#oqff

This is their routine, their everyday ritual before more important tasks beckon, and he cherishes the few minutes he has to actually hear her. This short span of back and forth that allows a little of Regina the woman to shine through the strict business that replaces her. She’s an excellent agent, one of the best, and he doesn’t know why she isn’t in the field. She’s never shared what he would like to know, never confided in him with any personal information beyond her name, but he keeps trying. He can’t help himself.

“Quite well. Thank you. Now-”

“Let me guess.” He interrupts. She hates when he interrupts. “You spent the evening curled up with a good book? Or perhaps you went out with friends? A boyfriend?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” He can hear the smirk behind her words, the grin that so quickly disappears, her manner shifting to business in an instant. “Are you ready for your mission coordinates?”

He sighs. It’s the same old dance, and he never seems to get any closer to her for all his effort, but something tells him she’s worth it, and even if she weren’t he doesn’t think it would matter. He wants to know her.

“Yes, Regina.”

“It’s Agent Mills, Locksley. Now head to the coordinates I’m sending through now.”

His watch beeps. A quick glance down and he’s swigging down his last sip of espresso before heading through the door.

“Your glasses.” She reminds, and she must get frustrated being behind the scenes, unable to see until he allows, but if she does it never shows, never sounds in her voice. Well, that’s not entirely true. Sometimes he can easily hear the frustration tainting a thinly veiled insult thrown his way, but that’s only frustration with him, irritation at the way he seems to push all her buttons, and whether or not she admits, he thinks she likes the way he challenges her.

“Of course,” he slips the frames over his eyes, nonchalantly powering on the internal camera, “wouldn’t want to head in blind.”

“Wouldn’t want to head in talking to yourself either, Locksley. Now shut up and listen to your assignment. This is strictly intel. You will enter a tiny cafe to your right off of 23rd Street. Inside you’ll find Zelena Polachek, daughter of suspected terrorist Petrov Polachek. Tail her. Due to an informant we think she might lead us to her father. Do not under any circumstances make contact. Do you understand, Locksley?”

He clears his throat once, a simple signal that works well between the two of them.

“Good. I’ve got your back.”

He bites his lip to hold back the smile that’s fighting to surface, and he settles back into silence of his own mind. Another chirp from his watch has him staring at his wrist, a grainy picture of Zelena Polachek lighting the small screen.

“That’s your target. She should be entering the cafe approximately three minutes after you arrive then-”

Robin nearly topples over when he collides with another body, and he can only roll his eyes and bite his tongue at Regina’s unamused response.

“Well done, Agent. I’m sure you’ll be very inconspicuous with a gallon of coffee staining your jacket.”

He’s just now beginning to feel the burn of the liquid soaking through his clothing and hear the mutterings of apology from a woman he seems to be bracing with both palms.

“I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

“Fine,” he assures, releasing the woman’s arms now that they both seem to be on steady footing, and it takes him another second of staring down at the coffee soaking into the gray of his jacket before he lifts his eyes to find a quite lovely looking redhead he recognizes.

Regina must identify the woman at the same moment, her voice stern in his ear not a second later, “Abort mission, Locksley. Abort.”

He ignores her, smiles politely at the object of his mission across from him before saying, “It was my fault. I wasn’t paying attention.”

She grins in response, takes a step closer, concern lilting her voice when she asks, “Are you sure you’re alright? It was quite hot.”

“More of a burnt ego than burnt skin. I’ll recover,” he pauses, observes, and he knows Regina will have him deaf for this in a few moments, but he can’t let this opportunity pass, “but at least let me buy you another.”

The redhead laughs, more of a cackle really, and it rubs him the wrong way, but she’s flirting, she’s receptive, and-

“What the hell are you doing, Locksley? Abort now!”

“I don’t see how I could let you buy me another coffee if you won’t let me replace your jacket.” Her manicured nails reach out, coast from his shoulder down to the brown marring the fabric.

“Ugh. What a sorry attempt to get you to remove your clothing. Do you hear me, Locksley? Abort this mission. You were not to make contact with the target. Abort.”

He swiftly removes his jacket, folding it over his left forearm while offering the woman his right, and he does his best not to wince at the not so beautiful voice berating in his ear while the redhead introduces herself, “I’m Zelena.”

It hadn’t been a mistake, not in the end, because after a miserably boring impromptu coffee date with Zelena he has a way in, a way to get to Petrov. She’d taken him shopping as promised afterward, but he’d refused to allow her to purchase his jacket, had instead insisted she honor him with lunch and an afternoon stroll to which she’d excitedly agreed.

He almost regrets turning off his ear piece, but how could he carry on a conversation with the self-centered redhead with Regina’s angry voice spouting in his brain the entire time. He’d left on the video and mic feed, had remained in visual contact with the agency the entire time. Even now, as he casually strolls back to his apartment, dusk just beginning to paint the sky a dark blue, he still wears the glasses, still allows Regina her view.

He twirls his keys as he walks, takes the steps up to his building leisurely, not a care in the world, but really he’s postponing the inevitable, procrastinating, because he knows as soon as he steps into the comfort of his own space he’ll have to contact the agency. He’ll have to contact her.

He stands by his decision, mentally working his argument through his mind as he turns the key and steps through the door, but the next thing he feels is a hard shove to his back, a hand gripping tightly and lurching his arm back and back until he knows from experience his shoulder is nearly ready to burst from the socket. He calculates, contemplates, catalogs each weapon he’s carrying and how long it would take to reach his gun. His attacker is small. Fast and agile it seems, but shorter than him, and strong but not overly so.

Robin chances it, thrusts his other arm back, his elbow landing squarely into the solid body behind him, and at the sound of a low grunt he turns, manages to reach down and grab his assailant’s leg flipping them to the floor. He spins, faces them while pulling his gun, but he wasn’t entirely prepared for the beautiful brunette that stares up at him, or for the contempt coloring her face. He’s not certain what he did to earn that particular level of emotion from her, that is, until she opens her mouth.

“What were you thinking, Locksley?”

He’d recognize that voice anywhere. The husky undertone, smooth and warm, and his shock is enough of a distraction for her foot to lift, a stiletto lodging itself up against his inner thigh sending a shooting pain up through his groin.

He doubles over, and she rises, shades of black moving gracefully as if she hadn’t just been lying on the floor. It reminds him of his dreams. She reminds him of his dreams. Dreams of her, a faceless and dark silhouette moving like a dance, but she’s more than he could have ever imagined. Her hair is a dark chocolate and it flows down to her shoulders, smooth and soft and he swears it looks like not a piece could ever fall out of place. He wants desperately to touch it.

And then there’s her eyes, and her face, and vivid red lips, and oh how he wishes that mouth was smiling, how he wants to see her smile, wants to hear her laugh and actually get to see the picture of it happening rather than some poor imitation his mind conjures.

“Well?” She interrupts his examination, hands settling on her hips as he meets her eyes and rises to a stand, “Answer me! What were you thinking?”

Each word is punctuated, spoken as if to an ignoramus rather than a peer, and suddenly Robin can’t help but answer her wrath with his own.

“Are you serious right now?” He asks and her brow lifts, her chin tilting down slightly. He wants to memorize every movement. “What were you thinking attacking me?”

She steps closer, and he can’t stop his eyes from shifting down and back up, watching the way she moves, the shifts and bends of her body so easily discerned beneath the tight black fabric of her dress, the deep v that gives him a hint of what’s below, and she is stunning. Truly and incontrovertibly exquisite.

She's close, so close when she whispers, “If I had "attacked" you, you wouldn't be standing." She shifts back, further away, her arms crossing her chest, "For all I’d known you could have gone rogue. You did cut my communication.”

He steps into her, leaves hardly an inch of space, and she smells like vanilla and spices with a hint of something floral but exotic. His own frustration fizzles as she glares into his eyes because he knows her whether or not she likes to admit it. He’s spent day after day with her in his brain over the last three years, and right now she’s angry, down right pissed, but there is an edge to her voice, something niggling on worry rather than indignation.

“Regina, I’m fine. I continued the video and mic feed, but I couldn’t continue audio with you shouting obscenities into my ear.”

“Obscenities? Obscenities like abort mission? Like that? What was so difficult to understand, Locksley? You could have gotten yourself killed!” She’s fiery, brown eyes flashing, eye brows furrowing, and he loves it all, loves the fact that he can finally witness the way her lips move and form around her words.

“But I didn’t.” He sighs lifting his hands to grip lightly at her shoulders. She’s shorter than he’d expected, and that’s with the heel he’d so recently felt the length of stabbing into his thigh.

She breathes deep, her chest rising and falling in something resembling relief when she states, “No, you didn’t.”

She softens under his touch in a way he hadn’t quite expected and for a moment the oddness of the situation hits him. He’s never met this woman, never laid eyes upon her face, but she’s been the one constant over the last few years, the one voice of reason through everything.

He isn’t certain how long they stay like that, but eventually she stiffens again, her back straightens and her demeanor changes. She turns away then, takes a step toward the door and for a terrifying instant he thinks she’ll leave, but she shifts back, narrows her eyes in scrutiny of him and says, “The agency sent me. They are changing your mission.”

He’d figured as much, had assumed once the agency saw the connection he’d made with Zelena they wouldn’t pass up the chance for an operative to infiltrate one of the largest suspected terrorist rings in the region, but that still doesn’t explain why Regina is here, why they sent her personally.

“And why send you?”

She scoffs, rolls her eyes before walking past him, and for an instant he wonders if he should follow her as she moves through his home like it’s her own, but then he thinks he’d follow her just about anywhere. She heads to the den, pours two lowball whiskey neats before handing him one as she settles into the chaise at the corner of the room.

“I wasn’t always a shelved agent, Locksley.” She sips, red staining the transparency of her glass. “The agency sent me as your backup.”

