For Day 14 of OQ Prompt Party

#75: cravings, #198: OQ get drunk together & #203: OQ split a cab

They upgrade from the martini and beer, to shots. It's not something Robin typically would've done, but Will offers to buy a round and there's no going back from there. Despite claiming to be out of practice, Regina is a seasoned pro as she knocks back the tequila one by one, biting furiously into the lemon provided. Robin feels himself relaxing with each shot, any worries slowly escaping. He stops looking around for David and focuses on the next shot that's thrust in front of him.

"To….I think we're running out of things to cheers to," Regina giggles.

Robin grins. "How about to this awesome bar?"

"Sounds good to me. To Aesop's!"

The shot glasses collide against one another and Robin accepts the slight burn that falls down his throat. Quickly, he bites into the lemon before discarding it beside the peels that sit on the small porcelain plate in front of him. His phone buzzes for the tenth time, reminding him that he has an unread text. He digs through his pocket and manages to unlock it, despite his shaking fingers. Squinting beneath the harsh lighting of the bar, he makes out David's text about not coming home tonight. He sighs, a bit of his buzz lightening.

"Everything okay?" Regina asks as Keith delivers two more shots.

"It's David. He says he's not coming home tonight."

"Girl? Guy?"

"I assume so. He didn't say. I just hope that he isn't doing anything stupid."

"Maybe this is easy for me to say, but David's an adult. He can make his own choices."

Robin sighs. "I know that, in here." He taps the side of his head. "But at the same time, there's just…" Even with a Patrón fog in his mind, he isn't about to go into every detail of his son's personal life. "There's some history there. And I just worry." He fiddles with a lemon rind. "You probably think I sound like a psycho right now."

"You sound like a dad," Regina says, placing a hand on his arm. It's warm and a bit of comfort expands in his stomach. "Like I told you, it's easy for me to preach. My kids are 14 and 8. I have no clue what I'm going to do in a few years when Henry goes off to college."

Robin partially smiles. "It's scary as heck. You know they're their own people, but now they can choose to go weeks without talking to you. You're not there to impart their wisdom."

Sometimes their roommates call you worried out of their mind because your kid is consistently overdosing.

He shakes that thought from his head. "But you also just have to hope that you've instilled the right values in them and that they'll do the right thing."

Regina smiles. "So, if you told yourself that then…maybe you can do it now."

Robin exhales, returning his phone to his pocket. The anxiety still swarms his mind like a heard of angry bees, but he attempts to drown it out with another shot. "Right now, I'm sitting next to a pretty woman in the first time in a while."

Regina's smile only grows, though he doesn't miss the natural blush that combines with the makeup spread across her cheekbones. "You don't date?" She knocks back her own shot, biting into the lemon.

"I have, here and there. Started about three years after Ruth died. Never met anyone that I felt a spark with or if I did, they typically weren't crazy that I had two wild boys at home. Not that I ever let anyone meet them."

"I feel that. I've been out twice since Marian died."

"And how'd that go?"

"First, total disaster. It was only about six months after she died. I was so lonely and sad, I told myself it'd be a way to feel better."

"And did you?"

She shakes her head. "No. I ended up breaking down before we got our salads." Regina softly laughs. "The guy was super sweet about it, he understood. I ended up leaving right away, swore I'd never go through it again."

"But you did."

"Last year, finally built up the courage. Met a wonderful woman, very kind and funny. We clicked on so many things but our lives were just in two separate places. She was ready for marriage, kids, all of that. I don't want more." She gnaws on her bottom lip. "Probably makes me sound terrible."

Robin's head waves back and forth. "It doesn't. Ruth and I almost had another kid together, I'm sure we would've tried again if…well, you know. But the older I get, I realize I'm done with that chapter of my life. There's nothing wrong with that either. Especially as I'm about to be a grandpa."

The smile returns to Regina's face. "Really?"

"My other son, James. He and his wife just told us last week."

