Just One Dance

By popular request a small sequel to my OQ week ficlet Secret Admirer. I've had many requests also for a sequel to Mom's Hero and plan to combine that with another prompt, but it will be a bit longer, possibly two chapters so I haven't forgotten you guys. I am having a bit of fun with prompts today before getting back to The Long Road Home. My box is always open!

Rated T

He watched her through dinner. She was quite possibly the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. She paid special attention to Roland. She laughed occasionally at something he said and never took her attention away from him. She treated the boy as if he were the most important person in the room and listed to every word.

Robin chuckled to himself. His son had been planning a date with The Queen. With Regina…the woman he hadn't been able to get off his mind since the day he'd met her.

He had heard stories of her past, but he hadn't known her then so that's all they were to him…stories. The woman he knew was much different then the one he'd heard stories of. She'd saved his son for starters. After when he'd gone to help her break into her castle she'd told him of her own son. He'd watched her mourn him. Since then she'd helped Snow and Charming in the fight against her own sister, a woman who seemed hell bent on destroying her.

She'd invited them to stay even though Robin was quite sure that she would be more comfortable if he wasn't there. It wasn't that she didn't like him, in fact Robin was sure that she did, but he thought it was more that he'd seen her vulnerable and that made her highly uncomfortable. It was little moments like the one they'd shared before she'd marched his son up to the royals table and sat down with him that made him suspect that she did indeed like him though.

He liked her too. He enjoyed her snark, her quick wit. He enjoyed the banter they shared with each other all though he had to say it frustrated him nearly as much as he enjoyed it.

It would be nice to have that smile directed at him once in a while. It would be nice to have a conversation with her without her going on the defense.

He liked her, there was no getting around that and watching her with his son made him like her all the more.

When the dancing started he watched her lead Roland out onto the floor. For the first dance she picked him up and twirled him around with her. He smiled as he watched his son laugh and felt a small catch in his stomach when she laughed with him. What would it be like to be on the other side of that smile? He wondered. To be the one she was smiling at?

He wasn't sure what it was that drew him to her, but he was nevertheless drawn to her. He enjoyed her and found himself wishing he could spend more time with her.

He watched as she set Roland on the floor for the next dance and held his hands as she began to teach him a simple box step. It amused him as he watched Roland catch his tongue between his teeth as he concentrated on the steps he was learning. She was wonderful with him and it was no doubt that Roland was the one person in the castle she allowed to see her without her guard. With him she was simply Regina. Robin found himself wanting to know Regina…just Regina, not The Queen, but the woman. The mother who adored and missed her son, the woman who had been kind to his own child and showed him attention no matter what else she may have been preoccupied with.

The night wore on and as it got later he could see his child was beginning to lose his energy. He and Regina were taking a break from dancing. The boy had taken a seat on her lap and was leaning into her chest fighting to keep his eyes open. Robin shook his head and made his way to them.

"Are the two of you having fun?" He asked.

Regina glanced up at him as she stroked Roland's hair softly. "I think this young man is the best date I have had in a very long time." She told him.

Roland smiled sleepily. "Papa did you see me dancing?"

"I did." He crouched down to look at his son. "You are very good, it won't be long before you are wooing all the ladies on the dance floor." He raised his hand to his son's face. "But now I think it's time for bed."

"But Papa" Roland whined and turned his face into Regina a little more. "The party's not over yet."

"That's true." Regina answered, "But I think I'm all danced out. Maybe it's time with both turn in."

Roland looked at Regina with big eyes. "Will you tuck me in?"

Regina smiled. "Well, what kind of a date would I be if I didn't bid my handsome knight a good night?"

Roland smiled and slipped down from her lap. He took her hand then turned and took his father's in his other. They walked down the hallway and Roland chattered on about how much fun he'd had and at the next ball he wanted to sit with Regina again.

When they got to his room Robin made quick work of changing him into his pajama's then carried him to bed. Robin gave him a kiss on his head and the boy looked at her and held his arms up to her. "Thank you for being my date Gina."

Regina smiled and leaned in for the hug. She placed a kiss to the side of his head. "Thank you for being such a gentleman. You are quite a good dancer."

Roland giggled. "Cause you teached me."

Regina laughed and placed another kiss to his head. "At the next ball I will teach you another."

"Ok." Roland yawned.

"Good night my handsome knight." Regina whispered.

"Night Gina, night Papa." He said to Robin before turning over in bed.

"Goodnight buddy." Robin told him as he and Regina exited the room.

When they left the room Robin leaned against the wall for a moment. "That was very good of you, to pay so much attention to him. He had the time of his life tonight."

Regina smiled. "So did I." She said and looked down. He could see her mind was somewhere else.

"Missing your son?" He asked.

Regina's head snapped up. Her first reaction was an angry retort about it being none of his business, but when she looked in his eyes she saw kindness and concern. He wasn't a bad man…actually he was quite a good man and that made it all the more difficult to dislike him.

