This is for secondchanceforoq
Prompt was: Robin finds out Regina has never been on a date.
Story takes place in present-day Storybrooke, a few days after the season 3 finale, except with the tiny alteration that in this story, Emma NEVER brought back Marian to ruin everything, so it's just Robin and Regina progressing into the relationship they've been building all throughout season 3B.
The outfit Regina wears is basically the outfit she has in 3x17, the only thing that changes is the color of her scarf.
Enjoy!
"… And so, once he had slain the mighty dragon, the prince rescued the fair maiden, the same one that the wizard had told him lived in the dragon's lair as a prisoner. The prince then took her on his noble steed to his castle and together, they lived happily ever after," Regina finishes, closing the book and placing it on the coffee table in front of her. The little boy scrunches up his nose and looks up at her from where he's cuddled against her on the couch.
"That doesn't sound right," he tells her, and she frowns.
"You don't like that they lived happily ever after?" she asks him.
"Well yeah, but… how do you know?" he asks, blowing off a curl that falls on his face as he speaks.
"How do I know that they live happily ever after?" she asks incredulously, and he nods, looking up at her with curious eyes before he speaks again.
"He only rescued her from the dragon, he doesn't know if she's nice. What if she's not nice? What if she's mean? You can't live happily ever after with someone who's mean," he says, and Regina has to chuckle at his cleverness.
"You are one special little boy, Roland," she tells him, "and you're right, in the real world, it's possible that they wouldn't like each other enough to live happily ever after, that's why this sort of thing only happens in stories and not in life."
"What happens in life?" he asks, curious again, and Regina is slightly baffled by the subject they've just ventured into, but smiles all the same as she replies.
"Well, when two people meet and feel that they like each other, they spend time together just the two of them, and they get to know one another. After a while, if things go well, they fall in love, and then they live happily ever after," she knows it's not that simple, but he's five years old and that's the best answer she can give him for now.
"What do they do when they spend time together?" Roland asks, inquisitive child that he is.
"Well, they go out, have food, visit interesting places or take walks, just normal things you would do by yourself, but they do it together so they can talk and see if they like each other enough to fall in love. In this world, they call that a date," she says, and he nods in understanding before asking yet another question.
"Are dates nice, Regina?"
"I suppose they are, but I've never been on one so I wouldn't know for sure," she tells him with a smile, and Roland's eyes go wide at her revelation.
"You and papa," he gasps, "you like each other!"
"Yes, we do," Regina says with a tentative smile, not sure why he's so alarmed.
"But how will you know if you can fall in love if you don't have a date?!" he asks and then she understands, and hates herself for having given him such a ridiculous explanation.
It's true that she and Robin haven't been out on an actual date, but with their memories missing and Zelena lurking about, courting would have been impossible. Besides, even with everything that had been happening, they'd spent enough time together to know that what they have is real, and that's all Regina really needs. And he's your soulmate, Tinkerbell's voice echoes in her head.
"Roland, not everyone needs to date, your papa and I… we're different." Her words seem to ease Roland's worries, and when Robin stops by her house to pick him up, he's in good spirits again, babbling about his day with Regina as he picks up his things from around the living room. The moment his back is turned away from them, Robin presses a kiss to the corner of her mouth, his lips lingering there as his hand wraps around her waist, his front pressing into her side.
"Thank you for taking him today," he tells her in a whisper when he pulls back.
"It's not a problem," she smiles, "I love spending time with him."
When Roland is all packed and ready to go, they linger by the door so that he can hug Regina goodbye, and then Robin takes her hand and kisses it, thanking her again. She watches them go with a happy grin on her face, and settles in for the night.
Ever since he learned how to work a phone, Robin's been using the one at Granny's to call Regina every morning, and today is no different, though this time his voice carries a teasing lilt to it as he speaks on the other end of the line.
"So, did something happen last night that you wish to tell me about?" he asks her.
"What do you mean?" she questions, concern coloring her tone.
"When we got back to the camp yesterday evening, my son decided to lecture me about my lack of romantic intent towards you," he says with a laugh.
"Oh?"
"He seems to be under the impression that I've been terrible at courting you," Robin continues, and Regina finally understands, her eyes going wide as she chokes a little on the tea she's been drinking and starts to cough into the phone, absolutely mortified.
