Ok, so, a while ago I started putting together a Christmas Project for OQ, and came up with a 12 Days themed one.
So, I'll be trying my very very best to update one daily between now and Christmas Day.
I hope y'all enjoy these festive little oneshots (and please send reviews my way because this is the first thing I've posted in a while and I'm really really nervous about it :S eek)
Love all you wonderful people,
You guys ROCK!
…
The first thing that pulls Regina from sleep is not the usual delicate chimes of her alarm; instead, it's the moment she turns to burrow into the warmth of Robin but is only greeted with an unpleasant coolness on his side of the bed. With a huff Regina forces her eyes open, takes in the light illuminating her cream curtains and feels a little wary at the quiet stillness of her house.
A glance at her alarm clock shows it to be 07:17 - 13 minutes before the occupants of her house start to get ready for the school run - and yes, Robin's usually awake before her, but he cannot get ready in the morning without making enough noise to wake a heard of elephants. So how he has been awake for a while and she hasn't confuses her.
Then a faint knocking on her front door startles her and she's even more confused; who could be visiting at this hour?
Frowning as she dons her dressing gown and slides her feet into slippers, Regina makes her way downstairs, rubbing her arms in an effort to make the contrast between warm bed and cold house a little less shocking. Her efforts are useless; the moment she opens the front door, a gust of icy wind leaves her breathless and wanting to slam the winter cold out.
But then she gets a look at the adorable idiot on her doorstep and she opens the door wider with a smirk.
Robin is standing there, his eyes scrunched closed, his lips in a pout, and his arm outstretched above his head with mistletoe in his hand.
Regina can't help but laugh, smiling even though goosebumps are appearing on every inch of her skin.
This man...
Grabbing the front of his thick jacket, Regina pulls him over the threshold, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips through her smile. She's barely pulled away to laugh at him some more when his arm lowers to wrap around her waist and pulls her back to him.
His nose is cold as it smushes into her cheek, and his fingertips are even colder as they press through the satin of her robe, but she feels heat rush through her at the little moan he makes when her tongue swipes at his lip, and the fact that she's close to shivering all but slips her mind.
"Um... Could you guys get a room?"
They break apart to see Henry leaning over the stair banister - presumably his charming genes activating his nosiness, Regina muses - wiping his sleepy eyes but still managing the god, you're embarrassing grimace all teenagers possess.
"Fine," Regina sighs. "Go and get dressed and I'll start making breakfast."
Henry turns and races back to his room, and Regina watches him go with a fond smile. He'd almost eaten her out of house and home last week, and it appears this week won't be any different. She counts the footsteps before she hears the door close, feeling wistfully nostalgic when his longer legs means the number has slowly dwindled over the years.
Kicking herself out of her motherly woes, she turns back to Robin, pulling him inside and closing the door because it's bloody freezing outside and all the heat is escaping. It's then she notes that his other hand has a wicker basket in it, full to the brim of mistletoe.
"And just where are you planning on putting all that?"
"It's a surprise," he evades, chuckling when Regina narrows her eyes at him.
"I don't like surprises."
"Not even surprise kisses? I highly doubt that, milady."
With a roll of her eyes, Regina smiles, concedes that yes, ok, perhaps she does love surprise kisses, and leans forward to help herself to another one.
She doesn't manage to get one before the shrill sound of a baby crying echoes throughout the house. With a frustrated sigh, Regina drops her head to Robin's shoulder.
"I'll see to her," Robin offers, stroking a hand up and down her spine. "You go get dressed and start on breakfast."
"You're not getting any unless you leave your dirty boots at the door," she warns, before straightening, turning and making her way upstairs, leaving him to frown as he sits on the bottom step and gets to work untying his laces.
...
By the time she gets to her room, the urge to just climb back into bed and warm up has Regina pouting as she straightens the duvet. And the thought of removing her nice, warm clothes to put on fresh, cold ones has her pouting even more.
