Author's Note: You may have noticed a rating change. Enjoy. ;)
Chapter Five
When she woke up on Saturday, it was to a cool apartment, a hot cup of tea, and a handsome man cooking her breakfast. She lingered in the kitchen watching him cook and stealing bites of bacon. He, in turn, stole soft kisses from her and dropped more than a few to her neck and shoulders.
They were falling into quite the domestic little picture, the two of them, and Regina found she loved it. She loved waking up with him and doing things as simple as cooking breakfast together. As she watched Robin cook, she thought back to her time with Daniel. Their relationship had been so much different. It could have been because they met in college and never really lived outside of a dorm room environment together, but they were never so… inseparable.
She was beginning to discover the sweet first love she had with Daniel was so different than what she felt for Robin.
She didn't have more time to contemplate what exactly that was because just then he turned to her with a plate full of eggs, bacon, toast, and a pancake with chocolate chips. Chuckling, she set it on the counter and rose up on the tips of her toes. Her arms wound around his shoulders and their lips met.
She wanted to repay him, not only for falling asleep on him the night before but also for him always cooking and taking care of her. Just then an idea came to her. There were a few dishes she could make better than others, but the one thing she could make that was always amazing was her lasagna.
After many moments, she pulled away from him, and they took their plates into the living room. While she ate, she made a mental list of things she would need. Between bites, she told him she wanted to cook for him and that she was hoping she could convince him to go into the city and spend the day with her.
He agreed easily with a pleased smile on his face.
Just as they had the previous day, they stopped by the market down the street from her apartment so she could get the ingredients needed for dinner. Once home, she shooed him into the living room, telling him he could go relax. He protested, said he wanted to help her, but she shook her head. He had been spoiling her too much, it was her turn.
She was pregnant not an invalid.
A smile formed on her lips when instead of turning on the TV, he walked over to her bookshelf. He stood there for a while, taking in all the titles. A frown pulled her lips down. The shelves contained mostly contemporaries, historical fiction, and even a few (she cringed) romances. His hand reached up on the top shelf and grabbed her copy of The Iliad then made himself comfortable on the couch. Regina smiled.
Sci-fi, fantasy, and apparently classics were his taste.
Dinner was a success, for the most part anyway. The lasagna was great, but she burned the garlic bread. She wasn't too upset by it, as she had been a bit distracted when he came into the kitchen claiming to have been bored with relaxing and placed his lips on hers. It wasn't until he asked how long it had been that she remembered dinner.
He kissed her after she pulled them from the oven with blackened edges and told her, his eyes sparkling with mischief, he would rather save room for dessert anyway.
Which was exactly what he did.
Back on the couch, on his lap, they'd been kissing for a while. Her cardigan had been tossed on the floor long ago, and her sleeveless blouse was bunched up as his hands were finally full of her breasts.
His thumbs flicked hard nipples over the lace, making her whimper. His tongue licked her skin right before he nipped at the spot under her ear.
His name fell from her lips in a reverent whisper, "Robin…"
"Hm?" he asked, trailing his palms down her sides and then back up. His head dipped down, and she felt his tongue lick over the swell of her breast. Her fingers threaded into his hair, encouraging him down and further down...
But then the sound of her apartment buzzer filled the room.
No.
Absolutely not! her mind cried out.
Regina glanced over at the door. She didn't care who it was or what they wanted. It could be her mother for all she cared. They weren't answering that, and they were not stopping.
Robin pulled his lips away from her long enough to ask, "Did you want to…"
"No. Ignore it," she told him before reaching back and undoing her bra. His eyes darkened as he took her in while he helped move the material up.
He stared for long moments, his hands hovering, brushing over her with the barest of touches that made her whimper. "Christ, love…" Licking his lips, he took her breasts in his hands once again, then dipped his head and took a dusty peak in his mouth.
Again, the buzzer when off.
Regina threw her head back and growled.
"What if it's something important?" he asked.
Looking down, she gasped as he pinched her nipples. It seemed he wasn't interested in stopping either. She hummed as the ache between her thighs became almost unbearable. "Nothing is that important; it can wait until later." Leaning toward him, she took his face between her hands, and just before their lips met, she whispered, "Touch me."
He groaned into their kiss, and she closed her eyes as his hand slipped easily into her waistband and down between her thighs. He brushed cotton fabric aside and with the tip of his finger, teased over her clit. Regina pressed her lips together to keep the sounds she wanted to make from spilling out, but it was no use. A strangled gasp left her and her hands fell to his shoulders, grasping the hard muscle there.
Oh God, she thought. This wasn't going to take long at all. She was already embarrassingly close to the edge, after so long of not being touched, she just needed a bit more...
"Christ, you're so wet…" his voice rasped.
Her hips pressed down onto his hand. "Robin, more," she begged, not caring how desperate she sounded.
She heard his light chuckle and then the feel of his fingers as they moved over her in quick soft circles. "Tell me, my darling, are you always this amorous? Do I get to look forward to this after all those raging hormones leave you?"
Her head fell back again. The feel of his fingers and the sound of his voice... She didn't think she could get so turned on."If you continue to do what you're doing, I can guarantee you I will be."
"Do you know how sexy you are?" he asked.
She shook her head trying to summon up the words to answer him but feeling too close to concentrate on anything but him. She opened her eyes and looked down into his, which were filled with the same want and need that she'd seen the last time they were in this position, and she suddenly wanted nothing more than to have him naked and inside of her.
"Regina, are you here?"
Regina's head snapped up and her eyes widened. "Don't come in!"
She felt Robin's hands hook around her shirt, pulling it back down, right before Emma stepped into the apartment.
"Ah, shit," came the sound of her old college roommate standing over by the door with Henry in her arms. "Sorry guys," she stammered, "we'll just… be in the hall."
The door to the apartment shut, and Regina looked down at Robin who, despite feeling him still hard beneath her, was fighting the urge not to laugh.
"This isn't funny." She scowled. Would they ever catch a break? She just wanted to come, just once by her boyfriend. Was that too much to ask? She had been right there, so close, but no.
