A/N: written for the oq update month. addendum to chapter 65 (ke'sa'lul). rated M I guess?
title means: the warmth of the sun in winter.


Apricity (how I shine for you)

.

They left on a crisp morning of still-winter, flying on Mal's back towards the Wall.

There is no danger now – and yet as she feels Robin's arms embracing her torso from behind, her knees pressing against Mal's warm body, she feels strangely nervous.

She hasn't seen him in a couple of weeks. He stays in Winterfell now, but she was officially elected President three weeks ago, and she had to be there. She had to delay this trip, which they've been waiting for since the battle.
And then, after the election, Robin went back to the North, leaving her in Queen's Landing to settle the first affairs. Her work will be exhausting and never-ending, but she has trusted advisors. She's confident that she can leave them to worry about the country, while she takes a much needed week of vacation with her partner.

So they've collected food and supplies and she has saddled Mal, because flying on her bare back isn't Robin's favorite activity, and up north they went. Towards the steam caves, as he promised her months ago.

They've seen the dawn from above the Wall – she kissed him there, as the white land was being washed by pink and orange glows.

And they're almost there, now, and she feels jittery, excited, and also a little frightened. (Not of him, never of him. But maybe, of his reaction.)

They say goodbye to Mal when they arrive – temporarily, because she's going to fly alone for a bit, enjoying the quiet wintery air, and she's going to join them when they make camp for the night. Or maybe they'll end up camping in a cave. So Regina finds her hand curled around Robin's, walking towards the steam caves they've, for so long, dreamed of.

"You alright, my love?"

Her heart swells, as it always does when he calls her that. "Yes, I'm fine," she murmurs. Truth be told, she's nervous.

She has decided that this is the right moment to tell him – about the baby, but… it still doesn't feel real, because she fear his reaction, and the fact that she kept this secret from him, and it wasn't fair, and –

"Regina," his voice interrupts his thoughts. "You… lovely, can you leave my hand, please?"

He looks slightly amused, and she looks down to see where she's holding – squeezing his hand. His skin is starting to become white, and she realizes, freeing him with a startled, "Sorry! I'm sorry, I… I was thinking."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He tilts his head, as he does when he's studying her. But she shakes her head, because it can wait just a bit more.

"Let's go."

.

She loves to watch him undress. And the caves are so humid and hot, his torso is already glistening with sparkles of sweat, as he shimmies out of those winter clothes and furs. She loses herself into him, into watching him, her fingers lazily untying a know from her coat, until he raises his eyebrow.

"See something you like, Madam President?"

She laughs at that – it still doesn't feel right, to call herself that, she isn't used to it, after being held captive for so long. She nears him, her still-gloved hands passing slowly on his forearms.

"Definitely, Lord Stark," she teases back. "I see a… wonderful… inviting… sexy… pool of steam, just there," she smiles, motions towards it with her chin. "And I can't wait to… sink into it," she adds, finding she can't resist, and watches as his eyes darken.

"You minx," he groans. "Well let's go then. But first… I'd like to undress you, as I can see I have… distracted you."

"Go ahead," she says, closes her eyes, and waits until she feels his hands on her. He's slow, torturing her with kisses on her neck, on her back, and she's actually hot now, sweating, moaning under the light touches of his hands. She's already aroused and they haven't even started yet.

"Gods, Robin," she moans again, her hand going up to the back of his neck, he says nothing, but continues the sweet exploration as she buckles under his gentle power over her, as she knows – she knows the fact he's so kind and yet passionate is the reason she has gifted her soul to him, as he did to her.

She waits trembling as he frees her from her cape, her pants and boots, leaving all bundled in a pile on the floor, but she doesn't care. The pool is still there, she can hear it bubbling, a natural bath tub waiting for them.

"Let's take a bath," he whispers against her lower back. How did he get there so silently, she doesn't know. A current of shivers starts from the point where his lips touched her and goes up her spine.

She feels his fingers intertwining with her, and she doesn't need to look to know she's nude. But now, she leads. He follows her to the pool, stopping right next to it as he leaves her to take a first step in the hot water. Her blood runs hot, though, as the blood of Targaryens does, and the pool's water is not scorching – but pleasant, she thinks, as she lowers herself down until her foot touches the deep end. Robin goes too, sinking next to her, less gradually, but drags her down –

kisses her underwater, and she's sorry she can't see him, but feels his hands on her back, in her hair. As he goes up to catch some air, she follows.

The laugh is spontaneous and free, as Regina pants, feeling silly and deliciously happy. "I needed this," she says, completely honest now, always with him. "I needed to forget for a while."

He draws circles, paths of air with his thumbs just above the skin of her hand. "What did you want to forget, my love?"

She sighs, averts her eyes. He went to sit on a protrusion, underwater, so he tells her, Come here.

Right. They're doing this now, so she doesn't get too distracted by the post-coital haze. Now, while she's still somewhat lucid.

.

He feels her head pressing slightly on his shoulder, for a moment, as she goes to lean on him, her back against his chest. Then she lifts slightly, turns her head to face him. To his surprise, a smile starts to open on her face.