But she manages it; she's dressed in record time, bravely shucking her gown and chemise and quickly pulling on underwear and trousers and her blouse and a jacket, feeling a little less grumpy with each extra layer. Plus; it's a little warmer in her en suite, and she leans against the radiator as she brushes her teeth, warming the backs of her legs with a blissful smile on her face.
Of course, she has to leave the warmth to travel to the sink when she's done – which is rather unpleasant – to rinse her mouth out then have a glass of water.
When she stands back up straight and looks in the mirror, there's a figure directly behind her, and one-too-many horror movies have her jumping out of her skin and turning towards the intruder.
It's only Robin – of course it is; who else would it be? – but Regina's racing heart has her delivering a rather hefty punch to her soulmate's arm, scolding him for sneaking up on her.
Seemingly unaffected by her ire, Robin lifts up mistletoe between them with a grin, silently asking if he can place one in their bathroom. But Regina glares and turns away, folding her arms in a show of petulant anger at him for nearly giving her a coronary.
Lowering the mistletoe, Robin's grin fades.
"I'm sorry," he apologises - though it's effects are somewhat lessened when she still sees a smirk pull at his lips.
With a huff, she meets his eyes in their reflection and pouts some more.
Robin smiles, raises a hand to brush her hair behind her shoulder and then dips his head to press a kiss to behind her jaw.
"Forgive me?" he mumbles into her skin, before pressing a kiss slightly lower, then another.
Letting out a short groan, Regina concedes and lets her head fall back so her lover has more skin he can kiss an apology into.
She'll let him pin the mistletoe up later.
...
The kids are driven to school - it's far too cold to let them walk, and Roland is still slightly wary of the completely different educational system in Storybrooke - Robin is staying at home with his daughter, and so that leaves Regina at work, in the peace and quiet of her office.
At least, peace and quiet is what she was hoping for. What she actually gets? The exact opposite.
Ice means road traffic accidents, which means directing resources into investigating, which means complaints from residents about journey delays. There's also a protest being organised regarding resurfacing roads - locals fussing about the noise and diversions, and others giving the names of roads that apparently need it more - and the duty of appeasing the pathetic whiners has been passed up to the Mayor when all else has failed.
Oh, and her assistant has caught the flu, and so she's technically doing the work of two jobs by herself on what is already a busy day.
And it isn't even lunch yet…
Feeling the onset of a headache, her office door opening signifies the last thing Regina needs; visitors.
"Madame Mayor?" she hears, and despite everything she smiles; she knows that accent anywhere.
"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Regina asks as she looks up, meeting the gaze of her soulmate with his adorable little girl in his arms.
He skips pleasantries, frowning at the way she had been massaging her temples and straight-out asking; "rough day?"
Blowing out a puff of air, Regina tries to come up with ways to put her already hectic day into words, but she doesn't need to; Robin holds up a hand and declares; "Say no more."
Regina lips curve into a smile. He knows her so well.
"Is there anything you need?" she asks, before teasing; "or is the little one getting a little too much for you?"
Robin chuckles, looking down and stage whispering to his daughter: "she thinks she's funny, you know."
Regina narrows her eyes and mock glares at him, which in turn just turns his chuckle into laughter.
"Look in your top left drawer," he declares, and Regina's glare turns sceptical.
Robin refuses to back down though; meeting her gaze head-on until curiosity gets the better of her and she breaks eye contact to look into the drawer she has warily opened.
She immediately sees the mistletoe, her first thought being of course, what else? and her second being how the hell did he put that in there?
But then she sees the box of chocolates underneath green leaves and white berries, and her love for her soulmate suddenly knows no bounds.
"You bought me chocolates?"
"Indeed. I did."
With a grin, she takes the black box and places it on her desk, moving the mistletoe to the side before she pulls on the end of the gold bow wrapped around it, lifting the lid and perusing the gorgeous treats displayed inside.
