A/N: This is the penultimate chapter of the fic, only the epilogue is left to conclude this story.

Please don't forget to tell me what you think!

"I am so excited!" Regina hisses, trying to keep her voice low. She grips Robin's arm, following him through the hall and the crowd to the elevator.

"You won't be disappointed." Robin whispers in her ear. He stops in front of the elevator when an employee asks them to wait, turns her so she faces him, fastens his hands in her back and presses her flush to him. "This is the most beautiful view of New York."

"So you've repeated for the last two weeks!" she retorts, arching an eyebrow. "I'm dying to see it! Don't play with me, Robin."

He chuckles, squeezes her against his chest and nuzzles her nose.

"Only a few minutes left." He pecks the tip of her nose. "Be patient."

She smiles lovingly, watching him from underneath her lashes, biting the side of her lower lip and tilting her head to the side. Her loose hair slides over her shoulder, baring it to him, and Robin's eyes are drawn there. It's only natural that his lips find her neck, closing over her pulse, peppering kisses up to her ear, biting her earlobe, making Regina squirm and laugh quietly, because they're in public and they've caught some stares their way, although they're not doing anything reprehensible. She wraps her arms around his neck, presses herself closer to him, and-

Ding!

"Come inside! Please get in the back of the elevator, so there's room for everyone." the employee calls the group of tourists.

Regina instantly pulls back and spins on her heels, grabbing his hand and dragging him inside excitedly. She's holding back her breath, fighting her smile, her excitement, utterly looks like a child on Christmas Eve about to open her presents.

People start exiting the elevator, and right after they follow suit, Robin tugs a little on her hand, keeping her behind, a frown growing on her forehead.

"Robin?"

"Huh huh." He shakes his head. "Come here." He invites her to join him with a tilt of his head. She does, still confused, and he covers her eyes with his hands, his mouth just next to her ear. "Trust me," he whispers.

She relaxes slightly then, giggles, her fingers looping around his wrists. She's amused, but not entirely comfortable with being blindfolded in the middle of a large crowd. Robin knew she wouldn't, but he wants it to be a total surprise, and not gradually revealed with every step on the observation deck.

So slowly, making sure that she doesn't trip over anything, they make their way to the large glass windows allowing a sweeping and unobstructed view of the town. The strong wind startles Regina, whose hands firmly close over his wrists for a second, until he reassures her with a "We're almost there" breathed in her ear. "Are you ready?"

She nods, still bursting with impatience, he can tell, but appearing perfectly calm to anyone who doesn't know her. Robin moves to the side - he wants to see her face when she discovers the view - before removing his hands. Regina's eyes are closed, and she takes a moment, breathes in deeply, and then…

Her face lights up, eyes widening, lips parting, amazement written all over her beautiful features, when her gaze lands on the sight in front of her. The view overlooking Central Park is breathtaking. In this town spiked with buildings and skyscrapers and excessive car traffic, there's a vast area of green intertwined with blue, of trees mixed with lakes, appearing to be the true heart of the city, a place made of peace in the middle of the streets' turmoil.

"I have no words," Regina breathes, still staring ahead, unable to look away.

"I told you it was worth it," Robin replies, moving behind her to wrap himself around her back, resting his head on her shoulder. She leans against him, and sighs contentedly.

"Definitely."

"Do you want to take a picture in front of it?"

Regina cranes her neck to look at him with a large smile. "Yes! Come next to me!" she urges, pulling out her phone and holding it in front of them.

Despite Zelena's many attempts at teaching them, taking selfies isn't their forte, so they struggle, succeed in taking some good pictures, gladly accepting when someone offers to take one for them, and discovering that this adorable stranger has managed to perfectly catch the beauty of the landscape and them snuggling in the corner.

"Now, go over there, and you'll understand why I wanted to come here first." Robin urges Regina to cross the observatory deck, fending off the crowd, until she catches sight of what he was talking about.

"Is this-"

"Yes," he confirms. "From this building, you can see both Central Park and Manhattan's midtown and downtown skyscrapers. On top of everything, you have a view of New York, with the Empire State Building right in the middle. The One World Trade Center is there, too, in the back." He points his finger in the direction of another building behind the Empire State Building. Robin takes his phone out, tilts his chin towards the large window glasses. "Go over there. I want to take a picture of you here."

