Once Upon a Time 1. Chapter 1

"Alright, everyone! The photoshoot starts at the top of the hour!" a supervisor yelled.

The place was in chaos. Models everywhere either changing or getting their hair and makeup done. Everyone was talking over each other as they were making sure everything was correctly in place. It was one of the most important photo shoots this year for Smize Fashions. Fall was quickly on its way, and everything had to be right in order for the brand to do well this year. If they didn't, then they might as well shut the brand down now.

The room was crowded, and one could feel the tension when they walked in the room. But no one was as tense or as nervous for this shoot as much as Regina Mills was. She was the brand manager, and how well this shoot went all depended on her. She had been planning this photo shoot for a month, making sure that she had everything down to its final detail. Even with all the planning, however, Regina could not seem to calm her nerves. She was flying across the room, checking on every department to make sure things were being done right. She walked into the makeup department and checked Jefferson's work. He was great at applying makeup, but he would sometimes not get it right. Regina wasn't gonna take any chances. Not today.

"No, Jefferson, this is a '60s shoot, not the 1940s. You need to get that eye makeup right," she instructed, with a small tone of frustration in her voice. How difficult was it to get the era right?

"Yes, sorry, distracted today," Jefferson replied, and he carefully glided eyeliner across the crease of the model's eyelids. When he finished, he glanced over to Regina for her approval.

"Much better. None of us can afford to be distracted today, Jefferson," Regina said.

"Yes, sorry," Jefferson apologized. "Boyfriend drama, but I'll get focused."

Regina nodded and moved on to check other's work, but she couldn't help but still be a tad bit frustrated at Jefferson. He always has some sort of boyfriend drama, and he always managed to be affected by it at work. Nevertheless, Regina knew she couldn't be bothered with it right now. She had fixed it, and that's what mattered.

Ten minutes later, the photo shoot was in full swing. The camera was continuously clicking as models did pose after pose. Everything looked good-the models, the set, the color scheme. Regina had done well, and she couldn't help but be proud of herself. The 1960s meeting 2014 was one of her best ideas yet. It was interesting and different, and no other known brand was doing it. It was definitely going to be a success. Regina was still nervous as hell, but she was calming down more and more as the photo shoot went on.

After taking about 200 shots, Regina called it a wrap. The models quickly dispersed, and everything was cleared right away. By the end of the morning, one would never know that a photo shoot had happened there. Regina took a sigh of relief and was thankful the shoot was over. There was still work to do later that week, but for now, Regina could relax. It was only 2:30 in the afternoon, but she needed to pick up her son Henry from his preschool. If she didn't leave now, she'd be late and end up receiving a lecture from the bitchy assistant teacher, Kathryn. That was something Regina did not feel like dealing with today. She grabbed her purse from her office and drove to the school.

Regina arrived at the school just in time. She walked up to the classroom and saw Henry playing with another little boy. He must have been knew, as Regina had never seen him before. She smiled and walked into the classroom.

"Mama!" Henry exclaimed. He ran up to her excitedly, and Regina embraced him with open arms.

"Hey there, little guy! Whose this?" Regina asked.

"His name is...um..." Henry didn't seem to know. He glanced over to the child and asked what his name was.

"Roland," the little boy said in a soft voice.

"His name is Roland, and he's my new friend!" Henry said with a smile.

"He is? Well, then I must meet his parents to set up a play date, now shouldn't I?" Regina suggested and swung Henry up in her arms. He nodded, and Regina said she would tomorrow. Regina kissed him on his head before talking to his teacher, Mrs. Gold.

"How was he today? Any issues?" Regina asked.

"None at all, Henry was a good boy today, Ms. Mills," Mrs. Gold said as she winked at Henry.. Regina responded with a simple thank you, and she exited the classroom. Not a moment later, she was summoned back in.

"Ms. Mills!" Mrs. Gold called. "You forgot Henry's backpack." Regina shook her head and thanked the teacher for reminding her.

When they reached the car, Regina buckled Henry in his car seat and threw his backpack to the seat next to him. Just as she was about to close Henry's door, he yelled,

"Ooh, Mama! That's my new friend!"

Regina looked behind her and, indeed, saw that it was. Roland seemed to notice Henry, too, as he waved over at them. Regina decided that she might as well introduce herself now. When she looked back, a wave of shock came over her. She quickly walked passed the parking space that was between them. She couldn't believe it was him. Could it really be the same blond haired, deep blue-green eyed Robin Locksley from all those years ago?

"Oh my god, Robin? It's Regina, we went to high school together?" She half-said, half-asked as she was desperately hoping she wasn't mistaken. She quickly found out that she wasn't. Robin smiled and embraced her, saying,

"My god, how long has it been? Ten years?"

"Just about," Regina said with a shrug. She was still in shock that it was him.

"Well, it is great to see you again. This is my son, Roland," Robin said, and he patted him on the head. "I assume that that is your child over there?"

"Yes, my son Henry. He was just telling me inside about his new friend, who just so happens to be your adorable son," Regina said and couldn't help but smile at how cute Roland was.

"In that case, we should arrange a play date sometime. First, however, we definitely need to catch up. Maybe coffee sometime?" Robin suggested.

"Coffee sounds great. I am free anytime in the afternoons, if that works for you."

"It usually does, but I'm afraid that my afternoons will be quite hectic after tomorrow. Are you free so soon?" Robin asked, hoping that she would be.

"Tomorrow is perfect for me, yes. Let me give you my number," Regina answered, thankful she had a few business cards in her back pocket. "This is my business card, but you can see my cell is on there, too."

"Great. I will send you a text tonight for a time and place. I am so glad we've been able to meet again," Robin said as he turned to strap Roland into his car seat.

"I am too. I'll see you tomorrow, Robin," Regina said and walked back to her car. Henry was already passed out, so Regina didn't bother waking him up just to tell him she knew Roland's father. He wouldn't really care anyways.

When Regina and Henry got back to their apartment, Henry was still sound asleep. Regina gently got him out of his car seat, being careful not to wake him. She unlocked the door and headed straight for Henry's room. She tucked him in his small bed, and he only stirred a little. Regina smiled at her son. He was precious. She pulled his racecar comforter over him and placed his favorite stuffed animal, an elephant named Keke, under his arm. She kissed him on the forehead and left the room, leaving the door open a crack.

Regina ventured towards her kitchen, knowing that she should probably do the dishes. She detested doing them, especially since their dishwasher wasn't working. She huffed and filled the sink with water until it was full. She grabbed the sponge and soap and scrubbed every last dish. When she finished, she went on to dusting the living room and cleaning the windows. By the time she was done, Henry was calling for her.

Regina opened her son's door to find him lying on his bed with his Keke still tucked under his arm. She sat down next to him.

"Hey, little guy. Sleep well?" she asked.

"Mhmm," he replied lazily. He opened his arms out to her, gesturing for a hug. Regina smiled and cuddled him up against her. She loved cuddling with him. She never wanted to stop. Henry loved it too, and he always made sure they had at least one cuddle time a day. He looked up at his mom and asked,

"Story time?"

"What's the magic word?" Regina teasingly asked.

"Please?" Henry asked and looked up at her again with his green eyes. Regina nodded and grabbed the book on his night stand. It was a book of fairy tales, and Regina flipped to his favorite one-the story of how Snow White and Prince Charming met.

"Okay, here we go. Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful princess who was forced to become a bandit because the Evil Queen hated her deeply," Regina began. She knew this story by heart but never minded reading it over and over again. She loved the way Henry's face lit up when she read it. Even though he knew what happened, he would still gasp whenever anything dangerous or adventurous happened. Regina loved every minute of it.

Later, once Henry was tucked in for night, Regina popped open her bottle of Pinot Noir and poured some into her wine glass. She plopped down on the couch and turned on the television, going straight to her DVR. She had a new episode of Chopped to watch. This was one of her favorite cooking shows, and she was always intrigued with what the cooks came up with.

Halfway through the show, Regina's phone beeped. She set down her wine glass and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. It was a text from Robin saying,

"Coffee at 4 tomorrow? Starbucks?"

Regina immediately responded confirming.

Regina had the next day off of work, so she decided to stop by her mom's for a little while after dropping Henry off at school. When she pulled up in the driveway she noticed that her best friend, Emma Swan, was there. This wasn't all that surprising to Regina, though, since Emma and Regina had been friends since middle school. Emma was basically Cora's other daughter. Regina walked up the house and let herself in.

"Mom?" she called. Seconds later, Cora came out to the entryway.

"Regina! What a lovely surprise," she greeted and hugged Regina.

"Well, I had today off, so I figured why not?" Regina shrugged. "Plus, I have some quite interesting news that both you and Emma will want to know."

"In that case, let's go to the kitchen. Emma is making herself a late breakfast," Cora said while they both made there way to the kitchen.

The Mills' house was rather large and was located in a nice neighborhood. It was nice and open. The entryway smoothly opened up into the living room, which had the classy kitchen ajoined. Regina's favorite part about the kitchen was the opening it had above the stove and counter. It gave a perfect view of what was going on in the living room, which benefited Regina and Emma greatly in their teenage years when they would bake cookie dough while watching Mean Girls every Saturday night. Those memories always made Regina smile.

When they entered the kitchen, they found Emma giving a mixing bowl a confused look. She said while still looking down,

"I somehow managed to get a lot of egg shells in the mix." Regina chuckled, and it was here that Emma realized her presence.

"Regina!" She said excitedly and ran over for a hug. They had just seen each other last week for lunch, but based on Emma's tight hugs, you'd think they hadn't seen each other in a month. Regina returned the tight embrace and teased,

"Didn't you hear me come in? Or were you too focused on your. breakfast malfunction?"

"Oh, hush," Emma said with the same teasing tone. "You know I'm not the greatest at cooking. Help me?" She gave Regina puppy eyes, which Regina just couldn't resist. She playfully rolled her eyes and walked over to where Emma was attempting to make her scrambled eggs. Sure enough, egg shells were scattered in the mix. Regina grabbed a small fork and tried to fish them out, but it proved to be no use. Emma rinsed the bowl and started fresh. This time, Regina cracked the eggs.

"So what brings you here today?" Regina said when Emma finished cooking her eggs.

"I ran out of eggs, and Cora always seems to have eggs," Emma responded and smiled at Cora, who had just finished reading an online article."And you, dearie, always seem to run out of eggs," Cora said and gave Emma a playful wink. If a stranger walked in and observed them, you would never guess that Emma wasn't blood related. The only thing that could give it away was Emma's blonde hair and blue eyes in comparison to Cora and Regina's dark hair and brown eyes, However, their personalities blended perfectly.

"So," Regina started a few moments later. "Can either of you guess what happened yesterday?"

Emma and Cora both spent a few seconds thinking about it, when Cora guessed,

"You finally got laid."

Regina arched her eyebrow and gave her mother an unamused look, while Emma gave a light chuckle.

"No, I did not get laid, Mother," Regina said and rolled her eyes. "I ran into Robin Locksley when I picked up Henry from school." Cora and Emma both exchanged shocked looks.

"Ooh is he still hot?" Emma asked and gave Regina a playful wink, who rolled her eyes once again. "No, I'm just kidding. Sort of." She muttered the last part under her breath, but Regina still heard it.

"He is not unattractive," Regina said, but she did find Robin as attractive as she did in high school. "But that is beside the point, Swan."

Emma just smiled and took a sip of her apple juice.

"Is he still as much of a douche? I don't know if I can ever forgive him for kissing you, then running off to England," Cora said without looking up from her computer to see Regina's reaction.

"Oh, Mother. We kissed in a play. We were playing Romeo and Juliet; it isn't like we had a choice in the matter," Regina informed.

"Either way, he still kissed you then went to another country."

"He had to move back to England because of his father's work," Regina replied. "Again, he didn't have a choice. Plus, we were never a couple offstage anyways."

"Oh, you guys would've been so cute, though!" Emma teased.

"Good god, you guys are in a playful mood today," Regina said. Emma and Cora responded with smirks. "Anyways, we are meeting today at four for coffee so we can catch up. And, don't worry, I will call you both to tell you everything, even though there won't be much to tell.".

"Goodie, because we'd call you anyway," Emma said, and she was eager to here about how it went. According to Emma, Regina needed some loving in her life. She hadn't been with anyone since Henry was born, and Emma figured it was a good time. Who better than an old friend?

A few seconds later, Emma added,

"Wait, Regina, what about the kid?"

"I was planning on taking him with me. He'll probably sleep through the whole thing anyways," Regina casually answered. Emma shook her head.

"Nuh-uh. No way. Even if this isn't a date, do not bring Henry with you," Emma advised.

"Oh, and who do you suppose will watch Henry then?" Regina inquired with a pointed brow.

"Emma and I can pick him up and bring him to your place. That way, you won't have to call us after you get back," Cora suggested. Emma nodded in agreement. It wasn't a bad idea. This way she could catch up with Robin without being distracted by Henry if he wasn't going to be sleeping.

"Fine," Regina agreed, much to the contentment of Cora and Emma. "But, you know the rules. He can't have any candy unless he eats something healthful first, and he can only have a little. I don't want to have to deal with him not eating at dinner."

Emma and Cora promised to follow the rules, as they have both experienced Henry being trouble at dinner time since he ate too much candy. Plus, they knew it would frustrate the hell out of Regina if they did.

"Okay, then. I should get going, though. I will see you two around five, possibly six." And with that, Regina made her way to the market to pick up a few ingredients for dinner.

Regina arrived at the Starbucks a few minutes before four. She decided to wait in her car for a few minutes before going in. She opened up her car mirror and make sure her hair and makeup looked decent. Thankfully, it did. Her short, black hair was nicely straightened, and her red lipstick didn't have a smudge. She snapped the mirror shut, climbed out of her car, and smoothed out her black peacoat before entering Starbucks.

Regina looked around and noticed Robin was seated at a small table by the window. He looked up and saw her as she was walking over to him.

"Hey, how are you?" he greeted her and stood up.

"I'm great, how are you doing?" Regina returned the greeting as she sat down. She took off her coat, which exposed her simple black v-neck that she had worn underneath.

"I'm doing really well, thank you. To be honest, I am still surprised we ran into each other yesterday," he said.

"Me too. Small world after all, huh?"

"Oh, most certainly," Robin smirked. "So, what have you been doing these past nine years?"

"Quite a lot, actually," Regina began. "I finished up high school and went on to a fashion institute. I had Henry when I was 22, and I received the job as brand manager for Smize not too long after."Robin seemed impressed.

"You sound like you are doing amazing, Regina," he said. Regina could tell he meant it. His voice sounded sincere and honest. It made her slightly blush.

"Thank you, Robin. What all have you been up to?"

"Well, as you know, I moved back to England with my father. I went to a local school there, and I ended up coming back to the United States after graduation so I could attend the Cordon Bleu in Boston. I met my ex-wife there, and we were married and had Roland not too long after. Then we got divorced, and I was offered the position of head chef at the Hard Rock Cafe."

Regina was definitely impressed, especially with his current job.

"Wow, that is truly wonderful, Robin," Regina smiled. "Well, maybe not the divorce, but I think you know what I mean." Robin chuckled and gave a slight nod.

"No worries, Regina. I understand. Honestly, I don't regret being with her, especially since Roland came out of it." Regina could tell he deeply cherished his son. The mentioning of his name made his whole face light up with joy.

"Of course," Regina responded. "Children are great, and Roland seems to be an amazing little boy."

"He really is," Robin grinned. "I only get him weekends and after school on Mondays, but every moment with him is perfect."

Regina responded with a simple smile. She loved hearing a father talk about his child. It warmed her heart.

"And what about you, with your son?" Robin added. "Tell me about Henry."

"He's precious. I love everything about him. He absolutely adores racecars and elephants," Regina replied with a light laugh in her voice. She could never stop smiling when she talked about Henry.

"Racecars and elephants are quite great, though," Robin teased. "He sounds like a fantastic child, Regina. And you are a great mother."

"Thank you," Regina blushed.

The two continued on to reminiscing about their high school days. They talked about Romeo and Juliet, along with the teachers and courses they particularly dreaded. They were both always smiling and, every once in a while, would burst out laughing.

"I still can't believe you and Emma did that."

"Well, he deserved it!" Regina laughed. "Come on, you would do the same thing."

"Oh, I don't know. Popping all four of a teacher's tires for giving you a bad grade is a little extreme, to say the least," Robin chuckled.

"It wasn't just a bad grade," Regina said, mimicking his tone. "He gave us an F on our presentation just because we were late to class."

"Ah yes, but you're excuse was not the best one. I remember trying not to laugh when you and Emma told him."

"Okay, maybe it wasn't the greatest excuse," Regina admitted. "But it was still unfair. We still had time to do our presentation."

Robin responded with a light chuckle, before asking,

"How is Emma? Are you two still in contact?"