"I'm so sorry, Robin," she manages in a raspy voice once the coughing has subsided, "please don't pay him any mind, I never said anything of the sort, he was asking questions about how people fall in love and I just, I told him what I could so that he would understand, I didn't mean for him to get so caught up in it, I'm—," she rambles, but his next words stop her.
"I think he's right, actually," he says, and she can almost hear the smile in his voice.
"He's not, I told him, not everyone needs to be courted, I didn't mean that you had to—"
"Regina?" he cuts her off.
"Yes?" she asks shakily.
"Would you grant me the pleasure of your company for dinner tonight?" he asks, all traces of teasing gone.
"Robin, you don't have to. I promise you, I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything, I was just trying to expla—"
"Regina?" he cuts her off again.
"Yes?"
"I would really like to take you out tonight and spend some time alone with you, if you'll have me," he says, and she can't help the blush that spreads on her cheeks at his words.
"You're asking me out on a date?" she asks in a low voice.
"Yes, I believe that's what Roland said those are called," he teases, and she tries very hard, but fails to conceal the laugh that bursts out of her, and Robin chuckles lightly on the other end.
"I love that sound," he tells her casually, like it's a normal occurrence for him to say that to her, and she's thankful that he can't see the idiotic smile that appears on her face at his words. It's ridiculous how much this man affects her.
They say their goodbyes, agreeing that Robin will pick her up at her house at seven that night, because he's done his research and knows that "it's the proper thing to do on a date".
Regina spends the entire day overthinking everything, she even ends up telling Tinkerbell of her plans when she runs into her at Granny's, and the fairy squeals in delight and attempts to reassure her that she has nothing to worry about. It works, though only for a little while, and by the time she goes home to get ready, she's nervous again.
Robin had told her it wouldn't be a fancy thing, that she should dress comfortably since they would spend time outdoors tonight, but she still wants to make an effort and look just a little nicer than usual, so after her shower, she tries on at least six different outfits, and when her clock reads 6:37pm she ends up choosing the first one she'd thrown on: tight fitted black pants, a white button-up blouse, black boots and her black leather jacket, a deep red scarf tucked around her neck and into the jacket for effect. She's just finished fixing her hair and applying a bit of makeup when the doorbell rings, and Regina quickly ties up the sash around her jacket and nearly skips downstairs to open the door.
Robin stands on the other side, one hand behind his back as he stares. He is mesmerized by her for a few long seconds before his close-to-drooling mouth closes and arranges itself into the crooked grin he knows will make her blush… and there it is, that soft splash of color that floods her cheeks as she smiles at him is entrancing, and it makes him positively giddy to know that he has that effect on her.
"Stunning," he says simply, moving closer to her and grabbing her hand as he bows, planting a kiss on her knuckles before he brings forth the hand that was hidden behind his back. It holds a single red rose, and with a sparkle in her eyes and a silly grin on her face, she takes the flower from him, her fingers playing with one of the soft petals as she brings it to her nose and takes a deep breath, the sweet smell soothing her nerves.
"Thank you," she tells him, her smile never faltering as she turns around to place the rose in a small vase on the mantelpiece. He follows her without letting go of the hand he kissed, intertwining their fingers instead and tugging her to him so he can nuzzle his nose against her cheek. Pulling back a little, he looks into her eyes and smiles at her.
"Milady," he says, moving to her side so he can extend one arm out towards the door, the other resting low on her back as he gently ushers her outside.
They walk in comfortable silence until they reach the vicinity of the Merry Men's camp, and to her surprise he does not take her there, but a little ways away. As they continue trekking through the woods, Regina finally speaks.
"Where are you taking me?" she asks with polite curiosity.
"Well, it occurred to me that I've never had one of these 'dates' either, so I figured it would be best to have some privacy in case I make a fool of myself," he tells her, his eyes dancing with amusement. His mood is contagious, and she laughs lightly, never letting go of his hand as he leads her through the trees for a few more minutes until finally, he announces that they've reached their destination.
