"Valentine's Day"

Regina stood in front of her mirror, checking her appearance. She smoothed down the skirt of the red cocktail dress she had bought before wrapping a black shawl around her bare shoulders. Her dark hair was curled and pinned up, a few tendrils framing her face. She hadn't gone overboard with her makeup except to go with a very bold shade of red for her lips. Diamond studs rested in her earlobes, matching the diamonds that decorated the gold heart she wore around her neck. Regina grabbed her red clutch, the same color as the red on her Louboutin shoes. They clicked against the floor as she headed downstairs.

"Wow," Henry said, peeking out from the living room. His hazel eyes were wide. "You look beautiful, Mom."

"I wanna see!" Roland joined his brother and stuck his head out of the living room. His eyes widened as well. "You look like a model!"

She smiled as she reached the bottom step, twirling around so they could admire the full outfit. "You think?"

"I don't think it's really our opinion that matters tonight," Tink said, joining the boys. She hugged them against her side as she grinned at Regina. "It's Robin's."

"Dad always thinks Mom looks beautiful," Henry said. "He tells her that all the time."

Roland nodded. "And then her cheeks get all pink, like they are now."

"It's just makeup," she told him, though she felt the heat in her cheeks that told her it was a real blush.

"It's not just makeup," Robin said, coming in from the kitchen. He wore his tuxedo, this time with a red bow tie and matching cummerbund. He smiled as he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. "All that does is enhance how naturally beautiful you are."

She melted in his embrace, reaching up to cup his cheek. "You and your golden tongue."

"I can show you what else this tongue can do," he whispered, wiggling his eyebrows for added emphasis.

"Okay, boys, why don't you go wait for me inside while I talk to your parents?" Tink's voice reminded them they weren't alone and they jumped apart, looking at their very smug babysitter.

She crossed her arms once the boys were gone. "Okay, you two. Go and enjoy your Valentine's Day. Don't worry about us. The boys will be fine. And, as always, keep in mind that I do have a packed bag in the car in case you need me to stay overnight. Just shoot me a text to let me know."

Regina took a deep breath, knowing the message in her friend's words. It was always a tempting offer—she and Robin liked to get loud during sex but more often than not had to stifle themselves so they didn't wake the boys. But it was also a weekday night and she wasn't going to show up to work in such a fancy dress.

"We'll be home tonight," Robin told Tink, as if reading Regina's mind "It'll be late but it'll be tonight."

"Okay. But the offer is still there," she replied. "You two have fun."

As Robin went to get their coats, Regina turned to Tink. "Can you get the boys? I want to say goodnight before we go."

Tink nodded, heading into the living room and telling the boys to say goodnight to their parents. Henry and Roland raced out, hugging her. "Goodnight, Mom!" they said together.

"Goodnight," she told them, kissing their cheeks. "Your father and I love you very much and will see you in the morning. Okay?"

"Okay," they replied.

Regina stood up, letting Robin help her into her coat. She buttoned herself up as he hugged the boys, wishing them a goodnight as well. Once her scarf was tied and her gloves were on, he stood and took her hand. "Are you ready, Valentine?" he asked.

"I am," she replied, heading to the door with him. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she eagerly anticipated a romantic evening out with her husband.

"The Storybrooke Conservatory?" Regina gaped as he pulled up to the beautiful building her mother rented out for her annual ball. It wasn't a restaurant or a place where food was usually served—that was just something Mother paid a ridiculous amount of money to ask them to do.

He nodded, turning the car off. "I have a big surprise for you."

"Robin, how much is this costing you?" she asked him, her heart beating faster. She knew he had a vast fortune thanks to his inheritance but she didn't want him to spend too much on her. She didn't need extravagant displays. All she needed was his love.

"Not as much as you probably fear," he replied, opening his door. "Come on."

She opened her own door and climbed down. Closing it, she walked forward to meet up with him. Other cars were parked in the lot and there were lights on in the place, which confused her even more. "Robin, really, what's going on? You know how much I hate surprises and this is pushing my limits as it is."

