A/N;: Hi guysssss! So, it's been awhile. Decided I wanted to give a more in depth story a go, rather than just my one shots. This was an idea I've been laying with for a couple of weeks. If there a good response to this chapter, I'll continue. Reviews welcomed with open arms. I hope you enjoy! – Lauren Xo
Chapter one.
"Strive for perfection in everything you do.
It's not about perfect actions in a perfect world,
but rather appropriate actions in an imperfect world."
Robin considered himself to be a successful man. A man of honor, with a code that proved his honor. Born and raised in Essex, England Robin made the big move to the U.S at university age. It was here that he met his now wife, Regina Mills. She was everything. From this point, everything fell into place. Beautiful home, a stable job, a great group of friends. You could say he had the perfect life, and if asked, he would put it down to the woman that currently lay next to him as the sun rose. Hot rays beamed through the drapes, shining an angelic light upon Regina's raven locks. Her beauty defied all expectations. Even at the first light of dawn. The deft fingers of the male rose to stroke away a stray lock of hair from his wife's cheek, causing her to stir softly. Only once those beautiful brown orbs adjusted to the light did her lips curve into a small smile.
"Good morning, Mr. Locksley." Regina muttered, allowing her frame to stretch under the covers. She was a pretty deep sleeper, and once she found a comfortable position, you could be sure that she wouldn't move for at least eight hours. It was the comfort and safety of knowing her husband was right beside her, his arm draped over to pull her into a protective embrace that allowed the woman to sleep so soundly.
"Good morning Mrs., Locksley." The thick British accent that left Robin's brims never failed to make Regina swoon, even after seven years of marriage. Attraction was never an issue, neither was sexual appetite. Sometimes no other words needed to be uttered. Sliding up the mattress, the raven haired woman didn't hesitate in capturing Robin's lips with her own, a hand resting upon his cheek. It was soft and sweet, even with his morning stubble.
She was an absolute tease, always had been, But she knew better than to mess with Robin in the mornings. She knew exactly what he needed and when. Knowing someone for as long as these two had, meant you learned and loved more and more about each other as years went by. The vibe of the kiss suddenly changed as Robin took control; hands finding her hips to push Regina's petite frame back down onto the mattress before covering it with his own. Damn, he was whipped. Ever since the day their eyes met back in law school, he knew the foxy female was the one. They would be the star attraction during long debate days, always fighting for dominance. This didn't falter with time, their eagerness for control spilling into their bedroom. Regina bucked her hips a few times, but his grip was fixed. He wanted to take this round for as long as he possibly could before her stubbornness and desire took over. No matter how hard she teased perfectly manicured nails up his torso, or how firm she tugged his lower lip with her pearly whites, Robin showed he was just as stubborn by teasing her right back; pressing the pretty obvious bulge within his boxers against where she had begged for him most the previous night.
Just when he began to get lost in the moment, cyan orbs narrowed as the brunette pulled back to take a gulp of air. "Are you sure we have the time?" He took the opportunity to go in for the kill, eager kisses finding the supple skin of her neck and trailing slowly along it. One of Regina's weak spots was located just below her ear, and this is where he stopped momentarily to whisper his reply, sharp teeth tugging at her ear lobe. "Yes, sweetheart."
This was all Regina needed, the only push she desired. Slender hips gripped at his thighs and, mustering all possible strength she could carry at this time of the morning, she flipped their position so Robin was now on his back, his wife straddling his lap. He almost forgot how quick she could be, and catching that glint of a mischievous smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth, he could only chuckle. Fingers reached to lace into her silky hair enough to pull her body flush against his and their lips to connect once were going swimmingly until a creak of the door and the shuffling sounds awoke Robin from his aroused state.
"Mommy! Its morning, wake up." Oh shit!
In one swift movement, Regina's arm whipped the bed sheets over their heads and made quick work of rolling back off of her now sexually frustrated husband. It took her a few milliseconds to compose her now reddening cheeks before she peered from the safety of her covers to spot the small, brown haired boy hovering next to their bed.
