Here's the next chapter! Thanks to everyone who left a review on the last chapter - it's nice to hear what people think about the updates. We are getting closer to the end, but don't worry! I keep adding stuff to my outline because I love these two so much haha... As always, please leave a review and let me know what y'all thought!
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Chapter Eight
"Daddy! Mommy! Wake up!"
"What's the matter?" Regina asks sleepily, rolling over with a grunt to look toward their daughter as she approaches the bed. Her hair is mussed from the sleep she was blissfully awarded last night from the baby in her stomach, and she pushes it from her eyes, tossing it back and over her shoulder.
David sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he brings Olivia to lay in between their bodies.
"Nothing!" the little girl giggles happily as she plops down into the space on the mattress. Snuggling into David's side, she looks up at him and exclaims gleefully, "It's my birthday!"
Regina's face falls suddenly, bewilderment clouding her features. Grabbing her phone frantically from the night stand, she touches the home button, bringing the screen to life. Shit. Fuck. September 10. Her birthday is today. How could she have forgotten? She knew Olivia's birthday was coming up, of course she did, it was her daughter. They'd even made jokes about how Olivia and the new baby's birthdays were going to be so close, just a few weeks apart from each other. Damn it. Looking over to David, guilt floods her as the look of confusion colors his face. His eyebrows scrunch together, and he looks to Regina for answers.
She's going to murder this pregnancy brain. She'd been so overwhelmed this week with doctor's appointments for her, taking David to therapy while his car was in the shop (some residual problem from the accident that Michael's Garage hadn't found the first time they repaired it), and running Henry and Olivia to and from after school writing and ballet classes respectively. It had just been one of those wildly assiduous weeks; she was lucky if she even remembered to stop and eat lunch during the work day as she tried to get all her mayoral duties completed in a timely manner before the next family member needed her for something (In fact, there were several days her assistant had to order lunch and bring it into her just to remind Regina it was time to eat).
"David," she breathes, shaking her head. Regina closes her eyes, taking in a deep breath. Opening her eyes, she can see the hurt in her husband's eyes and knows that his frustration isn't all toward her.
Ever since he got his memories of Olivia back a little over a month ago, he's struggled to recall little details. He'd forgotten her favorite color one week, and things like her favorite movie or food, and now, apparently, her birthday, have slipped his mind.
She feels terrible. The worst mother and wife in the world. She should have reminded him when it was on her mind last week. Rubbing her thirty-one week pregnant belly, wondering where the last eight months have gone all of a sudden, she looks over to David once more as he glances down to Olivia with a bright smile on his face.
"I… it is? That's so exciting!" he tries to sound cheerful as he scoops their little girl into his arms, lifting her above his head, then brings her back down to rest beside him.
Olivia looks hurt, though, her little snicker while she was in the air seeming like a betrayal to how she really feels. The look on her sweet baby's face stabs Regina in the heart. She never wants to see that look on Olivia's face again as the tiny brunette looks up to David with wide, blue eyes. "You forgot, Daddy?"
Before the tears can fall from any of their eyes, Regina takes a deep breath and reaches out to Olivia. Tucking her finger under her chin, she lifts the girl's face up and reminds her that Daddy's brain is—
"—Sick; I know, Mama, but it's my birthday!" Olivia cries pitfully, standing up on the mattress and looking down at her parents with sad eyes and little hands perched upon her hips.
David sits up straighter in the bed, tears forming in his eyes as he looks between Regina and Olivia. Taking her small hand in his large one, he gently pulls their daughter back down to him, rubbing Liv's back. He tells her he'll take her to a special birthday breakfast at Granny's to make up for it.
Regina closes her eyes in defeat, sighing all over again, and Olivia starts to cry once more saying, "That's what we always do anyway!"
David looks to Regina, tears now fully formed in his eyes. As one trickles down his cheek, Regina reaches up to swipe it away, then over to her own face to wipe her tears away as well. They lay there, all three of them crying sadly, wishing things could just be how they used to be. She would give anything for their lives to return to normal, for her children and David's sakes; she reminds herself that she just has to accept that this is the new normal now and they have to learn to make the most of it.
Taking another deep breath, Regina soothingly rubs Olivia's back for a few moments, shushing her and willing the girl to calm down. She whispers into her hair that'll It'll be okay, as David dots kisses to her forehead.
Olivia's breathing finally evens out, the smalls hiccups coming to a stop, and she sighs out. Sitting up, she smiles cheerlessly down at David, murmuring, "Will you wear my favorite shirt?"
His eyes light up as a smile forms on his face. Regina knows he remembers this detail. Olivia has always loved this worn out red and black flannel shirt of his. He'd had it for years and their daughter would alway curl up into his side whenever he wore it, sucking her thumb as a toddler and falling asleep in his arms as she rubbed the sleeve of it between her pudgy finger tips.
"Now that I can do!" David said elatedly, standing up and scooping Liv into his arms. He spins her around, causing a giggle to erupt from her pouty lips, and a huge smile forms on Regina's face watching them.
David sets the little girl down on the ground, tapping her nose and telling her to go get dressed and to wake Henry up so they could all go to her birthday breakfast.
"Okay, Daddy!" Olivia squeals, rushing from the room.
Swinging her legs over the edge of the mattress, Regina stands, stretching her stiff back. It's been hurting more the further she gets into her pregnancy and she makes a mental note (that she'll probably forget later) to schedule a prenatal massage before this baby gets any bigger. She huffs, placing a hand to her forehead as she remembers that she also forgot to go by and pick up the party supplies she'd ordered from Ashley's party store, Cinderella's Soirées. She meant to do it the other day after her checkup with Dr. Whale, but Henry had called asking if he could go to the arcade with Grace and by time the phone call had ended she was halfway home, completely forgetting she had been on her way to the store. This fucking pregnancy brain will be the death of her; it was never this bad when she was pregnant with Olivia. But she is also going to have a strong word with Ashley for not calling to remind her she had a pick up. That's just bad business.
Pulling herself from her thoughts, she looks over her shoulder to David. He's standing, staring into their walk in closet with a scowl on his face.
"Are you okay?" she asks tentatively, walking to place her palm in between his shoulder blades. She presses a kiss to his shoulder, feeling him take a deep, shuddering breath.
He blows out his breath, walking into the closet. As he grabs the flannel shirt Olivia had requested, he looks over to her dejectedly. "This is just so hard, Regina."
Giving him a sympathetic smile, though it's more of a grimace, she nods, telling him she knows. Despite her inner turmoil over their daughter's distress, she reassures him that Olivia is fine, that she understands as best as she can for a six (well, now seven) year old. "You guys will go to your annual birthday breakfast while I set up for the party, and everything will be alright."
