Respect nature; it's stunning in every way

For @oqpromptparty. Thanks to @repellomuggletum15 (and @audreysl0ve!) for all the inspiration :) Canon-divergent after 3b.

166. Regina enchants Roland’s birthday cake so whatever he wishes for comes true.

It had seemed like an excellent idea, at first – an idea that had not even been hers, and what kind of monster would she be to refuse Robin when she’d never seen him so plainly excited at the prospect of magic for once? – but as Roland’s birthday drew near, Regina began to worry that a six-year-old boy might not make the most rational of wishes.

She spent the day preparing their house with a growing sense of concern, images of raucous pet dragons and mischievous Cat in the Hats (Robin would certainly enjoy the company of those) circling and circling her as she put the finishing touches on Roland’s black forest cake; but when Roland, pink-cheeked from all the festivities with a headful of streamers and sparkling confetti, blew out every last one of his candles and rushed back to Henry with a very chocolatey grin, Regina breathed a sigh of relief that perhaps he hadn’t quite understood the mechanics of wish-making after all.

- My first entry for @oqpromptparty - Regina and Robin go look for Daniel’s grave and they happen to find both his and Marian’s stone. Both tipped over and Regina and Robin share an emotional moment.

Her heart is thumping hard in her chest, so hard she’s surprised he can’t hear it as they walk side by side through the graveyard. She passes her father’s stone, managing the smallest of smiles at the sight of it broken in two and laying flat on the grass - she’s sure her mother’s looks just the same but she pushes that thought from her mind, she’s said her goodbyes to her parents - startling a little when Robin’s hand catches hers and he squeezes reassuringly at her fingers.

There are three possible outcomes to this and she’s not quite sure which it is that she’s hoping for.

Still, she walks on with Robin by her side, her frown deepening with every cracked stone that they come across. From what they’ve seen so far, she’s not quite sure she has the strength of imagination to even begin to think of a place worse than this. She feels as though she hasn’t taken a proper breath since they’d arrived here and though they were all practically dead on their feet - no pun intended in the slightest - sleep was a mere memory at this point.

The air tastes of ash and she’s never quite hot enough nor is she ever cool enough. It’s an awful humidity that has the hairs on her arms standing up constantly. She cannot wait until they are able to get out of here to the sweet relief of home.

Robin’s gasp pulls her from her thoughts, has her wide-eyed and nauseas as she whips her head around to find his eyeline. Her stomach flips as he pulls her towards the stone, eyes tracing over the block capitals of Marian’s name. It’s broken cleanly in two and laying on a patch of grass.

His fingers slip from hers only when he reaches the stone and leans down to touch the harsh lettering. There are tears shining in his eyes but a gentle smile curling his lips when he lifts his hand to press a kiss to his fingertips before pressing them to the stone once more and standing.

She watches the deep breath he inhales, his eyes closing and head tipping back to bare his face to the faux Underbrooke sky as he takes another long moment.

He’s had to say goodbye to Marian so many times - too many times.

Regina holds out a gloved hand when he begins making his way back to her, swiping away a stray tear and returning her sympathetic smile as he catches her hand once more.

“You okay?”

He nods, “She’s at peace.” He leans in to press a quick peck - more for comfort she thinks - to her lips and entwines their fingers before he tilts his head and encourages her forward.

Her heart is thumping harder the further they move through the graveyard, her eyes blearily scanning each new headstone they come across until all breath is pulled from her lungs and she lets loose an almost inhuman sound of grief because there it is…

Daniel Colter

It’s just as simple as Marian’s was and it to is laying flat on the ground, broken clean in two from the bottom but her fingers tremble as she slips from Robin’s grip and moves to kneel beside the stone, tracing her finger along the great crack that runs diagonally through it.

She isn’t sure how long he leaves her to cry for but she finds she’s grateful both for the space and for his instinct to comfort when Robin comes to kneel beside her with a palm curled around her shoulder.

“He was in so much pain,” she whispers, shaking her head as tear drops dampen the hard stone and her chin trembles.

She’d told Robin of Daniel’s resurrection once before, when he’d spoken of the pain of seeing Marian again to find out it never truly had been her and he’d listened greedily, desperate to share that hurt so she’s unsurprised he remembers when he replies, “But you set him free, Regina.”