"We're the closest of friends. She's doing great."

"I am so glad to hear that, Regina. I remember you two being inseparable in high school. You two were always up to something," he said and shook his head, remembering everything Regina and Emma had done together. Regina didn't disagree; she and Emma did always have something up their sleeve, whether it was school-related or not. They would always sneak out in the middle of the night, even if it was to just go to the park or the store to get some food. They would return home to a furious Cora about every time.

"Oh, damn, I just realized the time," Regina said a few minutes later. She and Robin had been having such a great time that neither of them realized it had been two hours. "My mom and Emma are watching Henry, and I said I would be back around six. I'm so sorry to leave so abruptly."

Robin couldn't say he wasn't disappointed, but he completely understood.

"Don't worry, Regina. I have had a great time, though," he said as he stood up from his chair to say goodbye.

"I have too. We should do it again soon," Regina suggested. Robin nodded and offered to walk her out to her car.

Once they reached her car a few minutes later, Regina gave him a quick embrace and said goodbye.

"Wait," Robin asked.

"Yes?" Regina curiously asked. Robin took a deep breath before asking,

"Will you go out with me on Friday night?" Regina looked down and blushed.

"I would love to, Robin. Pick me up at eight?"

"Sounds perfect," Robin said with a tone of relief. "I will see you then."

"See you then," Regina said. She climbed back into her car and started the engine. Robin had already made his way back to his own car, so Regina was now alone. As she was driving out of the lot, she couldn't help but smile and blush. Regina Mills was falling for Robin Locksley, and she didn't mind one bit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi! Thank you so much for the follows, favorites, and reviews, everyone! It means so much to me, and I'm really glad that y'all on here and on Twitter enjoyed the first chapter. This chapter is a little shorter, but the next one is going to be longer. Also, as a note, this is my first time writing something that is rated M, so please excuse me if a scene in this chapter is a little off. It will improve. So that's about it! Hope you enjoy chapter 2 of "Crazy In Love", and please review! And, if you like it, please follow, favorite, and pass it on to your friends! Thank you!**

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><p>When Regina got back to her apartment, she hesitated before opening the door and walking in. She had told Cora and Emma the latest she would be back would be six, and it was now fifteen minutes after. It didn't help that she was stalling. It wasn't that she didn't mind telling them, but she did mind that they would make it a big deal. She hadn't been on a date since before Henry was born, so Regina knew that Emma and Cora would have a field day over this. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and tried to act as casually as possible.<p>

Cora, Emma, and Henry were situated in the living room watching Cars when they noticed Regina had walked in. Henry's face lit up as he ran to his mother with open arms.

"Mommy!" he exclaimed, and he almost lost his balance in excitement.

"Careful," Regina advised, and she swooped him up into her arms for a big hug. "Did you have fun with Aunt Emma and Grandma?"

Henry nodded.

"I did, but I missed you, Mommy," he said. "Grandma and Aunt Emma said you were on a date."

Regina shot a glare at Emma and Cora, who were snickering on the couch.

"No, sweetie, I was just out for coffee," Regina corrected.

"Oh," Henry muttered. "What's a date?"

Regina smiled before giving a simple explanation.

"A date is when two people who are interested in each other go out to do something. They sometimes go out for a movie."

Henry responded with a nod of understanding before scrambling out of Regina's arms.

"Sometimes, they go out for coffee!" Cora added, much to her and Emma's amusement. Regina, however, rolled her eyes. When it came to Regina's love life, they seemed to always tease.

Regina took off her coat and placed it against a chair in the dining room. She went to the kitchen to get a drink, and Cora and Emma took this opportunity to corner Regina on getting her to tell them everything. They walked into the kitchen with excited looks on their faces. They didn't even have to say anything for Regina to know what they were up to.

"It was just coffee," Regina said. "All we mainly did was reminisce about high school and talk about Henry and his son."

Regina hoped that would be enough for them. She would rather tell them about the upcoming date over the phone, so she wouldn't have to deal with their squeals in person. However, it was difficult for Regina to lie to them. No matter how hard she tried, Regina couldn't mask that something else happened. Sure enough, Cora and Emma caught on that she was cutting out something.

"Mhmm," Emma skeptically said. "And, what else happened?" She and Cora both shot an eager look at Regina, who was leaning against the kitchen counter. She took a sip of her water before answering.

"Nothing," she shrugged. "That's all that happened." She tried to further mask her lying. Cora and Emma glanced at each other, both knowing that Regina wasn't saying everything. They knew something good happened. It was visible across Regina's face.

"Regina, dear," Cora started. "You know that both Emma and I can tell when you're hiding something. There's no use in not telling us."

Emma nodded in agreement and they both smiled at Regina, who gave a huff before responding.

"Oh fine," she gave in. "Robin asked me out for Friday night." She winced when Cora and Emma both squealed in delight. She rolled her eyes. It was just a date, nothing more.

"You two are acting like I just got engaged," Regina said, shaking her head in light amusement.

"Well, can you really blame us?" Emma giggled. "I mean, you haven't been on a date since before Henry was born."

"Yes," Regina agreed. "However, I have had a good reason." This wasn't technically untrue. Raising a child did put a dent in her dating life, but it wasn't the only reason Regina hadn't been dating. Emma and Cora knew this, and they silently decided that they should stop teasing. They could see that Regina was nervous for this date, especially since her last relationship ended in ruins. However, they also knew that Regina wouldn't want to talk about her being nervous. She would just shake it off and come up with a retort, but then would end up crying later when she was by herself. Despite it being almost four years later, it was still painful for Regina to discuss what happened. It would be better to leave it be.

"Okay, true," Emma finally said. "Do you want Cora and I to babysit again?"

"Well, only if you both are free. It is a Friday night," Regina mentioned.

"Oh, shit, that's right," Emma said. "I forgot that Killian and I have date night Friday." Regina smiled. Killian and Emma were an adorable couple, and she didn't want Emma to cancel to babysit her child.

"I'm free," Cora said. "I can have Henry spend the night, if you want." It wasn't a bad idea. Not because she planned on having sex with Robin, but just in case they are out later than expected. Then again, it isn't like she would mind sleeping with Robin, but she didn't want to on a first date. She usually waited until the third date before doing anything.

"Okay," Regina agreed. "I can drop him off after I pick him up from school." Cora nodded in response before adding,

"So what are you going to wear?" Regina lightly chuckled and shook her head.

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><p>The next few days were hectic. Regina was constantly in meetings for Smize, as the brand was planning designs for next season and following the trends for the others. To make matters even crazier, the '60s shoot was released online on Thursday. Thankfully, it got great reviews. Magazines and critics adored the uniqueness of it, and the brand's sales were already going up. Regina couldn't be happier. It was a risky move, but she was glad she took it. However, she was also exhausted and desperately wanted the weekend to come. Most of the meetings she was in were pointless and rambled on about the same thing. None of Regina's coworkers had been able to come up with a good idea for the following seasons, and Regina felt like she was the only one doing something. Everyone else seemed to be stuck in a rut.<p>

When Friday finally came, Regina got out of work as quickly as she could. She went in early so she wouldn't have to go back after dropping Henry off at her mother's. Plus, it gave her more time to get ready for her date with Robin. Speaking of which, Regina was surprisingly nervous. She used to not be worried about these types of things, but she certainly did with Robin. She tried to shake it off. She kept telling herself that she was a successful woman who had no reason to be nervous. It didn't help, though. Regina hated this feeling, but there wasn't anything she could do to get rid of it right now. She sighed and went to go pick up her son.

After dropping Henry off at Cora's, Regina went straight home. She still had four hours until the date, but she wanted to take a quick shower and relax before getting ready. When she got into her apartment, she plopped down her purse, kicked off her heels and headed straight for the bathroom. She turned the heat on the shower almost all the way, took off her clothes and jumped right in. The heat from the water felt great, and it helped sooth her achy feet.

When Regina got out of the shower, she dried herself off with a fluffy, red towel and wrapped it around her body while she blow-dried her hair. She still had about three and a half hours until the date, but she figured she might as well do her hair and makeup now while she was in the bathroom. She pulled out her makeup drawer and swept her hair back with a headband to keep her foundation from getting into her hair. For her eyes, she didn't want to do anything that was too fancy, so she went with a neutral smoky eye, black eyeliner, and a coat of her favorite mascara, Better Than Sex by Too Faced. She figured the name was misleading, but at the same time, she hadn't had any action since before Henry was born. Nonetheless, the mascara did wonders for her lashes. She applied the mascara and then a red lipstick before starting on her hair.

After finishing her makeup and straightening her hair, Regina walked to her closet to figure out what to wear. This thankfully didn't take very long, as she already had a rough idea of what she wanted. She stepped into her walk-in closet and didn't even bother looking at any of her dresses. Robin had said it would be dinner and a movie, so Regina didn't constitute a dress being the appropriate attire for that. So, she decided to wear black skinny jeans, a fitted black top, and a loose black leather jacket. She finished off the look by adding a pop of red with a scarf. Regina looked over herself in the mirror and was content with her choices. She looked good, and she could only hope Robin would think the same. While waiting for eight to roll around, Regina decided to spend the time relaxing on the couch and watching Netflix.

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><p>Right at eight, Robin buzzed Regina's apartment. She let him in right away and took deep breaths before answering his knock on the door. When she did, she took a step back. Robin looked...great. His outfit wasn't much different from what he wore to coffee (he still had on jeans), but he had on a black v-neck and a black leather jacket. He looked sexy, and he thought the same of Regina. To him, Regina was a goddess. He could only hope that they would advance into something more. He had felt it since they ran into each other at the school. Robin definitely felt sparks.<p>

"Wow," he said, with a look of awe. "You look beautiful, Regina."

Regina couldn't help but glance down and slightly blush. Not a second later, though, she fluttered her eyes back up to his and said,

"Thank you. You look great, too, Robin." He responded with a simple thank you before escorting her out.

Regina gave a light gasp when Robin pulled up to the restaurant. She couldn't believe it. She slowly blinked and gave a light shake of the head.

"I can't believe you remembered this was my favorite restaurant," she said. Robin smiled, relieved that his memory was correct.

"Of course I remember," Robin answered and made Regina blush once again. Damn, he was good at making her blush. "At every Thursday night rehearsal for the play, you would always bring with you a container of Chili's bacon cheeseburger." Regina smiled. It was true-the classic bacon cheeseburger from Chili's was it's own food group in teenage Regina's mind.

"I did have that quite a lot, didn't I?" she joked, still impressed that he remembered that.

"Yes, and you never shared, either," Robin added, pretending to he hurt. Regina laughed.

"Well, what can I say? I was very possessive of my food then." Robin and Regina both chuckled, and Robin then proceeded to get out of the car and quickly go over to open Regina's door.

"Ah, quite the gentleman," Regina joked.

"I believe the proper phrase is 'thank you'," Robin teased. Regina gave a sassy roll of the eyes before responding,

"But, you see, I've never been one to follow the rules."

"True," Robin agreed. "Come on, let's go." He and Regina unconsciously held hands and walked into the restaurant.

For old time's sake, Regina ordered the classic bacon cheeseburger, and Robin ordered a medium-rare steak. They talked about a number of topics-favorite television shows, their children, hobbies and random topics that would come up. One of these was Regina's ritual of having a glass of wine before going to bed.

"Now, tell me," Robin grinned, "what exactly is so great about drinking a glass of wine before bed?"

"I don't know," Regina admitted. "It relaxes me, I guess." Robin just looked at her and smiled. Regina couldn't help but smile back.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, and the question came out with a soft laugh.

"Looking at you like what, Regina?" Robin coyly asked.

"You keep smiling at me."

"Oh, that," Robin continued to pretend to be oblivious. "I suppose I just can't help it. You're adorable." He gave a little wink, which, once again, made Regina's cheeks turn to a light shade of pink.

"Why, thank you," Regina smiled. This date was going really well. There was never an awkward gap in conversation. The conversations flowed smoothly from one topic to another.

The two lovebirds ended up staying at Chili's longer than expected. Instead of trying to catch a movie, Robin and Regina decided to go for a walk instead. They strolled down the sidewalks of Manhattan hand-in-hand, never ceasing to make each other smile, laugh, and blush. Onlookers would never know that this was their first date. They looked like they had been together for months. They were a perfect match.

Robin and Regina eventually reached his apartment building without even meaning to. Robin had started walking that way as a habit, and Regina wasn't paying attention to where they were going.

"Oh, this is my building. I didn't even realize we had been going this way," Robin mentioned.

"I see," she said, trying to mask the tone of disappointment in her voice. "So, does this mean tonight is over?" Robin shook his head and added,

"I don't necessarily want it to be. Unless you do, of course."

Regina shook her head.

"To be honest, I could probably spend hours with you."

Robin hoped she would say that.

"In that case, how about you come up to my place?" Regina glanced down for a second then looked back up at him.

"Well, there is one problem with that," she stated.

"And what is that?" Robin asked curiously, although he had an idea.

"I don't have sex on the first date."

Robin gave a teasing scoff and stepped up closer to her and said,

"I don't either."

Within minutes of entering Robin's apartment, Regina found herself on top of Robin on his couch, still fully clothed. His apartment was a decent size. It had an adjoining kitchen and living room, one bathroom down a hall, which also led to the master and guest bedroom. The guest bedroom had been transformed into a room for Roland, complete with a toy chest and a shelf full of popular children's books. Overall, the apartment was nice. It had dark hardwood floors that matched the kitchen cabinets. The living room was an average size, and Robin had done well in arranging the furniture. When you first walked into the apartment, the living room was visible from the entryway, and Regina noticed the large bookcase that occupied the left wall that opened to the hallway. The main furniture was located in the center of the room. There was a red lounging chair on the left side of the room, which faced the flat screen t.v. that was pressed against the wall. In the center, there was a glass coffee table with a few books scattered across it. The black, leather couch was to the right of the coffee table, and it was where Regina and Robin were quite enjoying themselves.

Regina was straddling Robin as their tongues interwined. She was now only wearing her shirt and pants, along with Robin. Her scarf and their leather jackets had been tossed to the floor a while ago. Robin's hands were rubbing up and down the back of her shirt, resisting the urge of ripping it off altogether. Regina could feel his erection building as she grinded against him. Her fingers were running through his blond hair, and his hands moved down to her hips. He pulled her up closer and higher to gain access to her neck. Regina was now perfectly placed against his erection, which she didn't mind as she was fairly wet and achy from the way he was touching and kissing her. Robin's tongue swirled against her neck as he created a trail of kisses. He breathed heavily against her. His hands continued to run down her back, occasionally going down to her hips and thighs. This wasn't usually what Regina did on a first date, but, right now, she didn't care. It felt great. Regina continued to grind against him, which was even better now that she lined up against his erection. She pulled his hair back and engaged in, yet another, heated kiss that left them both wanting more. Robin's hands were now rubbing under her shirt, but he stayed away from any places that could be deemed inappropriate. They agreed to no sex tonight, and Robin didn't want to do anything that could jeopardize that. He bit on her lower lip and then sucked to soothe. Damn, was he good at doing that. Regina could do this for hours and still want more.

Suddenly, however, Regina's heart started to pump fast and heavy in a way she didn't like. She was starting to get a pit in the middle of her stomach. She placed a hand on his shoulder and pulled away.

"Regina?" Robin asked, realizing something was wrong. "Is everything okay? Did I do something?"

Regina could barely talk-much less breathe-and she got off of him and grabbed her leather jacket and scarf, putting them on as quickly as possible.

"Regina, what is it?" Robin repeated, growing more concerned as the seconds went by. Regina took a deep breath.

"It's nothing. I just-I-I have to go," she stammered. She grabbed her purse from the spot on the floor by the coffee table and made her way for the door. Robin jumped off the couch and chased after her.

"Regina!" he called. But it was too late. Regina was out the door within seconds.


	3. Chapter 3

When Regina made it back to her apartment, her breathing was still heavy, and tears were running down her cheeks. She immediately kicked off her heels when she got in and slid down against the front door, burying her face in her hands and knees. Her shoulders trembled as she cried. She felt stupid for walking out on Robin with no explanation, but she didn't know what else to do. There was no way she was going to tell him. Not on the first date. Truthfully, Regina hoped that she would never have to tell him. Although he seemed decent, Regina had had her heart broken enough to know that appearances can be deceiving. All of this overwhelmed her completely to the point of hyperventilation and exasperation. She needed someone. So, Regina lifted her face and grasped for her purse. Her hands were shaking as she dialed Emma's number.

"Hello?" Emma answered immediately. She heard Regina's shaky breaths over the line. "Regina... what's wrong? What happened?" The knocking of bowling ball pins were heard in the background.

"I'm sorry, Emma, I know you're with Killian right now," Regina answered with a lump in her throat.

"I told Killian it must be important, and he understands. Now, tell me. What's wrong?"

