Tadaa: surprise update. As someone kindly reminded me in a recent review, 'twas a year ago that I last updated this fic, and I've had this chapter about 95% completed for about 4 months now, and so whilst I had a weird motivational moment I thought I'd finally get it finished.
As you may have guessed I'm not writing as much now; I have a full time job and other crap going on, but I'm going to try my best to never leave it for this long again. And this chapter is over 12.5k long and full of feels and drunkenness and smut and so I hope this goes some way to making it up to you all.
After such a long break from this fic I'm rather nervous about posting this one, so if you have the time to leave a review please be gentle :')
You guys rock (thank you so much for sticking with me)
xXx
There was typically a particularly somber mood when it came to funerals; drained mourners gathering in each other's company without the energy to share two words. If it weren't for the Priests who gave service, the entire affairs would likely be silent ones.
Unless it was the death of someone with ties to Royalty; then there was music and fanfare demanding the entire Kingdom pay attention.
For key royals in the monarchy, there were hours upon hours of performances – both before and after the deceased was placed in the family crypt – and grand feasts to boost morale, a way to celebrate life instead of dwelling on death. For those lower within the hierarchy, the ceremony depended on wealth and social status; some were buried in their lavish clothes with precious items, some were buried on the same spot of land as their family members, and some were merely buried at their nearest churchyard with few witnesses.
For Knight's Honours, however, the ceremony was different from the norm; a mark of respect for their sacrifice, and a reward for their duty serving the Kingdom.
There was a lake on the outskirts of the Royal Land, one which had been believed to hold magical properties for generations, named Lake Athena. And that was where the bodies of fallen soldiers were released. It was believed that the Goddess of War and Wisdom would recognize their plight and deliver their souls unto the Goddess of the Sea and Tranquility, where they would forever be at peace. It was a tradition that had been upheld for centuries, and would likely continue to be so for many more years to come.
The current service was not only marking the loss of one fallen hero, but of four, and as Regina stood gazing at the boat which would carry the deceased to their destinies, she sincerely hoped that the legends were true.
They deserved to be at peace.
As a gesture of proof to the Goddess of War and Wisdom that these men were true heroes, they were delivered with their weapons. And as Queen, it was Regina's duty to take them from the closest relative to place with the deceased.
She maintained her regal composure as she took the swords from Thomas' brother, from Luke's wife, from Michael's son… But it was when she took George's bow from Robin that her mask slipped. The look in his eyes was one of pain, and suffering, and her heart hurt with the knowledge that she was helpless to do anything about it. She couldn't even offer him a comforting presence or a shoulder to lean on; her position as Head Royal had her on the opposite side of the boats, trapped in such a cruel torture where she had to watch her thief hurt and pretend it wasn't tearing at her soul.
She found herself unable to meet his eyes; she needed to maintain her composure whilst in the company of her subjects, and Robin had the ability to break down every barrier she erected with just one glance.
Anyway; he had the Merry Men as his support network, the close-knit team turned family that knew each other so well. And since they had all known George for a lot longer than Regina had, they were able to comfort him in a way Regina couldn't. She had never been more of an outsider to them.
But it was alright. She was fine. She was always fine. She had to be.
The Queen never broke down; she kept it together, she provided strength for her people. From leading her army into battle with enemies, to sending a burning funeral boat into the middle of a legendary lake, she was not to show any weakness as a ruler.
When the smoke had cleared, and grieving relatives had retreated to heal themselves in private, that was when she could fall apart.
Later…
Much later…
When she got back to her chambers, she just managed to close the door before she lost control.
She could feel the magic under her skin, heat burning through her veins, and the strength it took to hold it in was more than she had right now. Her teeth gritted with the effort, a slight whimper escaping as she tried to hold back the imminent destruction. But as always, she just wasn't quite strong enough to keep it together.
Her knees buckled and she fell to the floor, a scream forcing its way from her throat as she emitted a pulse of magic. The window panes shattered, her furniture upturned, and the stone balcony outside started to crack and crumble.
Though as quickly as the onslaught of magic started, it ended, and as a deathly silence fell upon the room, Regina took the uneasy respite to pull herself back together again, trying to even out her breathing as her heart still beat erratically inside her chest. But then the sobs started. The weeks spent trying to hide the damage, pretend she was fine even when she was anything but, they'd taken their toll. Too much had been pushed down until there was no room, and now everything was spilling over the edges.
The residual magic still tingled under her fingertips, and even though the immediate threat of explosion had abated somewhat, there was still the possibility that she would lose control again if she wasn't careful. So she slowed her breathing, and forced her mind to quieten. But when her eyes rose from the floor and she saw the carnage she had created, she almost started crying again. Regardless of how hard she tried, this was who she always seemed to be; a force of mass destruction.
It was said that people showed their true selves when they were tested, when they were suffering. If that was true, then Regina was certainly a danger to everyone around her. She needed to create some distance around herself – at least until she calmed down, at most: indefinitely. She had treated her life here as a second chance, a way to prove how much she had changed from living as the Evil Queen. But as she looked around the room, it didn't appear to be all that different. She still hurt, she still destroyed, she still had any flicker of hope of building friendships extinguished. She should have known better.
Regina knew that allowing herself to care for people was a risk – both Robin and his son were now a potential bargaining chip for any person wanting to get revenge on her; but she had stupidly come too far to let either of them out of her heart again - any other friendship that she built was just tempting fate, opening herself up for heartbreak. Penance, she guessed, for all the lives she had torn apart throughout her reigning years.
Perhaps she'd always be death and destruction…
Suddenly sick of the sight around her, a wave of her hand had the mess righting itself - as if nothing had ever happened. It wasn't all that healthy, she knew that; destruction and then reparation was not a way to deal with things. But it was all she had right now. All she could do.
She couldn't talk to Robin; she wouldn't put any of her burdens on his shoulders, especially whilst he was suffering with so much himself. She refused to talk to Snow and Charming; the mere thought of them made her blood boil. They were the reason she was in this mess. If they had just listened to her, if they hadn't pushed, none of this would have happened and everything would be fine. But of course, other people were expendable to them as long as it was for a good cause. As long as they were a step closer to their happy ending, nobody else's happiness mattered…
Regina gritted her teeth, feeling another rising pulse of magic and having to fight it back down. She could not lose control whenever she thought about the Charmings again. Those times were long since past and they had made too much progress for her to go back to that now.
She'd have to stay away from them for a while, avoid them and thus avoid imminent murder. She had already been doing that on a passive level; heading to the dining hall long after the Charmings would have left, taking longer routes around the castle to maintain peace and avoid the ones they'd frequent, change her routine for something to occupy her mind so they couldn't find her even if they wanted to. Only now she'd actively take steps to avoid all contact with them for a while, at least until she had a rein on her magic again.
She could get through this. She had to.
And so with a deep inhale through the nose, and a slow exhale through the mouth, Regina started putting herself back together, arranging all her fractured pieces until she felt a little more whole, when there was a knock on the door. She just had the time to growl low in her throat and curse whoever was standing outside her room, when they knocked again. Urgently.
"Regina? Regina, it's Belle. Open up."
"Not now, bookworm," Regina ground out, completely unwilling to entertain company.
"It's about the parchment," Belle explained, her voice slightly muffled by the wooden door. "There's something else that's just appeared on it. Like magic."
