Regina was less than satisfied when she returned home.
Her visit to Storybrooke's only optician had not gone the way she had hoped. She had originally scheduled an appointment with doctor Whale in the hope to get some eyedrops because she had noticed her eyes would turn red and start to sting a bit when she was tired at night.
Doctor Whale had sent her to the optician, and the optician's diagnosis had been crystal clear:
Regina was straining her eyes and needed glasses.
Reading glasses, more specifically, but Regina was still appalled. Glasses? Her? No, surely, she wasn't that old yet, was she?
Obviously, she had tried to argue with the optician and suggest they tried some eyedrops to see if it had any effect, but the optician had brushed that aside and said that the only thing that would help was glasses. She needed them. Regina was squinting, the optician claimed. Regina was straining her eyes when she read or worked on the computer. Getting glasses was the only solution, and it would make a world's difference.
Regina found that to be pretty defeating. She had always connected glasses with old age, and to think that she had reached that stage in her life was just...
No. Regina refused to think of that.
And maybe just maybe, she would also refuse to get those damn glasses. Maybe she would just buy some over the counter eyedrops at the pharmacy and try that instead. Maybe the optician was wrong. Maybe the eyedrops would help.
Regina shrugged her coat off and wiped her shoes on the doormat. Glasses. Glasses.
"There is nothing wrong with my eyes," she muttered to the silent house.
The house agreed with her.
Regina grumbled under her breath as she went into the kitchen. She needed coffee and she needed it right now.
Glasses. Regina could not picture herself wearing glasses. Not that there was anything wrong with glasses, but they were simply not for her.
Definitely not.
"Squinting..." Regina muttered to herself. "I am not squinting. My eyes are fine."
She expected the silent house to agree with her again, but this time, the "house" talked back to her:
"Are you talking to yourself, mom?"
"No, of course not," Regina quickly denied. "I knew you were here, Henry."
"I'm pretty sure you didn't," Henry snickered as he emerged from the living room.
"Of course I did."
Henry wisely ignored that. "So, what's wrong with your eyes?"
"There's nothing wrong with my eyes," said Regina. "You just heard me say so, didn't you?"
"Isn't that a note from the optician though?" Henry asked and nodded to the scrap of paper in Regina's hand.
Regina immediately crushed the paper in her hand. The optician had been "kind" enough to scribble down her next appointment and then given her the note. Next appointment. Maybe she wouldn't be showing for that next appointment.
"It's just a prescription for some eyedrops," Regina lied and threw the scrap of paper into the trashcan. "Nothing to worry about."
"Right. You are totally wearing your lying face," Henry said as he opened the trashcan and fished the scrap of paper out.
"Henry!" Regina protested.
But it was too late. Henry was already unfolding the scrap of paper and reading what the optician had scribbled down.
Regina groaned. It was definitely miss Swan's doing that Henry was so curious.
"Reading glasses," Henry said.
"Storybrooke needs a new optician," Regina snipped.
"I don't think we do though," Henry said as he smoothened the wrinkled paper and put it down on the kitchen table.
"But I do," Regina said firmly and went over to make coffee. "Do you want a cup too?" she asked her son.
"Always," Henry nodded.
"Coming right up then."
"You know," Henry said as he approached Regina. "It's just glasses."
"I don't want to hear it, Henry."
"It is," he continued. "It's not the end of the world."
Regina scoffed. Perhaps not, but it's definitely a sign that I'm getting older, and I don't like that one bit.
"Maybe you've been needing glasses for many years without knowing it?" Henry said.
Regina narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you implying that I've been old for many years?"
"No," Henry huffed. "God, mom, that was not what I meant."
"I hope not."
"All I'm saying," Henry continued. "Is that maybe you have been squinting for a while without noticing that you did?"
Regina chose to ignore the truth in that statement. "The optician is wrong. Next time I'm going to Boston, I'm getting a second opinion."
"Or you could spare yourself the trouble and get some glasses." Henry deadpanned.
"Absolutely not. Coffee's ready," Regina said and thereby closed the subject.
She quickly poured two cups of coffee. One for herself, and one for Henry.
Henry sighed gravely as he took a sip of the hot beverage. "Would you rather talk about Lola then?"
"Lola?" Regina echoed. "What about Lola?"
"Well, I was just down at the animal shelter to visit her. She still hasn't found a home."