Robin's head shook, and he leaned up, placing a kiss to her lips. "It kind of is, my love. Have I told you, you're beautiful when you're cross?"
The look she gave him, the one where she tried to send him a withering glare but it came out more as an exasperated smile, was hard to fight away as his dimples made another appearance. Once she got her clothes back in place, she let out a sigh. "I better go see what she wants."
With legs still feeling like jelly, she got to her feet and tried to ignore how hard her heart was still beating and the wetness between her legs. She was going to take Emma's key back from her.
Pulling the door open, some of the ire left her seeing her friend's red, wet eyes and sleeping infant on her shoulder.
"Emma?"
"Oh, hey," she said, wiping away the tears from her cheeks. "Sorry, I tried to call…"
Regina sighed. "I turned off my phone, we were... busy."
Emma didn't say anything for a minute, only glanced over Regina's shoulder into the apartment. "Do you want us to come back?"
"No, just get in here." Regina tilted her head inside, not about to send her friend off somewhere when she was obviously upset. Regina could make a few guesses at what was wrong, but she would only need one. "Come on, let's talk."
Emma looked over at Robin and gave him a sheepish smile. "Hey, sorry about this."
Rising to his feet, he reached a hand back to rub his neck. "No apologies needed."
Regina saw Henry's eyes blink open and made a decision. She reached for him. "Hey, baby boy, you are going to stay in here with Robin while me and your momma talk."
Robin's eyes widened as she walked toward him with Henry. "Me?"
"Might as well practice now," she chuckled, then raised her eyebrows at his look of apprehension. "Unless you'd rather not?"
His eyes pulled away from Henry to hers, and he shook his head. The fear in his eyes replaced with what she could only assume was determination. She would have laughed had he not been so nervous before but held it back, finding his resolute facade adorable. He looked determined to prove to her he could do it.
"Of course I will," he started, holding out his hands. "Come here, Henry boy. There we go." Regina's stomach flipped seeing him standing there bouncing Henry like he'd done it a million times before. The little boy's eyes held Robin's with this little look like he sort of remembered him from the last time they were over but soon became entranced with his stubbly beard. "We've got this, don't we little chap?
Regina smothered a smile. "We'll just be in my room if you need anything."
Robin smirked. "We'll be here having a chat about the ladies."
Nodding, she turned to her friend. Emma gave her a look she took to interpret as you sure your boyfriend has my kid? Regina gave her an encouraging nod and then gestured with a wave of her hand forward. She wouldn't have left him with the baby if she didn't think he could handle it.
"We'll be right back."
"Take your time," Robin replied.
Flipping on her bedroom light, Regina left her door open a crack and walked over to join Emma on the bed. She groaned, the rise of the bed and having to hop up on it was getting more difficult with each passing month.
"I'm sorry I busted up your night."
When she finally found a comfortable position across from her friend, she said, "It's alright. Tell me what happened."
"I'm just so mad at him," Emma growled. The hurt tone in her voice from earlier was replaced with anger and frustration. "He doesn't get that we can't keep living this way. He's always working, we never see him… and now he wants to go in on some kind of pyramid scheme thing. He's an idiot."
Regina knew this had been coming, they both did, but telling her friend 'I told you so' wasn't going to get them anywhere.
"What did he think about your job?" she asked, knowing the reason behind the fight.
Emma snorted. "He was surprised, and at first, I thought he was going to be happy about it when I showed him my check, but then he just flipped out on me."
"He's too much like his dad."
"Tell me about it. I told him if he can't suck up his stupid pride and deal with me working, then we're done and then I left." Emma sighed. "I hate to ask, but I was kinda hoping we could crash here tonight?"
Regina reached over and took Emma's hand. "You know you can."
The blonde gave her a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "What about you and your boyfriend?"
Unfortunately for her and Robin, the night for them was on the way to ending anyway. They both had to work the next morning, and it was already late. "He has to go to work tomorrow. He was going to leave soon."
The side of her mouth pulled up. "How's that going?"
Regina picked at a piece of lint on her quilt, averting her eyes because she knew her friend could read her like a book. Her feelings for Robin were something she wanted to keep between them, just for now. "It's going really well."
"He seems like a keeper," Emma mused.
Regina lifted her eyes, smiling softly at the sentiment, hopefully giving nothing away. "That's what I'm hoping."
#
Standing with her at the door, Robin hesitated before he left. Emma seemed to be in better spirits, but an unease had settled in the pit of his stomach as he imagined Emma's husband showing up and stirring up nerves. Though Neal didn't give Robin an impression he would be violent or emotionally abusive, he hated the idea of them rowing in front of Regina or their young son.
"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" he asked.
Her head tilted, and her soft brown eyes held his. "No, you've got to work tomorrow and you'd just have to go all the way back out to Brooklyn first to get clothes. We'll be fine."
With a nod, he closed the distance between them and brought his lips down to hers. Leaving her was starting to become harder and harder as they grew closer. There was a protectiveness set in his heart he couldn't explain for only having been with her just over a month. Perhaps it was that she was pregnant or because of their inexplicable connection, but whatever it was, they'd begun to give in to it. He no longer tried to reason with himself why he felt so strongly for her and just let it be.
His hand reached out and brushed over her belly. "Call me if you need anything."
Her fingers threaded through his, and they stayed like that in the doorway for long moments before she replied with a soft, "I will."
They parted with a lingering kiss and a smile.
Only the unease returned when he turned the corner and came face to face with Neal.
"Hey, is Em here?"
"Yes, she is."
"Hey, thanks," Neal said and started to make his way around him.
"I know this isn't my business but... I can see where you're coming from. You want to provide for your family, and it's an honorable thing, but in doing so, you're losing her."
He didn't say it because he suspected a fight. He didn't say it because he wanted the girls to have some peace. He said it because he overheard most of Regina and Emma's conversation drift down the hall and out into the living room through the cracked door, and if he could help save a marriage, he would. Even if it meant laying the bare truth at his feet for him to do with it what he will.
"You don't know us…" Neal began.