"I-I thought I was okay," Regina sobbed. "I th-thought that I moved on, but we were in his apartment, and I-I freaked out and left, and I can't breathe. I just-"

"Regina," Emma softly interrupted. "It will be alright. I'm on my way."

"But Killian..." Regina sniffled, but her voice trailed off.

"Killian understands, and even if he didn't, it wouldn't matter. You need me," Emma stated. Regina responded with a small whimper. Emma hadn't seen her like this since everything had happened. She knew that Regina would only call if it was severely important, and by the sound of her voice, Emma knew it was. Killian offered her a ride to Regina's, and they left the bowling alley right away.

When Emma reached Regina's, she found her in the corner of the kitchen. Her head was once again buried in her hands and knees, with an opened wine bottle next to her. Her shoulders were still shaking as she cried. Emma set her purse on the floor and sat down next to Regina. She put her arms around her before saying in a comforting tone,

"It is okay, hon. You're going to be okay."

"It has been three years. I should already be okay," Regina managed to whisper before cuddling up against Emma.

"Regina," Emma said and swiped a strand of Regina's hair out of the brunette's face. "These things take time. This was your first date since it all happened."

"I-I know, but-"

"No," Emma interrupted. "Don't beat yourself up. I am so proud of you for even going in the first place, much less up to his place." Her tone was sweet and comforting, and she cuddled her friend closer up to her. Regina responded with a shaky exhale before resting her head against Emma. The tears weren't as uncontrollable now, and her breathing was starting to regulate again. However, Emma knew that Regina needed to tell Robin why she left. She suggested this to the brunette, who responded with,

"What if he decides he doesn't want me?" Emma shook her head no.

"Robin is not Graham. And I know that, deep down, you know that, too." Emma was right. Regina knew Robin would understand, but the feeling of vulnerability Regina got made her mind ramble on with worry. She was scared to tell him. She didn't want to face that type of heartbreak again.

"I will," Regina said a few moments later. She took a deep breath. "I might take a day or two to get myself in order, though." Emma nodded. The two remained in the corner of the kitchen for a little while longer

They weren't talking; it wasn't needed. Emma just held on to Regina and would only talk when Regina said something, or when Regina started to cry again. She knew it would be scary for her, but she also knew that Regina was strong enough. Robin would understand. He was the type of man who understood that not everyone is perfect. He understood that people sometimes break down. Emma knew he wouldn't stop things with Regina because of what happened to her.

After staying on the kitchen floor for a few more minutes, the two broke away from each other. Emma stood up and immediately started rummaging through Regina's pantry.

"What are you doing?" Regina asked, her voice still slightly trembling. Emma took a second before stating,

"I am making cookie dough." She pulled out a bag of chocolate chips that had been pushed to the back of the pantry.

"Why?" Regina pointed a brow.

"Well, we haven't done it since middle school or high school, but I think it is time we reestablish the tradition, don't you?" Emma responded with a smile. Regina knew exactly what she was talking about-cookie dough and Mean Girls.

"I will go get the movie set up," she said with a smile. Damn, she loved her best friend.

The women still knew the movie by heart. They quoted every famous line perfectly in sync, except for when one or both of them had a bite of cookie dough in their mouth. It was a great way to cheer Regina up and end the long night.

* * *

><p>On Monday, Regina decided to call into work. She wasn't feeling as overwhelmed as she was on Friday night, but she realized she hadn't taken a full day off of work in a long time. Granted, she did have a day last week off, but everyone got it off. For today, all she would be doing was dealing with people's idiotic ideas for the next seasons. Regina knew they weren't going to make any official decisions today, so she called in early that morning. After dropping Henry off at school, she went home and straight back to bed. She hadn't been able to sleep in in a while, and she didn't want to lose the opportunity.<p>

It wasn't until half past noon that Regina dragged herself out of bed and into the shower. She desperately wanted to sleep more, but Henry would be getting out of school in two hours. The kitchen was also a mess, and Regina didn't want to have to deal with that when Henry got home. She promised him they would spend time cuddling and watching a movie, and Regina hated disappointing him. Plus, it gave her an excuse to not contact Robin. He had tried to reach her many times, but Regina only responded once with a text that stated it was nothing. Robin didn't fall for it, of course, and Regina knew she would have to tell him eventually. With any other guy, she wouldn't bother. But her and Robin did have a nice time up until Regina abruptly left. Oh, how she wished she had handled that better. Then again, it wasn't worth dwelling on now. What was done was done, and now she just had to face Robin-eventually.

Regina drove into school's parking lot just as the bell rang. She took a deep breath and hoped that she wouldn't run into Robin. However, if her memory was correct, he had Roland after school on Mondays. Taking a final deep breath, Regina climbed out of her car and walked into the school. Henry flashed a big smile when he saw his mom and ran up to her. Regina glanced around the room as she gave her son a tight hug. Roland was no where in sight, so Regina hoped this meant he had already been picked up.

"Are we still gonna do cuddle time today?" Henry broke from the hug and had an eager look in his eyes.

"Of course," Regina smiled. Cuddling with her precious son sounded perfect right now. "We'll cuddle and watch movies, and how about some reading?" Henry responded with an excited nod and suggested,

"Can-can we read the one about the queen and the thief?"

"If you want to, sure," Regina agreed. Henry gave his mom a short hug before grabbing his backpack.

Regina strapped her son in his car seat and closed the car door. She was just about to open her door when she heard a very familiar voice behind her. Robin's voice.

"Regina!" He jogged towards her. Regina winced before turning around.

"Hi," she said and deeply inhaled.

"Will you please tell me what happened?" Robin asked with a tone of concern. Regina looked down to the ground and didn't answer. "Is it something I did wrong?" Regina shook her head.

"It wasn't you; it was me," she finally said. She looked back towards the ground and said in a lower tone, "It was all me."

"Regina, I had a great time with you. I want to spend more time with you, but I am starting to get the sense that you don't feel the same way," Robin said. He wanted to know this fascinating woman again, but he hated feeling like it wasn't mutual.

"No, I had a wonderful time, Robin," Regina looked up at him. "I just-I can tell you tonight. Are you free?"

"I am. Is there a place I can meet you?"

"My place," Regina responded immediately. "I'll have Emma take Henry for a little while." Robin gave a nod, and he could see the sadness in Regina's brown eyes. Whatever it was, he wanted to make it better. He wanted to make her feel better.

"Does a quarter to six work for you?" Regina took a few seconds before answering. Her and Henry could still do what they wanted to do and have him be with Emma by then.

"That works for me," she said with a quiet voice. Robin responded with a simple "okay", and Regina was opening her car door when he added,

"You don't have to be scared. I don't know what happened or what is going on, but you can trust me." His tone was sincere and caring. Regina nodded and said "okay" without turning back to him. He gave a nod and went back to his car where Roland was waiting with a popsicle in his hand. Regina sighed before hopping in her car.

"Who was that?" Henry asked.

"That was Robin. He is Roland's father," Regina turned to look at her son and gave a small smile.

"Ooh! Are Roland and I gonna play soon?" He eagerly asked.

"Um," Regina started. "Yeah, soon."

"Tomorrow?"

"No, not tomorrow, but maybe this week, okay?"

"Okay!" Henry enthusiastically responded. Regina couldn't help but smile. Her son brought her such joy.

When Henry and Regina got home, Henry made a beeline for the living room. He grabbed his favorite blanket and Keke that were both on the floor near the couch.

"Mom! Come on, it's cuddle time!" He called.

"I'm coming," Regina answered while shedding off her coat and placing both that and her purse on the table. She made her way to the television and popped in one of Henry's favorite movies, Lion King 1/2. She plopped down onto the couch, and Henry cuddled right up to her. She kissed him on the head before hitting play.

Henry knew the movie by heart, it seemed. While the meerkats were digging holes, he sang along at the top of his lungs. Regina couldn't help but laugh. Damn, her kid was cute. When he finished singing, he looked up at his mom.

"I love you!"

"I love you too, Henry," Regina said with a smile. She loved him with all her heart. No matter what conflicts she was dealing with, spending time with her son always managed to make her feel better. The best part is that Regina was the world to Henry. In his eyes, she could never do any wrong. Regina, of course, knew this wasn't true because nobody is perfect, but she still loved that Henry loved her. It was one of the best feelings in the world.

After finishing the movie, cuddle time, and reading a story, Regina dropped Henry off at Emma's. Thankfully, Emma didn't have any plans tonight and was more than willing to take Henry for an hour or so. But now it was time for Regina to face Robin, and it was going to be difficult. The only people that knew was Cora, Emma, and Emma's parents. Regina had a horrible feeling of anxiety in the pit of her stomach, but there was no going back now. She didn't want to simply end things because she was so afraid. No, it was better to tell Robin and risk losing him than not telling him and definitely losing him. As difficult as it was going to be, she had to tell Robin the truth.

* * *

><p>Regina was walking back and forth in her apartment, going over and over what she wanted to say. She had it all down to the last detail. The last thing she wanted was for Robin to pity her or think she was weak. She simply wanted to tell him what the hell happened and move on. No big deal. However, it didn't matter how many times Regina told herself it wasn't a big deal. Her stomach was still in knots. And when Robin knocked on her door, the knot grew even tighter. She took a long, deep breath before opening the door.<p>

"Hello, Regina," he said. His voice was soft, but there was a hint of eagerness and anxiety behind it. He wasn't as nervous as Regina was, but he was still worried.

"Hi," Regina responded, unable to mask her nervousness in her voice. "Come on in."

Robin nodded and entered her apartment. Regina offered him some water, which he politely took. They tried to do some small talk first-the usual "how are you"s and "I hope Henry/Roland is doing well"s. However, it was obvious that they both wanted to just get to it. They decided to stay in the kitchen, both leaned against opposite counters. She took a long sip of her water.

"Regina, you don't have to be nervous," Robin gently told her.

"I know," Regina said and looked down to the ground. "I just-I don't really tell people this. But you deserve to know."

"It is okay. You can trust me." The sincerity in his voice let Regina know that he was being serious. Slowly exhaling, Regina finally said,

"Okay. As you know, I had Henry at twenty-two. But, um, it wasn't exactly planned, I guess you could say. Uh, my mom had remarried a year after I graduated high school. For a while, things were going fine, but, then-then things got bad." Regina took a shaky breath before continuing. "The guy, um, his name was Leo, he- he started to make moves on me. And I didn't tell anyone; I was too scared. But, um-" Regina had to hold back a few tears. She didn't want to cry in front of Robin. That would make him feel sorry for her, and she didn't want that. She took a quick exhale and continued, "He came to me one night and forced himself on me. And I got pregnant, so I obviously had to tell my mom. I, uh, I told Emma first, and she helped me tell Cora. It was really hard, to say the least. But, long story short, she divorced him, and Leo was sent to prison." Taking a deep breath for the umpteenth time that day, Regina fluttered her eyes towards Robin. She didn't realize that she hadn't looked at him this entire time. His facial expression was soft and understanding. He gave a slight nod before responding,

"I am so sorry, Regina. You didn't deserve that in the slightest." Regina shook her head no.

"No-don't, don't feel sorry for me, Robin. I got Henry out of it, and I wouldn't trade him for the world." Robin looked in her eyes.

"I know. But, nevertheless, you didn't deserve it. I do not pity you in the sense that it made you weak, or that it makes you inferior." His voice was so calming and honest. Regina realized that he completely understood. It was like he read her mind. He understood that Regina wouldn't go back to change it because she did get an amazing son out of it. He understood that what happened didn't make her any less of a strong woman. And, although she didn't know it at the time, Regina loved him for that.

"Thank you, Robin," she said with a small smile. "But, there is more to the story." Robin responded with a nod and listened.

"At the time, I was dating a guy named Graham. It was fairly serious, and we had been together for a little over a year. But, uh, when he found out I was pregnant, he didn't believe that it was because of Leo. He claimed I was lying, and he left me," Regina ended the last sentence with a shrug. "I figured I guess that's why I didn't tell you that right away."

"Well, then he didn't deserve you anyway," Robin simply said. Regina gave a short, light chuckle.

"Thank you. But, um, yeah, I guess when things got...heated...the other night- it was my first time since, and I guess I freaked out."

"That is okay," Robin said. "Things went a little fast; we can take it slower." Regina slightly shook her head.

"No, it was most certainly enjoyable. To be honest, I'm not exactly sure why my mind decided to panic."

Robin raised his eyebrows a little and nodded once.

"In that case, would it be incredibly wrong of me to kiss you right now?" He looked right into her eyes. Regina blushed, glanced down, then looked back into his eyes.

"Not at all."

With that, Robin walked over to where she was standing and pulled her in for a kiss. He had one hand just above her hip, with his other hand running through her soft hair. She wrapped her arms around him as the kiss grew from gentle to passionate. It was like the world stopped when their tongues intertwined. All her nerves and worries melted away, and it felt right. They felt right. Regina couldn't be happier that Robin didn't become upset. She wanted to be with him. She wanted to know him. She wouldn't admit yet, but Regina Mills wanted to love Robin Locksley with everything she was. And by the way they were kissing, Robin did too. When it was finished, Robin whispered,

"Regina?"

"Mm?"

"I wouldn't ever leave you."

She bit her lip and smiled.

"Good."


	4. Chapter 4

Regina woke up the next morning with an extra pep in her step. It wasn't like she was normally cold and rude, but she was a woman who would get what she wanted. It was safe to say that the majority of her coworkers feared her in a way. Today was another big meeting day, so everyone was expecting Regina to be rolling her eyes and not focusing on greetings she would get when passing cubicles and offices. So when she walked in with a smile on her face, everyone who noticed was surprised. Two of the designers-Ruby and Ashley-exchanged confused glances when Regina passed the break room.

"What is up with her?" Ruby muttered. "There's another meeting today; she normally rushes to her office."

"I know," Ashley responded. "Think she forgot about the meeting?" Ruby shook her head.

"Definitely not. I've been in her office before-she has a huge calendar that has the meetings color-coded." Ashley shrugged in response and mixed creamer in her coffee.

"Well, whatever it is, let's hope she is still like this after the meeting," she said. Ruby nodded before they both walked back to their offices.

When Regina made it to her office, she plopped down in her black, areleather office chair, making it slightly spin to the left. She straightened herself out and turned on her computer. She only had a few minutes until the meeting, so she didn't see the point in starting on anything. She checked her e-mail (mainly useless ideas from her co-workers) and told herself not to let the most likely unsuccessful meeting ruin her mood. She was doing good. Things with her and Robin had gone great, and she was happy. Taking a deep breath and huffing, she got up from her chair and walked to the room down the hall.

"What if we do something with neutral tones?" one of the idiots, Leroy, proposed. Regina cringed. Neutral tones? Really?

"No, absolutely not. When you think of Smize, do you think of neutral tones?" She lifted a brow and didn't wait for an answer before continuing, "No, you don't. You think of color and fun. Neutral tones scream boring."

"Well, I agree that neutral tones are boring, but maybe we could incorporate some red and black?" Ruby suggested. Regina tilted and nodded her head in consideration. A moment later, she quickly typed it down in a document on her laptop. It wasn't her favorite, but it was better than previous ideas.

"What if we bring back leather?" Leroy offered. Regina shook her head. She didn't see the point to having him in this meeting. It was as if he didn't understand Smize at all.

"No, we don't want to bring back anything. Smize is always new, Fred, exciting," Regina stated.

"We brought the '60s back," he mentioned.

"Yes," Regina agreed. "However, we incorporated it with modern looks, and that was for a single photoshoot. Not for a whole damn season." Leroy scoffed, apparently not seeing the issue with bringing something back for a whole season.

"Well, I'm sorry, your majesty, but it isn't like you are bringing anything to the table." Regina lifted a brow and flashed him her "don't mess with me" look. She had ideas, but she was smart enough to know that none of them would work. To them, they would. To her, though, they all felt like a step down, and the brand needed to keep moving up. God, she hated Leroy's disrespect and rudeness. All he did was piss her off. However, one particular phrase he said gave her an idea. She opened up a new tab on her laptop and, within seconds, turned her the screen so they could all see.

"Disney shirts have been everywhere. Stores like Wet Seal sell them like hot cakes, and everyone loves Disney," she stated. Leroy was just about to say something before Regina added, "So, what we can do is put a twist on it. When you think of Disney villains, what words come to mind?" Words instantly came to people's minds, and they blurted them out.

"Sassy."

"Fierce."

"Strong."

"Exactly," Regina said. "And all those words have been used by critics to describe Smize. I think we should go in this direction."

Ruby, Ashley, and a few others nodded. Leroy, however, didn't seem convinced.

"So what? We make t-shirts now?" Regina closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath. It was as if he was purposefully not using his brain, and even Ruby rolled her eyes.

