Dance Dance Decadence

by asmadasacheshire

"People are scared," Archie chimed in. "A ball will help bring everyone together." In which Snow and Charming hold a ball, Emma and Regina bond, and Henry's a matchmaker.

So, first time writing for the Ouat fandom yay! Decided to start with a Swan Queen oneshot, because you know… always fun. Set somewhere in season 2. Bit cliche, which is also pretty fun.
The cover image was something I threw together using images from The cover image was something I threw together using images from a website called farfarawaysite which has a bunch of hd OuaT pics.

Took the name from the Japanese VOCALOID song by Karasuyasabou.

"A…ball." Emma repeated, putting the full force of skepticism behind the words.
Snow and Charming shared a look.
"It's to help the people," David began.
"People are scared," Archie chimed in. "A ball will help bring everyone together."
"It's something familiar," Snow said.
"No I get the…the thing. What I don't understand is why I have to go."
Her parents gave her reproachful looks.
"You're our daughter." Snow reminded her. "And you broke the curse."
"The people need to see you there," Archie added. "You and Regina both."
Emma looked around. "I don't see the mayor here."
"Ex-mayor," Charming chimed in. "And no…" he looked at Snow. "She's back in her mansion. But she has agreed to appear at the ball."
"It'll be fun," Snow continued, using her most convincing voice. "And besides, this is part of your life. You'll adjust."
Emma looked around at the hopeful faces of her new family. She sighed. "Fine."

~
"I want out," was the first thing to pass Regina's lips as she entered Archie's office.
Archie looked up in his usual unfazed manner. "Out of what?"
"The ball," she said, pacing up and down. She turned to him and folded her arms. "I want out."
Archie adjusted his glasses. "Why?"
"Emma," she hissed.
"Yes?"
"No one told me she'd be there."
"It's only common sense," Archie began. "The town needs to see the two of you together. If the Saviour and the 'Evil' Queen are seen acting cordially, people will instinctively trust you more. Or at least…will stop trying to petition for your death."
Regina scoffed. "I can handle them."
"I'm sure you could. But it's not about that. It's about them adjusting to being near you. You never know when you'll need their help, or vice versa. We need to work together Regina."
"She did this!" Regina exclaimed. "If it weren't for her, I'd still be Mayor, Henry would still be with me and…"
"And the town would still be cursed," Archie finished, raising an eyebrow.
Regina scowled. "Yes."
Archie sighed and gestured to the seat opposite. "Sit down Regina."
Regina glared at the seat, but did as she was told.
Archie sighed again. It was going to be a long day.

~
Emma growled as she rifled through her clothes. She had no 'ball clothes'. What the hell were ball clothes anyway? And where could you get them in Storybrooke?
There was a knock on the door. Emma stormed over to it and threw the door opened. "What?!"
Snow blinked at her. "Hi."
"Oh, um… sorry." Emma blushed back.
Snow looked around. "What's going on? This place is even messier than usual."
Emma sighed. "I don't know what to wear." The words felt like a betrayal to everything she stood for.
Snow looked at her wardrobe doubtfully. "Really?" She walked over and picked up a red dress. "How about this?"
"Seriously? It's barely a top."
Snow looked at it again. "Well yeah but…"
"Aren't balls supposed to be fancy? All puffy dresses and everything?"
Snow laughed. "In the Forest, yeah. But here…" she shrugged. "We're doing the Storybrooke thing."
Emma looked back at the dress. "You really think that'll be okay?"
Snow smiled. "Trust me."