"You're not going?" he asks with concern, looking over at her.
Smiling, she shakes her head, explaining that it's a tradition the three of them have. Every year on the day of their parties, David takes the kids to Granny's while she bakes the birthday cake. "I surprise them each year with a cake, never letting them know what it's going to look like until right before the party."
He smiles at her, nodding, saying that sounds adorable.
Regina chuckles, telling him, "It actually started right after Emma got back from the Enchanted Forest. It was Henry's birthday and I wanted to surprise him with a storybook shaped cake." Laughing, she informs him it wasn't her best work, but David, in his attempt to win Regina back, had taken Henry to breakfast to give her time to concentrate on the cake design. Ever since then, Regina has perfected her cake decorating skills, creating all different types of cake shapes - from Dora the Explorer, to a video game controller for Henry, and an assortment of ladybugs and butterflies last year for Olivia's insect themed party.
"What's this year's cake going to be?" he asks with a grin.
Matching his smirk, she lifts an eyebrow, telling him it's a surprise Even for you.
Sighing as he slips the shirt over his shoulders, he looks up at Regina. "I just feel like she's still so upset. What if she wants you there?"
Watching him button his shirt, wishing they had time for her to unbutton it and kiss her way down his firm chest, she shakes her head, huffing out a bit of laughter through her nose. "Olivia is a daddy's girl through and through and you know that. She wants you to take her like you always do… and she's fine. I promise."
Walking out of the closet, David takes her hand, leading her over to the two light gray chairs that reside near the large window in their room. He helps her into one before taking his spot in the other, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
"I know she's fine now," he tells her, "but she was so upset. I hate this." Blowing out a frustrated breath, he brings her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles. "I just wish there was some spell or a potion you could make that would bring back all of my memories."
It's not the first time he's said these words to her, and she agrees. She's searched every spell book in her vault for weeks on end trying to find some way to bring back his memories. When he'd first woken up two months ago, she'd spent all her free time (and even working hours) down in her vault, trying to create a potion that might work or find some magical solution to their problem but to no avail. Not even Rumple had a remedy for her to try.
David's problem wasn't a curse or the result of some magical experiment gone wrong; it was scientific, the result of a horrible accident and magic couldn't fix it.
She leans over as best she can, pressing her lips to his lightly. Regina cups his cheek, confirming once again that there's no way to magically bring his memories back, but he's making so much progress. "I'm so proud of you, David," she vows to him wholeheartedly. "You've done so much with your therapy the last few weeks to remember as much as you can. You're getting there!"
And it was true. He'd been seeing Archie twice a week, and with the therapist's help, he was remembering more and more. Most of the time it was small, minute instances of his life, but it was something. More than that, though, Archie was helping David cope with the idea of never fully remembering his life.
David sighs, rubbing a hand down his scruffy jaw as he leans back in the plush armchair. "I feel awful," he admits sorrowfully. "What kind of father forgets his child's birthday?"
Regina tears up again, rubbing circles on her stomach. Their baby boy sends a jolt of energy to her, making her smile despite the circumstance. He always seems to know when she needs a little bit of extra comfort. "A father with amnesia, David." She stands, waddling the few steps that separate their chairs to join him on his seat, perching herself as much as possible on the arm of the chair while her legs dangle between his parted ones. She's thankful in this moment that her figure hasn't quite left her, her body hasn't bloated or enlarged too much anywhere except her belly (and her fingers in the morning). She looks nothing like Ruby did seven years ago when they were pregnant at the same time, thank God. Poor girl was swollen almost the entire pregnancy, always cursing Regina for her "regular sized belly". His hand finds purchase on her thigh as she settles into her spot, giving it a quick pulse. "I'm the one who should feel like shit, not you."
He looks at her then, eyes locking as he silently questions her as to why. She sighs, "I completely forgot her birthday was today, and forgot to remind you. What kind of wife and mother does that?" She reaches up, pointing to her stomach and humorlessly smirking, saying this is the only excuse she has.
"I just…" He huffs irritably, leaning back a touch in his chair, "I wish I could remember. I know you've tried to find a potion," he tells her, and she nods in confirmation once more, running a hand through his hair, "but there has to be something I can do."
David looks up at her with a pain in his eye she's never seen before. He proclaims that there's a sense of longing in his mind, like his literal soul is crying out for him to remember his family, his life. "I know I'm a father and a husband," he says around an obvious lump in his throat, "I have those memories of the kids, and flashes of memories of you, but it's still just… like a photograph sometimes."
"What do you mean?" she implores, leaning down to press a kiss to his temple, breathing out against his skin as she nuzzles her nose into his hairline before pulling back.
He's crying silently now, tears escaping down his cheeks, as he explains how he loves Henry and Olivia, but sometimes when he forgets little specifics of their lives, he feels like he's made no progress, like nothing has changed since he first woke up and he's back to only feeling like he's watched a movie of his life instead of actually living it.
"I know you love me, Regina, can see it in your eyes but my brain can't comprehend that." He reaches up, wiping the tears from his cheeks as he takes a calming breath.
She breathes deeply too, urging the tears sprinkling her cheeks to dry up and go away.
"I love our children, and I'm falling for you all over again, but I just…" he trails off, sighing as his eyebrows knit together. He shakes his head and looks back up to her, "I just want it to be how it was."
Regina sniffles, swiping the wetness from under her eyes once more. She will never not be emotional when David opens up to her, when he struggles with the battle raging in his mind. She knows he wants to remember everything, and he is, just slowly, much slower than either one of them would like. Ducking her head down slightly to look deeply into his wet eyes so that he knows she means what she says, Regina tells him sincerely, lowly, "Your children love you, David." Tears falling again, she emphasizes, "I love you." She cups his cheek, her thumb caressing the apple of his cheek before she runs her hand down to rest on his neck as she promises, "We're not going anywhere. I made a vow to you - in sickness and in health, for better or worse. And I meant it."
Tears fall from David's eyes, and he looks down, taking a steadying breath once more as she tilts his face back up to look at her again and she finishes with, "I love you, and you may not feel the same for me yet but I do, and I'm not going anywhere. We will get through this together."
Her tears fall as steadily as his now as David leans up, joining their lips together. One hand still resting on her thigh, his other comes up to hold her belly. Giving it a soft rub, he pulls apart from their embrace, staring into her eyes. Their son chooses that moment to give a little kick, breaking some of the tension apart as David looks down to her stomach and lets out a soft, wet chuckle, patting it once more.