The mistletoe disappears from her field of vision, and she looks up to see Robin holding it above her and raising his eyebrows.
She'd kiss him even without the mistletoe.
Regina tilts her chin up to him, and Robin leans down to her, keeping a tight hold on his daughter as he kisses his soulmate, a deep and loving embrace that leaves Regina a little breathless when they part.
Her eyes only manage to open when she hears footsteps leading away from her, and she sees Robin exiting her office, closing the door behind him. She bites her lower lip to try and stop the smirk spreading - and fails miserably - but when she goes to pick out her first chocolate, she finds there's already one missing.
She glares at the empty space, then turns her glare to the door when she realises what has happened.
"Thief!" she calls out, knowing Robin had probably left quick enough that he wouldn't hear any profanities when she realised he has stolen one of her sweets.
Once a thief, always a thief, she muses, grumbling as she takes the chocolate resembling the picture of the salted caramel truffle and placing it in her mouth.
Her grumpiness fades as the flavour draws out a moan from the base of her throat.
Okay, she'll forgive her thief, just this once.
...
The rest of Regina's day goes by a bit better, and any time she's feeling the urge to roast an unruly resident, she eats a chocolate and her temper fades into something easier to keep a lid on.
She rushes through her paperwork once it's past six in the evening, checking and double checking for mistakes before she officially calls it a day and makes her way to Granny's - Henry had messaged her half an hour previous, stating that there was an impromptu family gathering at the local diner and that they were having food there.
Sure enough, when she arrives, the entire family is there - and then some; Henry, Roland, Robin, his daughter, Snow, Charming, their son, Emma, Guyliner, the seven munchkins...
Roland gets out of his seat and hugs her before she even manages to close the door. Bending down, she hoists him onto her hip, eyes scanning for Robin and smiling when she sees him grinning back at her. Taking the seat next to him and keeping Roland on her lap, Regina steals a fry from Robin's plate and calls it payback for the chocolate he stole.
The Christmas music playing in the background has several people singing along - loudly, and out of tune - and those standing at the bar with a drink in their hand are dancing - terribly - along with Shakin' Stevens. Regina catches a glimpse of Emma and Hook standing towards the back of the room, Emma being one of those who are singing - loudly, and out of tune - and Hook being one of those who are dancing - terribly. She puts it down to the alcohol in their hands and the several empty glasses on the table next to them.
Shaking her head, Regina turns back to her arch-nemesis-turned-friend who had just squished in the booth opposite her and is sliding a glass of mulled wine across the table. Regina takes it gratefully, offering a smile to Snow as the princess leans into her husband who has just come to stand beside her.
Regina starts at the sudden jolly laugh from her left, turning to find Happy kneeling the booth behind her and Robin, holding up a piece of Mistletoe with lipstick prints over his cheeks and forehead.
No, is the first thing to come to Regina's mind as she turns back to the table. Her 'Audacious' MAC lipstick will not be wasted on that dwarf's face.
"Oh, come on your majesty," she hears Hook encourage from next to Happy - having apparently stumbled his way across the room - sounding far too smug as he declares; "It's tradition."
She levels a glare at the pirate, but then sees an immediate get-out clause and smiles. "It's tradition to kiss the person closest to you, is it not?"
When both of them nod, she inclines her head towards Robin, who was - probably - closer to her than the other two. But she wasn't going to measure; just in case.
The two drunkards frown and pout, and she grins a saccharine 'fuck you' before turning to kiss her soulmate.
Her eyes close, and her lips press to a scruffy cheek - though she frowns when it feels too scruffy and she hears a shocked guffaw from Snow. When she opens her eyes she's greeted with Hook's bearded, smug face where Robin's should be, and she can already feel the imminent flame heating the palm of her hand.
Unfortunately, she doesn't get to singe his beard off; instead, Robin's fist rises to nudge the drunk pirate's face out of the way - a little less harsh than Regina would like, but still enough to have the bastard rubbing his chin as he kneels straight again.