"I know that," Robin interrupted, "but I've heard some of the things she's said, and I've listened to you both before. She just wants you there, mate, at home with them, and she wants a say in your lives together."
Neal held his eyes but didn't say anything in return.
Robin let out a breath and turned, intent on taking the stairs back down, but then another thought struck him and he turned. "Having said that, you may want to give her some space just now. I don't have much experience in this sort of thing, but I have a very strong-willed mother, and when she went to stay at my aunt's, well… let's just say my father had better results when he gave her a day or two to cool off."
Neal's eyes tore from his and looked down the hall towards Regina's apartment. "She that mad still?"
Robin's brows raised as he said, "I believe the term selfish bastard came up more than once."
"Dude, you gotta understand," Neal took two steps down the stairs towards him. "I'm not doing this because I don't want her to work. I'm doing it because she should be able to stay home and raise our son and not worry about money."
"Yes well, did you ever think that maybe she doesn't want that?"
Neal smiled. "I think I know my wife a little better than you do, pal."
Clearly not, Robin thought but didn't say. Instead, he phrased it in a way that would come across a little less rude. "I suspect you would, and yet here you both are." He wanted to make a point. And by the look of it, he had. "You might try sitting down together and just listen to what each other has to say. You might be surprised what you learn from it."
Neal remained silent, but seemed to consider his words. With a tight smile and a nod, Robin left the man to his thoughts.
#
Saturday night went and so did Sunday. They traded messages and a short call, but Emma and Henry stayed there until Monday morning when Emma went to work, not that he minded. She was Regina's friend and she needed someone to be there for her as she sorted out her situation with her husband.
Robin hoped his words to Neal helped. Overhearing the conversation Emma and Regina had, he felt he had to say something. It was obvious Emma loved Neal, but his insistence she not work put a burden on their family. Robin thought if he could get Neal to see how dire his situation was, perhaps it would help.
He must have made some impact because Neal never went upstairs, or he may have, but Regina said he never came to the door.
Drying his wet hair, he tossed the towel on the bathroom floor before walking down the small hall into his room. His roommate was gone, so he didn't give a toss about walking around the apartment without a stitch of clothes. He chuckled remembering a text Regina had sent him a couple weeks ago. What do you prefer to wear to bed?
His answer had been, Nothing. He imagined the blush that had blossomed on her cheeks and only waited a few minutes when her reply of, Oh, came back.
He was about pick up his phone and call her when it began to ring.
His lips pulled up as he answered. "I was just about to call you."
"Sounds like good timing," she replied in her soft, sexy tone that drove him mad.
He hummed an affirmative. "Have your house guests vacated?"
"They have. They seem to have made up... for the time being anyway."
"That's good," he said, and he found that he meant it. He hoped Neal took his advice to heart and began to put back the pieces of his family.
"I know it's late," she said, "but…"
"But what?"
"If you stayed here tonight, you wouldn't have to get up so early for work, and I have bagels."
Robin laughed, as if he would need food to tempt him. She was all the temptation he needed. "Bagels you say?"
"Mmmhm, bought some this morning along with some real coffee."
"Coffee for?" He was teasing her. He knew very well it was for him because, while she would have a bit every now and then to put off a migraine, he knew she was against too much. It warmed his heart she had thought to do that for him.
"For you… for when you stay."
The implication was not lost on him. She wanted him there more often, and it quelled any of his fears on the pace they had set. "So we're having more sleepovers then?"
"It seems that way."
"I'll be over soon," he replied, already pulling some clothes from his dresser.
"Okay."
Hanging up, he packed up some clothes for the night and work the next morning, grabbing some extra just in case.
The trip from Brooklyn was quicker than he imagined. During the trip, however, it gave him time to ponder over his commuting situation. Having a car would make his life so much easier, not only for work but for situations like tonight. Then his mind got to thinking over a few months from now. The baby would be born and then what? Would they drag her out onto the train during the fall and winter months?
Surely having his own car would make it easier on, not only him, but all of them.
When he arrived at Regina's he tossed away thoughts of trains and cars and settled into an evening with her.
She was already in pajamas, and her hair was different than she normally had it. Where it was normally straight and falling just to her shoulders, now it was curly, her natural curl he assumed, and he found he loved it maybe more so than when she had it straight.
They were in bed, her reading a book against his side while he sketched out an idea he had for the account he was assisting with. Not that they'd appreciate his ideas, but still, it gave him something to do other than being frustrated at the situation.
"Are you okay?"
Robin's eyes drifted from his sketchbook to hers. "Of course, why do you ask?"
She chuckled and closed her book. As she shifted away from his side, he turned more so he could better look at her. "You've only sighed ten times in as many minutes."
It struck him that he had, and Robin let out another sigh, only this time he tossed his pencil and book on her bedside table. Rubbing his eyes he admitted, "I'm just a bit annoyed with work."
She frowned. "Are you still working with that idiot?"
The displeasure in her eyes and her tone made the knot which had been building in his stomach for weeks lessen just from having her on his side.
"Unfortunately, but you know what, I'm not going to let it bother me anymore. Eventually, I'll get past this, but until then I'll sit back and accept the salary they're generously paying me to do nothing."
Robin watched as she tossed her book to the end of the bed and then rose up onto her knees. His lips pulled up, and his hands rose to rest on her hips as she settled over him, straddling him.
Her top teeth sunk into her bottom lip, drawing his attention. "If it helps, I appreciate your talents."
He chuckled. She was so adorably sexy and he loved it. Loved her. "Do you now?"
She lowered herself on his lap fully, and he stiffened beneath her. "Mmmhmm, in fact, I've been looking forward to those talented fingers of yours for the last couple days."
Biting his lip, he reached up with one hand, and tangled it into her soft hair. "I should probably do something about that then."
Her head bobbed in a nod. "You should."
He brought her head down to his, meeting her in an open-mouthed kiss.
"You tell me when you want to stop."
"I don't want to stop, that's the problem," she whispered to him between kisses. "You can't understand how much being pregnant makes me just… I never want to stop."
"That may be," he murmured easing from the kiss to nip his way along her jaw. "But while your hormones are wanting one thing, I don't think you're really ready."