He smiles up at her, nodding and thanking her for sticking by him, for loving him. "You are an amazing woman, Regina, and I'll never know how I got so lucky."
Regina smiles tearfully, shaking her head and assuring him that, "I'm the lucky one, not you."
She leans down, capturing his lips with hers once more before untangling their legs and slowly standing from the chair. Regina reaches out for his hand, helping him from his sitting position, telling him he better finish getting dressed before both kids get too hungry and start complaining.
Chuckling, David agrees. He walks over to his dresser to pull out a pair of dark colored jeans to replace the gray sweatpants he'd slept in. Once dressed, he gives Regina one last kiss, smirking and telling her, "Don't forget to decorate for the party, pregnant lady."
Mouth falling open, she scoffs in mock offense. "Oh," she snorts, "That's how it's going to be?"
Grinning, he just shrugs, swinging their bedroom door open. She yells down the hall for him not to forget her apple cinnamon muffin from Granny's and he just laughs, calling back that he's not the one with pregnancy brain.
Shaking her head but with a smile on her face, she follows him down the stairs to kiss her children goodbye. Once the rest of the family have made their way to Granny's, she turns around with her hands on her hips, sighing as she looks at the undecorated house that needs a serious makeover before they can host a mermaid themed party in a few hours.
She hadn't used much magic lately - it tires her out much quicker these days - but thanks to the not-picked-up decorations (and the fact that Ashley's was closed on Sundays anyway), she feels as if a morning of magic is in store for her.
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Munching on his French toast sticks, David watches his children talking and giggling at something on Henry's phone. He smiles, loving how close the two of them are despite the age difference.
Olivia looks up, covering her mouth to quell her laughter, and makes eye contact with David. She smiles sweetly, tilting her head and asking, "Can I have a bite?" as she innocently eyes his plate of the sugary sticks.
He sniggers, saying Of course as he cuts a piece and hands it to her across the table. She beams, taking the offered bite and dunking it into the syrup on his plate. Mmmmm is the response he gets, and he smiles, asking if she thinks it's good.
Nodding, she swallows and exclaims, "Yep! Sure is, Daddy!"
He informs them they both need to eat some more before they head back home, noticing neither one has eaten much.
"Okay," Henry says distractedly, "Just… let me… there!" he cries out, locking his phone and setting it down. The teenager smiles, saying he had one more level of his game to finish.
David chuckles, shaking his head. Some things never change. Henry has always loved video games, and he can remember a time, right before Snow and Emma got sucked through the hat, that he would spend hours with his grandson playing games together at the loft.
Both children settle in after Olivia gives her brother a high five in congratulations, enjoying their breakfasts. It's pancakes and bacon for Henry and oatmeal and a biscuit for Olivia. He reminds them that they'll have lunch, snacks and cake at the party later so, "Don't make yourselves sick with breakfast."
Henry grins, looking over to David. He gives the teen a questioning look and the boy just shrugs, chuckling as he says, "You sound like Mom."
David smiles, telling him that isn't a bad thing, and they all share a smile before digging back in to their food.
After a few moments of eating, David pushes his plate away, swallowing the last bite of his french toast. Picking up the mug of coffee Ruby had just come by to refill, he listens as Olivia chatters on in between bites about which of her friends from school are coming over today, who she's most excited to see, her surprise cake, and what she hopes she gets at the party.
She states decisively that she wants a new bicycle, which Henry reminds her she got at Christmas, some books, a new Barbie and, of course, "A pony!"
Henry rolls his eyes, taking his final bite of bacon. "You're not getting a pony, Livvie," he tells her around his mouthful of food.
She huffs, sitting back in the booth and crossing her arms. "I know," she drawls dramatically, "But it'd still be awesome if I did!"
They all laugh, going on to talk about her friends that are coming and what they're all going to do.
Finished with her breakfast, Olivia slinks from her side of the booth to David's, settling into his side. He smiles down at her, leaning over to press a kiss to the top of her head. He loves his little girl, and can't imagine life without her now. Regina was right this morning when she said their daughter is a daddy's girl, and his heart swells every time he thinks about how close he and Olivia are. He hopes that never changes.
Henry slides her the paper kids menu from his side of the table, and she takes it, picking up a crayon and asking David to complete the tic-tac-toe game printed on the paper with her.
As they play, Olivia winning one round and David the other, Henry tells him about the book he's been working on the last few weeks. He had started it the horrible day at the park the other week when David had been a complete ass, but he's seen Henry work on it every few nights before bed.
"I really like it so far," he announces his stepdad excitedly. "There's still some spots I need to work on, and I gotta figure out how to wrap it all up in the end."
"Well I'm sure you'll figure it out," David encourages. "You're a fantastic writer."
Henry beams, taking a sip from his water. He sets the glass down and begins telling David how Grace has been helping him, giving him ideas for some of the smaller characters - possibly giving his main character a friend who also believes in magic so he's not quite so alone, or, "I don't know," he shrugs, "Grace was also giving me ideas for magical people that my main character, who still needs a name -" he chuckles to himself, shaking his head, "- meets along the way... different witches or... something." David watches, and listens, with fascination, a warm feeling in his stomach observing how mature his grandson is these days - how much and how well he's grown up lately; he's so proud of him. Henry sighs, shrugging once more, saying he hasn't hashed all those details out but his girlfriend has been pretty inspirational when it came to some of the smaller details.
"That's cause she loooves you," Olivia giggles from her spot beside David. She's been quietly coloring while the boys talked, but clearly she was intently listening too.
Henry rolls his eyes with a smile on his face, shaking his head at his little sister. "Anyway," he says, sighing, "Hopefully I'll have it done within the next few weeks." He tells David how he started writing it just for fun, but Regina had reminded him of a writing competition at school, and he thought it might be fun to enter it since it's his last year there, but he wasn't sure if it'd be done in time.
David nods, assuring Henry that he's positive he will get it completed. Henry's always been such a diligent worker, like a dog on the hunt for something delicious it smells, so he has no doubt his stepson will get it done in the time limit he's given himself. He encourages the teen, though, telling him that even if he doesn't finish by time he wants to, it will get done and it will be fantastic - competition for school or not.
"Here we go!" Granny cheers, interrupting their conversation as she sets a giant milkshake down in front of Olivia (whose eyes widen, almost crossing over each other, bigger than David has ever seen).
He laughs, wrapping an arm around his little girl as she sits up straighter, exclaiming, "Thank you, Granny!"
The old wolf smiles down at the family, telling her it's a birthday cake flavored milkshake. "It's a new recipe I've been trying out. Figured I'd mix it up this year instead of giving you kids the regular chocolate one for your birthday."