With a disgusted grimace, Regina makes a show of wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Robin can't help but find humour in the situation and chuckles, oblivious to his soulmate planning infinite possibilities of the pirate's demise.
Hook ignores the evil glare being levelled at him and in his drunken stupor - chooses to fan the flames with a teasing: "always a pleasure, your majesty."
With a roll of her eyes, Regina flicks her wrist, and the pirate's hook suddenly vanishes.
There's an outcry of "Hey!" and several sniggers.
"Give me my hook back!"
"I don't have it," Regina retorts. "Go find it, or get lost. Whichever takes longer."
Robin's hand reaches for hers under the table in an attempt to soothe her rising temper, and Snow has that disapproving glare on her face as she warns; "Regina..."
"What?" Regina scoffs, fully intending to let the pirate hunt around the town for hours, but even her eldest son is looking at her with a raised brow. With a dramatic sigh and another roll of her eyes, she admits; "fine, it's at the docks."
"Swan, we're going to the docks!" Hook declares as he gets up from his position kneeled at the booth – drunkenly swaying on his feet as if he was on his boat before he regains his balance.
Emma puts down her drink, an exaggerated frown on her face as she asks; "Why?"
"I'm Hook without a hook!" he exclaims, holding up the arm in question in front of his face before huffing and twirling, making his way out of the door, then waiting and holding it open for Emma.
Regina can't help but chuckle - despite the disapproving look she's still getting from Snow.
"That was rather rude, Regina."
"He deserved it," she insists, before officially declaring: "the only guys I am going to kiss under the mistletoe are my boys."
Regina smiled as she took another sip of her wine, glancing around at her 'boys' and making a mental note to attack them with mistletoe and smother them in kisses over the festive period.
...
The walk home from Granny's is relaxing, with Robin pushing his daughter's pram, Regina tucked around his arm and Henry walking alongside them with Roland's hand in his.
Some shops have elaborate lights in the windows, others have turned them off after closing, but as they turn down the street, Regina notes the sparkling decorations on the lampposts.
The first has holly formed from lights and tinsel, the second has bells, the third has a snowflake, the fourth has a shooting star.
Though the lights on the fifth are arranged in the shape of mistletoe, and Regina smirks, waiting for Robin to notice.
It takes until they're almost underneath it before he does - or at least until he acknowledges it.
He comes to a stop, turning to Regina with a smile and guiding her to stand underneath the lights with him.
"I believe this counts, milady?"
Regina grins as Robin steps closer to her, his mouth hovering over her lips.
Noting the adults are no longer beside him, Henry pauses and turns back to see where they went.
He catches Robin dipping Regina underneath the glow of the streetlight, planting a kiss on her surprised smile.
Henry grins at first, adoring the sight of his mother laughing and being happy, but then the kiss continues past what he'd call 'socially acceptable', and his grin turns into a grimace. To his left, Roland seems to be following the same cute-to-gross facial process. Taking pity on the kid, Henry takes Roland's hand, turning them, grabbing the stroller and manoeuvring them down the route towards their home.
"You two can just... catch up..." Henry suggests over his shoulder, catching his mother's arms winding around Robin's neck before he adds; "whenever you're ready."
...
The adults catch up to their kids not too long later, childish giggles escaping them when they're both sent chastising glares by their respective sons.
Though Henry still can't help but smirk as his mother puts an arm around his shoulders, resting her head against his as she smiles down at the little girl fast asleep and wrapped up in blankets.
They walk back home in companionable silence with the exception of Roland deciding to point out the 'pretty lights' whenever a house's exterior was decorated for Christmas. When they got back to her mansion, Regina mused she should get something for her front garden; lighting for her topiary perhaps, or an ornament for her porch, or a wreath for her front door...
Robin grabs her hand, pulling her from her musing and into the warm foyer of her home.
