiss her, but he refuses to make the first move.

He doesn't have to. Regina moves herself slowly, keeping her eyes opened until the final second, when her lips meet his.