"No," Regina finally replied. "We create whole looks for some of the villains-the Evil Queen, Maleficent, Cruella de Vil. Those are all classic Disney villains that can make for a great collection."

Ashley sighed and mentioned to Regina,

"Cruella may not work. She is known for fur, and using fur could cause not-so-great critiques." This didn't bother Regina at all. In fact, it made it better.

"Then what we do is get our hands on the finest fake fur, and we can use a dollar or so from every sale of Cruella's collection and donate it to PETA or another animal organization."

There. It was all settled. One collection finally chosen. And it would be one hell of a collection, and Regina couldn't help but take pride in the fact that it was her idea. Then again, she was the only one who ever seemed to come up with good ideas.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Regina was on her way to Cora's with Henry in the back seat. She knew that, although her intentions were good, Emma told Cora about the other night. Knowing Cora, it wouldn't go not talked about. She figured it would be better to get it over with in person rather than over the phone. This way, her mother could see that she really was fine, and that she wasn't in need of therapy. She was in therapy during the trial and for about a month after, and it did help. But she didn't need it again. It was all in the past, and Regina didn't want it to be brought back into her life again. She knew she couldn't ever forget it, but she didn't want to have it be on her mind.<p>

Henry was asleep the ride over to Cora's, but he woke up when Regina was undoing the strap on his car seat. He gave a big yawn and muttered,

"Where are we, Mama?"

"We're at Grandma's, sweetie. It's okay if you wanna go back to sleep," Regina responded softly. He gave a nod and cuddled up against her and his Keke once she had him in his arms. Cora knew she was coming, so she didn't bother knocking.

"Regina!" Cora called from the other room. "Is that you?" Regina winced, not wanting Henry to wake up again, and shs followed the sound of her mother's voice before responding. She walked as fast as she could so Cora wouldn't call out voice led her to the den, where Cora was watching the news.

"Hey, Mom," she greeted. "Henry's still sleeping, so I'm gonna go put him down first, okay?" Cora gave a nod, realizing why she didn't get an immediate response. Regina walked out of the room and down the long hallway.

Henry had a room of his own here, which made sense since the house was big enough for one. It wasn't over-the-top, but rather perfect for the little guy. It had a racetrack rug on the center of the floor, and it yas a chest filled with toys of all sorts-cars, trains, stuffed animals. The bed was a single-sized one that was fit for a toddler. It had a soft, fluffy blue comforter and a racecar pillow case that matched the carpet. Henry had woken up a little when Regina put him down, but he didn't wake up to the point that he wouldn't be able to sleep. He gave a Kong yawn and cuddled up with the comforter and held Keke under his arm. His eyelids sleepily blinked before shutting completely. Regina combed her fingers through his light brown hair. She kissed him on the forehead and whispered "I love you" before exiting the room, leaving the door partly open.

"All tucked in," Regina said a few moments later when she was back in the den.

"That's good. I just washed those sheets yesterday, so they are all fresh," Cora responded.

"Thanks, Mom," Regina smiled and sat down on the couch cushion opposite of Cora.

"How was work today? Any progress?"

"Yes, actually," Regina began. "We decided on one of our collections for next season-Disney villains."

"Villains? Aren't princesses the thing?"

"Well, yes, but we wanted to put our own little spin on it."

"I think it's great," Cora smiled. "I know it has been a bit of a struggle for you guys."

Regina scoffed.

"Much more than a bit," Regina said, letting out a deep exhale. She adjusted herself on the couch, facing her mom a bit more. "It is amazing how idiotic some people can be. Like this guy, Leroy, he is just an idiot. Once he understands something, he does great. But it seems like it takes forever for him to reach the level of comprehension. Frustrating as hell."

"It sounds frustrating," Cora agreed. Regina responded in an exasperated nod, before deciding to just get to it. She looked down to the floor and said in a solemn tone,

"I know Emma told you. And I know you want to talk about it." She flickered her eyes back to her mom, who looked her daughter straight in the eyes.

"I just want to know that you're okay, Regina," she concerned. Regina knew it. She didn't mind people caring, but she hated the feeling of being vulnerable. It made her feel like she wasn't as strong as she liked to feel.

"I'm fine. It was just something that happened, and it won't happen again," Regina stated nonchalantly.

"Perhaps you should make an appointment-"

"No," Regina interrupted. Damn it. She figured her mother would mention it, but she still didn't want to hear it. "I don't need therapy. Oh haven't been with anyone since; it was natural."

"As long as you are sure, Regina. Dr. Hopper is just a call away," Cora replied.

"I am sure, Mom," Regina assured. And it was true. Her reaction with what had happened was perfectly normal. Granted, she didn't need to walk out, but nevertheless, it was natural. She may have not believed it that night, but it was still true.

"Okay, then," Cora responded, backing off. She trusted her daughter, but she couldn't help but feel worried. Regina simply nodded and turned her eyes towards the television, thankful that they had gotten that conversation done and over with.

* * *

><p>It was a fairly quiet evening at the Mills home. Henry ate his dinner-chicken nuggets and fries-without any complaints and watched cartoons afterwards. Regina kept checking her phone, wondering if Robin had texted her at all. She didn't know why she was so eager to hear from him. Granted, he was a chef at a highly successful restaurant, and he was probably working tonight. Still, Regina couldn't help but feel like she had done something wrong last night. Shared too much... scared him off. She kept telling herself that she was being silly. She didn't share too much or scare him off. That was evident in the kiss. Regina couldn't help but my smile and bite her lip thinking about the kiss.<p>

After Henry was tucked in to bed and the dishes had been done, Regina poured herself a glass of wine and rested on the couch. She flipped on the television, scrolling through the tv guide before settling on an old episode of Seinfeld. She tried to keep her mind off of Robin, but she was debating on whether or not she should contact him first. She wondered if it was her "turn", and she figured it probably was. Regina swiped to his contact in her phone and tried to sound as casual as possible with the text. She read over it about three times before hitting send.

"Hey, maybe dinner again sometime this week?"

It sounded good. She didn't sound too desperate or eager. She huffed at herself. Why the hell was she acting this way? She was a grown woman, not a lovestruck teenager. Stop being ridiculous, she thought to herself. But when her phone bleeped with Robin's reply, she had to take a deep breath before opening the text.

"That sounds lovely. Are you free Thursday? Maybe at 8?"

Regina smiled. She quickly typed back,

"Sounds great. Where shall I meet you?" Not a second later, Robin had responded.

"Would you meet me at my place? I'd very much like to cook for you."

Oh, god. He wanted to cook for her. Damn, he was great.

"I wouldn't mind at all. See you Thursday, Robin." Regina rested her phone on her chest and smiled. A second date that, if it went well, could easily turn into a third date. It felt great. A few seconds later, her phone bleeped again with Robin's final response.

"Perfect. See you then, Regina."

And, with that, all of Regina's worries subsided.

* * *

><p>When Thursday rolled around, she was in the greatest moods. She left her work office with a smile on her face, and she was still smiling when she reached the elevator, which Ruby was in. Ruby gave her a suspicious look.<p>

"May I help you, Ruby?" Regina questioned, not realizing that she had been happier around the workplace recently.

"Nothing, it's just you've seemed a little... happier... around here lately." Regina scoffed, suddenly realizing that she probably did seem happier.

"Well, rest assured, it isn't because you guys have begun to impress me with your ideas."

Ruby rolled her eyes, but she was still trying to think of what the hell was making Regina so happy. Then it came to her.

"Who's the guy?" She smirked. Regina looked at her, pretending to be somewhat insulted.

"That," she emphasized, "is none of your business."

"Just curious," Ruby shrugged. The elevator doors opened, and Regina rushed out, definitely not wanting to continue that conversation with Ruby. She walked out to her car and went to go pick Henry up from school.

* * *

><p>Regina arrived at Robin's precisely at eight o'clock. She had decided to go with a fairly simple look, but it wasn't drabby in the least. She had worn black, skinny jeans with a silk-like, purple shirt that had a slight opening in the front and a button at the neck. It showed only a bit of cleavage, nothing too revealing. She had thrown on a black leather jacket with it, but that was only because New York weather was starting to become quite cold, especially at nights. She smoothed out her shirt and jeans before knocking on his door.<p>

Robin answered three seconds later and greeted Regina with,

"Wow. You look stunning." Regina was about to respond when he pulled her in for kiss. It was short and gentle, but they could both feel the passion rising. Regina didn't mind, and she was eagerly kissing him back. Robin, however, pulled back and said,

"Sorry, but I would rather save that for later." Regina nodded, subconsciously licking her lips. She took off her jacket and hung it up on the coat hanger that was to the left of her.

"So, what's for dinner?" she asked. Instead of replying, Robin led her to the kitchen, where the table was elegantly set with a deep red runner and one lit candle. Next to the candle, Regina noticed, was a simple red rose. She gestured toward it, saying,

"And what is that?" Robin smiled and picked it up.

"This," he began as he walked closer to her, "is for you, m'lady." He smiled and looked at her with his dreamy blue-green eyes. Regina couldn't help smile.

"Why, thank you," she blushed. Damn, that was new. But something about Robin always made her blush. She was falling in love with him, despite the fact that she still didn't really know it. And if she did, there was no way in hell she was going to admit it any time soon.

For dinner, Robin had prepared something simple, but classic-spaghetti with marinara sauce and meatballs. It tasted heavenly. Regina knew he definitely could cook, but damn, she didn't think she was this good.

"This may sound like I'm just saying this to be polite, but this is actually the best spaghetti and meatballs I have ever had."

"Well, thank you; I'm delighted," Robin said, taking a bite of his own. They didn't talk much during dinner since they were both enjoying the food, but they did cover a few topics-both of their weeks at work, Henry and Roland, and Robin said two times how beautiful Regina looked. After they finished eating and were now leaning against one of the kitchen counters, he said it again.

"I know I have already said this this evening, but, Regina, you truly are beautiful," he looked straight into her brown eyes before adding, "And I desperately wish I could kiss you right now." Regina looked down with a blush for brief second before staring him in the eyes and saying with a seductive tone,

"Well, then. What are you waiting for?"

With that, Robin waited no longer. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her in, his lips pressing against hers. Their tongues immediately found each other and eagerly started to move against each other. Regina's hands ran along his back as she pulled him closer. One of Robin's hands was on her lower right hip, with the other resting on her head, his fingers intertwined in her hair. As it grew more and more heavier, they slowly made their way to the couch, not breaking away from each other once. His mouth is moving hotly and eagerly against hers, and he sucks on her lower lip once they are on the couch. Regina lightly hums in response, growing hotter by the second. The way he kissed her made her crazy and want more. And more she would get. She began to unbutton his black shirt, revealing a firm set of abs. Robin shrugged off the rest of his shirt, having to break away from Regina in the process. She didn't mind, though, as it revealed his muscular arms. Regina bit her lower lip and pulled Robin back to her the second his shirt was off. He was loosely on top of her, and Regina could feel his erection building as he kissed her neck. Her hands were rubbing up and down his back, lightly scratching occasionally. Robin paused for a second and asked,

"Is this okay?" Regina quickly nodded, and he pulled her on top of him smoothly, so now her sex was placed firmly against his erection as he worked to unbutton her top. He was taking to long, though, so Regina pulled it off over her head in a swift motion. Robin took a second to let it all in. The beautiful curve of her breast in her black, lacy bra was enough to make any man go crazy. He placed his hands on her hips and left a trail of kisses from her neck to the rim of her bra. Regina's fingers were running through his hair, and she was growing wetter each time she grinded against him.

They remained like that for several minutes, moaning with love and passion. However, it was only the second date, and Robin respected Regina. He rested his head against her chest, and whispered,

"This-you are amazing, Regina." She gave a light chuckle and said,

"You're pretty great yourself." Their breathing was still heavy, but it started to slow down to a usual pace. Regina climbed off of him and collected her shirt that was lying on the floor. To both of their dismay, she did have to leave. She had told Emma she would likely be back around eleven, and it was now a quarter to. Robin stood up to escort her to the door, and while she was putting back on her leather jacket and tossing her hair back, he picked up the red rose that was on the counter. He held it between two of his fingers and gave it to her before giving her another kiss.

"This was great," Regina said. "Goodnight, Robin."

"Goodnight, Regina." She flashed him another seductive smile and left, Robin closing the door behind her.

Before walking down to the street, Regina rested her head against a wall by the elevator. Damn, did she like him. Even though it was, indeed, only the second date, Regina and Robin both knew that this was going to turn into something more. Something great. Something beautiful.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi everyone! My greatest and sincerest apologies for this being about two days late. Sadly, it is also my shortest chapter. This week has been busy for me, and I didn't have much time. However, I have next chapter planned out, and it will be longer and on time! I hope you do enjoy this chapter. Please review; every review, on here or Twitter, means a lot to me!**

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><p>Regina opened her apartment door and took a second before dropping her purse and taking off her jacket. She leaned her shoulder against the door, smiling and biting her lips. Everything about that night was perfect-his cooking, his smooth personality, the way he looked at her. Plus, he was quite the kisser. He was the full package.<p>

"I take it the date went well," Emma said, and Regina jumped.

"Oh god-" Regina caught her breath. "Forgot you were still here."

"Hmm, forgot about the sitter... So it went very well then?" Emma smirked. It hadn't been since Regina was with Graham that she has seen her best friend this way. Even though the relationship with Graham ended very poorly, he did make her happy at a point in time.

"Yes," Regina responded. "It did go well. He is an excellent cook." She made her way to the couch, where Emma was previously reading. She wanted to go into further detail with Emma, but she wasn't so sure how to put it into words without making Emma think she was in love with the man. No way in hell was Regina even going to admit it to herself.

"That's all?" Emma teased. "Because as fantastic as food is, I don't think it can cause someone to lean against the door and smile like an idiot." Regina tried to come back with a sassy remark, but all that came out was a light scoff and another smile forming on her face.

"Regina! Details!"

"I don't think there really is all that much to discuss," Regina attempted to keep a straight face, once again failing.

"Sure," Emma said sarcastically. "That's why you missed a button on your shirt." Regina looked down and notice that, yes, she had accidentally skipped a button.

"Okay," she gave in. "Things did get a little... heated." She was sure that if Emma wasn't sitting down, she'd be jumping in joy. Instead she gave out a loud squeal, to which Regina had to remind her that her toddler was sleeping.

"Oh shit, sorry," Emma apologized. "But I mean, you can't blame me for being excited."

"Yes, I suppose that is true," Regina agreed.

"So, how heated are we talking about?"

Regina teasingly rolled her eyes.

"Not telling." She couldn't help but smile again when she saw how Emma's face fell.

"B-but," she started and gave a longing look. Regina chuckled, saying,

"Right now, I don't really want to say anything." Emma nodded, backing off. She understood what Regina meant. What had happened that night between Robin and Regina had clearly been special, and it wasn't really any of Emma's business. Seeing her best friend happy with a great guy was enough for her.

A few seconds later, Emma stifled back a yawn before saying,

"Alright, I need to go. Henry was great, as usual tonight."

"Good," Regina nodded. "Thanks for watching him; are you sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all," Emma smiled, gathering her purse and putting on her red coat. "Don't ever get a sitter-Henry is mine when you're not available." Regina chuckled and got up to hug Emma goodbye.

* * *

><p>After Regina got off of work the next day, she had to swing by Henry's school to pick him up. When she arrived and walked to his classroom, Henry didn't even realize his mom was there. He was in the center of the small room playing cars with Roland. Regina leaned against the door and smiled.<p>

"They've been playing all day," Mrs. Gold said as she crossed over to Regina. "It's cute. They seem to really get along." Regina smiled again. She was happy that things with Robin were working out, and their kids being friends made it even better. Henry and Roland got along great; Regina could tell just by watching them for a minute. They would race the cars back and forth, laughing while they did it. They would make the cars to as fast as their little hands could go, making "vroom vroom" sounds as they did. Every couple ten seconds, Roland and Henry would make the cars crash, complete with sound effects coming from both. Regina couldn't help but giggle. However, it was time for them to go. She walked over to her giggling son, crouched down, and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Mama!" Henry gave her a tight hug. "I didn't see you."

"I know, you were too busy having fun, huh?" She scrunched up her nose and tousled his hair. Henry nodded excitedly.

"Mhmm! Roland likes cars just like me!"

"He does?" Regina confirmed enthusiastically.

"Yea!" Henry tilted his head before continuing, "Can we have a play date soon, Mama?" He turned his head to Roland, who was still playing with the cars. Henry must have given him a signal of some sort as Roland gave a small gasp, and both the children gave a pleading look to Regina.

"Well," she laughed. "I will have to talk to his father, but it sounds like a great idea to me." Henry and Roland lit up in excitement and gave each other a clumsy high five. Regina did have to go, though, as housework was calling her name. She nudged Henry to let him know, and he and Roland were just about to hug when Roland cried,

"Papa!"