“Backup? I’ve never needed backup. I can handle myself on a mission.” And it’s true. He works alone. He’s always worked alone. Well, with one exception - Regina is always there in his head. She is his exception, she has always been along for every mission, so why send her here in person? Why put her in needless danger?

“Really?” She questions, brows shooting up, and he wonders if she’s always so expressive, if this is what he’s been missing out on for so long. “Like when you neglected to follow direct orders to abort mission not six hours ago?”

She has him there. He certainly broke from protocol when he took this mission into his own hands. Of course they’d want to send in a babysitter, someone to infiltrate the organization along side him, but it still doesn’t explain why they sent her.

“Why you then?” He asks, and Regina blinks, brown eyes dropping for a second before settling back to his face.

“Why not?” She shrugs, swirls her drink, and he’s hurt her. He can see it behind her carefully guarded mask.

He’s unintentionally insulted her by implying that she is a poor choice for the mission, but that’s not what he’d intended so he moves to the chaise, settling down beside her when he continues with, “We work well together. At least, I think we work well together.”

She seems to understand then, her expression a dawning realization that he doesn’t like the idea of going into this mission without her in his ear. “And we’ll still be working together. I’ll infiltrate the organization along with you rather than inside your ear.”

She smiles, and he loves it, can’t help but stare until she clears her throat and takes another sip from her glass.

He nods, swigs down a bit of his own drink to mask the concern that has no place clawing at his features, but he still can’t quite wrap his mind around this decision. “But why put you back in the field? Why not send someone else?”

She sighs, exasperation painting her cheeks a warm tint of red, and her body tenses a bit at his question. “It was my choice to leave the field.” She’s downs the last remaining liquid in her glass and places it firmly on the end table beside her before finishing with, “And it was my choice to come here.”

She mockingly sang the last three words causing Robin to glare at her. Ruby paid him no mind though, she only wiggled her eyebrows at him provocatively before turning to refill a customer’s coffee.

Granny sighed, wistfully. “I gotta tell you, I have missed that girl,” she said. “It’s been a little sad not havin’ her around.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Robin would be the first to admit that things around town had become rather dim without the presence of his best friend. It’d been four months since she’d headed off to college, the longest they’d been apart since they were ten years old. He missed her. All the emails and phone calls in the world couldn’t make up for not having her here.

Granny sent him a pitying look before rolling her eyes. “You can go.”

Robin’s face lit up. “Really?”

“Yeah,” she replied, waving him off. “If you’re just staring at the clock you’re useless anyway.”

A grin broke out on his face as he kissed her on the cheek, excitedly whispering a thank you before running off to get his coat. Ruby watched him go, her jaw dropping in indignance.

“Hey! How come he gets to leave early?!”

“Because he’s my favorite this week,” Granny shot back, giving her a stern look as she pushed Ruby out from behind the counter. “Now get back to work, table six is waiting.”

Ruby threw her head back with a groan but did as she was told. Robin was sure to send a smug wink her way before heading out the door with an excited grin on his face.

xxxx

It was cold as hell outside. Snow had started to fall and Robin’s cheeks had grown bright red as he sat on a picnic table waiting for Regina to arrive. They’d agreed to meet at the old campsite right outside the town, their favorite spot since they were kids.

He rocked back and forth as he waited, trying to muster up a little extra warmth. He thought about Regina and wondered if she’d changed much in her time at school. When she’d left they’d made promises of daily phone calls and weekly emails but that didn’t exactly last. He’d heard from her often at the beginning but somewhere around month two things had begun to taper off. She’d called less and less. If he was lucky he’d get an email from her once every few weeks but they grew shorter as time went on. It was disappointing to say the least but he couldn’t blame her. She was off at college, exploring the city, probably making new exciting friends. She couldn’t spend all her spare time keeping up with him. It was fine. He just hoped she was having a good time. And she had called to make sure that he knew she was coming home for Christmas so it wasn’t as if she didn’t care. She was still his best friend. And that he could be sure of. Mostly.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a black BMW pull up to the campsite and he hopped off the table, an excited grin reappearing on his face. The engine had barely turned off before Regina was stepping out of the driver’s side, bundled up in a stylish trench coat and thick scarf. He saw her bright smile from across the field and started making his way over to her. In seconds he’d scooped her up in a bear hug, one she happily returned. Warmth spread through him as the sound of her laughter hit his ears.

“God I’ve missed you,” he whispered, squeezing her tighter.

“I missed you too,” she replied, patting his back. “But can we please do this in my car, it’s so damn cold out here.”

An easy laugh came from Robin as he nodded his head. “Sure.”

They quickly settled inside the car, Robin breathing a sigh of relief when he felt the warmth of the A/C hit his cheeks. Sitting in the passenger seat he finally allowed himself to take a good look at her. She looked… different.

He tilted his head, eyeing the dark hair that sat under a newsboy cap. “You straightened your hair?”

She nodded, reaching up to touch the ends of her newly straightened locks. “Yeah, found a hairstylist a few months ago. Thought it was time for a change.”

Robin raised his eyebrows in surprise. Wild curls had been her signature look for as long as he could remember. Even in high school when she’d tried to tame them with rollers and flat irons she never managed to keep them under control for long. It was a little jarring to see her without them.

“Looks good right?” she said, with a proud smile.

“Yeah,” Robin forced himself to say. Honestly, he was a little disappointed. He’d missed seeing her curls.

“I see you lost the glasses too,” he said, gesturing toward her eyes.

“Yep,” she replied. “Figured since I’m officially an adult I should just switch to contacts.”

“Yeah, cause only children wear glasses,” he quipped.

“Shut up,” she laughed, rolling her eyes. “What about you? What have you been up to?”

Robin shrugged his shoulders. “Well…”

Regina’s cellphone started to ring and Robin felt a wave of relief. Saved by the bell it seems.

Digging her phone out of her pocket, she sent him an apologetic look. “Sorry, it’s probably mother.”

The look on her face when she stared down at the screen told him she was right in her assumption. He watched, silently, as she gritted her teeth and sighed before answering her flip phone.

“Yes mother... yeah I’m done with the drive… mother, I told you I was stopping at a few places in town first… yes, I do know how long it’s been… I just wanted… okay, fine, I will be home as soon as I can, I promise… yes… see you soon.”

She snapped the phone shut and rolled her eyes. “Practically had to beg her for this phone and now she’s using it as a leash.”

Robin smirked but his eyes turned sympathetic. “Cora wants you home?”

“Yeah,” sighed Regina, dismayed. “Do you mind?”

“No, you know how much I love a trip to the Mills house.”

Regina scoffed.

“Really,” insisted Robin, widening his eyes to feign innocence. “I think your mother has really missed me since you’ve been gone.”

His sarcasm earned him a small chuckle as Regina switched the car in gear. The idea that Cora Mills would ever miss him was preposterous at the least. Robin had charmed more than a few people with his blue eyes and easy smile but Regina’s mother had never been one of them.

Christmas music played on the radio as they drove back into town, making small talk as they went. The whole time Robin watched her as they talked, this time really taking her in. More than her hair had changed. It took him a minute to figure out that she was wearing makeup now, eyeliner on her lids and gloss on her lips. It threw him. She’d never worn it when she lived here. It must be a New York thing.

“So how’s school?” he asked. “Made any fancy New York friends yet?”

“Uh yeah, tons,” she said, nodding her head but not looking him in the eye. “People are different up there. It’s really cool.”

“Met any guys?”

She snorted, smirking. “Oh please, like I have time for that.”

“So learning how to save the world doesn’t leave you time for hookups?” he joked.

“None at all,” Regina mumbled, distantly. She paused for a second, clearing her throat before turning to him. “But what about you?”

“Me?”

“Yeah,” she laughed. “It’s been four months and you’re not the only one who stayed in town. You hooked up with anyone?”

Robin squirmed uncomfortably. “Actually, yeah. I… sort of got back together with Shawna.”

Immediately her eyes widened in surprise and Robin winced, bracing himself for her reaction. Regina had never been Shawna’s biggest fan and he had no doubt he was in for an earful of her disapproval.

Regina’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. He saw her press her lips together as if to keep from yelling but to his surprise she simply turned to him with a plastered on smile.

“That’s… great,” she forced out. “It’s nice.”

Robin stared at her. “That’s it? No lecture?”

“What do you want me to say?” laughed Regina, shrugging her shoulders. “Honestly I’m surprised she even took you back after the whole prom debacle.”

“She wasn’t that mad.”

“You had her handprint on your face for a week,” she smugly pointed out.

“Okay that’s true,” chuckled Robin, rolling his eyes. “But it’s not like I didn’t earn it. I did ditch her halfway through dinner to spend the night with you.”

“I was in the hospital!”

“Which she now realizes is why I had to go,” he said. Shrugging his shoulders, he sighed. “I know she might be a little dramatic but she gets me.”

“Gets you laid maybe,” she shot back under her breath, causing Robin to burst out in laughter. Still she sighed. “No it’s good that you have someone here. Being alone can be hard.”

A sharp sting went through Robin’s heart but he remained silent. Honestly, he’d expected more of a reaction from her but he supposed her time in New York must’ve mellowed her out. She must have much more important things to do than fret over his love life.

It wasn’t long before they reached the mansion Regina called home. As she pulled into the driveway, a wave of nostalgia fell over Robin. After the age of seven most of his memories were evenly split between Regina’s home and his own. He knew the Mills mansion well, everyone in town did, as the mayor’s home was practically a Storybrooke landmark.

Same as every year, Regina’s parents had gone all out for decorations. Christmas lights were strung up, a wreath was on the door and he just knew if he took one step inside he’d be accosted by the manufactured scent of cinnamon.

They’d barely pulled up to the door before it opened and Regina’s father stepped out. Mayor Henry Mills was a short portly old man with a smile warm enough to thaw ice. He rubbed his hands together in excitement when his daughter stepped out of the car. A matching grin appeared on Regina’s face as she ran over to get her father a hug.

