A wee bit of drabble for Dark!OQ week (Day One). I do not own these beautiful characters. Enjoy.

It started off slow, as most relationships do.

She liked her coffee black, with one sugar and he liked his milky with three. In the beginning, he made hers with two and she had to resist the urge to flare up at him, annoyance bubbling up inside her like a witches cauldron - she'd forgiven him quickly when he fucked her against the kitchen counter, their coffee soon forgotten.

She was learning how to compromise.

Compromise on things like groceries.

He liked meat. Burgers, steaks. Steak were his favourite and she hated that. Hated how they smelt. Especially the lamb ones. But he liked them so she let it go. Just like Robin let go the fact that Regina liked to sing in the shower.

She wasn't good, but it part of her. Part of getting to know her.

She liked cold crisp sheets too, so she changed the bed twice a week. Robin preferred feeling like their bed had been slept in. He liked how it smelt after they'd made love.

She didn't.

Robin liked to lie in, Regina preferred to be up at the crack of dawn. Bitter coffee in hand as she flicked through the newspaper. He'd always thought he would be the one to do that but it turned out it was her.

More often than not she wore the trousers.

He learnt early on her favourite colour was red. He liked that, she looked good in it, so be bought her a dress, a deep red dress that hugged her curves in all the right places.

She hated it, 'It isn't the right red' she had said.

She argued a lot too, another thing he learnt very quickly. But he didn't mind because he was one to let things go quickly - something Regina in turn had learnt about Robin in the early days. "They say opposites attract" she had joked after one argument.

He smelt like forest. He always smelt like forest. She liked that though, it was comforting and it drew her in. It was part of what made her feel like she was home, secure, wanted.

She hated summer, but Robin loved it. They compromised that first summer by heading North for a holiday, a small log cabin in the woods ("Of course!" she had said), where the weather was cooler, but warm enough to satisfy Robin's need for heat.

It was hard at first, getting to know each other. They stumbled a few times, but they learned their lessons and moved forward.

"We're soul mates." Robin had said.

Regina smiled, before rolling her eyes at his un-ironed shirt – she liked things to be neat and tidy.

"Always."