It was just supposed to be a normal day. Both of the sorcerers woke up thinking it would be like any other day. But what they didn't know, was that young Henry and his father, Baelfire, had decided to prank them both.
"Hey, Mom!" Henry greated, running into the kitchen.
"Good morning, Henry!" Regina said in a sweet, motherly voice that she saved just for Henry.
"Umm, I have something to tell you," the boy said nervously.
"You didn't set someone's house on fire, did you?" the queen asked, only half joking.
"Nuh-uh, Grandpa wants to see you. He says he needs to talk to you," Henry informed.
"David? What does he want?" Regina asked curiously.
"No, the other grandpa," her son informed.
"Rumplestiltskin wants me to come talk to him?" Regina asked incredulously.
"Yes."
"Where?"
"His house."
"When?"
"Right now."
"What?!" Regina shrieked.
She teleported, clearly agitated, to his front door, and knocked.
Rumplestiltskin came downstairs to make himself breakfast, expecting to be alone. He didn't see his mischievous son hiding behind the counter.
"Ha!"
"Baelfire Gold, you couldn't scare me if you made the world stop spinning in the middle of the night. You've been trying since the age of four, I merely got used to it," Rumplestiltskin said.
"Stick in the mud," Baelfire grumbled.
"What brings you by this morning?" the sorcerer questioned.
"I have a gift and a message for you," his son said.
"Oh yes?"
"Regina's coming by today to talk to you."
"Indeed?"
"Mhmm."
"Well, that's wonderful news. And the gift? It wouldn't happen to be a sword, would it?" Rumplestiltskin asked.
"Depends, would you be stabbing yourself, or her?" Baelfire asked experimentally.
"I'm undecided."
"The gift is not a sword, it's a picture," the thief smiled, handing over the picture.
It was a picture of Baelfire, Rumplestiltskin, and Henry all holding ice cream cones and smiling. Little did the sorcerer know, the frame was enchanted. As soon as Regina was in the house, her and Rumplestiltskin would be stuck until Baelfire and Henry let them out. Rumplestiltskin put the picture on the ledge above his hearth.
"It's perfect," he said.
After a few more words exchanged between the two Baelfire left, smirking. His father had no idea what the day had in store for him.
There was a knock at the door and Rumplestiltskin went to open it.
Rumplestiltskin opened the door to her as she stared at him angrily. Regina had to admit, no one wore suits quite like him. He had a black suit jacket and black trousers with black socks. He wasn't wearing a waistcoat today so she could clearly see his silky red button down and patterned crimson tie. And darn her if those gold armbands didn't surface in her mind, because the queen thought they looked sexy as heck. She would, of course, never let him know she thought that.
"Are you coming in, Your Majesty?" Rumplestiltskin asked mocking politeness.
"Of course, if you get out of the way," Regina snarled.
He moved out of the way and she stepped in as he closed the door, unknowingly trapping them both. Regina took off her shoes and stood there in her bare feet, not really sure what to do next.
"Would you like some breakfast?" Rumplestiltskin asked.
"Always the gentleman, aren't you?" Regina snarked.
He raised his eyebrows in question.
"Sure," she decided.
They walked into the kitchen and Rumplestiltskin began preparing pancakes and bacon.
"So. . . how are things with Henry and the Charmings?" he asked.
"Sickenly sweet, as always. But it's worth it, for Henry," Regina answered.
"Sickeningly sweet I can agree with. Snow White actually offered me a cookie yesterday, with sugary pink frosting," agreed Rumplestiltskin.
"Anything for Henry, though. The dinners are getting less awkward I suppose," the queen reasoned.
Rumplestiltskin set two plates, two glasses, a plate of pancakes, a plate of bacon, and a pitcher of apple juice on the table. He then pulled a chair out and gestured for Regina to sit in it.
"Apple juice?" Regina questioned.
"I know you prefer it to orange juice," Rumplestiltskin offered.
"Well. . . thank you," she said, unsure of what to make of the act of kindness.
She wasn't sure how to take it. As him saying he pays attention, or as him saying he knows her. Both seemed equally daunting, so she just settled for thanking him. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask why he invited her, but Regina decided to just eat the food and wait.
