(A/N-Thanks to Bekki boo for beta reading this, appreciate it. And ty to those who read, review, follow, fav.)
Regina woke up the next morning, smiling as she saw Robin walking out of the bathroom wearing only a towel hung low on his hips, the water glistening on his skin. She was about to ask him to get back into bed, into her...when she saw that he was holding something in his hand.
Her birth control pills.
"Where did you find those?" Regina asked as she sat up and brought the sheet to her chest.
"They were on the vanity," Robin said as he sat down on the bed. "How long have you been on them?"
"For awhile now," Regina answered.
"Are you planning on continuing to take them?" Robin asked.
"For a while," Regina answered.
"Even after we are married?" Robin asked.
"Are you wanting to start a family anytime soon?" Regina asked, as she thought for the very first time in her life about having a baby. She had always liked children, always assumed that she would become a mother one day, but with all that had happened with her father, she had put that day a long way ahead in her future.
"Just when you would like to try to start a family," Robin said. "Do you want to have a baby one day?"
Regina smiled at the thought of a mini Robin running around, perhaps a little boy with his father's dimples, maybe her eyes? Or a little her, with Robin's eyes, with her smile?
"Eventually," Regina said, "I just never thought it was going to be possible with everything that has gone wrong in my life for so long. I never thought I would find someone as perfect as you."
"I'm not perfect, far from it," Robin said, smiling at her.
"I just thought it would be a good idea to give ourselves some time to be married before getting pregnant," Regina said.
"Oh," Robin said, fully understanding why she wanted to wait.
"You're not upset?" Regina asked.
Robin smiled as he took her hands in his, "Regina, when you are ready, when we're ready, we'll have our family."
Regina smiled as she looked at him, "How many do you want?"
"Let's start with one, and we'll know when our family is complete," Robin said.
"Speaking of starting..." Regina grabbed the edges of the towel around his hips and pulled them apart, "I think I know of a perfect way to start the day."
Robin's smile grew larger by the second, along with something else...
"Why, Ms. Mills, whatever did you have in mind?" Robin asked.
"Lay back and I'll show you," Regina said as she pushed him back onto the bed...
Later, with no idea how much time had passed, Regina woke but kept her eyes closed. She was naked, face down in Robin's soft bed, and she'd never felt so completely...happy.
"Good evening, love...how are you feeling?" Robin asked as he brought them some bread and fruit, which they both started to eat.
Regina smiled. She couldn't keep it in. But she didn't open her eyes just yet, she didn't want this feeling to be interrupted. Her voice sounded indecently husky, "I feel like I won't be able to move again."
A dark, sexy chuckle was accompanied by a hot kiss on her bare shoulder, and then the bed dipped and Robin got out. Reluctantly Regina opened her eyes and watched the impressive back view of her naked fiancee as he walked across the room towards the bathroom.
They had been in bed all morning, and they were all alone. She got up from the bed, and pulled the sheet around her as she looked out into his patio of the back yard. There were candles that were now flickering softly in tall glass lanterns, as the afternoon was arriving. She opened the balcony door and let the gentle breeze caress her skin. A feeling that she had never experienced before stole over her.
She was completely happy.
Just then Robin emerged naked from the bathroom, walking towards her with a singular intent and a sinful gleam in his eyes. If this was a dream Regina knew that she didn't want to wake up just yet.
"I want you," she whispered jaggedly, her breath strangled in her throat by a responsive gasp as he moved the sheet and put his hand to her core and stroked and teased the delicate pink folds.
She moaned as he slid a single digit into her lush opening and her body ached for him.
"Mmm," Robin said.
Before she could draw breath he'd picked her up off the floor, dropping the sheet in the process, and was striding back towards the bathroom. The steam of the huge shower enveloped them like a luxurious warm mist. Within minutes of stepping under the powerful spray Robin was soaping her body with a thoroughness that had a visible effect on him, and Regina was all but begging him to take her, right there.
She'd obviously spoken aloud, because he tipped her head back, cocooning her from the spray with his big body. And before she could say anything, he grabbed her by her butt and lifted her and settled her over his body, his hips, her legs on either side of his hips. She moved as she felt the potent strength of him against her moist core.
Regina had one arm wrapped around his shoulders, while the other reached down and took him in her hand and held his cock and slid down onto his hard length and forgot all about anything but the delicious feel of him inside of her. Robin eased into her by degrees, straining her delicate sheath.