"Maybe you're right, but we can do other things..."
He chuckled against her skin. That they could. "We can do many other things. You lead the way, my love."
Her hand boldly took one of his and guided it down between them. His heartbeat picked up, and he felt himself stiffen.
It turned out the flimsy nightgown that fell just to her mid thighs was all she had been wearing. His hand brushed over her soft warmth and… Dear God, she was already wet.
He wanted nothing more than to feel her. "I can't wait to be inside you."
"I don't see what you're waiting for."
Her hand covered his, and she lifted up onto her knees as his hand slipped easily into her warmth. Robin groaned. "Bloody fuck…"
"Please," she nearly begged.
Make no mistake, he wanted to. He wanted to feel and taste her, making her gasp his name and whimper those soft little whimpers she made when she was close to the edge, but for now this would do. This was more than enough.
Her hips moved against his hand. Christ, if she kept that up, he was going to lose it himself just from watching her. "What do you want, love? Do you want to come?"
"Uh huh… Make me come, Robin."
Thrusting his fingers inside her, he watched as her head tipped back. Her nipples showed through the thin material of her white nightgown, and he licked his lips, wanting nothing more than to latch onto them. Her hand tightened around him. He would have angry, red crescent marks on his wrist from her clutching and splaying, but he didn't care. The only thing that mattered was her coming apart under his fingers.
"Fuck love," he rasped, not being able to wait any longer and dipped his head, taking a peak between his lips through the material.
"Oh! Yes, Robin… Mmm."
Taking her nipple between his teeth, he listened as her breath hitched, and then a deep moan as she fell over the edge. He released her breast, needing to see her coming apart and when his eyes fell on her, he was sure he'd never seen anything sexier in his life. He eased her down, gently thumping until she collapsed against him, trapping his hand between them. After long moments, she raised her head from his shoulder and he took the opportunity to steal another tongue-filled kiss. And for a long while they did nothing but.
Minutes passed and then she eased away from him. "Your turn," she whispered against his lips. Her smile was all the warning he had before her soft hand stole into his sweats and closed around him, drawing a deep groan from him.
"Oh God…" Robin groaned as he closed his eyes. All thought from there left him. The only thing he could think of was her hand as it stroked him from base to tip. Fucking Christ, he wasn't going to last long. "Yes, do that, darling..."
His jaw clenched, and he opened his eyes, looking into hers a moment before he felt her release him. Just as he was about to ask what was wrong, her arms crossed in front of her and then her nightgown was up and off, giving him a view of her full, beautiful breasts.
His breath left him in a whoosh as he said, "God, Regina…"
She smiled almost shyly before reaching down and taking him in her hand once again. "Is that better?"
Better? his mind echoed unbelievingly. Having her bare assed naked on his lap, he almost came right then.
He licked his lips, his mouth dropped open on a long, slow stroke. "It was good before… but now… you're so stunning…" Her hand began to move a bit more confidently and his mouth clamped shut but not before letting out a, "Fuck, babe."
"Like this?" her voice whispered in his ear.
"A little more…" he began but she must have known what he wanted because her grip tightened and his head fell back. His hands made purchase on her hips, gripping the soft flesh there. Another firm stroke and then he felt her thumb over his tip... "Bloody hell, that… don't stop that."
He opened his eyes and found her watching him. His gaze fell from hers to her breasts and then between them before he reached up and brought her down in an opened-mouthed kiss. His tongue swept over hers just as his world exploded before his closed eyes.
#
"Wanker. Stupid bloody talentless arsehole!" Robin muttered while shoving open the door of the loo. Christ, his coworker was such a royal prick. If he could get away with asking for another person to work with, without sounding like a whiny prick himself, he probably would.
Walking over to the sink, he dropped his hand to the cold marble. The man didn't even look at the plans Robin gave him before setting them to the side and continued on speaking as if Robin hadn't said a word. Robin could deal with his colleague's self absorbed attitude, but his blatant refusal to even take his suggestions into consideration was maddening.
Gazing into the mirror, he let out a heavy exhale and was just about to leave when a voice sounded from behind him.
"Something wrong, Locksley?"
Robin turned sharply to see none other than Richard Lionel, the CEO of his company standing there looking far more amused than Robin was feeling.
Shite.
"No, sir," Robin said to which Richard's eyebrows rose. Closing his eyes, he shook his head. Lying to him sure won't help him now. "Sorry, it's only, I've been here for nearly a month now, and I haven't really done anything. I know that's sometimes how this works, being the new man on the team, but… if I could just get my hands on something, design a doghouse - anything but sit to the side."
The older man walked over to the sink and began to wash his hands. When he was finished, he focused his eyes back on Robin, considering him for a long moment that made Robin wish the floor would open up and swallow him whole. "You want something to do?"
Robin swallowed. "Yes, sir."
"Follow me."
Not one to argue with the CEO of his company, Robin followed silently behind him. There were curious looks all around as they passed row after row of his junior colleagues and even a dropped jaw every now and then. He couldn't fathom why he was getting the looks he was. Perhaps he wasn't the only unlucky bastard who went off in the men's loo about his superiors and that's why he was probably on his way to human resources, to fill out his termination papers.
But they didn't go downstairs. Instead, they turned the corner, got in the elevator and took it up to the top floor. They didn't speak for the entire ride. Even if he found his voice, Robin wasn't sure what he would say to make the situation any better.
When the lift opened, it was to a lobby with a large desk. Richard's assistant, Keegan, was smiling at him like she'd known he and Robin would be coming.
"Hold all calls, Keegan."
"Will do, Mr. Lionel."
Richard wasted no time getting right to his reason for bringing him up here, leaving Robin no time to process anything before he walked into his large office and said, "Robin Locksley, this is Stan Jenkins. Stan, I have that architect for you."
Stan, whomever he was, rose from his seat opposite Richard's desk and held out his hand. "Ah, yes, Robin Locksley is it?"
Robin's brow creased, but he took the man's hand in a firm shake. "Yes, sir."
