They were pressed together, swaying to the tuneful beginnings of a song that Regina hadn't realised she'd loved until this moment - perhaps she hadn't, perhaps it was just the feeling of being here with him, fingers interlaced and temples resting together - and she found herself uncaring of anything else other than she them.

The restaurant was barely full, only a few patrons remaining at this hour and she was sure they'd be asked to leave soon for the night was moving on to morning but it seemed they were quite content to wait for that request as the band played on.

Dinner had been wonderful, they'd spent most of it smiling like idiots at one another around mouthfuls of succulent chicken and tender steak. He'd whispered a warning 'Regina' when she'd sampled his offered food, his fork sliding slowly from between her lips in a way that'd had him shifting in his seat with the growing tightness in his pants.

They'd shared a decadent chocolate fudge cake for dessert - Regina's pupils had blown wide with arousal as she'd watched Robin suck the remaining sauce from his fingers, thoughts of him licking them clean of something else flashing through her torturous mind - before he'd asked her to dance.

And now here they were.

He was humming along to the song introduction, his tone wonderfully rich and shiver inducing as his palm rubbed gently over the small of her back and the fingers of his other hand laced tighter around her own.

"Some day, when I'm awfully low

When the world is cold

I will feel a glow just thinking of you

And the way you look tonight"

She gasped, pulling back enough to look into smiling blue eyes, her own wide with surprise as she asked "you know this song?"

Instead of answering, he merely winked and continued, moving them a little quicker with faster steps that had her releasing a breathy chuckle and simply enjoying his attentions and wonderful voice.

"Yes, you're lovely, with your smile so warm

And your cheeks so soft

There is nothing for me but to love you

And the way you look tonight"

Her grin softened as did he with the lyrics he was singing, his smile heart achingly tender as he tipped his head forward to nudge the side of her nose with his own in order to catch her smiling mouth in an unbearably soft kiss that had her sighing a shuddered breath through her nose as she melted into him, the band still playing around them.

The arm she had around his waist withdrew, her palm sliding across the fabric of his shirt, trailing it around his side until she was able to move it up and to hold his head in place, keeping him close to her as their lips parted with a gentle pop and she tilted her head to draw him into a deeper and more heady kiss, their tongues sliding slowly together in a way that had her whimpering softly into his mouth.

His fingers curled and clutched at the fabric of her dress where it rested still in the small of her back and his own hand moved into her dark curls. He tasted of red wine and of chocolate, a heady combination that she was sure she too shared. It was absolutely delicious, her senses on a high that was only broken with a gentle cough from their server.

Robin turned to look at him, releasing an almost silent grunt of frustration having been interrupted whilst Regina dropped her forehead to rest against his neck as she laughed nervously. They'd gotten a little bit carried away with themselves it seemed - again.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," the waiter apologised genuinely and kindly, his smile warm when she finally lifted her head to look at him and she found herself rather surprised that it was meant for her as much as it was Robin, "but we will be closing shortly."

Looking to the watch on her wrist, Regina could see why, it was close to 12:30 in the morning. "No problem," she told him with a shy smile, "we'll get out of your way."

"There's no rush," he assured her with a pleasant smile, "take your time," and then, just before he turned, he told them both "it's been a pleasure to have you both tonight." and with that, he left them both and headed back towards the bar.

Robin's nose traced along her hairline as he chuckled and asked "take a walk with me?" wrapping strong arms around her waist and pulling her side against his front.

She turned only her head, eyebrows raised in question as a smile played about her lips - she was still a little shocked at the waiter's parting comment in all honesty - she wanted to make a comment about getting him home and into her bed, about continuing their embrace without interruption but there was something in his eyes that merely had her nodding in response.

The sand was cool beneath her feet, grains sliding beneath soft skin as her fingers laced tighter with Robin's. Her shoes were dangling from the fingertips of his free hand whilst she held up the skirt of her dress with her free hand, allowing the gentle night breeze to blow about her bare legs.