"You're so tight," he groaned, pulling back just enough, then he angled his hips for another, more powerful entrance. He plunged deep inside her, and drove the breath from her body with the intensity of his entrance. She whimpered as he stretched her, her body clenching round him like a hot velvet glove.
"So good," Robin ground out between gritted teeth as he pumped up into her. Regina groaned out at the deep penetration as she clung to his shoulders as she felt him grab at her lips with his mouth, she leaned down and gave him her mouth.
Robin felt he softness of her breasts brush his bare chest, her lips hard and demanding on his. Robin pulled at the bottom of her lips with his teeth. His hands gripped her hips as he continued to thrust into her, hitting her sweet spot causing her to grip his shoulders harder. He brought her up so he could nuzzle and lick her nipples until they were throbbing in his mouth.
Regina couldn't think, she could only feel and she was riding a torrent of excitement she couldn't control, her entire being pitched to crave the peak of his every powerful thrust. The heat and the hunger and the pleasure all melded together into one glorious, overwhelming rush of sexual ecstasy.
"Oh God!" Regina moaned out. Her climax claimed her in an explosive surge of intense sensation and her teeth bit into his shoulder as the exquisite convulsions shook her violently in his arms.
Robin gritted his teeth and he knew he was about to explode. An electric wave of sensation overcame him as he mumbled incoherently. His legs tightened as he erupted violently into her vagina with a growl. He twitched and cursed as he drained his balls into her cunt, shooting ropes of cum deep inside her.
"Oh gods! Regina!" He groaned in pleasure, pounding against her as he spent his sticky load in her.
For several moments the water from the shower head sprayed over their spent bodies. Robin stood there holding her on him, as they both recovered. He said nothing as he walked from the shower, turning it off and taking her to their bedroom, he wrapped her in a towel and dried her off before putting her sleepy self into the bed. It was later in the afternoon now and tomorrow they had to return to work.
He let her sleep for an hour, while he started to make plans. He was checking into seeing where they could get married at. He looked at Paris, Vancouver, Italy, but one place in particular and he thought it would be perfect. He would ask her about it as soon as she woke up. He would make sure to bring Henry Mills, to walk Regina down the aisle towards him.
Plus, he would not have it any other way than to have Emma and Killian there. His friend Will would be his best man. He would discuss with Regina on where she would want to go on their honeymoon. Maybe some place tropical? Or would she want to do a European honeymoon? Paris perhaps?
But before all this, he wanted to have one more romantic weekend with her. Someplace he could take her that he could ask her romantically to marry him. Then after that weekend he wanted to be in full wedding mode. The quicker the engagement party, the dress, the bridesmaids dresses, flowers, cake, music...Robin massaged his forehead with his fingers as he thought of all that went into planning a wedding. Granted, most women were the ones in charge but he also had a motive for wanting to be involved, the sooner all this was decided, the sooner she would be his wife, for life.
When Regina woke up, she had a delicious feeling of satisfaction. She was aware of pleasurable aches and pains throughout her body, the images of the last few hours came back in vivid detail to her. She looked to Robin's side of the bed, but saw that he wasn't there. He must be downstairs, she thought. She moved gently as she was tender from their love fest today. She left the bed and grabbed a robe, she walked into the bathroom and grabbed her birth control pills, popping one out she quickly took one. She did want a family, but later if it was possible with the way they were like bunnies.
Robin was still sitting at his desk as he felt her fingers wrap around his neck and he smiled as he brought her to sit on his lap. "Feeling relaxed?" Robin asked as he kissed her cheek and brought his arms around her.
"Mmm, very," Regina said, "You?"
"I've never felt better in my life," Robin said, then smiled before adding, "besides our first time."
Regina felt totally content to simply sit there on his lap, in his arms, basking in the peace she was experiencing. Belatedly, she acknowledged that her throat and head had now become seriously sore. She hoped that Robin wouldn't catch her cold and felt guilty for not warning him.
"I'm going to make some tea," Regina said.
"Your voice sounds funny," Robin said, "Are you feeling alright?" His concern was evident, as he pressed the back of one hand against her forehead, but felt no fever.
"I'm getting a cold," Regina sighed. "I hope you don't get it too."
"I never catch colds," Robin said as he kissed her lips lightly to prove his point. "I shouldn't have let you go to sleep without drying your hair."
"Nonsense, it's not the first time I've done that," Regina said.