She lets him de-robe her as the kids make their way upstairs, removing her winter coat and hanging it alongside his, unlooping the scarf from around her neck and placing it on the coat stand. Regina smiles in gratitude, wondering how she ever became lucky enough to be loved by this man and his adorable son.
Though the 'adorable' momentarily slips when she hears two distinct thuds from above, followed by several smaller ones.
She knows that sound. She has been accustomed to it for years. Though not from this particular little boy.
"Roland Locksley?" Regina shouts in the general direction of his bedroom, before warning; "Those had better not be your shoes being left on the stairs, young man..."
They hear a quiet huff, and a series of soft stomps across the landing, before a head full of curls peeks over the top bannister.
"Sorry, R'gina," Roland mumbles.
"That's alright, honey," she assures. "Just remember next time, please, okay? I don't want you tripping and hurting yourself."
"Okay."
"Well, well..." Regina hears from behind her. "Look what I just found."
She turns to see Robin stood with mistletoe in front of him, and a cheesy grin on his face.
Roland runs back up the stairs with a suffering shout of "Henry, they're doing it again", making the adults laugh even more.
Robin holds the mistletoe above his head, and reaches out towards Regina with a soft; "come here."
The moment she places her hand in his, Robin tugs her to him. He wraps his arm around Regina's slim waist, pulls her in close and greets her smile with a kiss.
...
When the boys come back downstairs a short while later, the adults can't help but let out a chuckle at the sight of them.
Henry has a red, Christmas sweater on, a cross-stitch pattern of snowflakes and snowmen covering him. And Roland? He's wearing a sweater too, a green one with a reindeer appliqued and bordered in sequins - though this one obviously used to be Henry's; the hem comes down to his knees, and although the sleeves are rolled up as far as they can go they still only just get past his small hands.
But the little boy is beaming, so proud of his new sweater, and the adults can't help but beam with him.
However, at the mischievous looks the boys start sending each other, their grins fade and their eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"What are you boys up to?" Regina asks, a hint of warning in her tone.
They both declare a very unconvincing 'nothing' before moving around to the back of the sofa where Regina and Robin are sitting.
The next thing they know, Henry is pulling a hat onto Robin's head, and Roland is pulling one onto Regina's - though the young boy slightly misjudges and it covers one of Regina's eyes too. She fixes it with a chuckle, turns to Robin, and then her chuckle turns into a full-blown laugh.
He looks adorable, the white fluff framing his face, red taking the place of his dark blonde hair, a pom-pom resting on his shoulder...
Ho ho ho... She thinks with a giggle as she dips her head.
Though Robin reaches out and hooks a finger under her chin, guiding her to face him as he takes in the sight of a festive Regina.
"You're beautiful," he confesses, drawing from her a blush so red it matches her hat.
Unable to resist, Robin produces a branch of mistletoe - from where? Regina has no idea - and holds it between them. But two seconds later, the plant has completely disappeared from his grasp, and Robin and Regina's smiles fade into frowns as they look behind them to see Henry - having commandeered the mistletoe - staring back at them with an unimpressed glare.
"Have you two not kissed enough lately?"
"I can never have enough kisses from your mother," Robin declares, and Henry smiles at the love in his voice before thinking a little more about it and back-tracking to a grimace.
"Henry..." his mother implores, her head tilted against the back of the sofa as she looks at him with soft eyes and a slight pout - seriously? His mother is giving him the puppy-eyes? - and Henry finds himself giving in.
He turns to Robin, with a stern; "just this once."
"It is most appreciated, my boy," Robin says as he nods and smiles.
"But..." Henry starts as he turns to his mother; "you have to make me a hot chocolate to make up for it."
Laughing, Regina accepts wholeheartedly, "deal."
With a sigh, Henry holds the plant out where he had taken it from Robin's grasp, turning his head away and putting his free hand over Roland's eyes, giving the all-clear; "Fine, go ahead."