“Daddy!” she said, hugging him tight.

“Princess!” he replied, with a small laugh.

While Regina and her father reunited in the driveway, Robin pulled her bags out of the back. “Good to see you, Henry.”

Henry sent him one of his signature warm smiles. “It’s good to see you too, son. I told you not to be a stranger. It appears you didn’t listen,” he joked, patting him on the shoulder.

Robin sheepishly shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry, just been busy with work, you know.”

After graduation Robin had picked up a job with Marco, the local handyman, and a second one at the diner with Granny. Neither was particularly thrilling but they kept him busy which was something.

Regina turned to her father. “Hey daddy, Robin’s invited to the Christmas party this year right?”

Henry nodded. “Of course, we’ve got an extra seat this year since Zelena decided to stay with friends for the holiday.”

Robin narrowed his eyes confused. “Your mother’s Christmas party? You’re actually going to that this year?”

He was surprised to see Regina nod her head. She’d always hated going to that party. There were never any people her age and the adults were always ridiculously stuffy. For as long as he could remember she’d avoided it as best as she could, sneaking off after an hour to escape to her room or head over to his house.

“Well, I have to go this year,” she explains. “Mother’s friends have kids who work at law firms in the city and if I want to get a good internship it’s best that I start networking now. You know, get in some facetime.”

“Right,” said Robin, nodding his head. “That’s smart.”

“Besides it’ll be ten times more fun if you’re there to keep me company,” she adds.

Honestly Robin could think of nothing he’d like less than spending a night trapped with Cora Mills and the Storybrooke elite but if Regina wanted him there…

“I guess I could dig my old tie out the closet,” he said.

“Thank you Robin,” said Regina, beaming at him. “Are you sticking around for a little while or do you need a ride back to your house?”

“No, it’s fine, I can walk back,” he said, nonchalantly. “You’re still coming over tonight, right?”

“Obviously,” she instantly replied. “Granny would kill me if I missed out on her Christmas movies and cookies.”

Robin chuckled. Truer words had never been spoken.

“I’ll see you then,” he said, bidding them both goodbye.

As he walked down the driveway toward the sidewalk, he let out a tense breath. Well, that had been… interesting.

xxxx

Regina had always loved winter in Storybrooke. It might sound sappy but she always felt like the first snow of the season carried a little bit of magic. It made people kinder, and towns prettier. It also brought along all of her favorite yearly traditions. She loved all the cooking, and decorating and gift giving. Especially Granny’s annual night of Christmas cookies and movies.

Eugenia “Granny” Lucas had been Regina’s nanny since she she was six months old and even though she quit when Regina was 12, the two of them still remained very close with one another. Especially since she was also Robin’s grandmother, or something like that.

Every Christmas since she was a kid she’d manage to spend at least one evening at Granny’s house making cookies and watching classic Christmas movies with Robin and his family. It was one of her favorite nights of the year.

However, when she pulled up to the Lucas house, she found herself feeling a little bit anxious. Her earlier reunion with Robin had been a little awkward to say the least.

It was strange. She’d known Robin almost her entire life. He was her best friend, they’d had so many conversations about personal, embarrassing things but when she’d met up with him earlier it was like she’d completely forgotten how to talk with him. It was like putting on a pair of old comfortable shoes and discovering that they no longer fit.

Taking a deep breath, she shook the thoughts from her head. She was probably overreacting. It’d been a long time since they’d last seen each other and they’d barely had time together earlier. Maybe things would click better tonight, when they had more time for each other.

Shuffling the bags in her hand, she knocked on the door feeling the excitement return little by little.

And then it trickled away when the door opened and she was greeted by bleach blonde hair and cheap perfume.

“Oh… hi Shaw-na.”

Robin’s girlfriend greeted her with a tight lipped smile. “Hi Regina. Welcome back.”

It had been nearly six months since the last time she’d seen Shawna Horowitz up close. Regina liked to think that she’d grown in that time. That she’d evolved past the point of gritting her teeth at Shawna’s obvious disdain of her, or rolling her eyes every time she displayed her signature insecurity. She liked to think that she’d finally reached the point where she was able to be the bigger person.

Clearly she was wrong.

The minute she caught sight of Shawna standing in Robin’s doorway, dressed in her Christmas crop top, staring her down as if she was the interloper at this event, she was instantly reminded of just how much she does not like this girl.

Regina shrugged her shoulders, expectantly. “Thanks. Mind moving aside so I can come in?”

Shawna forced out a chuckle but stood aside, calling over her shoulder. “Regina’s here! And she’s got bags!”

Pushing down her annoyance, Regina stepped inside and was pleased to discover that outside of Shawna’s presence, things in the Lucas-Locksley household were as seasonally pleasant as she remembered. Vintage Frank Sinatra Christmas music came from the radio, she could already smell the scent of ginger and cinnamon coming from the kitchen and decorations were out in full force. Tossing her bags onto the couch, she saw the Christmas tree propped up near the window and within seconds she spotted more than a few handmade ones she and the rest of the family had made over the years. She let out a content sigh. Somehow, even more than when she’d returned to her own house, she was wrapped in the feeling that she was finally home.

Rapid fire footsteps from the stairs reached her ears and in a flash she saw Robin’s little sister, racing down with a wide smile to give her a hug.

“Belle!” Regina immediately opening her arms to receive the hug, that Belle gave with a happy laugh.

With curly dark brown hair and the purest smile in the world Belle Locksley was the closest thing Regina would ever have to a little sister. In fact, if Robin was ever interested in a trade, Regina knew she would more than happily give up Zelena for Belle. She was sweet, kind and studious. Nine times out of ten she could be found with her head in a book. Despite the three-year age difference Regina had missed her while she was away.

“God I missed you!” sighed Belle, finally releasing her. Leaning in conspiratorially, she whispered, “Things have been so boring without you here.”

“Good to know,” laughed Regina. She tilted her head toward the couch. “And you’ll be glad to know I brought you a gift.”

“Did you bring me a gift?” Ruby sauntered into the living room, mixing spoon in hand, raising an eyebrow at the bags on the couch. “Or did you forget me?”

Regina rolled her eyes. “Yes, I brought you a gift Ruby. Though I doubt you’ve been nice enough to deserve one.”

“Why be nice when being naughty is so much more fun?” replied Ruby with a wink. She gave Regina a quick hug before plopping onto the couch. “Welcome back, Mills.”

Regina loathed to admit it but she had missed Ruby while she was in New York. Finding someone who could be as bluntly honest with her without crippling her self-esteem was proving difficult.

“By the way, your gift is the one wrapped in red,” she teased.

“What a surprise,” mumbled Ruby. She rolled her eyes but Regina could tell that she was pleased by the smile that tugged on her lips. Shades of red had always been her signature. And it appeared that hadn’t changed while Regina was at school.

It looked like the gang was all here. All except two important characters.

Regina pinched her eyebrows together. “Where’s Robin?”

“He went out for more frosting. We’re running low.” Shawna finally spoke up. She’d been watching Regina’s reunions from the corner of the living room, and stepped up with a smug smile. “He’s gonna text me on his way back.”

She held up a shiny new flip phone. “It’s a Motorola Razr. Birthday gift from my parents. Isn’t it nice?”

“Dazzling,” Regina deadpanned. Shawna was always flashing something new and fancy in the faces of others. It was probably one of her worst qualities.

She turned to Belle. “Where’s Granny?”

“In the kitchen,” she replied, still scrutinizing the outside of her gift. “She’s been waiting for you.”

“And we all know how much she hates waiting,” said Regina, shrugging off her coat with a chuckle. “Guess I shouldn’t test her patience.”

Leaving Ruby and Belle to her gifts, she eagerly headed back toward the kitchen. As soon as she swung the door open she was hit with the heat of the oven and the scent of baking cookies. Standing by the kitchen sink, with her head over dirty dishes was Granny. Regina smiled as she took her in. Her silver hair was thrown up in a knotty bun and an apron was tied around her waist while her glasses slid to the end of her nose. She hadn’t changed a bit.

Regina walked over and wrapped her arms around Granny’s shoulders. The old woman chuckled warmly. “As nice as the hug is, some dishwashing would go a long way as well.”

Regina happily giggled as Granny patted her hand, whispering, “It’s like I always say. Everybody wants to lick the spoon…”

“...but no one wants to wash the bowl,” finished Regina, a smile firmly planted on her face.

Laughing Granny turned around and wrapped her in a warm hug. “Oh I’ve missed you sweet girl!”

“I missed you too Granny,” sighed Regina, breathing in her familiar perfume.

“Oh, let me look at you!” Granny exclaimed, pulling back to see her face. She reached out to pack her cheek. “Oh you look so good and I love this hair!”

“Thanks.” Regina shyly blushed at the compliment, reaching up to touch the ends of her hair. “I can finally get a comb through this.”

Granny chuckled. She had more than a few memories of trying to get a brush through Regina’s curls. It had been a constant struggle.

“Well, tell me about New York? What’s it like up there?” she asked.

Regina hesitated before nodding her head. “I will tell you all about it… if you take a break and let me do the dishes.”

Granny smirked before shaking her head and taking a seat at the kitchen table. “I knew there was a reason I missed you.”

Getting started on the dishes, Regina told her about New York. She described her classes and professors, all her favorite places in the city.

“Are you making friends though? Having experiences and adventures?” asked Granny.

Regina pressed her lips together and nods her head. “Of course, it’s a different party every night.”

“Good,” said Granny, pleased. She sighs resting her chin against her hand. “So maybe you can explain something to me with your big fancy education.”

“Hmm?”

Granny pursed her lips. “Why am I spending Christmas with Shawna and her Motorola?”

Regina snorted, as she dried her hands on a dish towel. “It’s not Christmas yet and it’s just for one night.”