Regina closed her eyes, trying to decide if she could risk leaving her room when she was still feeling so volatile. But this parchment was important. She didn't know how yet, or why, but there was just something about it which called out to her – and if the way her name had appeared on it, she called out to it too.
But it had been dormant for almost two weeks - it had even started to slip from her mind - and yet of all the times for it to reawaken and demand attention, it had to be now.
With a resigned sigh, Regina gathered her strength and stood, looking around the room to make sure it was all fixed and presentable. She stopped by a mirror on her way to the door, checking her appearance was nothing untoward, and then she pulled on the handle to bring herself face to face with Belle.
The poor girl was red-cheeked, as if she had ran here from the library, and Regina almost took pity on her.
"I'm sorry," she began. "I wouldn't have disturbed you if it wasn't necessary, but…"
Belle's words trailed off, but she held out the parchment in continuation, and Regina could see the new scrawl marking the paper; 'Ie ƥе ƥurhhælе ƥinlicsare mid ƥam sundorcræftas ƥære ealdaƥæ!'
"I'm not even going to attempt to say that," Regina mused. "Do you know what it means?"
"No," Belle admitted. "I saw it and came straight to you. Figured you'd want to know."
Regina nodded.
The sudden thought that this text may fade had Regina walking back to her table, gathering her quill and own paper to copy the letters onto it. Belle tentatively stepped into the room, crossing the floor until she was stood by Regina's side.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm copying it down," Regina replied, a hint of impatience in her tone at having to answer such an obvious question. "So that we don't lose it."
"Do you think it will disappear?"
"I have no idea what it's going to do," Regina admitted. "But it's a piece of paper that Merlin gave to Snow White which suddenly had my name on it and has spells magically appear. I'm not taking any chances."
"That makes sense," Belle nodded.
Regina stood straight, comparing the letters on the parchment to the version she had copied. They looked similar enough that if the original text faded they could still work out what it said.
"Do you still have the books to research what it says?" Belle asked, and the thought of spending her time and effort in books when it was all she could do to remain standing had Regina sighing. "If not, I can have a look?"
"I have them," Regina admitted. "Some are here, I think I left some in the grand hall."
"Alright then, you go get them, and I'll meet you in the library," Belle declared, sounding quite enthused before she started to walk away.
"Belle," Regina called, effectively halting the girl in her tracks. "I'm really not suitable for company right now. I can do this by myself."
Belle tilted her head and gave Regina sympathetic smile. "I know you can manage by yourself, but a second pair of eyes would be better, yes?"
Regina glared, not wanting to admit the bookworm was right – but still found herself reluctantly nodding anyway.
"You don't even have to talk to me," Belle offered with a chuckle. "I just think I could help."
With a reluctant sigh, the Queen conceded that having the bookworm around would make things a lot easier. "Fine." Regina paused before she warned; "but don't push me, I'm not up to it right now."
"I won't," Belle vowed. "Promise."
"Well then… I'll stop by the Grand Hall then meet you in the library."
With a smile, Belle opened the door and left, and Regina resigned herself to collecting the books she had scattered around her castle and spending the rest of her energy researching magic whilst she was struggling to control her own.
Regina's thoughts were occupied all the way to the Grand Hall, cataloguing what books she'd need, where she would find them, where the books currently in her grasp would go to... Anything to keep her concentration off of the rising burning of magic throughout her veins.
It wasn't often when she missed her sessions with Archie; they were reminders that she needed help, that she wasn't strong enough to cope on her own. But after losing George, finding out Robin and her were tied with their pasts in a way she never anticipated, the constant pain of missing Henry, losing her handle on the dark magic swirling within her… She felt as if she was swimming in a rising tide of questions and worries, slowly getting pulled under as she reached out a hand to hold but only grasped thin air.
She'd already dismissed the thought of talking to Robin - seeing how he was the root of some issues, and dealing with enough of his own - and the Charmings - for their own protection - and the only other Merry Man she could possibly feel comfortable talking to about at least some of her problems had been buried yesterday - the day after his birthday no less. Because of the Charmings' incapacity to comprehend how dangerous her sister actually was, and their failure to provide adequate plans and resources.
And there it was again. The urge to find the two royals and let them have it. All of the rage she had been pushing down, all of the violence she had been letting out behind closed doors, all of the pain she had channelled into destruction because if she let it consume her then she knew fully well what she was capable of. She could bring the Kingdom to its knees with a wave of her hand.
And she would.
The crackle of magic under her skin and the purple hue she was emitting from her palms had Regina fighting to stay in control of her thoughts. She couldn't concentrate on anger, not when she was using all her strength to fight darkness' claws.
Deep breaths. In and out. The feeling of wind in her hair. The smell of the Earth after rain. The sound of harmonies in a string orchestra...
She could do this. She could do this. She could...
Regina pushed open the doors to the Grand Hall, taking a few steps before she raised her gaze and was met with the sight of the Charmings. The clack of her heels stopped and the room fell silent as the trio stared at each other, the first time they been alone together since the men they had sent out had returned. Well... some of them.
She couldn't do this.
The Queen fought with everything inside her not to tear them apart, not to throw them against the wall and wrap her hands around their necks, not to light them on fire and smile as she watched them burn…
Right now she was about to lose that battle.
Recognising Snow and David's impending deaths, Regina turned away from them and started walking back towards to the door.
"Regina…" Snow called out, taking steps towards the Queen in an attempt to catch her.
Regina's voice was quiet, verging on pleading as she let out a quiet; "don't."
Her hand had just fallen to the door handle when the Princess uttered the only words which could have made this situation worse.
"We're sorry."
The Queen paused, her hand dropping from the brass handle as she let out a low exhale. Hope filled in the Princess' heart that she had perhaps gotten through to Regina - but her naivety would always be the death of her.
"You're 'sorry'?" Regina asked, her voice low and even - in the same way calmness fell before a storm.
Sure enough, when she turned to face them, the two royals slowly took a step back at the fire swirling behind the Queen's eyes.
"Because of you, I have lost good men, and one of the few people in the Kingdom willing to be my friend." Her voice trembled with barely concealed rage, and she paused for a ragged breath before she spat; "And you're 'sorry'?"
Snow worriedly turned to her husband, looking for any words to try and make this better - but only finding him assuming a defensive stance as he straightened his spine.
"We didn't know that would happen…"
"Yes, you did! I told you exactly what would happen; if you sent a party to search for Zelena then they would not all return. And they didn't, did they?" Regina reminded them.
"Regina, we-"
"I don't care," she snapped, cutting them off. "You chose not to listen to me, believing you knew better. Because your life always works out just fine."
The two bristled at the implication, flashing back to many a painful moment - most of which were at the hand of the woman in front of them. "That's not..."
The Queen didn't let them finish whatever they were saying, choosing to interrupt them with a harsh; "That's exactly what it is; you two still have each other, you're treating the Castle that is legally mine like Granny's BB, you could pick any person in the Kingdom and ask them to fall on a sword for you, and they'd do it. Only now that people have actually died for you, for your stupid, bullshit quest, you feel responsible.
"Well, welcome to my life. Everyone I know gets hurt or dies. The only difference between us is that the Kingdom absolves you of responsibility because - unlike me - you're 'heroes'." Regina stepped forward, reigning in her tone as she lowered her voice and vowed; "But let me tell you: I hold you responsible. And if you're searching for forgiveness... You won't get it from me."
