Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They own my heart and that is all.
Enjoy :)
Emma blinked at the object in front of her. The white Bishop was one step away from standing gloriously in diagonal from the black King on the half empty chess board. The last few armies of white; the Queen, the Rook and two pawns were cornering the black King's path in every direction, except for one.
This can't be. She thought to herself. Her eyes narrowed to the board and skimmed around to confirm that her eyes weren't deceiving her.
It was real.
Silently, she flicked her eyes up and found Regina was focusing on the same direction her eyes initially was, which made her nervous. It was the brunette's turn but she hadn't made a move for the past ten minutes, making Emma even more restless.
Please don't see that. God, please don't let her see that.
Emma chanted in her mind, hoping Regina didn't see the chance that was in her favor. Her expression remained unchanged, but her mind was a whole different story.
This was their third round of chess and it was Emma's soon-to-be third loss at the game if she didn't come up with a strategy or work on a miracle. She hated it. She never understood how people find this godforsaken board game that was boring her to death enjoyable.
If it wasn't for Regina's incessant coaxing, Emma would never let herself drown in this endless loop of boredom. What annoyed her even more was the fact that Regina was so good at it; repeatedly kicking her ass no matter how hard she tried to win.
She was so close to giving up when she finally saw an opportunity to change her fate this time around. Her army was about to bring down Regina's in a glorious checkmate if the latter didn't move her King. With her fingers crossed under the table, Emma gnawed on the insides of her cheeks, praying that Regina would somehow oversee this rare opportunity of hers.
Finally Regina moved her hand, taking the black Knight and moved it in 'L' shape from its initial position on the board, landing in front of Emma's white pawn.
Emma almost squealed in delight that Regina didn't move her King. She swore she saw confetti and fireworks blasting before her eyes, already celebrating her impending victory. However, she kept her composure. There was not even the slightest trace of excitement on her face except for the half smile that was hanging on her lips ever since Regina moved her Knight instead of her King.
A sudden thought crossed her mind: if she was going to bring Regina down, she might as well do it in style. It's all or nothing. This was her only chance to play a different kind of game with the Mayor and as far as she could see, there was only one winner in her game and it's not going to be Regina.
Emma took a deep breath and furrowed her brows, giving the board a hard stare as if pressured in making the next move when in her mind; she was trying to come up with a glorious reward for her first victory in chess against her girlfriend.
To prevent the Mayor from suspecting anything, Emma played it really cool. She had been wearing the same boring face she had on since the moment Regina took out the chess set. Just like the past three hours, she sighed in frustration and once again tried to end the game, only this time, she had her own agenda behind it.
"This is really killing me," she whined, throwing her hands in the air.
"What is, dear?" Regina said coolly.
"Boredom!" Emma said, frowning as she spoke. "Can't we just forget this and call it a night?"
"Emma, how many times should I break this to you? You have to learn to finish what you've started. Are we seriously having this talk again?" Regina rolled her eyes but unbeknownst to her, the blonde was internally fist pumping since that was exactly the kind of reaction she was hoping for.
"All right, fine! But can't we at least make it more entertaining?" Emma said casually.
"What are you suggesting?"
"Have you by any chance ever heard of a strip chess?" Emma couldn't help the smirk on her face as the words left her tongue. The look on Regina's face was priceless. Her jaw was practically on the floor. "You know, it's like a similar chess only it's actually—"
"I get what you're insinuating, Emma," Regina cut her off dryly. "And the answer is no."
"Aww come on!" Emma's shoulders slumped in disappointment. The hope that was building up within her came crumbling down to her feet.
"I'm not stripping and that's final," Regina said crisply.
"But what happened last night is telling me otherwise." Emma let a cunning smirk tug at her lips, making Regina's cheeks to redden a few shades brighter.
"That's not the case here, Emma. There are places for certain things and stripping, together with whatever things you're hoping may come along with it aren't going to happen in my study."
"Well, we can take this to the bedroom if you want."
"No."
"Or we could—"
"No."
"But—"
"Emma." Regina shot a warning glare, making the blonde flinch a little.
"Fine!" Emma sighed. She wouldn't simply give up even though her first choice was bluntly denied by the Mayor. She had to settle for her plan B. "Then, why don't we place a bet instead?"