He hears a chuckle, but after a few seconds - and at the first hint of a quiet moan - he throws the mistletoe at the pair to break them up.
...
Later, standing in the doorway with two mugs of hot chocolate, Regina looks over the scene before her with a fond smile.
Robin is sat dozing in front of the fire, leaning back against the couch with his son sitting on his knee – his Santa hat still on his head. Henry is sitting opposite them, involved in a hushed conversation with Roland that - try as she might - Regina can't quite hear.
Though she hears the grandfather's clock in her study sound from behind her, the 9 chimes signifying it was a certain adorable little man's bedtime.
"Roland, honey, it's getting late. Time for bed," Regina declares, watching as the young boy's face falls and he looks back towards Henry - who had long since learned bedtime was non-negotiable except for birthdays and other special occasions, and so merely responded with a shrug.
"Can you read me a story, Henry?" the young boy asks, no doubt turning on his own puppy-eyes which he knows gets his own way more often than not.
True to form, his wish is granted, and Roland beams and claps his hands together.
Climbing to his feet, the little boy moves towards the table near the fireplace, picking up the mistletoe there, bringing it to Regina and pursing his lips at her - looking so much like his father it momentarily takes her breath away.
She soon recovers, laughs and then bends down to pepper his adorable little face with kisses until he squirms out of her hold. He giggles before he runs up the stairs, leaving the festive plant in her hand.
Regina smirks as Henry starts to walk towards the doorway she's stood in, lifting the mistletoe as she raises her eyebrows.
With an exaggerated roll of his eyes, he comes to a stop in front of her, offering her his cheek with a teasing scowl.
Regina reaches up to grasp his chin, turning his face towards her and giving him the same embarrassing attack of affectionate kisses she had Roland.
"Mom!" Henry whined, jokingly scrubbing his cheeks with his hands as he took several steps back from her with a glare she was sure he inherited from her.
"Hush, I love you," Regina offers as explanation, before nodding her head towards the stairs and continuing: "now go upstairs and read Roland his story."
"Yeah, whatever," Henry grumbles, making plans to burn all the mistletoe in existence.
...
Robin's still sleeping when Regina sends Henry to bed - without another mistletoe kiss attack, much to his delight - but the thief's head is now at an angle where he's releasing soft snores with every breath.
It draws a fond smile from Regina, her head tilting to the side as she takes a moment to just admire her man. It still amazes her how on earth fate has decreed she deserves him.
Robin shifts in his sleep, curling in on himself a little as his features morph into a small frown. Regina frowns with him, musing that he might be feeling the chill on the draughty floor, and then her glance sweeps over the room to find the 'sleepy blanket' she had bought Henry when he was young that is now a permanent fixture in her living room. It's strewn over the chair in the corner, crumpled from not having been put away properly when Roland had cosied up to it the night before, but the majority of creases drop out of it after a good shake.
Regina muses on all the nights this blanket had been a source of comfort, from the young toddler who had refused to let it out of his grasp the moment he chose it in the store, to the young boy who ate too much pizza and felt ill for days, to the young adult who fell asleep on his mother's shoulder during a movie, to a mother parted from her little prince and missing him dearly... This blanket has been loved for years, and - judging by a certain little merry man who has now also taken to the patterned fleece, counting the white moon and stars embroidered on it until he had fallen asleep - it was going to be loved for quite a few more.
And now? It's being used by a sleepy, festive-looking thief whom Regina would gladly fetch his own moon and stars for, if it brought her his dazzling smile. He's become such a huge part of her life now, she'd give her entire world to him if he asked.
The edges tuck around his shoulders, and Regina tugs at the ends to cover his red-socked feet before she stands and looks over the man in front of her.
He's never looked so adorable.
Though she changes her mind when he shifts and snuggles into the blanket with a small smile; that is when he's cutest.