For @oqpromptparty

26. Cora didn’t get the sheriff but the real Robin on Regina’s birthday.

           Regina groaned when her mother returned to her rooms, grinning. It was never a good sign and usually meant that Regina was going to have to entertain someone her mother thought would help them but who usually just ended up boring Regina instead. “No, Mother,” she said. “Go away.”

           “Don’t you want to know why I’m here?” Cora asked, not flummoxed at all.

           “You’ve brought someone for me to meet,” Regina replied, still seated at her vanity. She wasn’t going to turn to face her mother. Maybe she would get the hint and leave.

           Cora nodded, leaning against her chair. “I have found him.”

           “Found who?” Regina asked, confused.

           “The man with the lion tattoo.”

           That caught Regina’s attention and she turned around, looking up at her Mother. “You did? Where?”

           “Does it matter? I found him and he’s waiting to meet you,” Cora said, pulling Regina to her feet. She looked her over and shook her head. “You can’t go to meet your soulmate looking like that.”

           Regina glanced down at her tight black pants, red leather corset and the long jewel-studded coat she wore over them. She frowned. “What’s so wrong with this?”

           “Just trust me.” Cora raised her hand and Regina was engulfed in the familiar cloud of her mother’s magic.

           Annoyance flared up inside her as she recalled all the other times her mother had changed her outfit into something she deemed more appropriate. It was no doubt going to be something Regina would never choose for herself and pulled too tight to give her a tiny waist as well as a bigger bust. She was probably also going to find her feet shoved into shoes that were a size too small to boot.

           When the cloud died down, Regina gasped. It had been years since she had worn a ballgown as delicate and bright as the one her mother had changed her into. The sleeves were off her shoulders, showing off her cleavage without it being overbearing, and the entire dress was a beautiful light blue color she had favored when she was younger. In fact, when she turned to face the mirror, she glimpsed the girl who wanted to run off with the stable boy rather than the Evil Queen, especially with her hair down and curled around her shoulders.

           “I believe you liked this color,” Cora said, placing her hands on Regina’s shoulders. “You look beautiful.”

           “I can’t believe you remembered. Actually, I didn’t even think you knew,” Regina said, her walls crumbling.

           Cora turned her to face her, cupping her chin. She smiled. “Of course I knew, Regina. I know I was overbearing and perhaps didn’t listen to you enough, but I paid attention. I knew your favorite doll was Isabella, I knew you preferred apple pie over cherry pie and I knew your favorite color was blue.”

           Tears pricked Regina’s eyes. “Mother…”

           “Now, now,” Cora said, conjuring up a handkerchief and dabbing at Regina’s eyes. “You don’t want to ruin your makeup.”

           “Why did you do this for me?” Regina asked.

           Her mother smiled, squeezing her arms gently. “I told you. I want to change things between us. I can’t bring back Daniel but I have brought you the man with the lion tattoo. Who, by the way, is called Robin.”

           “Robin.” Regina let the name roll around her tongue and she found she liked it. “Robin.”

           Cora nodded. “Now go. He’s waiting for you by your apple tree.”

           Overwhelmed, Regina hugged her mother. “Thank you, Mother. I really do appreciate this.”

           “I’m glad,” Cora replied before letting go of her daughter. She gave Regina a gentle push. “Go. Be happy.”

combining this three-sentence prompt with @oqpromptparty #127: Regina asking Robin to move in with her. 

roots

She barely gets past the stumbling block of “Would you–?” before Robin says yes, andthe wry observation that he doesn’t even know what the question holds isbrushed aside with a kiss, and the vow that his answer would ever be the samefor anything she asked of him.

He moves in on a Tuesday, Roland and the trappings of arootless life in hand, and there’s a sweet return to shyness between them asthey find places, together, to safekeep the clothes, the quiver, the assortment ofpinecones and other rustic trinkets Roland has curated over the years.

They take up so little space, these two (perhapsone-and-a-half, Regina amends fondly) men, and yet there’s a fullness in thehouse – to make no mention of her bed, now shared, nor her heart – that shehasn’t felt so strongly since Henry was young: free-given laughter andlate-rising Saturday mornings, and lightness where once she had feared the sloweclipse of shadows over everything she loved.

How now to be afraid of such things when he delivers the sun itself to her every morning, his own magic, warm to the very bones?