Emma Swan tightened the grip on the pen in her right hand, so much so that her knuckles began to fade a little white in color. She tapped the cap end down on her desk, making a sporadic rhythm that would have immediately been found obnoxious to anyone else in the room, had there been anyone there. Her gold locks fell evenly over each of her shoulders and she wore a look on her face that made it seem like she wasn't fully there. She kept her head propped up against the palm of her free hand while the other played out the tapping rhythm of the pen.
Emma's thoughts were a barrier between her and the work she needed to get done. All she could think about was Henry. She felt that though Henry's protests of Regina being evil towards him seemed quite believable, that they were in fact untrue. Regina was the most dignified person in Storybrooke, but something told Emma that there was a softer side to her, a side that no one had ever seen except for maybe Regina herself. Anyone who ever did witness Regina's soft side is probably deceased, Emma joked to herself which somewhat brought a smile to her face.
"Miss Swan." A cold tone shook Emma out of her trance, if on cue, and made her slowly come back to the reality around her. The brunette stood in front of her. A suit as always, this time a very lightly tan, and a gray scarf securely fashioned around her neck. Her arms folded across her chest, and a look of sheer and blatant unpleasure was sprawled across her face. Her lips pursed as she stepped closer towards Emma's desk.
Emma lifted her head from the palm of her hand, but she didn't release the pen from her other hand. She gripped it tighter than ever now. Her knuckles a pure white as her skin stretched.
"Madame Mayor," Emma shut her eyes for a moment then glanced up at the brunette now standing about three feet from her, "Can I help you?" She choked out, seeming nervous in tone.
Regina stepped closer again, and clasped her hands on the edge of the sheriff's desk. Her heels clicking on the tile floor below her feet, "Yes Ms. Swan," she leaned in, close enough that Emma could smell the cider in her breath as she spoke the next five words, "You can do your job." The brunette leaned back slowly, but she didn't remove her hands from Emma's desk. "Try staying focused," she snapped.
Regina wore a grin sprawled across her face now, the one she always wore when she was telling someone off or proving someone wrong. Her brown eyes stayed hooked on Emma's as she leaned back a little more, giving Emma room to breath.
Emma gave the Mayor a fake smile which immediately just spelt out 'Back off'. Regina didn't move a muscle though, her knuckles were a light white as she gripped the sheriff's desk. Emma shook the Mayor's gaze for a minute to look at the clock secured on the wall near some filing cabinets. 1:36, Emma thought to herself, It's that early still?
"Sheriff Swan," the Mayor said drawing Emma's attention back to her, "Please get some work done, it would be much appreciated." The brunette wore a smug smile now as she stepped back from the desk.
"I apologize," Emma boasted, not truly meaning it, but hoping Regina would take it and leave her.
Regina's eyes rolled dramatically as she walked out of the sheriff's office, but suddenly she stopped in the doorway, hands bracing the door frame like there was no floor in front of her and she might fall.
The brunette turned back to Emma, who was now flipping softly through various files for reasons unknown.
"Miss Swan," Regina said forcing a genuine smile across her face. "Henry would like me to invite you to dinner tonight at our house." The brunette seemed pain-struck as she asked the following question, "Would you like to join us?" She said, lips pursed, as she washed away the forced smile.
Emma looked up at Regina, taken back by her invite. "I-I would," Regina cut her off, "Great. See you at seven, tonight." Then as if by magic, a genuinely real smile spread across the brunette's face as she made her way out of the office and out of the building.
Emma collapsed back in her seat and released the pain which was now covered in sweat from the palm of her hand. Dinner, she thought to herself. Surely she thought Regina hated her, yet, now she was asking her over for dinner, even if it was by Henry's doings, she was allowing it?
Emma wore a shocked look for a moment then shook her head as she returned reluctantly back to the files in front of her.
Dinner with Regina, she thought once more.
Emma Swan pulled up to the front of Madame Mayor's mansion at seven o'clock sharp. She didn't want to be late, for her sake. She didn't need Regina becoming angry with her just because she was a minute late.
She jerked the gear into park and turned off the engine, pulling the keys away from its hold to the right of the wheel. The car rattled as she stepped out into the street. She swallowed as she turned and looked at the mansion. Her breath danced in the air, a mist of fog as she shut the door to her car with one swift movement of her arm.
Emma made her way up the sidewalk to the front of the mansion. She swallowed again from nervousness, and just a strange feeling that she couldn't seem to shake.
As she approached the front door, it swung open abruptly. There stood Regina dressed in a black satin dress that fell delicately over her shoulders and her hair just perfectly done as always. "Miss Swan," Regina took a step down to stand in front of Emma, "I see you've dressed for the occasion." She took a glance up and down at Emma, still in jeans, with her boots, and wearing her red leather jacket.
"I wasn't aware there was an occasion," Emma said, a quite confused expression sprawled across her face now, as she leaned back for a little breathing space from the brunette.
She'd never noticed it before, but behind Regina's suits that she wore all the time, was a quite petite, beautiful woman.
Emma found herself trying to stay hooked on the brunette's eyes, not to make it anymore awkward than it seemed, in her case. "Should we go in?" Emma asked, gesturing to the door Regina had left open.
The brunette didn't say a word, she only turned back around and walked inside. Emma followed silently behind, thankful that Regina's heels made enough sound to break the awkward silence between the two.
Emma waited for Henry's embrace as she stepped into the mansion, but Henry didn't even show. She didn't feel a small frame wrap around her own and it confused her. Henry always greeted her like that, whether his mother was there or not.
Regina shut the door behind them, rattling the mirror on the far wall due to the force she used. Emma could hear the click of the lock as Regina secured the door.
"Where's Henry," Emma questioned worriedly, turning around to face the brunette.
Regina held her breath for a moment, still facing the door then turned around slowly. "Not here," she said with a defiant, yet soft at the same time, tone to her voice. "He became sick, so I had Granny watch him for the night." Regina walked silently passed Emma into the dining room. She left him with Granny? Did she set this whole thing up? Maybe Henry wasn't truly sick. She figured she'd find the truth from him in the morning anyway.
There were two china plates out on the table, a silver fork and spoon on each side, and a napkin elegantly folded above the plate. If Emma hadn't known better she would've thought this was a date, but it couldn't be, right? Regina loathed her, she thought the brunette couldn't even bare to look at her. Now, they were having dinner alone?
"Regina, what is this about?" Emma said, stuffing her hands in each of the side pockets of her jeans.
The brunette sipped a small glass of cider as she looked at the confused blonde standing before her, just a few feet away. "Miss Swan," Regina said, an annoyed tone growing now, "I invited you for a nice quaint dinner, and now, you're questioning me?" Emma felt her face twist in embarrassment, was Regina being serious? "I feel we need a night alone, to get all this foolish nonsense off our minds." Emma's nerves were on end as Regina placed the glass cup onto a metal tray. A night alone?
The brunette walked silently towards Emma, her breath silent and her lips pursed. "Now Miss Swan, please take a seat, I don't have all night." She gestured to the chair on the far right side of the table and a smug grin spread across her face, ear to ear.
Emma took a step back before making her way to the chair. A romantic like dinner with Regina. This couldn't be happening. She watched the brunette somewhat seductively walk out of the room to the kitchen and it sent a chill dancing up her spine.
How could she hide her feelings for Regina now?