It had been the first place she could think of to take her still shivering true love once they had finished saying their goodbyes for the night and had broken off from the rest of their family and friends at the grove. Alice seemed to be walking on autopilot with only Robin's gentle hold on her hand to guide her.
Going by the surprised look in her glassy eyes Alice hadn't been expecting this to be the first stop thinking that they would just head back to Tilly and Roger's apartment for cuddling and maybe some talking then more cuddling with fewer clothes. Alice still hadn't even begun to make up for throwing her across the room earlier no matter how often Robin says she's alright.
"Oh. don't worry we'll get to talking and…everything else later Tower Girl." Robin promised as if reading Alice's mind "And for the last time babe I'm just a little bruised is all nothing some late-night cuddling can't fix. Tilly was just under Gothel's control I know and Margot knew too that it was just Tilly having a really bad day so please stop blaming yourself okay?" Robin begged bringing their joined hands up to press a kiss against the back of Alice's hand then leaned in to do the same to her lips.
Her archer knew her so well.
"But my pep talk, the curse being broken, and our memories returned aside." That brought a weak smile to Alice's lips while Robin continued wrapped her arms more securely around her from behind steering them both into the glow of the neon lights of one of the few open-all-night arcades in the Heights. "This still feels like a bad day so we're going to make it into a better one with all the candy apples and hot chocolate we can handle then we're going home call Nook and Aunt Regina just to check in and see how your dad and everyone else is doing then we're going to fall asleep in each other's arms."
"Sounds perfect." Alice smiled tilting her head back to rest it against Robin's shoulder pressing a kiss against her jaw.
"I still can't believe you filmed me playing that silly dancing game," Robin whined as soon as she was back in earshot of the distracted blonde happily pummeling plush rodents with the foam mallet. "Nope that my love is evidence that I have finally found something that you Robin Mills aren't that talented at. At least for the time being that is." Alice explained casually "Besides now I have two of them. One for Margot and now one for you so I can prove its not a trick." Robin just scowled at the giggling blonde as the archer balanced the tray of grill cheese, french fries and hot chocolate against the top of the Whack-A-Mole game Alice was playing near the snack bar
"Okay, I have to ask…." Alice asked between hits glancing between her love and the game "and Tilly always wanted to know too she just ever knew how to ask." That had Robin's eyebrow raising even higher in silent question. "The thing about the onion rings?" Robin sighed knowing that Tilly at least would remember that the snack bar offered them on its limited yet varied menu. The archer waits for the agreeing node first before she answers her free hand reaching up to fugit with glasses that were still tucked into her jacket pocket. "That was a holdover from the Robin half of me actually."
It wasn't until she noticed the curious spark into Alice's blue eyes even in the dim lights of the room around them that Robin realized this was one story she'd ever gotten around to telling. "Back when Mom was still pregnant with me the Dark One wanted to transfer the darkness to her as a kind of payback I guess or something to kill me mom, but she didn't want to hurt me, so she spelled an order of onion rings from Granny's to speed up Mom's pregnancy and well…. I guess some habits are just hard to break even cursed." The archer answered as the couple started wondering the games aimlessly in search of a table.
"She? How can the Dark One be a she?" Alice asked her face still fixed in concentration, but her eyes flickered up to hold Robin's during a pause in the game. "That was during the time when Emma…. the sheriff that owned that yellow bug we used to get away from that mob was the Dark One." Robin clarified around the straw for their shared drink. "Curiouser and Curiouser." Alice mused tracing little patterns along the back of Robin's hand as they navigated the maze of games. "I know and according to Mom, the onion rings at Granny's were really good. But then again so is everything there." the forest green-eyed woman gushed earning a soft giggle from her girlfriend.
"Hang on you should call your mother. Tell her the curse is broken and everything." Alice pointed out spinning the chair round at an empty table before she sat down with her arms folded across the back just like her cursed self often did. "I will but right now you're more important," Robin answered without hesitation as she slid the tray with the rest of their late dinner early breakfast onto the table between them. "Besides I'm sure Aunt Regina is already taking care of that."