Regina looked her reflection. Her hand rested on her stomach as she evaluated the dress. She sighed and looked back to her bed, where several dresses were piled.
"You look fine," chimed a voice from the door.
Regina jumped and looked at her son. "Henry!" She gave him her most charming smile.
"The dress," he explained. "You look nice."
Regina looked back to the mirror with a frown. "You think?" She shook her head. "Nice won't do. I need to remind these people who I am."
"I don't think they'll forget." Henry replied.
Regina gave him a half-smile. "No, I guess not." She gave herself another look in the mirror then walked towards him. "So. What brings you here?"
"Just making sure you're not going to run away," he replied matter-of-factly.
Regina laughed as they headed out of her room. "Why would you think I'd do that?"
Henry gave her a look. "No reason," he said after a pause.
Regina frowned but didn't comment. She was happy that Henry was there.
"Are you excited?" she asked.
Henry nodded. "It's going to be fun."
She made a 'hmpph' noise in reply.
"It will," Henry insisted as they left the house.
"Of course it will," Regina replied shortly. She opened the car door. "Let's get this over with."

Emma felt like a fool. She'd been there all of fifteen minutes and she needed to get out. At first, everyone had been a bit awkward, but now things were in full swing, laughing and dancing. The dances were like something out of a movie based on a Jane Austen book. Not that she'd of danced anyway. Everybody seemed to know their place. Except her.
She'd lost Snow seven minutes in. She could see her in the center of the dance with Charming.
At least Snow was right about the dress. Everyone was wearing their best Storybrooke clothes. She tried to wrap her mind around the fact that Prince Charming was wearing a tie and Red Riding Hood was wearing a leather jacket.
She sighed and took a sip of her drink.
The venue was nice though. That was the thing about being a Queen in a town full of fairytale characters, she supposed in regard to Snow, you could book whatever venue you wanted. This venue was one of the three warehouses, recently refurbished just for this. Together all three of warehouses supported most of the town, and the rest were scattered on the lawn between the warehouses.
Emma was surprised at how quickly the town had thrown it together.
"It's because they have something to work towards," Archie chimed in behind her.
She turned. "What?"
He gestured to the party. "The town. They're all filled with energy and emotions since the curse was broken. This is their outlet. All that pent up energy is put towards something they can all appreciate."
"It was a very good idea." Emma said. "Of yours."
Archie grinned and looked away. "I don't like to brag."
"No you deserve it," she said honestly. "I don't think I've seen them this happy before, curse or not."
Archie smiled. "It's almost like home."
"Except you're not a cricket," she said without thinking.
"There is that."
She gave him an embarrassed smile and he grinned back.
"There's Marco," he said. "I better go. Conscience and all."
She nodded as he left.
She sighed.
"Not bored are you?" Regina asked as she walked up to her.
Emma hadn't even noticed her entering, though, as she cast a look around the room, she saw that everyone else had. They were all casting her looks. She realised that was probably why Archie had hightailed it outta there.
"Not at all." She replied. "You?"
"Hardly." She looked around scornfully.
Emma looked down. "Hey kid."
Henry smiled at her. "Hey."
"What about you? You bored yet?"
Henry shook his head. "Have you seen Archie? I need to tell him something."
Emma looked up. "Yeah, he's over there."
Henry turned to go.
"You're leaving?" Regina asked with a note of worry.
Henry gave her a smile. "I'll be back." Then he walked away.
"He's a big kid, he can look after himself." Emma told her.
Regina's eyes flared and Emma prepared herself for some witty comeback, or insult.
Instead Regina looked at the dancers. "You aren't dancing," she commented.
Emma blinked and shook her head. "I never…uh…learnt."
"Would you like me to teach you?"