It was nearing 2am and though she was growing tired, the intimacy of walking hand in hand with her lover, with nothing but the sound of the rolling waves and their gentle breathing meant that she found she didn't quite care. She'd happily trade a good night's sleep for this.

"Are you cold?" Robin asked from his place beside her, already taking off his leather jacket despite her shaking head. He dropped it around her shoulders before draping his arm around them for good measure and pulling her closer to him, smiling when she wrapped her own arm around the small of his back and rested her other palm upon his chest. He dropped a kiss to the top of her head and whispered "I love you, you know that right?"

"Of course I do," she replied easily, snuggling in closer against him. "Just as I love you."

"Does it ever surprise you?" he asked, lips brushing her temple as he spoke, "how quickly we fell for one another?"

Her shoulders rose and fell in a gentle shrug, "We're soul mates," as though no other explanation were needed. "This is how it's supposed to be, how we're supposed to feel, right?"

He hummed his agreement, "It certainly does feel right," and then pressed a kiss to her hair and whispered "it feels amazing."

"What does?"

"Loving you," he answered easily.

She pulled back from him with a palm pressed to his chest for leverage, the other still around his back as her lips parted softly. No one had ever said such a thing to her before and the very thought that anyone could actually enjoy loving her let alone love her at all had tears stinging at her eyes and spilling over the very moment she blinked. "Do you really mean that?"

He stilled their walking with a tender chuckle and drew her hands from his body, taking them within his own and rubbing his thumbs over her knuckles. "Of course I do, my darling."

Her head tilted into the palm that rose to cup her cheek, laughing wetly when he caught a tear on his thumb and rubbed at the wetness.

Robin looked at her for a long moment, absolute adoration in blue eyes before he chuckled fondly and the whispered "come here you," and guided her face towards his own for a wonderfully tender kiss that she gladly accepted with fingers curled around his wrists when he lifted his free hand to hold the other side of her face.

It was like nothing she'd ever felt before, being with him. They simply fit together.

Their kiss was soft, slow and deliciously deep. Mouths melding over one another's as tongues slid together. She loved kissing him and not just these toe-curlingly fantastic kisses. She loved the press of his lips to her skin, her neck, her shoulder just because he couldn't help it. She loved the warm hum he'd release when she'd do just the same. She loved how he couldn't resist pressing his lips to her own and gentle busses during conversation, when they'd smile against one another's mouths like foolish teenagers in love. And she loved how close he'd pull her in moments like these, not being able to get enough of her just as she couldn't him.

She'd have ignored her phone just to continue indulging if it wasn't for the memory of the late hour breaking through her fog of arousal.

"Who the he-"

"It's Emma," she frowned after pulling her phone from her purse, Robin's palms warm on her hips as he looked down with her. "It could be about Henry…"

"Answer it," he nodded, "I don't mind."

She watched him for a moment more, almost searching for the lie absent in his eyes before nodding and smiling when he pressed a kiss to her forehead before pressing the receive button and lifting the phone to her ear. "Emma?"

He dropped his head to press lingering kisses against the skin of her neck as he waited, smiling when she tilted her head to give him more space to cover as he waited patiently for her to finish her conversation, hoping it was nothing dire. They'd experienced enough drama to last them a lifetime by now.

"When?" she asked, pulling his attention away from her fragrant neck and back to her face to find her expression as unreadable as her tone. Her dark eyes met his as she nodded in response to whatever Emma was telling her before the movement stopped and she responded "well, thank you for telling me. Goodnight Emma."

She said nothing after ending the phone call, merely looked down to the cell phone held in her hand with a furrowed brow and so he waited patiently. He wasn't going to ask, it was her choice whether or not to tell him just what she'd just been told and he'd have been perfectly content if she'd kept it to herself but he'd never deny the surprise he felt at the four words that left her mouth only moments later.

"The King is dead."

And that he wasn't expecting.