"Hey buddy!" Robin called, and he made is way over to them. Regina looked over her shoulder and waved to him, which he returned with a grin and a nod. It only took a few seconds for him to cross over to the center of the room, and he crouched down next to Regina, rubbing his hand on her back in a way that no one else noticed. She couldn't help but blush. Damn, the things this man did to her. Roland, of course, didn't acknowledge that Robin and Regina had been seeing each other. Even if he did know, he was too young to understand what that really meant. The second he was able to, he threw himself around his father, making Robin let out a laugh and taking his hand off of Regina to wrap it around his son.

"How was your day today, Roland?" He asked once he was balanced once again, and he returned his hand to Regina's back.

"Good," he motioned over to Henry. "I played with Henry, and his mom said we can play together!"

"Oh,did she?" He glanced over to Regina. "In that case, how about we get together tomorrow for a play date?" Roland and Henry jumped in excitement, and both begged to Regina,

"Can we, please?" She chuckled and said,

"I think that tomorrow is perfect." The two boys grinned and murmured thank yous before deciding that they would still play with cars for a bit longer. Regina shook her head, stood up, and playfully swooped her son up by surprise.

"Sorry, kid, we got to go." Henry pouted his lips and was about to complain before Regina continued, "You'll see Roland tomorrow, and you can play with cars all you want then, okay?" He sighed before agreeing, and she set him down to clean up the toy cars with Roland. Robin took this opportunity to stand up and properly greet Regina.

"How are you, Regina?" Such simple words had such a strong effect on her; maybe it was from how great things were last night. Whatever it was, Regina was sure that he would never fail to make her smile or blush.

"I'm well, and you?" she replied.

"Quite well, thank you," he said before adding in a lower tone, "And, by the way, everything about last night was great." Regina blushed again, looking down for a second and smiling before regaining her composure.

"Indeed, it was. Does this mean you would like a third date?" She arched an eyebrow playfully.

"Oh, most certainly. We'll discuss that tomorrow," he suggested. Roland and Henry were both ready to go now, backpacks slung over their shoulders.

"See you tomorrow, Robin," she said while walking out the door with her hand slipped with Henry's.

* * *

><p>Once Henry and Regina got home, the little boy ran to his room as fast as he could without bothering to take off his coat or shoes. Regina gave a puzzled expression as she undid her own coat and shoes, and she set her purse down on the table. About three seconds later, Henry came out of his room with a big book in his hands. His fairytale book, Regina guessed. He bustled towards his mother, held out the book, looked at her with puppy eyes, and said,<p>

"Please?"

"Well, how can I say no to those puppy eyes of yours?"

Henry smiled proudly and climbed up to the couch, pulling a blanket over him to help get comfortable. When Regina sat down next to him, he opened up the blanket and tucked it around her before cuddling up to her.

"Sleepy Beauty!"

"Sleeping Beauty," she corrected and bopped him on his nose. "Okay, Sleeping Beauty it is." She turned to its page before reading,

"Once upon a time..."

Henry drifted off to sleep by the end of the story. Regina closed the book and set it on an armrest. She lied down on the couch, repositioning Henry to lie down to. He woke up a little, but only enough to see what he was doing and where he was. He cuddled back up to Regina, wrapping his arms around her before falling back of sleep. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him on his head before falling asleep herself.

Regina didn't wake until about an hour later when her phone on the glass table in front of the couch buzzed. It was from Robin.

"How does noon sound tomorrow?" Regina responded saying,

"Sounds good to me. My place okay?" She didn't have to wait very long before her phone buzzed again with his response.

"Sounds great. See you then, Regina. Oh, fair warning, I will be sneaking in a kiss from you."

Regina couldn't help but smile and bite her lip. She typed back,

"Good. Because you are quite a good kisser."

"I can say the same to you, lovely." Regina smiled again. It seemed that every time he talked to her, she couldn't help but blush and smile. She didn't know if it was cute or pathetic, but she hoped he would at least think it was cute, if he noticed.

* * *

><p>Robin and Roland arrived at Regina's five minutes after noon. When they knocked on the door, Regina was just about to answer it when Henry scrambled to the door, saying,<p>

"No, let me get it!" Regina raised her hands up in surrender, and Henry turned the knob on the door.

"Henry!" Roland beamed. Henry's face also lit up, and he grabbed Roland's hand, pulling him inside. Neither of them bothered to say anything to Robin or Regina, but instead went straight to Henry's room. Robin was now in the entryway, and he pulled Regina in the second the kids were out of sight. He put his hands on her hips and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"You're beautiful," he whispered, his forehead against her. She gave him a confused look and said,

"Robin, I am wearing a t-shirt and jeans, and I didn't do my makeup." Robin returned the puzzled look and looked right in her eyes,

"And you look beautiful, Regina. Absolutely beautiful. You do not need makeup, okay?" Regina nodded, and he gave her another kiss before getting something to drink.

"So, how is your work going?" Robin asked, leaning against the kitchen counter as Regina poured him a glass of water.

"Good, surprisingly," Regina said, shaking her head a little bit. "We have a new collection lined up, along with a few other simple design ideas. And you?"

"That's great that you guys have things going well. I know it has been a little hard for you guys," he said. "For me, I don't know. Hard Rock just hasn't been treating me right, I guess. I mean, we have to head chefs, but they treat us like we are busboys or something," he said, letting out a breath as Regina handed him his water. He took a drink while Regina spoke.

"Have you talked to them? Tell them that you feel disrespected?" Robin shook his head.

"No, well, I haven't. The other chef, Will, had complained and was almost fired. We both want to eventually open a restaurant of our own, so we are just riding it out, you know?" Regina nodded, taking a sip of her own water and leaned against a counter.

"I see," she said. "Do you want to go our to the living room? I realized that the last time you were here, we spent it in the kitchen." Robin smiled and said,

"The kitchen is quite lovely, but no, I wouldn't mind going to the living room." Regina briefly nodded and led them to the living room, making herself comfortable on the couch, putting her legs up. He sat on the chair opposite of her, with his left arm resting against the cushion. They talked about his work for a bit more, Emma, and his friend Will, who was the other head chef at the restaurant. They discussed Henry and Roland, along with favorite movies, television shows, and books. It turned out that they both had an inclination towards classic books. He was well versed in books like _Jane Eyre_, _Anna Karenina_, and even _Romeo and Juliet_. While they were discussing that classic romance, Henry and Roland came out of Henry's room with a book in their hands.

"What do you boys have here?" Robin asked curiously. Regina, of course, knew that it was the fairytale book, but she didn't say anything. "A book, Papa!" Roland said, and he plopped it on his father's lap. "Henry said it was his favorite." Robin turned the book over to unveil its hardcover-a simple brown color with golden letters that read: "Once Upon a Time".

"A story book?" Robin said playfully. He looked to Regina with a teasingly confused expression. "Regina, what do you think we are going to do with a story book?" She chuckled and played along.

"I have no idea."

"Read it!" The boys said in sync, laughing.

"What's the magic word?" Regina asked.

"Please! Please read it!" The boys begged.

"Well, I suppose we could," Robin said. "Do you kids want me or Regina?" The two took a second before Roland said,

"You, Papa!" Robin gave a half-smile and moved to the couch, sitting next to Regina. Henry and Roland scrambled next to him, and they decided to pick Henry's favorite, Snow White.

Robin was an excellent storyteller. He gave different voices to each character, and he played along when the boys would gasp when the Evil Queen poisoned the bandit princess. Regina couldn't help but look at him in awe. She knew he was a great father, but there was something about a man, especially Robin, reading to children. It was definitely attractive. Regina wanted to be his, desperately. She could only hope he wanted the same thing.

Robin and Roland didn't leave until about four. While Roland was putting on his coat, Robin took Regina to the side. He brushed a finger against her cheek.

"Now, when can I see you again? Just you and me?" he asked, both his hands on her hips.

"I'm free Tuesday night," she replied, her hands also on his hips.

"Sounds perfect. I'll pick you up around eight?"

"I can meet you somewhere, if you'd like," Regina offered.

"Yes," he nodded, "but, if I pick you up, I can spend more time with you."

"True," Regina agreed.

"Great, I will see you then." He let her go and walked over to his son, helping him get on one of his boots. Once it was on, Roland was just about to go out the door before pausing himself. He ran up to Regina and hugged her leg. He looked up at her with his big, brown eyes and said,

"Thank you!" Regina smiled and kneeled down.

"You are welcome anytime," she said rubbed a hand against his shoulder. He grinned and hugged her one more time before going back to his father.

* * *

><p>Regina lay in her bed that night thinking about Robin. Everything about him seemed perfect. He was intelligent, caring, passionate, and a great father. He never ceased to make Regina happy, no matter what he did. She knew that would probably change in due time, since nobody was perfect. But, nevertheless, he made her happy. Genuinely happy. And she loved him. She couldn't deny that anymore. Regina was in love with him, and she wanted to be his. Truthfully, she was a little surprised by her emotions. They had only been on two dates, and Regina felt like it was crazy to know only after two dates. There was no escaping the truth, though. She was in love with him. Regina scoffed at herself, shaking her head. She climbed out of her bed and scurried over to her bookshelf, opening a book and pulling out the flower Robin had given her. She had pressed it in a book to keep it for longer than a day. It felt a little high school, but Regina always seemed to kill plants before they survived a day. And this rose deserved more than a day before being thrown into the trash.<p>

"What trouble have you gotten yourself into now, Regina?" she whispered to herself before going back to her bed, turning towards the wall and falling asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**So, this was not on time as wanted, but here is chapter 6! This isn't as long as I want it to be, but I had a small spell of writers block that delayed me. Also, updates will now be every two weeks so I can take more time to spend on each chapter without feeling rushed. As always, please follow, review and share! Y'all are the best.**

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><p>Late Wednesday night after the Hard Rock Cafe closed, Robin spent his time in the empty kitchen whipping up an Italian soup he had been trying to try out. There was no one else at the restaurant, as Will had left about ten minutes ago. Robin had brought in his own ingredients to test out a soup he thought could work for the restaurant he now owned. He and Will had spontaneously bought a place together . He chopped his Italian sausages and dropped them into his pot of boiling chicken broth with cheese tortellini. He proceeded to chop up fried green beans and fresh carrots and added them to the pot. Finally, he cut up an onion (wiping his eyes every once in a while) before letting the soup simmer, stirring every few minutes.<p>

When the soup was finished, he took a taste of it with his ladle. It tasted delicious, and Robin couldn't help but be pleased with himself. He poured himself a bowl of it, and he pulled up a stool to the steel counter. As he ate couldn't help but think of Regina. He was infatuated with her. Every spare moment he spent thinking about her. Hell, even during his busy moments his mind couldn't help but think of her. Her passion. Her beauty. Her loveliness. Everything about her he cherished. He knew the second he saw her in the school parking lot that she was going to be special in his life. He just didn't know that he would fall in love with her. Now, he definitely knew that. Robin had fallen for Regina completely. However, he didn't want to tell her. Not yet. He didn't want to make her feel pressured or that things were going to fast. She wasn't even his girlfriend, not officially. Robin desperately wanted to change that, and he planned on doing it very soon. He wanted it to be in a perfect moment, when it was just the two of them. Honestly, he was nervous. He knew she obviously had feelings for him, but he could only assume that all those smiles and all that blushing she gave meant that she loved him too. Or at least wanted to be his. Robin didn't want to pressure her into saying "I love you", especially with how her last relationship had ended. He cringed when he thought of that. Knowing that Regina had been hurt by one man then declared a liar by another killed him inside. His heart ached at the thought of knowing his love had been hurt in such a cruel way. She didn't deserve it, not that anyone did. To him, Regina deserved the very best the world could offer. He wanted to be that for her. And he feared that he wasn't.

After finishing up his soup, Robin got ready to leave and go back home. He put a top over the pot of soup and gathered his ingredients into the bag he had brought them in. After putting on his black winter coat, he threw the bag over his shoulder and balanced the pot on one him, fumbling with the restaurant keys in a hand. He bumped the lights off and exited the kitchen door, putting the soup down to lock up easier. It was a cold night, which made a now sleepy Robin want his warm bed even more. He quickly picked up the pot, cool to the touch due to the weather, and briskly walked to his car. He hit a button on his keys to unlock it, placing the soup in the front seat. He jumped into his seat, accidentally slamming the car door in eagerness to turn on the heat. He rubbed his hands together, huffing into them to try to warm up. He shook his head and let out a breath before turning on his car and pulling out of the lot.

Despite the late hour, there were still cars on the road, as it was New York City. Robin turned a corner, making his way home as quick as possible. He was sleepier than he thought, and he considered leaving the soup in the car overnight just so he could get to bed faster. But no, he thought, he wanted Regina to try it, and there was too much left to let it go to waste. He shook his head again to try to wake up a little, but it didn't help. He lazily reached for the pot, his car door already propped open for him. He opened it wider with his elbow once the pot was in his hands, and he closed it in the same manner. When Robin reached the door to his building, he balanced the pot in one hand to open the door and prop it with an elbow. He had his keys laced between two fingers and a handle, and he fumbled when transferring them to his free hand. He hurriedly unlocked his apartment, setting down the damn pot and keys the second he got inside. He shredded off his coat and kicked off his boots. He let out an exhale and put the soup in the fridge, then getting to his bed as quickly as possible. He didn't bother to switch on the lights, causing him to stumble a bit while making his way to his bedroom. He made it, though, and plopped down on his bed. He didn't feel like getting into any pajamas, so he just took off his shirt and pants, sleeping only on his boxers. He fell asleep the second he hit the pillow.

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><p>Robin had the whole next day off of work, so he decided to not rush himself when the sun woke him up around seven the next morning. Instead, he grunted and turned away from the window to get more sleep. He didn't have Roland today, and his house had been cleaned earlier that week. Regina would just be getting up, however. This caused Robin to wake up a little. He turned again to now lay on his back and stared at the ceiling, Regina now filling his thoughts. Not surprising, he figured. He half-smiled and reached for his phone on his night stand. He scrolled to Regina's contact, shooting her a good morning text.<p>

"Good morning, beautiful. Are you free for dinner this evening?"

While awaiting her response, Robin sat up in bed and rubbed his hands over his face. He was about to walk over to his dresser when his phone dinged with Regina's response.

"I am available, do you want to meet somewhere?" it read.

"It is another surprise, so is it alright if I pick you up?" It was another minute before Regina responded.

"You seem to like surprises, don't you? But, yes, you can pick me up. 7?"

Robin smirked, replying,

"See you at seven."

Robin exhaled deeply, opening his dresser drawers and grabbing a simple white t-shirt and flannel pajama pants. His surprise wasn't that great, to be honest. But he was excited-he was going to take her to see the building for the restaurant. He and Will were lucky to get it so on-the-spot, especially in New York. But they had decided to go with the first one they liked and would work, and they met the seller's asking price. They each received a set of keys yesterday, and they were giving their two weeks to Hard Rock tomorrow night at work. Robin was excited; he had been wanting this for a while. It would take work to get the restaurant going, but Robin was confident that they would be successful. He may be tight on money for a bit, but he still had enough in savings to continue his spending the way he was, with maybe a few minor cutbacks. He and Will were meeting next Monday to further discuss things, like staffing, budget, and menu. Will was leaving for a weekend vacation with his wife, Ana, and he wouldn't be available until early Monday afternoon. They decided to meet at one so Robin still had enough time to focus on the restaurant and pick up Roland from school.

* * *

><p>About a quarter to seven, Robin was almost leaving the new restaurant to pick up Regina. He was now wearing dark wash jeans instead of his pajama pants, with a now black v-neck t-shirt still on. He had on his black leather jacket, along with a spritz of his cologne (a forest scent). He decided to walk, despite the chill in the air. Her place was close to both his and the restaurant, and he didn't want to risk running into traffic and being late. He hadn't seen Regina since Saturday, and he couldn't wait to be with her. He turned a corner and was only a few doorsteps away.<p>

Robin buzzed her apartment, Apt 108, and was let in a few seconds later. He pulled the glass door open and pressed the up button on the elevator. Regina was on the fifth of twenty stories, but, thankfully, the apartment above her was vacant, so she never had to deal with much noise.

When Robin knocked on her door, he was surprised to see someone other than Regina or Henry-Emma. He hadn't seen her since high school, but she hadn't really changed.

"Hey, Robin, long time no see," she greeted.

"Emma, it is so great to see you!" Robin leaned in for a quick hug after walking in. "How have you been?"

"Great, working as a bondsperson now. And yourself?" Robin was just about to respond when Regina emerged from her bedroom. Wow, was she beautiful. She had on a black pencil skirt with a silky burgundy-purple top that had a floppy bow hanging from the v-neckline. It was a perfect fit-not too tight, not too loose. She never ceased to take his breath away. Small, black heels clicked against her hardwood floors.

