#Reigna asks

[daddymothxxx]

what are those pink cigarettes i keep seeing other demons use? (sorry if i bother you)

"Tino brand cigarettes. Velvette and I came up with them. They got a synthetic version of the dust that's in my smoke that I breathe out cut in as a powder into the tobacco mix. They're real relaxin' and if ya smoke 'em in a chain then they got a delta-8 weed effect. Not strong as what I make naturally, but nice. 'N' they work on me unlike my actual smoke." He's always game to brag on Velvette's side work in chemicals and potions and other laboratory stuff he didn't fully understand. Regular little witch when she wasn't making fashion shows and Voxtagrams.

[feyhunter78]

I have two very... thirsty thoughts. But I'm gonna do two asks bc I wanna make it count (and bc they've got different vibes)!

Okay, so Emperor Miguel, right? Him sitting Y/N on his throne and eating her out (bc he treats his girl right!).

Bonus points for if he's demon!Emperor Migs. Using the potential horns as handle bars (gripping them like you're on a fucking roller coaster).

And him just being so attentive, giving praise the entire time.

"Mi reigna, you taste so beautiful-!"

"Keep singing for me, darling... I want the whole castle to know who makes you sound like this."

"One more - just one more, my love. I know you've got one more in you, please-!" As he whines, desperate to keep going.

Plus... biting up Y/N's thighs, marking her, showing who pleasures her.

...or, if one happens to be into degradation...

"Oh, you like taking the Emperor's tongue like this?" Smirking, teasing the entire time. "Like a little royal whore?"

"What a sweet slut, screaming for everyone to hear." Gotta love peppering both insults and compliments into the same sentence.

...also, afterwards: him praising his queen for doing such a good job, and moving so she can sit on his lap and just cuddle, hoping the whole court is unaware of how just mere minutes ago, the darling Queen doting on her husband was begging for his tongue to fuck her.

Or how the Emperor, with his sweet nothings and tender affirmations to his beloved, was eating her out like she was his last meal.

...I have many thoughts :]

-Red

AHHH I LOVE THISSSSS also I will give Miguel horns if y’all want it might make a poll to see how “demon” y’all want him to be bc I have ideasssss

[hazzyking]

Appearances

-just a smutt warning

-sorry if it's bad

-I tried posting a gif like all the other good fanfic creators but then I uncovered a spoiler that hurt my heart so no gifs until I get further in Mayans 🫣

-I agree there needs to be more Alvarez content so I'm making my contribution. Hopefully more creators will give us content ❤️

-enjoy

It was one of those days. The sun was shining the wind was nice and crisp and it broke the heat just right. You had a day off from work and Marcus had a "day off" from his club. Bishop had called Marcus out to come hang out at the scrap yard to which you reluctantly obliged. It was your one day off and you were gonna spend it at your job, but- they were kinda like your family anyway and Marcus promised a free ride on the back of his bike. You had your own but riding with Marcus made you feel special so, you woke up bright and early and put on your best looking but also most comfortable riding gear ((whatever you think that would look like to you)) and you and Marcus made your way to the scrapyard. It was a long drive, every time you road with Marcus he took his time, he loved the comfort your arms wrapped tightly around his waist gave him, and the warmth of your legs pressed up against him. It just brought him great calm feeling you on his bike. Especially when he spent his days riding all over California alone. He let out a relaxed hum which was drowned out over the moter of the bike but you felt it. You felt his muscles turn to butter as you laid your cheek on his shoulder and closed your eyes feeling relaxed as well. When you two pulled into the scrap yard Coco and Angle were quick to stop what they were doing to Greet you.

You stepped off the bike and smiled at the boys approaching you, until Marcus shot a glare at the two boys and they turned on their heels walking in the opposite direction you glared at him rolling your eyes "what? I want you all to myself" Marcus muttered putting his hands on your waist and pulling you towards him. You blushed and pulled away from him looking down at the dirt "right... appearances" Marcus looked down at the ground, slightly hurt by the rejection.

Later that day you were seen walking across the dirt drive way, as you walked you hoisted your pants up so they sit higher on your waist, Angle watched as you shimmied your ass in your pants and bit his lip watching you with dark eyes "what's wrong? Pants don't fit?" Angle questioned, his lips curling into a smirk.

"Yea it's hard when your ass is so fat" you said with confidence seemingly knocking the wind out of the young man. You trot over to Bishop and Alverez who are leaning against a car having a beer together. Alverez watches you dreamily as you hop over to them with a smile "what?" You asked, knowing exactly what you were doing to the oh so tough Mayan.

"You are so beautiful when you smile like that." Alverez spoke smoothly unraveling you causing you to melt to his delicious words.

"S-stop, i dont want the guys to think-" you stuttered blushing darkly.

"Oh sorry Reigna, I'll compliment you later when I'm in between your legs" Alverez smirked as If he could hear you internally scream, your cheeks Got darker and you ran away into the garage of the scrap yard. You hated when Marcus was like that with you infront of the guys you tried so hard to maintain this tough appearance so no one would walk all over you, and there he is, complimenting you and undressing you with his eyes. You grunted in frustration and slumped down behind a car. You herd Alverez's boots click against the concrete floor, and your heart began racing. You moaned softly at the agonizing feeling in your pants. They were uncomfortable before- it's even worse now "I know your in here mija" Alverez chuckled a dark chuckle. You rose to your feet and saw his smile illuminate the room, you giggled softly slowly approaching the man, his hands found their way to your hips again, and he pressed you against one of the cars.

"Marcus-" you blushed squirming away.

"(Y/N) I don't want to play games anymore hm?" Alverez muttered his eyes glancing all over your body.

"But-" you squeaked out as you felt his lips against your neck, you began to lose your train of thought as his tongue and teeth graze against the soft skin. You shutter under him fighting back soft moans "w-what are you doing" you managed to get out.

"Worshipping you Reigna" Alverez muttered against your neck, you could feel your panties start to get wet as he continued teasing you, his hands making their way under your shirt and pushing your bra up so his fingers can play with your nipples. You breathed heavily, eyes screwed shut and your lips biting back a moan, Alverez looked into your eyes and noticed so he leaned in teasing you with a kiss. To his shock you caved and crashed your lips onto his, your legs almost immeadatley wrapping around your waist as he pushed you into the car more. You could feel the buldge in his pants grow bigger as you desp grind against him begging for some friction. Alverez's tounge slides past your lips and dances with yours as you moan quietly into the kiss. His hands work at the button on your jeans and slowly unzips them while your legs grip to his waist, the only thing holding you up was his body and the car.

His hands slowly moved into your panties teasing you to the fullest ammount. You couldn't take it anymore "Marcus?" You spoke breathlessly as his fingers rubbed your clit.

"Hm?" He mumbled against your neck, as if his lips could feel your hears race

"Please" you moaned a bit louder than you wanted as he slid two fingers into your dripping entrance, you knocked your head back onto the roof of the car moaning.

"Please what Reigna?" He spoke with a smirk now watching the moans escape your throat. He set you down, your knees beginning to shake as the waves of pleasure stopped, you watched him kneel down infront of you and the pleasure quickly rushed back, he slowly pulled your pants down to your ankles and put one hand behind your knee pulling you closer to him, you watched all these actions knowing exactly what's to come next but still full of anticipation, lis lips began to suck your clit softly and your knees buckled due to his tongue working its Magic, his hands pushed your waist against the car without separating from your pussy. "Your beautiful Reigna" he muttered, and you blushed looking down at him, your fingers tangled themselves in his dark hair as he continued to pull you closer and closer to an orgasm you moaned out obscenities and then wined when he pulled away once more, he stood up looking at you with dark eyes, you swallowed hard. Doing this in a place like this. Didn't happen often. Alverez typically prefers his home. Anywhere in his home. But he prefers the privacy. It was such a long werk for him and watching you work and playfully flirt with the guy just made it impossible for him to control himself "no more appearances hm?" He muttered into your ear biting it softly.

"B-but" you protested.

"No buts Reigna- your mine, I love you. And I want everyone to see that love" Alvarez spoke kissing your neck "I want them to see you blush when I compliment you. I want them to hear you call me yours" his fingers slowly moved down your body and into your pants

"M-Marcus- I dont"

"Don't take me so seriously mija, I want them to see the softness. Not this. But I couldn't wait any longer for this, I had to get you alone" Marcus speaks as he begins to rub your clit in circular motions you moan laying your head against the car again exposing your throat, Alverez's other hand reaches up and wraps his hand around your throat, all while his other hand begins to fuck you with his fingers. You gasp as his grip tightens just enough your unable to respond as your moans fill up the garage "Te gustan mis manos alrededor de tu garganta mija?" Alvarez speaks slowly with a bit of a growl your eyes look at him blushing, you have absolutely no idea what he just said to you. But it sounded so sexy.

"I-i" you moan.

"I know- I said, do you like the way my hands feel around your throat, Mija" he repeated muttering into your ear. You swallowed hard as Alverez continued to fuck you with his fingers bringing you to a swift orgasm. "I'll take that as a yes" he smirked kissing you softly as he removed his hands from your pants. You flushed, still trying to catch your breath. You looked at him feeling so hot and flustered "are you Okay?" Alvarez asked kissing your cheek softly.

"I'm perfect" you breathed out. "But I'm also a mess! How am I gonna clean this!" You argued swatting his leather covered chest.

"I think these things through Reigna relax" he chuckled pulling a bandanna from his pocket "do you want to clean yourself up or should i?" Alvarez looking at you with dark eyes.

"I'll do it- your only gonna make it worse" you spoke- you really wanted him to, but you knew no good would come from him touching you again. You'd be in that garage for hours.

"You really are beautiful Mi amor" he smiled watching you as you zipped your pants back up.

"Your fucking- ugh your amazing. I don't deserve you" you blushed resting your head against his chest.

"I'm the one who dosnt deserve you Mija, but I'm glad your here" Alvarez smiled "lest go before someone comes looking" he began to laugh as you shook your head, his hands tangled in yours as you both walked out of the garage, he went back to his spot next to Bishop and you walked over to Angel and Coco who looked at you with mischievous grins.

"Someone had fun"

[cherrybombfangirlwrites]

Queen Reigna - OC Intro

Name (full): Queen Reigna Alivina Regali

Story Role/Character Type: Antagonist, The Evil Stepmother, The Evil Queen, The Tyrant, Manipulator, Abusive Parent, The Dragon

Age: 39, maybe, no one’s entirely sure

Appearance: Long dark hair, usually in thick braids wrapped around her head and neck for battle, and down in a long black waterfall for formal events. Very pale skin, so pale you can see veins and it almost glows in the dark. Always wearing dark clothes, resembling spider webs or dragon or serpent scales and wings. A silver crown with no jewels that curls around her head and frames her face like a silver serpent. Her fingertips are stained black and no one really knows why, could she be messing with dark magic? Who knows. She has black armor that looks like a reptile’s scales and a sword with a dragon eating a ruby for the handle.

Strengths: very good at manipulation, deceptively charming and sweet, master of passive aggressiveness and gaslighting, affinity for potions and poisons

Weaknesses: hair trigger temper, vain in all areas and overconfident

Additional Notes: Here she is, Snow’s awful awful stepmother. Inspired by Narissa from Enchanted. She does have a magic mirror that can tell you things if you ask it in rhyme, no one is really sure where she got it from (and maybe it’s best if we don’t know).

Story: Fractured Stars Falling series, Snow Knight book

Quote: “You are a child. And a naive one at that.”

~

FSF Taglist: @rose-bookblood @chalcid @evethenovicewriter @writing-is-a-martial-art @mjjune @fiercely-raging-writer @wildswrites @corishadowfang @surroundedbypearls @serenanymph (send me a message to be +/- from the taglist <3)

[obey-me-ocs]

Alright I come bearing angst gifts! Here are some of the ideas I’ve got;

1. Fang and Damien have been friends for a long while. Though they have drifted afar. Damien’s a pride demon so imagine the two waking up in bed together. This isn’t the first time this has happened either. Damien is very dismissive about what they used to have, in fact he works with Asmo, he’a a photographer. Damien had long since tried to distance himself from Fang, after all if Asmo doesn’t like him he’s likely to have a lot of demons dislike, and being the prideful demon he is, he needs to surround himself with people to be respected. Word has gotten out about Fang and Damien when they return to rad(not sure if he’s still in rad but if not then word has just gotten out) So the two must deal with the after math. After all Asmo likely has a monopoly over many.

2. Damien is the exchange student and has been getting closer to Fang. After all he’s been helping the demon brothers so why not expand to help others? The two are sittings for lunch as they have done many times before and Asmo just so happens to be walking by and he’s clearly seething with jealously. Of course the lustful demon doesn’t want Damien scared of him so he doesn’t outwardly try and kill Fang but it’s mostly just gonna be back and fourth of Asmo spreading lies on Fang and trying to get Damien to stop socializing with him.

3. Regina’s family had sent Damien a demon who excels in magic whose sin is unknown to watch over Regina and tame her anger(with the use of calming magic he has specifically tailored to help her calm down, while not completely solving the problem or does help). Through years of being with her she has learned to tolerate and maybe even view him in an affectionate manner. It’s all new to her, he’s been one to stay even when her family has disapproved of her. As he goes to rad with her and no one knows his sin so he is often bullied regarded as a weak demon. Regina gives me the vibe that she’d be pissed at someone for not standing for themselves so I imagine this as a point of conflict. How Damien is willing to take any unfair treatment from anyone despite the fact that he very well could put them in their place. He’s very work oriented so he doesn’t take care of himself very much. It only confuses her more why he decides to stay and still help her with school work and her anger issues where everyone has left. Her feelings add this new foreign need to care for someone and she doesn’t know how to handle it.

(If you were wondering Damien has no set species he’s just fun to put every where! Lemme know if I gotta tweak some I can fix up the starters I already had. I hope this wasn’t to confusing, words are hard lol. Anyway don’t remember if I ever mentioned it, but I’m 18+ so no worries.)

No need to apologize! I understand it all and just... love all your ideas! Thank you so much for sharing them all!

So love the first idea, Fang is desperate for any sort of relationship so originally would be extremely happy with damien even if he noticed them drifting away. He will try to keep the relationship together, though once he learns why Damien is trying to avoid him he would be extremely hurt. Then most likely to accept it with a sad smile, he'll wish Damien the best then isolate himself for weeks.

He wouldn't want to bother Damien, thinking that is he he really was causing so many problems then it would be best if he just didn't ever see Damien again. Despite how much it would hurt him. (Fang doesn't go to rad as a student, and will mostly do it for meetings with Lord Diavolo or barb)

~~~~~~

Fang would be so happy at first to have Damien help him, and is just enjoying having lunch with him but when asmo shows up it gets really awkward. He can tell that if he leaves Damien Asmos going to probably going to attack him, so instead just sort of stays nears him and tries to explain the lies.

~~~~~~

At first Reigna would be extremely angry at Damien, having her family sending a demon to try and control her. Even if she knows that her angry needs something to be controlled, she hates it at first. After awhile she does get used to Damien, and will show her weird way of supporting him. She will get upset that Damien doesn't defend himself, but most of the demons that bully him end up 'disappearing'

just... all the good angst-

[yoraely]

moot appreciation post bc i just wanna❤️❤️❤️

AHEM !!! starting off STRONG💪 we have.. *drumroll sounds* : @lawfullgood ‼️ slaying everyday w the strong vyn stan (kaso ung vyn anon nya pwet daw ni satanas so uhm…) NO BUT IN ALL HONESTY I LOVE CAY /P ‼️ i love him 4 his attitude kase #slayingeveryday with the tot, genshin AND tokyo revengers stan 💞

@hearts4r1na : LITERALLY SUCH A FUNNY SILLY GOOFY MOOT ?!!??!? ALSO !;₱;!:₱;& HIS ART❤️ I LIVE FOR HIS ART AND I LOVE IT SM❤️❤️❤️💞💞💞💞💞💞💞 he also sends me asks everyday and UAGH😻😻 (no i dont get my daily dose of human interaction as you can see) ANOTHER ONE😋😋 THEYRE AN ENA KINNIE UR HONOR❤️❤️. AN ENA KINNIE ❤️❤️❤️ ANF HIS OCS ?!???? AUSFDHDHDGHD I LOVE THEM.. THEY R LIKE MY CHILDREN..

@mireinaas-blog : MY GOOFY BALL❤️ REIGNA💞 literally i love her sm too 💞💞💞💞 ALSO!!! shes an enstars, genshin, TWISTED WONDERLAND , tokyo revengers fan💞💞💞💞 HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE HER BC I LOVE HER… LIKE A LOT AS A BIG SISTER 😻😻😻😻😻😻 SHE ALSO RESPONDS TO MY ASKS ALMOST RIGHT AWAY❓❓❓ LOVE HER FOR THAT ‼️‼️

@lovingmichi : AN ICON😋‼️‼️‼️ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE SILLY GOOFY GOOD HUMORED MOOTS (honestly, all of my moots are)😍 ALSO !!! A MORIARTY THE PATRIOT FAN❓❓ (shes a bonten hater but we r putting that aside😇😇😇) PLAYS MECHAT ?????? ITS SO RARE TO FIND A MECHAT PLAYER MY HUMOR THESE DAYS😋😋 ALSO‼️‼️‼️‼️ SHE ALSO KNOWS TWST😻 LOVE HER FOR THAT

@erriukie : underrated tr writer🤬 LITERALLY ‼️ READ THEIR TOKYO REVENGER X READER STUFF NOW. ANYWAYS❓ELI’S VERY HUMOROUS 😍😍😍 THEYRE VERY FUNNY AND THEY MAKE ME GIGGLE AT LIKE 7 IN YHE MORNING.. (eli’s scared of one of the major arcana guess who) JK‼️ pls dont i love eli very much like cats 💞

@heizours : FLABBERGASTED. WHEN I BECAME MOOTS W HOWL I INSTANTLY FLEW TO CELESTIA LIKE DILUCS DAD (sry crepus stans) ALSO‼️‼️‼️‼️ THEIR FICS❓TOE CURLING (SOMETIMES) HEARTWRENCHING BUT MOSTLY HEART WARMING GENSHIN FICS U HAVE EVER SEEN😻… i read their fics b4 i sleep i definitely recommend doing it if you like fluff (or not)

[multiversxwhore]

Pairings: Blade x Black!oc

Genre: Drama

Word count: 8k

Warnings: Mentions of biting, and blood, usage of a slur word, mild violence.

Chapter 4: Pandemonium

“Okay Blade, Felix is a dear friend of mine.” I explain from the passenger seat, Abigail, and Hannibal were in the back.

“So?” He ask

“So…be nice, duh.” I say, I pulled my hair up into an Afro puff, the heat was getting to me. I hated summer, winter made it much easier for me to work, when I lift my hair up a drop of sweat rolls down the side of my neck. Blade looked over at me for a second, it was a fleeting moment, but that had been the first time in a few hours where he actually looked in my direction. When I turned to look back at him, he looked away, I looked down at my phone replying back to my step sister Reigna. I pull my bottom lip between my teeth to keep from grinning like a fool.

The silence is cut when Hannibal opens his big mouth to make a joke.

“Yea good luck with that, I don’t think he’s familiar with that emotion.” Hannibal jokes, I couldn’t help but crack a smile.

“But do you know what he is familiar with? Putting his foot up someone’s ass that doesn’t know when to stop talking.” Blade says, his eyes still on the road. I offered to drive, but of course he didn’t trust me behind a wheel.

“He just better be as good as you say he is, or we’re leaving.” Blade said, I couldn’t see his eyes, they were hiding behind his shades. He wasn’t wearing his usual leather coat, instead he kept it simple to a dark red short sleeve shirt, and black slacks, with big black combat boots. I grimace in pain just thinking about the damage a boot that big could do to a person…or vampire.

“Didn’t your mother ever tell you staring wasn't polite?” Blade asked, his tone heavy with sarcasm, he only said it loud enough for me to hear. And I couldn’t help but smirk, the corners of my mouth curl upwards.

“I never look away from such beauty.” I say, Blade just keeps looking straight ahead. Felix’s shop comes into view, and I instantly get excited, it’s been a while since I’ve seen him.

Then I get deflated when I remember why I’ve been avoiding him. I ponder on mentioning it out loud, if I say something now, Blade is going to be less inclined towards letting Felix help. I don’t think Blade would even care about my stupid drama, but he does care about getting the job done. I’ve noticed he doesn’t like to be slowed down, can’t totally blame him on that one.

