The table squeaked as it scratched over the floor. The radio on the counter next to the coffee machine blurted out a song. "I never knew anybody til' I knew you. I never knew anybody til' I knew you. And I know when it rains, oh, it pours. And I know I was born to be yours."

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Robin let go of the table's edges and moved back to take a look at the result of her work.

She had rented this small shabby shed close to Henry's apartment and had spent all weekend to fill the place to make it more decent: grouting cracks, painting the walls, polishing the floor and filling it with second hand furniture which more or less matched. At least the chairs were one set.

The place gained shape and color.

Finally Robin felt like she was filling all the empty spaces in her life.

She had a work place for her business and the PI license. Even if she could not expect to quit her job at her Aunt's bistro any time soon, she was glad she took this step. It was scary to establish a business in the private sector. However, it was damn rewarding to built something up on your own.

Also she had the cutest girlfriend in the world. Even if there was a slight chance that she might be a bit biased considering this matter.

Robin could not help it, though. Alice had easily entered her mind and captured her heart. All the more Robin was happy that in the last few weeks Alice had warmed up to her, sharing her past, even the darker parts with Robin.

Even her mom had loved her and her mom was not an easy person to persuade. The dinner had gone surprisingly well. Her mom and Alice had exchanged stories about their childhood in the UK and found they had a lot in common as both had grown up in a tiny village and had left the UK for the US.

Robin could not believe that one time she had been one of those bullies, making fun of people like Alice. She was definitely going to do better. She would do everything she could to make Alice's life a happy life and she would do anything to help people in need.

Her phone buzzed in the back pocket of her denim.

Alice wrote, I'm coming over. Will be there in ten minutes.

Robin jumped and immediately looked down. She was sweaty, the army green tank top was clinging to her stomach and beneath her armpits, the denim was rubbed white where she had slid with her knee caps on the floor. Her hair was held back in a messy bun. Strains of hair clung to her temples and her neck.

I'm all sweaty, she wrote back in panic. So far she had tried to look at least passable for Alice. Or more like clean and not like she'd run a marathon.

There was no reaction, though.

Robin looked around hoping to get an answer from the white bleached wall. The freshly dried paint just gleamed back at her.

Ten minutes.

What could she do in ten minutes?

Run to the apartment and change?

Nope.

Impossible.

And only partly effective because more than a new set of clothes, she needed a shower.

Robin sighed.

As long as striping naked was not an option – and hell it was not – she had to face Alice like this.

Her phone vibrated in her hand.

I don't mind, Alice's message was immediately followed by a winking emoticon. Are you finished already?

Feeling a bit relieved, Robin sighed.

There was always the first time to look less attractive in front of your girlfriend, wasn't there?

Yep, she wrote back and laid the phone down to sort out her hair at least, pulling out the hairband and throwing her head forward. It was growing too long.

The phone threatened to fall of the edge of the table as it vibrated again and Robin was quick to grab it, after throwing back her head.

I wanted to help. Alice had written with a teary eyed emoticon.

Robin scoffed. Her face split into a broad smile.

Her girlfriend was adorable! There was no other word for it.

No need. I fixed it up rather quickly. Just happy to see you, Robin sent and went over to the coffee maker to set up a fresh brew.

The phone buzzed again and on the screen Robin read, Almost there, while she measured the coffee and spilled only a little.

And just a few moments later, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in. It's open," Robin called over her shoulder pouring water from the can into the machine.

She heard the door open and Alice's army boots stepping on the freshly polished floor.

"There she is," Alice chirped behind her, "Robin Hood."

Robin shut the lid of the machine and turned around with a heavy groan. "Seriously, Alice?"

Alice walked in with her toothy, too cute to fathom, grin. Her eyes glinted with playfulness, though, as she placed a large, flat package down to lean against the table, set in the middle of the room. "Would you rather be called Margot then?"

Internally Robin groaned again. She might never see the end of this joke and her girlfriends cute vest beneath her blue shirt could not distract Robin from the sinking feeling of misery. "Alice! Seriously?"

Alice grin widened, making Robin wonder if she was not like Alice in Wonderland but more like the Chesire cat. "Nobin?"

"Okay, that's it!"

Alice squealed and laughed as Robin jumped towards her. But the blonde beauty dashed away fast.

Chuckling Robin followed her around the table, almost tripping over the package Alice had placed on the ground. The both giggled at the second round. In the middle of the third Robin came to a hard stop and caught the running Alice in her arms.

"Caught you," she murmured and pressed Alice into the table to make sure she won't escape again.

