A/N: For my lovely, dear, wonderful friend Bea... Happy Valentine's Day from your OQ Secret Admirer as well as a Happy Early Birthday! I hope you enjoy this little snippet into Robin and Regina's lives in this verse as you celebrate. Mwah! Also, thank you to Lisa and Hollie for the beta!
She's not really one to celebrate Valentine's Day. Quite honestly, Regina has always found the holiday to be a little lackluster, obnoxious. All those people with their sappy, manufactured love and romance for one day out of three hundred and sixty five a year. It's not something she's really bothered with, for the most part, just another day like any other. Perhaps she relaxes in the evening with a glass of wine, maybe she invites Mal over when the blonde doesn't have a hot date of her own. There's even been a year or two where she's booked herself a nice spa day with a bit of self pampering.
This year is different, however. Because this year she has Robin. And as cliché as it may or may not be, Regina finds herself wanting to do something nice for him. In the two months they've been dating he's shown her an endless number of romantic gestures, a multitude of little ways that he appreciates her and she wants to do the same for him. Particularly when she knows he has something planned up his sleeve. The man's been anything but subtle for the last several days.
One of the many things she loves about him.
No. Not loves. Likes. One of the many qualities she likes about him. Because it's only been two months and it's entirely too early to be having those types of thoughts, even subconsciously. However much truth may lie within them. Regina's not quite ready to admit the depth of the feelings she's rapidly discovered for this man.
So she buys red and white candles, several quality and expensive bottles of wine, and the fixings for one of Robin's favorite meals. One that she happens to be most skilled at making. Hadn't that been a nice discovery the first time she'd cooked for him?
Regina even takes a quick pit stop while out on her errands to swing through the lingerie department at Nordstrom's, picking out a rather risque and sexy set that she can't wait to have Robin take off her.
On her way home, despite not being one to make a fuss over the holiday, Regina finds herself looking forward to this Valentine's Day.
. . .
Regina dresses with care come the morning of Valentine's, choosing a red, flattering blouse that she's certain Robin will appreciate, taking a bit more time with her make up and finishing off the look with a bold red lip.
When she gets to work, however, she's immediately pulled into a meeting and doesn't get a chance to show off for Robin.
After an hour and a half in Jefferson's office going over their latest account for West Guard Global, brainstorming and creating a few mock up ads they can refine for the presentation next week. When she gets back to her own office, Regina's jaw drops for several long seconds as she comes to a halt in the doorway, staring at the far wall where there's a tack board set up.
There's a heart outline created from light pink post-it notes, scribbles over each of them, and a single iris in a slender silver vase sitting on her desk beside her monitor.
Once Regina's gotten over the initial surprise of the little display, a slow smile spreads over her face, warmth rising up within her belly as she takes a few steps toward the board. Robin must have snuck in here and put all this up while she'd been otherwise occupied. She should have expected it of him, especially when she knows his fondness for decorating her office with the little squares, but she's still startled by her own reaction to sweet gesture.
Stopping a step away, Regina leans forward to read what he's written on the notes today and her pulse begins to quicken, heart swelling with affection. Her eyes race over a few of the notes, catching several words here and there before they land on the one at the top, the bottom point of the two symmetrical arches. My favorite things about you…
Regina takes more care to read each and every one of them after that, her eyes roaming from one to the next following the path of the post-its around the heart. Your smile. The way you laugh with my son. Threading my fingers through your hair. That spiced apple scent of your shampoo. How you tuck your nose into my shoulder. Waking up with you.
They go on and on. Compliments and observations that he's gathered and hoarded over the time they've been a couple. It overwhelms her for a moment, as she realizes how much thought and care Robin had put into making this. Clearly it's something he's been planning for a while now.
Turning to her desk, Regina reaches out to feel the petals of the flower between her fingers, soft and smooth and the smile on her face grows even wider. They're her favorite; unique and so much better than the generic roses one usually receives for Valentine's Day. The fact Robin both knows and embraces that tiny detail of her personality, cares enough to give her something special, only strengthens the feelings growing within her. She bends her head to sniff at the bloom, letting the familiar scent fill her nostrils.
Immediately turning on her heel, Regina quickly marches back out into the hallway, past Leroy and Ruby's desks straight into Robin's office. He's on the phone, but smiles at her and holds up an index finger as she nods and silently shuts the door behind her. She waits there while he finishes up with the person on the other end of the line, her hands grasped on the door handle at her back, leaning against it as she watches him.
"Yes, I will have the designs sent over to you this afternoon, Mr. Xavier." Robin scribbles something on the notepad beside his keyboard, nodding along with whatever the man is saying. "Of course. I think you're really going to love them." Nodding, Robin's eyes move from ink and paper to land on Regina again, roaming up and down the length of her body admiringly.
She's wearing a silky red blouse that dips into a v down her chest, perfectly modest enough for work, but showing a nice amount of skin as well. The black pencil skirt she's paired with it molding to her curves and hugging her hips, her stiletto heels showcasing her toned calves. It's festive enough without being overkill and the desire that whips through Robin's clear blue eyes when they meet hers after his perusal is enough to have heat spreading through her. It was a solid choice this morning.
"The same to you. Have a great day, sir." Robin states, his eyes never leaving Regina's as he lays the phone back in it's cradle and grins at her. "Good morning, lovely."
Without saying a word, Regina releases her hold on the door and strides over and around Robin's desk as he spins in his chair to face her. Leaning down over him, she crashes her lips to his in a heated kiss. Her arms wrap around his neck, resting on his shoulders as one of her hands inches up into his hair at the back of his head. Robin lets out a quiet moan in the back of his throat that Regina swallows into her own mouth with an answering one of her own.
Tilting her head slightly to the side, nose brushing over his cheek she deepens the kiss for another minute, molding her mouth to his and allowing her tongue to peek out and play with his. Coffee and peppermint mixing in an odd, but appealing combo. When she pulls away, she nudges his nose gently with hers, affectionately, grinning when Robin chuckles and a burst of hot air gushes over her lips. "Well, hello to you too. What was that for?"
"For being the wonderful, kind man that you are." Regina answers, shifting until she can sit on his lap, her arms still entwined around his neck. She doesn't even care if it's an unprofessional and silly move, not when Robin's arms circle around her waist in response.