"Robin, hey," she greeted with a smile while walking towards him. Robin pulled her in for a quick kiss, muttering how stunning she looked.

"Alright," Emma interrupted. "Y'all can either get a room, or leave." Robin gave a light laugh, while Regina teasingly rolled her eyes at Emma. She looked back at Robin, her sparkling brown eyes staring into his hazel ones.

"Let me get my coat on," she said, removing her hands from his hips. She moved to her coat hanger by the door, putting on a different leather jacket than usual. This one was still black, but had more of a short, trenchcoat look with a belt buckle at the center of her curves. She swiftly put it on, zipping it up before buckling it. She slipped on a pair of red, leather gloves before saying,

"Okay, let's go." She nodded her head towards the door (still open) and held out a hand for his. He held onto it, their fingers locking together. He gave her a kiss on the cheek, making her lightly blush. They were about to walk out of the apartment when Regina stopped and turned her head back to Emma.

"I won't be back too late."

"No worries, Killian is coming after Henry is asleep to keep me company."

Regina nodded, said goodbye, and was out the door with Robin. Once they were in the elevator, he pulled her in for another kiss. Deeper this time, more love and affection. He leaned his forehead against hers, hands still on her hips.

"You look absolutely stunning, Regina," he said, his tone only a few notches above a whisper, but full of lust and love. He wanted her badly. But he didn't just want to make love to her, but he wanted her to be his. He wanted to be able to say that. To scream it to the world. He wanted to be able to love her completely.

"You look pretty great yourself," she teased. Robin couldn't help but smile. How was she so damn amazing? He placed his right hand on her cheek, rubbing his thumb against her cheek bone. He fought hard to not just look into her eyes and tell her he loved her. But he didn't want to pressure her, especially since he hadn't even asked her to be his girlfriend yet. Also, saying those three words in an elevator didn't seem the right time, and they were just a few seconds to the lobby. No, now wasn't the right time. So, he held it in, keeping that special thought to himself.

When they were out in the street, hand-in-hand, Regina asked,

"So where exactly are you taking me?" Robin smiled, and he put his arm around her, their hands still linked together.

"Oh, no where you'd know," he said casually, but he had a playful look in his eyes that Regina had noticed. She looked up to him and said with a pointed brow,

"What makes you so confident?" Robin took a second to respond, turning a corner.

"Because no one has been there before," he hinted, wondering if Regina was going to pick up on what the hell he was talking about. Her puzzled facial expression showed that, no, she hadn't figured it out. They were almost there, now a few shops and restaurants down.

"Almost there, love."

"Okay..." Regina said, still questioning what it was. Robin had only mentioned owning a restaurant once or twice, but he never said how soon it would be. So when they arrived at the restaurant, and Robin stopped, Regina smiled big and looked up at him.

"Robin, did you buy this place?"

He nodded and smiled down at her.

"It was spontaneous, really. Will and I had set out looking, and this one was the first one we liked and got it in no time," he explained. Regina was thrilled, her beaming face showing just that.

"Wow, Robin, that... that's amazing." She undid his arm that was around her, their hands breaking apart. She walked up to the restaurant window, peaking inside to try to get a glimpse. God, she was adorable. Robin chuckled, pulled the key out of his pocket, and nudged Regina on the shoulder.

"It might be easier to see what it looks like if we go inside, love." He jingling the keys in front of her, smirking. Regina looked at him, scoffed, tilted her head in a nod, and said,

"You know, you could've just told me that." Robin laughed.

"I just did." Regina gave him a playful swat on his shoulders.

"You know what I mean," she said while he unlocked the door.

"Yea, I do," Robin responded and opened the door, holding it open it for her.

When they both had stepped inside, and Robin had switched on the light, Regina was amazed. It was beautiful. The floors were a dark hardwood that covered the whole room until the foot of the kitchen. At the moment, it was empty. No chairs or tables yet. However, there was a light brick divider in the center of the large room, that had window-like openings so the rooms wouldn't be too separate. The walls were a light brick, matching the divider, but they had a more rustic tone too them, appearing more worn. The ceiling had open beams running vertically across.

"Will and I mentioned wrapping lights around the ceiling beams, and we are definitely taking down the horrid light structures the first owners had used," Robin said, wrapping his arms around Regina's hips from behind.

"It'll be beautiful, Robin," Regina said, her tone light as she looked up into his eyes. He leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss, simple but affectionate.

"Thank you, lovely. I'd thought you love it."

"I do," Regina agreed. "Let me guess... it is going to be Italian?" Robin nodded.

"Yes, as authentic as possible. Will and I has gone to Italy a few years back, before Roland was born, and we were in awe with the food." Regina nodded.

"I'm jealous. I've always wanted to go there, maybe Sicily."

"I will likely go back, and I will sure as hell bring you with me," Robin said, smiling at the thought of them being in Italy together... dining on foods, tasting wines, sightseeing. It sounded perfect.

Regina had smiled in response, and she placed her hands on his, and then asked,

"So, am I allowed back there?" She gestured towards the kitchen.

"Of course," Robin said, letting go of her. "It's where we are going to eat."

Robin couldn't help but give a closed smile when Regina eyes fluttered towards him, surprised.

"You cooked?"

"That I did," he said, his hands both in hers. "I know I cooked you Italian last time, but I didn't think serving anything else in an Italian restaurant would make much sense."

Regina laughed. Damn, she drove him crazy with everything she did, but in the best way possible. He loved her so much.

"No, I suppose it wouldn't make much sense," she said. "And, I can never have too much Italian." Robin chuckled, and he walked ahead of her a few steps, opening the kitchen door with his back so he wouldn't have to take his eyes off of her. He held it open for her, putting a hand on her back as she passed by him. He heard her gasp when she saw the kitchen. It was already beautiful with its steel appliances and space, but he knew that that wasn't what she had gasped at. Off to the side of the kitchen was an open space that Robin had filled with a small, light wooden table and matching chairs. He had placed a white table cloth over it, and a wax candle was lit in a holder in the center of the table, with a single, red rose and wine bottle next to it. Two plates (detailed china) were set across from each other, with black cloth napkins next to them.

"Do you like it?" Robin asked, his arm now around her shoulder. Regina nodded, answering,

"Robin, it's beautiful. You know, you didn't-"

"I wanted to," he interrupted. "So, relax, let me take your coat, and sit down." Robin took his arm off from around her and helped her take off her jacket, placing it on one of the counters. She was going to seat herself when Robin quickly went ahead of her, pulled out her chair, and picked up the rose, holding it between his first two fingers. He handed it to her once she sat down, earning a thank you and,

"So, why exactly do you give single roses?"

Robin chuckled, pulling out a lasagna he had kept covered and warm in the oven. While uncovering the tasty dish, he responded.

"Two reasons: For one, I do not think you would care for bouquets. And, secondly, a single rose is what your parents gave you after Romeo and Juliet." He had said this whilst picking up her plate, carefully placing a piece of lasagna on it in a way so the layers wouldn't slide off of each other. By the end of his sentence, he successfully placed the lasagna on her plate, just in time to see her reaction to what he said. His eyes were so full of love; there was no denying it. She looked right into them, then down at the rose she had in her fingers, smiling and almost whispering,

"I can't believe you remember that." Robin pulled up his chair, gently setting down her plate. He looked her in the eyes and said,

"How could I forget?"

* * *

><p>After two servings each of lasagna, two glasses of the red wine (Pinot Noir), and a scoop of sorbet each, Robin and Regina were full. Thoughts were flying through Robin's head; he wanted to ask her. It was perfect timing: they were alone, romantic dinner, great conversations. What the hell was he waiting for? It was an easy, five word question, so why couldn't he from the words?<p>

Apparently, his anxiety was visible on his face, made evident when Regina touched his hand across the table and asked,

"Robin, is something wrong?"

He took a moment before responding. Here went nothing.

"What we have, it's good right?" Regina nodded,

"Yes, Robin. It's great." Her hand was still holding his, but she was leaned in on the table so she wouldn't have to stretch her arm that far. Her thumb rubbed against his, and Robin didn't know if she was even consciously doing it.

"Okay," he began, taking a deep breath. In and out. "Then I have something to ask you."

"Yes?" She replied, looking him in the eyes. She knew where this was going, and Robin figured she did, too, but that didn't help calm her nerves. Finally, however, he asked the question he had been wanting to ask since the afternoon at the coffee shop.

"Regina, will you officially be mine?"

Regina smiled, her cheeks flushed. She fluttered her eyes down to the table for a brief second then looked back up, gazing straight into her eyes.

"I thought you'd never ask."


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, here is an all-new update! Those who follow me on Twitter may have seen this would be in two parts, but I decided to stay up to just get it all done. Next update will hopefully be soon, but I don't want to give an exact time. So, enjoy, and please favorite and/or follow if you like it! And reviews bare always great. (Note: this chapter starts with the last part of chapter 6, so that's why it looks familiar.)**

* * *

><p>"Okay," he began, taking a deep breath. In and out. "Then I have something to ask you."<p>

"Yes?" She replied, looking him in the eyes. She knew where this was going, and Robin figured she did, too, but that didn't help calm her nerves. Finally, however, he asked the question he had been wanting to ask since the afternoon at the coffee shop.

"Regina, will you officially be mine?"

Regina smiled, her cheeks flushed. She fluttered her eyes down to the table for a brief second then looked back up, gazing straight into her eyes.

"I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

><p>Regina and Robin talked for about another hour about a variety of topics-the restaurant, her work, the kids, interests, the holidays coming up. The topics glided smoothly into the other. There was never an awkward moment in their conversations. Everything was perfect. And after everything had been cleaned up, Regina found herself sitting atop the counter, her ankles wrapped around his thighs. One of Robin's hands were on her hips, the other on the small of her back. Regina's fingers were rustled in his hair as they kissed, tongues intertwining. She hummed in appreciation when Robin started sucking on her lower lip. God, she wanted him. She didn't want to wait anymore. She wanted him... all of him. Fuck waiting. She put her hands on his shoulders and broke the kiss, resting her forehead against his.<p>

"Robin," she breathed.

"Yes, my love?" he replied, his breath heavy. Regina's deep brown eyes look right in his strikingly blue ones.

"I want more."

Robin gave her a look for reassurance, making sure he understood exactly what she said. After Regina nodded the needed reassurance, Robin smirked, and he moved his hands lower as they went in for another kiss.

"In that case," he said, picking Regina up and moving his hands right below her ass. "We will have to take this to my place. Health inspection'll be coming up soon." Regina nodded in understanding, then delved in for another kiss, her lips parted to allow tongue access. Robin put her down so they could quickly get on their coats and make the short walk back to his place.

The cold, brisk walk back to Robin's apartment didn't dull the heated and lustful mood at all. The second they were in the apartment and the door was shut, Robin pressed Regina against the door, pressing his lips against hers, her purse falling and thumping onto the floor. She accepted the kiss eagerly, her tongue pushing against his. She tugged on his jacket, pulling him in closer. One of his hands was rested on her head, the other rubbing up and down her back. He moved his hands to the top, near her jacket's collar. She didn't bother buckling it when leaving it at the restaurant; she knew it was going to come off anyways. And she was right. Robin pulled off her jacket, making it fall to the floor and half-land on her purse. His hands were above to move back to her hips when Regina grabbed his sleeves and pushed off his coat, forcing the kiss to break. His jacket fell to the floor by his feet, and he stepped closer to Regina again, giving her another deep kiss. His hands move under her shirt (untucked from the pencil skirt), hers wrapped around him, hands pressing against his back. As they kissed harder, shirts came off. Robin's was off first, the black fabric tossed away, showing off his abs and further accentuating his muscular arms. Regina's blouse was taken off right after his, revealing her black, lace bra, slightly different from the one she had worn the last time. Robin took a second staring at the beautiful curve of her breasts before pulling her in as close as possible and kissing and sucking the part of her neck that connected to her shoulder. To get easier access, he repeated his move of picking her up. It was swift and unexpected, causing Regina to put a hand on his shoulder to quickly balance herself. She was pinned between the door and Robin, who was now inching his way down to her breasts. He left a trail of kisses from her neck to collarbone to breast. Regina's legs were wrapped around him, using the door to balance herself. Robin's hands were on her upper hip and the other on her thigh. They were close enough that Regina could feel his cock hardened. She was already wet, growing achy in anticipation. God, she wanted him. Robin must've known-or been just as wanting-because he stopped sucking and kissing her and looked up at her.

"Shall we take this to the bedroom, love?"

"I think so," Regina breathed, a smirk forming on her lips. Robin licked and bit his bottom lip, once again readjusting his hands to below her ass. Her arms were around his neck, and they kissed while he carried her to the bedroom.

Robin held her the way to the bedroom, putting her down near the bed (he figured just crashing down on the bed would not be as smooth as he would want it to be). He cupped her face with his hands, tongues moving against each other. They started turning, Regina's legs touching the mattress. Robin urged her to sit down on it, getting on his own knees. His hands were on her back, fumbling with her bra hook. It took a couple seconds to undo it, but he got it handled, ending the kiss to get it off, revealing her perky and round breasts. He tossed the bra to the side, not paying attention to where it landed. Regina's legs were wrapped around him, a little difficult and uncomfortable to do sitting down with her tight skirt. It was hard to enjoy Robin's neck kissing with it being so tight.

"Mm, Robin?"

"Mhmm," Robin answered, still kissing on her night.

"My skirt's too tight, it's hard to-oh!" Regina was suddenly on her back, unsure what exactly Robin did. All she knew was Robin was tugging on her skirt, pulling it down and tossing it out of the way.

"Better?" he inquired mischievously, helping her back up. Regina tried to hide a smile, biting her bottom lip and nodding. Her legs wrapped around him much more comfortably now, allowing her to enjoy Robin's pleasuring. He went faster than he did in the entryway, reaching and sucking on her breasts, making her nipples hard. She moaned in pleasure, encouraging Robin to keep going. He went lower and lower, kissing her stomach, hips, reaching her thighs. Her legs were more open now, not as wrapped around him as before. He gave light, gentle kisses on her inner thighs, and Regina was growing wetter and wetter. She was biting down on her lip hard, a moan still escaping. Robin smirked, and he pulled down her lacy, black underwear that matched her bra that was thrown across the room earlier. He kissed and sucked her lower stomach, and Regina was going insane. She needed him. Now. The fucking tease.

"Lie down, lovely," Robin urged, his tone lustful. Regina obeyed, her upper body lying down on the bed. She left out a soft moan as his fingers rubbed against her wetness, finding her clit. His thumb circled it, causing Regina to moan a little louder. A moment later, Robin removed his thumb and replaced it with his tongue, slipping a finger in her, then two. Regina moaned loudly and arched her back, it felt so good. His fingers pumped into her while he sucked on her clit, her hips rocking against his tongue and fingers. She was close already. Fuck, he was good at this.

"Oh...god. Harder," she breathed, and Robin obeyed immediately, fucking his fingers harder and faster into her, making her back arch once again. She came not too long after, and Robin pulled his fingers out of her, licking them. Regina sat up, breath labored. Robin gave her a half-smile, placing his hand on the back of her neck, exchanging loving kisses.

"Are you ready, lovely?" he asked. Regina smiled; she could feel his erection against her, wanting desperately to be inside her.

"One second," she said, giving him a light peck on the tip of his nose. "I want to check my phone to see if Emma's tried calling.. make sure Henry is doing alright." Robin nodded; he'd do the same thing if he was out with Regina during his time with Roland. Before letting Regina get up, he gave her another kiss... gentle and loving. Regina bit her lip and smiled while she got up, making a brisk walk to the entryway to retrieve her cell phone from her purse.

"Oh my god," Regina murmured, but it was loud enough for Robin to hear. "I have three, recently missed calls from Emma." She dialed back right away, a pit of anxiety growing in her stomach. Robin was behind her now, his arms around her waist.

"Regina, thank god," Emma answered, speaking at a faster than normal pace.

"Emma, what the hell is happening?" Regina's worry was visible in her tone. Emma's speaking was still rapid and was as full of worry as Regina's.

"Henry-he-he was sleeping and-Killian and I, we were in the living room and heard a thud, and Henry-he fell off his bed and hit his head on a toy, his forehead was bleeding and wouldn't wake up, and we are on our way to the hospital-five minutes, and Regina, I'm so-"

"Its not your fault," Regina interrupted, the knot of anxiety in her stomach growing tighter every second, her eyes tearing up. "I'm leaving for the hospital now." She hung up the phone, clasping her hand over her mouth, tears starting to fall and run down her cheeks.

"Shh, what's this about hospital?" Robin was now in front of her, wrapping an arm around her and rubbing her back with one hand, using his thumb on his other to wipe away her tears.

