Brief and necessary disclaimer: if you recognize it, I don't own it. This has been knocking around in my head for a while now. I don't know where this is going if anywhere but I hope you'll stick with me.
-- Home --
The room is mostly dark with only a few shafts of moonlight peeking in through the curtains. One beam spilled over the coffee table, casting its pale glow upon an empty wine bottle and a lonely glass. It was silent save for the soft ticking of a clock in the next room. Another beam made it a little further into the room, falling on the couch. Or more accurately falling on a person on the couch. A gust of wind ruffles the leaves, longer branches tapping on the glass. The figure stirs slightly, rolling over and pulling something closer to their chest. They settle in once more, snuggling into the couch further. The beam of light is just long enough to highlight a sleepy smile and a small scar on feminine lips. They exhale deeply, a satisfied sigh as the clock ticks on.
A moment later the room is flooded with light- and noise as two figures enter the foyer off the living room, snapping on the lamp in the hall. They don't seem to notice the woman on the couch, or that she wasn't sleeping anymore
"Shh! We need to be quiet. Mom's probably asleep." the teen boy whispered.
You're gonna shush me when you're being less than stealthy, Kid?" the blonde woman with him hissed back. "Take your shoes off before you go up those." The boy toed his shoes off before slowly making his way up the rounded staircase.
The blonde looked around as if this was her first time in this foyer- which it most certainly was not. She had been here countless times before for arguments and family dinners (the two were not mutually exclusive but if she were being honest with herself she wouldn't have wanted it any other way.) Her eyes were drawn to the very same picture they're drawn to every time she stands in that foyer; it was a picture of her son and his other mother at Granny's Diner. It's a candid shot that she had taken and given to the other woman for Christmas. She felt lame giving it to her, Madam Mayor: Elegant Queen of Classytown, but Regina had actually teared up ("NO! I have something in my eye!) upon receiving it. The brunette was laughing in the photo, but not the polite sort of laughing. She and Henry had been in the throes of full-bellied laughter; mouth open, teeth on show, eyes slammed shut, tears of joy making their way down aching rosie cheeks. Emma couldn't remember for the life of her what had been so funny; she could only remember feeling the need to capture Regina (and Henry) in that moment because of how happy and beautiful they (she) looked. The blondes lip twitches into a wry half smile thinking about it. "I didn't think this would happen but look how far we've come Regina." she says to the picture, still unaware of Regina's actual physical presence on the couch a mere ten feet from her.
Meanwhile Regina is just laying on the couch in the semi darkness, still a little buzzed from her liquid dinner, hoping that Emma and Henry get what they need quickly and get out so she doesn't have to explain why she took a boozenap on the couch. Or why she drank a whole bottle of wine by herself in the first place. She tightens her hold on the object she's clutching to her chest when she hears Emma say her name, inhaling sharply.
Be cool. She thinks to herself, squeezing her eyes shut, feeling the object in her arms. It took her slightly drunk brain a few moments to remember what it was: a picture of the three of them, like a family, Regina and Emma on either side of Henry, proud smiles on their faces. A groan slips out but Regina bites down on it. This is really the last thing I wanted right now. How pathetic am I? She lets out what she thinks is a silent breath.
"Hello?" Emma says, slightly startled, turning on her heel. Poking her head into the living room, the blonde feels around for the light switch. "Regina is that you?" She flips the switch and squints as the bright lights spring to life.
Regina covers her eyes with her forearm instantly, flinging the picture she was holding across the room in the process. "Fuck!" the brunette moans, keeping her face covered, well aware that it was burning with embarrassment. There is the sound of glass breaking and the pitter patter of clomping teen boy feet rushing down the stairs mixed with exclamations of "Holy shit!" and "What's going on?!" Regina was already getting a headache. Her head hurt, she was mightily embarrassed and just wanted the earth to swallow her up right then and there so she didn't have to deal with a million questions that were certainly already on the tip of their tongues.
"Why are you down here?" "What was that crash?"
Regina for her part remained motionless on the couch with her face covered.
"I could ask you the same thing." she mumbles out.
"What?" Henry and Emma say in unison.
"I. Could. Ask. You. The. Same. Thing." she grinds out, carefully pronouncing each word as she sits up and turns to them. To their puzzled looks she presses on, "Why are you here at," she glances at the clock on the cable box, "Too Close to Midnight when you're supposed to be at Emma's this weekend?" She does her best to school her face into something resembling her old terrifying persona to hide her embarrassment. She cocks her eyebrow, looking at them expectantly for an answer. When Emma audibly gulps, Regina feels a little bad because she doesn't really want the blonde to be afraid of her.
"I.. we-"
"There's a meteor shower peaking at 12:30 and I forgot to grab my telescope before now." Henry offered with a half smile. Regina squints at him a moment before softening her look. He looks past her to the coffee table and sees the bottle and the wine glass and his smile falters a little. "Are you okay Mom? Do you need me to stay home with you?"
"What? No! I was just having some 'Me' time and I didn't make it upstairs. I'm fine." Regina protested lamely, hoping that they didn't go to investigate the other side of the room. "I'm fine." She said again more firmly, even believing it a little herself. I really just want you both here, with me, all the time.
Henry seemed to buy it and bound over to her to throw his arms around her in a farewell hug. Emma on the other hand, as Regina could see, was having none of it. While she answering Henry's questions, Emma had spied with her little eye something with broken glass and a family picture. She gave her The Eye.
"If you're sure you're okay we're going to head out." The taller woman said, her tone too soft for the look she was giving Regina over Henry's shoulder.
"I'm okay Emma. I'm going to take myself upstairs, have a nice, hot shower, take some Tylenol and snuggle up in my bed." She put on her best smile. "Promise."
"Bye Mom!" Henry said before bounding out the front door with his telescope.
"Bye guys!" Regina tossed over her shoulder, facing away from them now and gathering up her bottle and glass and heading into the kitchen. She tosses the bottle in the garbage and sets the glass on the counter. She grabs a cup from the cabinet and goes to the fridge to pour herself a glass of water. After she sets down the jug and closes the refrigerator door, she is quite shocked to be almost nose to nose with the object of her affection. Wide brown saucers stare into probing green ones. Emma's eyes search Regina's face for a moment, her hands still resting on the brunettes elbows from steadying her.
There is a long, quiet pause as they stand inches from each other, the older woman's cup of water between them.
"I wish you would let me in Regina. We are going to talk about this." Emma breathes out before turning on her heel and heading to the exit.
The brunette lets out a breath she didn't realized she had been holding and sets her glass on the counter. She leans heavily on her forearms with her head in her hands groaning. Her blood was rushing all over, heat was everywhere on her body and she had butterflies in her stomach.
Damn it.
After a few minutes to catch her breath she straightens up, drains her glass of water and makes her way upstairs to take a long (very cold, now) shower and hit the sack. She was not looking forward that conversation.