He startled slightly when he felt arms snake around his waist and a warm body press against his back, smiling when her scent instantly overwhelmed his senses. He hadn't heard her come home, the click of her heels now forever absent, but he had to say, this kind of a greeting was nothing short of wonderful. He'd been careful of touching her - save for holding her at night - without her consent for fear of frightening her when so many terrible memories had already been brought to the forefront of her mind with Leopold's return and so the feel of her pressed against him had his eyes closing as he hummed a sound of absolute affection as his warm palms moved up to cover the backs of her hands resting on his stomach. "Hello, beautiful." she nuzzled her face into his back and squeezed her arms around him tighter in response. "Nice lunch?"
She nodded and breathed a soft "mhm," into his back, remaining wrapped around him for a long moment more before she let go enough for him to spin in her arms. She was smiling softly when he faced her and instantly slid his hands between her arms and her waist to hold her in return and then she was just looking at him, those beautifully dark eyes slowly tracing over his face as her head tilted in her studying.
"I like the way you look at me," he told her, just an innocent observation that meant nothing more than its literal meaning because he did, he always had, "even when you were contemplating my murder."
She chuckled at that, a wonderful sound in and of itself before she lifted a hand to his cheek, stroked her thumb across the stubbled skin and asked him to meet her halfway with gentle guidance as she lifted herself onto her toes and her eyes fell to his mouth.
It may have she who had lured him closer but it was Robin who dipped his head to capture her soft lips with his own. He hadn't pushed her, hadn't wanted to taint the delicacy of their relationship by moving for something when she wasn't ready. They had shared only a handful of kisses before the return of the late King and afterwards he had done nothing more than press soothing affection along her cheeks and her hairline when she'd awaken shaken and distraught in the night and now he realised how much he'd missed the sweetness of her mouth,
Regina's palm moved slowly from his cheek to the nape of his neck, the other hand flat and resting on his chest over his beating heart as his own arms snaked around her waist and settled at the base of her spine, supporting her stance as their lips parted and closed around one another's in slow and lingering kisses.
It was a kiss not meant for anything more than a simple enjoyment of one another that hadn't truly been felt for the last few days and though he was here for far more than physical relations but still, he couldn't help the loving hum that rumbled low in his throat at the feeling of being close to her once more.
She whimpered quietly when, upon tentatively opening her mouth, his tongue found her own, sliding against it in a toe-curlingly deep kiss. Her hand fisted in his hair as her head tilted more but the pace didn't change, it remained thoroughly slow and absolutely divine until they were pulled out of their embrace by a rather loud "ew!" that had them both turning to find both Henry and Roland cringing from the doorway of the kitchen. Both were surprised - when their minds caught up to their bodies once more - to find that it had been the youngest of the two who had made the exclamation.
"Roland," Regina began with a softly furrowed brow, glad when Robin's arms remained around her waist even as she pivoted a little to see both of their boys more easily, "where did you learn that word?"
He instantly pointed with an innocent nonchalance to the pre-teen rubbing at the back of his neck with a palm, dutifully chastened by the singular eyebrow his mother lifted pointedly. "It just uh…" he shrugged, "slipped out."
"Mhm," she hummed in disbelief before actually looking at the two of them and more specifically, the clothes there were wearing.
"Are we ready to head out?"
She looked from her son to the man behind her when he pressed a kiss to her temple before backing away towards the counter upon which sat a picnic basket that she hadn't noticed upon arrival. "Head out?" she questioned.
He turned with a warm smile before nodding and explaining, "the boys really enjoyed our afternoon out yesterday so I thought we could perhaps take advantage of the warmer days and spend a day down by the lake." He was still smiling but there was uncertainty in his eyes, up until this point he'd allowed her free reign of their days, mainly to keep from distressing her with the thought of leaving the house but after yesterday's success "what do you think?" The question was tentative and he couldn't hide the full extent of hope that laced his words but at her continued silence he backtracked "we don't have to if you would prefer to do something else, I was just-"
She stepped into him once more and silenced him with a kiss that was a mere press of their clothed mouths but no less passionate nor shiver inducing. When they parted she couldn't help but laugh softly at his still closed eyes before she was cupping both of his cheeks with her warm palms and finishing "you were just being a good father." He was touched by her words and it read beautifully in blue eyes that moved between her own when he opened them once more. She smiled lovingly at him before nodding and telling him "I would love nothing more than to spend a day with my boys by the lake."
The park was quieter than she'd guessed it to be with only a few people having passed by the section that they were currently sitting in during the past hour. The boys were playing with an old set of tennis rackets and a ball she and Henry used to use in the back yard when he'd been younger and though Roland's little legs would soon grow tired, for the time being he was keeping up rather splendidly. Their laughter lifted both her spirits and her heart as she leaned back a little heavier against Robin's chest.
He was sat behind her, his legs bracketing her own as his chin fell to rest on her shoulder and his arms wrapped a little tighter around her waist. All that she could smell was him and all that she could both see and hear were their boys as a light breeze ruffled her hair. It was the perfect way to spend an afternoon.