"Regina-" Charming began, a warning in his tone when he caught sight of the tears swimming in his wife's eyes.
"Don't 'Regina' me. This is your fault. Actions have consequences. You two need to learn you are not exempt." Setting her jaw Regina straightened her spine, her nostrils flaring as she took in a deep inhale and ordered; "Now just leave me alone."
She took a sadistic kind of pleasure in the hurt swimming behind Snow's eyes, watching as the Princess stumbled over her words of protest as her husband lay a hand on her shoulder. But it was no use; Regina was already making her way to leave.
Though she paused a few steps away and turned back to face them, nailing the hammer in the coffin where the Charmings' dreams of forgiveness lay.
"I don't want to see you, I don't want to hear from you. And unless you want to head back into the days where you were running from me to stay alive, I suggest you stay out of my way for a while." Regina watched as the tears started falling down Snow's cheeks, before she turned her hardened gaze to the Prince and added; "both of you."
With that, she stormed out, letting the doors slam behind her on the tense Prince and the distraught Princess, purple fire crackling under her palms and rage pulsing through her veins.
She had to make a stop before she got to the library, she couldn't manage company right now, not when she was fighting down a destructive pulse of magic – again.
The first door that was open to a seemingly empty room, Regina entered, walking to the nearest table and slamming her books down on the wooden surface. Her hands clenched into fists, her teeth ground together, her eyes scrunched shut, everything to try and gain the strength she needed to keep it together.
"What did those books ever do to you?" she heard from behind her, and Regina let out a growl low in her throat.
"Not now, Lucas," Regina seethed, concentrating on not killing the so-called 'endearing' lady everyone referred to as their granny.
Of course, the woman didn't seem to recognise the imminent danger and approached the Queen anyway, asking a rather redundant; "Are you okay?"
Regina still replied with her customary; "I'm fine."
It was something Granny didn't believe for one moment, and she told the Queen as much.
"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with," Regina dismissed.
"I'll decide that for myself, thank you," Granny replied, her tone gruff and stubborn. "What's the matter?"
Even if Regina wanted to tell her, she wouldn't even know where to start. Though, still a perceptive, old broad, Granny picked up on the main cause straight away.
"The Charmings?" She asked, receiving her answer from the clenching of Regina's jaw and the hardness in her glare. "The Charmings."
"I…" Regina started, but after that she struggled for words. There was no way of explaining everything without a decade's worth of conversation.
"Snow said you've been avoiding her," Granny mused, trying to soften her voice somewhat.
"I'm furious," Regina admitted. "I don't want to do anything rash."
Despite the situation, the elder woman scoffed. "That's rather kind of you."
"Yes, well, I've tried killing her before and it took over my life. I'd rather not have to climb back out of that dark hole again."
"So, what's the matter?" Granny asked – apparently unaware of the uphill struggle Regina was having.
"I just bumped into them…"
"Are they-?"
"They're still alive," Regina snapped, glaring at the woman next to her.
Granny tried for a comforting smile. "Well, that's good."
"The only thing they're suffering with right now are a few home truths," Regina explained. "Physically they're fine."
"Well done." There was no sarcasm in the older woman's tone, and Regina narrowed her eyes in suspicion when she even seemed… Genuine?
"Thank you." Regina frowned, her comment coming out as more of a question than she'd intended.
"The last time you were all in the same castle together you were casting the dark curse to destroy their happiness," Granny observed. "I think a few harsh words and mistreated books are the least we need to worry about."
Despite everything, Regina's lips quirked up into a smile, finding the old woman's bluntness somewhat refreshing. But her smile faded when there was an awkward hand being placed on her shoulder blade
"You're doing well, my dear."
Regina quickly glanced to her right out of the corner of her eye, and then just as quickly looked away again, mumbling; "Thanks."
Widow Lucas watched as the Queen seemed unsure how to respond, realising that this was probably one of the few times someone had praised her for not retreating to old habits. It was no secret that the Queen didn't deal with loss very well, but the fact that she hadn't hurt or murdered anybody yet was testament to how hard she was trying. "I don't think you get as much credit as you should."
A self-depreciating smile crossed Regina's lips as she shook her head. "It doesn't matter; I shouldn't get a pat on the back for not killing people."
"Well, I've considered using Grumpy as a target for my crossbow more than once," she joked, smiling at Regina's chuckle. "I know it takes effort."
Granny let the laughter die down, and then let her tough exterior falter as she truly took in the young woman before her. "I know I may come off as a bit gruff now and again," she started. "And I know that we've never been on the best of terms… But I can see that you're trying, and if you ever need someone to tell you that, I can deliver a few home truths too."
Regina nodded with a small, appreciative quirk of her lips. She caught Widow Lucas' eyes, and her smile grew as she mumbled her thanks.
"Anyway, I'll be off," Granny announced. "Wouldn't want anyone to work out this wolf actually has a heart"
"Your secret's safe with me," Regina teased.
With a kind smile, Granny gave her one last pat on the back before leaving.
Regina took a moment to herself, feeling a lot calmer than when she walked in. And when she felt as if she could deal with reading and research, she picked up her books and went to go and see Belle in the library.
To give Belle her dues; the girl was remarkable at being silent company. She was almost soothing in a way; her quiet humming of tunes was always during the right kind of silences when they were both involved in reading, not distracting them from their work in the slightest. The rest of the time – apart from a few questions and observations here and there – Belle was silent, letting Regina focus inwardly instead of using her energy conversing with company.
Despite hitting several brick walls, they had still been somewhat productive. They had worked out whatever was written contained the words 'thoroughly', 'mortal', and 'ancient' within it. The rest was still a jumble. But they were making progress; they had narrowed down the books which might have had something useful within them, and between the two of them, they had found which passages looked as if they may help them even further.
When Belle found something, she startled Regina with her excited gasp. "I think I have it!"
Regina turned from her book, daring to hope. "You have it?"
Belle nodded, standing and walking around to take the seat next to the Queen before sliding over the book she had been reading.
"It has a few spells from Ancient Camelot, and some look rather familiar."
Regina leaned over, tracing her finger down the page as she found a spell that had some of the same words as the one they had. "This one translates to 'the special powers that are ancient bless you, alas'," Regina read. "It's not the same but it looks quite similar."
Belle nodded, before looking further down the paragraph. "There has to be something else."
Regina skimmed the text and then turned the page, finding the exact phrase on her parchment within the second paragraph. A relieved laugh escaped from her lips.
"This! This is it!"
Belle grinned, attempting to pronounce the Old Language and managing a few syllables before she burst into laughter too.
"Never mind." Belle gave up on her pronunciation, before looking to the book next to her to translate it; "I thee heal thoroughly your mortal wound with those special powers that are ancient, alas!"
Regina sat back in her chair, thinking it over. "So it's a healing spell… Is that it?"
"It's not 'just' a healing spell, Regina," Belle started. "It's an incredibly powerful incantation, capable of great things."
Regina warily glanced at Belle, asking: "great as in good things? Or great as in big things?"
"I think both…" Belle mused. "The magic in Camelot is slightly different than the magic here."
Regina looked at her palms, still feeling the prickle of her own magic under skin as she asked; "How so?"