But his shifting means one of his hands peek out from under the fleece, and Regina can't help but chuckle when she notes another damn piece of mistletoe held in his grasp. Gently prying it from his fingers - he must really have an affinity for this plant, she notes - Regina places it on the corner of her mahogany coffee table.
But then she changes her mind.
She glances at Robin out of the corner of her eyes, twirling the stem in her hand as a smile grows. Taking a step towards him, Regina holds out the mistletoe above her soulmate, gently removing his hat as she leans down to press a kiss to his forehead before she pulls back to gaze at him with a fond smile.
She has a feeling in her heart that this is going to be the best Christmas ever - providing that there won't be any pressing matters for anyone to tend to.
Regina's not naïve enough to believe they'll live happily ever after - Snow does enough of that for the entire town - but they're both living happily now, and that's all that matters to her.
...
Robin wakes with an ache in his neck and a room with two fewer people in than he went to sleep with.
He strains his ears, trying to hear any sound, but gets nothing but a faint clock ticking. So, grumbling and wincing, he stands, stretches his back - moaning at the series of pops - and then starts his quest to find Regina.
She's not in her study, or the lounge, or the kitchen…
Just as he's about to search upstairs, he catches sight of her out the window looking out over her garden, standing underneath her tree. The light from inside softly illuminates her, casts a glow around her silhouette that makes her appear even more of a goddess of beauty to him than she already is.
It's not a difficult decision to go outside and stand with her; he'd follow her anywhere - to the depths of hell and back if they ever need to.
He feels the frost crunch underneath the festive slippers Henry and Roland had insisted he wear over the holidays, and a chilly breeze ruffles his hair. Robin hopes both him and Regina can head inside soon and warm up by the fire; he'd become accustomed to residing in a warm house.
When he's a couple of steps away from her, he sees Regina eyeing the apples on her tree, debating which ones will join those already in the wicker basket tucked into the crook of her elbow.
"I'm no expert," Robin begins, "but apples don't usually grow this well during winter do they?"
A wistful smile appears on Regina's face as she explains; "I've tended to this tree my entire life. It's survived throughout the harshest of conditions."
Robin wraps his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder as he observes; "Like its owner."
Tilting her head so it rests against Robin's, Regina lifts her arm to rest over the one he has around her, interlacing their fingers at her hip.
"Here's hoping easier times are ahead."
Robin isn't sure if she's referring to her tree or herself, but he agrees anyway, humming as he holds her a little tighter, as if to protect her from whatever has troubled her in her past. "I'm sure there will be."
Regina smiles, angling her head to press a kiss to Robin's cheek then burying her cold nose into his neck, turning into him and humming in contentment when he wraps her in his embrace. She leans to her left to place the basket on the ground and he leans with her, grinning when they both straighten and her arms wrap around his neck, pressing her front to his and allowing them to soak up each other's warmth.
They both stand in silence for a short while, so very slightly swaying and occasionally holding the other to them a little tighter. Though Robin soon breaks the peace, his curiosity winning out as he murmurs; "What's with the apples?"
"It's a Christmas tradition," Regina answers, pulling back so she can look at him. "I used to hide them around the house, and Henry used to try and find them. For every apple he brought back to me, he was allowed a chocolate decoration off of the tree."
"That sounds like fun," Robin smiles.
"It was," Regina agrees, before admitting; "Henry and I haven't really had the chance to do it for the past couple of years, but I thought Roland might enjoy it."
"He'd love it," Robin assures, and then - upon realising just how perfect his soulmate is - leans forward to place a kiss to her lips.
But he stops just shy of his intended target, holding up a finger between them before reaching into his hastily-donned jacket pocket and producing a small branch of mistletoe.
Regina can't help but let out a loud laugh, shaking her head at Robin before she closes her eyes and presses her lips to his.
Apple picking can wait.
...
It takes a good half hour in front of the fireplace for them to warm up properly when they come back into the house; having gotten a little too distracted in their kisses outside, they had only broken away when a full-bodied shiver from both of them had forced them apart.