Henry perks up, promising to Granny that they love her chocolate but, "This looks delicious, too!"
Nodding her head once in acknowledgement, she reaches into her apron and pulls out three straws. Holding them out, they each take one, a resounding Thanks coming from all of their mouths.
She sets three spoons down, Just in case it's too thick for the straws, and smiles one more time at Olivia. Bending down, Granny presses a kiss to the girls cheek, whispering, "Happy birthday, sweet girl!" into the top of her head, telling her she'll see her later at the party. Granny winks, nudging her nose against Olivia's cheek before pressing another quick peck there.
Olivia gives her a sweet smile, leaning over and stretching out her arms to give to old woman a giant hug. "Thank you!" she tells her one more time before Granny rights herself and makes her way over to the other customers.
Giggling, they all unwrap their straws and dive in. A collective Mmmm comes from all three of them and David laughs. "So you guys like it?"
"It's so good!" Olivia shouts softly for just the boys to hear. She pulls her straw from the glass, sucking hard on it until there's a distinct pop sound that comes from it.
She snorts, telling them there was a sprinkle stuck in her straw. They all laugh, passing the milkshake around to let everyone have a few more bites.
"Definitely don't tell Mom about this," Henry laughs. "She'll never let us have cake later!" It's a funny reminder they have to give Olivia each year, according to Henry, because ever since the first milkshake a few years ago, they've kept it a secret from their mom.
David's hit with a memory then, his eyes snapping shut as the vision plays before his closed lids.
Sitting back in the booth, he rubs his full stomach, watching his kids enjoy the chocolate milkshake Granny had just delivered for Henry's birthday.
"Don't tell your mom I let you have a milkshake," he chuckles, watching as Henry and Olivia lock eyes mischievously, tiny smirks forming on their lips.
They all giggle, digging back in to the sweet treat. David laughs, picking up a straw and placing it in the glass as well. "A few bites won't hurt," he mumbles. "Just don't eat as much cake later today."
Henry just grins, giving David a quick eye roll as if to say, "Yeah, right," and all David can do is laugh.
Olivia climbs into his lap, leaning over to get a better reach of the milkshake. He smiles, leaning down to kiss the back of her head, and wishing she would stop growing. She's three now, so tiny and cute (yet sneaky as all get out, clearly a trait delivered from her mother), and he can't imagine her getting any bigger. It's bad enough that Henry is thirteen today - David isn't sure where the time has gone. It seems like just yesterday he was ten and helping break the Dark Curse.
"This is so good!" Henry exclaims excitedly, pulling the dessert closer to his side of the booth and taking a giant gulp.
Olivia puffs out dejectedly, folding her arms on top of the table and placing her chin there as she watches Henry take large sips. She tilts her body, twisting to look at David behind her sadly as she murmurs that she wants another sip.
Pursing his lips to stop his chuckle from escaping, he reminds the little girl that it's her brother's birthday, and he should get the bigger sips. "I hope I get a milkshake for my birthday," she sighs wistfully.
David catches Granny's eye as she walks passed, her wolf hearing still as sharp as ever and gives him a quick nod, confirming that his daughter would definitely be getting a milkshake in a few weeks for her special day as well. He smiles at the old wolf, shaking his head to himself at how tough she tries to act but how soft she is when it comes to the children of their little town.
Henry looks over, sheepishly ducking his head. He slides the cup more toward the middle of the table and apologizes. "I've never had a milkshake at breakfast before!"
David chuckles, reaching over to ruffle his stepson's hair and assuring him he can drink as much as he wants. "It's our little secret though, remember," he whispers dramatically, giving Henry a wink.
Olivia giggles as she slides from David's lap, promising not to tell Regina their little secret as well.
He and Henry watch Olivia closely when they first get home, making sure she doesn't spill the beans. She almost does as she enthusiastically recounts to Regina about all the, "Yummy food we ate. And Granny even brought us -"
Before she can finish, Henry clasps a hand over her mouth, making her go quiet. Regina looks up from where she's been working on some party favors just as Henry's hand falls from his sister's face.
Giving them a questioning look, Henry finishes Olivia's sentence with, "Uh, an extra pancake for me for my birthday."
David bites his lip in an attempt to tamp down his laughter at how comically wide his children's eyes are. Regina looks over her shoulder at him with narrowed eyes, and he just shakes his head, holding his hands up in surrender as if to say, "I don't know."
Looking back at the children, Regina lifts an eyebrow and lets out a drawn out, "Alright…" before telling them that an extra pancake is exciting.
"As long as you don't get sick later from all the food at the party," she grins.
Henry chuckles. He places a hand on Olivia's shoulder, guiding her out of the kitchen as he nervously laughs out a, "Ha, yeah, Mom. I… I won't."
David can practically see the nervous sweat falling from the boy's brow and chuckles under his breath from where he's perched against the kitchen counter, behind Regina's workstation on the island so she can't see him. He lifts a hand, motioning for Henry and Olivia to leave the room, and they scamper off, their laughter filling the hallway.
"What was that about?" she laughs, turning to face him. Her hair is mussed from where she'd clearly run her fingers through it while finishing the gifts she's making, and he smiles softly, reaching up to smooth the lock of hair down.
"Nothing," he murmurs, leaning in to kiss her lips. He knows he'll end up telling her tonight before bed about the milkshake and how it could be a cute tradition to add to their birthday breakfasts, but he'll let the kids sweat it out a little bit longer - might even never tell them he told their mother, just to add some excitement to their annual birthday milkshakes. He chuckles, kissing her once more before pulling back and looking over the goodie bags she's gathered on the counter.
She smiles brightly at him, saying she thinks his friends will really like the treats inside. Putting the last ribbon on a bag, she turns and says she's got all the decorations and food set up. "There's a lot of food though - more than I originally thought I had." She bites her lips, shrugging, "We will just have to tell them not to run around too much after eating so no one gets sick."
David leans in with a smile, placing another kiss to her lips and assuring his wife that none of them would get sick - they're kids, they can rebound from too much food a lot quicker than they can. "Now," he says loudly, getting the attention of the kids in the next room, "Who wants to see mom's cake!?"
Olivia's eyes widen comically as she sits back, wiping the milkshake from her lips. She looks over to David and smiles, bringing a finger up to her lips in a silencing motion, then whispers, "It'll be our secret!"
He smiles widely, now remembering that he did, in fact, tell Regina their little secret that night so many years ago. She'd just rolled her eyes and laughed, saying it was once a year, and that she could let it slide.
Henry snorts at her antics, saying he doesn't think Mom will mind so much since they share one every year for their birthdays - clearly he's been let into the secret that Regina actually has knowledge of these "top secret milkshakes." The teenager gives David a wink from across the table, and they share a knowing smile.