"Still," Robin said. "Would you like me to make your tea?"
"That would be lovely, thank you." Regina said. "I'm going to go change into some lounge clothes as I guess we are going to be lazy bumps today."
"I have no problems with snuggling with you on the couch today," Robin said.
"Haven't you had enough snuggling today?" Regina asked.
"With you? Never," Robin admitted, "Now, let me get your tea ready and you be getting changed."
Regina went upstairs and straightened the room, the bed in particular. Afterwards, she dried her hair and put on a pair of lounge pants and tee shirt. She made her way downstairs to find Robin putting her a cup of hot tea with honey in it on the table by the couch. He plumped the pillows and grabbed a throw as he settled them on the couch. Regina was laying on her side with Robin directly behind her.
"Taste alright?" Robin asked.
"Mmm," Regina said as she took another sip of it, "It's delicious, thank you."
"Anything for milady," Robin said as they settled on watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Robin even tried to persuade Regina to do the time warp dance, but she politely refused.
"Okay, so then how about we discuss our wedding?" Robin said.
"Our wedding?" Regina asked with a smile on her face.
"Our wedding date, precisely," Robin said as he kissed the side of her face.
"When were you thinking?" Regina asked as her throat hurt as she talked, so she kept sipping on her tea.
"Next month?" Robin offered, knowing it was too soon but he had to try.
Regina laughed at his answer, and in doing so some of the tea came out of her nose causing her to start coughing. "That's funny."
"Too soon?" Robin asked.
"Yeah, just a little too soon," Regina said.
"So how long does it take then?" Robin asked.
"Oh, I don't know...a year," Regina said with a smile.
"A year!" Robin said rather loudly. "I'm not waiting a year to marry you. We're going to Vegas then."
"Okay, then six months?" Regina offered, laughing.
"Four?" Robin amended.
"Five," Regina said.
"Alright, five then," Regina said, hoping she could get everything in order. "It will depend on getting my dress in time though."
"Then tomorrow instead of work, I want you and Emma to go shopping and find the perfect dress for you to walk down the aisle to me," Robin said.
"I'll call Emma right now," Regina said as she grabbed her phone and went about calling her.
An hour later, they were in bed, Regina already asleep and Robin just about to. He knew how lucky a man he truly was. He had found the love of his life, and he knew how rare that was these days.
During the middle of the night, something woke up Robin, some inkling that something was wrong. He stretched out his hand to wake Regina, but his hand only grabbed the coolness of the sheets instead. He looked around the room, and called out, "Regina?"
He was about to panic when the light of the bathroom came on and he threw back the sheets, as Regina came out of the bathroom then. She stopped when she saw him and said, "I'm not feeling well." She mumbled apologetically.
Robin's heart stopped and he watched in disbelief as she virtually collapsed onto the floor, clearly unconscious, as pale and still as a corpse.
"No, I don't think my fiancee has an eating disorder," Robin bit out between gritted teeth in the waiting room an hour later. He had picked up Regina and drove them to the nearest hospital, barking out orders as he had carried her into the hospital.
"Ms. Mills is slightly underweight, dehydrated...her general condition is fair," the doctor outlined disapprovingly. "That is why the bacterial infection has gained such a hold on her so quickly, and why we are still struggling to get her temperature under control. That she has managed to hold it off in such a state has to be a miracle."
"A miracle," Robin whispered, sick to his stomach and, for the very first time in his brilliantly successful, high achieving life, feeling like a failure.
How else could he feel? Regina had collapsed. His fiancee was wearing an oxygen mask in the IC unit, having drugs pumped into her. His guilt that while Regina had been sick, he had been too busy dragging her off to bed to register that she was unwell. How long had she been sick?
"May I see her now?" he asked thickly.
He stood at the foot of the bed looking at Regina through fresh eyes, rigorously blocking the sexual allure that screwed with his brain. Ironically she had always impressed him as being so lively, energetic and opinionated that he had instinctively endowed her with a glowing health that she did not possess at the moment. Now that she was silent and lying there so still, he could see how vulnerable she really was. It was etched in the fine bones of her face, the slenderness of her arms, the exhaustion he could clearly see in the bluish shadows below her eyes. Had his making love to her, keeping her up late at night, in the middle of the nights, and waking her up early in the mornings, been affecting her like this?