"Stan's an old friend of mine from college," Richard explained. "His niece is remodeling a flower shop down in Brooklyn, and I told him I had just the man for it. Think that'll keep you busy for a while?"
If he had been hit over the head with a flower pot, he didn't think he'd be more surprised or speechless than he was at that very moment. Then it struck him that Richard had been on his floor because he'd been looking for him.
Grateful beyond words, Robin smiled. "Yes, sir, thank you."
#
"I couldn't believe it. He took me straight up to his office without a bloody word. I thought for sure I was going to be sacked."
Regina smiled softly from where she sat at the counter, watching him as he cooked dinner. He called her that afternoon sounding happy and excited, offering to cook her dinner because he had news to share with her. She'd been curious, but he wouldn't tell her a thing until he got there. However, the lack of frustration in his voice had given her hope that whatever it was meant he finally had been given something to do.
Turned out, it had been something alright, and she couldn't be prouder of him.
"So you'll be working in Brooklyn?"
Robin shook his head while swallowing the bit of sauce he'd taken a taste of. "No, but I will meet with her on Thursday to get a good look at the place and a good idea of her preferences."
Her eyes followed him as he scooped a bit of sauce, and with a hand under the spoon, blowing on it as he brought it over to her, he held it out for her to taste.
The sweetness of the tomato sauce burst on her tongue. She hummed appreciatively at the hints of rosemary and basil.
His brows raised. "Good?"
She gave him a look of disbelief. "Very good." He smirked and gave her a quick kiss before going back over to the stove. Regina placed a hand over her belly where the baby was being quite a bit more active than usual. "How long do you think it will take you?"
"It's a small shop, so six months maybe, give or take."
She nodded thoughtfully. "Well, I'm very happy for you. I'd hate to think of what would have happened if you would have had to keep working with whats-his-name."
Robin looked at her sheepishly. "Yeah, it was a bit of a tirade wasn't it?"
Regina raised a brow but said nothing about it. He already knew how lucky he was that his boss had a sense of humor about the whole thing. Had it been her editor, the person would have found themselves escorted out of the building.
"We'll just have to think of other ways for you to channel that frustration of yours," she mused, her lips pulling up as he turned toward her.
"Oh?" He set the spoon down, flipped off the burner, and slowly walked over to her. His dimples flashed, making her belly flutter as he stood in front of her. "And what ways were you thinking, darling?"
"I have a few ideas, but you'll have to wait until after dinner to hear them," she smiled against his lips.
Robin let out a little disappointed groan but pressed his mouth to hers. "That's not very fair, my love. I gave you a taste, it's only fair that I get a taste of my own."
Oh.
Regina's eyes widened and her jaw dropped open a bit. "A taste?"
He pulled back a bit and she shivered as she felt his hands find the end of her dress and his palms slid up her thighs. Her eyes closed and she inhaled before letting out a breathy, "I suppose a taste couldn't hurt."
His top teeth sunk into his bottom lip, and he grinned as his hands went up and hooked around the silk of her underwear. She raised up letting him slip them down and down while he kneeled in front of her.
She let out a soft gasp as he pulled her to the edge of the chair then felt her heart pick up as he spread apart her legs. "I've been wanting to do this to you for far too long."
Her head fell back as he leaned forward, hooked her thighs up on his shoulders, and she nearly came out of the chair feeling his tongue slide over her clit.
A deep throaty moan left her. Her eyes were shut tight, as sensations she hadn't felt in so long ran through her. There were only maybe a handful of times she'd had this done to her and the last time had been so long ago. If she were honest with herself, she couldn't remember enjoying it like she was now.
His tongue slid down through her folds and dipped inside of her. His groan filled the room and she thread her hand into his hair, holding him to her because God she never wanted him to stop.
Her lips pressed together. It was good, but she wanted him back up where he was, so she whispered his name and reached down, slipping her fingers under his chin to coax him back up.
He got the idea without her needing to say more because after one final lick, his tongue was back on her, fluttering against her clit. Soon she was trembling and gasping his name. She couldn't believe he was doing this to her, going down on her right there in the kitchen before they were about to eat. All she knew was she wanted more of this, as much as he would give her, which she was quickly discovering matched her own desire.
One of his hands left her thigh and a deep sigh left her as she felt his fingers join his tongue. With fingers thrusting, thumping into her, she closed her eyes, ready to fall blissfully over the edge when he took her clit between his lips and began to suck.
She cried out then, words and curses she couldn't remember even as they passed through her lips. It wasn't until she came down she realized his fingers were still moving. A gentle thump that was sending small waves through her. She let out a hum as she reached for him.
He got to his feet looking thoroughly pleased with himself. "How was that?"
She giggled and sat forward feeling like she'd rather not move anywhere just yet. "Shouldn't I be asking you that question?"
"Definitely something I'll want to have more of later," he said, running his hands along her thighs and squeezing.
She felt the heat in her cheeks right before he laughed and stepped forward, closing the distance and bringing his lips to hers.
#
Friday came with sunshine and mild seventy-degree weather, thanks to a unseasonable cold front. It couldn't have come on a better day. Now seven months pregnant, Regina had a doctors appointment scheduled at three o'clock that afternoon. She usually tried to book them in the mornings when it was cooler, but she had to rearrange her schedule due to a last minute booking. Between being out in the park all day and then having to make her way across town, the cooler weather was a godsend.
On her way back home, she texted Robin from the back of the cab to let him know she'd be there before he got done with work and to come by whenever he was finished for the day.
He had stayed with her every night that week. Monday she asked him to stay. Tuesday he came over with his good news and after dinner they'd gotten so wrapped up in one another that by the time they came up for air, it was late, so she told him to stay that night, too. And Wednesday, well, what could she say? Her bed felt so empty without him, and it turned out he felt the same way.
Which brought her back to the conversation she just had with her doctor and how mortified she had been asking the question she already knew the answer to but just had to be sure.
"Alright, Regina, everything's looking good. I'll see you in two weeks."
Pushing her hair behind her ears, Regina took a deep breath. "Kathryn, I was wondering about something…" she trailed off and waited for her doctor to finish up with her notes before continuing, "about sex. Is it safe this far into the pregnancy?"