"I'm not going to take money from you, honey." Regina smirked cockily, making Emma laugh in her mind. She knew Regina would wish she didn't say that if she knew what she had up on her sleeves.
"Who says anything about money?" Emma said, folding her arms.
"Then what are you proposing?"
"If I win this round, you have to grant me one wish. Just one. No more, no less."
"What if I win? What's in it for me?"
"I'll wash your car."
Regina couldn't help but laugh at the childish offer. Two could play this game, she thought. "That's very sweet, dear. But I already have someone taking care of that."
"Okay then, I'll go for a jog with you every weekend."
"I'm doing just fine jogging alone."
"I'll… do your laundry?"
"You're incapable of doing your own without abusing the washing machine. Why would I want to risk having my clothes under your care?"
"Ugh, fine. I'll sing you Adele for lullaby every night."
"That will only give me nightmares."
"I'll stop recording Grey's Anatomy on your TiVo."
"Seriously, Emma?"
"Okay, you know what? I'll give you free passes to get away from dinner with my parents. I'll even cover up for you, five times."
"Now we're talking," Regina said with a satisfied smirk. What she wouldn't give to avoid dinner with her former arch nemesis even though they were family now. It irked her to no end at the idea of her step-daughter being the mother of her girlfriend. It was a complicated relationship, and she didn't need a reminder of that, which a weekly family dinner at the Charmings never failed to provide.
"So, do we have a deal?" Emma asked.
"Not quite." Regina held her hand up.
"What else do you want?" Emma whined and pouted when Regina chuckled softly.
"What is this wish you have in mind, dearie? I can't make a vague deal without knowing what I'm in for. Once the deal is struck, there's no backing out."
"God, why do you sound like Gold?" Emma frowned in horror at the thought that Mr. Gold was rubbing off on her girlfriend.
"I did pick up a few things from him in making deals. So tell me, what do you wish for?"
"Well, I know this might sound weird, but I uh… I want to hold your hand in public."
Regina quirked an eyebrow at the blonde. She knew she had been fairly strict about certain things ever since they started dating. As the Mayor and the Sheriff of the town, the former had made it clear to the latter that there shouldn't be any public display of affection as it could make people around them uncomfortable.
As much as Emma respected that decision, she just wanted to be like a normal couple. She wanted to be in public with her girlfriend without looking like she was escorting the Mayor to a formal political meeting. Regina had been addressing her as 'Miss Swan' or 'Sheriff Swan' without fail unless they were in the safe of their own home, which Emma thought was downright ridiculous.
Exhibit A:
"Miss Swan, could you please remind our son about his piano lesson after school today?"
"Miss Swan, please don't forget to pick up our laundry at the dry cleaner."
"Sheriff Swan, are you available for lunch at Granny's this afternoon? If so, meet me there at 1.30pm sharp."
"Sheriff Swan, if I recall it correctly, you emptied the last carton of orange juice in the fridge last night. Don't forget to replace it."
"We've talked about this, Emma. I didn't put up those rules if I didn't think it's necessary. People are looking at us."
"I know, but think about it. It's not like I'm asking you to make out with me in public, which by the way I'm totally cool with if you ever change your mind."
"Emma!"
"Okay, that was a joke. But my point is, you're my girlfriend and we've been together for almost a year. I want to be like normal couples and do cute things together. Have you seen how cute Ashley and Sean are when they're in public with baby Alex? I want that with you."
"You do realize that we spend every single day being seen in public together with Henry, don't you? Is this what you're getting at? Being a family?"
Emma palmed her face in frustration that Regina couldn't find a way to be on the same page as hers. "What I'm saying is, I don't want to resist reaching out for your hand as we walk on the streets, or giving you a kiss before you head out to your office after breakfast at Granny's. I just want us to be 'us' even we're outside of the house."
"You're well aware that I'm not comfortable with public display of affection, dear."
"I know. Which is why I'm just asking to hold your hand. That's enough for me."
"But that's a pretty big step for me," Regina said, folding her arms and leaned her back against the tub chair. "Five escape passes from your parents wouldn't cut it."