"That's a pity," Regina said and nursed her own cup of coffee. "I don't understand why you and Ella don't adopt her."
"And I don't understand why you don't adopt her," Henry shot back.
"I don't have time for a dog, Henry."
"Sure you do," Henry scoffed. "Going to the town hall is just a lame excuse. You could work from home if you wanted to."
Regina ignored that. "I'm going to Mauritius with Laura in three weeks. I can't exactly bring a dog with me to Mauritius, can I?"
"Ella and I could take her while you were away," Henry suggested immediately. "And we could watch her every time you're in Boston. Or you could bring her with you. Yes! I'm brilliant! Laura would love that."
"Ever so full of ideas," Regina said and rolled her eyes as she took another sip of her coffee. "Suppose Lola lost her memories every time we crossed the town line? Imagine all the training I would have to do then."
Henry scoffed again. "Crossing the town line is harmless now. I know that as well as you do, mom. You're just making excuses."
"No, I'm not."
Henry ignored that. "Lola loves you. Why can't you just admit that?"
"I don't have time for a dog, Henry."
"Yes, you do."
"No, I do not."
"Yes, you do!"
"Stop contradicting me, young man, or I'll ground you," Regina warned.
Henry bursted out laughing, and after a minute or so, Regina did the same.
"Good luck with that," Henry snickered.
A little while after Henry had left, Regina decided to treat herself to a nice, long bath to drown the "long day" she just had.
It would take more than just a hot bath to get over the fact that she had to get reading glasses, but never the less.
She went upstairs, and after some consideration, she flicked her wrist and made her laptop appear on the little stool next to the bathtub. Who knew, maybe she was gonna need the laptop. One could never be too sure.
She rubbed a spot on the back of her neck before starting to shed her clothes. She had slept funny last night, and the result was a crick in her neck.
Regina dumped her clothes in the hamper basket and made a mental note to herself about remembering to do the laundry tonight. She had been putting it off for far too long already. The laundry couldn't wait another day.
Not wanting to wait, she cheated shamelessly and used magic to fill the tub with both hot water and bubbles. A nice bubble bath. This was exactly what she craved right now.
She got in the tub and quickly ended up in bubbles to her shoulders. As relaxed as she felt, a part of her was still annoyed.
Glasses. That was definitely not the outcome she had hoped for.
I'll get a second opinion when I'm in Boston, she vowed to herself. She didn't care that Henry found it silly. She would. She didn't believe that silly optician one bit. No. It was better to get a second opinion somewhere else. Much, much better.
Regina leaned back in the tub and closed her eyes. She would just have to try and settle for that.
"Blong".
Regina's eyes snapped open at the sound. She should probably check and see what that was about, right?
She quickly wiped her hands a little on the towel hanging next to the tub, god forbid she should drip all over the laptop. Then she shifted slightly in the bathtub, so she could reach the laptop from her position in the bath.
[Regina has logged in]
Laura: Hey! Found you :P
Regina's chuckles filled the otherwise quiet bathroom.
Regina: I wasn't aware that you were looking for me?
Laura: You weren't answering your phone.
Regina frowned. Oh, right. Her phone happened to be downstairs.
Regina: Sorry about that, my cellphone is currently downstairs. And on silent.
Laura: No need for an apology, I was not in the middle of blaming you ;P
Regina: Right then.
Laura: So? How did it go at the optician?
Regina grinded her teeth slightly. Now she was sort of regretting that she had told Laura about that appointment. She couldn't exactly lie about the outcome.
Regina: I'm afraid it didn't go as I had hoped.
Laura: Why not? Didn't they have the right eyedrops?
Regina: It's worse than that.
Laura: Okay? Should I be worried.
Yes, absolutely, Regina thought to herself and pursed her lips as she tapped in an answer.
Regina: You should be terrified. The optician said I need reading glasses.
Regina cursed quietly to herself. Seeing it in written words was somehow even worse than hearing it out of someone's mouth. It made it more real, so to speak.
Laura: Are you serious?
Regina cringed.
Regina: Yes, I'm afraid so.
She sent the message and then waited for one of Laura's quick responses, but when it never came, Regina took the opportunity to pour out her heart.
Regina: I am officially old. Needing glasses is usually when things goes downhill. Next thing I know I'll start to find grey hairs everywhere, and then I'll get new wrinkles, and you'll officially be dating an old lady.