"I… knew since before the battle," she says. It's still timid, that smile, and if he slides two fingers above the inner of her wrist, he can feel her heart thumping. "I'm sorry, Robin… I wanted to tell you, but then I was worried we'd die, or…" she takes a deep breath, the smile almost gone now. He can see her trying to calm down, to rein emotions in.

He gives her time.

He waits, waits until she's ready to tell him what he suspected since a few weeks.

"Robin… I'm pregnant."

.

Here it goes. She says it, and it's like a massive weight has been lifted from her heart, but adrenaline runs through her veins. He stares at her, and her anxiety grows and grows, because he is still silent. Time elapses and seconds dilate, and then…

"You're… pregnant."

"Yes."

"As in… we are having a baby?"

Regina fiddles with her hands, gulps down. "Yes, we are."

And suddenly, she is engulfed in a hug, so tight it knocks the wind out of her lungs, and he says into her ear, Oh, Regina, she presses her nose on his shoulder and feels tears gather up in her eyes again. "I'm so sorry," she chokes out, "I found out, and there was the battle, and I just – couldn't tell you right away, I was… terrified," she hiccups.

"I know, lovely, it's okay," he says. "God, I love you so much."

"I love you too," she whispers. Then she pulls out of his embrace, keeps him close as she asks, "are you happy?"

"Am I… am I happy," he smiles at her, "Regina, I've never been happier," he trails his thumb on her cheek, looks at her, inquisitive. "Are you?"

"God, yes," she answers, because she is, she has just… she was scared, that day, when she found out that maybe she was going to be a mother without him or that this baby wasn't going to see the light at all…

He kisses her forehead, her eyes close to the touch, then she feels his hand move underwater, press above her belly. "Why hello, there," he murmurs. "How far along are you then?" he asks, questioning, eyes still fixated on her stomach that he can't see in the dimmed light.

"Almost three months," she says. "Mal was sure. She was quite angry, because I didn't want to tell you."

"You did what you thought was best," he agrees. Then, he smiles, again, his eyes lighting up of love and affection, before he leans in to kiss her. And she hasn't kissed him in weeks until now, and she has missed it, missed him, missed everything about his hands in her hair and his scent and his everything. He draws her closer, murmuring Regina in between kisses, so she tugs at his hair and kisses him some more, because she can now.

Because he feels like home – him, her and the baby.

Just what she needs.

.

Her kisses are growing bolder, deeper, her hands cup his cheeks and she has him moan against her mouth. She's a marvel, his Regina, she was a vision even in that cape earlier, but she's far better like this. Unburdened and free.

She still smells like soap and like that perfume that is unequivocally hers, his hand in her hair, messing it up… Regina, he breathes against her mouth. The water sloshes around, reminding him of where they are – that they're not in the castle, they're alone. The feeling of her skin and her touches and her lips is enough to make his cock stir, to make him sweat and desire her more than ever. But…

"Babe," he pants, breaks the kiss. "Wait…"

"What is it?" she asks, tilts her head, questions him. He sees the shadow of a small fear in her eyes – of rejection? How can she think he'd ever – now – and tries to stop that fear from expanding.

"Nothing, don't worry," he murmurs, busses her lips. "But you're…"

"Pregnant?" she ends for him. "Don't be silly," she tells him, "I won't – god – I won't, nothing will happen, I want you so much, Robin, please."

He cups her cheek, drowning in those brown eyes he loves so much. "You're absolutely certain? We can wait, we can… just have a bath and enjoy this place."

"I am," she interrupts. "I need you, I need – I need this. I need to feel you close again, I missed you so much these past weeks."

"Mm," he smiles back. He brings her hair behind her ear. "I've missed you too… everything about you, if I'm being honest. The way you smile…" he sees her doing just that, and chuckles, "yes, exactly," he tells her, affectionately. "The way you make me smile," he adds, and kisses her on her lips, their forehead touching. His hands lifts to cup her breast. "The way you respond to my touch…"

"R-Robin," she breathes against him, her eyes closed. He thinks she's trembling… "Let's…"

"Yes, my love?"

"Let's…" his other hand circles her hip, her breast presses on his fingers, her nose nuzzles his. "Please, oh, don't… I don't want to wait anymore…"

"I want you so much," he answers, low. "I wanted you since hours…"

"Since the flight?" she asks, lets out a small moan when he starts toying with her still-hidden nipple. "Yes, keep… keep doing that…"

"Since the flight," he confirms. "I admit I was a tad… uncomfortable, having you all pressed against me… and I'm pretty sure any action would have been against flying guidelines."

"Oh, and you would know about flying, wouldn't you?" she whispers, with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"I know enough," he says, ever so confident. "I know you… I know I want to eat you out," he tells her, and Regina laughs of a rich sound he has missed a lot.

"You literally have me sitting in your lap," she says, motions down.