And what else would she be but exhausted? he asked himself grimly. For months she had worked two jobs, managing working for him and at the shady strip bar. She had been so busy also looking after her father that she had forgotten to look after herself. He suspected that she had got out of habit then of taking regular rests and meals. In truth she was as much a workaholic in her proud and stubborn independence as he was, he acknowledged bleakly. He could only hope that he was correct in believing that she did not suffer from an underlying eating disorder.
Regina surfaced to appreciate that her head that had been bothering her for days now felt good. She discovered that she could swallow again and wasn't as sore as before. She opened her eyes on the unfamiliar room, taking in the hospital bed and the drip attached to her arm before focusing on Robin, who was hunched in the chair in the corner.
Robin looked as if he had been dragged through hell and far removed from the sophisticated, exquisitely groomed image that was the norm for him. His hair was tousled, his jaw line heavily stubbled. As she stared he lifted his head and she collided with glorious blue eyes.
Snatched of memory engulfed her in broken bits and pieces. She remembered the passion and the pleasure he had shown her. She remembered waking up during the night feeling so sick, she remembered looking at him before the room went black. And nothing after that point.
Robin stood up and pressed the bell on the wall. "How are you feeling?"
"Better than I felt when I fainted...er did I faint?" Regina asked.
"You passed out. Next time you feel that ill, tell me," he breathed with grim urgency.
Regina grimaced. "I didn't think I was that sick."
"Your health comes first...always." he stressed. "I don't ever want to see you like that again, I hope to get that image out of my head one day."
Just then a nurse came in and went through a series of checks with her.
"Why did I pass out?" Regina asked once the nurse had departed.
"You had an infection and it ran out of control. Your immune system was too weak to right it off," he shared flatly. "From here on you have to take better care of yourself. But first, give me an honest answer to one question...do you have an eating disorder?"
"No, of course not. I'm naturally slender," she answered.
"Well from now on you take your time, slow down," Robin said as he took her hands in his, "you have a partner who is here to help."
Her doctor walked in, doing a thorough talk with both Robin and Regina about making sure that Regina took better care of herself. As he finished, in came her breakfast and Regina ate the food, mindful of the doctor's warning that she needed to have a healthy appetite. She was smothering a yawn when Robin lifted the tray away.
"Get some sleep," he urged. "I'm going back to the house to shower and change and bring you back some clothes. As long as you promise to eat and rest, I can take you out of here this evening."
"I'm not an invalid," uneasy with his forbidding attitude, Regina fiddled with her hands.
"Rest and relax," Robin urged as he leaned over her and kissed her forehead, grateful that she was feeling better. "You're exhausted. I'll be back later."
Regina closed her eyes and let sleep claim her. Later that afternoon, she left the hospital in a wheelchair in spite of her protests. In truth she still felt weak and woozy. Robin lifted her out of the chair and stowed her carefully in the passenger seat before joining her.
Once they arrived home, Robin insisted that she go straight to bed and dine there. He ignored her declaration that she was feeling well enough to come downstairs, Robin reminded her to follow medical advice and rest. As she rested that evening, she found herself falling asleep, waking up to find Robin switching off the light and walking back to the bedroom door.
"Where are you going?" she mumbled.
"I'm sleeping next door," he said.
"That's not necessary," Regina had to fight to keep the hurt note out of her voice. She had been looking forward to Robin putting his arms around her again and she was disappointed that it wasn't going to happen tonight.
"I don't want to disturb your sleep," Robin said as he came back and sat down on the edge of the bed, he put a hand to the side of her face as he continued, "and we both know I have a habit of reaching for you during the night."
Regina's heart sank as if he had kicked it. Maybe if sex wasn't on the menu, Robin preferred to sleep alone. To try to hide her disappointment, she smiled softly and said, "Good Night, Robin."
Robin smiled and leaned down and kissed her lips briefly, "Sleep well, my love."
Later, Regina was curled up in the big bed feeling lonely and needy and rejected. She let a few tears flow as she felt sorry for herself. A month and a half had went by and while she had returned to work, she had postponed going on her wedding dress hunt with Emma for a little while. She saw no need to rush into getting one as she felt this void between Robin and her. She didn't think she would ever forget the hurt she felt when a few nights ago, when Robin had made it to their bed, she had reached for him, reached for his boxers and he had stopped her.
"I'm tired, Regina. Another night," Robin had said.
