Silver Lining

First steps

When Regina woke up, she saw Robin on the chair near her bed, the spot he would choose if he would not have enough space or time to lie down next to her. Robin's head was leaning on his hand and his beautiful blue eyes were shut. After watching him for a while, Regina managed to get out of the bed and take her first steps after the intervention. Even though the nurses encouraged her to walk as soon as possible, she refused to leave her bed without Robin by her side. Somehow, Regina felt as if her safety would end the moment she left the crispy white sheets, but Robin would still be there for her. The painkillers were starting to wear off and she could feel various pains in her body, but the need to be closer to him won over. It was as if just being next to him provided Regina with enough comfort in order for her to be able to fully relax.

Regina wanted to be the first one to hug Robin, to show the slightest sign of affection towards him. Until then, it was Robin who closed the gap between them and soothed her, so she wanted to be the first one to wrap her arms around his frame that time. It sounded silly, but it felt important for her to be the first one to initiate contact. Like that, Regina was able to choose whether she wanted to be next to a person or not, which was something that never happened with Leo. By being the first one to lean into a hug, Regina felt like she was finally allowing herself to accept Robin's help. Gathering all her strenght, Regina managed to toddle to his chair before sitting down on his knees, snuggling closer to his chest.

The moment he felt her arms linking together around his neck, Robin jerked awake and tightened the grip on her body. If there was the slightest chance of him dropping Regina while he was asleep, it quickly vanished when he woke up.
"You are up! I need you to rest, Regina. Please, let me take care of you," he said, scooping her up and placing her back on her bed.
Robin saw her whimper at the loss of his body heat, so he gently sat next to her, pulling her upper body into his embrace. She felt small in his arms, but she somehow fit next to his body as if they were meant to be together. Her body was warm, welcoming his gentle touch, and her subtle scent was quickly becoming one of Robin's favourites.

"How are you still here? Don't you have any work to do?" her look was childlike, innocent.
"My shift ended a couple of hours ago, but I wanted to stay with you," he answered, threading his fingers through thick dark hair.
It felt smooth against his skin, and the way it curled around his fingers was entrancing.

Regina did not know how to respond, realising that she had never been shown any kind of affection, let alone love. She wanted to be good enough for this man, but the familiar feeling of not being worth it kept creeping behind her back. Why would a man like Robin, a man who went to medical school and had such a noble job, even look at her? She was just a damaged woman who surrendered herself to an abusive man and let him ruin her. She felt like it was her fault, everything that happened in that relationship was caused by her. She was not good enough for her partner, not as beautiful or smart as Leo said he deserved, and certainly not as capable as he wanted her to be.

"I need to talk to you about something, Regina," Robin said, and she could see how worried he was.
"Oh, I understand. I will find another place to stay, don't worry," she said quietly, trying to peel herself from him.
It was another rejection, and even though Leo had told her numerous times that it would be the only treatment people would show her, it still managed to twist her heart in a painful way.
"No, Regina, that is not what I meant. Of course I still want you to come, this has nothing to do with what I wanted to ask you. Please, calm down," Robin said, easily succeeding to gather her in his arms again.

"Did you end up so thin from his rules alone?" he asked worriedly.
"Robin, you really do not want to know this story..." she said, shying away from his concerned look.
"Please, talk to me. I need to know what is going on, so I can be there for you the best I can," Robin answered.
Robin wanted to help her so badly, but he needed to know what she dealt with. He tried to convince himself it was only that bastard's schedule that made Regina lose so much weight, but Robin feared it was also coming from her side.

Regina took a moment and began the story. It would not be a happy one, but she still felt that Robin would be next to her once he found out.