Author's Notes:
Special Thanks to ale_nena for her constant support and the lovely cover art available on twitter at ale_nena.
Setting: Misthaven non-magical modern AU. The society and political system will be based on a combination of modern countries, with a probable bias toward the American system as I am an American. However, all characters are fictional and resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidence.
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"And we've already made arrangements to have dinner with Senator LaBeouf after the new year," Zelena finished her story about her and Blake's time spent with in the Federal District.
"Miss LaBeouf invited Zelena to go shopping. She said she loved her style," Blake said proudly.
"That's wonderful, Blake," Cora smiled, "It's nice to hear that some members of this family have been successful in political circles."
Regina held down a sigh, exchanging an irritated look with her father. They'd both been paying for their antics at the winter ball for the past two weeks, and Blake, of course, hadn't missed any opportunity to suck up ever since he and Zelena arrived two days before.
She picked at the brussel sprouts on her plate, wondering how she was going to stand another week of this. Especially since they left for the family cabin tomorrow and the five of them would be stuck in an even smaller house!
"Well, it's good to have you both home," Henry managed to change the subject.
"I know! I've missed you, Daddy," Zelena gushed.
"Aww, well I missed you, Sweetheart," he beamed.
Glancing between them, Cora frowned, "Zelena is making a name for herself and Blake is doing important work running the political office."
"Of course, my Dear," he agreed, "But I still miss them."
Cora rolled her eyes and drank the last of her wine, "Well, is everyone done eating? We have an early morning tomorrow and there were some things Blake and I were going to discuss."
Regina had only eaten about half her dinner, but she didn't have much appetite for it, so she stood from the table as well.
As they filed out of the dining room, Henry and Zelena walked arm in arm to his study talking animatedly about her time in the Federal District while Blake and Cora broke away to go to the elevator.
Regina followed them.
"Going to bed?" Cora asked.
"Yes," she nodded as the stepped on, "I'm a bit tired."
"Probably wise, it's a long drive to the cabin," Blake said in a condescending tone.
Resisting the urge to punch him, Regina simply nodded and wished them a quick goodnight as she stepped off on her floor.
She let out a sigh of relief as she closed the door to her suite behind her. It really was going to be a long week!
Shaking off the annoyance of her brother-in-law's presence, she walked to the bedroom where she stripped off her clothes and headed for the bathroom.
She took a long leisurely shower, letting the water melt away some of the stress. When she got out, she changed into her pajamas and got into bed.
It was still relatively early, though, and she wasn't tired so she picked up a book and attempted to read.
Her mind kept wandering, though, and, irritatingly, her stomach started growling. Finally, she tossed the book aside.
She'd been too distracted to eat at dinner and was paying the price now! She was starving.
Laying back into the pillows her mind wandered, thinking about how good a eel and avocado roll would be right now!
She groaned. Her favorite sushi place wasn't even that far away, and she knew the delivered...of course, she couldn't do that. Her mother had never allowed food delivery at the estate. Plus, she'd never heard the end of it for snacking.
Her stomach groaned again as another cramp hit her.
She sat up with an exasperated sigh. Glancing at her phone, an idea occurred to her but it would be asking a lot. This craving was so bad, though, and it wasn't that late…
Picking up her phone, she dialed Robin's number.
"Hello?" he answered. To her relief, he didn't sound like he'd been asleep.
"Hi, it's me."
"What's going on?" he asked.
"I was wondering if you could do something for me?"
"What?"
"Well...you see I have this craving…" she trailed off.
"Oh yeah?" he asked.
She could hear the arousal in his voice and was torn between amusement and feeling slightly guilty for leading him on, "Yes, you see I just can't get my mind off one thing…"
"And what's that?" Robin asked.
"...sushi," she whispered huskily.
"What?" he asked in surprise.
Biting her lip, she said, "I'm hungry."
"You want sushi at 10 o'clock at night?" he asked in disbelief.