Regina had been thankful for the darkness of the room as she had let a few silent tears escape. After that she had given up trying to be intimate with him. Maybe he no longer felt the same towards her? Maybe he didn't want to get married anymore? Did he feel like he had rushed things with them? Had he second thoughts? There had been no sex since she had taken ill and he refused to take hints.
For Robin, he was in complete turmoil. While he had wanted nothing more than to make love to Regina, he was holding back and putting her health first. He still felt the guilt from her recent sickness. He was extremely frustrated by this, and what added to the factor was that Regina felt good enough to be back at work, but hadn't gone shopping for her wedding dress with Emma yet.
Was Regina having second thoughts of marrying him? Did she blame him for her being sick recently? Did she think he had pressured her into marrying him? Did she want to wait now before they got married?
Robin wasn't sure about any of this, but what he did know is that they would need to have a talk and soon. He didn't want to spend another evening like they had, with him going to his study while she stayed in the living room watching television or upstairs in the bed. He knew they couldn't go on like this. He wanted them back to the way they were before she got sick, they were fine at work as it was just going on the same routines. But at home, he missed their spontaneity. He missed coming home with her surprising him, by being his 'dinner' on the kitchen table, or the way she would walk around in his shirt and only his shirt. The way she would distract him by sitting in his lap as he tried to focus on a case at home, tell him she had something he could work on.
He missed...her!
He laid there that night, and swore that after work tomorrow when they both got in, they would have a talk about their problems they were having right now.
The next day, Regina had left work, telling herself that she was obviously over-reacting to everything. When her period was late she had believed that her illness or even the changes that she had made with making sure she ate enough and rested enough. She had even put the stress she was suffering from Robin pulling away from her on her period being late. As the days trickled by, she knew she had to ask for a pregnancy test from her doctor just to be on the safe side. She knew she was being foolish, she was on the pill plus it wasn't like Robin and her had been intimate lately. She knew she would realize after her appointment that she was foolishly worrying over nothing. There was no way she could possibly be pregnant.
Her craving for Robin's attention had been the first warning sign, missing him in bed after only one night the second. From that point on the warning signs had simply multiplied into a terrifying avalanche.
If Robin held her hand, she felt light headed, if he touched her she lit up inside like a firework. She picked up the phone and called her doctor for her appointment.
At that moment, Robin walked into the house, finding out an hour ago that Regina had left work early. He had finished going on a client's testimony for an upcoming case. When he walked in, he saw her in the kitchen with her back to him. Her show stopping legs silhouetted beneath the thin fabric of her dress. It was see-through, and it killed him to see her legs and recall the last time he had slid between them. Feeling his trousers tighten, he gritted his teeth.
He saw her turn around and looked surprised to see him standing there, "Robin, what...what are you doing home?"
"I came after I found out you had left. Are you alright?" Robin asked as he studied Regina's hair. It had been wild that day in the bedroom, he recalled, fighting off arousal as he pictured that vibrant mane tumbled across the pillows, thrown back wet in the shower, her lovely face flushed and full of satisfaction, satisfaction he had given her.
"Yes, I just have an appointment to go to," Regina admitted, hoping he wouldn't ask what it was about.
"I wish you would reschedule. I would like to go with you," Robin said.
"It's only a check up," Regina reassured him.
And she didn't want him attending the doctor's appointment with her because she didn't want him present when the doctor told her that her mind had fooled her into thinking she might be pregnant.
"Still, Regina," Robin started before he took a deep breath. "I feel like we're drifting apart from one another."
"You won't touch me!" Regina informed her.
"I just want you well, Regina," Robin said, "It kills me to keep my hands off of you, but I won't put your health at risk again with my foolishness."
"Your foolishness? I seem to recall there were two of us," Regina said.
"Still, it's my responsibility that you're well," Robin said.
"It just hit me after being stressed out for awhile, people get sick all the time," Regina said.
"When you passed out, I felt like my heart stopped," Robin said, "I promised myself that I would do everything I could to keep you healthy."
"At what expense? Are you planning on living like a monk for the rest of our lives?" Regina asked.
"No, just until you're feeling much better," Robin said.
"I'm already better, Robin," Regina informed him as she walked up to him. "I need you," she took one of his hands and placed it at her core through her dress, "here."
"Regina," Robin groaned softly, his pants were already too tight as they were.
"If you won't touch me, if you won't make love to me, then there's just one thing left to do," Regina said as she stepped away from him.
"What's that?" Robin asked.
"For us to say goodbye, for good."