Silver Lining

Talk to Me

"He used to starve me. I was only allowed to eat two or three times a week, and that was when he had some leftover food. The best meal I had was a burger he bought, but was way too undercooked for his taste," she smiled, actually considering that to be a proper meal.
Over the course of their relationship, Regina's mind had been tricked into believing that her partner knew what was best for her, and had no intention to harm her. At the beginning, even she believed that to be true. After all, Leo was her boyfriend, so he was supposed to only want the best for her.

"He did not want me to gain any weight because it would have disgusted him. Most of the days, I was too dizzy to see clearly and usually passed out when he forced me to sleep with him. I am still not sure if it was the worst part, or a blessing in disguise, being unconscious and not knowing what he was doing to me," she said.
Her words were cut by a small sob, announcing the beginning of all the tears she was holding back.
"I used to drink a lot of water to fill my stomach, but the hardest part of the day was when I had to sit at the table with him and watch him feast on the meal I prepared. I tried closing my eyes and imagining I had some on my plate as well, but he would hit me for not paying attention to him," she said.

Robin wanted to end the man's life. During that exact moment, Robin wanted to strangle him for what he did to Regina, to make sure he suffered for what he had put her through. Yet, he was brought back to the present by a sharp intake of air, and realised he needed to be there for her. She was hurt, afraid, and exhausted, and what happened to her pregnancy was of no help whatsoever.

"I can either get you some food or a feeding tube, if you feel too weak to eat. What would you prefer?" he asked.
He angrily wiped away his tears, before she could see them. He needed to be strong for her, even if he was not half as resilient as her. Robin was angry at himself for not being able to support her without breaking down himself, at Leo for what he had done to Regina, and at life itself for her cruel fate.

Regina looked up at him with a questioning look, as if she was trying to figure out if what he asked was some kind of a test.
"You mean... I can eat now? Today isn't one of the days I'm allowed to," she finally said.
Robin felt his heart shatter at the answer and could not resist hugging her again.
"You can do whatever you want, you are safe now. So, what should I bring you?" he asked with a weak smile.

"I would love some toast, and maybe some tea, if that is not too much to ask for. I have not had bread in years!" she answered with hope and innocence in her eyes.
If he were to compare the look on her face to something, it would have probably been to the one of a child in the middle of a candy store. After he processed what she asked for, Regina saw the way his smile vanished and a deep furrow formed between his brows.
"I am so sorry, that is too much. I should not have asked for it. I did nothing to deserve it, I will just go to the bathroom and have some water, that will have to be enough," she blurted out, making Robin bow down his head and squeeze her hands almost painfully in his, letting go of all the tears he was holding back.

Regina was terrified he would hurt her, but she took her hands out of his grip and hugged him tightly.
"Talk to me, please," she begged.
She knew she had to offer her support in moments like that one, that was what Leo trained her to do, but that time, it was different - she actually wanted the man in front of her to tell her what was wrong.

When Robin looked at her, his eyes were still drowning in unshed tears.
"You have been through so much, you got nothing of what you deserved and now, when you were given the opportunity to eat whatever you wanted, you asked for bread and then you cursed yourself for it. Regina, you need to see your value, you need to understand you are worth it. You have to realise he treated you horribly, he made you feel worthless. He tried to ruin you, but trust me to be the one to help you put the pieces back together," Robin said.
As soon as he finished talking, Regina pressed her lips against his, bringing her body as close to his as she could.