“Reesé?” Blade called out from the driver's seat, im brought back to our current situation by his deep voice.

“This is a coffee shop.” He says, I couldn’t see his eyes, but I felt the impatience oozing out of him.

“Yup.” I say nodding my head.

“Alright while mom and dad figure out how to work the radio, Abigail and I are gonna go on ahead in.” Hannibal says Abigail rolls her eyes, but gets out of the car anyway.

I turned my body towards Blade, he’s about to get out, but I grabbed onto his forearm. He instantly freezes, slowly he turns and looks down at my hand. Then he looks back at me, I'm sure a warning glare was behind those shades. I don’t back down though, “Why don’t you trust me?” I ask, I didn’t want to sound like a crybaby, but that’s how it came out. My lips fall into a pout, and I fold my arms over my chest.

“Seriously? I just met you, and you want me to trust you? I don’t even trust those two idiots.” Blade says referring to Hannibal and Abigail, I would have laughed if this was a different situation.

“Rather you like it or not, we’re connected somehow Eric, don’t you find that strange? Were you just going to keep ignoring it?” I demand an answer from him. Blade didn’t like when I used his real name, but I’ve been trying the nice approach. This seemed to be the only language he understood, the air in the car got thick at the mention of our strange connection. It was already bad enough we were forced to be physically close in the small space of the front seat.

“Actually, I didn’t even start having visions until a year ago.” Blade reveals to me, I'm shocked he even gave up that information. I was going to continue till he cut me off.

“Let’s save this for another time, we’re already dealing with something else.” That was an order, he had decided the conversation was over with. I had lost interest in trying to dominate anyway, even though he was letting me do that. I know it’s going to be a while before I get the chance again.

When we entered the cafe, there were a lot of people inside at tables, most of them actually ordering. Though a lot of people just came here to mooch off the free internet service the cafe provided. Over in the back corner sat Abigail, and Hannibal, of course they ordered food. I rolled my eyes heading in their direction, once Hannibal spotted us he waved his hand like an idiot.

“Yea I see you dumb ass, but we didn’t come here to eat.” I say, he frowns.

“Well I’d certainly hope you at least feed me a meal before you turn me into one of your foot soldiers.” Hannibal bickers, he’s somehow always ready with a joke.

“Shut up doofus, and scoot over.” I nudge him a bit towards the window, he reluctantly makes space for me. I look around the cafe for Felix, but I don’t see him, I call a waitress over. I recognize her from before, I'm surprised she still works here. “Excuse me waiter.” I called out, I noticed some people were staring, I overlooked it. Though something about this place felt off, I don’t know what it was yet. Choosing to put that to the side for now I look up at the waitress, giving her a feign smile.

“Is Felix here?” I ask, genuinely curious, he’s usually waiting tables.

“Oh he’s in the back, he’s been moved up to manager.” The red head said, clearly she was waiting to complain about it.

“Oh really, tell me more.” I lean back a bit, no reason to rush…other than the fact there’s a rabid species of vampires out snatching people up.

“Gosh, no shame at all Reesé.” Abigail scolds me, but I just shrug my shoulders, “I’m an opportunist.” I nod my head to the waiter for her to continue.

“Well, our other manager, Jake, died two weeks ago. They said he died choking from an allergic reaction at home, but that sounds like such bullshit. I went to that funeral, and I’ll tell you this, whoever the mortician was did a horrible job. I could still see bruises around his neck from someone’s hands…mhhm. Then all of a sudden Felix is manager? Ridiculous, the kids never been on time to work ever, and he's the manager? What a load of bull shit, he ain’t running the place like any manger I’ve ever seen. Everyone practically does what they want now, which I’m sure seems great, but because he’s not doing his job we have to deal with any and all complaints. ” The waiter spills all the information without a second thought, I look across the table at Blade, it did seem like he was somewhat interested by that information, but not much.

“Well isn’t that peculiar…hmm, well tell your manager Reesé Bridgington is here to see him.” I say, then I tip her a crisp $50 bill, she could be a good resource in the future. A big grin spread across her face, she nearly skipped away from the table. Everyone was quiet for a moment, it didn’t last long.

“Seriously? Bridgington?” Hannibal asks in a mocking voice, he picks his coffee mug up, and sips it with his pinky out.

“Wow, you must be loaded.” Abigail says next.

“I really don’t care.” Blade grunts, he’s looking around the caffe and uneasy look in his eyes. He must feel it too, the odd aura about this place, it’s giving me shivers down my spine.

“Shut up you idiots, I don’t have that much money, the last name came from my adopted father.” That wasn’t entirely a lie, I was indeed loaded as Abigail put it, it’s not something I like to talk about. It just reminds me of my puzzled past, before the family I have now took me in.

“Oh shit Reesé I haven’t seen you in a while! How’s the gigs going?” Felix said coming in for a hug, I tried to hold back a cringe, he was always too eager to touch me. I reluctantly hug him back, Abigail,and Hannibal give me a questioning look. Blade is watching Felix with hawk-like eyes, but he doesn’t say anything.

“It’s nice to see you, but you know I didn’t come here to chat, they’re cool by the way,we’re all hunters.” I say in a low tone, you never knew who the hell was listening. Felix starts to grin, a look of excitement on his face, he claps his hands together. I rolled my eyes, gosh he was such a nerd, “You mean?” Felix asks.

“Yes that’s what I’m here for Felix, can we please…” I got up from my seat no longer in the mood for chit chat, for some reason I was feeling very agitated. I wanted to get this over with.

“Ugh finally, I thought these were gonna collect dust.” Felix explained leading us behind the cash register, and into the back break room. At the back of the room was another door that connected to a big wearhouse . He pulls the door open, and we walk into his workshop, such a contrast from the quiet coffee house. To the far right was another door, it had a keypad on it from what I could see at this angle. Turning my attention back to the task at hand, I was shocked to find 2 other men, both of them working on individual weapons, cutting, melting, and making different types of metals. The loud machinery was the cause of the high pitched grinding noise, it was killing my sensitive ears.

“Wow, you recruited!” I shout over the noise, and Felix nods his head smiling proudly. He signaled to the other men to stop their work, instantly it became quieter.

“Guys this is Reese, Reese…and friends, this is Tom, and Greg.” Felix introduces his friends to us; Tom looks to be about 35, 5’7, and maybe 132 lbs. Greg looks about the same, maybe he’s 26 and 170 lbs. He has dark hair, and dark chocolate eyes, Greg is the more handsome one of the pair. Though he’s watching Blade closely, and Blade doesn’t bother looking at him, though I’m sure he’s very aware of Greg’s eyes.

“I’m Bob, this is Karen, and John.” Hannibal says with a bright smile on his face, I roll my eyes, sometimes I could not believe what an idiot this man is.

“I’m Abigail, this doofus is Hannibal, and that’s-” Abigail was cut off by Felix, he eagerly steps forward to reach his hand out to Blade.

“Blade, the day walker, yes we know so much about you. It’s nice to finally meet you.” I cringe a bit at his fan boy behavior, Blade looks down at Felix hand, then turns to me with his eyebrow raised. I just shrugged my shoulders, I had nothing to do with his knowledge of Blade. Though ever since the FBI investigated him a few years ago, his name has gotten very popular in the search bar on google.

“Ok, not a hand shaker, noted. Welp I’m guessing you’re here because you need new toys, that’s the only time Reesé shows up, she’s always about business.” Hannibal turns to me, his eyebrows lifted in surprise by Felix's suggestive statement. Ugh this asshole really had to go there, it was one night, we were both drunk. Seriously why the hell is Felix still holding on to that, my thoughts are cut off by Blade pinching my arm.

“Next time don’t mix us in your drama.” His teeth were clenched as he spoke low enough for only me to hear. I nodded my head not saying anything, I wanted to cry from the pain of how tightly he pinched my skin. That was for sure going to leave a mark.

“We’re dealing with a new bread, that hunk of metal you gave Reese isn’t going to cut it.” Blade was being deliberately rude, usually it was reflex, but you can tell he just doesn’t like anything that’s going on here.

Felix grinned, he looked up from his computer, most likely going through his database. He was very tidy about his work, he liked to keep his weapons and the people that bought them organized.

“Oh she didn’t tell you?” Felix asked, he put the computer down, Greg went back to working on something. Tom watches from his desk quietly, he doesn't seem like he’d be much of a problem but you can never be too sure.

“What?” Abigail asks suspiciously.

“I knew it! I knew she had a bionic arm!” Hannibal shouts, I let out a deep sigh.

“Reese is fast.” Felix says, he makes a gesture with his body like he’s about to shoot off running. I’m starting to feel like this was a major mistake, that was one of things I did not like about Felix, he never knew how to keep things to himself. I didn’t want them to know that, but cats out the bag.

“What do you mean fast?” Blade asks, suddenly he’s curious, though he doesn’t bother to ask more questions.

“Like faster than a vampire, that hunk of metal as you called it, is to slow her down, it’s weighted weaponry made specifically for Reese.” Felix explained, Abigail, Hannibal, and even Blade have impressive looks on their faces.

I shrug trying to stay humble, “It’s nothing really.”

Blade takes a step back, holding his arms out gesturing towards me. “Well, let’s see it then, show me what you got.” I couldn’t believe what was happening, Blade was throwing me a freebie? In Front of other people?

I step forward, I hand off my weapons to Hannibal, a look of shock on his face, “What the hell, these guns are like 100lbs each! You’re not even that big!” I ignore him and I step forward in front of the day walking vampire. He flashes his pretty white teeth at me grinning, he holds his fist up in a fighting stance. I step forward an inch, “Don't blink.” I say in a taunting voice, the second step I take, I speed forward, in seconds I’m in his face. He reaches out his hand to grab me, I move in just enough time for him to barely miss me. I move behind him, and push Blade forward with all my strength.

He goes back a few feet, Blade is heavier than he looks, “Man you’re fat, what are you eating jungle animals?” I joke. He turned to face me, a genuine impressive look on his face.

“How do you do that? Move so fast.” Blade asked. I shrug my shoulders, “It’s not something I was taught, that I know of, I just call it flash step.” I said

My eyes caught his left cheek healing quickly, I must have scratched him by accident. I feel my lips curl upwards a bit into a small smirk, Hannibal claps his hands together as he walks to my side of the room. “Yup my money was on you the whole time, shrimpy.” He slaps me on the back, Blade dust his shoulder off, he walks over to the wall of weapons pulling the biggest one off the shelf. “Let’s call that even…for now. Do you have anything more refined, the same size though.” Blade requested, he turns to Felix who’s already searching through the computer, Greg throws a long sword onto the table. It’s metal is thicker than Blade's own original weapon, yet it’s edge was very sharp, and the hilt had traces of silver nitrate flowing through it.

“Wow…it’s beautiful.” I say, I reach out to touch it, my hand hovers over the sharpness of the blade. I feel an odd rush just thinking about the damage this thing could cause.

“I’ve been working on that there for a year, but had to stop after a while and come back to finish it. It’s difficult to obtain weight, and sharpness at the same time. I added silver nitrate to the hilt a few weeks ago, it was a last minute decision, the blade also has a thin chamber running through the center. It was originally made for Reese, Felix told us about her little experiment, so I figured I'd add a feature that would make injection a lot easier. The vampires out here nowadays, bullets aren’t gonna stop them, suckers are taking them to the face with no problem. You slice em, straight through the head, a lot of them are pretty fast now, so Reesé you might wanna start using that speed of yours.” Greg informed us, I was a bit shocked, I didn’t know they knew so much, but I guess word travels fast.

Blade stepped back from the table; he picked up the sword by its handle, carefully Blade turned to face me, and put the sword in my hands. Suddenly the wind blew very hard through the shop, blowing my curls around atop my head. I blink a bit, looking back at Blade, that wind felt very ominous, I don’t know what we were about to stumble into. I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be pretty.

Everyone suited up to their liking, apparently Felix works with an armor company now, he offered us some specially made suits. We denied the offer, at this point we had spent too much time fiddling with everything else. This wasn’t meant to be a big job we were doing; just gonna go in, scope out the place, see what we can find. Hell, if we’re lucky,maybe we’ll catch a vampire.

Felix walks us out so he can unlock the coffee shop doors for us. The atmosphere had totally changed in comparison to earlier when they had customers. As I was about to walk through the door, Felix grabbed me by my arm…rather aggressively. Abigail and Hannibal pay no attention, they keep walking to the car, not Blade though. He stops and turns swiftly as if he could no longer feel my presence behind him. He looked Felix up and down, Blade took a step forward, but I reached out my hand to stop him. I can feel his faint heartbeat thudding softly against my hand, he doesn’t pull away from my touch, he doesn’t move at all. He holds his position not wavering, Felix slowly lets go of me, he lets out an audible sigh through his nostrils.

“Reesé, I need to talk to you.” Felix's eyes look desperate, if this was 3 years ago, I’d oblige. Something about him now made me feel uneasy to be alone with him, as if he’s capable of something I’d never imagined.

“Sure, wassup.?” I ask, Felix has me trapped between him, and the entry of the doorway, Blade on my other side on the sidewalk. He begins to step away, but I grab onto his cotton shirt, it was a subtle movement. Blade knew what it meant, he didn’t trust Felix either, and I really needed someone in close proximity in case he tried something.

“Do we have to do this infront of an audience?” Felix asked, an annoyed look passed over his face.

“Look, he will leave me here, and he’s my ride home.” I try to joke off my unease, Felix looks up at Blade, and they both just watch each other for a moment. Felix’s eager attitude from earlier was gone, he wasn’t smiling, nor was he being his fidgety nerdy self.

He turns back to me, his eyes soften. “It’s just…it’s been a while, I miss my friend. Stop by again okay?” He whispers to me, he doesn’t look away from my eyes, though I notice his hand moving towards me in my peripheral vision. Reflexively I grab his hand first holding it, “Soon, I promise, but I got some bull shit to handle.” I say softly, I was lying, I did not want to see Felix after this. Something was off about him, and a part of me didn’t want to know.

Felix lets me go finally, unexpectedly Blade grabs me by my wrist, practically dragging me across the street back to his car, then he stuffs me in the passenger seat angrily. He doesn’t say anything, Abigail is silent, you can hear her music through her earbuds. Hannibal is looking at some digital layout, probably of the club in Los Angeles. Blade gets in the driver side slamming the door, and speeding off. He still hasn’t said a word, I fidget in my seat a bit not knowing what to say or do. It’s quiet like this for a few miles, I feel like I’m the only one who can feel the tension.

“A close friend my ass Reese.” Blade finally spoke, the only other time I’d heard him so annoyed is when we first met.

“What did I do?” I ask, knowing damn well what was going on.

“Damn it Reese, I told you I don’t like being involved with personal drama, we have a job to do. Now this love sick idiot is going to fuck things because you won’t spit in his mouth anymore.” Blade raises his voice, I could feel Hannibal’s eyes on us, even the music stopped playing.

“Oh come on! Felix is harmless.” That was a lie, I didn't even believe myself when I said that. Blade makes a sharp turn around a corner, I hold on to the door handle for dead life. I didn’t know he was an angry driver.

“The nigga makes weapons that kills vampires, he is dangerous and, he’s obsessed with you Reese!” Blade shouts, I’m starting to get annoyed.

“Look, drop it okay, this will be the last time you’ll have to interact with someone I know personally. Gosh I never knew you could complain so much.” I rolled my eyes, folded my arms and practically threw myself back in the leather seat.

“Bitch-” Blade starts, my head snap towards him, a fierce look in my eyes, I know he wasn’t talking to me.

“Look here negro, everyone else around you may piss themselves at the sight of you, but not me. Don’t get it twisted, I’ll stabilize you in a heartbeat.” All my composure lost, he was talking to me like I was his child, I’ve been far too nice this whole time. I joke around a lot, but I’ll put Blade 6 feet down if I have too. The car ride is scilent again the rest of the way, not one peep, Blade is clinching his jaw, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking because of thoes stupid sunglasses.

🩸🩸🩸🩸

“Well…at least we all made it here in one piece, let’s roll out.” Hannibal breaks the tension a bit, we get out in the alley, it’s 10 at night so the club had just started to get jumping. We came in through one of the back doors, there was a live band on stage playing Spanish music. A lot of the women here were dressed very slutty, skirts, and dresses so short that if they leaned forward too far their coochie lips would fall out. Most of the men here were 24 and older, there were round tables spread all over the floor of the club. Along the wall were booths, in the far back near the bar were a few steps that lead up to what looks to be a small vip area. The men seated there were in expensive suits; hair slicked back, and golden jewels adorned their necks, fingers, and wrist.

“Oh look at that you fit right in Reese.” Hannibal leans in towards me a bit, he’s joking, but I elbow him hard in his ribs. He falls forward a bit holding himself in pain, he grunts, and tries to laugh it off. Abigail gives me a fist pound, we found ourselves seated at tables in the center of the club floor. Not exactly what we wanted but that happened to be the only seats available. The stage was empty right now; it had a medium sized runway with lights lining the edge, and red curtains at the beginning of the stage. A large sign on top covered in bright light bulbs that read , “Reina Serpient.” I get a weird deja vu feeling, like I’ve heard the phrase before, I turn to Hannibal who’s looking around with his mouth hung open like a child in a candy store.

“Hey idiot, who’s the owner of this club?” I snap my finger in front of his face, he turns to me as if just now realizing I was sitting next to him.

“Someone named….Santana? No…it was a really fucking long name…something Santanic….huh, I usually don’t forget things like this.” Hannibal flips through his notes on his phone, I was surprised he was organized at all. I peak over into his phone and I see a flash of my name, I make a mental note to ask about that later.

“Ah there we go! Santanico Pandémonium, that can’t be a real name.” Hannibal says putting his phone away.

I suck in a breath as I realize the hell Blade is about to give me. I didn’t dare say anything, maybe she won’t notice me, maybe she’s not even here. I look around the room, it’s packed with people, most of the customers are rich. Aw shit she’s definitely here. Suddenly the lights go out, and there's a chill that runs down my spine so tough I damn near jump out of my seat.

“All right, all right, all right. All you lost souls, prepare to eat your heart out, or she’ll do it for you. The sensual, sensational queen of the snakes den, Santanico Pandémonium!” The announcer shouted through the mic, the crowd went wild, my vision started to blur a bit. As I looked around the crowd the women who were serving started moving a bit slower, as if they were slithering between the tables of seated customers. As if they were on the prowl for unsuspecting men, I can’t tell if they’re vampires or not yet, it’s too dark, the only source of light was coming from the stage. The band starts up again, playing slow and suspenseful sexy music at first.

Santanico happens to just appear on stage with the perfect spotlight. Her luscious lips painted with a glorious red color standing out on her beautiful golden tan skin. Her feathered headdress adds a dramatic flair, paired with a long brown cape she holds up to her face only showing her eyes. The crowd seems to be dazed, as if they're in a trance, even Abigail isn’t looking away. Finally the band picks up tempo as Santanico drops the cape from her shoulders revealing her long slender, curvy body. Her bra and panties are covered in black lace, her ankles have pretty jewelry dangling from them, and her feet bare.

The tempo of the music slows down again, the lights go down, all you see is a silhouette of her body. Her hips winding in slow circular movements, she’s in perfect timing with the music, she moves so naturally. Santanico does a twirl, and the lights flash back up again, the fire behind her goes ablaze when the beat of the song hits heavy. A large, yellow, two headed boa constrictor appears out of nowhere around her body; it was like magic, and even I am amazed at this, I tried to hold myself back, but there is no denying the talent Santanico has.

“What the hell is going on.” I hear Blade, but his voice is drowned out by the music, and I’m purposely ignoring him.

Without thinking I called out her name in a whisper so low I didn’t think I could be heard. “Kisa.” She instantly turns to me, she slowly makes her way towards our table. Her hips swaying side to side, Hannibal looks at me eyebrows raised but he doesn’t say anything. I think everyone at the table was just stunned in general, and I can’t blame them. This was not how we expected the night to go, two men were by the stage to lift her off the platform and on to the floor. Santanico sways her hips around me, her hands softly dancing around my exposed skin. I curse myself for wearing a dress, her hands slide lower on to my chest, I look up at her. Santanico lowers her face to mine from above me, softly pressing her lips to my face leaving a bright red lipstick stain on my cheek. Thinking that was the end of that, Santanico doubles down on making a show of things by grabbing my face, and kissing me directly on the lips. The crowd of men go wild, shouting and whistling, the music tempo speeds up, the pyro machine behind her lights. I see Blade's face for a second, he still isn’t saying anything, he’s just watching. It’s hard to concentrate on what’s going on around me when Santanico has her long tongue shoved down my throat.