He stopped, turning to take her hands in his. "The Conservatory is having a Valentine's Day special. When I saw it, I knew it would be perfect for us."

"And they're really not going out of their way for us?" she asked, still hesitant.

"Really," he promised her. "I made a few requests but that was also part of the package I selected. And they were more than happy to oblige me."

That still didn't calm her nerves as she scoffed: "Yeah, I'm sure."

He slouched a bit to look her in the eyes, an eyebrow raised. "Before I told you about being a Wakefield, did you know I was rich?"

She pressed her lips together but she knew he had her. "No, I didn't."

"Do you think anyone else in Storybrooke knows I'm rich?" he asked next.

"I think more people are learning after what happened at the ball," she replied before sighing. "But most probably still don't know."

He nodded. "Exactly. To the people who put tonight together, I'm just another husband trying to give his wife a wonderful Valentine's Day."

She leaned closer to him, smiling. "You're not just another husband. You're my husband and I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed her nose before pulling back. "Come on. Our reservations are waiting for us."

They entered the conservatory and checked their coats. A hostess in a black dress then greeted them. "Name?" she asked.

"Locksley," Robin replied.

She checked her list and smiled, nodding. "Okay. Follow me. We have everything ready for you."

Robin placed his hand on Regina's back, encouraging her to walk in front of him as the hostess led them through the main room. She recognized it as the one where Mother had them set up the tables for dinner during the ball. It was filled with people, many whom she recognized but quite a few she didn't. She wondered if couples from nearby towns had come to Storybrooke for the special event.

The hostess left the room and Regina's heart sped up as they entered a room with floor-to-ceiling windows that gave beautiful views of the snow-covered trees that surrounded the conservatory. While several tables were set up, no one else was in the room. They were led to the table farthest from the door, which had a vase full of purple roses on it.

"Here you go," the hostess said with a smile. "We have a fixed menu for you to choose from. Your waiter will be by shortly."

They thanked her and Robin pulled out a chair for Regina. "After you, milady," he said.

She sat down, tucking her skirt underneath her, and let him push her chair in. As he went to take his seat, Regina reached out and gently ran his finger over one of the rose petals. "Until a couple weeks ago, I didn't know roses came in purple," she said, amazed.

"They are very rare," he told her. "Purple roses symbolize enchantment, love at first sight, and that the person they are meant for is irresistible. That the giver is drawn to them."

"They really mean all of that?" she asked, amazed that he had researched the symbolism of her favorite flower in her favorite color.

He nodded. "After I learned all of that, I knew I had to get them. Thankfully, I have a friend who is really great about getting exotic plants."

"Really? Who is this friend?" she asked, curious.

"His name is Seymour," Robin replied. "He lives and works in the next town over, running a flower shop with his wife, Audrey. Lovely woman, though a bit ditzy at times."

She smiled, once again touching the roses. "So these are for me to take home?"

He nodded. "Vase and all."

"And they just put your requested bouquet on our table?" she asked, still amazed by it.

"Yep," he replied, taking her hand. "Whoever is running this really went out of their way to make it perfect for each couple here tonight."

She nodded before picking up the menu resting on top of her plate. "Well, I can't wait to try the food."

"Me too," he replied, picking up his menu. "But don't forget to save room for dessert. I have something special planned for that."

Regina's stomach flipped with excitement and she smiled, trying to stay calm as she said: "I bet you do."

She bit her lip, forcing herself to look over her options and not to skip straight to dessert. Knowing Robin, it was going to be worth the wait.

Their waiter rolled up with the dessert cart, several slices of cake resting on it. In the middle was a covered dish and he took that one off, placing it in front of Regina. "For you, special request by your husband."

"Thank you," she said, staring at it intently. She waited until Robin had gotten his dessert—a slice of chocolate cake—and the waiter walked off before she looked up. "Well?"

He smiled, nodding. "Go ahead. Lift the lid."