Laura: asdgfhghjj!
Regina frowned. That was a new one. And it didn't make a wink of sense to her.
Regina: Excuse me?
Laura: Sorry, that was just my visible excitement.
Now Regina was really frowning. That didn't make sense either.
Regina: Excitement at what, exactly?
Laura: Seeing you in glasses, obviously!
What? I'm confused, Regina dully acknowledged.
Regina: How can that be even remotely excitingly?
Laura: Because you're hot.
Regina: O...kay? You've lost me.
Laura: Then let me explain it to you good and properly, Ms. Witch: you are going to look absolutely SMASHING in glasses.
Regina scoffed.
Regina: Smashingly old.
Laura: Nope. Smashingly HOT.
Regina: I doubt it.
Laura: I don't. Imagine this: You, wearing one of those damned "tight pencil skirt and blouse"-uniform, AND your new glasses.
Regina: Something I'd prefer not to imagine, to be honest. The question is, why am I imagining it, exactly?
Laura: Don't you get it? You'd totally look like a very hot teacher.
Regina frowned. She could honestly say that she hadn't thought of that, and she couldn't really see the appeal in it either.
Regina: And so what?
Laura: Well... Let's just say, I've, uhh... Had a few teacher fantasies about you.
Regina's eyebrow rose. Oh. Ohhh!
Regina: Have you now?
Laura: Absolutely. I've had more dirty teacher fantasies about you than I can count.
Regina: I see. And did I... Teach you anything valuable, then?
Laura: Let's just say... You're a very good disciplinarian ;)
Regina wetted her lips slightly and smirked just a tiny bit.
Regina: I've always appreciated discipline.
Laura: Phew, it's getting kinda warm in here...
Regina: It is?
Laura: Yep, definitely warm. Any chance you're free to skype?
Regina looked at her surroundings and grinned slightly.
Regina: That depends entirely on where you are. Are you in public right now?
Laura: No, I'm not. Why?
Regina's grin widened.
Regina: Because my current state is not meant for anyone. Except you.
Laura: Okay, now I'm intrigued. And fortunately enough, at home. Wanna skype?
Regina: Yes. Always.
Laura: See you in a bit then.
Regina: See you.
[Laura has logged out]
[Regina has logged out]
Regina closed the chat site and logged into Skype instead. It didn't take long before the little Laura icon appeared as well, and then...
[[Laura is calling you...]]
Regina quickly pressed "accept call" and switched on her microphone and webcam. A moment later, Laura's freckled, beautiful face appeared on the computer screen.
"Hello," Regina smiled and offered the camera and Laura a slight wave.
Laura's blue eyes widened dramatically, and she instantly put a hand over her heart as she mock swooned. "Be still, my beating heart."
Regina snickered. "I told you. I'm not decent for a public skype call right now."
"No, you are entirely not decent," Laura smirked. "Do me a favor and lean back a little?"
Regina laughed wholeheartedly at that. "Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?"
"Yes. Yes, I would," Laura said dead seriously. "You look good in bubbles, Ms. Mills. Or should I say Ms. Teacher?"
Regina laughed again. "So, you're not appalled by the fact that I'm getting reading glasses?"
"No," Laura scoffed. "I'm turned on by the fact that you're getting reading glasses."
Regina took a moment to mull over that. "Glasses. Who knew you liked that?"
Laura leaned back, and Regina caught a glimpse of her lime green wall. "You in a pair of glasses? What's not to like?" the younger redhead asked rhetorically.
Regina offered a light shrug. She still had some trouble with imagining it.
"When are you getting them?" Laura asked curiously, and then, smirking: "make sure to send me lots of pictures."
Regina laughed dryly. "I was actually considering to get a second opinion in Bos-"
"Yes!" Laura interrupted, and fist pumped the air. "You should totally do that. And then let me help you pick out your new glasses!"
"You are very excited by this, aren't you?" Regina said and grinned a bit.
"Hell yes," Laura said plainly. "So, will you? Let me help you, I mean?"
"Yes, I suppose so," Regina said. "I trust your taste."
"Awesome!" Laura grinned.
Regina chuckled lightly. She felt a bit better about the whole getting glasses thing now.