She could tell her doctor was trying hard not to smile. "It is. Have you started a relationship with someone?"
Regina could swear her doctor had put a small emphasis on the word relationship and she felt blood rush to her cheeks. "I have."
"Sex is fine right up until you deliver." Kathryn raised an eyebrow. "Though, you might not feel like it by then."
Regina looked out the window and shook her head, unable to imagine what could change in the next eight weeks to keep her from not wanting Robin in some way.
But, she mused to herself, that could still be her current hormones doing the thinking.
#
"I have to go see my parents this weekend."
Her words woke him from sleep and he had to blink many times to wake himself enough to respond. "Oh, is that such a bad thing?" he asked her through a wide yawn.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
His arm tightened around her. "It's alright, love." He kissed her brow. "Why don't you want to go?"
She sighed. "I haven't told them about the baby."
Robin's eyes opened. That was certainly a good reason for not wanting to see them. "Oh, well that might present a problem. Don't you think they'll be happy for you?"
"Hardly." Her head rose from his chest. "My mother is… difficult. She'll lecture me about morals and loose behavior and then probably threaten to disown me."
His lips pulled down. He couldn't imagine a mother who could be so cruel to her own daughter. A feeling of agitation for the woman knotted in his stomach, filling him with a need to shelter her from the entire conversation. "Do you want me to come with you?"
Her arm came up, so she could prop her chin in her hand. Her eyes danced with warmth. "You'd do that?"
Would he do that? The way he was feeling at the moment, he would marry her and tell them they had been from the start to keep her mother at bay. However, he wasn't so sure that course of action wouldn't be more detrimental than her just being pregnant. "If it would save you from having to sit through such ridiculous standards and a tongue lashing, then yes. Absolutely."
"I appreciate that," she said before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "But I think this is something I need to face on my own."
"Alright." Leaning up, he closed the distance between them. Her lips were soft and yielding under his, but he pulled away before they could get too carried away again. "But if you need someone to blame, you can always tell them that it was your idiot boyfriend who knocked you up."
Though his words were said in jest, he meant every word.
Her eyes shimmered with tears. "Is that what you are? My boyfriend?"
Reaching up, he tucked a curl behind her ear. "I'd like to think so."
"Even with the baby?" she asked, her eyes never leaving his even though tears fell from them.
He smiled softly, though the searing sensation in his chest threatened to overwhelm him. "Especially with the baby."
His lips fell over hers once again as he distracted her tears with kisses. Reaching down between them, he brought her to her second height that night, then soothed the two of them until they fell into a deep slumber.
Saturday evening came sooner than she would have liked. The dark clouds outside reflected her mood as she began to get ready to go to her parents.
Regina pulled a dress over her head and smoothed it out over her curves. She'd gotten it a little over a month ago from the Motherhood Maternity, when she planned on having dinner with her parents before they canceled on her.
She meant to tell them about the baby, but the months went by quickly. She told herself she still had time, but then she started to show and more months passed and now here she was, two months away from giving birth and her parents had no idea.
"They're in for a shock, aren't they baby girl?" Regina said, her gaze on her reflection as she ran a hand over her bump. She smiled at the feeling of her tiny daughter's feet against her hand. She imagined it as her little one's way of agreeing with her. It was then her gaze shifted to the ring she still wore.
For a while now she thought of removing it, but it was only recently she felt like it was time that she did, that she would be okay without it as her heart no longer felt like there was a hollow piece missing from it.
That hollowness was beginning to be filled.
Though she still carried Daniel with her, and always would, she knew it was time to let him go. As painful as it was to think about, Daniel would have wanted her to move on, to be happy with the family that she and Robin were becoming.
Slipping the ring from her finger, she brought it up to her lips kissing it, kissing him, one last time before walking over to her dresser and tucking it away in a small wooden chest. She closed the lid with a finality that broke her heart but also freed it.
On the ride over to her parent's, she told herself she didn't care about what they thought. More particularly, what her mother thought, though she hated the idea of disappointing her father.
Growing up, he let her mother determine Regina's upbringing. And in a lot of ways she resented him for it. But then he had been the one to come to her and make her feel better when she felt her mother had been unfair, which was more often than not, and though his actions may not have said so, he was always on Regina's side.
Steeling her nerves, Regina walked up to her parent's door with her heart in her throat, suddenly regretting that she hadn't let Robin come with her. She could use his touch on her back and his reassuring words in her ear right about now.
Raising her hand, she knocked on the door.
"Regina, dear." Her mother's lips pulled up into a smile but then faltered. Why was she opening the door? Regina thought. She'd been expecting a few more minutes before having to face her, thought she had a few more moments to prepare but apparently not. Her mother floundered at her. "What on Earth…"
Though she was caught off guard, Regina tucked her hair behind her ears and tried to smile. "Mother," she began while stepping up the last step and around her. She wasn't going to continue to stand out on the stoop while her mother picked her jaw up off the floor.
"Darling," her father's voice came from the adjacent room. She turned and smiled at him right before he took her in his arms. There was a heartbeat's pause and then he pulled back, a slow smile spreading over his face. "Regina, you're pregnant?"
The joy in his eyes made her own mist with unshed tears. "I am."
"I'm going to be a papa?"
Regina nodded, and he pulled her into his arms once again. But their moment together was short lived as her mother's voice cut into the room and between them.
"Henry, really. Must you encourage this?"
Pulling away from her, her father sent an exasperated look at her mother. "It's already done, my dearest…"
Cora, however, was not as accepting as her father, and she crossed her arms over her chest. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
Regina raised her chin. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but it was only because I knew you'd react this way."
"I see." Cora held her gaze, making no attempt to hide her scrutiny and judgment. "It's good to know I can't be relied on to be happy with what's going on in my daughter's life…"
Anger bubbled inside her. Her mother was always doing that. Always making everything about her.
Her mother marched past them and into the den. Regina shared a look with her father before they both followed after her.
"Mother, I wanted to tell you..."
