The Road to Forever ~ The Sequel to Modern Fairytale

The Countdown

That night, he held Regina in his arms as she slept. Her head rested on his chest, her brown hair scattered against his bare skin. He stroked his fingers through it, admiring how much it had grown and how healthy it felt between his fingers. He thought about her standing in the bathroom, weak and crying as she tried to shave it all. His heart broke at the memory, his body aching as his muscles relived the feeling of having to take the buzzer from her and finish the job. He closed his eyes tight, wishing the pain away as he tried to recall a happier memory. The first thing that came to his mind was the conversation they had over Edgar Allan Poe in his apartment. It was the first real discussion they shared and he found himself smiling as he remembered her brilliance and the vibrant way in which she shared her opinions to a man she only just met. He fell in love with Regina that night as he listened to her discussing literature on such an intellectual level with him; he felt alive as he remembered why he fell for the woman he held so close to him in that moment.

"Regina?" He whispered, hating to wake her, but needing to talk to her. She stirred slightly, but didn't respond. He smirked, enjoying her innocence in the still of the night, "Regina, I just need you to listen, love."

She hummed and rolled her body, stretching as she pressed her chin into his chest and looked up into his eyes through the tired slits in hers, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, my sweet," he kissed her forehead, "I was just thinking about tomorrow. I forgot there's something I need to do during the day with Henry. Could you remember to pick up Roland at the Nolan's apartment by noon?"

She nodded through her yawn before saying, "That wasn't something that could wait until the morning?"

He chuckled and smoothed her hair, "I'm afraid not. I'll be out the door long before you wake and I didn't want to forget."

"I'll pick him up," she nestled her cheek against his chest again and closed her eyes, trying to fall back asleep as she asked, "Where will you and Henry be going?"

"It's a secret," he said, rubbing his palm along her back over the material of her satin nighty, "I'll be back in time to get ready for Emma's party."

"Do we really have to go to that?" She complained through her raspy, tired voice, "I'd love to curl up on the couch with you instead."

He laughed softly, "Perhaps we'll make a brief appearance to please our friends and then we can return here so I can hold you the rest of the night. How does that sound?"

Regina hummed again, finding his suggestion to be a pleasant one before she finally drifted back into dreamland. He ran his fingertips along her hip bone as he closed his eyes, relaxing into the feeling of having her close to him. Tomorrow would be a long day and he needed as much rest as he could get. He fell asleep smiling that night, looking forward to another day spent with the woman he loved.

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Robin awoke to the sound of his alarm clock the following morning, groaning as he rolled over to silence it. He huffed as he let his head fall back against the pillow, realizing after a brief moment that Regina's head was no longer nestled into his chest. He rolled onto his side and found her curled into a ball, sleeping soundly as she faced the balcony. He smirked and wrapped his arm around her, pressing the front of his body against the back of hers as he placed gentle kisses on her shoulder. He caught her smiling in her sleep as she took his arm and pulled him closer to her for extra warmth and comfort. He could wake up this way everyday for the rest of his life. And he intended to do just that.