"Someone's up early this morning," Zelena commented as her daughter skipped into the kitchen fully dressed in her hunting gear, with her hair tied up in a complex looking braid.
"It's Friday!" Robin replied in a singsong voice. Zelena smirked knowingly at her lovesick daughter, knowing all too well why Friday's held such a special place in her heart.
"Didn't you just see Alice a few days ago? You know, when I caught you sneaking in past curfew?" Zelena glared playfully at the brunette, who quickly moved to try and cover the blush growing on her face.
"I already told you that…"
"You took a wrong turn on a trail that you have memorized?" Zelena finished, winking at her daughter. "Is that what the kids are calling it these days?" She muttered into her mug.
"Mom! It wasn't like that!" Robin shouted, her face now an alarming share of red.
"Hey, I don't want to know!" Zelena held her hands up in defense. "As long as you two are sa-"
"No! Please Lord, stop!" Robin moved to cover her ears.
"Alright, alright."
"Now that it's any of your business…but we agreed to take things slow," Robin admitted, making the older woman smile sweetly at the girl. "Alice has never been in any kind of relationship, and I don't want to push her…"
"I like this look on you." Zelena sighed at the now confused archer.
Looking down at her usual hunting gear, Robin had no idea what her Mother was getting at. She had seen her in this hundreds of times. "It's the same as it's always been."
"Not the clothes silly!" Zelena giggled. "This!" She gestured to the brunette. "You're so sickeningly in love...I thought it would be annoying like the Charming's, but it's a good look for you." She beamed with joy, as her eyes filled up with tears.
"Mom…" Robin moaned lovingly as she moved to hug the older woman.
"I'm just so happy that you're happy! That's all I ever wanted for you. And Alice…well, she's an amazing woman!" Zelena sobbed into Robin's arms, dampening her shirt slightly, but the brunette didn't care. This was definitely a big step for them, a true sign that things really were different here.
"I love you, Mom…" Robin wiped away her own stray tears as she pulled away from the older woman. "Do we have any of that marmalade left? Or did Alice finish off the whole jar when she was here?" She asked as she quickly threw together some sandwiches for her unofficial lunch date with Alice.
"I think there might be some left. I'll have to permanently add it to my list." Zelena joked as she watched her daughter prepare the food.
"That girl really does love her marmalade sandwiches...got ya!" Robin exclaimed as she found the almost empty jar in the cupboard.
"And this girl really does love a certain blonde…" Zelena whispered to herself as she watched on, a bright smile never leaving her face.
The trek to Hook's camp didn't take too long, mostly due to the fact that Robin had an extra spring in her step as she skipped into the camp in search of the pirate.
"Aunt Regina!" Robin called out with a wave.
"Robin! What brings you here?" Regina asked as she hugged the brunette.
"Looking for Hook, it's letter day!" Robin's smile grew in size at the thought of seeing her blonde girlfriend soon.
"More like, an excuse to spend the day with your girlfriend day!" Regina joked, turning the archer a soft shade of red.
"That too...but Alice really does love the letters from her Dad." Robin counterattacked, receiving only an eye roll in return.
"He's in his tent finishing his letter up as we speak." Regina motioned to the tent the farthest away from the group.
"Duty calls...I'll see you soon Aunt Regina." Robin hugged the older woman once more before skipping towards the tent.
"What's up with Robin? She looks...happy?" Henry asked in confusion.
"That...is what a Mill's in love looks like from the outsider looking in." Regina joked with her son.
Robin hummed to herself happily as she waiting for the pirate to finish up in his tent. It was the same thing every week, Robin would wait by a large oak tree, while Hook jotted down the last remaining words for Alice. Normally Robin didn't mind the wait, she'd use the time for target practice, or to chat with her Aunt. But today, it was like she couldn't sit still for a second. She needed the world around her to hurry up so that she could get to her love quicker.
"Someone's fidgety today." The pirate's deep voice startled the brunette slightly, but the archer managed to recover before making it obvious to the man that he had scared her.
"Just in a bit of a rush today…" Robin smiled brightly, a gesture that wasn't returned by the pirate.
"Aye, seems my Alice has you on your toes." Hook grunted as he stepped closer to the archer, forcing her to gulp down the sudden taste of fear in her throat. "Now, Robin...I believe it's time for you and me to have a little chat." He smirked, before placing his hooked arm around the brunette, leading her into his small tent.
"Alice said you were happy when she told you, has that changed?" Robin asked nervously, as she was gently pushed down onto a nearby chair. "Tea?" Hook smirked as his eyes brunt into the archer.
"Umm...yes please," Robin mumbled, not daring to look Hook in the eye. Grunting in response, the older man set out two cups and carefully poured the tea, his eyes never leaving Robin's face.
"So...you and my daughter." Hook finally spoke after a long deafening silence.
"I-um...Yes." Robin choked out, her hands shaking as she lifted the cup to her lips.
"No need to be nervous love…" Hook gave out a hearty laugh, before drinking his own tea. "Now, what are your intentions with my daughter?"
"My intentions?" Robin repeated, swallowing back the fear.
"Aye love...and I'd answer carefully if I were you." Hook half-joked as he rested his hand on the handle of his sword.
"You want the truth?" Robin sat up straight, finally looking the man in the eye.
"Preferably, yes love." Hook raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in demeanor of the young archer.
"I'm so madly in love with your daughter...I have been for weeks, I go to bed thinking about her, I wake up buzzing with excitement to see her...you knew me before I came here, you saw the way I treated people, how I treated my own mother...I never want to be that person again and when I'm with Alice, I'm the best version of me I can possibly be, because she makes me want to be better, to be worthy of her." Robin ranted, feeling lighter now that she's finally said all of those things that she had been bottling up out loud. "So, you want to know what my intentions are for your daughter? I intend to spend the rest of my life loving her and showing her how beautiful and caring she is and how wonderful she makes me feel! I want to grow old with her, go on hundreds of adventures with her, stand by her side when we finally find a cure for your heart and even cry when she runs into your arms for the first time...I intend to devote my life to making her smile that gorgeous smile and laugh that infectious laugh." Robin finally stopped as she noticed the tears forming in the pirate's eyes. Without warning, Hook pulled the young archer in for a tender hug.
"You are all I could have ever wished for in a partner for Alice. I have no doubt in my mind, that you two will live a long and happy life together, full of love…thank you Robin, thank you for keeping her safe when I can't." Hook finally pulled away and moved to the desk to finish up the last remaining lines of his letter to Alice, while wanting to hide the tears still trickling down his face.
"If anything I should be thanking you for raising such an amazing girl...and for your blessing. You don't get many relationships like this here...and I know Alice was worried about how you would react." Robin added, she stood and straightened her outfit as she waiting for the pirate to finish up.
"Aye, it was a shock...but all I want is for my starfish to be happy and you make her happy Robin." He smiled as he handed the now finished letter to the brunette. "Have her read it right away, there is something's in there that I want you both to hear." He smirked before once again pulling the brunette in for a hug.
"I will, thank you for the tea...and for the most terrifying conversation of my life." Robin chuckled nervously as Hook began to walk her out.
"You're welcome over for a cuppa anytime." Hook chuckled along with her, as they walked to the clearing. "Save journey love, and send my love to Alice for me."
"Of course...I'll see you with a reply tomorrow." Robin nodded happily before taking off in a light jog towards the path that leads to Alice's hut.