“A night reserved for me and my grandchildren only,” she stubbornly pointed out. Regina smiled. She knew they weren’t blood but it always made her feel warm inside when Granny included her as a granddaughter. It reminded her that her family reached further than blood.

Granny shook her head. “I can’t believe you didn’t talk him out of it.”

Regina’s jaw dropped, offended. “Me?” she scoffed. “I wasn’t even here! Like he listens to me anyway?”

“You’re the only one he listens to,” Granny insisted. “You know he’s missed you like hell since you left.”

Regina huffs, remembering all the two sentence emails and missed weekly phone calls. “Did he?”

Granny tilted her head, sympathetic. “Of course he did. More than you know.”

Despite herself Regina felt a flare of satisfaction at her declaration. A part of her had honestly wondered. Shrugging her shoulders, she sighed. “It’s been a little hard keeping up with him. Feels like we’ve been getting our wires crossed a lot.”

Granny patted her hand. “Oh darling, I know. When you leave home it can be hard staying close to those you left behind.” She smiled wistfully. “But that’s what holidays are for. They pull you back, give you a reason to reconnect.”

Regina raised an eyebrow. “Are you telling me to find my Christmas spirit?”

“I’m telling you that you’ve been gone for a while but you’re here now,”Granny said sternly. “You need to make the most of it.”

Resting her chin in her hand, Regina smirked. “I think you’ve gotten wiser since I’ve left.”

Granny chuckled as she rose to her feet. “Maybe you’re just more willing to listen.”

The kitchen timer went off and she pressed a kiss to the top of Regina’s head before opening up the oven and taking out the cookies. As the scent of gingerbread men filled the room, Regina found herself reminiscing about the first time she’d spent a winter night at Granny’s house. She and Robin had been seven years old and they’d ended up spending the whole night together, falling asleep on Granny’s couch long after everyone had went to bed. Looking back, she knew it was the first time she realized that she wanted to be his friend.

“Cookies done?”

She looked up to see Robin standing in the kitchen doorway, a paper bag no doubt filled with frosting under his arm and snowflakes still in his hair. Again she was struck by just how much she’d missed him… and how much she still did even though he was only two feet away.

He smiled when he saw her sitting at the kitchen table. “I see you made it over.”

“Like I would miss this,” she replied, sending him a small smile.

He chuckled, reaching into the bag and tossing her a can of frosting. “Got your favorite.”

“Cream cheese frosting!” Regina excitedly whispered, reading the label. He remembered.

Cream cheese frosting had been Regina’s favorite since she was twelve years old. Every year Granny had always made sure to keep a can for her when they decorated cookies. Looking up at Robin, Regina grinned. It wasn’t as though she’d expected him to forget such a thing but the fact that he remembered touched her heart.

“Did you get my favorite, Robbie?”

Ugh. Regina’s smile dropped when Shawna appeared and immediately latched herself onto Robin’s arm. God, she’d seen sloths that clung less than she did. Robin, however, didn’t notice the dip in Regina’s mood. He smiled at Shawna before reaching into the bag and pulling out a second can of frosting.

“Low fat whipped strawberry. Just like you like,” he replied, earning a happy squeal from her in return.

“Thank you, Robbie!” she said, smacking an audible kiss onto his cheek.

Regina tried her best not to roll her eyes. She’d forgotten how much she’d hated hearing Shawna use that god awful nickname.

Taking a deep breath, Regina swallowed her irritation and tried to focus on why she’d come in the first place. She was here to see Robin and like Granny said, she should make the most of it. Silently she vowed not to let Shawna ruin the evening.

Unfortunately, that vow was harder to keep than expected as Shawna made it more than clear that she refused to be ignored. As everyone settled into the kitchen to get started mixing the frosting, she stuck by Robin’s side, doing everything to ensure that she remained the center of his attention. Regina had already decorated two gingerbread cookies with buttons and smiles before she was even able to get a word in.

“Hey Robin, how’s it going working with Marco?” she asked, moving onto her third cookie.

Robin shrugged his shoulders. “It’s good,” he said. “A lot busier than I expected though. It seems like the town can’t go a week without someone’s pipe or window breaking.”

Regina chuckled. “Well, that’s good. At least you don’t have time to get bored.”

She licked a spot of frosting from the back of her hand. “Think you might want to stick with it? Marco is getting older and someone in this town’s gonna have to take up the handyman mantle when he finally retires.”

“Ha!” barked Robin, shaking his head in disbelief. “Please, that man could have a foot in the grave he’d still pick up a hammer if anyone asked. Besides, I like fixing things but it’s not something I want to do forever.”

“Well, what do you want to do?” Regina asked.

“Right now?” Robin shrugged his shoulders. “Probably get to the gumdrops before Ruby eats them all!”

From her spot at the counter, Ruby glared at him, her mouth full of gumdrops. Still chewing, she shot back, “Hey, I’m not the only one eating them!”

“Yes you are!” Robin insisted. He rose from his seat to wrestle the candy from her clutches, leaving Regina to silently ponder his deflection. After a moment she internally cringed when she realized that he’d left her and Shawna with no buffer.

Shawna seemed just as displeased with the situation as she was, judging by the subtle look on her face.

Though she knew she’d be fine with just sitting in silence, Regina forced herself to make conversation. It was the holidays after all, and she was her best friend’s girlfriend. Might as well put in a little effort.

“So Shawna… what have you been up to since graduation?”

Shawna smiled, shrugging her shoulders. “Not a lot. My dad made me his secretary at the logging company, so I’ve been working there.”

“That’s good,” Regina replied. “Do you like it?”

“It’s okay,” Shawna mumbled. “The office is boring but at least it gives me something to do until Robbie gets off work.”

Regina just hummed in response. “So, what do you do when you’re not working?”

“Oh the usual. Hang out with friends, get my hair and nails done. Just girl stuff,” she replied.

Shawna tilted her head, running her eyes over Regina’s face. “Oh and I gotta say, I am loving this whole transformation!” She gestured towards Regina’s hair and clothes. “Such an improvement over how you used to look. You know, in school all the guys used to say with a little work you could’ve been a bombshell.”

Shawna sent her a pinched smile before biting the head of a gingerbread man. Regina felt her cheeks go red. With embarrassment or anger she didn’t know. Honestly, she shouldn’t be surprised. Backhanded compliments had always been Shawna’s bread and butter. Especially when Robin wasn’t around to hear.

Regina just shook her head, quickly recovering. “Well, it is amazing how much your appearance can change when you move to a town with more than two clothing stores.”

“Ah yes, the big city,” said Ruby, taking a seat at the table, a cup of gumdrops still firmly in her grip. She looked over at Regina, her green eyes blazing with curiosity. “What is it like up there? All fabulous parties and cute guys?”

Hearing talks of New York, Belle also wandered over to the table. “Ooh, have you been to the library yet?”

Ruby narrowed her eyes at her cousin. “How are we related?”

Regina snorted while Belle just rolled her eyes.

“I have actually been to the library,” said Regina, looking over at Belle. “It’s huge. You’re gonna love it.”

“I don’t wanna hear about books, I want to hear about boys,” stressed Ruby, leaning forward in her seat. “Have you hooked up with any cute guys yet?”

“Please don’t answer that,” Granny called out, from behind the counter.

“I think she should,” interjected Shawna, who suddenly seemed very invested in Regina’s answer. Robin just remained silent.

“No I haven’t hooked up with any cute guys,” Regina answered, disappointing half the room. “But I’m not gonna lie, they do run rampant up there.”

Shawna hummed, lifting an eyebrow in Regina’s direction. “Maybe if you’re lucky you’ll manage to snag one by Spring Break.”

Regina scoffed. “Yeah, meeting a guy is not my biggest priority.”

“It should be,” Ruby muttered, under her breath.

Again, Regina felt her cheeks go red. She knew Ruby didn’t mean anything by the comment but it did get under her skin. The truth was, Regina had hoped for a little bit of romance during her college experience but four months in and her prospects seemed just as barren as they did in high school. Maybe even more so.

Granny walked over and placed her hand on Regina’s shoulders. “Well, I am just happy that you’re going to school and getting an education. That’s the most important thing.”

Regina smiled as Granny pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Proud of you,” the older woman whispered in her ear.

Robin returned to the table and slinked back into his chair. “So, what is it like going to school at Columbia Law?”

“It’s great,” said Regina, a genuine smile appearing on her face. “Finally feels like I’m where I’m meant to be.”

Robin nodded, focusing his attention back to the cookies. “Must be nice,” he softly replied.

Regina tilted her head, curiously. Maybe it was just her imagination but for a second she thought she heard a hint of bitterness in Robin’s tone.

They finished up the cookies not long after that. Half an hour later the kitchen counter was covered in dozens of gingerbread men just waiting to be eaten. After finishing off her last cookie Regina went to the bathroom to wash her hands and was surprised when she came back to find Robin and Shawna gone.

“Where did those two go?” she asked Belle and Ruby.

Belle gestured toward the back door. “Shawna’s family is flying out of town tomorrow so she had to leave early.”

“And Robin’s sticking his tongue down her throat to say goodbye,” added Ruby with a smirk.

“Ugh!” Regina scrunched her face up in disgust. “I really didn’t need to hear that.”

Ruby giggled as Regina sat down at the table with them. “There it is!” she said, pointing at Regina’s face. “I knew you still hated her but it’s impressive how well you managed to hold it in.”

Regina glared at her. “I don’t hate Shawna...I just think Robin can do better.”

Ruby hummed in a disbelieving tone while Belle just shrugged her shoulders. “I like Shawna,” she declared, unconvincingly.

Ruby scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Please…”

“What? I think she’s nice!” Belle tried to insist.

“Nice enough to be your sister-in-law?” Ruby challenged, raising an eyebrow in her direction.