"The magic here means that you can only cast spells depending on the strength of your skills," she began. "Whereas the magic in Camelot takes into account your character too."
"Character?" Regina queried, frowning as she tried to work things out within her head. "Like how good a person is?"
"Not necessarily 'good'," Belle explained. "More of strength and resilience."
Regina sat back in her chair, musing on why the spell had reached out to her if it was attracted to strength and resilience.
Admittedly she had been through a lot in her life - loss of love, extinguished hope, the grip of darkness - but she hadn't had the strength nor resilience to deal with it as she should have done. She had let it destroy her, consume her, darken her heart until she was left with nothing but pain and hurt inside. She had initially resisted the darkness, but it was inevitable that she'd fall into it; it ran in the family after all.
She hadn't been strong, she hadn't been resilient; she'd chosen the easy route of revenge instead of the tougher route of forgiveness.
So why would this spell reach out to her instead of someone else?
She asked Belle as much - though without her self-depreciative rambling.
"Because out of everyone in the castle, it seems you have both the skill and the character to cast this spell - whatever it does." Belle glanced over to Regina, and upon noting her scoff in disbelief, turned to face her to ask; "after everything you've been through you still doubt your strength?"
"I just think this spell would be better suited to someone else," Regina confessed.
"You were the most feared person throughout the entire realm, and the most powerful sorceress throughout all of history. You've cast the darkest of magic… and yet you have been capable of such heroic deeds," Belle pointed out. "You have what it takes to cast this spell."
Regina warily gazed at Belle, seeing the genuine belief in the girl's eyes and starting to consider that perhaps she could cast this spell after all.
But then she remembered the warnings about Ancient Camelot's magic from the books, the emphasis on how much power these would require, and the devastating effects if they were cast wrong, and she wondered what huge-scale event would require a spell like this.
The thought of it sent a chill running through her veins.
That evening, Regina's mind was still whirring, unable to shut down thoughts of ancient spells and powerful magic, wondering what fate had in store for her now.
She needed to relax, needed something to take her mind off of everything…
Robin. She had promised him drinks tonight. Whether or not he turned up was a different matter, but she'd be happy with either the thief or the alcohol at this point.
She pondered upon what she would choose to drink as she made her way there, considering the drinks closest to Storybrooke's whiskey and wine and cider, before she realised she didn't really care what she drank as long as it tasted good and quietened her mind.
But it seemed Regina's urge to lose herself in the bottom of a bottle was shared by Robin after all; as Regina turned the corner to the long hallway housing the room where the alcohol was kept, Robin turned the corner at the other end.
Even with all the distance between them they could still see each other's grins, finding the humour as they eyed each other at opposite ends of the same hallway. Robin with a torch lighting his way, and Regina with a ball of fire emanating from her palm.
"Well, well…" Regina drawled when they were within earshot of each other. "Fancy seeing you here."
Robin smirked, leaning against the wall, "I was promised alcohol and good company, so… here I am."
"Well until your 'good company' gets here, feel like sharing a drink with me?" she teased.
"Oh, I'm sure I can manage that," he grinned, watching as a matching smile appeared on Regina's face. A moment later, she was pressing the latch on the door and pushing it open, gesturing Robin inside with the tilt of her head.
As Robin walked towards the table and benches against the far left corner, Regina paused in front of the shelves fixed to the wall, eyes cataloguing all the bottles in front of her.
"What do you fancy?"
Robin changed course and came up behind her, placing a hand on her waist as he fought replying; 'you'.
"What were you drinking yesterday?" he asked instead. "That was good."
Regina pursed her lips as she browsed the bottles in front of her until she found it; "this one." Pulling it off of the shelf and checking the label, she then held it out to Robin – who gave an approving nod before taking it back to the table.
He removed the cork with his teeth - something Regina probably shouldn't have found attractive, but still did anyway. However, when he moved to pour drinks and paused upon realising he hadn't collected any glasses, he turned to Regina with a sheepish smile.
With a flick of her wrist and a good-natured roll of her eyes, there were two crystal tumblers in front of them, and Robin's grateful gaze met Regina's before he poured them both a healthy measure. Sliding one to Regina, Robin then took a seat opposite her to cradle his own.
Regina watched as his bravado faded, as the small smile on his face slowly dropped as he stared into the amber liquid in his glass. It was no secret that the past few days had been hard on him, more so than he'd like to admit, and looking at him now, Regina could see the toll it had been taking.
She couldn't help but reach forwards, extending a hand to him as she spoke his name. But Robin brushed away her concern, raising his glass in front of him as he decreed; "until the world fades away, right?"
Regina nodded, clinking their glasses and letting him have this; this one night of abandon where he could drown his sorrows and forget how cruel the world could be. And if he wanted her to be there with him as he did so? She undoubtedly would be.
They finished the rest of that bottle. And then continued through another, reaching the halfway point before Robin was a little too drunk to pour their drinks without spilling anything.
Regina had toned back, taking smaller sips in comparison to Robin's large gulps, but he didn't seem to notice she was only having one drink for every two that he had. She told herself she was just looking out for him; if they were both as drunk as Robin seemed to be then goodness knows what havoc they'd cause. She'd designated herself to be the less-drunk watchout, so that Robin could drink as much as he liked without feeling guilty.
Though he didn't seem to be feeling much of anything right now; his eyes were glazed over as he swirled the liquid in his tumbler, watching as the light reflected off of the patterned glass, deep in thought.
Regina wondered what was going through his mind, hoping he wasn't being too hard on himself. She presumed he would be reliving memories for a while, random things reminding him of his friend whenever he least expected it.
"How do mermaids have sex?" Robin suddenly asked, as if it had been something his mind had been pondering for a while.
Regina couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Excuse me?"
"Mermaids. Sex. How?" He clarified - without actually clarifying anything. "Like they don't have legs so how do they… I mean do they even have… how do they reproduce?"
"It's not something I've thought about…"
"It's an important question, Regina."
"Of course it is," she humoured him, fighting a smile as she took on a serious expression.
"A species' survival depends on it."
"I think you'd have to ask Ariel," she offered. "Wherever that fish has got to these days."
Robin frowned. "But I'm asking about mermaids, not fish."
"I know. It's just what I call…" Regina started, before giving up. "Never mind."
Robin was quiet for a moment, before he sombrely declared; "I'm worried about the mermaids."
Regina sighed with a good natured roll of her eyes. "I'm sure the mermaids will be fine, Robin."
"If you say so…"
"I do."
Robin was quiet for a moment, nodding as he accepted Regina's belief everything would be fine. Then another thought came to him; "What about if a giant fell in love with a pixie?"
"What?"
"How would that work?" Robin asked. "I mean their… stuff wouldn't… fit. You know?"
Regina laughed in disbelief. Were they seriously having this conversation? "Robin… Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"You're asking really weird questions."
Robin sat back on the bench, asking; "Am I?"
"You're rather concerned with the sex life of other species."
"More people should be concerned about this, Regina," Robin insisted. "Nature needs to be in harmony."
"And is maintaining nature's harmony your job?"
Robin opened his mouth to answer, before he paused and mumbled a quiet; "Not exactly."
"Then why are you asking me all these questions?"
"Why?" Robin asked, suddenly looking rather affronted. "You don't like answering them?"