Blue checked pyjamas, fluffy bear claw slippers and daring brown eyes to match his mother's, Roland was an angel. His luscious brunette curls were sticking up in all different directions, and Regina couldn't help but let out a quiet giggle."I gots you both breakfast in bed." The infant grinned proudly down at the tray he held in his little hands.
The mention of food perked Robin's attention, and he peered over his wife's shoulder towards their son. He wasn't sure where to look first. Careful fingers drifted and Regina quickly took the tray, trying not to spill the already overflowing glasses of apple juice and the bowls of lucky charms that seemed to be bathing in milk. The effort he had gone to was cute, but neither of them were sure any of this was edible now. The slightly burnt pop tarts next to the bowls had to be the most unappealing.
"Oh honey, that's so sweet. But what's the occasion?" Regina attempted to divert his attention in order for him to not notice they weren't diving straight in. Roland seemed to take the bait, watching as Robin carefully slipped the tray over onto his own lap. "It's your anniversary!" The little boy chirped, rocking back and forth upon his heels. "That's er…that's a nice try son, but our anniversary isn't for another week." Robin chuckled, hands covered in the sticky apple juice that now seemed to be overflowing the tray too.
There was more to Roland's story than he was making out, and his father knew just the thing. The kid was head over heels obsessed with baseball and Robin had promised that if Roland was to keep up his grades, he would invest in a personalized bat for him to use at his own games. He couldn't keep his son waiting any longer than he had to, for he was sure the boy would burst with excitement at any moment.
"I know your mother and I promised to take you to get that new bat for your baseball game this weekend if you kept your grades up…" A glance at Regina caused the woman to nod, eyes resting upon Roland also. "…And mommy and daddy never break their promises." She added.
Roland was as giddy as ever now, knees beginning to tremble as Robin took over once more. "No, no we don't. So, I do believe there's a special delivery for you down in the garage." The two adults in the room were suddenly deafened by the cheer that erupted from the six year old, followed by the cutest victory dance as he disappeared from the room in a flash of lightening. Both watched in absolute awe of the boy who deserved the world.
"Wow…" Robin chuckled, placing the tray carefully upon his nightstand, clenching sticky fingers together and was about to climb out of bed to wash away the substance when the alluring hands of his wife gripped his cheeks to place a soft kiss upon his lips once more. "Hey. Don't forget that his final game is this Saturday. The flight to Arizona leaves at 3PM on Friday, so I've booked the cab for around 2." Ever the more organized out of the two, he was grateful for that. Robin nodded, fingers brushing his stubble at the thought of going to Roland's game. His team had made it to the finals and Robin couldn't be more proud, especially seen as that meant the weekend would be spent in Arizona with his wife and his son, meaning before and after the game they could spend time as a family and treat the trip as a much needed mini break.
"How could I forget? David hasn't stopped talking about it for weeks. I think he is more excited than Roland is." He shook his head at the thought of his co-worker and close friend. The two were inseparable throughout law school and had somehow even managed to land themselves positions in the same firm. "He's convinced that baseball games attract the attention of a lot of ladies." Of course, there was a hidden agenda. David had always been a ladies' man and was yet to settle down like Robin had done. This new information caused Regina to raise an eyebrow, a hissing-like sound escaping her brims.
"Oh please! David is not going to settle down with a mom. He hates kids." Her husband held up his hands defensively with a giggle. "Ahh, no, no. Apparently he's over the younger ladies now and fancies himself with a cougar." The comment had Regina in a fit of giggles, rolling those beautiful chocolate eyes too. It was only when she eventually stopped, eyes settling upon him once more that Robin frowned, convinced that he had accidently flicked some milk on his face or something. Before he could utter his concern, Regina interrupted his thoughts, taking his chin between finger and thumb."How did I get so lucky?"