When she pulls away there’s a long trail of spit that comes from both our mouths, and drips down our lips a bit. She tasted like Tequila, blood, and berries, a combination that somehow works for her. Before she walks away, Santanico bows down low, her long, slender arms extended towards me. “My Queen.” Shocked, and somewhat confused by her words, I just watched her sway back up to the stage finishing her routine.

By the end of the performance I was stumped, I looked around the club and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I turn towards Abigail, Blade, and Hannibal, shock on their faces; I don’t blame them, if I would have known this was her night club I would have refused to come. “Well this is awkward.” I try to joke, maybe this will all go away in the next few hours.

“Wow, I know you’re older than us but you’ve been around the block a few times huh?” Abigail says, she pokes me in my side, I fight off the urge to giggle, rolling my eyes and slap her hand away.

“Yea when’s my turn?” Hannibal ads he wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, Hannibal was far from ugly, in fact I found his ability to always make me laugh quite attractive. I just wasn’t into white men personally, I turned to him grinning, “Yea in your dreams baby.”

“What the fuck is going on? Another one of your acquaintances?” Blade asked, he looked me right in my eyes, I couldn't brush him off. Before I could speak Santanico appeared right next to me, she always catches me off guard with her dramatic entrances.

“I sure hope not, after all this time, and I’m still not on the call back list amor (love)?” Santanico’s tone was always soft with me, she was very loving, and respectful. I smiled sheepishly at her, I didn’t really have an excuse for ghosting her. Though she was expecting an explanation, “What can I say, I’m a busy woman Santanico, vampires aren’t just gonna stake themselves you know.” I shrug my shoulders, hoping she’s not too mad, Santanico could hold a grudge like no other.

“Vampires, they’re so disgusting nowadays.” Her accent heavy, and laced with loathing. She leaned her hip against my chair, she may have looked relaxed, but I knew better. Santanico was a heartless killer if needed be, it was something that we bonded over, our ability to kill without emotions.

“What do you know about vampires?” Blade asked, he leans forward in his seat, Santanico pulls up a chair right next to me. She watches Blade for a moment, she leans forward squinting her eyes at him. She looks back at me , “Who is this? Who are you? You talk with such a demanding voice, I don’t like men like that, but if you are a friend of Reesé. Then you’re okay I guess.”

“I guess I should have introduced everyone. Santanico; this is Blade, Abigail, and Hannibal, they’re the new team of hunters I’m working with. Guys this is a long time friend of mine, I’ve known her for a few years. I trust her, she’s down for business.” Abigail waves her hand slightly, Santanico wiggles her eyebrows at Abigail. I roll my eyes when I see Abigail blush and lean back in her seat hiding her body from Santanico’s snake-like eyes

“Back to the vampires, I don’t really mix with this new breed that’s walking the streets. They want to enslave us, and because of their new power, they have the means to do so. I’ve been able to hold off some of the bigger clans by bribing them with money, but as you can see my girls can only do so much. Most of them that come here now have average jobs, and the earnings we make from the shows have to be split six ways. That’s pretty much impossible, but we make it work.” Santanico takes a swig of her bourbon, swallowing it slowly like it was water.

“Why would vampires want to enslave humans?” Hannibal asked, I smirked, this is where the conversation got interesting.

“Who said we were human?” Santanico leaned back in her seat, a low hissing sound passed my ears, I lightly cough a bit uncomfortable.

“So what are you?” Blade questions, his body tensed, he didn’t move. He was very focused on Santanico, I’d say in terms of fighting skill she could take him, Blade is stalky, and not very agile. Santanico didn’t say anything, she just stared back into Blade's bright hazel eyes.

The hissing noise grew louder, a last warning, some of the waiters had stopped working. They were standing and watching, waiting for their Queen to make the call.

“Alright now, no need to get hasty, we’re all friends here. Everyone just relax, okay, no need to fight, we all want the same thing.”

“No Reesé, you and I are friends, I could care less for the rest of you…actually I like you friends Abigail. But not these two idiots. I don’t like the way he speaks, there is so much aggression in his voice.” Santanico folds her arms, the sudden movement makes Blade reach for his gun. Damn it this man

“Whoa, are you trying to get us killed? Look how about this we put the guns away, we put the hostility away. He doesn’t have to talk, I’ll do all the talking okay? Santanico I know it’s been a while, but you can still trust me, I’d never bring harm to you or your family.” I hold onto her arms, looking at her in her chocolate brown eyes. I really cared for Santanico a lot, our connection developed fast, like we were meant to be friends. I didn’t understand it, but I’m grateful for her.

“Fine, no we’re not humans. Serpientes vampiro (vampire snakes) we’re more so snakes than vampires.” Santanico explains her nose turned upwards, I roll my eyes at her childish behavior.

“Yes, the difference is that vampires feed off the blood of a human alone, Serpentines have to consume the whole human body. However, they can survive off just the blood alone, but that only satisfies for so long.” I explained, though they sounded pretty dangerous, Serpentines are more mild mannered than Vampires.

“Unfortunately, since vampirism is genetic, and Serpentines were more of a curse from the Mayan Gods; Vampires out rank us in the supernatural scale. We were originally made to serve vampires seeing as we’re the only other thing on the menu that doesn’t appease them. We were made to hunt for them since our outward appearance is more acceptable in the human world. Since they don’t eat human flesh, the Serpents would have the bodies, it’s a fair trade if you ask me. A lot of the Vampires have very close bonds with their servants, unfortunately, Vampires can't procreate with other supernatural creatures.” As Santanico spoke the atmosphere went back to normal, Blade even relaxed, I gave him a once over. Both his hands were in view on top of the table, Hannibal was taking notes on his phone, and Abigail was just listening, taking everything in.

“Okay, so have you heard anything about these new breeds? Seriously, anything you could tell us would be so helpful, Esmeralda.” I probably shouldn’t have played with her feelings by calling her real name, but I needed this information.

Her hand caressed mine softly, sliding her fingers in between mine, Abigail’s eyebrows shoot up in shock. I choose to ignore them sitting here, turning to the beautiful Mexican woman. “I know they’re harvesting….African American.” Blade pounds his fist on the table, frustration etched across his dark features. I was stunned, I couldn't say I saw that coming at all, “Those bastards.” Blade mumbled to himself.

“What? Why?.” Hannibal asked, he was confused, “what would race have to do with anything? Vampires never cared who they fed on.”

“Think, why have they been able to stay out in the sun for so long?” I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, it’s not every day vampires get together and form an intelligent thought. At least not the ones of this generation.

“I’m drawing blanks.”

“Ugh how stupid can you be, they’re harvesting Black people for their melanin.” Abigail spoke up, I almost forgot she was here, she’s been quiet the whole time

“Yes! Thank you, our melanin is what’s responsible for our skin color, and protects us from so many percentages of the sun's rays. However, thanks to general stereotypes most people think Black people can't get sunburned, that’s a lie.” I go on to explain, Blade hasn’t said anything, though I can see the wheels turning in his head.

“So how are we going to stop them? Does anyone have a plan?” Blade asked, folding his arms over his chest.

“I can only point you in the direction of one of their dealers, he runs a harvesting farm in the area.” Santanico waved her hand to one of the waitresses, they handed her a pen and paper.

“I’m afraid to ask, but what is a harvesting farm?” Abigail asked.

“It’s exactly what you’d think it is, it’s a place where vampires harvest humans for their blood.” Santanico confirmed, we all kind of sat there for a second letting that sink in.

“I have another question, what do you know about bonds?” I asked, Santanico was quite knowledgeable in the supernatural, any information she had could help.

“What kind of bonds?”Santanico asked.

“I’ve been…seeing visions of Blade for a very long while, I seem to have vampire-like powers I don’t know why…etc.” To sum up quickly, I was too embarrassed to tell her I felt weird emotions towards Blade right in front of him. Truth was my feelings for him were becoming stronger by the day, and I had no idea if Blade felt the same way. I had no idea how to ask without him shutting me down.

“Interesting…vampire bonds are unheard of nowadays. It’s something only known from the purebloods. Usually the original bloodline clans had protectors, some were human, vampires, witches. The protectors came in many forms, seen as equals even, later through the centuries protectors became familiars, a lesser version of the tradition of a protector. There’s a man in Rome, a friend of mine who knows more about the pure vampire clans than I do, his name is Emilleo, tell him I sent you.” As Santanico finished, all four of us stood up from our seats, she gave me a piece of paper folded up, I nodded to her in thanks.

I smiled at her and pulled my long time friend into a tight embrace. “You stay out of trouble, you better be alive when I come back here.” I say pointing a warning finger in her direction, she shrugged her shoulders.

“Us snakes are harder to kill the older we get.” Santanico deadpanned, I laughed out loud, Abigail, and Hannibal were chatting up some of the customers.

Blade stood off a few feet from Santanico, and I knew he was listening.

“I don’t like him, but you two have some deep connection, I’m not sure what it is.” Santanico was obviously lying, I knew she knew what was up, but she wasn’t saying. I roll my eyes, choosing to overlook her words for now, “Yea…he’s alright I guess, anywho we’re about to roll out. Thanks for the show Queen of the Snake’s den.”

🩸🩸🩸🩸

All three of us make it back to the car, once we settle in, Blade pulls out of the alley way. I pulled the folded piece of paper from my pocket. Santanico wrote down the address of the harvesting farm in what looks like chicken scratch handwriting, I scuffed in disbelief.

“What is it?” Blade’s deep voice spoke from the driver's side.

“You’re not gonna like this, but the harvesting farm Santanico was talking about…the address is the coffee shop.” I mumbled the last part

“You gotta be shitying me, why am I not surprised this prick is playing double agent.” Blade hissed

“Ding, ding, looks like round two.” Abigail jokes from the back seat, the ride back to Felix’s coffee shop was quiet, there was nothing I could say to defend him. I absolutely knew this was his doing, I just felt it.

“Alright, we don’t have any time to prepare for what we might see in there, don’t ask questions. You see a vampire, you take them out, we probably won’t be able to save any of the humans, I’ll try to collect a sample of one of the fangys, if you see Felix…don’t kill him. The shop isn’t that big, but earlier I noticed a door in the warehouse. It had some key pad on it, Abigail can handle that, Hannibal you’re going to be with her. Blade and I are gonna look around the break room, I saw a suspicious looking freezer, so we’re gonna check that out.” I go over the plan one more time before we break off into our pairs, naturally I’m left with Blade.

I pick the lock quickly, sliding in through the side door, the entrance leads us to the storage room. It was pitch black, and very quiet. “Can you see in the dark or something?” Blade’s voice riddled with skepticism, I rolled my eyes.

“Yes Eric I can see in the dark. Any more questions?” I was joking, but I can tell that irritated him.

“You don’t know me enough to talk to me like that.” He spoke slowly, a scattering noise came from the right of me, I turned aiming my gun in that direction. Blade’s back was faced towards me keeping his eyes to my left as we moved forward.

In a corner off to the side, I see the deep freezer with a padlock on it, I tug on the lock, and it comes right off. There doesn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary in it, so I leave it for now.

“Really? Because our undeniable connection suggests otherwise, just because neither one of us can remember doesn’t mean we didn’t have a past.”

“So what if we do?” Blade asked, riled by the conversation I was bringing up for what felt like the millionth time.

“Wh-what is wrong with you? Stop acting like you don’t care about anything, because I know you do, you’re not like those other monsters out there.” I stopped moving, turning around to face him, he tried to walk past me, but I blocked his path. I refuse to let him get away this time.

“Get out of my way, we don’t have time for drama.” Blade put an arm on my shoulder intending to move me, but I stood firm in my position.

“This ain’t just some soap opera! This is my life! And you’re a part of that, why do you keep denying it, stop denying it!” I growled out the last part, my first clinched at my side, forgetting about everything happening right now. I close the space between us so that we’re standing chest to chest…sort of.

“I’m not denying it! There’s major shit going on, like crack head vampires snatching up Black people off the street and farming them like cattle type of shit! If I promise you that we will look into the shit that’s going on between us, will you please stop breathing down my neck about it every ten seconds?” His hands were held together in a praying position, when I didn’t answer right away Blade raised his eyebrows expectantly.

“Fine, after this is over you promise you’ll start taking this seriously?” My mouth fell into a pout, this was all stressing me out too, it was like a constant nagging at the back of my mind.

“Cross my heart and hope to die.” Blade jokes, I was about to respond when I was suddenly snatched backwards, “Reesé!” He shouted, instantly Blade sprang into action running after me. I flip around as hard as I can to get this thing to let me go, nothing was working, two more bloodthirsty monsters dropped down from the ceiling attacking Blade.

When we reached the end of the hall, the large pale red eyed vampire threw me against the wall. If I were any ordinary human, that probably would have killed me. “Fuck that hurts.” I hissed in pain, the creature jumped on me waiting no time to bite into my neck. I screamed at the top of my lungs, he bit me so hard I couldn’t hold back the tears that sprung from my eyes. I reached back, and grabbed the sword Greg made, it was right at my finger tips when he grabbed my wrist holding me in place. I cursed to myself, this was not how I wanted to die.

I was so sure my life was going to end, the next thing I knew the demonic vampire's head was sliced off , as it thudded to the ground with a squishing noise Blade pulled me up gently. We heard shooting, and shouting from behind the door in front of us, “We can’t go in there with you like this.” Blade said he was trying to think of what to do, but he had to admit the smell of Reese blood was clouding his judgment. He was drowning in confusion, his breath was ragged, each inhale deeper than the last. It’s been too long without his serum, Blade felt like he was spiraling fast.

“Eric breath, just breath, if this isn’t the kind of person you want to be, you can fight it. You’re not alone in this, you’re not alone…Eric do you hear me…” I ignored my own pain to try to pull Blade back from his own turmoil, I stood up to my feet. I grab him by his arm turning him to me, I bring my hands to the back of his neck pulling his face closer to mine; I touch our foreheads together hoping that will magically let me see in his head. He grabs on to my waist tightly for support, or either he’s trying to hold himself back.

“It’s okay, we can just breathe, one breath at a time.” I say in a soft tone, there’s a lot going on around us right now; the fighting that was happening on the opposite side had ceased. We were in complete silence, Blade lifted his head slowly, his bright eyes meeting mine.

“I’m sorry I’ve been doubting you, none of this is in my will house; I hunt vampires, demons, and monsters. The only life I’ve ever had to worry about was my own.” Blade explained. His voice low, the grip on my hips lightened, but he didn’t let me go. I didn’t know what to say, I wasn’t expecting him to say this at all. So instead I brung Blade in closer, he froze at first, “I-I just want to hold you, please let me.” His body relaxed enough for me to pull him in, his face resting in the crook of my neck. He stayed like that for a moment, a gust of wind blowing hard enough to knock a house over. We held on to each other, a low snarling noise came from somewhere in the nearby hallway. I was still bleeding from the bite I received a moment ago, a ugly looking fanger jumped down from the ceiling, and suddenly vampires started to crowd the break room and connected hall area. As they were closing in on us, my mind went blank, I grabbed onto Blade's hand squeezing it, with my other hand I raised it towards the monsters closing in on us. A bright flare of light shot from hand, all the vampires in the hallway couldn’t fight it off, they all burned to a crisp.

“Ashes to ashes.” Blade mumbled, an impressed look on his face.

“Could you always do that?” Hannibal’s voice whispered in astonishment, Abigail followed behind him, a tied up, unconscious Felix in tow.

“I-no I haven’t, just sorta happened.” I stuttered over my words, I was just as shocked as they were, Abigail’s eyebrows raised as she caught Blade and my hands intertwined. Neither one of us pulled away so I stayed in the moment, the young woman didn’t say anything, but I knew questions were coming later.

“Alright let the interrogation begin.”

[lovebarelyhuman]

Mission Colorado Pt.3

Pairing: Sister!OC x Dean, Sister!OC x Sam

Summary: Lynn and Dean are on a mission to find their father. But when John Winchester proves to be in more trouble than they expected, they have to bring in an old friend. Together, the three Winchesters are travelling from state to state, solving cases along the way.

Warnings: Mentions of blood, murder, kidnapping

Word Count:

The mullet rock pounds through the car as Dean slips the tape into the music player. Greg Allman's voice is screaming through the speakers, and Lynn wishes she could die right here. Osmosis with the seat wasn't a bad way to go out, and neither was her fingers wrapping around Dean's throat if they got out of today alive.

The Impala is parked outside of a Gas station convenience store, the sun glaring through the windows. Sam sits cross-legged in the front seat, an arm thrown over his eyes to deflect the sunlight. Dean's seat is empty, having gone to get snacks for the run.

The gas station is the smallest one she's ever seen in her life -- just big to cram a few people from shoulder-to-shoulder, she is surprised they even managed to fit shelves inside. Trash litters the parking lot, the empty cups and crushed styrofoam containers of those who had stopped in to eat in the comfort of their car.

Dean steps out of the store, some chip bags and energy drinks in hand. He grins, and she sees a reminiscent of the old Dean in there. She looks back at the shadow of a five-year-old, the sweet kid that would prank his younger brother and deserved a better home than the backseat of their father's car.

Sam asks, "So, what new story have you made up for the credit card companies?"

"Burt Aframian," answers Dean, throwing a chip into his mouth as he swings himself into the seat of the Impala, "and his children Hector and Reigna. Besides, it's not like we're scamming them. We just apply. They send us the cards. Want some?"

Sammy makes a face of disgust as he puts his feet back into the car. "No thanks. You really have to update your cassette tape collection, dude. These looks about a million years old. Why do you use cassettes anyway? You could just use Bluetooth on your phone."

"Why?" asks Dean, his eyebrows narrowing into a thin line.

"Well, for one, they're cassette tapes. And number two -- Black Sabbath? Motorhead? Metallica? These are the epitome of mullet rock," he snickers. Dean looks offended, but he looks to Lynn. Her preferred tunes were a mix of rock-and-roll mixed with pop, indie, and electronic, but she half-agreed with Sam. She could sit through Queen without feeling the need to drive a dagger through Dean, but his taste was getting out of hand.

"What, you too? You believe him on this? I thought you were a fan of this stuff!"

"Sorry to break it to you, man, but I prefer Queen. They're a great band, but there's only so much a human being can take," she sighs, slumping further into her seat. Becoming one with the leather chair sounded like a real good option now.

"Well, you're are out of luck, Sammy," Dean says, snatching the box away from Sam. He pops one of the cassettes into his car, and she thinks that she might jump off of a cliff then go through another six hours of this specially crafted torture. She can see Sam groaning, and Dean just offers them a grin that she wishes she could slap away.

"You know, Sammy's the name of a twelve-year-old," the youngest Winchester sibling snorts. Lynn grins, slinging her arms over both of her brothers. "The name's Sam."

"Driver chooses the music; the guests shut their cakehole." Dean revs up the engine, the noise loud enough to startle all of the other onlookers. "Can't hear ya, Sammy. Music's too loud.

-

When they get to the scene of the blacktop disappearances, the sun is far away into the sky. This part of California is uncrowded -- a small village town on the coast. Not many people wander around these parts. Most of the people here know another. The houses are spread far and wide, trees decorating the entirety of the coastline.

This would've been a fun trip if they wanted to go sightseeing for farms. Now and then, a left turn or right branches them off of the road and onto a new inlet.

Sam's been on the phone for the past hour, Dean concentrated on the road ahead of him. AC/DC still pounded faintly on the speakers. Lynn tunes out the lyrics, rolling her eyes.

Sam clicks off his phone, thanking the person on the line profusely before turning to his siblings. "All right. So, there's nobody matching Dad's description at the hospital or morgue. He's not injured or dead yet. He should be safe for now. That's something, I guess."

Dean sends his younger brother a look. "There's no such thing as 'safe' in hunting, Sammy. You of all people should know that by now. Dad might be missing and unhurt, but it's not gonna do any of us good if we wait around for him to return."