"So, you want more?"
"No, five of those are more than enough. I can't run away from them forever," she said with a shrug. "I'm saying that I want everything you've offered before."
"But you said—"
"It's all or nothing." Regina leaned forward; a sly smirk was carved on her lips, as though challenging the Sheriff.
Narrowing her eyes, Emma held out her arm, taking Regina's hand in hers, sealing their agreement with a handshake. "Bring it on, sister."
The blonde could already feel the victory within her grasp, making her smile from ear to ear. She wasted no time in making her move. She picked up her Bishop, placing it one step forward, standing in diagonal before Regina's black King. "Check," she said proudly, grinning like a bushel basketful of possum heads.
Regina didn't even react to her King being cornered by Emma's army. As a matter of fact, she was smiling, confusing the blonde Sheriff to no end. Wordlessly, Regina picked the Knight which she had moved earlier, gracefully captured the white Bishop in her hand and replaced it with her Knight, making Emma's jaw rolled helplessly on the floor.
"You were saying?" Regina said, darting her eyes on the gaping blonde, smiling sweetly when their eyes met.
"B-but what— how even— did you just—" Emma stammered, unable to form coherent words due to the capturing of her secret weapon.
Regina was unable to stifle her laughter at Emma's reaction. It reminded her of Mary Margaret's face when the two of them announced their relationship to the Charmings. Priceless.
"Well, they're not going to move on their own, dear," Regina said teasingly as she nodded at the chess set on the table. Her playful smirk was still evident and Emma looked like someone had just told her that Santa Clause wasn't real.
"You… You killed my bishop—" Emma whispered in disbelief, making Regina laugh even louder.
"Well, I wouldn't have killed it if you didn't give me a reason to. You literally walked it into its death." Regina shrugged.
"But I didn't see—"
"Exactly," Regina said. "You were blinded by excessive desire to win that you didn't see the harm it could do." Quite honestly, Regina was speaking from experience. It was true. Like Emma, she had to learn that the hard way, although Emma's stakes weren't that high compared to hers. "I guess we've learned a pretty good lesson here, haven't we?" Regina wiggled her eyebrows at the blonde and beamed in glee.
"I fucking hate chess."
Regina had just come out from the bathroom when she saw Emma was curling under the covers on her side of the bed. Her lips curved into a contented smile seeing her sulking girlfriend blinking blankly toward her under the dim light of the bedside lamp. Emma's failure in cornering Regina's King in their chess game earlier that night had resulted in her third and final loss, ergo the sulking.
Regina felt a tinge of guilt for a fact that she had agreed to Emma's betting proposal when the whole thing was actually part of her plan. She purposely didn't make a move on her King because she knew exactly that Emma saw the opportunity without realizing that the Knight was waiting for her to fall into the trap to finish her off. The bet was a sheer bonus to Regina and she would be lying if she said she didn't have fun for taking advantage on Emma like that.
The brunette walked toward the dressing table and combed her hair, eyeing on the blonde through the reflection of the mirror. She then placed the hairbrush back to its place and climbed onto the bed, settling herself under the cover and turned to face the blonde who was still wearing her poker face.
"Still upset?" Regina said, playfully poking Emma's nose but the blonde showed no response. "Oh Emma, cheer up. It's just a game."
"You killed my bishop," Emma whispered quietly, looking like she was about to burst into tears.
"You were about to kill my King," Regina responded, mindlessly stroking Emma's hair as if consoling a sad child.
Emma let out a frustrated groan and turned to lie on her back, staring at the ceiling. "I can't believe I didn't see that coming. I thought I really got you."
"You should think thoroughly before you try to outsmart me, Emma. I think you should already know that by now."
"You knew I was going to make that move?" Emma glanced at the brunette and saw her nodding her head. "And you let me make that bet anyway?"
"I'm so sorry, dear. Your offers are quite tempting. Speaking of which, I believe someone owe me a lullaby tonight." Regina chuckled when Emma palmed her face with both her hands.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"With all my heart," Regina said, making Emma roll her eyes.
"All right, fine. Let's be done with it. Come here."