"Yes." She answered. She broke eye contact with him and looked down the hallway. "Valentines Day was a special day for us. We always spent it together."

"I'm sorry." He told her. He was sorry to see the joy that had been on her face during the party leave.

She shook her head. "He's happy, that's all that matters." She walked out onto the terrace and looked out over the kingdom. The stars here had always been beautiful and the clear night made it seem as if they went on forever.

He followed her and rested his hands against the rail. "It's beautiful out tonight." He said.

"It is." She answered. "I always enjoyed looking up at the stars when I lived here before."

They could hear the music coming from the ballroom. The party would go on for hours he knew. "Will you go back to the ball?"

Regina shook her head. "There's to many people, and now that I no longer have Roland for a distraction I would rather not." She sighed "I made my appearance. That's enough."

Robin turned and leaned back against the rail. "I never got a dance." He said.

Regina gave him an amused look. "And what exactly made you believe you were going to get a dance?"

Robin shrugged and gave her a crooked smile. "I suppose I was hoping."

Regina laughed and shook her head. "Well there are plenty of beautiful women in there who I'm sure would love to dance with you…it's not to late."

Robin turned to face her. "I don't want to dance with any of them." Regina looked at him from the corner of her eye and he lifted his hand and held it out to her. "May I have this dance Milady."

She should say no. She should turn away from him and head back to her room, but she turned to him. "Why would you want to dance with me?"

Robin smiled that crooked smile she was beginning to find endearing. "Well" He stepped closer to her. "You saved my son's life and have shown him nothing but kindness and you were also the most beautiful woman there tonight." He leaned in and whispered in her ear. "I must say I was a bit jealous you weren't on my arm this evening."

Regina laughed. "You were jealous of your four year old."

Robin shrugged and took a chance bringing his hand up to her waist. "He got to dance with you."

Regina rolled her eyes and against her better judgment allowed him to pull her closer to him but still didn't raise her hand to his. "He also got all of your attention…and a goodnight kiss. I would say that's something to be jealous of wouldn't you?"

Regina shook her head. "You're the one who said you were looking for a distraction Regina, I'm offering you one in the form of a dance." He told her.

She smiled slightly and shook her head. "One dance." She brought her hand up to his and cursed herself when her heart rate increased when he pulled her body flush to his.

He held her close to him as they swayed together to the music. He'd wondered what it would be like having her this close…feeling her breath against his neck. She felt wonderful.

He swayed with her and allowed his hand behind her back to toy with her hair. "Your hair looks beautiful down like this. So very soft." Regina shuddered at the feel of him playing with her hair and looked up at him. "I like it."

She swallowed and cleared her throat. What in the hell was she doing? "Thank you." She allowed her self to run her hand over his shoulder. "You look quite handsome all dressed up like this." She smirked. "Who knew an outlaw could clean up so well?" He grinned and led her into a fancy twirl. She raised her eyebrow "And you're quite a good dancer as well."

"Well I was raised in nobility so I haven't always been a forest dweller." he told her.

Regina cocked her head. "Really? You were a noble?"

Robin nodded his head.

"How did you end up…doing what you do?" She asked.

"It's a long story." He told her and led her into another fancy step before dipping her. He held her like that for a moment and he grinned when her breath caught as he looked deep into her eyes. "Perhaps I'll tell you sometime."

She swallowed as he held her there. "I think that is a story I might like to hear."

He brought her back up slowly but continued to hold her close. "Then it's a story I will have to tell you." He wanted her…he looked into those deep brown eyes and felt as if he could see worlds in them. He wanted to lower his mouth to hers and kiss her until all the sadness faded from those eyes. He wanted to pick her up and carry her to her bedroom. He wanted to make love to her until she had no other thoughts in her mind except what he was doing to her body. He wanted her to scream out his name as he tasted her. He wanted her writhing and incoherent beneath him. He wanted to run his hands over every part of her body.

But not tonight. Not while she was vulnerable and missing her son. He wouldn't take advantage of this moment even if he was quite positive that if he leaned in and kissed her she would be his.

He raised his hand to run through her hair once again. "I suppose I should let you get back to your room."

Regina cleared her throat and nodded. She thought for just a moment that he might kiss her and for that moment she wanted him to…desperately.

But this was better. She couldn't allow herself to get involved with anyone, not when so many lives were in danger at the hands of her sister.

"Thank you for the dance Milady." Robin bowed to her then brought her hand to his lips. He placed a gentle kiss there and smiled. "I should very much hope to dance with you again."

She gave him a teasing smile, regaining some of her composure. "Perhaps next time if you're a little quicker you might beat your son to asking me for a date."

Robin chuckled. "I will keep that in mind Milady." He held out his arm to her. This is as far as he would take it tonight. He didn't want to push, most assuredly didn't want to scare her, but he would very much like to keep this new relationship they seemed to be forging, something that could very closely resemble friendship. "Shall I walk you to your chambers?"