He smiles up at her warmly, one hand reaching up to toy with the ends of her hair, brushing over her shoulders. "I take it you saw my display then." At Regina's nod, Robin's smile brightens several notches and that hand slides deliciously down her spine to rest on her hip once more. "Happy Valentine's Day."
"You romantic sap." She chuckles, though still deeply moved by the words that he'd written about her. And those three pesky little words that fill her heart, but aren't quite ready to be set free yet, bubble up on the tip of her tongue as she alters them a degree and whispers to him, "I loved it, Robin. Thank you." In fact, Regina is so pleased with the entire gesture and Robin, that there is barely even a twinge of the embarrassment she thinks perhaps she ought to feel at him so openly demonstrating their relationship. He had done it at work after all and nothing about it or what they are doing is at all professional. They aren't breaking any policies, and every damn person in the office has figured out that the two of them are together by now, but it's still not entirely appropriate. She doesn't care though. Couldn't bring herself to take it down even if she wanted to, not yet.
"Good." Robin replies, beaming. "Mission accomplished." And then leans forward to buss his lips against hers again, lighter, less passionate than the one she'd given him, but with no less feeling. When he withdraws, Regina chuckles at the smudge of deep red lipstick that's stained the skin around his mouth and licks her thumb before rubbing it over his lips and chin in an attempt to wipe it away.
"You know Ruby is going to tease you mercily for it though."
Shrugging a shoulder, finger tips drawing lazy, random patterns over her back, Robin states, "I can take it in order to see that smile on your face." They both laugh and then Regina leans in to kiss him again, slower this time, savoring every second.
Slowly extracting himself from Regina's intoxicating mouth, Robin smiles at her. "Since you're here… do you have any plans this evening? I'd like to take you out if you're up for it. I made us reservations at that bistro you like, thought perhaps we could have a fancy dinner out."
"Actually," Regina draws, stroking her thumb on the side of his neck, just below his ear, "I was thinking I might make you dinner instead." Regina slips a hand down to lie on his chest, playing with the knot of the blue silk tie he's wearing today, noting how the shade matches his eyes quite handsomely. Her voice is a bit hesitant as she admits, "I would kind of like it to just be the two of us tonight. Alone. Rather than at an overcrowded restaurant," she blushes, " I'd like to do something special for you for a change."
Robin shakes his head jocularly, assuring her, "You do that every day. I don't need anything else."
"All the same," Regina laughs, "I want to plan something for you rather than the other way around." Angling her neck to brush her lips over the shell of his ear, she whispers into it, "I might even have a few surprises in store for you."
"Well that sounds quite a lovely way to spend the evening." Robin answers, desire stabs sharply in his gut as her breath tickles his ear and her breasts press against his chest. He wants this woman with a fiery passion and if it weren't the middle of their work day, coworkers milling about outside of the too thin walls of his office, he might indulge them both in a little mid morning romp. Instead, he teases them both, one of his hands kneading over the curve of her ass in his lap while the other trails a fingertip down the neckline of her blouse, over her exposed skin to hook lazily over the top button just between her breasts. "There's just one minor hiccup, however."
Her confused expression meets his, a little crinkle caved between her brows, "Hiccup?"
"Roland." Robin answers with an amused twitch of his lips, explaining to her, "He asked to see you this morning before I dropped him at preschool. Apparently, he's been working on a present for you in class."
Regina's heart melts, murmuring, "Really?" almost too quietly for Robin to hear.
"Yes. He's quite excited about it as well." He answers. Though Robin hasn't a clue what his child has concocted to give his girlfriend, the thought behind the gesture, that he'd chosen Regina to create something for, both amuses and delights him.
Considering for a moment, Regina tilts her head to the side, her dark locks falling over her shoulder again, before she offers, "What if I went with you to pick him up today? I could see him and then you could come over around seven? That should give me enough time to put everything together."
"That," Robin says, placing a quick peck to her lips, "is an excellent plan. Roland will love that."
Regina grins. "Great." Then another thought occurs to her and she frowns a tad and asks, "Do you have someone to watch him tonight if you come over?" Granted, he'd already been planning to take her out and Robin is a responsible father so surely he's lined up some form of babysitting for the evening, but Regina can't help but make sure.
He nods, then smirks at her with a touch of playfulness to his expression. "Yes. John has graciously offered to look after him." Wiggling his eyebrows at her, Robin adds a suggestive, "All night, should the need arise, I was told."
One dark, thin eyebrow lifts as she studies him, "Planning to get lucky are you?"
Robin's rich and deep laughter is too much for Regina to maintain the straight face she'd been attempting when he replies, "Those were John's words not mine." lifting both hands in surrender before winking at her and adding, "It is always my hope though, I will admit."
It's obvious that he's merely teasing, having a bit of fun with her, and the open, light-hearted reaction it draws from her is only another reason that Regina finds herself falling for this man. "Well you're off to a good start." She tells him honestly, thinking to the post-its decorating her office now.
A knock on the door breaks them out of their little cocoon, dragging them back to the reality of work and responsibilities. Robin calls out for whoever is on the other side to wait one moment as Regina reluctantly climbs off his lap, smoothing out a few wrinkles on her skirt as she smiles down at him. "I'll meet you up front at four?"
He nods, reaching out to grip one of her hands in his for a moment, bringing her knuckles to his lips and placing a light kiss to the soft skin there. Regina is positive there's likely an adolescent, love-sick look on her face at the moment, but she doesn't mind, not when Robin brings her this much happiness.
When she draws her hand from his grasp and turns to stride back to the door, twisting the knob and swinging it open, Ruby glances between her and Robin, an impish expression on her face that Regina chooses to ignore as she slips past them and heads back to her office.
. . .
It's unseasonably warm today, and the sun is shining, the last vestiges of bright, shining rays of light before it dims into the beginnings of twilight. So she waits by the car while Robin runs inside to retrieve Roland. They'd agreed that it would be more fun for her to surprise him that way, rather than her walking in with his father. Her hands are tucked into the pockets of her pea coat as she leans against the side of Robin's Audi, her own Mercedes parked right beside him. For a few minutes she daydreams a bit, staring up at the fluffy white clouds and clear blue sky until an enthusiastic squeal of her name draws her attention to the little boy sprinting across the sidewalk to her.
"R'ginaaaaaaa! You're here!" Roland takes a running leap toward her and she just barely manages to extract her hands from her pockets to open her arms to catch the brunt of his weight as he collides with her. It makes her laugh, burying her face against his neck for a moment before he's stepping back and bouncing eagerly. "What are you doing here?!"
