A/N: This is for Swan Queen Week, under the prompt of Divorced Lesbian Mommies AU. Hope you like it!
They had settled into a routine, Regina and Emma. After the divorce it took some time to iron out the details, but six months later they more or less had the schedule down pat. Henry stayed with Regina during the week, and with Emma during the weekends that he didn't have something going on in Storybrooke. He also went to Emma's during most school vacations, and every once in a while the blonde would come down during the week to take him out to dinner, or watch him if Regina had a business meeting.
Emma had gotten an apartment in Portland, so it wasn't too terrible a drive. She considered staying in Storybrooke to make things easier for Henry, but it turned out to be too hard. Being surrounded by the memories of the great life she once had with Regina and their son was too terrible of a torture to endure.
And so, their current arrangement was formed, and Regina was currently sitting in her living room, waiting for Emma to return Henry on this rainy Sunday night. It was part of the deal that Henry completed all his homework before coming home, so the two of them got to have a nice relaxing evening together.
In fact, sometimes Emma joined them for dinner, especially if the weather was dreary as it was now. Emma got a hot meal and a break before driving back home, and although Regina would never admit it, she liked getting to see and talk to the blonde for a little while.
It was crazy, wasn't it? The whole point of a divorce was not wanting to be in the same house anymore, and yet Regina relished the moments when they were. In fact, ever since the anger died down the brunette started missing her ex-wife. At first she dismissed it, thinking she simply missed the happy memories, which was quite understandable.
However, she eventually started missing the little things about Emma, even the things that used to aggravate her. The way she would take up all the covers in her sleep, or fail at even the slightest cooking task. She even missed that little guilty face Emma would sometimes have when she came home from work – the one that said something was broken, stained, or burnt.
The sound of Emma's car coming up the driveway pulled Regina out of her thoughts, and she shook her head a little bit to clear it. No use thinking about silly things now. What's done is done, and she needed to stop being so pathetic.
Still, as she walked to the window and saw Henry get out of the yellow bug, she felt her heart beat just a tiny bit faster. She watched as her son gathered his things, and then stopped to talk to the blonde, who was shaking her head at some question Henry had asked. Then, surprisingly, the two hugged, and Emma got back into her bug. That was strange – even when she didn't stay, Emma always at least walked Henry to the door, and checked in with Regina about any schedule changes or important information.
Regina couldn't deny her disappointment, but tried to focus on the happiness that enveloped her when Henry walked in the door and gave her a hug. It had only been a couple days, but she always missed her son nonetheless.
"Hi, Mom!" He said, squeezing her one last time before letting go.
"Hello, sweetheart. Did you have a good time with Emma?"
"Yep! We went to the park, and then Mama showed me this really good pizza place. We also went to this really cool dinosaur movie – it was 3D, and it looked so real! Mom, the two of us should totally go see it – I don't mind watching it again." Henry pulled out his most innocent face, and Regina smiled at his sly attempt.
"I'm glad you enjoyed the movie," she said, "but I think one time is enough, young man. Movie's are expensive enough."
"Okay…." He said, his face dropping slightly. "I'm going to put my stuff upstairs and wash my hands – what are we having for dinner?" He was such a typical 12 year old boy – food was all that really mattered to him.
"Chicken parmesan," Regina replied. "Oh, Henry, did your mother mention why she didn't come in? I…wanted to ask her about something."
"Um, yeah, she just said she had a lot of work to do tonight and wanted to get a head start back." That was believable; Emma had gotten a job with the Portland police department. Nothing too dangerous, but it was an important position with good benefits. Still, Regina wished she could have seen her at least quickly.
That was silly, though, and there were more important matters to attend to. She went into the kitchen and finished up dinner, and tried to enjoy the rest of her evening with her son.
Five weeks later, Regina watched as once again, Emma hugged their son goodbye and got back into the car. This had been going on every week, and frankly she was getting tired of it. Mustering up her anger, she opened up the door and walked outside with what she hoped was her Evil Queen strut.
Reaching Henry, she softened for a moment, giving him a hug before sending him inside, telling him she just needed to talk to Emma for a moment. Once he was safely inside, she brought the glare back to her eyes fixated on the blonde, who was rolling down her window with a vaguely fearful look in her eyes. Serves her right.
"Miss Swan," she began, "I don't know what the meaning of all of this is, but I demand that it stop right now. It is childish and I do not have time for it."
"Uh….what?" Emma replied, oh so eloquently.
"For the past several months, you have always at least walked Henry to the door, and checked in with me about any urgent matters that needed my attention. Now, suddenly you're just too busy? Is there something more important than making our son feel like more than a simple parcel being exchanged? If so, please enlighten me."
Emma sighed and got out of the car, leaning against the door to face Regina. "No, of course not. It's just…."
"It's just what? Is there someone back in Portland that you're hurrying back to? Some young leggy thing that couldn't be bothered with the baggage of a child, so you just put her on hold until Henry is back with me? Because if that is the case –"
"It's just too hard!" Emma interrupted, startling Regina. "It's too hard to see you, or have dinner with you, because it makes me never want to leave." She expected Regina to jump in as soon as she took a breath, but the brunette seemed to be shocked into silence, so she continued. "I miss this, I miss all of it. But mostly I miss you, Regina. You're beautiful and perfect and sexy and I have no idea how I ever let you go. It was the biggest mistake of my life, I'll tell you that. So no, I can't see you, because if I do, I will beg on my hands and knees for you to take me back."
The two women stood in silence for several seconds – Regina processing everything Emma just said, and Emma internally berating herself for not keeping her mouth shut. Eventually, Regina said softly, "I miss you too."
"Wha…what?" Emma breathed.
"You heard me," Regina said, becoming uncomfortable. "I miss you too, and –" She never got to finish her sentence, as Emma claimed her lips in a kiss more passionate than either women remembered happening in a long time.
The kiss continued until they were both out of breath, and when they came apart, they realized they had wrapped their arms around each other just as they used to. Emma smiled, and kissed Regina's forehead, like she always did when she wanted to reassure her or calm her down.
"Now what?" Regina asked
"Now….I would love some dinner," Emma replied, and the two of them headed into the house, holding hands and truly smiling for the first time in six long months.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! I'll be putting up a few more One Shots throughout the next several days as part of Swan Queen Week.