Wrapping an arm around Olivia, she cuddles into David's side, and he thinks how this is a tradition he hopes they never let die.
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Laughing as she enters the kitchen, dodging one of the twins dressed like a pirate as he chases the birthday mermaid around, Snow exclaims a cheerful, "Everything look amazing, Regina!"
Emma, Mulan and Regina are all gathered around the kitchen island, sipping on "mermaid juice" - just a combination of blue Hawaiian punch, Sprite and pineapple juice - but it went with Olivia's desired party theme, and was, surprisingly, delicious.
Regina huffs out, rolling her eyes up to the ceiling, muttering a half-hearted Thanks.
Snow's eyebrows scrunch, asking her what is the matter.
Shaking her head, she looks around the island as Snow comes to rest on the neighboring bar stool. "Nothing," she sighs, rubbing her aching back. She situates herself more comfortably on the wooden stool as she tells her friends, "This morning was just chaotic." She goes on, informing them of the heartbreak her daughter experienced this morning along with all the magic she'd had to use to get the house in order.
Once the front door closed, Regina quickly twirled around, looking at her empty living room. With a sigh, she rubbed her hands together, muttering an, "Alright, let's do this," to herself.
She walked into the living room, knowing most of the party would take place in there. With a flick of her wrist, she stretched out her hand toward the couch, making it magically move back against the wall and front window, giving the room a larger space for the children to run around in. With her other hand, she pointed her finger in the direction of the side wall, making a table appear in a puff of lilac smoke.
Twirling her hand in a circular motion, she made the party supplies from Ashley's store appear in the middle of the open room on the coffee table (so she didn't have to bend down to get everything.)
With a smile on her face, she walked toward the party table with a teal table cloth. Once the table was covered, she twitched her head to the side. A shimmery teal and purple backdrop vaporized onto the wall behind the table. It was covered with white, teal and purple plates in a pattern that looked like mermaid scales. It was a decoration she'd seen on Pinterest a few weeks ago and thought was so creative. She tacked a giant starfish to the mermaid scale on the wall before turning her attention back to the table. It was long enough to hold all of the party food and the beverage dispenser of Mermaid Juice Olivia had insisted they have.
She waved her hand, making seashell shaped serving dishes appear on the table, conveniently piled with all the party food - a vegetable platter with a bell pepper formed into the shape of an octopus, rice krispy treats in the shape of starfish, ham and cheese sandwiches on little croissants that had googly eyed toothpicks sticking out of them to look like crabs, green grape kabobs affectionately labeled as seaweed, and an assortment of other ocean themed foods, all with mermaid shaped signs in front of the detailing what each item was. Regina looked around at all of it, nodding in approval at what she'd conjured. She was always a sucker for a good theme, and she had to admit, she loved this year's theme a lot. It was sweet and fun to create different things for.
In between each platter of food, she was sure to place seashells and starfish, and of course a net draped over the front of the table for effect.
She turned from the main wall with all the food and flicked her hands up toward the ceiling, making balloons form in bundles in each corner of the ceiling (mermaid colors, as Olivia always called them - teal, purple, and white). Regina smiled, having far too much fun with this, and turned, flicking her finger tips toward the fireplace so a large "Happy 7th Birthday, Olivia!" sign hung from it - each letter being inside a scalloped shaped shell and a little silhouette of a mermaid holding the banner on each side.
Once that was finished, Regina made her way to the kitchen to begin the cake. It was the one thing she refused to use her magic on. Making her children's birthday cakes was her favorite tradition. She always loved creating a cake to go along with their theme, and more than anything, she loved to see Henry and Olivia's excited faces when the cake was revealed to them right before their friends showed up for their parties. She was a great baker, a secret talent only her closest friends and families knew about, and being able to wow even them with her confectious creations always made her beam with pride.
She pulled out all the ingredients, then remembered she needed to get the backyard ready for the kids as well. Looking out the window above the sink and into the spacious yard, she took a deep breath. This one would take a lot of magic if she wanted to do it all in one casting.
With her eyes closed, she raised both hands, her lilac magic flowing from both palms as she waved it around the direction of her backyard. Little tables, covered in the rest of the table cloths that were still in the living room and little seashells appeared on the grass, along with a sheer tent, made to look like a giant fish net, with mermaid colored balloons hanging from it.
She opened her eyes, sighing out and rubbing her belly. She was getting tired from using all this magic, but she had to get it done - maybe she'd squeeze in a nap before the party today. She blinked, flicking her wrist one more time to ensure the pin the tail on the mermaid game was set up and ready to go back there as well.
She decided to take a break from all the magic, telling herself to make the party favors (mermaid blankets and bubble bath) later for all the kids. For now, she would make the cake and make sure The Little Mermaid was set up in the DVD player, ready to be played all day long.
"Suffice to say," Regina snickers, motioning around the air at all the mermaid decor, "It took me a while."
The other women laugh as Mulan promises her that everything looks amazing. "You always do such a good job with their parties, and this is no exception."
Regina smiles, thanking her friends. She laughs again, more to herself that anything, and runs her hands through her hair. "At least my pregnant brain didn't forget the presents! Those have been stashed in the closet upstairs for months."
They all chuckle, taking sips of their juice and agreeing that would've been terrible if she'd forgotten those. Regina stops laughing for a moment, twisting her lips as she's overcome with emotion.
"What's wrong?" Emma asks, reaching across the island to take Regina's hand in hers. She gives the blonde's hand a thankful squeeze, giving her a small smile.
Reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, she then places both hands on her belly, rubbing soft patterns there as she looks around at the three women. Shaking her head as she tries to hold back her tears, she bemoans to them remorsefully, "I should have remembered to tell David about her birthday." Blowing out a breath, knowing there's nothing anyone can say to make her feel better, she goes on, telling them all how hard it's been for everyone in the house.
She looks over her shoulder, making sure no one else is coming to interrupt their little powwow. She knows Granny and Ruby are in the living room, along with some other parents of Olivia's classmates, and she would hate for any of them to overhear what's going on in her life. She likes to keep things private as much as possible. She can hear kids giggling all throughout the front of the house, saw Olivia wizz by moments ago, rushing outside with some friends to play pin the tail on the mermaid. David and Chang are outside manning the mermaid game, making sure none of the kids get hurt, and she breathes out a quiet laugh through her nose as she turns back to her friends, catching a glimpse of David through the window, dodging out of the way of a blindfolded kid trying to find the mermaid to place his tail upon.