"Please, Robin!" she begged, "I'd go myself, but you know I can't!"
"I don't think there'll even be a sushi restaurant open!"
"I know of a place that's open late," she assured him, "It isn't very far."
He was quiet on the other end of the line.
"I'll owe you one," she pushed.
Finally, he sighed, "Alright, I'll ask Marco if I can borrow his car."
Smiling, she told him what she wanted him to order and hung up with several thank yous.
Waiting for him felt like it took forever, but finally she heard a faint knock on the door. Jumping out of bed, she ran to open it quickly ushering him in.
"Hey," she said excitedly, "Did everything go okay?"
"Yes," he nodded, "I got what you wanted. And you definitely do owe me!"
She laughed, taking the bag from him, "Yeah, yeah, I'll make it up to you."
Walking over to the sofa, she sat down in front of the couch and began taking the containers out of the bag. She was happy to see that they'd included some paper plates and chopsticks.
"Come on, sit down!" she beckoned him.
Taking off his jacket, Robin joined her, "What made you want sushi so late?"
She shrugged, "I don't know. Just had a craving I guess."
It wasn't the complete truth, but she wasn't in the mood to get into that.
"Want some? I know you like fried rice," she offered, "We can see if there's anything on tv?"
"Why not?" he grabbed the container of rice and picked up the remote.
As he flipped through, she eagerly opened the package of eel rolls, took out a pair of chopsticks and dug in. The rolls were spicey and umami and tasted even better than she remembered. Swallowing her first bite, she picked up another piece and ate it with gusto.
Beside her Robin chuckled and teased, "Wow, don't forget to chew!"
His words made her pause immediately, a stone settling her stomach.
Seeing her freeze, he asked, "What?"
She slowly set down the container, trying to breathe evenly. She knew he hadn't meant it that way. Robin would never say something like that. However, there were so many times when she'd heard things like that from her mother...
"Regina, what's wrong?"
"Nothing!" she grumbled.
"No, really, tell me what's wrong," he pushed.
She let out a sigh, glaring at him.
"Regina. I didn't mean anything-"
"I know that!" she snapped, "I just...I don't like people commenting on my food!"
It sounded like a pathetic excuse, but it was all she could put into words.
"I'm sorry," he finally said, "I shouldn't have said anything. Please don't stop eating if you're still hungry."
She did want to but the thought of doing so now made her burn with a kind of shame she wished she didn't feel.
"Come on," he picked up a piece and held it out to her.
She glared at him, "I'm not a dog!"
"Okay then, I guess I'll have to eat them all," he said.
She rolled her eyes, but as if to prove a point he pulled the tray over and started scarfing down the remaining pieces.
"Don't you dare!" she protested, yanking the container away.
They stared at each other for a moment before both burst into laughter. It seemed to chase away the tension so when they finally quieted down, Regina popped another piece of sushi into her mouth and passed him the remote, "Here, find something to watch."
He took the remote, sipping his arm around her and turning on the tv. They settled on an old movie, which they watched as they finished up the last of the take out.
That was the last thing Regina remembered before she woke up a few hours later, the carpet hard underneath her back.
Blinking in confusion, she looked up at an infomercial running on the television screen. Rolling over, she found that Robin asleep next to her, his head resting on his hands.
With that she recalled talking him into bringing her takeout and them having an impromptu picnic together before cuddling up under an afghan to watch movies.
Apparently they'd fallen asleep together.
Smiling, she propped herself up on her hand and let herself watch him in the glow of the tv for a moment.
She loved him. She loved how they could spend time together just watching bad movies. She loved that she felt comfortable with him he ways she didn't even her own family.
She muted the tv, and reached over to stroke his cheek. She hated to wake him up, but knew that she needed to.
He stirred, looking up at her, "Hmph, what time is it?"
"Almost 2," she answered softly.
He groaned, pushing himself up, "Oh, we have to leave early tomorrow don't we?"