Regina had been too busy looking down at her feet to make sure she didn't trip, so when she looks up, all breath escapes her. There is a break in the thick canopy of the trees, giving them a full view of the sky, which is huge and black and teeming with bright, bright stars. On the ground, hundreds of fireflies dot the darkness all around them in the clearing, as if expanding the landscape that the moonless heavens are offering for the night, and a plush red blanket is spread in the middle of the open space, a basket sitting atop it, nestled in a pile of plush cushions. Two camping lanterns cast a warm, cozy glow over the setting.
"You did all this?" she asked in a whisper, not wanting to disturb the beautiful atmosphere.
"I told you I'd done my research," he teases, pulling her close and kissing her cheek, "Roland and Henry were there to assist, of course," he finishes when he pulls away, walking backwards to avoid losing sight of her as he approaches their picnic setting.
"Two little boys, that's where you got your lessons in romance?" she asks, raising an eyebrow at him, but she's smirking and walking towards him and he knows she's enjoying this. When she reaches him, he takes both her hands in his and looks her up and down, his eyes slow and deliberate, making her blush again, and he bites his lip before speaking.
"A common outlaw needs all the help he can get when attempting to court a queen, especially one as exquisite such as yourself," Robin tells her, smirking right back, and Regina laughs.
"So what that means is, they wore you down so you had to let them help," she says, breaking the seductive banter for a moment, and he nods, suddenly laughing too.
"I'll admit, they're a force to be reckoned with when they band together," he says as they sink to the floor, both sitting cross-legged on the blanket, leaning towards each other.
"Roland was very adamant about how this was all his idea, and so of course he had to be part of it," Robin says, pouring the wine and passing her a glass.
"Of course," she agrees with a chuckle as she takes it, swirling the liquid around while she waits for him to finish pouring his.
"He's actually the one who picked the food for tonight," he tells her.
"And Henry?"
"Henry simply insisted that he wanted everything to be perfect because you deserved it," he says, his voice quiet, and Regina's eyes fill with moisture immediately. Her little prince is back, he remembers her, and he loves her. She still can't believe it.
"They're good kids," she says once she's sure her voice won't break when she speaks.
"To our boys," he replies, and they clink their glasses, sipping the wine quietly for a few seconds before Robin opens the basket and pulls out their dinner. In minutes, he's set up a spread of grilled cheese sandwiches, all with different kinds of cheese, some fancier than others, with bacon and tomato or spinach or red peppers, and they all smell delicious.
As they eat, they talk about anything and everything, sharing sad stories and happy stories and even discussing some of their darkest secrets when they slip through. He flinches when they discuss her life as the Evil Queen, but not because of what she may have done, but because he hates that he wasn't there to soothe her, to show her she could be loved and to stop her from succumbing to her own darkness, from going through life angry and alone.
When they finish their meal, he asks her about a tiny scar he sees on her temple and she explains that it's left over from when Greg and Tamara kidnapped her, and then she gasps when she realizes that this is the first time she's ever told him about that incident.
His jaw is set as she tells the story, and her hands tremble when she mentions the way Greg tortured her, feels the pain again as she relives those horrible moments. Robin sees her folding into herself in a protective stance as she speaks, and it makes him want to revive the man only to kill him again for doing this to her. More than anything, though, he just feels sad. It pains him because he knows now that she's had to deal with these things alone throughout her life, that she's been used and abused, bruised and battered by so many people that she refused to live in the light. But he's here now, and he'll do whatever he can to make it better, so he reaches over and grabs her hand, tugging on it so she understands, and Regina leaves her glass and scarf on the floor and gets up on her knees to wobble over to him, sagging against him when she sits sideways on his lap, her cheek on the side of his forehead. Robin holds her, one arm around her back and the other resting across her thighs, murmuring sweet things against her neck, planting kisses in her hair, and then she tilts her head down and he's kissing her lips, long and soft and warm, every feeling he has for her pouring into this dance of their mouths that he can't get enough of.
When air becomes a necessity, he parts from her, only to bend his head and rest it on her shoulder, his nose burrowing into her neck as he tightens his arms around her waist, and she sighs in contentment.
They're lying down on the blanket now, Robin's upper body propped up on the larger cushions, his arm wrapped around Regina as she curls into his side and rests her head on his shoulder, her fingers raking up and down his chest every now and then while they talk some more, this time of happier memories, of funnier moments, and the atmosphere is light and gorgeous as they lie there, enjoying each other.