Their picnic basket sat empty of its contents but contained the blanket that they had sat and eaten on. She had promptly folded it up and put it away when they'd finished and he'd looked at her with confusion until she'd removed her flat pumps from her feet and sighed with contentment and explained "I love feeling the earth beneath my feet, always have."
He'd smiled at her before he'd pressed a tender kiss to her forehead and whispered "precious woman" against her hairline.
She felt like that when she was with him, precious. She felt it in the way that he held her, in the way he looked at her and talked with her, listened to her. He made her feel as though she was the most important thing in the world with just one expression. She felt cherished. "I'm sorry I disappeared for a little while back there," she whispered softly.
He hummed softly and nuzzled his face into the side of her neck, smiling gently when she allowed her head to loll back against his shoulder to aid the movement before he pressed a kiss there and replied "I think you had a right to, sweetheart."
He was so good, this man, her Robin. So, so very good and pure and patient and though she still believed he deserved someone else, someone he could love freely without judgement and the baggage of her past, she was infinitely grateful that it was her he'd chosen to be with. "You make me better," she told him, tilting her head to press her cheek against his hair when he remained cuddled into her, "you make me want to be better."
He pressed another kiss to her neck before lifting a little and waiting for her to lift her head from his, when she did he lifted a hand from her waist to cup her cheek and began smoothing his thumb along the soft skin covering her cheekbone before telling her "you don't need to be anything other than what you are, Regina" his eyes were honest, his expression tenderly serious as he continued "you are better than you allow yourself to believe, I have seen your heart, I have held it in my own hands and I have stared in awe at every beautiful scar and colour that marks it because it is what make you you." Her eyes were watery with her tears and coloured with uncertainty so he continued, "for most of your life, I know you've been made to feel like the person you are isn't good enough...you were molded and manipulated and forced into changing yourself to please others but know that I don't want that, I don't need you to do that." He shook his head gently from side to side before telling her "Henry loves you for the person you are, as does your son and…" he cleared his throat, suddenly nervous at voicing feelings so very overwhelming but voice them he did as he told her "and I love you, too."
Her lips parted softly, eyes widening a touch as she stared wordlessly at him.
"I don't need you to say it back nor do I assume that you feel the same for it has only been a short time but I want you to know with complete certainty that I do love you, every single version, shade and side of you. You are so very precious to me Regina Mills, never doubt that, okay?"
It was a long moment before she was nodding gently and shifting forward to join their lips in a tender, watery kiss that he reciprocated easily. It lingered and it filled him up with pure unadulterated happiness and when she pulled back his stomach jumped when she swallowed thickly before whispering "I-"
"Get him away from here!"
They pulled apart, both heads turning to find Henry with an almost frightening expression of anger on his young face. Roland was beside him, eyes wide and fearful as he looked from the boy he'd come to think of as something of an older brother, to the same person he was glaring at, the tennis ball clutched between both of his little hands.
Both Robin and Regina turned to look behind them, to understand what had Henry so riled and instantly she tensed when she caught sight of both Snow, David and...Leopold.
"I'm sorry," Snow instantly began apologising, her arm threaded through her father's whilst David flanked his other side, one arm around the man's back and the other out to support him with Leopold's hand curled around his forearm. He looked terrible, as deathly pale and frail as the brunette had described only hours earlier. "I didn't realise you'd be here."
Robin's arms had wrapped themselves back around Regina's waist and she noticed the way the formerly dead King was staring curiously at the pair of them. He said nothing though his expression told her all she needed to know, he still believed he had some kind of claim on here. Here was not the time nor the place to discuss such things but, she realised looking between the Charmings, the late King and her family - because they were, Robin, Henry and Roland, they were her family - that things needed to be hashed out. She needed to be brave.
Regina squeezed gently at Robin's arms, a silent request for him to let her go which he did quite reluctantly, before she was standing slowly and with Robin's aid and walking towards the three on the path.
"Mom!"
"It's fine, Henry" she placated him with a look and a small smile, asking him wordlessly to remain where he was with Roland. He did so, nodding to indicate he understood but she could see the desire to be beside her twitching at his fingertips as he swayed slowly forwards and backwards on the spot. Only when she knew he wasn't going to move did she turn back around and continue forward.
Leopold's eyes were on her, silently watching and it wasn't out of spite that she took Robin's hand but out of her lack of shame. He was her soul mate, he was her courage and he was her fire and she would not hide her feelings for him in the company of others and certainly not the formerly dead King.
Their fingers laced easily and she couldn't help but shoot him a grateful smile before they came to a stop in front of the three.
Her dark eyes trailed from Leopold's thinning grey hair down to his scuffed boots and back up again to find bloodshot eyes watching her. She didn't smile nor did she smile but instead she remained as impassive as was possible as she began "I owe you no explanations nor any of my time but I will, on a time that is agreeable with you all" she looked at Snow and David, her expression softening a little where they were concerned, before looking back to her ex-husband "arrange for us to meet," she squeezed Robin's fingers with her own, a silent request for his presence that was entirely needless, she knew that already, "and lay everything out on the table. I will listen to anything you wish to say but just know," her expression hardened then, eyes growing tight and jaw setting as she leaned in a little closer, Leopold's gaze growing a little more focused with her tone "I no longer belong to you nor am I afraid of you, kind King Leopold."