Belle immediately went silent while Regina narrowed her eyes at Ruby, confused. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Ruby rolled her eyes. “Come on, you know Shawna’s pushing for the R-I-N-G ever since they got back together. Robin’s been half a wreck about it. Doesn’t really know what to say yet.”

“He hasn’t talked to you about it?” Belle softly asks.

Regina crossed her arms and remained silent. Because no, he hadn’t talked to her about it. In fact, he hadn’t even mentioned Shawna until she’d gotten back home. Pressing her lips together she tried to contain her rapidly boiling anger.

Shawna wanted to get married… and Robin was actually considering giving in to her?

Five months ago she would’ve sworn that she knew everything that went on in his life. But hearing this, from Ruby no less, made her feel like she was nothing more than a stranger at the dinner table. She couldn’t believe he hadn’t told her. Did she matter that little to him?

The back door opened and Robin walked in. He sighed, walking over to the table. “Okay, Shawna’s on her way home. Which movies do you guys want to watch this year?”

Regina stared up at him, her head suddenly heavy with the thought of him slipping a ring onto Shawna’s bony finger without telling her.

Careful not to betray her true feelings, she stood from her seat. “Actually, I’m gonna head out too.”

Robin’s eyes landed on her and she saw a flicker of hurt and disbelief pass over his face. “Already? Really?”

She nodded. “It’s been a long day Robin. You know I had to wake up early to drive down here and I haven’t slept since. I’m just… tired.”

It was a poor excuse, one that they both knew wasn’t true. She saw Robin clench his jaw before nodding his head in acceptance. “Okay, I’ll tell Granny you said goodbye.”

She forced a smile onto her face, muttering a tense thanks before disappearing from the kitchen. Slipping on her jacket, she left out the front door, making sure to grab Robin’s gift from under the tree before she left.

He probably didn’t even want it.

XXXX

Robin wasn’t a stupid person. He was smart enough to know that this Christmas wasn’t going nearly as well as he’d hoped. Cookie decorating had turned out to be a bust. He’d barely spent any time with Regina before she’d packed up and left early. And to add insult to injury, the next morning he realized that she’d dropped off presents for everyone in the house but him. It’d been days since she came over and she’d barely spoken to him, only offering up chit chat when she came into the diner and not much else. If he didn’t know any better he’d say she was pissed at him. But what possible reason could she have to be angry?

Standing in front of his mirror Robin groaned in frustration as he tried to loop his tie into a knot. It was the night of Cora’s dinner party and at this point he wondered if he should even bother showing up. With the way Regina was blowing him off he doubted she even wanted him there. After the failure of his fifth attempt, Robin threw the tie on his dresser and fell back onto his bed with a sigh.

Maybe things had changed between him and Regina. Maybe they’d finally drifted apart.

“You know, I really wonder how you made it to nineteen without learning how to knot your ties?”

Robin sat up at the sound of Granny’s chuckles coming from his doorway. Shrugging his shoulders he replied, “What can I say? I grew up in a house full of women.”

Smirking, Granny shook her head. “Do you need help getting ready for the party?”

“No,” sighed Robin. “Because I’m not going.”

Granny’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Excuse me?”

“Why should I?” said Robin. “I doubt it’s gonna be any fun and it’s not like Regina wants me there anyway.”

“Of course she wants you there,” Granny insisted. “She’s your best friend.”

“Well she’s not acting like it!” snapped Robin. “She’s barely hung out with me since she’s got here.” He scoffed. “Probably thinks she’s too good for me now that she’s rubbed elbows with the Ivy League elite.”

“Okay, enough,” said Granny, raising a hand. Crossing her arms, she shook her head once more. “What the hell is going on with you two?”

Robin rolled his eyes but offered up no response. Granny sighed, before moving to sit next to him on the bed. “Robin, I watched you and Regina grow up together. Now you two were thick as thieves when she left here, what changed?”

Shrugging, Robin mumbled, “I don’t know. I guess we just stopped talking.”

“Then start again,” Granny ordered, her voice stern. “If there is one thing a relationship can’t survive it is laziness. You have to put in some effort.”

“I am!” he insisted. “I’ve tried. It’s not like I haven’t tried to talk to her.”

Granny tilted her head, sending him a knowing look. “Really? You’ve really tried?”

Robin’s resolve faltered. If he was being honest he would admit that he hadn’t really been reaching out to Regina like he used to in high school. He hadn’t told her that he and Shawna had gotten back together months ago, nor had he asked her opinion on her marital demands.

His gaze dropped downwards. “It’s been harder since she’s been gone. It’s not easy talking to her when she’s all the way in New York.”

“My sister was all the way in England and I managed,” Granny pointed out. “And that was before all this newfangled texting and email.”

She scrunched her nose as she listed all the complicated ways people were able to communicate  and Robin smirked at her technological disdain.

“If it matters you find a way,” Granny insisted. “And as far as the distance goes, she’s right down the street for tonight. So I suggest you put on that tie and hop to. You don’t have long before she’s gone again.”

Sucking in a breath she stood from the bed. “Take it from me Robin, you don’t want to lose a friend like Regina. You’ll never find another one like her.”

Robin sighed watching Granny walk out of his room, leaving nothing behind but the weight of her wisdom. His eyes flickered to the desk in the corner where he’d left Regina’s Christmas present. He’d wrapped it days before she even got here.

A small token of affection for his best friend.

Standing to his feet, he grabbed the tie and got started on attempt number six. If he was going to beg for her attention he might as well look good doing it.

XXXX

The inside of the Mills house was just as Robin remembered. Grandiose in all seasons but especially so during Christmas. Stepping into the foyer Robin was greeted with the smell of pine and the soft sound of Christmas music coming from the living room, where he knew he would find a Christmas tree that stood at least 3 feet taller than him. There was a poinsettia on every table and an old fashioned nutcracker standing guard in every hall. He frowned when he saw one next to the coat rack. The ugly things had always creeped him out.

The party, though small, was well underway by the time he arrived. He saw at least a dozen adults gathered in the living room, drinks in hand, enjoying cocktail hour. He envied them. At least they had something to take the edge off.

Despite the fact that all the attendees surely lived in Storybrooke, Robin hardly knew anyone there. They were all a few leagues above his income bracket. He nervously tugged on his old tie. Seeing them in their expensive clothes and jewelry made him feel wildly underdressed.

“Robin!”

Coming from the hallway, Henry Mills approached him with a wide welcoming smile. “Glad you could make it!”

“Glad to be here,” Robin lied, giving him a hug.

“How are you son?” he asked.

“I’m good,” Robin automatically replied. “Thanks for inviting me.”

“Of course,” said Henry. “You’re always welcome here. You know that.”

His brown eyes were nothing short of sincere as he spoke but Robin could only offer up a sheepish smile and nod. He’d always liked Regina’s father. Despite being mayor, Henry Mills was a very down to earth man. Always understanding and kind, especially to his employees and their family. When Granny had worked as Regina’s nanny he’d always encouraged her to bring along Robin and Belle whenever she felt like it. And after she’d quit to strike out on her own he’d never stopped treating Robin like anything less than family. He was a good man. One of the best as far as Robin was concerned.

Henry nodded toward the gift box in his hands. “That for Regina? I hope it’s not a tennis bracelet, if it is I’m gonna have to make some calls.”

Robin shook his head as he chuckled at Henry’s joke and passed over the box. “No, nothing that elaborate. Just something small I think she’d like.”

“I’m sure she’s gonna love it,” Henry assured him.

I hope she does, Robin thought to himself. He had worked hard on it.

Before he could elaborate any further the girl in question came downstairs. Robin took one look at her and felt even more underdressed than before. Wearing a black sweater dress and a bright red lipstick Regina looked more grown up than he’d ever seen her. As she walked down to the foyer he saw a flicker of surprise go across her eyes.

Walking over she cleared her throat. “So you decided to come?”

“Of course,” he said. “You invited me.”

“Right,” she said, avoiding his gaze. “I just figured you’d find other plans by now.”

An awkward silence fell over them as Robin tried to discern whether or not that was a blow against him. It certainly felt like one.

Regina shrugged her shoulders. “I mean you always hated things like this.”

“So did you,” he softly replied, narrowing his eyes at her.

Regina looked up then, her brown eyes boldly lasering in on his blue. “Well, apparently people change.”

Now that was a blow. The air between them grew tense as Robin tilted his head, taking in her crossed arms and rigid stare. She was angry at him. He could see it now, clear as day. What he couldn’t see what the reason.

“Regina!”

The sound of heels against marble came cantering down the hall and within seconds Cora Mills appeared, looking as put together as ever. Her chestnut hair was up in a bun, as her hands reached up to her left ear securing a pearl earring in place. She let out a relieved breath when she saw her daughter standing in the foyer.

“Oh good you’re ready.” She frowned as she ran her eyes over Regina’s daughter. “Really, darling? Black? Could you not have picked a more joyful color?”

Robin saw Regina tense before answering her mother with a stiff, “I’m sorry. It was all I brought along with me.”

Cora softly moaned, dissatisfied. “Well, I suppose it’ll have to do.”

Finally dropping her hands from her ear, she pinched her eyebrows together when her gaze landed on Robin. “What are you doing here?”

Her displeasure couldn’t be clearer but Robin managed not to let his annoyance show. He’d always known that Cora Mills wasn’t his biggest fan. Frankly, she’d never done much to hide it.

“Daddy invited him,” Regina automatically answered.

Shaking her head, Cora rolled her eyes, obviously annoyed. “God that man,” she hissed under her breath. Eyeing Robin’s attire she reluctantly shrugged her shoulders. “Well… at least you had the good sense to wear a tie.”

Before Robin could muster up a response, she was already reaching out and grabbing Regina by the arm. “Come along, sweetheart. There are people you need to meet.”