"Clearly not," her mother interrupted as she poured herself a drink from the small bar in the corner of the room.
"I realize this is surprising, but can't you set that aside for a minute and be happy? I'm having a baby, my own little girl." Regina placed her hands on her stomach and fought back tears. "You're going to be a grandmother."
Her mother's eyes swept from hers to where Regina's hands were. Regina hoped her words made some impact, but her eyes snapped back to Regina's as she asked, "When did you even get involved with someone? Now that he's gotten you pregnant, is he planning on marrying you?"
Regina fidgeted on the spot. Her first mistake.
"Oh..." Her mother's eyes widened as they bore into Regina's, and for a moment, for a ridiculous unnerving moment, Regina felt like her mother was almost pleased by what she was about to accuse. "You don't know who the father is, do you?"
Surprising her, her father stepped forward. "Cora, of course Regina knows who the father is." Regina felt his hand on her back. "Can't we talk about this reasonably? Without upsetting Regina?"
"Reasonably?" Cora let out a bitter laugh. "My daughter comes home looking ready to give birth and I had no idea… and you want to talk about this reasonably?"
"Mother, I wanted to have this baby. It was my decision and I…"
"And where is the father in all of this?" Cora placed her glass back on the table so hard Regina thought it might break. Regina faltered long enough, once again, for Cora to accuse, "You see that, Henry, there isn't one."
"She has a father," Regina fired back, remembering what Robin had told her. "His name is Robin."
"He's not here with you…"
Regina squared her shoulders. "He's working."
"On a Friday night? Where?" Her mother's eyes narrowed.
"He's…" Suddenly, she was back a year ago on the couch next to Emma, reading over donor profiles.
"Number 147. He's getting his masters in architecture. Your kid could be artsy; he's also double majoring in art. Plays soccer, music, and likes the outdoors. British. 5'9. With sandy blonde hair and blue eyes…"
"He's an architect," Regina said almost to herself.
"Go on."
No, it was… it was impossible. Robin couldn't be her donor. It was all just… just a coincidence. An amazingly similar coincidence, but a coincidence nonetheless. The idea that she'd gone and fallen in love with her daughter's father…
"Regina, are you listening to me?"
Pulling herself from her thoughts, Regina shook her head. "Yes, I am. He's just gotten a project in Brooklyn..."
#
"Come on, mate. One hit won't kill ya."
Robin scowled at his roommate and then down at the joint Killian had extended Robin's way. He hadn't gotten stoned since he left for Italy last year, and though he enjoyed the occasional high, he wasn't interested in starting back up.
"I know that," he said looking away at the television where they'd been playing FIFA for the last couple of hours.
He listened as Killian inhaled another deep drag, and then his voice was raspy as he exhaled and said, "Think of it as your last little hurrah before you get saddled with a little one."
Pausing the game, Robin reached for his beer. He decided a while ago he wouldn't let any of Killian's comments about his relationship with Regina bother him. He was happy, incredibly so, and Killian and he were like day and night when it came to settling down and having a family, so he didn't expect him to understand. "I'm not getting saddled with anything."
"Right, well then just take one more. For the good o'days, yeah?"
Robin rolled his eyes, but then stared at the offered joint. There was a small tempting voice in his head that was hard to ignore. He couldn't say he hated the idea. Regina was with her parents for the evening and his week had been going so well, a bit of a buzz to relax him wouldn't hurt anything. "Alright, give it here."
Killian grinned while lazily passing it to him.
The harsh smoke filled his lungs, and Robin held back a cough, no longer use to the burn, but was experienced enough to know how to hold it in long enough to gain the effects from it before letting it out.
"I really need to get some work done," Robin muttered before passing it back.
"One last match," Killian said, tossing the controller to him. "At least give me a chance to redeem myself."
Robin laughed and sat back. "Sober or stoned not a chance of that, mate."
While they played and the light buzz began to set in, Robin began to feel something else. Guilt. He hadn't lied to Killian when he said it would be his last. He wasn't in college and on his own anymore. He was in a relationship, in a good job, and his girlfriend had a baby on the way.
Shit like this, even as harmless as it was, ruined people's lives. The last thing he needed was for Killian to get caught here with it especially while, God forbid, Regina, or months from now, the baby, were here.
Maybe it was time to start looking for a place of his own. Somewhere where the front door didn't swing open as frequent as a brothel and marijuana wasn't hidden under his mate's mattress.
#
Exhausted and overwhelmed, instead of having her parent's driver take her home, she had him drop her in Brooklyn. She probably should have gone home and given herself some time to think, but after spending hours having her mother question her about the future of her and her child and Robin's place in it all, the last thing she wanted to do was be alone.
Cora had been Cora, and she had cut her down, berated all of the decisions in her life until she was spent and excused herself from dinner. Regina sat straight through it all with her hand over her baby and her mind set.
Cora could talk herself horse for all Regina cared. She knew she made the right decision to have her baby, and she knew she made the right choice in her relationship with Robin.
She left with a smile and a kiss on the cheek from her father. As much as it warmed her, and as much as she always credited herself for being strong and independent, tonight she just wanted to be supported and held.
She probably should have messaged Robin, or at least called him, but she knew he wouldn't care if she came by.
However, the surprise on his face when he opened the door looked a bit too startled for her. "Regina."
She took note how his eyes widened and how he swallowed before glancing behind him. Her heart knocked hard thinking for a small moment that she had come at a bad time, that maybe he had another woman over, but then she chased the thought away as quickly as it came.
He wouldn't do something like that. Somehow she knew that wasn't it.
Raising a brow, she asked, "Can I come in?"
His shoulders dropped, and he held out a hand to her. "Of course you can." When he closed the door after she stepped inside, his smile was there, and his hand reached up to cup her cheek before he kissed her. "Hey, beautiful."
Her forehead fell against his. His hand was warm on her skin and she breathed in. Smelling the scent that was him, the scent that calmed her... the scent that was... mixed with... something.
"I'm guessing the day with your parents went about as well as you expected?"
"About as well and then some." She leaned back so she could look into his eyes. "Can I stay with you tonight?"