Regina couldn't help but smile as her pouty thief tilted his head, looking for all the world like a sad puppy. "This may surprise you, but I don't know the reproductive habits of every species of the Enchanted Forest."
Robin actually looked surprised at that. "You don't?"
"No," she smiled.
"But you're clever," Robin stated, as if that solved everything.
Regina couldn't help the blush tinting her cheeks, blaming it on the alcohol and not on the way she felt warm inside whenever she received a compliment from the thief.
"I'll think about it and get back to you," Regina offered, hoping with all her might that Robin would be too drunk to remember any of this the next day.
With that in mind, she leaned over and topped up his glass with a chuckle.
Regina's plan to stay only slightly drunk faded as the evening went by; they were both unsteady on their feet as they traversed the hallways, each with an arm around the other in an attempt to steady themselves, finding the lapses in balance humourous enough that giggles bubbled out of them with every misstep.
Though Robin burst into laughter when they were actually almost managing to pass for sober people, and Regina couldn't help but chuckle as she asked; "what now?"
His response was a simple; "I'm with the Queen."
"If you're not aware of that then you're more drunk than I thought you were…"
"No…" Robin started, drawing out the word before explaining further. "I'm with the Queen. Me. An outlaw. With the Queen."
"Yes… Again; this is not news."
"I know. It just slips my mind sometimes," he shrugged. "Then I remember and it's like… wow."
"Robin…"
"I don't deserve you," he stated. "You deserve some… royal person."
"Tried that. Didn't work," Regina deadpanned, a part of her wondering if she was always destined to have relations with the opposite of royalty; a stable boy, a wannabe wolf, a troublesome thief... The thought brought forward a laugh.
"Something funny?"
Regina sighed, turning to him and answering with a simple; "life."
"I agree with that," Robin stated, seriously nodding then pausing as his world started to spin.
His arm reached out to the woman next to him, and without even thinking she took his hand in hers to steady him.
She had always been a source of security to him. Even when they had just met, when their interactions were more poisoned barbs than stolen kisses, he had seen how hard Regina had worked to make everything right, put everything in order so people had a sense of belonging and routine. He had known that had he ever needed her, were he ever in trouble, she would come to his aid. A safety light amidst any darkness he found himself in.
"Yeah… I definitely don't deserve you," Robin muttered, low enough that Regina couldn't hear.
At least he didn't think she did, but the way she stepped closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder had him wondering if she was trying to offer him a sense of comfort and acceptance. Because he did; he felt comfortable around Regina, accepted for who he truly was, not who he should be.
"The world may fuck me over some days," Robin started, gripping Regina's hand a little tighter. "But it got something right when I met you."
"Robin…" Regina breathed, halting their steps.
He felt it then. Felt those three words wanting to rise up and be spoken, be heard, and if he wasn't so drunk then it probably would have shocked him. But with these lowered inhibitions and toppled guards, he realised he had loved Regina in some capacity for a while now. He just hadn't wanted to admit such a thing.
And he wouldn't admit it now. Not whilst they were both so intoxicated they may not remember come morning. And even if they did, any sentimental declaration would probably be blamed on the alcohol and subsequently doubted. So no; he would admit it out loud when he was clear headed, rational, and sober.
Until then, he'd settle for trying to show her how much she meant to him.
Raising his hands, he cupped her cheeks and ran his thumbs over her skin, his eyes searching hers as he tried to process all the emotions racing through him. When it looked as if Regina was about to open her mouth and speak, he covered her lips with his and poured his heart into kissing her.
Being somewhat inebriated, he was a little sloppier than he would have liked, misjudging her top lip by so much that he was almost kissing her nose. But Regina merely chuckled and righted them, sliding her arms to loop around his neck as she pressed herself against him.
Unaware of whether it was the alcohol, his recent revelation, or just because he was with Regina, Robin couldn't help but feel a little giddy, laughter bubbling up inside him as his lips fought a smile. Wrapping his arms around Regina's waist, he couldn't give into the urge to hold her to him and then lean back so her feet left the ground. She let out a muffled noise of surprise into his mouth, and the grin threatening to break their kiss won out.
Robin tilted his chin down, pressing his forehead to hers until his bout of chuckles conceded.
"Are you alright?" Regina asked, the sudden, unexpected humour the thief had found bringing forth a few chuckles of her own.
"I'm just wonderful," Robin replied, meaning every word.
When he kissed her again, his judgement was a little better and he was rewarded with a quiet moan instead of an amused chuckle. Though his luck was only temporary; the moment he tried to place Regina back on two feet he overbalanced and almost sent them both tumbling to the floor. It was only Regina guiding them to rest against the nearest wall that had them escaping bumps and bruises – although Robin was sure his elbow had a little graze, in addition to Regina's shoulder blades. But he didn't care, and neither did she; they were too busy laughing their combined clumsiness.
"You truly do have the grace and poise of a Queen," Robin joked, and that sent them into another fit of giggles.
As they straightened – only wincing slightly – Robin reached forward and removed the pins attempting to hold what was left of Regina's up-do, letting her hair tumble over her shoulders before he ran his hands through to loosen any tangles. She closed her eyes and enjoyed his motions for a few moments, humming contentedly whenever his fingers brushed her neck.
Robin observed her, smiling at the easy curve of her lips, the relaxed features, and the fact that she was willing to let her guard down with him, then gave into the urge to kiss her again.
One of his hands remained in her hair, the other trailed down and followed her curves until he was gripping at her waist and pulling her to him. Her foot trailed along his calf, before she hooked her leg around his and pressed herself against him.
She gasped as his weight held her against the wall, his thigh tucking between hers as his tongue traced her lips. Regina's hands gripped his biceps, humming in contentment as she felt the hard muscle under her fingertips. And as his touch trailed around to grasp her backside, Regina ground her hips forward - drawing a groan from the base of Robin's throat.
Regina smirked into her thief's mouth, proud of the effect she had on him - even whilst they were intoxicated.
But Robin seemed determined to wipe the smirk off of her face, pushing her further into the wall and angling his head so he could take deeper control of her mouth. Regina's hands fisted in his shirt, pulling herself up to him as her knees started to feel unsteady. She'd blame the alcohol, but she knew her weak knees couldn't be wholly blamed on her intoxication.
In a move to balance herself - and perhaps with some ulterior motives - Regina lifted her thigh to Robin's hip, pleased when his hand dropped from her hair to hook behind her knee, stealing under her skirts and pulling her to him to keep her body pressed to his.
For a few moments they just kissed, enjoying the feeling of being dizzy with desire whilst the room was spinning around them from a-few-too-many drinks. The air around them felt hot, stuffy, the rising temperature matching the burning under their cheeks. They needed to cool down, needed fresh air, needed…
Robin's hand trailed up her inner thigh, his fingertips leaving trails of fire in their wake before they tucked beneath her underwear.
Regina needed him.
His lips trailed down her jaw, teeth grazing her skin as he slowly sank one finger into her, then another. With a low moan, Regina used the leg wrapped around Robin to move him closer, trapping the hand between them and forcing his fingers deeper, the heel of his palm grinding against her clit with every movement.
He started with slow thrusts, measured curls of his fingers used to stoke the flames building inside Regina. When she was gasping into his neck he increased his pace, being rewarded with the stinging bite as she muffled a groan into his skin.