Regina only glanced in Robin’s direction before allowing herself to be whisked off by her mother, who took a quick moment to remind Robin not to lurk before pulling her daughter away toward people of higher stature.

Robin didn’t even try to follow.

XXXXX

Cocktail hour was hell.

For one thing, outside of Regina, Robin was the youngest person in the room by a minimum of twenty years. The age gap made mingling more than difficult. He’d hoped that Regina would help him get through the night by whispering some of her legendary snarky commentary but after the foyer he barely got a moment with her. She spent the whole hour by her mother’s side, shaking hands with everyone who stepped in her direction.

He watched her from across the room. It appeared she was navigating the social minefield with ease, all smiles and laughter. From the snippets that he could hear, all the conversations revolved around school and her plans for the future. A topic Regina could cover with ease. She’d always known what she wanted to do, always had a plan for her future. Impressing adults with determination and drive came naturally to her.

Robin, however, was not so lucky.

He’d only spoken to two other people since he got here. They’d both asked him his plans for the future and he’d faltered both times. It’s hard to make “I’m not sure” sound interesting. Once you put it out there it would most certainly be followed by an awkward “well, good for you” or a forced “I’m sure you’ll figure it out eventually.” It was that last one that really stuck under his skin. Seven months since graduation and his future was still muddy. He was starting to doubt that it would ever be clear.

After forty minutes he couldn’t stand it anymore. He needed some air.

Waiting for a moment when no one’s eyes were on him, he slipped out the door into the backyard. Cold winter air hit his skin and he inhaled deeply, finally able to breathe. It was cold as hell outside but he already felt more comfortable than he did inside. Wrapping his arms around himself he headed over to the heated gazebo next to the pool.

He sat down on a bench overlooking the pool, trying to recall the last time he’d been here. It had been six months ago, only a few weeks after graduation. Regina had invited him over to go swimming. Back then they knew they’d only had a few more weeks with each other and had been determined to make the most of it. They’d spent nearly every day together that summer, talking about the future, reminiscing about their past all the while promising each other that nothing would really change.

God… even back then he knew he was lying.

He always knew things would change. He just hadn’t realized how much.

Robin jumped, startled, when he heard the door close from across the yard. He saw Regina step outside, shivering in her sweater dress and black boots. She crossed her arms when she saw him huddled inside the gazebo.

“What the hell are you doing out here?” she hissed. “It’s cold and everyone’s inside.”

Robin shrugged. “I just needed some air. A chance to catch my breath.”

“Oh,” she mumbled, dropping her eyes to the ground. “Well, dinner’s gonna start soon.”

“I brought you a gift,” he blurted out. She turned back with wide eyes as he continued to speak. “I left it with your dad, he put it under the tree.”

“Oh.” He breath comes out in puffs of white clouds. “Thanks.”

Shifting from foot to foot, she avoided his eyes. “I got you something too. I just… left it at my dorm. I’ll have to mail it to you when I get back.”

Robin scoffed at her. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” she lied.

After ten years of whispered secrets and hidden looks, Robin would’ve thought that she’d know better than to lie to him… but still she tried. He could see it in her eyes and hear it in her tone. She probably hadn’t even gotten him a Christmas gift at all. The thought probably hadn’t even crossed her mind.

He stared down at her, hurt, running his eyes over her, trying to search behind the makeup and straightened hair to find a glimmer of his best friend but he could hardly see her. She was hidden behind this new shiny girl who didn’t even have time for him anymore.

“You’re unbelievable, you know that?”

She narrowed her eyes at him, clearly offended. “Excuse me?”

“Why’d you even invite me here?” he asked. “It’s obvious that you don’t want to see me. You haven’t said a word to me all night.”

“Well, I’m sorry I couldn’t stay latched to your side the whole time,” she sneered. “I’m not one of your clingy girlfriends.”

“Shawna isn’t clingy,” he immediately replied.

Regina scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, right.”

“You know what, Shawna might not be perfect but at least she’s real.”

“Ha!” barked Regina. “Since when is bleach blonde hair and a spray tan considered real?”

“You are acting like such a snob!” he growled.

“Having standards isn’t being a snob,” she shot back. “And for the record, Robin, I invited you because I missed you but clearly the feeling wasn’t mutual.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It means you haven’t spoken to me in weeks!” she growled. “I’ve called you and emailed you for weeks but you never have anything to say. You barely say two sentences to me anymore. Hell, you didn’t even tell me that you got back together with Shawna and apparently that happened months ago.”

“Oh my god! Why do you care so much about whether or not I’m with her? It’s not like you even like her.”

Regina glared at him. “You know what, Robin… I don’t care. You can screw Shawna, marry her and have a hundred kids for all I care.”

“Gee, thanks for your blessing,” he sarcastically snapped. “You know, maybe I didn’t tell you about her because I knew you’d judge me.”

“Whatever Robin,” she replied rolling her eyes. “You know you don’t get to be mad at me because I chose to grow up and you didn’t.”

Robin’s cheeks began to sting at her words. She could’ve slapped him and he swore it wouldn’t hurt less.

“I’m going home,” he said. “Have a nice life, Mills.”

“Right back at you, Locksley.”

XXXX

Regina could barely get through dinner after Robin left. After he’d quietly stormed out, it was like all the emotion from their fight balled up in her chest and refused to leave. Her skin burned all evening as she tried to choke down her anger with food, and her sorrow with silence. The meal was barely half over before she discreetly excused herself and disappeared up into her room where she could silently stew. She knew her mother would be furious that she’d bailed early but she didn’t care. She was too angry with Robin.

His words replayed in her head. Calling her a snob, defending Shawna, the way he’d looked at her. It played in her mind like a loop making her angrier with each pass.

As she sat in her room she listened to the noise from downstairs grow softer and softer, the number of voices disappearing one by one. When she finally heard the Christmas music cut off she knew the party was over. Sitting up on her bed, she steeled herself for the moment Cora would arrive and chew her out for leaving early.

Instead, there was just a soft knock at her door. Her father poked his head inside her room. “Safe to enter?”

Regina let out a relieved breath. “Sure daddy.”

She waved him in, pleased to see that he’d brought along desert with him.

“I saved you a slice of pumpkin pie,” he said, passing it over. “I know it’s your favorite.”

“Thanks,” said Regina, setting it on her nightstand. Normally she’d look forward to devouring a slice of her favorite holiday treat but tonight her appetite was small.

Her father sat next to her on the bed, and looked over with concerned eyes. “So… do you want to explain why I saw Robin leaving so early, and not happily I might add.”

Regina shrugged. “He left because he’s an ass.”

Henry sent her a stern look. “Language!”

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “But he is being a jerk.”

“What happened?” Henry asked, concerned.

Regina sighed. “He called me a snob and said I was judgy, all because I dared to speak ill of his precious little girlfriend, who he didn’t even tell me he was dating again.”

She crossed her arms, still upset, and Henry comfortingly patted her knee. “I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

“Whatever,” she sighed, growing melancholy. “Daddy… do you still talk to your friends from high school?”

Henry tilted his head, thinking it over. “Not as much as I used to, no. I get a card or announcement every now and then… but nothing as substantial as a visit. I don’t know very many people who do.”

“Right,” mumbled Regina, growing thoughtful.

All through high school she and Robin had run into adults who told them to enjoy their friendships while they lasted, reminding them that after high school they’d drift apart and probably never speak again. Everytime she’d rolled her eyes, convinced they were delusional. She’d been so sure that she and Robin would be friends forever but now she wasn’t so certain. Maybe the two of them growing apart was just the natural order of things. An inevitable destiny.

“You’re worried about you and Robin, aren’t you sweetheart?”

Regina nodded, taking a deep breath. “I thought it would be easier coming home to see him but it’s like… we’re not clicking anymore. I can’t talk to him like I used to. Feels like he’s not even my friend anymore.”

Henry nodded his head understandingly. “I know it’s difficult, sweetheart, but you and Robin will get past this. I’m certain of it.”

Regina scoffed. “How can you be certain of it?”

“Because I’ve watched you.” He said with a smile. “Regina… do you remember when you were 11 years old and sprained your ankle on the balance beam at gymnastics?”

“Yes,” she groaned, still cringing at the memory. It was the first time she’d felt real pain.”

“Your ankle had to be wrapped and you were upset because a girl in your class was having a pool party for her birthday and it meant that you couldn’t go,” said Henry. “Do you know who showed up and spent the day with you even though it meant missing the pool party?”

Regina rolled her eyes. “Robin did.”

She remembered that he’d shown up at her door, candy and movies in hand, prepared to spend the day in bed with her so she wouldn’t be the only one missing out.

“Yes he did,” said Henry. “And do you remember when you were 8 and we got you your first bicycle without training wheels. I wanted to teach you how to ride that day but do you remember what you said.”

Regina groaned, embarrassed. “I said I wanted to wait.”

“Why?”

“Because Robin’s birthday was three months later and I wanted us both to learn at the same time, I remember.”

“I bet you do,” laughed Henry.

Regina shook her head, despite the smile on her face. That bicycle had spent weeks in her garage gathering dust while she waited for Robin to get one of his own. Her father had ended up teaching them together.

“I know it seems difficult right now, honey,” said Henry. “But I have to believe that if you and Robin were truly meant to drift apart you would’ve done it by now. But you haven’t. You’ve stuck by each other’s side through high school, middle school. Why should college be any different?”

“Because he’s not by my side anymore,” Regina pointed out. “He hasn’t been there for a while now.”

Henry nodded his head solemnly. “Distance can make things harder, I know, but if you care about Robin like I know you do... You’ll find a way to talk to him.”

Regina looked over at her father. “How?”

“Well, maybe start with this.” He passed over a small, rectangular gift covered in shimmering gold, wrapping paper. “He brought that for you.”           Regina gently took it from her father’s hands, noticing it was heavier than she expected.

