It's the hand stroking against her cheek that wakes her up. It's nice and soothing, but there's a bitter cold that's biting her skin, making her want to snuggle back down into the sheets again.
But Regina knows that's not possible. She's up now, for whatever reason at whatever time, and falling back asleep would be a challenge.
Still, her bare arms retreat under the covers as she Hmms before turning onto her side, trying to catch onto those last dregs of sleep.
Robin follows her, his arms wrapping beneath hers as he pulls her into him, nuzzling against her skin. She just wants to stay in these moments forever. These early, sleepy moments.
But she knows that's not possible. Robin had plans for today, he told her so last night. He hadn't told her what, just said it was a surprise and it had been left at that. So she opens her eyes (she'd missed those last dregs of sleep anyway)
The first thing she's drawn is to the gently flapping curtain, revealing the source of her chill; an open window. Her foot shuffles over to the radiator, jumping away when toes touch the boiling device.
Regina turns in his arms, onto her back, her nose rubbing against Robin's for a moment as he sneaks a quick morning kiss against her lips.
"You heating up all of Maine again?" she asks, voice still asleep.
"I got warm through the night," he frowns. He moves his arm from where it's trapped beneath Regina, threading his fingers through her hair, Regina shuts her eyes, savouring the feel.
Heat was one thing they could never agree on; Regina liked warmth and Robin liked cold. Sleeping arrangements had been difficult and it had often endedwith Robin throwing open the window at night, leaving Regina to wake up cold.
"Want to shut it?" she mumbles, then shivers, burying herself closer to him. "Cold..."
"I have ways to warm you up."
She opens her yes for a split second before his lips are on hers and she's shutting them against, focusing on the way his tongue traces the seam of her lips and not the cold that manages to find its way under the covers.
They're still kissing, teeth biting and tongues tangling as Robin pushes her thighs apart, situating himself above her.
By the end, the cold is the last thing on Regina's mind.
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.
She loves Robin, she really, really foes but god can he irritate her.
He hasn't exactly done anything wrong but still, she's asked and asked where the hell they were going and still she receives no proper answer, just a, You'll love it, trust me.
Regina just huffs, letting out a frustrated Ughh! but follows him through the never ending woods anyway.
She wasn't used to days like this spent in places like this. She's used to fancy resturants and family gatherings- things she didn't particularly like but was used to anyway. Not traipsing around a forest, following her outdoorsy boyfriend who could be leading her to her death for all she knows (she also knows that isn't the case but still) all this secrecy and no answers was driving her mental. Seriously where was he taking her?!
"Robin!" she shouts, coming to a standstill. They've been walking for ages, can they please just stop?
She sees the way Robin's shoulders shift in a sigh as he also stops, turning around to see what the issue is.
"I'm not moving until you tell me where it is we're going."
Robin shakes his head, smiling almost. "You're not very good with surprises, are you?"
Regina shifts on her feet, suddenly feeling a little iffy about what this surprise is.
"I don't like surprises," she says, biting her lip for a second. "I find them threatening."
He mutters something that sounds like, Of course you do before walking closer to her and grabbing her hand.
"I swear," he says, looking her in the eyes. "It's nothing to be afraid-"
"I said I was threatened, not afraid, there's a difference." Then she's regretting the words, looking maybe a mumbling a, "Sorry."
"It's okay," Robin says, writing it off and Regina looks back up at him. "Just let me do this, just this once, please?"
Regina thinks for a moment, biting her lip again. He'd tell her if she wanted to know, if she asked one more time, he'd tell her and it wouldn't be a surprise anymore, that's what her head wants but her hearts actually wants to keep it a surprise and it's Robin, he knows all about her, every last part, if he says she'll like it, then chances are, she will.
She nods her head slowly, not trusting herself to speak least to say something different. Robin smiles, gripping her hand tighter to pull her the rest of the way as he tells her, Not long to go now.
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.
The sight that meets her eyes makes her glad she chose to keep it a surprise. Robin wasn't wrong in his 'Not long to go now' and he'd actually told her to shut her eyes which she'd done, gripping his hand with an iron grasp so not as to lose or fall over.