They steered the conversation elsewhere. More than once, Laura made Regina laugh by leaning forward and blowing into the microphone, claiming that she was trying to "re-arrange" some of the bubbles in Regina's bathtub. And then Regina gave in to temptation and teased her girlfriend just a little by shifting slightly in the bathtub, offering Laura sneak peeks of her body, but nothing more than that.
Laura pouted adorably. "You're sadistic, babe."
"Mmm, I know," Regina grinned and adjusted slightly again. Just for Laura.
"You're killing me," Laura groaned.
"Let's hope not," Regina teased and ran a finger through her hair.
"I'm coming to Storybrooke," Laura said plainly.
Regina laughed lightly. "You somehow managed to make that sound like a threat, dearest."
"That's because it was," Laura said and mock sneered as she curled her fingers into claws. "I'm coming to get you."
Regina mock shuddered. "I'm absolutely terrified, sweetheart."
"As you should rightfully be," Laura said. "I'm gonna haul you right out of that bathtub and throw you onto the nearest bed."
Regina flashed her girlfriend a crooked smile. She wouldn't have minded if Laura did just that.
"Or maybe just onto the floor," Laura continued. "Whatever I'm in the mood for."
"The floor, really?" Regina said and feigned being horrified. "Laura Edwards, I'm a queen. And queens doesn't get thrown onto the floor."
"Let's make you the exception for that rule then," Laura drawled. "First time for everything as they say. We can add it to our bucket list."
"We do not have a bucket list," Regina pointed out.
"Sure we do," Laura said briskly. "I've just made one for us."
"Have you now?" Regina said and chuckled bubbly.
Laura's blue gaze landed on the tattoo on Regina's wrist. "That really suits you," the redhead smiled. "And it's healed nicely, I see."
"It was a bit itchy at first," Regina said and glanced at the feather on her wrist. "But now it's coming along nicely."
"Planning on getting more tattoos?" Laura asked cheekily.
"No, of course not," Regina scoffed. "I think one is quite enough."
"It's an addiction," Laura warned sweetly. "You'll want more."
"We'll see," Regina said overbearingly. She was not getting any more tattoos.
They chatted on, and after a while, Regina was stupid enough to accidentally bring up Lola the dog. Laura was appalled that no one had adopted the dog yet, and she too suggested that Regina took the dog in.
Once again, Regina firmly denied that and claimed that she didn't have time for a dog, but the excuse was beginning to sound a bit hollow, even to her. It was two in the afternoon, and she was laying around in the bathtub doing nothing. She had plenty of time.
"You sometimes say that it's boring doing paperwork at the town hall," Laura said.
"I might have mentioned that, and so what?"
"Well... If you adopted Lola, you could bring her with you to the town hall. It would be less boring."
"A dog at the town hall?" Regina said. "I'm not sure that's even allowed."
Laura scoffed. "You're the fucking mayor. Make it be allowed."
Regina mulled over that. She supposes she could actually do that.
"But dogs are messy," she tried.
"You have magic." Laura stated plainly. "Makes it pretty easy to clean, right?"
"Dogs jumps into your bed at night," Regina said firmly.
Laura laughed wholeheartedly. "And what's wrong with that? That sounds pretty wonderful to me."
Regina scowled at her girlfriend.
"It would be awesome if you got a dog," Laura said plainly. "She could keep you company. I hate when we're not together, and if you had Lola, I'd know you weren't alone."
"I'm not alone, Laura I have my family right he-"
"And," Laura continued and interrupted her completely. "You could bring her with you to Boston every time you visit me. That would be awesome! Oh my god, I would love that so much!"
Regina pursed her lips.
"You, me and Lola," Laura said dreamily.
"I suppose I could go and visit her at the animal shelter..." Regina mused.
"Yes. Do that!" Laura said and flashed her a beaming smile. "Today."
"Today?" Regina echoed and blinked a little. "No, I don't think it'll be today. Maybe tomorrow. If I have time."
"Of course you have time," Laura said and sniggered. "And speaking of that, think you could find the time do re-arrange some of those bubbles now?"
"Maybe," Regina teased sultrily. "If you're being really good..."
"Of course I'll be good, teacher," Laura purred.
Regina smirked. "The real question is, how good do I have to be to make you unbutton that shirt of yours?"
Laura flashed her a rather toothy grin. "I'm sure we could come to some sort of arrangement, Ms. Mills."
"Excellent..."
To Be Continued...