“I’ll let you open it alone,” said Henry, standing from the bed. “But I hope it’s something that you like.”

He pressed a quick kiss to her head before leaving her alone with the gift. Regina sighed, looking down at it warily. Robin had always been a decent gift giver but she doubted that whatever lay beneath the shiny paper was enough to mend the crack in their friendship. No single gift was that powerful.

Tugging at the edge, she started ripping off the paper. Her breath caught in her throat when it was finally revealed what was underneath.

It was a wooden, three-sided photo frame with two pictures inside. The photo on the left was the two of them at seven years old, sitting at Granny’s kitchen table wearing matching sweaters with a pile of cookies between them. Their first Christmas together.

In the center was a second photograph that she recognized instantly. It was from last year’s Christmas. Taken ten years after the first picture, it was still the two of them, still at Granny’s table with another pile of cookies, the only difference being that they were 17 years old, officially too old to wear matching sweaters as she recalled.

The third frame was empty. In lieu of a photo there was just a yellow post-it note with a message written in black sharpie.

TO BE FILLED DECEMBER 2012.

A watery smile tugged on Regina’s lips.

She was right. A simple gift was not enough to mend all the cracks in her and Robin’s friendship.

But it was reason enough to try.

XXXXX

Main street was awfully quiet the next night.

It was the night before Christmas Eve, only a day after her fight with Robin, and Regina stood on the sidewalk in front of Granny’s watching through the window as he served the last customer for the evening. The diner always shut up early for the holidays and Granny had told her that Robin had offered to close up for the evening. Though she shivered in the cold air, Regina waited for the final customer to leave before she went inside. She wanted the chance to speak to Robin alone. Should things go badly she didn’t want there to be an audience.

Finally, the old man at the counter dropped some dollar bills next to his empty coffee cup and took off for the night. Regina sighed, watching Robin lock the door after him. Well, it was now or never.

She waited for Robin to walk away from the window before rushing over to the patio and kneeling next to the garden gnome by the front door, smiling when she lifted up its red cap to find the spare key, right where she remembered. Some things just didn’t change.

She wasted no time unlocking the door and walking into the diner’s warmth. It was always eerie being in Granny’s when it was empty, and so silent you could hear a pin drop.

She’d barely locked the door again before Robin poked his head out from the kitchen and softly groaned when he saw her standing there. He rolled his eyes. “If the doors are locked it means we’re closed.”

“Well, then maybe you should find a better place to hide the spare key.” She scoffed when he narrowed his eyes at her. “I used to work here too, remember?”

Robin only crossed his arms, defensively, while she took off her coat and grabbed a seat at the counter. “What are you doing here?”

Regina hesitated before speaking. “I came to see you,” she softly replied. “I opened your gift.”

She saw of flash of emotion go across his face before he turned from her, choosing to focus on wiping down the counters instead of her presence. “You did?”

She nodded. “I liked it a lot. It was clever… and beautiful.”

Robin’s hands slowed but he continued to wipe at the counter. “Glad you liked it,” he mumbled.

Regina stared at him, willing him to pay attention to her. “You made it, didn’t you?”

He looked at her then, surprise in his eyes, shocked that she’d even noticed.

“There wasn’t a price sticker,” she said, with a smile. “If there had been you would’ve forgotten to take it off, like always.”

His lips tick upwards, as if he was fighting a smile. Robin was notorious for leaving on price tags. It was bit of a running joke between Regina and the rest of his family. Sighing, he finally abandoned his cleaning and turned to face her.

“It wasn’t as much work as it looks,” he deflected. “I just wanted to get you something nice.”

“You did,” she said, with a nod. “Not quite sure I deserve it though. I haven’t exactly been the nicest friend this year.”

Robin smirked, leaning next to her at the counter. “Yeah… join the club.”

Regina let out a soft chuckle before sighing. “Robin… why’d you stop talking to me?”

He looked into her eyes and saw them drowning in confusion and hurt. It made him feel like such a jackass because he knew that she’d tried. She’d emailed and she’d called but he’d been the one who hadn’t responded.

“It… it’s hard to explain,” he said. “I just felt like I had nothing to say.”

“And is that true?” asked Regina. “Do you really have nothing to say?”

Robin shook his head. “I think I have something say, I’m just… too embarrassed to say it to you.”

Shock passed over Regina’s eyes before she let out a quick snort. “Robin… we’ve been friends since we were seven. I’ve seen you eat a piece of pizza out of the trash and you know I have a massive crush on Alan Rickman. There’s no such thing as embarrassment between us.”

Robin couldn’t help the burst of laughter that escaped his lips. “For the record, you should be embarrassed about the Alan Rickman thing.”

“He is classy, sophisticated and would treat me right,” she insisted, with a chuckle. “But I’m not here to talk about him. I’d rather talk about you.”

Robin sighed. “Well if we’re gonna do that, then I’m gonna need to borrow some courage.”

It was always a poorly kept secret that Granny kept a spare bottle of the good tequila in the third left hand drawer of her office desk. All her grandchildren - with the exception of Belle - had taken at least one swig from it. Never enough for her to notice but just enough for their lightweight heads to feel a bit more chipper during closing time.

However, it became clear when Robin took both the bottle and two shot glasses that one small swig wasn’t all he intended for them.

“Let’s call it Truth and Tequila,” he said. “We’ll take one shot of alcohol in exchange for one shot of honesty. You ask me a question, I take a shot and answer it for you. You do the same for me.”

Sitting in the corner booth, Regina grimaced as she watched him fill up the shot glasses. She hadn’t drunk a lot of alcohol in her life but still she was pretty sure tequila wasn’t her favorite. If this is what it took to get Robin talking though, she’d suffer through it.

Sliding the first shot glass over to him, she declared, “You’re the youngest. That means you drink first.”

“Fine,” muttered Robin, rolling his eyes. “Ask away.”

“Okay…” Regina hesitated, unsure of what to ask first. Of course she wanted to know about Shawna and whether he intended to propose but she didn’t want to risk putting him off. It was better to ease into it.

“How was work?”

Robin sighed, disappointed by her lack of nerve, before drinking his shot. “Slow,” he answered. “Hardly anyone came in. Guess all the parents would rather be home with their kids.”

Regina saw sadness in his eyes and knew that he was thinking of his own parents. This year would be his twelfth Christmas without them. Before she could even consider bringing them up Robin pushed the second glass in her direction.

“Your turn,” he challenged. “How was the rest of the party?”

She dropped her eyes down to her shot and took a deep breath before downing the tequila in three sips. Her face twisting up in discomfort as she felt it slide down her throat before warmly settling into her belly.

Once finished she looked back up at Robin, who was clearly taking pleasure in her reaction, and replied, “It was just as fun as you’d expect. Lots of parents bragging about their kids, talks of visiting Europe when things warmed up. Barely even made it through dinner after you left.”

Robin shrugged. “Bet your mom showed you off, though?”

“She did,” sighed Regina, nodding. “Even flashed a few of Zelena’s awards too.”

Her heart stuttered when she mentioned her older sister. She hadn’t seen her since graduation. They’d never been close but other than a chat here and there it felt like she hadn’t talked to her in years. Even still, she’d been disappointed to hear that she wasn’t coming home for Christmas. It didn’t exactly feel right that they were celebrating without her.

“You sad she didn’t show up?” asked Robin.

Regina bit her lip, then shook her head, wanting to change the subject. “It’s not your turn to ask questions, remember?”

She pushed the bottle of tequila back over to him and he scoffed before pouring himself another shot. “Fine, what do you want to know?”

She shrugged. “What’s it’s been like staying home?”

Honestly she didn’t think her question was such a heavy one but the way he paused, clenching his jaw, told her she was wrong. Robin downed his shot but still hesitated before giving her an answer.

“Staying home is… hard,” he said. “I get up, I go to work, I go home and that’s it most days. Nearly every week is the same and I’ve never been more bored in my entire life.”

He looked down at his empty glass, dejectedly, while Regina grimaced.

“That sounds rough,” she mumbles. “But at least you have your family… and Shaw-na.”

She still couldn’t help the bitterness that came with her name but saw that it brought a smirk to Robin’s face as he whispered a small yeah.

Straightening up and clearing his throat, he nodded toward her shot glass. “So… how are things at school?”

Regina’s shook her head before slowly drinking her second shot. “Things at school… are lonely.”

She paused, giving the alcohol a moment to help lower her inhibitions. “I haven’t made any friends and… I miss you. But it just feels like I have no one to talk to.”

Hot embarrassment rose up in her cheeks as she revealed her truth. Thinking of all the lonely nights she’d spent in her dorm room wishing she had someone to call or hangout with. In four months she still hadn’t connected with a single person and the solitude was starting to kill her a bit.

Guilt showed up in Robin’s eyes. “You could’ve talked to me,” he offered.

Regina huffs, rolling her eyes. “And get a two-sentence email in response?” She pointedly raised her eyebrow at him. “Yeah, been there done that.”

Robin blew out a guilty breath but still argued, “Well, you still could’ve called.”

“And you could’ve called too,” she shot back. “If you were so bored here, why’d you stop calling me?”

“Because I had nothing to say!” he blurted out.

Regina’s eyes widened and Robin sighed before continuing. “And maybe… maybe I was a little bitter that you left.  I would’ve tried more if I knew you were having a hard time.”

He averted his eyes, the shame clear on his face. She’d almost forgotten about the game when she saw him reach for the bottle and pour another a shot.

“You said you were making friends,” he mumbled. “I just figured that you wouldn’t miss me.”

She stared at him as he drank his tequila, wondering how she managed to be best friends with someone so oblivious. Of course she’d missed him.  

“I lied,” she softly admitted. Lightweight as she was, she could already feel the alcohol pulling on the edge of her mind. “I don’t have any friends in New York. I spend all my time either in class, or in the library, or in my room by myself. The most human interaction I have is with the sales associates at Barney’s.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that?” asked Robin.