Sam nods, but his eyes betray him. He doesn't want to be here as much as the next non-hunter. Even then, he sets his shoulders back and stares ahead, jaw clamped tight.

They drive up to a bridge, several police cars cornered on the sidelines. It looks like a crime scene, despite the absence of spectators. She has a creeping feeling that this is the place where the crime took place. "Check it out."

"How're we gonna get in there?" Sam asks.

As if on cue, both of the older Winchesters grab their fake identification cards from a box that Dean hides in the dashboard. There are several ones entitled to John, others in the name of Dean and Lynn. All of them have fake names written on them.

The FBI and DEA ones are the ones they use the most, made for getting inside-info on different scenes. Dean passes one to Sam, written with the name B. Plant signed on it. Sam makes a face, but catches it nonetheless."Let's go."

The three of them exit the car like professional actors, surveying the workers. They look to be in their thirties, probably newer among the departments of California. There aren't many of them.

The few that are on the shift are standing around -- some gathering evidence, others chatting with others on the scene. No one even turns an eye at their presence. There are some men in wetsuits rummaging at the banks of the river, but Lynn doubts that they'll find anything there.

A deputy calls down, "Got anything?"

A voice replies, "No! Nothing down here!"

The car parked in the middle of the street is the victim's; Lynn can make out at least that much. It's old-fashioned, probably merit of the parents. The kid who disappeared couldn't have been much older than Sam himself.

It's slightly cleaner than she would have expected -- the smears are still glaring crimson in the sunlight, but it's not the worst she's seen in her life. The blood looks too tactical, but she doesn't doubt this was the work of some unhinged spirit. They weren't uncommon. The deputy turns back to the car, talking to another worker. She can only pick up on glances of the conversation.

"No sign of struggle, no footprints, no fingerprints," he says, taking a sip of the coffee he's propped up against the hood of the car. "Spotless. It's almost too clean. I kind of feel bad for the kid -- he was bad news, but it doesn't mean I appreciate seeing him gone."

"So this kid, Troy. He's dating your daughter, isn't he?"

"Yeah."

"How's Amy doing?" the second man asks. The community around here must've been tight-knit.

Lynn makes a mental note of the name - if they needed information, they knew who to go to. Amy was dating the victim, and she must've been with him before his death. "She holding up okay?"

"She's putting up missing signs downtown," the first sighs -- Deputy Hein. Slim face, broad build, he looked like the person who would be able to smell a liar. Lynn put on her best official face. Tricking this man wouldn't be easy, but she hoped he had a soft spot for women like his daughter.

"You fellas had another one like this last month, didn't you?" she asks, her eyes narrowed. The officers look at her in surprise. She flashes her card, nudging the boys with her elbow. "The three of us are deputy marshals. Here for investigation."

"You're a bit young for deputy marshals," Deputy Hein says. "Someone told you to come down to Jericho to investigate a kid's disappearance?"

"Investigation is our job," Lynn says flatly. Dean surveys the car first, checking it from all angles. She's not sure what he sees, but she knows the evidence of an untamed spirit when she sees one. Troy was attacked in the front seat. Blood splatters across the front and back seats make her want to retch, but she holds her tongue.

What the thing did to him was the most violent one she had ever encountered. Unrest spirits were mostly docile in their being - they could go as far as haunting a place, but to drag a stranger down and to kill him was something else entirely.

She swipes a finger near the stain for half a millisecond, fighting the urge to throw up. Blood has never sat with her well, but she knew what she signed up for when she got to demon hunting.

After a long silence, Dean asks, "You did have another one like this, correct?"

"Just about a mile up the road," answers Deputy Jaffe. She guessed that this man had seen several more investigations around here. It was all too wrong to be a serial killer. "There've been others before this. All of them are just as wacky as this."

Sam asks, "So this victim, you knew him?" Jaffe nods, although the suspicion in his eyes is clear. Lynn doesn't care -- she feels a surge of pride. Their youngest brother still has his talent for hunt work. "In a small town like this, everybody knows each other."

She flicks the blood off of her finger. "Any connection in between the victims except that they're all men?"

"No. Nothing that we can tell." Jaffe's mouth turns into a stiff line. "They can be anything: serial killings, kidnapping rings, or some human trafficers that specialize in men. There's absolutely no evidence left behind on the scenes except a gallon of the missing person's blood. All of it takes place at night on this strip of highway. That's all we've got."

"Well, that's exactly the crack police work I expect from you guys." Lynn steps on Dean's foot with a heel, and the hiss she gets in response makes her day feel a lot better. "Thank you for your time. We'll be sure to get on this case as soon as possible."

As they head back to the Impala, the sheriff and FBI agents are waiting. She acknowledges them with a brief nod. "Gentleman."

"Can I help you?" the sheriff asks, eye-fucking Lynn's cleavage like it's the prize of the century. She can see Sam sneer protectively, ready to stop his sister from getting eyed up by freaks, but she stops him with a tap on the bicep. If she was given the opportunity, she would gladly bust his nose herself. She fakes a smile instead, lowering her voice to a seductive tone. She adds an extra purr to the last words, "No sir, we were just having a look around."

She sees his cheeks tinge just by a fraction, and she knows her flirting has hit the mark. When the agents walk by her, she gives them each a more professional nod. "Agent Mulder. Agent Scully."

They were on a mission, and no one could stop Winchesters when they put their minds to it.

Previous (Part 2)

[bigboyproblems993]

So how’s everyone been doing I’ve been slacking on the posts and I know I have been. I wanted to make this post because it seems to help me when I get things off my chest. I’ve been thinking for the last 2 days about what the last decade for me has been like. I thought about this because of a question a former acquaintance of mine asked my brother while at church on Sunday for Mother’s Day. He said to my brother, “Wow, a decade since graduation, that’s crazy. Do you still talk to anyone?” Of course my brother talked about his experience over the last decade with him but while doing that I heard the exact same question and I though wow that’s wild how has my decade really been? Well let me show you.

This one is from 2013, it’s blurry because I had a flip phone back then and this is the best photo I could take at the time I guess. I remember that year very well though. That year is the year after my grandpa left us and I was going through so much and my grandma and brother were working so much they didn’t see any of the pain I was going through. I had not only lost my grandpa the last year but I also had bullying issues at school I was dealing with. I also had a girlfriend break up with me because of a stupid thing I said over a text.

This is 2015, I took graduation pictures that year because I was finally graduating high-school. I should be happy that year but again I wasn’t. I was upset at my self because I knew I was one of the smartest kids in the class but I got the bottom of the class because I didn’t want to actually exert myself at all. So I didn’t do my homework and I almost didn’t graduate.

This is the year after graduation 2016. I don’t remember too much about 2016 to be honest. I started college and only went for a month if that. I wasn’t a fan of the environment and I was never big on people telling me what to do. I also got hooked on taking drugs back then but never told anyone. I was in a bad spot and didn’t know how to get out of it.

This was 2017, I had just gotten to the peak of down. My brother and I weren’t talking and my grandma and I were on the outs a lot because I didn’t want to work or do anything around my home. I was at peak of I’m going to kill myself. I more than once had a gun in my mouth ready to pull the trigger and die. The main catalyst of that year that really fucked me up emotionally was I had gotten my short term girlfriend at that time pregnant and she had a miscarriage. I didn’t want a child to be honest at that time but it still messed me up because I had a chance to be one and it went away at the snap of a finger.

This was a few months ago, I know I slipped a few years but during those years I got off the drugs and started to talk to someone that would change my life forever. I started talking to my now fiancé. She and I met actually way back in 2013. She and I didn’t know it yet but we would have a bond like no other. She stopped me on multiple occasion during the time I was talking to her about to put myself in the eternal sleep and she didn’t even know it. She occupied my heart and my mind just getting me to do simple little things like picking her up or bringing her a vape. I love her more than anything else on this earth.

Reigna Marie Johns (future Selmon) I love you to infinity and beyond.

[alldatwrite]

So, I have been (re)watching OUAT, and this scene came across. Perhaps you only see the importance of it if you like Reigna, Snow, or both, but I want to talk about it.

Because damn, it is an important scene.

Now on this scene, Snow calls Regina to have a face to face conversation, because she knows she's lying and she is tired of lying.

Before anyone comes at me, this post's intention is not to justify or excuse neither women or their behavior, or their past mistakes and the crimes they have committed.

That said, let's analyse this scene.

Now, Regina's first words are about Henry. The first thing she had in mind is her son, and his safety, and I think it tells something about her on this early seasons and the beginning of her redemption, because when she meets Snow, she's not on a defensive mode. There's a trust implicit, Regina trusting Snow and assuming that, if she summoned her, it's not because she's going to attack her, but because of Henry.

It's not just about the dialogue, but about the facial expression. She has let her guard down with Snow.

She changes her expression from concerned to bothered when Snow says that's not why she wanted to talk to her. She doesn't look angry, just annoyed and tired, because she can see something coming.

Because we often forget that they lived together for several years, and if anyone knows Snow, that's Regina.

Still, she sits down. She could easily leave the place and ignore her, but she stays because she wants to hear what Snow has to say. The former Regina that the first season presented us would have left in the blink of an eye. This Regina, however, wants to hear what Snow has to say. Even if it's a bad thing.

Also, Snow's few lines thus far into the scene and her expressions say a lot about her growth as well. She's straight forward, telling Regina that they should discuss it. Her expression is firm.

Snow the princess, the one we've seen on the first season was far less direct. She would soften whatever she had to say or she would avoid the main topic. Either this Snow has changed her behaviour towards Regina, or she has thought a lot about that conversation before it happened. Again, Snow has been shown as a bit impulsive, even in other seasons. Anyway, she has a different intention with Regina.

And she doesn't look like she's going to attack her, but she's not going to be soft on her.

The next few lines, we confirm that behavior. When Regina tries to avoid the topic, Snow calls it what it is, word by word, and she looks stern. She's done with any bullshit, with anyone beating around the bush.

It's only when Cora is mentioned, that Regina gets defensive. She justifies her actions with a patronising attitude, telling her that she knows what she's doing, treating Snow like a child that has no idea of what's going on. Apparently, she's back to her old ways.

So is Snow, who mentions that a war is happening and then proceeds to mention how good of a person she is. Again, like she has done before, she's painting herself as a good person, in a sort of savior manner, telling Regina that she is willing to give her one more chance, the last one this time.

Now, Regina's face says it all: she laughs sarcastically, because she has heard this story before, being forgiven even if the other part has no idea what's going on. Snow *thinks* she knows what's going on, but Regina KNOWS what's going one because she is involved.

Now let's get to the juicy part.

Snow tells her to be on the good side, and Regina tells her that she was always *just* the Queen, and that Snow added "Evil" to it. Now, we can read this in two different ways. Snow started calling her "evil" because she tried to murder her, which could be true, but maybe Snow started calling her "evil" before that happened. As far as I recall, the real origin is not shown on the show, and I don't remember Snow being the one who called Regina that. Except for this scene and this dialogue.

Whatever option is true, it is stated that Snow branded the Evil Queen.

What is obvious is that Regina tells her that she is good, that perhaps she hasn't considered this, but Snow insists on what she's doing and that it is not what good people do.

And then, we realise Regina is a scorned woman. She mentions that all her efforts for redeeming herself thus far have been futile because people will never forgive her or accept her. Then, we should remember how many times Regina has defended that evil isn't born, it's made. She thinks (in fact, it could be her philosophy) that people are not born evil just for the sake of it, but instead, she knows there is a transition, a path. A series of people, words, decisions and many more circumstances that turn good people into bad people.

But Snow doesn't see it that way. We have seen them in the past, and Snow trusted and loved Regina, but her words and her attitude make it look like she has forgotten all those good moments and all the good deeds of Regina, like her bad actions null her good ones.

Regina warns Snow to stay away from her, and that's when the fickle brat shown on flashbacks makes a comeback: she attacks Regina with a personal issue, her mother-daughter relationship.

These two women come from a very different way. Snow had a mother, even if it was for a short time of her life, and she has a different view on what a mother should be like because her own mother was a good mother. Regina has had a mother since the very beginning, but she was never a good mother to begin with, and all she knows about family is pain. It's pretty obvious when you see her relationship with Henry.

But this time, Snow's manipulation doesn't work because Regina has grown as well. The Queen would have fallen for it, but Regina hasn't. If you ask me, being alone has helped her.

The Evil Queen was surrounded with people who kept manipulating her. In Storybrooke, she was alone for years until Henry arrived in her life. She's not letting Snow get into her head, she has had too much alone time to think about many, many things. Snow tried several things, like mentioning Henry, but Regina has a clear goal. These two women are more experienced, more mature.

That's when Regina pokes at Snow's weakness, her mother. She tells her that she has no idea of what a mother is like, implying that she doesn't have a mother anymore, she hasn't in a really long time.

At the end, you can see their growth but also their coincidences. Even if they try to paint them as different people, ying and yang, Regina and Snow are too similar. They are stubborn, they have strong beliefs, they have similar methods... the only difference is that Snow sees the world as black and white, whilst Regina sees all the shades of grey (even if she can't quite differenciate them).

Also, you can see how much they crave affection. Regina craves her mother's, while Snow crave's Regina. She tries to allure her so she joins her side, but Regina keeps excusing or justifying her mother to have an excuse to be by her side without feeling negative feelings.

And that, that relationship and those women, are the core of the show. Their growth, individual and as a duo, is what the show is. And that scene is a display of what they were, what they are, and what they will be.

And once you watch that scene and you keep watching the show, you wonder what would have happened if that conversation had gone in a different way. But if it had, their complexity wouldn't be nowhere.

[sideshow-wolfie]

Little Story about Reigna's current self.

Reigna used to live in Boston with her older brother to start over their lives. Of course, she starts off with finding her love. Her first love she interacted with was Steve Friedman, a teen who always had a Squeaky-Voiced accent because of his condition. Originally, they WERE gonna be together as mates, but the proposal was extinct because she heard someone in her home being attacked... She tried saving her brother, but ended up being clawed by the killer... The killer WASN'T Sideshow Bob, if you guys were wondering. Weeks after his death, Reigna decided to escape to Springfield on her own.. she starved for weeks.. She got arrested after trying to give revenge to someone who killed her own brother. The killer claimed that Reigna was the phsycopath of Springfield, which wasn't true, yet the cops fell for it.

It's been a month since she's been in prison... The person she kept staying away from was Sideshow Bob. Hours had passed until he decided to ask what was up... Reigna growled a bit, saying that nothing was wrong and she was ok.. He was surprised by her wolf ears and tail.. as if they looked surgically attached. No, they weren't actually attached and replaced... She had them, since she released her inner wolf. He decides to trust her, since she's someone he has never seen before.

A year went by... The 2 prisoners fell deeply in love. And promised to each other as mates. Reigna at that moment had forgotten about Steve... Things were about to go peaceful until Steve showed up to find Reigna with the Phsycopath. He was furious, as he wanted to protect her.. he didn't want to face the fact that Reigna dnd Sideshow Bob are together as lovers. He tells the guards that he didn't want to take her as he ran off...

A month later, Sideshow Bob and Reigna agreed to meet Steve Friedman on top of the Springfield birds-eye mountain.

Of course with Steve's anger and anxiety still flying around his mind, he asks Bob to give her back, as he was thinking he's trying to kill her.

He replies with "Stop with this, we only came here to talk. NOT TO MAKE THIS INTO HELL."

He ignores what Sideshow Bob told him as he walked towards Reigna, begging her to run away from him...

but Reigna told him that he would rather be with Sideshow Bob rather than him.

"I loved you ONLY as a friend. but now I don't see any friendship waiting in you. When you came to me, I thought I would gain something special.. but you DIDN'T care about me. You left me to die. You never came for support, and you decided to think I was nothing but a beast. I did what I had to do to be happy, Steve. Sideshow Bob never stood away from me since we met. He's honorable and kind.. and I don't give a damn if he's a Psychotic individual. HE'S MY KING. And you are messing with his queen. Please, let it go!" - Reigna

Steve just grabbed her hand with force, yanking her away, while Reigna fights back...

Bob witnessed what Steve was doing to his mate. He felt anger rise within him, as he pulls out a knife. He pounced with brute force, pinning him to a tree... He nearly kills him... He failed on killing, as Steve runs off... He looked at him in disgust, because of how weak he was to fight back. Reigna hugs him... and shivered.. she hated Steve Friedman for trying to force her back to him.. It frightened her..

So...this explains why Reigna is in love with Sideshow Bob.

[marvinswriting]

Sorry! (but I’m not)

Prompt: tss and their giants play Sorry (the game) CHAOS MARVIN c h a o s (I had to Google how to play, I haven't in ages)

Janis glared at the game piece in front of her. It went up to her knee but was wide and looked heavy. "How the fuck am I supposed to move this?"

Gretchen grinned. "We could have the tinies play as their pawns again."

"But no forcefully knocking us over if you get the sorry card!" Regina clarified. 

This was their second game night and Damian, who wasn't here last week, raises his eyebrows. 

"It got rough last week." Janis clarified. 

"She fell off the table." Aaron pointed to the artist.

"What?!" Damian half laughed, eye wide, as he looked to Janis. 

She shrugged throwing up jazz hands. "I lived, hence the pawns this week."

"She knows how to stick a landing." Regina laughed. 

Damian frowned and Janis reached her out to touch his hand resting on the table. 

"I'm okay, dude. Truly. It didn't hurt and nothing's broken." She reassured him.

"I'm not missing another game night." Damian huffed leaning back in his chair. 

"And you shouldn't." Janis grinned. "We had fun but we missed you."

"Janis missed you." Regina huffed. Because god forbid Regina missed someone. 

Damian smiled knowingly at the blonde. "Uh huh, just Janis."

"Yeah, without you to protect her Regina shoved her off tables." Cady winked. 

"She was cheating!" Regina yelled. 

"How do you cheat in sorry!? We were on the same team! Tinies Vs-" Janis cut herself off and threw her hands in the air.

"Okay," Karen gently scooped up Regina to prevent her from charging at Janis. "Let's no rehash old events, dice emoji."

"I agree, let's play." Gretchen nodded. 

This week the tinies were on teams with their giants, side from Karen who wanted to be the blue pawns alone. 

Janis picked up one of the yellow pawns, trying to carry it to the starting circle. Despite what she thought, it wasn't heavy but the size was annoying. Damian had moved the other three pawns by the time Janis was done.

"Don't need to brag." She huffed.

"I didn't say anything." Damian laughed.

"Who goes first." Regina asked. She had perched herself on top of Gretchen's shoulder while Aaron and Janis stayed on the table. 

"Me, I was pushed off a table." Janis said walking over to the stack of cards.

"And I'll do it again." Regina mumbled. 

The cards were taller then Janis and she tried to ignore the amused grin on Damian's face as she pulled one off the top of the pile. 

It fell to the table face down and Janis walked over to the side to flip it over.

"Full-body workout, huh." Damian remarked.

"Yeah, we figured all this out last week, loser. Be here next time." Janis shot.

"I was at theater."

"Move a pawn from start," Janis said looking at the giant one on the card. "Can you do it Damian, pleaseeee?"

"Only since you asked so nicely." Damian leaned over Janis and effortlessly shifted the piece one space. 

Janis crouched down to avoid getting knocked over.

"Jesus, I'll do it next time." 

"She complains she had to do it and then complains when somebody else does it. Regina just push her off the table again." Damian jokes sitting up straight again. Cady picks the card for her and Aaron, which goes a lot faster, and the game was off. 

They played for about an hour, bantering back and forth and picking non-malicious fights. 

Janis and Damian were obviously winning. Regina had made her way off Gretchen's shoulder at some point in the game, finding it more amusing on the table.

"We can't let Janis win again!" She complained.

"Regina, we were on the same team last time!"

"Yeah, but you'd have two wins against my one!"

"Children. Literal children." Aaron mumbled. 

"Janis if you win I'll kill you."

"You promise?!"

"Hell yeah!"

"Okay." Fingers are wrapping around her waist and tugging Janis backward. Janis stumbles backward, swatting Damain's hand away.

"I'm fighting for my dignity!"

"You're making Regina George promise to murder you."

Janis huffed. "Whose turn is it."

"Ours!" Damian laughed.

"Ooooh."

"Stupid," Regina mumbled under her breath earning a swat on the arm from Aaron.

"Gina, we're supposed to insult Janis on false things that way we don't actually hurt her feelings."