When they reach the bottom of the Rockefeller Center, Regina's incredible smile still hasn't left her lips.

They spend the rest of the day strolling through Central Park hand in hand, chatting about their plans for the next days and about college, and the evening filling their stomach with the delicious French food of a lovely little restaurant named Tout va bien on 51st Street, that Belle and Neal recommended to them. They warned them that it'd be a total change of habit but that it was worth it, and a taste of what France would be like when they'd visit for the wedding next year.

Following the waiter's opinion, Robin opts for a home-made cordon bleu - an escalope wrapped around cheese and ham - while Regina dares to let herself be tempted by the famous French knife tartar, made with raw beef and capers. Although it is indeed different from what they are used to, they are pleasantly surprised by their dishes, and exchange their opinions about the meals with the waiter, who asks them in return about the reasons for their visit to New York. They hesitate for a while deciding which dessert to choose, and in the end, if Robin chooses a safe bet with profiteroles and Regina takes a Île flottante, they are surprised to discover a chocolate mousse and a tarte tatin on their table in addition to their order, on the house.

It is with a belly full of delicious food and a romantic spirit that they head for their hotel, Regina clutching to his arm, wandering in the streets of New York, eyes to the sky, admiring the skyscrapers, their love for each other stronger than ever.

"I still can't believe that you managed to find a room with a direct view on the Empire State Building."

Robin joins Regina at the window, spooning her, pressing a kiss to her neck. "Since the moment you offered me this gift, I kept thinking how great it'd be to find a room like this. I'd do anything for you, Milady. I want this trip to be perfect."

Regina smiles, moves in his arms, a hand cupping his cheek while the other rests on his shoulder, her chest against his.

"My life with you is already perfect, Robin." She shrugs and adds with amusement, "But I definitely won't complain about all this."

They laugh softly, the back of his fingers tenderly brushing a strand of her hair away from her forehead, his gaze meeting hers, then landing on her tantalizing lips. Their lips meet for a soft and loving kiss, bodies angled to fit the other's, hands exploring. Regina is definitely more comfortable with him touching her now, and she lets out satisfied moans regularly as he caresses the curves of her body.

Robin feels Regina take a step forward, pushing at him slightly, forcing him backward blindly until the back of his knees hit the bed. She presses on his shoulders to make him sit, and when he looks up at her to find her eyes dark with lust and her breath short, Robin isn't sure how to react. Until now, despite how much progress they've made, all their attempts at pushing things further have failed, but never did he see so much determination and need in her eyes. She grabs her own shirt and strips herself of it in one swift movement, letting it fall on the ground, her chest only covered with her bra. She's already been in this situation before, was even able to bare herself fully to him and face his own nakedness, but her demeanor was never this calm, her hands were always trembling and they are not right now.

"Regina? Are you-"

"Yes, Robin," she replies with a steady voice. "I know I'm ready now."

His hand reaches for her waist, resting there without moving, until Regina takes the lead, coming closer and straddling him, pressing her whole body to his, her elbows resting on his shoulders when she ducks her head down for a lingering and definitely hungry kiss. His palms are on her back, keeping her close, while their tongues are moving eagerly against each other. Regina's chest is pressing against his with every movement, and Robin feels his need growing, his erection coming in contact with her core through their clothes. For the first time, Regina doesn't pull away, she doesn't startle, instead she moans ardently, her hands falling from his neck to tug at his shirt, urging him to remove it.

When she pulls back to let him, he faces her flushed and breathless but content face, and Robin stops for a moment, admiring her, her confusion growing as he stays still.

"What is it?" she asks with an uncertainty that wasn't there before. "I thought you wanted to."

Robin snaps from his daze then, comes back to her, pecking her lips slightly smugly. "Am I not allowed to admire my beautiful girlfriend?"

All trace of concern is gone then, Regina smiling at him coyly, straightening to face him fully.

"Do you like what you see?"

Robin's eyes roam over her, stopping at her abdomen, pushed by an ardent desire, his lips closing over her belly button, tongue tracing figures over her skin while he locks his hands behind her back to keep her with him. Regina's hands are on his shoulders, fingers digging in his skin with every content sigh, arching and quaking in his hold.

He looks back at her with satisfaction to find her with her head sent backward, coming back to him with fluttering eyes and a content smile. He waits until she steps back before getting rid of his pants, while she removes her bra and skirt, left in only her underwear.