Regina fell back against the booth, letting out a miserable breath. “Because it sucks, Robin!” She sighed. “I left this town thinking that if I had a clean enough slate and a good enough wardrobe change I’d stop feeling like a loser… but nothing has changed.”

Realizing that he’d just asked another question she poured another shot, feeling it sting the back of her throat as she drank it.

“Hey, you’re not a loser,” Robin gently insisted, leaning forward. “You’re the coolest person I know.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh please.”

“I mean it! You had plenty of friends in high school.”

“I had plenty of your friends in high school,” she immediately clarified, pointing a finger in his directions. “You were the one who would make friends like that,” - she snapped her fingers for emphasis - “and they’d also be my friends because we were a package deal. But I’ve never been good at making them on my own and I’m still not.”

Robin sat back, stunned, at her admission. “Wow… I never thought about it like that.”

“I did,” she mumbled. “A lot, in fact.”

She rested her chin in her hand and Robin could tell she was getting sad.

“Alright, that’s enough out of you.” His words slurred just the tiniest bit as she poured himself another shot. “Give me another question,” he ordered. “Make it as tough as you like.”

She raised an eyebrow, mischievously. Fine, he asked for it. Boldly leaning forward, she folded her hands on the table in a business-like manner.

“Why did you get back together with Shawna?”

Robin narrowed his eyes at her. Well, he saw that one coming. Taking a moment to steel his nerves, he swallowed his shot in one gulp. “I got back together with Shawna… because I felt like I had nothing better to do.”

Regina squinted at him, confused. “What?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s true. I mean I’m not in school, I’m not traveling. I have nothing planned for my future past Christmas. So when I found out that she wanted to get back together I figured… why not? At least I’ll have something in my life that’s moving forward.”

Regina’s jaw dropped in shock. “Are you kidding me right now?”

“Not a bit.”

An offended squeak came from the back of Regina’s throat as she stared him down, judgment clear in her eyes. “You realize just how much of a jackass that makes you right?”

“I am aware of it, yes,” Robin grumbled, with a sigh.

She stared at him shocked. “Oh my god… is that why you’re thinking of marrying her?”

His eyes whipped toward her face. “Who told you that?”

“Guess,” she deadpanned.

It took a few seconds but he eventually closed his eyes and groaned. “Goddamnit Ruby!”

Regina leaned back in her seat with a small chuckle. “But seriously… do you actually want to marry her?”

“No, I don’t want to marry her,” he immediately replied.

A woosh of relief went through Regina’s body.

“But it feels kind of nice to have the option,” he softly added.

Regina sighed. “Robin… you know how I feel about Shawna…”

“Everyone knows how you feel about Shawna,” he chuckled.

“But,” she drawled, glaring at him, “even I think she deserves better than to be your backup plan or just a way for you to pass the time.”

“I know,” he muttered. “And since we’re being honest I’m already kind of planning on breaking up with her.”

Regina raised her eyebrows, surprised. “Really?”

“Yes,” said Robin, rolling his eyes. “I just wanted to wait until after the holidays. I mean I already screwed up her prom. I can’t be the ex that ruined Christmas too.”

Regina snorted with laughter and nodded her head. “That’s so considerate of you.”

Sighing, she shifted in her side of the booth so she could stretch out her legs along the seats. She’d had three shots now and her head was starting to feel joyfully dizzy as she poured herself a fourth. “Okay my turn, ask me something.”

“Hmm…” Robin thought it over as he matched her body language, stretching out in the booth. “Did you really like the frame I made you?”

She nodded her head before downing her shot, which went down much smoother than the last. “Yes, I loved your frame. It was beautiful and well-crafted.”

“Thank you,” he said, with a grin. “I lied before, I actually worked hard on it.”

“I could tell,” she mumbled, a loopy smile appearing on her face..

Robin sighed, resting his cheek against his hand. “Maybe I should just throw in the towel and become a carpenter.”

Regina tilted her head at him. “Do you want to be a carpenter?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “But I don’t have any idea what I want to be.”

“You’ll figure it out.”

“Everyone keeps saying that!” he stressed, a little louder than intended. “It’s all anyone tells me now!”

“They keep telling you that because it’s true!” she insisted.

Robin snorted, “That easy for you to say. You’ve wanted to be a lawyer since you were ten.”

“True,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “But that’s because I love it. You know I’ve always loved to argue. I like going to classes for it and learning about laws and cases. It’s honestly the only thing keeping me alive in New York.”

Robin glared at her. “Is there a point to this or are you just bragging?”

“I’m just saying,” she drawled, “that whatever you choose to do, you might be doing it for the rest of your life, so it’s smart that you’re making sure that you love it, even if it takes you a little longer to get started.”

A grateful smile appeared on Robin’s face as he listened to her speak. It’s the first time in a while that he’d actually believed someone when they talked about his future. “Thanks, Mills. You always did know just what to say.”

She smiled but his face grew solemn as his gaze dropped down to the table. “You know it got hard hearing you talk about New York. That’s why I stopped responding as much.”

“Really?” Her voice came out so soft and surprised as she stared at him, her eyes wide with shock.

Robin nodded. “Every time we emailed or called, you would talk about your classes and your plans for the future. And it kept reminding me that… I didn’t have any. I don’t have a passion, or a plan for my life. It’s pathetic.”

“It is not pathetic!” Regina immediately straightened up, unwilling to let him demean himself any longer. “You have time to figure it out. You don’t need to rush.”

“I know,” said Robin, his words blending together. “I’m so used to jumping into things without thinking but now I just feel like I’m… stuck.”

Regina hummed understandingly, before looking over with a wide smile. “Well… you know what would help get you unstuck?”

Robin groaned, shaking his head. “Please don’t say a pro and cons list.”

“A pro and cons list!” she proudly declared, banging on the table, causing Robin to throw his head back in despair. “I know you think they’re stupid but they are helpful. And they can help you figure out what you want.”

Robin only groaned in response.

Regina pouted. “What if I said we could make a drinking game out of it?”

Robin perked up. “Now that could be interesting.”

“I’ll get a notepad.”

Gleefully giggling she climbed out of the booth and ran toward Granny’s office to grab a notepad. By the time she got back, Robin had already poured them each another shot. She fell into his side of the booth, bumping into his shoulder before they happily clinked glasses. All night they traded shots of tequila for pros and cons of Robin’s future career, taking breaks to talk, and eat and dance to the music in the jukebox. It was the most fun Regina had in months and for the first time since she’d returned home she felt like she had her best friend.

The last thing she remembered that night was climbing back into the booth with Robin and staring down at the illegible pro and cons chart they’d created.

Leaning her head against his shoulder she whispered, “I have another question.”

“Shoot,” he mumbled, just as drunk as she was.

“Did you miss me while I was gone?” she softly asked.

Eyes closed, Robin sighed leaning his head against hers.  “Every damn day.”

Regina smiled, pleased. “Good.”

XXXX

It didn’t take long for Regina to remember why getting drunk was a bad idea. In fact, she remembered as soon as she woke up. Probably because she was awoken by the rousing sound of six metal mixing bowls falling against a linoleum floor. The loud vibrations passed through her dehydrated brain like spears sending her shooting up in the booth where she’d fallen asleep.Out of the corner of her eye she saw Robin do the same, wincing with every subtle vibration. She’d had hangovers before but nothing as bad as this. Especially considering that when she and Robin woke up they most certainly weren’t alone.

Squinting against the morning light, a shiver went down her spine when she saw Granny standing next to the booth, surrounded by dropped bowls, her arms folded across her chest and fury dancing in her eyes. When she spoke her voice was dangerously low.

“Good morning,” she said, staring them down. “So… who wants to try and explain first?”

Regina glanced at Robin, who by the looks of it was just as hungover and terrified as her.

Granny nodded. “It’s okay. Take your time. Because I know you must have a hell of a tale to explain why I walked in to find the two of you passed out in the booth with my bottle of good tequila that is now three-quarters empty!”

Her voice reverberated against the walls causing them both to wince in pain. Remaining silent, they only grimaced in response.

“No answer?” Still furious, she chuckled. “Well I guess you’ll have plenty of time to figure it out while you’re scrubbing this place from top to bottom and finishing the chores that you conveniently forgot last night. Neither of you is leaving until this place is spotless.”

Robin found his voice then. “Ugh granny…”

Her eyes whipped toward him. “Robin Locksley, if the next thing to come out of your mouth is a complaint... I swear to god no one will ever find out what happened to you.”

Robin immediately shut up.

Granny gave them one last fiery look before heading back into the office. “Now get to work before I start banging pans,” she ordered.

Once she was out of sight, Regina let out a soft groan and tried to stand to her feet. She’d slept so awkwardly there was a crick in her neck and aches in her joint. Robin climbed out after her moaning in pain when the sunlight shot in his eyes.

She turned to him and shrugged her shoulders. “Hey… Merry Christmas Eve,” she whispered under her breath.

A smile tugged on Robin’s lips. “Merry Christmas Eve,” he repeated, just as softly.

Groaning he took a seat at one of the counter stools and stretched his back. Looking down at the counter, he squinted when he saw how dirty it was. “Are these… boot marks?”

Regina took a look and frowned. “Yeah… I’m pretty sure we danced up there last night.”

The two of them shared a look and bursted into a small, soft fit of laughter as they started to remember the night before. It felt good to get back in sync.

Sneaking a quick look around the corner to make sure Granny wasn’t coming, Regina gestured for Robin to follow her over to the coat rack. Digging into her coat pocket she pulled out a small festive envelope with his name on it.

Passing it over to him, she shrugged. “I lied. I didn’t forget your gift.”

A grin appeared on his face as he took it from her and immediately ripped it open. Inside was a train ticket from Storybrooke Station to Grand Central in New York.