Regina tells them more about the drama this morning - how upset Olivia was, how heartbroken she'd seemed, and then of how upset David had been, which had upset her as well. "It's not just today either," she admits quietly. "David has his memories back of Olivia, you guys know that already," and they all nod, encouraging her to go on, "But he still struggles to remember little details… and me, of course."
Mulan moves from her side of the island, coming to stand beside Regina and place a comforting hand on her back, rubbing circles between her shoulder blades. She reaches up, placing her hand atop Mulan's other one that rests on the counter top and gives her a smile. She's so thankful for the friends she's made over the last few years, glad that they've all become one, giant family. Something she never thought she'd have, or want.
"Don't give up, Regina," Snow says from beside her, reaching over to take hold of her other hand. "His memories will come back."
Emma perks up then, knowing Regina had talked to her weeks ago after a meeting with Dr. Whale. She'd told Emma how Whale informed them that his memories might not ever come back, how that was a risk with amnesia, and she'd cried on the front porch with the blonde woman, both of them sad over the loss of his memories. But Emma had been hopeful, of course (she is a Charming down to her core after all), telling her that they couldn't lose hope. "And even if they don't," Emma claims with a pointed look at Regina, "You guys will be okay."
She nods, sniffling back the tears that are threatening to fall. Smiling shyly, she tells the other women how David had admitted to beginning to fall for her a few weeks ago.
With squeals from Mulan and Snow, and a delighted hum of approval and a See! from Emma, Regina rolls her eyes, genuinely smiling at her friends and agreeing that it was indeed wonderful progress.
Starting to feel uncomfortable with all the attention (and emotion running through her), Regina changes the subject, lifting her plastic cup and pointing it in Emma's direction. "Anyway," she breathes, planting a smile on her face, "You'll be having to think of birthday themes for that little one sooner than you think."
Snow and Mulan chuckle, murmuring their agreement as Snow informs her daughter that the first year will fly by faster than she wants.
Emma grins, reaching up to pat her still flat stomach. She'd found out just before David's accident that she was pregnant - a joyous occasion for everyone in the family. Emma and Chang had gone through the devastating loss of a pregnancy when Olivia was three and the twins were almost two, and they'd struggled to get pregnant ever since. After visiting a specialist outside of Storybrooke for several months, she was finally able to conceive. She'd told them all over a giant family dinner, David and Snow immediately tearing up at the news, while the rest of the family smiled happily and gave the couple their congratulations.
Henry had been most excited, saying he loved having all the kids around and now both his moms would have little kids for him to play with.
The excitement, however, had worn off a few days later when the phone call had come about David's accident. Since then, Regina has tried to be a good friend, asking Emma about her pregnancy and giving her advice or tips when asked because she doesn't want Emma to feel like no one cares or like they're putting David as a priority (not that Emma wouldn't understand if they were).
"I can't wait," Emma laughs, straightening her shirt and tugging it against her skin for effect. "I can actually see my stomach bulging out a little bit today."
They all smile over at her, Regina nodding and telling her that's when she always felt like things were real. Once you could see the bump, you suddenly feel like you have to get everything in order. "Have you guys picked out names yet?" Mulan asks, making her way back to her spot beside Emma.
The blonde shakes her head, opening her mouth to speak, "Not ye-"
"MAMA!" Olivia exclaims, running in the back door.
All four women jump at the unexpected intrusion, laughing as the little girl bounces over to her mother, the twins and Ruby's daughter, Luna, following behind. Regina grins at Eric and Eli all dressed up in their pirate costumes. They'd shown up to the party like that, Snow clapping her hands together in excitement at how cute they were dressed for the theme. Mulan had just shaken her head, saying Snow hadn't been able to stop gushing over how fun it was the whole ride over to the mansion.
Olivia is standing before her, hand on her hips as her tiny foot taps on the wooden floor beneath her. She's dressed as a mermaid, rightfully so, with an aqua colored skirt in the shape of a mermaid tail over some thin leggings and a purple top. She has a plastic crown on her head, somehow, Regina assumes from her chest of costumes up in her bedroom that she'd clearly gone and dug through at some point this afternoon.
"Can I help you, Princess?" Regina sasses playfully, looking down at the birthday girl.
Liv giggles, scrunching her nose as she climbs into Regina's lap. It's awkward, and she barely fits since Regina is precariously perched on nothing but a bar stool, but they make it work for a few moments. Olivia kisses her cheek, making her smile softly at her daughter.
Running her finger tips through the girl's long, dark hair, she gets out a few knots, and makes a comment about how sweaty she is. Looking over at the twins (Luna has long since abandoned the apparently boring kitchen for the living room), she notices they're just as sweaty. She declares it's time to stay inside and cool down so they can do presents and cake.
"Yes! Cake!" Olivia shouts, hopping down from Regina's lap. "Have you seen my cake yet, Aunt Snow?!"
Snow grins, shaking her head and telling the little girl that no, she hasn't seen it yet.
Olivia's blue eyes light up, rambling excitedly to all the women in the kitchen about how pretty it is.
She had been so excited after Granny's when Regina showed it to her that she's surprised the little girl has found anything else to talk about today.
They'd gotten home from Granny's a few minutes ago, and Olivia had immediately started running around the living room in excitement, yelling "Daddy! LOOK!" at every new mermaid decoration she found.
Chuckling, Regina asked, "Do you like it?"
Spinning on her heel, Olivia raced over the Regina chanting an out of breath, "I love it, I love it, I lovelovelovelove it!"
Shaking her heard, Regina laughed at the little girl's antics and smiled proudly when David and Henry both complimented her work. "It looks amazing, Mom. I love all the seashells and fish nets."
"Thank you, sweetheart," she told him and placed a kiss to his cheek. "Now who's ready to see the cake?"
With an overly excited YEAH!, Olivia ran to the kitchen with Henry, and Regina could hear them making bets on what the cake would be shaped like this year as they disappeared.
"You're amazing," David told her sincerely, walking over to her and placing a kiss to her lips.
Smiling up at him, she kissed him in return, thanking him and saying she had to use a lot of magic, but it was worth it.
"Just promise if you get me pregnant again, I'm not due near the other birthdays," she chuckled, shaking her head. "I'd like a few months of peace between at least two of the parties."
He laughed, nodding as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Drawing her closer, he pressed his lips to the top of her head and whispered, "I'll try my best," before placing a kiss to her hair.
It'd been a running joke between them that his little swimmers worked extra hard in the winter, seeing as both Olivia and the new baby would both have birthdays within a month, give or take a few weeks, of each other (Not to mention Henry's birthday being in August; it would be party central at the Mills-Nolan household for three months straight. Not that Henry had requested an elaborate party for the last few years - as a teenager, his parties only consisted of his friends coming over, hanging out and eating food and cake.)