She took a deep breath, butterflies floating around her stomach as she lifted the lid. A slice of red velvet cake sat on a plate, next to a black ring box. Regina's heart sped up as she picked it up, wondering what he had bought her. She had told him that she didn't need expensive jewelry or anything like that to celebrate important events. Had he ignored that and gotten her something anyway?

"Open it," he said.

"Robin," she replied, shaking her head. She held the box back out to him. "You know how I feel about jewelry."

He nodded, gently pushing it back toward her. "Please, just open it. For me?"

She sighed, humoring him. Opening the lid, she found a beautiful ring inside it. A diamond surrounded by two pearls were set on a gold band. She couldn't deny it was beautiful and told him that.

"I'm glad you like it," he told her. "I had it made especially for you."

"Robin, I told you…"

"That you like gifts that have special meaning," he interrupted, smiling. "That band? It's my mother's wedding ring and the diamond came from one of her earrings. And the pearls? Those came from a pair of my grandmother's earrings."

Her heart skipped a beat and she felt bad for doubting him, for believing he had ignored her wishes. She covered her mouth as tears filled her eyes, realizing he had crafted a ring for her made from mementos of two important women in his life.

Robin stood and took the box from her hands. He got down on one knee and she found it hard to breathe as tears fell freely down her cheeks, realizing what he was doing. It was sweet, romantic and so very, very him.

"Regina," he said, "I know you're probably not one for grand romantic gestures, but I could not think of a better place to do this than the spot where we exchanged vows for real."

She glanced around, realizing it was the very room where they spoke with Santa and promised to stay married with each other. It brought fresh tears to her eyes and she was really glad she had decided to wear waterproof mascara, even if it was just because she was worried about snow and not tears.

"Because of our boys' wish, we didn't really get a chance to date or for me to do this. So I hope you don't mind me doing this now, even if it's a bit cliché to propose on Valentine's Day," he continued, winking at her.

She chuckled through her tears, letting him take her hand as he continued. "Though this really isn't a proposal. We're married and I am so glad we are. However, I didn't give you this ring. Santa's magic did. So I wanted a ring to give you.

"Regina Locksley-Mills, will you accept this ring as a symbol of my love for you?" he asked, pulling the ring out and holding it up.

"I will," she said, holding out her left hand and spreading out her ring. She watched as he slid the ring onto her ring finger until it touched her gold wedding band.

He kissed her hand before standing, pulling her up with him. Robin rested his hands on her hips as she draped her arms over his shoulders, both smiling. "I love you," he told her.

"I love you too," she replied, kissing the tip of his nose. "And I love the ring. I'm sorry I didn't give you a chance to explain it to me."

Robin rubbed her back. "That's okay. All's well that ends well."

She smiled coyly, leaning closer to him. "Is this the end for tonight?"

"Oh, trust me, this is just the beginning," he assured her with a wink. He pulled back and motioned to the table. "Why don't we finish up dessert and then we can move on to the fun."

The emphasis on that last word and the way he dropped his voice into a lower register made her tingle. Butterflies returned to her stomach and she grinned as she sat down, eager to finish her cake so she could see what was next on this grand Valentine's Day celebration.

Robin watched as the streetlamps illuminated Regina as they drove through the streets of Storybrooke. She held her vase of purple roses on her lap and played with her new engagement ring, moving it with her thumb. Her lips curled into a soft smile, making his heart skip a beat.

She was breathtaking.

"You're staring at me," she said without looking at him. "I can feel your eyes on me and not on the road."

"I can watch both," he assured her, turning onto a small road. The car rattled around as he drove down it.

She reached out to brace herself against the dashboard, frowning. "What's going on? Where are you taking me?"

"My old cottage," he told her, also concerned at how bumpy the drive was. "This is the right road."

"I don't remember it being so bumpy the last time we came here. I would've woken up if that was the case."

He frowned, knowing she was right. Glancing over his steering wheel, he got a good look at the road. "There are a lot of potholes on this road."