"What did I ever do to deserve someone so beautiful?" Robin can't help but whisper, never tired of her wonderful body, impatient to experience how it feels like to be connected for the first time. They've been waiting for so long, they've overcome so much together. It feels as if they've known each other since forever, when truly, it's been less than two years. Regina's his alter ego, his soulmate. The woman he belongs to with his whole being and soul.

"You followed your gut," she reminds, the memory of their first meeting, of his shyness and hesitation and the awkwardness of the moment hitting him hard and making him smirk.

"I think we can agree that I have a pretty good intuition."

She swats at his shoulder playfully, but immediately holds her hand out for him, helps him get up, and places her palms on his torso, roaming over his chest, his arms, his back. She closes her eyes, and Robin can tell that she's printing his body in her mind, enjoying the wonderful feeling of being given the possibility to touch and enjoy the body of someone she loves, someone she wants. He knows, because he feels the same. He's struggling not to shudder under her touch, to stand in front of her when his knees are on the verge of giving way because the simple contact between their skin is too much. He needs her so badly, wants her more than anything.

She reaches for his boxers, and that's when he notices the small, almost imperceptible trembling of her hands, the way she fights it, attempts to hide it, but Robin knows her too well, closes his fingers over hers. He won't force her if she's not ready, no matter what she said earlier.

"Regina…"

"It will go away. I'm not afraid anymore."

Her eyes are shining and determined, her voice steady, and Robin somehow knows that she's right, that this is finally it, their moment. He wonders for an instant if the recent news of her step father's death in prison might be the reason why, but only for an instant, quickly shakes the thought aside. That man doesn't belong in such a perfect moment. He doesn't belong in their lives anymore.

He lets her relieve him of his boxers, does the same with her underwear with slow and soft movements, tempering his impatience and how much he needs her, his cock already hard as he stares at her so perfect and fully naked body. His arms loop around her waist, mouths meeting for a tongue-filled kiss that leaves them breathless and needy, eyes bright with lust.

Regina pushes at his chest gently, leading him towards the bed, climbing on top of him, fully in control, and Robin realizes that indeed, the trembling of her hands has disappeared. His belly tightens with anxiety, his vision blurring briefly. But the soft brush of her hand over his penis brings him back to reality, to Regina's hand pumping him a little, making him harder than he already was. He doesn't move, doesn't touch her, doesn't want to trigger anything that would ruin the moment, surrenders himself to her care, enjoying it tremendously.

"You can touch me," she whispers, giving him the signal he was waiting for.

Robin smiles, his hand raising to cup the fullness of her right breast, thumb rubbing over her nipple, his other hand tentatively heading south, where she never permitted him until now. He traces a path of soft caresses over her skin, gaze fixed upon her body, her face, heart fluttering with the overwhelming knowledge that she's about to be his.

His fingers find the wetness between her thighs, and as he tentatively presses there, Regina exhales shakily, her hand clutching his penis for a moment, before she relaxes. All along, as he rubs, then teases her entrance, Robin's eyes never leave her. He searches for any sign of discomfort, anxiety, fear, but in the end, he finds none.

For a little while, they keep touching each other, discovering the other's body, parts they didn't have access to before, savoring the feeling of their joined skins, free of the fear and the past. He peppers kisses along her neck, her collarbone, down to the top of her breast. He peeks his tongue out to tease her nipple, suppressing a chuckle when she gasps and presses her chest to his face, her fingers clenching on his cock, almost hurting, but she releases the pressure almost immediately, switches for soft brushes instead. He does it again, sucks at it once, then soothingly traces its form with the tip of his tongue, his thumb rubbing her other breast at the same time. He feels Regina's grip on him tighten, her thighs squeezing him, beginning to rub herself against him. When she pulls away to grab a condom in her suitcase, she's breathing heavily, biting her lower lip shyly, her cheeks flushed with the endorphins coursing through her. Never before did he see her like this, so relaxed, reaching this level of foreplay for the first time and yet, being ready for more. Robin swallows, his penis throbbing with the need to finally feel her, his hands shaking in anticipation. She glances at him coyly as she rolls the condom on his length, leaning forward to kiss him before straddling him properly, placing herself on top of him, and slowly, inch by inch, she sinks down.