"I heard you wanted to see me."
His dimples pucker in this cheeks as a grin spreads across his face. "Yes! I made you something!"
"Did you?" She gasps in mock surprise, smirking up at Robin as he finally joins them, standing just beside Roland on the sidewalk as he frantically squirms out of his backpack and drops it to the ground, kneeling to dig inside of it, searching for something.
He pulls out a handful of crumpled papers that Robin sighs at as he watches his son squeeze them, further wrinkling them before dropping them to the side walk. Then it's a fistful of candy and paper valentines that Regina is positive will have Roland bouncing off the walls before bedtime tonight. Good luck with that one, John, she thinks to herself before the boy finally lets out a whoop of glee, brandishing a large pink piece of paper.
Popping back up on his feet, Roland opens the construction paper, holding it out to her with both hands proudly. It's been cut into the shape of a heart, with different red and blue colored paper stips woven into it to form a sort of quilted patchwork. There's a smaller heart cut out in the very center, a carefully written note in thick black marker.
Valentines, valentines,
Pink, red and blue,
I've made a pretty one
Just for you!
"Will you be my valentine, R'gina?" Roland asks her seriously, tilting his head and biting this lip the same way that Robin does, and her heart completely shatters and bursts with love for this little boy. It's possibly one of the sweetest things anyone has ever made or done for her, both the simple children's craft and his charming offer. Thinking of the pink post-its adorning her tackboard, Regina can see where Roland gets it.
Dropping down to one knee so she's at Roland's level, Regina gingerly takes the paper heart from him, holding it between her fingers and admiring it. Her gaze lifts to his, a sunny smile lighting up her face as she tells him, "Of course I'll be your valentine, Roland! I would be honored." She looks back down to the valentine, asking him, "Did you write all this yourself?"
"Uh-huh. Well, Miss Belle helped. I did all the strips by myself though!"
Drilling a finger in his belly to tickle and make him laugh, Regina grins. "Well, you did a wonderful job. I love it. Thank you very much."
Robin is smiling down at them, eyes filled with love and affection as he watches the two of them interact. Roland's never really had this before. A mother figure. A woman that he can look up to, who cares for him. He'd been only a year old when Marian had gotten sick. Not enough time for either one of them. So while he's heard the stories of his mother, loves her as much as a toddler who's never really known her can, he hasn't had this sort of female attention and affection. It would seem that now he does though.
It's only been two months of being together, of getting to know one another on a deeper level and there's still so much to learn and discover. But Robin thinks he just might be falling in love with this woman. Perhaps he might have even started the descent long before that night they'd spent stuck in their office.
Brought back from his musings, Robin blinks at his son, stutters a confused, "What?" at the twin stares of indulgence from them both. Roland giggles and Regina smirks knowingly at him. Caught. A light blush tinges his cheeks as he listens when Roland repeats his question asking if Regina can come over and play with him. As much as it saddens him to deny him, Robin shakes his head. "Unfortunately not, I'm afraid. We need to let Regina get home."
Pouting slightly, Roland looks between his father and Regina, his lower lip welling up. Before he has a chance to protest, however, Regina grabs his attention and promises, "We can have a play date this weekend. How does that sound?" Looking quickly to Robin for permission, to which he nods his agreement.
Roland thinks for a few seconds, internally debating whether that is a sufficient compromise before he nods, curls bouncing. "Okay!"
Her clear laughter rings through the late afternoon and then she's telling him, "Come here. Valentines get kisses." Regina informs him matter of factly, both arms sneaking out to grab him about the waist and tug him closer to her, so she can pepper noisy kisses all over his face, smacking her lips dramatically, causing Roland to chuckle and squeeze his eyes shut.
"Alright. Time to go." Robin says, as reluctant as he is to break the two of them up.
Regina watches at Robin maneuvers Roland into the car, helping him into his booster seat and strapping him in, tossing in his backpack to land on the seat beside him. When he shuts the door and turns to her, she slants her head to the side and smiles, letting him reach for her hand, jerking her so their bodies are flush against one another.
"I'll see you at seven?" She asks, leaning her body into his and tilting her chin up for a kiss.
Robin bends his neck so his mouth meets hers in a quick kiss and replies, "Definitely." They part ways, Robin opening the driver's door as Regina blows Roland a kiss as he rapidly waves his hand at her from his booster in the back seat.
. . .
Everything is perfect. Exactly as she'd imagined it.
Not that she's been imagining this evening a great deal. Well, not much anyway. But Regina's put a good amount of thought and care into creating a romantic setting for herself and Robin for the night, and she's rather proud of the end results. Especially when she knows Robin is the type to appreciate the work that went into everything.
The table is set with a ruby red cloth, two tall white taper candles placed on silver candlestick holders in the center, a fragrant bouquet nestled between them. She's set out her good china because why shouldn't she use it every now and again? That's what it's for right? There are other candles scattered around the room, short fat ones, taller, thicker ones, that create a flickering glow that is both cozy and flattering. A playlist she may have spent more time creating than she would willingly admit to plays softly from the speaker in the living room, bleeding into the kitchen and dining area.
Turning to check on the lasagna dish in the oven, she slips the door open a crack as a gush of hot air flies up into her face. A quick glance shows the lightly bubbling layer of cheese on the top and Regina nods in satisfaction as she shuts the door again and turns the oven off. The dish should stay warm enough trapped within the confines of the oven until they're ready for it. Robin should be here any minute as it is. Regina's already opened a bottle of red wine, letting it breath on the counter as she turns to double check her appearance in the reflection of the microwave, fluffing her hair a tad, soft curls falling around her face. She rubs her hands down the sides of the tight black dress she's wearing. The sleeveless one that boasts a deep neckline and a slit that runs from the hem just above her knees upward, stopping just a few inches short of her hip. She hasn't worn this one for him yet, has been saving it for a special occasion and Regina can't wait to see what his reaction to it will be.
She hopes it knocks his socks off.
The doorbell chimes, ringing merrily and echoing through the house as Regina grins in anticipation, just a touch shy of over eagerly making her way to the front door. When she swings it open to reveal Robin standing on her porch, she allows herself a moment to take in his appearance. Despite the low-key aspects to a dinner at home, he's dressed up for her. Wearing that blue suit that's somewhere between the realm of royal and navy blue, a crisp white shirt, and thin black tie to complete the ensemble. Lord, he looks sexy. Heat pools in Regina's belly at the mere sight of him and the fleeting thought that perhaps they could skip dinner altogether and she could just take him up to her bedroom fickers along the outskirts of her mind for a moment.
