A short SwanFireQueen ficlet. Pan was captured successfully in the Pandora's Box, no new curse, S3B never happened, they are all living in Storybrooke happily.
"Why are they still staring?" Emma muttered as she glared over her shoulder at the couple who were sitting several yards away and stealing covert glances in the direction of Emma and her companions.
"Because we have yet to do anything more scandalous than touch hands," Neal told her as he stretched his arm and grabbed himself a bottle of water. "You want one, Gina?"
"Yes, thank you."
He handed her the water and tugged at Emma's arm.
"Just relax, Em. We knew this would happen."
"That doesn't mean I have to like it."
"We can always curse them," Regina suggested drily. "A joke, Emma," she added when the blonde woman whirled around to stare at her.
"I know a better one," Neal said. "The Evil Queen, Snow White's Daughter and Son of Rumplestiltskin walk into a bar..."
"What is it with you and bars?" Emma asked.
"I like the ambience."
The serious way he said that made them all laugh and Emma plopped down on the blanket, nudging Neal's leg out of the way.
"Whose idea was it to have this picnic thing again?" she asked.
"We have done this every month since the weather turned sunny," Neal pointed out. "It's a tradition."
"Henry likes it," Regina added and pointed to their son who was halfway across the park, talking to his maternal grandparents. "Besides, if people want to stare at us, they will. It's not like we can hide away in the house forever."
"Face it, Em. The three of us, together? Without any jealousy and fights involved? We're the big mystery they want to figure out."
"I guess," Emma said with a sigh and pulled one of the baskets they had brought closer, rummaging for a sandwich.
"Although," Neal said speculatively. "They're focusing on the wrong part. It seems like they can't get over the fact that there's three of us in a relationship."
"So?" Regina asked as she leaned over him to take a sandwich from Emma.
"So. The fact that you're technically Emma's step-grandma? Or that we were almost siblings? They don't seem to care about those but make a fuss about three adults in a consensual relationship. It just seems strange to me."
"Well, we're pretty much unconventional any way you look at it," Regina said matter-of-factly. "And the only person whose opinion about us matters to me is Henry's."
"True," Neal acknowledged. He laid back on the blanket and smirked. "Do you think maybe they expect some kind of PDA from us and that's why they're watching?"
"They're not getting a free show," Emma stated resolutely. Neal grinned at her.
"Getting shy, Princess?"
"Don't want them getting too jealous of us," she retorted. Regina rolled her eyes.
"You're worse than a couple of kids," she said.
"But you love us anyway," Neal said. She shrugged.
"Heart wants what the heart wants."
He smiled at her and took her hand, kissing her fingers one by one.
"It certainly does."
Emma sighed and scooted up on the blanket, laying her head against Neal's shoulder and reaching over to hold Regina's hand who moved into a similar position on his other side.
"This is the only PDA I'm doing, okay?" she told them.
"It's more than enough," Neal said, watching as the couple from earlier shook their heads and turned away. He smiled and closed his eyes. It was a beautiful day for a picnic.