"Yes," she nodded as they stood from the floor.
"So what's this cabin like?" he asked.
She shrugged, "Remote...picturesque. It's nice."
He stretched, "I should…"
She nodded, "Go, get some sleep."
As she walked him to the door, he said, "So you were craving sushi tonight…"
"Yes?"
"...maybe some night I'll be craving dessert?"
She laughed, catching his meaning, "I told you I'll make it up to you. Though it may be a while. The cabin is small."
"Of course it is," he said resignedly.
He gave her a nice kiss goodnight at the door, though before leaving to sneak back down to his room.
Once alone, Regina gathered up the takeout containers and shoved them into the bathroom trash can before crawling into bed alone.
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The peace she'd found last night was short lived. Zelena spent all of breakfast the next morning whining about the limited space in the cars they were taking to the cabin and the fact that there wouldn't be enough room for all the luggage she brought from the Federal District.
"I just don't understand why we can't take an extra car!"
Cora sighed, "Two is plenty, Zelena."
She pouted, turning to Henry, "Daddy, please!"
Cora looked up at her older daughter in annoyance and for once Regina agreed.
"We're only going to be there a week," she pointed out.
"Well maybe you don't care about your appearance," Zelena said snidely.
She sighed, taking a sip of her coffee.
"Alright," Henry interrupted, "Zelena, if you need more room I can take a smaller suitcase instead."
Cora's fork clattered to her plate, "This is ridiculous! Zelena, one suitcase should be enough!"
"But Mother!"
"It's really alright, Cora-"
"When are you going to grow up?" Cora scolded, "I suppose never since your father spoils you like a child!"
"Cora!" he protested.
"Don't even start, Henry!" she said turning to Blake, "And don't think I haven't noticed you sitting there silently! I suppose expecting you to be the adult in this situation was too much!"
"Cora, please let's just try to have a good trip," Henry begged.
Cora stood from the table, "I'll meet everyone outside in an hour. Can we please at least leave on time?"
The four finished breakfast quietly and Henry said he would go check on Cora. Blake excused himself to make a phone call, leaving only the sisters.
"What?" Zelena demanded as Regina finished her coffee.
"What?" she repeated.
"I can tell you want to say something, so say it!"
"Well you are being a bit over the top!" she said, "Do you really need all the stuff you brought from the Federal District for one week?"
Zelena rolled her eyes, "I can't believe you're still doing this!"
"Doing what?"
"Agreeing with mother to try to get on you her good side! You always were her favorite!"
"Oh Gods!" Regina groaned.
"And now you're playing the long suffering Regina just like always!"
"Zelena," she pinched the bridge of her nose, "Did it ever occur to you that I might just be annoyed by your attitude? And that you're inconveniencing Daddy for no reason?"
"Yes, you're so concerned for Daddy because you're the good daughter!"
"Zelena!" she snapped.
"I'm your sister! It'd be nice if you supported me for once!"
Regina shoved her chair back from the table, saying irritably, "I'm going to pack."
She cooled down while packing her suitcase and dragged it down to the front steps.
The two cars were waiting for them there.
"Are you sure you don't mind, Daddy?" she heard Zelena asking as Drake loaded their luggage into the car.
"Don't worry about me, Darling," he said, "I'd rather see you happy than have a few extra outfits!"
Regina rolled her eyes, taking her time walking down the steps to avoid being drawn into another argument.
Robin stepped out of the other car and walked over to take her suitcase. She gave him a weak smile of thanks.
Her mother and Blake came out a few moments later, occupying both security guards with loading their things into the cars.
They waited a little longer until the two other members of the security team arrived.
Since they were all going to be in one place, Drake had agreed they didn't all need their own, but insisted on four security guards since threats were still coming in.
Still annoyed from breakfast, Regina chose to ride with her mother rather than Zelena, Blake, and Henry.