He's smirking at her, his own eyes raking over the form fitting dress she's donned for the evening, heat flaring through and darkening those blue eyes she adores. "Good evening, milady." Robin greets, flourishing a bouquet of purple irises for her enjoyment, the same as the one he'd given her earlier today.
Regina chuckles, reaching out for the arrangement and burying her nose amidst the blooms for a minute, fluttering her eyelashes flirtatiously at him as she responds, "Thank you." and gestures for him to come inside.
As soon as he does, Robin sneaks an arm out to hook around her waist, drawing her body flush against his, crushing her flowers between their chests, but when she catches the look in his eyes, Regina doesn't really mind. Then his mouth swoops down on hers and every thought she has flies straight out of her head, brain emptying like a lemonade pitcher on a hot summer day, only to be filled with the taste and sensation of his lips against hers. Teeth scrape and nibble along her bottom lip, eliciting a low, arousing moan from Regina.
By the time Robin swipes his tongue one final time through her mouth, teasing her before pulling away, her head is spinning. A few loose blooms fall slowly to the floor between them as Regina struggles to regain her sensibilities.
"You look absolutely stunning. Thought I would get that out of the way so we can focus on dinner." Robin tells her cheekily. And Regina scoffs, as if she's not going to be thinking of that kiss, of everything they could be doing to each other all through their salad and pasta. Though, if Robin's not-so-coy expression is any indication, that had been his plan all along, despite his attempts to say otherwise. At least she knows the dress is a hit.
Raising an eyebrow at him, she jokingly retorts, "That was one hell of a greeting."
Robin chuckles, shrugs his shoulders and lifts his palms innocently, something she knows him to be anything but. "You're a hard woman to resist, Regina Mills." Is all he says as way of an explanation. As far as they go though, Regina thinks that is a fair one to be made.
The two of them stand there grinning at each other like fools for another thirty seconds before Regina lifts the bouquet in her hands. "I should put these in water." She heads for the kitchen, certain Robin will follow. Sure enough, as she turns to look back over her shoulder to inform him, "Dinner is almost ready. I just have to toss the salad together." and just like that, he's trailing after her.
He sniffs at the air curiously and Regina chuckles again, but is quite pleased when recognition comes into his eyes. "Is that your lasagna I smell?" He asks hopefully, not quite able to mask the reverence from his voice.
"Indeed it is." Regina replies, heading straight for the cabinet to the far left to retrieve one of her crystal vases. Robin's murmured Bless you, causes her lips to tip up as she turns to the right L of the counter and holds the vase beneath the faucet. "Feel free to pour that wine if you'd like."
Moving further into the kitchen, he brushes a hand across the small of her back lightly, absent-mindedly on his way to the cabinet to her left, grabbing two glasses from the shelf and turning to round the counter on the other side of the sink to face her once more. Regina arranges the irises into the vase and then sets it to the side, moving to pull out the makings for their salad. Lettuce, tomatoes, olives, some shredded carrots and mozzarella cheese. Laying it all out in front of her as Robin pours them each a generous helping of wine and watches her work.
"How was Roland when you left? On a sugar high from all his Valentine's candy from school by the time John got there?" Regina asks as she works, looking up to meet Robin's light blue gaze when he makes a slight sound of uncertainty.
"A tad upset I'm afraid."
Regina frowns as she drops tomatoes into the large bowl she's tossing all the ingredients into. "Why?"
"He didn't realize I was seeing you again tonight when we parted this afternoon. Was a bit surly over the fact I get to have a playdate with you before he does." Robin says it in as serious of a tone as he can manage, but there's a gleam in his eyes, a silent play on words that neither one of them can keep from laughing at.
A playdate indeed. Regina thinks as her lips twitch and she struggles to contain her amusement. "Well perhaps I'll have to come over sooner than this weekend to appease him." She answers.
Robin grins, sipping from his wine before replying, "I think that is an excellent idea. You're welcome. Any time you'd like, Regina. Roland and I would both love to see you more."
Eyeing him from beneath her lashes, sprinkling the last of the cheese over the other veggies, she comments, "You see me every day." They work together. She and Robin have some sort of interaction on a daily basis. Granted that doesn't extend to Roland all the time necessarily, but Robin is not deprived of seeing her.
"That's at the office." He says, setting his glass on the counter and stepping around it once more now that she's finished. Weaving his arms around her waist, Robin interlocks his fingers together at the base of Regina's spine as her arms wrap around his neck. "It's not the same. We're busy and in meetings. There are always people around. It's hard for me to do this whenever I want to." He mutters quietly, lowering his mouth to hers, pressing their lips together firmly. Robin's tongue runs slowly along the seam of her lips, urging them open and then lightly massaging into her mouth when she grants him access. His embrace tightens, squeezing her body marginally closer to his, so that they are pressed together entirely, before he breaks the kiss to tell her, "I can't get enough of you, Regina. I always want more time."
It's ridiculous the way her heart flutters and picks up speed. A combination of his heady, addicting kisses and his sweet, genuine words. She wants that also, to feel like this forever. Cherished and appreciated. Wanted. In more ways than one.
Eventually, she regains her voice enough to tell him softly, "I would like that."
"Perhaps we can arrange it then."
Nodding, swallowing the sudden lump of emotion lodged in her throat, Regina clears it, smiles and then steps out of his arms. "I'm sure we could." Glancing down to the bowl of lettuce to her left and then back to him, she says, "Let's eat."
Robin helps her set the remainder of the table while she pulls the lasagna out of the oven, transferring two squares of it to their plates before they take their seats. Side by side, Robin on the end while Regina takes the seat on the adjacent corner rather than the one across from him. They're closer this way, it's easier for them to have a conversation, and for Robin to toy with her fingers in between bites, stroking his thumb over the top of her hand, hooking his fingers around hers. He keeps it up until halfway through their meal when he threads their fingers together, curling his around her hand, palm to palm and smiles at her.
"Tell me a story from your childhood."
"What?" Regina asks, puzzled. It's an abrupt change of topic from the latest Alessia Cara music they had been discussing and how Regina has listened to it a countless number of times.
