Outlaw Queen One Shots

Love Conquers All

Her hand rested on her chest, just above the resilient thing that gave her life, her ever-scarred heart. She pressed down, her hand sinking into her chest, fingers immediately finding the red orb laced through with black. She pulled it out and opened her eyes, staring intently at the beating heart she held in her hand.

“Regina, what are you doing?” He asked, panic and confusion evident in his voice and demeanor.

She answered not with words, but with actions. She squeezed. She choked, crying out in pain and leaning against the sink for support.

Harder. He’s watching you kill yourself and he doesn’t care. Squeeze harder, damnit!

Her inner demons, and boy were there a lot of them, were screaming at her. She didn’t have the strength to fight them, not anymore.

Harder, she squeezed and more pain flowed through her, causing her body to jerk and she hit the ground on her knees, hard.

And then he was there, grabbing her wrist tight enough to leave bruises, prying her fingers from the glowing object in her hand.

“Goddamnit, Regina, let go of your fucking heart! Stop!” He pleaded with her, his own tears pooling in is icy blue irises as they searched for her warm brown ones.

She finally met his gaze and gave up as his strength overcame her grip and he pulled her heart from her grasp. She slumped against the cabinets, gasping for breath, the remnants of pain still overwhelming her body. She closed her eyes as more tears leaked out, streaming down her porcelain cheeks.

“You lied to me,” Robin stated matter-of-factly. He didn’t sound angry or hurt, just… Declarative, as though he were just putting it out there that she hadn’t been honest with him. “You told me you were fine, but you most definitely are not.”

She tried to reply, but a wheeze took over her words and she choked on a cough.

Despite everything he had just witnessed, the former thief pulled the former queen into his arms, rubbing a soothing, loving hand down her back. She finally caught her breath and looked up at him, tears still staining her cheeks.

“Give me my heart back. Please,” she wheezed, barely able to get the words out before coughing once again.

“No. Something this precious isn’t safe with you. Not right now, not after what you just tried to do.”

“There are other ways to commit suicide, Robin.”

“I know. But you won’t. You know why? Because I won’t let you, Regina. I care about you too damn much to let you take your own life.”

“Oh, come on, Robin. You know everyone would be better off without me.”

Robin sighed. He took her chin in his thumb and forefinger and turned her head to face him.

“Why? Why did I find you in here crying, two seconds away from crushing your own heart? What’s wrong, Regina? You used to tell me these things. You were honest with me when I asked if you were alright. What have I done to push you away? Please, tell me so I can fix it, so I can fix us, because I don’t want to lose you,” Robin begged.

She rubbed her face. He said he cared, and she almost believed him. Almost. But there was still a shadow of doubt within her, as there always was. Still just one demon that hadn’t quite given up against Robin’s light forces that told her he would never care about her.

Who did she trust more: the demon who had been in her mind since her time as queen, or the man in front of her now whom she was destined to be with?