They rode along in silence for about an hour before Cora broke it, "You know, Regina this might be a good time to discuss the upcoming year."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Well it will be an important year for us," Cora said.
Regina sighed, "You mean because of your presidential run?"
"Regina!" Cora hissed, glancing toward the front seat where Robin and Kronk were sitting.
"Mother, you don't really believe our staff hasn't heard you talk about it before do you?" she rolled her eyes.
"I've had quite enough sass for one day from your sister!" Cora rebuked but seemed to accept that Regina was right, "But, yes, I am talking about that. I am going to run and we all need to be prepared!"
"I understand, Mother."
"Outside of the upcoming election, though, I think you need to start seriously thinking about you future."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You should be thinking about the future of your career and of your personal life!" Cora said, "You haven't seriously dated anyone since you were in college and, if you ask me, haven't been serious about anyone suitable for you ever!"
"Mother-"
"And you're still insisting in spending all your time about the Foundation."
"I like working at the foundation," she told her mother for what felt like the millionth time.
"It's beneath your abilities, though," Cora insisted, "You could have a bright future in politics if you'd just apply yourself."
Regina didn't answer, knowing that there was no point in telling her she wasn't interested in politics.
"I'm also serious about your personal life!" she went on, "Most girls your age are married and starting families by now! Have you thought about that?"
Regina glanced at Robin in the driver's seat before she even realized what she was doing, "Of course I've thought about it, Mother."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Cora answered, "And I hope you'll consider it more. Now is the time to get serious, Regina. All of us have an opportunity in this coming year, I hope you'll get on board!"
She didn't answer that either, but Cora didn't seem to want one. Instead she reached over to the control panel on the door and started up some music as the cars began climbing the winding road into the mountains.
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They arrived at the cabin just before lunch time, but they didn't have time to eat. After dropping off their luggage, they immediately had to change and leave to the Yule service at the local temple.
It was the only time anyone in the family attended temple, but the Mills family were among the most noteworthy, if only occasional, residents of the area, so the local press were interested in them.
Cora never wasted the opportunity to give them feel-good photo opportunities. That included being seen attending temple with local families, followed by serving meals at the soup kitchen.
The service at temple was long and Regina felt herself wanting to zone out. Between staying up late the night before and the stress of all the arguments that morning, she was exhausted and, frankly, cranky.
When the priest finally brought the service to an end, she stood and followed the crowd filing out. The town square and its snow-lined streets were lit up with fairy lights. It looked beautiful, but she could barely enjoy it.
"You okay?"
She turned, finding Robin standing behind her.
She shrugged, "Fine, just ready for all this public nonsense to be over!"
"Nonsense?" he asked, "That's quite a way to describe a religious service. You don't believe in the Gods?"
"Of course not!" she scoffed, "There's no point to it!"
"Hm," he hummed.
"What?" she asked.
"I think there's a point to faith," he answered.
"You mean societal control?" she guessed, "Sure, religion has been used for that for millenia."
"That's a very cynical way of looking at it," he commented, "Faith gives people hope. It can be used for good.
She sighed, "Robin...I'm sorry. I know you're just trying to make conversation, but I'm really not up for it right now. It's been a long day."
"Okay," he said, "So what else is on the agenda for this trip?"
"Next we go to the the soup kitchen for the ten minutes it'll take the press to take photos, then we go home and, hopefully, sleep. Tomorrow is Yule dinner."
"Do you have to shop for cakes?"
"No," she shook her head, "I brought them from Unity City."
He nodded, stepping up so that he was standing close to her back, "Let me be the first then."
With that he pressed a small box into her hand, quickly stepping back as her parents approached. She was confused, but slipped it into her pocket.
"Let's go, Regina" Cora said, "The soup kitchen is expecting us."
She nodded, following them down the steps and along the walk to the kitchen. As expected, a reporter from the local paper was there, prepared to take pictures of them going inside.