The rhetorical question was followed with a delicate sigh, but he was quick to correct her as he always did. "I'm the lucky one." He murmured, leaning so the tip of his nose brushed against Regina's. When their lips were merely inches away from each other, another loud cheer erupted from downstairs. "Sounds like he's happy with it." Robin chuckled again, head turning towards the sound. "That boy sure does like his baseball." Regina added, reluctantly throwing back the covers as an overly excited Roland began to call them down. "I love you." The blonde haired man muttered, gazing over her frame as she slipped on a silk robe. Regina turned, catching his gaze with her own and grinned, tying the belt around her waist. "I love you too," came her reply, and after another quick peck on the lips, she was off towards the bellows of their son.
[ x ]
The next time Robin saw his wife was when he reached the foot of the staircase, the distinct aroma of French toast filling the air. She always was an amazing cook, and despite Roland's noble efforts, the cereal was just too soggy to be consumed without feeling utterly peaky afterwards. As he did most mornings, he latched eyes upon Regina at the stove and advanced towards her, strong arms embracing her petite frame from behind. The smell of his cologne surrounded her, and the brunette inhaled the scent sharply, lips curving into a grin as she felt his lips attacking her neck. "I assume you'll be taking yours to go?"
The question made Robin stiffen. He had been working on a rather big case at the moment, which meant his mornings were usually rushed. The blonde couldn't even remember the last time he had breakfast with his family. It was a depressing thought, but they were almost at their peak; inches from winning. He couldn't falter yet. Just a few more weeks and he would be able to relax properly once the case was closed. Regina knew how important his work was. Being in the same sector helped her to understand. She gave up her position at an opposing law firm when Roland was born, and was yet to return full time. Most of her work was in the office these days, and she honestly didn't mind that.
Her husband placed a kiss upon her cheek before retreating to pick up the mug of coffee Regina had poured him, bringing the cup of dark liquid to his brims to take a long sip. "Yeah. I'll make it up to you both, Regina. I promise." The brunette simply smirked as she packed his toast into a small plastic lunch box. "Better be two weeks in the Bahamas. I won't accept anything less." It was now Locksley's turn to smirk as he accepted the box, digits tangling in his wife's locks to pull her close; brims pressing upon her forehead. "Anything to see you in a barely their bikini." With his free hand, Robin reached around to take a firm squeeze of her behind, causing Regina to gasp and playfully push against his chest.
She had the perfect, witty reply ready to fire back when a rush of brown curls came into view from the garden, taking a few gulps for breath. "This is awesome. Soooo much better than my old one. Thanks, dad. Thanks mom. You're the best." Roland grinned, earning him a hair ruffle from Robin. "You're welcome, my boy. Just keep your grades up. I'll see you for dinner. Have a good day at school. Love you, kiddo." He was sure Roland wasn't paying attention at this point, too busy at the kitchen breakfast bar tucking into his food, his attempt at making them breakfast in bed also clearly the furthest thing from his mind. The kid had the attention span of a nat.
Throwing leather satchel over his shoulder, blue orbs settled upon brown and Robin gave his wife a genuine smile. "Love you. Enjoy your day, sweetheart." The boyish grin he gave Regina never failed to make her cheeks blush a deep shade of pink, her lips mimicking his smile. "Love you too. Drive carefully." Came her reply, followed by a cheeky wink. Reluctant steps took the family man to his car parked upon the driveway, climbing in as he readied himself to start a new day.
[ x ]
Gold and Sons law infirmary wasn't his first choice, but at the time Robin didn't have very many options. He had only ever heard bad stories about Bobby Gold, and his back handed ways of winning cases. But it seemed that was simply the man's past, and everybody had a past. Some worse than others. He had been here since before Roland was born now, and he hadn't been happier. Bobby was quite the pleasure to work for. Upon entering the office, Locksley nodded at the blonde receptionist with a smile. "Good morning, Mr Locksley." Ashleigh replied with a polite smile. His lips parted to speak, but a firm hand upon his shoulder suddenly grabbed his attention.