They had just finished everything but the candy apples and had headed hand and hand over to the back row of vintage games stopping at Galaga with a shared grin and twirled gaming tokens when Robin's phone rang.
"Aunt Regina?" Robin answered sending Alice a calming glance as she listened to the other end of the call. "Nook is alright just tired, and he misses you, the hospital will be keeping him overnight for observation but he's alright Alice promise." The archer soothed letting out a teasing laugh when Alice's relaxed sigh of relief turned into a grunted curse that reminded the archer fondly of Tilly as her adventurous turned her attention back to the game.
"Huh?" Robin asked blinking in confusion at Regina's next question. "I can't believe my Aunt is even asking me that question and no we are not 'making up for lost pancakes' or whatever you're implying.…no we stopped at the arcade it was closer." Alice sent her a shy smile at that then her smile widened even more nodding to the screen "Ooo and tell the Cap my Tower Girl just beat his high score like the total bad ass she is….."
That brought an even wider happy smile to Alice's lips "Love you too Nobin." Alice purred "What? Now that I know it's a compliment I don't mind you calling me that so much."
"I told you it was a compliment all the time whenever I did." Robin complained giving in to showing one of Margot's puppy eyes pouting looks as she held Alice's eyes earning a brush of lips against her own in quiet apology. "Okay. Have a good night Aunt Regina" The young archer admitted with a teasing wink "now if you don't mind I have to go win my girl a monkey before we head for home." Alice tilted her head curiously when the phone was handed over to her with an encouraging smile from the woman she loved.
"Go get em Targo." The adventures called out after her girlfriend with a whispered giggle at the eye roll Robin sent her in answer when she paused to look back at her beside a claw machine. "Hello Regina. How's my Papa doing? Listen I was trying to get Nobin to call Zelena with the 'we broke the curse' news earlier, but she just said she'll call her in the morning, so I just thought you should know ahead of time, so you could let Robin be the one to tell her?" Alice rambled into the phone still keeping a watchful eye on her true love noting with a playful laugh that Robin was now showing off just a bit on one of the back wall shooting games.
"I'll tell her when she comes back from sending Henry and the others home love." A voice not belonging to Regina Mills promised with a shaky laugh of his own. "Papa." Alice breathed nearly falling off her chair in joy. "Hi Starfish." Nook greeted "I don't want to take away from you date night love, but I just wanted to hear for myself that you're alright."
"I'm better now I know you're alright." His daughter promised, "You are alright aren't you Papa?"
"Aye." Nook assured her "like you said better now I know you alright." The pirate echoed "Alice love I just want to apologize for everything Rogers…." But Nook was cut off by his daughters "Papa I don't blame you I never have, and I never will. It's like Robin keeps telling me when I get upset about hurting her earlier I only blame the curse that woman put on all of us not anyone else that the curse touched because they weren't in their right mind." Alice corrected sweetly not noticing until she felt a soft tickling against the back of her neck that Robin had come back to their little table.
"I didn't use that many words but that was the just of it yeah." The archer summarized setting the prize she'd just won down on the table top proudly. "There we are one cute monkey for one amazing woman." She smiled pressing a fast kiss against Alice's cheek reclaiming her seat as close to her tur love as they could be while still in public. "Actually, Papa Robin and I were just about to head back home for the night so it's a good thing you had Regina call us." Alice informed him earning a hopeful smirk from Robin.
"Then I'll bid you both good night and let you get back to your date." Nook chuckled "I'll call you later tomorrow Starfish." The father promised
"Night Papa." Alice whispered ending the call and handing the phone back to her love. "Thank you for this Robin." The blonde added cuddling with the plush monkey as she leaned over the remaining space between their chairs to nuzzle her face against the archer's shoulder affectionately. "Now let's go home Nobin we have a lot of time to make up for."
The whispered words against her ear produced a much hoped for groan from the young woman sitting beside her "Race you there Tower Girl"