Regina wasted no time in scooting over when Emma spread her arm and let the brunette snuggle in her embrace. The blonde planted a small kiss on top of Regina's head and let out a long sigh. The smile on Regina's face grew wider when Emma began humming softly against her ear.
"I let it fall, my heart, and as it fell you rose to claim it," Emma began singing the first Adele song that crossed her mind. "It was dark and I was over, until you kissed my lips and you saved me."
"You're doing great. Don't stop," Regina whispered with her eyes closed when Emma paused for too long. As if having a mind of their own, her fingers found Emma's and they began lacing around one another.
Taking a deep breath, Emma continued, "My hands, they're strong, but my knees were far too weak. To stand in your arms without falling to your feet. But there's a side to you that I never knew, never knew. All the things you'd say, they were never true, never true, and the games you'd play, you would always win, always win."
"Well, that last part is true," Regina interrupted, making them both laugh.
There was a brief moment of silence before Emma's mischievous demeanor began to claim her. She burst out continuing the song with the loudest out-of-tune voice she could possibly muster, completely startled the brunette in her arms.
"BUT I SET FIRE TO THE RAIN WATCHED IT POUR AS I TOUCHED YOUR FACE!"
"EMMA SWAN!" Regina shrieked, flinching as Emma's sharp voice mercilessly stabbed her ears. "It's your face that would be on fire if you do that again," she warned with a deathly icy glare but soon she cracked into laughter when Emma couldn't stop laughing at her expense.
After a while, the blonde Sheriff finally able to contain her laughter and she began pulling the Mayor closer into her arms again. She pressed a quiet kiss on her lips and lingered there a bit longer before pulling away, smiling from ear to ear, greatly pleased with her own shenanigan.
"Shall I continue singing?" Emma voiced out. Regina raised an eyebrow in suspicion, but Emma simply smiled at her innocently.
"You know what?" Regina said, "Let me show you how it's done."
Regina didn't give Emma time to respond. The next thing she knew, she was already lost deep into Regina's embrace, the sweet husky voice of the brunette occupied her ears as she began singing.
When the rain is blowing in your face,
And the whole world is on your case,
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love.
When the evening shadows and the stars appear,
And there is no one there to dry your tears,
I could hold you for a million years,
To make you feel my love.
I know you haven't made your mind up yet,
But I would never do you wrong.
I've known it from the moment that we met,
No doubt in my mind where you belong.
I'd go hungry; I'd go black and blue,
I'd go crawling down the avenue.
No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love.
The storms are raging on the rolling sea,
And on the highway of regret.
The winds of change are blowing wild and free,
You ain't seen nothing like me yet.
I could make you happy, make your dreams come true.
Nothing that I wouldn't do.
Go to the ends of the Earth for you,
To make you feel my love
To make you feel my love
Emma smiled, nuzzling her nose into Regina's neck, closing her eyes as she let the comfort of being so impossibly close to her girlfriend washed over her. Regina's voice comforted every inch of her soul and in that moment, Emma was sure she had fallen in love with Regina all over again.
"Emma!"
A bright light illuminated the blonde's face, causing her to stir slightly in her sleep.
"Emma, wake up!"
Finally flickering her eyes open, Emma squinted to adjust to the light that shined upon her, frowning in annoyance for a fact her sleep had been rudely interrupted. She twisted her limbs and yawned, before her eyes caught the pair that had been staring at her like a hawk.
"Why are you up so early?" Emma asked in confusion. Her voice was husky due to lack of use. "Come back to bed, I'm freezing."
"It's 7a.m and it's Saturday," Regina said, making Emma furrow her brows. What Regina just uttered popped more question that answering.
"I know. That's why I asked you to come back to bed."
"I'm going for a jog," she told her. Emma stared at the brunette wordlessly, trying to process the information to no avail. That was when she realized her girlfriend was wearing a plain black t-shirt with a matching black sweat pants and her hair was tied up in a neat ponytail. Emma couldn't understand how she managed to stay casual yet so classy. "You're coming with me," Regina said, answering Emma's unspoken question.
"But why?"
"You promised, remember? You said you'd jog with me. Now get up, or we'll be late for Henry's breakfast."
Emma whined in protest, trying to pull the blanket to cover her face but Regina was quick to stop her. "You said you'd be fine jogging alone."