From the moment Her Majesty stepped foot in his house, he was on pins and needles. As much as they opposed each other, only a blind man could say she wasn't attractive. Her "professional" clothes may have looked expensive, but that was never what caught his eye. After all, he was the one to teach her about the power of seduction, he knew when she was using her body to her advantage. Her tight, silver skirt and crisp white tank top were just her way of playing Queen in a town where her adversary had more power. Without her jacket and shoes, she looked almost at home. It gave him some length of comfort and made him feel fuzzy inside for some reason, but he quickly shook it off and led her to the kitchen. He made breakfast while trying to ignore the urge to stare at Regina. He could honestly get used to her looking so at home, but he buried that thought deep in his mind and refused to acknowledge it. While they ate breakfast, it was on the tip of his tongue to ask Regina why she wanted to talk to him, but he decided to wait.
Once they finished breakfast and cleaned the dishes, they stood there awkwardly.
"So, why did you want to talk?" they burst in unison.
Rumplestiltskin and Regina gave each other confused looks.
"Henry said you needed to speak with me," Regina informed.
"Bae said you needed to speak with me," Rumplestiltskin said.
"Well, clearly the boys were up to something," she guessed.
"Let's go ask them what," he suggested.
When they went to open the door, they found they couldn't get out.
"That sneaky little miscreant," Rumplestiltskin murmured.
"What?"
"Bae. He was here this morning, he must've done something," he growled.
They went to his living room and sat in silence for a moment.
"Why do you think they would trap us in your house?" Regina asked irritably.
"Perhaps they wanted the town destroyed," Rumplestiltskin quipped.
"Perhaps," Regina considered.
"You know, maybe this is a good thing," he said.
"And why would that be?" the queen asked angrily.
"We are constantly clawing at each other's throats. Now would be a good time to get everything off our chests," the sorcerer said conversationally.
"I suppose. We have nothing better to do," Regina agreed.
"Okay. How did you feel about me while I was teaching you magic?" Rumplestiltskin asked.
"I yearned for your approval, and I thought you were the best teacher ever for accepting who I was. If only I had known," she answered bitterly.
That comment stung him more than she would ever know.
"Did you ever feel anything while you were turning me into your monster?" Regina asked.
"Yes. I didn't want to rid you of your innocence. I felt so much guilt, but I wanted my son. Also, I was angry at Cora. It hurt me to ruin you, but I needed my monster," Rumplestiltskin admitted.
The sincerity in his eyes burned her soul and made her want to cry. Had he really felt so bad?
"Did you enjoy having me as an adversary?" he asked with a coy smirk.
"Very much so. Did you enjoy it?" she shot back.
"More than you could know."
"How could you imprison Belle?" Rumplestiltskin asked suddenly.
She had left him for a thief months ago, but he was still angry about what his apprentice did.
"How could you lie about Daniel?" Regina shot back.
"You told me she was dead!"
"You hired someone to give me false hope!"
"You threw my failed love life in my face!"
"How could you toy with my emotions the way you did?"
"How could you?"
They were both standing, faces inches apart, and tears streaming down their faces.
"How could you hate me so much, Rumple?" Regina asked through her tears.
"Oh, Regina, I never hated you," Rumplestiltskin said sincerely, his face wet with salty streaks.
Before either of them knew what was happening, Rumplestiltskin had pushed Regina up against the wall and his lips had come crashing down on hers. After getting over her initial shock, Regina kissed back with twice the force. Her tongue hit the seam of his lips for just a second, clearly expecting him to refuse, but he opened his mouth to her as he steadied himself by grabbing her hips. She slipped her tongue into his mouth as her hands came to rest in his recently cut hair. The kiss was amazing, and they kissed until they had to come up for air.
"I love you, Regina. I've fought it, denied it, avoided it, and try to ignore it. But God above bless my broken soul, I love you."
"And I love you, Rumplestiltskin. I've tried to pretend I don't, but Hades have mercy on me, I do."
"Told you it would work!" Henry exclaimed.
"Yah, you did, buddy," Baelfire said, ruffling his son's hair.