"That's amazing, congratulations."

Robin's lips tug upwards. "Thank you. I feel a little young for it, but I guess that's what happens when you become a dad when I did."

"Definitely. I'm probably going to be one of those old grannies given how old I was when Marian had him."

"Nah, you'll always look this good."

Regina's wiggles her eyebrows. "Flattery and news of grandchildren get you another round."

He can't find it in himself to turn her down.

Robin is stumbling every few steps after last call is announced at Aesop's. His arm remains looped through Regina's as they scan the parking lot.

"It would not be responsible for us to drive," he mumbles.

"Probably not. Do you wanna split a Swyft?"

He nods in agreement and she digs through her purse for her phone. A few clicks and she moans.

"They know what they're doing, the fares are doubled. Do you want to go somewhere and wait for them to calm down?"

Robin blinks a few times for the question to completely sink in. He's not so wasted that he won't remember this tomorrow, but he feels a little slow. Every action seems sloth like. "Sure, but um, where?" In Detroit, there'd be no problem finding a place to go after last call. In Storybrooke, everything closes at ten.

"Mr. Clucks is opened 24 hours and I'm craving those Cajun fries. Wanna go?"

Robin feels pulled back to university as they stumble down to the fast-food joint. From the greasy chicken sandwiches and fries piled with cheese that Regina orders, to the coffee she requests they get rather than soda. It's been a while since he had any fast food. To maintain his speed and accuracy at work, he hits the gym and eats as healthy as possible. One night indulging in drunk cravings won't kill him.

They dig into the so disgusting its good food, a sleepy haze falling over Robin despite the warm coffee pouring down his throat. Some other people from the bar are also digging in, including Killian who's curled up with a curly haired brunette in a different booth.

"So, cliché but…" Regina drags her fry through the special sauce. "What made you want to be a firefighter?"

Robin takes his time to answer, enjoying every bite of the dripping sandwich. "I um, was working a terrible corporate job with an asshole boss."

"Really?"

"Advertising. I hated it, but thought it was what I needed for a secure future. But then after a particularly long week, I started looking into other jobs. When I was younger, I always wanted to be a firefighter. Thought it was a stupid dream until I talked more about it with Ruth. She encouraged me to look into the qualifications and the rest is history."

"It's amazing how one thing can change your life."

"What about you? What made you want to go into EMS?"

"I was pre-med, actually. My mother always wanted a doctor in the family and I was always amazing with Science."

Robin nods. He hasn't known her very long, but the nerdy vibe doesn't surprise him. "What happened?"

"Like you, my heart wasn't in it. I graduated with my degree in Chem and then turned to EMS training."

"Any regrets?"

"No, if I hadn't done that, I wouldn't have met Marian."

Robin arches a brow. "How'd you two meet?"

"I had saved her grandmother after a fall. She wasn't there at the time, but tracked me down with flowers and food." Fondness takes over her beautiful brown eyes. "Insisted she'd take me out to dinner and from there, I mean I can't remember a time we weren't together."

Robin nods. "Can I ask how she passed?"

"Drunk driver." Regina purses her lips. "Ironically a night I wasn't working. Mary Margaret was there though. She called me before the cops could."

"At least there's that. Still doesn't change how awful it was."

"No, not really. Sometimes I wonder maybe if I had been there, I mean there's no way I would've been allowed to work on her but…"

"You still think about it," Robin interrupts, sobering a little. "We save people every day and we couldn't our own spouses."

"Ruth…"

"Cancer. Thought we beat it, but it had spread. There was a stupid doctor…" Robin shakes his head, ignoring the burning tears. "Anyway. There was nothing that could've been done on our end."

"Doesn't make it easier," Regina parrots.

"No," Robin whispers. "No, it does not." He scratches the back of his neck. "Didn't realize I needed to talk about it still."

"It's easier when you have someone who gets it. Dead Wives Club and all."