"Yes, indeed. But you also happened to make a deal to join me. So come on, don't waste my time."
The blonde finally sat up with a groan, rubbing her eyes briefly before climbing down the bed. She shuffled across the bedroom lazily and headed to the bathroom to freshen herself up. A few minutes later, she came out looking less dreadful, making Regina smile in approval.
"Here, change into this." Regina handed her the clothes she had prepared and head toward the door. "I'll wait downstairs. You have five minutes."
Emma grumbled under her breath as she changed from her pajamas into the gray tank top and sweat pants before tying her hair up in a messy ponytail and put on the running shoes beside the bed.
Less than five minutes later, she went downstairs, finding Regina stretching up in the foyer. Emma rolled her eyes as she stepped toward the older woman who greeted her with a smile.
"Are we having an Olympic training?" Emma said dryly, earning a glare from Regina.
"Lose the sarcasm and start stretching, dear," Regina instructed, rolling her eyes.
"Do I really have to?"
Regina halted her motion momentarily and shrugged. "It's up to you. But don't cry for my help when you get cramps."
That pretty much shut Emma up. She began moving her limbs, mirroring Regina's moves lazily until they were finally ready to run. Regina picked the windbreakers from the coat rack and handed one to Emma before they left the house.
The run turned out to be more pleasant that what Emma had anticipated. She enjoyed feeling the cold air gently brushed against her face. She did love running. She ran every day since before she started working as a bail bondsperson many years ago, but she did it during the evening since unlike Regina, she wasn't exactly a morning type of person.
It was nice feeling her heart pumping so early in the morning. No wonder Regina enjoyed her run in the morning, she thought. Emma was lost in her thoughts until they arrived at the harbor, where Regina finally slowed down her pace and eventually her steps died. Emma followed suit and panted heavily as exhaustion finally took over her.
"You okay?" Regina asked as she caught her breath. She patted Emma's head briefly when the latter held out a thumb up, unable to form words just yet. The brunette took a few steps forward and leaned against the railing; taking in the breathtaking sight of the sea, letting the fresh air fill her lungs.
She turned her head when Emma appeared beside her, with a broad smile adorning her beautiful face. Regina's heart warmed at the beauty of her girlfriend under the bright morning light.
"Wow, it's so beautiful," Emma whispered admiringly, feeling the exhaustion fled almost magically.
"It is," Regina agreed with a nod. She thought Emma was way more beautiful than the sight of the sea but she kept it to herself.
"So this is where you've always been every morning while I'm still sprawling on the bed?" Emma said, drawing laughter from the brunette.
"Now you know what you've been missing out," Regina said, nudging Emma's hand playfully.
"In my defense, you have no idea how amazing my dreams tend to be on weekends. They're spectacular. Like this morning, I was about to dig into the most glorious lobster I've ever seen in my life. Now I'm hungry just thinking about it."
"You were dreaming about food?" Regina raised her brows and scoffed incredulously.
"Oh, you were there too," Emma said. "You were pouring me wine."
"And I was your servant?" Regina said in a flat tone, unamused by Emma's imagination.
"That's the dream." Emma grinned dreamily and yelped when Regina pinched her arm none too gently. "Ow! What was that for?"
"For being an idiot," Regina glowered and threw her gaze back to the distant sea. She almost squeaked when she felt her waist being pulled but she regained her stability immediately by holding on to Emma's shoulders. Her face reddened by the close proximity they shared but she remained calm. She couldn't help glancing around to ensure there were no prying eyes, but her attention was brought back to the blonde when she heard her chuckle.
"There's nobody here but us, Regina," Emma said softly. Regina shook her head, knowing the seafarers would usually be at the harbor even before dawn to tend to their sea business. By that time of the day, they were plenty of boaters that were always roaming around the dock.
"Emma… What if people see us?"
"Screw them," Emma said. "They know we're dating anyway. Can't the Mayor and the Sheriff have a normal relationship?" Regina was about to pull away when Emma quickly pulled the hood from Regina's windbreaker and covered her head before doing the same to herself. "See, now nobody knows it's us."
