OQ Tumblr prompt: "outlaw queen (of course) + public displays of affection :D :D :D"—locksleyss
She heard the bell tinkling, saw them walk in; caught the fresh woodsy scent of pine drifting over to where she sat in the corner booth.
Robin had taken Regina by the hand, but only just; her pinky and ring finger dangled loosely in his grasp, which he was careful not to tighten because though he had taken the lead into Granny's diner, he was not leading her, knew that she was still her own woman, needed to be in control of her own fate. Regina's eyes made a slow, calculating turn about the room, a characteristic look of disdain curling her upper lip. But her other hand was tensed almost defensively across her midriff, and her shoulders were steeled at a hard angle as if to brace against some blow that was sure to come.
Before Regina's dark, guarded eyes could meet hers, she let her gaze drift down to the teacup she raised to her lips, and she sank deeper into the seat cushion.
"Ah, Granny," Robin was greeting the woman behind the bar counter, and his hand left Regina's for a second to rest on the granite top. "Whiskey for me…" he turned to Regina, "and a double for you, darling?" A smirk played at his lips.
She couldn't hear the response Regina muttered, but it brought a delighted smile to Robin's face, and his lower lip caught in his teeth as he leaned his whole torso against her and whispered something into her hair. She couldn't be sure but she thought she saw Regina's fist catch him briskly in the stomach, and he released a low chuckle. His hand came to rest in the small of her back with the familiarity of one who'd done so a hundred times, and Regina's body was rigid like someone who would never quite get used to it.
He hadn't seen her, thank goodness, wouldn't do to get caught staring, and her sigh of relief rose back out of her teacup in a puff of steam. She hid her face behind a hand, fiddling with a lock of her chestnut hair.
Robin was speaking lowly into Regina's ear again, and a throaty laugh emerged unbidden, unwinding her shoulders, and she leaned almost instinctively into his chest, as though wanting to hide the fact that such a happy sound had come from her; he was looking like he couldn't wait to hear it again. His hand had inched further down from her back to settle into the curve of her hip, but now Regina was leaning into his touch, accepting, embracing it.
She was taking another sip of tea when Granny returned to the counter with two tumblers of amber liquid. She heard the clink of glass, and while Robin was setting his drink back down with a satisfied sigh, Regina's hand lingered over the green fabric that hugged his chest, was sneaking under his scarf to trace the V-neck of his sweater. His hand came up to press it against his heart, and they were both looking down at their entwined fingers and smiling and neither said a single word.
Suddenly feeling embarrassed, as though she'd just barged in on a deeply private moment, she made to turn her head, but the corner of her eye caught a glimpse of the lion crest tattooed on Robin's forearm, as he was reaching over with his other hand to play with the hair cascading down Regina's shoulder. She had heard the story of its significance by now (Tink had made it her mission to share this information with her), but to finally see it in action…her heartstrings felt like they were being pulled in all sorts of directions.
She realized then that it had been some time since she'd seen Regina's hair that long, relaxed, so loosely styled.
The bell sounded again as the door swung open to reveal Emma, who quickly surveyed the diner until her eyes landed on the corner booth, and was beginning to make her way over when her purposeful strides brought her directly into Regina's line of sight. Emma halted mid-step. Their eyes trapped each other's in a brief yet endless stare, Regina's utterly indecipherable, until she broke contact by turning back to follow the direction of Emma's intended path.
She set her teacup down and met her gaze head-on. Regina's eyes widened almost imperceptibly with the realization that she had bore witness to that entire display with Robin. Then she could've sworn Regina's expression turned hesitant, almost quizzical, and afflicted with uncertainty. It physically pained her to see the woman who had once sentenced her to death appear so achingly vulnerable, seeking permission—from her, of all people—to accept the happiness that she still didn't believe she deserved.
Tea forgotten, she smiled. Nodded. Yes. Go. Be happy.
Regina's lips parted slightly, but she said nothing until she turned away, her back to the corner booth once more, and uttered something to Robin that had him smiling and depositing a kiss in her hair.
Emma, momentarily stupefied, finally started back towards the corner of the diner, her jaw still agape as she threw terribly indiscreet glances back at Robin and Regina.
"Hey," Emma said lowly as she approached, and the seat across the table made a whizzy little deflating sound as she sank into it. "How are you holding up?"
She shrugged, smiled. "How do you think?"
"I'm sure it can't be easy," said Emma.
"No," she replied simply. She'd seen her reflection in the mirror that morning, an unmistakable tiredness darkening the skin around her eyes, dragging it down; had been, for weeks. "Motherhood never is." It was a loaded thing to say, and its sentiment, which spoke of the unspeakable sacrifices parents must make for the sake of their children, as well as the enduring fear that it will never quite be enough, hung in the air like laundry that would never completely dry.
"Not that I would know," Emma said, focused on interlocking her fingers one way, then the other. "I didn't exactly get to experience Henry's childhood firsthand." Her gaze drew back upwards. "But I guess you would know something about that too."
"I'm more than ready to make up for lost time with this one." The child next to her was squirming in his sleep, and she reached down to press a palm calmingly, lovingly, against his forehead. "I know we can't erase the past, Emma, but if you could go back—if we could go back—there are so many things I would've liked to do differently, and—"
"It's okay," Emma cut her off, but gently. "You're here now, and nothing is going to change that. Nothing else even matters anymore. Family is the only thing. Family is everything."
She opened her mouth to respond but words stopped short from coming out when she looked up and saw, to her shock, Regina making her way over to them, with Robin following her lead this time. Her face was tight as she drew near, careful not to let any proof of emotion sneak through but her hand was gripping Robin's now, with a firmness that whitened her knuckles, though she deliberately tucked it behind her hip out of sight.
She pulled her child into her lap as Regina and Robin stopped at the table, and his arms instantly came up to wiggle his fingers eagerly in the queen's direction.
Hesitating again, Regina looked at Robin this time, and his eyes were bright; his face a treasure trove of laughter lines, his hand a comforting presence on her back; and he said it all without saying a thing; we're family now.
She smiled up at Regina. "Your godson is happy to see you."
A/N: I kept the identity of the woman at the corner booth open to your interpretation; I mean, I have my own ideas about who she is, but I definitely went back and forth while writing this, so, I'm curious to hear what you think about it :)
Also, if you have any other prompts you'd like to see just let me know! Or come visit me on Tumblr (url: ninzied)!