Fun little one-shot for OQ week. I combined the prompts Firsts and Domesticity for this one. Sorry for the late posting; I'm stuck at work with my hotspot, which decided it needed to take an hour to update before it was ready to use. This is purely for fun. Hope you enjoy! :)
Maybe We Should Take This Outside
"This doesn't count."
"It does so."
"Does not."
"Does."
Robin chuckled at how stubborn Regina could be and pulled her into him so that her head rested on his chest.
"Gina?"
Regina felt the slight tug on her sleeve and turned her head to look at Roland. "Yes, dear?"
"You really never been camping?"
"Hmm," she hummed in thought. She shifted onto her back so she could look at him more easily and smiled when she felt Robin's arm loop around her to keep her against him. "Not recreationally, no."
Roland's nose scrunched up. "Rec..naishly?" he attempted. "What's that mean?"
"Recreationally," she repeated, smiling warmly. "It means for fun."
His eyes lit up. "So this is your first fun camping? You never did it before?" He pulled his blanket a little closer in the smaller sized tent, tucking himself up against Regina and settling back down.
"My very first," she agreed as Robin shifted his arm to accommodate the addition of his son.
"Only it doesn't count," he re-stated.
"It does," Regina told him firmly. To Roland, she added, "And it's only a fun camping trip because you're here."
"Hey!" Robin protested, but he saw the small smile playing on Regina's lips, and a moment later, Roland's wonderful giggle filled the air.
"Next time, can Henry come camping, too?"
"I don't see why not," Regina told him. "But we might need a bigger tent."
"Or a real camping trip," Robin argued.
"Not going to let it go, are you?" Regina sighed. "Did you not sleep well last night?"
"I slept very well. This…what did you call it? Air mattress?...is a wonderful invention. How I slept has no bearing on the legitimacy of this so-called 'camping' trip. Though I'll admit this form has an appeal all its own."
"How about some coffee?" Regina asked. "And hot chocolate for you?" She looked at Roland and he nodded eagerly.
"I can prepare it," Robin told her, moving to get up.
"No, no – I've got it. It's no trouble." She winked at Roland. "Marshmallows?"
"Yes, please!" he cried happily.
As soon as the hot chocolate was finished, she went to work on the coffees, and it was as she was filling their three mugs that she felt a pair of arms snake around her waist.
"I thought you were going to wait in the tent?" she asked, twisting her neck up to grin at Robin.
"The living room, you mean?" he laughed. "It's positively dull without you. Roland agrees."
"Yup!" Regina turned back and laughed as she felt Roland's little form crash into her legs. "Are you all done yet?"
Adding the marshmallows to the top of his hot chocolate, she lifted it and passed it down to him. "Careful, sweetheart, it's still a little hot. Why don't you take it to the table?"
"Are you gonna read me a story before mama picks me up today?" He asked as he very carefully held the mug in both hands.
Robin released his hold on Regina so she could bend down to kiss the top of Roland's head. "Of course. We'll all finish our drinks and then you can pick out a story. You should pick out one for your mama to read to you tonight, too. I bet she'd like that."
"Okay!" Roland toddled off toward the table, his hot chocolate sloshing, but never spilling.
As soon as Regina was back on her feet and stirring cream into her coffee, Robin's arms returned to her waist. "Thank you for being so great with Roland. Especially now that he's splitting his time with Marian."
"Of course! She's his mother; it's only right that he should spend time with her."
"I know, but you've still been amazing. Not everyone would be able to make it this easy for Roland."
Regina blushed slightly and hoped that Robin wouldn't notice with her back still turned. He had, but instead of speaking, he slid his left arm down hers and she watched as he took her hand in his and toyed with the diamond glittering on her ring finger.
"I can't wait to marry you."
Setting the stirring spoon down, Regina turned around in his arms and leaned forward to kiss him. "And I you," she told him when she leaned back again.
He sighed heavily. "Alas. It will have to wait. I can't marry a woman who's never been camping." He couldn't even hold the straight face for a full minute before laughing, and she swatted his arm.
"You're lucky I've agreed to marry you at all."
Growing serious, he locked eyes with her. "That I am." Leaning forward, he captured her lips once more. "The luckiest man in all the lands." One more full kiss and he finally stepped back, taking the mug she held out for him. "When will Henry be joining us?"
"He's at Emma's until the day after tomorrow."
"So we're coming home the same day?" Roland asked excitedly as they joined him at the table.
"That's right." Regina hummed out a light laugh when he nearly spilled his hot chocolate with his enthusiastic response.
It was only a few minutes before Roland had slurped down his drink and he wiped the chocolate mustache from his face with his sleeve. Hopping down, he made his way to Regina's side and looked up at her in expectation.
Robin could only shake his head in amusement as Regina stood and Roland immediately lifted his arms to her. Once settled on her hip, he began chatting away happily and Robin followed as they made their way out of the kitchen.
"I already know what book for you, and what's for mama!"
"Do you, now?"
"Yup! You're gonna love it!"
They passed the tent set up in the middle of the living room floor and Regina glanced back at him, though she spoke to Roland. "After mama comes to pick you up, papa gets to help me clean up the mess in the living room."
Roland grinned and giggled. "Our camping mess."
"That's right," Regina told him, tickling his side a bit.
"Still doesn't count," Robin told her.
"Does so."
"Does not."