"You are so stubborn," Regina said, shaking her head. Her eyes somehow landed on Emma's lips and she stared at it, distracted. Their closeness made it almost impossible for her to fight the urge to taste the lips in between hers.
"You know what they say," Emma said, smirking when she notice how Regina was slowly losing her guard. "It takes one to know one."
Regina let out a defeated sigh. She finally gave in and wrapped her arms around Emma's slim waist, erasing the gap that existed in between them. The younger woman beamed proudly and leaned in to claim Regina's lips and they entered the world of their own, not minding about their surroundings even for the slightest bit.
Emma stood in front of the doorstep, her fingers idly ran on the doorbell, pondering her decision for a moment but she instantly realized that it needed to be done, or she wouldn't be able to sleep that night. Without giving herself much time to change her mind, Emma finally pressed on the doorbell. The faint sound of the bell approached her ears, followed by a shuffled footstep that came from behind the door moments later.
Within seconds, the door was flung open, revealing the old man in a suit, clawing on a cane in his hand. The man clearly seemed taken aback by her presence, but he offered her a welcoming smile anyway.
"Hey, Mr. Gold," Emma greeted timidly.
"Miss Swan," he said, placing both his hands on the crook of his cane. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I'm here for Belle. Is she home?"
Before Mr. Gold could open his mouth, the said woman appeared from behind him, making him step to the side.
"Oh hey, Emma. Didn't expect you to come today," Belle said.
"I know, I'm sorry, I should've called first. Is it a bad timing?" Emma smiled apologetically.
Mr. Gold and Belle gave Emma two contradicted answers in unison, but the latter nudged her husband on his side, making him change his answer immediately.
"No, not at all," Mr. Gold said, rubbing on his stinging waist and plastered a fake smile on his face.
"Look, I know it's late. I can come back tomorrow if—"
"Don't be ridiculous, Emma. You're already here. Come on in," Belle said, stepping forward to take Emma's hand and guided her inside the house, leaving Mr. Gold at the door, clueless of what just happened.
"So, did you record it?" Emma grinned in anticipation when they entered the spacious living room of Gold's residence.
"Are you kidding? I'd be wailing for months if I missed it." Belle chuckled, letting go of Emma's hand as she sat on the couch.
"Oh, thank god. You're truly my savior, Belle. Regina wouldn't let me touch her TiVo because of that stupid deal we made." Emma frowned and rolled her eyes remembering how her girlfriend went as far as changing the password to their video recorder just to keep Emma from breaking their deal. "Have you watched it?"
"Not yet." Belle shook her head as her eyes followed Emma who was taking a seat next to her. "But I did read the spoiler on the internet by accident though."
"Really? What's it about?"
"Are you sure you want to know?" Belle raised an eyebrow, making Emma hesitate for a moment. But soon, her face cracked into a broad smile and she nodded excitedly.
"It's fine, spill."
"Well, Calzona got back together," Belle told her.
Emma gasped dramatically and her eyes widened in shock. "No way! Seriously?"
"Mhmm," Belle confirmed with a small nod.
"God, I've been waiting for that all season! But isn't Arizona sleeping with Leah now?"
"She ended things with Leah to get back together with Callie," Belle said, wiggling her eyebrows. "Get this, Leah was literally in her bedroom that night, naked, and Arizona told her to leave. Crazy, huh?"
"Damn! That's really crazy. Wait, does Callie knows about Leah?"
"I have no idea," Belle shrugged. "I haven't watched the episode."
"God, now I can't even wait to go home and watch. Do you have the DVD?"
"Oh, I haven't had the chance to burn it yet." Belle placed her hand on Emma's knee and looked at her apologetically. "I was a bit busy at the library today. I'm so sorry Emma."
"Aww, man." Emma's face dropped and her shoulders slumped in disappointment. "But it's fine. I can come back tomorrow. Can you have it ready by then?"
"Well, I still have it in my TiVo. You wanna watch it together?"
"You mean now?"
"Yeah. Since you're here already, I don't see why not."
"Are you sure Gold won't mind?" Emma asked hesitantly but Belle simply waved her hand dismissively.
"Oh no, he's fine. Don't worry about it."