"You did," Alice laughed. Her grin transformed into a sweet smile and she mumbled, "But I was not truly running away."

The air left Robin's lungs as she looked down at the slightly shorter woman. Dumbfounded Robin leaned in and bestowed a kiss on Alice's lips.

It was a sweet and simple peck. One Alice returned and before Robin could help herself she pressed her torso into Alice's and burying a hand into her hair and deepened the kiss.

Claws of heat tore at her lower stomach at Alice's soft moan. The tingling pull was not unpleasant but not very uncomfortable either.

Robin's body craved more contact and her heart ached as they shared a heated but tormenting slow kiss.

Two months.

Two months they had been together.

Or well at least it had been two months since their first kiss as they had not set a date. If it hadn't been for Robin's mom calling Alice her girlfriend and Alice being courageous and honest taking over the label, Robin might still be stuck on wondering to be or not to be.

She'd never been as careful as this with anyone before. She'd definitely would not have withstood two months of this before.

By now Robin was yearning much and yearning hard. The need to get closer squeezed her heart and rendered her speechless as she broke the kiss.

She wanted Alice.

However, the now shivering blonde in her arms was not as experienced as Robin. Not even close. Timing was always crucial but right now it was the only thing that could Robin make break away.

They had all the time in the world.

And Robin wanted to use it wisely.

She did not want to screw this up and so she took a deep breath and stepped away. She pushed a strand of blonde behind her girlfriend's ear, revealing more of the hooded gaze. Darkened blue like the sea before after the sun set.

Robin gulped and searched for a distraction. She did not have to look far because, as she took a step back, she kicked against the package which had slipped to the floor during the chase.

Bending down, Robin picked it up.

It was lighter than she'd assumed.

Maybe it was another one of Alice's paintings? How she'd ever had the time to study, work and paint more than her projects was a mystery to Robin. Most days she barely could concentrate on anything else when thoughts of Alice

"What's that?" Robin asked, raising both eyebrows in curiosity and ignored how her voice broke at the end.

Alice's distant gaze cleared up and she sucked in an audible breath. Pushing herself up to sit onto the table, she tilted her head to the side and smiled. "It's your entrance sign. You cannot have a shed door as office entrance."

Blinking Robin stared at Alice.

She had not expected this.

It was another gift Alice made for her and what did Robin gave her? A stupid bracelet last month. She had to pick up on her game of being a good girlfriend.

Impatiently Alice nodded her head towards the package which Robin silently held. "Come on. Open it!"

Ripping off the package, Robin enfolded the brown paper with shaking hands and a soft flutter coursing through her stomach. Soon, she revealed what appeared to be an engraved round aluminum sign.

Turning it around, Robin saw an oval, green logo, a writing of her name in white, which looked as it was printed with a typewriter, a magnifying glass enlarged the letters P and I in the middle. Beneath her name the rest of the words Private and Investigator appeared much smaller.

Robin Mills, Private Investigator, the sign read.

"You did this?" Robin whispered struck by wonder.

"Mary helped me press and cut it. She is much more skilled with plastic art than me. I only drew the draft and painted it."

"That's so sweet," Robin uttered lowly, pressing out words that her clenching heart almost caged in. Her knees grew weak and when she finally was read to raise her eyes to look at her girlfriend she saw her happy smile and eyes glinting in a crystal clear azure.

A shaky sigh left Robin's lungs and a smile stretched over her lips.

Her girlfriend was seriously amazing. But unlike last time with the painting Robin had something she could give or tell Alice in return. Not that it was a competition. Robin just wanted to make sure Alice was as happy with her as she was with Alice.

"I have a surprise for you, too," she said and walked over to the fridge beneath the counter and sent Alice a smirk and eye wiggle before pulling the door wide open. "A stock for sunny and rainy days!"

"Oh!" Gasping Alice jumped from the table and stared at the content of the fridge agape. "It's even my favorite brand!"

"I know." Robin ginned as her girlfriend stared at the fifty glasses of orange marmalade lining up and shining like thousands suns in their cold environment but not as bright as Alice's eyes. "I figured since you eat a lot takeaway, when you are busy, you could come here and well, eat. Saves you time when we meet here."

"Thank you, Robin! That's amazing!" Alice jumped towards Robin, winding her arms around her.

"No problem," Robin huffed into her shoulder, thinking how this reaction was worth the import fee a million times.

A/N: Relationship goals?

If you liked this part, remember to leave a vote and or comment. Also this will be the last chapter that feels like a filler. Most of the exposition is done. XD XD