Robin laughs as a few tears escape, raising his Styrofoam coffee cup. "I'll drink to that."

Despite both admitting they had sobered up quite a bit, they agreed to stick with a cab to be on the safe side. Swyft fares had gone down enough that they could reasonably leave their cars in Aesop's parking lot. Crowding in the back of a red Toyota, they drive through Main Street. Regina's townhouse will be their first stop.

"When you'd move to Storybrooke?" he asks over the God-awful pop song that plays over the radio.

"A little after I married Marian. She got a job transfer to Bangor but it was cheaper to live here, plus they were hiring for EMS. Boys followed not long after."

"And you…I mean…I don't mean to be…"

Regina laughs, leaning against the faux leather. "We adopted Henry. The situation just kind of fell into our laps. He was a Safe Haven baby. I was the one to find him. We were already certified to be foster parents, so after some talking, he was placed with us. Then a few years later, Marian wanted to experience pregnancy. We used a donor and had Roland. Also, I am bisexual."

"I figured, though I didn't want to assume."

"I mean really, I never gave too much thought into it. I had assumed I was straight until I met Marian and she explained more of it. I grew up in a conservative household, my mother certainly wasn't going to teach me." She rolls her eyes.

"You're close with your dad, though?"

"Yes. After we adopted Henry-who shares his name with my dad by the way-he decided to move up here."

"That's nice. I don't know where I would've been without Ruth's mom. She became the closest thing I had after my own died."

"Cora and I don't talk much anymore, which just makes me happier that I have Daddy."

He prompts her to talk more about the elder Henry and she divulges on how her dad's lived with her for nearly 15 years. He was her rock through losing Marian and was a huge help given her erratic scheduled and the boys. She listens to him about Vida and her unfortunate passing when the twins were teenagers.

Robin frowns when the driver stops in front of a gray townhouse. Regina gathers her purse and the shoes she discarded somewhere around Mr. Cluck's, turning towards him.

"I had a lot of fun tonight."

Robin smiles. "I did too."

"My life is really crazy, with the boys and work…"

"I get that, more than anything. Whenever you have another moment to breathe, just let me know. You have my number."

Regina's grin returns. "I do."

She leans over and gently presses a kiss to his cheek before departing. Robin asks the driver to wait until she walks inside, and he keeps his eyes trained on her. She slowly opens her door and disappears inside. Robin's stomach is warm and his eyes are heavy as the car heads off in the direction of his house. He isn't sure how they'd make it work between her kids, their conflicting schedules, his own drama…but damn if he doesn't want it to.

By the time the car pulls in front of his own home, it's pushing three in the morning. He hasn't stayed up this late in nearly a year when David was going through withdrawals. The reminder of his son hits him like an anvil as he walks into the quiet, dark house. He has no clue where he is and has to pray he's not off scoring in some dark alleyway. Robin slides onto the couch and fumbles out his nearly dead phone. With a throbbing head, he makes it to Find My iPhone. A few clicks shows him that David is on Langdon Street. Robin stretches his mind and realizes that's not far from Main, a residential area. That's enough comfort to allow him to pass out on the couch.

Robin awakes the next morning with a slight pain in his head, with most of it residing on his back. He really should've made it up the stairs the night before. Robin's getting too old to crash on the couch, or get wasted with pretty women in bars then stay up until 2:30 in the morning talking about their lives.

The coffee's done it's job and he's not terribly hungover. Robin pushes himself to his feet and groans, stumbling towards the kitchen. He's going to require more caffeine before his shower if he's to make it through today's errands.

The overwhelming smell of joe hits him as soon as his feet hit the tile. He blinks a few times and finds David standing there, also in the same clothes as last night although his flannel is slightly misbuttoned. A pair of dark shades cover his eyes as he unpacks tinfoil wrapped sandwiches from the bag. Dread fills Robin's stomach, as a myriad of questions come to the tip of his tongue. Before he can speak, David removes the sunglasses. His eyes are crystal clear and despite some bags from a clear lack of sleep, he doesn't look terrible. There's a chance he put in eye drops, but Robin knows his son by now. He hasn't been using, nor did he drink last night. A bit of relief fills him.