"Well then, if you insist." Emma grinned excitedly and propped herself on the sofa, making herself comfortable as Belle began to tune in to the latest episode of Grey's Anatomy she had recorded.
The Swan-Mills family was in the kitchen after dinner; Emma was doing the dishes, Regina was arranging the plates and put away the clean pots while Henry was finishing his last bit of caramel pudding. Regina's mind was occupied by the visit she received at her office earlier that day, making her realize how big the matter really was and she made a decision to settle it once and for all, but she waited for Henry to finish off his dessert and Emma to finish doing the dishes.
Once the boy had finished eating, Regina took the empty plate in her hand. "Let me wash this. Go do your homework," she instructed and her son complied after thanking both his moms for the scrumptious dinner.
After Henry disappeared from the kitchen and up the stairs to his room, Regina took a deep breath and turned to face Emma who was wiping her hands with the kitchen towel.
"Emma, we need to talk."
Upon hearing this, Emma's heart raced wilder than necessary, causing her actions to stop briefly.
"Am I in trouble?" Emma said, never losing eye-contact with her girlfriend.
"Yes. Sit down," Regina said, successfully intensified Emma's nervousness. Emma sat down on the chair Henry had occupied earlier, looking up to her girlfriend quizzically and waiting for her to speak. Regina folded her arms and stared down at the nervous blonde sternly. "Care to explain what in the hell were you thinking when you interrupted Mr. Gold and Belle from having their wedding anniversary dinner?"
Flabbergasted, Emma pulled her head back, her eyes widened in both surprise and confusion. "Whoa, wait a minute. I didn't do such thing! Where did that even come from?"
-Flashback-
Regina pinched her eyebrows in between her fingers, trying to ease the strain in her mind and her eyes after what seemed like eternity of focusing on the computer screen, working on the budget report. She took a deep breath and adjusted her eyes with a few blinks before starting to focus on the computer again.
However, her focus was ripped away by the limping man who came storming inside her office looking like someone had just put his ass on fire.
"Gold, what can I do for you?" Regina asked wearily. Whatever it is this man had in store for her, she knew it would only intensify her headache judging by the look on his face.
She couldn't be more right.
"Oh yes, dearie. I need you to undo whatever it is you did with your girlfriend."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Belle told me you made a deal with Miss Swan. Whatever it is, I want you to undo it."
"Whatever deals I made with her is none of your concern, Gold," Regina said defensively.
"Oh I assure you, it is now." Mr. Gold said with an annoyed smirk, making Regina even more furious and confused.
"Whatever do you mean?"
"Miss Swan happened to waltz into my home last night and ruined the plan I made for me and Belle. So yes, it is my concern and I want you to undo it." Mr. Gold took a step closer toward Regina's desk, his eyes piercing through her.
"I don't understand," Regina said, utterly confused. "Miss Swan was at the Sheriff's station working her night shift last night. What do you mean she ruined your plan?"
"Well, unless my home is the new Sheriff's station, then I can assure you, your Majesty, she wasn't there. I had to cancel our dinner reservation because my wife was too occupied watching some godforsaken television show with your girlfriend!"
"Wait, what?" Regina frowned. "Emma went to your house just to watch television? Why?"
"I was hoping to get that answer from you, dearie," Mr. Gold said in his usual sarcastic fashion.
"Wait, you said this has something to do with my deals with Miss Swan?"
"That's what Belle told me."
"Oh dear god," Regina sighed, rubbing her temples with her fingers as she began to get a grasp on the situation. Her voice was an octave lower as she said, "Were they, by any chance, watching Grey's Anatomy?"
"Do you seriously expect me to know that?" Mr. Gold raised his eyebrows in amusement.
The Mayor cupped her face and groaned inwardly. "I'm sorry, Gold. I'll talk to Miss Swan about this."
"You better," Mr. Gold said grimly. "Or I'll have to cast a protection spell on my house and my television."
xx
"It was their anniversary?" Emma almost screeched when Regina broke the news to her. "But Belle didn't tell me that!"
"Perhaps she was just being polite," Regina reasoned. "But what were you doing there in the first place? Shouldn't you be at the station, working?"