"Here he is, man of the hour. You know you're the talk of the office with the Arndale case? Boss hasn't stopped talking about you." David began to ramble, in his usual over confident fashion. "I just wanted to thank you again for telling him how much you appreciated my help. It may have taken almost a decade, but I think he might finally be starting to like me. Said you've definitely helped improve my professionalism." The taller blonde gave off his famous cocky smirk, following Robin into his office. Locksley simply rolled his eyes, turning to the other male once he crossed the threshold to his office. "David, I love you dearly, but you can't even spell professionalism."
It was true; David had always been the slower one of the two. Mostly because he concentrated on how much oestrogen was in the room rather than what everyone else was actually talking about. He had been so close to getting fired countless times. Robin was sure it was his intervention that stopped Nolan from getting the boot. "Hey, I can't spell fellatio either but I get mine," came David's smooth reply, and this time Robin couldn't help but laugh. The man truly had a gift when it came to making women swoon. It was just a shame he couldn't keep one for longer than a few weeks. His wondering eye always seemed to let him down. "Anyways, only another two weeks and this case could be all over and done with.
You nervous?" The sensible question that came from David took Robin by surprise, but the male hung up his coat and unzipped his bag, ready to grab his notebook for their usual morning briefing.
"Nah. You see, that's the difference between boys and men. Boys get nervous. Men get the job done." His reply was casual but confident, followed by a quick shrug of his shoulders. Robin didn't always like to sound over confident, but this was his best friend he was talking to. His best friend of over ten years. They shared this sort of banter on the daily without batting an eyelid. It was a boys thing, and the fact that David's attitude brought out his cocky side.
"Cut it out! I know you get nervous. Everybody gets nervous."
"You're right, I do. But not when it comes to the law. You know I know everything there is to know when it comes to the courtroom." David's eyes narrowed, and he nodded sharply. "You're also a good friend, a good husband, and a good dad. You may be up for 'The most perfect man of the year' award."
The cheesiness of this line caused the British man to roll his eyes once more. David only ever tried to butter him up when he wanted something. Whatever that something may be, he would have to wait to find out. People had already begun to pile into the meeting room opposite Robin's office, so the two males would have to join them. "Alright, Nolan. Whatever you say." He chuckled once more, patted David upon the back and headed out of his office towards the meeting room.
[ x ]
"As you know, we have a busy week ahead of us. With Mr Locksley and Mr Nolan heading the Arndale case; Mr Cassidy closing up that high profile murder case within the coming days, I need everyone to be on their A games.." Bobby had been talking for ten minutes already, and it was the same old crap that he had been sprouting since last Monday morning. It was now the following Tuesday and in all honesty, the man's thick Scottish accent was making Robin's brain hurt. There was nothing new. He knew exactly what he needed to do and when, and could quite easily be preparing for tomorrows court date so he could actually get home in time for dinner with his wife and son for at least one day this week. But no, he had to sit here and listen for this same old drabble for at least another fifteen minutes. The blonde glanced at his watch, almost drifting into a daydream when another hand connected with his shoulder. This touch was lighter, and only when his cyan orbs glanced up did he realise it was Ashleigh, a look of concern upon her features. She must have entered the room a few seconds ago without him noticing. Just as he was about to ask what the issue was, the blonde lowered to his ear and began to whisper.
"I have your wife on the line, Mr Locksley. She said it's urgent. I don't mean to intrude because I know this meeting is important and Mr Gold said no interruptions, but she sounds pretty upset." At this point, Robin could feel eyes upon him and Bobby suddenly stopped his incessant ramblings.
"My apologies, but I have an urgent phone call. May I?" Locksley blurted out into the silence. He didn't even wait for the response of his boss. He was up and out of the room like a rocket, even before Ashleigh.
Regina never called him at work, so it must have been an emergency. What if she was hurt? Or Roland? He would never forgive himself for leaving the house this morning if something had happened. His heart raced, blood rushing to his brain quicker than his legs would carry him to the office. Everything was fine half an hour ago. Stumbling around his desk, the nervous man picked up the receiver. "Regina, baby. I'm here. What's happened? What's wrong?"