In a short while, it all became too much and yet too little for Robin. He could feel every quiver of her muscles, taste every breath she took, hear every moan she exhaled, but he wanted more, needed* more.
With a new purpose, he withdrew his hand, trying to ease Regina's imminent frustration with several kisses.
Obviously it didn't work; with an intense glare between her heavy breaths, she asked, "what do you think are you doing?"
Robin smirked, plans to drive the woman before him crazy flitting through his mind.
"I'm kneeling before my Queen," Robin quipped as he lowered himself to the floor. He lay a single kiss to her thigh before looking back up at her and adding; "That's how it usually works, is it not?"
"Not all my subjects are that considerate," Regina teased, smiling as jealously clouded Robin's eyes.
"They better not be," he growled, before diving forward to prove she didn't need anyone else to kneel for her.
In one swift move, Regina's thigh was hooked over his shoulder, the material of her skirts held to her stomach by one of Robin's hands so he wouldn't get trapped under layers of fabric as he sought out her heat. Her hips canted forward in search of his tongue when he decided to place wet kisses around her clit, purposely avoiding where she wanted him most. As her left hand reached back against the wall to steady herself, her other fell to Robin's head and tangled in his hair, a breathy sigh escaping her lips.
He groaned and the vibrations travelled through her, sending shockwaves of pleasure ricocheting throughout her body. Tilting her head back, Regina closed her eyes and her world span, and she couldn't help the blissful grin spreading across her lips. She was drunk, she was with Robin, and she was being eaten out so damn good she felt as if she was floating.
When Regina tightened her fist in Robin's hair, he retaliated by introducing the gentle scrape of his teeth, having the woman above him gasping and grinding her head back into the wall. At the slight suction and the flicking of his tongue, Regina clamped a hand over her mouth to try and muffle the loud moans making their way past her lips - to no avail.
Robin withdrew and stood, silencing Regina's complaint with his mouth before it could even leave her lips.
"You're being too loud," he explained when they parted.
"Are you really expecting me to be quiet when you're doing that?"
Robin opened his mouth to respond, and then rethought his answer. "To be honest, I'd be rather disheartened if you were."
"Well there we are then." Regina eyed his lips, missing the feel of them, and after she licked her own she asked; "are you going to get back to what you were doing?"
"Of course, milady."
Though he made no move to kneel again; instead he simply smiled and stole another kiss.
To Regina, the air still felt too cloying, her clothing too restrictive to breathe properly. She needed to be wearing less. No, he needed to be wearing less. They both* needed to be wearing less.
Regina trailed her hands down his front, her hands making light work of Robin's belt. His lips left hers to trail down her jaw, leaving open-mouthed kisses on her skin as her fingers crept under his shirt. But before Regina could push his trousers past his hips, there was the sound of someone clearing their throat.
"Uh... You got a room for that, sister."
Regina gasped in shock, startled from being interrupted and still somewhat recovering from the heights Robin had been in the process of taking her to. Her heart was pounding, feeling as if it would beat out of her chest at any second, and her head lolled to the left as her jaw clenched in irritation. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough to need several bottles of whiskey."
After a frustrated huff into Regina's shoulder, Robin also turned to face the intrusion with a glare - although the effect was somewhat diminished with his eyes still glazed over and a giddy smile trying to tug at the corner of his lips.
When the dwarf realised the Queen's company was none other than Robin Hood, a smile that Regina had long since dubbed his 'shit eating grin' broke out on his face.
"The Queen and the Thief, eh?" he teased, arms folding in front of him.
"You can talk," Regina snapped. "The Dwarf and the Fairy?"
Regina knew the dwarf's relationship with Nova was still a tentative spot for him - precisely why she mentioned it - and after Grumpy had levelled a glare at the Queen, the duo simply stood there and spent a long moment sizing each other up, daring the other to make the next blow. Regina knew she wasn't on the higher ground here - her clothing was obviously dishevelled, her lipstick was blatantly smudged, and he could probably smell the alcohol on both of them from several metres away - but there was no way in hell she'd back down to this dwarf; she'd be hearing about it for the rest of her life.
"Say anything about this and I will burn you into ashes," Regina quipped. Then she tilted her head as she mulled over the decision to do so anyway.
No more bad jokes, no more creative insults, no more Grumpy…
"Don't kill him," Robin whispered into her ear, sensing how tempted the Queen actually was. "It is not worth it."
"Fine," Regina muttered, before amending her statement; "Say anything about this and I'll turn you into a garden gnome."
Regina looked from Grumpy to Robin and then back again, their unamused glares making Regina shrug her shoulders with an indignant; "What? It's not killing him!"
"After what I just saw I think I want you to kill me," Grumpy mumbled.
"That can be arranged," Regina quipped, and moved to take a swaying step towards Grumpy, fully intending to wipe that smug grin off of his face.
But Robin reached an arm out and caught her around her waist. "Regina..."
Narrowing her eyes at the annoying dwarf she spat out; "fine."
"Is she this submissive with you in bed?"
Regina let out a dangerous chuckle and gestured to the dwarf, both hands upwards, with an expression that clearly said: 'he's asking for it'. She managed to take three steps towards Grumpy – his smug smile being replaced with more fear with every click of the Queen's heels – before Robin hurriedly stumbled forwards and grabbed her hand, pulling her back once more and wrapping an arm around her waist to keep her secure to him, fully prepared to guide her away if the dwarf pushed his death wish too far.
"He's not worth it," he whispered in her ear, before he turned to Grumpy. "I think you should leave."
Grumpy folded his arms and tried to appear menacing. "You threatening me, lover boy?"
A dangerous smirk spread across Robin's face. "We both know it's not me you need to worry about right now."
The dwarf's eyes switched from the outlaw to the Queen – who was obviously still seething, but was restraining her temper anyway. "Who knew the leader of the Merry Men could get the Evil Queen on a leash?"
"Can you stop talking about me as if I wasn't standing right in front of you?" Regina growled, before hardening her glare at Grumpy. "If you want to live; leave and keep your mouth shut."
Grumpy laughed, apparently doubtful that she would actually* kill him. Though the smile was soon wiped off of his face as a ball of fire illuminated Regina's palm – and the fear in the dwarf's eyes.
"I won't ask again," Regina threatened, mentally counting to three before Grumpy saw sense, scarpering off and leaving the two alone once more.
"One of these days I will kill that waste of space," she grumbled.
"I'm sure Snow would have something to say about that."
"Fuck Snow," Regina growled, ire rising within her at the mere mention of the princess' name.
"I'd rather fuck you," Robin offered, but he could already see anger and frustration where lust and desire had been just a moment ago. "He's ruined this hasn't he?"
"Yeah," Regina reluctantly answered, still glaring down the hallway.
Robin felt the anger and frustration seep into himself too, and he grumbled; "I've changed my mind; you can go and kill him."
Regina laughed before looking at him with a gleeful expression. "Really?"
She didn't wait for his reply before starting to follow the dwarf, and Robin chuckled before realising the immediate carnage and pulling her back.
"I was joking," he clarified. "No killing the dwarves."
"What about-?"
"No, you cannot turn them into gnomes either." When her mouth opened to suggest something else he interrupted again and clarified; "or any other inanimate object. Leave them alone."
Regina pouted. "You spoil all my fun."