"I'll see if I can mention it to the mayor next time I see him," she replied, her voice shaking as he did his best to avoid the potholes.

Relief filled him as they approached his cottage. He gripped the steering wheel tighter. "We're almost there, sweetheart."

"Good. I don't know how much longer I can keep the water in the vase from splashing on my dress," she said.

He pulled into his old driveway and turned off the car. Opening his door, he frowned when he saw all the ice on the ground. "Wait for me. It's pretty icy. We should walk in together," he told her.

She nodded, waiting for him as he walked around the car. He gently took her arm as she got out, closing the door behind her. Regina frowned as she looked around. "I thought John was taking care of the property?"

"Me too," he replied, holding onto her to keep her from falling as they shuffled like penguins to the front door. He made a note to talk to John the next day.

Once they were inside the house, he went to turn on the heat. He glanced over at Regina, who stood in the foyer with her roses. "Why don't you head upstairs? I'll meet you there."

She nodded, kissing his check as she handed him the vase. "Put these somewhere safe but where we won't forget them."

"I will," he promised her. "Go get comfortable. There's just one thing I want to check."

Robin entered the kitchen, setting the vase down on his table. He opened the refrigerator, praying John had at least gotten him what he had asked. Relief spread through him when he saw the can of whipped cream sitting on the top shelf. He grabbed it before turning to join his wife in his old bedroom.

He found her sitting on his bed, her hands in her lap as she faced the door. Robin closed it behind him, confused. "You could've made yourself comfortable."

"I wanted to wait for you," she said before tilting her head. "Is that…whipped cream?"

"It is," he confirmed.

She frowned. "What are you going to do with that?"

He set the can down on the nightstand before loosening his tie with a grin. "Have some fun."

Regina's eyebrows went up and she glanced at the can uncertainty. "I've, uh, never done that before."

"Don't worry," he assured her, sitting on the bed next to her. He took her hand and kissed it. "You have the right to say no at any time, you know that, right?"

The last thing he ever wanted to make her was uncomfortable and he never wanted her to go along with something just because she thought he wanted to do it. He just wanted her to be happy.

She relaxed, smiling as she leaned toward him. "I know. And I do want to try it. I just…haven't done it before."

He brushed some of her hair back from her face. "It'll be fine. I promise."

"I know," she replied, resting her hand on his leg. "I trust you."

She kissed him and he cupped the back of her neck, rubbing it gently as they fell onto the bed together. Her fingers started to undo the buttons on his shirt while his fingers tugged on the zipper of her dress.

Once they were undressed, Robin reached for the can of whipped cream. He paused, looking her in the eyes. "Are you sure about this?"

"I am," she said, running her hands up his arms. "Go ahead."

He grinned, biting his lip as he shook the can. "After I'm done with you, you can have some fun with me. Sound fair?"

"Very fair," she replied, smiling now.

"Good." Robin squirted some whipped cream on her breast, covering her nipple completely. It was time for them to have some sweet, sexy fun.

Though they had tried their best to clean up before leaving Robin's cottage, Regina still felt sticky all the way home. Relief filled her as Robin pulled into their driveway, knowing she would be in her shower in no time.

"Did you two have a good night out?" Tink asked, opening the door for them. She smiled as she took in the bouquet of purple roses in Regina's hands. "Ooh, you went all out for her, didn't you, Robin?"

"And then some. He gave me a proper engagement ring too," Regina said, showing off the ring that once again sat on her left ring finger, resting just above her wedding band.

Tink let out a squeal and grabbed Regina's hand to examine it closer. "It's beautiful, Robin. Where did you get it?"

"I had it made," he said, explaining again all the parts that made up the ring.

When he finished, Tink let out a low whistle. "Impressive," she said.

"Thank you," Robin replied, wrapping his arm around Regina after hanging up their coats. "And thank you for watching the boys. I trust they were on their best behavior?"

Regina was not surprised when Tink waved off his concerns. "They were fine. We had some dinner, played a couple games while we watched a movie and then they took their baths before I tucked them in. They were both out in seconds."