David's head snaps up and Robin cringes. Did he sigh that loud? His son's eyes look him up and down. "You look like hell."

"You're the best son ever, ya know?" Robin snarks, rolling his neck a bit. "What's this? I thought Granny's was closed."

"I found another place just out of town. Needed coffee." David tosses him a sandwich and Robin just barely catches it. "God, how much did you drink last night?"

"I'm not hungover." David casts a dubious look. "I'm not. I drank coffee and ate after some shots. Took a Swyft home just to be safe."

"Yeah, when I didn't see your car in the drive, figured you went home with that brunette."

"I didn't. We hung out, though." Robin accepts the Styrofoam cup. "Enough about me. Where were you?"

"Surprise you didn't track me."

"David." Robin puts everything down onto the counter. "C'mon."

David sighs, taking a sip of his own coffee. "I met this girl at the bar last night, she needed a ride, so I gave her one."

It kills Robin that he has to actually think before he believes his son. Even just a year ago, if David said he was going to be one place, he'd believe it. Then David called out of work, claiming he had a doctor's appointment. That very afternoon, Robin found his son face down in his apartment. A pit of anger bubbles at the bottom of his stomach. All he ever wanted was to be able to trust his sons, to believe they were doing well.

How much longer until he can look David in the eyes and actually believe him?

He has to remind himself that his son appears sober. Exhausted, but sober. He really did just have a one night stand, not buy drugs off of God knows who.

"Okay," Robin says. "Who was it?"

"You don't know her."

"I could."

David rolls his eyes. "Mary Margaret."

"She's in EMS, right?"

"Yeah. We just talked all night."

It's Robin's turn to roll his eyes. Maybe he forced himself to believe that his boys just "talked" with their partners 10 years ago, but he's not naïve. It's an innocent lie, but another that eats away from him. David can lie so easily to his face, who knows what the truth is anymore.

"Talked, right," Robin mumbles as he unwraps the foil.

David just takes another sip of his coffee. "I'm 25. Are you going to lecture me over this?"

"No." Robin pauses, before silently saying fuck it. "But if I was, I'd remind you that you're barely a year sober. And all of the counselors said to be careful with relationships. Especially given…"

"It was one time. We really did spend most of the night talking and then one thing lead to another, but it was just nice." David shakes his head. "She's someone that didn't know me or any of the shit I went through. It was just…easy. I'm not rushing off to buy a ring or ask her to have my babies. I just want to have fun again. Is that allowed?"

The obvious answer is yes. David's put in all the work to getting sober. He went to rehab, sees a therapist, made amends with everyone he hurt while he was using. It didn't take much to convince him starting over was the best thing. David's done everything to show that he's not the same guy he was a year ago.

It also didn't take much for him to slip back into that after Kristoff left. After all the lies, the hiding, Robin is scared. He wants his son to have fun, to be better. For once, he'd like to finally get to be a "dad to an adult". Where he doesn't worry every single time he walks out the door.

They're never going to get anywhere if he says all of that. Lecturing David is what drove him away in the first place. At least if he starts using again, maybe this time, he'll come to his father.

"I want you to have fun," Robin says, quietly. "Just be careful."

"I will," David promises. The two sit at the table together, digging into their breakfast. "Though maybe I should say the same to you. I think James and I are past the point of wanting a little sibling."

Robin rolls his eyes. "Believe it or not, all Regina and I ever did was talk."

"Hey, you know we told you we were cool with you seeing someone."

"I don't know where it's going to go."

"But do you want that? To go out with her? Without the entire team there?"

Robin can't help but smile around his sandwich.

"Yeah," he mutters. "I would."