"But then I can't eat you out like that," he reasons, tangling a hand in her hair, and nearing his lips to her neck. "I'll have to play the gentleman," he murmurs, then presses a kiss on her skin, two, three, until she's arching her back to the touch. "I'll have to… settle with sinking my cock into you…"

Regina brings her arms up to circle his neck, she bends down, sucks. Her chest presses against him, her fingers grasping lightly at his hair. "And it – it's enough for now?"

"What," he asks, distracted.

"Having me on top…"

"Can't you feel it right now?" he tells her, and just then he realizes how much he's hard, how much he wants her and needs her right now.

"I feel me," she says – he pulls back to look at her, and sees her fingers curl around his wrist, making him touch where she's so warm and he can only imagine wet and ready, but he won't feel the wetness, just the water.

"God, Regina," he groans, kisses her, cups her there, and he wants that water gone, gone, wants her bare and spread and he has missed her.

"Take me," she pants, leaves his mouth to kiss his neck. "Please, Robin, take me, no more waiting…" She groans, her urgency could be amusing on any other time, if it wasn't deeply reciprocated by himself in this moment. "Take me now."

"As you wish," he tells her. She shifts, straddles him. "God," he moans. "You are so beautiful," he tells her, reverent. And she is, it feels like it's her soul to be as bare as her body, and he needed this, this overdue reconnection. Regina cups his cheek, her eyes hungry as she nears for a kiss, has him moan against her mouth and his entire being craving for more, more time with her, more of everything.

"I want you," she says, serious, once they've parted. "I want you, this week. I want you to do everything you've dreamed to do during the time we've spent apart… I mean all of it. Even… before the battle."

"You sure?" he hums, tracing her lips with his thumb.

"I want to feel you, for real," she says.

"Oh, lovely," he kisses her again, tangling his hand in her hair. He finds her hot, warm as it can be, when he cups her slowly, she presses on his hand and he gladly concedes some friction. Having Regina so ready and eager is really making him feel the desire, painfully so…

"I still want to eat you out, later," he whispers in her ear. She shakes her head, rocking her hips up and down against the fingers he has inside her.

"Can't you feel how ready I am? I need you," she pants, "inside, Robin, please… you can go down on me later, now leave it be, I really, really need…"

When he abandons her abruptly, she almost shrieks, almost, a pained thing, then he parts her legs more, and she quickly spreads herself for him. He keeps looking at her as he directions himself, she bites her lower lip and god, if that doesn't end him, nothing will. She looks down to the water as he enters her, lets out a satisfied Yess, Robin, yes, when he buries himself inside.

"Touch yourself, love," he pleads, his hands on her thighs, she nods, her fingers rubbing her clit as she starts pumping slowly against him, undulating, her hands pushing on his shoulders.

"Ooh, god," she moans, a noise that goes straight to his cock, "god, yes, faster…"

"I love you so much," he tells her, "love the way you feel around me, god you're so tight, so perfect, Regina, I…"

"Fuck me," she says, never the one for subtleties, "enough talking, please, fuck me, Robin, please –"

"I don't want – to hurt you," he pants, his hands around her hips, because she's going slow, still, but he knows she isn't satisfied, and he can't bring himself to go too rough…

"You won't," she assures. "Please," her eyes on him do the trick, her pupils exceedingly dilated in arousal, her warmth around his cock, and then he starts moving, moves faster and feels her hands on his hands as she rides him.

But the angle isn't quite right, he knows, her teeth worrying her lip, her forehead frowning, so she slows down, and he nods, shifting a bit towards her, and this works, this has her writhing and moaning in all the right places. His fingers find her nipples and start toying with them, Regina tosses back her hair and rides him, now, up and down and each time she moans in pleasure, each time she sinks down again, then slams her hand on the stone of the pool and inclines her head down to his shoulder and finally starts blabbering.

"Ohmygod please, Robin please I need to come, ohmygod yes, touch me, I need your hand, please my love touch me…"

She's doing all the work now, so the least he can do is pushing a finger on her clit and trying to please her. Her hand surrounds his shoulder, her nails dig into his skin, she's so close, he can feel it.

"Babe, come on me," he tells her, "come on, love, I want to feel you come, I need…"

Regina's thighs are trembling against his, So close, she cries, it's definitely weird to be underwater for this, but a good… kind of weird. So he puts his hands on her hips to slow her down, the thrusts become more rhythmical and controlled as he rubs on her clit, has her clenching and screaming as they give a final powerful push – she comes, her expression so satisfied it looks almost painful, and after a long moment, he comes as well.

His heartbeat is still fast when she collapses on top of him, her hair tickling his neck, her face buried in his shoulder.

"I love you," she murmurs, so low he could miss it. They try to steady their breaths and to calm down, in the blissful afterglow.

They're miles from home, but still he feels like he's home, finally. He circles Regina's shoulder and holds her, suddenly tired, still inside that delightful spot of hers, and thinks that now he really has everything he needs, as long as she's with him.

"Gods, I'm so glad we came here."

"Oh don't worry, darling," she whispers. "We can make it a tradition."