"I want to know you better, Regina." Robin answers, smirking at her, pleased to have thrown her off course it would seem. "To learn something new about who you are, what made you who you are today. How you became this fascinating woman I am absolutely smitten with."
Well she can't very well argue with that, can she? Her heart beats a quick rhythm in her chest and Regina picks up her wine glass, taking a long sip before asking, "What do you want to know?"
"Anything. Whatever you're willing to share with me." His voice is quiet, patient. There's no pressure. And if she decided that she didn't want to tell him anything, Regina knows he wouldn't push her. But she wants the same thing, for him to know her on a deeper level. Regina trusts herself to be open with him. And, truthfully, she's just as smitten as he is.
But they're having a pleasant evening, a wonderful dinner, in fact, and she doesn't want to ruin the mood. So she won't share any of the painful parts of her past. The uncomfortable and hurtful spats with her mother, the loneliness she struggled with as a child. No, she'll save those for another day. Oddly enough, Regina doesn't think that she would be ashamed to share that part of herself with him though. She hasn't had that feeling or inherent certainty that she's safe to be vulnerable with anyone for a very, very long time.
Settling on a memory that never fails to make her smile, Regina begins with, "I loved astronomy as a child. Went through a phase when I was about… oh, probably, ten or so, when it was my absolute favorite thing. I was totally obsessed and my father loved to indulge me, particularly when I showed such a keen interest in something."
Robin's eyes are focused on her, his hand still joined with hers, thumb stroking along the outer edge of her palm. "Astronomy, huh? I never would have guessed."
Laughing, Regina grins at him. "Yes, well I eventually grew out of it. Took up horseback riding instead and that ending up being my main focus. Although, I still enjoy learning about the stars and space. The galaxy is a fascinating place." She takes another quick bite, as Robin follows suit and does the same before continuing. "Daddy took me to visit The Natural History Museum one weekend. We spent the whole day there in the Hayden Planetarium. I couldn't get enough. Begged him to stay until they kicked us out."
Regina smiles at the memory, the excitement and wonder that she had felt that day, sharing it with her father. It had truly been a perfect day. The familiar ache of missing him flashes through her for a short moment. It only lasts for a minute, thankfully, but Robin must see it on her face because he brings their joined hands to his mouth, pressing his lips to her skin softly. "He sounds like a wonderful man. I wish I could have met him."
"So do I." Regina tells him. Daddy would have loved Robin. Particularly, how happy he makes his daughter. She can picture the two of them, sitting together in front of a football game on a Sunday afternoon, laughing and bonding, Roland helping her in the kitchen, trying to talk her into one more cookie. It's a lovely image. And a pang of longing shoots through her before she shoves it down.
Clearing her throat, Regina withdraws her hand from his and takes another drink of her wine, tilting her head at him as she asks, "What about you? What were you like as a kid?"
A mischievous smirk slips across Robin's features as he says, "Oh I was a rather delinquent child."
Regina arches her eyebrow, "A troublemaker were you?"
"Oh most definitely." Robin laughs, making her grin and shake her head at him as she takes another bite of meat and cheese and pasta, scooping it up onto her fork and popping the delicious combination into her mouth. "I had something of a ragtag gang in my youth. John and I used to like to steal trinkets from our parents' rich friends and then sell them for cash."
That surprises her, it's not something she would have expected from him. Robin is generous and kind, doesn't seem the type for criminal activity. But Regina responds with her initial question first, "John? I didn't realize you two had known each other for that long."
"Oh yes. He's been my best mate since we were five. Met on the playground our first day of kindergarten and have been inseparable ever since."
She smiles at that, happy for him that he has someone who knows him like that, who grew up with him. The oldest friend Regina has is Mal and she's only been in her life for the last thirteen years, let alone nearly three decades. It's sweet though.
"So what did you two do with the cash after you hocked what you stole?"
"We donated the money to local food banks." Ah, and that sounds more like the Robin that she knows. The one with a huge heart. Still, it surprises her some to hear that's what he'd chosen to do with large amounts of cash as a teenager. Many would not have.
Leaning forward, resting one of her forearms on the table, Regina tells him, "You are a very special man, Robin Locksley."
He grins at her, mirroring her pose and replies, "So are you, Regina Mills."
They spend the remainder of their meal all smiles, laughing and changing the subject to other lighter topics. What they might do this weekend. Regina thinks it would be fun to take Roland to the new children's movie that's playing, and Robin cheerfully agrees.
When Robin scoops the last bite of his lasagna into his mouth, with a satisfied hum as Regina watches him, sipping on her wine, she asks, "Would you like any more?"
Wiping his napkin at the corners of his mouth as he chews, Robin shakes his head. "I'm quite full. It was spectacular as always, milady. And as you know my favorite. Thank you for making it."
"You're welcome. There are brownies for dessert."
There's a naughty glint in Robin's eyes as a slow chesire cat like grin forms on his face. His hand finds hers once more, teasingly running the tips of his fingers over the back of her hand as he tells her, "I had something else in mind for dessert, actually."
Oh. Well then.
Heat settles in the pit of her stomach, moving even lower at Robin's words. "There's a fire going in the living room. Would you like to move this in there?" Regina asks, her elbow resting on the table as she leans toward him again, wine glass in one hand as she tilts her head at him before taking a sip. Dinner has been lovely and she's feeling loose and happy. Two things she's never really experienced before on Valentine's Day. Well, once. That year that she'd had Daniel in her life. But never again since that one day.
That dopey, adorable, kissable grin that has Robin's dimples winking out smiles back at her and Regina's stomach flips. She wants to do that. Kiss that smile off his face until she's driven him wild. "That sounds lovely." Robin answers her, standing to hold out a hand for her own. They'll do the dishes later, she decides and places her palm within Robin's open one.
They bring their wine glasses with them, and the bottle, topping off the raspberry colored liquid as they settle in on the couch, but it isn't long before they are long forgotten in favor of focusing all their attention on one another. Robin's hand rests on one of the thighs Regina has tucked beneath her, slowly and teasingly rubbing his thumb back and forth over her bare skin, inciting goosebumps across her flesh, as he kisses down her jaw, along her neck.
Regina hums, angling her head to grant him more access to her sensitive skin when he starts to suck lightly at her throat. Shifting closer to him, her hand grasps onto his hair, steadying herself.