It wasn't like Regina to be devastated over news that didn't affect her directly, but she had been feelings her emotions quite a lot recently. Maybe it was just her hormones? After all, ever since Roland's birth, she had been a completely different woman when it came to her feelings. Usually, Mills was good at masking her expression. She was praised by her coworkers for her poker face, but pregnancy had made her more susceptible to feeling things deeply. This was the only explanation she could think of as to why the brunette was currently calling her husband at the office. Something only ever considered doing in emergencies.
Zelena's call had taken her completely off guard. Regina hadn't heard from her half-sister in years. Zelena was quite the rebel child, and was sent off to boarding school in England at a young age. The two had met up now and again as adults, but merely long enough to exchange pleasantries. The main reason for their strained relationship was their mother, Cora. She was a driven woman who claimed to want better for her daughters, but only seemed in playing them off against each other; driving a wedge that Regina thought could never be repaired. Despite this, the telephone call she received from the eldest Mills sister had been heartbreaking. So heart wrenching in fact that she turned to the only person that she was sure that could comfort such awful feelings.
"Robin." She finally breathed when her husband answered. Regina could tell by his tone of voice that he was worried, so she did her best to try and reassure him. "I'm okay. Roland is fine. I'm so sorry…" Suddenly, Regina felt incredibly guilty. Why was she ringing his office? She was overreacting. "I shouldn't have called you at work. It's stupid of me to have disturbed you at work. Zelena just called." She paused, rolling lower lip between her teeth.
Though he couldn't see her, Robin could tell she was chewing her lower lip. An adorable habit of hers he had loved from the start. His breathing began to return to normal at his wife's reassurance, but it soon hitched at the mention of his sister-in-law. No good ever came from Regina's sister. The last time they were in each other's company, all the ginger wanted to do was show off her riches. Zelena was also known as quite the man eater until she met and married Dr Richard Hades. He was a brain surgeon who originated in a quiet town in Devon, South England. They currently resided in Cheshire, and made a habit of bragging about their lifestyle. It wasn't as if Robin and Regina ever wanted for anything themselves. They were both successful lawyers in their own right, but they didn't flaunt their wealth.
"Zelena? Is she okay? Is your mother okay?" The blonde's initial thoughts were that she had made contact with Regina because something had happened to their mother. For as long as he had known his wife, she and Cora had never had the greatest of relationships. What else would've shocked Regina to the core enough for her to be so upset?
"She just returned from a trip to Monaco." Surprise, surprise. "Hades. He was just lying there on the floor, not breathing. Goodness knows how long he'd been there. It's just awful. All I could think about was what if that was you? She shouldn't be on her own Robin. She doesn't have anyone else."
Yes, she did. Zelena had Cora. Despite circumstances, the old woman was still their mother. Robin took the pause as a chance to speak, but his wife's next words blew his mind completely out of the water.
"I've said she can come and stay with us for a few weeks. We can help her sort the funeral and any other necessary requirements. Her flight arrives just after lunch." Regina always rambled when she was upset or nervous, which luckily was rare and something only Robin had ever experienced. Her voice on the other end of the line tugged at his heart strings. How could he say no? It didn't matter about his personal feelings against the elder Mills. What she had been through sounded awful, and if roles were reversed, he knew how devastated he would be to lose the love of his life (even if Zelena was probably more devastated about the daily income she would lose.) Plus, his wife was right. They were her family now, and his code included never turning your back on family.
"Right, okay. Stay exactly where you are, make yourself a cup of tea; grab Rollie and put on a movie. I'll be home as soon as I can." Delicate tongue tapped the roof of his mouth and he let out a quiet sigh. "Sit tight, sweetheart. I love you."
Although she tried not to make it obvious, Regina's sniffles could be heard through the receiver. All she wanted was to be snuggled up with him and Roland and for them never to leave the confines of their home ever again. "I love you too. How did I get so lucky?" The brunette muttered, hand resting against her forehead with a sigh. As if robotic, Robin's reply slipped easily from his lips as it did earlier on that morning. "I'm the lucky one."