An Impromptu Rescue

No More Hiding

If the thief wasn't confused beforehand, he certainly is now. Although he hears everything that the brunette is telling him, the blue-eyed man cannot seem to understand at all what the words mean.

Robin watches as the woman takes a tentative step towards him, causing the outlaw to take one backwards. Hurt immediately flashes across her brown orbs, and he has the sudden urge to comfort her but finds himself unable to as the blue-eyed man continues to try and make sense of all this new information.

Regina.

So that's her real name. Robin can't help but think how it suits her, because it does. She's every bit the queen–

Wait a minute.

The Queen!

She's the Queen!

Realisation dawns on the thief as the information finally sinks in. The woman he's completely and hopelessly in love with is the Queen of Misthaven. No wonder she had been so reluctant to tell him – he would be too if the roles were reversed. Robin cannot deny the fact that he's heard many a story about the so-called great and terrible evil queen, but up until this point, he had never bothered to learn whether any of those stories were actually true.

But as he stares into the expressive brown eyes of the woman in front of him, Robin decides that whoever she may have been before no longer matters. After all, he knows her. She's the woman who risked her life to save himself and his men and made him dance and feel alive in a way he never thought would be possible after Marian died.

She's smart, sassy, loving, stunning and a thousand other things. But above all, she's a woman who wants to feel free.

"Robin, say something, please."

The outlaw snaps out of his musings upon hearing how the voice of the woman he loves come out so weak and so vulnerable.

He looks at the woman in front of him then – properly looks at her. Though the features of her face are different to the ones he remembers, Robin cannot deny that she doesn't look any less beautiful. If anything, she's even more stunning. His eyes then fall to a scar that rests just above the brunette's lip, one that is all too familiar. The thief brings his gaze to meet hers and his heart skips a beat as he immediately becomes lost within the depths of her brown orbs.

Slowly, Robin takes a small step towards her, relief soon sweeping through him as Wilma – no, Regina – doesn't take one back. The outlaw proceeds to close the distance that he had created between them, his gaze never leaving hers. Once he's only inches from her, Robin lifts a tentative hand to cup her cheek. He hears her sigh at his touch before closing her eyes and leaning into him as single tear runs down her cheek. "It's really you." the thief breathes upon tenderly wiping the tear away.

Nodding, Wil-Regina opens her eyes and smiles, "It's me."

Robin returns it before bringing his free hand up to cup her other cheek and gently kisses her. "So, this was your big secret, huh?" he asks upon pulling back and brushing his nose against hers lovingly.

"Yeah." she replies with a breathy chuckle. Suddenly, the woman jars her head away from his hold and a frown forms on her features as her brown orbs bore into the depths of his blue ones, "You're not upset?"

"Upset?" the thief questions incredulously whilst moving his hands to cup her cheeks once again, "No sweetheart, not at all. Surprised maybe, but not upset."

The brunette lets out a scoff as her gaze lowers to the ground, "Even despite the fact you've fallen in love with the Evil Queen?"

Robin's heart aches at her words. Sighing as his thumb strokes the apple of her cheek, the thief murmurs, "Look at me, Regina." For a moment, her gaze remains firmly fixed upon the ground before she inhales deeply and levels her tear-filled brown orbs to meet his blue ones. "Four days ago, I told you I could never hate you," he states in a firm tone, "and I meant every word. It doesn't matter who you are or who you used to be, and do you know why?"