"Hey wait-" Janis turned to them, but got cut off by Damian. 

"Okay, look! We drew an eight!" Damian moved the pieces for efficiency purposes. They had two pawns in the final zone, one was one space away, and the other was yet to even leave the start. 

Regina grumbled as she drew another move back four spaces. 

"We are never playing Uno as a group," Gretchen says, giggling at how unthreatening Reigna came across. "People may actually die."

Everyone continued their turns and Janis played close attention, turning out sour loser Regina. 

From her angle, it was hard to see where the pieces went on the bored. She lifted herself onto her tippy toes before turning to Damian wide-eyed.

"Dude, Karen's gonna win."

Damian glanced over and sure enough, the blonde only needed one more pawn, which was two moves outside of the safety zone.

"How?!"

"You guys were busy fighting with Regina." Karen giggled.

Janis huffed, walking over to the card stack when it was her turn. The pile was growing small but that didn't make it any less difficult to draw. 

"Sorry!" She called out as she flipped it over, shooting Karen a shit eating grin.

"See! That's perfect timing it can't be pure luck! Cheater!" Regina called out. 

"I'm not cheating!" Janis called, picking up one of her pawns and walking- more like waddling, besides the point- over to where Karen's piece sat. "Sorry." Janis grinned as she nudged the piece out of the way. 

Karen smiled with good nature. "Just watch out for Regina, don't want a murder on our hands, do we?"

"Listen-" Regina raises her hands as she begins to defend herself.

Janis grins. "Yes?"

"-hold on. I'll think of something."

Janis grins making her way back over to Damian as Aaron draws a card. 

It dosesn't take long for Janis and Damian to win.

"Hell yeah!" Janis pumped her fist in the air, sending a grin to Regina.

"I will shove you off this table so hard-"

A hand scoops under Janis, lifting her away from the danger.

"Put me down, Damian! I can take her!"

"Say the girl who fell off the table last time." Cady remarked.

"I wasn't ready last time."

Cady shakes her head fondly. "Maybe we play something else next week."

Damian cups his hands so Janis can't try and jump off. "What game though. These two could make the quiet game competitive."

"They have." Gretchen giggled. "In middle school, it was the only way to get them to shut up."

Janis sat down in Damian's hands, arms crossed. "Yeah but I always won."

"No!" Regina called across the table.

"Oh my god." Aaron groaned. "Not this again."

this just made me miss playing sorry,,,, also why were the rules so complicated bro tags! <3 @realmisspolarbear @musicallygt @smallsoysauce @sourishlemons

[cherrybombfangirlwrites]

Fractured Stars Falling Masterlist!

WIP Intro

Snippets:

untitled nightmare snippet with Raven and Sapphire

Tears of Fire with Elliot and Hestia

Wildly Beating Hearts with Cassandra and Erica

Distraction with Max and Monty

Guilt with Snow and Lan

Bandages with Raven and Sapphire

Rain Drowning Out Tears with Snow and Lan

Reading Lessons with Elliot and Hestia

Icy Kisses with Raven and Sapphire

The Apology with Snow and Lan

Hearth in the Storm with Tris and Kaye

All Eyes On Me with Triveya

In The End It Doesn't Even Matter (I Had to Fall to Lose it All) with Raven and Sapphire

And Now Forever I Know (All That I Wanted Was to Hold You) with Raven and Sapphire

Would You Let Me Touch Your Soul, Forever? (Can You Hear Me Longing For You, Forever, Forever?) aka Raven and Sapphire angsty times

Your Kisses Burn Into My Skin (Only Love Can Hurt Like This) aka Cass and Erica angsty times

Fireflies aka Raven and Sapphire Valentines Day Special

Book WIP and OC Intros

General Cinderella Intro

Tris Intro

Kaye Intro

King Burningham and Queen Persephone Intro

Snow Knight Intro

Snow Intro

Lan Intro

Queen Reigna Intro

The Little Pirate Intro

Cassandra Intro

Erica Intro

Gar Face Gabe Intro

The Lord's Son and The Frog Intro

Max Intro

Monty Intro

Lord Darevan Intro

[more intros and links coming... when I eventually post them haha]

Worldbuilding (mainly posts for now because sorting through asks is a nightmare)

Mother Hallya WBW Post

Dixy - Eldest of Mother Hallya

Keyon - Second Eldest

Sayfiya - Third Eldest

Gragra and Jhar - The Twins

Dragia - Second Youngest

Undral - The Youngest

Kingdom - Dinvirty

Kingdom - Goke

Area - The High Seas of Eltya

Country - Dryklan

Kingdom - Farkle

Kingdom - Greyvenhill

Area - The Under

Taglist: @rose-bookblood @chalcid @evethenovicewriter @writing-is-a-martial-art @mjjune @fiercely-raging-writer @wildswrites @corishadowfang @surroundedbypearls @serenanymph + people from the gen. taglist @outpost51 @dustylovelyrun (comment or send me a message to be +/- from the taglist <3)

[obey-me-ocs]

*They smile at Reigna* I'm no photographer, but I can picture us together. - Pun/Pickup line Anon (Also, I'm going to start trying to romance Reigna... wish me luck cause damn is she pretty...)

Why are you trying to flirt with me... and why are you picking the most weird cheesy ass pick up lines.

[kaseylynnwriting]

Happy Storyteller Saturday! How do your characters respond to a threat? Are they they type to run towards it or away?

If we’re talking solely physical threats-

Shilo would run towards the threat if it meant protecting her family or her friends. Reigna would instantly be in kick-ass mode the second she perceives a threat, and she would probably neutralize the threat without much help.

Katarina would freeze up even if she wanted to fight- at least for a while.She’d get better over time.

Saoirse is a toss up- sometimes she would fight without hesitation. Others, she’d bolt. 

Finn- he’d fight to protect his twin and younger sister

Serena- she would act like she doesn’t give a shit but the second shit hits the fan she’d not only fight- she’d attack.

Adalia- she’d fight for her slbilings, even it ends with her own death. 

Thank you for asking! :D

[gray-autumn-sky]

Happiness Can’t Be Arranged, Chapter 31

He’s not sure that he even slept.

His head is throbbing at the temples and behind his eyes, and he feels vaguely nauseous. His mouth is dry and pasty, and when he swallows, he can taste the liquor in his mouth, though it’s been hours since his last drink. He hadn’t been picky about what he started with, and worked his way through the whiskey his father always kept on hand and a nice bottle of cognac that was kept for special occasions that never seemed to come. He’d drank until his vision was hazy and his thoughts were blurry, and when he’d fallen back into the armchair in front of the hearth, he’d thrown his glass into the dwindling fire, lamenting there was no more within his reach to drink.

He’s not sure what happened after that. Everything just sort of… blurred together.

His thoughts flitted aimlessly back and forth and around again. They moved from what happened that night with Jefferson to the sting of Regina’s words and the guilt that bubbled up in him as soon as she said them. The jumped from the favor his father had done for him to the riddles Mr. Gold spun to the good day he and Regina had been having before entering the tavern. For whatever reason, that last bit--the lightheartedness of Reigna’s mood, her laugh and smile, and how it all came crashing down--made him the angriest.

He’d seen none of this coming, but especially not that.

Eventually, though, the fire faded out and eventually the morning sun came in through the windows.

And eventually, the regret set in.

This had been a stupid choice--a stupid choice to cap off a night of stupid choices.

Grimacing, he sits up, groaning as the ache in his head pulses.

His eye catches a glimpse of the portrait above the hearth that’s been there for as long as he can remember--an oil painting that his father commissioned when he was young. He’s sitting on his mother’s lap, and she’s sitting in a stately-looking chair while his father stands behind her, one hand on her shoulder and the other tucked into his pocket. His mother wears a faint smile and he looks as angelic as any two-year old might as he twists a long pearl necklace between his little fingers, but his father gazes out sternly--and it’s that stern look that finally pushes him up and out of his chair.

“It’s been a long while since I’ve found you this way.”

Robin blinks as a blurry John looks up from a newspaper. He squints and rubs at his dry eyes, then looks again to his valet, sitting on the sofa with his feet propped up on the table in front of it. “What time is it?”

“Oh, well before eight,” John says easily, glancing up again from the paper. “There’s a story here… about a brawl at the local tavern.”

Robin grimaces and presses his eyes closed, mutter a low fuck me under his breath.

“Says the assailant looked an awful lot like the town’s benefactor’s son--”

“Looked--”

“Yes, but upon further inquiry, the watchmen came to the conclusion that the younger Mr. Locksley was at home with his wife and children,” John says, looking back to the newspaper. “Something about in the midst of a bedtime routine.”

Robin’s eyes open and instantly narrow. “It really says that?”

“It does.”

“Oh--”

“It nearly sounds believable.”

Robin nods. “Yes. Nearly.”

“Upon further inquiry at the tavern, the watchmen determined that the men who witnesses the brawl couldn’t be certain of the man’s identity… which, they attribute to the alcohol.”

“I see.”

“Apparently, the assailant’s target had been drinking and gambling all day,” John says. “Cheating at cards. He got caught earlier that day.”

“So surprising.”

“Mm, so, the watchmen believe that someone he swindled came back for him.”

“Interesting--”

“It is,” John agrees, setting down the paper. “It’s complete and utter rubbish, but it is interesting.”

Robin’s brow arches. “Suppose I have an evil twin.”

John nods. “I could… except for the fact I was the one who saddled up your horse when you said you needed to run an errand into town… and then explained it was to pummel Jefferson Hatfield to a pulp.”

Robin feels a prickle run up his spine. “Well--”

“Of course, I somehow managed to forget those details when the watchmen asked me last night.” A grin twists onto his lips. “I’d just finished putting your horse into his stall when they arrived. I told them I was checking on Henry’s horse.”

“Ah--”

A little chuckle bubbles out of John as he rises. “You know how young boys can be--so eager to do things for themselves, but not always careful about detail.”

“Yes,” Robin says, nodding as he clears his throat and thinks how unlike Henry that would be. “Indeed.”

“So, no harm, no foul, right?”

“Something like that.”

“Did you get in a good punch?”

“I got in a few.”

“Good--”

“I’m not so sure,” Robin says, sighing. “Regina’s upset.”

“Of course she is. You lied to her--”

“And did exactly what she asked me not to do.”

“But did it feel good?” John asks. “Did hitting him make you feel any better?”

“I… don’t know. In the moment, yes. In the moment, it felt so good. But then… something overcame me, and I didn’t want to stop.”

“But you did.”

“Yes.”

“Then--”

“Then, I came home and…”

“You didn’t feel so good.”

Robin frowns. “No.”

“Because Regina’s upset about it.”

“And because I owe my father.”

“How much?”

Robin sighs and shakes his head. “Too much.”

“I’m sure he said he’ll take it from your inheritance,” John says, shrugging. “He always says that and then never does.”

“I don’t like owing him.”

John nods. “Debt of any kind to someone who you don’t get on well with is always an uncomfortable thing.”

“I have enough to cover it,” Robin says, talking more to himself than to John. “More than enough.”

“So, problem solved.”

Robin nods. “I hate to take it from the return on the investments Regina and I made, but--”

“If it’ll clear your head--”

Again, Robin nods. “It will, and that money is mine, free and clear. It’s nothing to do with my father.”

“So, the debt will be erased completely.”

“Yes.”

Robin draws in a breath, turning his head from side to side and letting his neck crack. He doesn’t want to go into town or sit in the bank manager’s office or fill out the necessary withdrawal forms. Instead, he wants a warm rag, a headache powder, and his own bed.

“Will you get my horse prepared for--”

“After I prepare you.”

Looking down at himself. “Oh, I’m fine to go as I am.”

John’s eyes narrow. “Are you?”

“I’m dressed and--”

“And look like you were in a brawl last night.” John’s nose scrunches slightly. “At least put on a shirt that doesn’t have blood on the cuff.”

Blinking, Robin looks down at his sleeve. “Son of a bitch--”

“Wash up. You look like hell. You’ve got bags underneath your eyes and your hair looks like some little woodland creature tried to make a nest of out it.”

Robin blinks and his temples pulse. “I know I’ve always encouraged you to speak your mind--”

John laughs. “You’ve known me far too long not to allow that.”

Robin frowns. That’s true enough. John has been with him since he was just a bit older than Henry is now. He’d been hired as a companion for the lonely only child--an only child who struggled to make friends because he had a penchant for stealing things he felt they didn’t need or properly care for.

“Come on,” John says easily. “If you’re nice to me and do as I ask, I’ll put a little honey in your wash water.”

Robin’s brow furrows. “Why would you do that?”

“Vapors.”

“Vapors?”

John laughs. “My mother swears by it, and who am I to argue?”

“Everyone knows vapors are made up--”

“I won’t argue with my mother and experience tells me honeyed water works to relieve a headache.”

Sighing, they start toward the stairs. “But--”

“It’s better than the alternative.”

Robin blinks. “And what is the alternative? Other than a medication that actually works?”

A tight, coy smile stretches across his lips. “Well, short of an eel to send a shock through you, trepanning.”

“You mean… drilling holes in my head. That’s your other suggestion?”

“People have been doing it for centuries.”

“And dying.”

John laughs. “Well, their headache goes away, then, doesn't it?”

“You’re an asshole,” Robin says, sighing as his eyes roll.

“An asshole, but your only friend.” Then a hearty laugh escapes him. “And a paid one, at that.”

“You’re fired.”

“You can’t fire me.”

“Sure, I can.”

“Yes, when your father dies.”

“I have… other friends.”

John laughs. “Sure, I’ll give you that. You have one more friend.”

“See--”

“But she’s mad at you right now.”

Robin groans as they start toward the stairs. He’s not in the mood for any of this--not the banter, not the pending errand, and certainly not the cackle he hears coming from the top of the stairs.

Bewildered, he looks to John.

“Zelena awoke early,” John says, rolling his eyes. “To everyone’s great delight.”

“Did she stay in her suite? I hardly need her blabbing to my father that I slept--”

“Yes. She had a guest, I think.”

“A guest--”

“Early this morning, she took a meeting in her sitting room.”

Robin’s brow creases. “With whom?”

“I didn’t care enough to inquire.”

Robin shrugs. “That’s fair.”

“She’s probably going down to breakfast now.”

Stepping off the stair, Robin shakes his head and starts toward the opposite end of the corridor. “We’re taking the servant’s stairs. I’d rather not bump into her.”

“Fair enough,” John says, chuckling slightly. “You’ll get no complaint from me. The less I bump into her the happier I am.”

They end up in his former bedroom. He sits on the edge of the bed while John choses a new set of clothes and prepares a pitcher and basin--and just as promised, he adds a spoonful of honey to the water. He cleans him up and combs his hair, dressing him before sponging on the honeyed water, which Robin begrudgingly allows.

When John is done with him, he looks almost as if he didn’t spend the entire night drinking--almost, but not quite. And he makes it a point to inform him that the honeyed water did not work to relieve his throbbing head. John shrugs and tells him he’s stubborn, then helps him into his coat.

John stays back to clean up while he goes downstairs, intentionally circumventing the dining room where his father and Zelena are eating. From what he can tell, the mood is tense--his father’s scowling and Zelena looks vexed--and if he didn’t have such a headache, he’d pop in, just to rile things up. But instead, he passes by unnoticed.

He walks to the stables, finding the air is bitterly cold, and his cloak is entirely too thin. He’s shivering by the time he reaches the stables. Quickly, he saddles up his horse and takes the same shortcut through the woods he took the night before, and he arrives just as the banker is opening up the doors.

The banker greets him gingerly as he always does--which is entirely based upon the amount of money his family holds there and nothing to do with being personable--and Robin explains his situation. As they enter, the banker opens up the office and fishes out the necessary forms. Robin sits at the desk and scowls at the small print--his eyes aching as he struggles to read it--and finally, when they’re filled out, he waits.

And waits.

And waits.

Then, finally, he’s handed a slip that indicates the transfer from his personal account to the Sherwood account that his father micromanages was made.

It stings a little and as he leaves, guilt prickles up his spine. He hates that the had to use some of this money--money meant for him and Regina and their boys to start a new life, money meant for his family’s security--to pay off a debt to his father over an incredibly stupid mistake.

Then, kicking the sides of his horse, he shrugs it off and races back to Sherwood, hoping to be back before Regina wakes--and hoping that sleep has calmed her down.

______

From the window of the small sitting room attached to their bedroom suite, Regina watches as Robin rides across the lawn--and she wonders where he’s coming back from and how long he’s been away.

The spot beside her was cold when she woke, and the pillow and blanket undisturbed. After walking away from him the night before, she undressed herself and got into a nightgown. She’d kept the fire going as she crawled into bed, and she stayed up as late as she could, just waiting to see if Robin came to bed.

She hoped that he would.

She hoped that they could talk.

She hoped that she could more calmly explain herself--tell him that she hadn’t meant to hurt his feelings, that she’d poorly chosen her words, that she hadn’t meant to accuse him of making her a kept woman. And that hadn’t been at all what she meant, despite the way that it sounded.

But she was upset and her emotions raged. Her words got jumbled in her head and when they came out, they came out wrong. She’d been too frazzled to correct herself and too mad to want to--but she hadn’t meant to hurt his feelings, and deep down, she knew that he didn’t mean to upset her.

He’d been angry at the situation--and this sort of behavior was still new to him.

She’d learned to deal with it, to shroud in the shadows and make herself as invisible as possible--after all, if she was out of sight, she was out of mind, and the longer she stayed that way and the longer people didn’t think of her, the more her indiscretions would fade away. When she and Henry moved back to Dragon Head, that had been her plan, and it’d worked. People eventually stopped talking about the disgraced, prodigal daughter returned.The scandal didn’t go away, and as she well-knew, the story cropped up every now and then, but for the most part, she’d been able to give a quiet life away.

And that was how she spent the earliest months of her marriage.

But Robin wasn’t used to that and he didn’t understand it.

Sure, he’d been a relative recluse, not often attending social engagements or fraternizing with the men or couples of his age group.

But he lived by a different set of rules.

He could do that. His gender and position allowed that--no matter how strange people thought he was.

But Robin hadn’t come up to bed and she never got the chance to explain herself.

She’d waited up until the sun was peeking up over the trees and she couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer. It seemed she’d barely closed her eyes when Mal was waking her up, explaining in too-quick a voice that Belle was still feeling under the weather, and she’d made an executive decision--which she knew she had no right to make--to give her one more day in bed to ensure she’d kicked whatever bug had overtaken her.

Regina nodded blindly, agreeing--and she thinks she meant it--and only half listening.

Mal led her into the little dressing room at the back of her bedchamber, and stripped her down, offering up two choices of dresses. She’d only shrugged and told Mal to pick, and she stood there like a inanimate doll, letting Mal stuff her into the the cream-colored long-sleeve dress spotted with little brown flowers.

When she was dressed, Mal took out her braid and pinned her hair, letting it hang down over her shoulders. Mal giggled as she chose an ivory comb for her hair. Regina shrugged when Mal asked if she wanted the rest of her hair up, and when she indicated didn’t care, Mal patted her shoulders and told her she was going to wake the boys.

Regina nodded and watched her go, then frowned at her reflection.

She looked tired and she felt worse than she looked--and that made her grumpy…

Blinking, she looks to the door, listening as footsteps near. She swallows. She knows the footsteps--and for a moment, she thinks up a quick apology. But everything she thinks to say seems to fall short or not quite explain what she really means--and that only frustrates her.

“You look like hell,” she says instead as Robin enters the room.

Robin blinks, almost blankly. “Yes. Well. Good morning to you, too.”

She bristles. This isn’t how she wanted to start the conversation. “Where were you?”

“What?”

“I saw you riding across the lawn.”

“Oh. Right,” he murmurs. “The bank.”

“Why?”

“The same reason anyone goes to the bank. I needed to make a transaction.”

Regina frowns as Robin flops down into one of the chairs by the window. He’s usually not this short with her.

“What was the transaction for?”

“My father,” he says., sighing as he reaches for the cord on the window, tugging at it until the curtain falls. “I needed to pay my debt.”

“How much?”

He blinks. “Too much.”

“That’s not an amount.”

She grimaces. It doesn't matter. What’s done is done, and truly, she doesn't care about the amount of money. She meant to sound curious, but her voice sounded more frustrated than she intended.