With a nod of her own, she giggled, "Now come on," and pulled on his hand, leading him toward the kitchen. "Let's go reveal the cake to her before she combusts."
They walked into the kitchen just as Henry and Olivia were settling on the barstools. Olivia was bouncing on her knees, singing a song about birthday cakes that she'd clearly just made up. David came and stood beside her, placing a kiss to their daughter's head and making sure she didn't fall from the stool in all her frenzy of emotion.
"Are you ready?" Regina asked, smiling widely and walking over toward the refrigerator.
Everyone nodded as Olivia proclaimed a hearty, "Yes, yesyesyes, YES!" making them all laugh.
Regina pulled the cake from it's designated spot on the refrigerator shelf, shielding it from their eyes for just a little bit longer. She told them to close their eyes, and she peeked over her shoulder, confirming that they were all following her direction.
Placing the creation on her island counter and turning it to face her family, she nodded once in confirmation to herself that she'd done a good job. No matter what anyone else thought, she loved this cake and thought she'd truly outdone herself. "Okay, you can open."
Olivia's eyes blinked open, mouth falling agape as she stared at the cake before her. The cake was in the shape of a giant mermaid tail. It was teal at the top, then in an ombre type coloring, faded down into a dark purple. After the dark purple, it turned into a fuschia color near the fins. The scales were outlined in the teal icing, and the whole cake had a shimmer to it. All around the cake itself, on the white cardboard it sat upon, Regina had whipped up an ocean blue colored icing and drawn waves, then drew tiny starfish, seaweed and a little yellow fish with icing as well. "It's so pretty!" Olivia gushed, placing her hands on the counter top and pushing herself up to get a better look.
David placed his hands on her hips, holding her steady so she didn't face plant into the cake. "Woah!" Henry exclaimed, "That's awesome!"
Regina smiled at her family, glad to see they were as proud of it as she was.
"It's in the living room with all the other food," Olivia tells Snow. "Come on! Let's go look at it!"
Regina chuckles, standing from the stool and taking Olivia's hand in hers, telling her to slow down. She informs the girl that it's time for presents anyway, so Aunt Snow will see it when they go in there.
"Okay!" Olivia says happily, shrugging her shoulders. She let's go of Regina's hand, going to take a hand of each twin and lead them into the living room, telling them it was time for presents and then they could eat cake.
Emma hollers out the back door to David and Chang to come inside, and they all make their way to the rest of the party.
Coming into the living room, Regina announces to the other guests that it's time for presents. Everyone gathers around, watching as Olivia perches herself into a mermaid tail shaped plastic chair. Henry brings her presents over and the little girl chatters on, telling anyone who will listen that they need to look at her cake if they haven't already. "My mommy made it and it's sooooo pretty!"
Snow comes to stand beside Regina, watching as David crouches down beside his daughter, listening as she reads the first name tag of the present she wants to open first. "Well she seems fine to me now," Snow whispers. Regina looks over, giving her a smile. "She looks like she doesn't even remember what happened this morning."
Regina nods solemnly, "But I remember."
Snow sighs, rubbing her former stepmother's back. "I know it's hard, Regina, but like I always say, you just have to have hope." She smiles over at Snow, trying her hardest not to roll her eyes, and turns her head back to Olivia, smiling as she pulls out a giant mermaid Barbie that sings when she gets wet. It was from Granny, and Olivia runs over, hugging the old woman, before going back to her chair to open the next one. "Things will get better, whether David remembers everything or not. You guys are working so hard and making so much progress; you'll get there. And Olivia is young, she's resilient, and she loves the both of you so much. She's clearly already forgiven what happened; you need to forgive yourself."
Nodding, Regina agrees with a sigh. Snow is right, no matter how much Regina wants to stew in her frustration. Things aren't perfect, and she knows she messed up this morning, but she's going to work harder to make things easier for David. She'll make check lists and write every thought that comes to her down on a sticky note if that's what it'll take to not forget anything, but she won't ever let her husband or daughter feel like they did earlier today.
She can beat herself up for it later, but for now she's going to put a smile on her face, join her husband on the couch (because her back is killing her and she likes to warmth he'll provide when he undoubtedly places his hand on her back) and enjoy their daughter's birthday.
{*************************}
That night, after all the guests had gone home, and Regina had used her magic to clean up everything from the party, David makes his way into their bedroom.
The kids were asleep, kisses and cuddles had already been given before he and Regina had gone downstairs to finish cleaning up. Now, though, he's exhausted, and wants nothing more than to snuggle up to his wife in bed and maybe sleep in a little bit in the morning. He knows she's bound to be just as tired, between all her magic use which tires her out and the party itself, it's been a busy day for her.
"Regina?" he asks, closing the bedroom door. Looking around, he doesn't see her, but his ears quickly pick up the sound of the shower running.
Walking in, the steam hits him in the face as he calls her name again.
"Yeah," he hears her say. He stops in his tracks, knowing the tell tale sign of tears in her voice.
"Can I get in with you?" he asks, taking his phone out of his pocket and placing it on the counter.
She gives him another, soft, "Yeah," and he strips down, setting his clothes on the bathroom counter while asking her if she's alright. She sniffles, clearing her throat before giving him a weak, "Yeah."
David gently pulls back the curtain, stepping inside and sighing as the heat hits his face. His shoulders sag when he opens his eyes and sees Regina on the other side of the large shower, arms folded and resting against the wall as her head leans against her folded arms.
"Are you sure you're okay, babe?"
She sighs, telling him she's fine; she's just letting the hot water hit her back. "It's been hurting all day."
Knowing that's just partially the reason for her posture, he kneels down, ducking under her folded arms, thankful for their oversized shower. She chuckles wetly when her brown eyes open and spot him kneeled on the floor underneath her.
She stands up straighter, allowing him room to stand. His back is against the tile wall, and he grabs her hips, pulling her closer to him so the water isn't raining down onto her head but able to soothe her sore back again.
"What's the matter?" he asks, giving her a pointed look before placing a kiss to the top of her head.
Regina bites her lip, eyes welling up with tears that she tries to blink away. She places her head on his chest, inhaling deeply. As she exhales, she leans back up, gazing into his eyes. She looks so sad, and his heart breaks, only wanting to make her feel better. He rubs circles on her hips, worried that it's something with the baby making her cry.
"It's…" she trails off, sighing. She pushes her wet hair out of her face, then looping her arms around his neck. "It's this damn brain of mine."
He chuckles lightly, quipping that he's the one with the brain injury, not her.