"I know, I'm sorry!" Emma threw her hands up in the air. "I was bored and had nothing to do so I just decided to go there to get the DVD from Belle and leave. But she didn't burn it yet, so she invited me to stay over and watch it with her. Plus, Calzona's back together, I seriously didn't want to miss that."
Regina stared blankly at the blonde, unable to process the final piece of information that was laid out in front of her. "Emma, you promised you would stop watching that show!"
"Uhh, no. I promised to stop recording it on your TiVo. Not stop watching it entirely."
"The implication was clear, Emma."
"No it's not! Besides, why are you so against the show anyway? I saw you watch Miami Medical the other day and you don't hear me complaining."
"Miami Medical is a legitimate medical drama that doesn't revolve around horny surgeons who keep trying to get into each other's pants in between surgeries!" Regina blurted defensively. For some reason, she couldn't stand when people compare the two shows together. She would get all fired up and defensive for unknown reasons.
"Say whatever you want, baby. At least Grey's Anatomy wasn't cancelled after season one." Emma gave an offhanded shrug, making Regina narrow her eyes in rage.
"What did you just say?" Regina retorted crisply, placing her hands on her hips.
"Look, Regina. Why are we fighting about this?" Emma let out a long sigh and held out her hand, taking Regina's hand and pulled her closer. She placed her hands on the older woman's waist and looked up, finding Regina's brown eyes. "I'm sorry for ditching work. I should've known better. And I'll apologize to Gold and Belle tomorrow. It won't happen again. Okay?"
"Okay," Regina said quietly, cupping Emma's face with her hands. "I think we should just forget about the deals."
Regina's words make Emma's face lighten up like a kid on a Christmas morning. "Are you serious?"
Regina nodded and stroked the blonde's cheeks with her thumbs lovingly. "I sort of tricked you into it, so I guess that's not entirely fair. Besides, you don't even sing to me anymore."
"That's true, but I only stop because I ran out of songs! It's not my fault Adele hasn't come out with a new album 25 or 28 or whatever her age is now."
"She's 26, Emma," Regina corrected mindlessly.
"Oh, right. Sorry, they didn't teach Adeleogy back in my high school," Emma said teasingly, earning a gentle slap on her arm.
"I happened to stumble upon an article about her on the internet by accident," Regina told her, feeling the need to clarify on her extensive knowledge about that particular pop singer that she had grown fond of.
"Right… So, are you sure you want to revoke our deals?" Emma asked. She tilted her head in search of the seriousness in her girlfriend's eyes.
"Yes," Regina said with an imperceptible nod.
"But you haven't used any of those escape passes from my parents. You want to give that up too?"
"It's about time I start to get used to being around them." Regina smiled. "They're not half bad, I suppose."
Upon hearing that, Emma felt her heart was swelling with happiness. After almost a year of dating, her girlfriend finally willing to be around her parents and most importantly, she didn't have to put Belle in a lot of trouble just for the sake of their favorite television show anymore. "So that means I get to record Grey's Anatomy again?"
"Yes, as long as you stay away from Gold's house. And please make sure to delete them after you finish watching. Is that understood?"
Emma nodded excitedly in agreement and stood from the chair to give Regina her well-deserved kiss. "Thank you so much, Regina. You're the best."
"Oh, that much I know," Regina said with a smirk before pulling Emma into another hot searing kiss. As they pulled away, Regina planted a few small kisses along Emma's jaw before opening her eyes to meet Emma's green ones. "Shall we play chess again tonight?"
Emma's face dropped the moment the word 'chess' rang in her ears. She grimaced outwardly and whined. "Not that again!"
"We'll play by your rules this time," Regina said. A mischievous smile dancing on her lips but Emma was late to catch on it.
"Regina, I'm really sorry to say this but you know how much I hate that game and—" Emma's words died hanging in the air as she finally realized what Regina had insinuated. "Did you just say— You mean…?"
"Interested now?" Regina smirked and teasingly winked before pulling away from the blonde, walking out of the kitchen, heading straight to her study while Emma was still having difficulties collecting her jaw up from the floor.
"Holy mother of lobsters, I'm playing strip chess!" she whispered to herself and ran after her girlfriend.
-The End-