"You're kidding!" she says when he reveals a particularly amusing anecdote from one of his robberies. He laughs a little as he remembers the day in question, when he was running around some lord's mansion, dripping wet and wearing nothing but his boots as he tried to outrun the man.
"I didn't think he'd come back from the village so soon, and he had a very large tub, a bath sounded like a good idea at the time," he tells her, shrugging one shoulder and loving the sound of her laughter and the warmth of her breath against his shirt.
As the night goes on and they grow more quiet, he moves his free hand from where it rests on top of hers on his chest and takes out a small container from the basket, revealing the juicy, red grapes he'd brought for dessert, and he feeds a few to her as they lie there, neither of them willing to leave their lazy embrace.
"Quite a sight, isn't it?" he asks her, popping a grape in his mouth as they both look up at the sky. He feels her nod against his chest when she hums in agreement.
"I'd forgotten how beautiful the stars were," she murmurs, her eyes fixed upwards.
"I take it you don't do a lot of star gazing, then?" he asks her, his arm still around her, his fingers absentmindedly drawing random patterns against her shoulder blades.
"I used to. When I was a child, my father used to take me out onto the roof of our house late at night whenever I had a bad dream. We'd stay out there for hours, just looking at the stars."
"Why did you stop?"
"The nightmares became less frequent and easier to bear as I grew up, until one day I just… never went back out," she tells him, and feels the soft "hmm" he utters in answer against the top of her head, the hand at her back continuing its ministrations while the other plays with her fingers on top of his chest.
"After Daniel died, the bad dreams returned," she continues after a few seconds of charged silence, and he stiffens a little before tightening his hold on her, letting her know it's alright to talk about it.
"It was always the same image of him, writhing in pain and dying in my arms. I tried going out one night to see if the stars would relax me like they used to, but I was living in the castle by then and it all just felt... wrong somehow, so I never attempted it again... until today," Regina says, and for a moment he's nervous, he had not meant for their night together to stir bad memories for her and he's about to apologize, but she sighs and burrows closer to him, kissing his hand where it's joined with hers on his chest and tilting her head to look up at him.
"I'm glad you brought me here," she says, easing his worries, and with a tender smile he pushes away from the cushions, capturing her lips. It starts off soft, innocent, but after a few seconds he turns until their positions are somewhat reverted and it's him that lies half on top of her, his leg wedging itself between both of hers, one of his hands wondering down her body while the other supports his weight. He nips her bottom lip and then lets the tip of his tongue slip into her mouth, savoring her and feeling a shiver run through him when she moans softly against him.
Robin drops his head down to press a trail of kisses on her neck, her head lolling back to give him more room, and she whimpers at the feeling of his lips on her skin. Gently, oh so gently, he tugs at the sash of her jacket, lowering the zipper slowly and pushing the leather aside, pulling away to bask in the breathtaking view of her.
The top two buttons of her shirt are open, and he can see by the dull light from the lanterns that her skin is flushed. His hand runs up her side, pausing on her ribcage before he looks into her eyes, brown and dark and open, vulnerable to his every word, his every action. She gives a small, almost imperceptible nod to his unspoken question, and so he moves his hand a little further up to cup her breast over her shirt, his entire body tingling when she arches into his touch.
Their kisses become bumpy and hurried, the sexual energy suddenly taking over, and though it takes every ounce of self-control he has, Robin manages to slow them down again, his lips growing gentler, more languid against hers, though the raw desire they have for each other remains in the air, heating their very skin.
"Why did you stop?" she asks, her voice husky, and she rolls her hips against his, letting him know she can tell how aroused he is.
"As much as I like where this is going, I did promise your son I would have you home by eleven," he gasps out when her fingers skim the skin of his navel under his shirt, but he remains resolute, moving away from her and getting up rather quickly, dusting himself off unnecessarily before offering a hand to her. Regina takes it, her lips twitching at the corners.
"Such a gentleman," she tells him, sashaying her way to the spot she'd sat on when they arrived so she could grab her scarf, purposefully bending over in front of him to pick up the garment before getting up slowly.