"You are so bloody beautiful." Robin breathes after a few minutes, his eyes roaming all over her body, settling on her face as his hand on her thigh ventures upward some to cup her hip and pull her closer to him.
It's not enough though. She wants to feel him, more of him than she presently can at least. So she smirks at him and then tosses her leg over his hip, adjusting until she can straddle his waist. The hem of her dress rises dangerously high, that slit expanding and exposing even more of her leg to him, the edge of her red lace panties just barely visible over her hip. "You may have mentioned it." She teases, rubbing her hands up and down his chest as he groans at their new position.
His palms slide up and down her thighs, heating her skin as Regina rocks subtly against his growing arousal. Fusing his mouth to hers again, Robin lets himself drown in the warm, delicious flavor of her mouth, tasting the bitterness of the wine they've been drinking and something that is completely Regina. He's addicted to it and her.
Their mouths mold against one another, tongues swirling against each other, and Robin feels himself getting harder with every grind of her hips on top of his. He needs her desperately. A little tipsy himself, his movements are slightly fumbled as he rakes his hands over her body. Thankfully, Regina doesn't seem to notice or mind much. One palm rubs over her thigh as the other inches its way up her torso until he can cup one of her breasts in his hand, squeezing gently and loving the tiny moan the action wrenches from her.
When she breaks away from his mouth so they can both gulp air into their burning lungs, Robin makes a disgruntled sound. Before he can kiss her again though, Regina drops her forehead to his, panting heavily as she asks quietly, "Are you staying tonight?"
He supposes they never had come to a final conclusion about that, had they? Had teased each other, been subtly implying it throughout the day and evening, but had never firmly decided. Robin had been planning on it, if Regina wanted him to, unable to bear the thought of not being in her bed tonight. And he'd packed a bag just in case, had left it in the car upon his arrival. "Do you want me to?" Robin asks.
Regina's breathless snort and teasing, "Is that not obvious?" accompanied with another roll of her hips over his, makes Robin chuckle and groan simultaneously.
"Then I would like that very much, milady." He answers, gripping his hands beneath her thighs and standing quickly, much to Regina's surprise as she instinctively wraps her legs around his hips. The move aligns his erection with her aching center more directly and they both moan quietly as Robin begins walking in the direction of the stairs.
He gets distracted at the bottom step, however, Regina's lips on his throat driving him crazy, and he has to take a minute to press her against the wall, bucking his hips against her as he brings his mouth back to hers. Regina's ankles are locked around his hips, just below his ass and she uses her grip to push her hips against his in response. Their kiss is a bit sloppy, decidedly needy, but neither one of them can bother to give a damn when white hot desire is coursing through their veins.
"I want you so much, Robin." Regina moans into his mouth, licking at his bottom lips. There's hot, liquid fire pooling between her thighs with each passing minute.
Briefly, Robin considers taking her right here. Fucking her against this wall before taking her upstairs to ravish her for a second round. But that's not what he wants this evening to be about, as much as it would probably please them both. He wants to have her in her soft, comfortable bed, to worship her body. Still, he reaches a hand between their bodies, rubbing lightly over her clit through her panties, the bottom of her dress now bunched around her hips, and Regina's head falls back against the wall as she gasps, her mouth dropping open.
Robin's teasing is affecting him just as much as Regina, and he's painfully hard in his slacks now. He wants her out of this dress. Now. So he readjusts his grip on her and plants his lips on her neck, biting lightly once before he's taking the stairs as fast as he can manage without killing either one of them.
By now he's familiar enough with the layout of her house that it is quick and easy to find his way down the hall to her bedroom, nudging the door open with his foot and letting it swing back all while Regina swirls her tongue along the outer edge of his ear and tortures him just a bit with images of her using that tongue other places.
It seems Regina has similar ideas because as soon as he stumbles to the bed, falling down on it with her, she's switching positions with him, straddling his waist again as she kisses him. Her teeth scrape along his jaw, over his chin, then bite into that tempting lower lip of his as she whispers seductively against his mouth. "I'm going to have my wicked way with you."
Thank god.
Robin thinks, his mind going blissfully blank except for the feel of her body atop his as she starts to pepper kisses down his throat, using her tongue and teeth to drive him wild. Though a part of him is torn between wanting to enjoy whatever it is she is about to do to him and the strong desire to do the same to her.
He at least wants her naked. All that creamy, olive skin on display for him. So he grips the hem of her dress, dragging it upward before she can wiggle out of his reach in her descent. Regina laughs, aiding him in its removal. She sits up fully then, sitting on her feet and calves between his legs as his eyes rake over the red lace bra that does wonders for her tits, piling them high and spilling over the edges. Rosy nipples strained and visible through the material. Those blue irises darkening to a deep navy shade with desire.
She lets him look for a minute, smirking at him and tossing her hair a bit flirtatiously as she asks, "Do you like it?" He hasn't seen this particular piece. It's new. Purchased specifically for this moment. But if the way he's looking at her is any sort of gauge, Regina's little stint into the lingerie department the other day had been well worth the trip.
Robin sits up then, closing the distance between them once more until his face is a mere few inches from her own, his voice rough and aroused as he tells her, "I love it. Looks fantastic on you." One finger trails a path along the edge of her bra, starting at her shoulder and down the strap, across one breast and then the other before he cups them in his palms and thumbs at her nipples through the thin fabric.
It creates a delightful bit of friction that Regina groans at. But she has other plans and will not let Robin distract her for long. Shoving at his shoulders, he flops back down to the bed, and she laughs when he raises an eyebrow at her and gives her a wry expression.
"I'm having my way with you, remember. No touching." Robin nearly pouts at that and Regina snorts as she pulls the hem of his dress shirt free, suit jacket long forgotten on the living room couch, and begins to deftly slip the buttons. Inch by inch, his toned abdomen comes into her view. Golden skin and the smattering of light blonde hair that starts just below his bellybutton and continues downward.
God, he's attractive, Regina thinks to herself when she's released the last button and pushed his shirt off his shoulders, observing as Robin wiggles out of the sleeves and let's it drop off the side of the bed. Running her hands over his arms and biceps, Regina admires the firmness of the muscles, the ripple of them when she makes a sweeping gesture and slides them down his chest and over his stomach. How on earth she managed to resist and deny her attraction to this man for so long she will never know. Not now that she knows what she had been been missing.
