For Elodie, who asked for a ficlet about OQ being adorable with their height difference now that casual, no-heels Regina is a thing.
Enjoy!
-B.
There are many, many things about Regina that Robin loves, but it isn't until he sees her walking towards him in the alley close to Granny's diner that he decides on his favorite one.
Ever since he'd met her, he'd noticed how she carried herself, the way she projected a certain image in order to keep people at bay. Back in the Enchanted Forest, she'd shroud herself in expensive gowns with rich fabrics and intricate patterns, heavy make-up and over-the-top twists and ornaments in her hair, gigantic jewels and lush coats completing the effect. Here in Storybrooke, it was all sleek dresses in dark, bold colors, suits and pantyhose and elegant jewelry to accent her wealth and power, every bit the mayor and every bit the queen. While her wardrobes for each land were vastly different, they both served the same purpose: armor. Robin had long learned that the way Regina dressed, asserting her superiority, creating that intimidating façade, was her way of protecting herself, of keeping her feelings locked away, her way of avoiding getting hurt, as she had been so many times before.
Now, however, there is something new about her, something he absolutely adores, and that is her height. She'd worn ridiculously high heels both as queen and as mayor, but now she is neither, now she's just Regina, and so her wardrobe has changed again, from the extravagant dresses and designer suits to comfortable, thin shirts and open vests, loose-fitted slacks and little make up, no jewels and, more importantly, no heels. The lack of that despondent image she used to project doesn't tarnish her or diminish the strength with which she carries herself, not at all, but the fact that she feels free enough to not need the armor her clothes provide her, to not need to tower over everyone, it makes something stir in Robin's heart.
She reaches him in a few short minutes, frowning at the pensive look on his face and asking him if something is wrong. Robin shakes his head, snaking his arms around her and bringing her flush against him, loving the way she fits perfectly under his chin now that she's wearing flats, allowing him to bury his nose in the top of her head and take in the sweet, delicious scent of her hair.
"Have I mentioned how much I love the fact that you no longer wear heels?" he asks her, looking down at her and smiling.
"Once or twice," she chuckles when she looks up at him, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him. He indulges her for a few seconds, before leaning his head down to her, forcing her to lay her feet flat against the pavement again. His arms tighten around her, his lips insistent and warm, and Regina moans at the sensations coursing through her.
"Not that I'm complaining, I mean I'm certainly a lot more comfortable, but I don't know why you like it so much. I'm too short for you without them," she smirks when they part, and he leans his forehead against hers for a moment before he speaks into the space between them.
"Ah, you see, there are many perks to the height difference between us, your majesty."
"Are there, now?" she asks cheekily.
"Why, yes," he begins, planting a kiss on her forehead, "for starters, you look utterly endearing, and I feel like I could carry you around in my pocket if I wanted to," he says, bopping her nose with his finger before he kisses her warm mouth again, "I also love that I can put my arm around your shoulders and tuck you against me when we walk," he adds against her lips, "and that you can rest your head against my chest when we're standing on the sidewalk and listen to the way my heart stutters when I hold you."
At his lovely words, Regina raises her head and kisses him, soft and slow, her tongue savoring his languidly before they part again.
"And I love that you have to tilt your head up and I have to lean down so we can kiss, and that by just turning my head I can get a whiff of that delicious vanilla smell in your hair that drives me crazy… shall I go on?" he asks, smirking at her.
"You've said enough," she replies with amusement dancing in her eyes, "now come back down here and kiss me," she teases, and Robin happily obliges, bringing his lips down to hers again and tasting her, sucking at her bottom lip and grazing it with his teeth, knowing what it does to her. Sure enough, he feels that needy little moan he loves so much come out of her mouth and into his, the sound igniting his whole body.
"Gods, I love it when you do that," he whispers against her mouth, and she bites his lip before bringing her hands down from his chest and hooking her wrists around his waist. His hands then squeeze her hips before they move up and dive into her hair.
"Robin," she says between kisses, "we need to—mmm… we really need to stop."
"No, we really don't," he says, moving his head further down to her neck, sucking at her pulse point.
"We're right outside Granny's," she all but whimpers, unable to keep her voice steady when he's lavishing the skin of her neck with his tongue, "someone's bound to see us."
"Let them see," he rasps, pulling a little on her hair as his fingers continue to tangle themselves in it.
While Robin was sure about his decision to end his marriage, he'd felt bad about Marian's heartbreak and had wanted to ease her pain, so he and Regina had agreed to keep their reconciliation a secret for a while, in order to give Marian time to heal before she had to see them together. But it's been quite a while already, and he's tired of sneaking around. The fact of the matter is that he's chosen Regina, wants to spend the rest of his life with her if she'll have him, and he is not going to hide that any longer.
"Are you sure?" she asks in a tentative whisper, reacting to what he'd said, "I know you wanted to wait for Marian to feel better about it all before we…" she trailed off. Robin nods, looking down into her eyes as she raises her face up to his.
"I'm completely sure. It's been over a month, and I love you," he says as he kisses the tip of her nose, "you are my happiness, Regina, nothing else matters."
She gives him a watery smile, standing on her tiptoes again so she can kiss him, appreciating the new angle in the kiss when he tilts his head to the side and presses his mouth more firmly against hers, sucking gently at her bottom lip. When they part, all she gives him is a satisfied little hum, but Robin lives for that sound, and he beams at her before gesturing to the diner.
"Shall we, milady?" he asks, then falls into step with her when she begins to move.
Regina grins when he puts his arm around her shoulders and brings her close so she can wrap hers around his waist. They walk like that to the main door at Granny's, holding each other, her head close to his chest, fingers tracing lazy patterns where they touch the other's body, his lips planting kisses on her temple. It's silly and cozy and perfect, and he's absolutely right, she realizes, maybe ditching the heels was a good idea, after all.