"Tease," he growls, knowing exactly what she's doing. Regina giggles, wrapping her scarf around her neck and combing her disheveled hair with her fingers. They drain the wine that's left on their glasses and put the leftovers back in the basket, with Robin popping one last grape into his mouth before he offers one to her. She opens her mouth willingly, accepting the fruit straight from his hand and letting the tip of her tongue dart out to lick his fingers, loving the way his eyes darken when she does it.
"You are nothing but trouble," he says.
"You do know Henry's staying at Emma's tonight, right? He won't know what time I get home," she tells him, and Robin smiles at her and nods.
"That's why he taught me how to text, so I can let him know when we've made it to your door," he replies, chuckling at her when her eyes widen.
"He loves you, Regina, he wants to protect you," he explains, and she feels warmth flood through her at the thought that her little boy is looking out for her, making sure that she's alright, even after everything she's done, after how much damage she did to him.
Robin can sense the direction her thoughts are taking from the way her brow furrows slightly, and he walks over to her quickly, taking her hands in his and holding them on either side of her.
"You're not that person anymore," he says, leaning forward and brushing his lips against hers, and once again she's astonished by the fact that he can notice these things, that he just knows what she's thinking and instantly attempts to reassure her.
"Sometimes I'm not so sure about that," she tells him, "and then days like this happen and I can almost believe that I…" she trails off.
"That you what?" he asks. She shakes her head, trying to brush it off, but Robin lets go of one of her hands and hooks his index finger under her chin, tilting her head up to catch her eyes, and the concern reflected in his blue orbs pull the truth out of her.
"That I really can be happy," she finally says, and Robin sighs, looking down for a moment before he leans forward yet again and kisses her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Of course you can, and you won't ever have to doubt that again," he says vehemently, and she feels her eyes well up with tears, tears that he kisses away before they have a chance to spill.
They arrive at her mansion at 10:51pm, and Robin promptly texts Henry to let him know they've made it back. Henry's reply of 'Good, you've passed the test. Tell mom good night for me!' has them both laughing, and that light, sweet sound bubbling out of her makes Robin kiss her fervently, promising silently to himself that he will never give her cause to doubt his feelings for her, nor will he ever stop showing her how much she deserves to be free and loved and happy.
"So, how was this for a first date?" he asks her when they've parted and his forehead rests on hers, both their eyes closed as they sigh contentedly against each other.
"Eh, it was alright," she says off-handedly with a shrug of her shoulders, opening her eyes to look at him and resisting the urge to laugh at the indignant expression on his face.
"Just alright?" he asks, and she can see he's truly worried now, so she places a hand on his cheek and grins before kissing him again, her lips lingering against his. They part with a small, wet pop, and she lets her thumb caress the apple of his cheek for a moment before she speaks.
"Silly thief, it was perfect," she tells him, and her cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Robin sighs in relief, pecking her lips quickly and wishing her a good night, but she stops him before he's even fully turned around to leave, grabbing his jacket and smacking his body against hers, her lips attaching themselves to his neck.
"And just where do you think you're going?" she asks against his skin.
"Um… I uh… home?" he says, his Adam's apple bobbing repeatedly as she starts to suck at his pulse point.
"I have a better idea," she says once she's pulled away from him, giving him that sexy smirk he loves so much. Not loosening her hold on his jacket, she drags him inside and up the stairs.
"Why, your majesty, isn't this a bit forward of you? It's only our first date, after all," he teases when she starts to undress him.
"Shut up and kiss me, thief," she taunts back with a grin.
"You just want me for my body," he fake-whines, but follows her order anyway.
Afterwards, they lie together on her bed, wrapped up in her soft sheets, limbs tangled together as he plants tiny kisses over her face and neck before he flops back on his pillow and lets out a laugh.
"What is it?" she asks, moving closer to him and propping her head on her hand, her elbow bent against the pillow, her hair in disarray. Robin shakes his head at himself, wrapping Regina in his arms with her chest against his and planting a kiss on her forehead.
"Best first date ever," he finally says, and she laughs with him.
"Couldn't agree more."
I'm actually really proud of this one, you guys. It's a little longer than my usual one-shots, but I'm hoping you don't mind since it was fluff and adorableness and cute feels all over the place.
I'm probably going to cool it with the prompts for a few days so I can work on Take My Heart Back, but I'll get back on these as soon as I can =)
Also, reviews make me happy, please leave one?
-B.