I'm not sure where this came from, just that my brain comes up with weird things when I take benadryl. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. This was meant to be friendship, but I'm afraid that it may have come off a little Cricket Queen-ish, and that's fine too. Take it either way you want. Enjoy!:)
Good morning, Madame Mayor. Beautiful day, isn't it?
It was strange; the things that once could find themselves missing. Regina was starting to find herself in a position such as that. Ever since that ridiculous Emma Swan had come to town and broken her curse, Regina had started to miss the old… sameness… of the days – particularly when on her morning walks to her office. She missed seeing Marco working on the "Neighbor's wine and dine" sign as Mr. Gold limped past his ladder. She missed the way that Ruby would slouch insolently against Granny's fence with a roll of her eyes while the two of them argued over the early shift.
But above all else she found that – surprisingly – what she missed the most was Dr. Hopper's bright smile and simple greeting. Good morning, Madame Mayor. Beautiful day, isn't it?
The presence – or absence – of that simple little moment shouldn't have bothered her, but it did, and she wasn't sure why. She was not, as some might think were she to voice her feelings about this to them, in love with Dr. Hopper, or some equally silly notion. It was just that… it had been a nice moment. Someone had been nice to her in that moment and she didn't get that much anymore since the curse's breaking.
Regina really missed that five second exchange, but she really couldn't do anything about it. Now that things had settled back down in the town, she'd resumed a nearly identical routine to the one that she'd had pre-curse – and she was unreasonably hurt when she realized that Dr. Hopper had started to walk Pongo on the other side of the street.
That didn't have to be because of her, of course, but the idea that it just might be bothered her more than she was willing to admit – even to herself. Weeks passed this way though, so Regina told herself to get over it – it really was a terribly small thing when compared to all the other things that she'd lost because the curse broke – and go on with her life. Which she managed to do quite well, if she could say so herself.
So what if she smiled a little less, and her mornings were always a little grayer? Did she really need to hear Archibald Hopper comment on the weather in order to have a good day? Of course not! So she just got over it and went on with her life.
Until that day months later that she didn't have to…
Regina had woken up on the wrong side of the bed – mostly because she was still adjusting to not having Graham in that bed – and so she didn't notice that Dr. Hooper was walking on the "correct" side of the street again... until she nearly ran into him.
She gasped, sidestepping quickly to avoid tangling herself in Pongo's leash – she did not need the people of this town thinking of her as "Anita," thank you very much – and mumbled something that might just have been an apology.
"That's alright," Dr, Hopper answered easily, smiling just barely at her as their eyes met. And then he said it – carefully, like he knew the lines were rote, which he did know they were, of course he did now. "Good morning, Madame Mayor."
"Good morning," Dr. Hopper," Regina answered, her spirits lifting alarmingly at the familiar exchange as she shoved her hands down into the pockets of her coat and moved to continue on her walk.
The hesitancy was still there, but he asked her retreating form anyway, "Beautiful day, isn't it?"
Regina stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder at him, a wide, genuine smile transforming her face as she replied, "Yes, it is."
Or it was now, anyway.