~
Emma's eyes widened to almost comical size.
Regina started to backtrack. "Um, I mean…I…I didn't mean to…"
Emma laughed and Regina scowled but there was a small smile on her lips.
"Do you teach dance?" Emma asked.
"I'm a woman of many skills. And all Queens know how to teach their subjects to dance."
"So I'm your subject."
"No, but considering you did break my curse, I'll make an exception."
"Well you did poison my mother and curse my family." Emma responded.
There was a silence.
"Uh…sorry." Emma finally offered.
Regina shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Seeing the guest list here, it's a fair bet that that will be the most mild comment I'll come across tonight."
Emma bit her lip. "Why are you here?"
"People would talk if I was the only one absent."
"And the real reason?"
"Public Image is everything."
"Archie's idea?"
"Yes." Regina's eyes narrowed. "You too?"
"He's very enthusiastic."
"Indeed." She eyed the subject of their conversation, who was in a conversation with Marco. "Where's Henry?"
Emma followed her gaze. "He was just there." Their eyes darted around the room and Emma sighed suddenly. "He's with Mr Gold."
"Mr Gold?!" Regina exclaimed. "How dare he-" She began striding over but Emma caught her arm. "Unhand me!"
"He's with Belle, Ruby and Cinderella too." Emma pointed out. "He's fine."
Regina glared at her. "That kind of attitude-"
"Attitude?!" Emma retorted loudly, then lowered her voice as the surrounding people looked at them with a mixture of fear and anger. "He'll be fine. You have to trust people."
"Trust?! Trust is what got us into this mess in the first place."
Emma sighed. "You're going to have to accept that Henry has other people in life besides you."
"Because of you!" Regina whispered back.
Emma's eyes flashed and she pulled Regina, heading outside. The crowd parted around them.

The cold air was nice.
The crowd was less prominent outside.
Emma let Regina go. "Listen you need to get past this."
"Past what?"
"This vendetta against the town. Against me."
"You ruined everything."
"I ruined nothing!" Emma said. "Look, you're still in Henry's life. If you want it to keep that way, you've got to knock yourself down a few pegs."
Regina made a stunned noise. "Knock myself down a few pegs?" she drawled. "How dare you-"
"How dare you! You took my family from tried to kill me-"
Regina glared at her. "To protect Henry."
"To protect yourself!"
"I looked after that child for ten years." Regina reminded her.
Emma's hands bunched up. She needed it to stop, for Regina to shut up. She needed to hit something. But the only thing close enough was Regina. And that was illegal.
So instead she reached forward and kissed her.

Regina froze.
It wasn't exactly the comeback she was expecting. Her hands idly grabbed at the air. Part of her tried to count how many years it had been since she'd been kissed.
The other part, for want of better words, was freaking out.
Emma pulled away and Regina let out a very undignified "uhh…"
Emma's face was flushed and her eyes darted over Regina's face worriedly.
"A simple sorry would've sufficed," Regina said, the first thing to come to mind.
"I'll keep that in mind," Emma retorted, with a flare in her eyes.
She seemed to be waiting, but Regina was having trouble formulating what she knew she should say.
Regina opened her mouth. Then she sighed. "I suppose we should get back to the party."
Emma looked over. "Yeah."
They walked back towards the music in silence. Regina stopped suddenly, as she figured out something to say.
"I don't suppose you want to dance?"
Emma turned. "Dance?"
Regina gestured to the warehouse. "I did offer."
Emma grinned. "You did."
"It would be wrong of me to go back on it now. I would set a bad example for Henry."
The mischievous glint returned to Emma's eye. "It would."
Regina offered her her hand. "Shall we?"

"Your hand is getting a little low there," Emma commented.
They span in time with the music, somehow having made it to the center of the dancing.
Regina gave her a look. "That's how the dance goes. And as you're too …inexperienced to lead, you'll have to put up with my…"
"Groping?"
Regina smiled. "My groping yes." She leant in for a kiss. "I'll suppose you'll have to get used to it."
Emma grinned back. "I suppose I will."

Epilogue

"We wanted you to be nice towards Regina, not fall for her!" David scolded.
Emma laughed. "You weren't specific enough."
Snow sighed. "She's got your strong-headness."
"Mine?" David exclaimed.
Snow gave a half-laugh. "Well, I suppose she gets it from both of us."
"It's good for the town?" Emma offered.
Snow gave her a look.
"She definitely gets it from you," Charming said.
There was a knock on the door.
"Gotta go," Emma said, picking up her handbag. "Don't wait up."
Snow and Charming sighed together.
Emma opened the door.
"Ready to go?" Regina asked.
"After you." Emma replied.

Not my best work. I burnt my hand a few weeks back and it destroyed my motivation to write, so I'm trying to force myself back into it. Hope you liked it!