Robin doesn’t reply, instead, he reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a bank slip. His eyes close and his head falls back as he extends the slip to her on his fingertips. A bit awkwardly, she shifts herself to him and takes it; but she doesn't look at it, instead, she just looks at him, again trying to muster an apology.

“You… didn’t come to bed last night.”

“I didn’t think you wanted me to.”

“Well, you… you share this room, so…”

“I’ve spent the last several nights sleeping elsewhere,” he tells her. “What’s one more night?”

She frowns. She hadn’t expected that. “Well, that was… different. Henry was sick and--”

“It wasn’t intentional.”

She blinks. “What do you mean?”

“I passed out. In the library.”

“Oh--”

“I fell asleep in a chair.”

“That sounds… uncomfortable.”

Robin shrugs. “I’m used to it.”

Again, she bristles, not quite sure what that means or how to take it; but nonetheless, it annoys her. “So, you… drank yourself stupid and passed out. That’s what you’re telling me?”

“I suppose it is.”

Her jaw tightens. “So, instead of facing me, you… got drunk.”

“I suppose that’s the sum of it.”

Again, she tenses. She spent the night worrying about him--worrying that she’d ruined something between them, that one poor word choice changed something between them--and all the while, he was downstairs, drinking.

“I just wanted to forget it all.”

“So, you wanted to forget… me and what I said.”

“Well, it was a shitty thing to say, but--”

“Well, you did a shitty thing.” Her shoulder square as his eyes open, and she feels herself growing defensive. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have said what I said, but perhaps you shouldn’t have done what you did.”

Robin stares blankly at her for a moment, then, with a sigh, his head falls back. “This isn’t worth the fight.”

“Isn’t it, though?” she asks, again her defense piquing. “It was worth getting stupid drunk. So, you obviously care, so why not--”

“Damn it, Regina. I don’t know what you want me to say. I don’t know what you want me to do.”

She feels her jaw tighten as her cheeks warm. “Well, I can tell you what I don’t want you to do. I don’t want you to blow things out of proportion, as you’ve already done. I don’t want you to lie to me or dismiss my wishes or feelings, and I don’t want you to make an uncomfortable situation worse--”

“So, we’re back to this--”

“Did we ever leave it?”

Robin sighs, rubbing two fingers against his forehead. “Your situation is only uncomfortable because--”

“Because of my choices. No one else’s. No one else is to blame. It’s just me. And you can disagree with that, and to be perfectly honest, I love you for disagreeing with that, but at the end of the day, you’re the only one who sees my situation as you see it.”

Robin blinks--he looks like he’s not quite following.

“But I’ve lived with this longer than you have, and I understand there are different rules for different people. That’s just the way the world works. I don’t make the rules, but neither do you, and we both have to live by them, whether we like them or not.”

For a moment, he’s silent--and then, he shakes his head. “I don’t accept that.”

“But I have to.”

Again, he shakes his head--and then, he offers a sardonic little chuckle. “Right, because you’re not just at my mercy, you’re at the mercy of the whole world.”

She swallows. That’s not an inaccurate statement. She is at the mercy of the world; but she’s never felt as his mercy. She’d said it, of course, but she hadn’t meant it in the way that he’d taken it. She’d meant that the only reason anyone was inclined to treat her nicely was because of her marriage to him and his status within the town, and the only reason she was allowed to live a comfortable life was because he’d decided to marry her and give her that comfort. As a man of considerable wealth, he could make those choices, and everyone just had to grit their teeth and accept it, no matter how undeserving they deemed her.

And they did deem her undeserving--from the barkeeper at the tavern to his father--she was not worthy of the second chance her husband had afforded her. So, if something happened to Robin, the world wouldn’t hesitate to take it all away--and her father-in-law would be at the front of the line to do so.

“You should know that’s not what I meant--at least not about you.”

“Should I?”

“Robin, this is all very complicated and--”

“Is it, though?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t see it that way.”

“Because you don’t have to see it that way!”

“Or perhaps you’re choosing not to.”

She scoffs and shakes her head. “I don’t have choices.”

“Sure you do. We all do.”

She nods. “To an extent.” Drawing in a breath, she tires to tamp down her anger--and she is angry that he doesn’t understand and that he doesn’t seem to even be trying to understand. “I didn’t mean that I am living at your mercy… not exactly.”

“Yet, that’s what you said.”

“I misspoke! Damn it, Robin. I misspoke. I was upset! I was mad at you! I was mad at myself! I hate myself for doing what I did, and I hate myself for the way it’s affected my son and the way it now affects you. But there was some truth in what I said. Mercy wasn’t the right word, I’ll own that. But I am here at your grace.”

“Is that different?”

“Yes! It is! If you weren’t here, if something happened to you--”

“I have a will,” he says simply, cutting in and shrugging in a way that seems to diminishing. “You are my benefactor.”

“And your father would not hesitate in challenging it.”

“It’s legally binding--”

“No! It’s not!” she cuts in. “The laws are not on our side. I can’t inherit.”

“But you can hold--”

“No,” she says, shaking her head. “It is so kind and so wonderful that you included my son in your will--”

“I consider him my son, too--”

“I know you do, and I love you for that, but the truth is, the law does not see it that way--”

“Yes, it does. I signed--”

“Your father could easily convince a judge to say that you were persuaded, that I forced you or blackmailed you or....” She sighs, throwing up her hands as tears burn in her eyes. “I would lose everything you think I’d be left, including Roland. Your father would be sure of it--if not to stick it to me, then to stick it to my mother.”

“Your mother is irrelevant to this.”

“No, she’s not, and I am not claiming that she’s innocent or deserves anything from your family, but--”

“But all of this is irrelevant. Nothing happened, Regina. You’re getting upset over--”

“It almost did! It almost happened last night!”

“No--”

“Robin, if your father hadn’t just written a cheque--”

“And this isn’t nothing.”

“Yes, it is. Nothing--”

“Are my feelings nothing?”

Her voice cracks when she asks, and he sighs, again rubbing his fingers at his forehead. He looks frustrated and when he looks back at her and sees her trembling jaw, he shakes his head and looks away.

“I… am too hungover to do this right now.”

“Robin, this isn’t--”

“I can’t do this right now,” he tells her again, this time, stepping around her. “Perhaps later would be a better time, perhaps then we can talk about this more rationally--”

“I’m not irrational.”

“And I don’t think I am either.”

He says no more.

He just leaves.

And then, the tears burning in her eyes being to slip down her hot, flushed cheeks; and once again, she hates herself for every stupid choice that led her to this moment, the stupid choice that seems to taint every good thing she has, the stupid choice that won’t fizzle into her past, the stupid choice that sentenced her to the life of a marked woman.

_____

The rest of the day is uncomfortable, at best.

She doesn’t see Robin after their brief and snarky exchange that morning--and that only further proves her point to herself, making her feel isolated and alone.

The boys ask again and again where Robin is, and she tells them the watered-down version of what she knows--he didn’t sleep well, so he’s napping.

She picks at her breakfast which earns another round of questions from Henry and Roland. Roland accepts her excuses, but Henry looks worried, asking again and again if he got her sick--a possibility he seems quite anxious and guilty over. So, she puts on a smile and tries to reassure him, all the while trying to avoid Mal’s narrow gaze.

When breakfast is done, Mal sends the boys off to their room to put on sweaters and change from their shoes to their boots. She makes a passing comment about how fortunate they are that Henry has two good, thick quilted coats because Roland’s arms are getting too long for his own, and Regina tells her about the appointment she wants to make with Ruby to fit the boys for new wardrobes.

Mal laughs and says she hopes that’s tomorrow because both boys are growing like weeds, and Regina says when Ruby comes to drop off a package later that afternoon, the three of them should talk about it. Mal tells her to make the appointment, and she’ll work the boys’ lessons around whatever she chooses, then asks permission to take the to Dragon Head for the late morning and afternoon. Mal doesn’t say it’s to get them out of the house or because Henry’s already picking up on the tension, but it goes without saying--so, Regina agrees, explaining that the boys had a great time playing with the animals and her father in the barn the last time they were there.

Together, they get the boys ready and Roland chatters on about the fat cat that cuddled with him before--and when Mal corrects him, telling him the cat was pregnant with kittens, he only shrugs and adds that she was still fat and still cuddly. Henry asks if they can ride horses instead of walk and Mal nods easily as she looks to Regina, who also nods--and then, before Henry can celebrate, she adds a stern you can ride with Mal, not on your own that leaves Henry scowling at her.

After they leave, that lonely, isolated feeling returns, so she busies herself with going through the boys’ things. She spends the day measuring shirts and breeches and casting ones that won’t fit either of them into a donation pile, and she makes a list of all the things each boy will need. She moves some of Henry’s old things to Roland’s side of the closet, and when she sees how much longer Henry’s list of needs are compared to Roland’s, she adds a few extra things to Roland’s list. She hesitates momentarily--considering the cost of redoing an entire wardrobe for two still-growing children--but then, reminds herself that they’re not exactly on a budget.

She bristles as she thinks about the banking slip Robin had handed her--the one she didn't look at, but knew likely noted a hefty sum--and decides if they can afford to pay off watchmen, they can afford a few extra woolen sweaters and linen shirts for Roland.

Biting down on her lip, she looks at the mess she’s made--things that should be donated and things that can be repurposed or mended--and she begins to sort. She arranges the clothes to be donated by type, laying them out on each of the beds. When she looks around, the mess is only minorly better, and she sighs.

It’s not lost on her that no maid has come into the nursery--likely knowing that she’s in there--so, she steps into the hall in search of either a hall boy who can assist her or a linen closet that might have something in it to bundle up or store the donations.

She roams around for a few minutes, finding no hall boy in that part of the hall, but she does find the linen closet at the end of the hall, near the servants’ staircase.

I heard she had a gentleman caller.

Ooh, from who?

One of the hallboys told me.

Regina’s eyes roll as two maids giggle from the stairwell.

Well that isn’t what I heard. I heard that Mr. Locksley didn’t sleep in his own bed.

At that, Regina stiffens.

The old one or the young one?

Ew, the young one. He and the wife had a row.

How do you know that?

A hall boy overheard.

Regina’s eyes roll as she stands in front of the cabinet, rooted in place, barely able to breathe.

So, Mr. Locksley slept in Ms. Mills’ room with Ms. Mills--and that’s the Ms. Mills that isn’t his wife?

That’s what the hallboy said.

Regina feels heat rising up the back of her neck, her jaw tightening as she thinks of all the times Robin and Mal have pointed out the maids’ rudeness where she’s concerned. She doesn't believe a word of what they’re saying, they’re just stirring up gossip, but she’s hardly in the mood for it. Drawing in breath, she holds it in her chest as she works up the courage to slam the cabinet’s door--and then, when she hears both maids gasp, she pushes open the door to the stairwell, finding them frozen and wide-eyed.

“I’ve done some sorting in my sons’ room,” she says curtly as she looks between the maids, her fingers gripping the door handle to keep herself from shaking. “The donations need to be bundled.”

They stare blankly, nodding.

“There’s also a pile to be mended and some things that are beyond repair that can be repurposed, too,” she says, her hand that’s hidden aching as she holds on a bit tighter. “And while you’re in there, the beds need to be made.”

“Oh, I--”

“Isn’t the nanny--”

“No,” she cuts in. “My husband made it quite clear when Mal was hired what her obligations are and what obligations belong to you.” Taking a short breath, she looks between them, hoping she doesn’t look as scared as she feels. “Now that you’ve had a reminder, this shouldn’t happen again.”

“Y-yes, of course--”

“And for the record,” she says, her heart pounding wildly in her chest as she looks to the one she assumes was speaking. “Where my husband slept last night isn’t for you to speculate about or even to wonder about.”

The maid looks down as the other maid’s cheek’s flush, both seeming quite embarrassed--and both likely very much needing the job at Sherwood.

“And I can say, quite confidently, your informant had it wrong--he was not Zelena’s gentleman caller.”

Regina takes a step back and the maids scurry away toward the nursery--and as soon as they’re out of sight, she falls back against the door, her heart racing and her lungs desperate for the air she’d been depriving them. She takes a minute to try and calm herself, taking long, deliberate breaths and hoping Robin didn’t drink so much he lost memory of what transpired the night before--and when a little voice at the back of her head, one that sounds an awful lot like her mother and always creeps out when she’s feeling most insecure, reminds her of the rumor she heard about him kissing Zelena weeks before and the fact that he once got so drunk that he took a maid from another house to bed while married to Marian, her stomach churns.

_____

It seems an eternity before Mal returns with the boys--and even longer before Robin emerges from his former room.

A footman brings up their dinner, and as they’ve lately done, they eat in the boys’ sitting room around the round table by the hearth while Mal takes a much-earned break. As they sit down, she notes that Robin looks decidedly less rough than he did earlier that day; it’s obvious that the sleep was needed and did him some good. She also notices that he keeps looking to her--looking like there’s something he wants to say--but time and time again, he doesn't say it.

All through dinner, the boys keep the conversation going, telling story after story about their afternoon adventures at Dragon Head. Henry goes on and on about her father taking them for a ride on his horse--how fast he let the horse run and how much colder and more refreshing the wind was when when they were riding, and how he took both him and Roland separately, twice. Henry also tells stories about the young goats and how much bigger they are, how he and Roland laughed and laughed as they jumped over each other and head-butted each other, and Henry explains how important he felt when his grandpapa took him into the little back office in the barn and showed him the ledgers that tracked grain production.

“That’s where we saw the kitties!”

“Kitties?” Regina asks, looking to Roland.

“The fat cat had her kitties!”

“How many were there?” Robin asks.

“Six.”

“They were really tiny,” Henry adds. “They were just born a couple of days ago.”

“One was even tinier than the rest of ‘em,” Roland says. “He was my favorite.”

“They were all cute,” Henry says.

“But this one was definitely the cutest of the whole liter,” Roland states, as if absolute fact. “He was orange.”

Both she and Robin chuckle softly, and for a brief second, their eyes meet--Roland seems also smitten with the tiny kitten and she’s sure he finds it as cute as she does--but then, he looks away.

“Were any of the other kittens orange?”

“Just him,” Roland says, beaming as if an orange cat is something truly rare and spectacular.

Roland keeps talking about the kitten all through dinner--and every now and then, she or Robin pipe in with a question or a comment, and from the outside looking in, it appears that everything is normal.

But it feels like they’re each having a separate conversation, each time they respond to one of the boys, rather than talking to them together. They don’t play off of each other the way that they normally do, and aside from that one brief moment, they don’t make eye contact.

And there’s a tension between them. She can feel it, and given the way Henry keeps looking between them, he can feel it, too.

As Robin and Henry shift the conversation away from the orange kitten that Roland’s so enamored with--shifting it to a discussion about Henry’s horse and when he can ride him on his own--she can’t help but notice this is the sort of topic that Robin would normally include her in on, even if Henry’s questions were directed at him.

But she sits beside him, almost unnoticed, watching as Roland happily eats a bowl of chocolate pudding. She shifts uncomfortably as she thinks about their fight and thinks about how dismissive he seemed that morning. Of course, he didn’t look well, likely due to a hangover, but he could barely look at her and he barely accepted her explanations. Perhaps, he disagreed, or perhaps, he was still too angry to have a conversation, or perhaps he just really was that hungover--but that nagging little voice in the back of her head that she couldn’t shut up before starts chirping again. It reminds her of what the maids said, of what the hallboy supposedly knew, of where Robin might’ve spent his drunken night--and her stomach lurches.

She doesn’t think he’d intentionally hurt her that way and she doesn’t think he’d ever intentionally make that choice--but the voice reminds her that he was very drunk the night before and quite distant that morning, and as much as she doesn’t hold his drunken, adulterous one night stand against him, the voice reminds her that this has happened before.

And she knows Zelena, and it wouldn’t be the first time she’d tried to seduce him.

A wave of nausea hits her and she clears her throat, feeling hot tears burning in her eyes and beads of sweat forming on her brow.

“Mama,” Henry says, abruptly shifting the focus to hers. “You didn’t eat.”

“What?” She looks down at her plate. “I… I suppose I wasn’t very hungry.”

“You… look sick.”

“Oh, I’m just… not feeling as well as I could.”

Roland blinks up at her from his pudding, looking concerned. “Are you getting sick?”

“No. I’m just--I just took a turn, briefly--”

“I was sick,” Henry says. “I could’ve gotten you sick.”

Regina forces a smile, decidedly not looking at Robin. “No, I just… it’s not that sort of sick, Henry.”

“How do you know that for sure?” he asks, sounding alarmed.

“There’s different types of sick?” Roland asks.

“Regina,” Robin murmurs, finally chiming in as he reaches for her hand--and instinctively, she pulls it back, an action she immediately regrets. “You know, I think I’m going to go and lie down.”

“Should I send in Mal?” Henry asks. “She was really good when--”

“No, I think I just need to lay down,” Regina says, her stomach twisting as the voice in her head continues to scream things she doesn't want to believe, things that she doesn’t believe. “After a quick nap, I’ll be good as new.”

It feels like the walls are closing in.

Her heart is racing and she feels on the verge of tears, and she just wants the patronizing voice in her head to stop. She reminds herself that she doesn’t believe that Robin would intentionally hurt her in that way, that he knows how fragile she feels her security is, and that his standoffish behavior was simply the result of an argument--and really, that was more of a misunderstanding, at least on his end.

Logically, she knew that. In her heart, she knew that. But for whatever reason, she couldn’t convince herself.

She’s not sure what it is about this particular moment, or why it’s taken all day for her to feel this way. Once upon a time, it hadn’t been so uncommon. When she was married to Daniel, it popped up occasionally, catching her off guard; then, after his death, it’d been her near-constant state. In the earliest days of her marriage to Robin, she second guessed everything. But she’d learned to trust him--and he’d earned that trust and deserved it now, even if she was mad at him for acting like a fool the night before.

And while she knew that, she couldn’t seem to make it matter--and she hated that his eyes were now on her, watching as she melted down, and worse, that both boys were watching.

“Mama--”

“Are you okay?”

Robin reaches for her, taking her hand--and she grimaces at herself when she pulls away again.

“I’m just feeling a bit under the weather,” she says, swallowing hard and doing her best to keep her composure. “I think if I just lay down--”

“I can come with--”

She shakes her head and smiles, hating that Robin looks alarmed--and hating this seems to be what broke the tension between them.

“Regina, I can--”

“No, you stay and finish dinner.”

“Did I get you sick?” Henry asks again.

“I’ll be fine,” she insists, rising up from the table. “I just need to lay down.”

She can feel their eyes on her as she leaves--and as soon as she’s in the hall, her tears begin to fall and she’s heaving for air. She stands outside the door, taking long and deliberate breaths, focusing on that and not the voice in her head and wishing more than anything she didn’t feel so insecure.

_____

Robin stands in the center of his old bedroom, feeling lost.

Though this bedroom had been his for most of his adult life, it no longer feels like his space. It feels lonely and isolated, and so incredibly foreign without Regina’s things scattered amongst his.

When he’d tucked the boys in--and reassured Henry for what felt like the umteenth time that he hadn’t gotten his mother sick--and turned them back over to Mal’s care, it occurred to him to join Regina in their bedchamber, but as he made his way down the hall, he’s pace slowed and he wasn’t sure that she wanted him.

He’d spent the better part of the day in this room, laying in bed and metaphorically kicking himself.

Regina had some valid points--and when she explained herself, he couldn’t help but realize how clear it was what she meant the night before. Then, emotions had been running high and he couldn’t see it, but now that he was calmer and had more of her perspective, he knew that he’d crossed a line.

They both did.

That morning, it seemed that she was ready to talk, but he’d been too hungover to do that. He’d been short and distant, and he knew her feelings were only further hurt--and he knew that an apology was in order.

Of course, that was if she’d still accept it...

“Ah, here you are.”

He turns at the sound of John’s voice. “Yes.”

“I was hoping I wouldn’t find you here,” John muses, “But I suppose it’s an improvement on last night’s condition.”

“I’m not in the mood for teasing.”

“I’m not teasing,” John says. “That’s a perfectly accurate, straight comment. No jeers intended.”

“She’s still mad.”

“Of course she is,” John says, looking directly at him. “She asked you not to do something, and you did it.”

“I know--”

“She asked you to drop a matter, and you didn’t.”

Robin’s brow creases. “Who’ve you been talking to?”

“Mal.”