When he told her to open them, the biggest smile at appeared across her face; an already set up campsite, with a fire going in the middle and logs all around. Less than ten steps away was a tent Regina guesses is theirs.
"When did you do all this?" she asks, eyes darting all around, taking it all in. Their little campsite is on top of a cliff, allowing them to see the town below.
"Last night," Robin admits. "When you fell asleep, I slipped out and started working on this. You like it, right?"
That little insecurity is cute, and it has her smiling even more, nodding.
"Yeah," she says. "I beats restaurants and food normal people can't pronounce," she laughs.
Robin laughs along, both remembering the first time Regina introduced him to Cora and she'd taken them to a restaurant and Robin had stumbled over the pronunciation of the food on the menu which had ended with Robin pointing to what he wanted and Regina asking for it. It had been funny, ignoring Mother's glared looks, and Regina found herself often teasing her.
Robin swings his bag off his shoulders, walking over to one of the logs and in good Robin fashion, instead of sitting on the log, he opts for the floor, laying out a blanket he takes from the bag and putting it onto the ground. When he sits, he pats the side beside him and Regina follows, feeling impossibly warm as she sits down next to him and Robin begins emptying the contents on his bag.
"Well, the only thing we have on the menu today is beans on toast. Or, in your case, beans next to toast."
She punches him in the arm.
"Hey!" he says, rubbing his arm, though it probably barely hurt. "It's not my fault you're weird."
Regina lets that one slide. She'll just find something he's fussy about and use it to tease him with.
.:.:.:.:.:.:.
It's later on when the sun is setting, casting the sky into a purple-ish, blue-ish, pink-ish colour. It's not cold, not by February's standards, but there is a slight chill flying around. Still, Regina's not cold. The fire is pretty well done and the second blanket Robin pulled out of his bag to drape around the both of them is thick and warm and does the job to keep the cold out. There's also her human radiator she's snuggled into also helping to keep her warm, so Regina couldn't complain about the temperature.
"I'm sorry it's not much," Robin says. They'd be silent for a while now, just listening to the birds hoot and squawk around them. "It should've been more."
Regina frowns, shifting so she could look up at him. "It's perfect," she tells him but he still looks unconvinced. "Really, Robin, I love it." She turns back away, resting her head against his chest and looking out over that cliff at the town below them. Her eyes glance towards in the direction of her Mother's house- the place she's so bloody happy she managed to get out of.
"If you think I'd rather sit in fancy places, surrounded by people I hate, with my mother's judgemental gaze on me for the whole time, then you really don't know me at all."
"So this is...fine for you?" Robin asks, his voice still carrying that uncertainty.
"Yes, Robin," she nods. "I'm with you. You could take me to the middle of nowhere and it would still be fine."
He squeezes her against him, nose nuzzling against her hair and Regina sighs, shutting her eyes and ready to fall asleep.
"Now I know what to do for next year." He moves then, shifting Regina off him and that has her opening her eyes, confusing and missing the warmth.
"I have something for you," she watches as he reaches into the bag, pulling out a small box. It's too big to be what she thought it was but waits for it anyway.
"It's probably not much, but here-" he passes it to her and Regina shifts onto her knees, fingers prying the box open. When it does open, another smile crosses her face as she stares at the little silver R on the matching chain.
"I tried to find Regina but they didn't have it," Robin admits shyly. "So I had to settle for just an R. If you don't like it, I can always take it back-"
She kisses him to shut him up. Feeling happier and more loved than she's ever felt in 20 years.
"I love it," she says, looking into his eyes and hoping he believes her. "It's fine. Everything is fine."
She moves away from him then, turning around. "Can you put it on me?" She hands him the necklace, grabbing her hair and pushing it over her shoulder and Robin fumbles with the lock. It takes some time but he manages it and takes her hair from over her shoulder, smoothing it back into place before they resume their earlier positions, the sky now completely dark.
"Thank you," she whispers, feeling her eyes growing heavy. Perhaps they didn't need the tent after all and they could just sleep here, under the stars.
Robin presses a kiss into her hair. "Happy birthday, Regina."