"You don't ever have to ask that, love." He gestured with a tilt of his head and said, "Come on, I was just getting ready for bed. You just missed the thrashing I gave Killian."
She listened to him as he laughed, while he pulled her through the room and told her about his evening, but his words faded into the background as she inhaled. There was something about that smell. She remembered it from somewhere… incense maybe? Emma used to burn them in their dorm all the time when she and Neal would…
Regina stopped in the doorway to his room. "Were you… was someone smoking?"
He didn't need to answer the question because her answer was written all over him. His eyes locked on hers. "Eh, well… Killian was a bit…"
He reached back to scratch his neck. A thing he did when he was embarrassed.
"You were, too."
"I was." His hand dropped and he sighed.
Regina's jaw clenched, and she looked away from him. Disappointment for him filled her. A feeling she never wanted to feel for him.
He stepped over to her and gently took hold of her arms. "I know what you're thinking, and no, it's not something I do very often, hardly at all really. I just had a good day at work for once, and Killian kept going on about one last hit before the baby's here and somehow I let him talk me into it. It was only one hit, but I promise, it was the last time."
She crossed her arms in front of her. "Is that all he does?"
She could tell he knew what she meant and he nodded. "That's it. He's not into hard drugs, and I swear I've never touched them."
At least there was that, she thought and let out a sigh.
It wasn't as big of a deal as she was making it out to be. She tried it herself back in college, but she found it made her a little too lazy and lasted longer than she liked. Neal and Emma still did it on occasion and Daniel had often joined them before he passed away.
Her ire was more from the fact that she had just gotten through defending what a good, sensible guy he was to her parents, and it seemed she had only been half right.
"I believe you, but…" She let out a breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. "God, I didn't need this tonight."
"Regina, I'm sorry. It was stupid and I know I've disappointed you."
Yes, he had.
"Where's my shirt?"
She was sure she saw a bit of hurt and regret in his eyes, but she needed to get out of the room. She needed to cry, and she needed him not to see her do it.
He went over to his dresser and pulled the shirt she wore the last time from the drawer. Walking back over to her, his voice was soft as he handed it to her. "Right here."
"Thank you." She took it from him, keeping her gaze on the shirt. "I'm going to go change."
"Alright."
She shut the door to the bathroom and fell softly against it. Tears fell hard and fast and she covered her mouth to keep him from hearing her.
She wasn't crying because he had smoked a little pot. She was crying because she was angry with her mother, and because she was fine not knowing who her daughter's father was, but now she was filled with this crazy, incredible hope that it could be him, and she had no idea how she was going to tell him.
Because she needed to tell him about how she got pregnant. It was time to be honest with him, and the thought of losing him now…
Wiping away her tears, Regina shook her head. He wouldn't do that.
Robin was kind and loving and would understand.
#
He was already in bed when she came back into the room. Guilt gnawed at his heart and his gut while his mind continued to chastise him. Sure, it was only a hit, but it was more of a reflection of a poor decision on his part. Whether she was okay with the drug or not, when it came down to it, it was a choice he'd made and it'd been the wrong one.
Tonight opened Robin's eyes to that.
If he didn't end up deciding to move, he and his roommate were going to have to have a conversation about the things not allowed in the apartment after the baby was born, his weed being the first thing to go.
Regina closed the door behind her, and when she got into bed, she didn't hesitate to nestle herself into his side which surprised him. Breathing her in, he wrapped his arms around her.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.
She let out a deep sigh. "She reacted the way I knew she would. She was angry and disappointed until…"
"Until, what?"
Regina pulled away and sat up. Following her lead, he sat up as well, waiting for her to continue. "She was going on and on questioning me about the father and then... I told her the baby does have a father. I told her it was you." Her eyes met his.
He took her hand in his, ignoring the warmth that filled his chest, knowing she hadn't finished yet.
"In a way, it's true what I said to her about you being the father, at least I think it is. Am I wrong?"
"You're not wrong, darling. Not at all." Leaning in, he placed a light kiss to her lips. "I would be honored to be your baby's father, even if it's just us who know the truth… well, and a few others." Her eyes held his as they always did, only now he felt as if she was searching for something in them. It was suddenly then that they filled with tears, and his heart nearly split in two thinking that he had misinterpreted her. "Unless that's not what you want..."
"No." Her hand came up to his cheek. "It's not that. I'm just tired and a bit overwhelmed and just found out my dumb boyfriend is a pot smoker."
She mumbled that last part and the playful tone had him thanking God he hadn't completely fucked everything up. It gave him hope he'd be able to make it up to her. "I deserved that."
She rolled her eyes, though he could tell her heart wasn't in it. "I don't really care… I mean I do, but..." Her shoulders lifted and fell, "If it's just recreational…"
Shaking his head, he assured, "It's not even that. Tonight was the last time, I promise. I wouldn't risk it around you or our girl here."
"Okay." Her eyes fell between them.
"Hey, Regina, look at me." He waited until he could look into her warm, brown eyes and when they did, his heart fell when he found them full of tears. "There's something else. What is it?"
"I'm just glad I have you."
"I'm glad I have you as well. You know, there's something I've been meaning to tell you," he began, not entirely sure this was the right time or place but knowing that it was something she needed to hear and he needed to say. "Regina, I've been captivated by you since the day you held the lift for me all those weeks ago. You're gorgeous and kind, brilliant and sexy… being with you is like nothing I've ever felt before... and yet it is because it's familiar. Like you're my home. I'm in love with you, Regina Mills. Completely and utterly. I'll be here with you and with her, as long as you'll both have me."
He didn't have to wait long for her response, and thank God for it because the tears that had been falling from her cheeks never ceased with his speech.
"I love you, too. So much." Her lips fell on his, and he opened his mouth under hers, drinking her in as much as he could until she pulled back enough to whisper, "Make love to me," against his lips.
He searched her eyes for any sign of hesitance. "Are you sure?"
"I've never been more sure about anything. Especially us."
As she kissed him once again, the last thing he remembered thinking before they both became lost in one another was he couldn't agree more.