“Ah--”

“Then, to make matters worse, the watchmen show up, drag you out of your children’s nursery and--”

“I know that,” Robin says, his jaw tightening as he cuts in. “I get it.”

“Alright, so have you apologized for your end of it?”

“No.”

“Well, I think we’ve figured out why your wife’s still mad at you.”

Robin blinks as John chuckles. “I… don’t know that she wants to see me. She couldn’t wait to get away from me earlier, she practically recoiled when I reached for her hand.”

“Again, I’m sure if you were to apologize for being a complete ass--”

Robin sighs and his eyes fall away from John’s. “And suppose the damage is already done?”

“I doubt--”

“Regina doesn’t trust easily. She doesn’t think…” He sighs, rubbing his fingers to his brow as he looks back to John. “She’s convinced that the entire world is against her--”

“Minus you.”

Robin shrugged. “Two days ago, sure--”

“You’re on her side,” John says. “You just… had a shitty way of showing it.”

“She asked me to let it go and I didn’t, and--it’s not the first time I lied to her about something stupid.”

John nods. “The rumor about the red-headed nightmare kissing you?”

“Yes,” Robin sighs. “Only that it wasn’t a rumor. Zelena did kiss me.”

John’s face screws up. “Did you kiss her back?”

“No,” he’s quick to say. “I pushed her away.”

John nods. “Were you near a hearth?”

Robin’s eyes narrow and his head tips, as a little chuckle escapes John. “What?”

“A bit of a harder shove, and she’d have been in the fire. Then, we’d all be rid of that witch.”

“And the watchmen would have surely arrested me on charges my father couldn’t pay to have dropped.”

“But it’s still technically legal to burn a witch at the stake. You were only missing a stake, and I’m sure a judge could’ve forgiven you that?”

In spite of himself, Robin laughs. “You really hate her, don’t you?”

“With the passion of a thousand suns.”

“Why?”

“She acts like she’s the Lady of the House, yet can’t seem to differentiate between a footman, the butler and a valet.” John’s eyes roll. “The next time she catches me in the hall and demands a bit of tea in her room, I’m going to pretend I’m hard of hearing.”

“She’ll lose her mind.”

“And hopefully make a scene your father can’t ignore.”

Robin grins. “Sounds like you’ve got yourself a plan.”

“I’ve many plans for ridding us all of that woman.”

“Another time, I think I’d like to hear them.” He takes a breath. “And I think Regina would, too.”

John nods, as a soft grin edges onto his lips. “Go talk to her, before she goes to bed, go and talk to her. Smooth things over.”

“Suppose she doesn't want to talk to me?”

“Then she’s not ready to talk, but at least you’ll know, and at least she’ll know that you cared enough to try.”

Robin smiles and nods, but nonetheless, sits on the edge of the bed. He feels terrible--about last night and this morning, the fact that she went through the entire day on her own in a house full of people who didn't like her, and the fact that so much of what she said had so much truth to it. He knew the world didn’t share his outlook--it was why he usually hid away from it--and he knew that the laws and societal opinions weren’t on her side. No one would give her the benefit of the doubt, and no one would give her her due in his absence--that was, after all, how she ended up in the position she did after Daniel and that was, after all, why he’d initially felt so inclined to marry her.

His apology--no matter what he said, no matter how heartfelt--would fall short. He couldn’t fix the way the world was and he couldn’t make the world understand.

Well.

Not as it was and not here.

Now, a change was possibly pushed back--financially speaking--on the account of his poor choices and the heavy debt that came with it. And the worst of it was he wouldn’t feel that financial cost--not personally--but she would and that wasn’t fair.

“We were supposed to leave here.”

“What?”

He looks up. “My plan was to move Regina and the boys up to the hunting lodge.”

“You can still--”

“I wanted to be independent of my father.”

John shakes his head. “I don’t understand what--”

“I was going to buy him out,” Robin explains. “I was going to buy the hunting lodge, and have it as my own, free and clear.”

“Would he have agreed to that? It’s not his favorite piece of the estate, but a piece of the state nonetheless, and he’s always so adamant about keeping the estate together.”

“He loves money more than this estate, and it’s more the idea that I could,” Robin explains. “It’s the idea that… that I don’t have to live by his rules anymore or minute details of his will.”

John’s brows arch. “You’ve done that well with all those railway investments?”

Robin nods. “Thanks to Regina’s advice.”

“You two make quite a pair.”

“I had nothing to do with this. I was leery. Everything I wanted to do, flopped--”

“And everything she trusted flourished.”

“Exactly, and… I can’t even put her name on the account at the bank, did you know that? That my wife can’t even be listed on an account filled with money that she earned?”

“I… knew vaguely of that rule.”

“Of course, I have no reason to think the money will stop--”

“No, rail is an industry that’s only growing.”

Robin nods. “But we were nearly there. By Christmas, I could’ve sent my father a check and… and been gone.” He sighs and shakes his head. “I could have taken her away from here and brought her to a place where she’s comfortable, where she’d never be refused service, where people in town don’t know every private detail of her life.”

“How much did you have to repay your father?”

“Nearly half.”

John’s brows jut up. “Oh--”

“I… think Regina knows,” he says, sighing as he shakes his head. “I gave her the bank slip. I don’t know if she looked.”

John frowns. “Like you said, the money won’t just stop.”

“I know, but… how many more days will she have to walk on eggshells? How many more nights will she have to ignore gossipy maids and hallboys? How long--”

“You know,” John cuts in. “You could still go.”

“I know, but the point was to not have anything hanging over me. I could still manage the estate, of course, I doubt he’d disinherit me.”

John nods. “He’s too much of a traditionalist to do that.”

“But he couldn’t hold my inheritance over my head the way he does, using it to manage my choices.” Robin sighs. “You know, last night, I kept looking at that portrait over the hearth…”

“The one of you and your parents--”

“Yes,” Robin says, nodding. “My mother was such a kind soul. Everyone said so. Kind and forgiving, almost to a fault.” He smiles wistfully up at John, remembering the way his mother’s friends used to talk about her--how willing to listen she was, how she never judged their choices, but always offered advice, how she warmed a room and--

His thoughts stop abruptly as a memory flickers.

“John, do you remember that summer when my father went to visit, um… what was his name?” His eyes narrow as he strains his memory. “He had a son just a bit older than me, and stepsons--”

“William was the son, I remember.” John sighs. “There was another boy in the family, Augustus, who liked to be called John--”

“It was his middle name--”

“And he told me nearly hourly.”

Robin grins. “He was young.”

“And obnoxious.”

“I stole a pair of dice from him,” Robin muses as John chuckles. “That’s all I remember of any of those boys.”

“Why… are you suddenly thinking of them?”

“Because the mother was a friend to my mother. She spoke so kindly of her. They wrote letters,” Robin says. “She showed me one that my mother wrote to her announcing that she was pregnant with me.”

John’s eyes narrow. “I… I still don’t understand.”

“When I came home, I found the letters in my mother’s cottage.”

“I imagine that you did.”

“You kept watch while I hunted for them.”

“I… think I remember that,” John says, chuckling softly. “You paid me in desserts.”

“There was one, in particular, that was just full of scandal--”

“Ah--”

“I need to find it.”

John blinks. “Now?”

“I want to be sure.”

“Why?” John asks, shaking his head. “I… I don’t understand.”

“I just… don’t want to speak in falsehoods. I’ve told Regina enough half truths and have been vague about stupid things, and while this might not fully matter, I don’t want to misspeak.” John blinks as Robin gets up from the bed. “If Regina asks, please let her know that I went to retrieve something from my mother’s cottage and I’ll be back before ten.”

John just blinks and nods as he moves to the wardrobe, fetching an old coat and putting it on. It seems silly, he knows, but he wants to be sure before he tells the story that doesn’t belong to him, but a story that’s not unlike his wife’s--a story in which a good woman fell from grace, then successfully rose back up to live a respectable life that many envied.

_____

Regina’s head turns at the sound of the opening door, and she sighs in disappointment when she watches Mal come through.

“Sorry to disappoint,” Mal says, smirking at her. “Belle will be back in commission tomorrow.”

“Oh, that’s not why--” She stops and sits up. “Never mind.”

“You were hoping for Robin.”

“He’s still upset with me.”

“Well, you overreacted. You blew this whole thing completely out of proportion.”

Regina blinks as she sits up. “I admit, I… was a little off base with what I said--”

“Jefferson Hatfield had it coming.”

Regina sighs and looks away. “No--”

“Yes,” Mal counters, folding her arms. “The fact that Robin only punched him a few times really showed restraint, in my opinion.”

She bristles. “I asked him not to--”

“Regina,” Mal says, cutting in as she comes to sit on the edge of the bed beside her. “The reason men like Jefferson Hatfield are able to get away with the things they get away with is because no one holds them accountable. Not ever.”

“The rules for--”

“Rules can be changed with time,” Mal says. “And the way to do it is to not let the status quo continue.” Regina looks away and shakes her head. “I��m not saying it’s easy or comfortable or doesn’t draw negative attention, but that rumor--the scandal of what happened between the two of you--was dying down.”

“Until Zelena dredged it up.”

“She couldn’t have done it without Jefferson’s compliance.”

“I know,” Regina murmurs. “It’s just--”

“Hard.”

“Yes.”

“And isn’t it comforting to know that for all the emotional turmoil you’re facing, he’s got a bloodied up face and a crooked nose to contend with?”

Regina looks back to Mal and blinks. “How do you--?”

“I don’t,” Mal sighs. “But a girl can daydream, right?”

For a moment, Regina just stares at her, and then she laughs. “You have a very strange outlook on life, you know that?”

“I’ve been told that, once or twice,” Mal says, smirking as she nudges her. “Just… cut him some slack. He loves you and wants you to be treated well, that’s not so bad, right?”

“No,” Regina murmurs. “It’s not.”

“It’s sweet--”

“I know.”

“He’s a catch, Regina. You’re lucky. He’s not perfect and he’s going to screw up every now and then, but he loves you without condition.”

“I know,” Regina says again. “And I’d like to apologize, but… he doesn’t seem interested in hearing it.”

Mal’s brow furrows. “What makes you say that?”

“He’s not here,” Regina says simply, shrugging. “Mal, what if I ruined--”

“Oh, stop. You didn't ruin your marriage. You got into an argument. He’ll come back...probably with his ears back and his tail between his leg, but he’ll come back.”

“I miss him.”

“And I’m sure he’s missing you.”

Regina nods and then looks at her hands, folded in her lap, watching as her fingers twist around the fabric of her skirt. “I… had sort of a panic earlier.”

“Is that what happened? Henry thinks he got you sick.”

“Oh, I know. I--”

“Robin reassured him.”

“Did he?” she asks as a smile edges onto her lips. “That’s sweet.”

“It is. He’s sweet with him.”

Regina’s eyes press closed. “I just… it’s selfish, but… but if I lose him--”

“You won’t.” Regina nods, though she doesn’t believe it--last night was a reminder of that, and even if he never did something so foolish again, life offered no guarantees. She, of all people, knew that. “Look, Robin--”

“Did you hear a rumor?” Regina asks. “Are the maids talking downstairs?’

Mal offers a tight grin. “Giggly maids don’t really talk to me.”

“Oh--”

“Is there something specific?”

Regina shakes her head. “I don’t believe it,” she says. “There’s no point in voicing it.”

Mal’s eyes narrow, but she nods, then rises up from the bed. “Alright, let’s get you changed and ready for bed.” Regina nods and Mal takes her hand, pulling her up and leading her toward the dressing room. “What… what’s that?” she asks, pointing to a white box on the bed that’s tied up in a red bow.

“Oh, Ruby dropped it off. It’s… just something that I ordered.”

“Did you talk to her about the boys’ wardrobes?”

“I did,” Regina confirms. “She’s going to check her calendar and write me with a few dates tomorrow.”

“Good. You’ll keep me informed?”

“Of course.”

“Good,” Mal says, with a curt nod and a smile. “Then that’s that.”

“I’m sure the boys will be thrilled about it. They hate being still, especially for long periods of time.”

Mal laughs. “Maybe we can turn it into some sort of game or contest.”

“Perhaps--”

“Can I?” Mal asks, pointing to the box. “Ruby always makes such lovely things.” Regina’s eyes widen and she feels her cheeks warm was she thinks about the lace robe hidden in the box, and as soon as Mal notices her obvious embarrassment, she grins. “Oh, well, now I just have to look!”

“Oh--”

“Please?”

Grimacing, Regina nods. “Fine. I mean… you’ve dressed me, so you’ve seen me naked. This can’t be worse than--” She stops and watches as Mal unties the ribbon, and she holds her breath as Mal lifts the top of the box--and then, with one eye open, Regina watches as she carefully lifts the lace robe.

“So, something tells me this isn’t the dress you’ll be wearing to Mary Margaret Blanchard’s little soiree,” Mal says as she slowly turns to look at her.

“Um, no,” Regina murmurs, her cheeks burning. “Not quite the occasion I had in mind.”

“Oh?” Mal asks, her brow arching as she looks back to the robe. “This little number has an occasion?”

For a moment, Regina hesitates, and then with a deep breath and a soft giggle, she tells her. Some of it isn’t new information and some of it is, but she tells the whole story--from what happened the morning after she and Robin were together at the hunting lodge to the tea and assurance caps that Mrs. Beakley sent her home with to Robin’s absolute patience with her.

“So, tonight was… going to be the night.”

Regina nods. “It was going to be.”

“Why can’t it still be?”

Regina’s brows arch. “Did you… just forget everything about what happened yesterday and today? Including the fact that my husband is nowhere to be found and… well, to do what I was planning on doing, I… sort of need him.”

“Well, he’s around here somewhere.”

“Mal, he’s… not… interested in…”

“How do you know?” Mal asks. “He’s not here.”

Regina’s eyes narrow. “Yes, that’s… that’s my point.”

Mal just laughs. “Let it get around that you’ve got this thing on and he’ll be stepping out of the woodwork.”

A grin edges onto Regina’s lips. “But, it’s… it’s not that simple.”

“Sure it is,” Mal insists. “And truly, I think you’ve preemptively figured out a way to smooth things over with him.”

“Have I?”

“Seduce him and have makeup sex.”

Regina nearly chokes.

“Oh, come on. He won’t stay mad at you and… if he’s still upset, this might just be the thing that snaps him out of it.” She looks back to the robe and grins. “Because if he looks at you in this, there’s really only one place his mind is going to be.”

Regina’s cheeks flush deeper. “And… suppose he doesn't come tonight? What if I’m just… standing here alone, practically naked and he doesn’t come?”

“Oh, he’ll be coming.” Mal laughs out. “In more ways than one.”

Regina’s eyes widen. “Oh my god. Mal--”

“Come on, let's get you changed,” Mal says, draping the robe over her arm and laughing, “And maybe we can return you to a human shade of skin.” Regina’s eyes roll as Mal reaches for her and tugs her into the dressing room. “I’ll have John send Robin in. I swear, he’s like a bloodhound when it comes to him.”

“They’ve been together forever.”

Mal nods as they enter the dressing room and she immediately reaches for a hanger. “Last night, we couldn’t find him. I spent twenty minutes searching empty bedrooms, and the whole time, he was in the library. John found him in under five minutes.” Her eyes roll as she turns Regina toward the mirror. “Drunk and passed out, but of course, he didn’t tell me that.”

“Why were you looking for him?”

“John was,” Mal says, shrugging. “Like I said, he likes to keep tabs on him.”

“Oh…”

A little grin edges onto Regina’s lips as she thinks about what that means, and her shoulder relax as Mal works on buttons at the back of her dress.

“What should we do with your hair?” Mal asks, snapping her from her thoughts. “Up? Down? What does he like?”

“Oh. I--”

“Does he like to get his hands in it? Or does he--”

“Mal--”

“What?” Mal asks, her eyes widening innocently. “I want to help.”

Regina's eyes press closed and a giggle bubbles out of her--and then, as she draws in a breath she concedes and answers all of Mal’s questions, regardless of how embarrassing she might find them.

_____

All the way back from his mother’s cottage, he rehearses his planned apology.

It starts with a mental list of things he wants to say--things he wants to apologize for--and by the time he reaches the front doors of Sherwood, it’s morphed into a full fledged speech.

He’ll tell her that he’s sorry--that he’s sorry for everything.

He’s sorry for not listening to her, for ignoring her request to leave it all alone and let the gossip die out, for agreeing to do so and then doing the opposite.

He’s sorry for not being more understanding of her situation--it’s one she’s lived with for years now, and it’s still new to him--and regardless of his personal outlook on the world, he knows it’s not one that many share. He can’t change the world on his own. It’s not fair--especially not to her--but he should’ve been less focused on righting the injustice of the world and more focused on what he could do to create more security at home, where it mattered.

He’s sorry for scaring her--for rocking the fragile security she’d come to know since they married--and, he’s sorry for scaring their sons.

He’s sorry for the financial burden that his poor choices, and the long-term impact of a few foolish minutes.

He’s sorry that he hasn’t always been completely honest, that he’s tried to shield her from truths he feared would be too difficult, that he wasn’t totally honest about his whereabouts or intentions, and that he’s sorry for any additional stress that it’s caused her.

He hadn’t meant for this to happen; he hadn’t meant to hurt her. She was right, there was a lot he hadn’t considered--there was a lot he’d never thought to consider, there were things he’d never had to consider. But they were things that were always at the forefront of her mind, and he should have known that, or at the very least, respected it when she voiced those concerns.

That’s, of course, if she’ll hear it.

Taking a breath, he opens the door to their bedroom, stepping quickly through the little sitting room of their bedchamber that connects to their proper bedroom--and when he arrives, he frowns when he doesn’t see Regina at her dressing table combing her hair in her nightdress or in bed with a book propped up on her knees.

The room is dimmer than it usually is at this time. There are a few candles lit and the fire is burning at the hearth, and he squints as he waits for his eyes to adjust as he looks around aimlessly, wondering what comes next.

“Regina?” he calls, not expecting a reply. “Are you here?”

“In the dressing room.”

“Oh,” he breathes out, smiling. “I’m glad.” He shifts toward the open door. “Can I come in? I want to talk to you.”

“No.”

“Oh--”

“I’ll be out in a second. I’m just finishing up.”

He nods, though she can’t see him and sits down in the chair by the hearth, fidgeting with his fingers as he waits, silently rehearsing his little speech.

It’s not lost on him that the box that Mrs. Beakley gave to her is sitting on the end table beside him; but he thinks nothing of it, assuming that Regina simply had her tea later than she usually did.

And then, she appears.

“I’m sorry--” he says in a burst as he looks up, and as soon as he sees her, his voice halts.

“I’m sorry, too.”

“I--”

“I don’t want to fight anymore,” she tells him as she moves toward him, coming into better view.

He swallows hard and nods dumbly, unable to find his voice.

She looks… stunning.

Her hair is up in a loose bun atop her head, showing off her neck and shoulders--and she’s wearing lace.

Just lace.

See through lace.

It covers her shoulders and her breasts--though he can see them almost plainly--and then ties with a ribbon beneath her bust before belling out over her hips and pooling around her feet. It’s open from the navel down, and her skin looks soft and smoothing--and it’s nearly impossible to resist touching it.

“Can you forgive me for overreacting?”

Again, he nods as he stares.

“I’m glad,” she tells him as she crosses the room toward him. “I hate it when we fight.”

“Me, too,” he says, swallowing as he reaches for her.

Her touch--which is something he should be used to--sends a shiver down his spine. As her hand coasts up over his stubbly cheek, he turns his head into her palm nuzzling it. He missed this. He missed having her close to him, and for a moment, all he wants to do is savor it.

He kisses her palm as he draws her in by the waist, holding her closer as he kisses her wrist and the back of her hand, and then, he looks up at her, smiling at the soft grin on her lips, watching the way she relishes in the soft touches, enjoying being near him as much as he enjoys being so near to her.

“I missed you,” he tells her as he leans in and presses a kiss to her neck and then another to her chin. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you, too,” she tells him as she presses a quick kiss to his lips. “I missed this.”

He thinks to point out that it’s only been just a little longer than a day, but that would be a stupid thing to say--and, in truth, it’s felt like so much longer than that.

“I’ve come to realize that I don’t like sleeping alone, anymore.”

“It’s miserable,” he tells her as he pecks her lips and lets his hand slide down the back of the lace robe--he can feel the warmth of her skin through it, and he loves the contrast of it against the cool silky lace. “Absolutely miserable.”