"Well, it sounds like you had a good night too," Robin said. He retrieved her coat. "I'll walk you to your car. It's still pretty icy out there."

Tink put on her coat, thanking him. She then hugged Regina. "Have a good night."

"Get home safely," Regina told her, watching as Robin escorted her out of their house. Once the door closed, she hurried up the stairs—her shower was calling.

First, though, she checked on her boys. Just as Tink said, they were sound asleep. Henry had cocooned himself but she was able to kiss his forehead. Roland laid sprawled out and had kicked off his blankets. She covered him again, kissing his forehead in the process.

After that, she made a beeline to her room and quickly shed her clothes. They went straight into her hamper before she entered the bathroom and started up her shower. She stepped into the cascade of warm water and let out a pleased sigh, feeling the stickiness wash off her.

She heard the bathroom door open and saw a dark figure against the fogged-up glass of her shower stall. Regina watched the door, smiling when it opened and Robin quickly hopped in before he let in too much cold air. He smiled as he closed the door behind her. "I hope you're in the mood for some company," he said.

"I'm always in the mood when you're the company," she told him, draping her arms over his shoulders as she grinned at him.

He gently gripped her hip. "Glad to hear it."

"I had a great Valentine's Day," she continued as he pulled her closer. She pressed her body against his, though she didn't expect them to do anything else that night but wash up and go to bed. The skin-to-skin contact just felt good.

Robin nuzzled her. "I'm glad. I figured it's been too long since your last one."

"Well, I've had a few good ones since Henry came along," she said, tilting her head so he had better access to her neck. She shivered as he placed light kisses along it. "But you're right that it's been a long time since I had a great romantic one."

He hummed, lifting his head up to smile at her. "So noted. And I'm glad you had a good night."

"What about you?" she asked, concerned. "You focused so much on me and I feel bad I didn't focus on you."

"You know I'm happy when you're happy," he told her, reaching for her shampoo. "Now, why don't we get ourselves cleaned up and head to bed? I think we're both pretty tired after tonight."

She nodded, turning around so he could wash her hair. As his fingers massaged her scalp, she closed her eyes. Robin had done so much for her during their short marriage and she felt it was time to pay him back. His birthday was in about six weeks—she was going to make it one he never forgot.

As she started planning in her mind, he washed the suds from her hair and then grabbed her loofa. He squirted some body wash into it and scrubbed down her body, removing all traces of their activities that evening from her skin.

"There," he said. "All clean now."

She kissed his nose, focusing on him again. "Now it's your turn. Hand me your shampoo."

He did as she asked, bending down a bit so she could reach his hair. She lathered up the shampoo, massaging his scalp like he had done with hers. Regina washed the suds out of his hair before grabbing his body wash to scrub down his body, wanting to do it quickly before his knees started to hurt. It was a bit of a challenge as he kept trying to kiss every part of her that got close to his lips.

"Stop it," she said, gently pushing him away. "At this rate, we'll never get out of the shower and the water will turn cold."

"I can't help it. You're irresistible," he told her, grinning.

She rolled her eyes, turning off the water. "Come on. Let's get to bed."

Robin opened the door to the shower stall and grabbed a towel. He wrapped her in it, trying to keep her warm. As she towel-dried her hair, he wrapped a towel around himself as well. They hurried out into the bedroom and quickly changed into their pajamas.

After putting her wedding ring back on, Regina made sure her new engagement ring sat in its box on her nightstand. It made her heart skip a beat as she climbed under the covers, cuddling closer to her husband.

He wrapped his arm around her as he rested his cheek against her head. "Good night, sweetheart."

A/N: Okay, so I totally missed Valentine's Day by…a lot. My bad. I'm hoping I can right the course somehow…but I'm already behind on the Easter/Robin's birthday fic, so probably not.

If you want to see the sweet, sexy fun Robin and Regina had with that whipped cream, you can find the full version of this chapter on AO3 or Wattpad.

I hope you all enjoyed this anyhow!

-Mac