"Henry... he fell and is unconscious and was bleeding, and.. I need to hail a taxi to get to the hospital," Regina stated, her heart was pounding so hard that it was heard, her hands slightly shaking as she gathered up her coat and purse, about to make her way to the bedroom to hurriedly put on her clothes.

"No," Robin stopped her. "Taxis could take a while, let me drive you." His hands were on her shoulders, and he looked right in her eyes to make sure she knew he was serious. Regina gave a nod,

"Okay, only if you want to." Robin nodded and looked in her eyes again to reassure her.

"Yes, Regina, I'm sure. I care about Henry, and I care about you."

"Okay," she said, taking in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. They went to the bedroom, throwing their clothes on as fast as possible. They were out the door and on the way to the hospital in a minute.

* * *

><p>The hospital was busy, and the waiting room was full. Emma and Killian had, of course, arrived at the hospital before Regina and Robin. Regina spotted them in the waiting room, Emma wearing her black coat and red scarf with Killian in his usual leather jacket. Emma had her hands clasped together, leaning against her knees. She and Killian got up right when they saw Regina and Robin, walking briskly over to them.<p>

"Henry got in right away; Regina, I am so sorry," she said, Killian resting his hand on her shoulder. Regina didn't blame her at all; the incident was no one's fault. She was worried as hell, but she wasn't looking for someone to blame, especially since Henry was sleeping when it happened.

"Emma, you don't need to be sorry," Regina assured her, before continuing, "Have the doctors said anything?"

Emma shook her head no. "They just rushed him in right away, and they gave us forms to fill out. I could only fill out certain parts like birthday and address. The forms are on my seat." She motioned towards their seats, and Regina gave a nod, walking over there with Robin behind her, his hand on her waist. Emma and Killian stayed where they were for a few minutes. Regina and Robin couldn't hear what they were saying, but it seemed like Killian was trying to calm her down, his hand tucking her blonde hair behind her ear. Regina focused her eyes on the form, filling out his height, weight, allergies, and their insurance information. Her hands weren't shaking anymore, but the anxious knot in her stomach was still there. Regina rubbed her hand against her forehead, taking a deep breath before finishing the form. Robin was rubbing his hand against her back, not breaking from her. He was worried, too. He understood how much more anxious Regina must've been, but he had to take deep, sometimes shaky, breaths to stay calm. Falling off a bed is one thing, but bleeding and being unconscious is another, especially at three years old. Every minute a doctor didn't come to them was another minute of more nerves and anxiety for all four of them.

After she finished filling the form and turned it in to the nurse at the desk, Regina paced back and forth in the waiting room. Emma was sitting with Killian, sharing a seat and hands held. Robin was still sitting, leaning against his knees and his hands together like Emma was when they walked in. He rubbed them on his face before getting up and going to Regina. He place a hand on her shoulder, urging,

"Get a coffee, love. It'll help wake you up." She shook her head no.

"I don't want to miss anything if the doctor comes." Robin firmed his grip on her shoulder, looking deeply into her worried eyes.

"Regina, you're exhausted. It'll be fine. If the doctor comes, I will come get you before he says anything, alright?" Regina glanced at the floor for a minute before nodding. Robin rubbed his hands on her arms and kissed her on the forehead, whispering "It will be okay." before she went down the hall to get coffee.

Regina wanted to get back to the waiting room as soon as possible so she wouldn't miss the doctor, but she needed to be alone for an extra minute beforehand, and Robin said he'd come get her. She poured her coffee, stirring in sugar and creme. She rested against the wall, trying to hold back tears. What the hell was taking the doctors so long? She just wanted to know if Henry was okay. If her sweet, baby boy was okay. Regina was scared to death that he wasn't. What if the fall caused brain damage or the bleeding didn't stop? God, all she wanted was her son to be okay. Regina took in a deep, shaky breath, probably her twentieth time doing so. She took a sip of her coffee and slipped her phone out of her pocket. She had realized her mom still hadn't known. Regina would rather just wait until she knew something, but if she was allowed to see her son after the doctor came, she didn't want to waste that time. She wiped away a tear brimming in her eye while the dial tone rang.

"Hello?" Cora answered.

"Hey, Mom, it's me," Regina sniffled, more tears brimming in her eyes.

"Regina? What's wrong, dear?"

"Um, I'm at the hospital. Henry-he fell during his sleep and was unconscious and bleeding." Regina couldn't hold back the tears anymore. Saying it aloud... it was painful. Very painful.

"Oh my god, Regina, is he awake? Is he okay? What did the doctors say?" Cora was shocked, her voice concerned. Regina bit down on her lower lip and wiped away another tear before responding.

"I haven't seen the doctors yet. I was out with Robin, and Emma and Killian were in the living room, and they rushed him in. All I know is he got in right away."

"Oh, Regina, I'm on my way."

"No," Regina murmured. "Can you visit us tomorrow? I don't know if we will still be here or home tomorrow, but I just want to be alone with him when I can."

"Of course," Cora said. "That's important, and four people are already a lot. I understand. Call me when you know, okay? Send him my love."

"I will, Mom. Thanks. Bye."

Regina couldn't take it anymore. Robin still hadn't come to get her, and she couldn't stop the tears from flowing. She scootched down the wall, burying her face in her hands, letting the tears fall. She didn't care if people walked by and saw her. Her baby boy-her precious, little baby boy-was in the hospital, and she had no idea if he was okay. Her shoulders started to shake as she cried, unable to control it.

A few minutes later, she heard someone sit down next to her. She looked up to see Robin. She took a breath and wiped away her tears, trying to recover. Robin shook his head, put an arm around her, and whispered,

"It is okay to cry, Regina. You don't have to hide it." She accepted his words right away, partly because she knew she couldn't hold back the tears anyways. She leaned in to him, let him cuddle her while she cried. He wrapped his fingers in hers, holding her tightly. Seeing Regina so worried, and he being worried himself, made it difficult for him not to cry either. A few moments later, he let a few tears fall.

"Did the doctor come?" she managed to get out, her breathing shaky.

"Killian asked, and they said it'd be about five minutes." Regina gave a slight nod of understanding.

"I want to go back then. I'm okay. I don't want to make the doctor wait."

"Okay," Robin said. He squeezed her hand, kissed her head before getting up and helping her get up. He cupped her face and wiped away her remaining tears with her thumb, giving her another kiss on her forehead. His hands slipped into hers, holding as they walked back to the waiting room. Regina had her small cup of coffee in her other hand, taking a few sips on the short walk back to the waiting room.

Emma and Killian were leaning against the wall, still hand-in-hand. When they saw Regina and Robin come back in, Killian walked up to Regina, embracing her in a tight hug.

"It's gonna be alright," his assured her. "Henry is a strong boy." He gave her a half-smile and a pat on the back as they broke away from each other. Regina took a final drink of her coffee before tossing the foam cup in the trash. She looked up at the clock-almost 10:30. The doctor should be here anytime now, as it was now a little over five minutes. Not a minute later, the doctor finally arrived.

"Miss Mills?" he asked, looking around.

"Yes, that's me," Regina answered, taking a few steps forward to meet him. Every one else followed her, Robin right behind Regina, his hand slipped into hers.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Whale. It's good news-Henry will be fine. The bleeding stopped, and we did an MRI to make sure no internal damage was done to his brain. He still hasn't woken up, but you can go see him. We would also like to keep him overnight just to make sure everything is okay."

Regina, along with everyone else, took a deep breath of relief.

"Thank you, Dr. Whale. What room is he in?"

"Room 309, in the children's wing. I will have a nurse check in on him periodically."

"Thank you," Regina said with a nod, and Dr. Whale returned the nod and walked away. Regina turned around instantly, letting go of Robin's hand and wrapping her arms around him. Emma gave her a few pats on the back, herself needing some comfort, which was given to her by Killian, a tight hug and hand squeeze.

"Well, let's go. Emma, would you mind calling Cora? Let her know he's okay?" Regina asked, too relieved and eager to see Henry to call Cora herself.

"Yea, of course. I'll be up soon," Emma answered, turning to dial her phone. Killian stayed behind with Emma while Robin went up with Regina.

Emma and Killian left about an hour later. Emma was unable to get out of work the next day, and Killian's car was the one who drove them over. Henry still hadn't woken up yet; it was a hard fall, and he was lucky to not have any damage. He had landed on the toy face-forward, the sharp edge piercing his skin. Regina didn't know which toy it was, and Emma and Killian didn't look. But it didn't matter now, Regina figured. Henry was okay.

Regina urged Robin to go home when Henry still wasn't awake a few minutes later. But he wouldn't have any of it. He wanted to stay and wait. He didn't have to work until tomorrow night, so he could still get plenty of sleep. Regina gave up, letting him stay. She didn't really want him to leave, anyways. She liked having him there. It felt natural, comfortable... like he was already part of the family.

About twenty minutes later, a little after midnight, Henry's eyes fluttered open.

"Mama?" he muttered, his voice drowsy. Regina was right next to him, his little hand in both of hers. She smiled in relief, clenching his hand. She gave him a kiss on his head (light, so she wouldn't hurt him) before answering in a soft, loving voice,

"I'm here, baby. Mama's right here."


	8. Chapter 8

Henry was released from the hospital the next morning, clean from any internal damage. The nurses complimented him on being a brave little boy, and Henry, in turn, looked up at Regina and asked if he really was a brave little boy. She smiled and reassured that he was, making the toddler smile. As they were leaving the hospital, Henry didn't want to walk out to the car. Normally, Regina would've had him walk anyways, but, as he was just in the hospital, she decided to give in, scooping him up and holding him on her hip. He snuggled against her, wrapping his arms around her. She kissed him on the forehead before exiting the doors and reaching her car.

After Henry was situated in his car seat and they were safely on the road, Regina grabbed her cell from out of her purse to call her mother. The dial rang three times before Cora answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Mom, it's me. We are on our way home now," Regina said, making a turn.

"Good. So no damage?" Cora asked.

"Nothing internally, no. He has some stitches on his forehead, and we have to return to the doctor in four days to get them removed." Regina could hear her mom release a sigh of relief.

"Thank god there was no damage. Is it alright if I talk to him?" Cora wondered, as Regina was slowing down into a full stop for the cross light.

"Yeah, let me hand him the phone," she turned in her seat to give her cell to Henry, only to find him asleep. She gave a closed half-smile, before telling Cora, "Sorry, the little guy's asleep. I'll call you when he wakes up?" Cora agreed, and, after saying goodbye, Regina hung up the phone and continued driving when the light turned green.

* * *

><p>Henry was still sleeping when they got home, his Keke in his arms. Regina was as gentle as possible with unstrapping him and pulling him out of the car. She succeeded in not waking him up, continuing being quiet as she closed the car door. The trouble, however, was unlocking the apartment door without waking him. It was difficult to balance a sleeping toddler, his stuffed animals, and her purse while her keys jangled in front of the lock. She hiked up a leg to help balance her purse, her knee resting underneath the door handle. She turned the key and opened the door, smiling a closed smile at her success. She set down her keys on the table and carefully shrugged off her purse. She softly walked over to Henry's bedroom, laying him down on the bed. She undid his shoes (easy slip-ons) and covered him with a blanket. She rubbed a hand up and down his arm, so thankful that he was okay. Speaking of him being okay, Regina glanced down to the floor to see what he had hit his head on. It turned out to be one of his toy trucks. It was one of his bigger pick-up trucks. Regina winced and figured he hit one of the edges. Damn, that had to have hurt. She picked up the toy and put it on top of his dresser. She looked back at Henry, who was still fast asleep. Regina decided to lie down next to him. She was awfully tired; she didn't sleep well at the hospital last night due to her worrying and the chair being horribly uncomfortably. She curled up next to her son, wrapping her arm around him, falling asleep shortly after.<p>

Regina went in and out of sleep, not being able to stay asleep for more than ten minutes at a time. Maybe it was because she didn't have much room, or maybe it was because she was worried about Henry falling off the bed again. It was likely both, she figured. She knew she was holding on to him and no toys or books were on the floor, but she still was anxious. After waking up a third time, Regina gave up. She slightly readjusted herself and cuddled Henry closer. He was dead asleep, his Keke tucked under his cheek and his hand over his mom's. Regina gave a tired smile. Something about seeing her baby boy sleeping so peacefully made her content. She wished she could stop time, wanting to freeze this moment forever.

Henry had woken up hungry about forty-five minutes later, asking his mom if he could have a hot dog. Regina made him one right away, along with reheating some mac n cheese to give him a little more substance, and she cut up strawberries while he ate the hot dog and mac n cheese. She prepared enough for the both of them, appreciative that the fruit didn't need any sweetening. They were nice and juicy, surprising for this time of year, since they were out of season.

While eating, Regina checked her phone. She had one text message, and she smiled when she saw it was from Robin.

"How is Henry doing?" it read. Regina swallowed before texting back,

"Much better... took a good nap, eating now."

Regina sat her phone down on the table, looked at Henry, and frowned. He hadn't finished his mac n cheese before Regina gave him his strawberries, and he had managed to get strawberry juice in his mac n cheese. Henry noticed his mom's teasing frown, scooped up a bit of his food and ate it to show it still tasted good. He gave a closed grin to emphasize his point. Regina snickered, rolling her eyes playfully, and her phone vibrated with Robin's reply.

"That's great, love. I miss you."

Regina couldn't help but smile, even though it was a small one.

"I miss you, too... Emma and Killian are coming over for dinner and games, if you would like to join."

Robin responded immediately.

"I would love to, as long as Henry doesn't mind."

Regina turned her attention to Henry, who had just finished his mac n cheese.

"How would you like Robin to join us for dinner with Aunt Emma and Killian?" she asked, already knowing the answer. Surely enough, Henry nodded eagerly, giving a thumbs up, his mouth still full of food. He was good at not talking while chewing, something Regina had taught him to a great extent. She couldn't stand the action, and her child would definitely not be the type to do so.

"Henry gave an enthusiastic yes. 6 good for you?" Regina typed, hitting the send button and taking her last bite of food. Her phone buzzed a minute later with Robin agreeing to the time.

* * *

><p>After lunch, Regina had called Cora, once again saying Henry was doing alright, and Cora asking if she could have Henry overnight on Monday and take him to school on Tuesday morning. Regina had no rejections; she knew Robin didn't have Roland this Monday, so she was hoping they could have a date that night, and maybe finish what they started the night before.<p>

About an hour later of getting off the phone with her mother, Regina decided to call into work to make sure the place hadn't gone to chaos. The secretaries would have already left for the day; they got out around lunch. So, Regina decided to call Jefferson. She knew he was still there since the fashion designers and hair and makeup teams were meeting today to discuss ideas for the Disney villain photoshoot that was tomorrow. They normally took Saturdays off, but they wanted the collection to be advertised early, before it went out on the market.

The phone dial rang only twice before Jefferson answered.

"Well, if it isn't the Highness, herself," he greeted, his usual bit of sass shining through. He typically referred to her in some royal way or another to where Regina expected it.

"Hello, Jefferson. How did the meeting go today?"

"It went so well that Ruby, Ashley, Leroy and I are going out to celebrate. Care to join us? Beer, shots, the whole shabang?" Regina knew he didn't mean it; Jefferson knew that going out for drinks with her employees would be considered unprofessional to Regina, which it definitely was.

"I would love to," she answered sarcastically. It wasn't very professional of her to be sarcastic, either, but it was safe to do so with many of the people on her staff, especially Jefferson. "Why are you guys celebrating?"

"Oh, yes, the meeting," he replied, pretending to have forgotten. "The designs, makeup, hair, lighting have all been set, and we will actually be able to start online advertising Sunday."

Regina was surprised. She would have to review their plans tonight when the email was sent out, but she was impressed that they had finished everything. Usually, they would argue amongst themselves about one thing or another before Regina got so frustrated she would just call the meeting adjourned and do everything herself.

"Wow, okay, good work. See you in the morning." She hung up the phone and relaxed in her chair. That was easy.

* * *

><p>Regina had decided to order in pizza for dinner that night. She ordered two of them, one half-pepperoni and half-cheese, and the other was an everything pizza. She was unsure was Robin wanted, but she knew Killian liked everything, and Emma liked plain cheese, along with Henry. Regina favored pepperoni best. She probably could have asked Robin what he liked, but she didn't realize she didn't know until she was already on the phone with Dominos.<p>

Emma and Killian arrived a few minutes before six, a few games with them. Henry wouldn't know how to play many of them, but Regina already knew she would have to team up with the little cutie.

"Hey, little guy! How's the head?" Killian greeted Henry as he walked through, along with saying a "hey" to Regina. He focused on Henry, though. Henry had grown attached to him, always looking forward to seeing him, sometimes, more than he would look forward to see Emma. The blonde didn't mind, though. Henry saw her more than Killian, anyways.

"He seems like he is back to his normal self," she said to Regina, but was looking at Henry, who was coloring with Killian. Regina glanced over and smiled.