Robin almost chokes when she surrounds him fully, lets out a long wail of pleasure that has Regina chuckling, and he sheepishly looks up at her. He wants to move, but she needs to get accustomed to him inside of her, so he gives her the time necessary, until she decides to move on top of him, her hips rolling over him and damn, it's so good that he's on the verge of exploding inside of her right here and now.

The movement she imposes on his body makes him travel towards his own peak way too fast for his taste, and he's not sure if she's close too, but this isn't only for him, it's for her, too, and he won't-

"Ohhhh!" He hisses when a wave of pleasure strikes him, his entire body shuddering. He opens his eyes, meets Regina's brown ones, her flushed cheeks, small strands of hair sticking to her sweating forehead. "What can I do?" he asks breathlessly, begging. "Tell me!"

She leads his hand towards her core, guides him until she finds a specific point, a little button that rolls under his fingers when he pinches it tentatively, making Regina speed up the movement and moaning loudly.

"Yes!" she encourages, quickening her rhythm, her eyes fixed upon his face, not looking away, and Robin holds her gaze, doesn't let her down, pleasures her with one hand, reassures her with the other, tucking her hair behind her ear the best he can, pleasure growing inside him until one wave hits him harder than any other, making him see stars and choke on his saliva with the surprise as he comes.

That was the best orgasm he's ever had.

Regina slows down on top of him, catching her breath. Robin knows she didn't finish, and that's not what he wants, she deserves her release way more than he does. He helps her out of him, removes the condom and quickly throws it into the trash, helping her lie down and snuggles against her side, smirking when she looks at him with confusion.

He finds the spot she'd shown him before, rubs it more ardently, tentatively places two fingers inside her at the same time, and when Regina's back arches and she gasps, Robin smiles smugly, not slowing down. He struggles a little to find the perfect spot at first, tentatively searches for it for a few minutes, time for Regina to suggest giving up, but he insists, he wants to give her this pleasure she was forbidden from knowing for so long. She plays along then, focuses, and just like they discussed their preferences over the last months, she now tells him exactly what works, and what doesn't. She discovers this part of her own body in a different way, one that doesn't hurt, and Robin couldn't be happier than right now, as he witnesses the amazement written on her face at the realization of everything she can feel, everything that she didn't know existed. Everything they can now finally have together.

A rather loud scream slips past her lips unexpectedly, and with one look, Robin knows he has it. He adjusts his position to be more comfortable, presses on it again, watching the ecstasy on Regina's face as he's now driving her towards her release at a faster speed.

He can read Regina's slight apprehension in front of the unknown she's running toward, combined with the excitement of finally reaching it, so his smile is reassuring, comforting, as he nods at her. "That's it, Regina. Let it go."

She does at his words, her face relaxing as she lets pleasure flood her body, and it only takes a few minutes before she clenches around his fingers, letting out a long moan, her body falling back on the mattress, boneless.

He crawls into bed with her, lays down next to her, resting on his elbow, watching her with a grin. She turns her head towards him, and her face is nothing but pleasure and happiness, radiating despite her tiredness.

"So…" she starts, still catching her breath, her voice croaky. "That's…"

"Yes," Robin confirms with a grin. Now that they've gotten there, there will be so many more to come.

She smiles at him, a hand wrapping around his neck and pulling him to her for a kiss. He rests his forehead against hers, one of his palms settling upon one of her breasts, brushing it tenderly, chuckling when Regina reacts to his touch and shudders.

"How do you feel?"

Despite her relative calmness, he needs to make sure that she's okay, that the fear didn't come back. That she has no regrets.

But the bright smile lighting up her face reassures him immediately.

"Good." She lifts a hand to caress his cheek. "Happy." Her thumb and forefinger cup his chin tenderly. "In love." She leans forward to peck his lips, falling back on the mattress with a soft sigh and a wide smile. "Free."

Now, Regina is truly free from her past. I hope you liked the way I handled this so special moment. I have to admit, it wasn't easy to write.

I used a lot of my own memories of New York in this chapter, what Robin says to Regina on top of the Rock is quite similar to what friends told me when they showed me around New York a few years ago. Their dinner is a reproduction of one of the ones my husband and I had during our honeymoon last year. The Tout va bien restaurant truly exists, it's run by adorable french people. You should give it a try, it really is faithful to french food and it's excellent.

Title of the epilogue: Their life

Are you ready for the end?