"That's not true," Robin stated, before leaning forward to drawl in her ear; "we have lots of fun."
Regina smirked, biting her lip. "We do, don't we?"
"So… how would a drunken thief go about making his lover tremble with want for him again?"
Regina tilted her head, pursing her lips to the side as she pretended to think. "You mentioned something about kneeling before your Queen?"
"I did, didn't I?"
Regina nodded, a grin slowly spreading over her face. But when Robin started to lower himself to his knees, Regina caught his chin and brought him back up to stand in front of her.
"Not here," she murmured, her eyes glancing in the direction of where that blasted dwarf had been.
"I doubt anyone else is going to find us down here," Robin said, unwilling to suffer through any more interruptions.
"Perhaps," Regina agreed, but then with a flick of her wrist they were enveloped in purple smoke and she was taking them to her bedchambers. When the smoke cleared, they were both standing in darkness, the moonlight casting a silver outline over all Regina's furniture and shadows over the tiled floor. Her eyes halted their sweep of her room when they landed on her bed, and her gaze flickered back to Robin. "But here… you can make me scream as loud as you want."
"Well, in that case…" Robin grinned, putting his hands on Regina's hips and walking her towards where he could just make out the outline of her bed. "I agree with your decision wholeheartedly."
"I bet you do…" Regina drawled, enjoying the way Robin's fingers dug into her flesh as he brought her hips against his.
Since Regina hadn't thought much about lighting the torches in her room - too busy attaching herself to her thief's lips - their feet bumped into each other, walking out of sync in a wavering path. There was too much for them to concentrate on; the route to where her bed was, not stepping on each other's toes, the feeling of each other's lips, their hands working at each other's clothes… Something had to give. And when Robin had loosened Regina's skirts to fall past her hips, neither of them had the brain power to realise the consequences of his actions.
The fabric pooled around Regina's ankles, and the Queen simply didn't lift her feet high enough on her next steps to leave it behind. Robin's foot landed somewhere on the creases of fabric, not allowing any give in the material to accommodate Regina's caught foot, and both their weights overbalanced and sent them stumbling into the bedside table.
Regina groaned, the edge of the wood digging into the back of her thigh, the items atop the surface being pushed back into the wall or off the sides, and Robin's additional weight making the small cabinet teeter onto its hind legs.
"I'll kiss that better for you in a minute," Robin offered upon parting with her mouth, trailing his lips down the side of her neck until he could pay attention to the spot below her ear that always released breathy moans from her, attempting to wipe away the pained frown from her face.
It worked, and in Regina's distracted haze, Robin subtly turned them so her knees rested against the soft mattress behind her. His hands traced down her sides, past her hips, to behind her lower thighs, and with a quick tug Regina was tumbling back onto her bed with a surprised laugh, wasting no time in pulling Robin down with her.
Her head was spinning, and from the way Robin closed his eyes and exhaled into her neck, she presumed he was also feeling a little dazed. She couldn't help but laugh again. No doubt this was unsuitable behaviour for a queen, but she couldn't find it within herself to care. For the first time in a long while, she felt worriless, happy, truly content, and she wanted to hold on to that feeling for as long as she could.
With a smile, Regina brought her hands to frame Robin's cheeks and brought his face to meet hers.
He must have noticed her staring, halting with concerned eyes as he asked; "is everything alright?"
For a moment, Regina couldn't find the words, gazing into his eyes with a soft smile on her face as she deliberated on his question.
"Everything's wonderful," she finally answered, and grinned before she pulled him down to kiss her.
Placated - and more than happy to feel Regina's lips on his again - Robin kissed her back, smoothing a hand over her front, toying with the lace edging of her corset before he realised they were both still wearing too many clothes.
"Take this off," he mumbled into her mouth, shifting so he could start unfastening the buttons on his own shirt with their lips still connected.
"You do it," Regina countered, too busy biting his lip and running her hands through his hair.
"I've had too much alcohol to be that dexterous."
"Doesn't bode well," Regina teased, grinning as she pulled back to grin at him.
"I assure you I am more than capable of making you come for me," he vowed. But then Robin looked down, and between the dark fabric and the lack of light in the room, he didn't even want to try and navigate those fastenings. "Your garments are… difficult. And I can't even see the laces."
Still not willing to let it go without another dig to his ego, Regina taunted; "does the legendary Robin Hood require assistance with a simple corset?"
"Yes," he answered. But then wiped the smirk off of Regina's face with a low; "take off your clothes."
Meeting his eyes, Regina bit her lip and brought a hand to the laces on her corset - though still unwilling to let him win the upper hand, she breathed a quiet; "yes, sir."
With a low chuckle, Robin tapped her nose in warning, "you know what that does to me…"
"Do I?" she replied, feigning ignorance - but the way her eyes were shining and a smirk was appearing on her lips said otherwise.
Nevertheless, she removed her garments anyway, dropping them over the side of the bed to join with the clothes Robin discarded whenever he wasn't too distracted with kissing newly revealed skin.
Her shoes slipped off her feet to land on the floor with a couple of thunks, but the sound was drowned out by the moan Robin let out when Regina's nails dragged down the bare skin of his back. With the last pieces of clothing discarded, Regina pushed Robin to lie on his back, straddling his waist and pushing herself off of his chest so she could make out his features.
The room was spinning, but her eyes met his and suddenly he was the focus of her entire world.
"Robin…" she began, but whatever she was going to say faded from her mind, words turning into a jumbled mess of emotion that she daren't sort through. So instead she leaned forward to kiss him, cupping his cheeks in her hands and letting her hair fall to the pillow below and block out the moonlight, plunging them into total darkness.
Robin didn't say anything, he let Regina work through whatever emotions were flowing through her mind - and tried to work through the feelings of his own.
They had always had some sort of connection, from the moment he had offered a hand to help her to her feet he had felt something towards her. But whatever it was had grown, grown so much stronger, to the point where he only had to think of her and his heart would pound in his chest.
The reasons for it whirled around his mind. They had been through so much, had lost and gained, had shared pasts and histories and found that they weren't that different after all. They knew each other better, had revealed layer after layer of what made them *them, and had accepted it without question. It was no wonder that their affection ran so much deeper than before.
He wondered if he could say the same for Regina - though a part of him answered 'yes' anyway. She had certainly grown fonder of him; if he thought about the distance she kept at the start of all this, to how close she was to him now, certainly something had changed. And he was glad, he'd have a pretty hard time staying away from her should she decide they had gotten too close. She was beautiful, she was intelligent, she made him happy, and she was possible the sexiest woman in existence… There was nothing else he could want from her. And one day, he hoped there'd be nothing else she could want from him.
He wanted this forever, for the rest of eternity; the easy closeness and intimacy they had fallen into, the way the entire world disappeared when they were together. They were something truly magical.
And it was then that Robin realised, for all his internal musings which were lifting Regina higher and higher in his mind, he wasn't doing much to lift her higher right in front of him. Well… on top of him.
She had started to grind her hips against his - probably what had drawn him out of his inner ramblings - and the feeling of her slick heat over his hardening cock drew a pleasured sigh from his lips. The hands he had on her waist started moving her into a gentle rhythm, a slow back and forth that had both of them releasing moans into each other's kisses.