She her mother immediately put on a fake smile that made her want to gag, but she held it down, instead pasting on her own fake smile.
They went inside and got suited up in aprons and hairnets, serving a few meals while the reporter was still there.
"Alright," Cora finally announced, "We can go."
Regina rolled her eyes, but didn't bother arguing.
They rode back to the cabin in silence and filed in. Luckily, it seemed, the Mills family had exhausted their capacity for arguing.
They ate a light dinner that had been prepared for them by the caretaker, and individually went to bed without much further conversation.
As she closed the door behind herself, Regina dumped her coat across the dresser, hearing thump that reminded her of the box Robin handed her outside the temple.
She picked up the coat and pulled out the box. Inside was a traditional miniature Yule cake. He'd gotten her Yule cake.
She smiled, picking it up to take a small bite. It tasted of figs and something else that she couldn't quite pinpoint.
Closing the box, she picked up her phone and typed out a text to Robin.
"Meet me by the back door?"
She waited but a response didn't come. Disappointed, she tossed the phone aside and left the room to go toward the kitchen. The cake was good, but had been sticky.
She poured herself a small glass of milk and sipped it. One her way back to her room, she heard faint voices coming from her father's study.
She padded her way in, unsurprised to find Robin and her father sitting on either side of a chess board.
Leaning against the doorway, she smiled to herself. She watched them for a moment, before Henry happened to glance her way, "Regina! You're up late."
"So are you," she commented, stepping into the room. Robin looked her way, but only briefly, "Is this how you selected who would accompany us on this trip? Your chess companions?"
Henry chuckled, "Well, perhaps."
Regina smirked.
Stretching his back, Henry said, "Well, since this one is takes forever for decide his move, perhaps I chose wrong?"
Robin glared at him, but she could tell it was good natured.
"Why are you up, Dear?"
"Just getting a glass of milk," Regina said, taking another sip.
"That's a good idea," Henry commented, "Though, I prefer something a little stronger."
With that he stood from his chair and walked over to the mini bar to pour himself a whiskey. Glancing up he happened to catch Regina's movement in the mirror as she leaned over the back of the couch, pressing her hand on Robin's back.
She had stepped away by the time he turned around, though. He had to admit he was somewhat impressed.
Taking a sip of his whiskey, he made his way back over to the board. Examining it for a few minutes, he moved a rook forward and stole Robin's queen, "Checkmate."
The younger man sighed.
With a smirk, Henry said, "Well, I'll be off to bed then. Regina...goodnight."
"Goodnight, Daddy," answered following him out of the room.
Regina walked alongside him until they parted ways, her father heading toward the master bedroom. She slowed her gait after that, waiting until she heard Robin's footsteps behind her.
Grabbing his hand, she ushered him into her room.
"Thank you for the cake," she whispered.
He chuckled, "Well you're welcome."
"I didn't quite get the flavor, though."
"Fig, rum, and anise," he told her with a shrug, "Seemed like you."
"Sweet and bitter?" she asked, "Seems like a backhanded compliment."
"Sweet and dark and strong," he corrected, sliding his hands down to her backside.
She chuckled, allowing him to kiss her deeply but stopping him before things went to far, "The walls here are much thinner...your dessert will have to wait."
He sighed, but nodded stepping away from her.
"Wait," she said,"I'm sorry for earlier. I was grouchy…"
'It's fine," he told her.
"I know this time of year can't be easy for you," he stiffened at the reference to his family, but she assured him, "You don't have to say anything but if you need to talk, you know I'm here."
"Thanks, but I'm alright."
She didn't quite believe him, but didn't push, "Okay."
He squeezed her hand, "Well I should go…"
"Hang on," she pulled her hand from his and walked over to her dresser. The boxes with Yule cakes for each family member were in the top drawer waiting for tomorrow.
She found the one labeled pumpkin and walnut and handed it over to him, "Happy Yule."
He stared into her eyes with a smile and said, "Happy Yule, Regina."