“We should make up for it,” she tells him. “We owe each other that.”

Again, he nods--and again, he finds that he lacks the words as she steps back. His eyes linger over her body--barely clad in lace--and he can’t wait to touch her and to taste her again.

“I thought I’d ruined this.”

“Hm?”

“I planed this whole thing,” she tells him, “And then--”

“I’m sorry--”

“It’s not just your fault.”

He grins. “I… think you could’ve ended it a lot sooner by showing up in that.”

She giggles and her cheeks flush slightly. “Well, I don’t know about that. I really think it’s a matter of timing.”

He nods--dumbly--as he looks down at her. He doubts that, really, considering the difficulty he’s having thinking about anything besides her in that robe and the fact that he wants to ravish her, right here, on the spot. He barely remembers what he was thinking about before she came out from the dressing room, much less something as complicated as what he was feeling.

“Well, regardless, I was thinking that we could… um…” Her cheeks flush adorably, as she bites down on her lip and her eyes shyly meet his. “It’s been more than month,” she tells him as she takes a step back, and takes him by the hand, “And it’s been much longer than that that we’ve been together, well, properly.”

“Properly--”

She nods as her hand presses to his chest, gently pushing him back to the chair in front of the hearth. “I want to be with you again. I want… to feel you inside of me again, and I want us to be able to enjoy that part of marriage, fully.” She grins, biting down her lip. “That is, of course, if you want that, too.”

“I do,” he tells her, thinking of all the late nights and early mornings he’s fantasized about a moment like this.

“Good,” she tells him, stepping in and forcing him to take a step back. “I’m so glad.”

His lips brush over hers as she pushes forward again, and this time, he sits down in the chair, pulling her down into his lap. Her hands settle on either side of his faces, her fingers rubbing against his scruffy cheeks as her tongue parts his lips--and eagerly, he opens his mouth, letting her tongue slip against his.

He pulls her closer and kisses her back, enjoying the softness of her lips and the warmth of her breath. She bites down on his bottom lip as she pulls back slightly, adjusting her body over his so that she’s straddling his lap. His hand dips inside of the lace robe, sliding over her ass, his fingers kneading gently at her skin.

She smiles at him as she leans in and kisses him again. Her hand slips between their bodies, her fingers working over the buttons of his vest. He wriggles out of it, discarding it on the floor along with his coat, and she lets out a shaky breath as she pulls back and sits up a little straighter. She runs her fingers down the front of his shirt--back and forth and down again--before her fingers finally begin to work on the buttons of his shirt.

When it’s opened, she pulls it apart and leans in, peppering a few kisses down his bare chest and then, she works her way back up to his lips.

He grins at her as he leans in to kiss him again. He likes letting her set the pace, letting her choose what’s going to happen, while he sits back and just enjoys it.

For awhile, they kiss--her on his lap, his hands exploring beneath her robe--trading warm kisses.

Beneath her, he can feel himself hardening in his trousers--slowly, but surely--as his body reacts to her touches.

Pulling back, she grins a bit coyly--she notices it, too.

He draws in a breath as she slips off of his lap to kneel in front of him, and he swallows hard as a little anticipatory shiver runs through him as she works on the buttons at the front of his pants.

Robin lifts his hips as she pulls off his pants, freeing his cock--and that alone brings a bit of satisfying relief.

Regina smiles up at him as she licks her lips--and then she looks back down as she takes his cock in her hand.

Of all the intimate experiences they’ve shared, this act is the thing they’ve done the most--and she knows exactly what he likes and how to make him come.

Her hand slips up and down his shaft as her tongue and lips swirl and suck on his tip--something she does for several minutes, and something he always loves. If she did only this, he’d be coming in no time, but she wants it to last, so she lets her tongue slip down his cock, flattening out and working over him like a feather, and then she pulls herself back up before taking him completely in his mouth.

His head falls back and he offers an encouraging groan as she sucks him--it feels so damn good, each and every time, it feels absolutely incredible, never getting old.

Her hands cup his balls, her fingers massaging gently, and every now and then giving them a harder squeeze as her mouth works its magic on his cock--and truly, there’s a part of him that wishes this could never end.

Slowly, she pulls herself back, grinning as his hard cock and then up at him as if praising herself for her handiwork. Her hand replaces her mouth, stroking him slowly.

“You’re enjoying this.”

“So much.”

“I’m glad.”

“Your mouth feels amazing.”

She grins, proudly. “You’re not the only one who's getting worked up, you know.”

His eyes slip down her body as she stands, his eyes immediately going to the uncovered-by-lace spot between her legs--and he reaches for her. He pulls her down to his lap and slides his hand up her thigh--and she grins, watching as his hand slips up and between her lips. His hand cups her as his thumb slides through the wetness there, circling around her clit, as she leans in and kisses him.

They stay like that for a while--kissing and with his hand between her legs--and all the while his cock aches for attention.

This time, when she pulls back, she bites down on her lip as she reaches for the box beside the chair--the box that he’d almost entirely forgotten about.

He watches as her fingers flip it open and with her free hand, takes his cock, stroking it as she pulls out one of the wound up little caps.

“Do you… want to try it?” she asks, her voice shaky. “I know the tea alone should--”

“I’ll try it,” he’s quick to say--he’d try anything for the chance to have sex with her again.

“Alright,” she says, slowly unfolding it in a way that’s somehow erotic. “So, it just… slips on, I suppose.”

He nods, taking it from her.

It’s made from a thin, cool material. It feels waxy, yet skin like and at the end, is hard little ring.

“Do you want me to… um, get up or… or help… or--”

Robin shifts his arm around her and shakes his head. “No. I think it just…” He positions the hard ring at the tip of his cock and pushes it down over the head. “There--”

Biting down on her lip, Regina watches. “Here,” she murmurs, slipping down to the floor and sitting on her legs in front of him. “Let me help.”

She licks her hand, then presses it to his cock, lubricating it and allowing the cap to slide down more easily. It sticks to his cock, forming around it. It’s tight, but not uncomfortable and after a couple of minutes, he finds that he barely feels it.

“It’s… alright?”

He nods. “It’s fine.”

“Good,” she says, rising to her feet and taking him by the hand. “You can… feel through it?”

He draws in a breath as her finger slips down the length of it. “Yes.”

She grins, almost shyly as she takes his hand, lacing her fingers down through his and leading him over to the bed. He follows, not taking his eyes off of her. When they reach the bed, she pushes his shirt off of his shoulders, leaving him completely naked before her.

Regina sits down on the edge of the bed, reaching for his hip as she pulls him to her--and he grins, rubbing his hand over her cheek and lifting her head. Gently, he rubs the back of his fingers against her cheek, grinning at her as she looks up at him with wide, waiting eyes.

“Lay back,” he tells her.

She nods and complies.

Reaching out, he tugs at the ribbon holding the top of the robe closed and when it’s looser, while it doesn't free her breasts completely, the sides become visible--looking so round and soft, and squeezable behind the loose layer of lace.

Drawing in a breath, he tears his eyes away from them and lets them linger down her body as he crouches down in front of her. His hands run down over her thighs to her knees, and slowly he parts them, looking up her body and watching her writhe with anticipation of what she knows is about to come.

He loves watching her this way--comfortable and exposed, taking no guilt in enjoying what pleasures her.

Leaning in, he swipes his tongue over her, from her clit down and then back again. His lips close over her clit and he sucks on it, as his fingers stroke her--slowly and gently, careful not to enter her. Little moans escape her as she gets wetter and wetter.

He pulls his fingers away and releases her clit as her hips began to squirm. He slows down, taking his time as his tongue laps at her. She breathes out a long, deliberate and shaky breath as his tongue slips into her, curling and twisting and teasing.

When he momentarily looks up, he sees her fingers curled around the blanket--and he decides not to end it there and move on to what’s next--after all, there’s no reason she can’t come more than once, and the slicker she is the more they’ll both enjoy what’s to come. So, he pulls back, dragging his tongue up the length of her, letting it twist and circle around her clit as his fingers dip inside of her. He goes slowly at first, making her hips wriggle as she tries to control the pace--and then, his fingers start to pump in and out of her. He’s not rough, but he’s not gentle, either--and given the way she moans and the way her fingers grip harder at the blanket, she likes it.

His fingers curl inside of her, then flatten out and withdraw, before pushing back in and curling up again, hitting on the spot that almost always make her come within a few minutes time. He hits on it harder and faster as his lips clamp down on her clit, sucking hard as his tongue wriggles against it--and then, as he wiggles his fingers back and forth inside of her, her hips begin to buck against his face. Her breathing becomes increasingly erratic and then in a burst, she’s coming--gushing against his fingers.

He pulls back and licks her slowly, letting her orgasm take its course and smiling.

Usually, this is where they’d end it.

But Regina smiles as she tries to catch her breath, pulling herself onto her elbows.

“Come here,” she says. “I want to kiss you.”

He easily complies, crawling up onto the bed with her.

His body covers hers as he kisses her deeply and lets her taste herself as her arms come up around his and her fingers tangle in his hair.

Then, when her legs come up and wrap around his hips, he pulls back and looks at her. He grins and licks his lips, sitting up and pulling himself back slightly, gazing down and appreciating the way the lace robe frames her body.

“I want you on top,” he tells her.

She grins and draws in a breath, nodding.

“And leave the robe on.”

Her brow arches and she looks at him, giggling softly as they adjust themselves on the bed.

Robin lays back against the pillows. He reaches for her, and she comes along easily, kneeling over him as her hands fall to his shoulders.

He steadies her with a hand to her hip, and with his other hand, he adjusts his cock.

Regina bites down on her lip as she looks down, and then slowly, she begins to lower herself onto him. She goes slowly, needing a moment to adjust to him, and he takes a moment to savor the eroticism of his cock disappearing inside of her.

When he’s in, she looks up at him and smiles, blushing slightly as she holds him there. Her hands slip to his chest and he sits up a little straighter, wrapping his arms around her, letting his hands dip beneath the lace to eventually settle at her hips.

“Is it okay?” he asks, looking up at her.

She nods, and grins, and then begins to move her hips. Slowly she rocks against him, working up her pace until she’s riding him. He slides in and out of her, and it’s almost mesmerizing to watch--mesmerizing and incredibly erotic, watching the way he fills her, the way he stretches her and the way she slides against him with ease.

Leaning in, she kisses him, and it changes their angle, making her tighter and squeezing his cock with each move she makes. His tongue slides into her mouth and one hand squeezes at her ass while the other roams, gripping at and sliding against her sleek skin until it eventually finds her breast.

His hand covers it and his thumb rubs at her nipple--and for a moment, he thinks he could easily stay this way forever.

And then, she pulls back and breaks the kiss. Her skin is flushed and her eyes are filled with lust.

“Fuck me,” she murmurs in a low voice as she sits up. “Please.”

And suddenly, he finds himself no longer eager to stay complacently as they are.

He rolls them over, her legs wrapping around him as they shift to the other side of the bed--and she laughs at the quickness of his movements.

He grins down at her and sits up a bit straighter, looking down at her and once more, taking a moment to appreciate the way the lace frames her figure. This time, though, her breasts are free and the ribbon lays against her stomach--and somehow her neck looks longer between the lace over her shoulders and the crown of hair piled at the top of her head.

Leaning in, he kisses her jaw and down her neck, teasing her as she wiggles beneath him--this isn’t what she wants, but he wants her to ask again.

He wants to hear the words as she asks to be fucked.

His lips slide against her clavicle and his arm slides between her body and the robe, his fingers ghosting down her ribcage and making her giggle.

His lips glide up her throat and over her jaw, pecking her cheek as his nose brushes against hers. He licks her bottom lip and when her lips open and she tries to catch his, he pulls them away, kissing his way down her jaw and over her clavicle. He pulls back further, her legs fall open on either side of him, falling away from his body as his tongue swirls around her nipple--and when she moans, she smiles and reaches for her other breast, kneading it roughly in her hand.

“Robin,” she murmurs as her legs come up and tighten around his waist. “Please. I-- I want--”

“What? What do you want?”

Her eyes are wide. “I want to feel you again.”

“Do you?”

“Yes. Please.”

His lips peck at her chin before he leans in and kisses back down her throat.

“Robin. Fuck me. I want--”

He doesn’t wait for her to finish.

He slips into her, easily sliding in fully and groans as his cock disappears--then, he looks up at her, and watches her eyes closed and smile stretched over her lips.

He thrusts in and out of her, slowly at first, but quickly increasing the pace. He groans--and when he looks down at her, it’s obvious that she’s enjoying it as much as he.

He fucks her fast for a few minutes, then slows down, trying to make it last as long as possible--and for awhile, it works.

“That feels so good,” she tells him, as his thrusts slow and he reaches for her clit, rubbing it as he fucks her slowly. “So good--”

He grins and his pace speeds up, grinning as he feels her tightening around him.

He’s close too, but he thinks he can last through her orgasm--and as she begins to thrash beneath him, he feels a thrill of victory run through him. He holds his pace until she’s done, his balls aching for release, and then as he slows and her breathing becomes less erratic, he buries himself inside of her and lets himself come.

She smiles as she rubs his thigh, moaning softly as he continues to thrust, slowing down with each movement until he can’t do it any longer. He rolls off of her and collapses at her side, and almost instantly, she rolls onto her side, turns his head toward her and kisses him--softly and gently as he comes down from his high.

“That was so worth the wait,” he tells her.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah--”

“It wasn’t… different with--”

“Different, yes,” he says, looking down at his softening cock as it lays against his thigh. “But not bad.”

She grins. “You’re not…just saying that.”

Reaching to the nightstand, he pulls out a handkerchief and removes the cap from his cock, chuckling softly as he looks over at her. “There are some things a man can’t fake.”

She giggles and kisses him, and he drops the handkerchief to the floor, wrapping his arm around his shoulders.

“In fact,” he says, as he pulls back and rests his forehead against hers. “I think it’s better than its been in the past.”

Her brows arch. “Really?”

“Well, you wanted to do this, you were ready to and… we were able to let go completely, no stopping.” He grins and strokes her cheek. “And as far as I know, this time your decision to go to bed with me wasn’t influenced by too much wine or whiskey or--”

“No, no alcohol involved.”

“Good, then no regrets.”

“None,” she tells him as she leans in and pecks his lips. “Not a single one.”

They lay together for awhile, then get out of bed and clean themselves up.

Regina puts on a favorite soft, woolen night dress and hangs up the lace robe, while Robin puts on new pajamas. Her brows arch at the new button down shirt and pants set, and he grins excitedly while stuffing his hand into the pants pockets offering the simple explanation of Granny had Ruby make them for me.

Robin grabs the extra thick, down comforter from the shelf while Regina changes the top layer of the bedding. She hands them off to Robin and he dumps them into the hamper, grinning when he returns to find her already in bed.

He slips in beside her and she slides close, resting her head on his chest.

He holds her, feeling relaxed, as they chat lightly about nothing in particular, and it’s somewhere around then that he remembers his conversation with John and his trip to his mother’s cottage.

“Have you ever been to Devonshire?”

“No,” Regina says, turning her head to look at him. “Why?”

“We used to go--my father and I--when I was a boy.”

“We didn’t travel or go on visits,” Regina explains. “My mother wasn’t exactly popular in many social circles.”

“Shocking--”

“Right? So shocking.”

She laughs and he smiles.

“Well, my mother was friends with the Duchess--”

“The Duchess of Devonshire?” Regina asks. “I know that title. I don’t know why.”

He grins gently. “She was involved in quite a scandal. She had a daughter who’s about our age.”

“Ah--”

“With a man who was not her husband.”

Regina’s brows arch. “How do you know this?”

“She and my mother exchanged letters.”

“As friends would.”

“Yes.”

“And she told her about this?”

“She did.”

“Oh--”

“She had to give her up,” he explains. “To the baby’s father’s family.”

“I can’t imagine--”

“Nor can I,” he says, nodding. “She got to see her, still.”

“But not raise her.”

“No--”

“I’m sure she didn’t have much of a choice in it.”

“He wanted to marry her,” Robin says. “Her daughter’s father--”

“But she couldn’t do that?”

“No.”

“She must’ve been miserable.”

“I’m sure,” he agrees. “She had other children.”

“So it was complicated.”

“Yes,” he murmurs, nodding. “She was stuck in a loveless marriage, watching her child and love from afar with a husband whose mistress lived with them”

“That sounds terrible.”

“I imagine that it was, at times.” He pauses and looks down to her. “And I believe that’s the double standard you spoke of this morning.”

“Yes,” she admits. “It is, exactly.”

“The point to this is that everyone knew about all of this--”

“Of course they did, and I’m sure they did. That’s the sort of thing that spreads like wildfire.”

He holds her a little tighter. “She was a good person, she didn’t deserve that.”

“No one does, really. It’s terrible to be on the receiving end of that.”

“She came back from it though.”

Regina looks up at him and he leans in, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“She ignored it. She immersed herself in culture and society. She took up causes that were important to her, and kept showing up--”

“I can feel where this is going--”

He chuckles softly. “I wasn’t trying to be coy.”

“Is this about Mary Margaret’s party? I’m not even sure I want to go anymore, not that I ever really did.”

“Yes, the one you think you were only invited to because of some sort of obligatory guilt--”

“Well--”

“I think that’s your new start.”

“Robin, I don’t even know that I want to go. I’ve told you that.”

“Why not?” he asks. “We have an invitation. We’ll go and have a nice meal that isn’t spent cutting up someone else’s food or reminding anyone to chew with their mouth closed. We’ll drink expensive champagne and dance—”

“You know, as it turns out, I very much enjoy dancing with you.”

Her eyes roll, but she grins.

“And we’ll prove to all of those people that you have no reason to hide away.”

“Except--”

“You don’t, Regina. Not really.” He sighs and shakes his head as she looks up at him with wide eyes. “When the story about you and Jefferson came tumbling out that evening, I asked you if you regretted what you did.”

“I remember--”

“And I remember that you said no. You said no because it meant Henry didn’t go without food or shelter--”

“That’s true. It doesn't mean that I’m proud of it.”

“I understand.”

“I have nothing to prove to--”

“But you do.” Taking a breath, he smiles. “You can prove to them all that you’ve moved on, that you’re not your mistakes, and eventually, people will see that.” She looks down, but he lifts her chin. “There’s a precedent for that, you know.”

“Your mother’s friend?”

“Yes, and I’m sure there were others.”

“Robin--”

“I’m proud of you, Regina. I’m proud of our marriage and the life we’re building together, the future we’re building for our sons.” He grins. “We’ve so much more to be proud of than we have to hide away from.”

“I don’t know--”

“Please don’t let this one--albeit terrible--encounter at a public house force you into hiding. Don’t let Jefferson win this way.”

Reigna bites down on her lip. “And suppose… none of the other women talk to me? Suppose no one wants to sit next to me--”

“I’ll talk to you and sit next to you, and be right at your side, beaming proudly.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“I’m sure it won’t be,” he admits. “But you’ve been through much harder than this.”

She nods, but says nothing.

And then, she takes a breath and looks up at him, rolling onto her stomach and resting her chin on his chest.

“You won’t leave me on my own?”

“Not for a second.”

“And if I want to leave, we can?”

“The second you want to.”

She pauses, biting down on her lip. “You promise.”

“I promise.”

Her nose scrunches. “You really want to go? You don’t even like--”

“What I like is spending an evening away with you, and I’ll admit, I won’t mind rubbing our happy marriage in the faces of some people I don’t much like.”

Regina’s eyes roll, but she laughs.

“I’m serious. I like you. I like spending time with you. You’re a friend as much as you are my wife, and while all the poor saps I’ve never much cared for are trying to ditch their wives for games of darts and drinks for an evening of escape, I’ll be happily dancing with mine, and when it’s time to go, they’ll be miserable with their company, and I’ll be happy as a clam.”

She laughs again. “You’re such a child sometimes.”

“But you love me.”

“I do,” she says, nodding as she grins at him. “I love you a lot.”

“So, you’ll go?”

She hesitates, then nods. “Alright. I’ll try it.”

He pulls her closer and hugs her, kissing the top of her head--and he can’t help but think that this is a much better way of helping her overcome her past--and the gossip that comes along with it--than what he chose to do the night before. And as he holds her, he can’t help but be glad he didn’t do any irreparable damage with his foolishness.