But they are nice and cosy now; cuddled up to each other on the couch, a Christmas film on the tv that neither are really paying attention to, just content to be in each other's company.
It occurs to Regina that the last time she and Robin had been curled up to each other in front of the fire, neither of them had even an inkling of what was to come. They had let themselves hope that they'd found their second chance, and that nothing would keep them apart...
They had been mistaken.
But that was then, it wouldn't do to dwell; they are back by each other's sides now, forging through together, hand in hand, and Regina is determined to not let anything else part them again. She belongs with her soulmate, and he with her.
Sometimes she still has to remind herself that this is the man who has chosen to love every part of her, someone kind, funny, caring... Someone so loyal to those he loves, such a good father, an amazing lover - and if she wasn't feeling so tired, she'd be taking advantage of the latter right this second.
But as she's recovering from a busy day, and is perfectly content staying right where she is for the moment, Regina will settle for grabbing the discarded mistletoe on the coffee table in front of her, and offer herself up for a few lingering kisses with the man who owns her heart and soul, warming her up an entirely different way.
...
Having originally planned for an early night, Regina sighs as she's pulled into yet another kiss at the top of her stairs. If she'd known Robin was going to stop and honour tradition under every single damn piece of mistletoe he saw then she would have suggested heading up to bed fifteen minutes earlier.
But she can't complain, not really; she's never had so many kisses, felt so wanted, enjoyed Christmas so much...
So she'll allow this, allow herself to be pressed against a wall and her breath to be stolen from her with languid, tongue-filled kisses. She'll allow herself to be swept off of her feet and carried down the hallway without ever parting from her soulmate's lips. Because this is her life now - being cherished - and she'll embrace every minute of it.
Though her tired self doesn't easily permit that; forcing her to end their kiss so she can let out a yawn into his shoulder.
"Okay, point taken," Robin chuckles; "milady is very tired."
She mumbles an apology in response before her head drops back down onto his shoulder.
Setting her back on her feet, Robin takes Regina's hand and leads her into their bedroom, smiling when he hears yet another yawn from behind him.
He guides her into her en suite with just a lingering peck on the cheek for the mistletoe above her mirror, then changes into his nightwear, switches on the bedside lamps instead of the main ceiling light, and eases himself underneath the duvet, feeling his eyelids start to droop as he waits for his love.
A few minutes later she returns - looking as tired as he suddenly feels - and offers him a sleepy smile. She changes in front of him, and Robin can't help but prop himself up on an elbow to watch her, marvelling at the planes and curves of her body, so much so that he doesn't see the discarded blouse being thrown his way until it's over his head and blocking his vision.
He pulls it off with a chuckle to see Regina's glare.
"Stop staring at me," she huffs.
"Can't help it," Robin defends as he throws the shirt back at her, returning to lying down onto the bed as he declares; "you're just too beautiful."
He misses the way Regina ducks her head to hide her grin, and the blush that brightens her cheeks whilst she finishes getting ready for the night, though he can feel her smile when she climbs into bed and immediately presses a kiss to his shoulder.
"Goodnight, my love," Robin whispers as Regina turns to switch off her bedside lamp, and she replies in kind.
Though once his eyes have accustomed to the dark, he reaches into his personal cabinet and withdraws the last piece of mistletoe he hasn't yet given a place.
"Would you grant a lowly thief a goodnight kiss, your majesty?" he asks, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head which technically makes his request null and void anyway.
When she looks up at him, he can see a light in her eyes. Robin can barely make out her smirk before she takes the mistletoe from his hand and throws it over her shoulder to land somewhere he plans to collect it from tomorrow. But then she kisses him and his plans fade to nothing but the woman in front of him.
As his mind drifts to the mistletoe she has just thrown, Robin chuckles and silently agrees with the symbolism...
Of all the places needing mistletoe, their bedroom certainly wasn't one of them.