Author's Notes: I did say that Cassie would make an appearance in my Golden Queen fic again. I just love writing family fluff, and I blame my own excitement for a certain movie that's about to come out for this piece. Honestly, Regina having a crush on a particular character doesn't seem *that* far fetched considering who she's married to ;) Enjoy!
No Comparison
It was hardly an unusual sight to come home to, especially if Regina was working longer hours than usual at her office.
The mayor smiled when she found Aiden and their daughter, Cassandra, curled up on the couch in the living room watching a movie together.
Her husband and child formed a particularly adorable image: Cassie was resting her head against her father's shoulder and he had his fingers running carefully through her hair, clearly enjoying a little father/daughter time.
Grinning, Regina leaned against the door-frame and watched them contentedly for a moment, and then blinked in confusion when she heard the language the characters in the film were speaking.
Curious, she quietly moved towards the couch, not wanting to disturb the moment but wondering what they were watching.
She was unable to keep silent when she realized that her loved ones were viewing Monsters Inc.
In French.
"Darling?" she ventured, throwing a glance at Aiden. "Is there a reason you're watching this in a different language than our own?"
"I figured it's never too early to challenge our daughter's mind," he smiled sweetly and patted the free space next to him. "And since you're fluent in French I thought it would be the appropriate choice."
Regina arched both eyebrows at her true love, but sighed and sat down. "D'accord."
He chuckled and leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek.
Despite her befuddlement at the situation, she smiled and cuddled up to him when he draped his free arm over her shoulder and pulled her into his embrace.
About half-way through the movie, Cassandra fell asleep in her father's arms and he carefully carried her over to her room while Regina sat and continued to watch.
When Aiden returned, he picked up the remote. "Do you want me to change the track back to English now that it's just us?"
"No!" Surprised by how loudly the protest came out, she flushed a rather fetching shade of pink when she saw his amused reaction.
Clearing her throat, she attempted to regain her dignity. "I mean…I'm curious to hear how all the voices sound now. Might as well let it play through."
"Uh-huh; sure." Her husband's tone was remarkably close to that of a certain antagonist's, which only made her blush further, but then he sat down next to her without comment and she figured she was in the clear.
As the film played on, Aiden spent more time looking at his wife than he did at the screen, wondering why she was so adamant on finishing something that was aimed at kids.
He found it very cute when she laughed at the humorous parts, but then he noticed the way her cheeks would color slightly at certain times, so he glanced back at the screen, trying to see what was gaining such rapt attention.
About a quarter to the end, he realized just what, or rather: who, was causing his Queen's reactions.
"Oh my…I can't believe this," he muttered.
"What?" Regina asked absentmindedly, her eyes still glued to the television.
"You're in love with that lizard!" Aiden blurted.
She turned towards him, an indignant expression on her lovely features. "What on Earth are you going on about?"
He gestured wildly at the screen. "Randall! You have a crush on Randall!"
Regina went very red at this, which only confirmed his suspicions. "…you're being ridiculous."
"No I'm not. You start blushing whenever he comes on screen!"
"Well I can't help it, he reminds me of you. Also his voice sounds really sexy in French," she sunk into the couch, twiddling her fingers in a very girlish manner.
Aiden stared at his wife, completely confused. "How does he remind you of me?"
"You're ambitious, determined, and incredibly smooth in how you carry yourselves…not to mention the scales."
"…scales?"
"Yes darling. Scales. Or have you forgotten that I fell in love with you when you still had them?"
He stared at her with utter disbelief on his handsome face, which only served to make her more uncomfortable than she already was.
"And for the record: he's a chameleon, not a lizard…now will you stop looking at me like that and say something?"
She was certain that his response would be outrage, which left her unprepared for what happened next.
Suddenly, she found herself pinned against the couch cushions while her husband claimed her mouth with his own, initiating a kiss that soon left her breathless and dizzy with want.
Regina stared up at Aiden as he slowly pulled away, teasing at her lips for a moment more before allowing her to attempt to regain her breath.
"Okay…not the response I was expecting," she managed, her chest heaving as she panted for air.
He chuckled from low in his throat. "My love, you just compared me to a villain in a Disney film. There can be no higher honor as far as I'm concerned."
She raised an eyebrow. "You do realize that most parents would consider that a great insult?"
He just laughed richly. "Well we're certainly no ordinary parents, my dear."
"True," she draped her arms over his shoulders as he settled comfortably against her. "I'm just glad that you're not mad at me."
"Why would I be mad at you?" he slipped his hand under her shirt, caressing over her stomach and startling a gasp out of her.
"Are you kidding me? You just made a huge deal about me having a crush. A crush!"
"That was just my possessive side acting on instinct," he shrugged. "I want to be the only man who has a place in your heart."
Her expression softened and she tilted her chin so she could nuzzle her nose against his. "Trust me…you do. A crush is just a crush. And besides he's a cartoon. Not much competition if you ask me."
Aiden smiled warmly and dipped down to kiss her again.
His other hand began to inch up her thigh, exposed by the short length of her skirt: his touch filling Regina with all-too-pleasant warmth.
She hissed softly at the contact of his skin against hers and pulled back from the kiss to give him a look. "Need I remind you: our daughter is sleeping two rooms away from us?"
Aiden just smirked. "Then we'll just have to be quiet."
Her eyes sparkled with challenge, and she drew him down to her as their lips met again.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The next morning:
"Mommy? Daddy?"
Regina's eyes flew open to find Cassie standing next to the couch, staring at her parents.
It would have been an incredibly awkward situation had Aiden not had the foresight to cover them both with a blanket.
If their daughter found anything unusual about the sight of them curled up together, shoulders bare and hair tousled hopelessly, she didn't make note of it. Instead she just gazed at her father plaintively. "I'm hungry."
Aiden, who was wide-awake by this point, nodded rapidly and gestured towards the kitchen. "Go on ahead sweetie. Daddy will make you pancakes."
Cassie beamed at him and skipped off.
Regina's head fell back against Aiden's chest as she sighed in relief, glad that her child was too young to understand certain things.
Her husband glanced around at the floor, his eyebrows furrowing. "…as soon as Daddy figures out where Mommy threw his pants…"
She just burst into laughter and did her best to help him search.
The End