To my boo Carissa on her graduation
Congrats, babe! I'm proud of you =)
He wakes to the sweet, cinnamon scent of her hair, his nose having buried itself in it during the night, the soft tresses caressing his lips when he lands a kiss on her head. She's naked under the sheets, her skin like silk under his fingertips as he trails them over her breast, down her stomach, over her thigh…
He'd never expected to have this again, had only ever been privileged enough to experience it once before, back in her vault, when he'd been unable to stick to his code and sought her out, desperate for her lips, her touch. He's never regretted that night, but now, now that he's in her bed, inside her home, with her body cradled against him, his arm around her as she breathes deeply against his chest, Robin is struck by how much he's missed her, how much time they've wasted because of his precious honor, an honor that was based on empty threats and a Marian that was never truly there, and he regrets not acting on his feelings sooner, regrets hurting her as deeply as he has.
The sunlight streaming in from the window now lands on her face, illuminating her lovely features to his still bleary eyes. She is so beautiful, so strong, so incredibly wonderful, and she's all his. He admires her as she sleeps, taking in the gentle slope of her nose, the softness of her skin, her long lashes as they rest against the tops of her cheeks, the serene smile on her lips…
He loves her, loves her so, so much, and he can't resist, he tells her so, murmurs the words against her hair before kissing her brow and then burrowing closer, turning so that his body is lying on its side, facing hers. The movement makes her stir for the tiniest of moments, and she scrunches up her nose in the most adorable way before she sinks further into the pillows, into him, her arm coming up and looping around his middle as she sleepily lands a kiss on his chest and then settles.
He falls asleep again, the rhythm of her breathing lulling him back into blissful rest, and when he wakes again, it's to her wandering hands exploring his body under the covers, her lips on his jaw. Her hair is tousled from sleep, her eyes still half closed and her movements lazy, but her smile is blinding, big and beautiful in a way his memory had not done it justice while they were apart.
"Good morning," she rasps against him.
"Indeed," he whispers against her lips before he pecks them.
"What do you want to do today?" she asks, and that's right, he recalls, today there's no threat, no new foe to vanquish, no danger to accost them. Today, for the first time in what feels like ages, they can just be.
"How about you stay in bed… naked and glorious as you are," his compliment makes her giggle, but her eyes are grateful, full of love and emotion even as he finishes with a simple "and I'll cook us breakfast?"
"What will you cook?" she asks, still looking into his eyes and grinning lazily.
"What would you like?"
She ponders for a minute, breaking eye contact with him to stare off into the distance while she taps her chin and makes her decision.
"Waffles," she finally says, "with lots of maple syrup. I feel like indulging today."
"As my lady wishes," he chuckles, kissing her lips again.
When he brings her breakfast in bed an hour later, he gets lost in her, in the beautiful way she smiles at him when she sees him, and Robin vows to himself then that she will never again have to feel lonely and unloved. For the rest of his days, he will love her, cherish her, until that smile he adores so much, that smile he thinks about every time he closes his eyes, is not so elusive anymore.