Her attention shifts to the button of his slacks, releasing it and teasingly sliding his zipper down, lightly brushing over the bulge in his pants. She strokes a fingertip over it, smirking when Robin tries to bite back a moan. Regina enjoys this, teasing him. He so often does the same to her, she's learned it's one of his favorite activities in fact. To tease and arouse her, slowly, drawing out her pleasure.
With a bit of help from Robin and a brief maneuvering in their positions, they rid him of his slacks and boxer briefs together. His erection springing free. Reaching for him, Regina strokes up and down the hard, solid length. His skin soft beneath her palm, veins pulsing. Her gaze lifts to meet his where he's watching her through heavy-lidded eyes.
A wicked gleam flashes through her own a moment before she lowers her mouth to his cock. Swirling her tongue around the head before taking him deeper into her mouth. Robin groans, a guttural sound that echoes her own arousal, wetness gathering between her thighs. She enjoys doing this to him, having him at her mercy, bringing him the type of pleasure he so thrills in bestowing upon her.
And Regina had wanted to do something special for him tonight, to show him a bit of extra attention. This seems a fitting way to achieve that goal.
She scrapes her teeth lightly over his skin, a mix between something salty and male filling her mouth when she wraps her lips around him again. Her nails scratch lightly over his thighs, adding to the stimulation she's giving him. Quiet moans rise up out of his throat, growing louder and clearer with each up and down motion of her mouth on his cock.
When she adds one of her hands, gripping it around the base of his shaft and begins to twist up and down while sucking him harder, hollowing her cheeks, Robin nearly loses his mind.
It feels incredible. Warm and wet. Liquid heat that engulfs him, so reminiscent of how it feels to have her wrapped around him, their bodies joined. Her tongue is unbelievable, drawing indecipherable patterns along his shaft, sliding down to lick at his balls as she strokes him up and down, squeezing gently around him.
Engulfing her mouth around him once more, Regina sucks firmly, focusing on her task with renewed vigor. Her tongue runs along the underside of his cock as she bobs her head up and down, faster and faster, harder and all of a sudden it's too much, Robin can't hold back any longer, gut tightening, his reign on control a thin tether that is a second away from snapping. "Fuck, love. Feels so good. You need to stop. Please. I'm... Regina— "
She releases him with a wet pop, smirking at him knowingly from where she kneels between his thighs. His head is thrown back, chest rising and falling rapidly with the effort it takes for him to keep himself in check, hands fisted into her sheets. Satisfaction whips through her, mounting when he tips his chin down and opens those intense eyes to find hers.
Lifting himself off the bed enough to circle his thumb and index finger around her wrists resting on his thighs Robin pulls her to him for a fierce kiss. Stealing the breath from Regina's lungs. "You're going to be the death of me." Robin pants when their lips separate, hot air ghosting over her mouth while they catch their breath. Her laughter is breathless an amused as he quickly rolls them across the bed, her legs wrapped around his waist as they end up with Robin on top of her.
He devours her mouth then. Hotly, passionately. Robin could happily drown in the taste of this woman and he wants all of her all at once, hands stroking quickly over her bared skin, sliding beneath her back to skillfully unclip the hook of her bra, releasing it with quiet pop. One of his hands rests beside her head, bracing his body over hers as the other pulls the material from her body and tosses it across the room, continuing to kiss her. His hand palms her breasts, pinching her nipples and tugging at the hardened peaks. The way Regina arches her spine into his touch, gasps into his mouth, it's just as painfully arousing as her mouth around him had been.
Moving to suck and lick at her pulse point, Robin rocks his hips against hers, his cock rubbing over her clit through her panties. And that's something that needs to go. Slipping a hand between their bodies, he rubs over the lace between her thighs. She's soaked. Her panties damp and ruined as he hooks his index fingers around the material and drags them down her hips and legs, tossing them aside.
Then he runs his index fingers between her folds, her hips bucking up into his touch as Regina moans, hands gripping at his shoulders, moving up and down his biceps. "Mmmmm… yes. That feels good." She cries when Robin circles her clit with his thumb, slipping two fingers inside her.
Pumping lazily, Robin crooks his fingers, thumping against that spot that he knows drives her crazy, a mewling sound of pleasure breaking free as she moves her hips against his hand, seeking more friction. "That's it, love. Just enjoy it." Robin doesn't disappoint when he adds a third finger, stretching her, warming her body up for what's to come.
"Robin—" Regina pleads, desperate for release.
Christ, she's beautiful like this. Hair messily scattered across her pillow, eyes screwed shut as she absorbs the pleasure he's giving her. He's not given her near enough attention so far. Something he vows to rectify immediately.
Robin starts to return the oral favor, the overwhelming urge to taste her nearly impossible to deny himself of, particularly after the way she'd toyed with him. He wants to make her scream, to hear her pant and moan while he licks and sucks at her warm cunt. Pulling his fingers out of her, Robin slides down to rest between her open thighs. But Regina's needy whine of, "No, no. I want you. Now. Please, Robin. I want you inside me." stops him in his tracks.
Torn, Robin hesitates. She's gasping, chest heaving as she stares down her body at him, a light flush over her skin. He wants that too, but he can see how wet she is, glistening in front of his face and he's desperate to run his tongue over her. More than anything and he knows she'd been getting close, it likely won't take long for either one of them once he does that. So he tells her, "I want to taste you. Let me make you come this way, darling. Then I will fuck you silly."
Oh god. The phrase repeats itself several times in her head as Regina struggles to string coherent thoughts together. Her body is aching, pulsing, throbbing with a deep need and all she wants is Robin, to have him thrusting inside her while he brings her to those heights of pleasure. But how is she supposed to resist an offer like that? She would have to be a complete fool and the last thing Regina Mills would ever be described as is foolish.
So she nods, only twice before Robin's lips wrap around her clit and suck forcefully. She moans, frantically grabbing at the wrinkled sheets around her, just as Robin had earlier as a futile attempt to ground herself. It feels amazing. He's so damn good at this. Hands splay over her thighs, opening her to his attentions more as he switches from sucking to flicking his tongue over the sensitive nub. And she's close. So very close.
Robin's tongue drifts down, dips inside her and thrusts into her a few times, the sensation of which sends shivers through her entire body, reverberating from where his mouth is on her sex to the tips of her fingers and toes. "Oh— Robin, mmmmmm." Her thoughts are a jumbled mess as he licks at her, unable to focus on anything other than how he's making her feel.