On a particularly harsh grind down, Robin's hands reached for Regina's ass in a pitiful attempt to keep himself grounded. Though it backfired when she shimmied her hips on top of him, seeking out more of the rough kneading of his hands. Of course he obliged her - he wouldn't deny her anything right now - and he was rewarded with her lips trailing up from his neck to give him a kiss which left him breathless.
The next pass of her hips had Regina reaching a hand down between them, giving him a few quick tugs before she angled his cock into her. They both released low groans, pausing to adjust and regain some semblance of control before they started moving again.
Regina continued their slow grind, releasing groans into his mouth when he moved his hips to meet hers. Raising a hand to tangle in her hair, Robin swept the long tresses over her shoulder, pausing a moment to take in her hazy eyes and flushed cheeks. With a groan of appreciation, he pulled her back to him, delving into her mouth with renewed vigour.
Their slow grind picked up pace, a more deliberate back and forth that had Robin reaching places even deeper inside of Regina - drawing guttural moans from the both of them as their breathing came out uneven.
They were both still rather clumsy, the remaining alcohol in their system making their movements sloppy here and there. But neither of them seemed to mind; both a little too caught up in the sudden influx of emotions to bother about anything else.
It wasn't unusual for them to feel more of a connection when they were like this - it seemed that the more time they spent together the closer they felt - but there was just something about this time in particular. Regina chalked it down to them wanting an escape, an outlet for everything going on in their lives. Since they both started the night wanting the world to fade away, they hadn't been mindful or tentative when exploring whatever connection they had between them; they had grasped it with both hands and embraced it. They had dived head first into their ability to become the sole focus of each other, had willingly forgotten every single reason they had for not falling for this, and the sheer power of it took their breath away.
A part of Regina wanted to store her musings away for another time, for when she had a clear head to counteract all the romantic notions running though her. Perhaps a time when she couldn't blame alcohol for her not being able to maintain her guards.
Though deep down, she knew that she still wouldn't be able to fight this desire to be close to Robin, regardless of how clear her head was. And if she was being completely honest, Regina was tired of fighting anyway; she'd been fighting the darkness, fighting her magic, fighting her grief… She was done fighting Robin.
Resolution made, she pushed at his bare chest so she could look at him. Watching as he bit his lip in pleasure and his gaze trailed over her face, Regina met his eyes in a new light.
She could* love him - if she wanted to put labels on her feelings and sort them into neat, little boxes. It might have been love that had taken root in her heart. But she wasn't going to obsess over details; she was just going to let things go wherever they went. If they worked, then perhaps she could see a future with him, if they didn't, then their relationship would be a happy blip on the downward spiral that was her life. Regardless of how the future turned out, she was lucky to have known him now.
She almost told him, almost put voice to the emotions flowing through her, but this was not the right moment. They were drunk - very drunk - and they were working just fine as they were. Putting such complicated things as feelings out in the open would likely turn everything messy and difficult. She'd keep quiet, and if the timing was right then perhaps she'd consider it. Until then, she was perfectly content with trading uncoordinated kisses in the middle of sporadic and tipsy giggles, a light sheen of sweat covering them due to the effects of the alcohol, the summer weather, and the way they were both working to drive each other to the peak of pleasure. They were both so tightly coiled, the tension within their bodies begging for release, and between the long build and the emotions coursing through them, the intensity was already starting to leave them breathless.
Regina started to move her hips faster, her teeth digging into her lip as jolts of pleasure ricocheted through her body. Robin's mouth trailed over the shell of her ear, his moans somewhat muffled by the hair that had fallen from her shoulder.
"God… Regina," he breathed, his hand trailing up her back to tangle in her tresses. He planted his feet on the mattress underneath them and raised his hips in time to meet her grinds, his other hand wrapped around her waist, wanting her as close to him as she could possibly be.
Their movements erred on the edge of frustration, climbing higher and higher to the edge but somehow not being able to fall over it. Regina brought her hand between them, her fingers rubbing over her clit in an attempt to push herself over the peak, and whilst it had her breathing out a strangled 'god…' it still wasn't quite enough. She needed… she didn't know what she needed, but it was… something more.
With a slight whimper, Regina grasped Robin's lower lip between her teeth, smirking at the low growl in the base of his throat before she took his mouth with hers, and suddenly they were flying over that treasured precipice. Her high moans mingled with his low grunts, and their hips stuttered as the pulses of pleasure washed over them, the intensity of which caught them both by surprise.
The aftershocks took a while to subside, their muscles still quivering as they shifted into a more comfortable position with Regina curled up into Robin's side. His fingers trailed over the dip of her spine and she melted into his touch, smiling at the way he pursed his lips at random intervals to press kisses into her damp skin.
"I don't know if it's the alcohol or not," Robin started. "But god, that was good."
He knew it wasn't - or at least not wholly; there were self-recognised feelings now on his part, and the emotional connection had just magnified everything he was already feeling. He wasn't sure if they were reciprocated, but it was a nice idea to think about. What would they be like as a couple and not just… whatever they were? What would it be like to be able to hold her hand as they walked through the castle without worrying about everyone seeing? What would it be like to tell her 'I love you' one day?
"You know what I feel like?" Regina suddenly asked, and Robin's heart quickened with the possibility he would actually hear some sort of emotional confession from her. Had she been reading his mind? But what her heart desired in that moment was nothing he could provide. Instead, she gave a far-away, whimsical sigh of; "cheesecake."
"Cheesecake?" Robin frowned, trying to recollect where he had heard that before, and then he remembered that time he had tried some foods from her Storybrooke. He hadn't liked that cheese in a cake; had much preferred those balls of pastry with cream in them – though he couldn't quite remember what she had called them.
"New York Style Cheesecake," Regina elaborated, her voice distant and dreamy. "With caramel sauce. And a scoop of vanilla ice cream."
She bit her lip, and Robin was a little perturbed that the moan she let out was the same kind that she had been emitting into his ear a few moments previous.
Regina turned to face him with a mischievous grin. "Feel like a trip to the kitchen?"
"With you?" Robin asked, smiling at her enthusiasm as she threw back the covers and searched for her robe. "Eh, I don't know…"
Regina paused as her fingers touched her robe, turning back to Robin with an outraged gasp before she saw the teasing smirk on his face.
"Oh, you're so funny," she deadpanned, throwing him a glare as she swung the silk gown over her shoulders and put her arms through it.
Robin spent a moment to enjoy the view before he donned his own clothes and caught up with her at the door. They were both still feeling the alcohol - though they had seemed to regain their ability to walk in a reasonably straight line again.
"Regina," he started, catching her hand as they walked down the corridor, intent on setting her straight; "I'd follow you to hell and back."
Fighting a grin, Regina interlinked their fingers. But she couldn't help but tease; "I'd probably just leave you there."
"Well now I know where this relationship is heading…" Robin joked, before dropping her hand and walking ahead of her.
He smiled at the sound of her hurried footsteps behind him.
"You know I don't mean that," she assured, grasping his hand again. No more fighting Robin, she reminded herself, and then admitted; "I'd fight the devil himself to keep you safe."
Robin turned to look at her, a touched smile on his face at her admission. Perhaps their relationship wasn't as one-sided as he thought, perhaps Regina had grown as fond of him as he had her.
"Shut up," Regina dismissed with a smile, seeing a dopey grin on Robin's face. "Let's just go eat my cheesecake."