She rolls her eyes, trying to bite back a smirk at his lame attempt at a joke. "It's not funny, David," she laments through a sigh. "I should've told you about Olivia's birthday... I should have remembered her birthday."
"Hey," David soothes, ducking his head down to catch her eye with his. She'd felt so guilty this morning, and they'd already talked about everything. The rest of the day had been fine, and he hates to think that all during the party while he was entertaining children at the mermaid game that she was still mentally beating herself. "We talked about that this morning already." He places a peck to her lips, tucking his finger under her chin to make sure he has her full attention.
"Would it have been nice to know about? Yes," he declares, shaking his head, "but it all worked out in the end, and she had a great day. We all did."
Tears spill out of her eyes then, and she brings a hand up to her mouth, trying to extinguish the sob that clearly wants to escape. "The look on her face this morning killed me, David." She tells him she never wants her children to feel neglected, and Olivia had looked so forgotten.
She lets her sob out finally, leaning her head against his chest. Her fingers are running through the hair at the base of his neck, and he reaches up, bringing one hand down to kiss her palm. "Hey, hey, it's okay," he soothes, "Calm down."
He rubs her stomach, hoping their baby boy will send another jolt of his calming magic to his mother in this moment. Regina takes a few deep breaths, calming herself before she tells him that's how she felt growing up. "What do you mean?"
He reaches to the side of her, picking up the body wash he knows she likes so much off the shelf. He shakes the bottle, silently asking if she wants some. She nods, and he pours a bit into his hands, lathering it up and rubbing her arms up and down. He moves to her chest and stomach, making her mumble about her oversized breasts. He chuckles, saying he doesn't remember them ever being smaller so he likes them just fine, to which she just rolls her eyes, sighing as she relaxes under his touch. She pours some body wash into her own hands, rubbing them together before placing them on his chest. He shivers at the contact, smiling down at her as she begins to wash his arms, giving his biceps a gentle squeeze. She seems a million miles away as she works, completely lost in her thoughts, so he leans in, pressing his lips to her cheek to bring her back to reality. He reiterates his question softly, and Regina smiles sheepishly, biting on her bottom lip and moving her hands back to his chest as she lets out a hearty sigh.
He washes the skin of her stomach as well, smiling as he feels the baby kicking, and when he finishes, she takes a step back and he comes forward, letting the water wash away the suds on their bodies as she finally admits to him, "My mother never wanted me around her unless it was to make a good impression on someone important… to make it seem like she had the perfect little family."
She steps forward, moving them out from under the water once all the body wash is gone from their skin, and she moves into his arms again. He smiles softly down at her, kissing the top of her head. Regina leans back just enough to make eye contact with him. "Other than those moments, I was left alone - no one cared where I was, as long as I was inside the estate. I just always felt… forgotten, neglected." Her brows furrow as she shakes her head and looks down - she looks so broken and it pains him. "I want to work hard to make sure my kids never feel like that."
"And you do. Our kids could never feel neglected by you," he vows, tilting her head to look at him. He shakes his head, overcome with his own emotion as he sees hers swirling in the depths of her eyes. "Regina… I love you, and I think you're the most amazing mother on the planet." He breathes out, placing his lips to her forehead and breathing in. Pulling back her says, "I could tell from the moment Olivia walked into my hospital room all those weeks ago - the way she climbed in your lap and you stroked her hair so gently." He smiles at the memory now, now that he's over the shock he felt all those months ago. "I knew, despite how scared I was, that you were a phenomenal mother."
Regina gasps, eye wide. She's breathing heavily as she stutters out, "Y-you love me?" Tears fill her eyes and spill over, and he looks confused, replaying the words he's just spoken. Realizing his heart had spoken for him, his eyes brim with tears as well.
He sniffles out a quick laugh and nods. "My heart and head are so confused, you know that," he says, and she silently agrees. "But my heart is winning. I told you the other week I was falling for you. Regina, I'm not just falling," he shakes his head, looking deep into her eyes, the water behind them having run cold but completely unimportant to either of them in this moment. "I've fallen. I do love you, Regina."
Her mouth opens, words about to come out when David swoops in, capturing her lips in a passionate embrace. His lips move against her plump ones as his hands find purchase on her hips once more. He rubs circles there, moving one hand back to cup her rear. Regina moans into the kiss, tongue peeking out to enter into his. He grants the access, obviously, groaning when their tongues finally meet. It's different, this kiss. There's more behind it.
He's known for weeks that he was falling for her, how could he not? And he's not sure when his heart went from just falling to being completely in love with her, but he is. He loves Regina more than he ever thought possible, and though his old feelings haven't returned, there's still so many, many memories of her missing, he now knows that whether he gets them back or not, this is who he's meant to be with. He could kick himself for the jealousy he felt toward Snow and Mulan the other week, realizing now how ridiculous it was, and glad Regina (and Archie) had made him apologize to his ex-wife last week. He now knows what it feels like to be completely in love with someone other that Snow White, understands how she feels about Mulan, and it's like he's soaring now that he's admitted his true feelings.
Breaking apart with a pop, Regina pants, looking into his eyes. "I love you too," she professes. A shiver goes down her spine, and he's not sure if it's from the emotion of it all, his kiss, or the water that's too cold for comfort. He smiles at her, biting his lip as he ducks in to steal another languid kiss from her.
She chuckles into their joined mouths, pecking his lips before pulling back once more. She tilts her head, reaching behind her to turn the knobs, making the water shut off. Lifting one eyebrow, she purrs out, "Make love to me, David."
He grins wolfishly, yanking the shower curtain open. A burst of cold air hits their skin, and Regina lets out a little yelp, covering her chest and tucking her finger tips into her armpits.
They both look at each other, laughter spilling from their lips as he makes a joke about his whipping the curtain open not being as sexy as he imagined it.
Picking up their towels off the rack, he hands hers over as she reassures him that, "You're sexy no matter what you do."
Wrapping the fluffy towels around their bodies, he then takes Regina's hand, leading her to their bed.
He makes love to her that night, not just the passionate sex they've been having, no, this is different. They've had sex since his accident but this, this is… amazing. Something, everything, has changed. There's emotion behind it, his love for her flowing out of every pore of his body and into her.
He kisses her skin, every spot he can find - her neck, her earlobe, the crevice of her elbow, the skin over her heart - telling her over and over again how much he loves her, how in love with her he is. She returns the sentiment, eyes wet with tears as they both come, panting each other's names and proclaiming their love to each other multiple times that night.
They fall asleep later, satiated and spent, wrapped not only in each other's arms, but in each other's love.
{*************************}
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