When his fingers find their way back inside her, driving into her as he circles his tongue around and around her clit licking over it with the flat of his tongue in a way that produces mouthwatering sensations, Regina nearly loses it. Another minute of that, the dual stimulation and she feels herself tipping over, walls fluttering around his fingers as her thighs tighten around his head instinctively, trapping him between her thighs. She comes with another cry of his name, while Robin continues licking at her, letting her ride out her orgasm and lapping up the new burst of wetness that gathers.
Lord, she's sexy. A goddess. Perfection. Everything that he could ever have asked for and more and Robin has no idea what the hell he'd done to be so lucky to be here with her. For her to be his.
He pulls away from her, panting lightly and peppering kisses to the soft, heated skin of her inner thigh as he catches his breath. Painfully, hard now, he takes a minute to muster up some control before he kisses his way up her body and fuses his mouth to hers.
Regina can taste herself on him, an arousal in and of itself, and she groans, clamps her arms around his neck and holds him close to her. Hooking a leg over his hip, she gyrates her hips against his, reveling in the way his cock is nestled between her folds, sliding against her clit.
Burying his face into the crook of her neck, Robin moans. There are three words on the tip of his tongue that want to escape, but neither of them are ready for that quite yet. Now is not the time for that little revelation. It's too soon. But they are there all the same.
Instead, he whispers into her ear, "You are incredible." Bites her earlobe and then makes good on his promise, reaching a hand between their sweaty and slick bodies to grip his cock, angling it at her entrance. Taunting her for a minute by pushing in an inch and then withdrawing, doing it a few more times before Regina's whiny moan of his name makes him chuckle and Robin thrusts deep and hard inside her.
When their bodies are joined, they both let out matching groans. It's perfect. Exactly right. Every time they come together like this it's better than the last, produces a feeling inside each of them that this is exactly where they belong. Robin begins to move, a few shallow thrusts at first, letting Regina adjust to him before he draws farther back and then in again.
Each delicious pass of his cock inside her feels amazing, a wet slide that has desire gathering deep inside her again. Sparking from where their bodies are joined and filtering out. Through her belly, her breasts, her thighs, heating her skin. She's just come, but already Regina feels herself getting closer and closer to that peak once more.
Her nails scrape over Robin's hip, digging into the skin there as he enters her over and over again. He's keeping his pace even and steady at the moment, something Regina enjoys, even as she craves something a bit harder, a touch harsher. Wants more, more of him, of the razor edge of pleasure they are teetering on. One of his hands strokes through her dampened hair, pushing it away from her face as he looks down at her, such affection and care in his gaze that it revs their love making up a notch.
Bending his head down, he kisses her, tongue sweeping into her mouth, echoing the movement of his cock inside her and Regina surrenders to the sensations building within her body. She rubs her own tongue over his, tasting him as he moves inside her over and over again. Their chests and torsos are pressed together, the coarse hair on his chest tickling her aching nipples as they brush over the hard points.
She wraps her legs around his hips, changing the angle at which he's driving into her, and the shift has him dragging over her clit with each thrust, causing a deep moan to fall from Regina's lips as she breaks the kiss.
Robin's mouth immediately moves to her neck, sucking at her skin that tastes of salt and just a bit like the perfume she'd been wearing earlier in the evening, less prominent now with their activities. "You feel so good, Regina. Magnificent. Spectacular. Fantastic." Praise sputters from Robin as he pounds into her faster, he's getting close, wants to make her come again, around his cock this time so he can feel every jaw-dropping second of her walls constricting around him rather than his fingers.
His voice drives her crazy, particularly when he's spilling compliments at her, when he's thrusting deep and hard inside her and Regina groans, her fingers tugging a touch violently at the hair at the base of his skull to anchor herself to him.
"So do you." She tells him, voice deep and raspy, which only serves to make Robin growl, biting into her skin. "I love the way you make me feel, how you feel inside me." His hand squeezes her breast, slips lower to rub at her clit as Robin's mouth kisses down her body to take one of her nipples into his mouth. It moves them from this gratifying drive of pleasure into overdrive. "Oh god, yes, yes, Robin. Mmmm...harder, faster, please. I'm so close."
Doing exactly as she says, Robin pounds into her harder and faster, her passage nearly dripping as he slides easily and effortlessly in and out of her. He sucks at her nipple, circling his tongue around it and biting lightly, flicking his tongue over the nub. Between that, his thumb rubbing over her clit and the feel of his cock inside her Regina is completely helpless to the onslaught of sensations assaulting her body. It only takes a few more thrusts and then she's crying out and clenching tightly around him as she comes.
Robin's hips continue moving inside her, rubbing at her as he helps her ride out her orgasm, forehead pressed between her breasts, struggling to hold himself back as her walls flutter around him. It's a lost cause though, particularly when Regina uses her grip on his hair to pull his mouth to hers for an intense kiss and then Robin is following right behind her, coming with a low, desperate growl into her mouth as he spills inside her. The two of them riding the last waves of release in sync.
Collapsing on top of her, they lay there for a few minutes, trying to regain their breath after the intensity of what the'd just done, Robin softening inside her. His head rests on her neck as she lazily strokes her fingers up and down the toned muscles of his back. She feels phenomenal. Like her entire body is liquid and golden.
Mind-blowing sex will have that effect.
Eventually, Robin musters up enough energy to roll off her, settling back on the sheets beside her and reaching for her. Regina happily turns back into his arms, resting her head on his chest as his arms wrap around her.
"Wow." Robin's voice mutters quietly into the night around them. They hadn't bothered with the light when they'd come in, too preoccupied with each other to care or think about such things. The room is dark, only the silver of the moonlight illuminating it.
Regina smirks against his skin. Wow is right. She's warm and sated in his embrace and it's been a wonderful day. The best Valentine's that she's had in her entire life. "Mmmhmmm." She hums sleepily, slumber dragging her under as they lay there.
Laughing, Robin presses a kiss to the crown of Regina's hair, the subtle apple scent of her shampoo still lingering, and he smiles. "Happy Valentines Day, lovely." As he pulls the sheets back up over them, Regina snuggles closer, adjusting to the most comfortable sleeping position and tossing a leg over one of his, her arm draped over his chest. Then echoes the words back to him.
"Happy Valentines Day, Robin."