"Yes, he seems to be. He complained of his head hurting a bit earlier, but it wasn't too bad... I think he may of just said it because he likes his stitches," Regina responded, a light chuckle in her voice. It was true. Henry saw his stitches as a "battle wound", and he mentioned them multiple times that day.

"Killian should help with that," Emma joked, and Regina smiled and nodded her head. She was about to say something when there was a knock on the door-Robin. Emma went over to Killian and Henry while Regina greeted her boyfriend.

She opened the door to see Robin dressed in his usual attire-jeans, t-shirt (this one was a dark blue, v-neck, as usual), and his black leather jacket. Regina had forgotten to change out of her comfy clothes-still in black sweatpants and a loose, deep red tee.

"You don't have to knock, you know," she greeted. He pulled her in for a kiss before answering her.

"I won't from now on, if you'd like," he said, one hand on her hip and another in her hair. Regina gave a closed, half-smile, giving him another quick kiss in response.

"Come on in," she was holding both his hands and pulling him into the house further. They smiled at each other, about to kiss again before hearing Killian say to Henry,

"Henry, look at what your mom is doing." Henry looked up from coloring, seeing Robin's hands on her waist. He gasped, as if Robin had committed a crime. He dropped his crayon and ran up to the couple. He bussed in between them to force them to separate, making both of them laugh a little. Henry would have none of it. He looked up at Robin seriously, saying,

"No kissing." Regina smiled, trying her hardest not to giggle. Robin looked at Regina, smirked, and knelt down to Henry.

"What if your mom wants to be kissed?" he asked, winking up at Regina. Henry gave an appalled look, and he turned his head towards Regina, giving a can-you-believe-this-guy. This time, Regina couldn't help but giggle.

"It's okay, Henry." She rubbed her hand on his hair, assuring him all was well. It seemed to work, as he gave one more warning look to Robin before bustling back to Killian and Emma, who were snickering at the situation.

Robin stood back up, rubbing his hands against Regina's arms.

"I guess we have to be careful, hmm?" Regina chuckled, but then shook her head no.

"He'll get used to it," she said, shrugging and smiling. "But," she continued, "Just quick pecks in front of him." Robin smiled, a hand now in her hair.

"Of course," he said, completely understanding. He would do the same with Roland, no matter how old the boy was. Regina nodded, and they both made their way over to the living room, where Henry was arguing with Killian that skies were not red. Regina and Robin sat on the couch, and she cuddled up against him. Everything in this moment seemed perfect.

By eight o'clock, the pizza had all been eaten (Robin's favorite had been everything) and the games had been cleared. They ended up only playing two games-UNO and Pixar Monopoly. Emma had ruthlessly won UNO, with Killian being second, Robin third, and Regina and Henry last. Regina was not very good at playing games and told Henry he could team up with someone else, but he didn't, saying he wanted to be with her. And when Regina beat everyone's ass at Monopoly, Henry was very happy he chose to be on his mom's team throughout the night.

Around eight, Henry was yawning and needing to go to bed. He helped clean up the game first, then lazily walked up to Killian and asked him,

"Will you read to me tonight, Killian?"

"Of course," he responded, scooping Henry up and swinging him (carefully) over his shoulders, making the little guy laugh.

Regina went in to say goodnight after Killian finished reading. While she tucked him in, he told her all about the lost boys and the evil Captain Hook, who Henry had said Killian deemed to not be a villain. Henry thought that was ludicrous, rambling on how Hook was the bad guy. Regina couldn't help but smile in amusement. However, it was time for Henry to sleep, not talk. Regina got him to stop talking and gave him a kiss goodnight on his head, then made sure his stitches still looked alright. She flipped off his light on her way out, leaving the door open a bit. Emma and Killian were ready to leave, saying goodbye when Regina came out.

After the two left, Robin walked up to Regina, who was closing the door behind them, and pulled her in close for a kiss, her back to the door. His hands were on her hip and in her hair, hers on his back and the back of his neck. Their tongues moved against each other's, both of them wanting more.

Regina broke the kiss, though, saying that she didn't want this to go any further with Henry being in just the other room, and she had to be up at four am for the photoshoot, still needing to review and approve the decisions made in the meeting. She hoped to hell they did well, because an emergency meeting this late into the evening was definitely not something Regina wanted to do. She probably should have reviewed it instead of playing games, but she wanted to be present tonight, not working. It wouldn't take her too long, anyways.

She wrapped her arms around Robin, sighing and saying in a relaxed tone,

"I wish you could stay. Are you free Sunday?" Robin's hands were rubbing her back.

"Sadly, I am not," he said disappointingly. "Will came home early, and we changed our meeting to Sunday. But," he said, booping her nose, making her smile, "I am free Monday. Maybe go out?"

Regina nodded.

"It's like you read my mind. Henry is going to be spending the night at my mom's, so maybe you could spend the night here?" She smirked, and Robin pointed an eyebrow.

"In that case, I will see you Monday, my love." They kissed again, quick, but deep. Regina smiled, biting her lower lip, as Robin put back on his jacket. He kissed her again at the door, then saying with a wink,

"See you Monday." Regina smirked and nodding, repeating his words. Damn, did she love that man.

* * *

><p>The photoshoot the next morning went great. The decisions that were made were excellent. Cruella's make up looked as though it came right out of the movie-her face pale, her eyebrows perfectly arched, her lips stained red. Her bright blue eyes seemed to pierce the camera, and they gave off a wicked look that could give anyone chills. The model definitely accomplished the "if she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will", and Regina knew the clothes would sell. They used the best quality of fake fur they could get their hands on, and they advertised that five dollars of every item sold (two dollars for lesser priced items) would be donated to PETA.<p>

Cruella was shot during the night, in the forest, along with the rest of the villains: the Evil Queen, Ursula, and Maleficent. The Evil Queen has a long black dress, with leather pants and boots worn, and her hair in a French twist and a black, lace headpiece that resembled the one in the original cartoon.

Ursula had worn a black, tight dress, that only went slightly passed her hips (covering about three inches of her thighs) before the tentacles started, fanning out around the model, suction cups on the underside of them. The dress sold would be the same, minus the tentacles. Her make up and hair was perfect- a purplish pale skin tone, red lips, and defined eyebrows. Her hair was teased up like Ursula's in the movie, but instead of being all white, it was black with purple and white streaks.

The model portraying Maleficent gave the perfect icy effect to the photos. She wore full faux leather head-to-toe, except for the long cape that trailed behind her, which was speckled with a deep purple and red. Overall, the models were great, as were their makeup and hair and outfits. Everything was perfect, and it was set to release tomorrow morning at nine am, and the commercial was set to be filmed Tuesday.

* * *

><p>Regina spent the rest of her Saturday sleeping and cuddling with Henry. She had texted with Robin, casual conversations on how each other's days were going. All Regina could really think about was how well the reviews on the line would be tomorrow, especially Barbara Gold's. He was an older man, but he had been a critic of the fashion industry for more than twenty years. If Gold liked it, it would be safe to say it would do well. The photos released are just teasers for the real line, but the teaser is the most important part, at least to Regina. It is what drew people in, what caused excitement to buzz around.<p>

Regina was lying in her bed at eleven, unable to sleep due to her worry about the line. She knew it was good, that it could sell. But it was a bit of a bold move since it was sort of new for the brand, and she did not know if Gold would appreciate that or not. She winced in worry, but she knew it was not worth worrying about. The ad was set to go, and there was no stopping it. Plus, the brand had spent a lot of money on it. They stayed within budget, but it was not something Regina would dare to cancel. She was confident in her decisions and in the photos, so worrying was pointless.

"Snap out of it, Regina," she said to herself over and over. Finally, she let out a heavy breath and turned to her side, pulling up the covers and closing her eyes. Sleep found her in just a few minutes.

Regina's alarm went off at eight a.m. She wanted to be awake and energized in case anything went wrong with the advertisement going out, and she had her phone turned up and on her so she could answer right away and not waste time.

Thankfully, the advertisement went off without a hitch. Their website a tab specifically for it, and the social mediaverse was spitting out advertisements. People on Twitter and Facebook loved the looks, excited for the "bold flavor it could bring to the upcoming winter". Now, all everyone could do was wait for Gold's review, hoping it would be out that day.

And out it came. At 2 p.m., Regina's phone bleeped with the email notification. She was subscribed to his blog so she would get the notice right away. She wanted so desperately to see what he had written, but she found herself hesitant. About five minutes later, her phone rang. It was Ruby.

"Hel-" she began, but Ruby cut her off right away.

"Have you read the review yet?" Regina found it difficult to tell if Ruby's tone meant it was a good or bad review. She took a moment before responding,

"No, I haven't." She heard Ruby huff on the other end.

"Well, grow some lady balls and read it," she urged, not caring about the way she spoke to Regina. She was used to Ruby's sass by now, and she didn't see the point to lecturing her.

"Fine," Regina huffed. "I will open it now." She decided to keep Ruby on the phone, since she'd probably call someone from work anyways. Her laptop was already open, and she clicked on the link in her e-mail, taking in deep breaths. The first lines of the review were:

"Bravo. Brava. The villain designs from Smize are the best ones I have seen all season."

Regina took a deep breath of relief; she felt like a huge chip had been taken off her shoulder. Ruby squealed,

"Regina, he loved it! I think this calls for a celebration." Regina lightly laughed, it not being too audible. She wanted to maintain her composure, calmly agreeing,

"Yes, I think it does. Perhaps a work party?"

"I will call everyone now. But, it'd have to be tomorrow night since we will be busy working nights the rest of the week."

Damn, Regina thought. Tomorrow was a date night with Robin. She bit her lip, wondering if she should agree. But she decided that her conflicts shouldn't ruin anyone else's fun. She would talk it over with Robin in a minute, seeing if he would want to go.

"Sounds good," Regina answered, and she hung up.

* * *

><p>Robin had been more than happy to attend the party with her, and he congratulated her three times, telling her over and over how happy he was for her. Regina was all smiles for the rest of the day.<p>

Robin came by to pick Regina up at 6:45, the party starting at seven. They would be a few minutes late, but neither cared. It wasn't any fun being the first there anyways.

Regina was putting her earrings in (using a round mirror in the entryway) when Robin came in.

"Wow," he muttered. Regina was wearing a stunning black dress. It was nicely fitted; it had an asymmetrical, zig-zaggy neckline and long sleeves that ended asymmetrically. It zipped up in the back, starting midway. Damn, she was beautiful.

"Hello there," Regina greeted warmly, finishing putting on the clutch on her last earring before walking towards him and giving him a kiss.

"My love," Robin began, his hand in her hair behind her ear. "You look so beautiful." He stared right in her eyes when he said it, and Regina glanced down and blushed.

"Why, thank you," she said smiling, looking back up at him. Robin's eyes were filled with so much love. He wanted to tell her so badly that he was madly in love with her, but he didn't know if it was too soon. The last thing be wanted to do was pressure her. But Regina's eyes were filled with love, too. They both knew they had a strong connection and passionate love, but neither had enough courage built up to say it aloud.

"Shall we get going?" Regina asked a moment later. Robin nodded, kissed her one more time before taking his hands off her hips and letting her put on her heels (strappy, black ones). Robin himself was wearing a dark-wash jean, a dark grey button-up with a black tie and vest. It was a surprisingly warmer night, so neither decided to put on jackets or coats.

The party has just begun when they had arrived, with most every one there. It was located at the company, in a large room used specifically for work parties or events. With Smize, the work parties were more fancy, with hor douvres, champagne, and wine. Regina was impressed with how well it looked with it being almost last-minute. The room has glass casings on the walls, that were able to be taken down for certain events. Normally, they weren't here for the work parties, but Ruby had brought them in and filled them with the outfits from the line. They were lit up, making them very noticeable with the rest of the room having dimmed lighting.

"Ah, the highness and her king!" Jefferson called when he saw Regina and Robin walk in. He had on his usual tophat, which was tipped to the side. He wore a hot pink shirt and black tie and was pouring glasses of champagne when the couple walked over.

"This must be the one who is responsible for your happiness," Jefferson said to Regina, but he turned to Robin. "Thank you, because Regina has now been much more pleasant to work with." Regina rolled her eyes, trying to mask the slight blush that was growing on her cheeks. With the lights being dimmed, Regina felt as though she was safe. Her and Robin both took the champagne Jefferson offered to them.

"It is my pleasure," Robin answered, placing his hand on the small of Regina's back.

"Ah, he has an accent," Jefferson remarked, shooting Regina a look that said Robin was definitely a keeper.

"Jefferson, this is Robin. Robin, this is Jefferson, one of my makeup artists," Regina introduced, and the two shook hands.

"Nice to meet you," Robin said.

"You too."

A man came up behind Jefferson. Regina hadn't seen him before so she figured she must've been someone's date. But with his dark hair and light scruff, Regina figured he was either Ruby's date or Jefferson's. They both had the same taste in men, as far as Regina could tell.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Jefferson joked, knocking back the remainder of his champagne. "This is my infamous boyfriend, August Booth. August, this is Regina and Robin. Regina runs the place." Ah, so he was Jefferson's, Regina thought to herself. August held out a hand to both of them, Robin first ("nice to meet you's being said) and then Regina's.

"Nice to meet you, Regina." She smiled, politely shaking his hand and saying,

"It is nice to meet you, too. Jefferson talks about you around the office. You are a writer?" August nodded.

"I am. Although, I have just gotten a job as the new English professor at NYU, so my personal writing is going on a break."

"NYU? Congratulations," Robin said.

Robin and Regina chatted with August for a while more, discussing his writings, Robin's work with his new restaurant, and the upcoming success of the line. About an hour later when everyone had arrived, the drinking had gotten heavier. Leroy and Jefferson were getting drunk, as Leroy brought two bottles of vodka and shot glasses with him. Ruby had joined in their fun, tipsy herself.

Regina hadn't had much to drink-a glass of champagne and two glasses of wine, same as Robin. Neither wanted to get drunk tonight, especially with an early start tomorrow. They left the party early, having spent their share of fun. Plus, both of them wanted to get back to her place to finish what had started the other night.

* * *

><p>Robin kissed Regina the second they got in the door, their tongues pushing against the others while making their way to her bedroom. Regina had her hands clutched on Robin's vests, his hands on her back and a hip. They stumbled on the bed, breaking the kiss so Robin could unzip her dress, pulling it off of her and tossing it behind him. She now only wore a black, push-up bra and black, silky underwear. They kissed again, more deeply this time, both sitting on their knees on the bed. Her hands undid the two buttons holding his vest together and pushed it off of him, loosening his tie next while his hands wandered along her back and curves. She unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt before moving her hands to the seam and pulling it up and over his head, forcing the kiss to break. But Regina was okay with that. She caressed his abs with her fingers, eyeing them with lust. She looked back up at him, staring into his eyes for a brief moment before kissing him again. Her hands moved over his back as he started to kiss and suck at her neck, making Regina let out breathy gasps. God, the things this woman did to her. She was sitting atop of him, placed right on his erection, grinding against it. She wanted him now. She needed him now-inside her, thrusting in and out. She didn't care about the foreplay right now. She was soaking wet and desperately craving pleasure. But Robin was kissing her chest right now, unhooking her bra, and Regina knew he would keep doing so before going inside her.<p>

"Robin," she breathed, her breathing heavy. "I need you. Right now." Robin stopped kissing and looked up at her, a hand on her waist and another tucking some hair behind her ear.

"Are you wet enough, lovely?" Regina nodded quickly, speaking just as fast,

"Yes, now." Robin smirked, rolling off the bed to take his pants and boxers down, stepping out of them and closer to her.

"I'll get the condom," he muttered, his voiced filled with lust. But Regina shook her head no,

"I'm on birth control." Robin bit his lip. Damn, this woman was perfect. He came down for one more kiss, before gently pulling her to the end of the bed, her torso lying down as he took off her underwear, her legs spread for him. He aligned himself, then thrusted into her, making her moan and her back arch. He went in deeper with each thrust, going in and out of her slowly, her hips moving against him. She moaned harder each time, wondering why the hell she hadn't done this sooner. He was thick, hitting her gspot each time. It was ecstasy. Her back arched and her moans heightened as he started to go in and out faster, harder. In no time, her walls were clenching around him, she was close. Robin was, too, about to come anytime.

"Robin-harder-I'm-oh," she moaned. "So close-fuck."

He obliged to her wishes, going harder in and out of her. She came in seconds, as did he, moaning each other's name. He pulled out of her, muttering how damn sexy she was when she came. Regina's breath was heavy; god, that was fucking great.

Robin laid down beside Regina for the rest of the night , spooning her, and caressing her cheek, rubbing his thumb against it. She fell asleep and was so beautiful, angelic. He kissed her forehead falling asleep himself, his arms wrapped around her.


End file.

Once Upon a Time, Romance